Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Koti Deepotsavam – November 28, 2015 – Hyderabad
Sri Maha Ganapataye Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripadavallabha Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Pavanasuta Veera Hanuman ki Jai (4 times)
Om Namo Hanumate Namaha (11 times)
For children and grownups alike, Hanuman grants good health, fame, radiance, auspiciousness, spiritual knowledge, and prosperity. He is the son of Wind. Today, in front of us, we are seeing Siva. Hanuman is an incarnation of Siva. Hanuman and Siva are one and the same. The month of Karteeka is favored by both Siva and Hanuman. Star Krittika presides over this month. Fire worship takes place during this month. We are satisfying ourselves by lighting lamps and offering lamps to God as a representation of Fire worship. That this Lights Festival has been revived in this Kali Yuga as a feast to the eyes, gives me much happiness. That this ancient tradition is kept alive in our day as a festival of lighting innumerable lamps as a Lights Festival, is indeed a very joyous occurrence. We are very fortunate that we are worshiping both Siva and Vishnu, following our hoary tradition, and also offering prayers to Anjaneya who represents them both.
This year we are conducting a Maha Yajna of 900 crore times chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa worldwide. 68 countries are participating in this great event. Setting aside religious and cultural differences everyone is chanting the Hanuman Chalisa regularly. Hundreds of audio recordings are done daily and photos of participants in this Yajna are received numbering in lakhs. Remembering Hanuman is the same as remembering Rama, because they both share the same philosophy. They both think alike and work in unison. During the incarnation of Rama, Siva voluntarily came to the earth in the form of Hanuman to offer his dedicated services to Rama. Like that, Siva and Vishnu always mutually assist one another. We are now offering our worship to both of them.
Today we are engaged in the worship of Fire. We are offering countless lamps to God. Mr. Choudary of Bhakti TV is indeed most fortunate. So are his parents. That by his efforts, the Hindu faith is getting re-awakened in Hyderabad, known also as Bhagyanagara, the City of Prosperity, is an occasion for us all to celebrate. In every home, we light lamps and invite Mother Goddess Lakshmi to make it her residence. By this gesture, all negative influences will be destroyed. The ancestral spirits will also rejoice by the lighting of these lamps because the lights brighten their way to higher planes, so that they may travel upward with ease, endowed with spiritual knowledge.
We have three factors here in each lamp. One is the container, the second is the oil, and the third is the wick. They represent the gross body, subtle body, and astral body. With three wicks also you may light the lamps, to represent these. The gift of light surpasses the gifting of crores of cows even. We are today celebrating with one crore (10 million) lighted lamps. For eons this merit will serve us well. Ours is a sacred land. All the divine incarnations have taken place here. Many foreigners wish that they were born in India. They wish to make friends with Indians.
We are unaware that we were the contemporaries of Rama. Because we were, we have acquired the good fortune of being able to perform Sri Rama’s Coronation Ceremony today. We were contemporaries of Siva. That is why we are given the eligibility to perform Abhishekam and Archana to Siva. Lord Hanuman is immortal. His presence is felt in all the Yugas and eons. He will be the future Brahma.
Every one of us must chant the Hanuman Chalisa in our homes. If the children are not performing well at studies, chant the Hanuman Chalisa. Those who are suffering from illness should be made to listen to the Hanuman Chalisa. Those who wish to get their wishes fulfilled must pray to Hanuman. Hanuman represents Light. When we perform this Deepa Danam, offering lamps to God, we gain indescribable merit. We have worshiped Hanuman today with betel leaves. He is very pleased by that worship. He will grant us prosperity. The Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva are represented here.
From Ontimitta temple, the processional deities of Sri Rama and his entourage have been brought here. I am remembering the poet Potana. We have worshiped those sacred images today, and have prayed to Hanuman also. May all of you be amply blessed.
In all our future births, may we all enjoy this same friendship and may we perform such Koti Deepotsavams again and again in this same sacred venue. May Hanuman grant us spiritual wisdom and strengthen us to endure all the experiences that life has to offer to us, inevitably, a mixture of both good and bad. May he help us to win over all our challenges. By lighting these millions of lamps, may we all return to our source successfully. We came from Brahma. We have to return to the Brahma Loka.
This stage is looking ethereal and extraterrestrial, as if it is a UFO. This huge altar appears as if it has directly descended from Vaikuntha. This will wash away all of our sins. This entire setting here appears as if it has landed from the sky, like a Maya Bazaar, an illusory phenomenon. Two eyes are not enough to take in the beauty and grandeur of this set up. We must turn the entire body into only eyes, to sufficiently drink in its beauty.
I pray to Lord Hanuman again and again to especially bless all those who have participated in organizing this very grand and worthwhile event.
Jai Veera Hanuman ki Jai.
Let us now sing the praises of God by doing Nama Sankeertana. It is the easiest path to salvation in this Kali Yuga. I pray that the negative influences of Kali should be dispelled and that we should once again enjoy the positive, Dharmic, and happy days of Treta, and Dwapara Yugas. Let us now sing some devotional songs.
Without the hearty and insistent invitation extended by Mr. Choudary, I would not have been present here today. I have set aside all my other engagements to come and attend this. I also follow my mother’s instructions to the letter. Mother is living God. I see joy and bliss in the eyes of so many people who have assembled here today. The credit goes to the organizers. This is not show business. All the programs are strictly conducted as per scriptural injunctions. Every mantra is heard by each one of you. All the rituals are being performed in the most authentic manner. Nothing is omitted. Every detail is properly attended to. It appears as if Choudary was born as a human being as a result of some past curse. He is doing the most worthwhile things in his life. I pray to Hanuman to bless him profusely.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Jai Veera Hanuman ki Jai
Pavanasuta Veera Hanuman ki Jai.
Compiled by Smt Hira Duvvuri