Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Sri Devi Navaratri Festival – Day 7 – Bhagyanagaram, Hyderabad – Saptami – October 9, 2024
Sri Vani Sarasvatyai Namaha!
Today is Day 7. Sri Matre Namaha.
Without Vagdevi in the mind or on the tongue, we cannot think or speak.
O Vagdevi, may my mind be steadfastly on you. Please grant me the ability to speak well, let no bad words come from my mouth. May my enemies be inert/dormant (Or, please remove the ignorance in my enemies). May Your compassion flow freely and generously on me.
Mother is teaching us how to gain Vidya. A simple story illustrates this.
In the past, a demon king called Virochana used to live at a time when gods and demons were always at war. He was vexed with these battles. One day, he made truce with Indra and said: O Indra, how did you become so great, and respectful? What is the reason?
Demons and gods were brothers after all. They have the same father.
Indra said: I accepted Brahma as my Guru. Even though He’s my grandfather, He is my Guru. I always go see Him whenever possible. At that time, I ask him my questions and He gives me words of wisdom. It is due to that, that I am also being worshiped.
Virochana: O Indra, I am tired of battles. Can you take me to Brahma once? I wish to see Him. Can you help me get Upadesha too?
Indra agreed and took him along.
At that time, Brahma was bathing in a big ocean of nectar (Yes, the Gods bathe and swim too).
The two stood by. Brahma saw them and did not speak. He questioned them with his eyes as to why they were there.
We should learn to take cues from the Guru with just gestures.
Indra replied that they want to gain Atma Jnana from Brahma. Brahma did not speak. He rose from his bathing and pointed to their shadows in the water and resumed bathing and swimming. That was the cue for the two that the conversation was over.
They both began making their way back. They understood Brahma’s gesture to mean that the body is everything since Brahma pointed to their bodies’ reflection in the water. The body is Paramatman, the body is everything they gathered.
Virochana went back to his kingdom. He propagated the knowledge that the body was everything and the comfort of the body was topmost priority. Indulging in bodily pleasures including kama and krodha was the goal. And since that time, the demons began taking to evil ways.
Indra however slowly grew doubts as he went back to Indra Loka. He wondered if his assumption was right. Not at peace with what he gathered, he went back Lord Brahma for more. Lord Brahma was done with his bath and was now seated on his throne. Indra presented his question. Brahma did not give him an answer, but directed him to do Brahmavacharya Vrata and Tapas for 100 years. Indra complied and did so. At the end of the period, Brahma summoned him and without waiting for Indra to ask, the Lord said: What I had said (when I pointed to the reflection in water) is that the jeevatma is a reflection of the Paramamta who is the source. I did not say that the body is everything. You may return now.
Happy with this wisdom, Indra returned to his kingdom, but another doubt plagued his mind soon after. “If the jeevatama is a reflection of the Paramatma, what is the mirror that is reflecting that image?”. Indra was unable to find the answer and went back to Brahma once again. Lord Brahma gave him the same insructions and Indra observed another 100 years of Brahmacharya Vrata and Tapas. At the end, Brahma summoned him, but Indra had no questions, nor did Brahma have to say anything. Indra was content, he found his answer and left without saying anything.
The Guru teaches us in various ways.
O Sarasvati, give us good wisdom, give us Jnana. Give My children good buddhi and the ability to speak well. Give us good intellect too. We keep wishing for random things despite the knowledge that they are wrong. Please give us some punishment and correct us.
Let Mother play us like a Veena – that means let Mother give us good intellect.