Speeches of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Shivaratri – February 21, 2020 – Mysore
Compiled by: Parimala Eshwarla
Speech in the morning
I am very happy with the arrival of the Buddhist monk- the Buddha, siddha, jeevanmukta Guru Chanda Surya. Chanda Surya also is like Chandra (Moon) and Surya (Sun). He is radiant like the Sun and calming like the Moon. That He has chosen to visit us on Shivaratri fills me with joy. I feel as if Shiva has personally descended here today.
I visited many Buddhist dhamas during my visit to Myanmar. In Tibet I visited Buddha guha. In it idols of Lords Narasimha and Shiva exist. It brought me great joy to see Hindu idols in Buddhist cave.
Actually, all the differences are human creations alone. Paths are many but goal is one. All people are the same. Within every human body the same blood flows. Heart, kidney, bones, eyes, ears exist in every human being irrespective of their race. Only differences exist in the path chosen by the intellect (buddhi) and atma to reach the goal. But in the eyes of the Supreme Lord, all human beings are equal.
Just as one person likes rice, another relishes chappati- this sadhana path differs according to the person’s individual taste. One student pursues law; another pursues medicine; yet another pursues literature. People choose different kinds of studies, different kinds of lifestyles; different kind of yoga; different kind of tapas (penance). It is same in spiritual field too. Sadhanas undertaken are different. Brahma has given freedom to every individual to choose the path he wants.
Everyone wants moksha (salvation), but the path to attain it is different. Why are there so many fights in the name of religion/ path? It is not good, for, we are all one.
Buddha means concentration/ determination. These monks don’t want worldly comforts. They want only ananda. They want only to be with God. Some call that God as Rama, some as Krishna, some as Hanumanta. The same God is also invisible. At the same time He is visible. He is capable of everything. He himself is sporting in different ways.
But in the buddhi there are many differences. Some are scholarly; some are not. Some are exceedingly wealthy; some are absolutely poor. But we don’t want to see any differences. We want to see only the inner Self (atman). Atma does not have any differences. The Self (atma) does not have difference such as rich, poor, intelligent, scholarly, illiterate, and the like. Self is absolutely pure. It is like the crystal Shiva linga. Very pure. For this reason, we must try to merge into our Self. You must concentrate upon your inner Self always.
The paths chosen by the people to merge into their inner Self (atma) varies. One group of people address one path as the ‘Yoga path’. Another group select a completely different path to reach the goal. But the end point is the same for all paths. Understand this clearly. Do not see religions are points for clash; but as different paths selected for reaching the same end goal.
From the very beginning I am in favour of religious unity. Twice in the past Dalai Lama has visited our Ashram. Many Jains, Buddhists, many scholarly Muslims, Christians have come to our Ashram many times in the past.
The people in Myanmar are very soft spoken and simple. I loved the place and the people there. If we ask for directions, they personally guide us to the destination. The Buddha monk Chanda surya is inviting me to visit Myanmar again. All of you are welcome to join me in that trip. It is a beautiful land. I will inform about the trip 6 months in advance. You can plan your trip accordingly. Swamiji will conduct a healing concert there.
Presently all of you are very energetic and active. But we have a long night of Shivaratri to spend. By midnight your eyes will be half open and you will be half alert. This reminds me of a story. A traffic police was on duty. At 8 PM, when he began his duty, he was extremely active and strict. He was swiftly and clearly giving directions and regulating the traffic. By midnight, he was half alert. By 2 AM, he was sleepy and was giving directions haphazardly. Slowly he drifted into sleep, allowing the vehicles to go as they wished. Your condition to comparable to him. Presently you are alert and energetic. As time goes by, you will be dozing off. When Om Namah Shivaya is chanted loudly, you will suddenly awaken and sit straight. You will wonder why everyone is laughing. But the person sitting beside you is of no help to you because he too was dozing and hence couldn’t follow the joke.
Remember an important rule. To remain awake all night, it is important to not eat heavy food. Eat light and less. This is a very special Shivaratri and this star combination has come after 117 years.
Many children who had been named by Swamiji have arrived here presently. During Datta Jayanti few hundreds of such children had come and received the prasadam from Swamiji. This time again another few hundreds have arrived here. Many of these children have never visited Mysore ashram. After seeing this ashram they feel they are in Vaikuntha and are regretting for not having visited ashram in the past. They know Appaji for past many years, but they have never visited ashram. I could have given them this dollar prasadam in their respective cities, but I was particular that they must come to Mysore for Shivaratri and receive it. I wanted them to see their Guru’s ashram and experience it.
13000 crore Hanuman Chalisa Yagna:
Swamiji has started the Hanuman Chalisa Parayana yagna. Swamiji’s intent is that it must be performed 13,000 crore times. Before and after chanting Hanuman Chalisa, you must chant- Srirama Jayarama Jaya Siya Rama. This Rama mantra is for the upcoming temple in Ayodhya. We must chant this mantra for Rama.
In the land of Bharat, history is going to get created. How much we have waited and toiled for it! In this process we have lost many of our karseva relatives. During the invasions, so much of our dharma was destroyed. Our temples destroyed. We have all suffered a lot. If we invite someone to our house and the guest eats away the house itself, then what to say?
Register your names in the www.dattapeetham.org website and submit your Hanuman Chalisa counts daily. Do as much as possible. The more the better.
When Hanuman Chalisa is chanted under a Parijata tree, or in Hanuman temple or by the river bank, or in the vicinity of the ocean or on a mountain- then every Hanuman Chalisa chanted is equivalent of 100 chanting. If your house is by the sea, then sit facing the ocean and chant. You must be able to see the ocean. If there are 5 banana (plantain) trees, that can be considered Kadali-vana. A single Hanuman Chalisa chanting done here is equivalent of 100 count.
Chanting near potted Parijata or banana plant is not acceptable. The sapling must be planted in the ground.
Just as you are doing Anagha vrata regularly, you must do Hanuman Chalisa also. Those who do 100 Anagha vrata a day receive voice message from Appaji. Until the temple comes up in Ayodhya, until the consecration of the temple, until the time our ashram comes in Ayodhya we must continue this yagna.
For this Shivaratri, you must chant Namah Shankaranarayana. It is 8 sylabled mantra. This mantra is only for today.
Shivaratri Speech
Om Namaḥ Shivāya
Namōstu guhyāya guhāntarāya
Vedānta vignāna viniścitāya │
Trikāla hīnāmala dhāmadhāmnē
Namō mahēśāya namaśśivāya ‖
I offer obeisance to Shiva, the Lord who has a secretive existence, who resides in the heart-cave, who is decisively revealed through the knowledge called Vedanta Shastra, who is beyond the three time divisions, and who is of pure radiance.
Om Namaḥ Shivāya- Obeisance to His east-facing face.
Om Shankarāya namah- Obeisance to His west-facing face.
Om Sāmba-sadāshivāya namah- Obeisance to His upward-facing face.
Om Maheshwarāya namah- Obeisance to His south-facing face.
Om Rudrāya namah- Obeisance to His north-facing face.
Shiva- such is the power contained in this name, that even when it is uttered casually without devotion it has the capacity to destroy all the sins of that person! Further, it fills him with auspiciousness.
‘Shiva’ means ‘peace’. Such peace cannot be obtained through material comforts and luxuries. Only when the person holds on to Shiva, it is obtained. Therefore, listen to stories pertaining to Shiva. Chant His name and worship Him.
Perform abhishekam to Him. Fix your mind upon Him at least for a moment or two. You will earn His grace and He will cause your upliftment.
Just as the wind blows evenly upon everyone, just as the Sun shines evenly upon every entity, Shiva’s benevolent grace flows evenly upon all creatures.
Just as the emergence of Sun fills the world with illumination, only when the person earns Shiva’s grace, real knowledge dawns in him.
Just as the oxen cannot plough the fields in the absence of the farmer, living entities cannot accomplish anything unless Shiva personally leads them.
The potter determines to create pots and thus they get created. Likewise, we have obtained these births today purely because of Shiva’s determined will (sankalpa). Thus, it can be said that Shiva is both the cause and the effect (kārya) for everything in creation.
It is He who fills the entities with the worldly knowledge necessary for existence. He is the Lord who protects the world. Precisely for this, we must seek shelter under Him. We must sing His glories.
The person who gets the fortune of being engaged in offering services to Shiva does not fear taking on more re-births. If Shiva’s name is eternally chanted by the tongue, sin will not even dare to approach the person. He will not have the fear of committing sins.
It is enough if the desire to offer services to Shiva emerges in the heart- automatically all the sense-organs become subdued and come completely in the person’s grip. ‘Shiva inherently exists within us. Shiva is none other than our inner Self’- the moment the knowledge is completely absorbed by the person, he transcends fear of time.
If the understanding that Shiva is the only refuge emerges in the person- automatically the ability to treat joys and sorrows equally emerges in him. In forgiving sins, this Lord who is Sacchidananda (truth, consciousness, bliss), has infinite compassion.
He is the supreme Sadguru who does not abandon even the wretched sinners. In fact, He strives for their upliftment. He is none other than Sadguru Sacchidanandeshwara. He is Sadāshiva. He is Sāmbashiva.
Shivaratri is not merely a festival pertaining to Shiva; Shivaratri is deeply connected even to Vishnu. This is because today i.e. Magha Krishna Chaturdashi (as per lunar calendar), is addressed as ‘Āraṭantī chaturdashi’.
On this morning, billions and trillions of red rays emerge from Vishnu’s body. As they travel they search for entities whose sins they can destroy. Hence, on this day, Vishnu must also be worshipped- say the Brahma Purana and Skanda Purana.
The truth is that the real essence is non-dual. That same non-dual essence manifests as Shiva and as Vishnu. In protecting the virtuous, that essence manifests as Vishnu. In destroying the sins, the essence manifests as Shiva. Thus, Shivaratri is a festival that concerns both Vishnu and Shiva.
The chance to remember both these Gods is provided in the story of Andhakasura, contained in the Kurma Purana. Let us now recollect that story and the glories of these two Gods.
Andhakasura was born out of Shiva. Among the demon-brothers Hiranyāksha and Hiranyakashipu, the latter was bestowed with Prahlada and many other sons. Hiranyāksha however remained childless for long. Desirous of betting progeny he undertook austerities and pleased Shiva. With Shiva’s blessings, he got a son in adoption. That son was Andhakasura.
As time went by, Hiranyāksha was killed by Lord Varaha and Hiranyakashipu by Lord Narasimha. Prahlada was now appointed as the king for the demon empire.
Due to his uncontained devotion for Lord Vishnu, Prahlada was greatly drawn towards Yoga. He aspired to spend time in exclusive meditation and hence, handed over the kingdom to Andhakasura.
The moment Andhaka took on the reins, he began to torture the inhabitants of all the worlds. He defeated every warrior who dared to oppose him. Once he happened to see Parvati, who was seated beside Shiva on the Mountain Mandara. He developed lustful attraction towards Her. He wanted to abduct her and hence decided to find an opportune moment when Shiva would be away from home.
Exactly at that time, the entire earth was plagued with severe famine. It was the time when, in deep distress, all the saints who resided in Darukavana sought refuge in Maharishi Gautama. The ever compassionate Maharishi fed these saints sumptuously and wished that they would stay with him forever.
Time went by. Situation improved. Earth was filled with crops. The saints now aspired to return back to their homes.
However Maharishi Gautama kept on beseeching them to remain with him and thus prolonged their stay. Unable to find a way to leave, these saints created an illusionary cow which was so emaciated that immediately upon touching it would die.
Not knowing the story behind its creation, Maharishi Gautama accidently touched it, due to which it instantly died.
Immediately the saints said, ‘As you have killed a cow, it is a sin to eat food served by you. Therefore we are leaving’. Maharishi Gautama was deeply aggrieved. He then went into deep meditation and figured out that he had been tricked by these saints. At once he cursed, ‘All of you will forget the knowledge of the Vedas. You will fall from the Vedic path’.
Maharishi Gautama’s curse is irrevocable. Immediately, all the saints forgot the Vedas. Having deviated from the Vedic path, they took on many rebirths in which they were totally absorbed in material and sensual pleasures and completely forgot about the Supreme Essence called Vishnu and Shiva.
However, Lords Vishnu and Shiva noticed the plight of these saints who had fallen to these levels. They were filled with compassion and decided to uplift them. With Vishnu’s inspiration, Shiva composed some Shastras while Vishnu composed some Shastras with Shiva’s recommendation. They then were totally engrossed in teachings these Shastras composed by them to their disciples. Even then, these saints who had taken on births wherein they had strayed from Vedic path, did not pay any attention to Shiva and Vishnu.
At that time, seeking to uplift them, Shiva descended from Kailasa and in the form of a mendicant appeared on earth. Before leaving Kailasa, Shiva entrusted Vishnu, Bhairava and the other Devatas with the responsibility of protecting Mother Parvati in Kailasa. In the form of a mendicant, he was wandering on earth uplifting people.
At this time, Vishnu and all other Devatas took on female forms and worshipped Mother Goddess. They offered her services. Andhaka came to know that Shiva was not in Kailasa. Considering this to be the most opportune moment, Andhaka quickly came to Kailasa.
The moment Shiva heard this news, He returned back to Kailasa. A battle ensued between Shiva and Andhaka. He pierced Andhaka many times with his trident thereby injuring him. However, strangely from every drop of blood that fell down, new Andhakas were emerging and joining the war. As the number of Andhakas suddenly increased, Bhairava found it hard to battle them. Seeing this, Shiva was agitated. He prayed to Maha-vishnu for help.
At that time, Maha-vishnu created 100 divine energies and sent them for war. These divine energies attacked all the Andhakas and destroyed them. The real Andhaka was now terrified seeing the might of the divine energies that had quickly vanquished his army. He ran away in fear from the battlefield. The Devatas celebrated their victory. Profusely glorifying the Divine Mother as well glorifying Shiva and Vishnu, they returned to their homes.
12 years passed by. One day when Shiva and Mother Parvati were seated on the Mandara Mountain, all the Devatas headed by Vishnu approached and glorified Him. In great joy, Shiva embraced Vishnu and glorified Him. At that time, the Devata women-folk beseeched Shiva to explain to them the Vishnu tattva and Devi tattva.
Shiva explained to them about the essence of the Divine Mother. Thereafter, while talking about Vishnu, Shiva said,
Ēka mēva vijānītha tatō yāsyadha nirvṛtim │
Manyantē Vishnumavyaktam ātmānam shraddhayānvitāḥ ‖
Meaning: Vishnu and Me are one and the same. Understand this truth. Only when this truth is properly ingrained in your mind, you will experience real peace. Those who worship Vishnu with absolute dedication realize Him to be their own inner Self. Those who see differences between Vishnu and me are not dear to me. Those who believe in such differences will fall into Rourava hell’.
The Devata women-folk offered obeisance to Shiva, Vishnu and to Mother Goddess Parvati and were praying to Him, when, Andhaka who had regained courage attacked Shiva along with lakhs of soldiers.
Retaining Vishnu by His side, Shiva entered the battlefield and pierced Andhaka with his sharp trident. He raised the trident high up in the air and retained it that way for a long time. The battle was complete and Shiva was victorious. Upon being pierced by the trident belonging to the ever-pure Shiva,
Andhaka’s sins were all destroyed. He was now filled with traits of goodness (sattva). Even when he was still being pierced by that powerful trident, he began to sing in praise of Shiva.
Shiva was extremely pleased to hear Andhaka sing in His praise. Immediately he released Andhaka from that trident and said, ‘Remain with me here. Henceforth, you will be the leader for my troops (ganādhaksha). You will be reporting to Nandi’.
In this way, Shiva transformed the wicked demon into a pious being and also accepted him as a member of his troop. Seeing this, Vishnu was stupefied. He praised Shiva,
Shtānē tava mahādeva prabhāvaḥ puruṣō mahān │
Nekṣatē jnātijāndōṣān gṛhnāti ca guṇānapi │
O Shiva! Mahadeva! Unimaginable is your power. Limitless is your glory. It is always focused on the wellbeing of the entities. A supreme person never looks at the faults of his relatives. (Being a supreme person, you have considered a demon as your relative and have overlooked his faults). Supreme person always notices the virtues of others (Being a supreme person you noticed only the virtues in Andhaka. Transforming him into a pious person you have allowed him to join your troops).
Pleased with this glorification, Shiva once again embraced Vishnu. Thereafter Shiva held Andhaka by his hand and took him to Parvati and said, ‘See your son’. Andhaka fell to the ground and offered reverential prostration to his mother and prayed to her. Mother Parvati was deeply touched by these prayers. She lovingly picked him up and said, ‘Andhaka, you are my son’.
All the assembled Devatas and saints prostrated to Shiva, Vishnu and Mother Parvati and sang their praises before returning to their abodes.
This is exactly what Shiva does. He causes a positive transformation in the minds of those who seek refuge in Him. He showers them with mystical powers and blesses them with the ultimate state. He ensures that they too reach the Sachchidananda (eternal, consciousness, truth) state.
On this auspicious Shivaratri, the Lord eagerly waits to shower boons upon the devotees. Hence, on this day, every task undertaken must be to please Him. Every task must be offered to Him.
May Mother Goddess Parvati and Lords Shiva and Vishnu shower their blessings upon all of you who are celebrating Shivaratri with piety and dedication!