Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Tripura Rahasya Day 1 – January 4, 2022 – Mysore
Compiled by Parimala Eshwarla
I offer obeisance to that Supreme Lord (Parameshwara) who is extremely renowned, who is the cause of all causes; who exists in the heart-space of the living being, who is an embodiment of bliss, who is changeless, who is Pranava (Om) and by the speck of whose sports all the infinitesimal atoms in this universe get created.
Yadakṣaram param brahma jaganmālā maṇiprabham
Sarvam sarvātmakam sarvasāram sarva padāśrayam ‖
I offer obeisance to Parashakti, the form of the Supreme Lord who, while staying as the centre-most bead in the necklace comprising of the beads called the worlds illumines divinely, who is indestructible, who exists as all forms, and who is the essence and shelter for the entire creation.
(There are innumerable universes. If all those universes are the beads, She is the centre-most bead. In any chain, the centre-most bead takes the most important place. Only it bestows beauty to the chain).
I bow to that mother who is the seed for the petal called samsara (repeated rebirths), who is the embodiment of auspiciousness and who is the form of Shiva, Shakti and Brahma.
I offer obeisance to the transcendental Mother Tripura Devi who is the witness for the universal dissolution, who revived back to life Kāma (the Lord of love) who was burnt to ashes with Rudra’s gaze, and who pours life-force that is like nectar.
With its very high peaks, Malaya Mountain touches the path of the Sun. This mighty mountain, which exists in the Southern direction covers a very long distance. With its many high peaks that appear to bring to light the grandeur of the Supreme Lord, it appears to ridicule the great Mount Meru.
On this Malaya Mountain, clouds seek shelter in the branches of the trees, whose tender shoots, with their illumination, far surpass the Sun’s illumination.
The mountain is filled with the melodious music of celestial maidens. The fragrance of the Sandalwood trees that exist in great abundance on this mountain far surpasses the fragrance of the celestial maidens.
The gentle breeze carries with it the smell of the cardamom creepers that fill the mind with total delight. In the Padma-sarovara pond filled with many delightful lotuses, swans sport merrily.
As the mountain is filled with herds of elephants, the entire interior of the mountain is filled with the odour of the rut oozing from them. Packs of tigers, lions and wild boars wander in the higher ranges of the mountain while the lower ranges are filled with many forests that contain the ashrams of many Rishis.
The entire mountain eternally reverberates with the chanting of the Vedas by the Rishis and their disciples from the ashrams. The wind blowing over the ashrams carries with it the smell of the homas being eternally performed by them. (Ashrama is that which removes shrama (mental stress).
In the breeze, the bark clothing that has been put to dry on the tree branches by the Rishis after they have completed their bath, appear like the flags flying in the air.
The Maharishis who are seated immobile beneath the trees with their eyes closed in deep meditation appear like dolls that have been sketched by the artists.
In some places, Vedantins are chanting the mantras that pertain to the Supreme Lord. In other places, Rishis are invoking the Fire-god according to their daily and periodic ordained duties (nitya-naimittika karmas).
In yet other places scholars are teaching Vedas to the Brahmin boys. In some other places, there are assemblies wherein the scholars are discussing Shastras and other texts.
In some places, the storytellers are narrating wonderful stories from the Puranas to the audience. In this way, in all times and all situations, the front part of the Malaya Mountain, displays all six seasons simultaneously. In this mountain at an isolated place is the Padmasarovara pond.
On the banks of the Padmasarovara pond lives the handsome Parashurama, the son of Jamadagni, who is fair like camphor, who wears clean garments and sacred thread, who has smeared his body with Vibhuti, whose forehead glows at all times with the Tripundra (vibhuti) and who has attained total tranquillity due to perfect completion of the daily ordained duties.
He is an incarnation of Lord Maha-vishnu and distributes bliss to all humans. This supreme devotee of the Lord has obtained the Supreme Knowledge due to the grace of Lord Dattatreya.
Once when he was seated on the deer skin in a thatched hut made of dry grass and filling the eyes of the onlookers with total bliss, the dear devotee Sumedha, who was eternally engrossed in offering services to his Guru approached him who was seated comfortably and whose mind and senses were totally calm and pleasant and, joining his palms, enquired as follows,
“O Parashurama! O uplifter of the devotees! In the past, once I had enquired from you- ‘What is it that is supreme and which will give great merit and ultimate auspiciousness to the living beings who are struggling in the deep sorrow called repeated rebirths? I desire to know that Supreme Essence which the Gurus seek to retain secretively and to attain which there is no other easier auspicious route. If you believe I have the worthiness, then please teach me’- I had pleaded.
At that time, smilingly you had replied, ‘When the time arrives I shall teach you’. It has been 16 years since you made that statement. During these 16 years, without a moment’s break, night and day I have been focussing only on that question in my heart. I have sought total refuge in you. There is none apart from you who will protect me. Please teach me that knowledge which you had said that you will teach in course of time”.
Hearing Sumedha’s words, Parashurama closed his eyes and went into deep meditation. He recollected the secretive essence of Tripura Devi which Lord Dattatreya had taught and which had been initiated to him by Lord Shiva.
He then opened his eyes and said- “My son! Sumedha! At the command of Lord Shiva, Lord Datta taught me, who am of a pure mind, the historical Tripura Rahasya, which is filled with greatness and detachment and which triggers devotion and knowledge in the being.
He had said, ‘O Parashurama! This secretive essence which is a supreme Tantra should never be taught to those who are totally ignorant of it, nor to atheists or to those who lack faith in it. Even a word of it should not be explained to those who lack faith in Tripura Devi, the supreme primordial energy (parashakti).
As this is a supreme treatise that explains the secrets of Parameshwara, this supreme text called Tripura Rahasya should never be taught to those who are not devoted to Mother Goddess.
O Parashurama! After a long passage of time, a great devotee called Sumedha will approach you. Teach him this Tripura Rahasya. He will convert this pure and sacred teaching into a treatise and will teach the same to his disciples’.”
In this way, Parashurama recollected the words of his Guru Dattatreya and then looked lovingly at his disciple who was standing before him with joined palms.
Even Lord Brahma cannot transgress the dictates of Mother Goddess. Recollecting this supreme ancient position of Mother Goddess, Parashurama came to a conclusion and addressing Sumedha who was standing before him said,
“My son! The right time has to arrive for anything to be accomplished. Tomorrow, in the auspicious time that is coupled with the Pushya star, I shall give apt answers to all your questions”.
By then it was Sunset time. Both the Guru and the disciple completed the Sandhya Vandana rituals and chanted the auspicious Gayatri mantra. While meditating upon their Self, they slept peacefully that night.
Sumedha rose early next morning, completed bath and other obligatory rituals and approached his Guru Parashurama who, by then, had already completed his daily obligatory rituals and was peacefully seated. He bowed to his Guru, joined his palms and humbly stood aside.
(If you desire to live long and enjoy a healthy, happy life with all family members it is imperative to rise before Sunrise. Rising from bed after Sunrise has damaging effects).
When the extremely auspicious time arrived, in a very melodious voice, Guru Parashurama called out, “My son!” Thereafter, with flowers, he worshipped the Mother Goddess who was seated before him on a golden throne. He then initiated Sumedha into the verbal mantra of that Mother who is known as Bala, Tripura, Lalita, Śri and Kumari.
Thereafter he worshipped Mother Goddess with many worshipful materials. Gradually while the auspicious mantras were being chanted, he sprinkled the sanctified waters from the sacred pot and bathed his disciple.
He cut the three knots in the disciple. The entire night he made the disciple stay next to the Mother Goddess and ensured that he absorbed the secretive method of worshipping Her who illumines with 12 enclosures in the beginning, with 4 enclosures in the middle and with 16 enclosures in the end.
He also taught the complete inherent form, method of worship, way of offering services and all the secrets including the Mudras (symbols) of the Mother Goddess who thus illumines with 3 broad enclosures. He also taught the way of accepting the blessings of Mother Goddess in the head, heart and anus. He taught the way of offering the 3 tattvas in the fire of the Self (atmagni).
Having initiated his disciple, while explaining the method to accomplish the goal, he said, “My son Sumedha! With great vigilance acquire the Supreme state. In the future time I will bestow fulfilment upon you”.
In this way, Sumedha obtained from Parashurama, all the secrets pertaining to Mother Goddess Tripura Devi. Sumedha circumambulated thrice around his Guru, prostrated to him and then proceeded to Srisailam.