Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Sri Devi Navaratri Festival Mysore – Pratipat – September 22, 2025
Jaya Guru Datta
Om Ayim Hreem Shreem Shri Lalita Parameshvaryai Namaha
It is a very rare occasion to witness this 59th year of Devi Navaratri rituals. Next year will be the 60th year. This – 60 years – is Poorna Avarana per Devi Bhagavatam. There is no one who has seen the pujas all 60 years, even though I have done the pujas for 60 years. It is a very rare fortune to get this opportunity to witness the Pujas without missing a single day all 60 years. There is no one who has. It is like a Tapas/austerity. This Ashrama and this peetha has witnessed this.
What we do is a mix of mantra, tantra, yantra and Devi Bhagavata methods. Next year’s might be the last such ritual because it’s the Poorna Avarana (complete cycle). The Shastras say that 60 years of life is a full life, 100 years is not necessary. Even a year over 60 years is a bonus. After 90 years, the person becomes like a child, no more bonus. That is according to our system – the Vedanta way. 60 years is considered a full life.
Next year, this kind of Navavarana Puja may be the last. After that, Swamiji may be going outside too, I do not know. Swamiji may go to one of the Ashtadasha Shakti Peethas each day. Swamiji will go alone, no devotees are allowed to come. On the last day, Swamiji will go to Haridwar and take a dip in ganga, when you can join. But next year, we will do the pujas here as we have been.
So next year, do not miss the event, try to witness all 9 days. This is a life time opportunity, do not miss due to some excuses or inconveniences at home etc. If you do, God will also say it’s not a convenient time to help. What if God says he is not available to help when you are in the ICU? We want God’s protection at all times, but we do not want to pray at all times. I pray that you all get the right wisdom to pray to God always. If God appeared in your dream when you are in critical condition in the ICU and said he had to attend a wedding for two days and will help you after, what you will we do?
Bhajan ID 683
On this first day we worship the Mother who has infinite forms, in the auspicious form of Gauri Mata!
Your form is an ocean of compassion. Your eyes are like waves. (Not even the supreme Sankara could describe the beauty of Mother’s eyes.). The essence of compassion is overflowing from Her eyes, that is why Mother’s glance is also slightly bent. It also indicates a slight smile and is beautiful with kohl. Please grant me peace with glances from Your divine eyes, Mother!
Sri Mata’s form is verily Guru. Shakti Rahasya is a scripture that states that Guru is the embodiment of Brahma Jnana. Not everyone should be accepted as Guru. May wear ochre and beads, but they are not all Gurus. Guru Gita talks about how a Guru is to be known.
Nitya Hridayam also talks about the fact that Mother destroys ignorance and bestows wisdom.
Therefore Sri Mata who is the form of Guru graces the devoetee as Sadguru or as a good physician/healer.
When the time is right for divine grace, Guru comes to you. Just because the Guru will come to you, you should not get complacent. You must make your effort. If you are complacent, you will not get Guru’s words or even his photo. When a person is ailing, a good doctor comes his way to save him because the patient cannot walk to the doctor. This is akin to how a pious person gets the grace of Guru. When the patient is terribly sick, he cannot go anywhere. So too when a pious one is fully absorbed in God, he will not know anything else, that is when the Guru will enter that person’s life. Sadguru is like this healer and the devotee is like the patient.
There is a small story in Mahabharata that explains the inner meaning.
A great sage called Dhaumya used to run a Gurukula. Guru Dhaumya used to be with the Pandavas it is said. The Guru gave education to everyone except one student called Aruni. Aruni would be given chores to do around the Gurukula. He would however teach other disciples very systematically.
Back in those days, students would do chores and then gain education. They would learn entire subjects within 10 days. These days, the teacher has to go to the student’s house and teach. And the students may even call and cancel the day’s class.
Aruni, the student would very diligently do the Guru’s chores. One night, it rained heavily. Dhaumya woke up Aruni and said: Our crops are ready to harvest in a couple days. There is a lake next to the field and it’s about to breach due to rains. If the waters flood the farm, the farm will be destroyed. So go look at the lake and the wall, make sure there is no breach. Take a plough and some other implements with you to do the needful.
Aruni did as told and found that there was a small opening in the wall through which water was flowing into the farm. Aruni gathered some stones hurriedly and tried to block the hole. But the hole kept getting bigger. He thought for some time and seeing no other way, laid down against the hole to prevent the water from flowing into the farm.
He wondered: what should I protect first? My life or Guru’s words?
Aruni remembered that the Guru had directed him to protect the farm, come what may. He jumped into action to block the hole. He laid down and blocked the hole. He got very cold and his body froze and slowly, he lost consciousness too.
By the morning, the Guru woke up all disciples. He forgot about Aruni. He took the roll call to make sure they were all there and were doing all their morning duties. He realized Aruni was missing. The students reminded him that he had sent Aruni to the fields to protect it from the waters.
Dhaumya wondered why he had not returned yet, since the task was quite easy. He took all his students with him to find Aruni. He only found marsh and dirt, but did not find Aruni. He called out loudly to his student. He began crying for his student and lovingly called out to him. When he called out with such love, divine vibrations presented themselves, every element of Nature responded to that call. Those vibrations fell on the student who was unconscious. Every element in nature was thrilled. That student who was drowned in mud heard the Guru. Like an ailing patient whose life was restored by the physician, the Guru came to get back his student. A light entered the heart of Aruni who regained consciousness hearing the call. He suddenly stood up and all the stones around him fell far away. He saw the Guru and, surprisingly, praised the Guru with hymns from all four vedas, even though he had not gotten educated until then.
All the students understood that the Guru’s grace had filled Aruni’s heart. Aruni never once lamented or wondered why he was not getting education from Guru. If he did, he would not have received such grace. The Guru’s words must be followed no matter what it is.
Aruni stood up and said he had managed to protect the farm and waited for the next task. Dhaumya was overjoyed and hugged him. He said: My calling out to you was enough to give you all education and wisdom. Since you stood up like a log, your name from today onwards is Uddhalaka. You will be known by this name. Your fame will spread far and your devotion will get steadfast.
That is real Guru Bhakti. You should not use intellect or use your ego with Guru. Guru is full of compassion. When a devotee speaks recklessly, Guru will not say anything. Guru feels great remorse that the devotee is incurring untold sin.
Education in those days was different from what we have these days. How can devotees these days gain such wisdom? When devotees have faith and devotion and have sincere yearning for Jnana.
Mother Gauri blesses so in the form of Guru. No matter how closely we move around with Guru, we will not get jnana unless we have that surrender and faith. You must realize that Guru is walking God. But if you think Guru is human like you, the matter is closed. You will not attain liberation even in seven births.
To have that yearning, you must have that positive grief and pining for Jnana. This is not grief for worldly matters. The grief for Jnana and the pining for it should be in you. The worldly Guru also comes and teaches the student who wants to get knowledge in the world to survive. The teacher and the student both benefit from this. In the old days, Sadguru would teach knowledge of the Self.
Gauri comes as Guru and fulfills the wishes of those who are pining for Jnana.
So, have good Bhakti and pining for Jnana. Then, I will be with you and will hold your hands leading you to higher steps, Mother assures.
But we are going lower, we are falling. Some future birth, you’ll remember that you followed Swamiji, but did not make use of it. I will remind you, I will whack you. Not me, but Yama will do that. So, no matter what the task is, you must not grieve that the Guru is testing you. You are not such a supreme devotee that you get tested. Are you even worth getting tested by God? We listen to a few stories of great souls and we think we too are undergoing tests by God.
So, instead of wondering why Devi is testing you, you must dive in and do what the Guru says. Aruni did not wonder why the Guru was testing him, he just got work done. He did not wonder why the Guru was testing him when all the stones he used to plug the hole did not accomplish the task. Have the sincere yearning and belief that Guru’s words are of supreme importance. We beseech Gauri Mata for such knowledge.