“Holy month of Shravan derives its name from ‘Shravan Bhakti’” – Sadguru Shri Aniruddha Bapu.

|| Hari Om ||

“Holy month of Shravan derives its name from ‘Shravan Bhakti’” – Sadguru Shri Aniruddha Bapu.

   

Discourse by Param Poojya Sadguru Shri Aniruddha Bapu on 23th July 2009

During His discourse, our dear Sadguru Shri Aniruddha Bapu throughout described His Mother, Goddess Mahishasurmardini who would manifest Herself in form of an idol at Shree Kshetra Gurukshetram.

Goddess Mahishasurmardini can be described as Amit-Prabha i.e. One who extends beyond the universe.

Pratarbalacha Maadhyanhne Yauvanastha Bhavetpunha l

Vruddha Sayam Bhagawati Mahadevyey Namo Namah ll

The above paragraph from Shubhankar Stotra describes the various states of Goddess Mahishasurmardini. At the time of sunrise She appears like a child. At afternoon She appears like a youngster (Tarun). But at the evening She appears calm, composed, and mature like an old woman.

Bapu said even though Her external appearance is extremely angry, always laden with weapons, but still Her love for Her sons and daughters is extremely high. Out of this love Goddess Mahishasurmardini i.e. Goddess Gayatri (Another form of the same Goddess) ordered Her son Lord Parmatma, Lord Mahashesh and Her daughter Goddess Alhadini to expand and develop this universe. She asked Lord Parmatma; to take forms of Lord Mahavishnu, Lord Brahma and Lord Paramshiv and Goddess Alhadini was asked to take form of Goddess Laxmi, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Parvati. Finally the pairs of Lord Mahavishnu - Goddess Laxmi, Lord Brahma - Goddess Saraswati and Lord Paramshiv - Goddess Parvati became heavily functional for their children (the components of the entire universe). Goddess Mahishasurmardini observed that these three pairs are getting extremely overworked while serving this universe. So to give them respite and rest, Goddess Mahishasurmardini with help of Lord Kamdev initiated the spousal feelings in the minds of these pairs and settled them. Finally these pairs became functional as Spousal pairs. This helped the enhancement of feeling of motherhood in the minds of all the three forms of Goddess Alhadini.

Now further they thought that this Admimata does so much for us and Her children then, what like her can we do for our children. So from this they started a Tapascharya so that their earthly human children could experience the love of this Adimata that these three forms of Lord Parmatma and Goddess Alhadini were experiencing. Impressed with their Tapascharya Goddess Adimata appeared Herself before the divine spousal pairs and gave them blessing that whenever they would remember Her, She would manifest Herself instantly. So further, the divine parts demanded that not only us but also when our earthly children remember You, You should manifest Yourself instantly for them. So Goddess Adimata put a condition for Her manifestation, that the bhakti, belief of these humans should be at par with You all and moreover this bhakti and belief of their’s should be continuous process and not a spurt of a moment. The Goddess (forms of Goddess Alhadini) were having a complete idea, that this was not possible, as their human children had become habitual to abusing their freedom (Karma Swatantrya) that was extended to them. So out of this realization and their sheer love towards their humanly children, they requested Goddess Adimata to grant some concessions to the humans even if it meant taking back the blessing given to the divine pairs.

So finally the loving mother, Goddess Adimata relented and gave a rider to the human in the earlier given blessing and said that atleast during the holy month of Shravan whoever would remember Me, You (forms of Goddess Alhadini) or My Sons (forms of Lord Parmatma) with extreme love, I would definitely bless them.

So the holy month of Shravan derives its name from ‘Shravan Bhakti’ meaning Bhakti performed by listening Lord’s name. As a result we can see the idol of the Goddess Mahishasurmardini bearing a conch in one on Her 18 hands and Her head (ear) tilted towards this conch. The conch acts as a receiving station of the Goddess to listen to the chantings of the bhaktas. This is the exact reason why the Aniruddha Upasana Trust organizes the chanting of Ghorkashta Udharan Stotra during the month of Sharavan. So from now on, this festival of Goddess Mahishasurmardini would be celebrated every year, during the same period and would continue for another 2500 years till the Lord Parmatma reappears on the earth to finally destroy it and give it a rebirth.

 

Discourse by Param Poojya Sadguru Shri Aniruddha Bapu on 23^rd August 2007

As the month of Shravana starts everyone is busy with the vows and observances. This observances that observances, observing Monday, a Shravani Monday offering milk to Lord Shankar on that day, fast in the morning, eat only at five in the evening and otherwise do what you want. It doesn’t matter if you do not remember God but all these rituals have to be followed, so one realizes that importance is given to these rituals. In Shravan month that photo must be installed, it must have two Jivtya, Buddha and Brahaspati in it. This means that why we must do this puja is none of our concern, we are only interested in the benefit we get from it or what am I going to lose from it. I'll accept only if there is benefit. If there is loss, I don't want it. I don't want it if there is neither a gain nor a loss. "Swatacha Jhala thoda aani vyahyancha aalghoda" this situation is not acceptable to us. We are afraid of not observing these rituals. This picture, has to be brought home and put up and anointed with ‘gandh’ everyday, the ‘gandh’ can put at any place and the Gods in it will share and adjust. But we have no idea about it. The Brihaspati from the Budha and Brihaspati picture why is he sitting on a tiger? Why does Budha sit on an elephant? Or while they are sitting together on a low wooden seat why are they talking to each other. We know nothing. We think it is not necessary to know it. We only have to do it. Why? Because our grandparents were doing it, our parents were

doing it so we do it. Basically it is not bad. Whatever you are doing, it is good. But while doing so just think that you have been given something to eat which you like very much. Suppose you like Batatawada or chicken, or fish and you like it very much. All the required spices are put but if no salt is put in it, then will you eat that dish, No. You will not be able to eat it. Right? That means that in that big vessel full of chicken Biryani or Masala Rice only two or three spoons of salt is added. That means compared to its quantity very little salt is put, about 2-3 spoons. Thus as compared to its quantity it is very little, yet its presence is essential. Without salt the food is tasteless. The poor fellows who have to eat food without salt know how difficult it is! It's then werealise that a little of amount of salt is very much essential for a potful of Masala Rice or Biryani. Without it the Masala Rice it tasteless.. However, much we like that Biryani or Masala Rice we will not be able to eat it properly. It's a different matter if we are absolutely helpless we may eat just to fill our stomach. We must also keep in mind that the salt should be in the right proportion. If the salt is more than required then the food becomes salty. How much bhakti should we do? Only that much as is necessary. Son is in the 12thStandard, bhakti is done. The daughter's marriage is not getting fixed, bhakti is done. Son or daughter is not getting an issue, bhakti is done. There is illness, bhakti is done. If somebody is troubling, bhakti is done. Otherwise there is no bhakti. As we say that if the salt is in excess, then the food becomes salty, similarly if spirituality is in excess the life becomes insipid. It's because the Saints have compared it to salt so we have reason to believe it. No, my dear, we should not do too much bhakti or else like the food our life will be salty. Bear it in mind that your life becomes salty by the tears in your eyes. But if those tears are for your Lord or for the anguish of separation from the Lord then your life does not become salty but adds flavour to it. When tears come because of our sorrows, or punishment or reprimand then our life becomes salty. That means it is our tears which make our life salty. But it all depends whether they are tears of joy, tears of love, tears of grief or crocodile tears. While observing a vow in the month of Shravana or in any other month, we should be able to tell the Lord calmly, "Lord, I do not know who you are. I am not able to know all your attributes. But whatever I am doing from the bottom of my heart kindly accept it wholeheartedly and give me good ‘buddhi’ (intellect)."Here, I remember a short story, in a village there is a temple and the deity of that temple is alive. What is meant by (‘jagrut’)‘active’? Actually all deities are active. But we consider a deity active, when the deity gives response to the vows of the devotee. What's the meaning of 'Active"? God who fulfills the desires of the bhakta in response to his vow. Nothing else. And therefore all the villagers would come in the morning and the evening to burn incense sticks, to light the lamp. It then comes in the mind of the Lord that all these villagers are happy with me, how much seva they are rendering. They come in the morning, noon and evening. They come and ring the bells in the temple, beat the drums. They would not pay attention to their children but they would sweep the temple, do this and that. They would do everything. God was very pleased He thought his bhaktas really loved him. Along with the God, His consort, Jagadamba is standing with Him. She correctly tells Him that is an illusion, "Dear, wait for a while." He asks, "Why?" She replies, "I think you are impatient to shower your grace on them." He says, "Yes, I am going to shower my grace, I think I will make them all happy forever, all the villagers." The Goddess replies, “Do not do this. You just do it only for a year. For just one year from today. Let them not have any sorrow, whatsoever. Let there be no trouble. Let no grief grip them. Let them not remember any mournful event. Just do this and then we shall decide what do do.” A woman by nature is careful. No hurry, not inviting unwanted trouble? And accordingly without any magic or sorcery all the sorrows of all the people disappeared in a moment. There is no need now for making any vows to the Lord, they got whatever they desired. If somebody wanted to marry, the groom would come at their doorstep and was willing to get married without any

dowry and on the contrary was ready to give something to marry. There is no chest pain, no stomachache. No backache or headache. Nothing at all. The children ate well. They studied well, everything was fine. There was no need to make any vows and as this went on, in the first week itself the number of people visiting the temple was reduced by ten percent. Even then, some people visited the temple. Those who used to come daily, come once a week. After six months, those who used to be keen to do seva in the temple in the morning and evening, none of them came. Then a day came when the both God and the Goddess of the temple sat alone in the temple wondering what was happening. No one came to the temple. No bhakta has turned up since morning. No lamp is burnt. No ‘aarti’ was done in the temple. Nothing was done, absolutely nothing. Why to keep the priest? To give money to the priestone needs to take subscriptions. For everybody, everything was fine. Each one said, “ I will not give. He will give, he would say the other one will give and it went on and eventually noone gave.” The priest does not get his salary so the priest also stopped coming. He was concerned with his salary. There was problem for even the God's food. Poor God ! There was problem for His meals. The Goddess says, “What should I give you to eat? You have not brought anything. Your devotees have not brought you anything, nothing was offered to you. What should we do now?” The Goddess asks Him, “Have you understood what has happened?” The God says, “Yes, it's good that I didn't say that I would destroying all your sins permanently. Otherwise, this would have been our state forever.” Then the Goddess says, “That's why I say, I observe everyone carefully, each one get the fruits according to their deeds. According to the seva done they will get their fruits and nothing more. Otherwise, men are arrogant and will soon get insolent. Man only utilises God for getting whatever he wants. And he first sees to his own happiness and then if possible tries to do some seva .Then their bad destiny should not be wiped, let them do it themselves. Only when they suffer and face miseries, then they realise that there is somebody who wipes off all their troubles. Till they face sufferings, till they meet troubles, they do not remember God. And that is the reason why Dattaguru (the Lord) has made this Inevitable Law of Karma applicable to all. Do not intervene in it.” Then God asks Her, "How many days are left for the year to complete?" Jagadmauli says, "It's just at this moment that the year is over. This moment itself." The God and the Goddess are sitting calmly. Just then they hear some confusion and noise. They were not used to hearing any noise. There was filth all around. Some four five people came running. One of them had backache, the other stomachache, the other one's son had failed. O my God! this God has granted all our wishes. O dear God, what has happened to you? Seva started immediately, some sweep, some pour water, somebody does this, somebody does that and somebody brings food. What do they all say, each and everyone one? People have put God in distress that's why all this has happened. We made a mistake. This was not said. We forgot our God, this they did not admit. Once there need was over He was forgotten. Therefore, this story should be told by the grandparents to their young grandchildren. From this, we can understand one thing that when we have happiness, enjoyment and peace but truly speaking this is never possible. “Who is completely happy on this earth?” Who is happy? The true bhakta of the Lord is only happy. Man always wants to be happy and therefore he wants a short-cut. Minimum work and maximum benefits, high salaries, high respect. All this can only happen in government organizations not in private companies and this world is God's Private company, bear it in mind. Nobody can question Him. However big a Union you may establish, have a morcha, bring about a lock-out, the loss will be yours. God will not be afraid of you. If He wants to remove you from His services that means He issues your cheque. Even if you shout and scream He will write your cheque. Once it issigned, nobody can ever dishonour that cheque. And that very cheque if He wants to hold it back, even if you tear it, nobody will allow you entry into heaven or hell from this earth. Bear it in mind. It is because it is really His private matter. It is His own. He has neither begged it from anybody nor has He has not bought it from anybody. He himself has created it, he has made it by his own efforts. And therefore He will not listen to anybody, this wemust first understand. We may think that we will do the ‘upasana’, collectively do the‘upasana’ and later do a drama before Him or oppose Him, if you do both these things, theloss is yours.The maximum benefit got in the month of Shravana is by doing maximum ‘shravan bhakti’(hearing the Lord’s name and glory) and the maximum possible chanting of the Lord’sname. First of all what improves is your hearing. It doesn't mean that a man who is deaf,starts hearing. It means that you learn to hear good things and whatever we hear we assimilate only the good from it and discard that which is not good. This is the mostimportant benefit of the ‘shravan bhakti’ in the month of Shravana. The Budha and Brihaspati and the Goddess (Jivti) what are they basically? They are the Gods for the organof hearing. In that photo, (Jivti) the deities that are there; if you closely observe them the snake and the deities they arelike the organs in our ear. The photos are nothing but a symbolof man’s outer ear to the inner ear and that this photo is of ‘shravan bhakti’. And when this month of "Shravana" i.e. of ‘shravan bhakti’ gets over then comes the "MahaganapatiSiddhivinayak". Keep in mind. If you do not do ‘shravan bhakti’well or do not observe the month of Shravana then Ganapati does not come into your life. Ganapati doesn't arrive. Without the month of "Shravana", the month of "Bhadrapada" doesn't come. If in anybody's life the month of Shravana does not exist, then in his life Ganapati also does not exist. The one in whose life Ganapati does not exist, then in his life the month of Bhadrapada means an uttermess, “kutryancha bhadrapad”. Keep it in mind. A life that is utterly shameless, unethical, having no scruples, such a conduct and demeanor means “kutryancha bhadrapad”. By which path do we want to go? We do not want to go on the path of those dogs. We want Dattaguru's dogs. If we want to become dogs it's better that we become the dogs of Lord Dattaguru than the dogs on the streets. It is the best of all. Once we keep in mind the greatness of ‘shravan bhakti’, then we shall start understanding every aspect of Lord Ganapati. Today also we are going to chant the Aradhanajyoti 38. “Vighnanashine Shivasutaya” the destroyer of all obstacles is the Mahaganapati. He obliterates all our obstacles but Ganapati does not remove our obstacles automatically like the mosquitoes who bite us unknowingly and we get malaria. This we must understand. The mosquito has to come from somewhere and bite us. Ganapati does not come from anywhere, He is omnipresent. He is also there inside our "Mooladharchakra". He is there to remove all our obstacles. Before the word "Vighnanashine" comes "Ekadantaya". "Ekadantaya Vighnanashine". We think his one tusk is broken and that is why he is "Ekadanta" (having one tusk.) It is true. But the meaning of the word, "Ekadanta" is completely different. What do we understand by the word"Ekadanta"? "Having one tooth". Of the two tusks one is broken then should he not have been called "having one and half tusks"? But it is not so. The meaning of the word, "Ekadanta" is "Wherever two is required one is also sufficient." Wherever there is a need for two one is enough for him. Look at the constitution of the human body- we have two ears, if one ear is deaf, we can hear by the other ear. If one eye is completely covered, we can see by the other eye whatever we want to see. We have two kidneys. If one kidney does not function at all, then the second kidney does the work. The liver has two lobes if one does not work the other does the work. We have two lungs, if one does not function, the other does. You will notice that wherever there are two with only one functioning a man can live. His life continues. But how is the Ganapati who resides in the Mooladharchakra? When two arerequired then with the help of one, he accepts that one and life goes on. What does it mean? If does not then just work but makes it work. He needs two seva from you but if you have given him only one seva , then the He accepts it happily. If you have to do a punishment of 500 sit ups then on doing 250 he asks you to stop. If you have to be in imprisonment for ten years, then on completion of five years he says it is enough. One for two is the ratio of your obstacles. When does this happen? Only when you will remember this "Ekdanta", then only. When you hear with both ears to be one with Him and not when you are deaf to Him. When you concentrate and both your eyes are on the One, when both your ears are concentrated on the One, both your feet dance in one place to His tune, both your hands are brought together to clap for Him, clapping your hands remembering His name and most importantly when both the lobes of the brain, the right and left hemisphere come together, only then. How can they be brought together Bapu? To bring them together means to bring together our mind and intellect. Both the mind and the intellect. We have knowledge therefore, we can read. So here it is the work of the intellect. Only our mind is wandering elsewhere. Try maximum to pull your mind for remembering God, for His ‘gajars’ and his bhakti. Then see, Ganapati will definitely come.

 

 

ll Hari Om ll

ll I am Ambadnya ll