a promise to the sage that he, along with the Goddess, would incarnate in the world of people in the dynasty of the sage Bharadvaja.
Shiva also said he would incarnate in the dynasty of the sage Bharadvaja three times. Shiva fulfilled his promise. His first incarnation took place in the city of Shirdi, in western India, his name was Shirdi Sai Baba. The second time Shiva and Shakti incarnated together in one body as Sathya Sai Baba, this happened in the village of Puttaparthi. Finally, for the third time, Shakti incarnated as the third Sai Baba, who is called Prema Sai Baba.
We may wonder to what extent this story is historical or is it deeply symbolic? Is this story real or is it a beautiful Indian myth? Very often, the stories of Vedic myths are a complex interweaving of symbolism with completely historical events that actually and physically occurred in the deepest antiquity.
In the Vedic myths, there are a huge number of stories about the great sage Bharadwaja. I am sure this sage was quite a historical figure. We do not know exactly what era he lived in. Over time, the stories associated with his life acquire a legendary connotation. It is difficult for us to distinguish the real events of his life from the symbolic interpretation of the presentation of internal energy processes.
What does it mean to travel to the sacred mountain, Kailash? Did it happen quite physically or is it a symbol of a deep spiritual processes in the inner world, as well? Everyone can interpret this story in their own way. Perhaps the sage went to the sacred mountain quite physically, or perhaps it was a figurative description of his meditation.
The sacred mountain, Kailash, is located at the top of the Himalayas. Kailash is revered by all the spiritual and religious traditions of the East. Representatives of all directions of Vedic mysticism, as well as Buddhists, reverently make a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.
In the tradition of yoga and Tantra, a journey to the sacred mountain Kailash symbolically means the deepest mystical experience gained in meditation. Kailash is the symbol of the Sahasrara Chakra. Perhaps this famous story about the sage tells us about the deep insights and realizations that the sage received as a result of the practices of meditation and yoga.
51. Meeting with Shiva and Shakti
What is the meaning of the mysterious meeting of the sage Bharadvaja with Shiva and Shakti? What does this meeting on the sacred mountain Kailash mean? In different traditions and schools, the image of Shiva itself is perceived very differently. Some perceive Shiva as the supreme God the Father, for others Shiva is a symbol of the greatest teacher of yoga – the very teacher who preached the practice of meditation and yoga since ancient times.
The inner esoteric meaning of Shiva is the True Self. If we consider this story from the point of view of the highest Vedanta, then the meeting of the sage Bharadvaja with Shiva means the inner mystical experience of the Higher Self.
Who is Goddess Shakti? When we say that the Gods have spouses, it would be a mistake to take it in the usual human sense. Goddess Shakti is a symbol of great cosmic energy.
Shiva is Consciousness and Shakti is energy. Their beautiful dance is the eternal development of the universe – the unity of Consciousness and Energy.
At first, Goddess Shakti paid no attention to the sage. Why? Symbolically, this may mean that at the beginning of his spiritual practice, the sage could not gain control over his energy. Cosmic energy is not in outer space – it is in the human spine. In fact, the Goddess is the energy that is in the inner world of every person.
The fire ritual performed by Bharadwaja symbolically signifies the practice of Kriya Yoga. The fire ritual is work with the Kundalini energy that moves along the spine. The sage made a pilgrimage to the sacred Mount Kailash, i.e., he meditated on the Sahasrara Chakra.
The sage invited Shiva to his fiery ritual. This speaks of the awakening of the Divine Consciousness. Goddess Shakti agreed to attend the fire ceremony, which means deep work with Internal Energy. Shiva and Shakti attended the ceremony together, manifesting the unity of Spirit and Matter.
Perhaps the sage Bharadwaja, in the depths of his meditation, saw the coming three incarnations of the Avatar and symbolically described them as a meeting with Shiva and Shakti.
Some of the mysterious texts of Tantra, for example Tripura Rahasya and Saundarya Lahari, speak of the highest divinity as the Mother Goddess. That is why the third incarnation of Sai Baba is the manifestation of the Goddess in the human world. The Mother Goddess personifies the transforming divine energy as an active creative principle and a symbol of the highest divine transformation.
This story says that Shiva and Shakti promised to incarnate in this world three times. But also, in this story there is a very important caveat, which is that he will be incarnated at least three times. This means that the number of incarnations could be much greater.
The first incarnation of Sai Baba was from 1835 to 1918 and his name was Shirdi Sai Baba. He was the incarnation of Shiva, that is, Absolute Consciousness.
He lived in the city of Shirdi in western India, hence he was called Shirdi Sai Baba. In this incarnation, he prepared the groundwork for his universal spiritual mission.
The second incarnation of Sai Baba was from 1926 to 2011 and he was called Sathya Sai Baba. Sathya means "truth." In this incarnation, he included the qualities of Shiva and Shakti, the principle of Consciousness and the principle of Energy. That is why he was called the full divine incarnation. Communicating with Sathya Sai Baba, people felt in him both the Divine Father and the Mother Goddess.
The third incarnation of Sai Baba is Prema Sai Baba. In Sanskrit, Prema means divine love. According to this mythological story, Prema Sai Baba is the embodiment of the Mother Goddess, which
