Sri Gurubhyo Namaha, Sri Maatre Namaha!
Namaskaram.
We have no words to describe our gratitude to all of you for your support in conducting this year’s Sharad Navaratri Mahotsavam.
It is our pure blessing that we started our event on 15th October with the Aradhana Celebration of our Guru Sri Vimarshananda Nathendra Saraswati, celebrated the Vardhanti of our Parama Guru Sri Prakashananda Natha on Maha Ashtami and culminated on 31st October with the Aradhana Celebration of our Parameshti Guru Sri Ramananda Natha.
Only our Gurumandala’s blessings made this year’s Navaratri celebrations unique in many ways.
Akhanda Devi Puja: For the first time ever, we did Akhanda Devi Puja for the entire duration of Navaratri. BPA devotees world wide participated in this continuous prayer for 240 hours without a break. The dedication, sincerity and commitment of BPA disciples is extraordinary. Together in these 10 days, 101 Devi Mahatmyam Parayanams were recited and 116 Chandi Homams were performed by 12 Ritwiks during the 10 days of Navaratri without a break.
Just a quick recap of programs from the Chennai Ashram. Every day started with Puja for Chandiika Mahalakshmi, Chandi Homam with around 12 Ritwiks, Rudra Abhishekam, Guru Paada Puja with Sundari Garbhita Purusha Suktam and Srisuktam, Maha Yaga Krama and Sri Vidya Navavarana Puja. At the end of morning Navavarana Puja, Vidwan Sri R K Shriram Kumar rendered Sri Kamalamba Navavarana Kritis as part of Sangeeta Seva.
Every day evening program started with Sri Vidya Navavarana Puja followed by Devi Vaibhava Ascharya Astottaram, Lalitha Sahasranama, Lalitha Trishati Archana and Sangeeta Seva was performed. Evening Archana and Sangeeta Seva was led by Smt. Bhanumathi Vishwanath.
Immediately after the conclusion of Pujas and Homam every day morning, BPA India disciples rendered two Devi Mahatmyam Parayanams, followed by two Devi Mahatmyam Parayanams by BPA USA Midwest devotees. Following this, evening Puja and Archana was performed in Chennai Ashram at the end of which BPA Mid Atlantic devotees took over and performed four Devi Mahatmyam Parayanams followed by BPA Canada Devotees reciting two Devi Mahatmyam Parayanam. At the end of this, it was time for Chennai Ashram to commence Sri Chandi Homam.
To co ordinate this 24 hours of Homam, Pujas and Paarayanam was a big challenge. But more incredible was performing the above program without a single break for more than 240 hours. The concluding Devi Mahatmyam Paarayanam was performed by BPA Bay area disciples. At the end of this we performed Guru Pada Puja as our humble offering and gratitude to our Guru Mandala and Maha Shodashi Devi for making the impossible happen.
Bhavanopanishad says ‘चिन्तित कार्याणि अयत्नेन सिद्धयन्ति’ (chintita kAryaNi ayatnEna sidhyanti) meaning our planned tasks will happen without effort, but I should say that Shree Devi grants much more than one can think of. Devi and Gurus made the normally impossible events possible and that too without any obstacle..
No event of this magnitude can happen without the self less and tireless service of our volunteers. Right from arranging materials for Homam, performing Homam with sincerity, commitment and devotion, scheduling Paarayanam chanters from entire BPA family around the world, managing the live streaming continuously for more than 240 hours, managing situations due to electricity and network issues. Kudos to all the back up chanters who pitched in seamlessly when the main chanter faced connectivity issues.
Due to the current Coronavirus situation, all BPA devotees could watch from their homes the entire 240 hours of prayers. Our special gratitude to the BPA Technical team for their long hours of diligent work to ensure devotees are able to participate continuously in all the programs.
Our gratitude and blessings to the entire BPA team for planning and executing this 240 hours Akhanda Puja with high level of perfection. Hearty congratulations for a job very well done!
Ayuta Chandi Homam: The second significant event this Navaratri is the completion of Ayuta Chandi Homam as part of the Laksha Chandi Homam.
With the blessings of our Guru Parampara and Chandika Mahalakshmi, we took the sankalpam to perform Laksha Chandi Maha Yagnam this year on the auspicious Vinayaka Chaturti day.
This Ayuta chandi is very special for all of us in Bhaskara Prakasha Ashram. I would like to share with you an interesting event that happened in 2015.
During 2015, we had around 20 disciples who chanted Devi Mahatmyam and we had 65 Parayanam sessions in different devotees’ houses as part of the Sahasra Chandi homam. In one of the sessions, when I was reciting the Sahasra Chandi sankalpam, I mentioned wrongly Ayuta Chandi instead of Sahasra Chandi. Then the devotees around me mentioned that we should perform Ayuta chandi immediately and in the spur of the moment, I mentioned that with Her grace we will perform in 2020.
Performing the Ayuta Chandi requires more than 10,000 Devi Mahatmyam Parayanams and I did not think this was achievable so dropped the idea.
As Kalidasa says in Kumara Sambhava, न ईश्वर व्याह्रृतय: कदाचित् पुष्णन्ति लाेके विपरीतं अर्थं (na eswara vyAhrtaya kadAchit, pushNanti loke vipareetam artham) which means the words uttered by sages and divine people become true. When I ponder over this verse from Kalidasa, I realize the magnitude of this statement.
On this day when I said Ayuta Chandi in Sankalpam, I thought it was a mistake made by me but it was said in the presence of divine souls. We were in the presence of our Gurus, Sri Gnanananda Teertha Swamigal, My father Sri Yegnarathnam Dikshithar , Guru Padukas of Swami Gnanananda of Tapovanam, Swami Haridhoss Giri of Tennangur and our Guru Sri Vimarshananda Natha Swamigal. Also Sri Gnanananda Teertha Swamigal was doing Sri Chakra Navavarana Puja at that time. This shows that even when an ordinary person like me utter words in front of divine souls, they become true.
Wholehearted Support: The third significant thing I want to share with you is the overwhelming support BPA we are receiving from all the Sri Vidya Mandalis in Chennai and other parts of the world. With the full support of BPA disciples and disciples from other Mandalis we have completed close to 22,800 Devi Mahatmyam Parayanam as of now. We pray to Chandika Mahalakshmi for the continued support of everyone to complete the 110,000 Parayanam as early as possible.
Our heartfelt thanks to each one of you for your support and pray to all Gurus and Chandika Mahalakshmi to bestow all good things to all of you and your families.
Our task doesn’t end here, we still have 87K Devi Mahatmyam Parayanams to complete. BPA disciples around the world have come together and will be reciting Devi Mahatmyam every day morning 5:30AM and 6PM IST through our
YouTube: https://bit.ly/BPA-YTChannel and
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bhaskaraprakasha.
We request everyone to support them and join them so your Parayanam gets counted to the Laksha Chandi Maha Yagnam. Please be sure to read to Frequently Asked Questions to understand the procedure to join.
Namaskaram