Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Sankranti – January 15, 2018 – Vijayawada
Compiled by: Parimala Eshwarla
The results of present actions have to be faced in future births.
People seek newer tastes each time. Newer hair styles, desire to eat newer varieties of food, to befriend newer girls and impress them, to visit clubs and the like. In this, entire life is spent.
Remember that it is imperative to walk on the path of dharma. It is our journey. Today we may escape even when we fail to abide by the dharmic principles. But remember that our actions of today will continue to chase us. They will chase us even after many births. There is no escape from experiencing the results of our actions. Out of love for you all I am cautioning you. Be vigilant. I cannot see you suffering in your next birth, hence am warning you. Today you are enjoying life and living recklessly however you cannot escape from experiencing the results of your present actions. The resultant pain will not leave you. It will catch you in another birth.
Caution needs to be exercised at all times. Even in the last two days of life, a person can decide to become cautious. Vena who was told that only 7 seconds of life were remaining focussed on the Lord and obtained liberation. Parikshit used seven days for hearing Bhagavatam and obtained liberation. We have time at our disposal. Use this time to learn the hymns of your family deity. Just bowing before Ganapati is inadequate. When visiting Ganapati temple, it is imperative to chant a few shlokas of His. Likewise when visiting Devi temple, chant a few shlokas relating to her. Soon upon waking up in the morning think of God and chant at least one verse. Take bath and at least light a lamp for God. Light one incense stick and then begin your day. Promise that you will diligently do so. Try this out for some time and then you will come to me with positive results. People of any age can chant shlokas. A child of 5 years memorized the entire Bhagavad Gita.
The parents brought the child – who had speech difficulty – to Swamiji. Swamiji simply said – chant Hanuman Chalisa and have faith in Swamiji. That’s all. I did not prescribe any medicine. My gaze itself is medicine. My speech itself is medicine. My words are medicine. For those who are less fortunate Swamiji will not say anything. For those who are fortunate He gives a clue – you should latch on to it.
‘I went with many problems. But He told us what we already know’- come people carelessly disregard the advice and walk away. They are truly unfortunate. ‘He told us to chant Hanuman Chalisa. We anyways do that. It is our habit. We came with the hope that He would give some medicine or chant some mantra in the ear or suggest some meaningful remedy or ask us to stay in the ashram for three days or ask us to perform some important homa for the cure. But after taking pains and reaching here He simply asked us to perform Hanuman Chalisa’ – there are many who have condemned thus and have remained unsuccessful in accomplishing what they desired. They failed to obtain the desired benefit.
Those apparently easy words or solutions which fall in your ears are actually my mantra. What do you know about their efficacy? If I say something needs to be done, it must be done. From that day itself you must implement it. The moment you say, ‘we are already doing it Swamiji. We already know about it’ – the fortune is cut. Your task is not going to be accomplished. Even if you were already following it, the moment Swamiji prescribed it for you – you must latch on to it. For you it is a mantra.
For some Swamiji will say ‘drink moolika teertha’. For another he will say ‘tie this yantra/ amulet. It is enough’. In such seemingly simple techniques Swamiji is trying to solve your problem. But many devotees lack faith. They recklessly discard the technique given as in their opinion it is too small to solve their problem. Needless to say their work remains unaccomplished.
In this case, when the parents approached me with their little son who could not speak, I suggested that they should chant Hanuman Chalisa and also try speech therapy. They had faith in Swamiji but not in God. They strictly abided by Swamiji’s advice. However the speech therapy failed. They came back to Swamiji and reported that the speech therapy had failed. ‘Are you continuing the other advice which Swamiji had given?’ I asked. They said ‘Yes Swamiji’. ‘Ok, continue that and do not stop it. Stop the speech therapy. I will take care’- said Swamiji.
With total faith in Swamiji’s words, they continued the vrata that I had asked them to follow. Now that boy has memorised the entire Bhagavad Gita together with meaning. In front of a large audience he confidently answered all questions. He is now 8 years old. Swamiji has named him Rishi Chakravarty. Today his name is aptly suited to him. If you mention the shloka, he will tell the numbering from that chapter. If you ask for a particular number shloka, he will chant it. If you ask meaning of any random verse he will tell. If you tell the meaning he will tell chant the verse.
When that boy was five years old, seeing him Swamiji jocularly said, ‘you learn Bhagavad Gita’. The boy took it seriously. When his elder brother would chant the Bhagavad Gita he would sit beside him and listen. He mastered it.
The children who are in America simply abide by Swamiji’s commands. They do not take Him lightly. If He says, ‘learn this’ they will immediately put it into action.