Questioner: What is shaktipaat?
Dadashri: Say you come across a stream six feet wide.  You have difficulty in removing your shoes so you just stand there.  You see a few people jumping over the stream but your mind holds you back. Then I tell you, “Chandubhai, jump. Why are you standing around?” and you immediately jump. This is an example of shaktipaat. There is no relation between shaktipaat (physical energy) and moksha. Shaktipaat is on a physical level; it is subject to increase or decrease. It increases the energy in the recipient and reduces the energy in the donor.

Questioner: What do they mean when they say to place the tongue on the palate and drink the nectar?
Dadashri: That is the path of hathagrahis (those who practice self-denial and punish the body). Those who have a habit of punishing the body should follow that path. Why does one need to do that? The tongue and the palate are physical (non-Self), the dripping nectar is also physical; it cannot be the Self. It is just the fruits of your effort. When an ice-cream maker turns the handle on the ice-cream machine, he receives ice-cream as the fruit of his effort. All the sadhus and sanyasis of the world have drops of poison constantly dripping within (raag-dwesh), even their speech is poisonous. And from the moment ‘we’ give the knowledge of the Self, drops of nectar begin to drip constantly within. Elsewhere it is like falling into an enticing trap, because one does not have the right path. The nature of the Self is nothing but knowledge (Gnanswarup).  The path of liberation is knowledge of the Self (Gnan), vision of the Self (darshan), conduct as the Self (charitra), and internal penance (antartapa). These four constitute the path of moksha. All other paths are there, what is the need to stick the tongue to the palate incessantly?  Why do they have to do all that? All these rituals are a form of pacification.  It is like sitting in a pond on a very hot day with only your head out of water. But without knowing the Self, there is no solution. Until one attains Gnan, is it not necessary for one to find something to do? All these are rituals in the path of self punishment (hatha agraha), they are not meant for liberation and have nothing to do with the path of the vitraagLords.

Many constantly recite ‘Aham Brahmastami’-‘I am Brahman (Self)’ but on the contrary they increase their illusion because, without knowing and understanding Brahman (the Self), what are they going to attain? Which business will fail to run in India? In fact, all businesses will run in this world. Two thousand years ago, there was a religion that allowed people to indulge in luxuries after filing bankruptcy. It condoned cheating and robbing. Those people too succeeded in running their ‘businesses’. All kinds of shops will run in this world.

Why do people believe in different Deva and Devis (celestial beings), in Hindustan? It is because everyone’s viewpoints are different, their intellect is different and their opinions are different. There are 1,400,000 layers (veils over the Self) in humans. The development of a human being varies at each layer. For each development, they find a religion and their corresponding Devas. Why are there differences in religions? Many believe in life after death and many do not. Each person is at a different degree of spiritual development and thus has opinions accordingly.