Sri Sankara Jayanti
Mahotsava
commenced at Sri Gnanananda Niketan on the sacred day of Akshaya Tritiya on Tuesday, the 21st April 2015. It was
celebrated with annadana. About 250
people from the neighboring two villages participated including the school
children from the two Government Elementary Schools in Kuchipalayam and
Kudamurutti.
Sri Sankara
Jayanti
was celebrated on Thursday, the 23rd April 2015. The poojas and Vedaparayana were performed at Satsang Mandap. On the day of Sri Sankara Jayanti an elaborate pooja
was performed to Adi Sankara. Ashtottarasata Namavali Archana was
offered to Sri Dakshinamurty, Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya and Sri
Gnanananda Swaminah.
Before the Aarti, Swami Nityananda Giri read a few sentences from Sri Sankara Bhashya on Bhagavad Gita and also Chapter VI of Chandogya Upanishad. He also explained their meaning in detail.
The passage on Gita Bhashya was from the
introduction where Sri Sankara points out that the Gita presents the essence of
the teachings of the Vedas and also Yoga Sastra.
He specially draws our attention to an important aspect that our religion, Sanatana Dharma, comprises of Pravritti Marga (engagement in activities
relating to Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga) and Nivritti Marga (withdrawal from religious activities to totally
devote oneself to the study of Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Brahma Sutra – Gnana Yoga).
The passage from Chandogya Upanishad Bhashya relates to the summing up of the entire
teaching on Mahavakya “Tat Tvam
Asi”. Acharya Sankara points out:
“What does a
person gain from the teaching given in the sixth part of the Upanishad? Prior
to the instruction, he cherishes the notion that it is his duty to perform
ritualistic actions and that he will experience their results in this world and
the next. In other words, he regards himself as the doer of actions and the
enjoyer of their results. But all these notions cease for one who is awakened
to the Knowledge of Reality by understanding the meaning of the statement: “That
thou art.” The notions of being the doer and of enjoying the result are
contrary to the Knowledge of Pure Being. When a person realizes himself as Pure
Being, One and without a second, there is then no possibility of his cherishing
the idea that he is one entity and that work is something else, which it is his
duty to perform in order to enjoy a certain result. All ideas of diversity
vanish for him. Therefore, the notion that the human soul is a modification
disappears when one has rightly understood Pure Being, the non-dual Self.”
-
Trans. Swami Nikhilananda
Moola
Parayana
of Krishna Yajur Veda- Asitidvaya, Sakha Samhita was performed by seven qualified Vedic pundits. It
commenced on 24th morning and concluded by mid-day on Monday, the 27th
April 2015.
On Tuesday, the 28th April
2015, the day of the Aradhana of Paramapoojya
Swami Vidyananda Giri Swaminah, special pooja with abhisheka was performed at
his Samadhi shrine. It was attended by Swami Nityananda Giri and Swami Sadasiva
Giri. Traditional Aradhana was performed in the main Ashram and both of them participated
in it. At Ananda Kutir, Pooja was also
performed to Adi Sankara and our Sadguru Gnanananda. Special Bhiksha was also
arranged at Niketan. A special Bhojan
for sannyasins and sadhus was also arranged at Yogi Ramsuratkumar ashram,
Tiruvannamalai on the day of the Aradhana.
Paramapoojya Swami Vidyananda Giri was
very fond of giving clothes and sweets to Children.
Hence as a concluding feature of this
year’s Mahotsava, function was organized
to distribute a pair of uniforms with sweets to each of about the 90 children
studying in the Government Elementary Schools at Kuchipalayam and Kudamurutti. In
his talk, Swami Nityananda Giri specially advised the Elementary School
teachers to appreciate their importance in shaping the character of young
children in their formative age. Children should be taught Tamil Classics of
moral instruction. He also advised the children that they should study well and
show respect to elders.
Prayers were offered during the Mahotsava to Acharya Sankara that all
the devotees may be blessed with his Grace so that they may develop unflinching
devotion to God and Guru leading to growth of Viveka(spiritual discrimination between the Real and non-Real), Vairagya(detachment from the non-Real)
and desire for Moksha(liberation from
primordial Ignorance).
