Morning Session :

The second day of the Navarathri celebrations at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli continued with much devotion and gaiety. As part of the Navarathri Homa, the Pavamana Homam and the Vishnu Sahasranama Homam were performed at the Sri Sathya Sai Hridaya Mandiram. Both the rituals were performed in honour of Sri Maha Vishnu. According to Vedic lore, the Rig Veda comprising of 600 sacred verses emanated during the churning of the milky ocean by the Devas and the Asuras. Chanting these mantras is said to purify the surrounding air and cleanse the environment. It is believed that mere listening to these sacred chants is enough to remove all obstacles in one’s life.

In addition to the two homas, a special Ashlesha Bali puja was performed. This ritual is performed as an antidote for sins accrued from past lives and to placate the effect of snake curses. In this regard, a colourful mandala (rangoli) in the form of a serpent was drawn. 84 Asanas representing 84 members of the snake family were prepared in the centre of the mandala. A ball of rice, a sweet dosa and darbha were offered in each asana along with a lamp being lit.

Bhagawan arrived at the venue at around 11 AM and was welcomed with Mangala Vadyam. Walking down the aisle, He inspected the perfectly-drawn Mandalam. Once Bhagawan was seated, the officiating priest, Sri Muralidhar Bhat explained the significance of rituals performed in the morning. Bhagawan then blessed the Poornahuti, which was offered into the sacred fire.

Durga puja was performed simultaneously to the specially-installed Devi idols.....
 

Morning Session :

The spiritual fervor and piety of the Navarathri celebrations in Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli continued in to the third day with sacred rituals performed to propitiate Lord Shiva.

Two homas namely Shivapanchakshari Homa and the Maha Mrityunjaya Homa were performed at Sri Sathya Sai Hridaya Mandiram in the morning. A colourful mandalam (rangoli) with the sacred symbol of the Shiva Linga was drawn. Lord Shiva is said to be the embodiment of auspiciousness. As the bestower of life itself, He alone can conquer death. The Maha Mrityunjaya Homa is one of the most effective spiritual ways of healing and rejuvenating anyone one fighting death. By invoking the blessings of Lord Shiva, this homam is said to bestow longevity in life and cure from prolonged illness.

As part of the Shivapanchakshari Homa, the Panchakshari mantra of Namah Shivaya was continuously chanted even as offerings were made into the sacrificial fire. This five syllabled mantra is said to be of great potency. By chanting this mantra with sincerity, one can win the grace of the Lord and attain His proximity.

The Shiva Panchakshari, extracted from the Krishna Yajur Veda, is a very powerful mantra. The base of the Shiva Linga, which is called Panipeetha is the seat of Shakti orPrakruthi and the Linga over it is, is Shiva or Purusha. Hence, the Linga is a culmination of the Prakruthi and Purusha. The Rudra Homa is performed during Navaratri is offered to both the God and Goddess, who together they keep the universe in balance.

Bhagawan arrived at the venue at around 11 AM with the traditional Mangalavadyam being played to welcome Him. As He entered the auditorium, He walked up to inspect the Mandalam.  The Poornahuti was then blessed by Bhagawan and offered into the sacred fire....

Morning Session :

The fourth day of Navarathri dedicated to the Goddess Kushmanda, who governs the Sun providing it with direction and energy, began with great exuberance at Muddenahalli. The Hridaya Mandir, which is housing the homas and the shrine of the Goddess, was charged with Vedic chants.

The Chandika Homa was performed elaborately in the morning, invoking the Goddess to remove pain and suffering and bestow peace and prosperity upon all. The Durga Saptashati, composed of 700 shlokas and a part of the wonderful literature, Markandeya Purana, was chanted. It talks about the glories of the Divine Mother in her manifestations as Devi or Chandika. Through this homa, prayers are offered to Mother Parameshwari, who had vanquished demons such as Mahishasur, Madhu-Kaitabha, Shumbh and Nishumbh, to cleanse everyone from all evils and confer happiness in its stead.

Bhagawan arrived at the venue around 11.30 AM, appeasing eager hearts awaiting to be in His presence. The priests conducted the Poornahuti in the divine presence. The wonderful morning session ended with the offering of Aarthi to Bhagawan, after which the Dhakis played soulfully on their Dhaks along with the ritual Dhunuchi dance.

Evening session :

Bhagawan was greeted with melodious bhajans on Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati on the evening of the fourth day of the ongoing Navarathri celebrations. Once Bhgawan was seated on the dais, the formal proceedings for the evening session commenced.

The session began with the chanting of ‘Leela Suktam’ by the first year Pre-University students of Bhagawan’s college. The chants were followed by a short talk by Sri Ankit Kumar, a second year student from the PU College. Hailing from the state of Bihar, Ankit....
 

Morning Session :

The Navarathri celebrations at Sai Hridaya Mandiram, Muddenhalli continued with great fervor and devotion on the fifth day, which is dedicated to the worship of the goddess Skandamata. It is believed that praying to the goddess Skandamata secures blessing for the devotee not only from the Mother, but from her son Lord Karthikeya as well.

The entire setting was uplifting, with the vedic chants in the background amidst the glowing of the sacred red fire and the rhythmic beats of the instruments. Two yagnas were conducted in the morning – one for Health (Arogya) and another for Wealth (Bhagya), as man needs both health and wealth to survive on earth.

Often, due to lack of a disciplined life style or due to natural calamities, man loses his good health. So, through this yaga, one prays to Lord Dhanvantri, the divine doctor, who possesses the urn of divine ambrosia, to grant freedom from physical and mental illnesses. Prayers are also offered to the Lord to get rid of the Bhava Roga, the worldly problems that one faces because of the cycle of birth and death.

After the homa ceremony got over, the Durga Aarthi was performed. Bhagawan went to the pedestal and blessed the priest and the Dhakis before they commenced the aarthi. He then waited for the enchanting ritual to get over and once again blessed the priest who had performed his soulful dance for the Lord. The morning session ended after the offering of Aarthi to Bhagawan.

Evening session :

The evening session began with mellifluous bhajans that welcomed Bhagawan as He entered the Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham Hall. Before the Vedic invocation, Bhagawan commanded sister Bhuvana Santhanam to share with the audience His message about the various forms of Goddess Durga that are worshipped during the nine days of Navaratri. Sister Bhuvana shared Bhagawan’s message in which He urged everyone to worship the force behind the various forms of Durga...
 

How can we experience the Atma?
Summary of Divine Discourse on 04 October, 2016

The whole of Creation has emerged from Truth and finally the whole of Creation will merge back into Truth. There is no place in this universe, which is not impacted by Truth. If you ask the question, “What is Truth?” you will know it is nothing but absolute purity. Truth is the fundamental basis of this Creation. All things have emerged from Truth and ultimately all things will merge back into Truth. Truth is that which is never changing and is eternal and permanent. At this moment you are sitting in the hall. After the programme is over, you will go back to the hostel. Therefore, you saying “I am sitting in the hall” is true only for this moment and not afterwards. So, it is only a fact and not Truth. That which keeps changing depending on the time, place and circumstances is only a fact and not the Truth.  This body is today a child, tomorrow a young man and later becomes an old person. Therefore, it is changing and is not the Truth. Depending on circumstances, this moment your mind may be happy, next moment it may be subjected to sorrow. Therefore, the changing mind cannot be called the Truth.  Truth is only that which never changes and that which never changes is the Atma. In fact, Atma does not have a birth, growing up or death. It is eternal, permanent, ever-steady.

This Atma when enveloped by different qualities, looks different at different times. This Atma when mingles with the body and the mind, looks different. The body is an instrument, which is made up of five elements – earth, water, fire, wind and space – which get together to give it a shape. Similarly, because of five different qualities, the mind keeps changing. There are five things – first it is the mind, then the intellect, subconscious mind, ego and attachment. Because it has five attributes or five qualities, it keeps on changing. Atma does not have a name, a form or attributes. But....
 

What is the true goal of our life?
Summary of Divine Discourse on 03 October, 2016

God is closer to you than your mother and is more intimate with you than your father. It is true that we get this human body because of our father and mother, but man is not only the body. You are not one but three – what you think you are is the body; what others think you are is the mind and what you really are, your real nature, is the Atma.

There is no doubt that it is parents, who give you the body. But who purifies our mind, leads us to get absolute purity is the Guru and the One who transcends even beyond the Guru is God. In order to reach our true destination in life, father, mother and Guru should help us. Mother shows the father. Father shows the Guru. The Guru takes you nearer to God. Therefore, all the three- father, mother and Guru will have to play their role in taking the child towards God. A mother, who does not help you go nearer to God is not playing her role properly. A father, who becomes an obstacle to his son or daughter on the way to God cannot be called a true father. A Guru who becomes an obstacle in the path of your God realisation, is not playing his role properly and cannot be called a Guru. The true relationship is the divine relationship. All others are only bondages.

When a man gets immersed in bondage, he cannot attain bliss in life. When we turn our mind from the body towards the Atma, we get all the joy and bliss in life. Therefore, if somebody asks you the question “Who is you father? Who is your mother?” you should say “My father and mother is God.” Because your real nature is divinity or Atma and the father and mother of the Atma is God. Through the body, we practise Dharma. Therefore, those who grant you this body are really great. We should respect them, show our gratitude to them and give them joy. You have to look after them with respect, love and reverence. We should not be narrow-minded to think of only ‘I and mine’. We should develop a broad mind and think that everybody belongs to us. Therefore, not only me, all of us will have to enter the path of God and develop devotion.

What is the true goal of our life? It is not attaining wealth, power, position, name and fame. The first duty....
 

'Atma – The Master of the Mind'
Summary of Divine Discourse on 02 October, 2016

The body is the temple and the individual self, who resides in the body is verily God Himself. In every human being, God shines forth in the form of the Atma. The body is an instrument by which we can take up spiritual practices to attain God. God has given us this human body in order to cross over the ocean of birth and death. By using this body in the right way, we can attain Godhood. But many times through unholy activities, we ruin the purity of the body. When you lose the purity, there is no way we can reach divinity.

The mind drives the body and the body follows the way the mind drives it. It is necessary to have the brakes of sense control. We should have the vision of wisdom. Even if the car of good, there is danger if the driver is bad. Who is the master of the mind, which is the driver? It is the Atma. If the driver, which is the mind listens to the commands of the Atma, who is the master, the car will reach the destination safely. Why are we performing many rituals or many worships and adoration like Yaga and Yajna? It is in order to master the mind. We should never keep the mind idle. You have to tell the mind, “Here is this pillar of God’s name. You keep going up and down chanting His name.” You can choose any name of God that you like, but the mind should be employed in good activity all the time. Mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts. They are like threads of thoughts. Just as a white cloth has white threads, a pure mind has pure thoughts. Even if the mind becomes polluted with worldly desires, it is possible to clean it with chanting the name of God. When you have a pure mind, you walk on the pure path.

Not by activity, not by wealth, not by progeny, only by sacrifice one can attain immortality. Our destination is self-realisation. If you want to attain self-realisation, you have to walk on the path of Dharma. All activity should purify the mind. If you are in good company all the time, thinking of God and doing good activity, the mind will never get polluted. When the mind...
 

The Conquest of the Mind and Senses
Summary of Divine Discourse on 01 October, 2016

The whole of creation, including all the phenomena in creation, happen because of divine power. Since He is there in everyone, we say that His feet and hands are everywhere. His eyes and heads are everywhere because He pervades every being in the universe. This universe is nothing but His own form. God is not only in me, God is in everybody. And therefore everybody should lead a blissful life. His true nature is the Atma, which is there in every one of you. When you are enveloped with the qualities of Thamas, Rajas and Sattva, your light is dimmed. But God or the divine incarnation transcends all these three qualities. Only when you can go beyond the three qualities, can you have similar effulgence as the divine incarnation. 

Without giving up the Thamasic quality of inertia, you cannot realise the true principle. Without giving up the quality of passion, of Rajas, you cannot develop good devotion. Only the Sattvic, pure quality is responsible for developing devotion in you. We worship the Mother Goddess in the form of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. If you want to get rid of the Thamasic quality, you should worship Goddess Durga. Mahisha – the demon is symbolic of the buffalo. It is always lazy. This laziness is symbolic of the animal qualities in us, and all the wicked qualities of greed, jealousy. There are four things that are common to human beings and animals – food, sleep, procreation and a sense of fear. If we use all these things within limits, there is no problem. You need to worship God in order to know how you can keep them under a limit. Goddess Durga is the one who destroys animal qualities. When you get rid of these animal....
 

SAI is See Always Inside
Summary of Divine Discourse on 29 September, 2016

In humans, the principle of the Atma is bound by the body through the mind. With the passage of time, changes take place in the body. And with change of situations, changes also take place in the mind. But the principle of the Atma is eternal and changeless. Atma is like the sun. The mind is like the moon; in fact, it is the Atma, which gives its light to the mind. The moon has no light of its own, it receives light from the sun and reflects it and therefore shines. Similarly, the mind has no light of its own and no life of its own. Atma has no name, no form and no attributes. When this Atma gets bound or gets into contact with the mind that is ever changing, you feel as though the Atma is getting tainted. Man is not this changing mind. He is not this body, which keeps changing all the time either. Man is none other than the attribute-less, formless, nameless Atma. That is why he got the title or the name ‘Child of Immortality’. But when his Atma gets into the body that is affected by the ever-changing mind and develops cravings for worldly desires, he loses his purity.

How can you purify this tainted nature? In the same way as impure water is purified, the polluted mind can also be purified and made pure like the Atma. If you want to do it, you need to take up some spiritual practice, Sadhana. What is Sadhana? The effort that you put, in order to achieve something you want to achieve, is Sadhana. It is only by our service to good people that you can cross over the ocean of Samsara. Only in good company, you get good thoughts. Only when you can put into practice what you listen to in good company or Satsang, can you achieve what you want...