In the Spirit of Somnath

Video transcript

Sadhguru: Namaskaram everyone! After Christmas and New Year’s in United States and a lot of organizational work, we have taken some very key decisions about Isha’s activity in the world, which will unfold in the next six months or so. You will see the impact of that. I traveled to Abu Dhabi from there and Dubai, for a few very important meetings, and of course a very wonderful golf game.

It's incredible to see that the rulers of Dubai or the Emirates rather, have become so wise, though they value their culture and their traditions, they’re looking forward to build their nation into an international hub where it welcomes everyone, irrespective of their culture, of their beliefs, of their identities, which is a very forward thinking and a very wise way to handle a nation.

You can see this wisdom unfolding in the Emirates in a very big way. I had meetings with a few important people and Sheikh Nahyan, who is ever graceful as a host. It’s really wonderful to see how they have, in a calibrated way, opened up their nation for the betterment of all people.

From Emirates, I came down to Mumbai, for overnight and then I’ve been in Somnath. This has been something that I’ve been wanting to see because Somnath temple has been an iconic place. There is a legend that after the Satanic verses event happened in Arabia, they moved two of those divine entities that they believed in, two of the goddesses to Somnath. 

It is because of this that Ghazni came all the way from Afghanistan to destroy this temple. And it’s for this reason that again and again – it is said over seventeen times – it was destroyed but rebuilt in 1950 because of the determination of Sardar Patel and Rajendra Prasad, who was the president of the nation at that time. They built a magnificent temple at the edge of the ocean. It is like the beginning of the land. The temple is a fantastic place. 

And this is Somnath. This is the intoxication or inebriation of Shiva. For the many things that we do in our lives, if you want to take up more and more and do, if your activity has to cross your personal limits, then you need a certain sense of intoxication. Intoxication does not mean you drinking a glass of wine every evening or getting sloshed out every weekend. It’s not about that. 

It is just that every moment of your life, there must be a sense of intoxication. Otherwise, there is not enough lubrication in your life for you to be active beyond personal likes and dislikes. If one has to really function efficiently in this world, beyond one’s personal likes and dislikes, beyond one’s personal ambitions and needs, but simply in the world, doing everything that one can do in your life, then you need a certain level of inebriation. 

And this is what Somnath means. He is in that state of intoxication, where limitlessly, he can involve himself in this world. So, Somnath temple is something worth visiting for everybody. This is very significant culturally and historically for India. And above all, in the yogic sciences, there is a Soma sutra which talks about how to get intoxicated. Intoxication, not because of consumption of external substances, but because you manage your chemistry so well, that you’re always blissed out. Here I am.

From there, I came to Bangalore. And after thirty years, though I’ve been doing short rides, for the first time in nearly thirty years I took a motorcycle ride from Bangalore to the yoga center in Coimbatore. And it was a joy to have my daughter . Radhe has never really ridden with me – this is the first time. I rode with her all the way, and of course a few of our motorcycling meditators also rode with me. Without the volunteers’ support, it would have been not the same. But at the age of sixty-two, took a nearly four-hundred-and-fifty kilometer ride, and that’s not bad, isn’t it? 

As soon as I came, there was this Maattu Pongal, that is Sankranti for the animals who are a part of our life. The animals which have been a part of this agriculture, the bulls and the cows who work for us. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to work the land. Today of course, we have many machines, but still it is they who work and fertilize the land at the same time. So at Isha, over sixteen indigenous varieties of bovine breeds, who are a part of our Isha family here, were on display, and it was a glorious day for them. Some of them were really painted up jazzily.

Our brahmacharis have produced some beautiful artwork on the bodies of these animals. And of course, I could see the bulls and cows were really enjoying the attention they were getting from everybody, both in terms of food and the ogling that they got. And our Isha Home School and Samskriti children produced some spectacular and humorous skits and plays and some dance and music performances. On the whole, Maattu Pongal happened in a glorious way. I don’t think it’s happening so exuberantly anywhere else. It was great.

And we’re looking forward to the next week, which is super busy. And above all, it is twenty-two years after Vijji’s Mahasamadhi and this is also the seven-hundred-and-sixtieth full moon in my life, since my birth – seven-sixty. That is four over par, all right?

So that’s an important day. On twenty-first of January, be there with us, either physically… It also culminates the Shivanga for ladies. The Devi temple… This has been what is called as Devi Kantha Kaalam, that means this is a revitalization or a way of enhancing Devi’s influence over people and power. Her power is being enhanced right now and so the temple has been in rest for last eleven days. And on twenty-first, we will open the temple once again. 

If you really want to get a blast of Devi, you must be here on that day or even after that, of course. In the coming years, you will see the blast of Devi will be much stronger. So this eleven day closure, you will see will result in a very positive impact on people who are focused on Devi, who have their heart sold to Devi.

So here we are. And I’m sorry I’m late for the Spot because I just, as I said, I rode in from Bangalore just yesterday evening, and they put me in a spot once again, that I have to do it right now. So here we are. Blessings to all of you.