Speech of HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji – Bhogi festival – January 13, 2017 – Visakhapatnam
Compiled by Smt Hira Duvvuri
It is Bhogi festival today. Bhogi means yogi. A Yoga expert like Patanjali, Sri Swamiji, is giving us darshan now. His yatra/tour began at Kurukshetra and is still continuing. A living river cleanses billions of creatures, grows crops, and grants liberation also by washing away sins. Guru is such a sacred river. The river continues to flow. Its source was Kurukshetra. “Yada yadahi …” Sri Krishna Paramatma declared in the Bhagavad Gita. I will incarnate whenever a need arises, to destroy wickedness and to establish virtue. I also protect the virtuous. Guru goes door to door, village to village, to spread good messages. Swamiji never forgets a promise given. He gave darshan to Iswaramma at her home after 30 years, to keep a promise given. Surprising are stories narrated by devotees. The villages visited by Swamiji are so remote, even politicians and religious preachers have not visited them.
Swamiji has visited many countries, sowing seeds of devotion, Malaysia, Trinidad, and so on. Not only those who migrated from India centuries ago, but even the natives are influenced by His grace. Only Swamiji knows how many times He has visited all those places in this lifetime and in earlier lifetimes. Not even a quarter of the tour is done now. After Andhra Pradesh tour, He goes to Chennai, then do the Hanuman pratishta/consecration in Acharapakam, then on to New Zealand to give a Healing Music Concert there. Lots of earthquakes occur there. He consecrated Lord Datta at Manginapudi many years ago, when it was being continuously ravaged by cyclones, and instructed hurricanes to stay away from the town. The calamities have spared the city since then.
Nada Chikitsa/Music Therapy concert in in New Zealand to prevent earthquakes there, and then He visits Australia. Will return to Mysuru for Sivaratri. He will conduct 3 days of Datta Kriya Yoga camp there. He then continues His tour to Guntur etc. and then proceed to give a Concert in Mexico. Then Hanuman Chalisa Yajna in Malaysia’s Batu Caves. It is a big program. CD called Mayan Sunrise was released last year, based on a story which occurred in Mexico. Cinema shooting for the story will take place, where the Mayan Culture will be depicted. Sun worship is prevalent in Mexico. To protect from Global warming, He does a concert in Mexico. Even to hear of Swamiji’s tours, is frightening. How many tours? Devotion is the driving force for Him. Not his energy or the energy of Yoga but the power of devotion of His devotees, He says, is His driving force. Dikshitulu was told to write a book about the power of devotion. Daily SGS Posts we see on our mobile devices. Swamiji gives us daily messages. He gives speeches daily in different towns. They are also translated into English. You can read them. What we all should do in our daily lives, how to solve moral conflicts, and how to overcome problems, the SGS Posts teach us.
Pilgrimage continues. Today in Visakhapatnam, Sankranti is celebrated. Today is Bhogi. In Datta Kavacham chanted by Swamiji, He says, “kadaa yogi, kadaa bhogi … bhukti mukti pradaayakaha”. Datta is an Avadhoota, He is unpredictable, unfathomable, and indescribable. Sometimes He is a bhogi, then a yogi, naked, wandering like a thirsty and hungry soul. A pisachi is hungry and thirsty for blood. Why was this word Pisacha used to describe Datta Avadhoota? Is it appropriate? He is thirsty and hungry to consume the ignorance that troubles devotees. Commentators explain it that way. Our problems, sorrows, and ignorance He consumes. That is why He does this Andhra yatra. Sometimes as a yogi, then a bhogi/one who enjoys comforts. When do we see both of these? Yogi, we see. All arrangements for comfort you see now, made for Him.
Every year, earlier, Swamiji used to go to Mekedatu, after Sivaratri. Very sultry and hot weather there then. I was 12 years old. We went there. May or may not rain, but it would be very hot and sultry, in the middle of the mountains, shaped like a Sri Chakra. Extremely hot. Not like what it is now, the ashram fully developed. Only a small shed was there. Swamiji slept there. No electricity. Unbearable heat. I was massaging His feet. Why not keep a generator here, I asked. No fan even. Sweating profusely. I never ask for any comforts, Swamiji replied. If they ask on their own and offer me, I will accept. They must anticipate my needs, and provide the comforts. Even now, generator is brought from Bengaluru or Mysuru, in case there is a power outage. One devotee in Bengaluru, used to be selling generators, took one there in three hours and fixed it. If they give on their own, Swamiji accepts.
Never bothers about comforts or discomforts. He listens to troubles, gives solutions, leads everyone in the path of dharma and spirituality. Now in Sankranti festival, He is giving us darshan. Bhogi, Sankranti, kanuma, it is a 3 day festival.
Chintamani is one who fulfills desires. Swamiji has consecrated for us here. Kasi and Ujjain have Chintamani Ganapati.
50 km from Hyderabad is the ashrama there. But people come to the ashram. At least once a week you all should come here and serve, as a duty. Realize your responsibility for this ashram. There is no pollution here. Not noisy. Spend some time here. Ashrama removes the stress of city life. That is why it is outside the city. Swamiji insists that maintenance should be done. Get involved and do it. Who will do it, if not us? Our personal deity must be served by us. Not trustees and matrumandali members can be burdened with the responsibility. All must serve. Those who promised, must serve regularly. List your names as volunteers. Very few are coming here. I am disappointed, said Swamiji. Great rain was there. At such times, enquire of the situation at the ashrama. Ashrama is Swamiji’s child. Do not forget. Do more seva.
I convey my Bhogi greetings to everyone. Offer your prayers and obtain blessings from Swamiji.
Sri Guru Datta