Ulgas

In Bhagavan Nityananda’s divine presence, seekers often witnessed that real initiation did not come through words or ceremony but through silent communion with His Being. His ways were beyond method, beyond measure. For some, a glance was enough to dissolve lifetimes of bondage; for others, years of proximity passed in quiet preparation. Those who approached Him soon realised that the truest awakening was not an outer transmission, but an inner ripening of awareness—a flowering of remembrance that He called Ulgas. It was through this sacred simplicity that Bhagavan revealed the essence of Yoga: to live each moment in the light of the Eternal.

Ulgas – The Path of Constant Remembrance

In recent years, many seekers have turned toward the path of Kundalini Awakening, and numerous teachers have sought to make Shaktipath Diksha easily available to all. Yet those who have truly understood the mystery of the awakened Shakti know that this is no ordinary path—it is the direct stirring of the Infinite within the finite.

Bhagavan Nityananda, the very embodiment of Shaktipath Yoga, was the source of that supreme current of Consciousness. His mere presence was Diksha. Yet, outwardly, He rarely bestowed Shaktipath upon anyone. There were rare moments when, by a look, a word, or a touch, He would ignite the inner fire in a devotee—but such grace was never given lightly.

I recall one such incident that remains deeply etched in memory.

During our stay in Ganeshpuri, a young sannyasi arrived—handsome, austere, and full of spiritual fervour. He spent long hours absorbed in meditation before Bhagavan’s form, his face aglow with determination. Each day, after his practice, he would rise, approach Bhagavan’s Feet, and plead earnestly,

“Please give me Shaktipath, awaken my Kundalini Shakti.”

Day after day, this continued. Bhagavan remained unmoved—silent, detached, seemingly indifferent. Those around were touched by the sincerity of the young monk. Many devotees even began to intercede on his behalf, saying, “Bhagavan, please bless him. He is sincere.”

The next morning, the young sannyasi came again—his ochre robe flowing, a blanket under his arm, a rudraksha mala around his neck. He sat for meditation, and after some time, as usual, came forward to prostrate at Bhagavan’s Feet.

The very moment his forehead touched those Holy Feet, he was hurled back as though struck by a bolt of lightning! He rolled on the floor, screaming in agony, crying for help. Those who were near rushed forward in alarm. Bhagavan sat still—watching—and then laughed, His laughter ringing through Kailash.

When all looked at Him with astonishment, He said softly,

“Only a fraction of Shakti entered him, and see his state.
Had the full current been given, he would not have survived.
This is not meant for all and sundry.”

In that moment, the truth shone clearly. Shaktipath is not a gift that can be demanded; it is a descent of Divine Power that only a purified vessel can bear. The awakening of Kundalini is not a technique—it is Grace. To invoke it without readiness is to call the sun into a fragile clay lamp.

Later, I asked Shree Padiyar Swami, “If Shaktipath is beyond the capacity of most of us, what is the way for the ordinary devotee who wishes to walk the spiritual path?”

He replied with great gentleness, “Bhagavan has shown the simplest and highest way—Ulgas. Just remember Him with awareness. That alone will take you across.”

Meera in remembrance of Shree Krishna

The word Ulgas in Konkani means remembrance—but Bhagavan’s Ulgas is not mere recollection of name or form. It is the art of living in ceaseless awareness of the Divine Presence. It is to carry Him in every breath, to act as His witness in every thought and deed, to keep Him as one’s silent companion in joy and in hardship alike.

Ulgas is to remain inwardly turned toward Him, even while moving through the world—knowing that there is no moment, no place, where He is not.

Padiyar Swamiji once recalled that when Bhagavan instructed him to go and settle in Kanhangad, he asked, “Bhagavan, what should I do when I reach there?”
Bhagavan smiled and said,

‘Ulgas Kar! Suvichar Kar!’
Remain aware of Me (the Self). Let all your thoughts, intentions, and actions be pure.

That was Bhagavan’s essence of Sadhana.

For most of us, Ulgas—this constant, loving remembrance—is the truest Shaktipath. It awakens the inner Power gradually and safely through devotion, surrender, and awareness. No outer ceremony is needed; the remembrance itself becomes the channel through which His Grace flows.

To live in Ulgas is to live in His Presence—awake to the Eternal within every fleeting moment. It is to realize that the greatest initiation is not in a glance or touch, but in the heart that never forgets Him.

Reflection

The path shown by Bhagavan was never complicated. He gave no elaborate technique, no rigid discipline—only the call to remain inwardly awake. Ulgas is that living awareness, the silent remembrance of the Source within. It asks for no ritual, yet it sanctifies every act; it demands no retreat from the world, yet it turns every moment into meditation.

When the heart remains turned toward Him, every breath becomes His mantra, every action His worship, and every silence His darshan.

Such remembrance is itself Shaktipath—not a flash of power, but the steady radiance of His Grace flowing through a mind made pure and still.

To live in Ulgas is to live as if Bhagavan walks beside us—unseen, yet ever present. It is to feel His laughter in the wind, His stillness in our heart, and His boundless compassion in every breath.

May this remembrance never fade.
May Ulgas become our natural state—
A ceaseless turning toward the One who is ever within and beyond all.

Note:

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