Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji during bhajan evening on first day of Sri Devi Navaratri Celebrations – September 25, 2014 – Mysore
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Harihi Om Tatsat
Om Ayim Hreem Shreem Lalitambayai Namaha Shloka: Chandra …
Bhajan: Vratapate pramathapate – You grant us the rewards for our austerities O Lord Ganesha, the Lord of all divine energies. You are Truth. You are eternal. You are Consciousness. You are speech, music with the seven notes, the Vedas, all scriptures, and you are the bliss of Sachchidananda. This is a new Bhajan. Demand for me to speak in many languages reduces the subject matter due to time constraints. The subject that I can cover in half an hour will take one hour if I have to say the same thing in both Kannada and Telugu. If I have to speak also in Tamil, Hindi, and English, I will totally exceed the time allotted for the session. Since I have decided to speak only for half an hour, now I have cut the subject matter to only fifteen minutes because I will be repeating the same matter in Telugu and Kannada.
Each line of the song is first played on the musical instrument and then the lyrics are sung. This helps to set the tune properly for the new bhajans. Otherwise, there is confusion and unexpected changes. Anything done in haste, always results in regret later that it could have been done better. Review always helps to correct mistakes and improve quality. Even scholars feel like this. Only small-minded people speak with over-confidence that the audience is fortunate to be listening to them. When one reviews one’s own work, mistakes are easily recognized and rectified. All speakers and singers should listen to recordings of their own renditions to make improvements. Bhajan: Dhanyaam Gowreem I meditate on you, I praise you Mother Gowri. You are the first and foremost, you are knowledge of Truth; you are pleasing, the ultimate, the ever new, and most divine. Sloka: Jagajjanani … Bhajan: Om Om Om Shreem Shreem Shreem I prostrate to Mother Lalita Tripura Sundari. I take refuge at Her feet. Powerful seed letters of Mother Goddess are included in this bhajan. O compassionate Mother, you give us many boons. Please, Mother, at once remove my troubles. Please remove my evil qualities. You transcend the three Gunas. Please grant me the Purusharthas (Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha). O protector of the pious, destroyer of the demons, beautiful enchantress, consort of Siva, and the giver of auspiciousness, I salute you, O Sachchidanandini.
Autumn season follows the rainy season. In the Jaya year, we are now celebrating the Devi Navaratri Festival in the autumn season. During monsoon weather, due to heavy rains and flooding, germs, epidemics, and diseases will become rampant, upsetting the normal peaceful routine of human life. We have fear due to inclement weather which causes disruptions in travel. We pray for protection from harm from infections and illnesses caused by animal and insect bites. Poisonous insects and venomous reptiles proliferate during the rainy season. To protect homes and temples from harmful infestations, we worship Mother Goddess using eco-friendly materials, by smearing turmeric and kumkum (red sacred powder), decorating floors with designs (with natural materials that repel germs), tying mango and banana leaves to the doorways (to repel germs and insects), and applying cow dung (as an insecticide and a radiation repellant). The celebration for nine days is called Navaratri. Vijaya Dasami declares victory to Dharma. The glories of Mother Goddess are innumerable. We cannot complete narrating all Her stories in a short time. We will try to do our best in this limited time. We are very fortunate to be following the established traditions specified in the scriptures that we should discuss some of Her glories, that we should decorate Her with Mangala Dravyas/auspicious materials, and that we should engage in austerities that include fasting, and self-restraint in enjoying physical pleasures.
Mother Goddess assures success and victory to those who worship her thus for these nine days. The scriptures instruct that during daytime, this Supreme Energy should be invoked for worship either into a sacred pot, a Sri Chakra, or into an image of Mother Goddess. In the evenings the story of Mother Goddess should be told by way of singing or discussing Her glories. These nine days, let us try to understand the principle of Mother Goddess.
The Tripura Scripture stipulates that we should constantly pray for the following: O most auspicious Mother Goddess, I pray that my mind should be free from all worldly thoughts and be firmly established in the contemplation of your sacred lotus feet. I pray that my hands should ever be utilized only for your worship. I pray that my tongue should always be engaged in singing your praises.
Many names of Mother Goddess sound strange and misleading. Many people misunderstand and misinterpret the meanings. Only one such example we will discuss here today. The name, ‘Panchapretaasanaaseenaa’ is one such (one of the 1000 names of Sri Lalita).
The word ‘preta’ has the connotation of ‘corpse’, and that is what leads to confusion. One who is wicked is scolded by the elders as being as bad as dead while still living. It is because he is lacking in humanity. Savam is a body without life. With life energy it is Sivam. So and so’s corpse you say, referring to a corpse. That is strange. Kondayya has gone but the lifeless body still carries the name of Kondayya. You refer to it as Kondayya’s body. It is the same with photos. The person is not there in the photo. The life force is not there. And yet, we say it is so and so, pointing to a photo.
The Shakti Scripture states that when Brahma and other gods become separated from energies such as Vaamaa, they become equivalent to mere lifeless bodies. (Vaamaa Shakti requires elaborate explanation.) That is the reason for the usage of the word ‘preta’. As a result, Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Iswara, and Sadasiva are referred to as ‘pretas’. All these five are able to function only when they are empowered by Mother Goddess. When the Vaamaa energy empowers Brahma, He is able to successfully engage in the process of Creation. Without that Shakti, he becomes lifeless. Invested by Jyeshthaa energy, Sri Maha Vishnu is enabled to preserve whatever has been created by Brahma. Without such empowerment, Vishnu becomes lifeless. By the power of Raudree Shakti, Rudra is invested with the ability to destroy whatever has been created. By the power of Kriya Shakti Ishwara is able to withdraw and merge into Himself the entire Creation to the very last atom. With help from Jnana Shakti, Sadasiva gains the capacity to bestow His grace. Without these corresponding energies to empower each of them, Rudra, Ishwara, and Sadasiva become nothing but lifeless entities.
Mother Goddess does everything. Only by Her energy all the gods derive their divine powers to perform their functions. Bereft of Her energy, they are all mere lifeless objects. Pakshi/bird is life. It leaves the Panjaram/cage-body. The life leaves the body once it has paid off its debt to the five elements. Once the soul is done with its duty with the body, then it gives up the body for it to be returned to the five elements. Mother Goddess alone gives energy to all. ‘Aaseena’ does not mean ‘seated’ here. Those gods were all created by Her. Those functions were determined by Her. She grants them the skills. Just as we refer to these musicians as Harmonist, Tabalist, Mridangist, and so on, based on the tasks they perform, the gods also have different names based on their portfolio. It is Mother Goddess Herself who takes all the forms. She assumes their different shapes; she creates their duties to be performed and She does them in their forms. No one else can take any credit for whatever is being done.
Mother Goddess remains in Parabrahman state that transcends Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara, Ishwara, and Sadasiva. She alone has the dexterity to either bestow grace or to withhold it. For this reason, She is called ‘Panchapretaasanaaseenaa’. By giving Brahma and the other gods the power to function, Mother Goddess is protecting all the worlds. After receiving the powers bestowed by Her and after offering Her their praises, the gods humbly begin their individual duties of Creation, and so forth.
On occasion, some celestials fail to acknowledge the supremacy of Mother Goddess, and arrogantly neglect singing Her praises. They end up paying a heavy price for it. Even Brahma and the others fell prey to ego and suffered punishment at the hands of Mother Goddess.
Mother Goddess became famous as Kumaree Shakti, when she used Her powers to put the celestials in their proper place when they became swollen with arrogance. Those demons who failed to recognize their mistakes, and flung abuses upon Her were destroyed by Mother Goddess in Her aspect as Kaumaree Shakti.
It is Kumaaree Shakti who protects children in their younger years and makes them well educated and accomplished.
Let us also now sing the praises of Mother Goddess:
Bhajan:
Kaumaareem hridi kalayeham
kalushavidooraam kamalaaksheem
I contemplate in my heart Kaumaaree Devi, the lotus-eyed Mother Goddess, who destroys sins.
Stanza 1: I meditate upon Kaumaaree Devi, who has the form of the entire alphabet (Sanskrit) from Ka to Ksha, who fulfills desires, who wields the sugarcane as Her bow, whose voice is majestic like the conch, who removes curses, who transcends Time, and who removes burning miseries.
Stanza 2: I praise in my heart Kaumaaree Devi, who is beautiful in all her limbs, who removes all respiratory illnesses, who destroys difficulties, who has a lovely face, whose radiance is pleasing and enchanting, and who has accepted with delight the worship offered by Sachchidananda.
Tickets are being released for the Nandi-Bhringi Healing Music Concert in Hyderabad. On December 20, 2014 at 6:30 PM at the Silpakala Vedika. Special donor seats are available in the front row. Tomorrow is Friday Abhishekam to Sri Datta Venkateswara at 7:30 AM by Sri Bala Swamiji. It is very auspicious to witness this abhishekam on a Friday during Navaratri.
Please support the project to develop the Ashram in Jayalakshmipuram, the native place of Sri Swamiji’s parents.
Sri Guru Datta