Interviewer:
Gurudev, seeking peace at the feet of Ma Tara and Bamakhepa, and offering my respects to you, I begin today's episode. One of your viewers sent a question through a comment. He recently visited Tarapith, but what he saw there did not sit well with him, and he wants to know your perspective. When he went, he saw the priests (Pundas) grabbing people by the neck and forcing their heads onto the Mother's feet. Is this right or wrong?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Not at all. Why should the dust of your feet enter the Mother's room? It is not right. When someone enters your bedroom, how uncomfortable do you feel? This is the Mother's room; She resides there. Where She stays, it is not right for the dust from your feet to be present because She eats and resides there. Now, the priests will do many things for money. But you are educated; you have learned better. Perhaps it struck a chord in your mind, which is why you commented on our episode. But in your opinionâand we are educated peopleâwhy should the dust from our feet be in the Mother's room?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Her name is Tara. Whatever anyone says, She is Tara. Many people have become beggars by going to Her. Thousands come to me; they have all become beggars. Only the head of Tara remains; there is no body as such. The priests take people in and force their heads down just to get more moneyânothing else. My question is: why would an educated person do this? The Mother sits upon a stone (Sila). She sits upon the Brahmasila, where Ma Durga is said to nurse Lord Mahadev. That stone is there. Some say it came from Assam, some say Tibet, some say Chinaâthere are many opinions.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Anyway, Bamakhepa always said one thing: "Never look at that stone. If you look at it, you might go mad. And if you touch it, you might go blind." Perhaps the power of that stone has diminished now because so many people touch it; it has lost its original essence. Nevertheless, Ma Tara sits on that Brahmasila. No one should look at it, let alone touch it; it can make a person go mad or blind. Bama Baba said this repeatedly. But people don't listen; they think going to Tarapith is some grand event. They go shouting "Jai Tara, Jai Tara."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Actually, you are doing nothing. To go to the Mother, you must go as a beggar child. "I have come as a beggar child, Mother, have mercy on me. Give me some alms, Mother." That is how one should go. But the way I see people goingâthey have no humility. Taking pictures, falling all over the Motherâthey think they are doing something great. But in reality, they do nothing but accumulate sins from Tarapith. You went to Tarapith, but you brought back a pile of sins. You should see the Mother from the outside and leave.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, you are speaking from the perspective of the devotees. But the priests are the ones providing that opportunity.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
They need money! What do the priests understand besides money? Do you think they wear those gold chains for no reason?
Interviewer:
True. So, both sides are at faultâthe priests and the visitors.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Exactly. The visitors do it for a day and go home with a thousand sins. But the priests also suffer the consequences. Many priests have come to me to be initiated. They have admitted to many things and taken items from meâamulets and such. I tell them, "You are at the feet of Ma Tara; what is your sorrow?"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The truth is, the Mother has no body; only the head exists. At night, they remove the head and keep it in a locker. They remove the garlands and everything else. There is no other structure. She sits on that stone. She has no lap, no feet, no hands. Only that much is the Mother. But Her name is Tara. We say, "The one with the slanted eyes is Tara." Because Her eyes are slanted, She is called Tara. From Vashishtha to Bama Baba, who hasn't attained enlightenment through Ma Tara? People go there and do whatever they please. They go as if they are going to hunt a tiger, shouting "Tara, Tara." The Mother becomes dissatisfied, not satisfied. Those who do these things bring back a lot of sin. They face the consequences later and then come to people like us, asking, "What happened to me?" They go and light incense and candles on the funeral pyres. Why? Why do you need to offer incense on a pyre where a human body is being burned?
Interviewer:
Gurudev, recently when we went to Tarapith with you, we also made a mistake. Those performing the rituals there were handing us coins or items. They took money in exchange. When we came back and told you, you scolded us. Now I understand why. You said if we took those things home, we would be ruined.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Exactly. There is no doubt about it. I tell everyone: these new practices have started, and people think they are doing something amazing by taking items from a funeral pyre. In the end, they just bring home sin. Then they complain, "My business is gone, my property is gone." You should go to Tarapith as a beggar child. "Mother, I am a beggar child, give me some alms." You should go with your head bowed, not held high. The attire used to be modest, but now it has changed. I go only because Bama Baba is there. Otherwise, I wouldn't go. I don't even go to Kalighat. I once told the Mother at Kalighat that I wouldn't even come to her doorstep to urinate because of the oppression there.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, only a realized soul like you can say such a thing. Common people cannot, as you have seen the Mother and attained siddhi.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
You can say that. We might scold the Mother, but we also have deep love, devotion, and respect for Her. Now, inside that room, it is Ugratara. But there are seven other Taras. Many don't know where they are. There is Vajra, Nitya, Ekjata... their positions are within that area. Ekjata is in the cremation ground. Ugratara is inside. There is also Nil Saraswati and Nitya. People don't even know this.
Interviewer:
Because people don't know, they are moving in the wrong direction.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
If you play with a bomb thinking it's a ball, it will explode and you will die. Why do these things without knowing? You should know that She is Tara; She consumes everything. So many people come to me after being ruined. They used to go to Tarapith every new moon, performing Havans and Yagnas. Where is that Tarapith now? I tell them, "Why have you come to me? Go to Ma Tara."
Interviewer:
When people realize they made a mistake, they come to you for forgiveness and help.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
What can I do? You brought the sin; now suffer it. You went to the great cremation ground of Tarapith and performed rituals in the names of living people. Now whatever happens, happens. In a few days, it will be "Hari Bol" (funeral). They don't know the Mother. They don't know what She is. That is why they do these things. You must go as a beggar child. She can change everything overnight.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, another question: before offering worship to Ma Tara, do we need to worship at any other temple?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
It is said repeatedly: "First Bama, then Tara." First, go to Bamakhepa's temple, offer worship, take the dust of his feet, give him a garland. You don't even need to give to Tara; giving to Bama is giving to Tara. If you pull the ear, the head follows. If you worship Bama, the Mother will come. Sit there, meditate if you can, and then go for the Mother's darshan. Not before. First Bama, then Tara. Not the other way around.
Interviewer:
When we went with you, you went to Bama Baba's temple in the morning and stayed near the Samadhi. Then at 3:00 PM, you went to worship the Mother.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I will not visit the Mother without visiting Bama first. This is the rule. First Bama eats, then Tara eats.
Interviewer:
Regarding the Brahmasilaâa viewer mentioned they heard it shouldn't be looked at, but unfortunately, they saw it. Will it cause them harm?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I am only saying what Bama Baba said. They say looking at the stone makes one insane and touching it makes one blind. Why do I need to see or touch it? The priests show the stone at 8:00 PM. The power of the stone has decreased because of these sinful actsâtoo many people touching it. Do you know that at night, light emanates from that stone? The whole room lights up. Who are they showing what to? We don't even enter the Mother's room.
Interviewer:
I've seen that; you didn't enter even when you were with us.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Very rarely. Perhaps if someone asks me to fan the Mother with a Chamar, I go in, do it, and come out. I am afraid.
Interviewer:
I've been with you twice, and you never entered the inner sanctum.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There is no need. Tarapith itself is the field of Tara. She is everywhere there. There is no need to go inside and touch her. The consequences can be terrible. Tara is everywhere in that place. See her from a distance. Talk to Her from a distance; She will hear you. Look at what is happening today with COVIDâall doors are closed. Ma Tara has closed Her own doors. Kalighat is closed, Tarapith is closed. Who will you pray to now? Mother has turned her face away because of so much sin. People are suffering the consequences, and then they come to us. Those who go to Tarapith often bring back sinâif they don't do it themselves, the priests make sure of it.
Interviewer:
So, if we follow your way of visiting, we won't accumulate sin. But if we follow the priests or our own whims, we will.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
How else will the priests get money? If you don't touch the Mother, will you give them money?
Interviewer:
It's better not to go then. If I have to sin just to give money to the priests, it's better to just see Her from a distance.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That is what people should do. But then what will the priests eat? They have this habit of pushing people just for more money. But the Mother is just the head. Nothing else. No hands, no feet, no waist. She sits on that structure.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, today, by offering my respects to Ma Tara and Bamakhepa, and to you, I end this episode. Pronam.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pronam.