Family, bloodline and past lives

Man: When you saw these photographs, did you remember anything from your previous as a maharaja?

S: Yes, many things.

Man: When did you remember it?

S: I had some of the memories from the very beginning.

Man: But when you were a child, you didn’t think about it.

S: I always wanted to have a beard. I had a beard for some time, then I shaved it. I had many short memories from the very beginning.

FROM ASHWATTHAM TO SHILENDRA SHARMA

Your connection with Shiva and Shiva worship: what were the indication from Your childhood – except the vision of Mahadev in Bageshwar?

Guruji: we belong to Bharadwaj gotra: we’re descendants of Ashwatthaman and Dronacharya- so our Kula devata is Shiva. So maybe it is the family thing or the clan thing, that Shiva devotion and his grace stamps in our genes, DNA memories: it came very naturally to me. And after that vision in Himalayas when we were visiting my sister-in -law’s estate near Bageshwar – since then something changed inside my mind and I cannot be without talking about Him or reading about Him; and now we’re worshipping Him for nearly 25 years. And He is the first Guru of yoga as well; so it came very naturally to me, it was absolutely effortless. I never have to force myself to do it – it just started and we’re continue. He is our Kula devata. Amazing: our ancestors were fighting in Mahabharata, epic battle.

You have the oldest gotra?

Guruji: no, Vashishtha gotra is even more older. We have record keepers; they keep record of the Bharadwaj clan – Vansh Parampara as they say. I send there my disciples and they found all the records, from Ashwatthaman to Shailendra Sharma. And I think: the more you know about your roots – you feel better, more confident, and you know where you belong.

nowadays Ashwatthaman is one of the seven rishis?

Guruji: he is next Vyasa and one of the seven rishis

so it will be like a forever team?

Guruji: it looks like forever: they are all immortals now in this team. And it is given in Vishnu purana in one chapter – so you can look into it.

what do You think: that clans, which belongs to Ashwatthaman and other seven rishis – now they must be very prosperous?

Guruji: prosperous in many different ways: prosperity doesn’t always mean moneywise – but mostly they are doing well.

rishis are supporting their clans, their gotras?

Guruji: if the clan’s men are behaving well – yes.

but what about other rishi, who are not in big power now: are they supporting their clans?

Guruji: I think so, yes: some support is always there.

The biggest clan of brahmins in India – they have Bharadwaj gotra, and they started from Ashwatthaman, they are all descendants of Ashwatthaman. We have record keepers about 40 miles from here; they keep the record of Bharadwaj clan. When Michael Bondarev was collecting the data on me I told they are there – and they took all the records and photos all of the story back to Ashwatthaman.

Bharadwaj was the son of Ashwatthaman?

Guruji: no, Bharadwaj was the father of Dronacharya, so his son will called Bharadwaj, and Ashwatthaman is also Bharadwaj and all the descendants became Bharadwaj gotra. Parashurama, guru of Dronacharya, father of Ashwatthaman, is also immortal. Big battle axe behind Babaji is the symbol of Parashurama. Babaji is yoga guru, Parashurama is clan guru – so we place it there.

what about his wives?

Guruji: I don’t think any wife of immortal person can be ordinary. They must be having some very extraordinary qualities. That goes without any doubt. Maybe he was marrying them one by one because he was immortal – the topic is still open for theorizing.

why he was coming to Vyasa for help?

Guruji: Vyasa was uncle of Ashwatthaman. Rishi Parashara was the father of Vyasa and also father of rishi Bharadwaj. Indian mythology and genealogy is very different, mysterious and very interesting. And I was not aware that record keepers of Bharadwaj clan are living so nearby. Once my old friend, ayurvedic man – he was also Bharadwaj – one day he came and record keeper came to my house and he told us. I remembered the name of my grand-grand-grand father, because I was interested in genealogy. He came and I told him some names – then he found the exact record. It was looking like bible story: in the beginning it was nothing – only a formless light was just shining; and then it took shape as Brahma, Мшыртг and Shiva; and then from Shiva – this rishi, this and this rishi came; from Brahma – this and this rishi came; then they came down to Bharadwaj rishi and from Bharadwaj rishi Dronacharya was born; from Dronacharya Ashwatthaman was born; then after the curse was removed Ashwatthaman was married 17 times – then they begin to describe 17 different lineages. They took one lineage and came down to my name. thousands years of recordings was told in two hours. But his wives names was not written there. All lineages are Bharadwaj gotra and they are so authentically legal that even supreme court of India accept them as a hardcore evidence – if something comes up in property disputes.

but different lineages has different surnames?

Guruji: not many surnames: most of them are Sharma, some are Bharadwaj – like that. All are brahmins. And all the records are more than 300 kgs of papers. This is the biggest clan of brahmins all over India. So all the records must be in tons.

THE ANCIENT BLOODLINE OF GURUJI

PRĀCĪNA GURUJI-VAṂŚĀVALĪ

I called them the record keepers here, and he was narrating.

I mean, it sounds Biblical.

In the beginning, the formless power was there. Then it took form in three ways: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva. From Brahmā, Vasiṣṭha came, and then Śakti, then Parāśara, then Vyāsa and Bharadvāja. And from Bharadvāja to Droṇācārya, Aśvatthāmā. He married 17 times, the 17 branches.

You know from where he started, impossible, you cannot guess, from Tibet. And that means — Amnye Machen. That’s why I am so much aware of Amnye Machen, without ever going there.

Śakti, Parāśara, Vyāsa and Bharadvāja. From Vyāsa, Śukadeva. And his Śukadeva, from Bharadvāja, Droṇācārya, Aśvatthāmā, and then 17 branches of Aśvatthāmā.

So, I belong to one of them.

PAST INCARNATION OF GURUJI

I was reading from Your book how You were fighting for this place – I would like to be here and help you

Guruji: those were very irritating days. But then – most of them are dead, so it is so peaceful now. Locals created hell for the king also: they think if the king retreated in front of them- king was large- hearted to do that; so they thought they won’t let me live here. I gave them the surprise.

and You was the king in previous incarnation?

Guruji: this is the rumour, many people believe – even now the king’s family believe in it.

I even have this fragment: one of the rishi declared that Pulastya’s curse will be lifted, if the king will be cremated here and then will become the yogi in his next incarnation: this yogi will find the Shivalingam and install it on the very spot the king was cremated.

Guruji: yes, I’ve heard it here by some very old sadhus. Now it looks like that Govardhan hill is increasing. I was not aware; but when we installed Shivalingam here, there was talked locally – everybody was talking that it is going down by the thickness of the sesame seed – everybody was talking. And we also noticed: in five years we saw – it was really decreasing in size. When we installed Shiva here, from that very day it stopped. After some time we became aware of it, that it is not going down anymore. Then some locals – they were very wise people in their 90s: they have heard this story from somebody; then they told me this. Then they call me the king. And it’s fantastic for your ego if somebody told you that you were the king in the previous life.

but You can recall some of Your previous incarnations?

Guruji: yes, I recall some of them. I’ve never said it openly, but some situations indicate. This house had no railings, they were never put up. And when I came here I thought: I should put railing here. And it waited, because suitable railings were not found. I thought they should match the stone and design.

In 2006 when some repairment of the kshattris started- Ravinder was doing it; I asked him and he said – ok, we will find it. Then, when the king came after that to see me – first time he touched my feet; because in their family it was a sort of the tradition that every king has something important made and he leaved some portion unbuild, unfinished: with the thought he will complete it in next birth. This I was not aware.

They all started to respect me after that. You will never see a king touching feet of anyone.

Now we need to refine the democracy – so no kings anymore. And we must have some compassion: for thousands of years some kings were ruling us; now you’re given the power: now you rule yourself! It will take quite some time to learn, how to do that.

Government is ruling; government is like it is described that “he is formless” – government is formless. Government represents everywhere but no one can see government. Sosomeone unseen is ruling us. Prime minister and president are representing the government: they are not government. Sowhat is this government which is ruling us? Some formless power, which remains unseen but found everywhere. Think on that!

is it possible for someone from kshatriya lineage to become a brahmin?

Guruji: we were brahmins from the beginning.

so Your family lineage were not kshatriyas?

Guruji: they were warriors – Dronacharya and Ashwatthaman– the greatest warriors. Parashurama is our family Guru. By birth they were all brahmins. Brahmins used to be the very great warriors.

that kshatriyas, who surrounded to Parashurama: are they still considered as kshatriyas?

Guruji: some started to make wine – they are no longer kshatriyas. But some kshatriyas survived – and they are there.

His grandfather was in connection with great siddhi. He was the famous astrologer in this area: like we are sitting here – he will tell this man is coming with such horoscope. And suddenly this man will come with such horoscope. He died at the age 104.

it’s amazing – how the dead body could eat 40 kilos of meat? (The question to the story from Durshans#9

A thought came to me when I was shown the list of my family tree: I will send my lawyer to the village where the records-keepers live and I demand to give me the whole list for five thousand years. Their record is valid, even in the Supreme Court of India. I think it will be a fantastic record, because no one has given such a long list. After Shiva Ratri we will find that man who keeps my record. He has not visited me for ten years, but we will inquire about him.

When the record keeper began to recite, it was like a biblical sort of record. In the beginning there was nothing and then the formless God appeared in three forms: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and then from Brahma this Rishi and this came. I don’t know any family who can give a record of five thousand years or even before that. So it came into my mind to send my lawyer to him. They actually give the record from the Creator and then they come down one by one. And only in this record I found out that Ashwathama married seventeen times and the seventeen lines of his family began

We had a story in our family that we are descendants of Ashwathama, but as we had left this area and moved to different places, the link was broken. The record keepers use to visit most of the families — and he came here. I was very interested in my family line. I knew some four-five generations’ name already. The record keeper came, then I told him the name of my great-great-grandfather and he found the name in his book. And then he told me everything from the beginning… I was just looking at him, listening to what the man was saying. He had more than hundred kilos of the record books. They write in a sort of code — only they can read that. And he told me that my family began from Tibet and they lived with Rama. Then when Rama died, some of them went with Lav – the son of Rama, some went with Kush – another son of Rama. Kush went and established Kashmir, and Lav went and established Lahore.

We will invite that man — it will take many hours just to hear that. I was not expecting that he might have such a big record. It is their family tradition, they are record keepers only. There are thousands of names. And the best thing which I love was his tale about the god who is our family god. He said: “Shiva is your family god”. That was good news to me.

When I left home my family was so angry. Nobody came to see me for six months. Then my mother thought: “How is he making? He must be very worried or suffering,” – and she sent my brother to see what was happening. When he arrived on a farm, the bank manager from whom he had taken a big loan was washing cups. The brother walked some more and saw the district judge herself. Being my disciple, she was there bringing a kettle of tea. When the brother entered my cottage, there were so many government people sitting there. One man was pressing my shirt and the discussion was in the full swing. So he just had tea and went back and informed that there was no problem.

My lawyer is local. His family were actually royal priests. They were serving the King of Bharatpur. Now he is working for me. And they were very much attached with this place. They think that I was a King in my former life, so I have come again to finish my unfinished work. Well, I think it will give a boost to anyone’s ego if he is told: you were actually a king in your last life. So, I go on an ego trip every time I hear it. Better to be a king in your previous lives than a useless fellow, a very ordinary person. Then it is also believed that only yogis become kings. That is connected in a way. Yes, the king credited me to be was also practicing yoga.

And it may be interesting that the king died in June 1893. I entered in this property for the first time in June 1993. Exactly one hundred years after. But I have to say that it may be true or may be not. But it gives me an ego trip every time I hear about it. The King was meditating and nobody actually knew. Who dared to ask the king? That’s why he had that place built for himself so he can be alone for some time. He built this house also. This property was built by him. He ruled, I think, for 40 years. Then he also died when he was 50. And I also almost died when I was past 50. Nobody knows, maybe it was natural death. These things are known to happen in royal families. It could be possible but there is no information, no evidence about it. He ruled for 40 years – the longest ruling king of that dynasty. Here they used to come for worship and cremations only. And this house is supposed to be a very humble house for a king. So maybe he was coming here just to worship the hill god. They were very much devoted to the hill god, Govardhan. And he had that place especially built so where he can be alone, to meditate and for whatever practice he must have been doing. So I have just repaired that and allowed Tchaikovsky to live there and practice yoga.