Shiva and the Chilum Mantra Pt. 2

Excerpt from Sadhus: India's Mystic Holy Men
by Dolf Hartsuiker Inner Traditions, Int'l. (1993), p. 97-98

A common ritual [for devotees of the God Shiva] is the smoking of a mixture of tobacco and charas (hashish) in a chiam (pipe). Although this undoubtedly serves the more earthly purpose of socializing with Sadhu-brothers and devotees, the smoking of charas is nonetheless regarded as a sacred act. Intoxication as a 'respected' – amongst Babas anyway -- method for self-realization is related to the drinking of soma, the nectar of the gods, which is recommended in the Vedas as a sure means of attaining divine wisdom.

Mythologically charas is intimately connected with Shiva: he smokes it, he is perpetually intoxicated by it, he is the Lord of Charas. He is invoked before taking the first puff by shouting one of many chilam-mantras:

"Alakh!"; "Bam Bam Bholanath!"; "Bom Shiva!"

Babas offer the smoke to him; they want to take part in his ecstasy, his higher vision of Reality. As a final gesture of devotion, a Sadhu may mark his forehead with the chilam-ashes, or even eat them, as Prasad from Shiva. Charas may be used by Shaivas (Shiva worshipers) and Vaishnavas (Vishnu worshipers).

Lord Balarama & Ganja

Worshipers of Shiva traditionally offer their ganja to Shiva before smoking, but what about followers of Krishna? Krishna generally does not accept ganja offerings, although He clearly states that He is the healing essence of all herbs. In ancient India, the temple incense was infused with hashish so worshipers could inhale the sacred smoke and experience love of God. Although hash incense is no longer available, Krishna worshipers offer ganja smoke to Krishna's brother, Balarama, and receive the Lord's blessings.

Mantra for offering ganja to Balarama:



Ganja Baladev Baladev Hara Hara

She brought out a heavy auburn cone of clay which had an inner rod that fit snugly inside the hollow cone. She ripped a tattered fragment off of her orange sarong and tied it around the thinner end of the cone, brought out a small cup made from an immature ash-blackened coconut in which she crumbled up a 1:2 mix of charas and rare ganja which she tightly packed into the wide end of the chillum.

"Om Shiva Shankara Hari Hari Ganga!"

I mimicked her mantra and we began. "I got this pipe from a baba who resides in the Shiva Temple at Hampi."

My first goal was to find the Baba who taught Eleanor the art of chillum smoking. Before we slept she gave me the full story of the Baba, how he dosed her whole body with blue ash, dabbled salt on her eye lids, blew incense on meridian points of her body and quivered with joy when she told him that she was to pack a chillum of only cannabis as opposed to partitioning it with tobacco. "It will please Shiva most!" she said.

[SOURCE]