Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Holi & Lakshmi Jayanti – March 23, 2016 – Mysore
Compiled by Smt Hira Duvvuri
Who are the eight Lakshmis? Adi Lakshmi, Dhanya Lakshmi, Dhanalakshmi, Dhairya Lakshmi, Vidya Lakshmi, Santana Lakshmi, Vijaya Lakshmi, Gaja Lakshmi.
She gives good health, prosperity, and spiritual knowledge. Give children the names of God and call them by the full name, without abbreviating it and spoiling the meaning. Wholeheartedly offer worship. No urgency. Eat only Satvic food. Offer betel leaves to Mother Goddess which are fresh and tender. Offer to God always what is best. Do not keep the best items for yourself and offer to God what is inferior. Like good quality bananas for yourself and inferior quality to God. It is wrong. Just as we eat a satisfying meal, you should offer a full satisfying worship to God. We must preserve our traditions and customs. Those who go overseas are preserving them. Here, we are in a hurry to complete the rituals. You must do Annadana and help the poor. We must never neglect our tradition. Today’s Lakshmi Puja is an ancient tradition. Lakshmi gives not only wealth, but also health and Jnana. We must pray to her. We have had the darshan of Padmavati Devi in the company of Lord Datta Venkateshwara. Let us pray to God that we should do even better year after year. We must develop a generous attitude. We should feed the hungry. Then, if we give charities, Mother Goddess will bless us with all the eight types of prosperity.
Jaya Guru Datta