5 Spiritual Metaphor Impressions of Maha Kumbh experience

 Liberation has been the highest goal for an Indian,

and even God is considered just a stepping stone towards that!

1. A holy dip in the “T-spot”

A holy dip in the “T-spot” is the ultimate core and metaphor to Maha Kumbh. The T-spot, the Triveni sangam – is a union of Ganges, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati rivers, where you need to take a holy dip to achieve liberation. Literally, the Triveni sangam is a “Tri – union” of the two visible health climates in us – the physical and the mental health – and one invisible health in us, the psychological health. A holy dip in this Triveni sangam means immersing in these three healths in us with equanimity, with balance in our lives – every time and everywhere. Usually, we concentrate most on physical health, very little on mental health and only occasionally on our psychological health, isn’t it?

True health is a perfect health of a fine balance of all three kinds of health in you, every time and everywhere.  Perfect health is called in Sanskrit as “Swastha” – meaning, “to be fully established in swa – the Self”. The journey toward perfect health and the journey toward enlightenment are in many ways parallel paths. Harmony of the three healths only can bring peace of mind and perfect health.

समदोषः समाग्निश्च समधातु मलक्रियाः।

प्रसन्नात्मेन्द्रियमनाः स्वस्थः इत्यभिधीयते ॥

Samadoşa samāgni ca sama dhātu malakriyah

Prasanna ātma indriya manah svastha iti abhidhīyate

One who is established in Self, who has balanced doshas (primary life force), balanced agni (fire of digestion), properly formed dhatus (tissues), proper elimination of malas (waste products), well-functioning bodily processes, and whose mind, soul and senses are full of bliss is called a healthy person.

– Sushrut Samhita 15/48 

All those who have dipped in the Triveni sangam experience a lighter head and heart. This experience is universal and stays with you for long after the dip. They have a feeling of “let go!’  It signifies the dip in the equanimity of these three health that immediately unburdens you,  makes you lighter in head and heart, giving you a feel of let go. After the dip, if you reflect internally, you existentially realize that there is a witness in you who can see the things and the persons ‘as they are’. This is seeing in an unadulterated way, as a witness with complete awareness, as a watcher – what is also called as ‘Sakshi bhav’. Equanimity of the three healths is the door to lead you to this kind of enlightened living. If you live like this, as it is, with no prejudiced mind, you can develop a deep acceptance to all the yin and yang of life with understanding, not with any regret or blame. This is true liberation of your own self from your own mind. This is what is the actual holiness in the dip in the Triveni sangam. It is by your own self (your karma), in your own self (the three healths) and for your own self (equanimity of these three healths).

2. The concept of 144 years cycle of Maha Kumbh

There is a wonderful metaphor of the auspicious celestial combination of planets and the legend of Samudra Manthan, or the churning of the cosmic ocean.

When there was a battle between gods (Devas) and demons (Asuras) for the nectar of immortality (Amrit), Jayant (Lord Indra’s son) took the ‘Kumbh’ (pitcher) of Amrit away. 4 gods were assigned duties to support Jayant – Sun was to hold the pitcher, Moon was to ensure that Amrit did not spill out, Jupiter (Bhrahaspati) was to protect Jayant from harm by the Asuras, and Shani (Saturn) was to be the mediator in any conflict.

The Devas first brought the Kumbh of Amrit to Haridwar, and then to Prayag, where the hostility commenced, as it was certain the Asuras would capture the Amrit Kumbh. The Sun, Moon, Shani and Jupiter rushed to protect the pitcher. At the same moment, the 4 Rishis – Sanak, Sanandan, Sanatan, and Sanatkumar also decided to camp at Prayag. This ‘Pukh (also Pushya) Nakshatra (Constellation)’ alignment with the four planets was a rare celestial positioning of Nakshatra after 144 years. The concept, what we know as Kumbh today, thus germinated.

As Jupiter takes about 12 years to orbit around the Sun, the Kumbh Mela is celebrated four times over the course of 12 years. It is celebrated in Prayagraj when Jupiter comes in Taurus constellation and the Sun and Moon are in Capricorn constellation. This celestial alignment is considered a very auspicious moment for spiritual practices.

For us humans, Maha Kumbh Mela is a time for a grand alignment with the 4 karmas (work) we do. There are 4 types of karma: prarabdha, sanchita, kriyamana and agami. Simply put, they can be categorized broadly as Fate and Free Will. The first 2 karmas – Prarabdha and Sanchita are fated. Kriyamana and Agama are free will.

There are 2 components of these: called Dridha (fixed) and Adridha (non-fixed).

The Fated ones – Prarabdha karma is experienced through the present body and is a part of Sanchita karma, which is the sum of one’s past karmas. Sanchita means to accumulate. One experiences its consequences as positive, negative and/or neutral (the experiences one has) in the current life and future lives. The Dridha aspects of Sanchita and Prarabdha Karmas will be experienced, as and when the time arises and cannot be influenced, changed or altered.

The karmas of Free Will is thinking and the result of current decisions (Agama karma) and execution of actions in the present that a person undertakes in current life (Kriyamana karma), and which influences, changes or alters the Adridha (non-fixed) aspects of the Fated ones in this current life. They will also accumulate karmic credits into one’s Sanchita and Prarabdha accounts, which will be experienced in the future.

Overall, if one pursues a life of proper dharma with his free will (thoughts), he can alter his current life and also influence the future destiny of their life and essentially attain liberation (nirvana) from this flux of mind. This is the celestial alignment that one seeks for oneself by going to the Maha Kumbh.  It is rare, a once in a lifetime, a once in a generation opportunity, as you can’t live for 144 years! So seize the moment with deep introspection, decide and take the holy dip in your own self by aligning your 3 healths with equanimity by aligning your 4 karmas in order. Then only you stop your fight with the Asuras of your mind and taste the ‘Amrit’ that life offers!

3. The 13 Akharas of Maha Kumbh

Akharas – a sampradaya monastery or a religious order –  are a key part of Maha Kumbh Mela. They are a confluence of spirituality, culture and human unity, symbolizing unity in diversity. They are the key spiritual institutions that preserve traditions through rituals, cultural events and modern engagements.

In life, we have our own 11 akharas within us – the 11 “indriyas” or senses or faculties. Indriya means “belonging to Lord Indra” – the chief deity in the Rig Veda. It connotes supremacy and control. That is what our 11 senses do to us. They are:

The 5 “Gyanendriyas” (the sense organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin);

The 5 “Karmendriyas” (the organs of action: hands, legs, speech, anus, genitals)  &

The mind (“manas”) encompassing both physical and mental faculties as the 11th indriya.

These are the 11 akhadas in one’s life’s mela, that one must visit and use with discrimination. This is birth of viveka, wisdom. One needs 2 more powerful groups of faculties (akharas) to deal with these 11 akharas:  first, faith or conviction (saddhā) with energy for persistence or perseverance (viriya) along with mindfulness  memory (sati). Secondly, unless there is deep concentration and stillness (samādhi) and wisdom or understanding to comprehend (panna), there can be no balance of the 11 akharas within us.

A visit to these 11 akharas are the main attraction after the holy dip and one visits them to be with them, observe them vis-a-vis in relation to our own state of akharas within us.

4. The Viral Ascetics/ Babas or saints

The word Vīrus comes from the same Indo-European root as Sanskrit viṣa, which means “poison”.  A Virus has 3 features: It is submicroscopic; it is infectious and it replicates only inside living cells of an organism.

Today, in social media, for anything to be viral, it needs to satisfy these 3 things: it needs to be subtle (submicroscopic); it should be infectious (catching one’s imagination or some sense faculty) and it replicates only if we think much about it (give it life).

The viral ascetics in Maha Kumbh test the virus (poison) in you!  They trigger you to check for yourself whether you have the virus with these 3 features within you, who has a deep desire to be viral or propagate whatever appeals to you as viral.  This trait in us is a part of the 11th akharas (manas) where it resides. The 5 Gyanendriyas and the 5 Karmendriyas help the spread. One needs faith or conviction (saddhā); energy for persistence or perseverance (viriya); mindfulness (sati); concentration and stillness (samādhi) and wisdom or understanding to comprehend (panna) to overcome the viral tendencies in us.

The Naga Sadhus

are the most viral. Naga in Sanskrit means mountain, people who reside in and around mountains. The traces of legacy of Naga Sadhus are found in Mohenjo-daro coins and images where Naga Sadhus are shown worshiping Shiv in Pashupatinath form. Alexander also met Naga Sadhus during his stay in India. Naga Sadhus are worshippers of Shiva who believe in the philosophy of becoming Shiva. They are fierce in appearance but very gentle and are detached from the world. They perform their own last rites (‘Pind daan’) and ‘Shraddh’ (ritual to honor deceased ancestors), thus relinquishing their connection with the family members and friends. After this, the Guru gives him new name and identity. A Naga Sadhu does not wear clothes,  rubs his body with only ashes, wears a Rudraksh mala on his neck and keeps a Jata of locked hair. He can only eat once in a day; can beg in maximum 7 houses for sattvic food. If any of them do not offer food, he has to starve for the day! A Naga can sleep only on earth, but cannot use cot, couch or bed to sleep (see picture).

The journey of becoming a Naga Sadhu is so unbearable, laborious, stiff and difficult that a materialistic person becoming a Naga Sadhu is almost impossible. The army training the world over is inspired by the training and yogic process of the Naga Sadhus but still it cannot be compared to the intolerable exasperating circumstances that a Naga Sadhu has to go through. It is not an exercise of 2 or 3 years but takes at least a decade, in some cases 20 to 30 years to become a Naga Sadhu.

Mahant Mahakaal Giriji Maharaj ‘Urdh Baahu’

I met the Viral Saint “Hatha yogi” (‘Hatha’ means resolve or pledge) Mahant Mahakaal Giriji Maharaj ‘Urdh Baahu’ (arm in upright position) of Avahan Akhara. It meets the 3 criterion. He is from Rajasthan and decided to keep his left arm upright for life as ‘tapasya’ (penance) from the mere age of 9 years! He is also famous as ‘Chimate wale baba’ as he hits anyone with his chimata ( 3 feet long tongs) who annoys him or doesn’t match his views! When I closely looked at it, the upright arm has become thinner compared to his other one, and the long nails have become all gnarled.  I found his palm, fingers in a state of dry gangrene, suggesting chronic vascular disease (see picture).

Radhepuri Maharaj of Agar district of Madhya Pradesh in Juna Akhara, has also his right hand hung up since 14 years! It meets the 3 criterion. Earlier, Radhepuri remained in the standing position for 12 years (see picture)!

Rudraksha Baba

From Avahan Akhara is a very viral ‘Rudraksha Baba’ or Gitanandji Maharaj who carries on his head a huge cap of 1.25 lakh rudraksha beads weighing 45 kgs! He vowed to wear it for 12 hours for 12 years. 6 years have gone, 6 years remain (see picture)!

Anna hath ‘Chamatkari Baba’

When I met “Anna hath” ‘Chamatkari Baba’ Chaitanya giriji from Juna Akhara – loaded with 11,000 rudraksha since 1992 – I was shocked to know that he was on only fruits and leaves for 12 years, then only leaves of Indian gooseberry and 2 other fruits for next 12 years and only 250 ml milk daily for next 12 years, a total of 36 years of severe ‘tapasya’ (penance)! He gives one rudraksha and a bit of ash to each who meets him (see picture).

Bonnet Baba

‘Bonnet Baba’ wears dark glasses (see picture). He made his own gold conch and musical instruments. He owns 27 two wheelers and 4 four wheelers, donated by his disciples to roam to various Shiva’s religious places. He claims to have come across Arabian Sea.

A similar ‘Chashme wala International Baba’ is from Malakpur village,  Kaithan zilla, Haryana where he has his own ‘math (monastery)’. He wears 5 to 8 sunglasses!

Shivling baba

‘Shivling baba’ – Satyananda Bharti from Avahan Akhara carries a shivling on his head except when he sleeps!

A visit to these viral ascetics is a major attraction in Maha Kumbh. One needs to take the holy dip in your own Triveni sangam to discern the viral tendency in ourselves.

5. Your own confluence in your Prayag

The word Prayaga is made up of  pra- (“fore-“) and yāj- (“to sacrifice”).  Prayaga means a place of a sacrifice. It also means a confluence of rivers or Sangam. It is believed that Lord Brahma performed the first sacrifice in this place – hence called Prayagaraj, meaning the king among the five prayagas.

At Prayag, two things play: force and flow. The force of the confluence of rivers and the flow of the river.

For transcending spiritually to a better level, you need a force and a flow. Without the force – the push – of your decision and conviction, you cannot act.  You cannot cleanse yourself in a static state. So you need a flow of your energy and vitality.

The centrifugal force created by the spinning planet in the area of 0 to 33 degrees latitude on earth  works mostly in a vertical manner in our system, particularly at 11 degrees. Ancient mystics calculated and marked out these points on earth that can influence people. The confluence of rivers are one such vital points marked.  Thus, bathing in these areas is beneficial, especially on a particular day when special celestial alignments occur. At such times, a rare massive possibility of life become available which we should make use of.

The force of the confluence of the water bodies is unique at such a specific latitudinal positions during certain times of the year. This force cleanses us as our body’s water space is in confluence with the dynamic of this confluence of water bodies. For this, you need to prepare your 3 health to equanimity with a balance of your 11 akharas with the help of the 2 groups of special akharas. When your 4 karmas align well and in positive energy or flow, the force of the confluence impacts the body tremendously. Once in every 12-year solar cycle, a time comes when it has maximum impact. This is the Maha Kumbh.

But you need the confluence of force and flow: “the strongest force is of your purest intention” to transcend your wrong doings till now and a tremendous flow is your “positivity in your energy”  to actually give away your attachments or bondage. Then Prayaga will really mean a place of a sacrifice for you. It then leads to real “Bhuta Shuddhi” –  cleansing of the five elements. So Kumbh Mela is one expression of Bhuta Shuddhi process.

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