Speeches of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Datta Kshetra Yatra 2025 – SGS Ashrama, Vijayawada, AP – January 2, 2025
Sri Chakra Puja
śrī gaṇeśāya namaḥ। śrī sarasvatyai namaḥ। śrī pāda vallabha narasiṃhasarasvati śrī guru dattātreyāya namaḥ |
Bhajan keertans are very important. We should learn them like we are learning the Bhagavad Gita. Bring new young children into the bhajans group. Just as elders trained you when you were little, you must do the same. Train them closely. The deeper you dig, the more water you get. The more and more you water plants, the more yield it gives. The more fodder you give cows, the tastier the milk. Similarly, don’t think you don’t have a good voice, or can’t pronounce words correctly. You must sing.
Various kinds of people are chanting the Gita. Vijayawada needs to increase its Gita chanting numbers. You must join the Gita classes. Hyderabad is doing well. Start with reading from the book. The more you read, the more you are able to chant correctly. Divine Mother will show you the way. There will be difficulty initially, and then it becomes easy.
First, learn the shlokas and then learn the meanings.
Bhagavad Gita is the mantra for our life. Krishna is our first Guru; Shiva is Yoga Guru. Krishna is our Guru for Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavad Gita came from God’s lips. He appeared as the Guru.
There was Datta’s incarnation before that. He gave Avadhoota Gita and Atma Vilasam. That is more esoteric to grasp. Each shloka’s commentary is about 10 books long. That’s how profound it is.
Around 1978-80, Swamiji narrated Atma Vilasam here in Vijayawada. There are still a few of the people who heard it then. We did not have good recordings then. We had no TV channels then. They pleaded with Me so often to do the discourse again but I have not.
Atma Vilasam is directly given by Lord Datta. Their meanings and commentary is extremely wonderful. SadaShiva gave Bhagavatam to Parvati Mata. Bhagavatam too is very wonderful. Sage Vyasa thus gave us Mahabharata and then Bhagavatam besides many others. So, Sri Krishna, even more easily for us, gave us Bhagavad Gita, after what Datta Guru, Shiva Guru, and Vyasa Guru gave us, respectively.
Avadhoota Gita, Atma Vilasam are difficult to grasp.
I am told Atma Vidya Vilasam recording is available. Atma Vilasam teaches us to walk towards Liberation.
Sage Vyasa gave us so many scriptures so we can choose what appeals to us. The Jnana path is difficult. The Karma path is something we can follow. Bhakti too seems hard sometimes. To take up the path of Jnana, we should first follow the Bhakti path. To walk on that path, we should first follow the Karma path. The Karma path purifies us. From the time we breathe and eat, our karma path starts.
Do not think Yajna and Yaga alone are the karma path. That is upasana/worship.
On the path of Karma, we need complete devotion. Sometimes, ego comes in the way “I have done this”, “My name has not been recognized for this contribution”, etc. Once you make a donation, you must forget about it.
When you put something in the fire of Yajna, chanting “Svaha”, do you ask to get it back? Can you ask for that ladle of ghee back? Do you ask for the other items back from the fire?
When you do Atma Samarpana, it gives you results. For that, we need Jnana. That is why we are striving so much. In the meanwhile, though, we developed the notion “I am the body”. My children, my spouse, my house….
Many gloat that they worked very hard to get their children to grow up well and study. Who did you do it for? For your own children. If you did this for orphans, that may be worth gloating, but if you are gloating about doing this for your own children what’s so great about it?
You talk about how hard you toiled to build your home. It is your home, of course you’ll toil for it. There is no need to gloat.
If you have the opportunity for seva, be grateful that God gave you the opportunity and be grateful that God gave you the resources to help. So, give up doership. Develop the Jnana that you are not doing, God is making you do.
I will tell you the story of Raikva in the evening and how he gained enlightenment. We will learn what happened to the egoistic king.
We should earn Jnana, for which we need shraddha/dedication. For this, we need Bhakti. But the mind is elsewhere, it is thinking about debts, insults, food, sleep, etc. Many sit for dhyana and start yawning and then doze off. That’s because they are trying to concentrate. The only time we concentrate like this is when we try to fall asleep. Our mind is focused on falling asleep.
When you chant the Gita for example, you might forget the next line as the mind veers away. Bring the mind back. Whatever worship you are doing, whatever you are chanting, it sometimes gets derailed because you are focusing on 1) problems and 2) body. In the midst of this is the wretched kāma/desire. The newlyweds are constantly thinking of their spouses.
When the desire is not fulfilled, it turns into anger. This is what Sri Krishna said in Bhagavad Gita.
Pujya Swamiji asks someone to tell the exact shloka, and then directs a scholar present to elaborate on the shloka and add some related commentary as well.
Avadhoota Geeta (Telugu) on Podbean https://www.podbean.com/wlei/pb-ss5m6-11ba346
Aatma Vilasam (Telugu) on Podbean https://www.podbean.com/wlei/pb-ffzfe-11ba33c
Divya Nama Sankeerthana – Bhajans
śrī gaṇeśāya namaḥ। śrī sarasvatyai namaḥ। śrī pāda vallabha narasiṃhasarasvati śrī guru dattātreyāya namaḥ |
Bhajan ID 1162: gaṅgādharanē ambāsakhanē
Bhajan ID 177: digambarā digambarā jaya gurudatta digambarā
Bhajan ID 2218: vrātapatē pramathapatē
To grant us the entire fruit, Ganapati must be worshiped first. He is the cause for sound to be manifest. Pujas always start with worship to Lord Ganapati. Before embarking on any task, even if not spiritual, we can chant Gam Ganapataye Namah. Or, remember Lord Ganapati. Then, the fruit will be granted entirely.
We will talk about Karma Yoga today. In Bhagavad Gita, we learn about Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga etc.
What is Karma Yoga? How should it be practiced?
Our scriptures teach us that to fulfill this human birth, we should follow one of the good paths of Bhakti or Jnana or Karma. These three are taught to us so we can pick any one. However, time waits for none. Everything is urgent. So, what is the path that uplifts us in this day and age?
Say, we choose the path of Bhakti. It is of course superior. But it is difficult because Bhakti may appear to take root in the heart, but it does not really.
Okay, how about the path of Jnana? Jnana has a lot of discussions. So, the entire time is spent in discussions, leaving almost no time for contemplating on God. Earning jnana needs stability and also needs a lot of rigor and discipline.
Moreover, we are not able to even do the japa of Guru mantra. We want to sit and do japa with our eyes closed, but we open our eyes and get distracted. In case the person experiences Atma Ananda, he is called a lunatic by the world. There is barely anyone that understands the jnani and helps him. Most people mock jnanis. So, earning jnana too is very hard.
The Guru may be teaching very well…if you want to go listen, there are a hundred obstacles, or your phones keep ringing. If you do manage to revel in that jnana, you are again considered mad.
So, is there no path then to uplift us? There is. That is Karma Yoga.
In this age of rat race, Karma Yoga is very favorable.
Are there rules to follow? Yes.
You must do your duty completely; you must not leave it half way. Others may try to deceive you while you are immersed in work, but you must be aware. You must be vigilant in doing your duty. You must do the duty that falls to your lot.
Giving excuses of family members being sick in order to shirk work is wrong. We should enjoy the work given to us by God.
I just told two scholars now: Do not waste time. There is a book store – go and study some of the good books there. Some of the content may be old, but presented in a novel manner. It’s how the mother cooks new dishes with the same ingredients.
They reported back that they found some good books.
While relishing the work, one must work happily. One must not lament the work they need to do. If you need to exercise, exercise happily. Whatever work you need to do, work with dedication.
There will be distractions and disturbances at home inevitably. Whatever you do – bathing, eating, drinking – offer to God.
When you bathe, chant the bathing mantra and think of the waters as holy waters. When you eat, think of it as naivedya. When you are doing charity, believe you are giving to the God in them.
All this is karma yoga.
Do not lie, do not deceive, do not be conceited. Tricking others will destroy one’s own life. You pretend you have devotion, but there’s nothing inside.
In karma yoga, you must not let ego come near you. Never forget your duty. Have a broad mind. Respect the bonds but be aware they do not last.
As much as possible, offer all fruits to God without any desire of your own. Then, you will have no grief. Try it for yourself.
We are doing karma without sincerity, that is why we have grief.
God is in every heart. We should gain the mindset to see God in everyone. Karma Yoga gives good fruit. Karma Yoga that comes from discipline grants us Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga as well.
So, first follow Karma Yoga.
That is why Sankara Bhagavadpada said that every day one must pray to their favorite deity first thing in the morning.
As an example, if we are to pray to Lord Shiva…
ātmā tvaṃ girijā mati: sahacarā: prāṇā: śarīraṃ gṛhaṃ
pūjā te viṣayopabhogaracanā nidrā samādhisthihi: |
saṃcāra: padayo: pradakṣiṇavidhi: stotrāṇi sarvā giro
yadyatkarma karomi tattadakhilaṃ śambho tavārādhanam ||
O Shambho! You are my Atman. (The entire body is pervaded by Atman; it is not just in the heart area). My buddhi is Parvati Mata. My body is your abode. Nagaram nagaram Narayana nagaram.
May the actions I do to experience sensory pleasures be Puja to you. May my sleep be the samadhi that attains you. May my walk be pradakshina around you. May all the words I utter be stotras in your praise. Thus, whatever work I do, please consider it an act of worship and bless me.
This is an easy method in Karma Yoga. No need of deeksha, parayana or fasting to follow this. Like this, if we dedicate every action to God, that is enough, our life will be uplifted. May this upadesha sit in your heart and may you earn the grace of Lord Datta.
So, every word we utter should be considered a mantra. We are consecrating Lord Shiva here in Vijaywada Ashrama.
Bhajan ID 1285: śaṅkaruḍā śaṅkaruḍā ō śambhō
This is a very easy Bhajan. We offer Panchamrta Snana to the Lord, such a beautiful explanation is given about it. We just think it’s a mechanical action. Secondly, how our karma and sins must be removed are also explained related to each of the 5 nectars in the panchamrta abhisheka – the milk, curd, honey, ghee, sugar, fruits etc.
A tiny drop of that teertha is enough for us to consume. It is enough if the throat gets wet with that teertha, we don’t need a glassful. That teertha mixed with the saliva passes down and falls on the Vishnu granthi and Shiva granthi in the abdomen and below.
Teertham is very important to consume. Some people, instead of drinking, will throw the teertha on their head. That is a waste. Honey on the head will turn the hairs gray.
Bhajan ID 7340: jagamulaku janani, saccidānandini
From tomorrow, we start Prathishtha rituals for Gangadhareshwara and for Anagha Sameta Datta. Datta here is called Shyama Kamala Lochana Datta.
There is a slight imperfection near the feet of the moorti from years of abhishekam rituals, so we are replacing the moorti now.
A new song has been composed today. Hindi devotees have requested it.
Bhajan ID 8820: rē man hari guṇ tum gāō
500 devotees did Hanuman Chalisa chanting in Mysuru for 33 hours, 33 minutes, 33 seconds. They chanted without sleeping a wink all night. The adjudicators were reviewing the hall to see if anyone was dozing off. No one did. They set aside hunger and thirst and did the Parayana. They achieved the Guinness world record. It is during such world record setting activities that our bhakti gets stable.
Bhajan ID 8818: jaya jagadavana! jaya jaya kāraṇa!
From tomorrow, because we have many programs, we will start early at 5am. You must come early; such opportunities will not arise again.
Previous days, we did arati for other deities, so, today, we will do it for Shiva; Shiva Arati.
Bhajan ID 1280: gāvō āratī viśvēśvar śiv kī
I have not done such a big Andhra tour in the past. There are places on this tour that I have not been to since Prathishtha.
Announcement for local devotees:
Tomorrow, we will have the consecration programs and Prathishtha Yaga rituals. Then, Swamiji will do SriChakra Archana at 10am, and at the same time Bhagavad Gita Parayana, after which those who passed the exam with distinction will be blessed with gold medals by Pujya Swamiji. Let’s all maintain utmost discipline. The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh will visit around 1pm in the afternoon. In the evening, we will again have Divya Nama Sankeerthana.