Kumbh
Every question on the site tagged Kumbh, each answered from a timestamped source rather than a summary written from memory.
The periodic mass pilgrimage and sacred bathing festival held at four river sites in rotation.
121 notes from our sourcesNotes from our sources
What should a practitioner do about home sadhana if they travel to the Kumbh mid-way?
No fault is incurred. Surrender the days completed before leaving, keep the daily rules of Brahmacharya and diet while travelling, do what the Prayag procedure allows there, and resume at home on returning.
What makes japa performed at Prayag during Magh different?
Because every otherworldly and divine power — of the lineage, of the region, of the cosmos — is present there through the whole month, and for a month and a quarter during the Kumbh. Even ten minutes of japa there is said to give infinite merit.
What is a single bath at the Kumbh said to be worth?
The combined fruit of a thousand baths in the Ganga during Kartik, a hundred during Magh, and a crore in the Narmada during Vaishakh — all obtained at once from bathing a single time at the Kumbh.
What happens to a person who commits a fault at the Kumbh?
It is magnified in the same proportion as the merit. The speaker singles out those who chew Paan or gutka and spit on the banks or on the exposed ground between the rivers, asking where they will bear the consequence.
Who guarded the pot of nectar, and where did it fall?
Jayanta fled through the sky with it and nectar fell in twelve places, four of them on earth — Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik. Four powers guarded the pot: Surya, Chandra, Brihaspati and Narayana.
Why is Prayag pre-eminent among the four Kumbh sites?
Because Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati meet there together with Tirtharaja Prayag, king of the seven cities; because the first yajna in the cosmos was performed there by Brahma; and because Veni Madhav, the first of the twelve Madhavas, guards the whole region.
The compiled Mahatmya on bathing at the Sangam
They state that all sins are destroyed and heaven and liberation obtained; that bathing at Prayag alone yields every merit, with Trikala bathing carrying more; and that one is freed from the cycle of birth and death.
Can a person who cannot travel bathe mentally at the Triveni?
Yes — the Mahatmya states that one who bathes even mentally at the confluence is freed from every kind of sin and merges in the eternal Brahman. Consecrate water with the stotras of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati and mix it into the bathing water.
Sin committed at a holy place is destroyed only where the nectar fell
Sin committed elsewhere is destroyed at pilgrimage sites, Shakti Peeths and Jyotirlinga regions — but sin committed at those places themselves is destroyed only at the Kumbh Kona, where the nectar fell, and only when the bathing is accompanied by genuine atonement.
What astrological configuration defines the Kumbh at Prayag?
Jupiter in Aries during Magh, with Sun and Moon in Capricorn and the conjunction of Amavasya — and the speaker notes that all of this is forming in the year under discussion.
How many nights should a practitioner stay at Prayag?
Three nights at minimum, if the intent is genuine sadhana free of desire and to receive the region's full grace. One night will serve where circumstances demand, but three is the criterion to plan for.
Choosing bathing clothes for the cold at Prayag
Cotton garments that shed water quickly, prepared in advance. It will be cold, women in particular bathe clothed, and japa attempted in a thick soaked garment can make a person ill — the body is not to be forced.
What should not be worn when travelling for sadhana?
Nothing of leather — no leather belt, purse, shoes or sandals — if the journey is genuinely for sadhana. Going barefoot is what a properly qualified practitioner would do, but the speaker declines to encourage it in the cold.
What should be done on first setting foot in Prayag?
Ask pardon inwardly before the foot touches the ground, whatever the mode of arrival, then salute Adi Ganesha together with Veni Madhav as the city's guardian deity and ask that the journey be made fully successful.
What must be done before approaching the Sangam to bathe?
Bathe at the lodging first and change the Yajnopavita if one is worn, since the journey has involved contact of every kind. Only then, in clean clothes, does the practitioner go towards the Triveni.
How should a practitioner enter the water at the Sangam?
Take the water in the hand and touch it to the forehead first — never step straight in. Then enter the right foot slowly, in silence, reciting one's mantra, without leaping or splashing.
Where the mind must be held during the dips
Entirely on one's chosen deity — for a worshipper of Narayana, wholly at his lotus feet. The moment the head is fully submerged and the breath held is described as the most divine instant, burning every kind of sin.
Japa in the wet clothes, and releasing the household Akshat
Japa begins there in the wet clothes — five repetitions, fifty, one mala, ten, whatever the practitioner can manage — without a mala in hand. The Akshat brought from home is then released into the Ganga with flowers.
Why must bathing clothes never be wrung out in the river?
Because it renders the entire journey, the bathing and everything performed worthless and incurs a separate fault. Wring them far away on the dry sand of the ghat instead, so that water does not return to the Ganga.
What japa count should a one-day visitor manage?
108 malas of the Panchakshari Mantra, according to entitlement. The practitioner should conserve enough bodily energy to sit somewhere sheltered after bathing and complete it — described as yielding crores of merit.
Bathing and japa suffice at the Kumbh — no Havan is required
The speaker says Havan need not be specially desired at Prayag — bathing and japa are enough for mantra accomplishment. A three-night stayer is free for all twenty-four hours and may sit anywhere they are lodged, provided at least 10,000 japa is completed.
Can donation and japa at the Kumbh be performed for absent loved ones?
Yes. Donate there with one's own hand to a suitable person; and for a relative living abroad or otherwise unable to come, take a Sankalpa in their name, perform five or ten malas for them and surrender the fruit — a sixth share of the merit is said to reach them.
Should a householder eat free at the Kumbh food halls?
No — a householder should offer some Dakshina after eating at an Anna Bhandar. Eating without giving is for Sadhus and Sannyasis; the same principle applies to accepting Prasadi at any camp.
Not spending a long stay exploring the mela
The speaker argues that Siddhas and deities move there in ordinary human form, that nobody knows which moment grace may come, and that a person found eating snacks at that moment will be passed over.
What happens if a practitioner performs a full Mandala at Prayag?
They become the recipient of the most divine grace available, and their level rises sharply. The speaker doubts that someone completing 32,000 of the Goddess's 32 Namavali there would even think of coming to meet him afterwards.
Keeping the focus on the mantra rather than on whether a deity appears
Divine experiences are certain at the Maha Kumbh, so the practitioner should not sit checking whether a deity has appeared at the first dip. He also asks that bathing be done at a pure and safe spot, not at an unknown ghat beside a dome.
What experiences and tests should a practitioner expect during Kumbh sadhana?
Torpor, the body stilling, the mind sinking into the mantra — and then tests: a sensation of drowning, or causeless fear, or a sense of someone standing behind. The remedy is to remember Veni Madhav, guardian of the Magh Mela.
Women should not travel to the Kumbh alone
His stated reason is that however much assistance exists the region is new, one cannot see inside people, and a guardian should accompany them to these places.
Answering those who discourage the pilgrimage
By pointing out that such a person is not going themselves, will only make the listener negative, and has no standing to decide whether another's mind will change. He tells them to offer to perform the charitable act instead.
The mandatory last-day darshan of Veni Madhav
See Veni Madhav without fail — even a Shikhar Darshan of the temple spire if the crowd is heavy or a train is being missed. Nagraj Vasuki and Alopshankari should be seen too if possible.
When during the stay should the atoning donation be made?
Immediately after the first bath, on the first day — so that the practitioner performs the remainder of their sadhana already free of sin. A one-day visitor necessarily does it that same day.
What should be done with the clothes, asana and mala used at the Kumbh?
Keep them carefully and never give them to anyone else. Use them lifelong, even torn; keep a torn one at the head of the bed; pass them to spiritual heirs — and never trade them away to a utensil-seller.
Surrendering the merit before departure
By addressing Prayagraj, Jagadamba and Veni Madhav and offering the whole of the merit earned there at their feet, asking only that they do whatever brings the practitioner's welfare — rather than carrying the merit home unsurrendered.
Why does returning home correctly matter as much as going?
Because divine powers pleased by the practitioner's service attempt to accompany them home — and they may be of any kind, from Yakshas and Siddhas to spirits. The return procedure exists to ensure only auspicious ones follow.
The three-knot Shikha binding tied before departure
After the final worship, the Shikha is bound with three knots while remembering Veni Madhav and Bhagavati Triveni, praying that only auspicious powers accompany the practitioner home and nothing inauspicious.
Why must the sadhana path be walked alone?
Because a person is alone at the summit, at the cremation ground and on the throne. The speaker tells practitioners not to form groups for sadhana, though a group of equally dedicated companions is a different matter.
How should a returning pilgrim be received at the door?
It is the family's responsibility to worship them at the door, because what is being worshipped is the aura of someone who has performed sadhana for days. The speaker warns that insulting a returning pilgrim at the threshold invites the family's own misfortune.
Washing the feet with turmeric water, then Argha and Madhuparka
The feet are washed first with Haldi water, then argha is offered and Madhuparka performed — at least a spoonful of honey. Where the threshold (Chaukhat) has been worshipped beforehand and a lamp is burning, the merit disperses into the household at once.
The order of acts on entering the house
Go first to the place of worship and make a full prostration, surrendering the whole pilgrimage. Only afterwards bathe, change the sacred thread, perform a short worship with incense and camphor, and then eat.
Which mantras are best suited to the Kumbh, and which are not?
Those that increase Tapobal. Mahabhairav may be performed, but he is an applied power awakened for subduing enemies and for protection — so the speaker would rather the practitioner take up the Ashtottara Satanama, so merit increases.
Sadhana is performed within the body's capacity, and a yantra may be carried
Asked whether the Goddess's grace comes to someone who sleeps in a bed rather than on the ground, the speaker says of course it does — sadhana is performed within the body's capacity. A practitioner with a Yantra may carry the main one, bathe it, and serve it at the lodging.
Should a one-year-old child be taken to the Kumbh?
The speaker advises against it — crores of people, temperatures down to five or six degrees, and no certainty about where one will stay or how one will move. He tells the listener to perform the procedures at home and obtain the grace that way.
Fear of the water, a hollow Shivling, and doing one practice at a time
For fear of entering the water, go remembering Varuna Deva. A hollow Shivling should be immersed and a Narmadeshwar Shiva Lingam obtained from an authentic place. Without a mala, Jayanti Mangala Kali is performed by the clock — an hour, or an hour and a quarter.
Do the merits differ depending on where one stays at the Kumbh?
No. Everything from Alopshankari across to the Nagvasuki temple and Veni Madhav is the Kumbh region, so a tent, an ashram or a hotel anywhere within it carries the full fruit — the merit is not diminished by the choice.
Which anushthana should be chosen for a three-day stay at Prayag?
Whichever anushthana the practitioner has performed a great many times in their own life — that is the one to do there. The speaker declines to prescribe a new practice for a short stay.
Do not carry a lamp to the ghat; an asana and achamani are needed on the bank
A lamp will go out in the water and the administration will not allow it — do the lamp worship at the lodging instead. An asana and an achamani are needed if sitting on the bank; nothing at all is needed if the japa is done standing in the Ganga.
Does a river near one's home count as the Sangam region?
No — a listener with the Yamuna flowing near their home is told it does not fall in the Sangam region. But since it is the Yamuna, bathing and worship there should certainly be performed, and in the month of Magh its full fruit will be obtained.
Merit increases by inspiring others to make the pilgrimage
The speaker says that if someone who was not going reaches the Kumbh after hearing him, his own name is recorded in the register of Prayagraj — because merit increases when we cause others to increase theirs.
What options exist for a practitioner who cannot manage the full forty-five-day Kumbh period?
Take whatever is available — the last fifteen days, eleven, nine, seven or three. Failing that, the Gupt Navratri of Magh or the Navratri of Shiva. The one-day options include Mauni Amavasya and the Parvati Gita anushthana.
The warning against strangers offering instant Siddhi
Do not follow anyone offering to arrange instant accomplishment through some Baba. If something is placed on a practitioner that way, he says not to write to him concealing it — nothing takes effect without something having been done.
The Mahakumbh is the vastest parva-kala of all, awaited even by siddhas and charan devatas
Because, he says, the coming Mahakumbh is the most vast parva-kala of all, and even siddhas and charan devatas wait for it. If otherworldly powers await this maha-divya parva-kala, he asks listeners to consider how special the benefit must be for human beings.
Is the Mahakumbh a matter of going around a fair?
No. He says it is a matter of the utmost necessity for human life and not a matter of visiting a fair — though in today's time, he says, every tirtha kshetra has been left as nothing but a tourist spot, with people going there only and only to enjoy themselves, so that the tirtha kshetra has become a synonym for pleasure.
What is the standing tradition of bathing in the month of Magh?
Every year in the month of Magh there is a tradition of bathing in Ganga ji and in all the other dev-saritas and rivers. It is a pauranic belief and a shastra-sanctioned vidhan, he says, that bathing in Magh destroys our sins at the root, obtains the divine lokas, and gives release from many afflictions — diseases of any kind and doshas of every kind are destroyed.
In Paush, three consecutive days of bathing in flowing water with sandhya at usha-kaal is the standing rule
That in the month of Paush, if one bathes for at least three days consecutively in Ganga ji or in any sarita — that is, any source of flowing water, a river — and then performs sandhya in the morning at usha-kaal, then by doing it for three days alone the calming of our sins begins by dev-kripa, and sins are destroyed very swiftly indeed.
How does the Kumbh show the difference between a jeevan-mukta and a grihastha?
He takes the coming Mahakumbh as the example. An ordinary householder who learns from a saint, from shastra and purana, from reading or from satsang that one should bathe at the Kumbh — that even going there for a single day destroys all his sins and confirms his ticket to the loka of his aradhya — will become eager to go, and a longing will stir in his heart to reach Prayag and bathe at the Sangam.
The Kumbh is being sold as entertainment, down to fifty-one kinds of paan shop
Because, he says, whether or not any punya is gained, the Kumbh is to be enjoyed. On YouTube, Facebook and all social media it is being shown that fifty-one kinds of paan shops are being set up, that such sweets are coming, that some gola is coming from the Himalaya, that many kinds of things are arriving — and people are going especially to take that enjoyment, thinking they will bathe of course, that takes no time, but the fair is to be seen and an adventure trip is to be made.
See to the family first, or the whole trip turns to paap instead of punya
If you are going for an adventure trip and also wish that a little punya may come to you along with it, then first certainly see to your family. If you go having made your family unhappy, he says, then in every way only paap will attach to you.
Does the multiplier work for sin as well?
Yes — for that very reason its mahatmya is so great, and so, he says, if you go to such a kshetra and there commit sins, consider how many times more the fruit will be. Go to Prayag ji right now and see, he says: the government is spending a great deal there, but people have created nuisance everywhere, the paan and gutka habit is not leaving them, and the government can put no rein on it because there is no fear inside you.
Who is Veni Madhav ji held to be?
The place of Veni Madhav ji is in Prayag; he is the rakshak of Prayag, the nagar devata there, the rakshak of Triveni ji. The responsibility of protecting that place, the responsibility of the Magh mela held there and the responsibility of the Kumbh, is said to rest upon Veni Madhav Sarkar — that is, it is he who protects that kshetra.
Are there really divine sants at the Kumbh?
You will always have heard that at the time of the Kumbh there are many divine sadhus and sants present there, and that, he says, is a true matter. But know one more truth: a certain trend has begun to appear, in the Kumbh kshetra, in the Prayag kshetra. Those who do their daily bathing at Triveni ji can see this subject very well whenever they get the time.
When do the most exceptional sants come?
Divine sants and mahatmas are there, absolutely — they are there, they come. It is not only so; but this much is certain, he says, that those who are extremely exceptional will come especially at the time of the Mahakumbh, at the time of Magh, at the time of Ganga Dashehra and the other tirtha parva-kalas, and at the times of eclipse. But the coming and going of all of them goes on there daily as well.
What is the most special thing to be careful about among the sants there?
The most special point, he says, is that there is also an abundance of people of a second and third sort who take shelter, somewhere or other, of the divine sants and siddhas. These are to be avoided, because listening to the talk of such people you unknowingly commit some offence. This time the administration is very strict, he says, and he had seen that it is being done well, so that no disorder may occur; but even so, one should keep in mind what things happen in this.
What is the rule about accepting prasad at Kamakhya, and does it hold at Prayag?
In the Kamakhya kshetra he says the rule is that whoever gives Bhagavati's prasad, one should accept it: there is no high or low, no question of dharma and vidharma there, but the question of caste arises — even if a girl of the most despised caste is giving you the prasad of Bhagavati Kamakhya, then if you are a sadhak you should not refuse, because it is a divine matter and Bhagavati also takes examinations. In the Prayag kshetra too, at the time of Kumbh and Magh, if anyone is giving prasad of Veni Madhav ji or of other shaktis, one should not refuse — but in the present time this very rule will also be misused.
Should one take food from an unknown person in the Kumbh area?
No. From an unknown person especially, if you are going into the Kumbh kshetra, do not take any object of any kind, any food substance of any kind, or anything at all being distributed in the name of prasad, if you do not know about it.
May a grihastha eat at the anna kshetras and shivirs?
If you are going into shivirs and other kshetras and accepting anna there, then as a grihastha you should keep in mind that you have your maryada. You may eat, there is no harm in eating — the mahaprasad season at the anna kshetras will run and will begin from the 8th or 10th. If you are going to do kalpavas there, or even for one or two days, you may absolutely eat anna; but as a grihastha it is your duty-dharma that you should never take anyone's anna in that manner. Some value for it should be given.
Will anyone ask your caste at the Mahakumbh?
Very few will be found there who take anything, he says; there will also be places where nothing will be taken, or a place made where whoever wishes may give or not give, and no one will say anything. Nor will your caste be asked there — that you are high so sit, you are low so do not sit; nothing of that kind is going to happen at the Kumbh, at the Mahakumbh. And prasad will run, three times a day; some may run it twenty-four hours, and twelve hours they will certainly run.
What should one do after accepting mahaprasad at an anna kshetra?
Whenever you accept prasad or mahaprasad, or go to an anna kshetra, then according to your capacity give as much daan there as seems proper to you — saying that today, Prabhu, we have received prasad, and this is from our side. Give it to some person, or offer it at whatever main place has been made, so that it is taken again into the service of anna. It is not to be eaten in that way, he says, otherwise whatever tirtha-fruit you have will be deducted from it, minus, with 28% GST.
Ashariri shaktis arrive in sukshma sharir across the forty-five days of the Kumbh
In exactly the same way, he says, at the time of the Kumbh many kinds of divine shaktis, what may be called ashariri shaktis — those who come not in a physical body but in a sukshma sharir — come in the Magh time as well; and now it is the Kumbh, the Mahakumbh, so their coming and going will certainly happen. And the Mahakumbh is of a month and a quarter: a very good long stretch of forty-five days, twenty-four hours filled with divinity.
How many Kumbhs are there, and who comes to them?
Know this, he says: even if they have attained the devi lokas and have gone to the devi lokas, then of the twelve Kumbhs that are held, these four chief ones are said to be held on the earth, and two ardha-kumbhs. At this Kumbh the shaktis of the devaloka too come to the Kumbh; and first of all they will certainly go to the place from which they set out, where their last birth was and from where, obtaining siddhi, they attained the divine loka.
Does every family have such a siddha in its line?
If in your kula parampara there has ever been some siddha — and in nearly every kula there has been some such sadhak person in the past who does kripa, whether we know about them or not — they will certainly come into that kula. The path will open from there first of all; and because they are shaktis of the devi loka, of the other world and not of this one, by their mere arrival many things begin to change.
A household still asleep at ten fails the daily rule of bathing as early as possible
But if someone comes and sees that, well, they are only getting up from sleep at 10 o'clock — the daily rule here being that one should bathe as early as possible — then what kripa would they do? At a tirtha kshetra, he says, you may do it whenever, there is always a crowd, whenever you get the time; but daily at home, in the morning, at the very most let us say you bathed by 7 or 8, even by 9 — and here it is striking 10 and the person is comfortably asleep.
The state runs at the pitch of a single Shivratri for forty-five days, twenty-four hours a day
It is not a matter of one day, he says, but of the whole forty-five days. That is, the capacity we obtain in one Shivratri — which at the time of Shivratri we obtain by doing the puja of all four prahars through the night — if at the time of the Kumbh, this mahaparva now running, it will remain endowed with that same divinity twenty-four hours. Because at Mahashivratri shaktis come from the other loka for one night only; here the coming and going will go on always, according to the tithi.
The niyam begins from Paush Purnima, that is 13 January
There is nothing special to be done, he says, but do certainly observe the niyam at this time. When the month of Magh begins, from Paush Purnima especially, that is from 13 January.
Until when should the niyam run, and what is the first niyam?
From then until 26 February, or say till the next day, 27 February, keep the niyam, according to your capacity. If you do not observe the niyam, he says, then it is all in vain. As for what should be kept in the niyam: the first is the niyam for bringing patrata, which is to remain in discipline, according to desha, kaal and paristhiti.
What about someone who works a night shift?
He is not saying, he clarifies, that if you work in a company and have to go on night duty then you should come at 4 o'clock in the early morning, leave everything and not bathe. Come and bathe and so on, and do certainly perform sandhya. If you cannot do it for one hour, do it for ten minutes only, but do sandhya — morning and evening both, as much as is possible according to desha, kaal and paristhiti. The first task, he says, is this: certainly keep patrata.
What is the rule about food during these days?
Keep the arrangement of your meals well, he says, so that you do not have to eat any kind of niramish food — that is, so that you do not have to eat any non-sattvic food. If possible, give up garlic and onion too for these many days.
The third and most special rule is protecting the tej, the last of the sapta dhatus
The third thing, which is the most special of all, is to protect one's tej — because among the sapta dhatus it is the last dhatu, and it is in that tej that one's whole ark, all one's mantra, japa and tapa, will be contained. If that is destroyed, he asks, what benefit will be obtained? So the observance of brahmacharya is utterly compulsory: at this time, observe brahmacharya with strictness.
Why should one not let these forty-five days pass?
Keep in mind, he says, that once these forty-five days have passed, the Mahakumbh, the Kumbh, will come only after twelve years; it is not going to come before that. An ardha-kumbh will come, but the Kumbh will come only after twelve years. And after the next twelve years, whether you are there or not — no one knows. So certainly take the benefit of this divine kaal, he says, at home itself.
What can be done at home by someone unable to reach the Kumbh?
Now the subject of snan comes, he says, and there is a most intense subject in snan, which he will also put out separately on the channel: that if in any way we are not capable of going to the kshetra of the Kumbh, then in that state, at home itself, wherever you are and in whatever state, before bathing you should do the avahan of Bhagavati in the bathing water, and bathe after doing that avahan.
How many vidhis are there for consecrating the bathing water?
There are two or three vidhis in it, he says: there is a mantra vidhi, there is also a yantrokta vidhi, and there is also a vidhi-vidhan of bathing after doing smaran and the like. Of these, whichever is the simplest vidhi-vidhan he will certainly place before all of you.
What is the best thing to arrange in advance?
Best of all, he says, whether or not you do anything else: obtain pure Gangajal beforehand if you can get it near your home. At least one litre, kept in a washed, clean vessel; and before Paush Purnima, or if it is possible to do it daily then daily in the morning after bathing — that is, doing it one day in advance — consecrate that water with the stotra and satnam of Bhagavati Ganga ji, the stotra and satnam of Bhagavati Kalindi, and the stotra and satnam of Bhagavati Saraswati. Kalindi, he explains, means Yamuna ji.
Prayagraj is Narayan himself, so the Vishnu Sahasranama or the Gita's eleventh adhyaya follows the bath
The third thing is Prayag ji. Prayagraj is said to be Narayan himself, Bhagwan Shri Hari Narayan. So after you have bathed, do the stotra and satnam of Bhagwan Narayan, or the Shri Vishnu Sahasranama, or whatever is possible for you, of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita. If you are one who recites the Bhagavad Gita, then recite the eleventh adhyaya; endless fruit is about to be obtained. The punya of Ganga snan has already been got, and the punya of Prayag ji will be got from here, because he is of the form of Mahavishnu.
What is the minimum for someone who will do no sadhana at all?
Those who are going to do no sadhana, he says, should at least do this much: recite the ashtottara-shatanamavali and the like. Do this much, because by doing even this much you will become wholly clean, and the full effect of the Kumbh will be received.
Divine shaktis have stood in every kula, and this is the season of their coming and going
Because divine shaktis, he says, have certainly been in everyone's kula, and this is that time in which their coming and going is bound to happen. And when it does, and you are ready here, at least making some arrangement for the sake of destroying your sins, then by the effect of that divinity their kripa too will certainly fall upon you.
From when may the Kumbh niyam be begun — and from when must it be?
Those whose kuldevi is Bhagavati Shakambhari may, if they wish, begin their seva and puja from the day of the Ashtami tithi of the Shakambhari Navratri that is about to fall. But the main matter of the Kumbh, he says, you should certainly begin from Paush Purnima. Keep this subject in mind too.
The niyam of snan comes first — daily, and as early in the morning as possible
Taking the niyams one by one, he says, the first niyam is that of snan; it is the most special of all, keep it in mind. If it is to be summarised very shortly — what all is to be done — then the first thing is to bathe daily, remaining in discipline. Snan should not be dropped; do it as early in the morning as possible.
Sandhya follows, requiring at the minimum the ashtottara satnam of one's aradhya
The second thing is sandhya. If you do snan and sandhya for the whole forty-five days, then by merely bathing, and in the sandhya doing nothing else but reciting the ashtottara satnam of your aradhya — doing even this much, he says, is such as to give you many crore times the punya at this time.
Where even that is impossible, the alternative kept for the full forty-five days still counts
If even that much is not possible, he says, then there is the alternative that has been discussed; and if you do even that for the whole forty-five days, then think how many divine parva-kalas are falling in that time. The subject of what anushthans and sadhanas you will do in all of these, and how japa and the rest will be done, is all separate for the present.
The irreducible core is snan, sandhya, and forty-five days of discipline in food and brahmacharya
So do certainly do this, he says: what is the most basic thing you want? Snan, and sandhya, and the observance of niyam and discipline for the whole forty-five days. In discipline, attention is to be given to two things — food and brahmacharya. Do this much certainly, and then see the result. If you do it you will certainly get the result; if you do not do it and say such things do not happen, then so it will be — such things will not happen.
Must the Kumbh bath be taken on a parva day?
The question is whether one should bathe at the Kumbh on a parva, or whether one may bathe at Haridwar at Makar Sankranti, or bathe at Prayagraj on any date. He answers: at a tirtha kshetra, whenever you get the time and the opportunity comes to you, you should bathe. In that, those who live nearby have more options as regards the parva-kaal — that is, brother, we bathed on Makar Sankranti; but for those who live far away, jump in as soon as you get the chance.
Is the shahi snan or amrit snan the only siddha kaal?
Second, as to what you ask about Makar Sankranti: at Makar Sankranti do it at Haridwar too, there is no difficulty; do it at Prayag ji, and there is no difficulty in that either. And in the forty-five days of the Kumbh, come at any time and bathe at Prayag ji; it will be most excellent, on any date. As for what is running — the shahi snan, and what is now being called the amrit snan, that at that time there is siddha kaal and at that very time divine siddhis are obtained — see, he says, that is not a matter of that time only. Keep in mind that it is a matter of the whole forty-five days, as already discussed; so you may bathe on any day with an untroubled mind.
Why is Bhairav to be the chief sadhana of this Kumbh?
The effort is that all of us together should do his special sadhana in this Kumbh — because the Mahadev who is foremost in raksha, who is the greatest deity, and whose ugrata is now a necessity, whose tattvas are needed most in your life and ours for the sake of protection, is Bhagwan Bhairav. So his special anushthan and the like is very necessary. On all these there will be separate discussion, he says; stay together for the preparation.
What kind of japa target can one take up in the Kumbh?
Now if someone in the Kumbh takes the goal of doing at least a hundred malas of japa every day, he says — at the least; and if someone within that says we will do two hundred, a hundred in the morning and a hundred in the evening; and if within that some lion turns up and says, bhaiya, morning, noon and evening; and if some great one and a quarter says a hundred malas at all four times.
The largest target named is five hundred and one malas a day, at one seat, for forty-five days
And if within that some outright lion of Bhagavati says, no bhaiya, we will do five hundred malas — that morning, noon, evening and night, and then adding a hundred and twenty-five in all, we will complete a full five hundred and one malas; and for the forty-five days do the five hundred malas seated at one place, at one seat. If it is a matter of the Prayag kshetra then that is different, he says, but this may be done even at one's own home — we are speaking only of the home.
Prayag is not insisted on, so that sadhaks unable to go do not lose heart
He says he is not insisting very much on Prayag, because what would happen is that the morale of the sadhaks would somewhere fall short and they would be dejected — that arre, we are not able to go, we will not get the fruit. It is not at all so, brother, he says; he has written on this before. We cannot go to Prayag. We do not have the capacity — and he says "we" deliberately, else people will say, ah, you yourself have gone and you are telling us that no, you will not be able to go.
If we cannot go, can Bhagavati come?
So suppose we shall not be able to go, he says. We do not have the capacity to go — but Bhagavati Triveni and the mahashaktis have the capacity to come, do they not. Arre, when you do a hundred malas sitting here, then why will they not come? How many moments would it take them to come; can they not come from there for two minutes? Begin japa here and on the very first day they will say, ah, ah, a child is calling. If you call from the heart, you will certainly get the intimation.
What is guaranteed to someone who keeps five hundred malas for the full period?
So we cannot go, he says, but Bhagavati can come. So if someone sits and does this much — that we will do it, do it at home itself, five hundred malas of japa — if someone does it saying we will do five hundred, continuously for the full forty-five days, a month and a quarter, then brother, that here the siddhi of the mantra should not happen, that the deity should not do kripa, that Bhagavati should not do kripa, is simply not possible; it is bound to happen. And then at the Kumbh's 26th, which is Mahashivratri, the day the Kumbh is to be completed — what kripa will come at Mahashivratri will be understood by those who do it.
Ten days remain to select the sadhana and become fixed on it
So bhaiya, ten days remain, he says — the 13th has been taken as the date, and today is the 2nd. So at least ten days are in hand; prepare yourself mentally, that the forty-five days are not to be let go waste. Wherever you are, in whatever state, according to desha, kaal and paristhiti, we will certainly do sadhana. Which sadhana you will do, you may take time to select — there will be more discussions and from them you will decide, ah, this we must do; select it yourself, and once you select it, become fixed that this alone is to be done, and begin the preparation.
Should one buy a new mala or asan for this?
But the materials and the time will be the same, he says: you should have your own mala for japa, the one on which you have been doing japa already. Not that you will take a new mala and do japa on it. Not that you will now bring a new asan. The asan that you had before, the mala that you had before, the one on which you have been doing japa — keep this in mind.
What should a sadhak going to the Mahakumbh keep in mind?
Asked what things a sadhak should keep in mind in going to the Mahakumbh, and how the journey to Prayagraj should be made, he tells Rajiv ji that there will be a separate full video and a full live with good discussion on this subject. To Balram ji, asked whether the japa of Bhairav ji and Hanuman ji, the five-faced one, may be offered — yes, absolutely, he says, you may offer it.
How much greater is the Kumbh bath than the Magh bath?
The importance of bathing at the Kumbh, he says, is held to be a thousand times, a lakh times more than the month of Magh; there is a whole calculation of it too, which he will put out separately. But it is not that if you go and bathe right now you will not receive punya. Bathe at any time; if you cannot go at that time there is no difficulty, do it now, do it later. But as many times as possible in life, go and bathe.
Should a sadhak look for lodging near Triveni during the Kumbh?
For the sake of residence near Triveni and for the sake of sadhana, he tells the questioner, it will be more excellent if you see to the option of shelter yourself — because in this matter of crowds sadhana will simply not be possible. Many people have put out their whole subject, saying come, absolutely stay, there is no problem; but so many people will reach there that where will there be room? We may call someone and then nothing be able to happen.
What if one has to travel during the Kumbh and purity of food cannot be kept?
Yes, he says: if according to desha, kaal and paristhiti you have to travel at the time of the Kumbh or at any parva-kaal, if your job is like that, then the purity of food and drink cannot be maintained. Do make the effort that purity be kept. Eat at good places where pure vegetarian food is available. Do make this effort. If there is no option then that is a different matter; but if an option is available, then eat as pure food as can be.
What should one do at Gurudatta's seva during the Kumbh crowds?
To a listener who says they are going to Kashi after bathing at the Triveni Sangam, he says: very good. In the seva of Gurudatta ji, at the present time there will be so great a crowd that it is enough if you merely take darshan and do pujan; that alone is a great deal.
Why does the Kumbh period give a practitioner a complete Mandala at home?
Because the month and a quarter it runs is long enough to contain a full 41-day Mandala, which the month of Magh alone cannot — and japa performed in the Kumbh is held to carry a thousandfold merit over ordinary festival periods.
Where did the nectar from the Kumbh actually fall?
In twelve places, not four. Eight are in other realms reachable only by Siddhas, Charanas and gods; four are on Indian soil, and among those Prayag is pre-eminent because the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati meet there.
What do the three dips at the Triveni accomplish?
Bodily sin in the first, spoken in the second, mental in the third. The practitioner holds the breath, remembers their chosen deity beneath the water, and that instant of remembrance is described as the moment sin is burnt away.
Which shorter periods should be chosen by those who cannot manage forty days?
Makar Sankranti as a single day; the Gupta Navratri of Magh, taken from Mauni Amavasya to Magh Purnima as a fifteen- or sixteen-day span with the nine-day Navratri inside it; and the Navratri of Shiva running up to Mahashivratri.
When should the Kalash be established, and when removed?
On Makar Sankranti, or on Paush Purnima. Established on Purnima it is not removed immediately after Shivratri but held at least one more day; established on Makar Sankranti it is held until the Amavasya following Shivratri, then immersed.
How should a practitioner bathe at home during Magh?
Consecrate water in a large metal vessel beforehand using Ganga's stotra and hundred-and-eight names, mix it into the bathing water, and bathe before sunrise. The waters of Magh are said to carry the presence of the Vedic mantras and of divinity.
Ganapati and the Navagraha, both completed in the first half of the day
Bhagavan Ganesha and the Navagraha, both completed in the first half of the day. The main sadhana then begins from Makar Sankranti, either later that day or that night.
A householder eating at a Kumbh camp should always leave money there
Ten rupees, a hundred, or a lakh — the amount is left open, but a householder eating the prasad or the Anna Kshetra food at a camp must leave money there. It is free for Sadhus and Sannyasis; the rule applies to householders.
What is the first test facing someone who travels to the Kumbh?
Taste. The speaker warns those going to keep control over tongue and mind, saying the food on display is arranged so attractively that a visitor will decide to eat this time and perform sadhana at the next Kumbh.
Temple bans on lamps and camphor: use the designated spot or offer a mental pranam
Asked what to do when big temples such as Kaal Bhairav in Kashi do not allow camphor, lamps or even akshat, the speaker says there is a reason — a recent fire at the Vindhyachal temple, lack of space, and one person's mischief making everyone suffer. If a designated place exists, light the lamp and camphor there, as Kamakhya has a whole separate lamp house with stands; if not, there is no alternative — offer pranam mentally and do not worry, because darshan is the main thing. At Kumbh too lamps will not be allowed on the ghats, and rightly so given the straw laid there and the crores who will come.
Who claims that karmakand should be avoided as pakhand?
To say merely that it is not possible in today's time — why, brother, he asks; you are not doing it. He estimates that about 95% of those who always listen to this channel have been doing their nitya-niyam seva-puja, that they will have completed several great anushthans, that they will certainly have done lakhs of japa in Kumbh, and that lakhs of japa are bound to happen for everyone in Sawan. How are they able to do it? Do they not do nam-japa? Everyone is doing it. But it is being put into your mind that do nam-japa and do not do all this, do not fall into the entanglement of karmakand, this is pakhand, this and that. By speaking that way you are, in some measure, corrupted — and the fruit obtained is likewise.
The Panchanan Panchakshari yantra given in the Mahakumbh anushthan, and why a shastrokta means matters when diksha is not to be had
Those who were in the complete Mahakumbh anushthan, he says, will have received Bhagwan Shiva's Panchanan yantra, the Panchakshari yantra. He has said from the beginning that not everyone is initiated, and nobody knows where or how diksha is to be obtained; until then, if one has a shastrokta means over which everyone has the right, one should try to carry that.
A Bagla mala received at the Kumbh is for wearing, not for japa
To a listener asking about a Bagla mala from the Kumbh, the speaker says it will not have been given for japa — it will have been given for wearing.
How is Brihaspati connected with the twelve-year cycle of the Kumbh?
When the Mahakumbh was discussed, he says, this subject came up: the Kumbh is set by the whole rotation of Brihaspati. One parikrama of the planet Brihaspati around the Sun completes in twelve years, and after twelve years the Kumbh falls.
What is the daily Rudrabhishek rule for a householder?
A householder, he says, should put grain into his mouth only after performing a Rudrabhishek every day — that is, only after having Bhagavan Shiva bathed and given abhishek; otherwise no grain should go in. If there is no shivling with you and no temple nearby, but you have water, then take the thumb itself as a shivling and perform his abhishek.
Only a siddha purush with bodily strength and yoga shakti can do Shiva ji's abhishek in the midst of Triveni at the Kumbh
That yes, at the Kumbh, at Prayag ji, in the midst of Triveni ji, we performed Shiva ji's abhishek. And if any among you has that much strength in the body, is possessed of yoga shakti, is a siddha purush, and goes at the time of the Kumbh or Magh and sits there with his own shivling doing the entire Rudri path with abhishek, then it is divine. As in the Saptarishi arti, where the servants of Bhagavan Shiva in the Varanasi region remain in whatever condition it may be, cold, heat or rain — if we were sadhaks who had attained such a state and did that, it would be wonderful and divine.
The guru subject was taken up because many have been disturbed since the Kumbh and have taken diksha in several places
He discussed what is not to be done, what is to be done and how to decide, he says, because he feels that from the Kumbh until now a great many people have been disturbed. Several have taken diksha in several places and various things have happened. He cannot say it publicly, because their gurus are of a great and good level; so people are somewhere becoming negative — we heard this, we saw that, they say they are doing so much. Keep patience, he says.
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