Message of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Navaratri day 10 – September 30, 2017
Courtesy: FB Page Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji
Devi prasīda paripālaya no’ribhiter nityam yathāsuravadhād adhunaiva sadyah
Pāpāni sarvajagatām praśamaṃ nayāśu utpātapākajanitāṃś ca mahopasargān
O Mother! Just as You now killed the demons in order to protect us, we pray that You should bless us by protecting us eternally from the fear of demons. O Mother, please ensure that the sins of all the worlds, which manifest in the form of dreadful devastations that occur, are alleviated quickly.
May everyone obtain success in his/her chosen field! Through worship of Divine Mother may everyone evolve from the levels of humans to the levels of divinity!
Just as water automatically flows towards the slope, mind automatically slips to lower levels. In order to stop the mind from thus slipping, a barricade needs to be constructed with the help of Divine Mother. Towards this, She should be worshipped.
Mother Goddess converts mind into a sugarcane bow which She holds in Her hand. Hence She is worshipped as – Manorūpekṣu-kodaṇḍāyai namah.
If this mantra is chanted regularly, then with the grace of Mother Goddess, the mind, which is the 11th sense organ, gets the ability to discriminate between auspiciousness and inauspiciousness. Only then the eligibility to distinguish between righteous and unrighteous deeds dawns upon the person. During the 8th āvarana of the Navāvarana Puja, the mind, which exists as a sugarcane bow in Her hands, is worshipped.
When the mind is not in one’s control, the 10 senses (indriyas) are no longer restrained and hence they drive the person towards burglaries, entertaining lustful desires towards women, greed, violence, swindling, usage of hurtful words, untruthfulness, abusing others, criticisms misusing power and other such sinful deeds.
By worshipping the Divine Mother, the mind remains in one’s control. The power of intent, discriminatory intelligence, wisdom, dedication, truthfulness, determination, ākŗti, prosperity and other such good traits multiply.
Saṇkalpa: It means ‘power of intent’. Vicakṣana: it means vaccilation. Śraddha: it means absolute determination. It differs from person to person based on his/her level and based on the subtle impressions of the past actions.
Beginning with an atom, every entity up to Lord Brahma, possesses a mind. We, the living entities, obey the commands issued by the mind. Those who freely retain the mind within their control, remain eternally devoid of transformations (nirvikara). Without a mind, there can be no existence. We could take birth as humans purely because of the existence of the mind.
Mother Goddess is praised as Oṃ manasvinyai namaḥ. She blesses Her devotees with the ability to retain their mind under their control. Liberation is nothing but dissolution of mind (mano laya). That object into which, the mind, when merged, obtains ultimate bliss (Brahmanada) is itself liberation! This is emphatically declared by our Scriptures!
Those who seek shelter under Mother Goddess obtain the capability to travel from illusion (brama) into the Supreme (Brahma). Taittareeya Upanishad declares that mind itself is the Supreme Lord. Let us understand this story.
Maharishi Bhrigu, the son of Maharishi Varuna, completed his education and one morning approached his father and begged to be initiated into the Supreme Essence (Brahmopadeśam). Knowing that the Supreme Essence can be understood through explanation, Maharishi Varuna said, “My son, perform penance (tapas).”
Bhrigu undertook rigorous austerities and concluded, “Food (annam) is Brahma (Supreme Lord)”. When his father heard this statement, he replied, “My son, you have still not perfected in your knowledge. Continue your penance”.
Bhrigu continued his penance. He understood, “Prāṇa (life-force) is Brahma”. Maharishi Varuna was not satisfied with his understanding and asked him to continue penance. Bhrigu continued his penance and concluded, “Manas (mind) is Brahma”. Hearing his son’s statement, Maharishi Varuna rejoiced.
Mother Goddess resides in the person who understands that mind is Brahma – Oṃ manomanyai namaḥ. She ensures that the mind remains totally under control, without allowing any bad/ sinful thought or intent to enter the mind. She protects him from sinful deeds and encourages him to participate in meritorious deeds. She helps him obtain victory over the mind.
May Mother Goddess bless each of you with victory over the mind! May you all be blessed with prosperity and renown! May sinful thoughts be eradicated completely! May noble thoughts intensify in everyone! May you all transform into noble persons who desire the well-being of the universe! May the grace of Mother Goddess cause the wellbeing of the universe!
Jai Jagadambe namah