Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji in the evening – February 10, 2022 – SGS Ashrama at Dundigal Hyderabad
Compiled by Archana Penukonda
Today is a very special day – Syamala Navami/ Madhva namavi. It is the day Lord Vishnu has descended.
We did not publicize this visit. The propagation was only through Whatsapp. You came running just due to those messages. You must keep track of the Ashrama activities. Arrangements are made such that all the Deities/murtis undergo Nitya puja. You must believe that the temple is there, it is wrong to think that there is no temple here. Do not listen to such statements or propagate such news. Every stone/human/Avatara etc undergoes transformations. It is natural. We do not remain a child eternally. We grow old. We go to the place where have come from. We keep running right from the day we are born. If we finish a birthday, it means an year is over. In this manner, the lifetime ends. We are born again after and the race repeats. How long can we run? We must stop this running. The one on the spiritual path is bored. The others are interested in this. Do we remember anything of past births? Or anything of the future? Nothing at all! We forget what has happened four days ago and we know nothing that is to happen four days later. This is the secret of our birth – we are born in some place, in some family this time, it might be different next time. You all have been holding on to me.
Maarjala nyaaya, Markata nyaaya, Matsya nyaaya:
Marjala nyaya – A cat holds its kitten and keeps moving. It protects its kitten by holding them strongly. The kitten cannot catch hold of the mother. In the beginning, when you come for Guru Upadesha, you are like the kitten. Hence, I scold you and ask you to do this, do that etc. After some time, you get some freedom. Then, comes Markata nyaya – The young ones of the monkey hold on to the belly of the mother monkey. The grip of monkey is very strong. That’s how you have been holding me. You must hold on to me like this, very strongly. The monkey jumps from one huge tree to another, very rarely does the young one fall. The next is Matsya nyaya – The fish lays eggs and keeps going, there is nothing like kissing the young ones or taking care of them. The baby fish follow the mother. Who teaches the young fish? They learn on their own. Just with mere glancs, the mother fish teaches the young ones to eat the mossy patches, worms, algae etc inside the water etc. No one feeds idli, masala dosa to the fish. The monkey might earn some food for young ones but not the fish. In the beginning, I talk very nicely. From then on, after my dristi falls on you, you must hold on to me. We have experienced Marjala and Markata stages. After seeing this, we will feel comfortable to just see Swamiji and then we keep going, because all your issues are resolved with mere dristi. We are just watching and observing Guru dristi. This is Guru’s friendship. We must grow. There will be some whom the Guru will be holding. We must give space and chance for such devotees because we have already crossed that phase. The mother keeps safeguarding the young fish with mere sight. The same is the case with Guru.
With His mere dristi, he protects his devotees, There is no need to talk each time. That is how we learn silently – Mouna vyakhyaanam (lessons imparted through silence). Some say that they do not understand my silence, But some others say that they get the answers from my eyes only. You must grow further still. You must not be satisfied with just this. Sometimes, in order to give more clarity, Guru speaks.
Each bhajan has different meanings. They provide answers to our problems. Upasana/worship has been embedded in bhajans. Logic or Tarka is of no use. Only ignorant people waste time in Tarka. Do we get moksha with debates? “I am a scholar”, “I am a learned person!” – How does such boasting help you?
Hence Shankaracharya says, “Bhaja Govindam”. Chant the Lord’s name to attain liberation. Divya nama sankeertana bestows moksha. Swamiji has given that through Nadopasana via bhajans. Those who engage in Tarka have no devotion. They are behind knowledge only. Path of Bhakti is the best and easiest. Our ancestors preached the same.
The Lord who pervades in all forms is one and only one. We must merge in him. Hence, all the deities are praised in bhajans from Rama, Krishna till Veerabhadra. Bhajans related to all the deities are there.
We must progress methodically. We must climb a hill step by step in an orderly manner. We must reach God with devotion. Using stories, Nava rasa tattva (nine types of feelings) etc, Swamiji uses several methods to inculcate devotion towards God in you. Sometimes, Swamiji uses Marjala nyaya and Markata nyaya methods on you because you slip in between. Not all have memory retention. We keep forgetting the lessons learned. Hence, the teacher repeats the older lessons and then goes to the new ones. Swamiji does the same.
There is no greater friend than Naada. When we are very sad, how nice it would be if we can hum some Raaga in our own style? Our entire mood changes. We feel like knowing the meaning of that song as well. Isn’t that the way to reach God? You thought Nama sankertana as passing time? It is not!
Dundigal Ashrama is getting ready, although we are facing obstacles. For good acts, we often face obstacles. For a person to grow, we must face all sufferings. The inauguration is getting delayed but it’s fine. We must not rush. You rush to build a house for some reason. If you give time, the house will come out well. If you rush while eating, food will get stuck in the throat. Hence, we used to eat just Sankati in the ancient times. It was so easy to eat! Now, we have innumerable items. How can we eat quickly with so many items? We cannot eat in haste.
Knowing Sadguru also happens slowly. Every day in the evening, we have Live broadcast of Appaji’s discourses. Do not miss! Switch off all the daily soaps. They spoil your head. We do not lose anything in an hour. Send the link to your friends. You will learn something new. Although we lost many people, Corona also had its positives for us. It has taught positive lessons – family bonding, fear for life etc.
Seshu Latha is teaching many to sing bhajans. Appaji is very happy about that. She will be sending me the bhajans they sing each week. I keep watching them daily.
I had body pains due to low temperatures at Jammu & Kashmir. Also, there were so many steps there to climb. Hence, I have some pain in the body. I miss my daily swimming. I do Yoga, Japa etc in water every day. I missed all that so many days. I am born in water – Narayana!! I have a slight fever also. I promised that I will come to see you all by evening. So earlier in the day, I thought I must get well to see you and I am indeed good now. Let’s try to inaugurate Ashrama for Yugadi. I promise to come and something else happens. When I say that I don’t come, I will come.
Jaya Guru Datta!