Speeches of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji before and after Hari Sannidhi Puja – September 19, 2021 – Mysore
Compiled by Archana Penukonda
Message before Hari Sannidhi Puja
Today is the day of Ananta Padmanabha Vrata. We are performing Hari Sannidhi Puja on this occasion. Where there are over 100 Salagramas, that is called Hari Sannidhi. There are many Salagramas in the Ashram. We placed this Hari Sannidhi in the Venkata Ramana Swamy temple before, now we are keeping it near Swamiji. These are very rare Salagramas that have been there for yugas – for billions of years – in Gandaki river. You all know the story of Salagramas. Some of these Salagramas are used for worship, some are just placed in Ganga water. Today, all these Salagramas are being placed in Ganga water. Once a week, we remove the Ganga water. Everyday, we offer Arati to the Salagramas, apply sandal paste, chant specific hymns and put them back in Ganga water. The ritual is called Hari Sannidhi when there are 100 or more Salagramas. These Salagramas need to be worshiped everyday, if not they should be placed in Ganga water.
Here in the Ashrama, they are worshiped as well as placed in Ganga water. Every week, they are also offered Naivedyam. Salagramas related to Keshava Namavali and related to the infinite names of Sri Hari are all in the Ashram. Many of these Salagramas quite magically made their way to the Ashrama on their own. We are doing this Puja on this day to show you all these Salagramas. All these Salagramas have been placed in Ganga water for more than 10-15 years. Some of these Salagramas have been in Ganga water since 1966 when Swamiji came here to the Ashrama. Some Salagramas have been moved all over the Ashrama, while some were placed in the Puja shrine. You are all beholding a wonderful sight today.
There are whorls in the Salagramas that go from right to left and from left to right. Some Salagrama have a half Sri Chakra pattern. These are now placed in Swamiji’s Puja room. We will place them here one by one, so watch and enjoy.
Message after Hari Sannidhi Puja
You all witnessed Maha Hari Sannidhi (all Salagramas being in one place) today on the day of Ananta Padmanabha Vrata. Ananta Padmanabha Swami (in the temple in Kerala) is made of Salagramas. He is the father to even the grandfather of this creation – Lord Brahma. We are worshiping Lord Ananta Padmanabha today. I worship him constantly in various ways with mantras, yantras, 1,25,000 tantras, Vedic rites, Vedic chants, and tens of millions of mantras in the mind. Yet, this crisis could not be averted. That is the Lord’s sankalpa, so it must the experienced.
Such events also occurred in the previous Yugas of Krita, Treta and Dwapara. We must worship the Lord wholeheartedly without causing any hurt or inconvenience to anyone around us.
We have all come here from different planes due to some bondage. Due to some small karma, we are interwoven with each other like a chain. Sometimes the chain breaks, sometimes it joins together. It’s how the iron pieces sometimes fall apart even after strong welding. We are all tied together due to the cords of Karma. Sometimes the cords break and sometimes they tie us together. We must help each other and live with love and trust. We do not know why we are together. There is a flower bunch with over 100 red flowers that we use in the Puja here. The bunch of 100 flowers are always together like a big family. Sometimes, some flowers fall off even while we pick other flowers from the bunch.
Suddenly, some flowers fall due to wind, some due to rain, some due to sun, some due to birds and sometimes the entire bunch falls off. We should reconcile this with our lives. When we meet others, understand each and other and maintain trust. Do not increase your anger. Do not spoil your mind.
In Bengaluru a millionaire’s family got together for an auspicious ceremony for a child yesterday and one argument led to another and escalated out of control and led to the death of so many family members. Narayana! What else is this if not Karma! We are all with each other due to karma. Do not lose what you have. Be with each other. We do not know where we will end up eventually. Some get transferred, some move out, some just get sick and pass away. So, do not fight in midst of this short journey. We will all have to leave anyway. Have no envy for each other
Many Salagramas are born in Gandaki river. You know the story of Salagramas from Bhagavatam etc. Lord Vishnu bestows the boon on Brinda that He would be born in these forms in Gandaki river. It is so fascinating that the insect chants Omkara for years while remembering Sri Hari and makes these amazing formations in these stones. We see a different form in each pattern in the stone. There is a Salagrama Purana too. You all had darshan of these Salagramas today. These Salagramas were born in Gandaki river, they grew up there and and some of them met again here in this Ashrama. That is how we should all be together. Salagramas teach us so many lessons. There is a lot of deep meaning in Salagramas. This is not a simple mechanical ritual. This is not an unintelligent ritual by our ancients. It is in fact a wonderful concept. You can all have Darshana when you come. It is to give you Darsahana that we did this program. These Salagramas will be placed in Ganga water now and will be worshiped regularly.