Vajrotsava - 75 Birthday Celebrations of Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji - 26 May 2017
Vajrotsava - 75 Birthday Celebrations of Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji - 26 May 2017
The eagerly anticipated 75th Birthday of Pujya Sri Swamiji had arrived.
Sri Swamiji took Darshana of Dattatreya and offered prayers. Pujya Sri Swamiji was brought in an chariot decorated with flowers to Nada Mantapa. 75 ladies carried Kalasha atop their head, Nada Swara band, Veda chanting Pundits preceded the procession.
Upon arrival, Pujya Swamiji offered Gau Puja, Purnahuti of Ayushya & Maha Mrutyunjaya Homa.
Sri Swamiji performed Sri Chakra Puja. The Nada Mantapa was overflowing with devotees. frequent
“Jai Karam” by devotees reverberated in the auditorium.
Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji performed the “Pratyaksha Pada Puja” to Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji to mark the 75th Birthday. As 108 names of Pujya Swamiji was chanted, Sri Bala Swamiji offered Nava Rathnas to Sadgurudeva’s sacred feet. On behald of devotees, Sri K.V.Aiyappan patron of the celebrations committee offered garland to Pujya Sri Swamiji.
At 10 AM, Sri.Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra arrived. He witnessed the Maha Mangalarati performed to Pujya Sri Swamiji during Pratyaksha Pada Puja. Sri K.V.Aiyappan patron of the celebrations committee offered garland to Pujya Sri Swamiji. Dr.Ramana Deekshitulu, chief priest of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams offered Srivari Prasadam to Pujya Sri Swamiji.
In the Sabha program, Pujya Sri Swamiji, Sri Bala Swamiji and Sri.Devendra Fadnavis arrived on the stage. Sri.M.Rajendra, Trustee received the chief minister.
Sri.Fadnavis honoured Sri Swamiji. He released the “75 concerts” - a four DVD album which show cases eminent musicians singing Bhajans of Sri Swamiji in Datta Peetham over three decades. Avadhoota Datta Peetham donated a temple built in Pourakarmika (city street sweeper) colony in Pulakeshi Nagara. Sri.Fadnavis gave away the temple to temple members led by Sri.Narayana, former Mayor of Mysore.
Sri.Fadnavis spoke and said “Although I am here for the first, I feel that I belong to this place. It is because of the compassion which Sri Swamiji has created amongst the each one of us. We say that love comes from Bhuuta Daya - Love towards animals and birds. I am happy to find the world’s biggest bird park at Avadhoota Datta Peetham and the way the birds are taken care of. It is not just for guinness record which is a rare honour. It is about a feeling of compassion. It shows we are part of single order. This order has harmony & music. This harmony binds us all. It makes us humans”. He also spoke about Pujya Swamiji’s music. He promised to practice more compassion and humaneness with every section of the society. He thanked Sri Swamiji for blessing us with all the right things in life. He wished Sri Swamiji a long and healthy life and wished to participate in the 100th birthday of Pujya Swamiji.
Pujya Sri Swamiji conferred Peetham donors on the chief minister.
Pujya Sri Swamiji in the benedictory address said
Sri Maha Ganapataye Namaha
Sri Sarasvatyai Namaha
Sri Padavallabha Narasimha Sarasvati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Harihi Om Tatsat
You must have understood what the Maharashtra Chief Minister said in his speech. He spoke in simple English that even little children can understand. I am very happy today. It is 75 years; 7+5=12 and 1+2=3. The digits in the year add up to the number 3. The three stand for Satya/Truth, Dharma/Righteousness and Shanti/Peace. These are our foundation. It is our Svadharma (our innate Dharma). If you concentrate on these three, you can achieve your spiritual goals. Sometimes, there are hindrances to speaking the truth and you may feel forced to lie. Do not lie even then. If you lie, it will get more difficult. Pray to Dharma and realize the truth within your heart. If you leave the decision to your Atman/Soul, you will arrive at the right decision. Some people speak without feeling in the heart. Your words must come from deep within your heart. Then, they will be words of Truth, Dharma and Peace. Those will be words of morality. It will create an environment of peace. Today, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra spoke from his heart. Some people have a prepared speech. But he spoke from his heart. You are here by the grace of Datta’s lineage.
We have a daily birthday. There are a couple of parrots that greet me every morning. One says Good Morning and the second one says Happy Birthday. They say this every day. Why is it saying Happy Birthday? Because, we do not know what happens after we go to bed. Every day we wake up, we take a new birth. Every time we wake up from the sleep state, it is happy birthday. We are nearer to death than we realize. That is why, when you wake up every morning, look at your hands. All the Gods are in your hands. Wake up with Truth, Dharma and Peace in your heart and your day will be good. But if you wake up with laziness, feeling sorry about the day breaking so early, that day will feel like mental and physical death. That is why we should wake up with a peaceful and truthful mind.
You all witnessed the Pratyaksha Pada Puja (that Pujya Bala Swamiji performed to Pujya Swamiji). It is very auspicious. Every day is auspicious in Datta Peetham. Datta’s lineage has a special message for propagation to mankind. Telugu and Marathi people know Lord Datta. Kannada people are only now learning about Lord Datta. Swamiji always talks about Lord Datta. Lord Datta teaches to never discriminate against other beings. He said this to Pingala Naga a long time ago – in Krita Yuga itself. If you read the life history of Lord Datta, you will understand. He has been saying it again and again in every Yuga afterwards – Tretya Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. He talked about what could happen in each Yuga. Man’s mind is very fickle. To remove that fickleness, he taught us that God is one. All are one. Our blood is the same. It could belong to A group or B group, but we are all one. Lord Datta’s Upadesha (divine message) happened even before Sri Rama’s time. The Lord declared equality in Krita Yuga itself. Treta Yuga passed, Rama’s incarnation passed, Dvapara Yuga passed, Sri Krishna’s incarnation passed, Mahabharata, Bhagavatam, all these passed. Still we are so fickle. We think the concept of equality is new. It is not new. We are only waking up to it now. We were asleep so far. We are just waking up to the fact that all are equal. Now, we are talking in the awakened state. You were all in dream state. Wake up.
You should learn about God now. What did God say? Are you devotees of God? If you are, you should follow His words. Follow the Bhagavad Gita. If you like God, follow what He said. Follow His commands. Sri Rama gave some commands, Sri Krishna gave some commands, during each of the ten incarnations, He gave some commands. Vamana gave some commands. Before that, Lord Datta also gave commands. If you follow those commands, you will understand. You think all this is new. It is not. It is very old. We are all in the slumber of Tamas (Tamo Guna or inert/dull qualities). Only now we are slowly waking up. Wake up, and follow the words of God. Understand the principle of God. If you are a devotee of God, you must follow His words. You must follow the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. If you like, if you love God, you must follow their command.
Satya, Dharma, Shanti is the total for number “75”. This is so nice. That is the concept of Trinity too. Datta is Trinity – Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshvara. Today, I will tell you a Bhagavatam mantra. Close your eyes for two minutes and listen. I will chant in my mind. But you can hear it. I am chanting internally. You are listening. You will know.
“Janmaa…satyam param dheemahi”
May goodness be bestowed on all of you.
Harihi Om Tatsat.
Later, Chaitanya Archana program took place. The awardees were:
Jayalakshmi Puraskar-
1. Smt. Urmila Ayyappan, Singapore (Community Service)
Vedanidhi –
2. Sri Viroopaaksham Kaundinya Ghanapathi, Tirupati (Rigveda)
Nadanidhi -
3. Sri T.H. Vinayak Ram, Chennai (Ghatam)
4. Sri Kadiri Gopalanath, Chennai (Saxophone)
5. Smt. A. Kanyakumari, Chennai (Violin)
6. Sri Venkatesh kumar, Dharwad (Hindustani Gayana)
Pravachana Nidhi -
7. Sri Mattur Markandeya Avadhani, Matturu
8. Sri Chaganti Koteswara Rao, Kakinada
Kalanidhi -
9. Sri. K. Brahmanandam, Hyderabad (Cinema)
Viswabandhu -
10. Dr. Jayaram Lingamanaykar, Singapore (Cardioligist)
Viswahindu
11. Dr. T. Chandru, Singapore (Community Service)
12. Prof. Sri Peter Schreiner, Switzerland (Hinduism Studies)
Asthana Chitrakara -
13. Sri Ross Rosin, America (Painter)
Asthana Vidwan
14. Sri Balan Naayar, Chennai (Jyotisha Shastra)
15. Sri Girish Nath Jha, New Delhi (Linguist)
Among the awardees, Kala Nidhi Brahmanandam, Pravachana Nidhi - Sri Chaganti Koteswara Rao, Nada Nidhi Vikku Vinayakaram and Asthana Vidwan Balan Nair spoke.
Asthana Chitrakara Awardee, Mr.Ross Rossin, a celebrated painter from USA presented a giant portrait of Pujya Sri Swamiji’s face.
Pundits from Matturu village performed a special Ishti ritual and offered Prasadam to Pujya Swamiji.
At 3 PM in the afternoon, A giant Bhagavad Gita book in 18 languages was taken in procession in a chariot. The 800 page 800 KG weighing book measures 7 feet tall and 5 feet tall. The entire Bhagavad Gita text in Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Bengaliu, Oriya, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Malayalam, Tamil, English, Gree, Russian (Cyrillic), Armenian, Georgian, Japanese (Katakana), Korean (Hangul) , Arabic & Hebrew languages is printed in the book. Along with this giant book, several language Bhagavad Gita Books in braille script were taken in procession.
The book was placed on the stage in Nada Mantapa. Bhajan group chanted “Gita Sara” Shlokas composed by Pujya Sri Swamiji.
Guinness world record adjudicator, Mr. Jack Brockbank announced that this book created Guinness World Record as the “Largest Hindu Smriti”. He gave three Guinness World Record certificates to Pujya Sri Swamiji
1. World’s largest Hindu Smriti
2. Shukavana “Most species in an Aviary”.
3. “Largest display of Bonsai trees”.
Devotees were ecstatic that three Guinness World Records were presented to Pujya Sri Swamiji on His 75th Birthday. With these three records, Pujya Sri Swamiji holds 8 Guinness World Records.
Mysore Bonsai association members felicitated Pujya Swamiji for bringing Guinness World Record to Bonsai trees in Mysuru. Sri.Guru Talwar of Ma Prints who undertook the printing of the mammoth Bhagavad Gita book was honoured by Pujya Sri Swamiji.
In the evening, Sri.Malladi Sreeram Prasad & Malladi Ravikumar sang Carnatic vocal duet in Nada Mantapa. They sang several special compositions on Pujya Sri Swamiji.
