Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Sri Devi Navaratri – Chandi Homa – Oct 10, 2016 – Mysore
Compiled by: Archana Penukonda
Om aim hreem sreem sri matre namaha
Om aim hreem sreem sri matre namaha
Om aim hreem sreem sri matre namaha
Narayanyai namaha
Brahminyai namaha
Varahyai namaha
Maheshwaryai namaha
Om aim here sreem kalikambayai namaha
Wherever you are, whether watching on the Internet, or Appji devotees worldwide, please sit and pray. Close your eyes, sit and pray. You may see the fire pit here and Agni/fire.
Ya devi sarva bhuteshu Shakti rupena samsthita,
namas tasyai namas tasyai namas tasyai namo namaha.
Mother is very kind. She is always giving all kinds of happiness. She is giving all kinds of knowledge. Devotees must be aware and chose what you want and take it. But some people are always asking for worldly comforts. You already have those; you can give some importance to buddhi/intellect, which will automatically give you worldly comforts. But if you pray for gratification for your senses, you will not get Jnana/knowledge. Jnana is important. Pray for Jnana.
I am very happy this Navaratri. I am very moved. Something happened this Navaratri. I feel like doing this for a hundred years. Seeing this affection and this devotion to Mother, sometimes my heart melts and I am crying. Each year, I think that may be this is the last year (for these elaborate Pujas). I cannot explain this happiness at a human level or in a human language. It is an extremely different feeling that Swamiji has. When somebody sings a song on Mother Goddess, Swamiji’s heart is melting and tears are flowing from both eyes. This is not a human feeling. This is an entirely different feeling Swamiji has. I am very lucky that in this birth, I came here and I am offering worship to Mother Goddess. My devotees are also very lucky. You have some problems, some troubles with health, money, all kind of samsaric/worldly problems. Out of love, you all came here. Out of love you are thinking about Swamiji. You have small, silly questions when you come here. After that silly question, you automatically forget it and are following the path of Atma Jnana/Self-realization. That is why I am very happy about Mother Goddess. I am always thinking about Mother.
People are very ambitious at the human level. They have so many questions. They want to be the king or queen of the world. They want money and material desires. People automatically get the Navarasa/nine emotions. No fault at human level. Mother Goddess is giving the Maya/Illusion and those desires. She is giving those problems. But slowly if you are able see Swamiji’s real mind and real devotion, then you will stay. If you do not see that, you will only come one or two times and vanish.
Some always stick with Appaji. There is one devotee for each family. It is very rare to have the full family to be devoted. One member in the family is sticking with Swamiji. That family member is very lucky. They are giving good energy to the rest of the family members and other people. Your parents, your spouse and other members of the family also receive that energy. That house is very good/blessed. Do not fall. Make progress in your devotion every day. At the human level, it is very easy to fall down for one minute or one second. Be careful. This samsara is an illusion. It is very difficult to get Truth. It is very difficult to get Dharma. It is difficult to get pure love and affection and the melting and merging into Guru and Mother Goddess. If you accrued merit in your previous birth, you get this opportunity, otherwise, you do not.
Learn more about Swamiji’s singing, talking, and increase the association with Swamiji. Devotees are sometimes laughing, sometimes quarreling and doing everything they would do with a mother. You are all children. Sometimes you are upset, “I do not want to, I do not want to see Swamiji”. But the same day, you come to see Swamiji twice. You decide that nothing matters, that everything is temporary. No Guru, no worship. Okay. But, your mind is melting on the inside and you feel guilty. You come to see Swamiji either on the Internet or through the telephone or through the app. I know. You love Swamiji. You hate only with your words. Inside, we want protection, we want good spirituality. We want a good mother. We want a good Guru. We want a good friend. That is the permanent friendship, the permanent relationship, the strong and permanent relationship. Do not get upset with worldly things. This is only Dharma. You face and fight all the karma and come back. This is your house. Close your eyes and see that you are happy. You are flying to Vaikuntha, you are flying to other worlds. You are seeing all the deities. You are seeing spirituality.
You are all so lucky to be here. I am so lucky to have such devotees here. I feel I have such good students. A couple of them might run here and there, that is Maya. College students fall in love, fight with parents and leave college. They will come back at some point. We have to achieve Shiva Bhakti (devotion to Shiva). You have to get the degree. Otherwise, education has no value. There is no escape. Even if they are gone for 20 years, they are back in the 21st year. I have seen so many that have come back like that. After 10 or 20 or 30 years, devotees who did not want to come back to Swamiji come and beg for forgiveness. I chide them saying they are coming in the last days. Whose last days – theirs or mine? No one knows. Swamiji’s words have a lot of inner meaning. Swamiji is giving a signal to them.
The Chandi Homa was wonderful. You all participated and had Darshan. Secondly, I am even more happy that it was students who grew up here, in the Veda school and learned everything from the first alphabets onwards, right here in the Ashram, are the ones doing the Homa. I am so happy.
The mantras are so pure. They are doing it only out of love for Swamiji. They do not expect Dakshina/gratuity. Outside scholars are good too. But the children here, the Brahmacharis/celibate youth are doing it with a pure heart. Nowhere else in the world will you see such a Chandi Homa. You will have bigger and grander Chandi Homas with priests from 20-30 countries doing a spectacular show, but you will not have this purity.
These kids are humans born with divinity. I am proud of them. I sometimes feel egoistic, very proud about them. Do parents not feel happy when their children become IAS officers? It is not bad ego. It is just pride. For a second, the parents feel pride in their children. I really feel a lot of pride just as parents also feel great pride. Prime Minister Modi’s mother felt that her son became great. She did not tell anyone. She told him only later. She has become active and her longevity is improved from her happiness. Modi sent an email yesterday. He was very happy that Swamiji sent him birthday wishes. May good things come to this world. If I give him blessings, it is like blessing everyone. He prays to Mother Goddess too. The President too prays to Mother Goddess. Both fast during Navaratri. They chant Lalitha Sahasra Nama and Saptashati. But even they do not get such fortune (of being here for Navaratri). But Swamiji conveyed the blessings to them anyway.
You have gained such yoga. I am very happy. May good things happen to you. The people of Mysuru are so fortunate. In Karnataka, there is such a great Homa, such a divine Homa, so much divine contemplation. Devi is dancing here. Everyone participated. I am very happy. Swamiji will sprinkle holy water on your head. Show your head and your hands to Swamiji so he can sprinkle water on them.
Chandi Yaga is very special. My children did this Yajna. I am very happy. Mother Goddess has seen this, she always sees. She will always see until the end. I bless everyone. Something happened today. Only one bird came out today. No time. Earlier, the African Grey parrot kept saying, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” (Victory to Mother India). Mata means Jaganmata – Mother of the Universe, whom we worship during Navavarana Puja.
May your difficulties, your confusions, your struggles and the twisting and turning within go away. Be patient. Good things will come to you. My word is the Truth. My word is the Truth. This is Shiva Sasanam (the categorical statement of Shiva). You will get the energy to face problems.
Sri Guru Datta