AvadhootaDatta Peetham

Discourse on Sivananda Lahari

Day 8, August 4

Jaya Guru Datta

Sri Ganesaya Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha

Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namaha

asato ma sadgamaya
tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
mrityor ma amrtam gamaya
Om Santissantissantihi

Please lead me from untruth to Truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. May there be peace.

Om Namassivaya

Today in the presence of Sri Swamiji, the very auspicious program of Sri Narahari Teertha Swami’s Aradhana was conducted by devotees from Akiveedu. I pray for Sadgurudeva’s blessings upon them. In Jayalakshmipuram also the event was conducted in a wonderful manner.

Bhajan: Vedanada nayaka …

Verse 14:
Prabhu sthvam dīnānām khalu parama bandhu pasupate,
Pramukhyōham teshām api kimuta banduthva-manoyoh
Twayaiwa kshantawyāh Shiva madha parādaśca sakalāh
Prayatnāth kartavyam madavana miyam bandhu saranih

Yesterday in Sivananda Lahari Sri Bhagavapada prayed: In this tasteless world I live as a blind person.

Now he places an interesting form of prayer at the Lord’s feet. When there is poetic talent and intelligence it may be used, although devotion is superior to those.

I was ignorant and thought that it was not necessary for me to remember you or seek you.

One should not apply jokes and riddles with Sadguru or God. But using an innovative way of expressing oneself is acceptable, if the manner of prayer gives courage and enthusiasm to others. Such a prayer is offered here.

O Lord, you rule over all the living beings, in the past, present, and future. You are the protector of those who are facing difficulties. You seek out those who are in trouble and give solace to those who are in grief. That is your responsibility. It is your duty to save us.

How to pray in a novel and interesting manner is shown here. We should only reveal clearly what is in our hearts.
Kartaveeryarjuna begged Lord Dattatreya for the boon that he should be taken wherever there is calamity or trouble, so that he can offer assistance. He begged to be taken where there was nobility so that he can offer encouragement. He desired to appear at once where there is adharma, so that he can nip it in the bud.

Our relationship is that of Siva and Sakti. As energy you are all-pervasive. We are like Siva. If Sakti/energy leaves us, we cannot exist.

I am addressing you now as a friend of my soul.

When you are dying of thirst or hunger, when someone offers food and drink you call him a life savior/a closest relative. When a doctor performs surgery to save a life, you feel grateful lifelong. We remember his birthday. We remember him during family celebrations.

You are the savior of our lives, O Lord Siva, O Pasupati.

Can you address a king as uncle or cousin? Will he not punish you for taking such liberties? If you say a pillar is walking, will Sastra/science accept it? No. You must first define what a pillar is and then explain the reason that it is walking and why it is doing so.

You are the best relative or one with great concern for our welfare. Some relationships we inherit by birth; our blood relatives like mother, father, grandparents, and so on. Some become relatives through marriage, such as spouse and the spouse’s relatives. In Saptati we learned how Sadguru is Atma Bandhu, the friend of our Soul. Even marriages are made in heaven, it is said, that they are prearranged. Whom we choose as friends is left to our judgment. How do you judge a person? By the association he keeps, by looking at his friends. Brahmamudi, we spoke of yesterday. We tie ourselves up in knots. God unties these knots and frees us.

Appayya Dikshitar is a great poet. When we travel, especially in the olden days, a friend or companion plays an important role. Such a person inquires about our comforts along the way, offers help as needed.

O Lord, you are our closest relative. Amongst the deprived persons, I am the worst. I am on the first row. Please rescue me. You may ask, what is our relationship? You are the savior. I require to be saved. You have the power to protect. I have the need to be protected. That is how we are related. Out of a candy, one small piece is removed. I am like that tiny piece. I am a part of you. We should do Aradha/adore. Instead we do Aparadha. Radha is to worship. To neglect or abuse good actions is Aparadha. It is not easy to set me right. You need to exercise great effort to make me acceptable. I have performed great sins. Please remember our relationship. You are a good teacher, relative, and friend. Please forgive my mistakes and sins and protect me.

We are all related to God. It is a relationship that cannot be spoiled. Some people try to spoil and destroy friendships of others. But I am stuck to you like glue. We cannot be sundered.

Sam-bandham is the word for relationship. Bandham is bond. Sam-bandham is a tight bond, the relationship between us, as protector and the protected.

In the third line, he proceeds further. Siva has been trapped into this unbreakable relationship. When there is mutual love and understanding, even great misbehaviors are forgiven. In newlyweds it is seen. After a while, even when there is no mistake, they blame one another. Dharma svartham is acceptable, to guide one another in the practice of Dharma. Otherwise the fragile relationship gets broken. This applies even to friendships.

Yesterday was Friendship Day. Today that concept is strengthened through this prayer.

Kuchela/Sudama asked: What is the purpose of friendship? Krishna responded: If a purpose is defined for friendship, then it is not friendship at all.

People ask, why are you associating with Swamiji and the ashram? The soul pulls you towards them. You cannot explain.

Now the main prayer. Forgive all my sins. Siva must say, you have not even committed any sins. What sins are you talking about? Sri Bhagavatpada is trying to make Siva acknowledge that it is our right to make mistakes and our right to expect forgiveness from Him. I have the faith that you will certainly forgive me and protect me. You are Siva. the word Siva is interspersed between sin and forgiveness. The word Siva has the power to cancel all sins.

We pray on behalf of our children, womenfolk, the aged, or the head of the family, for forgiveness, that they have erred due to ignorance. Sins committed knowingly or unknowingly should be forgiven by you, O Lord. These sins are etched in stone and cannot be erased easily. It will require you to exercise some effort; Adi Sankara is reminding and alerting God. Please use your power to excuse us.

Please protect us, I pray to you. Based on our intimate relationship, you must forgive us. Many times, people hurt your feelings deeply and then in the end, lightly brush off the entire matter as if it is very insignificant. They suggest that based on your close friendship, you must simply ignore the whole thing and forget it. It happens all the time. It is the way of the world.

Bhajan: Jyotirlingakaraa … (Vaidyanatheswara)

Verse 15:
Upekshaāno cheth kinna harasi bhavadh dhyāna-vimukhām
Durāśa booyishtām vidhi lipi maśaktho yadi bhavān
Shira sthadvai dhathram na nakhalu suvrutham paśu pathe
Katham vā niryathnam kara nakha mukhe naiva lulitham

Earlier he spoke about the relationship between God and devotee and the duty of God to be forgiving. Now he says, because my prayers are weak and gentle, you are ignoring me. Now he changes the manner and mood of the prayer.

At once, Sadguru is giving us darshan.
It proves that prayer is very powerful.

You should have come to my rescue by now. You are negligent. Sri Bhagavatpada is not praying for anything else. He is a great jnani. You do not realize the extent of physical pain and agony that he suffered. The third time he did the all-India tour on foot, at Srisailam, he has composed this hymn, it is said. He never asked for relief from disease or pain, but asks for forgiveness of his sins. He does not see any signs of God paying attention to him. Why are you rejecting me? He is expressing his frustration. We must develop the intense devotion that gives us the right to demand attention from God. I do not ask for anything else. His body was deteriorating. His illnesses were serious beyond description. Within a very short period of time he has accomplished a tremendous amount. The power of his soul has not diminished. Some black magic was performed on him, it is reported. He was establishing the Advaita philosophy nationwide. There was much jealousy against him for the success and honor that he was enjoying with scholars and kings. You must study his history.

Once, his head was asked for by a Kaapaalika to do homa with it to earn the position of Indra. Adi Sankara agreed to give it. Whatever was asked of him, he was ready to give. It was agreed that it would be collected early in the morning the following day. He was putting on a large rudraksha mala. It made a sound that woke up Padmapada, his disciple. The Kaapaalika was ready with his sword. Padmapada took the form of Lord Narasimha and stopped the beheading. He became furious. Padma means Lakshmi. The Guru/Adi Sankara prayed to him to calm down.

Now he is demanding an explanation from Lord Siva. My intellect is not getting fixed on your contemplation. My mind is wandering. It is running away. My mind should gladly engage in meditating upon you.

While during 11 times Rudra abhishekam, unless the mind enjoys the activity, it will get impatient even after the first chanting. If the mind is reveling in it, at the end of 11 repetitions, it will be surprised that it is over so soon.

The physical agony is preventing my concentration. I am getting discouraged. It is not right for me to pray for the removal of physical pain. I pray that my mind should be fixed upon you. Destiny has written my Fate as if it is etched in stone. This statement by Fate is not erasable.

Many disciples tried to convince Sri Adi Sankara to use his spiritual power to remove his physical afflictions. But he was not agreeable. What he desired is the total focus on Dhyana and not relief from physical ailments.

He is directly carrying on a conversation with Lord Siva.

O Lord, you are not powerless. I will tell you why. You have displayed the power to behead Brahma with your mere fingernail.

Once upon a time, prior to many Kalpas, during Siva’s wedding, Brahma had five heads. Brahma was officiating as the priest at the wedding ritual. He felt desire for Mother Goddess. He suffered from *** and Siva removed it by cutting off one head of Brahma. Now Brahma has only four heads. Brahma represents all Creation. To remove excessive *** from Creation, Siva has removed one head of Brahma with a mere fingernail effortlessly.

Compared to such a tough task, can you possibly claim that you lack the power now to destroy my sins? Answer me first. Then, you may remain negligent as per your wish.

Such power to demand grace from God one acquires only when a disciple remains quiet and fully follows all of Guru’s instructions. All such conversations with Guru or God should take place only within the heart. Do not speak out loud. You will be admitted in a mental asylum. Illusion is different. Truth is different. Seeing colors, shapes, and motions are all illusions. Many people speak about such things. Anything that is extraordinary or above natural phenomenon that you have experienced should not be disclosed to the public. One should not display physically the unusual experiences by running around ***, or by speaking about them to outsiders, or acting unnaturally.

Sivananda Lahari is a direct private conversation between an ardent devotee and God. That is why it is blissful.

We will sing an old, beautiful bhajan. It used to be frequently sung but has not been sung in recent times.

Bhajan: Sankara Siva …

Sri Guru Datta