INTERVIEWER:
Greetings, friends! Paying our respects to Shantikunja Ma Pampa Tara, we are starting today's episode. I welcome the new viewers and thank the old friends of the Guru Santosh Shyama Khapa YouTube channel. Greetings, Gurudev!
GURUDEV:
Greetings, son.
INTERVIEWER:
Gurudev, many people take initiation and receive a Mantra (Japa) from you. Similarly, across India, people take initiation from various temples and gurus. Can one achieve spiritual perfection (Siddhi) simply by chanting this Japa?
GURUDEV:
Well, Pritam, there is a saying: "Success through chanting" (Japath Siddhi). One becomes "Siddhai"—a term derived from Siddhi, meaning a perfected being. This perfection can be achieved through both Dhyan (meditation) and Japa (chanting). Meditation and concentration are vital; you can't just meditate without a clear focus or visualization of the deity. Japa is the same—regular chanting leads to perfection.
GURUDEV:
However, there are specific requirements. For instance, some mantras require 432,000 repetitions to attain Siddhai. But you can't just do a little today and a little tomorrow. You must maintain a strict schedule. Time management is crucial. If you sit at 8:00 AM today, you must sit at 8:00 AM every day—not a minute earlier or later. It is believed that God arrives at that exact moment to accept your chanting. If you cannot chant due to illness, you should ask for God's forgiveness and promise to resume when you are able. But generally, the timing (Khon) must be precise.
INTERVIEWER:
So, as long as one hasn't reached Siddhi, they must strictly maintain that timing?
GURUDEV:
You won't be the one to say you've reached Siddhi, and God won't whisper it in your ear either. It is other people who will recognize you as a Siddha Purush (perfected soul). People will notice your deeds and eventually say, "You are like a God; you are a perfected being." God won't come down to announce it; people will recognize the divinity in your work.
GURUDEV:
Have you heard of Gopinath Kaviraj? He is currently in Gyanganj. He gave several instructions regarding Japa. First, maintain the exact time (Khon). Second, never use the index finger while chanting, as it represents aggression or malice. Third, the prayer beads (Mala) should never touch the ground. Fourth, Japa should be done mentally—the lips and tongue should not move. Chanting requires a calm and steady mind. Without mental stillness, the chanting is ineffective.
GURUDEV:
Many people come to me for initiation, and I tell them plainly: "Simply taking initiation from me won't make you a Siddha." You have to do the work yourself. Often, people just want to brag that they were initiated by Shyama Khapa. We saw this during the time of Balak Brahmachari (Ram Narayan Ram). He had nearly 300,000 disciples and would initiate people just by whispering in their ears. But after he passed away, his followers scattered because they lacked the personal discipline of the practice.
INTERVIEWER:
Gurudev, when someone achieves Siddhi through chanting, do they feel any physical sensations?
GURUDEV:
No, they won't feel anything specific like a "burden." If you feel it as a burden, then it's over. God doesn't let you feel the weight of it. Even if you achieve Brahmattwa (God-realization), you won't realize it yourself. It is a profound and impossible thing to describe. Others—those who understand these spiritual matters—will be the ones to recognize your state.
GURUDEV:
It’s like the story of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Once, a man carrying a staff entered the temple grounds, even though entry was restricted. When the guards tried to stop him and beat him, Ramakrishna came down and said, "Don't touch him; he is a Brahmaghna (one who has realized Brahman)." Only someone of that stature can recognize another's spiritual state.
INTERVIEWER:
You mentioned Gopinath Kaviraj and the importance of the auspicious time (Khon). But some say we can chant while walking or moving about.
GURUDEV:
Chanting while moving (Ajapa) is a higher state that comes after one has achieved a level of perfection. For beginners, sitting in one place at a fixed time is essential. You should finish your primary chanting in the morning sitting before God, and then you can continue chanting as you go about your day. But you cannot skip the disciplined sitting.
INTERVIEWER:
Is the initiation mantra the same as a "Seed Mantra" (Beej)?
GURUDEV:
Yes, the Beej is the root. Without the seed, there is no chanting. These are mantras of the Mother or various Deities. General mantras like "Om Namah Shivaya" can be said by anyone, but specific Beej mantras must be practiced with discipline. I tell my disciples that if they can't do it properly, they should tell me, and I will do it on their behalf. But if they can, they must follow the timing and method I’ve instructed.
GURUDEV:
Some people jump straight to using Rudraksha beads without purifying their hands. To offer anything to God—be it food, clothing, or chanting—one must be pure. I have a bit of a disagreement with the way ISKCON followers do it; they often chant with their beads in a bag while moving around, without that initial purification.
GURUDEV:
I knew Sheetol Maharaj, who is now in Canada; he left Belur Math because he wasn't satisfied. He was a good man and even gave me a garment that I still have. But as I said, Gopinath Kaviraj—who was a Bharat Ratna and a Dean at Benares Hindu University—was the one who truly explained these solutions in his writings. He is a god-like figure to us.
INTERVIEWER:
Well, friends, on this beautiful evening, I asked Gurudev whether perfection can be achieved through Japa. He has given his insights, which might make some feel hopeful and others perhaps a bit discouraged by the discipline required. We conclude here for today. Greetings, Gurudev!
GURUDEV:
Greetings.