Homage to The Himalayas🔗

Our journey this year was to cover the char dham, as they are called, all four locations, considered the holiest for Hindus: Yamunotri, where the great river Yamuna takes shape; Gangotri, where Mother Ganga assumes her name; Kedarnath, where Shiva rules in the form of a jyotirlinga; Badrinath, the domain of Lord Vishnu. All four locations were consecrated by the great Shankara during his process of revitalizing the Sanatana Dharma that is Hinduism.

Many had told us that no group, certainly none as large as ours, had within their memory succeeded in covering all four holy spots in one trip. The roads were treacherous, open to traffic only between mid May and mid July usually. Even during this period there were frequent landslides and glacier slides that blocked roads for days, and snow falls that made them not traversable.

Our first stop was at Yamunotri, at the foothills of Khardifal, where we halted for the night. The next day we went up to Yamunotri, which at around 11,000 feet, was a climb of over 6000 feet and 7 kilometers uphill.

The morning we set out, master paid homage to the primordial energy of the mountains. Just before we set off for Yamunotri, He recited the Chandi mantra and explained what it meant. He explained:

'I will do a small chanting from Chandi. Chandi is the collection of prayerful verses uttered by Rishi Markandeya, from the region where the Himalayan mountains stand today. It is said that just by the vibrations of the Chandi mantras, Markandeya carved the Himalayas! This is a very beautiful mantra.

The word Chandi means the primordial energy which creates everything and into which everything disappears. This whole Chandi is chanted as a prayer to Devi, a Goddess who is considered to be the primordial energy Shakti, daughter of the Himalayas, and the energy of the Himalayan mountains. If you allow these mantras to penetrate you, that is enough. They are so powerful: they are said to be the most powerful mantras amongst all the mantras. Let me tell you the meaning of one mantra:

Yaa devi sarva bootheshu Vishnu mayethi samsthitha, namasthasyai namasthasyai namasthasyai namonamaha

For a product to exist, you need three things. For instance, take a pot: to make it, you need clay, the potter to make it and the energy which is given to the pot by the potter. He will make a pot and leave it. It will be in the shape of the pot as long as the energy he gave it is there within the pot. If an energy equivalent to it or greater enters it, it will go back to clay form. The energy that sustains matter is the 'Vishnu Maya'.

The whole universe was originally pure energy; now it is matter - such as water, hills, rivers, this mike, this carpet, this cloth, the buildings, your body etc. The energy that sustains all these things in their shape without letting them go back to the formless energy around them is called Vishnu Maya. In the same way, the power that continues to sustain this whole world*, without it returning to the original form of energy is called 'Vishnu Maya*.'

The first verse offers respect to Vishnu Maya: O Devi, You who are existing in the form of energy in all; I bow down to You, I bow down to You, I bow down to You.'

We chanted this at a teachers' training session at the ashram for Mother's day. That morning, I was in the mood of the Mother and I picked up this book and started reading. Each and every mantra goes so deep.

Yaa devi sarva bhootheshu, Vishnu mayethi samsthitha, namasthasyai namasthasyai namasthasyai namonamaha

• The energy which holds this whole universe as the universe instead of it going back to its origin is Vishnu Maya. We surrender to this energy.

Yaa Devi sarva bhootheshu Chethanetyabhi dheeyathe samsthitha, namasthasyai namasthasyai namasthasyai namonamaha

• In every body and tree, there is life; I bow down to that energy which is life in every being.

Yaa Devi sarva bhootheshu buddhi roopena samsthitha, namasthasyai namasthasyai namasthasyai namonamaha

- Every being has its own intelligence. The tree grows, animals protect themselves; everything has intelligence; I bow down to that energy which is intelligence.

Yaa Devi sarva bhootheshu nidra roopena samsthitha, namasthasyai namasthasyai namasthasyai namonamaha

• Nidra means 'intensity' - not just sleep. If you had attended Shiva Ratri celebrations at Bidadi ashram, you would have heard me talk about it. I bow down to that energy which is intensity.

Yaa Devi sarva bhootheshu shudha roopena samsthitha, namasthasyai namasthasyai namasthasyai namonamaha

– The energy which awakens you, which calls you back from tamas (sleep) is shudha. I bow down to this energy.

Through these verses, the rishis want all of you to understand that every inch of your being IS and is respected as Mother or energy. The whole of the Himalayan mountains are filled with Mother consciousness.

Now, close your eyes. Remember your mother who carried you in her womb, who gave you your physical body;; the mother who gave you boogarba, physical birth, who gave you culture, who made you stand on your own feet in life. Next, remember the mother who carried you in her heart, hridgarbha. Now, remember the mother who gave you spiritual life, gnana garba, your master. Think of all of them and bow down to them all.

(He chants from chapter 5 of Chandi.)

Remember and bow down to the mother who gave you birth, who gave you your physical body. Remember all the mothers who carry you in their heart - your husband, your beloved, your wife. Whomsoever carries you in their heart, remember them and bow down to them; they are all your mothers. Remember your spiritual master, the mother who gave you spiritual life. I bow down to the Mothers who carried me in the Boogarba, Hridgarba and G*nanagarba, physically, emotionally and intellectually.*

Om Shree mathre namaha, Om Shree mathre namaha, Om Shree mathre namaha

Relax. Open your eyes.'