Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji at the Night of Maha Sivaratri – March 8 AM, 2016 – Mysore
Compiled by Smt Hira Duvvuri
Sri Maha Ganapataye Namah
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Namassivaya Namassivaya Namassivaya Namassivaya Namassivaya …
Bhajan: Sambho Sambho Nadatano
Bhajan: Dhyayet Sambhum
Bhajan: Namah Parvateepataye
Om Namassivaya …Harihi Om Namassivaya … Namassivaya …
It is impossible to praise the attributes of Siva. It is impossible to describe Siva’s form. He is invisibly visible. He is like a Bindu, the minutest point. He hides inside the Paashaana, the stone. He is all-pervasive in all the 14 worlds. He is associated with the five elements which are represented by his five faces. He and Hanuman both have five faces. That is why it is said that they are one and the same. He sees in all ten directions.
Wherever he is, that is where Creation begins. Whichever location or direction he occupies, that is where Creation emerges from. Wherever the sun rises, we determine the direction from there. From the south, it all begins, our calculation of directions. We all have to proceed towards the south ultimately. Siva himself is the directions. He shows us the direction. His face is in all the ten directions.
Whatever we offer to him, the ten auspicious materials, including milk, curds, etc. are kept and distributed to all the devotees. Only the water used in the Abhishekam is allowed to seep into the ground. This water will increase the ground water levels is what we believe. Here, we discard nothing. Everything that is offered to Siva is preserved and given as prasadam or used for a good purpose.
In the ashrama, we waste nothing. Even the remnants after chopping vegetables, we feed to the deer and the birds. Whatever is left we use to prepare manure. Some is given to other birds. The wastewater from the kitchen also goes into the manure pit. We are making the arrangement.
We have now made the policy and it is already put into effect that we do not use plastic materials in the ashram. Everyone is following it. All the devotees should use only recyclable plastic items. Very thin plastic items which cannot be recycled, should not be used. Glass objects also should not be broken. They should be properly disposed of. Do not cook excess food at home and waste it. Cook just enough. If necessary, more can be prepared additionally. Conserve rice, grains, dals, and vegetables. Do not throw stuff in the drain. Even frogs will not eat them. You put poison in your drainage by way of cleaning chemicals. They kill all types of organisms. You incur sin by doing this. Starting today, do not use plastic that cannot be recycled. Take an oath that you will not use such items.
Use paper plates and paper glasses which will disintegrate easily. Living beings are consuming plastic items which are getting stuck in their intestines and they are losing lives. Hereafter, avoid committing the sin of throwing away plastic items which cause harm. Remember Swamiji whenever you use plastic items, and avoid using harmful items. Find proper substitutes. Thicker gauge plastic like what is used for drinking water bottles, and container boxes which have a certain thickness are okay to use.
If we follow this, our cattle will survive. We cannot give life. But we are taking lives. We must stop this.
Siva lives in the cremation ground. He does not waste anything even there. He even wears the skulls. He gives liberation to everything. Even in manure a plant grows. In ashes a plant grows, the way the Mother Goddess bhajan (Jwalalanduna) describes it. If you keep your home clean, Siva will live there. You must keep your dishes, clothes, and linens clean. You must make your bed at once, when you wake up. Otherwise the unmade bed invites illness. If you make the bed, you will only sleep at night, and will not lie in bed sick all day. Wash your pillows, linens and blankets at least once a month. Otherwise, the dirt and stink will collect. It will not allow you to sleep. Like organic fertilizer, it will accumulate and rot. It will be like Paris scent that will even spread to the neighbors.
What is the connection between cleanliness and Siva? Siva is sparkling clean like a clear crystal. You can see through a clear crystal. Our homes, our minds, and our bodies must be kept clean. There should be no envy or jealousy in the hearts. One must be at peace. Siva as a crystal Linga represents that.
There are more stories about Siva than there are about Vishnu.
Bhajan: Goppalugaa nee kathalu
In this Bhajan, the entire story of Siva is given. Going in the Daruka Vana, disappointing all the sages, Siva turned into a Lingam.
Siva is very beautiful. That is why he is called Sundaresa. Krishna is not called that. He is only called Mohananga, one who enchants. Siva’s beauty is incomparable. Next to him, Parvati is said to be dark. A form as beautiful as Siva’s form is not seen anywhere in the three worlds. The real enchanter is Siva who enchants not just women but men as well. The sages did penance wishing to be born as women, infatuated by Siva.
Many great rishis with the power of penance earned over thousands of years, had their hair stuck in the ground due to the long term penance. They protected their bodies consuming only air, and no food. They did not torment the body. All of them chased after Siva, leaving everything behind, when they saw his irresistible beauty.
Their wives protected the household sacred fires. They saw their husbands running after Siva. They were chaste women. They shouted to Siva, you may enchant the hearts of our husbands, but never our hearts. Leave our husbands alone. How can we live here in this forest if our husbands leave us? We have left our parental homes. We do not even know where those homes are anymore. Since thousands of years, we have considered our own husbands as our gods, and have served them.
When the Gopikas, the cowherd girls went away with Krishna, the mothers of the girls pleaded with Krishna and brought the girls back. That story is nice to hear. It seems to have an appropriate ending.
But what Siva has done is different. Siva never even noticed that these rishis were coming after him. They all kept running, the thousands of rishis. By the heat of their penance, as they kept running, many demons who were along the way, were falling down dead. Siva could not understand this. Siva, the most compassionate of all, who loved everyone, observed this. He was not happy to see the demons dropping dead. Then he realized that the power of penance of the rishis was killing the Tamo Guna that kept the demons alive. Siva then understood also that the wives of the rishis might fling a curse upon him. Before he took another step, chaste wives like Arundhati already cursed Siva who was moving with such a beautiful form, to turn into a stone, to become a Linga. Siva at once turned into a Siva Linga.
That is why the rishis to this day, keep bathing the Lord, and decorating him in different ways, and praying to him with the chants of 11 times Rudram and Chamakam. All scholars and saints keep calling out to the Lord still, Namassivaya, Namassivaya. We want nothing in this world except Siva, they all declare.
The rishis got angry at their wives and told them to jump in the fire. They were very distressed at the curse they gave to Siva. Then the wives decided that they too would join their husbands and pray to Siva. They all worship Siva night and day all 365 days in a year, not just on Sivaratri.
Siva, the greatest dancer, the most beautiful of all, is now in the form of a stone. We keep banging our heads on the Lingam praying for him to show us his most beautiful form.
Siva is only in the form of a point. He is suffering, trapped inside the rock. The whole world is His. He is getting served in different ways by the devotees, and decorated in various ways. Yet, Siva has absolutely no attributes.
Bhajan: Nirguname nee gunamu kaagaa O Siva
(Meaning: When you have no attributes, O Siva, why all this ritual and paraphernalia? When you are the only one that exists, why this puppet show, O Siva?
You are the sky, fire, water, earth, and air. Why do we offer you abhishekam, O Siva? Why do we do ablutions for you? You are the one who gives life, sustenance, and protection to all creatures. Why do we offer you food, O Siva? Perhaps to open our eyes so that we feel that we belong to you and will begin to see you within ourselves. Perhaps to reveal the secrets and grant us bliss by making us transcend the three Gunas.
In Kancheepuram, you are the Lord of Kailasa, the mountain (earth). You are Jambunatha (water) in Srirangam. You are the Lord of Arunachala, in the form of Fire. You are the Air Linga of Kalahasti. In Chidambaram, you are the blissful Nataraja (sky). You are the lord of all the five elements. You are the gross, subtle, and the astral forms. Please, won’t you remove difficulties and destroy our enemies? Please won’t you grant Sat, Chit, and Ananda?)
Om Namassivaya …
Bhajan: Prakasavanti prabhavavanti siva charita
Bhajan: Sambho Sambho ganga saanga
Om Namassivaya …
Swami’s Lingodbhavam has occurred. Two more Jaamas (time periods) are left before the concluding worship at dawn. Now the Lord is proceeding to bless all the devotees. We are all very fortunate to be celebrating this Sivaratri.
Bhajan: Moodu kannula dora
I keep singing the bhajans to keep you all awake. If Appaji begins to speak normally, not like yesterday (at Hanuman Chalisa Maha Yajna), people fall asleep. Swamiji’s voice is soothing like a lullaby. Some people keep talking without saying anything of substance. I cannot do that. Such conversation makes me go crazy. Swamiji speaks in a different way. But it makes people fall asleep. Russians and Europeans love Swamiji’s bhajans. They keep asking for bhajans any time of the day.
Bhajan: Sambhum kinkara
Everyone wishes to go to Kasi once more. We cannot forget in this lifetime or in future lifetimes, our earlier trip to Kasi. Many of you had come then. We will go again when it is convenient for the children and it is not exam time. I want to do one Yajna in Kasi in the same place where Tulasidas composed the Hanuman Chalisa. There is a pillar. I wish to lean against it and sing. I do not know whether they will allow it or not. We will try from now onwards.
Bhajan: Kasi kasi
Namassivaya …
Bhajan: Sankaram sankaram
Bhajan: Sivuni gaathale jnanabodhalu
Bhajan: Taddhim Sankara
Bhajan: Ramyakaratri Sivaratri
Bhajan: Isapateesa
Namassivaya …
Now, Appaji goes to complete the final harati before sunrise as per tradition and the stipulated rules.
Om Namassivaya Harihi Om Namassivaya.
Swamiji has blessed all the prasadam. All the Sevakartas will receive Prasadam from Bala Swamiji. I have given energy to the prasadam for all big sevas and small sevas also. Good blessings to you all. Om Namassivaya. Everyone has done abhishekam. Now Appaji goes inside. Now you all take bath, receive prasadam and those who wish to return home, may do so. Go have darshan of Venkataramana Swami after having your prasadam. Do no wait for me. I will see you all again perhaps at Ugadi in Hyderabad. Despite the heat, we will meet there.
Jaya Guru Datta