Never Remove the Vigraha Your Forebears Worshipped

Should the old images be removed when a practitioner says the shrine must be cleared?

No — never make this mistake, whatever their psychological or other reason may be. Where trouble is taken to be diagnosed, people are often told that a particular thing in their house is worshipped and must be removed; some are told every old image must go before sadhana will work properly.

The speaker opens the session on this. It happens very often, he says, that when there is trouble at home and a person goes to someone else to have it examined, the person in front of them says that such-and-such a thing is worshipped in your house and you should turn them out of the house — and it is knowledgeable people in particular who say this. Many times, he adds, people even report that when they went to someone to learn sadhana, they were told that all the old images kept in the house would have to be removed, and only then would they be able to perform the sadhanas properly. Whatever the psychological reason behind it may be, or any other reason, this mistake should never be made.

Why does an inherited image hold more than it appears to?

Because many generations of energy have been gathered into it. Where a Shila, a special Vigraha or any Tantrokta object placed by your forebears is being served and worshipped, the japa and austerity of several generations are in it — and you never went and saw any of it.

The speaker gives the reasoning behind his refusal. Ordinarily, where a Shila or a particular Vigraha or any Tantrokta object has been placed in your place of worship by your forebears and its service and worship is performed, the energy of several generations will have been gathered into it somewhere. And when you remove it from there, you do not even have information about what it is. He takes an ordinary case as illustration: a Durga image, quite old. In earlier times such handsome images were not made; they were indistinct. Now very beautiful ones are available, so we will bring a large image and install it and remove the small one. And who knows since when it had been worshipped — from your grandfather's or great-grandfather's time, from your maternal great-grandfather's, from whenever. Know, he says, that the energy of several generations and the japa and austerity of several generations are in it. You did not go and see every one of those things; you will not have heard that some Anushthan was ever performed here.

Should a daughter take her maternal home's deity with her when she marries?

In the speaker's view she should not. Whatever Bhava she worshipped with, taking that power away empties her maternal home — she is about to become the Grihalakshmi of another house, and she would be emptying out the cause of her parents' good fortune as she goes.

The speaker names a trend he attributes partly to television serials: a woman who has worshipped an image for ten years at her maternal home, and who says at marriage that she will not leave her Kali or her Durga behind — Meerabai did not leave Kanha, she took him with her — and will install it at her in-laws' house and worship it there, because her Bhava is such that she cannot leave it. Not leaving, he says, was fine up to a level. But by his reckoning even that should not happen, and this is the truth: the power being worshipped at your maternal home, whatever Bhava you worship with, cannot simply be taken elsewhere — you would be emptying your own maternal home. Whatever auspicious power has become established there, you who are the Lakshmi of that house and are going to become the Grihalakshmi of another are emptying out the cause of their good fortune as you leave. Harm will come to the parents. And at the other end too, he says, if you gave a place there, removed what was already present, and attempted to establish your own dominance — that the right over the place of worship is mine because I worship a great deal — then the same kind of trouble will begin there as well. His distinction closes it: there is no fault in your worship and no fault in your Bhava, but there is also an arrangement of powers. Jagadamba herself is not seated there; it is her fractional powers, representing her and seated in your house in the form of Yoginis, and if you remove them a fault is bound to attach.

Does a plain stone become awakened simply by being worshipped?

Yes. Even a stone, if worshipped for five years, becomes conscious and awakened. The speaker sets Bhava against Kriya — feeling is feeling, action is action — and points out that Tantric operations seat negative powers into charcoal and pebbles precisely because small objects hold them.

The speaker gives the principle plainly: Bhava is Bhava and Kriya is Kriya. Even a stone, if it is worshipped for five years, becomes conscious and awakened. He supports it from the opposite direction. In the Tantric operations, what is done? Charcoal — cremation-ground charcoal — is taken and mantras recited over it, and negative powers are thrown into and seated in things that small, in pebbles, in objects of that size. So how, he asks, would an image worshipped by your forebears in your own house not be conscious. He points to his own Brahm Pishach Prapanch account, where he has already made clear how Laag was put into stone and how many operations were performed through such objects.

What might a plain, old household image be doing for the family?

It may be exactly why there is still increase in your house and why you are still protected. Remove it and, for all you know, it collapses. The speaker says people replace old images because they cannot be dressed handsomely — and their ruin begins there.

The speaker turns the question around. Who knows, he says — that same small image, unattractive to look at, may be the reason there is still increase in your house, may be the reason you are still being protected. Remove it, and who knows, it may all be destroyed. He identifies the usual motive for replacement: old Shri Vigrahas being worshipped are not beautiful and cannot be given Shringar, so we will bring a better one and a better Bhava will form — and, he says, your ruin begins. He insists this is not wrong but right, and that it is a matter of experience many people will have seen. So this act is not to be done, whether the image is of Bhagavati, of Shiva, of Hanuman or of anyone at all. Doing such things brings one kind of difficulty or another into the house.

Which nights should be used to perform Anushthan before an inherited object?

The Nishadhi Kaal nights held to be Tantrokta: Diwali night, Holika night, Raksha Bandhan night, the Bhadrapada Amavasya, the Chaitra Amavasya — and the eclipse period. Perform even one night's Anushthan there and something will be experienced without fail.

This is the positive instruction the whole opening argument builds to. Where a Vigraha, a Rudraksha, some Yantra worshipped by the forebears with a particular procedure prescribed, or something established such as a Trishul is present — sit before those Rudraksha or that image. The times he names are the Nishadhi Kaal, the Tantric periods: the night of Diwali, the night of Holika, the night of Raksha Bandhan, the Amavasya of Bhadrapada, the Amavasya of Chaitra — all the times held to be Tantrokta night periods. In these, perform an Anushthan of a night or so and see. Perform an Anushthan during an eclipse period and see. His claim is unhedged: you will certainly experience something there, a hundred percent. And if it is highly conscious, then experiences of such a miraculous kind will occur that a person will wonder what has happened. His conclusion for anyone seeking that particular kind of divine grace: where something worshipped and propitiated by your ancestors and the people before you has been placed, do not remove it. However it may look, perform your sadhana before them, attempt your sadhana through them — and you will get more success than you needed.

Does the Sabari Kavach require initiation?

No initiation of any kind is needed, not even Navnath Deeksha. Only one thing to note: where the Gayatri occurs once within it, do not pronounce it aloud — recite that part mentally.

The speaker answers that no Guru Deeksha and no Navnath Deeksha is required to perform the Sabari Kavach. He separates that from the case of someone wanting to advance in the Sabar field itself — one who has chosen Sabar mantras, who wishes to obtain Siddhi through Sabar, to please the deities and accomplish work through it. Such a person should perform sadhana of Bhagavan Dattatreya, the Navnath and Guru Gorakhnath, and then perform many Anushthans of the Sabari Kavach. For those without that ambition: perform a one-day Anushthan, and go on reciting the Sabari Kavach as abundantly as your capacity allows. The one procedural caution: within it the Gayatri comes once, and at that point it is not to be pronounced — recite it mentally. That is all.

Which tithi governs a night observance when Purnima falls across two days?

For sadhana you must look at the Purnima or Amavasya that actually spans the night. Where Purnima holds through the night of the 30th, the Deep Daan and every Tantrokta Anushthan belong to that night — on the following night there is no Purnima at all, so nothing done then has benefit.

The speaker addresses the recurring two-day confusion directly, and separates the two kinds of observance. For the social festival he is permissive to the point of indifference: whoever wishes to reckon by Udaya tithi may do so, he has no objection, do as seems proper to you. He notes that Purnima is undergoing Kshaya and Pratipada is falling, and that the Vindhyavasini Jayanti falls on the 1st with Dwitiya that day — so where, he asks, is Purnima being observed on Pratipada. But he leaves it: observe it by convenience. For sadhana the rule is different and he states it flatly. Where sadhana is concerned, we have to look at the Nishith-vyapini Purnima and the Nishith-vyapini Amavasya. If you wish to perform the 108-wick Deep Daan, do it on the 30th only — Purnima will hold all through that night, and whatever sadhanas are to be done are to be done that same night. He repeats it for the alternative: those who will reckon Purnima on the 31st by Udaya tithi — where is Purnima in that night? It is not there. On that night there will be no Deep Daan and nothing else; there is no benefit in it. Deep Daan, sadhana and whatever else is to be done is valid on the night of the 30th. He lists what belongs to that night: whatever Tantrokta Anushthan you wish to perform, or Deep Daan for Bhairu ji, or for your Kuldevi and Kul Devta, or a particular Tantrokta Anushthan or Havan, or some mantra japa — because this is one of the Tantrokta nights, a Maya Ratri in a manner of speaking, the Shravani Purnima.

How many Yantras should a householder keep at home?

One only — of the Ishta, made with full procedure. The five- and ten-rupee coloured Yantras are cast from recycled plastic and household waste sold to scrap dealers; it is this impurity, and worship performed in it, that causes the difficulty.

The speaker gives the rule and then the reason. Householders should keep only one Yantra at home and not more than one: a Yantra of the Ishta, whose making was carried out with the full procedure. His account of what the cheap ones are: the spoiled plastic and household waste we sell to the scrap dealer is taken away and sold on, recycled, melted, and from those very waste materials the five- and ten-rupee Yantras of different colours are made. And you bring them back, keep them at home and worship them. It is on account of this impurity, and worship of such impurity, that difficulty comes. His alternative is stated as a choice, not a demand: if you are going to bring one, keep it properly; if you have not the means, do not keep one — why take on a fault when there is no need to take one on. He is scathing about the accumulation: the many Lakshmi Yantras all made into one, the ten Mahavidya Yantra, the Shri Yantra, the Kuber Yantra, the Dhan Varsha Yantra, the Dhan Raksha Yantra — a whole display set up at home, and the display itself is the cause of your trouble beginning.

What is a Yantra, and what does keeping one actually require?

Showing incense and a lamp is not worship. A Yantra is the deity's house and their whole family is situated within it — and you cannot perform the Archana, Pujan and Avarana of even one, yet you set up a flood of them at home.

The speaker corrects the assumption underneath the accumulation. Will you go and worship each one? Showing incense and a lamp is hardly worship. A Yantra, he says, is the house of the deities; their whole family remains situated within it. And you cannot perform the Archana, the Pujan or the Avarana of even a single one — yet you set them up at home like a flood. So it will cause trouble.

Who should make a Yantra, and who should not?

Ask your guru to have one made, or a goldsmith you know whose craftsmen are Hindu, working with your own priest.

The speaker sets out how to obtain one properly. Identify which form of Bhagavati you principally worship; if you have a guru, ask him to have it made for you. Otherwise, where you have a goldsmith you know whose craftsmen are Hindu, have an ordinary Yantra made through him — if you cannot have a very special one made, that will serve. If you feel you must do it yourself, then arrange it through your own priest and a goldsmith. One should be made, and all the worship should be performed on that one. What is bought from the market for fifty, a hundred or ten rupees, he repeats, is one's own ruin brought home — because who knows when that whole system was made, and no planet or Nakshatra had anything to do with it.

Why does Muhurta matter for anything at all?

Because there is a system, and the deities have their own timings. There is a Muhurta for buying land, for worshipping it, for the foundation, and for Griha Pravesh — because divine powers go with you into the house and are satisfied with Havishya at the appointed time; go at the wrong time and there is trouble.

The speaker builds this out from the Yantra question into a general defence of Muhurta. In Sanatana, he says, from the moment the construction of anything begins there is a system: for a house there is a Muhurta for buying the land, a Muhurta for worshipping the land, a time for laying the foundation, at which the Nyu Pujan is performed and only then the house is built — and then a Muhurta for Griha Pravesh as well. A person observes the Muhurta so that there may be comfort and peace. He quotes the objection people make: that a man is born without a Muhurta and dies without a Muhurta yet spends his whole life watching Muhurtas, and that the Gita does not describe it. His answer is that everything has a rule — and he turns the objection back on those who make it, since they themselves insist one should not eat at this time and should eat at that. His reasoning for Griha Pravesh specifically: a deity goes with you, divine powers go with you with auspiciousness, and at the indicated time they are satisfied by being given Havishya — and then Shri and prosperity come into your house. Go at the wrong time and there will be trouble; they have their timings too. He extends it to the ancestors: the Pitrus sleep fifteen days and wake fifteen days, and in those fifteen days they have one day and one night. Their day and night is not like yours — and you want to run them according to your own system, saying it is not written in the Gita. If their presence exists, he says, then we will take a reference from somewhere as to how they are constituted.

What should be done with a snake slough or similar object found by chance?

Give it to someone in the Tantra field who can do something with it. A snake slough, a cat's placenta, a Jad Mohra — even if you obtain them, how will you keep them and what will you do? The one who gives such a thing has rules and a procedure attached.

A listener reports finding a snake's slough of his own accord and asks what to do with it. The speaker's first response is a question back: what will you do with it, are you a Tantric? He acknowledges that people say the slough is used in two or three kinds of application and that there are many applications of it — but for an ordinary householder, what application would there be. A snake slough, a cat's placenta, a Jad Mohra — even if you do obtain them, how will you keep them and what will you do. Give it to someone who is in the field of Tantra and Mantra, so that they may do something with it. On the claims people make — that a Siyar Singhi wrapped in a snake slough will bring a rain of wealth, that this will happen and that — his answer is that everything is not for everyone, as he says repeatedly. Things vary percent by percent, and there is a rule and a procedure for keeping such a thing and for the person who gives it. His analogy: a policeman can carry a gun; carry one alongside him and he will arrest you. You need a licence — and with the licence there are fifty more rules: only so many bullets, you cannot take it out and threaten someone. And how do you get the licence in the first place. Exactly so with these things — whether you actually need them should be known and heard about first.

Where should Parvati be named when reciting the Durga Saptashati for her grace?

In the Sankalp. The speaker allows that you may say it in the Viniyoga if you wish, but his own view is that it belongs in the Sankalp — and that the core elements should otherwise not be tampered with.

Asked whether the Durga Saptashati may be recited for the grace of Mata Parvati, the speaker confirms it can and then addresses where the intention is placed. Not in the Viniyoga but in the Sankalp, he says — although if you want to say it in the Viniyoga too, you may. His own view is that it should be the Sankalp. His condition is on everything else: as long as the core elements are not tampered with in that manner, there is no difficulty at all in taking Bhagavati Parvati's name.

What should be done for money and health trouble together?

Serve and worship the household deities — and where you do not know who they are, perform japa of the Jayanti Mangala Kali as far as your capacity allows. The speaker says he gives this answer repeatedly.

Asked about trouble with both money and health, the speaker directs the questioner to the service and worship of the household deities. Where that is not known — where the person does not know who the household deities are — he gives the standing substitute he says he repeats constantly: perform japa of the Jayanti Mangala Kali as far as your capacity allows.

Which of Lakshmi, Kamakhya or Bhuvaneshwari should be taken up for all comforts?

Any of them — all three will give you every comfort. Lakshmi will give, Kamakhya will give, Bhuvaneshwari will give; there is no deficiency in their capability. Consider instead how much strength is in you to receive it.

Asked to choose between Lakshmi, Kamakhya and Bhuvaneshwari for obtaining all comforts, the speaker declines the comparison. Perform any of them, he says: all three of the three will give you all your comforts. Lakshmi will give too, Kamakhya will give too, Bhuvaneshwari will give too. There is no deficiency in their capability such that they cannot give you comfort. The variable he redirects to is the practitioner: think about how much strength is in you, that you can take that comfort from them.

Why is the Avarana procedure not made public?

Because it would be copied, reproduced and misused. The speaker cites the Saptashati's thirteen Avaranas, ten of which are worshipped, and notes that the commonly available ninth Avarana omits the Bhairav worship — detail he does not want handed out and copied.

The speaker does not want the Avarana material made public. His example of the depth involved: in the Saptashati, tantrically, thirteen or fourteen Avaranas are held, of which thirteen are current and ten principally worshipped. And in the ninth Avarana as it is commonly found, the worship of Bhairav and the rest is not stated. There are many things of this kind that he has set out clearly, and the whole procedure of each Yantra and each Avarana — what to do and how — is not something he wants distributed like halwa-puri, so that people watch it from here, copy it, start making them themselves, and that too is then misused. Who it is for: whoever has great eagerness and wishes to install such things in their own home and learn in that way. And they should learn one only — not the Saptashati and then Bagalamukhi and then Kamakhya and then Hanuman as well. The work is of one deity, of one divine power; learn that one and do it. Nothing will need changing for a lifetime, and the particular applications for Navratri and other festival periods will be given in between. He contrasts it with what he says has been distributed freely: the Kunjika handed out like halwa — Gupta Kunjika, this Kunjika, that Kunjika — and says people have been ruined by performing it. People abuse him for calling it pretence, he says, when what is being attempted is to stop their ruin.

Why must hair and nails not be cut during a sadhana period?

Because they are living and carry energy connected with the body — which is exactly why they are used against a person in Tantra. Have the Chaur Karma done two or three days before starting, and again after completion.

The speaker gives both the rule and its reasoning. During a sadhana period, hair and nails are not to be cut and shaving is prohibited; the Chaur Karma should be performed two or three days before the sadhana begins, and again once it is complete. His reason starts from the Tantric side: everyone knows how great an importance hair, nails, the body's grime and the earth from beneath the feet carry in Tantra — listeners will at least have heard of the applications, and will have read them if they read Tantric texts. These are the parts of our body through which particular operations can be performed on us easily and smoothly, because energy connected with our body is present in them. A nail is living; hair is living. So when we perform sadhana, the elements coming to be present in our body make these a medium as well. He gives a scriptural anchor from the Kavach itself: while reciting a Devi Kavach — say a sava-lakh Anushthan of Bhagavati Bhuvaneshwari — her power is invoked for the protection of the nails, that Narasimhi should protect my nails. The nail has the capability that in former times warriors would tear enemies apart with it in battle; and Bhagavan Narasimha's root mantra itself carries the Vajra-nail epithet. He adds that the ten avatars of Vishnu are held to come from the ten nails of Bhagavati Tripura Sundari. The consequence of cutting mid-sadhana: energy is present in them, and cutting separates them, so the whole cycle of energy being formed, the purification of the aura, the elements coming to be present in it and the awakening in the subtle body — those too become separated. In simple terms, he says, a hole is made somewhere.

May women perform Dandavat Pranam and Mahamrityunjaya japa?

The speaker says no to both: Dandavat Pranam is prohibited for women by the scriptures, and the Mahamrityunjaya is a Vedic mantra whose pronunciation only a Dvija may undertake. Where a vow was already made and fulfilled, speak to the priest of that shrine.

The speaker gives his answer as what is stated rather than as his preference, and closes by leaving the choice with the questioner. On Dandavat Pranam: it should not be performed. The scriptures have prohibited it and it is said repeatedly — women should never perform Dandavat Pranam. On the Mahamrityunjaya: japa of it should also not be done, because it is a Vedic mantra and its pronunciation is not to be undertaken. It has its own procedure and only a Dvija can perform it. Beyond that, he says, it is your wish; this is the truth as it has been stated. On the vow already made and fulfilled — where someone vowed to lie down and roll along the ground in circumambulation — he treats it as a separate matter entirely, and directs the questioner to speak to the priest of the shrine where the vow was made and act on that.

Can Kali be worshipped in image form without a guru?

Yes, no sin attaches. Perform the image worship with the proper procedure, staying ordinary — do not go into specialised Bali and the like — and let the image be a subtle, peaceful one. Do not worship a fierce form.

The speaker answers that there is no question of sin attaching to this. His conditions are on manner and on the image. Perform the image worship with the proper procedure, remaining ordinary about it, and do not go into highly specialised things like Bali. And let the Vigraha be a subtle one, a peaceful one. His single prohibition: do not perform the worship of a fierce-natured image.

Who is the Kshetrapal of Guwahati?

There is more than one Kshetrapal at Guwahati, and the principal one is Umananda Bhairav. At the Kamakhya Peeth, Kameshwar Mahadev is present alongside Umananda; Umananda stands outside it.

Asked whether the Kshetrapal at Guwahati is Umananda or Bhimashankar, the speaker answers that there is more than one Kshetrapal there, and that the principal Kshetrapal is Umananda Bhairav. He adds the arrangement at the site: when you go to the Kamakhya Peeth, Kameshwar Mahadev is there along with Umananda, and beyond it, Umananda.

What does the Langur Upanishad sadhana require?

The speaker refuses to give the method. Its intensity is such that a single mistake is not tolerated. His stated minimum before approaching it: japa of Vaishnava mantras and Ram's name to the count of the 27 Nakshatras — 27 lakh — and formal initiation.

The speaker declines to give the Langur Upanishad's sadhana procedure. If you perform it yourself, he says, given its intensity and the possibility of initiating others from it, many kinds of injury become possible. Not one mistake in it is tolerated. What he gives instead is the prerequisite. If you are contemplating a sadhana this long and of this high an order, then have the eligibility for it and do it having been properly initiated. His stated minimum: that you have performed japa of Vaishnava mantras and of Ram's name — take it as a minimum that 27 lakh of Ram's name, on the count of the 27 Nakshatras, has been completed. Only then would it be proper to go into such sadhanas. He closes it without softening: the Langur Upanishad is not a joke. Beyond that, it is your wish. On Shri Vidya he takes a comparable line: the initial information can be given up to a limit, but the full and extensive procedure will only be properly learnt by being initiated into the Shri Sampradaya.

What initiation does the Upanayana Sanskar itself confer?

At Upanayana you receive the Deeksha of the Gayatri and become qualified. But specific initiation — any Tantrokta mantra, or the knowledge of a lineage tradition — is obtained only after receiving Guru Deeksha; the guru is the one who tells you.

The speaker distinguishes the two. Upanayana is one of the sixteen Sanskaras, and at the time of Upanayana you obtain the Deeksha of the Gayatri and become qualified. But specific initiation — any Tantrokta mantra, and the knowledge of any lineage tradition — is obtained only after Guru Deeksha has been received. It is the guru who tells you.

What should be done where Marana Tantra has been commissioned against a household?

The speaker's preference is the Sabari Kavach, the Narasimha Mala mantra, the Mahabhairav, and Hanuman's Bajrang Baan — things that bring quick benefit. The Narayana Kavach may also be done, but in Hindi it protects only up to a limit; perform such Anushthans at a temple.

Asked whether the Narayana Kavach may be recited where there is severe difficulty from Marana Tantra at home, the speaker allows it and then redirects. If you wish to apply something for your own protection according to your own inclination, that is your wish — but what he would say is that if you can do it, perform the Sabari Kavach. Bhagavan Narasimha's Mala mantra; the Mahabhairav; Hanuman's Bajrang Baan — do these, from which benefit comes to you quickly. The Narayana Kavach may also be done, but since the questioner says he would do it in Hindi, doing it in Hindi with Bhava will protect him only up to a limit — because at the beginning he may not be able to perform the Anushthan and the trouble may also increase. His instruction on venue: perform the Anushthan of these Kavachas at a temple.

Sadhana exists so that consciousness can know past births and cross Prarabdha, not to secure money, a job or property

Sadhana exists so that consciousness develops enough to know one's past births and cross Prarabdha rather than stay stuck. What people actually perform it for is money, a job, a good spouse and property — and by the time the body is old, only then the four Dhams.

The speaker takes a detour into purpose while pointing listeners to his pregnancy videos. The state of a child in the womb from the sixth to the ninth month, he says, was your state too and his; and it is precisely so that one does not reach that state again that a human birth is obtained. But the moment the outside air touches a person on leaving the mother's womb, he forgets it all. Why sadhana exists in a human life, then: so that we attain upward motion, so that our consciousness develops enough that we can know even our past births and then cross our Prarabdha rather than remain stuck. What it is actually performed for, in his account: that money may come, a job may come, a girl may come, a handsome husband, a good match, wealth and property, so one may live comfortably — go to Goa, go to Shimla, go to Manali, tour Coimbatore, see Mauritius, do the whole world tour. By then time has passed, and when the body is old, then it is decided to do the four Dhams. And now, he adds, they will not even do the four Dhams, because making reels has been banned everywhere — so what is there to go for. Nobody will ever go to the temple next door, but the Char Dham journey will certainly be made, because a reel has to be posted and a status put up on Facebook and Instagram.

What should be done with the old photograph once an idol is brought?

Keep the photograph behind and the Shri Vigraha in front; perform the worship on the Vigraha and show incense and a lamp to the photograph as well. The speaker treats it as no great matter.

A listener who used to worship Hanuman through a photograph and has now brought an idol asks whether the framed photograph still needs worship. The speaker's arrangement: keep the photograph behind and put the Shri Vigraha in front. Perform the worship on the Shri Vigraha, and show the photograph incense and a lamp as well. It is hardly a very great matter, he says.

Does a person who commissions Abhichar also worship deities?

Yes, and it comes first. Before performing Abhichar, a practitioner strengthens his own Ishta — and the guru teaching a lesser Vidya will himself have obtained the grace of Shiva or Mahakali in a Tantrokta form, with some particular Yogini or Gana accomplished.

The speaker confirms the questioner's suspicion and explains the structure beneath it. This happens first: before performing Abhichar, the practitioner strengthens his own Ishta. He works it as a hypothetical with himself as the teacher. Suppose I am teaching you black magic — some negative energy, some Maili Vidya or Kshudra Vidya — and you are my disciple. Then know that I, or whoever my guru will have been, will certainly have performed the Upasana of some particular power and obtained the grace of Bhagavan Shiva or of Bhagavati Mahakali in a Tantrokta form. Some particular Yogini or particular Gana of theirs will have been accomplished. And only after that will we control any negative energy through them. The later disciples, he says, may well be accomplishing that negative power directly and running it directly — which is why they invoke the oath of their gurus. This is why the guru's oath carries such weight in Sabar: where something has to be stopped, it is stopped by giving the guru's oath — you are bound by the oath of your guru. His closing point is that the base is always kept strong. They do keep their Ishta strong; that is the foundation. But they never disclose it.

How is the Chaukhat worshipped, and when?

Wash it with Gangajal; mix the orange sindoor with ghee; then, remembering the Kuldevi first and reciting an auspicious mantra, the Kulvadhu of the house applies five tilaks in an upward direction. This is done at Holi, Diwali, Navratri and Vijayadashami — Diwali without fail.

The speaker gives the method compactly. At special times and festival periods, the threshold of the house should be worshipped. Wash it with Gangajal. Take the orange sindoor and mix it with ghee. Then, remembering your Kuldevi first and afterwards pronouncing an auspicious mantra, the Kulvadhu of the house applies the tilak in five places, in an upward direction. This, he says, is the principal Chaukhat worship. The occasions: at the time of Holi, at Diwali, in Navratri, at the time of Vijayadashami — and at Diwali it certainly happens.

What can be done immediately where Marana has been performed by several practitioners?

Do the Roti Vidhan at once. Where the difficulty is severe, first make a four-faced lamp of wheat flour and perform the Kshetrapal removal rapidly, and only then apply the Hanuman Chalisa Samput with the Hanuman Janjira mantra.

A listener reports that Marana has been performed against him by six Bengali Tantrics and asks whether he can use the Hanuman Chalisa in Samput with the Hanuman Janjira mantra. The speaker's answer puts one thing before the other. Do the Roti Vidhan at once, immediately. And where the difficulty is very severe, the first task is different: take wheat flour, make a four-faced lamp of it, and perform the removal by the Kshetrapal method quickly, at once. Only after that, apply the mantra.

Who performs the Prayashchitta where the Upanayana was never done?

The very Brahmins you approach for the Upanayana. Those who give you the Yajnopavita again and conduct the Sanskar will both perform the Prayashchitta procedure and have you perform it — they take a Sankalp and do part of it themselves, since it is not possible alone.

The speaker keeps the question with the officiants rather than answering it himself. When you speak to the Brahmins about the Upanayana Sanskar, tell them about the Prayashchitta as well; they are the ones who will have it performed. Those who will give you the Yajnopavita again — who will conduct the Yajnopavita Sanskar and the Upanayana — are the same people who will then perform the Prayashchitta procedure and also have you perform it. They will take a Sankalp and do it themselves first as well, because it is not possible for it to be done alone; and they will have you take a Sankalp too.

What happens to a festival where a death occurred on that day?

Scripturally it is three years — where a death occurs during a festival period, that festival is not observed for three years and may be observed from the fourth. The local custom of waiting until someone is born on that day is a separate convention; ask your own priest which applies.

The speaker separates the scriptural rule from the prevailing custom, and cites where he heard the scriptural side set out. The rule: if a death occurs during the festival period of some festival, that festival will not be observed for three years, and may be observed from the fourth year. He credits this to Kaushik ji Maharaj, whose shorts go viral and who he says explained it well. The custom: in his own society the prevailing practice is that the festival will not be observed until someone is born on that day. His instruction to the questioner is to find out which one applies to them — what are your priests saying, three years or until a birth — and decide accordingly. If you go by scriptural injunction, it is three years only. On the related question about the tenth-day rite not being completed before a festival, he is unambiguous: there is nothing inauspicious in that, no such matter. Raksha Bandhan will not be observed that day; from the following year you may observe it comfortably.

What is done on Dashami, and what falls on Ganga Dashahara?

On the Dashami tithi the worship of Bhagavati Ganga should be performed. The Ganga Dashahara period is the day on which Batuk Bhairav Jayanti falls, and his particular worship is performed then — there is already a video on the channel about it.

The speaker gives this briefly. On the day of the Dashami tithi, the worship of Bhagavati Ganga and the rest should be performed. And the time of Ganga Dashahara is the day on which Batuk Bhairav Jayanti falls; his particular worship is performed then. He points listeners to the video already on the channel about it.

What if the image was bought cheaply out of ignorance and this is only now realised?

The speaker answers with a question: now that they have become worshipped, why change it? He treats the fact of established worship as settling the matter, regardless of what the image cost or how it was chosen.

A listener explains that they had no knowledge at the time and the Vigraha was taken lightly — cheaply — and asks what to do now that they know better and want to change it. The speaker's whole answer is the question back: now, when they have become worshipped, why is it to be changed? It is the same principle he opened the session with, applied to a case where the fault was ignorance rather than vanity: established worship settles the matter.

What do recurring dreams of small children indicate?

Where they recur, perform the Bhagavati Kali procedure the speaker has given — the worship performed at a Kali temple — and afterwards do the Nikari of the house and bind it. If you cannot do it yourself, have it done by someone.

Asked about small children appearing repeatedly in dreams, the speaker treats the recurrence as the signal rather than the dream itself. Where they are appearing again and again, perform the procedure he has given for Bhagavati Kali — performing the worship at a Kali temple and doing that worship. And afterwards: perform the Nikari of the house and do the binding of the house. If you cannot do it yourself, have it done by someone.

May the Kalika Yogini sadhana be performed on a photograph?

No — do not do it on a photograph, because it is a long sadhana whose effect lasts a lifetime. If the photograph deteriorates, the whole sadhana is affected. Keep even a very small Shri Vigraha, but keep a Vigraha.

The speaker refuses the photograph for this particular sadhana and gives his reason as duration rather than principle. Do not do it on a photograph, he says, because it is a long sadhana; its effect remains for a lifetime. If the photograph is spoiled, then by his reckoning the whole sadhana — and his own inclination does not permit recommending it. His instruction: keep even a small Shri Vigraha, but keep a Vigraha.

Does the direction the lion faces on a Durga image matter?

Yes. Where the lion is reversed, the form passes into the Vipreet Pratyangira aspect — the reversed lion is held to belong to the Durga Pratyangira. An image with a reversed lion should not be kept.

Asked what difference it makes whether the lion on a Durga image faces to the Goddess's right or her left, the speaker answers in terms of which form the image then is. If what is meant is a reversed lion, then she passes into the Vipreet Pratyangira aspect; in the Durga Pratyangira, the reversed lion is what is held. His conclusion is a straightforward prohibition: one with a reversed lion should not be kept.

Can Avarana worship be performed on a Bal Gopal image?

Absolutely not — Bal Gopal has no Tantrokta description at all, and the speaker calls it a fancy worship. He distinguishes the Santan Gopal form, which does have a scriptural description, from the Laddu Gopal form that people actually keep.

The speaker answers this one flatly: absolutely not. The truth, he says, is that Bal Gopal has no Tantrokta description. And how many people, he adds, deny even a scriptural description for it — it is a fancy worship, and that is the reality. He then concedes the devotional side without conceding the ritual one. Beyond that it is everyone's faith and feeling; worship God in the child form with Bhava, and he does so himself. But do not now say this everywhere — with Bhava we can establish God in any form at all, yet this will not run in every place. His distinction: the Santan Gopal form and the Laddu Gopal form that we see are two different things. Where is Laddu Gopal described? Laddu Gopal is not described; Santan Gopal is, and the Santan Gopal form is different. He adds an observation he expects to surprise: perform the Dhyana mantra and you will feel that the form of Bhagavati Vindhyavasini and the form of Santan Gopal have only a little difference between them — and wonder how the two can be so.

How long should one remain seated after the worship ends?

A minimum of one or two minutes at least. Then lift the Asana, pour water there, apply that water to your own forehead, and rise while remembering Bhagavan Indra.

The speaker gives the closing procedure of a sitting. After the worship ends, one should remain seated for at least one or two minutes as a minimum. Then lift the Asana and pour water; apply that water to your own forehead; and remembering Bhagavan Indra, then rise.

Does the rule against removing an image apply to photographs too?

No, it does not apply to photographs — a photograph deteriorates on its own in any case. There is no need to be troubled about it: a photograph spoils in five or ten years and may be removed, and until it is fine, continue worshipping it.

The speaker closes the loop on the session's opening argument by naming its limit. The rule about not removing an image does not apply to photographs, because a photograph deteriorates of itself in any case. There is no need to be troubled about it. A photograph spoils in five or ten years, and it can be removed then. As long as it is fine, continue to worship it.

Which sadhana brings success in stock market trading?

The speaker does not name a sadhana. First have the birth chart analysed — the position of Rahu, the position of the fifth house — and only then go into any of this. And even then, he says, it is difficult to claim the prediction will be a hundred percent exact.

Asked which sadhana should be performed for success in stock market trading, the speaker treats it as a question of eligibility rather than of practice, with visible amusement at the question. If you want success in trading, then first of all have your birth chart analysed: what the position of Rahu is, what the position of the fifth house is. Having analysed that properly, only then should one go into all these things. And he declines to promise even that much: to say that it will turn out exactly a hundred percent is also difficult.