Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji on Tamil New Year – April 14, 2011 – Chennai
Sri Swamiji’s New Year’s Day Gift to all devotees
Jaya Guru Datta – Happy New Year! Happy Vishu!
This is an ancient Aryan Stuti, which has now been forgotten. It is a very powerful mantra. Every one please chant:
Chatur vimshati horaasu samaacharita karmanaha
Saadgunyaayatu kurveham darpanenaatma darshanam
Arishtaanaam pranaashaaya aayuraarogya siddhaye
Aadarsham adya pashyaami satkutumbasya vriddhaye
Meaning: Wishing to perform righteous and virtuous duties, all of which yield good results, during all the 24 hours in a day, I see myself in the mirror. Evil consequences should be eliminated; longevity and health should be obtained. I see myself in the mirror so that everyone in the family enjoys wellbeing.
Sri Swamiji explained the significance thus: On the New Year’s Day, You must do Brahma Darshanam. Where is Brahma? You yourself are Brahma. Your intellect, your inner witness, your soul is Brahma. The Pratyaksha Daivam (the visible deity that is in your presence) is oneself. You must first recognize God within yourself. Hence you must look at yourself in the mirror first thing in the morning. Then you have to show respect to Mother and Father who have given you this existence, by giving you Janma, birth. The parents, the Guru, the employer, and the leader of the nation must be shown respect. It is wrong not to trust parents, or to show them disrespect.”
(Darpanam and aadarsham are words meaning ‘mirror’. Aadarsham also means ideal)
Sri Guru Datta
SGS Tamil New Year Bhajan Session Chennai April 14
Jaya Guru Datta
(Webcast began with this)
“Chandra graha, the Moon, not the visible moon that you see, He controls this New Year. He gives steadiness to the mind. Other planets may cause confusion.
Chandra Rao – His experiences make real Guru Charitra. Inner experiences must be shared with ten other people at least. No matter how much you give to Guru, it is not enough. Do not hide. Do not be shy. If you do not share your experiences with others with courage, that means your faith in your Guru is only 40%. In Andhra, they do not stop telling others their experiences. They feel that it is a sin not to share. Same experience they will tell in different ways, from different angles, so that it sounds different each time. People who hear it many times also do not get bored. Many people are shy. My devotee, Puttu Gam, Jayalakshmi Mata Herself, has started sharing experiences with Swamiji, daily with facebook friends. The message goes to all her friends. Write your experiences. Let ten thousand people see. At least 100, 300, or 500 people see and be happy. Even if 1% of guru’s glory they recognize, it is great. You can speak and record and then send, in any language.
Swamiji has given His blessings for the New Year. Lots of messages were received by Puttu Gam. “Swamiji spoke in child language so beautifully!” People have written comments. Swamiji is so happy. Whatever else you give to Swamiji, even a huge amount of rupees he will say, “Put it in the box.” But when you send me messages, I happily show to others. I read again and again the comments written to Puttu Gam. Swamiji is so happy. His children also write. Grand children also write. You must get the children accustomed to writing comments on Puttu Gam. Give them practice. You have no time. You have time only to eat idlis. You eat ten idlis. You waste a lot of time. You must finish eating quickly. Swamiji eats quickly. He does not give so much importance to eating. Food should be good and healthy. You should not eat and talk at length at the same time. First remember God before you start eating. Silently within ten minutes you must finish your meal. Do not keep waiting for new dishes all the time. Do not speak on the phone while eating. Your health will get spoilt. You have many small, bad habits that spoil your health. You do not pay attention to what you are eating. This is not some Purana or Upanishad that is difficult to understand and follow. This is a strange daily event. You quarrel while eating. You watch Television while eating. You talk on the phone while eating. I will break your telephones if you continue. I will make you lose balance and fall. Tell people that you are having your meal and will talk later. Tell them that after you finish drinking your coffee you will talk to them. Not all telephone talk is happy talk. Why do you spoil your health like this? First finish food. Then talk. Telephone talk always gives tension. These days I do not use the phone. Only my IPad. I use it for my bhajans. I carry it with me all the time. It is the modern ‘Kamandalam’ (the pot of sacred water carried by sages); it is my ‘yantram’ (tool). I use it to send email messages and facebook messages. Previously Swamiji would ask before visiting some place, is there facility for bath? Now he asks, is there wireless? Is there WiFi? Only if you have these I agree to come. 18 groups are there for whom I have to send messages daily. They give daily $$ to build a temple inDallas. There are 3000-4000 members. The money is used also for other social activities. Not even one day do they miss seeing Swamiji’s emails. Before going to office they must see Swamiji’s email message.
Between 6 am and 6 pm within the 12 hours all emails are sent. It takes ½ hour to 1 hour to prepare each email message. Message has to be composed. Photos have to be downloaded. There is a team of youngsters to help Swamiji. Sometimes they give a list but Swamiji does not select from their list. It is a joint effort. Through the computer Swamiji communicates. It is modern publicity. If you all miss seeing these, it is your misfortune. Your karma. You all have laptops. You use them to see cinemas, and to listen to cinema songs. It will take only 3-4 minutes each day to see Swamiji’s messages. Is it not? Swamiji spends one to one and a half hours each day to prepare them. You spend 1 or 2 minutes to see, that is all.
It takes 6-12 months to produce a cinema. We finish seeing it in 1 ½ to 3 hours. Then we comment, ‘It is not nice. Only so so.’ The producers come to Swamiji and complain. I lost money and all I got was negative comments. I tell them, ‘When you get profit, you do not tell me the good news.’ Only bad news people give to Swamiji. Swamiji knows everything. You should be ready to experience your bad karma and share your good news only with Swamiji.
Suresh, Sri Lakshmi and others write good comments on facebook Puttu Gam page. They should be given prizes. They get new people interested in taking memberships. Now she has slowed down, busy with moving to new house.
You all must receive and see Swamiji’s messages every day (through emails by participating in Ashram Sevas, or through Puttu Gam messages on facebook {free} on the Internet). Get membership. It is spiritual interaction with Swamiji. Not social. Some people do not want to give out their name or photo. They are afraid. Why? It is easy to enroll. Simply click ‘Like’ after you see the message. Or you can write a comment, “Jaya Guru Datta, Puttuji.”
Bhajans: Varanasya vakratunda, Prasaratu Devi, Vaaraai Vaaraai Yugaadi Raajaa (New Tamil New Year song), Naava chal padee, Alandu alandu vaa vaa, Shiva Om Tatsat (new Shivaratri bhajan), Hari Hari Hari Hari Narayana, Jeevaache Jeevan (Marathi song), Guru Dhikkaarapu (Telugu bhajan).
Victory to Karyasiddhi Anjaneya!
Announcements were made about the upcoming 12th year Brahmotsavam of Sri Datta Venkateshwara temple inMysorefrom May 21-28th. Everyone is invited to come and participate in all the grand and special events. There will be a grand procession on May 21st from the Maharaja’s palace to the ashram with a lot of pomp and cultural activities. Many special homas, yajnas, Veda chants, and Kalyanam with 1200 couples participating, will take place. This is a good way to get all sins destroyed, to show gratitude to Sadguru, and to be of service.
Sri Guru Datta