Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji after Mahakumbhabhishekam to Lord Dattatreya – February 13, 2011 – Ganagapuram
Kartaveeryarjuna served the Lord for thousand years very faithfully. He preached in all his states the Datta mantra, ‘JAYA GURU DATTA SRI GURU DATTA’ holding the righteous flag and hailing for righteousness. He preached the name ‘Datta’ ‘Datta’ through day and night without taking any rest. But afterwards he had forgotten his preaching and suffered a lot. Datta appeared in another form to punish him first and then to give him liberation after bestowing jnana (spiritual knowledge). He came in the form of Parasurama, another divine incarnation. Kartaveeryarjuna realized his mistake and prayed the Lord to punish him first and then to discipline or instruct him and give him spiritual knowledge.
Overpowered by our ego we might have committed many mistakes, either knowingly or unknowingly. Don’t ever say that I have not committed any mistake. Let the lord punish us and correct us. Karthaveerya asked for punishment first and then for spiritual instruction. This is called enlightenment. If we ask for spiritual instruction first then the punishment continues throughout the correction.
Kartaveerya is the master of boons. He was the one who taught what a boon is! He was possessed with many boons and finally he asked for a strange boon. He asked the lord not to give the capacity to anyone to ask for the boons like he had asked for! When Pingala naga and others asked about this, he explained that he has many devotees who are not mature enough to deal with such boons and hence he is trying to protect them. Datta asked: “Who are your devotees?” Kartaveeryarjuna had realized his mistake and submitted to the lord’s feet that he was also His devotee and said that he doesn’t want any boon at all.
Swami said, “Kartaveerya you came to this state of not wanting any boon after thousand years but way before you, a devotee called Vishnu Datta had blinked at me not knowing what to ask when I asked him to ask for any boon! He had to ask his wife what to ask for! Such is his innocent devotion.”
Then Kartaveerya and Pingala Naga begged the lord to give them the type of devotion that Vishnu Datta had.
Don’t ever go in to the presence of God to ask for a boon with a sad face.
Ask Him with a smiling face to grant you a mind to concentrate on Him. Don’t ever tell Him that you are fed up with life and want to simply merge into Him. Why should we ask for merger? Why should we feel that we had enough of this life? Let us live this life! You should be determined and brave to face your experiences, good or bad. This life is not for committing suicide or to feel sad! NO! This life is a gift by God! Let us lead this life. Sorrow and problems are like dawn and dusk of a day. They are like heat and cold of a day. They come and go! You don’t have the right to take your life because you did not give this life. He gives us life. We are like dolls in his hands. We are here to perform his play. We should not drop in the middle with weakness. We should win over all the problems and ups and downs of our life with the help of the name “Datta”, placing complete faith in Datta. He will protect us! We should emerge victorious. Such Datta is installed here today in Viswaroopa Datta Kshetram in Ganagapur.
People will attain the abode of Vaikunta who witness the Sunrise tomorrow on Bheeshma ekadasi, an auspicious day. Tomorrow the rays of the Sun will fall on the sacred feet of Datta like a decoration of golden red rays at 6.45 am. That is the reason that this idol is placed at this particular spot. Swamiji installed Datta idol here to get such an opportunity for the devotees. People attain emancipation by witnessing such an auspicious incident. They will be free from all their problems. You should pray for enlightenment and to get rid of all your sins. You should pray,” Like Vishnu Datta I also don’t need any boon. I don’t want to wish for anything. Do anything as per Your wish”. If you start asking then your list will be lengthened. Then God says that he will grant your boon in your next birth. Why again! We should stick on to the same boon what we first asked for. In rejection don’t ask for a new boon.
Datta Darsanam is the example for asking the boons. Datta Darsanam is published in many languages including in German and Russian. Those who had not read it till now read it immediately. If you don’t have the capacity to read ask your grand children to read for you. There is an audio book on Datta Darsanam. Those who have weak eyes, hear to it. Play it when you are driving or when you are traveling in a train. Don’t say that I have already read to it or heard to it. Keep on reading or hearing to it. We get some new knowledge every time we read to it.
DATTA DARSANAM is a vessel of nectar given by DATTA!
Courtesy: Alivelu Gopal