When Gurudev’s consciousness reached the level of Shiv consciousness, a lot happened to him, through him, by him, and he became a walking talking Shivalay.
Gurudevonline.com presents the pods of enlightenment, an audio biography of one of history's greatest saints. 'The Guru of Gurus' podcast series is comprised of 24 podcasts that present aspects of the mahaguru's life, philosophy, supernature, and mentorship.
Make some aspects of his biography into aspects of your biography.
If you have a question related to this podcast or need spiritual guidance, write to us at answers@gurudevonline.com. You can also read about Gurudev's life and philosophy on his website - www.gurudevonline.com
When Gurudev’s consciousness reached the level of Shiv consciousness, a lot happened to him, through him, by him, and he became a walking talking Shivalay.
Gurudevonline.com presents the pods of enlightenment, an audio biography of one of history's greatest saints. 'The Guru of Gurus' podcast series is comprised of 24 podcasts that present aspects of the mahaguru's life, philosophy, supernature, and mentorship.
Make some aspects of his biography into aspects of your biography.
If you have a question related to this podcast or need spiritual guidance, write to us at answers@gurudevonline.com. You can also read about Gurudev's life and philosophy on his website - www.gurudevonline.com
When Gurudev’s consciousness reached the level of Shiv consciousness, a lot happened to him, through him, by him, and he became a walking talking Shivalay. Let us examine the concept.
The Shiv in Him
The answer to what is Shiv is a very difficult one. The common man tries to humanise the concept and interpret Shiv as a person who lives on Mount Kailash or Amarnath or Kedarnath. The entity is supposed to have 108 wives or forms of wives and two sons, one called Karthikey and the other Ganpati.
Sure, that projected form is a manifestation of Shiv in whom the consciousness of Shiv is fully realised. That form is called Shankar.
My personal belief is that Shiv is a formless concept--A concept that gets enlivened at a particular level of consciousness. It remains dormant at lower levels of consciousness. Every human being has the ability to reach this level but hardly any do.
Guru Vashisht describes Shiv as the infrastructure for the play of Shakti—Shiv being the static one while Shakti is the dynamic energy. At the highest level of consciousness, Shiv and Shakti become one or two aspects of one.
In the microcosm, when the kundalini goes beyond the Ajna Chakra or the third eye in the forehead, a person is qualified for Shiv consciousness. When it goes beyond the forehead chakra, it reaches even a more subtle level of Shiv consciousness and so on and so forth. This applies not only to Hindus but to all Homosapiens.
The most misunderstood word that I have ever come across in ancient Indian philosophy is the concept of Shiv.
However, attaining the symbols of Shiv qualifies a being as the manifested one or a manifested one.
Gurudev had very clear, visible, embossed graphics of the Om, trishul, shivling, gileri, Ganapati, Nandi and the jyot on his palms. Then there were theOm’s on his chest and back, and other symbols on his feet.
The attainment of each symbol brings with it the potency of its usage.
The Om spells association and influence over the 3 loka groupings-the Netherworlds, then the Earth, and then the higher worlds.
The Trishul signifies enhancement of Shakti and the capability to use it as a tool for healing and self-preservation.
The Nandi signifies sturdiness and a loyal association with the Shiv tattva.
The Shivling and Gileri showcase the unconscious overcoming of duality and unison of the Shiv Shakti principle. In layman’s terms, the attainment of the Ardh Nari Nareshwara form or roop.
Ganapati implies the ability to cross over from the trinity to the Guru Tatva or Paar Brahm which is signified by the tail of the Om. Also, providing the ability to use the power of the trinity of Shiv, Shakti, and Ganpati. Ganpati being the third energy they create as an amalgam.
The Jyot shows control over the fire element, mainly the radiation of the Jivaatma.
The graphic of the cobra twined along the Shivling signifies the ability to use Shakti to help, protect and defend when and wherever required.
Unfortunately, all these qualify the recipient but not at a conscious level. And unlike Gurudev, many of us didn’t really know how to assess the attainments given to us at a conscious level.
Coming up next are the testimonials of those who lived in his presence. Let the words of others define the one!
A naughty young disciple from Mumbai, Giri Lalwani, who spent a lot of time with Gurudev, remembers meeting the Mahaguru for the first time in the early 80s.
Giri ji: So, Guruji had come to Mumbai. So anyway, me and Shyam Dumatkar and another, my guru bhai, Sri Krishna, we all three went to see Guruji there and I saw him. I didn’t even say namaste to him. I didn’t even touch his feet, nothing. And he welcomed us. I went near him. He showed something on his hand which I couldn’t make out what he was showing. He said, “This is Om, this is trishul, this is Ganpati, this is shivling,” on his right hand. He said, “Son, can’t you see it?” I said, “No, I cannot see it”. Then he showed it to me again. I could see it then. I could see Ganpati ji and…
Q: You saw all of this on his hand?
Giri ji: On his hand. On his right hand. On his left hand he showed me a jyot.
Q: When you say showed, what was that like?
Giri ji: That was like, you know…
Q: Was it the veins, the nerves?
Giri ji: It was an engraved thing. Like a raised thing. Something coming up--not at all flat.
Q: So, you saw something coming out of his hand?
Giri ji: Coming out of his hand, yes. Like how the mounds are there on the hands. So those were in the shape of Ganpati ji, shivling, trishul and Om. And on his left hand, I saw a jyot coming out of his hand you know but not in the same level.
Q: When Gurudev showed you all this, were they all distinctly separate from each other or were they all together in one hand?
Giri ji: No, no, they were all distinctly separate from each other. Like jyot was on left hand, Om was on the left hand also; shivling and gileri was on his right hand; Ganpati was on left hand.
The graphics of the shivalay in his hands were seen by no less than a hundred thousand people. I saw the Om on his hands in 1977 but it did nothing for me. At that stage of my life, these things did not make an impression. But later when I dived into the subject and analyzed it, I was shell shocked.
In years to come, Gurudev showed me these graphics on my hands and said I could share them with others. He possibly indicated this in an unspoken manner but he did, and I have.
Santosh ji has been gifted most of the symbols that Gurudev had. I guess he was a little modest and embarrassed about answering the question that follows.
Q: Santosh ji, Gurudev had many powers in his hands which he gave to many of his disciples, his children? What symbols did he give you on your hands?
Santosh ji: Gurudev would show us Om that was there on his palms. On the left one which is the hand of Shakti, he had a trishul (symbolising Shakti) along with jyoti (a flame) and Ganpati ji’s side pose. On the right palm, which is of Lord Shankar, right in the middle, a shining, white coloured Om symbol and on the right side was shivling. Along with it there was a symbol of shivling paired with red coloured Om and horns of Nandi bull. And the face was like how Guruji used to show us.
Simple and cute is the story which Gurudev’s sister shares next. Getting to know the greatness of your brother through the stories of others might have been quite awkward for the family.
Meshi, the naughty one, wanted to verify. Not only did she see several Om’s but also the Naag or snake in his right hand.
Bewilderment? Yes
Disbelief? No
The Sister.
Guruji Sister: Someone told me that Guruji has Om on his back. You can see it from his vest. We had a hand pump in our house. I was a child so I wanted to check. So, I started using the water pump and told him, “Papaji, can I operate the hand pump when you take a bath today?” He agreed. He used to have bath wearing a vest. When he sat under the pump, I poured water on his body. As soon as I saw his back, I saw a big Om on his back through the vest. Then I said, “Papaji, I can see Om on your back.” He asked “How did you see it?” I said, “I can see it through your vest.” He said, “Yes child, I have.” I said, “Papaji, you also have a naag.” He said, “Where do you see it.” So, I said, “Here is the snake.” I said, “Papaji, my eyes are hurting, I can’t see it.” So, Guruji cleaned his hands and then said, “Now, can you see the Om here?” I lied saying, “No I can’t see it.” He again cleaned his hands and said, “Look here, can you see the Om here.” I said “Papaji, it’s a big Om.”
Gurudev treated Bittu ji as one of his many adopted sons. He not only served at the sthan since his teens, but also served Gurudev dedicatedly for decades.
Bittu ji: When Gurudev took a bath, he never took a bath in front of anyone else. He took a bath after covering his whole body. At Renuka itself, where Guruji, with his grace, his blessings – what I saw was, when the water was flowing down, Guruji took off his vest and he took a bath under that flowing water. I saw his back and his chest. In the centre of both, I saw an Om. I don’t know if anyone else has seen or not seen —I cannot tell you about that, but I have seen it, with his blessings.
Gulab Singh Rana, owned a salon near Gurudev’s home, and frequently cut Gurudev’s hair and gave him a massage. He also claims a similar sighting.
Q: I’m talking to Shri. Gulab Rana ji who was the chosen one because Gurudev only had his hair cut by him and Gulab ji owned a very nice, small salon very near Gurudev’s house. So, Gulab ji, you were very lucky that Gurudev used to cut his hair from you only, so have you ever seen symbols anywhere on his body besides his hands?
Gulab ji: Yes brother, I have seen them. When I used to massage Gurudev’s body I have seen with my own eyes, an Om on his chest and trishul on back side. I have seen it myself.
Q: You have seen it only once or….
Gulab ji: Many times. Many times. Many times. Many times.
There is no historical record of any saint having attained the Om on the chest and back. Being a guru who underplayed his greatness, Gurudev took a bath with a brief on so that no one could see his bareback or chest.
The presence of symbols on his body is corroborated by many, including a favourite amongst his disciples, Santlal ji, who ran a sthan at Sonepat for years till he went beyond.
He puts his fingers in the pie by introducing the sighting of shining trishuls in Gurudev’s fingernails.
Santlal ji: Me and there were 2 or 3 more people who saw that there was Trishul on each and every fingernail.
Q: Wow.
Santlal ji: Every fingernail had a Trishul. I was there at night when we all were sitting, that time he showed me.
Q: Was it glowing like a light or in Silver like a light?
Santlal ji: Yes, absolutely, they were glowing.
The horns of Nandi that were on Gurudev’s right hand appeared in a vision to Geeta Nagpal who couldn’t figure out what they really meant. I thought this was a rather interesting story and wanted to share it with you.
Geeta ji: When we had started going to the sthan, I suddenly began getting these visions and Guruji asked me to paint them. I would paint them and show them to him and he would interpret them for me. I would try and paint them as soon as I saw them so I could get them down as accurately as I saw them but sometimes due to lack of time it would not happen. There was some particular vision that I kept seeing. It was this curly-wurly thing. A kind of a lit-up vision and it just kept haunting me and it wasn’t making any sense, so I wasn’t painting it. For about a week, it kept haunting me, day and night, every time I open my eyes, close my eyes, I kept seeing that vision but it did not make any sense at all. So finally, I decided to just draw it down the way I was seeing it and while as I drew it out and some colours came to my mind and I painted it and showed it Guruji. He looked at it and I said, “It made more sense as it was haunting me and so I have out it down and have shown it to you.” He looked at it and said “This is Nandi and these are Nandi’s horns.” So, I was quite baffled. The following year we met Gurudev and he showed me his hands and all the signs that he had on his hands and one of the signs was this same symbol of Nandi which I had drawn. And that was an experience that was, I cannot explain.
Gurudev had all the Shiv graphics embedded on his palms- a complete Shivalay. But while a normal palm has three basic lines – the heart line, the head line, the lifeline and their tributaries – his palm was almost line free. Only the three basic lines and you couldn’t see any other.
I took a friend who was an astrologer and palmist to meet Gurudev as he wanted to see Gurudev’s palm out of curiosity. And was he shocked!
The mounds on Gurudev’s hands were very pronounced, and he only had the 3 basic lines mentioned earlier.
I also secretly got Gurudev’s horoscope read. What is amazing is how destiny showcases itself. The planetary configuration in his chart was surprisingly relevant. The astrologer was impressed but outwitted!
The planets were configured in a very simple manner. They showed that this was the chart of a great man. Very simple, very generous and someone who would have a magnetic persona. Most astrologers are fortune tellers and so deeper analysis is not in their competency.
A very humble man who worked in Gurudev’s office as a colleague and one of his oldest disciples, FC Sharma ji, testifies.
Q: Which symbols were there on Gurudev’s hands?
FC Sharma ji: He had Om on his hand. He also had a trishul. It was like a small Om and red in colour. He also had two horns of Nandi. These were the symbols that he had. But after sometime all these symbols disappeared and a circle was formed which emitted light. Few of our guru bhais have seen it. Gurudev himself had said that you will not see any symbols now, you will see everything inside this circle itself. Like a tube light.
Q: Means all the symbols were inside and only you could see was the circle?
FC Sharma ji: Yes, it was only a circle.
Q: So, all the symbols inside it and then they disappeared. And after they disappeared only a round light remained?
FC Sharma ji: Yes. That circle also was there for some time and later even that disappeared and the symbols returned. This also was seen by few people and never after.
I’m aware that there were a few symbols that would appear on his hands for a short period of time and then disappear.
Dr Shankar Narayan, a disciple from Bangalore, and a few others saw the graphics of the trishul displayed in a rather unique manner. What he describes next is a collection of tridents which seemed to have remained on Gurudev’s hands for a short period during Janmashtami.
Dr Shankar Narayan ji: In my early days, I went to Gurgaon. I came and Guruji was sitting on the charpoy. Then he immediately showed his hands. And I saw that there was a circle, a big circle. A big white ring and then there were tridents coming out. The shape of a trident…I saw four and a half. Four tridents and another was little small. A fifth trident I saw in his hand. He showed me that. That type of ring I think Guruji has showed it to someone else I have come to know.
I have never personally seen this symbol on his hands so I guess this viewing was exclusive to Dr Shankar Narayan and a few others.
In the early days, ignorance levels were high, and most of the disciples were not from religious backgrounds, so they often did not understand what they saw. And Mr G was not really ever ready to oblige.
What doctor saw as tridents, Mataji saw as the Sudarshan Chakra as did Uma Shankar, the neighbour.
All were participants in the viewing but the comprehensions did not align.
While the Shiv graphics represented the power of Shiv in the Guru form, what Mataji describes next was the visual of the Sudarshan Chakra, the weapon of Krishna who was supposed to be an avatar of Vishnu. This showed his attainment of the power of Guru Vishnu and the capabilities of the Vishnu Roop.
Q: Did he have any more powers in his hands?
Mataji: When Janmashtami came, we could see Krishna’s sudarshan chakra completely on his hands. It was a complete circle.
Q: Inside or outside?
Mataji: Could be seen on the hands. Outside. On his palms.
Q: How big was it? One inch, two inches or half an inch?
Mataji: How big is the palm?
Q: 2.5-3 inches. 2.5 inch.
Mataji: It was as big as a palm.
Q: On the whole palm.
What was absoutely uncanny was the fact that he could transfer these graphics to others at will. He gave his disciples the ability to do the same.
Ravi Trehan ji talks about his own experience.
Q: The symbols that you have on your hand like Shivling, gileri…
Ravi ji: Symbols?
Q: Yes, like Jyot, Shivling, gileri, Nandi, Ganpati etc. which even Gurudev had on his hands and even you have it on your hands. He had given those to his disciples too. What is the significance of these symbols?
Ravi ji: I don’t want to talk about it individually but I’ll tell you cumulatively. These symbols are the various level that a person achieves during sadhna. I’ll give you an example. At one point of time Guruji had said that, “Son, you have completed 87,000 count of seva. After Guru Purnima or Mahashivratri, complete 1 and a half lakh counts of seva and a shivling will appear on your hand.” After knowing this I worked more harder, did those more seva and also did my meditation. And exactly after Shivratri, shivling appeared on my hand. After this on Guru Purnima again Guruji said, “Son, your level has increased. You’ve done a lot of paath too. Do more seva. Do it up to 2 and half lakh counts and then you will see Om appear on your hand”. I did as ask by Guruji and I saw Om on my hand. Guruji had told me, “Son, you start your paath at 11 and do it until 2.15 after that I’ll take over from there and increase your paath and from 2.15 till 5.15 I’ll do it for you.” He also said, “Till next Shivratri you will see Trishul on your hand. You concentrate on your seva and also on your meditation”. Certainly enough, after Maha Shivratri, as stated by Guruji, I saw Trishul on my hand after next Shivratri. It was a trishul covering my palm. So, these I would attribute to the different levels of progress that you reach. This is the meaning of symbols. He showed me each and every stage practically. This is the answer.
For people whom he could motivate, he used such techniques. For the lazy and unambitious, he just shared.
For Santosh ji of Nadaun, Gupta ji and family of Parwanoo, Capt. Sharma of Mumbai, and so many of us, it was automatic transmission. We did not even know the gifts he had bestowed until he helped us discover them.
Today, many of the second and third generation of Gurudev’s disciples have some of these symbols on their hands. He seemed to be able to rewrite spiritual history.
I suspect these graphics show up in an individual's aura and give the person the ability to use them. He seemed to be able to rewrite spiritual history.
Gurudev said that while Om established the status of divinity, the Trishul gave the power to use Shakti, and was the symbol of Shakti itself.
One of the many explanations of Shakti is the empowerment of the body’s left hemisphere combined with enhanced abilities to tap into cosmic intelligence.
Shakti can also be seen as the element of kinetic energy in the microcosm and the element of Prakriti or the creative power of the universe in the macrocosm.
If you find this explanation undecipherable, then ‘May the force be with you’.
A simplified way of understanding Shakti is the ability to hold, magnetise, and disperse energy that is superfluous to the energy required to sustain oneself. And to utilise that superfluous energy to affect other life forms. Most of the healing processes require the use of Shakti.
The symbol of Jyot is connected with Agni or the fire element. This power can aid in the transmission of energy through the eyes, the enhancement of various agnis or fire elements in the body, and spread of prakash or light. It is believed that Gurudev attained this power from Jwalaji, the temple of dynamic fires in Himachal that have no proven source.
Let’s shift from glimpses of the concept of the Shiv parivaar, to a little reflection on the Guru roop.
Gurudev’s knowledge was like water in the monsoon contained by high-quality water-proofing. Fortunately, like water always has a few leaks, so did his secrets.
He lived in different moods and sometimes when he was in the guru roop, he would sound very different, as if it was not him but divinity speaking. Technically, I assume this happens when the consciousness is at its highest and the kundalini has oscillated to the level of the crown in the head, and possibly beyond.
Giri ji shares another viewpoint.
Q: How did Gurudev explain the significance of Om to you?
Giri ji: So, we were sitting in his bedroom and suddenly he picked up a pen and paper and drew the symbol of Om. He asked me do you know the meaning of Om. I said, “No Guruji I don’t know the meaning of Om.” Of course, I don’t know about these things. So, he explained to me that on the top of 3 in the symbol is Brahma and the center is Vishnu and below the last portion of No. 3 is Devo Maheshwara which is Shiv ji and below, the curve, the tail sort of a thing, it is Guru, that is me. So, it forms Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara, Guru sakshat Paar brahma. He said Om has the accent (matra) which is paar brahma. He said this is the jyot, that we light and which I tell everybody that every home should light a jyot.
Gurudev explained the concept of Om to many of us. Some of us understood it differently than the others.
Raji Sharma also talks about his understanding of the Om which may be a slight variation from what Giri ji has just explained.
Raji Sharma ji: One day Guruji and I were sitting, he asked, “Do you know the meaning of Om?” I said, “Guruji, I know it is that Om is a primordial sound that has come in and we all worship Om like we have been doing for so long in all the poojas etc.” He said, “No, let me show you what actually Om means and how its related to the Guru Mantra or the Maha Guru Mantra also. Sit with a paper and pencil.” He put the pen down at a point and then made the first circle of Om, the top circle of Om. He said “This point, this dot where it begins is Brahma and the moment it begins and goes next this round then this round is the Vishnu and the dot is Brahma’s job and is finished. The Brahma is no longer in existence. Its Vishnu that takes over. And then the second round which is elongated or the lengthier round, the line, it’s is Devo Maheshwara. From that point it is Devo Maheshwara. So, it dawned on me that actually what he is saying is right. That this line, it also shows you the longevity. The longer the line, the longevity it is. And then he came to the point that both these circles meet in the center and here is the other line going out which he called is also the ‘Sundi of Ganesh (trunk of Ganesh)’.
Q: The tail? You are talking about the tail?
Raji Sharma ji: The tail or the line that comes out of the three in between. So, this is Ganesh which represents gyaan (knowledge). So, this is also the Guru that takes you out. So that is why in our Guru Mantra it is Guru Brahma from where it began. The Brahma roop of Guru is finished. Guru Vishnu or the utpatti, also representing the fetus in the womb is what he said in the human sense. See the child lies in a curved position just as the circle at the top. Then there is this Devo Maheshwara. But the next word is Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara, Guru Saaksaat, Par Bhram. So, to take you out of this Brahmand is this Guru which is the Par Bhram. It takes you out of this existence of the 3 worlds or this circle of the Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara. Guru Shaaksaat Par Brahma.
Q: Then?
Raji Sharma ji: This is the meaning of the 3 and the Sundi. Then came the Chaand. This Chaand within the body is the Ajna Chakra or just above the eyebrows. There is a darkness in between. So, it is the Guru that is taking from here to that divine light, the bluish light which is also represented by the chaand. Because the moon is a softer light. The moon derives its light from that ultimate light of the sun. So, this is also the same chaand which is on the head of the Shiva. And then there is a gap again. There is a darkness. That darkness that you see, that you finally transcend is also due to your vishwas (faith), shraddha (devotion) and complete undaunting faith in the Guru and that is the biggest jump that you have to take. It’s like taking a jump backwards. Because that is where the divine light in its own effulgence, in its own Bharga, in its own beautiful Bharga, Vareniyam Bharga resides. That’s what Guruji explained me the meaning of Om.
Q: So, the light above the Chaand, that area between the light above the chaand is the area of darkness which the Guru helps you to transcend and that light is the light of the self? Is that what you are saying?
Raji Sharma ji: You see, the self is identified as the self of the body. But the self is itself an illuminating light. And that itself is also the Guru.
One of the practices of Gurudev that I find hard to explain was his ability to transfer these Shiv graphics at will to whoever he felt like. Sometimes in a day, sometimes a little longer, but sometimes in minutes.
FC Sharma ji shares his Ripley’s with Humsa.
Q: Do all the symbols have some prapti story behind it? Was it something like that?
FC Sharma ji: Nothing like that. Guruji would transfer Om or shivling to some other person too. If a person is unwell so, how do I treat him in order to save him? Then he would show his Om to him and If he can’t see the Om, then he would put jal on it and show him. It was white in colour. Then he would show it and then he would also tell that person that next morning you will see this Om on your hands.
A disciple from Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh, Gupta ji’s wholesale receipt of the Om for self and family left everyone awestruck. Let’s hear this story in his words.
Q: Gupta ji, when you met Gurudev for the first time, was there any experience of your meeting him for the first time or the second time that you had with Gurudev, which you remember till today?
Gupta ji: I never touched anyone’s feet till I met Gurudev. But when I met Gurudev for the first time, I touched his feet for some reason. There must be some reason. I don’t know.
Q: You were saying that on the first day itself Gurudev gave you Om on your hand? What was that story?
Gupta ji: The day we met him, he repeatedly said, “Ask me for something, ask me for something.” So, there was a room in which he was staying. He shut the other room and called everyone from my family and said, “I have given you the Om.” The Om then appeared in everyone’s hands but then it is there on other people’s hands too.
Q: Ji
Gupta ji: It must be in a lot of hands.
Even though this sounds more like a B2B Business, it was Gurudev’s prerogative to share his powers the way he wanted, and with whomever he wanted.
It is known since time immemorial that the quality of Shiv is instant gratification and instant reward, and he seemed to practice that with most of us. That justified his status as a Shiv ansh as per Brighu’s prediction.
Ansh means a part of and Shiv ansh means a part of Shiv. But that does not mean it’s a part of a physical form of Shiv. It is comparable to or a manifestation of.
Up next is Santosh ji of Nadaun, one of Gurudev’s most lovable disciples to this day-a man as simple as Simon but as hospitable as Pieman. This erstwhile PT teacher is now a spiritual trainer.
Q: Santosh ji, after how many meetings did Gurudev show you Om on his hands?
Santosh Ji: Somewhere in the months May and June of 1976, Gurudev had set up a camp in Kathog, near Jwalaji. It was then that Guru’s grace bestowed on me and I got a chance to seek Gurudev’s blessings. He gave me an opportunity to perform Seva. At that time Gurudev had told us that his sthan is at Shivpuri, Gurgaon. So, after two months, in July or August, during the school’s summer break, out of sheer curiosity I planned to visit to the main sthan. On reaching Shivpuri, I came to know that Gurudev was not there. Although, I couldn’t meet Gurudev, I could meet Mataji and their children. I went with devotion to the sthan room and lit dhoop battis (incense) while doing so I just happened to look into my hands, although this was not out of desire but I saw a symbol of Om in my right hand similar to the one I had seen in Gurudev’s hand. I also realised that I had the symbol of trishul in my left hand. I was surprised to see it. Well, it was all because of Guru’s grace.
Q: Santosh ji, do you mean to say that the manifestation of these powers took place exactly after two months of meeting Gurudev?
Santosh Ji: Yes, you’re right, exactly after two months of meeting Gurudev. May June was when Gurudev had come and in July/August I had acquired these powers in Shivpuri so this is the time when I witnessed it.
Shri Krishna Deolekar has been doing seva at the Mumbai sthan for over three decades and is dedicated to the service of others.
He shares his story.
Shri Krishna ji: “Son, do seva.” I asked “Guruji, what is seva?” He said, “Take all the pain and troubles out of people” I asked “How?” He said “If a person has a headache, then you just keep your head on his forehead and he will be relieved from his pain. If a person has pain in his legs, then you keep your hand on his legs and he will be relieved from his pain.” “Guruji this happens?” He said “Yes son, this does happen. Will you do seva?” I said “Yes definitely I’ll do.” He said “So from today I’ll give you Om.” After a while he asked me to show my hands to him, when I did, he showed the Om on my hands. He said, “Son, this is just the beginning, you just look forward to what will happen next.”
Another B2B story of Krishanmohan ji, who runs a successful sthan at Durgapur, is coming up
Q: Krishanmohanji, did Gurudev give you any of the symbols like the Om and Trishul which were on his hands?
Krishan Mohan ji: Yes. There was a time when Guruji’s father death anniversary function was ongoing. That time Gurudev placed his hands on my head and one of his shakti entered me. It was then he showed me the Om on his hands and said, “Son, it is in your hands as well.” When he showed me the Om and trishul, the white Om in the middle which is still on the hands and he said, “Son, use this to serve people”.
Q: Have you shared the Shakti of the Om with others?
Krishan Mohan ji: Yes.
For years after he left his body, not many of his disciples gave either power or these symbols to others. Probably they did not feel authorisedto do so.
After many discussions, so many of them have now started appointing their own downlines. The show must go on. And these supernatural capabilities must flow to as many generations. Such is our hope and prayer. How these capabilities flow to another is a saintly secret but the key to the lock is wilful intention.
Let’s move to the Mumbai seaside to meet Uma Prabhu, a lady I have always admired as she reigns over the life and times of one of my closest guru bhais, Suresh Prabhu.
It took her one flight, one meeting, to develop a lifetime of devotion to the mahaguru.
Q: You said that when you first went and met Gurudev, he asked you to look into your left hand and see the Ganpati, can you see the Om. Then you couldn’t and then he said that you must see it from your heart.
Uma ji: Yes, he said, “Child, see it from the eyes of your inner being.”
Q: And then what happened, Uma?
Uma ji: Then I saw it. It was something in the way he said it. The way he looked at me. Something got triggered in me. It was a heart-to-heart connection. He was not communicating with me through words. It was as if he was sending some sort of vibration, some sort of waves into me. It was a life-to-life connection like one huge piece of --if I can use the word--a one huge chunk of light – me and him kind of thing. I could actually see all those things on my hand. Then, he took the pencil and was drawing and saying, “Can you see something here?” So, I told him very frankly, “I can’t see anything”.
Q: And then when did you see Uma?
Uma ji: Immediately. He said, he just caught my hand, my finger and said, “Child, see it from the eyes of your inner being”. That when I looked into his eyes and something got transferred. I can’t use the word transferred but some deep connection happened. And the next time I saw everything. Everything.
Q: Please explain what?
Uma ji: So, on my thumb mould – I saw an Om. Even now I can still see it. My guru wala mount, next to my thumb. Above it, I could see Ganpati. He said can you see the trishul on the middle finger, I could see it. All this I could not see earlier. So, I remember these three distinct things – Om, Ganpati and trishul.
When I apply intellect to my experience of seeing the graphics on Gurudev’s hands, I come to some odd conclusions. I believe these symbols were permanently embedded on his palms, but when members of the Sikh faith would come to see him, they would see the Ek Onkar and not the Om. I conjecture that he had both but showed what was relevant. Personally, I have never seen the Ek Onkar on his hand. I have only seen the Om and it was too deeply embedded and embossed for it to have fluidity of change.
Another awardee of the spiritual lottery was Mr Kwatra.
Kwatra ji: So, far as ek onkar is concerned, I think you might have seen Om, Onkar and Ganesha, he has bestowed this you know in the hands of his disciples as well. And with the grace of my guru, it still exists in my hands. I don’t know whether I have worshipped or what I have done in this respect but it’s his giving, it is his blessings that I possess it.
Gurudev saw the graphic of Om as one of great significance. He gave it the status of being the logo representing divinity itself. He said if I could visualise the Om in people and places, I would be able to enhance my connectivity to all forms of consciousness. It would make me radiate beyond the containment of my physical constraints.
Even though the significance of this practice did not sink in at that time, I realise now that the practice of visualising the Om outside, reflects the same inside, and intensifies its radiation within. I also realise that when gifted the power of the Om, it appears in more places than just our hands.
When the staapna at the sthan at Asthal in Dehradun was underway, an Om appeared in the clouds and stayed there for a few minutes. Nitin Gadekar, my friend and spiritual associate noticed it and showed it to many of us who were present.
While on a visit to Renuka, I saw the Om inlayed on the ground. It popped out of nowhere, to my surprise and awe.
Just like logos get embossed on collaterals, our collaterals were potatoes and tomatoes. Mr. Ripley would probably turn in his grave if he heard what Bittu ji has to say next.
Bittu ji: This happened on the guru puja last year--On Guru Puja in 2007, we had just begun to prepare the langar food the night before. It was around 1 am or 2 am that we started preparing it. The first tomato that we cut had a golden Om inside it. I showed that to respected Mataji, Malhotra ji, and whoever else was there at the time.
Q: An Om in gold?
Bittu ji: Golden type of Om. It was not exactly gold but it was shining like it was gold. And all the people present there saw it and since one could not have preserved the tomato, so we cut it and distributed it like prasad.
Karamjit, a devotee, who did seva at Gurgaon lives to tell the tale that follows.
Q: When you saw that in every potato there is Om and you went and informed about this to Guruji, then what did he say?
Karamjit: When I told this to him, he said, “Son, but you laid those potatoes’’. I replied, “I haven’t done anything as it is out of my league. Whatever is done is being done by you only. What have you done?” He deflected and then changed the topic. You see he had such powers that he could show you Om in potatoes too.
I recall it was probably sometime in the late 80's. I was at Gurgaon, and it was the day before Shivratri. A group of sevadars were engaged in the seva of dicing potatoes which would be fried and served to people a day later. But halfway through, there was a knife-down strike. The sevadaars refused to dice the potatoes because at the centre of each potato they peeled and cut in two, was an embossed trishul.
Thinking that it was an unholy business to cut through the symbol, they stopped. When Gurudev was informed, he came out with a glass of water and sprinkled it on the sacks of potatoes.
The trishul was exported and the finger chips imported!
To conclude this podcast, the message I have for everyone is the message his life was a showcase for.
At some inner level, we all have the Shiv tattva. Unfortunately, the electricity is off, so we can’t see this within ourselves. But he showcased this for all to see and believe.
The Shivalay in his hands and body, his shiv roop which so many saw and continue to see, and his own attitudes and gunas, all spelt one word – Shiv.
He recognized this in himself and made no qualms about it. He recognized much more. But that we will discover in words – sooner or later.
Meanwhile, allow him to serve as an external generator, providing you with the light you need to see within and discover the Shiv tattva that is YOU.
These are words of Urdu that came to Humsa intuitively.
Aapke ulfat ke afsane bahut hai
Aapke diye gaye nazraane bahut hai
Zindagi ko mukammal karne wale
Aapke azeem fasane bahut hai.
There are stories aplenty of your love and care
You’ve bestowed gifts on us that are priceless and rare.
The reason so many found higher ground is you.
The stories of your greatness are long and fair.