Speech of HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji on His Spiritual Birthday – May 29, 2012 – SDVT Mysore
Jaya Guru Datta
Datta Venkataramana Govinda Govinda
Padmavathy hrudayavasa Govinda Govinda
Sachchidananda hrudayavasa Govinda Govinda
Today we are witnessing the 3rd day of the Brahmotsavam in Sri Datta Venkateshwara Swamy kshetra. We have seen the ablutions to Mother Goddess Sri Padmavathy. We have witnessed Sri Chakra Archana. Mahalakshmi Homa is going on. Sri Swamiji will come and offer the purnahuti to Mahalakshmi Homa. We all shall witness the purnahuti. As instructed by Sri Swamiji all of you, in this auspicious time of Brahmotsavam, do the japa of the mantra “Om Namo Hanumathe Namaha” or Guru Upadesha mantra. All of you take part in sevas. We are in the ashram a sacred place. You all have come here to get the blessings of God and Guru so engage yourself in good activates. From past 3 days, we are hearing the chapters of Bhagavad-Gita. Let us listen, try to understand and put them into actions.
Today is very auspicious day for Me. Todays is the day I received the Sannyasa Deeksha from the Divine hands of Sri Swamiji. Someone asked Me how old are you? I told them I am 9 years old. Sanyasa Deeksha is second birth. I got Brahmopadeshm in 1985. The deeksha’s like upanayana, Brahmopadeshm and Guru Upadesha will happen but Sanyasa Deeksha is special. Sri Shankaracharya to escape mother (persistence of not giving permission to Sri Shankaracharya for Sanyasa Deeksha) told his mother, if you want the crocodile to let go of me, you have to permit me to take Sanyasa Deeksha. Mother then said, “I want to see you alive, in which way it doesn’t matter to me. So I permit you for Sanyasa Deeksha “. Sri Shankaracharya then said, “I have taken Sanyasa Deeksha”. Listening to Sri Shankaracharya the crocodile left immediately. Now Sri Shankaracharya came to shore. Mother said, “now that the crocodile has left you, you also let go the Sanyasa Deeksha and stay with me”. Sri Shankaracharya told word once given should be kept. Saying so Sri Shankaracharya while moving forward told his mother, “Sanyasa Deeksha is new birth. Mother your child was washed away in Purna River. This body is different body. This is new birth. From that instance, it is a practice to count the age of Sri Shankaracharya. Some say that Sri Shankaracharya was on earth for 40 years some say 80 years some say 32 years. However, Sanyasa is a new birth.
There was a stingy businessperson. A saint came to businessperson and asked businessperson few questions.
How old are you?
Business person replied: 25 years. (Even though he looked older).
Saint asked: how many children you have?
Business person replied : I have one child (the entire village knew that businessperson has four children).
Saint again asked how much did you earn?
Businessperson replied: I have 50 thousand rupees (all the villagers knew the businessperson earning was in crores).
The Saint was surprised as to why the business person is answering like this. The Saint asked the business person as to why is he telling lies for the question asked?
Business person replied:
I told my earning are 50 thousand only as I have donated only 50 thousand rupees. The merit worth those 50 thousand rupees only with come with me and not the crores I have earned. I said I have only one child because only one child listened to my words, he is treading good path and has approached and surrendered to Guru, only he has realized the tattva. I will give all my children their share of my wealth. The other three are unlike my son who possess good qualities as said above so I told I have only one son.
Regarding my age , I have taken birth 70 years back but it is only 25 years ago I have met my Guru so I told my age as 25 years. The day you have met your Guru is your real birthday, you are really born on that day. On this day God has shown you the means to salvation. That is why I told my age as 25 years.
We should also remember the good days in life, like the day you have met your Guru or days of spiritual practice or days of doing good donations etc. In this happy time always, remember good or happy days. Do not remember the days, which gave, you sorrow. Forget them. Time is eternal it moves on. Just because you do not name the year, the time will not stop moving. Will anyone say just because I did not name the year 2012 it will not come? 2012 will come. The seasons will change, years will change nobody can stop or change it. What is the reason we are naming the seasons, years, and festivities? The reason is to feel this is new day again, praying to Guru or God for giving us new energy to happily pursue our spiritual practice. Let us all forget all the distasteful or sorrow days, turn towards good path, and tread on it. Trivikrama as the name suggests is to Turn and walk towards good. This is the reason why we celebrate festivals.
Why do we need Brahmotsavam? Why do we celebrate Brahmotsavam? Not for Venkateshwara Swamy or for offering of naivedyam. Agama Shastras say, that if you do not do the Archana to deities and offer naivedyam then the energy of the idol will reduce. True, but the real reason is we do it for ourselves for upliftment of ourselves, to cleanse our mind. On the pretext of doing Brahmotsavam, we all have assembled here to have darshan of Sri Swamiji. Do it for that only. We celebrate Brahmotsavam to energize our mind and to get peace of mind. In Bhagavat Gita, one question is there. Arjuna did not ask this question. Who possess the greatest intellect in this world? Who could it be? Is it Einstein or Newton? Who could it be? What would we answer when someone asks who has the most intellect? All of us are possessing good intellect. We say Einstein or Newton because they have found out new things and propagated them to us for our benefit. Arjuna did not ask this question. Arjuna asked about the behavior of Sthitaprajna (perfect Yogi). This one question should kindle at least small fire in you. This small fire can be enhanced into big ball of fire. So many upadeshas, discourses, or speeches are meant for kindling this small fire in you. If no fire kindles is in you, then what is the use? It is difficult. Once you get the question, your quest for the answer will begin. Guru will prepare you in a way where these questions arise in you. Arjuna asked only one question what language the Sthitaprajna (perfect Yogi). Only for this one question, Sri Krishna told Bhagavat Gita. God answered, “I was waiting for this keen interest in you, until now you were only scared and abandoned all your weapons refusing to fight”. Likewise we must also do spiritual practice. Just the intent of doing is not sufficient. You have to do one spiritual practice or other to reach the tip of the mountain or say your goal. Trying and practicing is obligatory for you to reach your goal. Sri Krishna in the form of Jagatguru made Arjuna do spiritual practice. Then Arjuna asked the question. To answer Arjuna’s question, Sri Krishna questioned Himself in many ways. My disciple or devotee has got a question. I must answer that question. Sri Krishna out of love, kindness and grace towards Arjuna, questioned Himself in many ways like what more question may arise to Arjuna in future and how to answer to them.
Sri Swamiji starts a topic and says Jaya Guru Datta. All of us think the speech is over but No, the real speech or message starts then. After saying Jaya Guru Datta, Sri Swamiji looks around to see if anyone has a doubtful face. If He finds such doubtful face, Sri Swamiji will answer that doubt compulsorily. There are so many questions and secrets we cannot reveal outside. Sadguru sees them and answers them or gives upadesha to them. Sri Krishna wanted to answer the question who is the most intelligent man. Sri Krishna questioned Himself in many ways. Only with good buddhi (intellect), we can win or know tattva of God and not by way of strong body. Strong body is useful or good health. We must use our intellect to know the tattva of God. That is precisely why God has given intellect to us. When you are saying that you are not able to travel in the path of Jnana, it means you are already traveling in the path of Jnana… surrendering genuinely saying I am not able to know or I am not able to do is good. Some people use it to escape work also, never mind. When you ask innocently that I am not able to understand, please explain it to me, then Guru will answer and make an effort to enrich your intellect.
Sri Krishna answered the question: who possesses the greatest intellect in the world? All (without any kind of discrimination of attributes to the body like money, caste etc) how did they possess that intellect? On realization of the fact that “I am root cause of everyone (no discrimination of caste, creed country, worlds… it includes everything)”. In this ashram what is not Sri Swamiji? Will anyone ask this question? Sri Swamiji is there everywhere and everything is Sri Swamiji. We must not ask such question. Anyone who is asking this question only means that he is not properly applying himself to understand Sri Swamiji. Sri Krishna says, “I am the root cause / origin of all”. Has God left us alone after creating the world-saying do whatever you want to do? All (even the bad things) happens only because of Me. It is not important for Sri Krishna to tell that all originate from him and all that happens is only because of Him.
Sometimes Sri Swamiji also says the same in speeches, why? Because with a hope that we will think about the tattva of Sri Swamiji or Sri Sri Krishna. This way we may get closer to Sri Swamiji. Here Guru or God is not saying it to glorify Him but by knowing the truth, one will serve Guru or God. This is the real intention behind such declarations by Guru or God. Many of us when seeing things happening, a spontaneous question comes to mind: how will this benefit me? We all think bhajan means playing of instruments and sing glorious names of God. The true meaning of bhajan is SEVA. The feeling of seva should come to mind. It could be of any kind like spiritual seva, social seva or any kind. The spelling of seva and save is more or less same. Changing alphabets position seva becomes save. The feeling of seva should be there in mind. All those people who do seva are saving Merit in their account. We must use a priceless opportunity given to us. We have to do seva. So Sri Krishna again coming to the point says “those will good intellect have known Me as the origin of all things and Me as doer of all things. Knowing it, they do My seva and see me with a FEELING of SEVA in mind.
Feeling is most important. Without feeling, if you do seva it is of no avail. Feeling is mandatory. Feeling means when you remember Guru or God, your mind is happy. Shastras says that your body should shiver and eyes should be drenched with tears when you think about Guru or God. These things may not happen but your mind is happy. If you hear shocking news the feeling immediate come out in form of facial expressions. This feeling happens without our consent. Similarly when you hear the name of Sadguru or think of Sadguru, your mind is happy or filled with bliss. Having seen Sri Swamiji long time back and now when announcement of Sri Swamiji arrival is made then how your mind pulls you towards Sri Swamiji . That feeling is needed. When you want to see someone who you like most, how your mind pulls you towards them, such feeling is required. With such feeling, My devotees are serving Me. Beautiful sloka and meaning.
To put this meaning of sloka into practice is very difficult. Just talking is not sufficient. My Sadguru is omnipresent we say this all time but when we go out, we forget it. When you go Annapurna Mandir, you see food and do not see the Sadguru in that food. Why is Sadguru vanishing here? Because you mind is dominated by hunger. Likewise, when your mind is dominated by mundane worries etc. you forget Sadguru. To forget this feeling of Sadguru being Omnipresent and not remembering it, is not the point here. The idea or plan for this is you must remember this at every point and everywhere. This is the idea for sadhana (spiritual practice). What is practice? To summon it into mind repeatedly. To reflect upon it regularly. It is the nature of mind and intellect to forget, so we have to keep remembering the same repeatedly. Children in exam times are very silent. At home they answer all in silent language. If you ask them for breakfast, they answer that also silently. The child is both interested in eating breakfast and reading. Walking on the road also, they are reading and are silent. It is dangerous to do this way. If they worked this hard in the right time then it is good for them. Due to exam, fear, the concentration and interest toward studies increase in child temporarily. Likewise, we also remember God only in bad phases and not in good phases. Do not know why? Why is this problem? Why is this not possible for us to remember God in all times? Not possible? Yes not possible. Why? Because we have lot of works, problems and sorrows and other mundane problems. That is why it is said that world is full of problems. The solution is do your work, but with His Smarana (remembering) also. Be, as you want to be but see your Guru in whatever you do.
May Sri Swamiji bless you all with such good mind and intellect.