AvadhootaDatta Peetham

Pujya Sri Swamiji chose Surat Ashrama as the second Datta temple to visit in the pilgrimage of visiting all Datta Kshetras established by Sri Swamiji. Though the North Indian tour had been cancelled, Sri Swamiji chose to visit Surat. Sri Swamiji arrived in Surat on Saturday the 2nd November after halting for a night in Bangalore Ashrama on the 1st November. The devotees in Surat eagerly awaited the arrival of Sri Swamiji to their town. On the same evening, Sri Swamiji was given a reception in the evening and the executive Trustee, Sri Goplani delightfully welcoming Sri Swamiji in his Gujarati Speech explained the eagerness of devotees to have Sri Swamiji's Darshan as over 12 months had elapsed since last visit of Sri Swamiji. Sri Swamiji spoke about the proposed Datta Kshetra Yatra and the plan to visit all Datta temples established by Sri Swamiji.

Sri Swamiji visited houses of 10 devotees on the 3rd morning. Sri Chakra Puja was performed at 10 AM. In the evening Bhajans were sung by devotees and Sri Swamiji gave a discourse in a question answer format, clarifying the doubts that persisted.

Sri Swamiji further visited 8 houses of devotees on 4th morning. As it was the day of Deepavali festival, Sri Swamiji's coming to the houses had immense importance to them. Later Sri Swamiji performed Sri Chakra Puja and Lakshmi Puja in the Ashrama. Devotees chanted Vishnu Sahasra Namam and in the evening after Dhan Lakshmi Puja, Sri Swamiji blessed assembled devotees with a rupee coin. In the evening devotees sparkled some fire crackers and Sri Swamiji joined them. Developmental plan of the Ashrama was shown to Sri Swamiji for approval.

5th November was the new year day for Gujarat. Sri Swamiji's presence and Darshan on this auspicious day brought much happiness to the hundreds of devotees who came to Ashrama and had Paduka Sparshan. (Touching of the Sacred Padukas). This was the year number 2059 - Vikram Samvat.

Sri Swamiji left for Bangalore at 12.30 PM and arrived in Bangalore at 3 PM after a brief halt in Mumbai airport for refueling.

Surat Ashrama is situated on Dumas road in the outskirts of the Surat city. But the fast growing city is encompassing Ashrama from all sides. The Ashrama has a distinctive Gujarati style architecture with Guru Nivasa in ground floor and the temple complex on the first floor. The temple has the main shrine of Dattatreya and Anagha Devi and has been given the Datta Nakshatra - LEELA VISHWAMBHARA. The temple was established in the year 1991 - on December 12th. The other shrines are Ganapati, Durgi, Karthikeya (Subramanya), Surya, Narayana, Shiva, Vishnu, Navagraha, Dakshinamurthy, Hanuman and a Naga shrine separately consecrated. The Shiva shrine was separately consecrated in the year 1997. All the shrines are on the first floor and are interconnected. There are two large Audumbara trees in the Ashrama. there is a Prayer Hall for Satsangs and devotee congregation and a dining hall and kitchen underneath the prayer hall. A Yaga Shala is there in front of the temple and priest quarters to the side of the temple complex.

River Tapti flows through the city of Surat. The city is situated on the rail link between Delhi and Mumbai. Most trains stop here. Gujarat state is famous for the city of Dwaraka (Lord Krishna), two Shiva Jyotirlinga Temples (Naageshwara and Soma Natha), Girnar is small hill which has an ancient Datta temple atop. Datta tradition is very popular and the great Dattatreya propagating Saint Vasudevananda Saraswati Swami hailed from Gujarat. Garudeshwar and Naareshwar are two other important Datta temple pilgrim sites. Sri Swamiji first visited Gujarat in 1988.

Sri Swamiji’s Speech in Surat Ashrama
3rd November 2002 – 7 PM

Who is the protector and who is the protected? Let us discuss this for some time. But there are mixed people in the audience. There are those who speak Gujarati, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada. But I will choose to speak in Hindi. My Hindi is baby Hindi. I may not speak as proficiently as our learned scholar Neelkanth Shastry. But, I am sure you will understand.

Question: In scriptures like Dharma Sindhu, it has been made mandatory to perform certain rituals everyday. But in these modern times, they are difficult to follow. What to do? 
Answer: This Kaliyuga has two deficiencies. It is deficient in faith and time. Also, there is confusion in life also. If you have time to eat, drink and sleep, then you certainly have time for thinking about almighty. You have time to go to doctor, to decorate yourself, to fight with others, to go to lawyer, to go to court, but not for God. You sleep for 10 to 12 hours and you also take holidays. You have time to do business, but not for thinking about God. If you have faith, time comes by itself. Think of Puja as self-discipline. Our life needs discipline. Discipline life breeds a disciplined mind. God never eats the fruits or flower you offer. We need God to discipline ourselves. After Puja we get tears of happiness. Tears of happiness are not salty but sweet. Tear of unhappiness or disappointment is salty. In temples, the priests decorate the image and offers worship. The priest considers that the idol is his baby and he has to care it safely. We have to develop a personal relationship with God. We have to share our happiness, joy and unhappiness with Him. Then we will get great relief and feel that a great deal of weight has been removed from our shoulders. It is a great relief. Instill faith in your worship. Don’t make it a mechanical activity. Like you have faith in your breathing that it will keep you alive, you develop faith on God. Imagine how many sitting here believe that their breathing will keep going even in sleep? All of you. Otherwise you would not be here. Human body is an amazing mechanical creation. It is a creation of Love and affection. It is amazingly complex and mind boggling about it’s abilities. But many don’t understand it and we misuse it and use it a lot less than its potential. Many make it useless. Many feel that the main purpose of this life is a cozy family, a fat bank balance, and foreign travels. But all these are so temporary. None of this comes with you when you leave the world. When you are leaving all this and going alone, why should you care for them so much? You lie a lot and they are many times for the most unimportant reason. You need wireless phone, a split air conditioner, modern life style is everything for you. You may enjoy it for fifty years. Probably for another twenty or thirty more years. But then… you will have to leave it all. If you live for 100 years, then you are an exhibition piece.

Question: What is the purpose of this human life? 
Answer: The purpose is to have a safe journey through it. A life of help and assistance and find happiness in helping others. Incase some one slips in this life, then he is born again to try once more. This is not our world. Our world is somewhere else. We have to ensure a safe passage. This is the meaning of human life.

Question: In this Kaliyuga, is the future bright? Inspite of all these prayers and Pujas. 
Answer: Don’t worry about the Yuga Dharma or about future. We are quite lucky. We have to be careful and pass along. Don’t worry about Dharma. Simply go ahead. One should not worry about past or future lives. Live a calm and quiet and meaningful life. Don’t worry about the world or humanity when you yourself are in a poor shape. Don’t be sorry about yourself. Don’t cry that you are a great sinner. Don’t lead a life of desperation. Past is past. Leave it and lead a life of today. 

Question: Please tell about prohibited actions.
Answer: Don’t worry about prohibited actions and worry about the thousands of things that you are supposed to do. Don’t even think of prohibited actions. 

Question: When everything is God’s will, isn’t evil too His will? 
Answer: There are 3 Gunas. All that is Good is Gods. So, all your actions will happen with these 3 Gunas of Sattvic, Raajasic and Tamasic. Tamasic is evil and Devilish. It will be punished one day. 

Question: In Gita, Krishna says SHANKAROSMI. So, if I worship Krishna, will it also mean that I am worshipping Shiva? 
Answer: Do Puja to anybody. Do something. Imagine a river. You need some boat to cross. You don’t look for a specially colored boat or how strong the boatman is. Krishna says so in Gita to imply his universality. Not to proclaim supremacy over others. 
Gods don’t have supremacy problems. It is only his followers who fight these things. There is no thing that a small idol gives small result and a big temple gives big results or that the more the famous the temple, the better the results. Everything is same. In spirituality the maxim - bigger is better – does not hold good. Do, Krishna, Shiva, Rama, Hanuman, Ganapati, Datta, do not compete. They all bless us. Different paths of worship gives us different experience. That is why the verity. It is like the sweets in a cake shop. They all have sugar and are sweet. But they look different. It is the same with worshipping. Traveling to Bombay depends how much money you have. The more money you have, you can go by plane. The little less means you go by train and if you don’t have anything, you have to walk and go. The experiences are different. But the Bombay is one. So, chose the method you want.