Om Sri Gurubhyo Namaha

SRINGERI JAGADGURU’S VIJAYA YATRA 2012, AT VEDAPURI ASHRAM

We were all blessed with Grace of Sringeri Sri Sannidhanam Sri Jagadguru Barathi Tirtha Maha Swamigal’s visit to our Ashram on 31st May. He arrived from Madurai at 06:00pm and stayed that night. He left for Batlagundu on 01st June at 04:30pm. It was a coincidence that our Ashram was founded on this very same day 17 years back. Swamiji’s Guru Swami Parmarthananda, Swami Satswarupananda and Swami Nithyananda Giri from Tirukovilur were present.

The traditional Purna Kumba welcome was accorded to Sri Sannidhanam on His arrival. He was taken around the Ashram, in a procession, on a specially decorated Anna Pakshi Vahanam.

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Our Veda pathasala students and other Vedic pundits chanted Upanishads, and a crowd of more than two hundred and fifty devotees followed Him in the procession.

He was taken around the Ashram, with Swamiji explaining the present buildings and the details of the new building project.

His Anugraha Bashanam and the events pertaining to it were held in Yaga Sala. Swamiji performed Dhuli Pada Puja.

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After the prayers, our Trustee Sri N R Alaga Raja read and presented the Swagatha Pathrika in Tamil.

Swamiji presented the Swagatha Pathrika in Samskirt, and welcomed the gathering. He spoke about Sri Sannidhanam’s affection for him, and the few inter-actions with Him from Nov ’11 regarding His visit to Theni Ashram. Swamiji recalled Sri Sannidhanam’s blessings during His visit seventeen years back, and how it has now come true.

Sri Sannidhanam started his Anugraha Bashanam with how Sri Sankara propagated Advaita, which was established much before his birth. Few of the important points that He explained were – Advaita is Vedanta Siddhantha; Advaita was not founded by Adi Sankara; many Acharyas, who lived before him had explained about this; till one understands Advaita by experience, performing Dvaita Karma is essential; Karma will not lead to Moksha or liberation; Any Karma done with Shraddha alone will give proper result. If anyone says that he did not get the desired result for his Karma, it is understood that he has done it without any Shraddha.

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To experience the words Aham Brahmasmi, and to understand this Truth, one should learn with Shraddha and attain Jnana. Only Jnana can lead to Moksha. Nithya and Nymithika karmas alone cannot lead to moksha.

When someone says that he has not done any mistake, it is untrue. It is not possible to do karma without mistakes. Like the hand getting burnt when placed in fire knowingly or unknowingly, mistake does happen while doing karma. The karma phala will either be punya or papa. Manusmirti prescribes Pancha Maha Yajnam to nullify the papas that one gets doing karmas. Even if one decides to stop doing Kamya Karmas, the results of karmas of his previous births will have to be exhausted. No one can escape this.

But for a Jnani, all punya and papa gets burnt as he attains Jnana. One can attain this Brahma Jnana only by learning, from a Guru, with Shraddha. Guru Upadesam alone can make a person, a Jnani. The person who serves the Jnani gets the punyas of Jnani’s karma; the person who speaks ill or misbehaves with Jnanai gets the papas of Jnani’s karma. Thus a Jnani has no re-birth because of his karmas, as the karma phalas get exhausted.

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Sri Sannidhanam mentioned that except for His affection towards Swamiji, there is no other reason for His coming to Theni. He is happy that Swamiji is teaching Vedanta, our ancient culture, values and tradition in a systematic way, benefiting many of his devotees. Sri Sankara is an incarnation of Sri Dakshinamurthi, and with His Grace and blessings the Ashram is growing as it needs to be.

After His blessings, he released the CD “Advaitha Anubhuthy”- talks by our Swamiji. The first copy was received by Sri Gopalakrishnan, Auditor from Madurai.

Next was Sri Sarada Chandramouleeswarar Puja by His Holiness, which started around 08:30pm in our renovated Brahmaloka hall.

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More than three hundred devotees witnessed the Puja performed by Sri Sannidhanam. Prasadam was distributed to all.

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Sri Sannidhanam visited Adi Guru Sri Prajna Dakshinamurti Vidya Pitham the next morning, at 06:30am. He did Puja for Adi Guru, adorned with gold kavacham. He offered a silk vasthram to Adi Guru. The devotees were blessed to partake in such an wonderful event.

He spent some time feeding the Gomatha.

Around 10:00 am, He laid the first stones for construction of rooms in the new building Sri Barati Tirtha Vidyarthi Vilasaha. Basement level work is completed on both the eastern & western wing of this new building.

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He formally launched the construction, with releasing the project banner and a stone plaque to commemorate the event.

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He did Puja, arranged the bricks and started the construction of rooms. He blessed that the project will be completed without any vignam.

His next visit was to Sri Rajagopala Mandiram, our Gosala. He was elated to be in the midst of Gomathas and was happily remembering the Gosala of Sringeri. He fed all the cows and calf in the Gosala, and sought their permission before leaving for Ashram.

Sri Sannidhanam distributed Course completion certificate for the participants of the four month Bhagavad Gita Course, that was being conducted in Ashram from 01st Feb 2012.

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Devotees offered Biksha Vandhanam, for Sri Sannidhanam in Vidya Pitham and Pada Puja at Yaga Sala. Sri Sarada Chandramouleeswarar Puja was performed at Brahmaloka. More than five hundred devotees participated in the morning events.

It was a sight to behold to see a very happy and smiling Sri Sannidhanam. His grace and blessings that flowed through out his stay was a bliss for all devotees. We all, including the team from Sringeri, pray for a longer camp of Sri Sannidhanam during his next visit. Our forthcoming issue of Vedaneri, a special issue dedicated to Sri Sannidhanam, will reach you soon with a detailed description of the events.

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