Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji when Ugadi function was held at Mysore – April 7 , 2013
Happy new year! Happy Ugadi!
(Sensing a meek response for His greeting, Appaji continued as given below..)
Why are you all so unresponsive to this greeting? If those beings who possess the ability to speak, choose to remain silent, then what can be expected from those beings that do not even possess such ability? If you desire that even such beings should learn to speak, then it is essential that, you should speak a lot. Only then, they can learn to speak. However once these beings, which do not inherently possess this ability to speak, acquire this trait, then they make sure that we, the ones who possess this natural ability to speak, are rendered quiet/ speechless. Remember this caution at all times.
In the Dwapara Yuga (the third of the four eons), when the Vedic scholars recited the Vedas, parrots and the Taitareeya birds (partridges) too sang Vedas along with them. These Taitareeya birds have taught us the Upanishad itself. It is said that words/speech originated from birds. Now a days, the papers, TV and magazines are carrying many varied articles about birds.
All of us were in some earlier births birds, that could fly up in the air (gagana sanchari). Only after passing this stage, we came down as human beings. Now as humans, it is our primary responsibility to strictly adhere to our dharma without fail and also to diligently ensure that it is protected. While abiding by this human dharma, we should also practise charity (daana) and then learn about sacrifice/ renunciation (tyaga). Through this process, we will evolve to the stage of Nivrutti. From this step we should move on to obtain Saayujya (absorption/merger into God).
These steps are the foundation (moola) for music (sangeeta). Srishti (creation) and Saama Veda are the roots (moola) for this music (nada). Suka Brahma, who was the founder of this naada (music), has on this day, taught us the sacred Bhagavatam. Suka Brahma’s face/nose is like that of a parrot.
Occasionally we come across persons who have a nose that resembles that of a parrot. We should not be amused by it. This is because all of us were parrots at some time or the other in the past. In the process of evolution, we all had to pass the stage of birds (gagana sanchari) before being eligible to be born as humans. The last in the series of births as birds, is the birth as a parrot. In other words, after innumerable births as birds, lastly the being is born as the parrot. Hence it is an inevitable birth. After this birth as a parrot, the being is reborn as a human.
The parrot is known as the Rama chiluka (Rama parrot). A parrot is said to be Rama’s incarnation. It behaves like Rama. Seeing a parrot means having darshan of Rama. A lot of knowledge can be gained from these birds.
Bird world is a very deep world. Once we step into it, it is impossible to exit from it. All of you have seen so many birds here. They are not just birds, but are angels.
We have gathered here today at this evening twilight (sandhya) time on this Ugadi day. We are bidding goodbye to one year and are welcoming another year. Today we are offering our salutations to the year ‘Nandana’ and are welcoming the new year ‘Vijaya’. On such an auspicious day, we prepare a dish using fresh mango pieces, neem flowers, jaggery etc. This dish is offered to God as Naivedya and then partaken by us as Teertha (holy water). This is to bestow good health and prosperity upon us.
We do not know what relationship we have with these birds that are amongst us here. We would have taken birth from its womb in some birth, or this bird may have taken birth from our womb in some birth. We do not remember- perhaps we were brothers, sisters or friends in some births. We do not know the various wombs from which we took birth earlier. So many different forms, so many different wombs of so many different types of living beings, so many countries and zones, so many castes, sizes and shapes we have been taken birth, O Lord, please rescue us. Please relieve us from these bondages. After inestimable births of various forms, after having faced immeasurable problems of diverse types, today we are blessed to be seated in this Ganapati Sacchidananda Ashrama.
Compiled by: Parimala Eshwarla