Speeches of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji during Yugadi Celebrations – March 31, 2014
Yugadi message of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji on Yugadi – March 31, 2014 – Putugam website
Jaya Guru Datta
Greetings and best wishes to all on this New Year’s Day of ‘Jaya’.
With Ugadi, everyone’s enthusiasm escalates. It is the beginning of Spring season. The trees spring into action with fresh leaves, flowers, and fruits. They appear jubilant and glorious. The air is filled with joy. So are all the family members. The front doorway of the home is decorated with a string of mango leaves, and colorful turmeric and kumkum. The house wears a festive look.
Goddess Lakshmi spreads her glory everywhere. It is on this day that Lord Brahma began Creation. The counting of Time began on this day. Moments are moving by. Days are melting away. Yet, no one is realizing the true value of Time or how best to utilize it. Ugadi reminds us of the importance and significance of Time. On this day, the nature of Time should be understood by the reading of or listening to, the almanac. Time’s gifts should be received with equanimity, whether they are favorable or unfavorable.
One should wake up early in the morning. Sesame (Gingelly) oil should be applied to the body and a head bath should be taken. Mother Ganga permeates water and Mother Lakshmi permeate sesame oil. When such a bath is taken with devotion, the grace of Lakshmi and Ganga are received. After new clothes are worn, salutations should be offered to Lord Sun along with offering of water with joined palms. The Panchanga (new almanac) should be placed in the altar and worshiped. The Ugadi Pachchadi should be offered to God. The different tastes of sweet, sour, and bitter blended in this fresh preparation (made with neem flowers, raw mango fruit, jaggery, and so on) should remind one that life is a mixture of various flavors and types of experiences where joy is inevitably followed by sorrow.
Scholars and priests should be revered and given gifts. It should be learned from them how to handle different situations that present themselves in life. Time, through the almanac informs us of what to expect in the future. It helps us to prepare and face the upcoming events. This year will be a mixture of good and bad, like light and darkness. It is best to place the burden on God and lead a good life. King and minister is Moon. Lord of Milk, water, and clouds is Sun. Commander in Chief and Lord of Vegetation is Jupiter. Lord of Grains is Mars. Lord of Rasa is Saturn. Lord of Neerasa is Mercury. There are nine leaders, out of whom five are unfavorable and four are favorable. The balance is tilting towards the negative. Corruption, deception, and some catastrophes may be expected. These same leaders in other years provide good results.
Worshiping God and offering prayers with pure devotion will grant the mental strength required to withstand all situations. Confidence gives strength. A positive attitude does wonders in giving us courage. It is futile to engage in arguments whether the almanac may be trusted, whether religious and spiritual activities, and charities truly help. Nothing helps unless done with sincerity. Performing even good deeds with disbelief and indifference will not give benefit. Just as a patient trusts the doctor and the medicine he prescribes and gets well and rejuvenated, one who earns confidence through pious and charitable deeds done with faith will endure and overcome all problems.
May all be granted strength and strategy to overcome all difficulties by the foremost Guru Lord Dattatreya. God will never harm us. He, who has created us is truly our protector. Let us place our total trust in Him, who is Omnipotent.
Jaya Guru Datta
Jai Sri Rama
Sri Guru Datta
Speech in the evening during bhajan session – Hyderabad
Jaya Guru Datta
I wanted to come early. But I kept watching the special telecast of Paduta theeyaga with children singing the Ugadi songs. Since 1966 the Ugadi songs have been composed. A few are not popular because Swamiji has not sung them many times. I have requested Sri Kuppa Krishnamurthy to revise the lyrics on some of those. Calculate how many songs have been composed by Appaji. With good gimmick music if we produce, it will be popular with you, not with traditional music. So, we will have them rendered like that with professional singers. You will have the choice. You may choose Appaji’s version or the modern version. With each song, you will know the events that had occurred in the world during that year. Swamiji’s tours, his predictions, his messages to the world, his secret advice, the scholars have to investigate and disclose the sweet coconut water that is hidden inside the fiber that covers the coconut. Our ignorance will get shattered and spiritual knowledge hidden within us will come to the surface.
My music is neither of the swan nor the crow. You have to discover the essence. Each will find their own path in these song lyrics. The bhajana yoga is indescribable. It cannot be defined. Very attractive music. Despite great compositions of others, people still look forward eagerly to listen to a bhajan composed by Swamiji. Involuntarily they give a thunderous applause to His bhajans. Great musicians delightedly send messages to Swamiji that they have rendered Swamiji’s bhajans in their global concerts, especially if they see any Datta vastrams in the audience. They know then that they cannot but sing Appaji’s bhajans.
We will be honoring this artist Sri Yella Venkateswarlu with Nada Nidhi title this year. It is overdue. The list we have is long. It is a miracle that he is alive today. It is a rebirth for him. The day after his surgery he traveled to come and attend Swamiji’s concert in London. He is both Nandi and Bhringi. His mridangam speaks eloquently. Sai will also be given the title Asthana Vidwan. They are here today on their own initiative, not by any special invitation. Guru and disciple are both going to receive honors the same day.
All TV channels, and all Internet channels are reverberating with Swamiji’s Ugadi songs today. Thousands have sent their appreciative messages. Now another new composition will be presented.
Bhajan: Srikara dheekara Sri Ganapati devara
This new Ganapati bhajan is also for you for this New Year.
Bhajan: Ugadi Kokila Jaya Jaya
This new song is for you. Till now you have heard songs that you had already heard on the TV.
Now this is a new song.
Bhajan: Jaya Ugadi vachchegaa jayam subham techchegaa
(Jaya New Year has come, bringing with it success and all auspiciousness, drenching us with peace here and in the hereafter, making all past troubles to be forgotten. Each future day is filled with sweet anticipation. The five categories in the almanac and other divisions such as year, month, fortnight and so on represent divided Time. Time is eternal and never ever turns back. It has no beginning, and no end. That is its nature. Trees, other living creatures, humans, sages, celestial beings, and incarnations all merge into Time. Datta Guru alone transcends Time. Sweet, sour, and bitter tastes are the experiences of life. Celebrations and sad events are the nature of worldly life. Know this truth and pursue your continuous spiritual Sadhana. Sachchidananda is the only ladder to unbroken peace.)
These pure Telugu lyrics give you everything you require. Even all those who surround me receive my spiritual principle through my vibrations. I pray to Datta that this should remain with you permanently. It is permanent with me. It should be permanent within you also, and not just temporary; with that prayer I tie Purnaphala to Lord Hanuman. The balance and endurance that I enjoy during all kinds of varied experiences in life should be granted to all those who are followers of this Swamiji in this physical form. Many people ask why I tie the Purna Phala. They wrongly think that I do it for success of my tours and for my health.
I tell the Lord, I am you, I am yours. Still, as a human I go through ups and downs with strength. I pray for this same strength for all my followers as I tie the coconut and do the Sri Chakra Puja. I have now given up chanting seed letters and other prayers to God. I pray only that my followers should get permanently my strength and endurance. I worship Mother Goddess in the physical form and offer services because you and I are now in physical forms. As I see you in a physical form on the altar, they also see you and witness the ritual. I sometimes cut short the puja to give 2 more interviews. I use my time during travel to do all my other work with Internet. I rest and relax by simply closing my eyes for a bit. Someone calculated and found that a significant amount of my time is spent traveling by flight in the sky.
Bhajan: Jaya jaya sampath (samvath) Jaya jaya
Both sampath and samvath are okay. (victory to the year, to the rulers of the year.)
Now, the last song for this evening.
As Rama’s idols were being decorated today, the birds (parrots) kept chanting “Rama” so lovingly. It happened today. I received a video just before I came on stage. They sat at Rama’s feet and kept chanting. It brings tears to my eyes. People do not have that devotion. Whichever idol or image of Rama they see, they at once say Rama. I showed it to Prasadi. I have no facility here to share it with all of you.
Now, Keeravani (literally means, the voice of a parrot) Raga. This raga is used for devotion, romance, humor, grace, love. It is an extraordinary raga. Movie songs cannot exist without this raga. Parrot’s voice means Sage Suka’s Bhagavatam. Where there is a parrot, there is Suka, there is Bhagavatam, there is Rama, and there is Hanuman. Just seeing a parrot equals doing Parayana of Bhagavatam. With Swamiji you will see hundreds of parrots, 85 different species, how they survive in this climate is remarkable. Now from Philippines, blue swans are being imported with Government’s permission. All planets are there, all spiritual knowledge is there. Enough to feed one seed to the parrot to gain great benefit. That is why I ask you to feed the parrots. I do not collect seeds to make food for me. I get very anxious if any of my parrots is sick.
Please join Facebook. Please be using the Internet, Yogasangeeta. You do not understand the importance of it. Get your contact information and photographs available to Swamiji. Swamiji will at once be in touch with you if your photos and details are there on the Internet if any problems should occur, as members of SGS websites. Pamula Rangaiah used to do a mantra for snake bite from far away.
Recently two parrots fell down. We took care of them. Then they flew away. There are hospitals for dogs, other animals, and humans, But Swamiji wondered why there is no hospital for parrots. Swamiji loves Suka, Bhagavatam and voices of parrots. Swamiji was at Hatcha Falls. When he fell and then sat in a cave, a hundred parrots flew over his head. Shatashloki Ramayana shlokas came in the form of those parrots. The video is still being played all over the world. I saw celestial beings and your ancestors amongst the parrots. The reason for Swamiji’s intense passion for parrots is trying to be explained. Now, there are no sparrows, crows, as they used to be in cities, because of radiation. Only if sparrows share our homes and chirp, our homes are protected. They will be attracted to your homes if you give some seeds to birds. You do not need to adopt them. Just feed them. Now, there are no trees, and no sparrows. We only have crazy gardens with cement walls and fake trees. That is why people are also acting crazy, as shown on TV. In serial style, people in real life also are imitating. Where there is a parrot, all comforts and knowledge will be there.
Yella is wondering why all slow bhajans are being sung today.
Bhajan: Sukavara dwijavara Jaya jaya
(The seed for the Ramayana was the Krauncha bird. Suka parrot was the seed for the rendering of the story of Krishna as Srimad Bhagavatam. Garuda eagle, the flier in the sky chants the Krishna Mantra. Hamsa, the swan is the only creature that can separate milk from water. Birds alone ensure our welfare.)
Now, the last tune (Happy Tune). Please remain seated. Oh, already they are getting up. So many (volunteers) did not sleep last night, or eat properly. Please do not get up and dance unless you are in uniform. That is the restriction. You may get up when I pick up the pace. But it begins with a brisk pace. That sound itself excites you. We will go at a slow pace so that you are not tired out.
I will play this tune for a whole half an hour at the next concert. You will then tell me to stop.
Be at peace. Everything went on very well. It is 9:30 PM. People follow rules and will not get up until I leave the stage. At Rameswaram we all enjoyed immensely. It is unforgettable. Kasi is also unforgettable. It is your duty to cooperate with the volunteers who are your brothers. Volunteers are not paid workers. They are respected for being the servants of Swamiji. We will conclude with Kayena vacha.
Please be careful in the traffic as you drive back. Please allow those who are in a hurry to get home quickly. Swamiji leaves early in the morning. The travel plan is uncertain.
Sri Guru Datta