Here in POS Trinidad Rama Navami is celebrated on Sunday, April 10, 2022
Rama Navami Madhyahna Muhurat - 10:54 AM to 01:21 PM
Duration - 02 Hours 28 Mins (Drik Panchang)
Poojya Appaji"s Divine Darshan relives the thrilling glory of Sita Mata ( Sadguru Sri Appaji in Nuzividu:)
Sri Rama Navami is being celebrated soon and so we cannot extol His glory enough! But He Himself wanted us to know also the glory of Sita Mata, since no victory is complete without the Grace, the compassion of Divine Mother! Our Sadguru Sri Appaji recently, in keeping with His sankalpa to establish Sri Hanuman murtis, consecrated Sri Hanuman murti in Nuzividu. In His discourse afterwards, He gives the gist of this episode, just after the battle between Ravana and Sri Rama. Rama and Lakshman and the other brothers go to battle against Shatakantha Ravana, the 1000 headed Ravana in the sky. The brothers all fainted, exhausted trying to kill the Shatakantha Ravana, the huge demonic form of Ravana in the sky, since for every drop of blood that fell from him, another Shatakantha was born from it. Hanuman and Sita Mata alone were awake.
“Everyone else was asleep, so Hanuman tries first to kill the demon, but on realising what was happening, he prays to Sita Mata who comes to the battlefield. She takes on the Kalika form and spreads out her tongue on the sky. She stands on Hanuman’s shoulder responding to his prayer and fights as he chants ''Rama" continuously. As the drops of blood fall on Mother’s tongue and she is swallowing the blood, the demons stop generating themselves. Hanuman too helps her with his gigantic tail. Then Mother slays the demon and asks Hanuman to reveal his magnificent form. Hanuman’s shows his form extending beyond the sky. Thus Hanuman has Darshan of Sita Mata as Shakti, and Sita had Darshan of the powerful Hanuman.” (Sri Panchamukha Hanuman, five-faced Hanuman).
“I had this divine Darshana during the Consecration today. I am still reeling from it!” (Pujya Sri Appaji, Nuzividu, April 2022)
In 2018, our Sadguru’s last visit to Trinidad, Sri Appaji challenged devotees to chant ‘Shivaya Rudraya Namaha’ to protect ourselves from upcoming dangers to self, country and the world in general! In 2019, for the occasion of Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji’s visit for Rama Navami, He sent us a divine message saying: “ Jaya Sri Ram! I am very happy that Rama Navami is being celebrated in Trinidad Ashram. A day full of puja and prayer to Rama on His birthday is good for the country and and its people. Rama has always been the inspiration for good conduct and right living. Whatever difficulties that come to us are very small compared to what Sri Rama had to face. Trinidad Ashram and devotees have always been very close to my heart….I plan to do a big Rudra Yagna in Trinidad….I want all devotees to come together and celebrate it. My blessings to everyone! Jaya Sri Ram! Jaya Hanuman! Jaya Guru Datta!....” ( Because of all the Pandemic travel restrictions, our Sadguru was unable to come, but lately in Dallas, He indicated that we should pray hard and send our love to Him and He would come soon.)
“Face the Devil, finish the Game!” Here in Trinidad older devotees will doubtless remember our pledge given by our Sadguru to “Follow the Master, faith in God, Face the Devil, finish the Game, Datta, Datta, Datta, Datta, this is the only Mantra….” Just recently, in Hyderabad, Sri Appaji reminded us again that Sri Dattatreya is Parabrahma, God, and takes all forms—Ganesh, Devi, Shiva, Rama, Lakshmi etc. --- of all deities. He also stated about 10 years ago that from about 2021 “there is danger facing the world.”
Protection is only through spiritual development.
It is very clear since the Covid Pandemic, that the time for pleasure-seeking is over, and though we all have our karmas to face, we have to protect ourselves by increasing our spirituality to the best of our ability, becoming more sattvic, as we seek to ‘know our true self’, by devotion to Sadguru and God! As Sri Appaji says, “ Go inside, travel inside. The whole world in this body, whole planets in this body, whole energy in this body. Close eyes and go inside, to inner healing, inner journey. You chant God’s name, “Jaya Rama, Sri Rama,” (any name, any mantra ….)After five or ten minutes or half an hour, nectar comes…bringing health….if you chant God’s name with clear mind, good thoughts, and swallow this saliva, it has good taste, like chocolate….So keep calm always, don’t upset yourself. Then you get good energy, like Ganga flowing,… purifying this body, the nervous system….”
This month as we celebrate the birthday of Sri Rama on earth, let us reflect on some of Sadguru Sri Appaji’s teachings about Sri Rama .’
Finding the Paramatman
“ Today is Rama Day, but in my calculations, everyday is Rama Day. Rama has two letters. Ra means atman, Ma means jeevatman. Rajeevam, Majeevam. Rajeevam means Paramatman, Majeevam means jeevatman. Another meaning is, Ra means confusions, illusions and bad vibrations, and Ma means control of bad vibrations. RAMA---how beautiful the name itself is! Rama—Paramatman and jeevatman. We are searching for Paramatman. We want association with Paramatman. That’s why we are using different chants, and techniques for purifying the different tattvas(natures).
Karma yoga is one of the biggest techniques. ….Karma yoga—performing actions is necessary for all human beings-- means carry out actions…. Human beings always want to try something new, searching for new methods. They are always asking about new books, so many requests! Karma brings sins. It is very difficult to get rid of because you are always ambitious, always wanting something.
Rama Navami perfect time to remove our sins
There are two kinds of sins of human beings. One is very secret sins, one is very sacred sins. Secret sin is about bhoga (enjoyment, kama, karma, avidya)—desire, action, ignorance.
The sacred sin, what is sacred sin? We are not performing the dharma actions properly. We are doing half-minded seva, half-minded rituals, half-hearted charity. You understand? You are dealing with Sadguru, then having doubt, that is sacred sin….We like Bhagavad Gita…. We are doing japam half-minded, doing charity with business mind, that is sacred sin. How can we control? ….Sacred sin is mixed with ego. You always say, “I’m ignorant,” but not ignorance, ego.”
Chant chant chant good names
Secret karma may be excused sometimes…but not sacred karma….How to control ? More and more you can chant good names and meditate, take any yoga, any puja, practise peace to the sense organs. Secret sin already punished with your health, you experienced with your body, but sacred sin, only He knows and after you leave this body, after death, you experience. What is this kind of message Swamiji given today? Good medicine always bitter. Rama had doubts also and his Guru gave answers….”
“Hidden meaning of the Ramayana" (Excerpt)
“ …. You are always chanting ‘Happy birthday to you. Why can you not chant ‘Happy Rama Navami?’
This one shloka Rama mantram, contains the entire story of the spiritual Ramayana by Sage Valmiki.
“Adau Ramavanana gamanam Hatva mrgam kanchanam, Vaidehi haranam, Jayaayu varanam Sugreeva sambhashanam Vali nigrahanam, Samuda taranam Lanka purim dahanam, VachaRavana Kumbhakarna madanam Etatvi Ramayanam.”
“…The complete Ramayana is conveyed in the meaning. Ramayana is in our body. We are like a walking Ramayana. This is living Vedanta.
‘Adau…Sri Rama means our buddhi/intellect and our mind, so yoga is achieved with the help of Hanumanta. Sita is jeevatman and Paramatman is Ramachandra. That is yoga, with the help of Prana, inhalation and exhalation.’ Rama gives order to Hanumanta to search for Sita... Margam means all bad vibrations, like the golden deer.’
‘Hatva…Ravana is like Maya, illusions. You must kill kama/desire, krodha/anger, mada/excessive pride.., matsyara/jealousy.., all the bad feelings. The deer looks nice, golden, but destroy it.’
‘Vaidehi …you forget that jeevatman and paramatman are one. Jeevatman/Sita is stolen or captured by bad vibrations, Jatayu is killed. The wandering,weak mind is killed like Jatayu.’
‘Sugreeva means friend. Always look for good values…Sugreeva like a guru, so look for your yoga master . Fight Vali who is like the six enemies. Control all ego. Vali’s death means killing all ego.’
‘Samudra… ocean, is like samsara or worldly ocean with family worries etc. …Today one worry ended, forty years suffering finished, then again and again another worry comes. Only couple of minutes happiness between husband and wife, then crying, fighting, sickness. …so give all bad vibrations, all problems to Sadguru. Talk all the time with Him…talk inside, find that special friend just like Sri Rama, who finds a friend in Sugreeva. Get out of Samudra taranam. “ Oh this pillar/karma is holding me,” but you are the one holding pillar, very bad karma, all the time….”
Lanka…Lanka is illusion, so don’t think about only your beautiful house, all illusions. Think about Sita Rama, about joining jeevatman and Paramatman. We have two enemies, Ravana and Kumbhakarna, eating and sleeping, not only physical sleep, laziness and the escaping mind. …you think of controlling your wife/husband etc.. Forest like our body. Ravana and Kumbhakarna our ego, Vali our six enemies….!”
This Rama Navami let us chant the name of Rama as much as possible and experience the purifying and transforming, blissful power of it in our lives, body, heart, mind and intellect-our entire being! Let us remember as Sri Dattatreya, the Trinity, Pujya Sri Appaji is also Sri Rama Himself!
Let us try to send as much love we can to our Sadguru and ensure that His compassion, like Sita Mata’s, brings Him here for Maha Rudra Yagna to bless our country and the world!
Jaya Guru Datta! Jaya Sita Ram!