Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Sri Devi Navaratri Day 3 – October 1, 2019 – Mysore
Compiled by Parimala Eshwarla
Part 1
Time does not wait for anyone. Often when people are alone, they recollect their childhood memories. But childhood will not come back again. When we see small children, we admire them and feel we have missed a lot in our childhood. We admire these children for they had the wisdom to follow Swamiji Sadguru right since their infancy- we wonder why such wisdom did not arise in us when we were small. But then we reconcile that at least now we have obtained the wisdom and that at least now we have Swamiji in our life.
If we go beyond our infancy, we can travel back to our past births. Then we will think, ‘Oh, in my last birth I missed the opportunity to associate with Sadguru’. When seen from this angle, we definitely have missed a lot. We must therefore be happy that at least now we have stepped into this path wherein we are working on our spiritual connect/ progress, engaging ourselves in Sadguru seva. This alone will help us calm down.
We have lost innumerable births in wasteful activities. Had we associated with a Sadguru in some past birth, then those good samskaras would definitely have helped us make an early beginning in this birth. Even though we admire the small children for their wisdom, we do not seek to be born as a child again. But, we try to adopt the child’s approach to life.
For associating with a Spiritual Master, Guru krupa (compassion) is very crucial. Only when we have brought some refined subtle impressions from our past births (good samskaras) we obtain Guru krupa to travel on the spiritual path. Not otherwise. Only when we have engaged in many good deeds in our past births, which led to the creation of good mental impressions (samskaras), we are able to continue our spiritual journey in this birth. Else it would be impossible.
But it is certain that we developed some connect with this path and with Swamiji in our past birth. Our present activities are a proof of it. We must pray that we retain this connect with Sadguru till we obtain liberation. To obtain liberation is not easy. We do not know when we will obtain it.
Due to associating with Sadguru Swamiji in this birth, a little of the real knowledge has begun to dawn in us. Due to talking to Him, due to following His footsteps, due to listening to His speeches, due to understanding the essence in the bhajans composed by Him and due to abiding by His commands, – a little of the real knowledge has dawned in us.
If we are able to listen and follow Him in this birth, it definitely implies that we had some degree of association with Him in our past life. We are continuing the spiritual lessons learnt then. We are presently in that state wherein we are unable to give up Swamiji and go our way. Irrespective of the difficulties we face in life, we long to see Him and hear Him speak.
Often, people approach Gurus for solutions to their worldly problems. If the problems are unresolved, they abandon that Guru. But we are not like them. Irrespective of whether our problems are solved or not, we do not want to disassociate with our Sadguru Swamiji. In fact, our heart becomes more and more closer to Him.
There definitely is some secret behind this. What is the secret? We must try to decipher. What is this connect that I experience with my Sadguru? What could it be? What could be the reason for this level of devotion towards Swamiji? Why are we longing to see Him? The supreme secret is that we are deeply longing to understanding the ultimate secret of life. We are unable to directly ask Him. He too is unable to directly explain it to us.
We think, ‘Perhaps this understanding is not truly required for us. That is why He has not explained to us. Why should we worry about it?’
Time does not wait for anyone. It runs. Navaratri celebrations this year were not the same as last year. Last year’s celebrations were not the same as the year before. Time does not change. We are changing. Our bodies are changing.
In order to understand the Supreme Essence, in order to procure Her grace, we are worshipping Her exactly per the methods prescribed by the Vedas and Shastras. We are worshipping Her per the method prescribed in the mantra shastras and the various texts that explain about Her. In different forms, with different names and using different methods we are worshipping Her. We are worshipping Her mentally; we are worshipping Her physically. We are performing bahya pooja (external worship), antar puja (inner worship); we are meditating upon Her.
We are treating her as our dearest friend. We are treating Her as our family member; as a little girl in our home. We are bathing Her, decorating Her with clothes and jewellery, feeding Her blissfully. All along we are praying to Her to shower upon us the Supreme Knowledge.
With each passing birth we are inching closer towards the Supreme. It is Mother who has blessed us with this devotion. It is she who has given us detachment. We have been able to leave behind our homes, our relations and our chores to spend time exclusively in Her celebrations here. We have been able to stay away for 10 days without fighting. There are many who cannot pass even a single day without fights and gossip. But after coming here to the ashram, we have stayed away from all such distractions. This itself is a proof of detachment in us. As bhakti is increasing in us, as knowledge is entering into us, detachment is slowly arising in us.
In the initial days of stepping on to this spiritual track, people are in a conflict. ‘Am I going on the right track? Is this right or wrong to follow to this path and this Sadguru?’ But as time goes by, such fears are shred. ‘Undoubtedly I am on the right track’- we realize.
Their doubt in the initial days is justified for the world is filled with pretentious saints. We cannot figure out the right from the wrong. Who is to be followed and who is not? I am not saying that I am right. What I say is that we must cross-verify periodically whether we are progressing on the right path or not. It is our duty to check whether we are making the right path or not. Are we progressing in this spiritual journey? Just as we undertake health checks periodically, we must check our real growth.
part 2
Traiyambakam tripurasundari
Harmyabhūmi raṃgaṃ viharasarasi karuṇapravāḥ
Dāsāśca vāsavamukhāḥ paripālanīyam
Kāmākṣi! vishwamapi vīkṣaṇa-bhūbhŗtaste
O Mother Tripurasundari! For the king known as Your gaze, Lord Shiva’s body is the residence. Your flow of compassion is the leisurely flowing pond. Indra and other Devatas are your attendants. What is the kingdom that You rule? This entire universe! It is worthy of being ruled by You. Hence, O Mother, please rule over it. To You, O Mother, I offer obeisance.
On this auspicious day, let us meditate and visualize Her as ‘Chidagni-kunda sambhootaayai namah’ (She who emerged from the fire of consciousness).
With the intent of helping the Devatas who were being badly tormented by Bhanda and other demons, the Supreme Mother emerged in the form of illumination. How was this divine illumination? It was akin to the simultaneous rising of a thousand Suns!
Demon Bhanda had emerged from the ashes of Manmatha who had been burnt down due to Shiva’s anger. Seeing him, who was filled with total spiritual ignorance (ajnana), Lord Brahma rebuked, ‘bhand, bhand’. From then on, this demon was known as Bhanda.
Bhanda refers to the spiritual ignorance (ajnana) that has taken on a form. When ignorance takes on a form, Bhanda emerges. Along with ajnana, two other wicked demons also emerged. Merely thinking of them destroys all the knowledge in us. They were Vishukra and Vishanga. While Vishukra emerged from Bhanda’s right shoulder, Vishanga emerged from Bhanda’s left shoulder.
Vishukra refers to that which destroys the essence (rasa) in us. He destroys all forms of rasa in the person. True to his name, this demon tormented all the men and women in all the three worlds. He drank the rejuvenating essences, the shukra and shona rasas, from their bodies thereby rendering them fatigued and weak. They turned anemic.
Vishanga means he who is without sanga (associations). True to his name, this demon ensured that love, affection and other good feelings are eroded in all living entities. With this, friendliness and laughter vanished from every face! Overcome with anger and hatred, the entities began to fight amongst themselves. They were moving like mere puppets.
Together with these associates, Bhanda began to create havoc in all the three planes. Taking on the form of wind, he ensured that all entities turn listless. He saw to it that the entire order of creation was overturned.
This was the situation before the emergence of Mother Goddess!
In order to set right the situation, Mother Goddess incarnated from the fire with four arms – ‘Chaturbaahu samanvitaayai namah’. She was holding love/affection in the form of a noose in Her hand- ‘Raaga-svaroopa paashaadhyaayai namah’. This noose was held in Her left bottom hand.
In Her bottom right hand, She retains anger which is depicted by the goad (ankusha). In Her top left hand, She holds the sugarcane bow. In Her top right hand, She holds 5 arrows. The five arrows are the five subtle sensory perceptions known as sound, touch, form, taste and smell.
She emerged from the sacred fire-pit, the Chidagni kunda, wearing a dazzling crown made of sacred padmaraga gemstone on Her sweet-smelling hair. She firmed up Her resolve to destroy the demon Bhanda, who was a personification of ignorance (ajnana), along with his associates. Therefore, She declared war on him.
At first, Bala-devi, the 9 year old daughter of Mother Goddess Lalita, entered the battlefield. In the war that followed, Bala-devi killed the 30 sons of Bhanda. These 30 sons represent the wicked energies. Only after these wicked energies are destroyed, real knowledge illumines in the person. This is symbolically explained as Bala-devi killing the 30 sons of Bhanda. By worshipping Bala-devi, these wicked energies in us dissipate.
Thereafter, Mother Shyamala destroyed the demon Vishanga who was puffing up with pride. Due to negative thoughts, the society at large is harmed. In order to eliminate such evil thoughts, it is essential for the power of mantra (mantrini shakti), which exists in the form of good thoughts, to surge in the individual. For obtaining noble thoughts, Mother Shyamala must be worshipped. She bestows us with good buddhi (intellect).
The demon Vishukra still remained alive. Mother Varahi-devi, also known as Dandanatha, killed him. The killing of Vishukra teaches that we must never destroy our own radiance (tejas). If we cause our energies to travel downwards, it will lead to our fall. If we cause our inner energies to rise upwards, we can see spiritual accomplishments.
There are many who are forever lamenting. In them, the radiance flows downwards and gets drained out. They end up in hospitals due to disease and after death travel to lower planes. Such people are always grieving for something or the other at all times. Some thought or the other troubles them.
One must never place the hand over the head under any circumstances. Even if the person is suffering with unbearable headache, he must never place his hand over his head. Placing hand over the head causes the radiance in us to travel downwards. Even in sleep, we must ensure that our hand is not over our head.
For the smallest inconvenience, people place both their hands on their head and lament. The moment someone scolds/ abuses us, we get offended. With this our radiance reduces. To add to it, we lower our head and weep. Due to lowering the head and weeping, radiance in us further depletes. We must strive to retain the radiance in the head and not let it fall.
Precisely for this, Mother Dandanatha must be worshipped. She helps protect our radiance. Her grace allows us to keep our senses (indriya) under our control. We accomplish sense-control.
Sense-control implies we must learn to tolerate hunger; we must learn to handle sorrows and depressions, disappointments. If someone scolds us, we must say, ‘thanks, continue. I love your abuses’. This will irritate them. If we allow their abuses to affect us, then our radiance reduces and their abuses will turn true.
There are many who say, ‘I did such a wonderful job. My writing was so good. I cooked so nicely, yet they disapproved. I was not recognized’. They cry for it lowering their heads. Crying reduces the radiance.
With the death of Vishanga and Vishukra, now only demon Bhanda, the personification of spiritual ignorance (ajnana) remained alive. Using the powerful weapon Kameshwara-astra, Mother Goddess killed him. Kameshwara-astra sybolizes the fire of illumination or the fire of knowledge.
When knowledge emerges in the person, ignorance in him automatically vanishes.
It is enough if you provide a small place in your mind for the residence of Mother Lalita, the Goddess who rules the creation. She will take up the complete responsibility of your upliftment. Even if innumerable wicked energies exist within you, She will ensure their destruction and your upliftment. She will bestow you with victory.
May the grace of Mother Lalita cause a surge in divine energies in you all! With this, may you all get uplifted!