AvadhootaDatta Peetham

Day 4 – July 16, 2014

Jaya Guru Datta

Sri Sadgurubhyo Namaha

Sadguru Stavam

Bhajans: Siddhidoota, Guru ke samaan nahin

Yesterday we spoke about the very important incidents of the Initiation given by Sri Jayalakshmi Mata with the 12 commandments, and her final merging with the Almighty. I wept, and I made you cry also. It was not in my control. Sanyasis and yogis are not supposed to cry under any circumstances. But yoga stands no chance before the power of Mother's love, compassion, and kindness. That realization came to me yesterday. That is why I had to shed tears. She held her sway over me. I was helpless. Such was the theme yesterday.

Sri Dattapadarenu has beautifully composed the song on Jayalakshmi Mata which you have heard. He is here. He described Jayalakshmi Mata as Mahisha nivarini. But she was not the one who slayed Mahishasura. All the cruelty, violence, sin, corruption, and filth that is in us is Mahisha. As I was coming here I heard that descriptive phrase being sung. I questioned myself why he used such a name to describe Mother Jayalakshmi. This is the answer I got, that Jayalakshmi Mata removes all those negative aspects from us.

An interviewer told the applicant: You have to work 24/7. You will get no days off. You have to attend to your personal needs only when there is no other pressing work. If anyone is ever in any danger, you have to risk your life to save them. Moreover, you will not be paid any salary for your work.

Go home and see your mother. She is such a worker, the interviewer told the applicant. The applicant acknowledged the truth in that statement and had tears in his eyes. This is so true.

Mother, there is no one who is greater than you in this world. You attend to everyone's needs tirelessly and lovingly all the time. You serve, not expecting any remuneration. Such is the love of Mother.

Jayalakshmi Mata's love, compassion, kindness, powers of Yoga and Will are incomparable. She transferred all of those to her son Satyanarayana as she gave him the 12 commandments along with the spiritual initiation. Thereafter, declaring that her mission had been successfully completed, she merged in God.

Satyanarayana observed the sad state of affairs in the village, and perhaps in the world at large, that no one cared to offer help when help and solace were direly needed. He resolved to do something about it.

It is forgivable if someone skips attending a celebration at another's home, but it is unforgivable not to attend and give help when something goes wrong, or a tragedy occurs. At such times, even uninvited, people have to lend a helping hand. There are many such helpers here at the ashram. They go out and offer the funeral rites to those who have no one else to do them for them. It is admirable. Swarnaprasad, Murali, Katta Seetaram, and Subramaniam are some who are ready to come forward to give this service. They provide food for the families because they are not supposed to cook during the period of contamination (Maila). Even if they do not know the persons or even if they are not on speaking terms, in times of difficulty, they forget all differences, and they rush forward to help. That shows true nobleness of nature. Such good nature pleases Sadguru.

Swamiji was determined to bring about a transformation in the minds of mankind at large.

Now, the question arose as to who will look after the three children. Narasimha Sastry washed his hands off of all responsibility. Linganna took the children with him. But he could not afford to care for all three of them. Saraswati's care was assumed by Linganna and Parvatamma. But the two older children were sent back to live with their father.

About this time aunt Venkamma enters the scene. She was a great yogini, a very strong, stubborn, and spiritually powerful personality.

Narasimha Sastry had no aptitude, liking, or inclination for raising small children. Unable to handle the nurturing of Satyanarayana and Varalakshmi, he sent for his older sister Venkamma who lived alone in Proddutur, requesting her to come and take charge of the children. He offered to pay her a monthly allowance towards their sustenance.

At this juncture, we should remember Chikkamma (Parvatamma, younger sister of Jayalakshmi Mata). When I first entered this ashrama, in 1982-83, there was not much accommodation available here for visitors to stay. The few rooms that were there, were given to VIPs. Others slept in the chopparam (prayer hall) filling it to capacity, and then under the trees. As a result, I stayed with Chickamma in Mysore and would come to the ashram during the day. Chickamma would take care of us all. We would enjoy our ride to the ashrama sometimes on a Jatka (horse-drawn carriage). To me, Chickamma is like what Venkamma was to Satyanarayana. She taught me some yoga practices, or at least what I consider as Yoga. I was only 5-6 years old. I did not have my Upanayanam by then. When I saw the others doing Sandhya Vandanam (sun worship 3 times a day), I would also offer prayers although I was not qualified to do so. I simply imitated my father's actions. Others would scold me, but Chickamma gave me a small silver container and encouraged me to do the ritual. I used to sit near the Tulasi Brindavana and offer prayers.

Venkamma proudly refused any monetary assistance from her brother. She exceeded her brother in self-respect and dignity. She took the two children with her to Proddutur.

verse

The young spiritual prince went thus to Proddutur.

Venkamma earned her livelihood by practicing traditional medicine and offering culinary services where and when needed at selected households. She lived in a small room on the premises of a Siva Temple, where she also was in charge of the maintenance and upkeep. Now she had two young companions and extra mouths to feed. She never considered it a burden or a responsibility. Yogis never treat anything as a burden.

Common people are scared to take on any responsibilities. Even if a box is empty, they would be scared to lift it. Even if it is only an empty styrofoam box or one made with cork, but painted to look like an iron chest, they would not touch it, out of fear that it might be heavy. Yogis will make an attempt even if asked to lift a mountain.

Venkamma surrendered all her efforts to the Lord. She was masculine in her courage and determination, like Mother Sita or Bhadra Kali. She was also gentle but extremely sharp intellectually and very harsh at times. Her powers of memory were extraordinary. Her austerities went to the extreme. People feared her for her strictness and boldness. She worshiped Lord Siva and studied the Bhagavad Gita daily. Her anger was her protective shield. She considered Swami Abhedananda, who was a disciple of Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi, as her guru. Her discipline was remarkable. She was looking for a qualified disciple who could receive from her, her knowledge and spiritual powers. At such a time Satyanarayana came to her and she recognized in him perfect eligibility to become her disciple.

Jayalakshmi Mata had trained Satyanarayana in internal worship and secret austerities not visible to the public. She also trained him in physical austerities. Even those who do visible ritual worship, sit quietly at the end in silent contemplation, which is the same as internal worship.

Venkamma put Satyanarayana on a strict regime of spiritual training of both the internal and external systems. She taught him Hatha Yoga practices. She made him wake up at 4 AM daily. Till 5 AM he had to review his school lessons.
Early morning, before sunrise, called Brahmee Muhurtam is the best time to study. Divine forces permeate the atmosphere at that time and whatever is studied is grasped and retained by the mind. Unfortunately, these days, students study till the beginning of Brahmee Muhurtam and then go to sleep at the most auspicious time, which is best suited for studies. Studying after midnight is not recommended at all because evil and negative forces roam about at that time. Those who go to sleep at 3-4 AM find it impossible to wake up in time to go to write their exams. The parents have to forcefully wake them up. It is a wrong practice. Students who do this will not remember during the examinations what they had studied the previous night. The bad vibrations prevalent at midnight and after, will affect their brains and will make them forget all that they had studied. Sleep at the right time is very important. Forcibly staying awake by drinking coffee and tea is not advisable. Just because some rare persons succeeded by studying at such odd hours, others should not copy their practices. Their success is due to their natural power of retention, and not because of forcibly staying awake past midnight. One should not spoil health by staying awake regularly late into the night.

Satyanarayana had to bathe in cold water. Wearing wet clothes, he had to chant hymns for Lord Siva, such as Nagendra Haraya, and Brahma Murari. Then at dawn he had to pick fresh flowers to offer to the Lord. Then he would go to school, drinking some milk for breakfast. His first meal would be only at noon. These rules applied only to Satyanarayana; not to Varalakshmi. Venkamma was not being cruel towards Satyanarayana. She was being a strict instructor because he was a yogi in the making. If by chance anyone gave him a blanket or anything else to make his life a little more comfortable, Venkamma would take it away from him and give it away to the poor. She kept Varalakshmi comfortable and happy. This was Yoga sadhana for Satyanarayana.

The neighbors criticized Venkamma for her strictness. She solicited funds to pay the school fees for the children. She was not ashamed to do so. Her earnings were not sufficient to provide for the two children. She would fetch used papers from the offices and stitch notebooks for use by the children. These days, there are spoilt children who reject even the best amenities provided to them by their parents. They do not recognize the value of things. Pampering without discipline and protection is harmful.

A time came when Venkamma could not even feed the children two meals a day. She put them on a one-meal-a-day regime. The children adjusted to the change.

Venkamma increased the intensity of her Yoga instruction to Satyanarayana. She woke him at midnight to teach Hatha yoga lessons after offering prayers to Jayalakshmi Mata.

Bhajan: Naman karo

verse

Satyanarayana had to be diligent at school studies also. Venkamma taught him the rules of celibacy - Brahmacharya and living with the constant awareness of Brahman - Supreme Soul. She urged him to give up likes and dislikes, which was a prerequisite to the practice of Brahmacharya. She inculcated dispassion in him. She emphasized on the importance of purity of food which affects one's thought process and behavior. Who prepares the meal, who serves it, the ingredients used, and the location and conditions where food is consumed, are all important factors for a yogi. She taught Satyanarayana how to collect food, distribute food, and how to consume food. She told him to collect food as alms from 3-4 carefully selected homes.

During the month of Sravana, on Saturdays, to this day, there is a beneficial practice of wearing the vertical marks of Vishnu on the forehead (Naama) and going from door to door chanting the name Govinda, to collect food ingredients. The raw materials such as rice, lentils etc. are collected, brought home, cooked and consumed. While studying in the Veda Pathasala, some 5-6 of us did this austerity on those specific Saturdays, for 11 years. We went to homes within the ashram and collected the provisions by begging, chanting the name Govinda. We gave the materials thus collected in the Annapurna Mandiram to Smt. Lakshmi Narasamma who would cook them separately and feed us. After some years we began looking forward to this time of the year because, out of sympathy and affection for us, the householders would offer us sweet desserts also, in addition to the groceries. Out of desire for the sweets, we even asked whether we could go daily to solicit food, and not just on Saturdays. They told us that if we did so, then the householders would have to go begging also, and discouraged that idea.

Students should learn about the hardships of earning food, even if they are from affluent families. This discipline accustoms one to accepting rejection, refusal, avoidance, and occasional harshness in attitude. It prepares one to face the challenges in life and hardens and builds up resilience. Within the ashram, the people knew to expect us and were ready and prepared to serve us. But in the outside world, things do not go so smoothly. People deliberately refuse to give even if they can afford, or they say they are busy and to come again. Facing such refusals prepares one for worldly life. Especially Veda students require this type of training to prepare them for their careers.

Madhukara is a bee. Just as a bee collects honey from different flowers without harming any flower, and finally prepares a unique nectar for its own consumption, the spiritual seeker is supposed to collect materials from different homes without taxing anyone, and then prepare a pure and nourishing meal for his consumption.

Some crooks collect food like this to sell it afterwards for profit. To do so is a great sin. It should never be done.

I found a man in Delhi who donates Tea. It was a novel idea. He got this idea when he saw people collecting food to sell it afterwards. Tea is something you cannot take with you and sell to others later. You have to consume it right then and there. I congratulated him on his idea. The world has degenerated to such a state to require such new procedures to prevent fraud.

In the ashrama we do annadanam on full moon days at Sri Datta Venkateswara Temple, and daily at the Annapurna Mandiram. Swamiji, because, he had done the Madhukari austerity, knows the value of food and insists on doing Annadana.

One should consume only the quantity of food that is required to maintain the life force in the body.

When Satyanarayana, after collecting the food from 3 or 4 homes, sat down to eat the first time, Venkamma hit him with the wooden handle of the palm leaf fan and stopped him from putting the first morsel in his mouth. She said: do not be in a hurry to eat.

Of the dry food items and the wet food items that he collected in different containers from the different homes, carried in his shoulder sling, he had to first feed his sister Varalakshmi and then all the mendicants lined up in front of the temple. If anything was left, that food he could eat. Only if he practiced this way his yoga practice would succeed.

Satyanarayana did as he was bid. He became extremely tired and hungry. Finally as he placed the tiny morsel that was left for him as his share, he felt that what he placed in his mouth was not food but divine celestial nectar. He understood the intent of his aunt.

Another yoga discipline that Venkamma taught Satyanarayana was to look at, place on his tongue even, tasty delicacies and not have any secretion of saliva in the mouth, and not have any desire to eat the treat. It is said that if one can conquer the tongue, one can conquer the world. Such a discipline Venkamma taught Satyanarayana. It was not the glands and nerves that the boy had to conquer, but his mind that says that a thing is desirable and edible.

It is said that what she taught Satyanarayana cannot be contained even in several volumes of writing. Venkamma would make Satyanarayana run in the hot sun till his mouth became parched. When water was offered, he had to control his thirst and not drink even a sip. This is hatha yoga sadhana.

Jayalakshmi Mata had already taught her son Raja Yoga, which is the path of Jnana - spiritual knowledge. Now, Venkamma was teaching Hatha Yoga. This yoga should only be practiced under the guidance of a qualified guru. One should not attempt to practice procedures by reading about them in books, such as Khecharee vidya and Lambika Nadi Chedana, and so forth. People should not independently attempt any of these, without the permission and supervision of Guru. It could harm them.

The food that he was going to eat, Venkamma would tie up in a cloth and rinse out in water to remove all the taste prior to permitting him to eat it. Satyanarayana had to eat such food and preserve his body in a healthy condition.
Satyanarayana was reminded of the words of Lord Krishna spoken in the Bhagavatam.

verse

Yoga in a nutshell is, to control the senses and the mind by the power of the intellect which is merged in God.
Satyanarayana thus readily learned all the tough lessons taught by aunt Venkamma. Finally he earned from her the compliment, given not to him, but to his mother, that she had trained him well. She was glad that the child was quick to grasp his lessons. Venkamma was careful even then, not to inflate his ego by giving him praise.

One day, at school, some children forcibly pulled the copper earrings worn by Satyanarayana. The ear bled profusely. The Telugu teacher at school, Sri Shatdarsanam Somasundara Sharma took care of the wound and helped it to heal.

This teacher also served here at the ashram later under the invitation of Swamiji and taught us some classes, while I was a student. He taught some Aranyakas and parts of Aruna Prasna. He had been of frail health then.

Swamiji never forgets a favor received. He fully repays any assistance received from anyone at anytime. He fondly remembers this teacher even to this day.

As children, Satyanarayana and Varalakshmi would sometimes compete in literary contests and usually the brother had the upper hand. But still, in any conflict, regardless of who was right or wrong, it was Satyanarayana who received punishment from his aunt always. It appeared unjust to the child, but his mother had commanded him in the 12 sayings that even if it caused him pain, he could never give pain to others. Venkamma made Satyanarayana apply that rule in his life even at this young age.

to be continued
Sri Guru Datta