Shiva drinks the poison of the whole world. Whatever amount of poison is settled in our heart, aversion towards others, evil, very impure thoughts, our heart becomes poisonous. When Shiva awakens within us, He drinks that poison. Shiva’s food, His drink is poison; whatever intoxicating things are there, the intoxicants etc., all that is injurious to consciousness – is consumed by Shiva. He consumes all the poison of this type, of the world, inside His own being. For the same reason, we offer Him ‘bhang’ (an edible preparation of cannabis) and other intoxicants symbolically. From this, a human being concludes that if Shiva can take ‘bhang’, we shall also take. If he drinks wine, we shall also have it. Are you Shivji? Are you at a par even to the dust of His feet? He who consumed the whole poison of the world, also needs some who can drink…. Where do you stand in comparison to Him, that you came out to take bhang like Shiva? Even if Shiva drinks the bhang of the whole world, He doesn’t get intoxicated. Is it the case with you? Shiva belongs to the divine estate – is an incarnation. We do not understand what an incarnation is. Its mettle is different. Its arrangement is different. Are you formed in that way? Are you made for the work that you will consume the poison of whole world? Many people say, “Mother, some drinks do not intoxicate us.” There can be no greater falsehood than this.
Shiva drinks the poison of the world
February 16, 1977