Narrator:
(Sound of a conch shell blowing)
Devotee:
Pranam, Guru Dev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam, my son.
Devotee:
Here at your Shantipur Ashram, we see many people coming to you from early morning with various problems. You listen to them and do whatever is necessary to solve their issues. Among these problems, a large portion of people believe that someone has harmed them or performed some kind of black magic (tuk-tak) on them. Because of this, they feel they are failing in their work and facing constant misfortune. In this age of science, how do you explain this phenomenon?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Well, you see, half the people who come here immediately claim they have been hit by a "spiritual arrow" (baan mara). Just yesterday, a lady came saying she was cursed with a baan. I told her, "If you were truly hit by a baan, would you even be alive?" She was convinced she was cursed, but when I examined her, I saw she simply had arthritis in her knee. She couldn't walk properly and assumed it was black magic. Two other ladies arrived by car and immediately fell at my feet, crying, "Save me, I've been hit by a baan!" To a casual observer, they looked perfectly healthy.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
We often talk about ghosts and spirits. People believe these things are used to cast curses—using skulls, cremation grounds, and funeral pyres. In our view, those who practice this are dealing with Abidya (ignorance or false knowledge). They are not practitioners of true knowledge. This has no connection to God.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The word Bhoot (ghost) also means "the past." We tell people: "Don't look at the Bhoot (the past); look forward." Just like in the military, they say, "Don't look back, keep marching forward." We are our own "ghosts" in a sense, because our bodies are made of the Panchabhuta (the five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether). When we die, these elements "eat" us away until we merge back into them.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I don't believe in ghosts in the way people describe them. Sometimes people see shadows or hear noises and claim a ghost is there. There is no logical basis for this. It's like the classic logic of "mistaking a rope for a snake." You see a rope in the dark, and out of fear, you think it's a snake. This is why science forums exist—to investigate these claims. Often, they find it's just chemicals or natural occurrences.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
We believe there are three types of troubles that manifest: Bhautik (physical/material), Adhibhautik (supernatural/mental), and Daibik (divine/natural). People see ghosts when they are consumed by fear. If there's a rat making noise in the room, they claim it's a ghost.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I have lived in cremation grounds for many years, and I have never seen a ghost. People ask me all the time, "Haven't you seen one?" and I tell them no. It is a creation of the mind. In today's world, many of these issues are neurological. People come to me claiming they were cursed because a neighbor threw a flower or a leaf at their door. These are just delusions.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
These beliefs tend to grow where there is poverty and a lack of peace. When people are financially struggling and have no mental peace, these superstitions take root. I sometimes tell people to set a net to catch the "ghost," and of course, nothing ever appears.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
As I mentioned, the three troubles—Bhautik, Adhibhautik, and Daibik—are working together now. Daibik refers to things beyond human control, like storms, earthquakes, and lightning. Bhautik is what people bring to me—mental imbalances and perceived curses. Most of the time, it's a result of mental illness or neurological stress caused by financial hardship.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Regarding the "spiritual arrows" (baan), this was more common in other communities previously, but now many have picked it up. I have many Muslim disciples who used to practice this. They used skulls in cremation grounds to cast spells. When they came to me, I explained: "Why would you try to kill a person? What right do you have to destroy what God has created?" Many of them have since abandoned those practices.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
People often turn to black magic when they feel they can't get justice. They might go to the village elders, the political offices, the police, or the courts, and if they find no resolution, their anger turns into a desire for revenge. They think, "Fine, I'll go to a Tantrik and have them killed through a ritual." But this is a complete misconception. You cannot kill someone like that. God sends everyone with a specific lifespan.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I have seen many Aghoris. One group is vegetarian; they focus on Lord Shiva and don't involve themselves in these dark practices. Another group uses meat, alcohol, and fish while performing rituals in cremation grounds. They use Abidya (dark knowledge) to convince people they have power, but their main goal is usually just to make money from desperate people.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Many people go to places like Kamakhya for these rituals and come back completely broke. They tell me they spent 70,000 or 1.5 lakh rupees only to be cheated. I once had a lady tell me she wouldn't survive the next New Moon (Amavasya) because of a curse. Whether these things are true or false is hard to say, but I hear these stories constantly.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
My message to everyone is: do not be deluded. It is dangerous to fall into these traps. Stay mentally strong. No one can truly harm you if you are right within yourself. You are the only one who can ensure your own well-being.
Narrator:
(The Guru begins chanting the Surya Gayatri Mantra) Om Bhaskaraya Vidmahe, Mahadyutikaraya Dhimahi, Tanno Aditya Prachodayat...
Interviewer: Here at your Shantipur Ashram, we see many people coming to you from early morning with various problems. You listen to them and do whatever is necessary to solve their issues. Among these problems, a large portion of people believe that someone has harmed them or performed some kind of black magic (tuk-tak) on them. Because of this, they feel they are failing in their work and facing constant misfortune. In this age of science, how do you explain this phenomenon?
Guru: Well, you see, half the people who come here immediately claim they have been hit by a "spiritual arrow" (baan mara). Just yesterday, a lady came saying she was cursed with a baan. I told her, "If you were truly hit by a baan, would you even be alive?" She was convinced she was cursed, but when I examined her, I saw she simply had arthritis in her knee. She couldn't walk properly and assumed it was black magic. Two other ladies arrived by car and immediately fell at my feet, crying, "Save me, I've been hit by a baan!" To a casual observer, they looked perfectly healthy.
We often talk about ghosts and spirits. People believe these things are used to cast curses—using skulls, cremation grounds, and funeral pyres. In our view, those who practice this are dealing with Abidya (ignorance or false knowledge). They are not practitioners of true knowledge. This has no connection to God.
The word Bhoot (ghost) also means "the past." We tell people: "Don't look at the Bhoot (the past); look forward." Just like in the military, they say, "Don't look back, keep marching forward." We are our own "ghosts" in a sense, because our bodies are made of the Panchabhuta (the five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether). When we die, these elements "eat" us away until we merge back into them.
I don't believe in ghosts in the way people describe them. Sometimes people see shadows or hear noises and claim a ghost is there. There is no logical basis for this. It's like the classic logic of "mistaking a rope for a snake." You see a rope in the dark, and out of fear, you think it's a snake. This is why science forums exist—to investigate these claims. Often, they find it's just chemicals or natural occurrences.
We believe there are three types of troubles that manifest: Bhautik (physical/material), Adhibhautik (supernatural/mental), and Daibik (divine/natural). People see ghosts when they are consumed by fear. If there's a rat making noise in the room, they claim it's a ghost.
I have lived in cremation grounds for many years, and I have never seen a ghost. People ask me all the time, "Haven't you seen one?" and I tell them no. It is a creation of the mind. In today's world, many of these issues are neurological. People come to me claiming they were cursed because a neighbor threw a flower or a leaf at their door. These are just delusions.
These beliefs tend to grow where there is poverty and a lack of peace. When people are financially struggling and have no mental peace, these superstitions take root. I sometimes tell people to set a net to catch the "ghost," and of course, nothing ever appears.
As I mentioned, the three troubles—Bhautik, Adhibhautik, and Daibik—are working together now. Daibik refers to things beyond human control, like storms, earthquakes, and lightning. Bhautik is what people bring to me—mental imbalances and perceived curses. Most of the time, it's a result of mental illness or neurological stress caused by financial hardship.
Regarding the "spiritual arrows" (baan), this was more common in other communities previously, but now many have picked it up. I have many Muslim disciples who used to practice this. They used skulls in cremation grounds to cast spells. When they came to me, I explained: "Why would you try to kill a person? What right do you have to destroy what God has created?" Many of them have since abandoned those practices.
People often turn to black magic when they feel they can't get justice. They might go to the village elders, the political offices, the police, or the courts, and if they find no resolution, their anger turns into a desire for revenge. They think, "Fine, I'll go to a Tantrik and have them killed through a ritual." But this is a complete misconception. You cannot kill someone like that. God sends everyone with a specific lifespan.
I have seen many Aghoris. One group is vegetarian; they focus on Lord Shiva and don't involve themselves in these dark practices. Another group uses meat, alcohol, and fish while performing rituals in cremation grounds. They use Abidya (dark knowledge) to convince people they have power, but their main goal is usually just to make money from desperate people.
Many people go to places like Kamakhya for these rituals and come back completely broke. They tell me they spent 70,000 or 1.5 lakh rupees only to be cheated. I once had a lady tell me she wouldn't survive the next New Moon (Amavasya) because of a curse. Whether these things are true or false is hard to say, but I hear these stories constantly.
My message to everyone is: do not be deluded. It is dangerous to fall into these traps. Stay mentally strong. No one can truly harm you if you are right within yourself. You are the only one who can ensure your own well-being.
(The Guru begins chanting the Surya Gayatri Mantra)
"Om Bhaskaraya Vidmahe, Mahadyutikaraya Dhimahi, Tanno Aditya Prachodayat..."