Navarathri celebrations

[Guest guest]

O:m sriyai namaha!

 

Srimathe narayanaya namaha!

 

 

 

Today (21 of Sept.) being the chitra star, the birth star of Sri Kodandarama of

the Divya Saketam, thirumanjan was done ceremoniously to the moolawar and a

special alankar was done. Srinivasa kalyanam was celebrated to the uthsavars. It

is the 3rd day of the Sarannavarathri celebrations. Hence as usual, homam with

sri su:ktha manthras and havanam with the moola manthra of Goddess Lakshmi are

done in a perfect beautiful manner by the agama scholars.

 

 

 

HH spoke on the occasion. A few points He enlightened us on……

 

“We performed the kalyana utsavam to the archa murthis here. Lord is present in

the archa form for us to perceive him. Of course he is all pervading,

omnipresent. Still our eyes lack the power to witness his presence. We can see

him as the archa murthi. Whatever service we want to render to him, we can do

that at the archa murthi. Everything in this world is good. Nothing is bad. We

possess many artistic abilities. We are proficient in many arts. If we can

channelize our arts for His service, they become divine. If we utilize them for

our benefit they become mundane. If at all, they are used for wicked purposes

they become lowly. In ancient times all arts were used to serve the Lord in the

temple like dance, music, festivities, functions decorations, processions etc.,

They give us enthusiasm and energy. In course of time they got away from the

main purpose – can say they went astray. To condition the things we need the

temples. A temple is a ‘training centre’. We know there is no dearth of temples

here. Still we built this ‘Divya Saketam’ for that purpose.

 

 

 

This ‘navarathri’ celebrations, each day we are having the darsan of Mother

Goddess in a different form. Mother is only one. But she takes a form like

Iswarya Lakshmi or DhanaLakshmi or Dha:nya Lakshmi, Vijaya Lakshmi etc., to

grant us that particular result. These days she is worshipped in 8 forms. When

we pray to her to grant us some thing we should be able to receive it. That is

why it should be in a gradual manner.

 

Krishna’s name – ‘krishna: vyasana karsakaha’. Krishna = draupadi, vyasanam =

grief

Karsakaha = one who makes it thinner and thinner (Krishna.)

 

 

 

We come across many people who keep asking – ‘How do I get concentration? I am

not able to fix my mind on Bhagavan in the puja.’ All of us opine we are

worshipping Him for an hour or an half. We expect him to be our body guard all

the 24 hrs of all the 365 days and drive off all our difficulties. We feel –

‘why is this problem for me alone? Why not others?’

 

First realize He is with you and with in you all the time. Once we believe this

fact, we don’t feel he is not with us. He grants us what is needed, when is

needed, where and how is it needed. He is the Divine Father. He sees our

‘hitham’ – good - like a mother takes care of her baby by giving her what is

good for her. Likewise comforts or discrepancies in your view may actually turn

out to be disasters or benefits.

We have to realize he is with us. We can perceive him in the archa form. He

energizes us. We know how Draupadi suffered being Srikrishna’s sister and a

great devotee of him. He came to her rescue many a time. We can see that she

never blamed anybody or felt why she alone had to suffer like that. Problems are

also for our good only.

If you realize he is with you and he gives you what all is needed for you and if

you can think of him as YOURS then the concentration is spontaneous.

 

What ever you think is yours, you love that thing. That thing occupies your

mind. Everything you receive form him or her seems to be lovely; you accept with

regard. So the key is - think that God is yours. Love and attention will

automatically follow.

 

We do ‘a:yudha puja’ on vijayadasami in the evening when the stars appear in

the sky. We earn with our tools. To energize them we keep them with Mahalakshmi

and do sami puja and accept them back. She gives us ‘Iswaryam’, controlling

power. In these festivals we once again refresh our memory and remind ourselves

how should we be. Then hooking on to Lord is effortless. The key for

concentration is – Think of Lord as ‘YOUR OWN’. Love flows towards Him. Your

heart fills with his thoughts. You crave to serve him. You feel happy to chant

his names. You immerse in the bliss of singing his glories, praising his

attributes. It is all spontaneous. No compulsion or coercion. That is the

technique. We do mangalasasanams to you all!”

 

After HH’s pravachan there was sattumurai, thirtha goshti and prasada

goshti.

 

In the evenings there is Lakshmi ashtotthara puja and thiruvi:dhi utsavam.

 

 

 

HAPPY NAVARATHRI TO YOU ALL!

 

Jai Srimannarayana to you all!