Discourse of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Datta Saptaha – Day 1 – December 2, 2021 – Ganagapura
Compiled by Archana Penukonda
Pujya Bala Swamiji’s introduction
Pujya Swamiji is starting Datta Tattva Saptaham today at the Ganagapura Ashram. We know that the Guru narrates his own story in Guru Charitra. Pujya Swamiji is teaching us his own Tattva through Daatta Tattva. This is our good fortune. Pujya Swamiji thinks about the convenience of all devotees. Swamiji decided to a Saptaha here in the Ashram. Dr. DR Rao and his wife Vijaya Rao built this big mantapa and offered it to Pujya Swamiji.
Ganagapura Kshetra and Pithapuram are very dear to us because they are very dear to Pujya Swamiji. These are like His two eyes while Mysuru is His heart. There was a 5-day program here before that was not amenable to a Saptaham. Swamiji had said back then that if there were a hall here and a convenient place for everyone to sit, He would do a Saptaham. Therefore Dr. DR Rao and family have taken this on and offered this Mantapa to Swamiji.
Bhaktimala has shlokas called Guru Datta Mide. These are on the first page of Bhaktimala right after the “muktikanya” shloka. To understand Datta Tattva properly, we should do Parayana of Datta Darshanam while we are here. I offer obeisance to Pujya Swamiji on behalf of you all.
Pujya Swamiji’s speech:
As decided on the day of consecration in Ganagapura, we are doing Datta Saptaha here. It is Datta Satsanga – bhajans, discourses etc. We needed a hall for these programs. We also needed the grace of Goddess Lakshmi. Swamiji had announced earlier that Datta Jayanti would take place here. I did not explain to DR Rao what I was expecting. But by the grace of Goddess Anagha and Lord Datta and the good fortune of the family, the couple – DR Rao, Vijaya Rao undertook the construction of this mantapa; they are here with their children and the children’s spouses as well as the grandchildren. The grandchildren do not know anything, yet they wanted to be with Swamiji in Ganagapura. This place looks lovely like Maya Bazaar.
Ganagapura haD space but I wanted a temple and I wanted this to be a Kshetra. At that time DR Rao came forward to make this happen. A few other devotees also extended their help. DR Rao considered this his personal project. I wondered if I could propagate Datta Tattva in this birth. Time, mood, etc., all need to come together to make this happen. And devotees also need to be determined to make this happen. Ravindra Bhatt was a priest in this town. He passed away during Covid, but he always wanted a Kshetra for Swamiji so that Swamiji would keep coming back. He heard a voice tell him – “I am the deity in Mysuru whose Padukas you worship in Ganagapura”.
When I came to Ganagapura, I asked him if there was land available. He laughed thinking, “Swamiji knows everything. This is his leela”. He pursued Swamiji offering his land where the current Guru Nilayam is. He would constantly keep reminding Swamiji to register the land. He said – I know that Datta has nothing but an empty sack to collect alms. But He also has Anagha Lakshmi. So, you can do this.
He wanted the Guru Nilayam on his land. When that Was built, I was happy with it. Later on, Hyderabad devotees came together and did more construction. And then it progressed very fast. I asked them to stop at that point. Ravindra Bhatt had a vision for how much space Swamiji should have and how much devotees should have. His son is here. He is doing what his father would have done. The consecration happened very well. Many of you were here. DR Rao also supported at that time.
We suffered for two years due to Covid. All projects and repairs in Mysuru were also stalled. There were heavy rains and some walls fell. We continued doing Annadana to over 20 hospitals during Covid. We did not even think about Ganagapura, we only focused on our activities. But DR Rao took care of Ganagapura. You must spend money to make programs like this happen. Many devotees gave away their savings to Swamiji, whether it was for Chalisa or for concerts. Each concert would cost 1.5 crore rupees. The volunteers would work very hard. If you want to save rice, you will need to ask relatives to not visit. To get rid of physical dirt, you need to rub soap on your body. Similarly, we get a small share of the merit when we offer help to some great souls. The engineering contractor Madhusudan has immense devotion for Swamiji – steadfast devotion like the flow of oil.
I have no words seeing this place. I even forget to say Jaya Guru Datta. This place is simple, there is not much, but it looks like Indra’s palace now with Swamiji here. Datta’s energy, Sri Pada Vallabha’s, and Sri Narasimha Saraswati’s energy are so profound here. When Lord Datta emerged from the waters after 1000 years, he announced – I am Datta, I am here to give you Upadesha and relieve you from the cycles of birth and death. I am the Datta you prayed to. Lord Datta himself revealed his Tattva (principle). What else do we need? Who gave the Upadesha ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’ to Sage Narada, to Lord Brahma? It was Lord Narayana. He gave the mantra to Brahma. He said ‘tapa’ indicating Brahma was to do Tapas (austerities). He said – you will realize you and I are not separate. Datta’s Tattva was given by Datta in Datta Darshana. He said – I am Datta. You called me and I am here. It was not a second person announcing Datta. It was Datta announcing Himself. Sage Atri saw all three forms because the sage had meditated with those three forms in mind. You must forget everything else when you pray.
I spoke to a scholar last night. I told him I had no concentration. He humbly disagreed. I forget the bhajans I wrote. I say a different line each time. He said that Vyasa too would forget what he wrote. Swamiji’s words are proof that we should have no desires. Only keep the mantra in mind. Nothing else. Swamiji forgetting is not about lack of memory. It is about only being steadfastly immersed in the mantra. Arjuna looking at the toy bird on the tree could only see the eye of the bird when Drona asked him to aim at it with his arrow. But the rest of Drona’s disciples could see everything else around the bird as well.
You will be healthy if you eat a small quantity of one item. But if you keep eating a potpourri of items, you will ruin your health. So too, you will grow spiritually if you are committed to the one Guru mantra while respecting the other mantras. With Lord Datta’s permission, praying to Him, we start this program. Praying to Lord Narasimha Saraswati, the deity of this Kshetra, we seek his permission and begin. This is His Land, we need His consent. We think of Him and listen to Him who is the other form of Datta. He is I and I am Him.
Everyone should wear a mask and have sanitizer on you. Protect yourself, maintain distance. Do not fall on each other, do not touch each other. Be safe. Only drink hot water. Drink rasam with black pepper in it. It is good for you. Do not drink too much of it, just drink enough like medicine.
(Swamiji lovingly asks that devotees not whistle since we have only just got here. Let us get acclimated to this place for a day and two first, Swamiji says. You can play as you wish in Nada Mantapa, but we are new to this place).
Sapataha discourse:
Today on day one of the Saptaha, we will pick up the first verse of Datta Stava.
dattātrēyaṁ mahātmānaṁ varadaṁ bhaktavatsalaṁ
prapannārti haraṁ vandē smṛtgāmi sanōvatu
Obeisance to Lord Datta who is a great soul, who showers boons, who has immense love for devotees, who removes sorrows of those who surrender to him. Lord Datta freely and generously showers boons. Our two hands are not enough to grab all those boons. He is infinite. He has infinite arms. If he gives boons with all those arms, how can we, with two arms, take them? He removes the suffering of those who surrender to Him.
Obeisance to the Lord who is very pleased and offers immediate protection when you merely think of him. Lord Siva likes abhishekam (ablutions), Lord Vishnu likes alankaara (decorations), Lord Brahma likes chanting of Vedas, but Lord Datta likes chanting of His name. Datta likes Smarana (remembering). He is pleased when we merely remember him.
It is with the illumination of Sri Datta Deva that everything is illuminated. He is the jeeva that shines as Ishwara. This entire world is illumined due to Hari, Hara, and Brahma or, in other words, due to Lord Datta. Sri Datta Deva made this creation and is playing in it. He created Nara – water- and he reclines floating on it. He is on water, he is water, he is reclining on water, he is darkness, he is the light in the darkness, he is the light. In the darkness of the night, you can still sense and see faintly. This illumination to the indriyas was given by Sri Datta. He experienced everything that happened in this world, he did not just stay away from it. Yet, he is not tainted by it. He is in it. He is also part of this creation and is illumining this creation. Datta Deva created gross, subtle, and causal bodies and entered them and is illuminating them. When we learn who we really are, we only see Him. Obeisance to that Sri Datta.
Sri Datta Swamy is Parabrahma, he is the primordial Guru. He is Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Rama, Krishna, and all other incarnations merged back into unmanifest from where they came. But Datta’s incarnation alone did not go back into the unmanifest. Lord Datta’s incarnation always stays as is. That is why Datta’s incarnation is very special. He is the Parama Guru to everyone. He is the deity that all prayers reach. The Lord incarnates only to protect all beings. The Lord uplifts as well as punishes all beings in this creation. Datta Swamy always wishes for universal welfare. He is in us, he is known to us, he is unknown to us. To bestow knowledge is Lord Datta’s primary goal. To this end, he takes many strange forms. He is around us and near us all the time, but we do not realize it. He is in all beings, including pigs, dogs, etc. We see them as animals, but not as Datta. But that does not mean we should fall at the feet of dogs, cats, and donkeys. You are Datta, the animal is Datta. This is hard to understand. It is easier to misunderstand. It is only when you serve the Guru steadfastly that you will understand. This is not mad talk.
The Lord yearns to uplift us. That is why he appears as a human in our midst. Due to our ignorance, we criticize and blame him. He continues to live in the midst of people in various forms to uplift them. If a great soul feeds one lakh people, he is a form of Datta. If a great soul builds a hospital, he is the form of Datta. The Lord is established as Jagadguru in this world. His Tattva is to remove ignorance and bestow knowledge. The Lord continues to exert himself for our sake. He takes away our exhaustion. The Lord gives us knowledge about who we really are. Therefore, every morning, everyone must chant Datta Stava before embarking on tasks. Then, the Lord is easily pleased and removes the poverty at home. That chanting ensures food supply for seven births. So, it is our duty to chant Datta Stava. There is no second to it. The Lord is easily pleased with Datta Stava.
We may wonder why not pray for protection of the self alone?
Sarve janaa sukhinobhavantu.
When we pray for universal welfare chanting “svasti prajabhyah: pari-palayantham…” Gau represents all animals; Brahmana represents everyone that remembers God. Such a prayer for universal welfare is successful. But if you pray that you alone be well, that is not good.
We should pray that the Lord protect all beings. We should not pray merely for our own protection. Why should we pray for everyone? If the husband is well, the wife is and vice versa. If parents are well, kids are well. If we are well, the neighbors are well. If all neighbors are well, the society is well, the state is well, the country and the planet are well. Do not wish that you alone be safe from Covid. You must pray that everyone be protected from Covid.
Pray for the welfare of all including neighbors and neighbors’ neighbors. Keeping this in mind steadfastly, we should pray to God. Do not only pray for protection for yourself, your spouse, and your child alone. Do not pray to God to not protect your relatives. You must pray that others be bestowed a healthy intellect and be protected.
The Mother is so pleased when you say that the food she cooked is delicious. But she is hurt when you say that the food is terrible. Your appreciation is the motivation for the mother to cook even better. Appreciate the food you are being served at home. Tell the mother the food is good. She will know the food is missing salt when she eats it, you do not need to criticize her for it. If someone is in pain, you must empathize and express a little bit of pain yourself. That will give them some mental solace. The noble will not pray for himself alone. He will pray for everyone. The mediocre will pray for himself alone. The inferior ones will wish that no one else be well. So, always develop noble thoughts, this shloka teaches us.