Speeches of HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji – December 27, 2016 – Kurukshetra
Compiled by Bala Aati
Speech at Jyotisar
Jaya Guru Datta !
Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namo Namaha !
Krishnaya Vasudevaya Haraye Paramatmane
Pranatha Klesa Nashaya Govindaya Namo Namaha
Jai Bolo Bhagavad Gita Mata ki Jai !
These are golden moments. But I think this week is golden week for all the kids from USA. We will never forget this week in our life time. Isn’t it ? We are all very grateful and pay our gratitude to Pujya Sri Swamiji for making us chant Bhagavad Gita and bringing us to the place where Bhagavadgita took birth, to Kurukshetra. Thank You Pujya Appaji for bringing us to Kurukshetra. We didn’t have Sri Krishna Paramatma’s darshana but today we are seeing Pujya Appaji in the form of Sri Krishna Paramatma.
As Prasadji just now remembered, it was in 2009 Appaji while returning from Haridwar, He wished to visit Shukasthal where Bhagavatam took place. Pujya Appaji returned to Swarupnagar ashram, Delhi from Shukasthal. There was a program planned in Shukasthal when Appaji returned. Immediately Appaji ordered that He wants to visit Kurukshetra and to make arrangements. That happened in six hours time. Appaji started from Swarupnagar at 6:30 in the morning and reached Kurukshetra at 9.30 or 10 and Appaji visited this place and we all remembered Gita Sara and chanted some slokas from Bhagavadgita and Appaji took Biksha here and started to Swarupnagar back. We thought Appaji would stay here for one night atleast. Then Appaji said I will not stay. Some day will come when I will come and stay for two days. We were all waiting for that day.
Maybe Appaji’s wish was something different and something unique. Then, in 2009 there were so many devotees with Appaji but they could not chant Bhagavad Gita without the book. Maybe Appaji didn’t like that and that is why He did not stay. But now Appaji has come with His kids who can chant without the help of book. This was Appaji’s sankalpa. Today Kurukshetra has become Guru Kshetra. Today we have to change Kuru to Guru and call it as Guru Kshetra. We see Krishna Paramatma as Jagadguru.
Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum !
Undoubtedly He is Sriman Narayana, incarnation of Vishnu. Many incarnations have come and gone. But Krishna incarnation is different. He came to preach and teach. He made sankalpa in His mind that His teaching is going to help people in Kaliyuga. That is why He preached Bhagavad Gita at the end of Dwapara Yuga, during the merging time of Dwapara and Kali Yugas. So Krishna thought He would give us a wonderful boon of Bhagavad Gita and thought one day I will come in the form of Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji with my devotees and chant Bhagavad Gita. Today it is happenning.
Why Kurukshetra ? It is a difficult question. Don’t ask me why Krishna has chosen this place. We cannot answer that. Since it should happen, it happened in Kurukshetra. Why war ? We cannot even answer that. If He wished, He would have avoided that war. But it took place. He used that time to preach Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna and we are all remembering Bhagavadgita to avoid war. Swamiji’s sankalpa in Kurukshetra is to establish peace. That is why we all are here today. Chant, remember and pray Bhagavad Gita that there should not be third world war. There will be no more wars. We should pray for peace. Today we all must pray for this. That too when we are are with our Sadguru. We are all very much blessed. We must remember these moments and the time that we are spending with Pujya Sri Swamiji and we should never forget. I know you will never forget but keep remembering these golden moments. Because, in shastras they say
Anya kshetrey krutam papam
Punya Kshtrey Vinashyathi
Anya ksetra means at some other place like your home, your place, your city or your country, if you commit any sin, you can wash it away in punya kshetra. Punya Kshetra means our Mysore ashram, Dallas ashram or any temple or special place.
Punya Kshetrey krutam papam
Kuru kshetre vinashyati
But if you commit any sin in punya kshetra, then where to go ? The Shastras say, you should come to Kurukshetra. Simply by visiting Kurukshetra, your can wash it away. That is the speciality of Kurukshetra.
If you commit any sin in Kurukshetra, I have no answer for that. I can only say :
Kurukshetre krutam papam
Guru Paade vinashyati
This is my line. If you commit any sin in Kurukshetra, then where to go ? Then come to Guru Pada.
That is why we are here with Swamiji to remember the holiness and greatness of Kurukshetram. Swamiji is like Krishna. Krishna teaches and He also acts. We can understand Him easily with His preaching than by His actions. That is why Swamiji has chosen Krishna’s teachings. Each sloka, each letter and each word in Bhagavad Gita is a great teaching. That is why Pujya Appaji ordered all of us to learn, read and chant Bhagavad Gita.
Appaji promised in Dallas while Kumbhabhishekam of Dallas Karya Siddhi Hanuman temple was going on that He would take to Kurukshetra if you learn and chant Bhagavad Gita without the help of the book. Now Appaji is here with all of us in Kurukshetra. Once again, thanking Pujya Appaji for bringing all of us to this wonderful Kurukshetra.
Yogaad Jyothi Samudheeptham, Jayalaxmi Nrusimhayoh….
In Sadguru Sthava, we say this. Jyothi means the light that came out from the Yoga. Today we are at the bank of Jyotisarovara with our Jyothi Pujya Sri Swamiji. I pray Pujya Sri Swamiji to bless all of us with His nectar words.
Jaya Guru Datta ! Sri Guru Datta !
Discourse during Swagatha Sabha
Jaya Guru Datta !
Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namo Namaha
In Hindi, they say ‘Baaraat aayi’ (Marriage Procession). Today we have received Swamiji’s Baaraat – procession. After the procession, marriage has to take place. When we receive baaraat – procession, the next day we celebrate the marriage function. Right ? Tomorrow we have Bhagavad Gita as marriage function. This is just not normal marriage. This is Atma Kalyana which gives wellness to all the devotees. We are all very happy and the procession went very well. Kamal Kapoor organised it very well. His heart is like kamal – lotus. We use the word whole heartedly. Today we received Swamiji with lotus like heart in such a wonderful way. Some volunteers said all were dancing. That is the way we must receive Sadguru. Tomorrow we will be having a wonderful program. Pujya Sri Swamiji will be here for 4 or 5 hours. Tomorrow morning, our Tataji Sena, kids from America are going to sing all the 700 slokas from Bhagavad Gita.
Why Bhagavad Gita ? Why did Swamiji ask us to by-heart or chant or read Bhagavad Gita ? There is a wonderful saying about Bhagavad Gita that we all must know since there is a wonderful program of Bhagavad Gita tomorrow. You are reciting the slokas tomorrow. You are not reading the book. You have memorised all the slokas. If you memorise Bhagavad Gita, you need not look for any other shastras. Gita has got all the shastras in it. If you don’t memorise Gita shastra and you are reading all the other shastras, it is impossible to understand them. These are the words of Shastras. That is the reason, Swamiji has made all to memorise Bhagavad Gita.
There is a wonderful saying about Guru. He is Suchaka. He gives suggestions, He shows us the path. He told us to read Bhagavad Gita. It is a wonderful suchana – suggestion from Sri Swamiji. That is why Guru is called Suchaka. He suggests. We should take the suggestion from Sadguru.
Suchakaha Prerakaschaiva
Sometimes we take the suggestion and we forget. We will be in fear. So, Guru becomes Preraka. He gives us courage. He says, you can do it. There is nothing wrong in it. You will do it. That is prerana. Guru is also vachaka. He tells us the greatness of Bhagavad Gita and makes all of us to read and by-heart Bhagavad Gita.
Vachakaha Darshakasthadha
Then He turns into Darshaka. He shows us the good path.
Guru is also Bodhakaha. He teaches. He preaches. Finally He is sikshakaha. If you don’t read Bhagavad Gita, He will not speak to us. That is Sikshakaha. If you learn Bhagavad Gita, I like you. I will take you to Kurukshetra. If you dont read, simply sit at home. You need not come with me to Kurukshetra. That is Sikshaka. He punishes with love. Guru is Rakshak and not Sikshak. He protects us and does not punish us. He teaches us.
Suchakaha, Prerakaha, Vachakaha, Bodhakaha, Darshakaha & Sikshakaha are the six qualities of Guru. Even if one has any one of these qualities, he is then called Guru. Our Sadguru has all these six qualities in Him. So He is Jagadguru.
Jagadguru Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji ki Jai !
Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum !
Today we are all very happy. Tomorrow we have a big function. Hence Appaji orders everyone to take good rest and dont get tensed about tomorrow’s program. You can chant. It was wonderful in Mysore. You need not worry. Tomorrow the chanting here is for Appaji and Jagadguru Krishna Paramatma. Sing for Jagadguru and Jagannatha Sri Krishna Paramatma.
Jaya Guru Datta !
Sri Guru Datta !