Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – December 3, 2023 – Divya Dham Temple, Queens, New York, USA
As soon as I entered this hall, I remembered Devi Bhāgavatam, Chandi Saptashati and Tripurā Rahasyam. There are other deities here too, including Shiva. Shiva Sahasralingam is also present here. This is truly Divya Dhama – a Devata Dhama – an abode of the deities. This place reminds us of Mother Goddess. You know how Devi wanted to go to the Yajna conducted by her father Daksha. She prays to Shiva to let her go. From the beginning, Shiva and Daksha did not get along. Daksha felt his son-in-law was homeless, smears ash on his body, had no proper clothes, wrapped snakes around him, lived in burial grounds, he is served by spirits, etc. He was egoistic and felt his son-in-law was no good. So Daksha invites all his daughters, but not Sati, even though he loved his daughter dearly.
Even if the father disowns her, the daughter will never disown her father. Daughters are the ones who take care of the parents. So, I encourage you to have more daughters. The sons may not have as much empathy, service mindset and the tenderness that daughters have. The sons take care of his wife, children, bank balance, etc., but not his parents. He feels he is answerable to his wife.
Parvati insists on going to her father’s yajna and Shiva dissuades her and even finally tells her that she won’t be able to see Shiva again if she goes. But Parvati insists and goes nonetheless. No one even talks to her when she goes there. Her father questions why did she bother to come, she was the wife of a beggar.
Unable to bear the humiliation, she jumps into the huge Homa kunda. Veerabhadra wreaks havoc. Shiva then carries the burned body, wandering around the Creation. He keeps chanting her name. He listens to no one who tries to persuade Him because She is Prakriti and He is Parameshvara, each make up half of the whole. With half body gone, how could Shiva be at peace? He carries Her dead body around this Creation. All the Devatas pray to Vishnu to help.
There are 9 crore worlds/realms like Earth/Sun/Moon etc. Shiva was roaming in those worlds of the cosmos. Devatas pray to Vishnu and the Lord then follows Shiva wherever he goes. Shiva picks up pace knowing Vishnu was following him. Their speed was faster than the speed of the mind/thought. You can travel to wherever you want right now. You can go to Mysuru and talk to Swamiji, and then you can come to New York and then go to Dallas immediately even while you are seated in your chair. No need of visa or passport or money.
Many travelled around the world during yesterday’s concert – they mentally floated in the sky. That is why Swamiji asks you to relax and close your eyes. You will feel like you are floating in the sky. Swamiji even instructed you to sleep, so you can relax. Some felt they floated in the sky, bathed in the sea, had Darshan of the Devatas etc. This is the speed of the mind – Manovegam. When the sounds touch our body, we forget this world. We can do anything with the speed of mind. You will forget the world around you. During the concert, you must look at yourself, look within. Don’t look at Swamiji. If you look within, you are fulfilling the purpose of the concert. Many people watching on FB Live, left Swamiji a voicemail that they felt they were floating in the sky. But sitting here, you were watching Swamiji and the music troupe, that is why you were not going within. You do not heal faster because you are not letting me enter. You closed your doors and invited Swamiji. How can Swamiji keep breaking doors all the time? I don’t usually have that much time. When you cooperate with me during concert, you will heal. Of course, the music is great. You enjoyed this concert like a regular concert, but you did not experience the real purpose of this concert.
We are all patients, mentally. That is why Swamiji asks us all to listen to music while going to bed. You are aware of the world around you when your eyes are open. I want you to travel within, but you like the world around you. You like the phone, time, hunger, chit-chat, etc. You must forget all that for atleast 30 minutes. Do you know why I have the lights turned off? So you can concentrate. Also because I can avoid looking at your antics of talking, itching, scratching, shifting in your seat, etc. All of you are monkeys. Devoted monkeys, rich monkeys, lazy monkeys, etc., but monkeys nevertheless. I do not want to look at your antics, that is why I had the lights turned off. You are missing out on the concert’s purpose. You attend a number of concerts but you do not make good use of it. I don’t need your thanks and your praise for the concert, I want to know that you had the right experience.
When you eat, you must experience the taste, not just eat mechanically. You must eat with concentration. That is why elders close the doors and eat in silence. Otherwise, the food is not absorbed well by the body. Say you go to some waterfalls. Enjoy the sight in front of you, but you immediately begin taking photos and selfies so passionately that sometimes people even fall down and are gone! What experience did you have? After clicking photos you bend your head and begin looking at the photos. When you spend time and money to go to those beautiful places, you must experience those waterfalls, instead you are immersed in taking photos.
In the same vein, you are not experiencing the concert either. Only 2-3 people had the experience, you did not have it because you do not care. When you let the music sink in, close your eyes, let go, and let yourself float in the sky mentally, that is a different experience. Each note and the impact of that note on the specific nerve is based on science. The note needs to have the right frequency and decibel for the right impact at the right time on the right nerve. This is not Sangeetam or music. It is sound that is used by Swamiji to heal you. Many in India treat a concert like a festival. They come running to the concert. But you do not know how to experience the concert. This is not something to be shared or taught. You must experience it for yourself. Can you sit indoors with eyes closed and enjoy the beauty of the moon outside?
With that speed of mind Shiva ran, and Vishnu after him. Vishnu drew his sword and hacked the body of Sati even as Shiva ran. Vishnu hacked it 42 times and each piece fell in different part of Earth, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, etc., as it was one big undivided Bharath then. That is why there are all these Devatas here at this temple. It’s not like they had other Devatas here to not displease them. We have no understanding or seriousness. The moment I entered, I felt this was Devi Loka (abode of Mother Goddess). This is Tripura Rahasyam right here. We are having Darshan of all Shakti Peethas right here. The Nava Durgas are here.
Shiva kept running. He felt Sati’s body was still on him. Who could stop him? He then slowed down, jumping over planets, one step on Venus, the next step on Mars, and so on. That was Manovegam – Speed of Mind. Vishnu ran even faster.
Just yesterday, we heard Mother Goddess’ composition, Shiva composition, etc.
This composition (ID 400) has the essence of this entire temple in it.
This composition is in Kashyapi raga. This raga gives good strength. This keertana is about Mother Goddess – the Goddess in this temple. Wherever a piece of the Devi’s body fell, it became a Kshetra. Back then India included Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh etc. So, those pieces fell there too. There are 2 in Pakistan, 1 in Bangladesh. We have no permission to visit these places. There are temples, big and small, in all those places.
I am very happy that you are all here from various places. But I regret that you did not experience the real bliss. I didn’t tell you all these years because I was hoping you would realise on your own.
Wonderful arrangements were made yesterday. Krishna Gurram and his family are very devoted to Swamiji. They arranged for Guru Nilayam in Mekedatu. They want to do Guru Nilayam in Badari too. Krishna had the desire to show New York who Swamiji is. He wanted New York to experience Swamiji’s music. I am very happy. He requested me not to talk about him but I cannot hold myself back.
He felt this was a better use of his money than buying another house. While Swamiji is present in this body, making good use of the money and making Swamiji happy is a good thing. This is good seva done by Krishna Gurram and his family.
You can go back and listen to yesterday’s concert online.