O’ Seekers ! ‘Shobhan Samvatsar’ is the year of submission and surrender; hence, enhance these virtues for the three Gurus of Sanatan in this period !
| Gudhipadwa was on 22.3.2023. The Universe was created on Gudhipadwa day. The Sages measured time in terms of Kalpa, Manvantar, Yug, Samvatsar, Rutu, Maas, Paksha, Var, Tithi, Muhurta, Ghatika, Vighti, Paramanu.
The Shubhakruta Samvatsar ended on Gudhipadwa this year and the Shobhan Samvatsar commenced. In the Shubhakruta Samvatsar (from 2.4.2022 to 21.3.2023), seekers had to face numerous familial, social, economic, physical, mental and spiritual problems. Let us see what we can do to enhance our devotion unto the Guru in the Shobhan Samvatsar which has now begun. |
1. Many seekers had to face physical, mental, financial and spiritual problems during the Shubhakruta Samvatsar
In one of His bhajans, Saint Bhaktaraj Maharaj has said that the intellect is helpless in front of the significance and effect of Kaal (Time). Many seekers had direct experience of this aspect during the Shubhakruta Samvatsar. Despite knowing that Gurudev (Sachchidananda Parabrahman [Dr] Athavale) is Shrimannarayan, many seekers were enticed by Maya during the Shubhakruta Samvatsar. It can be said that Shubhakruta Samvatsar was a time of examination for seekers. Some seekers had to leave full-time satseva and take up jobs due to increased domestic problems, while others had to go home due to increased domestic problems. Some experienced financial difficulties, while others faced increased physical problems. While all this was happening, the seekers had to face mental anguish, indecisiveness and ridicule from relatives. Even though there was no plan to marry, some seekers started getting thoughts of marriage. The number of thoughts associated with Maya increased and Maya became dominant.
2. As per the significance and effect of Kaal, Yudhishthir got the thought of playing a game of dice and then the Mahabharat war ensued
In the Narayan Upanishad, it is said – कालश्चनारायणः – meaning, ‘Kaal itself is Shrimannarayan’. Even before Incarnating as Shrikrushna, Shrimannarayan invited Dwaparyug and Kaliyug and told them, “Now the time has come for the Dwaparyug to end and the Kaliyug to begin. Therefore, O’ Dwaparyug, appear in the form of Shakuni ! And O’ Kaliyug, come in the form of Duryodhan at the time of my Incarnation”.
Despite knowing that Shrikrushna is God Himself, the Pandavs forget everything while playing the game of dice and succumb to Shakuni’s ‘Shaakuni Vidya’ and lose everything. Yudhishthir, the personification of Dharma, gets the thought to play a game of dice and stake everything. Due to this, he has to finally go into exile for 12 years. Duryodhan, the personification of Kaliyug, refused to give land to the Pandavs after the end of their exile, which eventually led to the Mahabharat war between the Kauravs and the Pandavs. A few years after the Mahabharat war, Shrikrushna’s Incarnation ends and Kaliyug begins.
3. Holding onto the Guru’s Holy feet is the solution to overcome the significance and effect of Kaal
God’s Incarnation transcends Kaal; because, Kaal is under God’s control. The significance and effect of Kaal cannot be opposed. Rather than opposing the significance of Kaal, the solution is to surrender unto the Holy feet of the eternal Guru.
Kaal is gross. The veil of Kaal is like a black cloud. God is like the sky above the clouds. While traveling in an airplane, just as all Creation is clearly visible from the sky when the clouds disappear, Shri Guru sees Kaal clearly. There is no veil in front of Him. Since Shri Guru is Omniscient, He has knowledge of the past, the present and the future.
The ship we seekers are in, is stuck in the stream of Kaal. The lighthouse that guides the ship is Shri Guru ! Billions of souls in this Universe do not know who is a Guru, what is His glory, what does He do.
As such, we seekers in Sanatan are fortunate to have three Gurus (Sachchidananda Parabrahman [Dr] Jayant Athavale, Shrisatshakti [Mrs] Binda Nilesh Singbal and Shrichitshakti [Mrs] Anjali Mukul Gadgil). The Pandavs lost the game of dice; but they had immense loyalty unto Shrikrushna. They did not leave Shrikrushna’s feet till the end; as a result, they could overcome the difficult times.
We are very fortunate that Shrimannarayan has come in the form of Gurudev (Sachchidananda Parabrahman [Dr] Jayant Athavale); therefore, the only solution to the significance of Kaal is to hold unto the feet of the timeless Guru.
4. The new Shobhan Samvatsar is the year to increase our dedication and attitude of surrender
Last year, the key words for spiritual practice were faith and patience. They are applicable to all of us in the coming year too; but the new Shobhan Samvatsar is the year when all seekers should increase their dedication and attitude of surrender. The mission for which God brought us to Earth and in contact with the three Gurus of Sanatan, is the mission of establishing the ‘Hindu Rashtra’. All seekers have dedicated their lives to the mission of instating Dharma taken up by these three Gurus of Sanatan.
All that we have to do is to continue this dedication and surrender unto the three Gurus. Saint Bhaktaraj Maharaj would always say, “I do not see what the person who comes to me has done in the past; I only see what he is going to do in the future”. This means Shri Guru does not think of the past of a seeker. He only sees his future and gets spiritual practice performed from him.
5. Praying unto the Holy feet of the three Gurus of Sanatan
We pray at the Holy feet of all the three Gurus of Sanatan – Sachchidananda Parabrahman (Dr) Jayant Athavale, Shrisatshakti (Mrs) Binda Singbal and Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Anjali Gadgil – to guide seekers on the Path of spiritual practice during these difficult times. For the Guru’s grace to continue uninterrupted, may we perform satseva incessantly. May the attitude of serving these three Gurus be in our breath, and surrender unto them be in our daily life. Today, on the auspicious day of Gudhipadwa, all the seekers of Sanatan have surrendered unto the Holy feet of these Gurus. We pray to You to keep us at Your Holy feet.
– Mr Vinayak Shanbhag (Mr Shanbhag is at the spiritual level of 67%), New Delhi. (12.3.2023)
 The reason why the number of lines on Sachchidananda Parabrahman (Dr) Athavale’s palms are increasingA rich individual who gives for charity has more lines on his palms than a common man. A good king has more lines on his palms than a rich individual who gives for charity. The palms of great Saints and Gurus have more lines than those of a good king. The lines on the palms of an Incarnation are more than those of great Saints and Gurus. – Saptarshi (Through the medium of H.H. [Dr] OmUlagnathan, 13.10.2021, 10.48 a.m.) |
May the attitude of serving the three Gurus of Sanatan be in our breaths, and surrender unto them be in our daily life !
| Note : Individual spiritual experiences of seekers published here are according to the Principle – ‘Where there is bhav (Spiritual emotion), there is God’. It is not that every individual will have similar experiences. |