Introduction

On the Siddha Yoga path, we love to repeat the mantra Om Namah Shivaya. Isn’t that true? And as soon as we received the invitation to participate in the Siddha Yoga satsang titled “Magnify Auspiciousness, Celebrate Mahashivaratri,” we began repeating the mantra with even more vigor.

The satsang was held on Mahashivaratri—February 15, 2026—in the Siddha Yoga Universal Hall. It was live video streamed from the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple in Shree Muktananda Ashram. Since Mahashivaratri is traditionally a nighttime vigil, this was an evening satsang, by New York time. I heard that people in more than a few countries were overjoyed by this timing, because it meant that they could participate with their eyes wide open and their minds alert. You know who you are!

During the satsang, Julian Elfer, a Siddha Yogi who works as an actor and audiobook narrator in New York City, served as the host. Many of you later shared with me how you found Julian’s hosting of the satsang to be so clear and so personable. Julian spoke about the significance of Mahashivaratri and the special potency that chanting the mantra of the Siddha Yoga lineage, Om Namah Shivaya, carries on this night.

After Julian’s crystal-clear introduction, we listened to Gurumayi speak. She told us that before we begin chanting the mantra, Robyn Jensen would tell us about the sacred bilva leaf—one of the classic offerings made to Lord Shiva, especially on this night.

Robyn is a Siddha Yogi who lives in California, and she spoke eloquently about the meaning that the bilva leaf holds. She also informed us that we would be listening to the Bilvashtakam, a hymn written by the great sage Adi Shankaracharya. Robyn explained that Gurumayi had composed the melody in which the hymn would be sung, and she invited us to join the Siddha Yoga music ensemble in singing the phrase that occurs at the end of each verse: eka bilvam shivarpanam. “I offer a sacred bilva leaf to Lord Shiva.” (We had come prepared to sing these words, as we had been advised to memorize them in the invitation to the satsang.)

Gurumayi sang the Bilvashtakam. At the conclusion of each verse, the conductor, Krishna Haddad, led us in singing the words eka bilvam shivarpanam with the music ensemble. I was in a seva meeting with someone a few days later, and we of course had to take a couple minutes to revisit our favorite moments from the satsang. This person shared with me how privileged they felt to be right there with Gurumayi as she sang the Bilvashtakam and offered puja to Lord Shiva. This Siddha Yogi felt the unity that exists between God, the Guru, and the Self. It was one voice that pervaded the Universal Hall. The divine connection was palpable.

We immersed ourselves further in sacred sound during the satsang, drenched as we already were in the beauty and sanctity of the Bilvashtakam. We chanted the mantra with Gurumayi—the diksha mantra, Om Namah Shivaya, in the Bhupali raga.

What followed our chanting of the mantra was a very deep, very profound meditation. And when we emerged from meditation, we rose to our feet and offered arati to our Gurus. In meditation, our eyes were closed, and we perceived light. During the arati, our eyes were open, and we beheld the arati flame.

We took our seats, our hearts brimming with gratitude. For a few seconds we simply sat there, beneath the scintillating blue dome of the Universal Hall. Our eyes rested upon Gurumayi’s form, no words needed to express our gratitude to be in satsang with her, especially on this evening, on Mahashivaratri. Something in the atmosphere seemed to shift, to sharpen, to grow even brighter. Our ears perked up. Certainly mine did. For me, this is the most thrilling moment of satsang—when Gurumayi is about to impart her teachings. As a Siddha Yogi, I am eager to put my mind, my intellect, my heart to work. As a writer, I relish the opportunity to then use my skills to articulate what I have received and understood.

I am sure that you, like me, felt that Gurumayi was speaking to you directly. That her words were for you, for this time in your life, applicable to everything you’d been thinking about and going through.

Gurumayi gave many teachings in the satsang, and she gave these teachings in many ways. In my last “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words,” about the satsang held in honor of Makara Sankranti, I wrote about how, in whatever Gurumayi says and does, she is teaching. I also wrote in depth about the importance of reflecting, individually and together as a group, on Gurumayi’s words. Our progress in sadhana relies to a great extent on our ability to unpack and understand what the Guru is teaching. As Baba Muktananda often said, “A seeker experiences the unfoldment of the shakti according to their own effort.”

It warmed my heart to hear that many of you appreciated reading and listening to my contemplations on Gurumayi’s teachings from Makara Sankranti. One person, for example, said that if it wasn’t for “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words,” they might not have thought to explore these topics in the ways I had done in my writings. They felt that they were given a new perspective to consider. This is the power of sharing—and that’s why I love sharing. We learn to approach the Guru’s teachings from many different angles.

At Gurumayi’s request, and with her encouragement, I once again have the beautiful seva of sharing my contemplations with you—this time about Gurumayi’s teachings from the satsang on Mahashivaratri. As I did last month, I have selected a few highlights from the satsang to focus on. My explorations of these teachings from Gurumayi will be featured in installments throughout March on the Siddha Yoga path website.

I want to let you know that I have read every one of your comments in response to what I wrote about the satsang on Makara Sankranti. I was touched by your enthusiasm, by your earnest engagement with Gurumayi’s teachings. If you feel so inspired, I’d urge you to do the same with this newest set of “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words.” Share your own contemplations on Gurumayi’s teachings. Share your thoughts about my contemplations on these teachings. I have come to think of this as a kind of “digital Sadhana Circle,” where we convene after satsang with Gurumayi and discuss what we learned, what we have questions about, what we would like to explore further. This is how we support one another in walking the Siddha Yoga path. This is also how we make space for new seekers to voice their own thoughts and feelings about all they are experiencing as they encounter this wondrous path.