Chantings & Discourses
Bhagwan Adi Shankaracharya Jayanti celebrated at our Centre, with a satsangh where Guruji spoke about the great work done by Bhagwan in His short life span.
He is a divine manifestation, an incarnation who appeared for a purpose. He knew at a young age, to seek Guru and chose to live a life of a Sanyasi. He united different schools of thought prevalent in those days, He conquered them all with debates. Thanks to Him, our culture survived even after many onslaughts by invaders.
On this auspicious occasion, Guruji urged all to seek to know the truth, to be with the Truth and to dedicate ourselves to be in sync with the divine will, which will end all sorrows and suffering.
Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara.
Puja is a symbolic expression of devotion to a deity and an act of surrender at the altar, signifying true worship. During a puja, there is an intimate physical, mental, and spiritual communion between the devotee and the deity.
Every act in a puja is not only physical and mental but also symbolic, cosmic, and spiritual. Actions such as sprinkling, sipping, and bathing symbolize purification of the deity, the devotee, and the surroundings. Various offerings represent the surrender of one’s vāsanās (latent desires) as expressed in thoughts, words, and deeds.
Puja is not merely idol worship. The images used are regarded as living incarnations of the deity, treated as if the deity has descended and established presence within them. Symbolically, it represents the materiality and omnipresence of God, showing His presence even in inanimate objects.
In performing a puja, all five senses, along with the mind and body, are engaged. The offerings are a declaration of one’s allegiance to God, establishing a personal relationship with Him. Regular practice of puja cultivates discipline, concentration, devotion, purity, and equanimity. It is a straightforward and effective way to earn the grace of God and achieve liberation.
Swamini Shree Vasudhaji in her Asheervachan explained the meaning of the first verse of guru Stotram.The Guru tatvam is indivisible, all pervading and unpolluted. It holds and transcends our Universe and much more that cannot be imagined by our intellect. Space is the closest to Guru tatvam. As this cannot be fathomed, we need a form to do the puja. During the puja, we need to remember this and accept all situations in our life as His prasad. May the Lord Lead us to our ultimate goal of this human birth.
With the blessings of Periyava and Guruji’s grace, a spiritual retreat was organised at Shri Kshetra Shakatapuram between 23rd June to 29th June.
23 participants took benefit of this opportunity.
It was a profoundly enriching experience.
The serene and divine atmosphere at Shri Matt Ashram, combined with Guruji’s teachings on the 12th Chapter of the Bhagvat Gita, provided deep insights into spiritual practices and values.
Guruji’s explanation on whether to worship the formless or the manifested aspects of the divine, illustrated through stories of Meerabai, Sant Kabira, Lokmanya Tilak have been enlightening.
The emphasis was given on consistent Sadhna as a path to acquiring the ultimate and need to cultivate the values to connect to one’s inner self. The meditation sessions conducted by Guruji will definitely help us in this process.
Exploring texts like Kashipanchakam by Adi Shankara, which equates Kashi and Manikarnika ghat to one’s inner self, encouraged introspection and deeper understanding.
The explanation on verses from Tulsidas ‘s Hanuman chalisa added the bhakti ras.
The discussion and debate between Sagun and Nirguna worship provided seekers with a broader prospective and respect for different spiritual practices.
The devotional songs, bhajans, chanting by the river side further immersed everyone in the essence of devotion.
All the seekers were delighted to hear from Guruji that this spiritual retreat will be a annual event and they assured their participation for the next year.
The Guru Puja on August 18th was attended with devotion by several devotees. The Puja was performed by chanting mantras and stotras, which hold a vital role in all forms of worship. Vishnu Sahasranamam, which enumerates the 1,000 names of Lord Vishnu was chanted during abhishekam.
A stotram, or hymn of praise, is a poetic collection of Sanskrit shlokas, recited in reverence to a deity. Many stotrams have been composed by revered Saints and Rishis, including Adi Sankaracharya.
Stotrams serve as a bridge between the devotee and the divine, fostering a profound and personal connection through devotion and spiritual seeking. Through the practice of chanting, the divine presence is felt, offering guidance to the devotees on their spiritual journey. Stotrams also help devotees in cultivating the divine qualities of the Deity in them. Regular chanting helps internalize virtues such as compassion, wisdom, strength, purity, and love in the devotee. Thus, stotrams are powerful tools for personal transformation and spiritual growth.
Participating in collective chanting has profound impact on the collective energy. May Guru Dattatreya help us to attain internal purity and guide us towards the Ultimate Truth.
HAPPENINGS
A joyful evening was organised by MMT on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti on 14th April.
The event started with the introduction by Nisha followed by the different performances.
The children got an opportunity to showcase their speaking, singing, drawing and dancing skills. Rahul Nagar residents and the VVF volunteers enjoyed, cheered and encouraged the children. The drawings of the children were displayed in the MMT premises.
They were liked and appreciated by all.
Residents of Rahul Nagar were much overwhelmed by the talent displayed by thier children.
Children had a look of joy and ecstasy on thier faces, at the end of the program.😊
Pranams to Guruji for guiding us in planning the whole event and giving us this opportunity.
With the blessings of Guruji,
Viva Vedanta Foundation in collaboration with the NMMC blood bank, conducted a successful blood donation camp on the 18th of May 2024.
As a practise for the last 7 years, the Foundation organises the blood donation drives at times during the year when there is a shortage of blood in the blood banks.
Summer vacations is one such time, when people visit families in their home town leaving the blood banks with an acute shortage of blood. The authorities at these banks are always grateful for this timely help provided by the Foundation.
In response to our appeal, many donors came forward to donate blood. Those who could not make it on that day, have assured to donate at the blood bank in the coming week.
We would like to thank all the donors and well-wishers for their support.
Pranaams to Guruji for her constant blessings and guidance.
Swamini Shree Vasudhaji has always encouraged us to learn the chanting of Slokas and Stotras. Sanskrit mantras, shlokas and stotras are not only chanted for spiritual purposes but also for healing and well-being. The vibrations produced by chanting these mantras have a harmonizing effect on the body and mind. Guruji emphasizes that chanting, when done with correct Uccharan (pronunciation), is a powerful path to transformation, connecting one to the Divine. Chanting specific mantras, with proper pronunciation and intonation, promotes overall health and vitality.
Uccharan, which means to elevate the inner self through sound, is crucial for the efficacy of chanting. At VVF, online and offline chanting classes for stotrams, Bhagavad Gita, and Vedas are conducted by Prasanna Jyothi, a devoted student of Swamini Vasudhaji.
Many aspirants took advantage of the online stotram chanting classes which concluded recently. Prasanna personally guided each student, correcting their pronunciation of the stotrams.
The health camp conducted on 7th april’24 by Maai Swasti seva team was a follow up check up for the children of Shiravne under the Bal Swasthya Kalyan initiative.
According to doctors,there is a major change in the children due to vitamin and mineral supplements given in both the camps. The pallor is reduced and white patches on the skin is also reduced. Annadaan on a daily basis under our Bal Swasthya Kalyan initiative has played a important role in this positive change.Children are more confident. They came voluntarily for the check up. They were ready for blood tests also.
Doctors advised blood tests for anemic children and offered counseling to parents for any ongoing concerns. Protein powder was distributed to all children.
VVF strives to continue this ongoing initiative under Bal Swasthya Kalyan with the support of all our well wishers.
