Discourse of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Sri Devi Navaratri Day 4 – Oct 4, 2016 – Mysore

With the grace of Lord Datta, first, Samvarta Avadhuta and then Parashurama, had the fortune of getting Upadesa/initiation directly from Lord Dattatreya.

Lord Datta gave Upadesa directly to Parashurama. Lord Datta who was wandering the mountains of Sahyadri was the Guru to gods, demons and humans too. After the Kurukshetra war, there were not that many humans left with Sattva Guna. The humans before Kurukshetra war used to be with Sattvic Guna. They would eat once a day and shower twice a day. The earth was like heaven and was called Bhu-svarga. Once born on earth, we have to fulfill our karma. We are born on earth for karma alone. Every being that has made contact with earth has to follow Karma and cannot escape suffering. Lord Rama and Krishna too had much suffering. We talked about this yesterday. That is why, we humans should not be surprised to face such sufferings. The influence of earth is such. There are no luxuries like there are on earth. Even Vaikuntha may not have such luxuries. In such an environment, with such luxuries, such nectar-like food, such environment for penance, people lived for 1000-10,000 years even during Kartaveeryarjuna’s time. Even in Vaikuntha and Kailasa, earth was greatly praised. Even though there was a lot of karma on earth, the gods did not hesitate to take birth on earth. Only some of them like Jaya and Vijaya did not want to come to earth.

The happiness on earth, the Bhu-Svarga can only be experienced by those on earth. Lord Datta, the compassionate Sadguru who also incarnated on earth has no karma. Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma too have to experience karma, but Datta has no karma. So, why not? Because the three worlds came together in Lord Datta, there is no karma. But if the three worlds were separate, He would not escape karma. Because all three worlds came together in Him, He is free from karma. He gives liberation. Today, we have divisions such as Vaishnavas, Smarthas, Vaishyas, Kshatriyas, Sudras etc. But in Datta’s view, we are all just humans. He has no discrimination. We have discriminations based on the shape of the marks on the forehead, whether they are vertical, or horizontal lines, or based on our clothing. We fight over such differences. We have different languages and different ways of life. In Datta’s view, all are one. Not only humans, but all beings are one. Such a Lord Datta is giving the great secret of Tripura Rahasya to us now, just the way he told Parashurama.

Because it is difficult to learn all of Tripura Rahasyam, the Lord is giving us just a little bit. It is difficult to understand it in its entirety. There is only one section of Tripura Rahasya preserved. The other two sections are not available. We do not know where they are. No scriptures have been left. It is such a great secret that teaches us Atma Vilasam (reveling in the inner bliss of the Soul). It teaches us Atma Tattva (Self-realization). We are blessed to learn this. It is called secret because it is difficult to grasp.

(note of compiler: Something in Kannada I did not follow)

No one but Samvarta Avadhuta and Parashurama had the blessing of getting Upadesa directly from Lord Datta. The others got spiritual knowledge, but the experience of the Brahman/Self is special. There is no discrimination of age, gender, or anything else for the experience of the Brahman. Even children can experience it. Everyone is eligible.

There are some who understand that marriage and having children are full of suffering and these things take one away from God. There are some who have gotten married and have families, but they are still contemplating on God. There are quite a few still who want to get married after 45-50 years of age. Anyone who wants to, can acquire dispassion. Anyone – male, female, young children, older children – can acquire it. There is no age discrimination. Anyone can enter the realms of spirituality. Even if you have kids, you can practice dispassion. There are some people who are like that. They continue their Sadhana/practice with dispassion and experience spiritual bliss. Saint Tyagaraja sang “Endaro mahanubhavulu andariki vandanamulu…”. There are many who experience spiritual bliss even in the suffering of the samsara/worldly life. Being young or old has nothing to do with spiritual bliss. My salutation to everyone said Saint Tyagaraja through this composition.

Like that, we all have to walk towards spirituality. It is open 24 hours for you. Now, Parashurama went straight to Lord Datta. They are having this face-to-face conversation. Parashurama has the fortune of seeing Datta. It is our blessing to talk about their story. No one is as fortunate as we are, for listening to their entire conversation. For our sake, they revealed this secret of Atma Rahasya (Atma=Self, Rahasya=secret).

I told you what you need to do for Atma Vilasa. Let go of desire and attachment. We talked about this. You will then gain eligibility for Self-realization. You will get permission from within. Then you can go write the examination. That is how far the story went yesterday. There, Parashurama who worshiped Mother Goddess was losing ignorance and sorrow.

Samsara does not just mean marriage. It indicates ego and attachment. You have expectation and you get deluded. Whatever is gone is gone. Keep your mind completely absorbed in God. Parashurama got Upadesha directly from Lord Datta. Parashurama then worshiped Kalika Mata. After seeing her, he said, you are Kali Mata, you are Durga. I am realizing that.

How was the form of Mother Goddess?

Datta taught the principle of Mother Goddess entirely to Parashurama. Parashurama’s knowledge ripened because he worshiped Mother Goddess per Lord Datta’s instruction. Guru does not give Atma Rahasya directly to a devotee. He teaches them the means to attain such bliss. He may say, “Do Hanuman Chalisa, do Rigveda Yajna, do Rudra Homa, do Rudra Abhisheka,” etc. All these are means of worship. “Do Abhisheka to Venkata Ramana Swamy, do Parvati Abhisheka,” etc. Guru suggests all these things. For us to learn Atma Vilasa, we go to a Guru, but he may have us break a coconut or offer clothes to the needy or give food to the poor. Many wonder why Guru make such suggestions. But from that karma performed by us as per his instruction, he is washing away our previous tendencies. With charity, all such tendencies get washed way. But sometimes, we may get stuck doing those things. We get attached to doing those noble acts themselves and not proceed further to gain Self-realization.

Every Tuesday we may do Puja or every Saturday we may go to Hanuman temple. We get into a few such habits. We observe Sankashta Hara Chaturthi; we may do Shiva Abhisheka. We feel bliss and get stuck in them. We are increasing our Upasana Karma, but there is no problem. But if you are stuck in those actions due to attachment towards them, you will not hanker after Self-Realization. Who is the one who should say that you do not need to do these rituals and services anymore? Guru must say so. The devotee should not ask if what he did was enough. If you do, Guru will ask you to do for two more births. You must never ask like that. You must do as much as possible. Never ask Guru, “Is my karma finished?” Your karma will never finish. It is because we have karma that we take birth. Why should we not take birth? Self-realization is obtained after many births, so nothing wrong with taking many births. Great souls have sung praises of God asking for birth again and again, “Singing your praise is liberation for me”. Singing God’s praises is only possible for humans. God said to Namadeva, “You have been here for so many years, now come to me”. Namadeva said he did not want to. “You will have some place in a corner for me to sit in Vaikuntha. I will just sit there. But, I want to sing your praises. I must go door to door, street to street and sing your praises. I must wander in all pilgrim enters and share your magnificence and greatness”.

There are devotees like that. I ask them to come to the Ashram and stay here, but they want to go out and spread Swamiji’s words. “I spread the message of SGS Posts a lot. It is easy to download and it is free. You get notified of messages in the language of your choice. You get so many messages for free from Swamiji. We should all download and see the messages while Swamiji is still here in this Avatara. You are contemporaries of Swamiji.” That is what such devotees say. People to go saints of the past and break their heads in front of their statues. But Swamiji is here and he talks to you, he responds to you, he plays with you. If you ask your grandchildren or children, will they not teach you how to use the app? All languages – Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Hindi, English are there. Why do you not see them? The messages are only 1-2 lines long. You should be able to say, “While my Guru is alive, I am getting to do what he wants me to do”. Whatever Guru says, we should listen to, we should follow, even if we have to lose our lives. We have to follow Guru’s words. If you get passive, saying you do not know how to, what is the use? If you say you do not know how to pay taxes, Income Tax Department will come after you. IF you just paid taxes, you would be fine. If you did not, they will put you in jail. They make you drink starch water in jail now instead of giving you food, just to keep you alive. We will become like the lizards on the wall eating insects. Everyone must get SGS Posts and have others download it too. What is the use of the phone that does not have SGS Posts? People download unnecessary things, what is the use of such a phone? You might as well dash it to the ground and destroy such a useless phone.

Bhajan: Nivu Durgavu Nivu Lakshmivi
Bhajan: Tripura Maata Disatu Satsangam.

May mother goddess Tripura Devi bless me with the company of noble people. One who dispels the three types of ignorance, may she destroy my friendship with the non-virtuous. May she transform me into a person whose forehead is decorated with the dust from the feet of Sadguru (destroy my ego and make me a servant at the feet of Guru). May she transform me into a person who is adorned with the sacred ash used for worship of Lord Shiva and the Sandal wood paste and Tulasi leaves used for worship of Vishnu. May I always be like that, may my body always be like that. The aromatic scent of the sandal paste should always be in my body. May the sound of the Mother’s name be heard internally even if any doctor tests me. May my mind be drawn to Yoga. May I learn to surrender this body to you.

May the mother always bless me with good company and good relatives. May good children be in my house. May the sound of weeping and crying not fall on my ears. May every word I talk be about You. May every cell in my blood chant God’s names. “You are born from Chidagni Kunda (Fire of Consciousness), put me in the same fire. I am in your lap. Fire is your lap. I am sleeping happily in your lap”.

May Mother Goddess transform me into one with noble thoughts, skill of meditation and contemplation, adept in the practice of Yoga, devoid of impurities, and full of untainted devotion.

She is eternal. She is extolled by the Vedas. She is the treasure for all the worlds. There is no one superior to or above her. She is the only one worthy to be worshiped in several forms by the devotees. She is the one who is adored as Sachchidananda. May such Mother goddess Tripura Devi bless me with the company of noble souls.

Chant: Jaya Sarvapralaya Vibhavini

Today Mother Goddess is narrating the fruits of Satsang (company of the virtuous people through Lord Datta). Listen with faith and devotion. The conversation between Lord Datta and Parashurama is our Upadesa. Parashurama asked, “Where can I search for the prescribed way? I have come to You. I have no fear. But there many who are suffering, Lord. They have still not come to you. They don’t have the fortune of hearing you talk. What about them? Where will they go? There are countless people there. Only a countable few are here. What is the fate of the rest? How can they listen to such Upadesa? Why are they not doing contemplation? Why are they not coming here? Satsangatve Nissangatvam, Nissangatve Nirmohatvam, Nirmohatve Nischalatattvam, Nischala Tattve Jeevan Muktihi. (Association with saints gives non-attachment. Non-attachment dispels delusion; Freedom from delusion gives a steady, unwavering mind. A steady mind leads to Liberation.) The result of Satsang is Jeevan Mukti or liberation. Realize that Satsang is the only way to liberation.

“Samvarta was your Satsang. That is why you are here. When he pelted you with stones, you grew suspicious of him. He was in tattered clothes, yet effulgent and blissful. He was running naked and pelting you with stones. He was dirty and smelling foul but his eyes were shining bright. You ran after him and caught up with him. He was pleased with you. It is because of having had his company for a few days that you are here now”. So, thanks to everyone that got us here (to the Ashram). They may not have come here, but that is okay. Just thank them. If you worry about why they are not here, you will accrue sin. The Satsang was only to bring you here. Because you came to me, I gave you the philosophy of Tripura.

Lord Datta was very pleased with Parashurama’s question and replied, “O Rama! Listen. Company of virtuous people removes the affliction of pleasure and pain, and grants happiness. To attain the knowledge of eternal truth, understand that the friendship of the virtuous is the seed. You are experiencing happiness today because of the noble company of Samvarta. You are also able to understand the philosophy of Mother Goddess. You are learning many other things”.

Without the company of noble people, one cannot beget auspiciousness. In this world you attain the attributes of the company you keep and the results therein. Without Satsang of virtuous people, no one can attain supreme bliss. We don’t know the people next to us – they may be great devotees or they may be greedy. The Lord will show us the right people. He will show us the people we deserve. That is why we become like the company we keep. Because you were friends with Samvarta Avadhuta, you are here.

Let me tell you a story. Long time ago, a king named Muktacuda ruled over the kingdom called Dasarna. He had two sons Manicuda and Hemacuda. The sons were knowledgeable and valiant too. One day they went to the forest for hunting. Suddenly, there was a whirlwind and dust. In the darkness, the brothers got separated. Hemacuda reached the hermitage of saint Vyaghrapada. There he saw a beautiful woman Hemalekha who grew up in the ashram of the saint and fell in love with her. King Muktacuda got Hemacuda and Hemalekha married.

The girl wasn’t talking much. She sat like a doll during the wedding and walked away like a doll after the wedding. Hemacuda observed that despite marriage, Hemalekha was always disinterested in pleasures and luxury. The young girl already acquired dispassion due to the company of her father. Hemacuda asked her, “Why are you not talking to me? Do you not like this marriage? Do you not like me? Do you not like these luxuries?” He asked her in many different ways. She was married to him so she had to reply endearingly. She replied, “Nothing like that my Lord, I am just contemplating on what it is. to like and not like, in this world. We like the fire pit during winters because it gives warmth, but we dislike it during summers because of the heat. In cold countries, people like the sun for they need his warmth, but in hot countries the heat of the same sun becomes unbearable and undesirable. Look at this body. It is mere blood, muscle and bone covered by skin. It is filled with urine and feces. All that is pure is turning impure in the body. You are eating food and relishing it. It’s turning into urine and feces. So, what is it you are eating? Are you eating urine and feces? Tell me, amongst all of these, what do you like in this body?” Hemacuda was speechless for a long time. His head was spinning. He prostrated to her. He saw his Guru in her. We should find such a husband first (who is willing to prostrate to the wife). After long contemplation he renounced luxuries and finally detached himself from worldly life. Having had Hemalekha clarify all his doubts, he finally had the divine Darshan of Mother Goddess Paradevata in the form of his Chitta. He saw Mother Goddess in the form of his wife. The Lord was so compassionate and granted this boon.

This happened just the way the Buddha’s influence spread all over some countries after Emperor Asoka became enlightened. It does not matter whether the Buddha’s teachings are in line or out of line with the Vedas. Everybody adopted Buddhism. But Buddha was a Hindu. We cannot forget his roots. Buddhas are Hindus, because that is their source. Visualizing the entire universe as his Self, Hemacuda finally attained salvation. Father Muktacuda and brother Manicuda also obtained knowledge of the Paradevata from Hemacuda and became emancipated.

Because of the king and both the princes, the ministers, and all the official workers also attained knowledge. Gradually every citizen in the kingdom became spiritually knowledgeable. That kingdom became famous as Brahmapura. Noticing that even the birds of the kingdom spoke knowledgeably, Vamadeva and other sages were very surprised proclaimed it as Vidynagaram (City of Knowledge).

From that day onwards, the kingdom became famous as Vidyanagaram. Thus the company of noble people became the root cause for auspiciousness. Hemalekha who grew up in the ashram of Vyaghrapada and through her, her husband, father-in-law, brother-in-law, the minsters and all the citizens of the kingdom, everyone attained knowledge because of Satsang. See how Satsang led to emancipation of the entire kingdom. This was the story narrated by Lord Datta himself.

Blessing you all that, by the grace of Mother Goddess and Lord Datta, may you all beget the benefit of Satsang. Jaya Guru Datta.

A baby bird has just opened its eyes and the mother bird was teaching it name of Rama as it was putting food in its mouth. The human mothers don’t teach their children that. The mothers should give the children such spiritual perspective. Otherwise, there will not be any Dharma left on earth. We should teach children Guru Gita. We should teach them Satsang, we should teach them Hindu Tattva. We put them in schools for commercial education and ruin them. After they grow up, they will not listen to you. Even now, the mother bird’s chanting rings in my ears as it taught those chants to its young ones. The bird couple Appu Ram and Ranga teach their young ones to say “Appaji”. These are my tears of happiness. I held the bay birds and asked them to say the divine names that their mothers taught them. The mother would prop up the baby and teach the word “Rama”. The baby would look at the mother with wide eyes, listening, since it was still unable to talk.

We should forget sorrow and praise Sri Hari instead. Instead of moaning and groaning “Ayyo” and Ammo”, chant the names of Mother Goddess. It feels so nice to fall asleep with Nama Smarana (chanting divine names). There is heaven on earth when we do that. If you go to bed with the name of Mother Goddess, the Mother will stand around you in various forms. Those forms will talk to you; they will hold your hand.

Suresh told me, “Appaji, you are talking all night in your sleep”. I do not know what I was saying and what he heard, we should record it. “I do not want to come to the window, I am scared. Swamiji is laughing and fighting with someone”. If you go to bed with divine names, those deities will be there with you. You sleep with Swamiji’s name, Swamiji will surely come and be with you. What are you afraid of? Even the demons and ghosts will run away.

These are all the words of Lord Datta. He gave the example story himself.

Jaya Guru Datta.

After the morning program yesterday, Pramodi peeped in to see what I was doing. I was writing a bhajan in Kannada. It was a folk song. I asked Bala Swamiji to fix any errors in the song.

Bhajan: Ta Ta Ta Tayi.

O Mother, give me the wisdom to always be established in your contemplation. Parents have a right only over my body, not over my Atman. You are the creator, protector, owner, everything.

You are the intelligence, devotion, hey Shakti. Even to sing this song, you are the energy.

I am placing my head on your feet. Please give me your Abhaya Hasta (hand gesture signifying protection), then all my darkness will vanish. I have no knowledge except knowledge of books. Even if I am a scientist, whatever I am, it is because of book I have read. My ego is due to the knowledge from books. Please remove that and give me the bliss that never goes away.

That is the meaning of this Bhajan.

Sri Guru Datta