June 11, 2011
Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – June 11, 2011 - Haridwar
Jaya Guru Datta.
After performing the evening worship with haratis to Mother Ganga, during the auspicious Ganaga nadi (river) pushkara, which occurs once in 12 years, along with deepa danam by devotees, with lamps sent gently floating in the river Ganga in His divine presence, Sri Swamiji sang bhajans.
Sri Maha Ganapataye namah
Sri Saraswatyai namah
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya namah
Today for the sake of South Indian devotees Swamiji has prepared two or three bhajans. Many devotees have begged Swamiji for these. You may sing along. I will sing the most famous Mother Ganga bhajan in Purna Panchama healing raga. It is a variation of Mayamalava Gowla sung in the unique South Indian Datta tradition, in Swamiji’s own style. All of you join in.
Bhajan: Jai jai Ganapati in Hindi
Bhajan: Ehi pahi puneehi Gange
Bhajan: Siva bhava pada
Bhajan:Gangaganga sura ganga
After 10-12 years Swamiji is singing this bhajan again today after he sang it for the first time at the time of Pratishtha, consecration. This bhajan has samishti charanams, no anupallavi.
This devotee (referring to a musician sitting on the stage) sings beautiful abhangs. I wish for him to give a program in Mysore. (Sri Swamiji gave him a few chances to him to sing solo elaborating on the lines sung by Sri Swamiji).
Bhajan: Indiresa Govinda – a Manipravala bhajan. It sounds like Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit, so many different languages. Everything is done by you, Lord, nothing is by me.
Bhajan: Gangai Konda Sivane in Tamil
Bhajan: Sannuveham Divya Gangaam - a very very very new bhajan that has just been born, in Purna Panchama. It is Mayamalava gowla without the ‘ni’. Swamiji used this healing raga in a concert inAmerica. I worship you Mother Ganga to destroy all my terrible sins. You are Tripathagaa – one who spans all the three worlds, heaven, earth, and the nether world. As Maatrika you provide the life energy to all beings. As Maanini you jumped onto to the locks on the head of Lord Siva. You are the cleanser of all the sins of everyone. Pushkara rishi from Brahma’s water ***, the kamandala, once in 12 years causes the Pushkara for the 12 holy rivers each in turn, making the waters especially holy and powerful during that year. O Mother, you absorb the healing energies of all the medicinal herbs as you flow down, and you incorporate all the holy teerthas, the sacred waters within yourself. The drops that spilt from the *** of Amrita (the nectar of immortality) that was being carried by the celestial eagle, Garuda, cause this Pushkara event once in 12 years, making the waters of the specific river equal to Amrita itself.
(Sri Manjunath, the singer on the stage made a special prayer to Sri Swamiji to allow him to offer one song at his lotus feet. Sri Swamiji obliged and instructed the musicians to give him support as he sang a Datta guru bhajan. As he sang, Sri Swamiji picked up the brass cymbals and played the rhythm, Talam, to his bhajan. A very unique occurrence, indeed. How blessed the singer is, whom Sri Swamiji had blessed in a dream earlier, and this evening blessed him with Nada siddhi).
Bhajan: Chala sakhyano in Gujarati
Bhajan: Special Harati song composed by Sri Swamiji on Mother Ganga (the ladies in the front row offered harati lamps while the song was being sung).
The Hanuman Setu Bandha DVD with book. It is a collector’s item. It is a very special and loving effort by Sri Swamiji. Please everyone, acquire it for your children. They all need it. Later it will not be available. Just like the LP records. They will not be reprinted. This is not a business. It is a blessing. If I wanted to do business I would have been in Mumbai doing extraordinary business. That is not my work. Actually in the beginning Swamiji gave away Bhakti Mala magazines free, to devotees. He incurred loss. The press was going to be shut down. So he does not do it again. Even if you already have one, take another one.
Everyone had their eye full, watching with great glee Sri Swamiji taking bath in the holy Ganga this morning. You also joined Him in the river, bathing along with Him. You all looked at Swamiji as if you had never seen Him before, especially taking bath in the river. Your eyes were glued to Him. I know you were not only looking at His face. You have cast so much dishti (evil eye). I had to have it removed twice. How it spluttered! Again tonight I will have it removed. Tomorrow may be I will wear a banian (an under T-shirt).
Sri Bala Swamiji spoke briefly about Swamiji’s birthday the following day and led the Happy Birthday song.
I am a just born baby now. I do not know how to speak.
Sri Guru Datta