Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Sri Devi Navaratri Festival – Day 9 – Bhagyanagaram, Hyderabad – Maha Navami – October 11, 2024
Jaya Guru Datta.
Om Sri Matre Namaha.
I will not be able to sing much, my throat is not good at all due to infection, dust, the dust of your feet, etc. Second, there is a lot of new construction here. Third, there are too many cars parked here, and there is smoke from the cars.
There used to be grass in the parking lot before, but not anymore. The parking is directly near Appaji’s window. Until late night and then starting early morning at 5am, there is smoke from cars. If I open other windows, there’s a smell from the factories.
Many are suffering from this throat infection, but unlike Appaji, they do not need to talk so much or sing. Appaji needs pure air and environment at this age, but it is not there, what to do? It is alright.
It is very difficult to speak; my throat is not good.
We had 9 days of programs in this city. Tomorrow is the final day. By Mother’s grace, we had wonderful programs. Navavarana Puja for this year is completed. Tomorrow, we will finish by 12 noon or so and then come back early for Bhajans (5pm). Children will sing and Swamiji will also witness.
“O Kamakshi! Shakti Durgi Mata! the Queen of Parameshvara, this deer of ego is forcibly eating my crop of sadhana. With Your grace, arrest the deer immediately, salutations to You”.
A deer is very fickle. It rarely stays still. It is always moving and gets startled easily, even with the sound of the housefly. It is very hard to rear a deer.
Maya is like this deer/fawn, it is entering me and eating away my crop of sadhana, punya and good fortune. My mind is getting swayed by that maya.
I study the Bhagavad Gita and my mind is distracted by court cases, children, ailing family members, etc. The fawn is very fickle. It destroys my entire crop of sadhana that I have done so far.
Therefore, O Mother, just drive away the deer.
These verses are even more special than Soundarya Lahari. They are very powerful. Please drive away the deer of Moha/Maya. I am struggling a lot. My mind is distracted when I chant shlokas, or I mix up shlokas. The cause for this is the mind. Some distraction keeps plaguing the mind. Whenever we want to concentrate, we get distracted or feel sleepy.
When studying something with interest, something old comes to mind. When the mind is concentrating on something, the mind becomes clear. You may have concentration on Guru Gita or Bhagavad Gita. Group vrata, group Bhagavad Gita chanting, group mantra chanting, group Anagha Vrata, group viewing of Sri Chakra archana keeps our mind focused on the subject.
They benefit your health. They give you the group’s energy.
Devatas too prayed collectively for Rama’s and Krishna’s incarnation. Mother Goddess too gave darshan when all Devatas – 333 crore Devatas – came together to pray and meditate. So, group bhajans or group vrata or group chanting is very important.
Sometimes some people get irritated in groups, but when the vrata or chanting starts, it helps to focus the mind on the subject. It gives about 80% success when you do it in groups.
Some people want to stay home and do not want to do group chanting/prayers because they don’t like groups. They say it’s all crowd and noise, and they hate crowds, etc. Then, the concentration will be at 20%, not 80%. If you’re at home, most of the time your mind is always on the kitchen, family, etc.
That is why it is very important to go to the temple. You must bear any confusion, and manage it well, because it is worth it; you get more energy when you do these in groups.
Even the Devatas gather together to pray for incarnations to take place. In the beginning, only the key gods, like Indra and others prayed, but Mother did not appear. But when all the Devatas came together, Mother appeared invisibly, only Her voice was audible. Then, Indra pleaded to see the Mother as Her effulgence was too bright to behold. The Mother granted them the vision within, but they still wished to see Her form. That is when Mother came in different forms during Devi Navaratri.
Then, all the Devatas were very happy. So, all Devatas gather every year in praise of Mother Goddess.
Before Rama’s incarnation took place, Devatas all prayed to Vishnu. That is why My recommendation, despite any irritations with the management, volunteers, members, etc., is to do group prayers and group bhajans. They are very powerful.
Mooka Panchakam is very nice, it’s more powerful than Soundarya Lahari. It is a direct approach to Mother Goddess. It is enough to just listen to the shlokas therein. That is why, I chanted a mantra from it.
Bhagavad Gita, Guru Gita, Shata Shloki, Mahabharata shlokas, Soundarya Lahari are all very easy, but Mooka Panchakam shlokas are not easy. It needs a lot of training and repetition. it is very powerful and very important, because the Mother Goddess gives direct dose here.
Mother reminds: We should experience the punishment for our mistakes, and not try to escape it. Man instead puts the burden on Mother saying: You are the cause for everything.
These are all excuses.
It is very rare to find a person who willingly accepts punishment for his mistakes. Most of them want to escape punishment. Mahatmas realize that when they suffer, it is due to a past sin. They know they are on earth due to their own sin. Mother dispatched them to earth to suffer for their mistakes.
You will not accept that I came to earth for that reason, but Rama also had to come to earth due to a mistake. Avatars, yes, but Avatars happen because of a reason; probably of a sin committed. Krishna too came because of a sin He had committed. It is the same with Me.
You may not accept it but that’s my theory; the reason for my being here on this earth with you all.
Why does Vishnu have to take birth as a fish? He had also committed some mistakes. Why else would He have to take such a birth?
Sure, all lifeforms are Vishnu, but those births came as punishment from Mother Goddess.
Why did Rama take birth? Punishment! He was King for 10000 years, He had lost His wife.
During the Corona period, many have lost their near and dear ones, some just couldn’t see the face of them, not even could do the last rites. Rama had that Corona experience. He could not do the last rites for His father, He could not even see His father in the latter’s final moments. Punishment!
So, any incarnation that comes to earth comes due to punishment. But God gives us easy method – the karma theory enables us to do work and reduce our karma. Rama and Krishna also reduced their karma like that.
Emperor Bali was dispatched to Patala and Vishnu became his security guard, voluntarily. What is this karma? Vishnu pushed Bali to the netherworlds with His foot, He gave him Salvation as well as a great Kingdom, and is still standing as security at Bali’s Kingdom.
Maha Vishnu only gets one day off in the entire year. But we take so many leaves, we get two days off each weekend.
What sin did Vishnu commit? It was not Mother’s punishment, it was Her compassion, but to protect Dharma and the boons Brahma had given, He had to take those incarnations.
I always feel My coming to earth is punishment, regardless, some people are benefiting. That curse/punishment is like a gift to others.
Mother made it appear as if the Lord was committing a mistake, so He could be punished and dispatched to earth for the benefit of others. This logic is hard to explain. This maya must be experienced. Once we have a body, we have to experience Maya.
Experience Maya and then do sadhana and rise. Those who make a mistake should seek punishment from God. But you all seek escapement from punishment. That is not good. We must experience that punishment. That is what Mother is teaching us here.
We should punish ourselves for our mistakes. When I was little, I would starve for two days when I made a mistake. I would feel very weak. I would slap Myself and My cheeks would get swollen.
Even now, when I scold someone, I go inside and feel very bad. Of course, it is good for you, it is protection for you when I scold you, but I feel bad regardless.
Do not try to escape punishment, Mother teaches. Then, you will not be relegated to hell. We have lawyers in other worlds who will advocate our cause and we will have reduced punishment. A story illustrates this.
Shankha and Likhita were great sages, scholars, and dharmic people. They never begged, lied, stole, or coveted others’ possessions. We tend to covet others’ belongings. Even if we look at someone’s new phone and feel bad that we don’t have one, that is akin to stealing. That feeling should not enter the mind, teaches Mother.
“How good this car is…I bought another one, had I waited one more year, I could have bought this car”, that is akin to stealing. Finish. You must not even think like that. You can do as you wish, but these are the rules.
You must not covet others’ possessions. “Her sari is so good, I wish I had one like this”, that is akin to stealing. So, we should not harbor desire. It is very hard to practice this restraint.
We love the design of some gold jewelry someone wears…in reality these days, people wear the fancy 1gm gold jewelry, rolled-gold (fancy jewelry with a fine coating of 14 carat gold). That is safer to wear, because of thieves. But do not donate that to Me!
Back to the story of Shankha and Likhita. Those two sages would eat if someone gave them food. They would subsist on grains that fell to the ground. They never swerved from dharma and led a life with rigorous dharma.
One day, the younger sage Likhita went to see his older brother Shankha. He saw his brother and was about to return. He saw a mango tree in Shankha’s garden, full of mangoes. He went to the tree and barely touched a fruit when the fruit fell. Likhita felt bad and confessed to Shankha that he had stolen due to desire. He was hungry. He felt he swerved from his rule of not stealing. He had stretched out his arm and touched the fruit, so he felt he had made a mistake. He requested his brother to punish him. He had not eaten the fruit, but he felt that he had desired it, and that itself was a sin.
Shankha said: I forgive you. Not just the tree, but the entire garden is yours now. The garden is yours, so you have no sin of stealing.
Likhita said he had incurred sin because he had picked the fruit before the garden belonged to him.
They had earlier made the pact that they would not harbor any desires.
They both could not agree and went to see Dharmaraja to ask for justice. The King was afraid – what justice can I serve? They are both very dharmic. There can be no error in delivering justice.
The King requested one day’s time and summoned all the scholars. He then said: Likhita’s arms must be hacked because he stole the fruit.
Likhita accepted the punishment happily but insisted that it should be the King who should cut the arms.
The King felt great regret, but did the job, after praying to Vishnu. Likhita was happy, he kept the arms with him. He felt he deserved the punishment. The King was amazed. Likhita said: I am glad I experienced the punishment right here! If not, I will have to suffer in hell for a long time.
There are many dharmic people who wish for punishment here and now so that their suffering in the afterworlds is minimized.
Shankha took his brother Likhita with him to Bahuda river. He chanted some mantras and asked Likhita to dip in the river. Likhita did as told. Likhita was surprised to see that his arms were connected to his body again. Likhita praised his brother Shankha, who in turn said it was the greatness of the river. Mahatmas never take credit.
A fool may be forgiven for their mistake, but the intelligent and the accountable should not be excused.
Those who are intelligent and usually follow rules will have to suffer the punishment whether the sin is committed with intent or without.
May Mother’s grace always protect us. Mother too keeps us from committing sin. She also tries to immediately deliver punishment so that we don’t have to suffer excessively after.
Bhajan ID 305
Arati.