All World
Gayatri Pariwar

The anecdote goes that in ancient times, a yogi appeared in the upper regions of the Himalayas. Nobody knew what his origins were. But his presence was extraordinary, and people gathered. However, he exhibited no signs of life, but for the occasional tears of ecstasy that rolled down his face. People began to drift away, but seven men stayed on. When he opened his eyes, they pleaded with him, wanting to experience whatever was happening to him. He dismissed them, but they persevered. Finally, he gave them a simple preparatory step and closed his eyes again. The seven men began to prepare. Days rolled into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, but the yogi’s attention did not fall upon them again. After 84 years of sadhana, the yogi looked at them again. They had become shining receptacles, wonderfully receptive. He could not ignore them anymore. On that full moon day (now called Guru Purnima), the yogi turned south and sat as a Guru to these seven men. This Adiyogi (Lord Shiva) thus became the Adi Guru. The seven disciples became celebrated as the Saptarishis and took this knowledge across the world.