Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Navarātri Series – Day 3, Truteeya – Goddess Durgi Lakshmi – Namasankeertana & discourse in the evening – October 17, 2023 – Mysore
Bhajan 8548 – He Dakshināmūrti rūpe Shive
Bhajan 8550 – Mātrukāsi sarva loka rūpadāyini
Chanting of Bhagavati Mata’s name is very important. It is like Japa. It aids meditation and Tapas. It is good penance. We call it Divya Nama Sankeertana. If you are faced with any setback in body or mind, sit and sing for half an hour and see the change for yourself. Or, you can sit and listen to the compositions and meditate. Then, everything becomes fine. You will have the courage to fight your problems. Don’t be afraid of problems. If you fight problems, they’ll slowly weaken. But if you are afraid of them, they will multiply. First learn to fight problems. We have a good weapon in Divya Nama Sankeertana. Our Bhajans, mantras are all good weapons. Choose a Deity name you like – Mother goddess, Krishna, Rama, Shiva etc. There are thousands of bhajans covering all deities.
You all like me and Swamiji likes you. Automatically you will also like Appaji’s bhajans. For about 40 minutes before going to bed, listen to Appaji’s Divya Nama Sankeertana. This is good medication. You’ll have a good sleep. If you always dwell on your problems, your problems will kill you, no one will help you.
I told you a story before. A devotee of Goddess prayed to Her and She appeared. She assured him per his desire that She would appear whenever he needed because he had done meritorious deeds in his prior birth and his Guru was also very powerful.
The devotee was once afraid on the battlefield and he called out to the Mother. She appeared and he said, “I am afraid, I cannot see this battle against my king, I cannot fight.” Mother assured and said, “Don’t worry, pick up the sword, I will give you strength to fight. Or take this gun, I will give you the strength.” The man said, “I cannot Mother, I am afraid, my hands are shivering. Mother said, “Okay, you run. I’ll give strength in your legs. You always think they are weak, but I will give you strength and protect you.” The man lamented and said he cannot run. Mother assured him his legs and arms are strong and asked him to believe in Her and run. The man said he couldn’t run. Then Mother asked him to hide in the bush. He said he couldn’t do that either. Neither could he fight, nor run, nor hide. Then Mother asked him to die and left him to his fate.
Many devotees are like this. They have no faith. You are not the only devotee, I have other devotees to attend to as well. I cannot sit with you alone. So many devotees have gained so much courage and transformed their lives when I simply asked them to chant Hanuman Chālisa. They followed my words. But there are also many devotees who are disappointed that I did not do anything elaborate when they came to me with their problems. They are not satisfied when I give them a simple solution. There are another type of devotees who try to give me courage when I’m not well. They say they will use a mantra to cure the problem. Sometimes it works too. A guileless devotee said she used my Hanuman mantra to cure my knee pain, and it actually worked.
A man once was told by a tantrik to bring the head of a Yatīshvara so that the Mother Goddess grants him all the boons. The man went to Sankara Bhagavadpada and asked him for his head. The saint asked him to come back at a specific time next morning not before or after, since devotees would be sitting nearby. One of the disciples of the sage, Padmapāda, was an ardent devotee of Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy. He had done crores of japa of the Lord’s name.
You all must do constant Japa when you are still seeing Swamiji in physical body. Amass a lot of energy by chanting. You’ll regret later if you do not. I have given you plenty of things to do, don’t think I’ve not given you anything.
Padmapāda noticed that there was something unusual going on and waited for the next morning for the man to come back. And when he did, Padmapāda appeared as Narasimha Swamy and scared the man away. Padmapāda said to his Guru (Adi Shankara): How could you offer your head to that man? That head and that body is ours. We are all alive for the sake of this physical form. You can give him as much energy as you wish, but you have no right over the body. It is ours.
That is the power Padmapāda had gained. It was Lord Narasimha himself talking to the sage through him. Padmapāda had merely received a cursory upadesha from his Guru. Adi Shankara just asked him to do Narasimha mantra and the disciple himself researched and found the mantra and kept chanting it. You won’t even remember if I write the mantra and give it to you. Thus, Lord Narasimha spoke to the man as well as to his Guru.
Swamiji will narrate Sankara Vijayam one day. Swamiji follows the same Tattva propounded by Adi Sankara. All of us have to follow that Tattva – “God is one, God alone exists. I am Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.”
You remember yesterday what Mother said: “I am everything. Nothing more ancient than me.” Contemplate on this and you will understand its effect. It seems like a simple statement, but it has everything.
Devi Bhāgavatam:
Mother Goddess is the wealth of Chandrashekara. That is why, she bears the young moon on her head. The Mother is the essence of Vedas. She is the cause of the realisation of oneness. Obeisance to such a Mother. She resides in the centre of Kanchi Puram which is one of the Moksha Puris (a place which leads to liberation).
I am not narrating a story. I am talking about Devi’s Shakti (power). On the first day, we spoke about what Pārāyana is, and then yesterday we spoke about how to do it.
Janamejaya asked Sage Vyasa: Why did the all-powerful Maha Vishnu perform Devi Yajna? Who helped him and who all were there? I wish to hear. It is not ordinary matter than Sri Maha Vishnu himself did the Yajna. I want to listen all about it and perform the Yajna too.” Sage Vyasa said: O Janamejaya, listen attentively, I will tell you everything about the forming of Earth, its names, Meru’s birth, emergence of Devatas, Trinity’s new abodes and then about the Yajna.
In the past, the Trinity assumed female forms and worshiped Mother Goddess. They then won their respective consorts and returned to see that the world was filled with water. That’s when they created the Earth. Each incarnation of the Dashvataras happened due to the grace of Mother Goddess. Bhuvaneshvari shakti was the supporting force/power for Earth. That’s why the Earth got the name Dhara. She also got the name Medhini due to the mind/intellect of the demons Madhu and Kaitabha mixing with it. And earned the name Prithvi because of its expanse. It also got the name Mahi. The earth was stable on the head of Adi Sesha. Then, mountains were born to balance the Earth with their plus and minus charges. The mountains stood on either side balancing the Earth. Thus mountains got the name Mahidhara (who bears the Mahi).
Then, Jaganmāta created a golden mountain. It was humongous and was shining as its peaks were resplendent with diamonds. It was called Meru. It was many yojanas (1 yojana ~ 8 miles) expansive. Then the Sages – Marichi, Narada, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Daksha, Vasishtha were born to Lord Brahma. Marichi’s son Sage Kashyapa married the thirteen daughters of Daksha and fathered the Devatas as well as the demons. Lord Brahma made His abode – Satya loka, Vaikuntha for Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva established Kailāsa on Mt. Meru. Lord Brahma also made Svarga (heaven) for Indra with apsaras, four tusked elephants and other notable beings. Parijata, Kamadhenu, Dhanvantari etc were all residing in Svarga. They made Svarga shine. Then, four kinds of beings were created on Earth. Everyone was happy in their own place.
At that time, suddenly, Maha Vishnu in Vaikuntha remembered Mother Goddess. It’s just as you decide suddenly on an impulse to come see Swamiji. You don’t even enquire if Swamiji is in the Ashram or no, and just rush to see Swamiji. Lord Vishnu had seen Mother when He was lying as an infant on a banyan leaf on cosmic waters after dissolution. Maha Vishnu in His vision could see Sveta Bhavana, Mani Mantapa; He saw Himself worshiping Mother Goddess as a woman in the past. He remembered the mantra He heard from Mother, and suddenly realised that comforts and duties made Him forget Mother. “What a grave mistake!” He thought. “These comforts do not give Moksha. What use are these?” He decided to get rid of the stupor and worship Mother. He immediately summoned Brahma, Rudra, Kubera, Sage Vasishtha, Daksha, Vama Deva, Varuna, Agni, Brihaspati etc and invited them to come to Devi Yajna.
All Devatas showed up. Maha Vishnu summoned the sculptors and asked them to construct a very beautiful Yāga Shāla. All requisite materials were prepared/gathered in abundance. The Lord got 27 ritviks ready for the Yāga. Maha Vishnu lit the sacred Homa fire and several priests performed the appropriate rituals chanting the Devi Bījāksharās. All of them were pure hearted during that time. The wandering mind must be brought back repeatedly to focus on the mantra. The mind will start to run away, some stray thoughts deviate it from Mantra. We barely focus for 2 chants and the mind starts to wander on the 3rd. We should keep bringing it back. That is a penance in itself.
Everyone present at the Devi Yajna stilled their mind and focused on the Mother. Everyone’s mind was involved in either doing japa, tapa, pārāyana, archana, abhisheka, charity or all other sevas. One way or the other, their minds were established on Mother. All the sevas we do, we must do fully absorbed in Mother, then work will happen on its own. If you absorb the mind in Mother while sweeping, cleaning etc, Mother herself will do everything. It doesn’t mean you sit on the sofa and chant expecting work to happen on its own. Mother won’t do the work for you then.
When the Devi Yajna came to conclusion, a voice in the sky said to Maha Vishnu: “O consort of Lakshmi! Your Devi Yajna is extraordinary. I am very pleased. All your wishes will be fulfilled. You will be superior among Devatas and will be worshiped by Brahma and all humans. Vedas and Puranas will praise you in particular. You will be the important one to worship in Yajnas. All Devatas will seek refuge with you when tormented by the demons. Whenever there is danger to Dharma on earth, you will incarnate with your aspect to protect the earth. Your incarnations will be renowned and worshiped on Earth. My Shakti will incarnate as Vārāhi, Nārasimhi and many other forms. They will wield weapons and enable you to complete your tasks. My aspect Lakshmi will support you in all your incarnations. Never become arrogant and look down upon the Shaktis. They are all Me. They will help you.” All those Shaktis are receiving Puja in Bharat even now. Back then Mother had blessed that all those Shaktis will incarnate in Bharat (India). The Shaktis grant all wishes to those who pray to them with devotion. Devi continued telling Maha Vishnu, “Your fame will spread to all 7 continents and to heavens. People will pray to you and to me for prosperity. You will become God of Gods from today onwards.”
Only Her words were heard, Mother did not appear to even Lord Vishnu, She is not one to be seen. Everyone was happy to hear Her and praised Maha Vishnu. The Yajna was complete. Everyone went back to their abodes and continued honouring their obligatory duties while praying to Mother.
This is the fruit of the Yajna performed with Shraddha and Bhakti. Maha Vishnu worshiped the Mother without forgetting and gained such great fruit. We get fruit beyond our imagination. Mother blesses the devotees who participate in the Sevas. May you all earn the grace of Mother Goddess. That is why we have decided to do Devi Yajna regularly at the Ashram.
Bhajan ID 8552: kāmēśa vāmēśi kāmēśvari
Meaning: O Kameshvari Devi who rules the left side of Kameshvara, You are the energy of action in Him, it is due to you that he grants auspiciousness, you are the energy in all Devatas using which they protect devotees. You first manifest as Ganapati, then Balā Tripura Sundari Devi, then Shyamala Devi and then Vārāha Devi protecting those worshiping them. Therefore, we should worship all of them during Upāsana. You are the pair of feet of the Guru as well. Please dance like a lightning on my head that contains the Guru’s Lotus Feet. O Mother who is the effulgence of Sachchidananda, please reside on my head.
We saw the grandeur of the Devi Yajna done by Vishnu. You are all so blessed that you are sitting here with me. Many wish to come, but they are not able to come and listen like you. Mother brought you here this Navaratri. If Mother grants health like this, we can do Navaratri again like this. For some reason, only a few lakhs are in the boat with Appaji. Many are coming here, but still not able to realise its importance. Many come, and prostrate and leave; they give wedding invitations and leave. That’s their destiny. Mother puts a veil that doesn’t let them come closer. They’ll realise when it’s too late. It’s puzzling that they are so close, yet do not realise.
There are people here from faraway countries – Russia, Mexico, Japan, Australia, Trinidad. Trinidad is far away, and takes so long to travel from there. 30 members are here. I don’t know what they see in Swamiji. Every household has Swamiji’s photos, they sing Bhajans. I don’t understand what this is. They chant Sundarākānda. They do Pārāyanas whether it’s a good or a sad occasion. They place a flag outside their home every time one Pārāyana is finished. There are many flags in front of each house. They were all taken as indentured labor from India many generations ago. They struggled a lot, but Indians have also earned a good name there. They are compassionate and gentle. They have even earned offices of President and Prime Minister. Hanuman must protect that nation. They have mad devotion for Swamiji. I go there year after year even though the travel is difficult and long. Trinidadians are here even though travel is expensive. They came here with so much devotion. They wanted to see Navaratri’s grandeur and came here casting away all doubts.