Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

83. Vibhisanarcita rangaka Rama

Rama! Vibhishana worshipped you with great devotion.

-Sri Swamiji (31.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

82. Parthivakula Sammanit Rama

Rama! All kings honoured You.

-Sri Swamiji (30.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

81. Pattabhisekalankrita Rama

Rama! Your coronation as the king of Ayodhya was splendid.

-Sri Swamiji (30.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

80. Ratna lasatpitha shita rama

Rama! You graciously sat with Sita on the diamon-studded golden throne.

-Sri Swamiji (28.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

79. samasta jana sammanita Rama

Rama! All the people honoured You.

-Sri Swamiji (27.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

78. Saketapuri Bhusana Rama

Rama! You are the crown-jewel of Ayodhya, the capital of Your kingdom.

-Sri Swamiji (26.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

77. Bharata Prana Priyakara Rama

Rama! Bharata was rejuvenated by Your timely arrival.

-Sri Swamiji (25.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

76. bharadvaja bhinisevana Rama

Rama! Bharadvaja, a great sage, arranged a grand feast to You and Your followers in his ashrama during Your visit, on the way.

-Sri Swamiji (24.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

75. Pushpaka Yanarohana Rama

Rama! You boarded the celestial aeroplane Pushpaka, accompanied by Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman and all other monkey warriors.

-Sri Swamiji (23.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

74. Abhisikta Vibhisanavandita Rama

Rama! You arranged the coronation of Vibhishana as the King of Lanka. He prostrated to You with gratitude.

-Sri Swamiji (22.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

73. Sita Darsana modita Rama

Rama! You were happy to have the reunion with Sita.

-Sri Swamiji (21.10.10)

To know about the activities of Dallas Hanuman Temple, please visit http://www.dallashanuman.org.

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

72. Khasthita dasaratha vikshita Rama

Rama! Dasaratha (in his celestial form) fondly looked at You from the sky.

-Sri Swamiji (20.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

71. Vidhi bhavana mukha sura samstuta Rama

Rama! Brahma, the Creator and the other celestials praised Your glory.

-Sri Swamiji (19.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

70. Samhrita dasamukha ravana Rama

Rama! You killed Ravana (of ten heads).

-Sri Swamiji (18.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

69. ahi mahiravana marana Rama

Rama! Mahiravana (a cousin of Ravana) sent his spies to kidnap You. (Hanuman brought back Rama & Lakshmana to Lanka, after killing Mahiravana in Patala – the nether world).

-Sri Swamiji (17.10.10)

Navaratri – Day-9 – Trishati Song

Navaratri - Day 9 - Trishati Song

Navaratri Day-9 – Shakti Durgi – 16th Oct 2010

On the third day of this Navaratri we talked about Durga Devi. Today again we will talk about Durga on this ninth day. Mother Durga is great. Mother Durga’s name gives great merit. Her immense compassion is incomparable. Durga means a fort. She protects Her devotees like a fort.

Sat means truth. Gati means path. Mother Goddess enables us to follow the truthful path, righteous path. Her energy is infinite. So we sing her glory:

Navaratri Day-9 - Shakti Durga

There is a beautiful story in the Kenopanishat, that talks about the glory of Mother Goddess. Let us talk about that story.

In the past there was a war between the celestials and the demons. The celestials won the war. The celestials joyously started to over celebrate their victory. Anything in excess is forbidden. In the fist of happiness one of the celestials shouted that the victory was the result of his effort alone. Loudly he proclaimed that without him they would have lost the heaven to the demons and this enjoyment would not have been there. As soon as he uttered this, all the celestials started to boast about their valor and deeds. They began to shout about their own greatness. Those words were clearly audible to Mother Goddess who is Omniscient. She manifested herself to the celestials in the form of a Yaksha. Then,
all the celestials pushed Agni (Fire God) to the forefront and asked him to enquire about the Yaksha.

Agni went to Yaksha and started boasting about his greatness. The Yaksha form did not pay attention at all. It took a blade of grace and put it in front of Agni and asked him to burn it. Agni who is by nature ferocious was very annoyed with the Yaksha’s behavior. He thought burning this blade of grass was just a simple task for him. But, he was not able to do it. He used all his might but could not succeed. Ashamed of his incapacity he went back disgraced. The celestials then summoned Vayu (Wind God). Vayu also spoke flamboyantly just like Agni. TheYaksha form put a similar test to Vayu too. It asked him move the blade of grace. Vayu struggled with all his might but failed miserably. The blade of grass did not move even a millimeter. Mortified and ashamed he too left the place silently. The celestials now looked at Indra, their King. Indra understood the intentions of the celestials. He went to the behest of the Yaksha form. Shredding away his entire ego, he praised the Yaksha form. Then the Yaksha form disappeared and in its place appeared a Divine female form. That form is Mother Goddess Haimavati! Uma! Shakti Durga! She is the Paramatman. She reminded the celestials about their capacities and limitations. Everyone is a child before the infinite energy Shakti Durga. One must pay obeisance to that Omniscient Energy. Only then Mother Goddess will redeem one from the bondage of worldly life. Everyone will be prosperous and energetic. The vehicles and instruments will also get the energy. That is why we worship instruments, tools and vehicles on this day.

By the grace of Mother Goddess Shakti Durgi, let bountiful spiritual energy bloom in everyone. Let the energy be used to do more and more righteous deeds.

Blessings! Jaya Guru Datta!

Navaratri – Day 8 – Chandi (15/Oct/2010)

We are trying to understand the incarnations of Mother Goddess and the philosophy behind them, during these Navaratri Celebrations. Where does Mother Goddess stay? How does She look like? No one can answer such questions. Even the Vedas and Shastras also cannot describe. Proficient logic and intellect also fail to understand or explain Her phenomenon.

Does Mother Goddess really exist? To this question the answer is affirmative because without Her there is no energy in the World. Everything is standstill. The super powers (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and other celestials) and the Universe too will be in total disarray.

Experience is the only way to know Her. Singing the glory of Mother Goddess – chandi chandasura damani – we will come to know where She is? How She looks like? What She does? She will appear and give Darshan. We will see Her as the aspect of Time (kala) and Place (desa).

The time concept is manifest in action or activity (kriya) while the place concept is manifest in the form. The time aspect or kriya has three types (varga, pada, mantra). Even the place aspect or form has three types (kalatatva, bhuvana, desa). Mother Goddess is manifesting through these six facets. All vibration (spandana), dance (nartana), cyclical phenomenon (aavartanam) and energy (chaitanya) are her manifest forms. Unless we understand this, it is difficult to comprehend about Mother Goddess Chandi. The reason behind the seriousness with which we need to pursue Mother Goddess is Bhakti (devotion). Everyone must be devoted. There should be no feigning in devotion. Devotion must be true.

Chandika means one who is angry with the non-devout. ‘chandi kopi abhaktesu kopasatvat chandika‘ – proclaims the Devi Bhagavata. Mother Goddess destroyed the demons Chanda and Munda, so She got the name Chamunda.

When Mother Goddess Chandi came out of the fire-pit, Her form was very ferocious and unbearable to see. Even in the 108 names of Mother Goddess Laxmi, She is proclaimed as kr°dha sambhava. Nowadays people recite it as kshirodha sambhava (one who is born from the milky ocean). Only such a ferocious nature can destroy the unrighteousness in the world. She is unhappy with unrighteous deeds and assumes a very pleasant disposition once righteousness is established.

When Mahishasura the demon was causing havoc to the world, all the celestials were angry with Him. Even Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva were annoyed and angry with him. All the celestials focused their anger together. A great energy (Mahashakti) was immediately born at that place. That Energy is Mother Goddess Chandi. When all the Celestials forfeited their ego and surrendered to Mother Goddess Chandi, She destroyed the demon Mahishasura and showered compassion over the celestials.

Mother Goddess Chandi is described in the Saptashati as Mahakali who destroyed the demons Madhu-kaiTabha, as Mahalakshmi who destroyed the demon Mahishasura and as Maha Saraswati who destroyed the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha.

One who seeks to obtain the grace of Mother Goddess Chandi should have untainted devotion. For those filled with devotion, Her disposition is pleasant. Otherwise She is ferocious. Let everyone be able to control his or her anger and passion by the grace of Mother Goddess Chandi. Let devotion blossom. Let the desires of the mind get fulfilled.

Blessings! Jaya Guru Datta!

Navaratri – Day 8: Trishati Song

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

68. Rakshasa sangha vimardaka Rama

Rama! You killed many evil demons.

-Sri Swamiji (16.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

67. Kumbhakarna siraschedaka Rama

Rama! You beheaded Kumbhakarna, a brother of Ravana.

-Sri Swamiji (15.10.10)

Navaratri – Day 7 – Saraswati Mata – (14th Oct 2010)

Mother Goddess Saraswati is the manifest form of all infinite knowledge. All children, students and teachers in worldly knowledge should worship Mother Goddess on this day. All seekers in spiritual path, teachers and students of yoga should contemplate on Mother Goddess Saraswati today. They should prostrate to her on this day. Vande vande vanim vinadharinim, vanchadhatrim vacham devim

Mother Goddess is the Goddess of all knowledge. Contemplating on her will remove all passions and ignorance. One who obtains her grace becomes irrefutable, undefeatable and knowledgeable. He attains a respectable and attractive status in the society. Just like Mother Goddess Savitri, Saraswati mantra is also a great mantra. In the Saptashati, the episode of Mahasaraswati has been described at length. The name Saraswati manifests at several places in the Vedas too. That is why in Lalita Sahasranama Mother Goddess is proclaimed as –Sarasvati sastramayi guhamba guhyarupini. A beautiful bhajan of Swamiji on Mother Saraswati – sakala vidya prade sarva sampatprade sarva sammohane sarade (Sharada is the one who bestows all knowledge, wealth and is the blissful one who attracts everyone).

Just by contemplating on Mother Goddess, one’s intellect will blossom with knowledge and light. Knowledge is the manifest form of Mother Goddess- saranashilatvat sarasvati – i.e. She has a flowing nature, and hence the name Saraswati. The flow of knowledge is Mother Goddess Saraswati. All energy flows in the world because of Mother Goddess. She is the energy behind the rising and the setting of the sun and the moon, and all the natural events. Even within our body also energy flows from top to toe. That energy itself is Mother Goddess Saraswati. She is the prana energy. Veda has proclaimed thus – Pranasakti: sarasvati. We understand the existence of Prana because of our breath work. There is no difference between Prana and Nada. They are inseparable. The flow of words reaches the mind after several alterations. Once it
reaches the mind it brings bliss. Such flow of words itself is Saraswati. All knowledge associated with words and flow of words is Mother Goddess. Intellect, Knowledge and Speech – all the three are manifestations of Mother Goddess. So she is also called v¡ksudha sarasvati.

Only by the grace of Mother Goddess Saraswati, one can become knowledgeable and intellectual. She is the giver of sharpness to the mind and intellect. There is a beautiful description in the Ramayana about cleverness. Both Ravana and Kumbhakarna did penance for seeking boons from Brahma. As soon as Brahma appeared, Ravana sought all possible boons harmful to the society. Brahma immediately granted them. Now it was the turn of Kumbhakarna. He wanted to ask for even more destructive wishes. Brahma thought for a while, “Ravana himself is a big threat to the society. If Kumbhakarna also seeks destructive boons, there will be total chaos and havoc in the society”. Brahma had read the cruelty in the mind of Kumbhakarna. He immediately contemplated on Mother Goddess Sharada. For the welfare of the world Mother Goddess stood on the tongue of Kumbhakarna and spoke thus, “O Brahma Deva! nirdaya pekshaya nidram – grant me very good sleep” and started to yawn. Bramha
immediately granted the boon. This way Mother Goddess Saraswati protected the world by changing the demons mind. She entered Vibhishana’s mind and made him seek the boon of devoted submission to Sri Hari.

Without the grace of Mother Goddess, man becomes inanimate. He cannot move a step forward. His intellect will not function. She is the granter of the knowledge of self realization. She is the Vagroopini (manifest and non-manifest facets of speech). So, one has to be very
careful in his speech. Speak only auspicious things.

Mother Goddess resides on the tip of the tongue. That is why our words should be like pearls – precious and pleasing. If one seeks the knowledge of all the shastras, if one wishes to research in any area, if one wants an analytical mind then one must prostrate to Mother Goddess Saraswati. Only by the grace of mother Goddess one attains respect and fame in the society.

By the grace of Mother Goddess Saraswati, let everyone speak auspicious words only. Let everyone have a noble thought. Let the mind blossom. Let our knowledge help us to tread in the path of righteousness.

Blessings! Jaya Guru Datta!

Navaratri – Day 7: Trishati Song

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

66. Parvata setu nibandhaka Rama

Rama! You arranged the construction of a bridge of mountain rocks across the ocean.

-Sri Swamiji (14.10.10)

Sri Rama Nama Ramayanam

65. Vibhisanabhaya Dayaka Rama

Rama! You gave the assurance of amnesty to Your devotee Vibhishana, a brother of Ravana.

-Sri Swamiji (13.10.10)