Dhanteras or Dhantrayodashi

The second day of Diwali, celebrated as a day to welcome wealth and prosperity in to our homes and lives, is usually celebrated with the worshiping of the Goddess Lakshmi. We also do pujan of the Shree Yantra, as prescribed by Bapu, in the following way.

The Mantra

Om Shree Kamale Kamalalye Praseed Praseed Shreem Hreem Om Mahalkshmaee Namo Namah||

is the Adhisthaan Mantra of  Shreeyantra-Dhantrayodashi . And it is a commom Mantra for the Devmata(Aadimata) and the Bhaktmata(Aalhadini).

This is chanted 108 times in one sitting.

Red flowers, fruits and sweets are offered as well.

 Agralekh by Parampujya Bapu- Pratyaksha

                                                  Dated 18/10/2006 Original in Marathi

Diwali comes every year, many sweetmeats are made at home or bought, crackers are required, new clothes, silver-gold, diamonds are bought. Every year its the same. The new new types of lanterns are put on the door and greeting cards also get more attractive. Its not that only these things and rituals remain same year after year but the man celebrating Diwali also has remained the same from centuries.Like Lanterns, Crackers and Cards, only man's outer appearance has kept changing. His face, infact the mask as well his inner core has remained the same.


With time and specially with the fast scientific development in last 150 years the outer form of the man and his open behavior is changing with fast pace. Science has changed everything but his mind has remained the same. His mind's pendulum has always been oscillating between the the two axis of "I want" and "I don't want", without even a break for a moment. His wants even though how so ever much get fulfilled yet he never reaches the level of saying "I don't want". And if in his life he gets what he does not want even in a micro quantity man gets stuck at that "I don't want" phase.

We get to see  juxtaposition amidst the game of kho kho of "I want" and "I don't want". What intellect wants, mind does not want and what mind desires the intellect negates. What is healthy and thats why wanted by intellect is refused by the mind as it does not taste as per liking and what is tasty and hence liked by the mind is unhealthy and hence not wanted by the intellect. In this dilemma of the two- who wins? Whose want is true? Mind's or intellect's? The answer is dependent upon the firm principle of the Karma.

Most of the time it is experienced that what is not wanted actually turns out to be of immense benefit in longer run. Or time comes to repent because what was wanted was actually refused.

This festival of lights is actually a beautiful discovery which has appeared due to the deep thinking of our age old psychologist Rishis from India. To come out of the vicious circle of WANT/DON'T WANT of the human mind we require the staff of the Dharma.

This staff of Dharma is not a golden or silver staff stick in the hands of any saffron clad person. But this is made of the metals of Satya (Truth), Pavitrya (Purity) and Anand (Joy) - this is the judicious choice which is the staff of intelligence of our mind. Each day of Deepawali reminds man of this judicious staff of intelligence. On Dhan Trayodashi we have to do the Pooja of Dhan Lakshmi. Dhan Lakshmi means the original power house which powerises all centres of the mind. Thats why we worship the wealth of the household as per the rules laid by our Rishis. One of the traditional rule is that whenever we are doing the Dhan Trayodashi Pujan at our home or taking Lakshmi Mata's darshan in the temple, we should only remember in our mind whatever holy and auspicious which has happened with us in past one year. Second rule is to offer only scented flowers to the wealth or symbols depicting Lakshmi Mata and after the poojan each devotee has to take the smell of one such flower and this itself is the PRASAD of the Dhan Lakshmi.

Good scent means SUKH (pleasure) and scented flower means purity and holiness. This is well known by the Indian mind..What we really need to do on Dhan Trayodashi Pujan has been properly guided by our Rishis. Our pious and holy thoughts are the only real flowers liked by the Lakshmi Mata, Dhan Lakshmi and the one who offers such flowers on this day to Lakshmi Mata is well supplied by wealth for next one year. The scent of one flower from the flowers what we have offered to Lakshmi Mata itself is Her Prasad. This rule tells us clearly that if we want the scented prasad of Dhan Lakshmi all the year then we need to stop offering the bad odored flowers at Her feet as we will get a few of them only back as Her prasad.

The discovery of this staff of intelligence which has appeared  during the Dhan Lakshmi Pujan keeps transforming the man, keeps taking him forward, from darkness to light and mainly from "Want/Dont Want" ness to what is right.
 -Aniruddha

 

 

Sri Vidya Aarti for Shree Yantra Pujan

This is the Aarti Bapu gave for this occasion, this year(2015) of Shree Mahalakshmi.

Janmashtami - The Birth of Lord Krishna, Our Kanhaiyya

 Janmashtami, occurs on the eighth day of the second half of the holy month of Shravan, to mark the birth of Shree Krishna. Shree Krishna is known as the 8th Avtaar of Lord Mahavishnu, and His return to His heavenly abode, marked the beginning to the Kaliyug. Lord Krishna is the one who gifted mankind with the Bhagvad Gita, which is still considered to be the greatest granth  in Hinduism, and alone suffices in guiding man to find his salvation. Every Avtaar is born with the purpose of eliminating evil and bringing peace, joy and guidance to mankind. Lord Krishna did all of this in His Avtaarkaal. He was born in a prison cell, where His parents, Mata Devaki and Pita Vasudeva, were imprisoned, fearing the birth of Krishna(predicted to be the 8th son of  Devaki Mata), Who was to slay the evil king, and brother of Mata Devaki, Kansa. He Slayed Kansa, fought rakshasas, guided the big war of Mahabharat and expressed the Bhagvad Gita, and performed many other miraculous Leelas  in His lifetime.


  Since it is Janmashtami, the story of the birth of Lord Krishna needs to be narrated. On a stormy monsoon night of Shravan, the whole city of Dwarka fell asleep, as Mata Devaki went into labour, which was completely painless. Lord Krishna was born, and immediately blessed Devaki and Vasudev with the darshan of His original form. They were left speechless.


For the Lord to complete His Karya however, He needed to be moved out of the prison and into the homes of  Nandraya, and his wife Yashoda Maiyya. As the barriers and chains tied to the limbs of Vasudev and Devaki fell away, and the prison-door was unlocked, while Devaki remained in a state of trance, after the divine vision, Vasudeva put little Kanha on his head, and headed out on his way to his friend, Nandraya's home. The night was dark, with thick clouds and a heavy downpour. But what is that but child's play to the Lord. As Vasudeva reached the Yamuna river on the dark night, Mahashesh Himself formed the chhatrachhaya on the head of Bal Gopal and Vasudeva, and ensured their safe journey across the deep Yamuna river. Vasudeva then handed over the new born Kanha's responsibility to Nandraya and Yashoda Maiyya,in Gokul, and returning back to Dwarka, with their newborn daughter, Nandini, an Avataar of Aadimata Herself, to protect Her beloved son.

That night when She reached the arms of Devaki Mata, all in the city of Dwarka arose from their sleep, and Kansa rushed in, to kill Devaki's 8th born child, Who, it was foretold, would be the one to destroy him for good. And as Kansa picked up the infant form of Nandini, to hurl Her across a stone, She vanished into the sky laughing, and proclaiming, the one who was Kansa's death, was not her, but was now growing up in Gokul. This in short is the story of Krishna's birth, the day we celebrate as Janmashtami.



On this auspicious day we can do the Upasana as prescribed by Bapu, in this form.

Bapu has asked us to worship this Muchkanda Vriksha (tree) and make its Pradikshana.To get rid off our chains of worries (shrinkhala) we have to call Radha Mata from bottom of our heart . So we sing the gajar before the birth of Lord Krishna (before 12.00 p.m. midnight) as

Dhavat Ye Re Radhakrishna Todi Mana Shrinkhala

and after the birth we call Him by His present birth's name and sing the Gajar -

 Aniruddha Aale Re Aala Majha Savala Vitthal Aala  

On this day we can also chant Shree Krishna Chatushtaya Mantra which Bapu had given us.

1. In the morning-

Om Namo Bhagvate Vasudevaya Namah ||

2. In the afternoon -

Om Namo Bhagvate Sankarshanay Namah ||

3. In the evening-

Om Namo Bhagvate Pradyumnay Namah ||

4. In the night before the birth

Om Namo Bhagvate Aniruddhaya Namah ||

If one forgets these names then through out the day we can chant

only Om Namo Bhagvate Aniruddhaya Namah which also gives equal merits of

saying all 4 Mantras.