As the Maha Kumbh was in progress at Prayagraj, an inner Kumbh unfolded at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama in February 2025.

In commemoration of the centennial of Gurdev Swami Rama’s birth, a Mantra and Purashcharana Retreat convened over 60 initiates from 13 nations for 21 days. During the retreat, a purashcharana of 125,000 guru mantras was offered by each initiate individually, dedicated in the spirit of Guru prityartham—for the pleasure of the Guru.

On purashcharana, Swami Veda Bharati has written, “I often advise new initiates to undertake a purash-charana immediately after initiation. The word purash-charana means “a foot forward.” That is the term for undertaking a special observance. A beginning observation of purash-charana, for example, would be for someone to do 125,000 repetitions of their mantra using a mala. Then the mantra becomes habitual, is absorbed.”

On the auspicious day, Swami Ritavan Bharati initiated the retreat with Guru Puja. Following this, participating initiates took a sankalpa, resolving to undertake a purashcharana of 125,000 repetitions of their personal initiation guru mantra, as received through initiation in the Tradition.

To deepen their understanding of their personal mantra and mantra sadhana, each participant received personal guidance from Swami Ritavan Bharati, as well as initiators Raghavendra Adiga and Yoong ji, who were present during the retreat.

The Swami Rama Hall served as a sacred space, dedicated entirely to the 21-day retreat. Each participant established their personal meditation seat, a space they maintained for the entire duration of the retreat. For 21 days, participants practiced their japa in the same spot, enveloped in meditation shawls, the Swami Rama Hall became a nurturing sanctuary, a womb of Guru spirit.

In the first week of the retreat, lectures and meditations on mantra sadhana were offered by Swami Ritavan Bharati, and mantra initiators Raghavendra Adiga ji, Yoong ji, and Acharya Rabindra Sahu.

To support their sadhana during the retreat and deepen their japa, the sadhakas were recommended three books: ‘Samyama: The Power of Self-Transformation‘ by Swami Rama, ‘Mantra and Meditation,’ and ‘Mantras: The Sacred Chants‘ by Swami Veda Bharati.

Swami Ritavan, in a lecture, envisioned the participants as brahmacharis seated under a tree seeking sanyasa and moksha. Further, he elaborated on the three essential components of a mantra: the bija (seed syllable), the mantra deity, and namah, which signifies both detachment (‘not me, not mine’) and surrender to the mantra deity and the Guru spirit.

Raghavendra Adiga, a mantra initiator within the Tradition, drew upon Patanjali’s Yoga-sutras to explain the process of japa, especially its role in ‘chitta vritti nirodhah’ and ‘tada drashtuh swarupevasthanam.’ He also guided meditations to inspire and deepen the practice of mantra japa

On the process of purification, Swami Veda Bharati has said, “Mantra is for penetrating through the veils and curtains of samskaras, for countering the existing samskaras, and for preventing the formation of new, undesirable samskaras.”

Acharya Rabindra, speaking on the process of japa, explained it as a practice involving the five koshas. He also inspired participants to cultivate a sense of surrender by visualizing themselves seated in the lap of their mantra deity or the guru.

In the book Samyama – The Power of Self-Tranformation, Gurudev Swami Rama explains, “For the sutras, you need a teacher to give your explanation; for mantra, once you have it, you do not need any guidance, because mantra will guide itself. Mantra helps to purify the mind of pain and misery.”

Fire offerings, offered with personal mantras, enhanced the sense of inner purification. Participants offered their inner weaknesses into the fire, with the sentiment of ‘namah’—not mine—and surrendered to the mantra deity and Guru.

The retreat’s second half brought a profound deepening of mantra practice. Participants dedicated their days to japa sadhana, and silence settled among them. A transformation occurred: walks slowed, steps gentled, breaths softened, and minds quieted. The mantra’s vibration guided their malas, as they sat in stillness. Minds and mantras united in silence, and their hearts surrendered to the Guru spirit.

As an ode to Gurudeva, with millions of mantras offered from the devoted hearts of the sadhakas, the retreat culminated in a purnahuti, a final offering puja conducted by Swami Ritavan Bharati and mantra initiator Yoong ji on behalf of all participants.

Immersed in love and gratitude for the loving grace of the Guru Lineage, participants offered flowers at the Guru’s feet, echoing the sentiment of the Guru Paduka Stotram: ‘In this endless ocean of cyclical creation, the Guru is the boat that can sail across. Devotion for the Guru establishes a state of worship-worthy dispassion (vairagya).’ Participants bowed down and surrendered at their Guru’s sacred feet.

As participants prepared to depart from their spiritual home, their hearts were filled with the Guru’s love, like leaving a mother’s home with gifts of love and blessings.

Om Shreem Gurave Namah.

Editor’s Note:

Namita is a long-term initiate and student within the Himalayan Tradition. She is also a teacher and mentor with the Himalayan Yoga Tradition – Teacher Training Program (HYT-TTP). She has an AHYMSIN friendly center in Bengaluru, India – Urdhva Yoga.