Dharma Maha Sammelan (DMS) in Shimla, Rev Purodhá Pramukha Ácárya Vishvadevánanda Avadhúta, deliberated the below topic in evening session on 28th April 2025 below and I (Acarya Gatimayánanda Avadhúta, CTS Sweden) have made an attempt to transcript from the video recording to put forth his ideas in English rendering below for the sake of English readers:a
Today’s discourse is “Bábá’s Pratikriti* and Guru Puja”.
Pratima what we call as “Murti”. Chitra means a painting and Pratikriti(Creative Appearance).
In any nadir Entity’s Pratikriti, that nadir point of Entity’s Pratima and Chitra as well Pratikriti’s whether all have a same value, if not is there any difference?
Pratima, Murti and Chitra all these are crude form of imagination. Considering the Pratima, what’s its meaning is?
Prati+ma-Prati means sankasha(appearance) – and ma means to measure. If any maker of “murti—idol”, one who makes an “idol”, there the entity’s identity form makes an overall view and in it, what exist an imagination figure’s beauty, that imagination beauty, he transpire to form it as an “Idol”.
With the same effect, a painter too with the help of beautiful imagination, he too fills with his idea to create a painting.
But as a matter of fact the painting is more subtle than the form of idol. Even then both the idol and painting is a crude thing.
When we trace the original matter or thing, it is either metal, clay or any thing.
If it is a sculptor, will find a suitable type of stone and gives a form.
What all these things are, it is nothing but the form of crude objects.
It is also the fact that an Idol maker as well painter and sculptor’s object of mind’s imagination, that is in his/her subtle mind what imagination exist, its vibration of form is vibrated.
Even though, as it is made up of crude object, what ever the vibration that it emits, all those vibration what it emanates, that is crude, you must know.
When the consciousness of that own person, what has been created with that crude identifiable object, if he/she ideates, what happens is, that ideation of that crude objects vibration, reflects on his mental mirror an imaginative figure.
And with due course slowly and slowly, one will be vibrated with those crude forms slowly and gradually converts one day and transforms into that form in his/her crude mind of citta, that is mental stuff.
In his/her mind takes/becomes the same form as that object and converted with same form.
That’s why the Idol worship as well the painter’s painting sketch both will definitely becomes either crude or subtle, it is nothing but only crude worship, why because it is made from the crude objects.
Thus both the painting and Idol cannot lead to get us permanent liberation(Moksa). Why because the mind, gets vibrated with the same feeling of that crude object and slowly gets converted into that of crude object itself. That’s why how does such a thing can entrust to liberate you permanently. It is never possible.
Let us come to know about Pratikriti. What does Pratikriti mean?
Pratikriti is not anything like that of an art form or any human’s form of imagination. It is what, What actually mean by Pratikriti (creation of appearance)?
Prati means Samkasha(appearance) and Kriti means “creation/formation”.
The nadir of its own Creation. As and how it is was formed same like that of creating imaginative form to any particular object.
But what is in this Pratikriti you know?
It is same as you appear to be like.
Pratikriti is with that of a camera, that has photographed the nadir identification of the true being.
What happens here is, when with the help of camera when taken a photograph, what does camera do?
The body’s vibration it holds and transform that being’s image. That is it produces the image of that being.
In this Pratikriti, from the camera when photographed that image of Pratikriti, from its nadir form of body’s vibration, mental’s vibration, and spirit’s vibration all are merged.
Suppose considering Bábá’s Pratikriti.
Baba’s picture of VARÁBHAYA MUDRÁ and JÁNUSPARSHA MUDRÁ, what Pratikriti we have is the body’s physical, psychic and psycho-spiritual vibration, all these 3 are merged together.
That’s why those subtle emanations emanated; as vibratory waves are super subtle and supra subtle vibration.
Our Beloved Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti’s Mahásambhúti form is itself Pratikriti.
What Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti’s form, that Mahásambhúti, who He is, this Creator’s Cosmological Nucleus, Purusottama’s has linked Himself with it. For that reason, from that Pratikriti’s ever emanating vibration flow is always being generated.
From that Brahmic emanation those vibratory waves like that in VARÁBHAYA MUDRÁ as well JÁNUSPARSHA MUDRÁ; from that Pratikriti’s Brahmic vibrational flow that is emanating there is Brahmic vibratory forms or waves of blessing and fearlessness permeates and from the eyes His fatherly/motherly gesture of love, grace and compassionate boundlessly filled.
Rarely for few dear devotees, Bábá’s VARÁBHAYA MUDRÁ’s photo after witnessed, then and there they’ll have a true form coming lively appearing before him/her.
Such incident’s thus happens/occurs as per one’s own Saḿskáras, and for him/her they’ll have self realization.
That’s why the Pratima, or Painting for praying or doing contemplation it cannot be compared to Pratikriti.
Thus spiritual aspirant, after deep Ideation on Baba’s Pratikriti becomes pious and holy.
So, Baba what expresses in VARÁBHAYA MUDRÁ and JÁNUSPARSHA MUDRÁ, from era after era ever it will be graceful bestowing of spiritual vibration forever.
I am going to refer one such incident, in Bihar in very beginning days of inception, in Bihar there was an grhii acarya who was highly in commissioned dignified post; and other was DSP, who was also a grhii acarya.
This grhii acarya who was DSP, he always used to carry a VARÁBHAYA MUDRÁ photograph of Baba which was framed in tact, he always kept in His suitcase.
Whenever he used to travel, he carried along with him and wherever he was accommodated, he always used during meditation, so he carried with him.
So this DSP one fine day had come to his officers’ bungalow and used to come often. But one fine day, an incident occurred and while staying overnight in that bungalow, and after performing his meditation together with his officer, ate dinner and they both went to sleep and was taking rest in their respective places.
After sleeping for a while, this DSP couldn’t get sleep due to some mysterious force was throwing him from his bed; and shaking him out and whenever he wished to sleep; such a thing happened to him.
Then he went to officers bed and narrated him about this incident; both thought what is the reason for such an incident and as we don’t believe in such of ghost or evil spirit, even then why does it is happening.
Let us go see and all of a sudden in Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) mind a thought flashed that he had not closed that VARÁBHAYA MUDRÁ pratikriti of Bábá.
Yes I have done such a blunder, always I used to pack it safe and kept in its respective place and then before that he did meditation and apologized Bábá and he did went to sleep and slept well and nothing happened henceforth.
If anyone does have an iota of Devotion towards that Pratikriti; then those vibratory waves emanated or generated surely makes the environment divinely charged.
During prior Bábá’s physical presence, only this VARÁBHAYA MUDRÁ and JÁNUSPARSHA MUDRÁ was and will be always emanating blessings from this Pratikriti if one utilizes properly and Ideates on its picture.
Considering the fact during Shiva’s time, if any man who has seen and done meditation on Shiva it is also the same Pratikriti of Shiva, that he may Ideate upon; but after a long long time, if another man does meditation on the form of Shiva’s Idol, it doesn’t become Pratikriti because one has not seen the true form of Shiva and that idol will not emanate the same vibration because it is only a crude thing.
The same can be thought about for Lord Krśńa who was Táraka Brahma. During Krśńa time, there was not developed science. So, Bábá for such developed sadhakas, demonstrated to witness the Shiva and Lord Krśńa form to him/her.
Bábá’s Pratikriti which is available with us, in it emits His own vibrational waves, but few some very mean developed Sa’dhaka so called, during Guru Puja, may think Bábá’s Pratikriti lively looking/seeing it, may refer it to be Murti/Idol worship, this may also be Idol worship and while we perform Hari Pari Mandala during Akhanda Kiirtan, centering Bábá’s Pratikriti to be in the centre, whether it maybe any type of Pratikriti, whatever photo in each of them their is vibrational flow in it; specially VARÁBHAYA MUDRÁ and JÁNUSPARSHA MUDRÁ pratikriti, there is a special power of emanation, so such type of baseless sadhaka may think like that it is Idol worship.
But while performing the Guru Puja in front of Pratikriti, what does that Pratikriti resemble, it is Pratikriti’s life force emanation; that is Bábá’s primordial status, which resonates Taraka Brahma’s true representation vibe.
So during Guru Puja, what does happen is, there are two couplets the first 3 stanza and last Pranama Mantra part, what can be called VARŃÁRGHYADÁNA, while performing this VARŃÁRGHYADÁNA, when we with our own mental color, that is our mental color is being offered unto Bábá’s Pratikriti.
Such adorable Guru accepts that mental color offered and whatever Saḿskáras offered will enshrine on Himself or His own Self who has that knowledge of acceptance, such is the understandable Pratikriti, an all encompassing Infinite strength of Guru or Macropropensive plexus of Guru’s veracity, such is Pratikriti, so when we have done our mental offering(VARŃÁRGHYADÁNA), will be whole heartedly accepts it and bestow the blessings, in this process weans off the Saḿskáras upon Himself and Grace’s its grandeur.
This is the glamour of Pratikriti.
This pratima(image) and painting sketch/drawing of the painter and imaginary formation of an idol of an Idol maker, this cannot be compared with whatsoever idea with regards to the Pratikriti.
We all of us does Bábá’s Ideation, and thus Bábá’s Pratikriti is engoldened completely with His affection and His infinite Love, with His infinite Grace and compassionate filled without limit and it will be an unbroken flow era after era for infinite time for all my dear devotees and always bestowing grace in their spiritual journey and thus devotees will be flooded with devotion.
I understand that you all have understood it and as time not permits that I was not able to substantiate clear enough, as this topic is very deepen knowledge and ample time to simplify it and I have given only glitter glimpse of it only, I think you have little bit of an idea about it and when you will be in field based on this facts arrange discussion session during pracar as such even though the idol form of worship is crudest way of prayer, so in Tantra it is the lowest of lowest form of worship, thus in Tantra it has been accepted as a lowest part of practice, why because the Idol maker form of making the Idol has fantasy of beautification and its vibration is still resonating, and for such a person who doesn’t get Brahmic way of Initiation for such a person it is not entertained but it is lowest of lowest and always door is opened for them to embrace the higher sadhana, thus in the field make them understand that it is made of cruder and whatever crude vibrations is emanated it is also curved with such waves and thus in the philosophical stance, with which our mind is forced to imbibe our cruder part of mind(Citta) and thus our Citta will be transformed to crude.
So it is forbidden and thus for us Pratikriti is all in all and if in any one’s mind, they must not carry such a notion; that it is Pratikriti, it is also only an Idol, and what’s its value is, so the Pratikriti has its original/primordial creative force, which never undergoes change.
Now I would try to conclude here.
