Speeches of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – February 10, 2020 – Rajamundry
Compiled by: Parimala Eshwarla
The greatness of Divya Nama Sankeertana and importance of clapping
Divya nama sankeertana are not ordinary compositions. They are totally overflowing with energy of mantras. Our ancient Maharishis have left behind many valuable messages for us through their songs. Their compositions were not merely names such as ‘Hare Rama, Hare Krishna’ but in them, they explained who we truly are, how we must strive for knowledge, what is it that we must do in this birth and the like. Through their songs they passed on messages from Puranas,
Upanishads to the ordinary folks. Their compositions ensured the people developed love for divinity. It is the same with Swamiji’s compositions.
Swamiji compositions are in very catchy tunes and are in all languages. Many youngsters today are learning Swamiji’s bhajans. In Chennai, a revolution is happening. Children are learning Swamiji’s bhajans and participating in bhajan competitions. Of the 6000 bhajans composed by Swamiji, 3000 have been printed to date. In fact, these compositions must not be addressed as bhajan but as sankeertana.
Each composition of Swamiji contains a valuable message. We must not limit ourselves to only singing those compositions but along with singing we must make attempt to learn what He is seeking to convey through it. Limitless knowledge is packed in Swamiji’s compositions.
Bhajan: Datta nav chal padi-
It implies, we are all seated in Sadguru Datta’s boat and He is taking us across the river. Even the best swimmers cannot swim when they are in the middle of the deep ocean. Similarly, despite being most powerful, despite being the richest or the most beautiful person- no entity can swim through this ocean called repeated rebirths. It is impossible to swim across this ocean called repeated rebirths (samsara) and reach the other shore. Without the help of Guru’s boat no living entity can cross the ocean.
For this reason it is imperative to follow a Spiritual Guru. Only when we follow Him, we can reach the other end. Else it is impossible. A person caught a pillar and screamed that the pillar is not leaving him. He must understand that he is catching the pillar and therefore it is in his hands to leave it. Similarly if we seek to exit from this samsara, we must learn detachment. We must live here but must not take everything to heart. Only then we will be healthy. The more you worry, the more you will be unhealthy.
Doctors cannot identify mental worries. Only the doctor called Sadguru can identify and heal them. The person who seeks to forget all his mental worries must associate with Sadguru. By being in His association, we will forget our worries. We will be transported to a different plane.
Had we been sitting at home today, what is it that we would have done? We would be right now sitting and watching TV; we would be gossiping, casually meeting friends, going for a movie and the like. But, here we are spending our time wisely in satsang due to our love for Swamiji.
Tomorrow Lord Hanuman is being consecrated in the temple. Having the first darshan of Hanuman, soon after consecration, will bring peace in our life. Hanuman is also the form of Mother Goddess, for, He is the one who first blessed Mother Goddess with the darshan of His universal form. The first time He showed to her his universal form was in Lanka; the second was in the skies.
Hanuman, the incarnation of Shiva, arrived on earth even before Vishnu descended as Srirama. He came here to serve Vishnu who was on earth as Rama. During the time when demon Gardhabhasura was to be killed, Vishnu and Shiva took different vows. Gardhabhasura was undoubtedly a devotee of Shiva, but he was of demonic nature and hence needed to be destroyed. Shiva could not kill him as he was his own devotee. Vishnu then killed Gardhabhasura. When Vishnu accomplished what He could not, Shiva was thrilled and in return He promised to become Vishnu’s attendant.
When, all of a sudden, Shiva uttered these words, Vishnu was startled. He asked, ‘O Lord, is it fair on your part to say so? Why should You, the Supreme Lord, serve me?’ However, Shiva insisted. At that time, Vishnu said, ‘Ok, when I incarnate as Rama, you incarnate as Hanuman and serve me’.
Hanuman is none other than Shiva. He will be the future Brahma. As the Lord who grants instant results when coconut is tied (offered) He is famous as Karya Siddhi Hanuman. In Bangalore, Mysore, Chennai and Kerala, thousands of tied coconuts stand as a proof of devotion the people have towards him. Thousands of Hanuman devotees throng the temples seeking His blessings. In Kerala people of other religions come to tie coconut. This is because he instantly fulfills the desires and grants them what they need. In this world, everyone has problems and everyone seeks fulfillment of desired deeds.
All those who have indulged in condemning Guru and who thereby are tainted with sin, must worship Hanuman to free themselves of that sin. Those who have sinned against their forefathers (pitr dosha) must worship Hanuman to free themselves of that sin. There are many who abuse the mother who has given them birth. To free themselves of this sin, Hanuman must be worshipped. Saying, ‘Sadguru did not help me when I needed his help’- uttering these words amounts to condemning Guru.
The truth is that during difficulties we need Guru the most. Not to resolve our problems, but just to be with us during difficulties. It is enough if He is by our side, we can safely exhaust our karma. Merely His presence will give us the confidence to go through problems. If there is no friend during difficulties, then due to constant weeping our longevity is reduced and furthermore, we fall ill. At that time we need someone to console us and help us tolerate the pain.
The need for family emerged from this necessity. A wife, children, parents who could console us during difficulties. Sadguru has nothing to gain from helping you. Hence, his help is pure selfless help. Do you have any idea of who you are, what was your previous birth, in which form were you born in your previous birth? You could have been an elephant in the dense forests. We have no idea of the relationship we have had with Swamiji in some past birth; but in this birth upon seeing us He greets us lovingly and enquires into our wellbeing.
The connection from that past life drags you to Swamiji and makes to bow down before Him. When I see you all, love gushes from my stomach. It is not superficial love. When Swamiji has to address you or talk to you, he talks with overflowing love. Isn’t that enough?
Benefits of clapping:
Along with singing bhajans, you must clap your hands. Clap hard. Clapping must be done in such way that the impact is felt on all the 10 fingers and the palms. After clapping thus for a while, place your palms (facing upward) on your thigh. Close your eyes, relax and observe the flow of blood within. Blood will be gushing fully and properly everywhere.
Due to clapping, also known as Tadasana, proper vibrations are released. Within our hands is our entire body. Due to clapping during bhajan, all the organs get massaged. Due to clapping hard, all the nerve endings are energized. Dead nerves are the cause for illness. Such dead nerves also get activated and begin to function. The blood flow is fantastic after clapping very hard.
Along with clapping, the Lord’s names must be chanted loudly. The maha-pranas as in ṭha, dha, bha, ṭha etc. are extremely useful in energizing the heart. Blockages vanish. The alpa-prana heal the kidney. Through every bhajan, Swamiji is healing devotees. He is showing to you healing power. Joining Swamiji in singing and clapping along with the bhajan, energizes the nerves, thereby rejuvenating the entire system.
Clapping energizes the senses (indriyas) while the maha-pranas and seed syllables (beejaksharas) uttered help/ energize the heart. The meaning of the bhajan becomes the food for the intellect (buddhi). In other words, along with singing the bhajan, you must focus on the meaning. These meanings are closely connected with the spiritual growth. Thus, through Divya nama sankeertana, the senses, the heart and the intellect are helped.
Swamiji passes on spiritual knowledge through bhajans. By focusing upon Swamiji and listening to the bhajans, we develop single focused concentration (ekagrata). When the senses (indriyas), intellect (buddhi) and organs are massaged, the sorrow from within is thrown out. Happiness is acquired. Thus, divya nama sankeertana is a divine medicine.
To add to it, at this moment all of you are sitting in Swamiji’s presence. You are blessed with drishti-pata (His gaze). The words uttered by Him are reaching you through your ears (vāk pāta). Due to sitting on the same ground as Him, you are getting sparsha-pāta (blessings through touch). Thus, sparshana (touch), darshana (seeing) and sambhashana (dialogue) are taking place simultaneously.
In order to remove nervous weakness, clapping is an excellent exercise. (Swamiji shows how we must clap and how we must not). Scientists have declared that by chanting Vitthala continuously, heart problems are solved. In Maharashtra crores of people continuously chant Vitthala.
Speech in the evening
Anagha vrata is nothing but Yoga
On 6th Jan 2021, the Ayuta Anaghavrata yagna is being organized at Warangal on a large scale. Everyone must participate in that yagna.
Presently, in this world, everyone is suffering enormously. Earth and other planets are behaving in strange fashion. So also the Sun, the oceans, the five elements are all behaving strangely. To pacify them all, it is imperative to engage in spiritual activity. If the spiritual activities are properly conducted, the intensity of the problems will be mitigated. To some extent there can be relief. At times it appears as if these dangers and problems are to remind us to get back on the path of dharma.
Other cities are giving Anaghavrata counts in lakhs- 54 lakhs, 30 lakhs etc. Rajamundry is zero. There is hardly any count from Datta Mukti Kshetram, Rajamundry. Even a single yagna performed at home comes to Swamiji’s notice if it is entered in the Dattapeetham website. Swamiji has simplified the Yagna process. Even if you lack devotion in the beginning, gradually devotion will enter into you as you continue with the yagnas.
Anagha vrata puja is a karma that is coupled with yoga. In this yantra, we are invoking all the deities- Mahavishnu, Mahalakshmi, Sadashiva, Gauri mata, Parabrahma, Mother Saraswati- the Goddess of knowledge. In addition, Lord Venkataramana- the Lord of Kali-yuga, Lord Satyanarayana and the Satya-devatas are all invoked.
Why must we perform puja? Here, in the form of the kalasha, we have invoked the deities. Paramatma is like our family member. Why do we offer Naivedya to God? It is with feelings of gratitude- What You have given me, I am sharing with You’. To symbolize that the Lord resides in our home, we have a separate puja room/ altar. It is to say that the Lord resides with us in our home.
The truth is that the non-dual Lord resides in the Ananda-dhāma (the abode of supreme bliss). Such Supreme Lord descended from that ultimate abode and, in Brindavan that was inhabited by the Gopikas, made himself visible to each of them in a gross form. To each person he appeared differently. To some, Krishna was their brother; to some others He was their brother-in-law; to some He was a father; to another He was a lover and the like.
The supreme Lord manifested in a gross body composed of the senses. He, who otherwise reveals himself only in the devotees mind, now manifested in a gross form and made Himself visible to them. For this reason, He is addressed as a complete incarnation (poorna avatar). The devotees celebrated that they could see the Lord with their senses; touch Him, serve Him, talk to Him, offer Him food. They served Him in various ways. From some homes He stole butter; from some homes He stole milk; from some He stole their mind; He stole their sins- He showed extra-ordinary miracles.
Another interpretation is that – the Lord who remains beyond the understanding of even the mind manifested with a gross body in Brindavan. How fortunate were the devotees who lived in Krishna’s time! It could be true that we were born then. Only because we lived in that time, today we are chasing the Lord. In order to ensure we do not forget Him, He has built in difficulties in our life, so that at least during difficulties we will think of Him. For this reason, we must eternally thank Him.
A few thousands of Swamiji’s devotees have compiled their experiences into a two-volume book in which they talk of how they met Swamiji, how with His association they could free themselves of difficulties, how they could obtain real knowledge; how Swamiji sports with us. The third volume is being compiled. Innumerable experiences have been narrated in those books. Such devotees have the belief- ‘We are talking with Swamiji; we are playing with Him; we are fighting with Him; we are eating along with Him’- how fortunate they are! The fact that you are moving about with me implies you existed during Krishna’s incarnation. It is guarantee. However, your other actions, your sins and due to falling into delusion– you drifted far away from Him. In order to pull you back, He has given you difficulties and using them He is dragging you back.
Do you know the sport played by Lord Rama with Tyajaraja swami? Tyagaraja swami would sing fabulous compositions on Rama. But, Lord Rama wanted to hear him sing when he was faced with viraha taapa (intense longing caused due to pain of separation). With this motto, He had the idols stolen from Tyagaraja swami’s home. That this was the Lord’s intent was evident from the fact that Tyagaraja swami’s elder brother himself stole those idols and threw them into River Kaveri.
It is wrong to condemn idol worship. Why can’t the Lord, who exists everywhere and in all forms, exist in the form of idols? In order to restrain (nigraha) the mind, we use idol (vigraha). Although people may condemn idol worship, my connection with the Lord who exists as the idol is the proof to me that he exists in it.
Tyagaraja swami would ardently worship Rama’s idols. To the Lord who was in that idol, he offered lakhs of compositions. But the compositions he composed after losing those idols- they brought out his real devotion. For this reason, even to date, those compositions are revered. Rama wanted to hear him sing with absolute devotion- for this reason, He had the idols stolen.
When difficulties arise, do not abuse the Lord; instead learn to thank Him, because at least during difficulties we chant His names. In normal days, we will not think of the Lord. Our arrogance and our extreme attachment to wealth prevents us from thinking of Him. There are people who say that they can buy anything with their wealth. ‘We can buy a huge hospital’- they claim. But, when afflicted with cancer, the entire wealth serves no purpose. The treatment and the operation may offer temporary cure but they cannot heal permanently. The disease will not leave the person until it drags him into death’s territory.
Real dispassion means to focus on the Lord at such hour. As people are forgetting God and devotion, periodically He showers them with problems.
It was some desire that pulled you to Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji. Else you would never have come to Him. You did not come to him seeking material comforts, for you are well provided. But yet you came here to Him. Why? 5% people have coming seeking a spiritual Guru. Another 5% were totally captivated by Swamiji’s transcendence and unable to hold themselves back –they have come. But, neither are they able to hold on completely to him, nor are they able to abandon Him completely.
Suppose a person pours hot ghee into his mouth. He does not want to spit it out as the ghee is costly and is of high quality. At the same time, he cannot swallow it as it is hot. Like him, there are a few who swing in-between. Neither can they hold on completely to Swamiji nor can they leave Him. They do not have the time to understand His essence completely and follow Him and His words. But at the same time they have no heart to let go off Him. Mind forces them to go for Swamiji’s darshan. They feel guilty if they do not visit Him. They swing in this state.
Understand that all of you are seated in Sadguru’s boat. People of all types are in this boat which is steered by Sadguru. At times, captain announces, ‘the tide is high. Please do not move. Remain where you are’. Because if the passengers move, the boat will topple and sink. In a boat, any hole can cause water to seep in causing it to sink. In the boat called human body, there are nine holes. From any of the holes, sins and difficulties enter. The moment sin enters, the life-force vanishes.
The moment water enters, air goes away. Similarly, when sin (compared here with water) enters into us, life-force (compared with wind) goes away. If we want the life-force to remain, we must carefully prevent sin from entering through any of the doors. Men have 9 holes, women have 12. These holes/doors must be strictly disciplined. The life-force or the individual soul (jeevatma) doesn’t want to connect to sin.
With the help of that jeevatma we must accomplish (our goal). Puja, prayers, chanting divine names, performing vrata, tapa, japa, bathing in holy rivers, going on pilgrimages, performing annadana are all spiritual tools in the path of karma. All these activities that take us closer to the Lord must necessarily be performed by one and all. Anagha vrata is one among such activities.
Anagha vrata is nothing but yoga. We invoke Ishitva, Vashitva and other supernatural energies, who are connected with Yoga. Swamiji has incorporated Yoga into the vrata from. His intent is to popularize this path of Yoga and ensure that more people tread the spiritual line. His intent is that more and more people must come under Paramatma’s drishti (gaze).
In this Kali-yuga, what happens, when, where and why is unknown. A new disease has emerged in one place; in another place they say that the oceans are eroding away the place, earth is shattering in some places. TV and internet have ensured that we are well-aware of all happenings even in distant lands.
The moment a rat dies in some home, we get the flash news. We then grieve for that rat although we have no idea where it lives and to whom it belongs. But the news leaves us saddened. To add to our misery, the TV channel flashes that news the entire day. ‘The owner is weeping’- they report. They show images of the dead rat and of the grieving owner one after another. They show the place it lived, how it would run on its master’s body. This news is flashed the entire day leaving us miserable by evening. What is this? What connection did you have with that rat? Neither did you know the rat personally nor did you know its owner. You have no idea where it lived. But yet you are grieving for it.
Similarly, if someone in some country meets with an accident, the news is replayed so many times that mentally we travel to that place and we are soaked in grief. A lot of time is lost due to this. This is the outcome of internet and TV. Due to this continuous news reports, we are giving far more importance to events than what is due.
Do you think that no one died in the past? Do you presume that rats did not die in the past? Did the owners not grieve at that time? Haven’t many ships sunk in the past? Did we get that news? No. Because we did not know that news, we were peaceful.
There was a time when a person had to wait hours to book a trunk call. With mobiles, now people are extra-connected. Each person carries many mobiles- one mobile for wife’s calls, one for the other wife and the third mobile for receiving calls from his other female friend. What I am saying is the fact as is happening today.
From the time mobiles entered the market, people forgot to look at the road when walking or driving, leading to many accidents. Families have stopped having meals together. Just as they sit for meals, the mobile rings and the person immediately attends to it. In the process he forgets his other family members who are eating along with him. He also forgets to eat properly. The family does not enjoy a happy meal together. It is imperative that the mobile should be kept far away during meal time. The moment the phone rings the person forgets those who are standing before him and rushes to answer the phone.
Mobiles are the enemy of the modern world. Swamiji has decided to use this enemy to take us to God. For this reason, the Anagha vrata puja method has been put in the website. You can use your phone to access the site and complete your puja.
As you are filled with inertia, I need to use techniques suited to you to draw you closer to God. Just as the police learn the thieving techniques to catch the thief, in order to help you I need to develop inertia. Only then I can take you to God. Just as the police mingle with the thieves in order to catch them one day, God transforms into a human being, a friend, a family member and, while involving in your karma, takes you away from your karma.
True friends weep along with their friend who is in distress. With this, the friend who is in grief is consoled. On the contrary, if the friend were to say, ‘Don’t narrate your sorrows. I am in the same boat. I cannot listen to all this’, then the person who is suffering will feel uncared and will further sink into dejection.
For this reason, when devotees narrate their woes, I listen patiently however long it could be. Whether they find solution to their problem or not depends on their destiny. But I lend them a patient ear. Consoled that someone cares for them, half their grief is dissolved. The other half only needs treatment. But if I were to send them away without listening to them, then their faith in God will totally vanish. Swamiji does all this only to help them develop faith in God. If not, why should Swamiji strive so much for the people?
As I have mentioned earlier, in Rama’s time or in Krishna’s time, we were all together. We were among those Gopikas who encircled Krishna. Even I was one among them. He has now allotted some work to each of us and we are on that errand. As part of that task I was asked to come to Rajamundry and spend few days here. After 12 years I am visiting this place
In India itself, I have devotees in every place. Even if I travel at the rate of one city/ sabha per day, I need one year only to cover India. At times I call people to my place and at other times I visit those kshetras. To cause an awakening in people who adamantly refuse to come to visit me, I travel to those places.
Whether I talk, sing, do Puja or not, everything depends on My will alone. No one can compel. Everything depends on your Yoga, destiny and luck. As you have done some supreme meritorious deeds, as you have love for divinity, Swamiji is giving you training. Anagha vrata is part of that training.
If you make up your mind to join me in my mission, then promise that you will perform Anagha vrata daily. A new duty has been given to me. I need to complete many crores Anagha vrata and offer the same to the Lord. Join me in this mission and help me.
Now I shall teach you about mental puja. In mental puja, you need to firmly believe that you are welcoming the Lord in your mind, offering Him a seat, offering Him water to bathe, water to sip, clothes to wear. In your mind you will offer lamp, incense stick and camphor light to him. In this mental puja, there is no need even for akshata. With such belief, listen to the Anagha vrata song.