Discourse on Sivananda Lahari
Day 19, August 18
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Ganesaya Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namaha
asato ma sadgamaya
tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
mrityor ma amrtam gamaya
Om Santissantissantihi
Please lead me from untruth to Truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. May there be peace.
Bhajan: Gana gana ganagala nayakage
Victory to Lord Ganapati.
Verse 36:
Bhaktho bhakthi guṇā vruthai mudhamruthā purne prasanne manah,
Kumbhe Sāmba twāmgri pallava yugam samsthāpya samwith phalam
Sathvam mantra mudeeraya nnija śareerāgāra shuddhim vahan,
Punyāham prakati karōmi ruchiram kalyāna mapā dayan
In the Sivananda Lahari, today we hear about a very interesting presentation of advice to follow in our prayer.
During rituals like Griha Pravesam, Namakaranam, Jatakarma, etc. there are many parts in the ritual, like Naandi, Punyaha, etc.
Sri Bhagavatpada says: I am announcing now that I have performed the Punyaha ritual.
Punyaha is one of the rituals: What does it mean? In different regions it is done differently. It is a very important ritual. Sometimes in the Andhra region, they keep 3 kalashas/pots of sacred water. They are worshiped with mantras. The prayers beg for voiding any bad things or vibrations that may be present in the house. They mix all the waters into one pot and sprinkle it all over the house. The pots are decorated very nicely, you would have noticed, sometimes with flowers, sometimes with colored threads. A new cloth is placed. Rice is poured over it. A design is drawn. Yellow rice is sprinkled. The clean pot is placed and beautifully decorated either with yellow or colored threads. The attention and devotion with which the ritual is conducted creates a nice feeling of devotion and steadiness in the mind. A ritual done in haste with no proper attention is fruitless. There is a specific procedure to be followed. In the water, turmeric, kumkum, precious gems or a gold jewel like a ring, auspicious spices like cloves and cardamom, some coins, pieces of Darbha grass, etc. are placed.
Even prior to worship of Mother Goddess at Navaratri and other festivals, the Kalasha is prepared like this. The presence of Mother Goddess is felt in the sacred water and also in the pot, the decorations, the coconut, the leaves, and all the materials used. Entire nature is worshipped here. The invocation itself takes a lot of time. The ritual itself is a short procedure. You pray that Mother Goddess should cleanse the entire house with Her sacred vibrations. In Tamil Nadu they use only one pot of water.
My mind is the pot. Devotion is the thread that I tie around it as a decoration. Mut means happiness. Muttu Krishna means Happiness-giving Krishna. The pot is filled with the water of happiness. The pot has been nicely cleaned and polished, without any blemish, stain or dust on it. It is smeared with wet turmeric and a dot or decoration is made with kumkum and sandal paste. It does not matter whether it is a clay pot, silver, copper, or gold. O Siva, accompanied by Mother Goddess, we invoke your presence in the Kalasha, we pray. We keep leaves in the pot, either mango leaves or betel leaves, signifying God’s pair of feet. A coconut is placed on top of it, symbolizing spiritual wisdom. Knowing you is the fruit/coconut. Chanting your mantra, I do the worship. Some mantras are peaceful, some are energetic, and some are very aggressive. The correct mantras must be chanted.
Even if you know all the mantras, you must engage a priest to conduct the proceedings. During Siva’s marriage ceremony, Vishnu stood as priest. For Vishnu’s marriage ceremony, Siva was invited to officiate. You must hire the services of a priest and offer him remuneration. The priests also need to make a living. Even if you are a master of Vedas, for rituals that are conducted at your home, you must get an outside priest to officiate. This is stipulated by the scriptures.
You chant Om Namassivaya five times and then pick up the pot.
The utterance of the correct mantras is very important. Even if it is a close friend, by just picking up the phone, he will not answer. You must dial the correct number. The mantra is the number that you dial, to invoke the deity of your choice. You must visualize the presence of God in the pot and the water. The water that is sprinkled on the head should be believed to be the sacred water from Ganga that has washed the feet of God/Guru.
The house that I clean symbolizes the body in which I reside. The mango leaves are used to sprinkle the water all over the house. If any Asubha/bad event has occurred, it has now been cleansed.
Kalyana is the liberation that God grants me since my body is now pure. My life is fulfilled.
This beautiful description paints a vivid picture in our mind’s eye.
From this day onwards I am clean, my house is clean and free from all invisible negative vibrations. I have the grace of the divine, is the firm feeling established in the heart.
Even during weddings this Punyaham is performed. God is now praised for His compassion. I now declare that the house is pure and clean.
(Datta) Kriya Yoga cleanses the body. Nadi Suddhi pranayama cleans the body prior to the invocation of God into your heart. First do pranayama to clean your body.
Now, happily I declare that I have been fully blessed. From today I am free of all sins and flaws, blemishes and anything that may pose hurdles in my path.
In one small sloka, Sri hagavatpada has described the entire procedure of Punyaha/Sacred cleansing.
In Bhakti Mala magazine Swamiji says, just like a bride and bridegroom decorated themselves for marriage, if you wish to marry liberation, decorate yourself with the garland called devotion.
Namassivaya Namassivaya Namassivaya Namassivaya
Bhajan: Jyotirlingakara (Mallikarjuna)
Verse 37:
Āmnāyāmbudhi-mādarena sumana-ssanghā ssamudhyan-mano,
Manthānām druda bakthi –rajju-sahitham kruthvā matithvā tatah,
Somam kalpatharum suparva-surabhīm chintāmanim dheematām,
Nithyānanda sudhām niranthara-rama sowbhāgya-mātanvate
Vedavedyaaya/Knower of the Vedas is a title for Siva. We pray to Him.
Sri Bhagavatpada remembers the churning of the Ocean of Milk by deities and demons to obtain Amrita/Nectar of Immortality. Several valuable objects emerged from the ocean during the churning. Vasuki was the rope. Mandara Mountain was the pivot. Dhanvantari emerged with the pot of Amrita. Kalpataru, Surabhi, Airavata, Uchhcaisravas, Kamadhenu, Chintamani, etc. were obtained during the churning.
Veda that we now have access to is a very small percentage of the original Veda knowledge that existed. Most of it has been lost. Out of thousands of branches, only 11 are now available. We know how hard Swamiji is working to protect this world treasure. We all have the responsibility to protect it.
There is no other way than to earn the knowledge of the Vedas to gain salvation. There is absolutely no other way. Mantra chanting alone is not enough. The meaning must be understood.
Sadguru uses the essence of Veda wisdom in different ways to suit different tastes and aptitudes to benefit everyone. The same essence he conveys through bhajans, discourses, poems, rituals, and so on.
Vedas have many sections. It is a huge ocean. Sage Veda Vyasa organized and separated the different sections to make it easy for future generations because the huge heap of knowledge was very confusing prior to its being organized in clear sections. He has done a great service to mankind. We worship Vyasa on Guru Purnima. Sadguru is another form of Sage Veda Vyasa. If we do not preserve the Vedas, they will disappear. England and Germany have preserved some Vedas. The script is with them in the British Museum but it is not with us. Max Mueller, a German has translated the Vedas into German language.
If our Sadguru does not strive to preserve the Vedas, there is a risk of losing them forever. Just support the effort. Support Veda schools, scholars, and practitioners. Your entire family will be blessed. We all ask for mantras for our rituals. If you protect the tree called Vedas, then you can enjoy its fruits at any time.
The deities churned the ocean.
The mind is the mountain using which I churned, with devotion as the strong rope. I did the churning of the Vedas to understand their essence, with the utmost concentration.
Sri Vidyaranya Swami attempted to write a commentary on the Vedas.
If you study seriously, then the inner meaning will reveal itself in your own mind. Discuss the findings with like-minded persons.
Butter from buttermilk is obtained similarly, the favorite treat of Krishna. We are discussing this today at Krishnashtami. It shows that Krishna and Siva are one.
Lakshmi was still with Vishnu. She had not left him yet, as she had to later because of a curse. You grant us the blessing of ever remaining prosperous in the permanent presence of Lakshmi.
Soma Rasa is misunderstood by many. It is misinterpreted as something undesirable. There is an herb in the Himalayas which is not found anymore. If a big bundle of the herb is brought, it will yield perhaps an ounce of juice. It is wrong to think that those who perform fire rituals/Yajnas drink this intoxicating juice and dance crazily. It is foolish to speak like this.
Only the wise realize the value of the Vedas. Those who keep their eyes closed do not see the Sun. If they deny the presence and value of sunlight, like the owls that cannot see sunlight, they are foolish. Such are the ones who deny the value of the Vedas.
What is the nectar yielded by understanding the essence of the Vedas? The deities enjoyed the eternal presence of Mother Goddess Lakshmi as Liberation. That is the reward. Like butter that we offer to Lord Krishna on Krishnashtami, we must offer everything that we obtain, to God.
Today is Sravana Somavaram/Monday. We have performed the Ekadasa/11 times Rudrabhishekam. We were rewarded also with Sadguru’s darshan. We are blessed.
Sri Guru Datta
These verses/slokas please chant every day at home. If there are any fears or evil vibrations in the home, they will be driven away.
Bhajan: Krishna majhi mata
Vitthala vitthala Panduranga jaya hari vitthala Panduranga
Sri Guru Datta