Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji on Datta Jayanthi – Mysore – December 27, 2012
Today is Datta Jayanthi, a very precious, important and powerful day. It is also known as Guruday. You all know about Gurupoornima as the Guruday. Datta is the Universal Guru. He is the Guru and deity for all the deities. He is the greatest deity. All the deities pay respects to Him. Dattatreya is the son of Anasuya Mata, the supreme mother who is deprived of jealous and Atri the tri virtuous. Dattatreya gave Himself to them as a gift to honor their devotion. This is the reality of Dattatreya. ‘Smatrugami Sanovatu.” Simple remembrance satisfies Him.
Today we are celebrating Hanumath Jayanthi also along with Dattatreya Jayanthi. We are commencing the program by praying Hanuman and Dattatreya. We visit all the sixteen Datta temples, nine Navanadha Datta temples and other Paduka temples and worship the deities there and try to reach the abode of the almighty. The intention of celebrating Datta Jayanthi is to understand the reality of God and the effort to know Him. We are in such an ambience where each and every program is very valuable. We are in the ambience of Vaikunta.
Datta Jayanthi is a very important event for Datta Peetham and the Datta devotees. In the beginning, people Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh knew very less about Datta. Fifty percent of Maharashtra people knew about Datta. Then Swamiji came and stared to propagate Datta by teaching the method of worship and how to understand Datta. The temples and the idols of Datta give out energy for the worshippers.
The occasion of Datta Jayanthi, Geeta Jayanthi, Hanumath Jayanthi, Vaikunta Ekadasi, Subhramanya Sashti, Christmas and New Year are being celebrated within a span of ten days time in Datta Peetham. All of you had rendered your support very well as you are all my family members. The wonderful occasion of the installation of Hanuman idol went on smoothly with devotion and dedication. Different batches are reciting Hanuman Chalisa continuously round the clock for forty days in turns. All of you go and join them for at least two or three minutes; or for two or three rounds of reciting Hanuman Chalisa. They have their own style in reciting. Try to follow them or sit silent for some time with them.
On the first day anointing with five varieties of nectars, namely the milk, curd, honey sugar and coconut milk was performed to Datta idol. On the second day anointing with milk was performed and today oil anointment was being performed. All of you participate in the anointation. While returning visit the origin Dattatreya idol which is four hundred years old. In the evening Swamiji rides a boat decorated with two swans in the Saptarishi Sarovaram, the sacred tank located in the ashram.
Ashram is full of surprises! One more surprise is the birds! It is not a sudden love towards birds. I love birds from my childhood. Epic Mahabharata is initiated by the parrot sage Suka. Couple of birds inspired Valmiki to write Ramayana. Vedas are started with the mention of the birds. God Vishnu rides in a chariot of bird. Brahma and Saraswati ride in the chariot of Swan. Goddess Lakshmi rides on an owl. Owl is not inauspicious but is very precious. Worship of owl is observed in China, Mexico and Mayan. The Upanishads, the philosophical disquisition attached to Vedas also describe birds. The great musician Tygaraja had a composition on birds.
“Ramachilukanokati Penchi…..”
Musician Purandara Das also mentioned birds in his renditions.
Wonderful poems depicting birds are written in Tamil language. In this context birds means parrots.
Swamiji is collecting different varieties of parrots. Each bird has a story behind it which is not to be revealed. This is not a bird show. I like birds. I protect some people through birds. I initiate through birds. All of you know about the hundred birds near the Hutch falls, the story behind the beginning of Shatashloki Ramayana. From my child hood I like different varieties of birds. Anjaneya Swami also loves birds. In one accession he had taken the form of a bird.
Swamiji is going for a new concept ‘Zodiac’ with regard to these parrots. I made a big research and had found out almost all the colors of the parrots which match the zodiac signs. I had written a book in English language and telugu language and Hira aunty extended her supported in writing the book. Photographs are also included in this book.
Today the bird house ‘Sukavana’ is being inaugurated. It is not for public. As proper arrangements are not made, which are to be completed in one months span you can go and visit Sukavana for once as you are all my family members. Many more birds are to be introduced to Sukavana in near future. Some of the parrots dance, some of them weep and some parrots take the problems of people. This is my experience. This is very much true.
Slowly every one of you understands the truth behind this. Let us await the surprising VIP who inaugurates the Sukavana!
JAYA GURU DATTA!
Courtesy: Alivelu Gopal