Speech by HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji during Sunday Bhajan Session– April 27, 2014 – UPH, Mysore
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Ganesaya Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namah
Sri Sri Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namo Namaha
Bhajans:
Nayakam vinayakam
Ehi Pahi moha dahi Siva dayite
Srimad basara Saraswati
Datta guru avatara
Siva bhava pada
Nikhila nilaya mantram
We have to chant God’s names. It is a good way to spend time. It is a good pastime. Time passes regardless of what you do or do not do. Close your eyes. Remove the battery from the clock. Still, time does not stop. It keeps flowing endlessly. We are caught in it. What to do? We grasp even a blade of grass to save our lives when we are being taken away by the flow, with a faint hope that perhaps it will save our life. Who knows?
People are looking for support. A wise man, even if he does not know swimming, will splash around when he falls accidentally into water. Finally he learns to swim. That is how some children are taught swimming. They are thrown into water but are not aware that a rope is tied around them and is held by the parent. They move their arms and legs frantically and eventually learn to swim.
God is holding the rope tied around us. Singing God’s names is like splashing. All religions practice this. Name of God has so much power. He has actually no name or form. Still it helps to sing His glories.
The Kushmanda mantras mentioned in the Vedas are prayers addressed to God to forgive our sins. Bhaktimala is carrying this series.
The glory of chanting God’s names is described.
Everyone takes a loan including Kubera, the God of wealth. We are all indebted to God. He has given us loans and we have accepted from Him. What have we taken from Him? What has He given us? This body, life, and birth. We did not ask, we say. We asked, but we have forgotten. We asked for many favors over the past countless lifetimes. But we deny it because we don’t remember. It is wrong. We deny having done wrong. We do not remember our actions from past lives. We only remember the recent past. God saves the soul on its long journey, not just this present lifetime. God sees only the soul and its journey through many bodies. He does not see the bodies. We claim that we are innocent and the troubles we experience are unjust. This calculation of where we began or where we end is not known to us. But God knows. The truth is the same. It does not change. We ask for transient favors. He gives permanent bliss. We give very little. He gives great boons. It is not a business deal. He gives us freedom from the greatest misery of repeated births. We have to clear our debt to Him in this life itself. Until it is cleared we are not freed.
Sadguru or God will help us to clear the debt. Yama has the accounts for everyone. He is very strict. While life remains, let me clear the loan to God, we should pray for such grace. Sing the names of God and describe His glory. It is the easiest way. Do parayana, we are told by the priests. Give a token gift. The rich and the poor are all indebted to God. This bhajan Nikhila Nilaya Mantram describes the power of Nama Smarana. The daily comforts that we enjoy are also loans we receive from God. Daily prayer is essential to repay Him for those.
Bhajans:
Ehi Srinivasa
Elli Rama keertanam
Tvameva mata
Kakada harati
Tomorrow evening Sri Swamiji returns at 6 PM from His tour of Australia and Malaysia. We will all welcome Him. Samskrita Bharati program is going on here at the ashram for 10 days with 150 participants who are being trained in conversing in Sanskrit. Please witness and get inspired to learn. With some practice everyone can learn to speak in Sanskrit.
May 4th is Sri Jayalakshmi Mata’s Jayanti. It is a one day program in Jayalakshmipuram. 2nd May is Narasimha Jayanti. The Vidyarthi Gnana Bodha Sabha, Veda exams and SGS birthday celebrations are all going to take place in the month of May. We have a busy program. The youth from Mysore are also urged to participate in the Vidyarthi Gnana Bodha Sabha. After 4 or 5 years of gap we are resuming this program as per the demand from the students.
Sri Guru Datta