AvadhootaDatta Peetham

 śrī mahāganapate namaha
śrī sarasvtyai namaha
śrī pādavallabha narasimha sarasvati
śrī guru dattātreyāya namaha

Hari om tatsat

śiva śaravaṇa jātam, saiva yoga prabhāvam
bhava hita guru nādam, bhakta brunda pramodam
navarasa mrdu pādam, nata hrīmkāra rūpam
kavana madhura sāram, kārtikeyam bhajāmi

Today is the very powerful day of Skanda ṣaṣṭhi. Many Indians worship Subramanya Swami because He is the army commander for the Gods. He bestows great energy and drives the Gods forward. That is why he is the leader of angels and humans alike. Praying to Lord Subramanya when confronted with a problem or confusion grants relief just as praying to Lord Hanuman does. I am not referring to Lord Subramanya as God, rather, it is a very powerful energy. Skanda Purana states the Lord Subramanya killed several demons and bestowed divine knowledge. Even Lord Shiva, who is the father of Subramanya Swami is said to have sought knowledge from Lord Subramanya according to some Puranas. There is a miraculous story related to Lord Subramanya that talks Lord Shiva seeking the meaning of Omkara from Lord Subramanya.

One who gives you knowledge is your Guru. Many have questions about Guru. What is a Guru? Who is a Guru? Who is Sadguru? Who is Paramaguru? Who is Parameshti Guru? There are four types of Gurus. There is also Vrtti Guru – teacher for various subjects (vrtti = occupation). Our teachers, lecturers and professors are all such teachers/Gurus. Our Guru’s Guru is Sadguru. A Sadguru bestows knowledge on disciples. The Saguru’s Guru is Parama Guru, whose Guru is Parameshti Guru. The great sage Vyasa is also considered Parameshti Guru.

Your teacher is your Guru. Your Sadguru is Swamiji. Pujya Jayalakshmi or Lord Dattatreya is our Parama Guru. Whether sage Vyasa or another Guru is considered Parameshti Guru depends on the tradition. So, bear no doubts about the various Gurus. Today, our Parama Guru on this auspicious Skanda ṣaṣṭhi is Subramanya Swamy. We are enjoying a very good satsang in this Suttur Mutt Ashram. I like (Suttur Mutt) Swami very much. He often visits Swamiji whenever invited. He has established many educational institutions around the world. We are gathered today for Satsang in such a place. Swami is occupied today with a noble undertaking today or he would have joined us. Make good use of this place, it is good for you.

Coming to Swamiji is like going to a mall. You get whatever you seek. You do not need to go searching to other places. Temples have a main deity as well as several other deities including the navagrahas (the deities nine planets). So, if you go to one temple, there is no need to go looking for deities in other temples. Similarly, when you go to Swamiji in Mysuru, you get everything there. There is no need for confusions or for searching elsewhere. The more we search, the more doubts haunt us. Stick to one system as a family and honor the age-old traditions. Train your children on the right path. Teach them your mother tongue. Do not speak in English just because your children do. They speak English everywhere else. Forgetting your mother tongue is a big sin. I do not know why Telugu people do not speak their mother tongue at home. Kannada and Tamil speaking people speak their mother tongue at home. Telugu people must speak their mother tongue at home. Once the children learn the language, you can speak in English if needed. I have seen Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Punjabi people speak in their mother tongue at home. They may have distinguished careers and may hold reputed positions in society, but they will speak their mother tongue at home. Nowadays, Kannada people too are getting corrupted. Tamilians still stick to their mother tongue. Telugu people are 100% corrupted. At least going forward, resolve to speak in your mother tongue at home. It is very important to do so. I can speak in my simple broken English if I wish to, but I speak in Telugu on purpose so that you can understand the importance of speaking in mother tongue. When the children ask you what Swamiji is saying in Telugu, atleast then you will understand that your children are missing out. We are all missing out on Indian culture since we left India.

All Hanuman devotees must wear a bindi (tilak or mark on forehead). Nowadays, there are sticker bindis that are very easy to wear and take off. You can even match the bindi with your outfits. According to Yoga Sutras, there is a powerful chakra called Lambika Cakra at the third eye. It is connected with Mooladhara Cakra (at the base of the spine) and Jnana Cakra (at the crown of the head) as well as Ida, Pingala and Brahma nāḍi (nāḍi =energy channel). The Lambika Cakra at the center of the forehead gives good energy to the entire body. It also facilities thinking and memory power. All feelings of sorrow, happiness etc. are given by Lambika Cakra. You must always cover this chakra. Even Europeans are aware of this Lambika Cakra and are wearing a bindi on their forehead. That is not based on religion, it protects the body and the Cakras as well as our memory and health.

If people wear a bindi, the gaze of onlookers first falls on the bindi and then on your eyes. This is based on science and yoga, not religion. If you understand this yoga, per Patanjali Yoga Sutras, you will all wear a bindi. You can wear anything – vibhuti (holy ash), kukum (vermilion), angara, sandalwood paste etc. on your forehead. People may heckle you the first few days and then they will get used to seeing you with a bindi. If the elders at home wear a bindi, the children will follow suit. We are all born in India. It is our culture to wear a bindi. We worship the angels, have faith in Guru and pray. We cannot live without God’s grace. So, we offer prayers according to our own system. You must wear a bindi on your forehead. It protects your health. It benefits you, not me. Like I said, this is based on science and Yoga. You should not think of it is a Hindu thing. Hindus happen to wear a bindi, but it is not a Hindu thing. Lot of Nepalese also wear the bindi. Devotees of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, Lord Hanuman, Lord Datta and Mother Goddess should wear a bindi. It is good for you. Heed my word. There is no problem wearing a dot on your forehead. It looks so auspicious and beautiful. Even if you wear no make-up or any kind of powder on your face, your face will be radiant when you wear a bindi. Your body gets good energy. Look in the mirror and see for yourself. Wear no products on your face, just wear a bindi as soon as you wake up and see how radiant your face looks. God has given you enough good looks. You do not need to wear makeup and perfume. You have no faith in your own looks. You think you do not look good. God has given us this birth with good looks already. I did not come here to tell you that, I am only reminding you.

There are many kids here too learning the Bhagavad Gita. You have all come to be associated with Swamiji. Bhagavad Gita Parayana is soon to take place (in two weeks at Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple). We are also doing mass thread ceremony too. There are many wonderful programs. We are consecrating the temple’s entrance tower (raja gopuram). Dallas is not very far from here. Come and be with Swamiji. You will be very relaxed and will find great relief. Come and be part of all the programs in Dallas. I am very happy about the Satsangs here. I convey my happiness to (Suttur Mutt) Swami as well.