Swamiji's Jayanthi! A day to pause and contemplate on HIS message!

Jai Sai Master!

Arise, Awake and Stop not till the Goal is reached!

These words ring in our ears the moment we think of Swamiji, as Swami Vivekananda was called fondly by many. He was like a Lion and walked with his head held high and spoke highly of Mother India. He said he never realised the greatness of this nation till he went to the west. 

Swami Vivekananda's statue at Dakshineshwar

His love for the nation and faith in his GURU were hallmarks of his life. His innumerable writings and speeches on how to live right are guiding beacons to youth of India. In the formative ages of life, these messages and writings make a lot of difference to any person's outlook and will help strengthen the base for the life ahead. While he is being given a place of pride across the nation and this day is being celebrated as Youth day, he faced lot of criticism in the days when he set about spreading the message across the nation.

Let noble thoughts flow from all directions - A new year wish!

Jai Sai Master!

On the eve of another year entering in to our lives, looking at the current situation around, probably, the only wish we need to have in our minds is:

Aano bhadra krtavo yantu vishwatah! - Let noble thoughts flow from all directions.

To ensure we live "happily" and let others live "happily", there can not be a better message than this in my view. It is proven that there is only one energy that is appearing in different forms all over the universe. The same energy, which is called by different names, repeatedly gave the message that it is all one. 

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba said - I am in Shirdi and also everywhere. The entire universe is in me. All that you see combined is ME. Those who think that I am in Shirdi, have not seen me at all. 

(From Sri Sai Leelamrutam - a holy book written by Sri Sai Master)

Datta Jayanti @Nagole

Jai Sai Master!

27-12-2012, Nagole. Morning 930 hrs.

The program started with Bhajans while the final decorations were going on, for performing puja on the occassion of Datta Jayanti. As Babugaru said, this is one of the two important dates in everyone's calendar as today, we perform puja to all Mahatmas in whose form, Lord Dattatreya is blessing us. The Everpresent and Omnipresent Lord, who roams around in various forms, gives out a message that HE is teaching through every form if we can see and learn. Once again, this day reminds us of that truth and gives an opportunity to re-focus on this point. 

The function started around 1130 am with the arrival of Divyjanani, followed by Sainatha puja and Datta puja. This was followed by a talk by Babugaru (Sri Ekkirala Dwarakanath Jnaneswar). During his talk, he went on explaining how a human searches for happiness in every worldly act without learning how to do it properly. When we do not focus on how to do, naturally we fail to derive happiness out of that particular act. For example, if we know how to eat properly, we can enjoy every meal that we take. At the same time, if we eat for the sake of eating and do not focus on what we are eating and how we are eating, we will be left with little bit of dissatisfaction. Even with full stomach, if we see something interesting to eat, we feel like eating. However, a happy stomach never feels so. This can be extrapolated to every act and understood by us. But we are so busy with routine, we have neither inclination nor enough time to bother about what we are doing. To test ourselves, simply try to remember what we did yesterday. Most of us will not remember even 10% of our time spent properly. 

This is a wonderful message and in a way very apt to help us to re-focus our life much better. 

A bhajan on Lord Datta followed the talk and once the bhajan was over, Maha Naivedyam was given to the Lord. 

After Mahanaivedyam, aarti was given to the Lord Dattatreya present in the form of various Mahatmas on the puja dais. The program ended with Divyajanani leaving the puja hall for her abode. The blessed devotees gathered on this day, which was telecast live, paid obeisance and took leave after partaking the prasadam.

The complete video of the event is available here.. 

Jai Sai Master!!

Lifetime Teachings 15 - SAI MASTER SAYS.....

Jai Sai Master!

We all seek knowledge. Everyone of us, every moment, try to seek something..be information or clarifications, which definitely will enhance our current level of information. Only issue is, ability to use the information appropriately, in right time and at right place. This is something that many of us lack due to our inability to analyse and stack them up rightly. Either we put them in silos thinking life is compartmentalized or dump them and fail to retrieve on-time. Since life is not like question and answer kind, many of us get lost in the sea of information.

Let there be Light --- Karthika Pournami@Nagole

Jai Sai Master!

Kartika Deepam - a special day for everyone to light the lamps which signify the lamps within. That too when it happpens in the presence of Mahatmas, or when the Guru lights the lamp, the day becomes a significant day in one's life. 

Divyajanani lighting the lamp

Lifetime Teachings 14 - SAI MASTER SAYS.....

Jai Sai Master!

Proving existence of something that is not seen is a very difficult task and particularly when we talk about the ULTIMATE TRUTH. Only the realised souls have the real feel of the same and they say, it is a matter of experience rather than simple explanation, about that state. It is a like current flowing in the wire which helps to light the bulb, which is unseen but exists, when tested. There is no denial of the fact, especially, in this side of the world about that ULTIMATE TRUTH. 

Shirdi Sai, in HIS inimitable ways, taught this in very simple terms. HE never was one to talk of words like Brahman, Maya etc.. Instead, HE taught people how one can feel the GOD in everything around - The omnipresence.

(from Sri Sai Leelamrutam - written by Pujya Acharya Sri Ekkirala Bharadwaja)

Want to visit Shirdi? Here is how you can get benefited !!

Jai Sai Master!

Shirdi - a place visited by lakhs every month and known all over the world! Be any part of India, they know who Shirdi Sai Baba is and what they can get out of Shirdi visit.

However, many a time, what we miss is the point that we are visiting a Mahatma, not just a temple. More so, a living person whom we are going to encounter. It is quite evident from what Sri Shirdi Sai said:

(My Tomb will talk; My soil (Shirdi soil) will answer; My name will speak - from Sri Sai Leelamrutam by Sri Sai Master)

Deepavali with Gurukulam Kids@Nagole

Jai Sai Master!

It is probably the only festival which kids will look forward to either fire crackers or to watch their elders go nuts with the crackers. Whatever it is, this is best remembered for how much they enjoyed and every year will give them a chance to erase a previous record.

 This year, at Nagole, the Ananta Bhradwaja Gurukulam kids had a wonderful festival on both Chathurthi and deepavali days. On the day one, it was their turn to start the proceedings and on day two, it was their Gurus who started the same. The show went on for couple of hours with sparklers to pots to shots giving away array of colors and wonderful designs lighting up the night sky.

All, the elders, youth and the kids, were wonderstruck at the way the crackers were made which gave colors after colors, in nice floral designs.

A fun filled tuesday for all Nagole members who went back home thanking the Sai Master for giving an opportunity to be around with Ammagaru and Babugaru to enjoy along with every other family member, enjoying every bit of the color and for the wholesome fun with all the kids and young lot.

May we look forward to another such great day next year!

Jai Sai Master!!

Deepavali wish - Sai Reham Najar karna bacchon ka palan karna!

Jai Sai Master!

It is that time of the year, when everyone looks forward to a great time. Starting with Dussehra, each of the festivals bring in more and more cheer culminating in Sankranthi, when the bounty comes home. Each festival has a speciality and particularly Deepavali with so much excitement, especially when kids are around.

Deepavali, is a festival of lights helping us bringing in more and more light in to our lives thus helping us dispel the darkness. Everyone must use the light to throw out the sorrows and desires out of our lives to lighten up our lives in all sincerity. This festival helps us to prepare for the Karthika pournami which is around the corner, when we go in search of our GURU who can light up the lamp of Jnana. These festivals must encourage us to look deeper and deeper in to us to find answers for the questions like, who are we? where are we? what is the purpose of living? Is there a better way of living? What is that we need from this life?