Divine Life Society of South Africa observed the auspicious Varalakshmi Vratam on Friday, 16 August 2024 at Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills. Ganga Arati commenced at 5.30pm, followed by Satsang. The programme comprised Kirtans and Bhajans, an audio recording of the Lakshmi Arati and a reading from Hindu Fasts and Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

The Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda says that the Vedas describe Mother Lakshmi as the Goddess of riches, and that God now manifests in the form of wealth. Mother Lakshmi provides us with both material and spiritual wealth. On the spiritual path, we pray to Mother Lakshmi for the divine spiritual wealth of God. The Master adds that Mother Lakshmi also gives joy, makes life on earth bearable, and that without Her, life on earth would be a journey of pain and suffering. This is evident in the reading from Hindu Fasts and Festivals, when the Master says, “Mother Lakshmi not only bestows wealth and all sorts of material prosperity, but also imparts divine wisdom to all Her devotees. She is Vidya Shakti. She introduces Her devotees to Her Lord. She recommends them to Her Lord for their salvation.

“She is the power of Lord Narayana, who is also known as Lord Vishnu or Lord Hari. Narayana is the Lord’s aspect of preservation. He is the embodiment of Shuddha Sattwa. Lakshmi is His causal body. She is Maya, the illusory power of Nature. She protects the whole world with Her protecting power, and deludes everyone with Her veiling power. She Herself as Vidya Lakshmi enlightens the spiritual aspirant. Beauty, Grace, a picturesque scenery or a charming landscape, modesty, love, prosperity, music, the five elements and their combinations, the internal organs, mind, Prana, intellect – all these are Her manifestations.

“Without the Grace and blessings of Lakshmi even Sannyasins cannot engage in the work of propaganda or preaching or run their institutions. They are in fact more in need of Her Grace than the householders, because they have to do intense, dynamic work for the humanweal. Sri Shankara worshipped Devi, Lakshmi and Saraswati for the attainment of success in his work. All the great prophets and divine messengers who have done great spiritual work in the past, were devotees of Mother Lakshmi, Devi and Saraswati”.

Both our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda and Pujya Swami Sahajananda impressed upon devotees to aspire for higher qualities, beyond material pursuits. The Master has given us relevant instructions through his cardinal teachings of “Serve, love, give, purify, meditate and realise”. Sri Swami Sivananda explains that the higher nature of the Mother is really spiritual wealth – a pure heart, sweetness of manners, behaviour, speech and service to the Guru. We should therefore pray to Mother Lakshmi to grant us all divine spiritual wealth instead of material gifts and wealth. 

In the article, “Worship of the Divine Mother”, Sri Swami Sivananda says, “Lakshmi does not mean more material wealth like gold, cattle, etc. All kinds of prosperity, glory, magnificence, joy, exaltation, greatness, come under the Grace of Goddess Lakshmi. Sri Appayya Dikshitar calls even final liberation as ‘Moksha-Samrajya Lakshmi’. Hence worship of Lakshmi means the worship of Divinity, the power that dissolves multiplicity in unity. The worship of Devi is therefore the explanation of the entire process of spiritual Sadhana in all its aspects”.

May Mother Lakshmii bless us all with spiritual illumination, material and spiritual wealth.

The Society celebrated the most auspicious Sri Krishna Janmashtami at Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills, as well as at all Sivanandashrams on Monday, 26 August 2024. At Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills, Ganga Arati commenced at 5.30pm followed by Satsang which concluded at midnight. The programme included Kirtans, Bhajans, readings, an audio message by Pujya Swami Sahajananda, a DVD entitled, Wisdom of Sivananda, guest artistes, readings on the significance of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s Bhajans on Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita recitals and the cradle Bhajan, Jaya Nandalala. The evening’s Satsang was indeed spiritually elevating and a veritable spiritual feast.

Sri Krishna Janmashtami, one of the greatest of Hindu festivals, is the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth Divine Incarnation of Lord Vishnu.  Sri Swami Sivananda in the book, Hindu Fasts and Festivals states, “Lord Krishna appeared when the moon entered the house of Vrishabha at the constellation of the star Rohini, on Wednesday, the 8th day of the second fortnight of the month of Sravana. According to the Barshaspatyamana, this corresponds to the month of Bhadrapada Krishnapaksha, in the year of Visvavasu, 5172 years ago (from 1945) which means 3227 B.C”. Calculations in 1945 indicated that the year of Lord Krishna’s birth was 3227 B.C. As at 2024, Sri Krishna’s appearance calculates to 5251 years ago.

Describing Lord Krishna’s appearance, Sri Swami Sivananda, in the book, Hindu Fasts and Festivals, says, “Though Lord Krishna appeared in a human body, He had a divine body, which was not composed of the five elements. He did not take birth in the usual sense of the term. He did not die. He merely appeared and disappeared through His Yoga Maya, as He has said in the Gita. This is a secret known only to His devotees and to Yogis and sages”.

Explaining the nature of the Lord and the reasons for His appearance, Sri Swami Sivananda continues, “Sri Krishna played various roles during His stay in the world. He was the charioteer of Arjuna. He was an excellent statesman. He was a master musician; He gave lessons even to Narada in the art of playing the veena. The music of His flute thrilled the hearts of His devotees and the Gopis. He was a cowherd in Gokul and Brindavan. He exhibited miraculous powers even as a child. He killed many demons. He revealed His Cosmic Form to His mother, Yashoda. He performed the Rasa Lila, the secret of which can only be understood by devotees like Narada, Gauranga, Radha and the Gopis. He taught the supreme truths of Yoga, Bhakti and Vedanta to Arjuna and Uddhava. He mastered the sixty-four fine arts in sixty-four days. For all these reasons, He is regarded as a full and complete manifes­tation of God.

“Incarnations of God appear for special reasons and under special circumstances. Whenever there is the prevalence of much unrighteousness, and confusion and disorder set in on account of unrighteousness and hamper the well-ordered progress of mankind, whenever the balance of human society is upset by ruthless and cruel beings, whenever irreligion is prevalent on a large scale, whenever the foundations of social organisations are undermined, then the Lord Himself incarnates in order to re-establish righteous­ness and restore peace”.

In the reading, “Uddhava’s Departure”, in response to Uddhava’s question about devotional methods, Lord Krishna gave him an elaborate account of those practices which are open to all. The Lord said, “There are many ways in which I may be worshipped, O Uddhava, but the safe rule is to offer everything to Me as I have already told you. But if you still wish to offer something particular, remember that whatever is offered with love I will gladly accept. Be it a leaf, a flower, some fruit or even water, if offered with love I will be immensely pleased. The best Puja is that which is done without any desires, for then I Myself will decide what is best for the devotee. At the end of the Puja, if you renounce the sense of doer-ship and offer your very soul to Me then the Puja will purify you”.

When Uddhava, who shared a close bond with the Lord, had to depart for Badrinath, expressed immense sadness as he had to be separated from the Lord. The Lord, understanding his predicament, said, “Dearer to Me than My sons, dearer to Me than My consorts are you, O Uddhava, for you are the shining example of the Jnana-Bhakta. You have fettered Me to yourself with the bonds of your intense love, yet the time has now come for our bodies to part for they are made of the five elements and must return to them. So go, my faithful friend, and do as I have instructed you”. Such indeed is the love of an ardent devotee for the Lord. 

This theme is again exemplified in the play reading, “Krishna’s Jewels” written by Sri Swami Sivananda. Kala the robber obtained the Lord’s Darshan and vision because of his intense desire to see the Lord, although his intention was to rob the Lord and Balarama of their jewels. 

Pujya Swami Sahajananda in his audio message on Mantra chanting, explained its potency and the value of the repetition of the Divine Name. Regularity and consistency are essential. Pujya Swamiji said that all saints are unanimous in one thing, that is to take the Divine Name, to chant one’s Mantra, and that the Divine Name is the easiest, quickest and surest way to approach God in this Kali Yuga. He explained further that as the aspirant progresses in Sadhana, one may see images and hear sounds. However, one should be steadfast in Sadhana and repeat the Divine Name continuously. He quoted Lord Krishna, saying, “He attains Me easily who remembers Me constantly”.  Pujya Swamiji said that there is no difference between God and His Name, and that “the moment you repeat His Name you are in contact with God”.  Explaining the power of the Mantra, Pujya Swamiji said that every word and every Mantra has vibrations, just as each has a form. We cannot see the vibration of the Mantra with our physical eyes, but we can do so with our inner eyes. He continued to explain, “People have got Siddhis in these Mantras. And this power that is in the Mantra is locked up in it, like the tree is locked in the seed”. Pujya Swamiji gives clear guidelines on the practice of Sadhana and meditation, and how to surmount difficulties in Sadhana. He advises that one should not give up on Sadhana nor change one’s Mantra irrespective of the physical conditions and challenges, for Mantra chanting “forms deep Samskaras in the mind”. Pujya Swamiji himself experienced challenges in his early spiritual practices, when he sat on the floor between beds and shoes and practised his Sadhana. 

The DVD “Wisdom of Sivananda” focused on the divinity of the soul, immortality of the Atman and the need for a life of divinity. One should surrender and offer everything to God, unconditionally. We should take refuge in the Lord alone and He will liberate us. The message was followed by the melodious “Song of Bliss” by Sri Gurudev. 

Guest artiste, Rory Booth, a senior student of the Kala Darshan Institute of Indian Classical Music and Dance under the tutelage of Guru Shri Manesh Maharaj, presented two dance items dedicated to Lord Krishna. His excellent performances, dexterity of movements, grace and elegance, enthralled all. Sri Shenese Naicker, an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, made her offering to the Lord with beauty, grace, dexterity and Bhav. The offering by Raegan Nagan, a young Carnatic singer, brought to the fore the intricacies of the beautiful and melodic art form of Carnatic singing and music. The inspiring and soul-stirring recitation of Bhagavad Gita Slokas with meanings by our Rishikumaris, Kirtans and Bhajans, a video on Lord Krishna, Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s beautifully recorded songs on Lord Krishna, and the cradle Bhajan, Jaya Nandala, complemented the evening’s celebration, and satiated the spiritual appetite of devotees on this auspicious occasion. 

May the Grace and blessings of Lord Krishna and our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda, be upon us always.