Swamiji wishes HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you.
It has
been the firm belief of many devotees that they would be blessed with
health, prosperity and Knowledge by offering salutations to Swamiji
on the 1st January every year at the Vijayawada Ashrama However, last
year, Swamiji visited the island Tonga on the 1st January to perform
a special Yaga (Fire Sacrifice) to invoke the blessings of the Sun for
the welfare of all people in the world.
Vijayawada
Ashrama is like the Puspaka Vimana, extolled in the epic Ramayana. Thousands
of years’ ago, Vishnu incarnated as Rama and killed the demon Ravana
who abducted Sita, an incarnation of Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth
who was held in solitary confinement for one full year. Soon after the
battle, all the monkeys serving in the army of Rama as also the demons
that were devotees of Vishnu expressed their wish to accompany Rama
to Ayodhya to participate in the Coronation festival of Rama. Rama readily
consented. There was a unique aeroplane by name “Puspaka”
which Ravana brought by force after conquering Kubera, the Presiding
deity of the North side of the globe. The special feature of this plane
was that however many people were seated still one more could be accommodated.
Hence, all those aspirants were accommodated easily, still leaving space
for one more. Some of the demons were so gigantic in form that each
of them occupied the space enough for 12 monkeys; still there was no
problem of accommodation.
Likewise
wherever Swamiji conducts His programmes either in the Universal Prayer
Hall or Nada Mantapa of Mysore Ashrama or any other Ashrama, or any
public hall or open grounds, they are always full, still leaving enough
space for some more. However, Datta devotees have the virtue of adjustability.
They are so accommodative as they feel that others also may participate
in and enjoy the programmes of Swamiji.
There is a caution to be observed by the organizers at any place who
arrange Swamiji’s programme. It is highly essential to ask Swamiji
about the possible number of visitors who would be offered the lunch
or the dinner by the local Ashrama. Swamiji mentions the figure, when
asked and the food prepared by the cooks would not only be enough but
by the grace of God, it multiplies so that no devotee will have to leave
without food. Swamiji gives priority always to food locally called as
‘Anna’ by Telugu and Kannada people. The food nourishes the
body. It gives life energy. Let the organizers of any function conducted
by Swamiji pay enough attention to the food to be prepared and served.
Regarding
the other essential aspect of human life i.e. devotion, Swamiji will
look to it. Hence, wherever Swamiji establishes a branch of Datta Peetham
or wherever He conducts His programmes, Swamiji is particular that food
and water are never in short supply to the visiting devotees. Whenever,
Ashrama construction complex is planned, Swamiji is particular of constructing
a spacious kitchen. Swamiji says, “to please Me, you first arrange
Annadana sufficiently”.
Incidentally,
Swamiji mentions that one must never be proud or egoistic that he has
arranged a feast to the guests. Swamiji mentions some pertinent details
of the marriage of the Princess Meenakshi, (an incarnation of Parvati)
with Sundaresvara, (a form of Siva) in Madhurai, (Tamil Nadu). She was
over confident about the large-scale food preparation for Her marriage,
She remarked rather in a light vain, “O Siva! Your attendants are
so few in number”. Siva smiled and asked one of His attendants
by name Kundodara to take food first. Kundodara exhausted all the food
preparations at once and still his hunger was not satisfied. Anyway,
as an alternative, he asked for enough supply of drinking water which
he exhausted in a few moments, still feeling thirsty, he drank away
the waters of all the wells in the city of Madurai. Meenakshi was nonplussed
and prayed to Siva for pardon who graciously created a river by name
‘Vegavati’ now known as ‘Vegai’. By merely looking
at Kundodara, Siva removed his hunger and thirst. From the foregoing
story one may infer that a person with an aspect of Siva can satisfy
the hunger and thirst of others by his kind looks (the compiler feels
that Swamiji being Siva Himself is particular of satisfying the hunger
and thirst not only in the physical parlance but also in the spiritual
arena for His dear devotees).
Swamiji
has given several musical discourses named as Devi Navaham at Vijayawada,
(the subject has been recorded in Telugu and published in a book form
at Mysore during the Datta Jayanti celebrations) Ramayana Saptaha at
Chennai and Mysore Ashrams earlier. In the month of December, 2000 Swamiji
has narrated the stories of Dwadasha Jyotirlingas for one week each
and five stories of Siva. All these programmes have been recorded to
be broadcast by the Television. Earlier, Swamiji has recorded about
240 short stories from various books of mythology while the stories
are interesting by themselves, they reveal the essential, philosophical
nuances and moral values which guide the listener in his day to day
life.
Further,
by the very transmission of His spiritual power, He inspires His devotees
and disciples whether inside or outside the Mysore Ashrama to write
poems or songs and some gifted few to sing them sonorously. One such
example is Sri. Rajkumar Bharati (A grandson of the Late Subrahmanya
Bharati, a renowned patriot & poet of Tamil Nadu) who has rendered
Datta Venkateswara Suprabhatam (Morning prayer on Datta Venkateswara)
earlier. Swamiji is glad to release the audiotapes of Narasimha Suprabhatam
sung by the same singer.
Earlier,
when Swamiji was camping at Kadiri, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh,
He felt a strong urge to write the above-mentioned hymn on the local
famous deity Lakshminarasimha. Whoever listens to the Lakshminarasimha
Suprabhatam everyday without fail will be relieved of problems arising
out of black magic or possession of ghosts, whether one believes in
the ghosts or black magic or not, nowadays many people suffer from mental
problems though they are quite healthy physically as they may suffer
due to the above reasons. Moreover, nowadays we find loss of memory
amongst the children and the youth, who also will be benefited with
good retentive power by daily listening to this hymn embedded with Bija
Aksara (seed letters). Swamiji released a book on ‘Astadasapithas’
in Telugu. Regular daily recitation of this book cures the people of
their diseases.
An example
of inspired utterances is well known even now from the biography of
Jnanadeva of Maharashtra. When some proud scholars heckled at him for
his non-orthodox conduct, the saintly scholar made a buffalo standing
near by to utter the mantras of Vedas in correct intonation. Moreover,
Jnanadeva didn’t write any treatise or book by himself. With His
disciples sitting around him, he simply sent His spiritual vibrations,
which inspired them to write spontaneously, and the result is the pile
of scholarly works, which are considered as authority on philosophy.
Similarly, Swamiji inspires the musicians and other disciples to write
just by hinting the subject by uttering a word or two. The result is
fine poetry or songs. It appears as though Swamiji possess them during
the period of their spontaneous writing. The cassette ‘Guru Charana
Puja’ is one such example, the text for which was written by two
young Ashramites.
Swamiji
plans to conduct Bhagavata Saptaha, a musical discourse for seven days
in the Mysore Ashrama during the months of May/June 2001. Devotees may
avail of this fortunate opportunity to listen to the pious stories of
Krishna’s saving grace while staying comfortably in the cool atmosphere
of Mysore.
Of late,
Swamiji is making a deep study of some of the hymns written by Jayalakshmi
Mata in Kannada on the theme of Bhagavata. These songs reveal the quintessence
of the powerful mantras (chants) of Vishnu. However, the original Kannada
script will be retained as the expected emphasis of the pious works,
which can be felt only when heard or read in the original.
Swamiji
concluded His message with His sonorous songs on the Divine Mother,
Siva and Krishna. He stated thateither
singing or listening to these songs with attention and devotion would
relieve one of his problems of health, loans, home or business or profession.
Each song is a famous mantra and not a mere cluster of words. Incidentally,
Swamiji said, “I HAVE TO LOOK AFTER YOU. IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY”.
JAYA GURU DATTA