Jai Nandalala!!!

Dear All,

Attached are the notes that were taken during Pujyashri Akka’s speech on May 8th, 2014 at Mahakaleshwar Temple and Mrithunjaya Japa on May 10th, 2014 at SVCC Temple.

Pujyashri Mathioli Saraswathy Talk on 5-8-14

Pujyashri Mathioli Saraswathy Talk on 5-10-14 at SVCC

Please see the following translation of Sri Akka’s speech on May 11 2014 at SVCC:

Blessings to All who are assembled here at Mahakaleshwar temple.

What is the time?

7:15. In India we would say night but here it is pradosham.

Nithya pradosham is at this time daily. I am happy you all, knowingly/unknowingly, are assembled here at the auspicious time of pradosham to have darshan of Lord Shiva.

This temple is on an office space. This is such a difficult task to achieve here. Is there a gopuram here? No.

The achievement of building a temple here like this is equivalent to Bhageeratha’s efforts i.e. Bhageerathan prayathnam

The story of Bhageerathan is that after Ashwamedha yagam 60,000 thousand brothers went in search of the horse and they found it near Sage Kapila’s ashram. Kapila cursed them for their discourteous behavior. The only way they could get salvation was for the waters of Ganga to touch the ashes.

Bhageeratham first did penance to Lord Brahma. Brahma appeared but could not help Bhageeratha.

Ganga was in the kamandalu of Vamana and Bhageeratham had to wait for the Vamana Avatar and the moment when Lord Vamana placed his second step and the kamandalu tips.

Now when Ganga gushed from the heavens to earth, the earth wouldn’t have been able to withstand the force. Bhagirathan had to perform penance to Lord Shiva since only Lord
Shiva can handle the force.

Lord Shiva caught the force of Ganga in his locks and then let her flow gently. She flowed by Kapila’s ashram but Sage kapila swallowed all the water. Bhagirathan had to plead with Kapila and then the sage let Ganga out through his ear. Hence, Ganga is also known as Janhavi.

Bhagirathan Prayathanam will always bear fruits.

(Gangashtakam was recited)

Ahstakam – Means 8.

Do you know what all ashtakams there are?

• Gangashtakam
• Lakshmiashtakam
• Madhurashtakam
• Krishnashtakam
• Sudarshanashtakam

It is tougher to chant Sahasranamam ( 1000 names) .

It is easier to see a Sahasralingam.

It is easier to learn ashtakam. Children should be taught ashtakam first.

How much will you pay for this flower garland?

Nothing can equal a Mother’s love and affection. A mother takes care of her children throughout her life and asks little in return.

Mother’s love is priceless. It is priceless like this garland.

Story about Lord Shiva

Mother’s day is approaching. Mother’s day is celebrated here in the US. All women are celebrated for their maternal feelings.

Shiva has been a mother once.

Has anyone visited that temple? Thayumanavar – Lord shiva manifested himself as a mother.

At the time of pain, mother or lord’s name is what the women think of. Not their husband.

There was a girl who was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. She grew up, got married.

When she became pregnant, she was waiting for her mother to come to help for her delivery.

But she lived on the other side of a river from her parents. At the time there was a huge storm and the river was overflowing. Her mother couldn’t travel across.

So Lord shiva took the guise of the mother and helped the pregnant girl through her childbirth, and took care of her new born and helped in every way a mother would. He stayed there in the guide of her mother for 3-4 months and then went away. In the mean time, the rains subsided and the river abated. The original mother was anxious for her daughter and crossed the river as soon as she could and came to see her daughter. That is when the girl realized that it was Lord Shiva who had helped her all along.

When you place your trust in him and completely devoted to him, he will take care of you and not let you down.

The lord will take care of you when you need him.

This is another story of Lord Shiva.

There was a young boy who came home after a visit to his uncle and asked for milk.

The young boy was a rishi’s son and they lived in a forest where they could not get milk. So she could only give him a rice paste with water as milk. The boy knew the taste of cow’s milk since he had it at his uncle’s house and asked his mother about it.

So the mother told him that he has to do penance to lord Shiva if he wanted milk or milk rice.

The boy did rigorous penance to Lord shiva.

Lord shiva was pleased with it.

However, he comes as lord Indra on a white elephant.

The boy sees him and tells him that he really needs bhakti, Milk and rice is a way to denote bhakti.

Immediately, the white elephant transforms into Nandi and Indra turns into lord
Shiva and a true darshan is bestowed on the young boy.

The boy was none other than Upamanyu .

Upamanyu’s father’s name was Vyakrapadar (Tiger footed to climb a tree without disturbance to anyone and plucks flowers)
Upamanya was one who did Upadesam to Lord Krishna. He was such a great sould.

Anything we do should be done sincerely and with devotion.

Devotion is not for oneself but towards other’s good.

Remember not to be unfazed with problems. The Lord is with us.

He stands by us and helps us face our problems and that is the faith that is needed. With that faith we can overcome anything.

Please see the following translation of Sri Akka’s speech on May 11 2014 at SVCC:

We are going to see the connection between you, me (SriAmma) and the Lord.

While doing alankaram, when the door is closed, where will your minds be? It won’t go to the Lord.

Where are your thoughts? Is it with you? If so, I am happy. (Everyone said it is with HER)

Your milk is what was used for Abhishekan.

All your thoughts/desires (korikkai) were written on a paper and were immersed in milk and through the ink it went to the milk.

How did Umashankar Dikshit perform abhishekham of the milk? The milk flowed through a dhara. It wasn’t not just poured straight through. It was circled around and then abhishekam was done. Everyone’s thoughts were mixed and mixed and mixed and then.

Did your thoughts & desires fall (Vizhunduda), knock (Pour) (Kottuda) or Hit/touch (Pattuda) the Lord?

Our problems are all heavy. It is heavy for us. Is it heavy for the Lord?

The Lord accepts the heaviness of your thoughts and desires and takes it away. It is not heavy for the Lord.

Lord Shiva takes a lot of beatings for his devotees, and not Maha Vishnu.

There is a famous song by Papanasam Sivam that extols this aspect of Lord Shiva- Thandai thai irunthal (In case anyone is interested to know more about the sonf, this link covers it: http://sujamusic.wordpress.com/2013/08/15/thandai-thai-irundal/)

A famous beating of the Lord is associated with the temple near Madurai (Pirambadi). Lord Shiva got a beating by a cane (perambadi) which became our spinal cord.
(In case anyone is interested to know more about the story/temple, this is what we found about this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arappalayam )
Should we give him more time to do Alankaram or less time?

Milk:

Why did we use milk for putting down our thoughts? Why not water?

Milk is sticky. Our thoughts will stick to the milk. Milk is heavier. It comes from gomatha (We revere the cow that gives us milk and call her gomatha).

The milk being used here is organic and that is at least a bit purer.

(Sri Amma took out a paper)

What is this paper for?

If you can write down your desires, can’t I also note down on a paper? (She said jokingly)

It is to tell you the specialties of milk.

There is nothing equivalent to milk. Milk is very special. Mother’s milk is the most special followed by cow’s milk.

In America, lot of vitamins and nutrients are added to the milk. However, I am going to tell you what is present in cow’s milk naturally. This is as per the Shastras. You can consider as if America is following what is in shastras with their advancements and now everybody wondrously looks at this manufactured milk.

This is what is naturally found in the milk:

• 25 Minerals

• 19 Proteins

• 14 types of Nitrogen

• 11 types of fat. There is a type of raw butter that can be extracted from the cream in the milk and not from yogurt. It used to be done in olden days.

• 8 types of enzymes

• 6 vitamins

This is present in 1 drop of milk as well as 1 tumbler of milk or 1 pot full of milk.
Do I have more time to speak she asked the panditji.

In this type of milk, what else was added in the milk today? Everyone’s thoughts were added. Milk has the capacity to take it and absorb it. It is the liquid form that is special here (unlike panchamridam or sanathanam that is used for Abhishekam). Water is also another liquid but Milk is thicker than water. Both are pure. Milk is heavier.

Each one has their own weight. She asked one person’s weight. She said each one has a unique weight. Similarly, milk has a weight.

You can mix anything in milk like coffee, tea.. There are some many types of tea –( masala chai) There are so many types of coffee. What types of coffee are there? (Cappuccino, filter coffee) but everything needs milk

How is the translation coming along? How many marks to give? This (on spot translation) is like making dosas and has to be hot out of the tava.

I am happy to speak this way ( i.e. With another person translating). It makes me feel like I am speaking in two languages. Even though I can speak English but the effect will not be the same. Nobody can speak with me on my subject.

The energy and the mood with this mode is different. If everyone doesn’t have the energy or mood to listen then everything will go in the air. This will stay in your mind. In the future, you would recall this talk.

The reason for the talk will stay in your mind. (She asked this sentence to be repeated thrice)

When you see milk, you will think of Lord Shiva and me.

Now, enough about milk… During the pujai what namam did they chant?

(Rudram)

Benefits of Homam:

There is an Agni from the homam. While starting the fire for a homam is beneficial, the ash from the homam also has benefitsPeople buy fancy ashtrays for the cigarette ash but the cigarette ash eats us away.

The homam ash is the one that has to be revered. (Sarva mangalam- All goodness).

The ash should not be taken immediately after the homam. The homa kundam will be hot. Similar to how we need to let our stomach digest our food, the homam agni should also be given time to take in all the samith(wood chips) and other items offered in the homam. It should be allowed to cool (at least 4 hours) and the ash should be collected later that night or next morning after sprinkling some milk on it.

• The homam ash when consumed will reduce the habit of smoking and drinking. Just 1 pinch is enough.

• The ash will keep the environment and surroundings of the house pure.

• There are many diseases that are discovered. The homam ash controls the bacteria causing the diseases. Keep the homam ash open in the house and it will control the diseases. You can also partake the ash.

• For ladies who have heavy periods or feel week or menstruate for more than 3 days, the ash will help control this. Consume the ash for 8 weeks with honey to cure this situation.

• Reduces hyperactivity of children.

• Helps the surrounding plants to grow

• Helps worms that are good for the soil

• Sinus headaches can be cured when consumed for 3 or 4 days

• Helps cure skin diseases.

• Helps heal wounds that don’t heal easily.

• Helps alleviate problems related to nerves and the nervous system

• Consume the ash 7 days to reduce urinary infection

• Provides the Energy to heal mind, body and soul

• When there is a constant fear in the mind, the ash gives self-confidence.

Now come let us see the Lord. He is ready and we should not keep HIM waiting.