Discourse by Param Poojya Aniruddha Bapu on 16th April 2009.
On the Thursday of 16th April 2009, Bapu delivered His discourse as usual again at New English High School ground at Bandra East, Mumbai. As Bapu had mentioned on the last Thursday, He made a special and specific announcement of Datta Yag to be held from 6-8 May 2009. Bapu stressing on its importance said this Yag would be totally different from the other Datta Yags and would proceed in a very different way. Bapu says that as general common human beings we keep repeating our mistakes. Moreover our efforts of pursuing goals that we set are also most of the times below the required threshold. So to let everyone of us overcome these shortcomings Bapu has planned this Datta Yag.
This Yag is to be held out of a specific idea of building an impenetrable and unbreakable safety shield for all the Shraddhavans in the difficult times to come. Anybody who attends this Yag would experience beautiful happenings in his life. All the devotees are just supposed to see the yagnya, They are not required to put any offerings into it. A beautiful ambience would be set up for the Yag at the Ground Hall of New English High School, Bandra East, Mumbai where this Yag would be performed (Every Thursday’s Pravachan Venue). Guru-Geeta would be recited during the course of festivities of Datta Yag. This Guru-Geeta has been narrated by Lord Shiva Himself to Goddess Uma (Parvati). One of the most beautiful and famous verse, from Guru-Geeta is:
“Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheswarah l
Guru Sakshat Parabrahma Tasmai Shree Gurave Namah ll”
This verse is just a small part of this Guru-Geeta. From this, one can gauge the beauty and importance of Guru-Geeta. Along with this recitation there would the idols of 24 Gurus of Lord Dattatrey that would be kept for viewing (darshan) for the devotees. The arrangement of these idols would be in very specific and different manner.
Bapu went ahead to explain who is Lord Dattatrey. The Banyan tree symbolically represents Lord Dattaguru, the branches that sprout out of this main Banyan tree is Goddess Adimata i.e Goddess Gayatri or Goddess Anusaya or Goddess Mahishasurmardini. The sub-branches that touch the ground and sprout into new Banyan saplings represent Lord Dattatrey or Parmatma. These 24 Gurus of Lord Dattatrey represent 24 channels, which transmit Parmatma’s (Lord Dattatrey or Lord Mahavishnu or Lord Paramshiva) love, affection, blessings, etc to His deveotees. These 24 idols would be offered ritualistic Puja (worship).
There would be separate entrance and exit gates at the venue. At the entrance point every devotee would be given a container. This container would contain Panchamrut (mixture of milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar) into it. The visiting devotes have to sprinkle this panchamrut on these 24 idols with the flower that also would be provided along with the container by Sanstha volunteers. After viewing the arrangement of the idol one would come to know that the arrangement is strange but is beautiful.
But there is also a condition for the darshan. The Sanstha (Aniruddha Upasna Trust) has put in huge efforts into organizing this event, the organizing functionaries have also put in huge efforts and along with this, the Sanstha is also spending huge amounts of money for the organization of the event. So any individual who wishes to offer Abhishek (sacred pourings) here will have to take a coupon worth INR 101/- only. The amount is comparatively small. Coupons would be meant for individuals only and not for more than one devotee. Bapu further promised that if any devotee were indeed financial weak to ill-afford these coupons then the punya (religious merit) associated with it would definitely be given to him and his family members. In case one doesn’t have the money he should very peacefully offer his worship to these idols. But one should strictly not take any loan from anyone to meet the expenses associated with the abhishek. But the devotees who can afford should definitely buy it. In case if our relative or friend for whom we wish to offer abhishek is not in the city during that period, then we should take a separate coupon for him and also re-stand in the line for him after we finishes our own rituals. The devotees would also be performing a Pradakshina (encirclement) of these 24 idols.
Bapu further said that this Datta Yag will not happen over and over again in future. On the first day the yag will start at 8.30 am and will continue till sunset in the evening. This schedule is for the rituals associated with Datta Yag only. But the pradkshina of Guru-Geeta would start at 7 am in the morning and proceed till 10.00 pm at night with the recitation of holy hymns in the background. The schedule itenary for the first day of the event would include Airani Mantra, Airani Manthan, Nava-sthan Pujan, Rudra-Mandal, Pranpratishtha of Lord Dattatrey and Rudra-Abhishek. This would be followed by recitation of Dattamala Mantra, Yag and Aarti. The itenary of the 2nd day is all the all the more superb. The 3rd day would have Dattasahastranam Yag. Other programmes during these 3 days also include Prayashchanta, Brahmanaspati Pujan, Brahmanaspati Sukta recitation, etc. The mention of Dattasahastranam Yag and Uttaragbhawan is enough to illustrate the importance and uniqueness of this Yag.
If any devotee wishes to attend the event for the full 3 days then he can do so. But if the rush increases then one should also take care that he is not causing any inconvenience to fellow devotees. But the devotees should strictly restrain themselves from not attending this event out of laziness.
All the hymns recited during the event are approved by Shrimad-Purushartha Grantharaj. For organization of this Yag, total of 11 people have been observing Anushthan (Specific rituals and undertakings) for last 3 years. These people have been getting up at specific timings to complete their respective Anushthans. The entire strength and representation of the unique and one of its kind photo-frame of Lord Dattaguru and the Dharmasthan at Gurukshetram is going to be used for this Yag. This Datta Yag would impart an impenetrable and unbreakable safety shield at collective, social and individual levels to the body, mind, intelligence, thinking and life of the attendees. All the attendees would derive the merits of this Datta Yag from the Pradakshina, Darshan, Abhishek, etc. that they perform.
These 24 Gurus of Lord Dattatrey are forces that generally restrict humans that bring sorrows, illiteracy, in life of individuals. They trap humans in illiteracy, mistakes, sins, shadripus, etc. Once this above-mentioned Pradakshina is completed and once we accept Lord Dattatrey, settle and grow Guru-Bhakti in our minds these 24 forces start providing help to us rather than causing inconvenience and putting hurdles in our life. They after this happens the 24 forces give devotees peace, satisfaction, happiness, etc. This reverse action is comparable with the BCG vaccine in which the bacteria that causes diseases like typhoid, polio, etc are injected in a different form in the human body and they in that case build up the immune system of the body and thus protect the humans from these diseases. This Pradakshina is the place where the similar immunization would be carried but against the ill effects of these 24 forces.
Bapu further said that He Himself would perform pujan of these 24 channels with 24 processes and would thus immunize the ill effects of these 24 forces in our lives. To this Bapu gives an example., Pingla, one of these 24 forces’ was once a prostitute. She was wicked and anti-social but turned into a great saint and later into a Goddess. This is the transformation that Bapu is referring to. Transformation from sufferings to happiness.
Bapu recited a line from a famous song
“Dhanya Dhanya Ho Pradakshina Sadgururayachi,
Zhali Twara Suravara Viman Utarayachi”
This line explains that where this Guru Pradakshina is there even the King of Gods, Lord Indra is tempted to land his airplane i.e. even Gods do not have escape from the effects of these 24 channels.
Bapu explained that this Datta Yag is the next step in the series. The series started with the 1st Ras Yatra. Further totals 4 Ras Yatras were held, Dharma Chakra was established, Bhav Yatra was held, Lord Jagannath Utsav was held, Gayatri Mantra Utsav was held, Shri Kshetra Gurukshetram was established and now this series proceeds to organize this Datta Yag, which would further proceed with installation of portrait of Goddess Mahishasurmardini at Shri Kshetra Gurukshetram.
After Guru Poornima, Gurukshetram would remain closed for some time, as the new original portrait of Goddess Mahishasurmardini would be unveiled at Gurukshetram. The portrait would display the Goddess with 18 hands that would bear 18 weapons. Now the stepping-stone leading to unveiling of Goddess would be this Datta Yag. Bapu said that one would be amazed after glazing at the portrait, as it would be extremely fierce and ferocious. This ferocity She is exhibiting and bearing is for the protection of Her children. Every mother has this ferocity in her. Now if a general human mother could bear and exhibit ferocity when her real children are under some external threat then Goddess Mahishasurmardini is after all Adimata (Mother of the entire universe). The ferocious look is referred as the Goddess Chandika.
But to see it one has to perform the earlier stated Pradakshina at Datta Yag venue.
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