What a Sadhak Should Do When a Devi or Devta Gives Darshan in a Dream

Why does a devi or devta sometimes speak to a sadhak repeatedly in a dream?

The speaker says a dream (swapna) is a medium through which any shakti can draw close to its sadhak, and that when a sadhak has not attained vachan siddhi — has not awakened a deity enough for it to converse with them directly — a dream becomes that deity's sole remaining way of reaching them.

The speaker describes a sadhak who repeatedly sees their ishta devta speaking with them in a dream, or feels their deity communicating with them this way. He says that in such a situation great care is needed: what precautions to take, what to do, what not to do, and which decision to take at which time. He explains that swapna (dream) is a medium through which any shakti can draw close to its sadhak, and that dream-science — swapna shastra, swapna vidya, swapna tantra — holds a special and important place within tantra in its own right. He adds that when a sadhak has not attained any particular vachan siddhi — has not awakened a shakti enough for it to converse with them, to give them its word directly — then a dream becomes the one and only medium left for that shakti to reach its bhakta or sadhak.

Remember the message exactly, expect it not to be literal, and never recount it to anyone

The speaker says a sadhak must remember a dream conversation with a deity correctly, that a deity very rarely states a coming matter exactly as it will happen, and that such a conversation must never be told to anyone else.

The speaker says the very first thing to keep in mind is to remember correctly whatever is conveyed to a sadhak in a dream. He cautions that it is very rare for a deity to tell a sadhak a coming event or matter exactly as it is — the message is very seldom literal. He then gives a second important instruction: a dream conversation with a deity should never be told to anyone else. He remarks on how people tend to embellish such an account when they do recount it — dramatizing it and adding to it — and says the conversation should instead be kept to oneself.

A scripture, a deity, a paath, a deep, a forgotten puja detail — or warning of an enemy's abhichaarik prayog

The speaker lists a scripture to study, a deity's form to worship, a path or japa to undertake, a deep to light, guidance on bhog-prasad-puja or a forgotten worship detail, and warning of an enemy's abhichaarik (black-magic) attack against the sadhak, and says such information often reaches the sadhak through the deity's attendant powers that regularly visit their place of worship.

The speaker lists the kinds of things a deity may convey to a sadhak through a dream: a particular scripture the sadhak should study; a particular devi-devta whose name they should take, whom they should worship, or about whom they should acquire knowledge; direction to undertake a particular path (recitation) for a set number of days; instruction to light a deep (lamp) for a deity in a specified way; guidance about bhog, prasad, or puja; or a reminder about some puja-related detail the sadhak has been forgetting. He adds that if an enemy is carrying out an abhichaarik prayog (a black-magic ritual) or some conspiracy against the sadhak, this too can reach them through their ishta devta or ishta shakti via a dream. He says the anga shaktis — attendant powers who regularly visit a sadhak's place of worship — convey such information by their deity's order and grace, and that on learning any of this the sadhak's first and last responsibility is to weigh it carefully and take a well-considered decision.

The instruction arrives without its reason: judge your own avastha and voice the specific request while carrying it out

The speaker says a deity's dream instruction is rarely accompanied by an explanation, so a sadhak must work out for themselves why the instruction was given and connect it to their actual circumstances (avastha) before carrying it out.

The speaker gives a second, most important instruction: when a sadhak sets out to follow what a dream has told them to do — reciting a mantra, offering a deep-daan, presenting bhog-puja-prasad, or whatever else — they must first correctly judge their own avastha (situation) at the time. He illustrates this with a case: suppose a sadhak has a court case running, and in a dream receives direction to go to a Hanuman mandir on five Tuesdays and light dhoop-deep there. He says the deity will not explicitly state that this is being asked because of the pending case — the sadhak must work out and relate the instruction to their own situation themselves. While lighting the lamp, the sadhak should then voice the specific request — asking Hanuman ji to free them from the false case being pursued against them. If possible, he says, the sadhak should also sit and recite Hanuman Chalisa and, as far as they are able, Sundarkand — doing it properly rather than rushing through a single quick recitation and leaving. Through the deity's grace, he says, the matter is then accomplished.

Why might a sadhak's own deity direct them to worship a different deity in a dream?

The speaker compares this to a teacher sending a favourite student to another teacher with a word already put in on their behalf: when a deity judges a matter falls within another deity's domain, it sends word ahead through its ganas (attendant powers) so the sadhak is favourably received there.

The speaker explains this with an analogy: an English teacher's favourite student has a problem in physics but is too afraid to approach the physics teacher directly. The English teacher, being on friendly terms with that colleague, puts in a word on the student's behalf beforehand, so that when the student does approach, they receive special, favourable treatment. He says the same happens with one's ishta devta or ishta shakti. When a devotee's own deity judges that a particular matter falls within another deity's domain — such as Hanuman ji's — it has that deity's own ganas or servants convey the instruction to the sadhak in a dream, telling them to go and do such-and-such. Word is put in with that other deity in advance, so that when the sadhak carries out the instruction, their work is accomplished more readily.

Devotees of Durga, Kali or Krishna who argue with the instruction instead of following it

The speaker criticizes sadhaks who, on being told in a dream to worship a deity other than their own ishta devta, resist and question the instruction out of attachment to their own deity instead of simply following it — calling this a real problem.

The speaker criticizes sadhaks who, on receiving this kind of dream guidance, turn 'over smart' about it — questioning it in ten places instead of following it. He gives examples of devotees of Durga ji or Kali ji who, on being told in a dream to look toward Hanuman ji, object: why should they worship Hanuman ji when Hanuman ji himself serves Kali ji? He singles out present-day devotees of Krishna ji in particular as taking this attachment to an extreme, having reached what he calls the highest pitch of devotion to the point of acknowledging no one but Krishna ji. He says that making this kind of mistake — resisting a deity's own dream guidance out of attachment to one's chosen deity — is itself the sadhak's problem, and that he is raising the point so sadhaks understand it correctly and correlate any such guidance to their own situation rather than arguing with it.

Carry the guided work through to completion, thank the deity repeatedly, and make no show of it

The speaker says a sadhak should correlate the dream guidance to their own situation, carry the work through to completion, repeatedly thank their deity for the guidance, and keep the whole matter confidential rather than publicizing it.

The speaker closes by saying that whenever such guidance is received, the sadhak should correlate it correctly to their own situation and carry the work through to completion, so that success follows. He says that whenever this kind of direction is received from the devi-devta one worships, one should give repeated thanks to them for it — addressing the deity directly in gratitude for showing such grace by using a dream as the medium to convey what should be done. He adds that a sadhak should likewise thank the deity for the grace being shown by so great a power, and should keep all of this confidential — not making a show or noise about it.