Our Sastra says
when a Jnani attains Samadhi all the elements in the body merges
into the Totality (अत्रैवसमविलीयन्ते – Here itself
they merge) and He remains as Paramatma here itself (अत्रब्रह्मसमश्नुते – Here He becomes
one with Brahman) and also says (ब्रह्मैवसन्ब्रह्माप्येति – being Brahman
He attains Brahman), (सब्रह्मैवनब्रह्मवित् - He is Brahman
alone not a knower of Brahman), (विमुक्तश्चविमुच्यते - The Liberated [Jivanmukta]
becomes Liberated [Videhamukta]). Hence Jnani’s Samadhi is called
Jeeva Samadhi.
In keeping with
our tradition, Pujya Sri H.H. Nityananda Giri Swamiji’s first annual Aradhana
will be held on Friday, 3rd May 2024 at Thapovanam. The Aradhana
celebrations will begin with Ganapati Pooja on 25th April
2024 followed by BhagavataSaptaham, Chatur Veda Parayanam,
recitation of Ekadasa Rudra Parayanam, Devi Mahatmya Parayanam and
Bhajans. The Aradhan will conclude
on 3rd May 2024 with Mahaabhishekam at the Samadhi
shrine, Annadanam, Tirtha Narayana Puja and finally with distribution of
Mahaprasada. Please click here for Details
of Aradhana Program.
All those devotees who are interested
in participating in the Aradhana festival may fill the request form. Please
click here for the form - Request form for
accommodation. This will enable us to make necessary arrangements in advance.
His
Holiness Pujyasri Nityananda Giri Swamigal attained the lotus
feet of Sadguru Gnanananda Giri Swamigal (Videha Mukti) at 3.25 PM on
15-April-2023. His Kananam (brindavana pravesham) was held at 7.30 PM on
15-April-2023.
Shradhanjali of His Holiness Pujyasri Nityananda Giri Swamigal was held at Sri Gnanananda Niketan, Thapovanam on 16th April 2023.
Sri Swami Atmananda Udasin from Ajatananda Ashram visited Sri Gnanananda Niketan with a French group for Satsang. Swamiji interacted with the French group. Some pictures from the event is below:
Sri Sankara Jayanti Mahotsava commenced at Sri Gnanananda Niketan
as usual on the sacredday of Akshaya Tritiya on Wednesday, the 18th April 2018.
It was celebrated with Narayana Seva
(annadana). More than 250 people from
the neighboring two villages were served with food on the auspicious occasion.
Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Aktior Akha
Teej, is annual spring time festival of the Hindusand Jains.
In Sanskrit, the word "Akshayya" (अक्षय्य) means "imperishable, eternal,
the never diminishing" in the sense of "prosperity, hope, joy,
success", while Tritiya means "third". It is
named after the "third lunar day" of the spring month of Vaisakha in
the Hindu calendar, the day it is observed. It is
celebrated regionally by Hindus and Jains in India and Nepal, as
signifying the "third day of unending prosperity". Akshaya Tritiya
is very popular festival which carries good luck and triumph in terms of
new schemes, weddings, big investments such as buying property or gold and any
new beginning. In Jainism, it commemorates the first Tirthankara's
(Rishabhdev) ending his one-year asceticism by consuming sugarcane juice
poured into his cupped hands. Some Jains refer to the festival as Varshi
Tapa. Fasting and ascetic austerities are marked by Jains, particularly at
pilgrimage sites such as Palitana (Gujarat). Akshaya Tritiya is believed
in Hinduism to be the day of incarnation of Sri Parasuramawho is the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu. On
this auspicious day Veda Vysasa began dictating the epic Mahabharata to his scribe,
Lord Ganesa. Gates of the temple of Badrinarayana open on this
day after winter. Construction of the chariots for Jagannath Rath Yatra at
Puri commences on this day.
Sri Sankara Jayanti was
celebrated on Friday, the 20thApril 2018. Elaborate
poojas wereperformed at Satsang Mandap. Ashtottarasata Namavali Archanas were offered to Sri Dakshinamurti,
Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya and Sadguru Sri Gnanananda.
Parayana of the Bhashyam or commentary of Sri Sankara on Srimad
Bhagavad Gita, Upanishad and Brahma Sutra was also performed.
Swamini
Prabhavananda Saraswati quoted a few lines from Adhyasa Bhashya in Brahma
Sutra Bhasya after the chant of passages from four Vedas.
Swami Nityananda Giri explained that in Sankara’s Adhyasa
Bhashya, he lucidly explains the Upanishadic method of
superimposition and negation by which the nature of the Ultimate Reality is
very well unfolded as the Changeless, Timeless Substratum of the appearances of
all changing and time-bound phenomena. This brings out clearly the difference
between the appearance and Reality and how the Reality supports the appearance
which has no separate existence of its own. The Reality and its appearance have
two separate statuses of Reality. It is immanent when it is the Substratum of
the changing phenomena. It is also the Transcendent, the Eternal Subject, as
the Witness, the Relationless Absolute, which alone EXISTS. All the others are
only appearance.
It
was Sankara who highlighted the importance of Prasthanatraya – Upanishads for spiritual insight, Gita for discipline and Brahmasutra for logic. He establishes
through them that the Trans-causalBrahman
is the Ultimate Reality as per the Upanishads. The later Acharyas have also
used the same criteria for proving the validity of their spiritual insights of
the Causal Brahman, God. In this manner, Veda
Mata in the Upanishads is able to take care of all aspirants of different
spiritual attitude anddisposition.
Thus, the Upanishads present a broad spectrum of God-experience.
As
in the past few years Krishna Yajur Veda
parayana of Samhita and Sakha was commenced with ghatasthapana on the day of Sri Sankara Jayanti. It concluded on 24th
April 2018.
Paramapujya Swami Vidyananda Giri was given initiation into Sannyasa
by Sadguru Gnanananda on Sri SankaraJayanti day. His Aradhana also followed Sankara Jayanti and was celebrated on 24th
April 2018 atthe main ashram.
Sannyasins
and devotees from Niketan attended the special puja at the Adhishtana
(Samadhi shrine) of Swami Vidyananda Giri in the morning of 24th May
2018. Sri Swami Sadasiva Giri attended the traditional aradhana, which was performed in the main ashram. A samaradhana was organized at Niketan and
a special bhiksha was offered to
Sannyasins and other devotees. Bhiksha
for sadhus was also arranged at Yogi Ramsuratkumar ashram, Tiruvannamalai on
the day of aradhana of Swami
Vidyananda Giri.
The Sankara Jayanthi Mahotsav at Sri Gnanananda Niketan commenced on Akshaya Tritiya day which was celebrated on 18th April 2018 with Annadana.
Annadana was organized for the people of the nearby villages on the auspicious day and is done as Narayana seva or service to God to help increase our wealth of spiritual values.
Sri Sankara Jayanti was celebrated on Friday, the 20th April 2018. It was He who revived the Vedic culture laying the foundation for Hindu religion as we see it today.
On the morning of 20th April 2018, Krishna Yajur Veda (Taittriya Sakha) Parayana (Samhita and Sakha) was commenced with the Ghata Sthapana on 20th April morning. It was concluded on 24th April. Six Vedic pundits participated in the parayana as in the previous years.
Some pictures from Veda Parayana is attached below:
School children from the nearby government schools visited Sri Gnanananda Niketan and collected their school uniforms. As part of this function the children and teachers interacted with Swamiji. Every year around 250 students are given free uniforms.
The Sankara Jayanthi Mahotsav commences at Sri Gnanananda Niketan on Akshaya Tritiya day. Akshaya Tritiya was celebrated with Annadana. Annadana was organized for the school children and people of the nearby villages on the auspicious day and is done as Narayana seva or service to God to help increase our wealth of spiritual values.
Some pictures from the function is attached below:
“Akshaya” means never diminishing. Many things happened on this sacred day. Lord Krishna blessed Draupati with Akshaya Patra (bowl which supplied unlimited food to the Pandavas and to all the guests during their vanavasa). Kubera who is treasurer of god prayed to Sri Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth to fill his treasury. Lord Vishnu took his sixth avatar as Parasurama. After the end of Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga commenced on this day. Ganga descended from heaven in response to the tapas of Bhagiratha. Veda Vysasa began dictating the epic Mahabharata to his scribe Ganesa. Sudhama came to Dwaraka to see Lord Krishna. He could bring only a handful of beaten rice which the Lord received with great happiness and blessed him with immense wealth on this day. Gates of the temple of Badri Narayana open on this day after winter. Construction of the chariots for Jagannath Rath Yatra at Puri commences on this day. This is also important day for Jains for fasting and prayer marking the breaking of one year long fast by king-turned-muni Rishabadeva.
Every year at Sri Gnanananda Niketan, scholarship is provided to the students from Government High school. For the last two years the scholarship is extended to include the students of Sri Vivekananda Vidyalaya High school.
This year the scholarship award function was held on Sunday, 18th Feb. 2018 and the students were presented with the scholarship award and certificate at Sri Gnanananda Niketan Satsang mandap.
Sri Swami Nityananda Giri presented the scholarship award and the certificate to the students of 10th 11th and 12th standard. Students who came in the top two ranks are presented with the scholarship award and certificate. This function was attended by the school teachers, sannyasins and sadhakas staying at Sri Gnanananda Niketan.
Swamiji addressed the students and spoke to them about the importance of values, tradition and respecting their parents and teachers. After the function the students visited the Swami Vivekananda Statue and garlanded the same.
It was on completion of the construction of
Satsang Mandap at Sri Gnanananda
Niketan, the first group singing of Tiruvacakam
“Tiruvacakam Muttrodal”, a Gnana Yajna was organized on 12th
December 2011. It was a great success and made many people in and around
Tapovanam, and also devotees from outside get interested in it. It charges the
atmosphere with exalted spiritual vibrations by the soul-stirring content of
the devotional hymns. It has, therefore, become a regular annual feature which
all the devotees of ashram and the public of Tirukovilur eagerly look forward
to.
The seventh annual festival of Tiruvacakam Muttrodal was celebrated on
Sunday, 10th December, 2017. The following groups of Sivan-adiyars
(devotees of Lord Siva) from Trichy Ayyappa Nagar Sekkizhar Manram, Trichy
Thiruvathavurar TiruvacakamMuttrodal kuzhu, Manapparai Tiruvacakam
Anbar Kuzhu, East Tambaram Karpaga Vinayakar Thiruneri Manram, Keezh Visharam
Appar Swamigal MadamTevaaram students, Kandachipuram Tamil Veda Vara
Vazhipattu Sabhai participated in the Mutrodal.
Besides 188 Sivan-adiyars of the
above mentioned groups, about one hundred devotees in and around Tirukovilur
participated in the group singing.
Sri Nityananda Giri Swamigal welcomed all
the devotees for the seventh annual festival of Tiruvacakam Mutrodal. Tiruvacakam,
in the tenth Tirumurai was Sadguru Gnanananda Swamigal’s favorite. When
the famous Dr.Guruswami Mudaliar of Madras came to him for his darsan, Swamiji
turned the conversation towards the life of the foetus in the womb. The
physician was surprised when the Sage began to quote “Pottri Thiru Agaval”
of Tiruvacakam. In that passage, descriptions are given vividly about
the growth of the foetus month by month amidst various risks till the birth in
the tenth month. The sage was very fond of Sivapuranam which used to be
chanted every day at the ashram.
Singing of Tiruvacakam with great
fervor is indeed a Gnana Yajna. When it is performed with the knowledge
of the content, it leads to Sivagnana and God-realization, thereby to
the liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Hence, it is very essential
that we grow spiritually also with increasing Antarmukhatva
(interiority), detachment and Vairagya.
Swami Samananda expressed his great
happiness that the festival was being celebrated over six years with increasing
vigour and having very good response from the devotees at Tirukovilur and other
places.
The Muttrodal
was very well coordinated by Sri Ambalavanan of Trichy under the guidance
of Sri Swami Samananda Saraswati of Tattvananda Ashram, Madurai. Swami Nityananda Giri, Swami Sadasiva Giri,
Swamini Prabhavananda Saraswati, Swamini Atmatatvananda Saraswati and Swami
Amruteswarananda Saraswati. Sri V.Parameswaran, Sri A.S.Krishnamurthy and Sri
Venkatesh Narayanan, Trustees of Sri Gnanananda Niketan were present throughout
the recital.
As usual, Sandana-kappu Alankara (decoration with sandalwood paste covering)
of the Moorties of Somaskanda- Lord Siva, Sri Parvati and Sri
Subramanya and also of the four Saivaite saints – Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar
and Manikkavacakar was exquisite. The Puja was performed by Sri Venkatraman of
Tirunelveli with Sri Venkatasubramaniam assisting him.
Special arrangements for accommodation and food
were made in the nearby Kalyana Mandapam
as in the past years. More than three hundred devotees were served with food on
the occasion.
Sri Ambalavanan recalled that it was in
2011 he came to Muttrodal as invited by Swami Omkarananda Saraswati. He
was deeply moved by the interest showed by devotees here. Every year the number
of participants is increasing.
On behalf of Sri Nityananda Giri Swamigal,
Swami Samananda thanked all for assisting and participating in the festival. Watch videos from Tiruvacakam Muttrodal 2017 below:
Swami Omkarananda is at present the President Trustee of Sri Gnanananda Niketan. Swamiji is visiting USA from 17th September to 13th October 2017.
Swami Omkarananda is an outstanding Teacher of Vedanta known for his eloquence in Tamil and Sanskrit. His ability to present the most intricate topics of Vedanta in an easily understandable manner has won him a large following of youth as well as rural and even not so well educated masses.
Swamiji was inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. His spiritual thirst led him to Pujyasri Swami Chidbhavananda of Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tiruparaiturai. Swami Chidbhavananda was a disciple of Swami Sivananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Swamiji received sannyasa diksha from Swami Chidbhavananda.
Swami Omkarananda studied Advaita Vedanta under his vidya Guru Pujyasri Swami Paramarthanandaji, the well-known disciple of Pujyasri Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the great master of our times.
Swamiji founded Sri Swami Chidbhavananda Ashram at Theni run by Vedanta Sastra Prachara Trust. He succeeded Sadguru Santananda Swamigal of Sri Bhuvaneshwari Avadhuta Vidya Peetham, Pudukkottai.
Sri Swamiji is an authority on Tirukkural, a great admirer of Manickavacagar, Saint Tayumananavar and Mahakavi Sri Subramanya Bharati. A unique feature of Sri Swamiji’s classes is the spontaneous flow of quotations from the Vedas as well as Tamil texts like Tirumandiram and Kaivalya Navaneetam.
We
are glad to inform you that Vyasa Pooja
was celebrated very well in a traditional manner at Sri Gnanananda Niketan on Guru
Purnima, Sunday, 9th July 2017.
Vyasa
Pooja marks the
commencement of the two months’ retreat, Chaturmasya for Sannyasins. The elaborate pooja was performed by Swami Nityananda
Giri. One Yajur Veda Pundit and two Rig Veda pundits performed preliminary poojas like SriGanapathi Pooja, Punyaha Vacana etc. and chanted Vedic
hyms wherever required. Special archana
was performed to pictures of Sri Veda Vyasa, Sri Sankaracharya, Sri
Dakshinamoorthi and Sri Sadguru Gnanananda.
Dr. Srinivasan, an eminent Sanskrit scholar
and retired principal of Vivekananda College, Chennai, helped Swamiji in the performance
of pooja of the six GuruPanchakams.
During the pooja of every Panchaka, after the archana a stotra was chanted and kirthana was sung pertaining to it.
Dravidacharya
Panchaka archana was offered with chanting of Guru Stuti with special verses
from Guru Gita recited in the Pada puja.
Ashtottara
sata namaarchanas were offered to Sri Krishna, Sri Vedavyasa, Sri Sankara Bhagavadpadacharya,
Sri Daskshinamoorti and Sadguru Swami
Gnanananda in their respective panchakas.
NirgunaAshtottara sata namaarchana
was offered to Suddha Chaitanya.
Swamini Prabhavananda Saraswati, Swamini
Atmatatvananda Saraswati and Swami Amriteshwarananda Saraswati were present
during the performance of the Pooja and participated
in the commencement and in the special
mantra pushpa along with Swami Nityananda Giri.
Devotees chanted Stotras and rendered Keertanas
in respect of each Guru Panchakam.
Smt. Renganayaki and Smt. Abhiramasundari
sang a keertana on Sri Veda Vyasa
composed by Sri V.G.Parthasarathy. Smt. Indumati sang the very famous Pada of Sri Purandarasa “Varaguru Upadesa’.
There was a good attendance of the devotees
and Vyasa Akshata and fruits were
distributed as Prasad.
Following Vyasa Pooja, the parayana of Rig Veda Samhita, was performedby fourqualified Vedic pundits guided by Brahmasri Krishna Bhat from the 10th
July 2017 to 13th July 2017.
We are sending with this letter the Vyasa PoojaPrasad (“Akshata”) with our prayers that Sadgurudev’s
special Grace may be showered on you on this especially auspicious occasion and
you may be blessed with ever increasing devotion to His lotus feet of
Sadgurudev, Sampradaya Nishta, Viveka, Vairagya and Gnana.
May all the members of your family, be blessed with Sowbhagya (prosperity) and Sreyas
(the highest good) !
