Transcript
[0:01] A philosopher was sitting beneath the
[0:03] tree. [music]
[0:04] A little girl approached him and asked,
[0:07] "What are you doing? What are you doing?
[0:08] >> I'm contemplating the meaning of life."
[0:11] >> Have you found it? [music]
[0:13] >> Not yet. I've been studying the question
[0:16] for 40 years.
[0:19] >> Perhaps you should try living it
[0:21] instead.
[0:22] [laughter]
[0:25] >> Feminine is that dimension that cannot
[0:28] be put into your box. She spills
[0:30] disorder that is divine.
[0:34] This is not about being female. The
[0:36] feminine can be as alive in a man as it
[0:39] is in a woman. Social influence often
[0:43] shifted towards traditionally masculine
[0:45] roles. The feminine is a little more
[0:47] wonky.
[0:49] All through history, when a woman got a
[0:52] little strong, she must be beaten. She
[0:55] must be burned at the stake. But here we
[0:58] made such woman worship worthy. Why? One
[1:02] of India's grandest naratri
[1:04] celebrations. Namuru myuru.
[1:08] My mother.
[1:10] Her presence was simply there all the
[1:13] time. I could no longer dismiss it as
[1:15] [music] something ordinary.
[1:18] The female body capable of giving birth
[1:21] appeared to embody the mystery [music]
[1:23] of creation itself. Once life emerges
[1:27] from the womb, activity begins.
[1:31] Ganesha was created purely by the divine
[1:34] feminine. This is where feminine becomes
[1:37] important. A journey of inner
[1:39] transformation through the three
[1:41] fundamental qualities [music] of
[1:42] existence.
[1:44] Even when we manifested lingerabi, I
[1:47] made her
[1:53] >> [music]
[1:55] >> Namaskarum.
[1:57] Welcome to 360
[2:00] on this Ashwina Parami Day
[2:04] also known as the Shahhat Parnami in the
[2:07] north marking the culmination of a
[2:10] sacred period in [music] the Hindu
[2:12] calendar. Over the past fortnight, the
[2:16] Indian subcontinent has been immersed in
[2:20] celebrations of Navaratri.
[2:23] One of the most significant festivals
[2:25] dedicated to divine feminine, the Davi
[2:30] in her many forms.
[2:34] In Barat, the feminine has long been
[2:38] revered not merely as a symbol of
[2:41] motherhood or fertility,
[2:44] but as a very source of creation, the
[2:48] dynamic energy that sustains and
[2:51] transforms existence. [music]
[2:54] But this understanding of divinity was
[2:57] not unique to Barat. Long before the
[3:00] advent of doineering patriarchal
[3:03] religions, cultures across Europe, Asia,
[3:07] Africa, and Arabia also expressed the
[3:10] sacred through feminine forms.
[3:13] While much of the ancient reverence has
[3:16] gradually disappeared or has been
[3:18] synretatized, the worship of the divine
[3:21] feminine remains a vibrant and integral
[3:24] part of the spiritual traditions of
[3:26] Barat finding one of the most profound
[3:29] expressions during Navaratri
[3:33] when the divine was feminine.
[3:36] Long before the emergence of modern
[3:38] religions, human beings were already
[3:41] expressing their understanding of
[3:43] existence through feminine imagery.
[3:46] Across prehistoric Europe and parts of
[3:49] Asia, archaeologists have discovered
[3:52] female figurines dating back thousands,
[3:56] sometimes tens of thousands of years.
[3:58] For the early human communities, the
[4:02] ability to bring forth life must have
[4:05] appeared almost nature's most
[4:08] extraordinary mysteries. It still is,
[4:10] though
[4:12] the earth generated life. The seasons
[4:16] govern death and renewal. The female
[4:19] body capable of giving birth appear to
[4:22] embody the mystery of creation itself.
[4:26] The archaeologists proposed that many
[4:29] such female figurines reflected a
[4:32] widespread goddess centered spiritual
[4:34] tradition in which the feminine was
[4:38] revered as a symbol of birth, death,
[4:41] renewal [music] and the continuity of
[4:43] life. These societies were relatively
[4:47] egalitarian and materialistic, revering
[4:50] the divine feminine and motherhood
[4:53] without necessarily placing women above
[4:56] men. This is important. A woman's
[5:00] contribution
[5:01] and position in society was as vital as
[5:06] a man's. Beyond gathering and preparing
[5:10] food and preserving ecological knowledge
[5:13] such as identifying medicinal plants,
[5:16] understanding seasonal cycles,
[5:18] recognizing the nutritional and healing
[5:21] properties of plants and herbs. Women
[5:24] have played a foundational role in the
[5:27] evolution of human language through
[5:31] increasingly sophisticated biological
[5:34] and vocal communication between mothers
[5:37] and infants. Women have also made
[5:41] significant contributions to the
[5:43] emergence of human culture, artistic
[5:46] expression, and craftsmanship.
[5:48] Activities such as weaving, basket
[5:51] making, pottery, body adornment, and the
[5:55] creation of decorative and ritual
[5:57] objects provided opportunities to
[6:00] develop not only practical skills but
[6:03] also aesthetic sensibilities, symbolism
[6:06] and cultural traditions. My mother
[6:11] had this wonderful way of bringing
[6:13] beauty into the simplest things in life.
[6:16] At all times, every pillowcase, every
[6:19] bed sheet had some embroidery she
[6:23] herself would have done. If she saw a
[6:26] plain white pillowcase, she would say,
[6:28] "How can children sleep on an empty
[6:31] pillowcase?" And within 5 minutes she
[6:34] would embroider and there would be a
[6:37] green parrot or a five petal flower
[6:40] embroidered upon it. Even today I
[6:43] remember those little parrots and
[6:46] flowers so vividly. I was only three or
[6:49] four years of age
[6:51] lying there looking at different shades
[6:54] of pink and red in those petals
[6:57] wondering why two were red and three
[7:01] were pink until I fell asleep.
[7:04] [laughter]
[7:05] Those of you who have embroidered in
[7:07] those times would know those anchor
[7:10] threads would come in that specially
[7:13] packed uh way and the thread would be
[7:16] such a way that part of it would be
[7:18] there would be a color variation in the
[7:21] length of the thread and when you do
[7:23] embroidery
[7:25] naturally the color variation would
[7:28] happen in an unplanned manner these
[7:30] little things have always stayed with me
[7:33] throughout my life. This is what the
[7:35] feminine brings to human life. It is not
[7:38] merely about cooking, cleaning, or
[7:40] taking care of practical necessities.
[7:42] It's about bringing beauty, warmth,
[7:45] color, and grace into everything.
[7:47] Without that dimension, life may be
[7:51] perfectly functional, but it becomes dry
[7:54] and mechanical. In countless little
[7:57] ways, without teaching or saying
[7:59] anything, my mother shaped who I am. Her
[8:03] presence was simply there all the time,
[8:06] quietly enriching everything around us.
[8:09] Such contributions, though often
[8:11] intangible and difficult to measure,
[8:14] were fundamental to the fabric of human
[8:19] societies and of individual growth. In
[8:22] many early communities [music] where
[8:26] accumulated hereditary wealth was
[8:29] relatively limited, social value was not
[8:32] necessarily determined by material
[8:34] possessions or political authority. The
[8:38] nurturing, creative, and life sustaining
[8:40] contributions of the feminine were as
[8:44] essential to collective well-being as
[8:46] the traditionally masculine roles of
[8:48] hunting and protection, helping sustain
[8:51] more cooperative and less hierarchical
[8:54] social structures. Every human being,
[8:57] whether a king, a conqueror, a sage, or
[9:01] an ordinary person, begins life in one's
[9:04] mother's womb. Whatever we may achieve
[9:08] or become, we all owe our existence to
[9:11] this life-giving power. Yet the
[9:14] reverence we show towards the source of
[9:17] life unfortunately has not always
[9:20] reflected this simple truth.
[9:24] Let me read a poem to you. Yi,
[9:29] meaning the oomph,
[9:32] all take shape in the inards of one's
[9:36] mother's inner chambers. This sacred
[9:39] chamber, the oomph, sets up our journey
[9:43] towards the tomb and the in between
[9:46] times that we call life.
[9:49] of many possibilities and pitfalls. One
[9:53] may become a sage, a sorcerer, or a
[9:57] despot. Whatever you become, learn to
[10:00] bow to the sacred life-making womb, not
[10:05] just of your mother, but of every
[10:09] possible mother. Much glory attributed
[10:12] [music] to the tombs of unknown people.
[10:15] But the life-making womb has become a
[10:17] term of abuse. Are we for life or death?
[10:23] Over time, the qualities that commanded
[10:27] the greatest recognition in society
[10:30] began to change. The ability to create
[10:33] and nurture life remained essential, but
[10:36] increasingly it was the ability to
[10:39] control resources, command armies, and
[10:42] exercise authority over others that
[10:45] determined a person's standing in
[10:47] society.
[10:49] These changing ideas of power influenced
[10:53] not only the relationships between men
[10:55] and women, but also the ways in which
[10:58] human beings imagine the divine. when
[11:00] the earth became property.
[11:03] One of the developments that contributed
[11:05] to this shift was the emergence of
[11:08] settled agriculture.
[11:10] Land increasingly became something to
[11:14] own, defend, and passed down through
[11:17] generations. Over time, this shift
[11:20] contributed to the concentration of
[11:23] wealth, the rise of patriarchal systems,
[11:27] of inheritance, and the emergence of new
[11:30] hierarchies of power. Alongside these
[11:34] developments, as settlements grew and
[11:37] resources accumulated,
[11:39] the need to defend land, livestock, and
[11:43] wealth became increasingly important to
[11:46] a community's survival
[11:49] and prosperity.
[11:51] Military strength and the ability to
[11:53] protect or expand territory acquired
[11:56] greater significance, elevating the
[11:59] social status of warriors as warfare and
[12:04] territorial control became central to
[12:07] political power. Traditionally masculine
[12:10] roles gained greater prominence while
[12:13] the nurturing, healing and life
[12:15] sustaining contributions
[12:17] associated with the feminine though no
[12:20] less essential often became less visible
[12:24] and less valued in the emerging social
[12:27] hierarchy. The emergence of religious
[12:29] beliefs that reflected and reinforced
[12:33] patriarchal values further consolidated
[12:37] these power structures, reshaping not
[12:40] only the social order, but also
[12:43] prevailing perceptions of power, gender,
[12:46] and divinity.
[12:48] As property and inheritance became
[12:51] increasingly important, so did family
[12:54] lineage, particularly descent through
[12:57] male line. In societies where wealth,
[13:00] family identity, and social authority
[13:03] passed primarily from father to son,
[13:06] women's roles became increasingly
[13:08] defined by marriage and reproduction.
[13:11] Their value was often measured by their
[13:14] ability to produce legitimate hairs,
[13:17] particularly sons, rather than by their
[13:20] individuality or contributions beyond
[13:23] motherhood. In some societies, this
[13:26] gradually reduced women's autonomy,
[13:29] reinforcing patriarchal structures in
[13:32] which women could be treated less as
[13:34] independent individuals, more as
[13:37] instruments of preserving male lineage.
[13:40] There is an old saying,
[13:43] a man without land is ruthless. A man
[13:47] without a woman is fruitless. As land
[13:50] and lineage became increasingly central
[13:54] to wealth and power, women themselves
[13:57] often came to be treated as part of the
[14:00] system of property and inheritance
[14:04] rather than as equal participants in
[14:06] shaping it. This is not to suggest that
[14:10] agriculture itself was detrimental or
[14:13] that it inevitably led to masculine
[14:16] dominant societies. Many earlier farming
[14:19] communities remained relatively
[14:22] egalitarian with different ways of
[14:25] organizing property, inheritance, and
[14:28] social authority. Nevertheless, where
[14:31] wealth became increasingly concentrated
[14:34] and military strength acquired a greater
[14:37] importance and balance of social
[14:40] influence often shifted towards
[14:42] traditionally masculine roles and forms
[14:45] of power when the gods came to resemble
[14:48] kings.
[14:50] As societies became increasingly
[14:53] organized around territorial powers,
[14:57] warfare, and political authority, their
[15:00] representations of divinity also began
[15:03] to reflect those changing priorities. In
[15:07] many ancient goddess centered
[15:09] traditions, divine
[15:12] understood as a vast all-inccompassing
[15:15] force of nature. Rather than embodying
[15:18] human ambition or authority, the sacred
[15:21] represented the fundamental forces
[15:24] governing existence itself. The divine
[15:28] feminine in many cultures represented
[15:31] the very power through which existence
[15:34] manifested, sustained, transformed, and
[15:38] dissolved itself.
[15:40] As political hierarchies and military
[15:43] power gained prominence, gods
[15:46] increasingly came to be portrayed as
[15:50] mighty rulers, heroic warriors, and
[15:53] conquerors embodying ideals of courage,
[15:58] strength, victory, and authority.
[16:02] These divine figures acquired more
[16:04] elaborate personalities,
[16:06] relationships, ambitions, and heroic
[16:09] narratives serving not only as objects
[16:13] of worship, but also as powerful symbols
[16:16] that inspired warriors, legitimized
[16:19] rulers and united communities in times
[16:23] of conflict. Uh, a very similar
[16:26] evolution can be seen in the Hindu
[16:29] traditions also. Early Hindu gods were
[16:32] closely associated with the forces of
[16:35] nature such as Agni, Wu, Surya and the
[16:40] Amber or Akasha.
[16:43] Over time these divine forces came to be
[16:46] expressed through more elaborate
[16:48] personalities and stories. Even Shaki
[16:51] the boundless feminine power of creation
[16:54] took recognizable forms such as Da Kali
[16:58] Bhavi Bhani
[17:00] whose heroic battles symbolized the
[17:03] immense forces of creation, protection
[17:06] and destruction.
[17:08] This evolution made abstract [music]
[17:10] cosmic principles more accessible
[17:13] through familiar forms, personalities
[17:16] and stories. In yogic traditions
[17:18] especially, the personal and cosmic
[17:21] dimensions of divinity continue to
[17:24] coexist. A goddess could be a mother, a
[17:28] warrior, or a protector while
[17:31] simultaneously
[17:32] representing the boundless power
[17:35] underlying all existence.
[17:38] However, across different cultures,
[17:40] changing social structures also
[17:43] influenced which divine qualities
[17:46] received the greatest emphasis. [music]
[17:48] In some traditions, reverence for the
[17:51] cosmic forces of existence gradually
[17:54] gave way to more prominent expressions
[17:57] of heroic authority, kingship or
[18:00] queenship and divine sovereignity. In
[18:03] Greek mythology, the primordial earth
[18:06] mother gives birth to the gods. Yet, the
[18:10] stories increasingly center around the
[18:13] divine rulers such as Zeus and
[18:16] celebrated heroes such as Apollo and
[18:18] Hercules.
[18:20] An even more striking example appears in
[18:23] the Babylonian creation epic where the
[18:27] great serpent goddess of the primordial
[18:30] sea and mother of all gods is slain by
[18:34] the young warrior god who splits her
[18:37] lifeless body in two fashioning the
[18:40] heavens and earth from her corpse before
[18:44] establishing himself [music] as the
[18:46] supreme ruler of the gods. This mythical
[18:50] triumph of order over chaos can be
[18:53] interpreted as symbolizing a broader
[18:57] shift from reverence for primordial
[19:01] feminine powers towards maledominated
[19:05] systems of kingship, military authority
[19:08] and social order. The myth widely
[19:11] reflects the glorification of heroic
[19:14] conquest and divine sovereignity. With
[19:18] the spread of monotheistic traditions,
[19:21] worship increasingly
[19:23] centered on a single god commonly
[19:26] described in masculine terms. While many
[19:30] older goddess traditions were absorbed,
[19:33] reinterpreted or gradually abandoned
[19:37] over time. In much of the world, the
[19:40] divine feminine lost her place as an
[19:43] independent expression of ultimate
[19:46] divinity, surviving instead through
[19:50] sacred symbolism,
[19:52] mystical teachings, and devotional
[19:54] traditions. But in bat the divine
[19:57] feminine retained a profound and central
[20:00] place in spiritual life. The spiritual
[20:03] traditions of Bharat preserved the
[20:05] feminine as a manifestation of ultimate
[20:08] creative power of existence. Here the
[20:11] goddess is not simply a nurturing mother
[20:14] or a symbolic expression of divine
[20:17] compassion. She is Mahadevi the divine
[20:21] herself. She is revered as the supreme
[20:24] reality, the fundamental power through
[20:27] which the cosmos is created, sustained
[20:31] and transformed.
[20:33] This understanding of the feminine as a
[20:36] very force of existence finds one of the
[20:39] most vibrant expressions during
[20:42] Navaratri
[20:44] the nine nights dedicated to celebrating
[20:47] the divine feminine in all her
[20:50] manifestations and dimensions. Naratri
[20:54] literally means nine nights
[20:57] dedicated to the worship of Dvi. This
[21:01] festival is not merely a religious
[21:04] celebration but a profound spiritual
[21:07] process designed to bring human life
[21:10] into harmony with the rhythms of nature
[21:13] and the larger cosmos.
[21:17] While the very name bat or bharata
[21:22] is
[21:24] a composition of three that is ba, ra
[21:28] and ta.
[21:31] Bha meaning bhava or the sensation or
[21:35] sensation being the basic form of
[21:37] experience that we go through.
[21:40] Ra means raa that is a tune of life or
[21:44] creation which is not our doing it is
[21:46] set by the creation. Ta means tala
[21:51] meaning rhythm.
[21:53] If you find the rhythm to the tune of
[21:56] the creation
[21:58] while your life shall become a dance of
[22:02] exuberance and ecstasy.
[22:04] If you don't find the rhythm, the same
[22:07] life process could crush you and make it
[22:09] into a very miserable experience. So the
[22:12] very
[22:13] name Barata comes from this that we have
[22:16] to find that rhythm [clears throat]
[22:19] and it's a very feminine process. That
[22:22] is why Bharata is referred to as bhat
[22:25] mata which literally means mother
[22:28] bharat.
[22:30] In the yogic understanding, human life
[22:33] is intimately connected with the cycles
[22:36] of the sun, moon, and changing seasons.
[22:40] It recognizes that these natural rhythms
[22:42] influence the conditions of the human
[22:45] body and mind. Festivals and spiritual
[22:48] practices are therefore arranged around
[22:52] particular times of the year, not simply
[22:55] as occasions for celebration, but as
[22:59] opportunities for inner transformation.
[23:02] The lunar month is traditionally
[23:05] understood through the interplay of
[23:07] feminine and masculine qualities. The
[23:10] first nine nights following a mawasha
[23:14] the new moon day are considered feminine
[23:18] in nature and particularly conducive to
[23:20] dvi worship. This is the spiritual
[23:23] significance underlying navaratri which
[23:27] celebrates the feminine dimension of
[23:29] existence.
[23:32] Although every lunar month contains this
[23:35] nine night phase,
[23:39] this ashwina
[23:41] nawatri or the shared naratri
[23:44] celebrated in autumn around September to
[23:47] October holds special significance. The
[23:50] word shared itself refers to autumn and
[23:53] a festival is associated with charada, a
[23:56] form of Saraswati, the goddess of
[23:59] knowledge and wisdom. In yogic
[24:01] tradition, the southern movement of the
[24:04] sun known as dakshinayana
[24:06] is regarded as sadapada.
[24:10] Within this larger cycle, the 3month
[24:13] period beginning around mahallaya
[24:15] mawasha is known as dvi pada or time
[24:19] when the feminine dimension of existence
[24:21] is considered especially accessible to
[24:24] spiritual seekers. This is why the
[24:28] months surrounding Navaratri are
[24:30] particularly rich in festivals.
[24:32] Celebration itself is considered an
[24:35] expression of the feminine. This period
[24:37] offers a special opportunity for
[24:40] devotion, spiritual practice and joyful
[24:44] participation in life. Interestingly,
[24:46] the spiritual preparation begins even
[24:49] before Navatri. A few weeks earlier
[24:52] comes Ganesh Chhatring
[24:55] dedicated to Ganesha the remover of
[24:57] obstacle. Ganesha was created purely by
[25:01] the divine feminine. His mother Parvati
[25:04] brought him into existence without any
[25:05] male involvement. Shiva's contribution
[25:08] came only later when Ganesha's original
[25:12] head was taken out and replaced with the
[25:16] Ghana's head. In the yogic energy
[25:19] system, Ganesha is associated with
[25:22] muladhara.
[25:23] Root chakra are the foundations
[25:26] or the very foundation of the energetic
[25:29] body that we possess representing
[25:32] stability and the foundation of human
[25:34] existence. Before awakening or working
[25:38] with more dynamic energies associated
[25:40] with Davi and kundalini, this foundation
[25:44] must first be stabilized.
[25:48] Thus the worship of Ganesha before
[25:51] Nawaratri carries a deeper yogic
[25:54] significance. Before invoking the
[25:57] transformative power of shi one must
[26:00] first establish a stable foundation
[26:03] within oneself. This is followed by
[26:06] pitupra pakshia a 15-day period
[26:10] dedicated to honoring our ancestors
[26:13] culminating in Mahallaya
[26:16] the new moon immediately preceding the
[26:19] nawaratri festival in yogic tradition
[26:22] ancestral remembrance extends far beyond
[26:25] one's immediate family countless
[26:28] generations before us have shaped the
[26:31] lives that we lead today from language
[26:34] anguage, knowledge and craftsmanship to
[26:37] the simplest aspects of everyday life.
[26:40] Almost everything we take for granted
[26:43] has been inherited from those who came
[26:46] before us. Mahallaya
[26:49] is therefore an occasion to express
[26:52] gratitude to these generations
[26:54] acknowledging the immense contribution
[26:57] they have made to our existence. Yet
[27:01] there is a deeper yogic significance to
[27:05] this observance. Just as we inherit the
[27:08] achievements of our ancestors, we also
[27:11] carry their accumulated karmic
[27:14] tendencies, conditioning and patterns of
[27:17] behavior. In yogic science, these deeply
[27:21] embedded impressions are known as
[27:23] samscaras.
[27:25] Unless we become conscious of them and
[27:28] distance ourselves from them, the past
[27:30] can continue to express itself through
[27:33] us, limiting our ability to experience
[27:36] life as fresh life. The purpose of
[27:39] pitropakia is therefore twofold.
[27:42] To honor the past with gratitude while
[27:46] creating the necessary distance from its
[27:49] unconscious influence, our ancestors
[27:52] should become the foundation upon which
[27:56] we build our lives, not a trap that
[27:59] determines how we live and who we are.
[28:03] Ancestral remembrance is practiced
[28:05] across the world with each culture
[28:07] expressing it through its own unique
[28:09] traditions and rituals. At their heart
[28:12] lies a shared recognition of our
[28:15] connection to those who came before us,
[28:18] honoring their contributions while
[28:20] allowing each generation the freedom to
[28:24] shape its own path. We must appreciate
[28:26] and honor the dead, but we should not
[28:30] embrace the dead. To embrace the dead is
[28:33] to deny ourselves new possibilities.
[28:36] When we become so attached to what has
[28:39] passed that we leave no room for what is
[28:42] yet to come, our life may end long
[28:46] before it really ends.
[28:49] With Mahallaya,
[28:52] this period of ancestral remembrance
[28:55] comes to an end. The nine nights of
[28:57] Navaratri begins. Symbolically, the
[29:00] transition is profound. Having
[29:03] acknowledged the past and the influences
[29:06] we have inherited, we now turn towards
[29:09] the possibility of consciously
[29:12] transforming our lives and looking
[29:15] towards new possibilities.
[29:18] In the yogic understanding, this
[29:20] transformation takes special place
[29:23] through shi the fundamental energy of
[29:27] existence personified as divine
[29:30] feminine. The nine knights of Navaratri
[29:33] symbolize a journey of inner
[29:35] transformation through the three
[29:37] fundamental qualities of existence
[29:39] [music]
[29:40] known in yogic science as three gonas,
[29:43] tamas, rajas and satwa. Tamus represents
[29:47] inertia,
[29:50] stability and the foundation of physical
[29:53] existence. Rajas is the dynamic force of
[29:56] activity, passion and creation. While
[30:00] satwa
[30:02] represents clarity, the dissolution of
[30:05] boundaries and a possibility of
[30:07] transcending individual limitations to
[30:10] experience a sense of merging with the
[30:13] larger creation. In the yogic tradition,
[30:17] these qualities are associated with
[30:19] earth
[30:20] which is the tamus, sun which is a rajas
[30:24] and moon which is satwa. Dura or kali is
[30:28] associated with tamus and mother earth
[30:33] embodies primordial power, strength and
[30:36] the instinct of survival and
[30:38] preservation of physical existence.
[30:41] Lakshmi associated with rajas and the
[30:45] sun represents wealth, passion,
[30:48] prosperity, material abundance.
[30:51] Saraswati or Sharada associated with
[30:54] satwa and the moon embodies knowledge,
[30:58] wisdom and aspiration to transcend the
[31:01] limitations of the mortal body and
[31:04] attain liberation from the cycle of
[31:06] birth and death. Together these three
[31:10] manifestations
[31:11] reflect a progression from the
[31:14] foundations of physical existence
[31:17] through active engagement with material
[31:19] world towards the ultimate possibility
[31:23] of spiritual transcendence. We arise
[31:27] from the earth, become active
[31:29] participants in the world and eventually
[31:32] have the possibility of transcending the
[31:35] limitations of our physical existence.
[31:38] The first two happen naturally. The
[31:40] third requires conscious driving. The
[31:44] first three nights are dedicated to dura
[31:47] or kali representing tamas, the
[31:50] primordial quality of inertia, stability
[31:53] and physical existence.
[31:56] Thomas uh is not inherently negative. It
[32:01] is the very nature of the earth
[32:03] and the womb where life develops in
[32:07] stillness before emerging into activity.
[32:11] Without this foundation, life itself
[32:14] could not exist. But inertia can also
[32:17] keep us trapped in ignorance,
[32:20] entanglements, and habitual patterns.
[32:24] This is illustrated by the story of
[32:27] Mahakali who awakens Vishnu from his
[32:30] deep cosmic sleep so that he can
[32:33] confront the two basic forces which
[32:38] entangle and rule human consciousness.
[32:42] things that we recognize as sweet
[32:46] which leads to entanglements
[32:50] and that we recognize as unpleasant
[32:53] towards which we will develop aversion.
[32:57] So attachment and aversion are two
[33:01] demons in our minds which entangles
[33:05] human beings throughout their life.
[33:07] These two dimensions symbolize
[33:10] attachment and aversion. the endless
[33:12] likes and dislikes that form the very
[33:15] foundation of our personalities and the
[33:17] basis of all our suffering. The defeat
[33:21] of these two dimensions which are
[33:23] personified
[33:25] as two forces of madu and kitaba are
[33:29] referred to generally as demons. It
[33:32] represents the possibility of awakening
[33:34] from unconscious patterns that keep us
[33:38] bound to a conscious reality of our
[33:41] existence. True freedom is not about
[33:45] arranging the world according to our
[33:47] likes and dislikes but becoming free
[33:50] from their compulsive influence. We can
[33:53] enjoy everything life has to offer
[33:56] without becoming attached to it. We may
[33:59] possess great wealth and possessions and
[34:03] we can thoroughly enjoy them. But
[34:07] our inner well-being should not depend
[34:11] upon these possessions. This freedom
[34:14] extends even to our identification with
[34:17] the physical body. We can care for the
[34:20] body, enjoy life through it without
[34:23] being entirely defined by it. As I said,
[34:27] tamus means inertia.
[34:30] Inertia is not something inherently bad
[34:34] or negative. Thamus is the nature of the
[34:37] womb where life develops in stillness.
[34:42] Before birth, we are not actively doing
[34:44] anything yet. We are growing at an
[34:47] extraordinary pace. Inertia provides the
[34:50] necessary foundation for activity. Thus
[34:54] is also associated with mother earth
[34:56] from which all life emerges. Our bodies
[34:59] are after all simply a piece of this
[35:02] planet walking around. One day we shall
[35:05] return to the earth from which we came.
[35:09] Once life emerges from the womb activity
[35:12] begins. We naturally want to explore
[35:16] create achieve acquire and experience
[35:19] the world. This is the beginning of
[35:21] rajas the dynamic energy of action and
[35:25] passion which forms the next stage of
[35:27] Navatri's journey of inner
[35:30] transformation.
[35:32] Next three nights honor Lakshmi
[35:36] representing [laughter]
[35:38] uh rajas
[35:41] or the dynamic force of activity,
[35:44] passion and creation. While this energy
[35:48] drives growth and prosperity, it can
[35:51] also manifest as endless desire and
[35:53] compulsive action. The spiritual journey
[35:56] involves transforming this restless
[35:58] energy into conscious purposeful
[36:01] activity. But in today's world, Laxshmi
[36:04] is purely identified as money and
[36:07] wealth. And well, she has become the
[36:10] most popular goddess. [laughter]
[36:12] The energy that we refer to as Rajas
[36:16] brings
[36:18] tremendous possibilities.
[36:20] But what matters is how we channel it.
[36:24] The same activity can become either a
[36:26] source of joy or suffering or a process
[36:30] of liberation or entanglement depending
[36:33] on how we engage with it. Even something
[36:38] as ordinary as sweeping the floor can
[36:42] become a tremendous process of joy and
[36:45] liberation
[36:47] when performed with complete willingness
[36:51] and involvement
[36:53] or we can say with great sense of
[36:56] devotion. Let's understand devotion as
[37:00] not as something that you do with uh
[37:04] what you think is the divine or god but
[37:08] an absolute sense of involvement where
[37:11] nothing is held back is devotion. When
[37:14] performed unwillingly the same activity
[37:18] can become a burden.
[37:20] Whatever we do willingly becomes our
[37:22] heaven. Whatever we do unwillingly
[37:26] becomes our hell.
[37:28] The difference lies not in what we are
[37:31] doing but how we approach it. When we
[37:36] resist an activity, it becomes a burden.
[37:39] When we engage with complete willingness
[37:41] and involvement, even the simplest task
[37:44] can become a source of great joy. True
[37:47] freedom lies not in controlling every
[37:49] circumstance but in choosing how we
[37:52] respond to life and its situations.
[37:57] This is the deeper significance of
[37:59] Lakshmi who represents not merely
[38:03] material wealth but the richness of life
[38:07] itself to prosperity lies not only in
[38:11] what we accumulate but in how profoundly
[38:14] we experience life. There is an old
[38:18] story about a traveler who came across
[38:22] three stone cutters. It once happened.
[38:26] A man came to a place where three men
[38:30] were at work.
[38:32] He asked the first man, "What are you
[38:36] doing here?"
[38:37] He looked up and said, "Are you blind?
[38:40] Can't you see? I'm cutting stone." And
[38:44] uh
[38:46] he went to the next person and asked
[38:48] him, "What are you doing here?"
[38:51] That man [music] said
[38:53] something something to earn a living I
[38:56] have to feed my family.
[38:59] Then he approached the third man who was
[39:02] working with tremendous enthusiasm. What
[39:05] are you doing here? The man looked up,
[39:09] smiled and said, I am building a
[39:12] magnificent temple here.
[39:15] All three men are doing exactly the same
[39:18] work but their experience of that
[39:22] activity [music] is entirely different.
[39:25] The difference is not in what they are
[39:27] doing but in how they are doing or how
[39:31] involved they are in their work. One saw
[39:33] only hardship. Another saw a necessity
[39:36] of earning a living while the third
[39:40] found a grand purpose in the very same
[39:42] activity.
[39:44] This is the essence of rajas when
[39:47] consciously directed. The possibility of
[39:50] transforming ordinary activity
[39:53] into an enriching experience of life.
[39:57] Yet the tremendous energy of rajas can
[40:00] also become a source of bondage when
[40:02] driven by unconscious desires [music]
[40:04] and instincts. This is illustrated in
[40:07] the story of Mahishasura, a powerful
[40:10] buffalo demon whose arrogance and
[40:12] ambition drove him to conquer all that
[40:15] was around him.
[40:18] And Goddess Dura manifested to confront
[40:21] him and ultimately defeated him.
[40:24] Mahishasura symbolizes the instinctive
[40:27] animalistic tendencies within human
[40:30] nature. Just as animals defend their
[40:32] territories, we constantly seeks to not
[40:35] only establish boundaries, but endlessly
[40:38] expand our boundaries. A dog marks his
[40:41] territory by urinating on every tree and
[40:44] lampost. Human beings do much the same
[40:48] thing, only in a rather more
[40:50] sophisticated way. But the only problem
[40:53] is their boundary cannot remain limited.
[40:57] They keep on trying to expand and when
[41:01] my boundary and your boundary expand
[41:03] somewhere there will be a clash and a
[41:05] conflict. But human intelligence gives
[41:08] us the possibility of moving beyond
[41:10] these compulsions rather than limiting
[41:14] all our energy towards survival,
[41:17] acquisition and self-interest. We can
[41:20] expand our perception and become more
[41:22] inclusive. The goddess's victory over
[41:25] Maheshasura symbolizes the
[41:28] transformation of instinctive compulsive
[41:30] activity into conscious purposeful
[41:33] action allowing our energy and passion
[41:36] to become a means of growth rather than
[41:39] entanglement. The third dimension of
[41:41] Navaratri is represented by Sarasati,
[41:45] the goddess of satwa, the aspiration
[41:49] towards knowledge, refinement and
[41:51] ultimately transcendence. Tamas and
[41:54] rajas happen naturally. We emerge from
[41:57] earth become active in the world
[41:59] eventually return to the earth. But
[42:01] satwa the possibility of going beyond
[42:04] the limitations of physical existence
[42:07] which is a unique human possibility does
[42:10] not essentially happen on its own. It
[42:13] requires conscious driving. We need to
[42:16] understand human is not a be. [laughter]
[42:22] Well there's no such word but a human is
[42:25] a being.
[42:27] It's an ongoing process.
[42:30] In the yogic understanding, this means
[42:33] refining our physical, mental,
[42:35] emotional, and energetic dimensions so
[42:38] that they no longer become barriers to a
[42:41] deep experience of life. This is
[42:43] illustrated in the story of
[42:44] Mahasaraswati who manifests as a radiant
[42:47] goddess Ambika to confront the two
[42:51] brothers Sumba and Nishumba whose
[42:54] arrogance and ambition have driven kings
[42:57] and citizens and everybody else into
[43:00] absolute chaos when the demons attempt
[43:04] to capture her. The fierce goddess Kali
[43:06] emerges from Ambika's forehead and
[43:09] defeats the two powerful generals of
[43:13] Shumba and Nishumba who are known as
[43:15] Chanda and Munda. In recognition of this
[43:18] victory over these two generals, she
[43:21] receives the name Chamunda, the slayer
[43:24] of Chanda and Munda. The deeper
[43:27] aspiration represented by Mahasarvati
[43:29] not merely of accumulating knowledge but
[43:32] cultivating awareness to transcend the
[43:34] limitations of the very nature of the
[43:37] mind. The 9-day navatri
[43:41] or the 10-day period called the sah
[43:44] culminates with vijay dashmi meaning the
[43:48] day of victory. Having journeyed through
[43:51] tamas, rajas and satwa, the ultimate
[43:54] aspiration is not merely to cultivate
[43:57] power, wealth or knowledge, but to
[44:00] transcend our entanglements with these
[44:02] three aspects of life. In ordinary life,
[44:06] victory usually means defeating an
[44:09] opponent, achieving a goal or succeeding
[44:12] where others have failed. But Vijay
[44:15] Dashmi celebrates a different kind of
[44:17] victory. freedom from the compulsive
[44:20] forces that govern our existence. The
[44:23] demons defeated by the goddess are not
[44:26] merely external enemies but are
[44:29] understood as the symbols of our own
[44:32] ignorance, attachments, [music] desires
[44:34] and instinctive limitations.
[44:37] Tamas, rajas and satwa each have their
[44:40] place in life. Victory is not about
[44:43] dominance or power but it's about
[44:46] participating in life process fully
[44:49] without becoming enslaved by its
[44:51] compulsions. It comes not simply through
[44:54] struggle but through clarity born out of
[44:56] awareness. One of India's grandest
[44:59] Navaratri celebrations takes place in
[45:01] Mysuru
[45:04] Namuru Mysuru
[45:09] Karnataka a city in southern India a
[45:13] city whose name is traditionally derived
[45:15] from Mahishasurana Uru that means
[45:19] Mahishasura's
[45:21] town
[45:23] Mahishasura's town is called Msuru
[45:27] according To local legend, goddess
[45:29] Chamundeshwari defeated Mahishasura on
[45:32] Chamandi hill which overlooks the city.
[45:35] Even today, a colorful statue of the
[45:37] demon stands on the hill. While the
[45:40] temple of Chamaneshwari remains an
[45:42] important center of goddess worship.
[45:45] Chamunda is from the story of Chanda and
[45:50] Munda. Now let me tell you a little
[45:52] about the royal dasara celebration in
[45:55] Mysuru. During the 14th century, Mysuru
[45:59] and much of southern India were under
[46:01] Vijayanagara Empire whose rulers
[46:03] celebrated Navaratri on a magnificent
[46:06] scale in the 16th century. The warrior
[46:09] kings of Msore continued this royal
[46:12] tradition which has endured for
[46:15] centuries.
[46:17] The festivities culminate in the grand
[46:19] jumbu savari procession on Vijay Dashmi
[46:23] day when an image of goddess
[46:26] Chamundeshwari is carried through the
[46:28] city at top a richly decorated elephant
[46:32] accompanied by music, dance and
[46:34] elaborate ceremonial displays. The whole
[46:37] city comes alive with celebration and
[46:40] the whole city is lit in a very special
[46:43] way for these 10 days.
[46:46] I was not there in person this year, but
[46:49] watching the footage of the
[46:50] celebrations, I was struck by their
[46:52] extraordinary grandeur. The spectacular
[46:55] precisions, the dazzling lights, the
[46:57] elaborate drone displays were quite a
[47:00] sight to behold. The drone displays had
[47:03] nearly 3,500 drones making fantastic
[47:08] uh images in the sky.
[47:11] It is remarkable how a centuries old
[47:14] tradition continues to evolve, embracing
[47:17] modern technology while preserving its
[47:20] cultural and spiritual heritage.
[47:23] Right from my childhood, I have been to
[47:25] many Dasara processions in Mysuru. When
[47:29] we were very young, my parents took us.
[47:32] Later on, we went ourselves. Then when I
[47:35] was probably 16 or 17 years of age, I
[47:38] thought what is there in that
[47:40] procession?
[47:42] We get a holiday and we can go somewhere
[47:44] else.
[47:46] But on one particular vijayashmi,
[47:50] I was involved with a small orphanage
[47:53] caring for around 40 children. Whenever
[47:57] I visited, children would run up and
[47:59] throw their arms around me, holding on
[48:02] so tightly. There was such a longing for
[48:05] affection in those embraces. They simply
[48:09] wanted to be close to [music] someone,
[48:11] to be held, to feel that human
[48:13] connection. It was deeply touching.
[48:18] I asked the children one day, "Daser is
[48:21] coming. Have you ever seen the
[48:22] procession?" To my [music] surprise, not
[48:26] one of them had. Some were already 12
[48:29] years or little over that while many
[48:32] were just 4 5 years of age. So I decided
[48:36] to take all of them to the Dasara
[48:40] procession on Vijay Dashmid afternoon. I
[48:43] arranged a matador van as they were
[48:45] called in those days. gathered the
[48:48] children with an adult to accompany them
[48:51] and drove [music] them to a place where
[48:54] they could have a good view of the
[48:56] procession. The female adult who came as
[48:59] a guardian for these children when I
[49:02] inquired with her there even she had not
[49:05] seen the procession in her life.
[49:08] Oh, the excitement on the faces of
[49:11] [music] these children seeing the
[49:13] Maharaja, the elephants, the horses, the
[49:16] magnificent tabloo and the whole
[49:18] procession unfold and the lighting
[49:21] before their eyes. It was something I
[49:23] will never ever forget. Their joy was so
[49:27] overwhelming.
[49:29] Seeing how much this experience meant to
[49:32] those children moved me very deeply.
[49:38] I remembered how excited we had been
[49:40] about the SA when we were young. But as
[49:43] we grew older, that sense of wonder
[49:46] gradually faded and we began thinking,
[49:49] what is there to see? I have [music]
[49:51] seen it all so many times. But watching
[49:54] those children experience it for the
[49:56] first time changed something in me. I
[50:00] decided that whenever I was in Mysuru
[50:03] [music]
[50:03] during the Dashara time, I would go to
[50:06] the procession no matter how crowded or
[50:09] chaotic it might be. With all the
[50:12] pushing and jostling that happens around
[50:14] there, the procession itself had not
[50:17] changed, but seeing it through the eyes
[50:20] of those children, I could no longer
[50:22] dismiss it as something ordinary. The
[50:25] day reminded me how easily we allow
[50:28] familiarity to rob us of wonder. We
[50:32] think we already know something and in
[50:35] doing so we stop truly experiencing
[50:37] life.
[50:39] So whenever a celebration comes don't
[50:42] simply sit back thinking I know all
[50:44] this. I have seen it before.
[50:47] Participating wholeheartedly in simple
[50:50] things around you makes your life itself
[50:53] celebratory. Otherwise, you may
[50:55] experience nothing beyond your own
[50:57] accumulated conclusions, no matter how
[51:00] much life has to offer. This is also why
[51:03] consciously bringing the feminine into
[51:06] our homes and everyday lives is so
[51:09] important in the yogic tradition, the
[51:12] feminine is associated with receptivity
[51:15] and perception, with the ability to
[51:17] experience life beyond our fixed ideas
[51:20] and conclusions. Many of the rituals,
[51:23] celebrations, and spiritual practices of
[51:26] this culture were created to help us
[51:28] cultivate this openness consciously
[51:31] rather than allowing life to become a
[51:33] mere repetition of what we already know.
[51:36] This celebration of the feminine is
[51:39] rooted in a deeper understanding of what
[51:42] makes human life truly fulfilling.
[51:44] Without women in the family and
[51:47] community structure, there would be no
[51:50] celebrations.
[51:51] The basis of all celebrations and
[51:54] rituals in bhat essentially crafted
[52:00] around women. For much of human history,
[52:03] our attention has been dominated by
[52:05] survival, security, and material
[52:08] well-being. We raising the bar of
[52:10] survival in such a way that our survival
[52:13] process shall never ever be fulfilled.
[52:17] While these are essential foundations of
[52:19] life, they are not its ultimate purpose.
[52:23] Once survival is assured, the subtler
[52:26] dimensions of existence, love,
[52:29] compassion, beauty, joy, and the ability
[52:32] to embrace life in its fullness must
[52:35] also find expression. If the masculine
[52:38] represents the roots that sustain life,
[52:42] the feminine represents the flowers and
[52:44] fruits through which life finds its
[52:47] fullest expression. The roots are
[52:49] indispensable, but their purpose is to
[52:52] enable something far greater than
[52:54] survival alone.
[52:56] When we say feminine, this is not about
[52:59] being female. Being female is a bodily
[53:03] thing. Masculine and feminine are two
[53:05] qualities. The feminine can be as alive
[53:09] in a man as it is in a woman. Only when
[53:12] these qualities happen in balance can a
[53:15] human being live a life of fulfillment.
[53:18] The feminine is often described as being
[53:22] a little less bound by logic. That means
[53:25] a little less judgmental, a little less
[53:28] ruled by morals, ethics, ideas, and
[53:30] philosophies, and more attuned to the
[53:34] ways of life.
[53:37] more realistic with the life process
[53:40] rather than ideals manufactured in our
[53:43] minds. The masculine tends to form
[53:46] conclusions about everything. Even an
[53:50] idiotic drunkard has his own morality
[53:52] and his own philosophy. This is it.
[53:56] Well, this is the nature of the
[53:58] masculine. Everyone has their own logic
[54:01] and everyone is convinced theirs is
[54:04] perfectly sound and this is the basis of
[54:07] all conflict. There are many ways in
[54:10] which logic works. [snorts] While this
[54:13] happened,
[54:15] a philosopher was sitting beneath the
[54:17] tree deeply absorbed in thought. A
[54:21] little girl approached him and asked,
[54:24] "What are you doing?
[54:26] I'm contemplating the meaning of life.
[54:30] The little girl asked, "Have you found
[54:32] it?" "Not yet. I have been studying the
[54:35] question for 40 years." The girl thought
[54:38] for a moment, "Perhaps
[54:41] you should try living it instead." And
[54:43] off she ran to play. [laughter]
[54:46] The philosopher had spent 40 years
[54:50] trying to [music] understand life while
[54:52] the little girl was simply living it.
[54:55] This [music] is not to say that logic
[54:57] and intellectual inquiry
[55:00] have no value. They are enormously
[55:02] useful. But there is a difference
[55:05] between intellectualizing about life
[55:07] [music] and actually experiencing it.
[55:10] The intellect works with the information
[55:13] we have already gathered. It can
[55:16] analyze, compare, draw conclusions. But
[55:19] it cannot necessarily take us beyond the
[55:22] boundaries of what we already know. When
[55:25] we become too attached to those
[55:27] conclusions, we may overlook what is
[55:30] right in front of us or fail to perceive
[55:33] possibilities that have not yet entered
[55:36] our understanding. This is where
[55:38] feminine becomes important. In the yogic
[55:41] understanding, feminine is associated
[55:43] with perception, receptivity, and
[55:46] openness to life beyond fixed ideas and
[55:48] conclusions. Rather than insisting that
[55:52] everything must fit into an established
[55:54] framework, it allows us to experience
[55:57] and respond to life more directly. The
[56:01] whole effort of the mind is to try to
[56:04] fit the universe or the very creation
[56:08] into the simple bone box that we carry
[56:11] here. The feminine is a little more
[56:14] wonky. Feminine does not have too many
[56:17] conclusions. If it is working well, a
[56:21] woman doesn't care what it is because of
[56:24] this. The feminine has always been
[56:26] associated with perception. Falling back
[56:29] on the feminine because one wants to
[56:31] perceive that which is not yet in your
[56:34] life has been a natural process
[56:37] everywhere in the world. In in some
[56:41] cultures it's more organized. In some
[56:44] cultures it is loose but it's
[56:46] everywhere.
[56:48] Even within families we can see
[56:50] something of this. Important decisions
[56:53] are important decisions may be discussed
[56:55] at length with everyone presenting their
[56:59] carefully reasoned arguments but
[57:01] eventually someone turns to the
[57:03] grandmother, mother or another respected
[57:05] woman in the family and asks what do you
[57:08] think?
[57:10] She expresses how she feels about it and
[57:13] somehow that settles the matter. It is
[57:16] not necessarily because she has more
[57:18] information or a better argument but
[57:21] because she may perceive something about
[57:24] people or situation that others have
[57:27] overlooked. Of course, such perception
[57:29] is not exclusive to women. It's a human
[57:32] capacity traditionally associated with
[57:34] feminine dimension of life. Do not think
[57:37] feminine means always gentle, pleasant,
[57:39] nurturing and agreeable. Look at our
[57:42] davies.
[57:44] Some are gentle and wonderful. Others
[57:46] are fierce, terrifying, utterly untamed.
[57:50] Kie stands with her tongue hanging out,
[57:52] adorned with severed heads. Dura rides
[57:55] the lion into battle, wielding weapons
[57:58] in her many arms. Throughout history,
[58:01] powerful and unconventional women have
[58:04] often been regarded as threatening. Yet
[58:08] a woman who refused to confirm could be
[58:11] condemned could be persecuted or stoned
[58:15] or burned at the stake. In sanatana
[58:18] traditions, some of the most formidable
[58:21] manifestations of feminine power were
[58:23] elevated to the highest objects of
[58:26] worship. All through history, when a
[58:29] woman got a little strong, she was
[58:32] experienced as trouble. She must be
[58:34] beaten. She must be burned at the stake
[58:37] or stoned to death. But here we made
[58:40] such woman worship worthy. Why? Because
[58:44] we did not want to surrender
[58:47] intelligence, brilliance, competence and
[58:50] genius at the altar of good behavior
[58:52] alone. Because intelligence, brilliance,
[58:55] courage, and extraordinary capability
[58:58] should not have to be sacrificed merely
[59:01] to satisfy society's expectations of
[59:03] good behavior. Of course, good behavior
[59:06] matters. We must be considerate of those
[59:09] around us. But is being well behaved the
[59:14] highest possibility of a human being?
[59:16] After all, you can train a puppy to
[59:19] behave very nicely. If this is all you
[59:22] want, you should settle for that. Human
[59:25] life must be about something more than
[59:29] simply being convenient for everybody.
[59:33] Even when we manifested Lingabi, I made
[59:36] her wild, fiery, but fiercely
[59:39] compassionate. These qualities are not
[59:42] contradictory. Compassion does not have
[59:44] to be meek. Tremendous strength need not
[59:48] come at the expense of tenderness. Life
[59:51] itself contains all these dimensions.
[59:54] There are thorns and flowers in the same
[59:56] plant. This is why the divine feminine
[59:59] cannot be reduced to one small
[1:00:02] comforting image of motherhood,
[1:00:04] gentleness or virtue. She encompasses
[1:00:07] the full spectrum of existence from
[1:00:09] nurturing creation to fierce protection,
[1:00:13] destruction and transformation. Feminine
[1:00:16] is that dimension of humanity that
[1:00:19] cannot be put into a box of a defined
[1:00:22] framework. She spills disorder that is
[1:00:25] divine.
[1:00:29] >> [music]
[1:00:35] [music]
