Salvation in Kali Yuga. Swami Vankhandi Maharaj: Interviews, Satsangs, Teachings, Parables

After we’d done the interviews presented above, I received translations of many of Vankhandi Maharaj’s satsangs into Russian. These satsangs revealed deeper information on topics we had only briefly touched upon in the interviews and elaborated on many things we hadn’t discussed at all. But most importantly, in these conversations, you can hear Maharaj’s living voice, his flow, his vibration. And the stories and parables he tells read like an engaging literary work. «Truths are well conveyed through fairy tales, parables, and fables,» he says. «We should more often clothe them in literary form. Perhaps this way people will understand faster and begin to implement it in their lives.»

Anupriya left on the fourth day of our stay at the ashram, and I no longer had the opportunity to talk with Maharaj, as there was no one around to translate. Therefore, I could only absorb the light emanating from Maharaj and read these satsangs, in which his living voice was clearly heard.

Burn with Soul, but Stay Aware

Swami Vankhandi’s speech is simple and accessible to everyone. It lacks philosophical sophistication but contains something elusive that instantly pierces the heart, making one listen with a frozen and thought-free mind. He often quotes sacred Scriptures and holy poets and frequently tells stories from his life or from the lives of Indian saints. Sometimes he tells the same stories and examples from satsang to satsang. He repeats the same teachings. And these repetitions are important, as the Master’s guidance is absorbed deeper and deeper each time.

«In cold weather, burn the leaves. Collect them and burn them on the fire. I burned many fires. Lived long at the roots of trees,» Vankhandi Maharaj speaks quietly, adjusting with a large stick the smoldering mountain of leaves collected from all over the ashram and brought to the backyard, where they are either burned or left lying until some special time suitable for burning. This time is determined by Maharaj himself, guided either by some inner intuitive sense or by signs known only to him, connected with natural and climatic cycles. In his ashram, many things are generally subject to such orders, aligned with nature but often completely incomprehensible to newcomers. Maharaj smiles as if something pleasant or amusing flashed through his memory. «Naga ascetics (’naga-baba’16) often come here, they don’t cover themselves with anything, even when it’s cold like now. They don’t need any blanket.» Maharaj begins to tell those gathered around the fire a short story from his life.

Vankhandi Maharaj: I spent three months in Tihar prison. People from Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Congress, VHP) sent help once a week. I always had a bottle of milk. They provided tea and everything necessary for the dhuni fire17 to the imprisoned sadhus. I would accumulate two to four kilograms of firewood. The VHP people helped a lot in general.

I’m talking about the time when there were powerful protests and demonstrations against cow slaughter in India.

They brought entire trucks of semal tree branches to us in prison as a sign of support for the dhuni fire. It was important to separate the wood from this tree’s bark. All the movement participants in prison kept dhuni fires burning. I threw the tree bark into the fire, and my dhuni burned beautifully, while others couldn’t get their fires going. Everyone was surprised. But I knew the secret that only the bark of the semal tree burns, while the woody core doesn’t burn. I remember sharing this bark with everyone. I spent three months like this – November, December, January. In February, we were all acquitted and released by Supreme Court order. Everyone was declared innocent.

The released movement participants were outraged, filed claims against the government as wrongfully convicted, demanding huge compensation. Some demanded hundred or even two hundred thousand rupees in compensation. I didn’t file any claims. What difference did it make to me where I got my daily bread – inside behind bars or outside. I didn’t have any property anyway. What losses! I left prison and went to Haridwar…

During the peak of the protest movements defending cows (Goraksha), sadhu ascetics marched and filled the square from Red Fort to the parliament building. Everyone shouted slogans: «We’ll give our lives but protect the cows! Our country and dharma, the cow is our mother.» There were leaders of the Shankaracharya tradition, Muslim leaders, Jains, and many representatives of other directions.

Question: What, Muslims also demanded cow protection?

Maharaj: Yes, they also contributed. But the naga ascetics were the most vocal.

Ashram, 2015

The crowd of demonstrators sat opposite the parliament building, occupying a huge square. Swami Rameshwaranand was with us too. Ministers from the Congress party came. Indira Gandhi gave a speech.

People wouldn’t leave. The police chief ordered to shoot, but initially the police refused to follow this order and even threatened to throw down their weapons and leave if they were forced to shoot at the ascetics. It was a really powerful movement.

But then the shooting started anyway. Many were wounded, some in the face, some in the stomach. They just started spraying us with bullets. Major politicians hid in their cars. They cleared the entire square in front of the parliament building of people. We knew and were prepared: if they start shooting, you need to lie on the ground. That’s what happened. We had a group – eighteen people, and we all lay on the ground right in front of the parliament entrance. Then the Minister of Internal Affairs arrived, inspected the square, and ordered to remove the corpses. Trucks arrived. The wounded and dead were transported in separate vehicles. I lay motionless, they picked me up and carried me to the truck for corpses. I started saying: «Where are you taking me, I’m alive!» I even waved my hand for clarity, so they would better understand. (Listeners laugh.)

They took away protesters by truckloads. Those who managed to escape the bullets were sent to prison. This event went down in history. It was a powerful movement. Subsequently, Tihar prison, where the protest participants were held, was nicknamed Mahakumbha, by analogy with the triumphant procession of millions of sadhus at the Kumbha Mela festival.

Question: What year was this?

Maharaj: Around 1965.

Kalpati ji also participated in our movement. The words «Burn with soul, but stay aware» belong to him. That means living life fully, giving your heart completely to the cause you serve, while always remaining in a state of awareness, in contact with the Supreme. You’ll see this inscription here in my ashram. «Burn with soul, but stay aware.» Kalpati used to say that even in sleep, the mind should be kept aware. «Live honestly – live without fear.» You’ve also seen this inscription in my ashram, it’s a revelation from heaven.

There were many attempts to expel me from here, they offered a reward of 10,000 rupees. So much was undertaken, but I always knew: if you’re honest and sincere, if you carry Truth and believe in it, then there’s nothing to fear. And whatever will be, will be. Live honestly, in unity with Truth, in harmony with God, and nothing will happen to you.

Back then, there were no buildings here. I lived simply under a tree, such a house – without windows and doors. Lived without worry. There were stones, flowers, and three trees growing. I built the temple on this spot. And everywhere I wrote: «Burn with soul, but stay aware.» And this phrase became a mantra for me, descended from heaven. There was no fear at all.

Five-six years I lived and worked here, didn’t sleep day or night. A Nepali settled nearby, he cooked food, roti, carried water for me from below. I kept water in a large jug. Once a bullet hit the jug, all the water spilled out…

People came here to intimidate me… I asked why they came. They named various reasons – their cow got lost, or their goat got lost. They looked for any excuse to evict me from here.

This used to be part of the Himalayas. I don’t live on this land by my own will. I was told to. Rishi Markandeya18 said so. He’s still alive. I’m fulfilling his will. He said: you need to live in the world, in samsara, come down. I asked him to allow me to settle in some secluded place where there’s no one.

The first six months I lived in Munsyari. Then moved to Kapkot, Bhawali, Bhimtal. In Bhimtal, temple construction began, many people bustled around, and I was seeking solitude. I realized that this place wasn’t suitable for me either, too much hustle and bustle. And I needed quiet and solitude.

Back then I heard a lot about these places, about Sattal. They said it was a deserted place, few people settle here. And I decided to come here.

I came to the village of Chintamini. Local workers guided me up the mountain, helped me climb up. We walked for a long time, it was already dark. And I decided that since I had climbed so high, I would stay here. I made a fire and sat all night under a tree.

Sat like that for forty days. Gathered firewood for the night fire.

Question: Maharaj, you mentioned Rishi Markandeya. Is this the famous ancient sage? You said he’s still alive. Where did you meet him? What was the nature of your relationship?

Maharaj: Markandeya is a great rishi, a yogic ascetic, a tapasvi. He usually doesn’t meet with anyone. He grants his darshan to very few. He came to me once in the Himalayas, at the place where I sat by the dhuni. He then told me to go into samsara and live among people.

Such yogis can appear in various forms and guises. And often, even if people see them, they still don’t recognize or realize who they are. In ancient times, great rulers and rajas held large yagna ceremonies to which they invited holy sages. Markandeya also came and conducted such yagnas. He could come in any form. Not everyone could recognize him.

I saw him only once. Only once did he give me his darshan, during which he inspired me to go into samsara.

There is a place called Rishikand in the Himalayas. He lives there. People try to reach there to see him, but he doesn’t show himself to anyone. Sometimes he might meet a simple village person somewhere on the road, but they won’t even understand who is before them. But those who try and specifically seek to meet this rishi cannot see him.

There are situations in life when we meet holy people. For example, I once met Jesus in a cemetery. But this always happens unexpectedly, it’s not predetermined. It happens when Divine grace descends upon you, you don’t expect it and don’t think about it. It’s always a surprise and unexpected. If you try specifically, it won’t work.

Meetings with saints do happen. One baba came to us here; he didn’t approach the dhuni, and went straight to the temple. He entered the temple and came out after some time. He held a katori with prasad in his hands. Some saw him, some didn’t. It depends on how fate favors you. Someone might later say that a baba came to us, we drank tea with him, ate potatoes. And someone else will say: «I didn’t see anyone.»

I don’t have any specific connection or relationship with Markandeya. Markandeya is a holy rishi from Uttarakhand who has been granted immortality. In past yugas, rulers and rajas invited him to large ceremonies and yagnas. When the Pandavas held the Ashwamedha yagna, Lord Krishna himself sent Bhima to deliver an invitation to Rishi Markandeya to participate in this ceremony. Krishna instructed Bhima: «Go and bring Rishi Markandeya. Just don’t bother him with talk, spend time with him in silence.» Bhima went to Rishikand. There in Rishikand, he found Markandeya and was surprised to see that he lived in a pasture, raised goats, cleaned goat dung, and ate right there under a shed. Bhima said: «I’ve come to invite you to Hastinapur.» Night had already fallen, it was too late to set out, and Bhima stayed overnight with Markandeya. In the morning, they prepared for the journey, and here Bhima was surprised to see that the holy man didn’t perform his morning ablutions but set out as he was, unwashed. He wore only goatskins for clothing. They walked all day and stopped for the night in Ranibagh. And in the morning, the story repeated: Markandeya got up and, again without washing, set out on the journey. On the third night, they stopped in Mirath, which is near Hastinapur. Here in the morning, Markandeya washed once. When they arrived in Hastinapur, the holy rishi went to the river and washed for a long time and very thoroughly.

Bhima approached Krishna and expressed his displeasure: «I think this man isn’t holy at all, he’s just pretending. I spent three nights with him, and he never washed. Only in Mirath did he deign to wash. And as soon as we came to Hastinapur, he immediately started washing himself thoroughly.»

To which Krishna replied: «Well, Bhima. Then I ask you to return to those places where you stayed overnight with Markandeya and bring soil from each of these places.» Bhima obeyed, went back and brought soil from all three places where they had stayed in separate bags. When they opened the first bag with soil from Rishikand, instead of soil, there were pearls and diamonds. When they opened the second bag, they saw it was filled with pure gold. When they opened the third bag, there was silver. But this silver already had a slight tarnish. When they opened the bag with soil from Hastinapur, from the place where Markandeya had washed most thoroughly, all this soil was teeming with worms and insects.