VYASA PURNIMA 2018 GREETINGS

VAIKASI VISAKAM ANNADANAM

Devotees from Canada sponsored Annadanam on the auspicious day of Vaikasi Visakam at Sri Gnanananda Niketan.


Vaikasi Visakam is celebrated as birthday of Lord Murugan. It is celebrated during Visakam Nakshatra in Tamil month Vaikasi. 

SANKARA JAYANTHI MAHOTSAV 2018

Sri Sankara Jayanti Mahotsava commenced at Sri Gnanananda Niketan as usual on the sacred day of Akshaya Tritiya on Wednesday, the 18^th 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 Akti or Akha Teej, is annual spring time festival of the Hindus and 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 Parasurama who 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 20^th April 2018. Elaborate poojas were performed 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-causal Brahman 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 and disposition. 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 24^th April 2018. 

Paramapujya Swami Vidyananda Giri was given initiation into Sannyasa by Sadguru Gnanananda on Sri Sankara Jayanti day. His Aradhana also followed Sankara Jayanti and was celebrated on 24^th April 2018 at the main ashram.

Sannyasins and devotees from Niketan attended the special puja at the Adhishtana (Samadhi shrine) of Swami Vidyananda Giri in the morning of 24^th 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.

KRISHNA YAJUR VEDA PARAYANA AT SRI GNANANANDA NIKETAN

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 UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION AT SRI GNANANANDA NIKETAN

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.

Pictures from the function is attached below:

AKSHAYA TRITIYA ANNADANA AT SRI GNANANANDA NIKETAN 2018

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.

RAMA NAVAMI CELEBRATIONS AT SRI GNANANANDA NIKETAN

Sri Rama Navami was celebrated at Sri Gnanananda Niketan today with ashtothara archana to Rama.

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP AWARD FUNCTION AT SRI GNANANANDA NIKETAN

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. 

Some pictures from the function is shared below.

SUKLA YAJUR VEDA PARAYANA FROM 6 FEB to 9 FEB 2018

Sukla Yajur Veda Parayana to be performed at Sri Gnananandada Niketan from 6th  Feb to 9 Feb 2018 by four qualified vedic pandits.

The Veda Parayana evinced a lot of bhakthi and interest with many of the devotees participating in the same. 

By the Grace and Blessings of Sadguru Gnanananda, Chatur Veda (including Sukla Yajur Veda) Parayana is now an annual event at Sri Gnanananda Niketan. 

TIRUVACAKAM MUTTRODAL 2017 - A GNANA YAJNA

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, 10^th December, 2017. The following groups of Sivan-adiyars (devotees of Lord Siva) from Trichy Ayyappa Nagar Sekkizhar Manram, Trichy Thiruvathavurar Tiruvacakam Muttrodal 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: