Speech of HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji – Vijaya Dashami – October 25, 2020 – UPH, Mysore
Compiled by Swarnaprabha Shankar
Jai Guru Datta, Sri Guru Datta.
Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namo Namaha.
Sri Jayalakshmi Mata Paradevatayai Namo Namaha
gururbrahmā gururviṣṇuḥ gururdēvō mahēśvaraḥ
guru ssākṣāt paraṁ brahma tasmai śrī guravē namaḥ ॥
Offering My Pranams to Pujya Sri Swamiji.
Life is very precious, each moment & second is very precious. It is because we don’t remember our previous births. We only have the knowledge of this birth. We need to make use of it. And, that is why life is very precious.
We like to remember our happy moments & the moments we spend with our well wishers, family & friends. We also remember our times of sorrow & the tough times. But, we don’t like to remember them. We only like to remember our happy moments.
In our lifetime, these types of occasions are very difficult to get. Moments spent with Sadguru are golden moments, we love to remember them. After leaving Ashram & reaching our respective places, we remember about the wonderful time we had with Appaji, that we had a great time in ashram & that it was a wonderful Navaratri. Those witnessing online, will also remember tomorrow that it was a wonderful Navaratri, with full concentration we were able to watch the programs. We need to remember these moments & also try to maintain them. How can we maintain them? By simply remembering them & by praying to Sadguru to give us more opportunities like these to spend time with Sadguru. By these prayers, we can get these moments again & again in this lifetime.
Happiness is life. Vedanta & Upanishads are about happiness. If we think in deep about the Upanishads – Vedanta & Upanishads are about being happy, getting happy & spending happy moments. Forget all your difficulties & sorrows & remember the good moments in your life. Every moment is a special moment in our life.
When it comes to our Sadguru, there are special occasions like – Golden Jubilee, Shashti-poorthi (60th Birthday), after that we celebrated the 50th year of the Ashrama (Avadhoota Datta Peetham, Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashrama) & then, we celebrated the 70th Birthday & 75th Birthday of Appaji.
Now, it is the time to celebrate Appaji’s 80th birthday. Celebrating for ourselves is not a big deal, but, celebrating for our Sadguru is a special moment. So, our management, Prasadji, Vamshi Krishna Ghanapathi & all other office staff discussed, how are we going to celebrate Appaji’s 80th Birthday. It is a special moment, what is our duty, what should we do? But, we should have a plan. We should go with a plan & ask Appaji, if we are right, if we are not, please correct us. There is so many things to do – Medical services & camps, anna dana (food distribution), poor feeding, we have to take care of our SGS School, which is being run in the city of Mysore.
Just now we have finished reconstructing Aanjaneya Devasthana (Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple, Mysore), the construction cost exceeded from what was planned. Appaji’s philosophy is not taking, it is giving. He always gives, we all know that. He wanted to give a beautiful temple to society & He did the resolve of rebuilding the Aanjaneya Swami Devasthana. It is ready to be opened soon. We are looking for a good muhurtha (auspicious time), Appaji said. It may happen during the Hanuman Jayanthi in December. We shall wait for it, we don’t know, keeping COVID – 19 in mind, we are not certain in anything. It is all in Corona’s hands. But, this is a wonderful gift to the world, by Pujya Appaji.
There are so many more things to come, that we will receive through Pujya Sri Swamiji.
What is our duty as disciples & devotees. There are so many things to do. We have 80 ashrams, take care of them. Inquire about how Appaji runs Mysore Ashrama, inquire about Annapoorna Mandiram (Dining Hall) & do service. This is how, we can offer our services to Pujya Sri Swamiji.
We are doing all these things from many years. But, 80th Birthday is a special occasion. 8 & 0 – there is a shanti mentioned in Vedas & shastras. We will also perform that with Appaji’s permission. After completing 81st year, it is called ‘Sahasra Chandra Darshana,’ in Vedas. In Tamil Nadu, they celebrate this in a huge manner. They love this function, because completing 81 years, is not a small thing, for common people. For Appaji, nothing is a small thing. It is a big count, so people love it.
‘Sahasra Chandra Darshana’, Sahasra is thousand, ‘Chandra’ is moon, ‘Darshana’ is seeing. Seeing 1000 full moons, is called Sahasra Chandra Darshana, including the Adhika Maasa’s (meaning, extra month) as we had last month – Ashwija Maasa. Just like a leap year, there is an extra month. Every four years, we have one adhika masa or extra month. We heard about this in Virata Parva. Today, hearing about Virata Parva (in Mahabharata), is also very important – Vijaya Dashami day. They had an extra month, that is why they were able to complete their agyaatha vasa (living in exile, with whereabouts unknown), this is what is said in the Virata Parva.
Including all adhika maasa’s – 81st year is a special year. After completing 81 years, they celebrate, Sahasra Chandra Darshana. I had a question in my mind, how can Chandra have the darshan of Himself. Appaji, Himself is the moon – Ramachandra, Guruchandra, Krishnachandra. To see ourselves, we use mirror, so all the devotees & disciples are the mirror of Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji, He sees Himself, in all the devotees & all the disciples. He feels happy to see them. We all are like moons to Sadguru, because He sees Himself, this is Vedanta. Even while doing puja, you should not see yourself as doing puja or think that I am the worshipper or I am the one taking worships. No. One who thinks like this, is called Pashu in Upanishads – Tamo Guna. You have to see the Oneness, with your deity, your Paramatma, then only deities are satisfied & they take your puja. They see the Abhayada – non dualism & they love that. Dualism is in our minds, not in His mind. So, they love to see us in this state – Brahma Nishtha, Brahma Nirvana, as it is called in Bhagvat Gita. He wants us to see in that state, the state where we must reach. While Appaji was doing puja, I remembered a shloka from Bhagavat Gita –
“na mē pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣu lōkēṣu kin̄cana
nānavāptamavāptavyaṁ varta ēva ca karmaṇi॥ “
This one shloka teaches the essence of Sri Krishna Paramaatma & our Gurudeva.
“na mē pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣu lōkēṣu kin̄cana”
“I am left with no duties.” Kartavya (Duty) is a must. You cannot escape from your kartavya & that you have to do. We are listening to Appaji’s Bhagavat Gita. Appaji, started with the 3rd adhyaya. This shloka is from from 3rd chapter – 22nd shloka. “I have nothing to do, no duty to do,” because, He is above the Vedas & Shastras. “Who teaches us Kartavya, who assigns us the Kartavya?” The Vedas & the Shastras. He is above Vedas, Vedas are from Him.
“asya mahato bhutasya nasvasitam etad yad rg-vedo yajur-vedah sama-vedo ‘tharvan girasah.”
“asya mahato bhutasya” – From the Paramatma, all the Vedas took birth. They are from Paramatma. He Himself is Brahma. “Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati.” There is nothing like becoming Brahma. It is not like applying makeup. You are Brahma. To realize it, that is Brahma Jnana (knowledge of Brahma).
A realized soul, is one who took birth. Why we took birth – we are not aware of that? The Shastras say, its karma (action), but, we don’t know, what made us take this birth? It should be karma. Karma is the reason for our birth. For Sadguru’s birth, the reason is not karma, it is Daya (compassion). That is why Guru’s birth is called Avataara (incarnation). Avataara is descending. He descended, He came down, He climbed down for us. He was there, we were not able to see & reach Him, our vision could not reach Him, so He climbed down. He came down, to be with us, to show His form, to show the right path, He came.
That is why, Guru has a special place in our lives. He is the one, who shows the path.
“na mē pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣu lōkēṣu kin̄cana”
Not only this world, in this planet, but, ‘Trishu Lokeshu’, in the tri-lokas (three worlds) in the Universe, wherever you go or ask – if Krishna is left with any duty? They say, no, we don’t know. He has no duty. He took everything. He thinks, as if it was His responsibility, but, it is not. Like a Mother, father, friend, teacher, He takes it as His responsibility and duty, to show the right path to His disciples & the world.
“I have no duty.” Why Krishna says this?
“nānavāptamavāptavyaṁ varta ēva ca karmaṇi.”
Why do we do duties or karmas? Why do we do action? It is because, we have to gain something. For Krishna, there is nothing left to gain. There is no “ānavāpt”’. Everything is “avāpta.” Everything is already there. Whatever you say, it is already there with Me. It is because of Me.
Krishna says, “anavaptavyam avaptavyam ca nasti”. You are saying that there is nothing to gain, but, we don’t know what is there in this Universe.
Krishna says, “I don’t need to do anything or put any efforts, to get anything in this world.”
“varta ēva ca karmaṇi”
This is a very important line in the Bhagavat Gita. “Though my state is like this, I do karma. I put myself into actions. I put myself in karmas.” ‘Eva ca’ – the term ‘Eva’, is very important in Sanskrit, especially, in Upanishads. They don’t use words like that, they don’t waste a single letter. Every letter is weighed 1000 kilos in the Bhagavat Gita. “O Arjuna, look at me, try to understand me. There is no duty for me, but, I do karma. I am there in karma. I am not doing, I am there in karma. I am in there in every good action.“
Who asked Appaji to perform Navaratri Puja. Do we have the courage to ask Appaji to perform Navaratri Puja. That is His wish. If He says, I will not perform any puja, I will simply sit inside & listen to Mahabharata. Mahabharata, is also not necessary for Appaji. It is for us. He is giving us wonderful discourses of Mahabharata, all these 9 days. Today is the 9th day of Navaratri – it was 8 & 9th day yesterday. Shastras say, we have to celebrate Vijayadashami today.
Vijaya Dashami gives us victory – hence, it’s name. Dashami means there are 5 Jnanendriyas (sense organs) & 5 karmendriyas (sense organs used to perform the actions), those are called dashendriyas (10 organs). We have to win over all the indriyas (organs), hence, it is called Dashami. One who worships Mother Goddess on this Vijaya Dashami day, He or She, will definitely win over the indriyas. That is why, today we must pray to Mother Goddess to get rid of all our dashas or avasthaas. We have so many avasthaas (circumstances). To get rid of our sorrow, we need to, go through Upanishads & understand them. There is no other way.
Upanishads are like ‘Plava’, it is said in the Shastras. Plava means boat. We cannot cross ocean by simply swimming, we are not that good swimmers. That is why, we need to have a good boat. Our boat is Sadguru & Sadguru’s boat is Upanishad. He never crosses that line, He is always within that line.
Why do we worship Bhagavat Gita?
This question is raised by learned scholars who give commentaries (called, Bhashya Kaaraas). Many people say, because it is said by Krishna. No, it is not like that. Krishna said, what was said in the Vedas, that is why, we worship the Bhagavat Gita. If Krishna says something else, which is not there in the Vedas & Shastras, we need not take it. That means, He never crosses that thin line.
Many times, we don’t understand Appaji’s words. But, to understand Guru’s words (or Guru vaakya), we need to read so many Shastras, Puranas, all the Granthas, we don’t have the time. Our lifetime is not enough to see all the Granthas, to understand all the books & scriptures.
That is why, “śhraddhāvān labhate jñānaṁ.”
Keep Shraddha in Guru’s words. There are so many meanings for Shraddha in Sanskrit. One very important meaning is Vishwaasa or faith. Second, good meaning is interest. Keep interest & faith. Without Shraddha, there is no use. We cannot understand. Shraddha is very important for disciples & devotees. We have all gathered here because of Shraddha. Without Shraddha, we cannot sit hours together, watch puja or listen to Appaji’s words, for hours together. We all have Shraddha. Upanishad says, develop your Shraddha.
There are 3 types of Shraddha. Krishna is dividing everything into three. He loves this number 3 because, He is Dattatreya. He divided Shraddha into 3 – Saathvika Shraddha, Rajasika Shraddha & Tamasika Shraddha. If we have Saathvika Shraddha, then its fine. But, if we tell that we are having Saathvika Shraddha, that means we are having Rajasika Shraddha. It is not correct to speak about our own shraddha. To develop shraddha, we worship Sadguru. Being with Sadguru, we develop our Shraddha. This is very important. Let us all pray for Shraddha to Pujya Sri Swamiji.
They have asked me to speak on Vedas & Upanishads. I should say a few words about Upanishads.
Q. Where are the Upanishads?
A. They are in the Vedas.
Q. How many Vedas are there?
A. 4 Vedas are there.
Q. How many branches are there?
A. There are so many branches.
Q. Count of the number of branches of Vedas?
A. If you ask me, there is an Upanishad called – Muktikopanishad. There Sri Ramachandra explains to Hanuman, about the Vedas. He says there are thousand hundred & eighty shakhas. Don’t feel so happy, because, we are now left with only 13 shakhas.
Every year, in Datta Peetham, with the blessings of Swamiji, we invite learned scholars & priests (Pandits) from all over the world, especially from India. They all gather here, recite & chant. Some of them are not in South India or are not in Karnataka. Jaimini Shakha is in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. Paippalada Shakha is in Orissa. A Pandit from Paippalada Shakha is offering his services as the priest in Vishakhapatnam Ashrama.
There are a few Pandits in the 13 shakhas. Out of these, for 11 shakhas, there are pandits. In the remaining two shakhas, only 2-3 pandits are remaining. Every shakha has a Upanishad. That means, we had, 1,180 Upanishads. But, today we are left with 108 Upanishads. Those are called, ‘Ashtotara Shata Upanishadaha.’ Understanding & reading all the 108 Upanishads in difficult, that is why, Shankara Bhagavatapadacharya, did his commentary in 10 Upanishads. Some say, 13 Upanishads. He also did the commentary on Shwetashvatara Upanishad. They are very special Upanishads. Special because, we are getting the commentary on them. There are 10 Upanishads – Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashan, Mundaka, Mandukya, Tattiriya, Aitareya, Chhandogya and Brihadaranyaka. Everything is said, in all these 10 Upanishads.
The word Upanishad is very special. Upa-Ni-Shad. There are 3 words in this single word. Upa means to be near. We use the word – ‘Upavaasa’ (to fast). To be near Guru, Sadguru, Paramatma or the Lord is Upa.
“Upanishaad yati; Upaayayati. Brahma, iti Upanishad.”
Upanishads can show us Brahma. Without Upanishads help, we cannot see Brahma. Without Jnana, we cannot see Brahma. Seeing Brahma is realization. Seeing ourselves, is seeing Brahma.
“Upanishaaya yati, garbha, janma, jara, maranaadikam, iti Upanishad.”
Garbha Vaasa – I don’t know, how many of you, would like to take birth again. Because, after seeing this world, if we have even little brains, we won’t like to take this birth. It is easy to say – not taking birth. But, how to make this possible? It is a big billion-dollar question. By realizing & merging in Brahma, you will become capable of not taking birth again. This is what is said in the Upanishads.
With Jnana (knowledge), by realizing – “Nishaadayati, Shad Dhatu, Visharana, Gati, Avasadhanesu.” There is a meaning for this verb called – Shad. Visharana means cutting. Gati means reaching. Avasaadhana means finishing. Cut it, reach it, finish it. Finish the game. Now, you understand, what is Upanishad. Cut all your sins, cut the circle of your jara & marana (cycle birth & death), you have to cut it. That is why it is called – Jnanaasi (Jnana + Asi). It is like a very sharp knife, Jnana is knowledge or wisdom. With this knife, you have to cut, your circle of birth & death.
Gati is to reach. Upanishads make us to reach Brahma. Where is He? He is not outside, He is within us, here. That means, Upanishads, make us to realize the Visharana – Gati – Avasadhana. Avasadhana means to finish. To finish the circle of birth & death, is Upanishads.
These Upanishads are in the end of Vedas, that is why, Upanishads are called Veda-anta (Anta means the end). Vedas are in 3 divisions (bhaga), one is Samhita, Brahmana & Aranyaka. We have Upanishads in Aranyakas. That is why, they are called Vedanta Vakyaas.
“vedanta vijnana sunischitartha.
Sanyaasa yogaath yatayah shuddha satvaah”
We hear ’Yati’ so many times in the Bhagavat Gita. Yati means, one who is trying. One who is putting efforts. Without, your efforts, you cannot gain anything. That is why, this life & body is precious. We need to make use of it.
“Om Apyayantu Mamangani Vak Pranascakshuh Srotramatho Balamindriyani Ca Sarvani!
Sarvam Brahmopanishadam Maham Brahma Nirakuryam Ma Ma Brahma Nirakarod Nirakaranamastvanirakaranam Me Astu!
Tadatmani Nirate Ya Upanishatsu Dharmas Te Mayi Santu Te Mayi Santu!!”
This Shanthi Mantra has a wonderful meaning. We are having Appaji’s darshan since morning. We had the wonderful Maha Purnahuti of the Chandi Homa. And, after that Kalasha Vidhvamsana, Sri Chakra Archana, Swarnaambika Puja & Maha Mangala Aarti. We pray Pujya Appaji, to bless this world, with peace & good health.
“Apyayantu Mamangani.”
Apyayantu means, let the Brahma, let Him satisfy my senses, body, mind, intellect, everything, so that He is not away from me. I am not, away from Him. That means, He should always be in our hearts. And, that we should be always at His feet, always remembering Him. That is why, it is, ‘Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnuh, Gurur Devo Maheshwarah.’
Let us all pray to Pujya Swamiji on this wonderful Vijaya Dashami occasion. Without Corona, we have to celebrate many Navaratri’s with Appaji. So many more years to come, let us all get ready to celebrate Sahasra Chandra Darshana of Pujya Sri Swamiji – 80th & 81st year. These two years are very important for Datta devotees. Do service, as much as possible. And pray for the strength to do more service.
Jai Guru Datta. Sri Guru Datta.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantih.