Summary of Parama Pujya Swamiji's message on the day before Devi Navaratri

  • 06 Oct 2021
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Gam Ganapataye Namaha
Kshipra Ganapataye Namaha
Om Ayim Hreem Shreem Shiva Rama Anagha Dattaya Namaha.

 

Tomorrow onwards we observe Sharannavaratri festivities and pray for forgiveness of all our sins. There are 125000 traditions of offering worship to Mother Goddess around the world. In Dattapeetham, we offer a unique worship, different from the 125000, yet a combination of all of them. There is a way to do the Puja very simply, there is a way to worship with beejaksharas as well. Navavarana Puja is not a joke. It is not an exercise nor is it my duty. It is not a physical worship for me. Swamiji is constantly chanting beejaksharas regardless of what I am doing, whether I am talking to you, scolding you, reading, watching something or doing anything else.

 

That is Mother’s command. She is Adi Parashakti, Tripura Sundari, Durga Parameshwari, Raja Rajeshwari, Nava Durgi. Even in the Bhagavatam, it was Mother Goddess who was extolled. All Puranas finally convey the power of Mother Goddess. The Mother arose from fire; She took numerous forms to protect this world. With many forms, and leading with Sattva guna, She destroys Tamo and Rajo gunas. There are countless planets that are categorized into the 14 different worlds. Mother reigns in all those worlds. Neither Devi Purana nor Saptashati Parayana nor Devi Bhagavatam nor Chandi Yajna nor Durgi Yajna are enough to praise the Mother. Mother’s Mani Dveepa abode has been described very subtly by Swamiji while narrating Devi Bhagavatam. Merely listening to Mani Dveepa description is meritorious and is equivalent to worshiping Mother Goddess. Mother is mother to the three goddesses. She is the mother to Saraswati – the form of Jnana/supreme knowledge. She is the mother to the powerful Durga Parameshwari and she is also mother to Lakshmi, the goddess who bestows the wealth of knowledge. There is nothing other than Mother Goddess. Mother’s form is the form of Bindu – the invisible subtle form. We are giving a form for our own convenience, but Mother shines in all forms. Since we have the fortune of Markata Raja Rajeshwari shrine here, Swamiji had to come here. Mother beckoned me here. From today, without fail everyone wear yellow saris for the 10 days. Men wear yellow shirts. Who knows what fortune awaits those who do? You may regret not wearing that color later on. There will be no use regretting after. For the next nine days, do japa and wear yellow. Take a mental vow yourself. Eat in moderation. Do not fast. Eat Mother’s Prasadam. Do not eat very spicy food. Whatever Prasadam is served here, eat. But when you cook, do not eat spicy food.

 

It is said that one must fast during these nine days. Some people may not be able to fast. Even today Prime Minister Modi does not even drink water for the 9 days. He has never fainted due to fasting. Even though there are many who are not well, they only eat one meal. They eat just ghee and rice without spice and with just a little salt. They have survived doing this every Navaratri. We cannot get this opportunity all the time. Mother Goddess likes kheer (vermicelli sweet) or paayasannam (rice with milk and sugar), gudaannam (rice with milk and jaggery) etc. Swamiji may order the team here to make a special Prasadam in addition to the day’s Prasadam just 30 minutes before it has to be presented. The team is always on their toes ready for Swamiji’s command, no matter what. There is no count of how many orders they take. They just do as told.

 

You are all very fortune. I am really surprised that my body is here doing the Puja. There is no guarantee that I do the Puja. I might sit in a chair and relax. Whatever I do is for you alone, always remember. Even if I am not moving, whatever I am doing mentally is also for you, realize that. I am still in disbelief that I am here. If the local devotees here had invited me, I would have refused. If they had not invited me, I would have said that I did come because they did not invite me. What kind of Swamiji is this? There is no way to win. But this is good. Swamiji washes away our ego and pride. He tames our ego and with a bitter medicine and with needles and a staff, drives away the disease of ego. You must tolerate that. That is when you are a real devotee. There are two types of followers - devotees and disciples. The former everyone is, but the latter not. There are very rare people that I call disciples. Everyone that sees me is a devotee. Disciples may be anywhere, they do not have to always be around me. We should evolve to becoming disciples. Sometimes, we rise to that plane but keep falling. The mind is fickle. So, protect it from the wavering. Surrender everything to the Lord. Do not question. Surrender entirely. Love-filled devotion is extolled in Bhagavatam in the Rasakreeda. We should fill our hearts completely with the Lord. Nothing else is permanent. We leave everything behind. We take nothing with us. We need to attain higher planes when we leave this body.

 

That is why Devatas and Maharshis do not like coming to this human world. They grieve if they have to come here. It takes many yugas for them to go back since we keep sinning and keep falling deeper into desires. That means, we must keep coming back to experience the fruit of those desires. That is why Mahatmas do not make promises because they might get stuck. They just say that they will pray to God on your behalf. Many are already stuck. All of you are already stuck in several future births. I have no compassion either. You must experience the fruit. Tamo guna and ego come to us very quickly. The moment you calculate how much you have donated to Swamiji, the matter is closed. You fall at that very moment; you can never rise. You must always be embarrassed of the Seva you are doing…you must feel like you are doing too little no matter what. I keep reminding you of this all the time.

 

The Lord has given us the ability to do a little bit of Seva, big or small. Keep no baggage in your mind. So many millionaires have died suddenly due to Covid. They did not even make their Will. The children are now weeping and making endless trips to courts. Parents get angry when they asked to write their Will. They wonder if you are already trying to kill them. So teach your kids devotion to Guru. There is no bliss or wealth greater than that. We are all experiencing that bliss. You and Swamiji being contemporaries makes you and me very fortunate. Just be grateful that you received the opportunity to participate. This applies not just to doing charities but also to mantra chanting. Surrender all mantra to Swamiji. Swamiji has even set up physical mantra donation (with Datta Raksha Mantra). I did not have to do that, but I did that to at least let you participate in that merit. I did that to give you the opportunity to do physical Seva. Many are doing it happily. People from other countries, even those who do not know Santana Dharma, and who just blindly love Swamiji (of course the benefited from Swamiji) are also doing the mantra donation. All these are being done for universal welfare. It’s like a pinch of Kumkum (vermilion) offered to Mother, it has lakhs of particles. We chant Mother’s name and offer that Kumkum. You all can do kumkum archana here as well. Write Mother’s name ‘Sri Mata’ in the writing books being distributed. Write it tens of millions of times. Those who write the greatest number of times, or those who write in interesting patterns or drawings will be noticed by Swamiji.

 

Give new devotees and opportunity to watch the Puja. Do not crowd around in the front. Serve in Annadana as well. Ask what Sevas are possible. Everyone participate in Homa. Participating in Homa is equivalent to your family is doing the Homa. On Ashtami day is Mother Jayalakshmi Mata’s 100th birthday. You are all fortunate to be gathered here. Ask what Sevas are available and offer them. Follow all the rules. Do not sit close or each other and chatter. If you cannot sit on the floor for too long, sit on the chair for some time. The hall is very small. Nada Mantapa in Mysuru can accommodate up to 10,000 people. Do not start questioning why things are different from last year. Last year is gone. This year has come. Why will it be just like last year’s? Does not the three year old last year get bigger and heavier as a four year old this year?

 

We conclude with a bhajan.