I Was Up There

(a mystical poem from 1994)

I was up there

Tasting the sweetest presence.

Before it dried up,

We had to bring it down.

We built ladders

of 1, 3, 6, 9, 15, 16 and 18 steps [1];

The ladders reached down here,

And we came down.

Bhagīratha brought Ganga.

Śaṅkara brought knowledge.

I bring the pleasure of God,

Lalitā.

As I was coming down,

Narasiṃha Bhāratī was going up.

Tall, fair, lean,

He placed his venerable feet upon my head

And climbed up,

Chanting:

Kamikastra Namaḥ,

Sudarśanastrāya Namaḥ, and so on.

He did not go all the way up.

He stayed midway

To do the needful at that level.

Know this, my lovers:

You are immortal.

You are gods.

The whole Cosmos is your family.

Do not, for heaven’s sake, limit it

To what you think now is your family.

Offer yourselves for worship.

Offer worship to all you see.

Do as you please.

Your pleasure is worship.

Offer it to Lalitā.

Nothing pleases her more.

Sex is worship.

It is a sacred offering to Lalitā, Goddess of Eros,

And to ourselves.

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[1]  Guruji seems to reference various levels of mantra dīkṣā into Sri Vidya, according to the aspirant’s capabilities: 1 is ōm (Praṇava) or śrīm (Dēvī praṇava); 3 is aim hrīm śrīm; 6 and 9 are variant versions of Bālā Tripurasundarī; 15 is Pañcadaśī, 16 is Ṣōḍaśī, and 18 is Mahā-​ṣōḍaśī.