“The Meaning of Puja”. Brighton (England), 19 July 1980.

Now for puja, one has to understand that without Realisation, puja has no meaning, because you are not ananya. Is, you have to become aware of your whole.

Krishna’s description of Bhakti is ananya. He says, “I will give you ananya bhakti”, He wants ananya bhakti, means when there is not the other, means when we are realised.

 

Otherwise He says “Pushpam, phalam toyum” (Bhagavad Gita verse 26)  “A flower, a fruit and a water: whatever you give me I accept” But when it comes to giving, He says, “You have to come to Me with  ananya bhakti,” means: when you have become one with Me, then you should have the devotion, not before that. Before that, you are not connected.

 

Now puja is the left hand side projection. It’s the neutralisation of the right side, very much. Specially for people who are very right handed, atmosphere which is very right handed, puja is ideal for them. Is the bhakti, is the devotion…that you project.

 

Now what happens actually when you project this puja?

 

It has been found out, and now as I am telling you, that first you have to awaken within you the Deities that are still asleep, by worshipping them. But as these Deities, Primordial Deities, are with Me, you worship Me, and every Deity in Me is awakened, by which your Deities are awakened.

So first, your vibrations must improve, to receive. If the reception is not good what’s the use of any puja or projection? So first of all we, sort of, prepare our instrument, or prepare our projecting instrument. That preparation is done by praying to different Deities, as we call that: a Kundalini puja. By praying to My Kundalini you improve your reflection. Because then the vibrations from Me start flowing into yours and they awaken it. This is the projection as far as you are concerned.

Once the instrument is alright, then you project outside. And now how do you project? By worshipping the Goddess as the Protector of the whole Universe, praising Her different attributes, even Her Face, Her Hands, everything has a meaning. Praising Her Powers. By saying that, by repeating that, you echo in your projection Her Powers, and then your projection becomes that powerful. It’s a very subtle happening that takes place, it’s miraculous. These things look so simple, like just like washing my Feet. Simple thing is washing my Feet. Now see these Feet, I don’t know if you see, the whole Universe I see there and I really get stunned by them.

 

When you wash My Feet, what do you do? Actually, My Feet have been working very hard. And then you put a little water to soothe them, to suggest that you can feel the effort put in by these Feet. And a kind of a very sweet, melodious love flows out of these Feet there.

Like today I was coming, and I suddenly saw Paul (Winter) standing. Same thing happened to me. See, what a care it is, what an understanding, “Mother is coming, She should not be lost!” Just that, and the thing started melting. Because this love who understands everything, doesn’t want anything, but is only excited if there is somebody to receive the love. Now how do you say you are going to receive? By expressing these small-small things.

So when you soothe My Feet, wash Them, clean Them, you know what They mean: you recognise. That recognition, how are you to show? You see, these ceremonies, little ceremonies are important because they express your recognition. It could be absolutely dull, dead and finished, and it could be absolutely living, if you know why you are doing it.

 

Then you apply some oil and things [to] again soothe My Feet. Just say, “Mother, You have worked very hard, Your Feet have worked very hard.” Just saying that itself, I mean makes no difference otherwise, if you say in a very rational manner, but to that Love that are these Feet it makes a very big difference. There is sweetness: a little thing, a little baby just puts her hand on her mother’s cheeks, you see, just to express the gratitude, and the mother’s heart starts jumping with love. It is a very reciprocal behaviour, it’s very subtle and that kind of a subtle working is fixed already: it works that way only.

The more you love from your heart, the more the joy will be there. The more you are rational and more mental, there won’t be so much joy. It should be [that] first of all your cleansing is important but the projection should be towards your Mother, that is the height. Once you achieve that height, then you become all-powerful, and then you can give to others. But that giving is nothing but is a very, very, as I told you is a very mutual and absolutely reciprocal. Because the Devi knows about you, everything. If you are trying anything else, She knows and She will also tell you frankly that this should not be done, that should not be done, should not be done, clearly, so that you do not be under any misunderstandings about it. But still, to work it out, you must know it has to be reciprocal, it cannot be one-sided. The sincerity cannot be one-sided, it has to be both sides, then it works out better. And a kind of a homogeneous feeling with that Love comes in, sort of a lubricant, a beautiful feeling of movement within yourself comes in.

Puja really is the triggering thing, it triggers you. It triggers you into another realm, it’s really miraculous. Once you have done the puja then you can project out, much more, in your silence only. Your silence itself becomes so powerful. Now in this special case of our Western lives, we have to established our innocence, very important, it is the first thing that is attacked, innocence is attacked by so many things. So we have to established our innocence. And innocence is the most powerful thing: it doesn’t see anything bad, it doesn’t see anything wrong, it doesn’t see anything…It loves, just goes on loving, innocence. A child doesn’t know that the mother hates the child. The child doesn’t know if anybody hates. In innocence they live. And then they suddenly discover sometimes, they are shocked, how people are! They don’t love! They don’t love.

So Ganesha is very important for the Western countries, very important, because that’s the essence of everything, I think, that’s the most essential thing. That’s why we worship Ganesha first. And Ganesha was created first of all, because He is the eldest son, He’s the first son. He’s the eldest brother you have, and though Kumara (Kartikeya) is treated as an elder brother always, while Ganesha calls Himself as a younger brother, though He was the first created! Because He remains young always, never grows. So in a way, He’s always younger to you also. It’s a very, very subtle understanding: a very young little thing is so much wiser. He is wisdom. Can you imagine a little baby is so intelligent. A little baby so wise? Much more, He’s like a grown-up little baby, a very matured, wise, little baby. So by age, you are always older than Him, but by wisdom, He is the eldest.

Then like this you should understand how we evoke all the Deities within us by doing these small things, by saying Their mantras. Because now you are awakened, every word you say is awakened now, is siddha mantra. On this Guru puja I’m really going to give you the way of how to do the siddhartha is the establishment of the siddha. To master. To master every chakra and every deity bestowed upon it. To master it, how to do it, I will tell you this Guru puja no doubt. Going to work it out.

But this puja is to be done with full understanding, and with full recognition that it’s a great fortune. Even the Devas are jealous of you, all the rishis are jealous of you, so many people are jealous of you. The greatest advantage for you, greatest fortune. Make full use of it. And they are very simple things that can please, very simple. You know your Mother can be pleased with very, very simple things. It’s like that only. It’s how much heart you have put into it, is the point.

I think tomorrow we should have the puja, today we have understood about it. It is more to be felt and understood and realised than to be thought about. Because you’ll go into thoughtless awareness. It is more source of triggering.

For example, I think I’ll ask Hari (Jairam) to give the miracle we had yesterday, would be [a] good idea. On our way we were coming, from…he was losing his way throughout, and Regis (Camille) was navigating him (laughter) so we were all lost!

But then we had a miracle while coming back: there was in M1 (road) a complete jam and miles together we could see there is no movement. And suddenly, within two minutes, what happened, what I told him, and how he worked it out. Hari has a problem you see, I think Felicity (Payment) has the same mad problem. Where is she? Is she there? Yes? You see, like, to get after everything, to do it… Now he thought that I have told that you put your attention inside. Now he has a slope in his left side, as she has too, and when you do it too much inside, you go on the slope. So Hari being a wiser person in this respect because he’s not been a psychologist, he does not do that much, but Felicity does that, is to go over do it. I mean she goes down very very deep into her subconscious. While Hari understands there’s something’s going wrong. I never said that you get after anything.

 

Now, “put your attention inside” means: if you get Realisation by that. If you don’t get Realisation, there’s something wrong somewhere, you have lost your way, that’s the main point is. So I told Hari that, “You don’t put your attention inside because you go on the slope, your car is such that it doesn’t go the other way round, it goes into the slope, doesn’t go to the heart. So best thing is that now you [should] become active outside and forget about it (the inside). And after some time you’ll receive a balance.” I said “At this point..” Now he was trying to worry about the traffic. The other Mr. ‘Navigator’ (Regis) was also busy worrying about it! So I said, “Now, just now, you do not pay any attention anywhere, you just project outside and think of everyone, how we are going to get them realised” Only I said like this, and he started doing it. I said, “You never see the trees, you never do this” And then what happened? You tell. Within 2 minutes time? Everybody, Chaya (Camille, Regis’ wife) was there, all of them. Suddenly they found that the whole M1 (road) was empty and they were rushing fast, you see. There was not, hardly one or two cars. The whole M1 was emptied, absolutely! And they did not know how it happened. Just they were there. And none of the things that we were going….

Ray Harris: Was that yesterday afternoon on the M1 Mother?

Shri Mataji: Not today, yesterday

Ray: Yesterday. Because I was on a coach there, and we were in the traffic jam.

Shri Mataji: Means you were in the traffic jam! (laughter) The whole traffic jam

Ray: We were 1 mile from the exit and it stopped dead. And then we stayed there and suddenly it cleared and there were no cars! (laughter)

Shri Mataji: Suddenly the whole thing cleared up! And suddenly, and they realised, and they didn’t know how it cleared up. He speeded the car, I said “How?” He said, “The car, I don’t know” and all the things that were in front of us, and all that, God knows where they disappeared [to]!  Such huge big things and on the sides and this and that. Nothing! This is what is maya that upsets you. Project yourself outside.

There was another experience I told these people was this: that there were two journalists, one Mr. Marathe and a friend who are Sahaja Yogis, and I went to the journalist’s association, they had a meeting. And there is another one who told Me, “No, no Mother I have complete faith in You because there was a miracle that happened to a friend of mine, Marathe, who is a Sahaja Yogi.”

I said, “What happened?” He said they were coming, by, from Poona down to Bombay, and their brakes failed, and the slopes, you see, on the ghats (mountains), it moves very fast. And suddenly they saw a huge big truck coming up, with all the lights on top, and they didn’t know how to control, and they were about to dash out. Just they closed their eyes and they said, “Now, Mother, save us!” And suddenly they found that the car had crossed the thing, and the thing was moving upwards, the truck was moving. They didn’t know, as if somebody had picked up that car and put it on the other side.

So these miracles can work out in case you project yourself out. But for projecting outside, first you should be cleansed inside. But for that also, all the time if your attention [is like this -] “where am I catching?” Then you go onto rationality. “I must be catching because of this, I must be catching because of that.”

I have told you hundred times not to say ‘why’. Give up this word ‘why’. “Why am I catching?” It will settle down. This maddening must go away! You cannot answer ‘why’ of anything in Sahaja Yoga, can you? “Why did I meet you?”, “Why did you get Realisation?” Ask hundred questions, two hundred, three hundred, five hundred – you will not have any answer! So give up that. It’s not your rationality, it’s the Grace, it’s the whim of the Grace that’s working it out! What are you trying at? Just ask for the Grace. Finished!

 

It’s silent. It works out.

This is maddening! You’ll become mad people. This is the greatest madness that people want to know why of everything. How can you understand? You don’t have that chitti to understand it. “[Mother] Can you explain?” How can I?  If you make a little ant understand human civilisation and this dirty politics you play it may understand. But you cannot understand ‘why’ of God. This is the relationship. So now, you give it up asking questions like that. It’s too tremendous for this rationality. “Why God is doing? How He does? What are His powers?” Only thing [you can do] as scientists, you note down – “Yes, it is so, yes, it is so, yes it is so.”  Verify it and note down. Only your awareness is changed from the scientist, that you can see subtler working. But why it works? That’s His whim! He’ll do what He likes! Who are you to question God? How can you question God? Just give up asking this question ‘why’ and you will feel very much better. “It is God, you see, He does it!” This is what is faith. Not the blind, but real [faith], with understanding.

I have told you this story of My grandmother many a times, as she used to tell Me about faith, and which I have repeated to you so many times, but again I’ll repeat it today: There were three people at different places, and one man was going to see God. So they came to know about it. So one of them was in the forest, standing on his head, doing all kinds of yogas and things like that, and praying to God – must be with both hands towards Him, and soaking the feet, may be – like mad, you see, and asking, “Why don’t You meet me? Why don’t You meet me? I want to meet You! why don’t you meet me?”

And the man who was going to see God went through that side, and He said, “Now please go and ask Him why don’t You come and see me? You better come and see me, Why don’t You do it?” So he said, “Alright, I’ll come, I’m sorry” He had become thin, you see, absolutely thinned down, condition very miserable. He said, “Alright, I’ll go and tell God about you.” So, then he went up to God, no, no, before that. Then he met another type who was sitting on the street, and will be at the street side, and he said, “Oh! I heard you are going to meet God?” He said: yes, he is going to meet God. So he said, “Then communicate one small little thing.” He said, “What?” He said that, “Just tell Him I have had no food, please send me my food now, I’m hungry.”

He said “What?” “Yes, you just tell Him that much.”

So he went up. He saw God. So God asked, “Did you meet some people on your way?” He said, “Yes, I met a horrible one who is all time saying ‘Why not? Why this?” And “Why?”, “Should I do it and should I not?’  And this and that, is going on. So, will You go and meet him? He’s asking.” He (God) said, “No, better tell him to do it little more, you see… still he has to do. He requires more effort. He won’t be satisfied. Till he gives up his efforts, let him go on.” I mean he would have become mad like that. But now God says, “Alright, let him go ahead! What to do? If you tell them, they don’t want to listen, so let them go ahead.” Then he said, “Then I met another mad fellow, who was on the street, he said that ‘ I’m hungry, ask God to send some food for me. Please ask. Tell God that I’m hungry.’ ”  He (God) said, “Really?” He called all His managers He said, “Please send his food. Have you not yet arranged his food and all that? Please arrange it.” He was quite surprised. He said, “What is this? This man is just telling ‘I’m hungry’, and God is so much worried about this fellow and not worried about the fellow who is standing on his head and asking such a lot of questions to God.”

So God knows everything, so He told him, “Now, alright you are going down, you just tell them one story to both of them, and see their reactions, and then you will know.” So He told him a story. “You tell them that, ‘I went to God and saw there, God passing a camel through the eye of a needle.’ ” and he said, “Really?” He said, “Yes, you go and tell them.”

So he came down. This fellow was still on his head. He came back, “What did God say?” He said you have to go on still for some time.” He said,  “Oh! Really? Well all glory to God!” He said, “Yes, he said so.”  He said, “Really?” Then, “Did you see something special there?”  He said, “Yes, I saw that He passed a camel through the eye of a needle!”  He said, “No, no, don’t tell me stories! How can it? Such a big camel! How can it pass through the eye? After all it’s impossible! It is impossible! This is impossible! You are just now trying to befool me. Because you have been to God you think you can befool me. No, no, I cannot take it, no, I cannot take it!”

So he went to another fellow, he was nicely eating his food. He said, “Yes! I knew, you see, I just told you because you asked me if you have to tell you anything, I knew God will send my food and everything. I’m quite alright.” He said, “Did you see anything wondrous there?”  He said, “I saw the wonder of wonders, miracles of miracles, that God passed a camel through the eye of a needle!”  He said, “What is so miraculous? He is God! He’s God Almighty! What? He can pass even Universes after Universes through that hole! What is it for God? He is God Almighty don’t you understand God Almighty? Because you have met Him, you think He’s nothing! Because you did it so easily, you think He’s nothing! Because He behaves like [that] you think He’s nothing! He’s God Almighty! So what? to Him, what is it?” Then he realised.

This is Faith. That is what is enlightened within you with puja. Not your rationality which is brought down actually quite a lot. So with this idea, tomorrow, we’ll have the puja, alright?

May God Bless You.

Sahaja Yogi: Jane just started labour, for the baby.

 

Shri Mataji: Has started? Good, good, good. It will work out. In Jane’s case she never wanted a baby – big problem, you see. Funny ideas about children are developing in this horrible country, which is so shocking, so shocking.

 

I mean the mother is the one who should have feelings. Every day you read such horrible stories about these mother’s. Can’t imagine! They can be so cruel? The more I read about these things, one can’t understand. How can they be cruel? I mean if you hear a little thorn has gone into the feet of a child your heart starts melting, you know.

 

Innocence, is attack on innocence. The whole country is after innocence. Is old men running after young girls, all this is attack on innocence. I mean, extremely satanic, very satanic forces are let loose. They are attacking all the children of the world and everything.

 

Yogini: Would You like some tea, Mother? Would you like some tea?

 

Shri Mataji: No, but I think we’ll have food. Better to have food. I’ve got some food for you. Heat it up and I hope you’ll like it.

 

Now. Got something for her.

 

Can you imagine where people are killing their wives, their husbands? Yesterday, today, My husband was telling Me there was a case where a wife was killed and was put in the fridge, deep freeze. Can you imagine? And then Peter (Pierce) told another story that a lady delivered her child in the loo and left the child [to] die there. I mean, this kind of people can you imagine? They have only sex-love and a sort of dirty feelings for others, they have never good, pure feelings for anyone else. What should you say to such people? I just can’t understand. Very destructive. Satanic. You see but there must be something satanic in people to accept such satanic things.

I mean I cannot think of one case in India – one case – where a mother could kill the child. One case I cannot think. Even if it’s a illegitimate child she would not like to kill but others may like to finish it off. That’s different, but she would not. I mean just can’t think of such a thing. Unbelievable! Unbelievable. They are so egoistical, so foolish. Donkeys they could be only. At the most donkeys are like that, I think, that’s why Christ rode on the donkeys.

Donkeys, are they egoistical? I don’t think so, they are not. Moreover they are not also full of hatred, donkeys are not full of hatred. They are stupid people. You see, somebody must bully them then they are alright. The bullying starts like this: a French bullies English, I have seen it, puts them down. French think they are higher than the [English]. See the gradation is in the opposite direction. They think that the English are lower; I think definitely English are better than French as far as evolution is concerned, but the French have put them down.

Yesterday I met – there was one Bangladeshi who was going back to Bangladesh. He says, “Many have gone from here. People don’t know how many have gone; if they write it down they’ll be amazed, because they are fed up.” And funny, funny things, you see he told Me, he lived with four types of neighbours and he got so fed up with them. First neighbour he lived with, you see, he said that, “He had a daughter and I had a daughter of the same age, 14 years of age. And he [the Englishman] said ‘Why shouldn’t we exchange our daughters, you see, for lovemaking?’ “ He got so angry and he ran away. Shri Mataji laughing: How can he? This was the first thing. Then the second one was, he said that, You see, his daughter was – little nausea she had or something. She’s just 14 or something. So she went to the doctor and doctor said, “Did you – have you start giving her [contraceptive] pills and things, you see?” This upset him absolutely then. Like that he gave Me four horrible instances, the two others I cannot tell you to what extent it is. He said, “I’m not going to live in this country.”

 

I mean, they are just like stud-bulls going round, I tell you – horrible. And the women I don’t know what to call them! What is the parallel? (laughing) Hawkers? Or what? The Hawks? What do you call the other side?

 

Yogini: Hookers.

Shri Mataji: Hooker? Hookers.

Yogini: They get paid for it.

Shri Mataji: Ha?

Yogini: They get paid for it.

Shri Mataji: They get paid for. Yes they get paid for.

Shri Mataji: At least they can have a date and have some nice food somewhere in the Chinese. (laughing). Selling their chastity for cheap things. Different community altogether.

 

It’s a very nice picture, eh? There’s only a Radha and Krishna both together in One Being.

 

You have got of My eyes in many of My photographs. Some of these are.What is this one about? Really terrible.

 

Ramadan, you see. Yesterday I must tell you, where is he? (Djamel) Yesterday Ramadan. Yesterday these Muslims came in, you see, they were waiting for 8 [O’clock], something time, you see? And then they started drinking like hell, I mean they drank so much of (laughter). By the way why did they do it? In the daytime what happened? What is the story?

 

Djamel Metouri: Why do they do it?  What do they do during the daytime?

Shri Mataji: No-no-no-no no, no, why – what is the story, why did they fast?

Djamel: Well it’s for the Koran, the Prophet Mohammed decided that every year there should be a time when all the people should fast to keep all their ? at bay.

Akbar: To keep all the attentions at bay.

Shri Mataji: They should fast – what…?

Yogi: They should fast for one month because they have for at least one month in a year to keep away, You know, temptation from drinking and… Because at the time they were very licentious, You know they used to –

 

Shri Mataji: Dining and wining!

Djamel: Well they do still, but at the time they were much more.

Shri Mataji: They used to drink like anything. So He said, “You better fast for one month, because He thought if you put one month, at least for one day they will do it. (Laughter)

 

You see this is how, you have to put an extreme case, you see? But people say that, “Why they put an extreme case?” Because, you see if you put an extreme case then at least symbolically you’ll do for one day or half a day. That was the reason, you see, because they never believed in fasting. They used to eat, gluttonous people, you see, horrible! They were living in tribes and very much eating, all the time attention was on eating.

 

Djamel: It was not just that, You see all men should not eat salt anywhere, You know I mean –

Shri Mataji: That all will start there.

Djamel: And you mustn’t listen to anything harsh from people

Shri Mataji: This was only for His disciples.

Djamel: He was trying too, Mother, and to look at –

Shri Mataji: -women – adulterous eyes. That they all do!

You see, at least He must have thought that, “Give one month a trial, the whole year you can’t do. So, one month give a trial like that,” you see so He said, “Alright, try for one month.” (laughing) But they can do fasting, is alright, and then when did he say that, eat in the morning and eat in the evening?

Djamel: Yes, it’s said that you must fast from dark to –

Other yogi: Dawn to Dusk.

Djamel: Moonrise, I mean.

Shri Mataji: But they eat with vengeance at both the times!

Djamel: But they do in the night, they eat…

Shri Mataji: …with vengeance, you see, so everything is put upside down., Why He said it because, you see, all these systems were for his disciples.

 

They would do Namaz for five times, He thought that He might be able to achieve the Realization part of it, you see. So He said, “All right, for one month, let’s have a course like that.” See they went on a course, sort of thing, “Let’s work it out.” And that thing has become a pattern now that they fast. It’s all nonsense, it’s madness.

 

Djamel: Mother I think it must be very good, if someone is going to meditate, You know, but for one whole month it’s a lot.

Shri Mataji: See, if they are paying attention to their food only, waiting for the time to come to drink it’s nonsense!

Djamel: That’s what they do.

Djamel: But people go extreme You see even when they’re weak person. A person should be able to stand it. But they still do it. And they end up in hospitals and when they die they’re considered as martyrs.

Shri Mataji: What do they say?

Djamel: You know it’s supposed to be very good to die in Ramadan. (laughter)

Shri Mataji: Imagine.

Djamel: And if there is a war you must be right in front line.

Shri Mataji: Yes, like in the war you are dying. That’s a war in a way, because you war against your weaknesses, war against your habits and things, it’s true, no doubt! But that is a regular stuff, which one has to do, but that’s not done, it’s something very different, you know.

Djamel: Crazy people live today, You know.

Ray Harris: But You know, Mother, Jewish Rabbis decide that it’s blasphemy today that you are trying to achieve union with God.

Shri Mataji: Who says blasphemy?

Ray Harris: Jewish, a Jewish rabbi, Mother.

Shri Mataji: Is it?

Ray Harris: And it said in the paper that we should only do His commandments, to become part of God is blasphemy.

Shri Mataji: Aah, this is…

Ray Harris: That’s what he said, Mother. So we never aspire to achieve part of God that..

Shri Mataji: Because then his salary will go away.

Ray Harris: Because it’s a silly eastern religion.

Shri Mataji: Actually this is what happened with somebody who had come there, he says that, “I don’t believe in Shankara.” He’s a South Indian he said, “I don’t believe in Shankara, because he believes in Advaita,” – that is “Becoming one,” you see. Advaita – ‘Dvaita’ is two, ‘Adwaita’ means “not two”. “I don’t believe in Shankara’s Advaita, I believe in dvaita, I want to remain myself, I do not want to get united with God, I want to remain myself. Why should -”  I said “Which part of you that doesn’t want to become with God?”, He said “Not my ego,” I said, “How are you sure?”

 

You see, this is the trick of the trade is. That’s how they are going to continue. That’s why they don’t want to be one with God. Because if they have to be one with God, then these in-between religions will disappear, isn’t it. (laughter) The agency will be losing its powers!

End of tape

 

Reading of Devi Mahatmyam before Shri Mataji’s talk on The meaning of Puja. Brighton, UK – July 19, 1980

 

Shri Mataji:…You have to conquer this war, how? Because this is our war.

 

Loudly. Very loud.

 

A Yogi reads from Chapter 3 & 4 of Devi Mahatmyam:

1-2. “Then Ciksura, the great asura general, seeing that army being slain (by the Devi), advanced in anger to fight with Ambika.

3. That asura rained showers of arrows on the Devi in the battle, even as a cloud (showers) rains on the summit of Mount Meru.
4. Then the Devi, easily cutting asunder the masses of his arrows, killed his horses and their controller with Her arrows.
5. Forthwith She split his bow and lofty banner, and with Her arrows pierced the body of that (asura) whose bow had been cut.
6. His bow shattered, his chariot broken, his horses killed and his charioteer slain, the asura armed with sword and shield rushed at the Devi.
7. Swiftly he smote the lion on the head with his sharp-edged sword and struck the Devi also on Her left arm.

 

Shri Mataji tells some people where to sit.

 

8. O king, his sword broke into pieces as it touched Her arm. Thereon his eyes turning red with anger, he grasped his pike.
9. Then the great asura flung at Bhadrakali the pike, blazing with lustre, as if he was hurling the very sun from the skies.
10. Seeing that pike coming upon Her, the Devi hurled Her pike, which shattered his pike into a hundred fragments and shattered the great asura himself.
11. Mahisasura”s very valiant general having been killed, Camara, the afflictor of Devas, mounted on an elephant, advanced.
12. He also hurled his spear at the Devi. Ambika quickly assailed it with a whoop, made it lustreless and fall to the ground.
13. Seeing his spear broken and fallen, Camara, full of rage, flung a pike, and She split that also with Her arrows.
14. Then the lion, leaping up and seating itself at the centre of the elephant”s forehead, engaged itself in a hand to hand fight with that foe of the Devas.
15. Fighting, the two then came down to the earth from the back of the elephant, and fought very impetuously, dealing the most terrible blows at each other.
16. Then the lion, springing up quickly to the sky, and descending, severed Camara”s head with a blow from its paw.
17. And Udagra was killed in the battle by the Devi with stones, trees and the like, and Karala also was stricken down by Her teeth and fists and slaps.

 

Shri Mataji: …Devas, you see? Even they are useless sometimes.

 

18. Enraged, the Devi ground Uddhata to powder with the blows of Her club, and killed Baskala with a dart and destroyed Tamara and Andhaka with arrows.
19. The three-eyed Supreme Isvaari killed Ugrassya and Ugravirya –

 

Shri Mataji corrects: Ishvari said with stress on the “Ish”, Ugrasya said with stress on the “ya.”

 

Yogi continues:

 

“…and Mahahanu also with Her trident.

20. With Her sword She struck down Bidaala”s head from his body,

 

Shri Mataji corrects: Bidala stress on “Bi.”

 

Yogi continues:

 

“…and dispatched both Durdhara and Durmukha to the abode of Death with Her arrows.

21. As his army was thus being destroyed, Mahisasura terrified the troops of the Devi with his own buffalo form.
22. Some (he laid low) by a blow of his muzzle, some by stamping with his hooves, some by the lashes of his tail, and others by the pokes of his horns.
23. Some he laid low on the face of the earth by his impetuous speed, some by his bellowing and wheeling movement, and others by the blast of his breath.
24. Having laid low Her army, Mahisasura rushed to slay the lion of the Mahadevi. This enraged Ambika.

 

Yogi realizes he has been leaving out the middle “s” in “Mahisasura” but struggles to get it right, Shri Mataji helps the yogi to say “Mahishasura.”

 

25. Mahisasura, great in valour, pounded the surface of the earth with his hooves in rage, tossed up the high mountains with his horns, and bellowed terribly.
26. Crushed by the velocity of his wheeling, the earth disintegrated, and lashed by his tail, the sea overflowed all around.
27. Pierced by his swaying horns, the clouds went into fragments. Cast up by the blast of his breath, mountains fell down from the sky in hundreds.
28. Seeing the great asura swollen with rage and advancing towards Her, Chandika displayed Her wrath in order to slay him.
29. She flung Her noose over him and bound the great asura. Thus bound in the great battle, he quitted his buffalo form.
30. Then he became a lion suddenly. While Ambika cut off the head (of his lion form), he took the appearance of a man with sword in hand.
31. Immediately then the Devi with Her arrows chopped off the man together with his sword and shield. Then he became a big elephant.
32. (The elephant) tugged at Her great lion with his trunk and roared loudly, but as he was dragging, the Devi cut off his trunk with Her sword.
33. The great asura then resumed his buffalo shape and shook the three worlds with their movable and immovable objects.
34. Enraged thereat, Chandika, the Mother of the worlds, quaffed a divine drink again and again, and laughed, Her eyes becoming red.

35, And the asura, also roared intoxicated with his strength and valour, and hurled mountains against Chandika with his horns.

36. And She with showers of arrows pulverized (those mountains) hurled at Her, and spoke to him in flurried words, the colour of Her face accentuated with the intoxication of the divine drink.

The Devi said:

37-38. “Roar, roar, O fool, for a moment while I drink this wine. When you are slain by me, the Devas will soon roar in this very place.”

 

Shri Mataji: The wine doesn’t mean fermented wine… today. Ha.

 

Yogi continues:

 

“The Rishi said:

39-40. Having exclaimed thus, She jumped and landed herself on that great asura, pressed him on the neck with Her foot and struck him with Her spear.

41. And thereupon, caught up under Her foot. Mahisasura half issued forth (in his real form) from his own (buffalo) mouth, being completely overcome by the valour of the Devi.
42. Fighting thus with his half-revealed form, the great asura was laid by the Devi who struck off his head with Her great sword.
43. Then, crying in consternation, the whole asura army perished; and all the hosts of Devas were in great exultation.
44. With the great sages of heaven, the Devas praised the Devi. The Gandharva chiefs sang and the bevies of apsaras danced.

Here ends the third chapter called “The Slaying of Mahisasura”

 

Shri Mataji: Read that little bit, when he’s been slain verses.

 

He’s again born, you know that, everyone.

 

Yogi repeats the requested verses:

 

“The Devi said:

37-38. “Roar, roar, O fool, for a moment while I drink this wine. When you are slain by me, the Devas will soon roar in this very place.”

The Rishi said:

39-40. Having exclaimed thus, She jumped and landed herself on that great asura, pressed him on the neck with Her foot and struck him with Her spear.

41. And thereupon, caught up under Her foot. Mahisasura half issued forth (in his real form) from his own (buffalo) mouth, being completely overcome by the valour of the Devi.
42. Fighting thus with his half-revealed form, the great asura was laid by the Devi who struck off his head with Her great sword.
43. Then, crying in consternation, the whole asura army perished; and all the hosts of Devas were in great exultation.
44. With the great sages of heaven, the Devas praised the Devi. The Gandharva chiefs sang and the bevies of apsaras danced.

 

Shri Mataji: Now the second part is the Devas praise then the Devi. That’s a very good one. Read it also, Marcus.

 

“The Rishi said:

1-2. When that most valiant but evil-natured Mahisasura –

 

Shri Mataji: Rishi’s the, what you call, Rishi’s the one who is relating the story.

 

Yogi continues:

 

“When that most valiant but evil-natured Mahisasura and the army of that foe of the Devas were destroyed by the Devi, Indra and the hosts of Devas uttered words of praise, their necks and shoulders reverently bent, and their bodies rendered beautiful with horripilation and exultation.

3. “To that Ambika who is worthy of worship by all Devas

 

A child cries and Shri Mataji asks: Can you take the child out a little for a while? At the back, you see? You can sit beyond Linda, would be good idea. Alright? When the thing will be over then you can bring the baby in. Ha. Hm.

 

Yogi continues:

 

“To that Ambika who is worthy of worship by all Devas and sages and pervades this world by Her power and who is the embodiment of the entire powers of all the hosts of Devas, we bow in devotion. May She grant us auspicious things!

 

Shri Mataji: Did you hear that? “Embodiment of all the powers.”

 

Yogi continues:

 

4. “May Chandika, whose incomparable greatness and power Bhagavan Vishnu, Brahma and Hara are unable to describe, –

 

Shri Mataji: Hara is Shiva.

 

Yogi continues:

 

“…bestow Her mind on protecting the entire world and on destroying the fear of evil.

5. “O Devi, we bow before You, who are yourself good fortune in the dwellings of the virtuous, and ill-fortune in those of the vicious, intelligence in the hearts of the learned, faith in the hearts of the good, and modesty in the hearts of the high-born. May You protect the universe!

 

Shri Mataji: This is a prayer.

 

Yogi continues:

 

6. “O Devi, how can we describe Your inconceivable form, or Your abundant surpassing valour that destroys the asuras, or Your wonderful feats displayed in battles among all the hosts of gods, asuras and others?
7. “You are the origin of all the worlds! Though You are possessed of the three gunas You are not known to have any of their attendant defects (like passion)! You are incomprehensible even to Vishnu, Siva and others! You are the resort of all! The entire world is composed of an infinitesimal portion of yourself! You are verily the supreme primordial Prakriti untransformed.
8. “O Devi, You are Svaha at whose utterance the whole assemblage of gods attain satisfaction in all the sacrifices. You are the Svadha which gives satisfaction to the manes. Therefore You are chanted (as Svaha and Svadha in Sacrifices) by people.
9. “O Devi, You are Bhagavati, the supreme Vidya which is the cause of liberation, and great inconceivable penances (are the means for your realization). You (the supreme knowledge) are cultivated by sages who desire liberation, whose senses are well restrained, who are devoted to Reality, and have shed all the blemishes.

 

Shri Mataji: See. That’s why very few people stick on to Sahaj Yoga. The description of sages is clear-cut.

 

Again read it?

 

Yogi repeats and continues:

 

9. “O Devi, You are Bhagavati, the supreme Vidya which is the cause of liberation, and great inconceivable penances (are the means for your realization). You (the supreme knowledge) are cultivated by sages who desire liberation, whose senses are well-restrained, -“

 

Shri Mataji: “Senses are well restrained.”

 

Yogi:

 

“…who are devoted to Reality,”

 

Shri Mataji: “Who are devoted to Reality.”

 

Yogi:

 

“…and have shed all the blemishes.

10. “You are the soul of Sabda-Brahman. You are the repository of the very pure Ri…”

 

Yogi gets tongue tied on the words “Rig-veda”. Shri Mataji asks: You are what?

 

Yogi unsure: Rishis?

 

Shri Mataji: Rishis are the people who are saints or sages.

 

Yogi:

 

“You are the repository of the very pure Rishis. sic

 

Shri Mataji: All the sages, you see they are repositories. Is all the sages.

 

Yogi continues:

 

“…and Yajus hymns, and of Samans, the recital of whose words is beautiful

 

Shri Mataji: These are Vedas.

 

Yogi continues:

 

“…with the Udgitha! You are Bhagavati embodying the three Vedas. And You are the sustenance whereby life is maintained. You are the supreme destroyer of the pain of all the worlds.

11. “O Devi, You are the Intellect, by which the essence of all the scriptures is comprehended. You are Durga, the boat that takes men across the difficult ocean of worldly existence, devoid of attachments. You are Shri Laksmi who has invariably taken Her abode in the heart of Vishnu. You are indeed Gauri who has established herself with Siva.
12. “Gently smiling, pure, resembling the full moon’s orb, beautiful like the splendour of excellent gold was Your face! Yet it was very strange that, being swayed by anger, Mahisasura suddenly struck Your face when he saw it.
13. “Far stranger is it that after seeing Your wrathful face, O Devi, terrible with its frowns and red in hue like the rising moon, that Mahisasura did not forthwith give up his life! For, who can live after beholding the enraged Destroyer?
14. “O Devi, be propitious. You are Supreme. If enraged, You forthwith destroy the (asura) families for the welfare (of the world). This was known the very moment the extensive forces of Mahisasura were brought to their end.
15. “You who are always bounteous, those (fortunate ones) with whom You are well pleased, are indeed the object of esteem in the country, theirs are riches, theirs are glories, and their acts of righteousness perish not; they are indeed blessed and possessed of devoted children, servants and wives.
16. “By Your grace, O Devi, the blessed individual does daily all righteous deeds with utmost care and thereby attains to heaven. Are You not, therefore O Devi, the bestower of reward in all the three worlds?
17. “When called to mind in a difficult pass, You remove fear for every person. When called to mind by those in happiness, You bestow a mind still further pious. Which goddess but You, O Dispeller of poverty, pain and fear, has an ever sympathetic heart for helping everyone?
18. “The world attains happiness by the killing of these (foes) and though these (asuras) have committed sins enough to keep them long in hell, let them reach heaven by meeting death eventually at the battle (with me)- thinking thus, that You, O Devi, certainly destroy our enemies.
19. “Don’t” You reduce to ashes all asuras by mere sight? But You direct Your weapons against them so that even the inimical ones, purified by the missiles, may attain the higher worlds. Such is Your most kindly intention towards them.
20. “If the eyes of the asuras had not been put out by the terrible flashes of the mass of light issuing from Your sword or by the copious lustre of Your spearpoint, it is because they saw also Your face resembling the moon, giving out (cool) rays.
21. “O Devi, Your nature is to subdue the conduct of the wicked; this Your peerless beauty is inconceivable for others; Your power destroys those who have robbed the Devas of their prowess, and You have thus manifested Your compassion even towards the enemies.
22. “What is Your prowess to be compared to? Where can one find this beauty (of Yours) most charming, (yet) striking fear in enemies? Compassion in heart and relentlessness in battle are seen, O Devi, O Bestower of boons, only in You in all the three worlds!
23. “Through the destruction of the enemies all these three worlds have been saved by You. Having killed them in the battle-front, You have led even those hosts of enemies to heaven, and You have dispelled our fear of the frenzied enemies of the Devas. Salutation to You!
24. “O Devi, protect us with Your spear. O Ambika, protect us with Your sword, protect us by the sound of Your bell and by the twang of Your bow-string.
25. “O Candika, guard us in the east, in the west, in the north and in the south by the brandishing of Your spear. O Iswari!
26. “Protect us and the earth with those lovely forms of Yours moving about in the three worlds, as also with Your exceedingly terrible forms.
27. “O Ambika, protect us on every side with Your sword, spear and club and whatever other weapons Your sprite-like (soft) hand has touched.”