Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Datta Kshetra Yatra 2025 – Dolotsava – SGS Ashrama, Vijayawada, AP – January 4, 2025
śrī mahāganapate namaḥ। śrī sarasvatyai namaḥ। śrī pāda vallabha narasiṃhasarasvati śrī guru dattātreyāya namaḥ।
We suffer from high blood pressure and other ailments due to stress and tension. We cannot sleep well due to tension, and from that we have irregularities in hunger. We will eat the wrong food just to fill our stomach. The environment at home may be hard. Family members may not listen to you. That causes ill health. We have ego, and because of ego, we suffer when someone says something unkind. Then, we are prone to ill health and then it’s just doctors, injections, medicines, etc.
Kauravas are in the nadis. This life is Dharmakshetra, this body is like Kurukshetra. There is Brahma Sarovara in Kurukshetra. There are miles and miles of arid land there. That was needed to fit the countless armies there. Moreover, Brahma Sarovara is a divine place born from Brahma. Devatas bathe there. There is a big story behind that. It is enough to have Darshana of Brahma Sarovar or sprinkle some water on the head or do pradakshina to it.
God was not angry with the Kauravas, He showered grace on them as well. If He was angry with them, what would have happened to them?!
Some asked: Your Devata wears a garland of skulls around Her, isn’t that repulsive? Some Westerners ask these questions.
Mother wore the skulls of the demons She slew. They are also Her sons. She granted them Sadgati. Then, out of love for them, She wore their skulls around Her. A mother loves her son even if he is wicked. The child may be wicked, but it is very rare to have a wicked mother.
The Mother always has compassion for Her child. She holds out some hope and compassion for the child.
Women are blessed by God with more compassion and patience. Men will not have the same. They are short tempered and stone hearted. But women have more compassion.
More women than men have compassion. They are more forgiving, they are patient. They forgive and forget mistakes easily, but men remember and will keep reminding. Men get compassion after a lot of delay.
The mother regrets even scolding the family member, but the man does not regret it.
If humans can have such compassion, imagine the compassion of the Divine Mother. The Mother searched for Her slain sons and made the garland and wore it around Herself.
The elephants grieve a lot when the bones of their parents/grandparents or ancestors are found in the forests. They go around the bones and will stand there and grieve for a long time. They will lift the bones up, will put them on their head and will never step on them. They have so much compassion.
We should learn such compassion. We should remember our ancestors when possible. We should keep their photo and on the day of passing, place a garland around them, feed a hungry animal, visit a temple and pray to them and pray that they be born in your family. Pray that they go to heaven and assure them you’ll pray to God for their onward journey.
You can do Abhishekam to Shiva during Pradosha kala, here. Swamiji made the arrangements for anyone to do Abhisheka here during Pradosha kala.
This shiva linga is made of crystal and we should not be touching it lest we damage it with our finger rings, etc. But we have the opportunity to offer Abhishekam to the Shiva Linga.
Anyone returning from Kasi can bring the Ganga water and do Abhishekam to Shiva here. Like that, you can do Abhishekam on the day your ancestors passed. You can reflect: I gave trouble to my grandmother and was too disgusted to serve her when she was bedridden. I hired a help instead.
One day we will get old too. Whatever we do, we get the same in twice the measure when we get old. The child you dote on now will consider you a burden when you are old and need support.
There are some good old age homes these days. They take good care of the residents. Many older citizens are quite happy in these homes.
We should take care of our elders without hurting them.
This body will inevitably get old one day. Old age is very hard. It is the most difficult phase of our life. We will not be able to live independently or eat independently. We will neither be able to live nor die comfortably. There are good old age homes these days. Old people should prepare to live in such homes by paying them in advance. The more you place trust in your children that they will take care of you, the more you will suffer.
You will not always be young. You will get old. Do not build a new home in this age. Arrange for your later years now. Some banks, when you save with them, will pay for your old age home stay. You will get old at least in some 10 years. There is no escape. Everyone has to grow old.
I will come back here in 15 years; you will be very old. What will be the use? You will not be able to hear Me well, or see Me clearly. So, see Me now and pay attention to what I am saying. You will not be able to follow Me or donate to charity then. So, do it now. What is the use since you will not be able to eat sumptuously then? So, eat well now.
You all served okay, but you served with a lot of stinginess – with respect to money, with respect to seva, etc.
Every year, on Jan 1, there would be funds coming in for a project, but that did not happen this year. Either you became stingier or greedier or do not have money, or maybe I am not lucky to do the project. There are some shortcomings overall.
Secondly, not all neighboring places are attending since Swamiji is visiting all the smaller towns and Ashramas as well.
(Dolotsava Bhajans).
Since all the towns in this Datta Kshetra Yatra are close to each other, you all have the opportunity for Darshan. All kshetras in Andhra are close to you. It will be good to have Darshan of the kshetras with Swamiji. Datta Kshetras and Navanatha Kshetras are important.
Uttara Tirupati is verily Tirupati. It is in Nizamabad. You can come have Darshana there during Vaikuntha Ekadasi.
Swamiji will be there for 1-2 days then.
The moorti is very majestic. The temple is like Dwaraka – like Krishna’s temple. The temple is made of marble, like an ancient temple.
You go through hardships to go to Tirupati…you lose bags, you lose hair. You can simply visit Uttara Tirupati. No need to lose hair in Uttara Tirupati. In Dharmavaram too, Swamiji established Venkataramana Swamy. In Mysuru, of course, there are nearly 1 lakh people having Darshan from 6am into the night on Vaikuntha Ekadasi.
So, while Swamiji is here, try to visit these kshetras.
We have an Ashrama in Badari too. We are getting Ashramas in all moksha puris. Many of you have stayed with Swamiji in Kasi for 9 days.
If you get another such opportunity with the Guru in Kasi, do not miss it. Even one night while the Guru is present there is wonderful.
Ayodhya Ashrama too is getting ready.
The Matru Mandali here did a really nice job with Annadana, even in the limited space. I am directing them to continue doing the good work, you can also support them.
Ever since I allocated Annapurna Mandir to Matru Mandali, I have not had to resolve any fights. They are silently doing all the seva. I am used to resolving fights and then eating lunch, but now since I don’t have to do that, my food is not getting digested!
Whoever is cooking the food is cooking well. I was not even told who was doing seva at Annapurna Mandir. They just wanted the seva to take place silently. In the past, some devotees used to remind me 20 times if they donated one bag of rice. Last time, one devotee donated one bag of red chilies, and reminded Me 4 times, and I told him My body was on fire – maybe because of that! You should not keep gloating about your seva. Guru Seva must be done silently.
Everyone should support Matru Mandali. There are some programs to be done in the kitchen too. Do them quickly. If you do not do it, I will do it Myself. Remove all the old stuff. The place must be cleaned even better.
There are machines in the kitchen I got set up so we can cook faster in larger quantities. But here, you want to cook the hard way with gas. Donate some of the steel utensils. Clean the kitchen. Since you are used to cooking with gas, you can continue doing that.
Support Matru mandali as volunteers. Do not judge, go and help. Everyone is a volunteer. Do not complain about each other. Do not point out that it is not clean; you must clean. If you cannot clean, quietly eat and leave. Everyone is a volunteer; you all must help.
See how Jagannath temple works. Even if you donate a large amount of money, you have to wait in line and eat. Here, some senior devotees expect preferential treatment, which is wrong. You can go out and eat if you are unable to wait, no problem. There are restaurants nearby.
Someone complained yesterday that they were served food on a torn banana leaf. What do you expect? Do you need a silver plate? Instead of complaining, donate 1000 banana leaves to the kitchen.
Some complain that they were not given water. You can help yourself. Everyone serving is a volunteer, they are not paid employees. This is our Ashrama. If you cannot feel this is your Ashrama, do not come.
You must not complain, instead you must roll up your sleeves and work. If you work, it will be done in a jiffy.
Don’t complain the bathrooms are dirty, get down to cleaning.
I do not want anyone complaining. I am getting old; I will start beating you up.
Now do not start lining up to get beaten because it’s prasadam!
Some expect a chair to be drawn for them when they arrive. Help yourself, this is our Ashrama. Do you expect some great honors here? There will be nothing like that. This is our home. Why should we get honors and felicitations in our own home? If there are new people, we can take care of them on the first arrival, but after that they will help themselves.
There is no one new to Appaji. People may be new to you, but not to Appaji.
Yesterday, one girl complained that she did not get a mic. Some people are called MLAs – Mike Less Artists. They are eager to sing into the mic, but do not realize they do not have a working mic.
May Mother give Matru Mandali good strength.
We have prathishtta tomorrow, we want to complete everything by noon.
Swamiji will set out from here to Gudivada.
There is an Ashtalakshmi temple there, it has been 12 years since Swamiji built it. Have you seen it?
Yesterday, I went to a silver shop. They said they would make a replica banyan tree with 8000 leaves. Swamiji will worship the tree during the Vruksha Shanti Yajna. At the same time, we will have Ayuta Chandi Yajna, starting on June 5
.
All the craftsmen are working very hard and carving the leaves very carefully with their hands.