Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna commences…
Thursday, October 18th, 2012
The Seven Day ritual coinciding the Navarathri Festival, Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna got underway in Prasanthi Nilayam this morning in the Divine Omnipresence of Beloved Bhagawan.
The legend has it that Dasara signifies the victory of Devas over Asuras, i.e., Righteousness over the forces of evil. The festival of Dasara, atypical in Prasanthi Nilayam by its conduct and style, brings nostalgic memoirs of the grand festivity of olden days in the immediate Divine Presence.
The festivity would get much deserved majesty and grandeur those days with an array of activities tagged to it, apart from the Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna that has been a traditional practice for many years, ever since it was revived after a short break. Dasara of olden days used to be grand spectacle with tens and thousands of devotees thronged to Prasanthi Nilayam receiving shower of Supreme benediction. Hoisting of Prasanthi Flag, a symbolic representation of harmony, regeneration and reconstruction of humanity, annual conferences of All India Prasanthi Vidhwaan Maha Sabha, where scholars would speak on various spiritual topics, grand feast to tens and thousands, and most important of all, series of Divine discourses suffused with Supreme Wisdom, all would render resplendence to the week-long affair.
The beginning of Vasanta Ritu (spring) and Sharath Ritu (autumn) are two very important events in the Bharatiya Calendar, for they not only signify the change of season but their consequent effect on the human body and mind. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother in the form of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi in India. That is why the festival of Dasara (ten days) or Navaratri (nine nights) is an important festival celebrated all over India with piety and grandeur.
In Prasanthi Nilayam, especially during the Navaratri that falls every year in or around September – October, people gather in thousands to pay their homage to the Divine Mother incarnated as Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Over the past many years, the festival of Dasara in Prasanthi Nilayam has been closely associated with the ‘Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna’, the week-long sacrificial ritual conducted in the Divine Presence, for the welfare of the whole world.
This morning’s proceedings began at 0900 hrs. with a procession carrying the Kalasha, that was installed on 16 October initiating the Yajna proceedings, in a ceremonial procession to the venue, Poornachandra Auditorium amidst Vedic chanting.
At the venue, in the Poornachandra Auditorium, the dais wore a most solemnising picture, with the proceedings just began. The hall was resonating with the holy Vedic chants and students were already filed in.
Proceedings began with the priests producing ceremonial fire by friction, churning of two wooden pieces. The fire produced was subsequently placed at His Lotus Feet, before depositing in the sacred sacrificial pit, marking the beginning of the Yajna.
Soon it was time for the students to proceed for Grama Seva. Today being the 3rd day of Grama Seva 2012, villages in and around Puttaparthi would be covered serving thousands.
Mangala Arathi was offered at 1045 hrs. marking the culmination of Yajna proceedings.
II Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
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