Chennai: JUNE 26-28, 2012
At Ratnagirishwarar Temple, Besant Nagar
The Jagadguru started from the Tattvaloka premises on the afternoon of 26th June and went to Besant Nagar. He first had Darshan at Varasiddhi Vinayakar Temple Besant Nagar. The Shila nyasam for the temple had been performed by Sri Mahasannidhanam in 1977 during the then Vijaya Yatra of Sri Mahasannidhanam and Sri Sannidhanam. Having had Darshan and having blessed the devotees at the temple, the Jagadguru proceeded to have Darshan at the Ratnagirishwarar temple at Besant Nagar. The Jagadguru dedicated a golden door at the temple for Sri Kothanda Rama inside the Ratnagirishwarar temple and blessed the devotees with a Anugraha Bhashanam. In the Bhashanam, the Jagadguru said that happiness and sorrow alternate in man’s life. This is because a human birth is obtained because you have done both Punya and Paapa in the past lifetimes. If you had only done Punya, he would be born as a Deva. If you had only engaged in evil deeds, you would end up in hellish regions.
Having obtained a human birth, we see that people remain carefree when in joy and in the midst of sorrow question even the existence of God, asking – If there exists a God, how can He be so cruel to give me such suffering. The Shastras however goad man to be equanimous in joy and sorrow – समदुःखसुखः क्षमी. Do not be haughty and carefree in joy and do not give in to depression when suffering. Understand that these joys and sorrows are a result of your good and bad deeds, and that it is futile to blame anyone or even God for the suffering that has ensued. People who indulge in prohibited acts do so because they have not been able to understand the consequences that will come about. Know that even Bhagavan cannot stop the effect of a Karma. The Jagadguru quoted from the Jagadguru Sri Vidyaranya’s Panchadashi – अवश्यं भाविभावानां प्रतीकारो भवेद्यदि । तदा न लिप्येरन् नलरामयुधिष्ठिराः ॥ – When it has been decided that something must happen in a certain way, it cannot be changed by anyone. If it could be changed, why did King Nala, a great follower of Dharma suffer in the Krita Yuga? Why did Rama suffer by going to exile for 14 years in the Treta Yuga? Why did Yudhishthira have to be in exile for 12 years and spend a year incognito in the Dwapara Yuga? All these three – Nala, Sri Rama and Yudhishthira – are repositories of Dharma and the mere utterance of their names bring about Shreyas. However, they had to undergo such suffering because the suffering are “अवश्यंभावी”- Even Ishwara cannot change it. It is akin to a judgement given by a judge; the judgement once given cannot be changed even by the judge who gave the judgement. The Prarabdha Karma cannot be escaped even by a Jnani. Hence we must remain calm during suffering.
The Jagadguru pointed out the example of Kunti asking for suffering when Bhagavan told her to ask for a boon –
विपदः सन्तु नः शश्वत् तत्र तत्र जगद्गुरो ।
भवतो दर्शनं यत्स्यादपुनर्भवदर्शनम्॥
(Let me be in the midst of suffering always, for then I would get your Darshan and by your Darshan, I would be lifted from the ocean of Samsara)
The Jagadguru also remembered that when Prahlada was tortured, his remembering the Lord only increased. The Jagadguru pointed that we must try to follow in their footsteps, remain calm and remember the Lord at all times – be it during joy or sorrow.
The Jagadguru observed that the Ratnagirishwarar temple is serving the cause of devotees well in the area, and remembered that Sri Mahasannidhanam had graced the temple, and that it had become a practice to come to the temple every time He is in Chennai. The Jagadguru expressed joy at having the Darshan of the Lord, and for dedicating the golden door at the temple of Sri Kothandarama and ended the Bhashanam blessing the gathering.
The Jagadguru travelled back to the Sringeri Bharati Vidyashram on the evening of 26th June and stayed on till the evening of 28th June.
Photos
At Anantapadmanabhaswamy Temple, Adyar
On 27th June, the Jagadguru went to the Sri Anantapadmanabhaswamy temple at Adyar and had Darshan. To commemorate the golden jubilee of the temple, The Jagadguru then laid the foundation for Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Veda Pathashala and Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Office block in the temple premises. In His Anugraha Bhashanam, given at the Jagadguru Abhinava Vidyatirtha Pravachana Hall. the Jagadguru said that His Guru, Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji had performed the first Prathishta Kumbhabhisheka of the temple and expressed joy that the temple had grown to serve a large section of devotees. The Jagadguru said that people come to the sanctified presence of the Lord in the temple to alleviate their sufferings. The Jagadguru remembered the different types of devotees described by Bhagavan in the Bhagavad Gita –
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन ।
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ॥
Four classes of people take to prayers – the one in distress, the one seeking material success and wealth, the seeker and the Jnani. Bhagavan is impartial and grants the wishes of every sincere devotee. However when a prayer is not fulfilled, people feel that either Bhagavan does not have the power to alleviate our sufferings or He is not compassionate. It is because you lack complete devotion. The Jagadguru pointed out examples where we can observe that when a supplication is submitted with total devotion, it is granted.
The Jagadguru said that the trustees of the temple led by Srinivasa Rao had come to invite Him to the temple at Sringeri even before the Vijaya Yatra had started. They had again come to Thiruvanantapuram when He was having Darshan at the Anantapadmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvanantapuram to again invite Him. The Jagadguru mentioned that the trustees beseeched Him saying that His Guru had performed the first Kumbhabhisheka at the temple, and hence His blessings were sought again. The Jagadguru expressed joy at being in the temple, and at the fact that a Veda Pathashala was about to commence in the name of His Guru, and blessed that the devotees assembled attain Shreyas.
On 28th June, the Jagadguru started from T Nagar and proceeded towards the Sringeri Pravachana Mandiram at Raja Annamalaipuram. Enroute the Jagadguru had Darshan at the Siddhi Buddhi Sameta Karpaga Vinayakar temple at Raja Annamalaipuram and blessed the devotees.
