Inspiration from Sat Chandi Mahayajna.
I was at Rikhia, Deoghar, Jharkand, the abode of Paramahamsa Satyananda Saraswati from 20th Nov to 25th Nov to witness the Sat Chandi Mahayajna and Rajsooya Yajna. The Rajsooya yajna was started in 2001 when Sw Satyananda made a sankalpa that for the twelve years this traditional ritual would be conducted.
The yajna was such an extraordinary experiece that it almost demeans to analyse its parts. The yajna is a big family gathering and we have the joy of meeting our old friends of the yoga movement initiated by Paramahamsaji.
The most amazing part of the whole event is that small children were conducting the entire event. The confidence of those kids would put most of the yoga teachers in shame. The effortless chanting of Durga Saptasati, Ramayana and making annoucements both in English and Hindi was impeccable. The Kanyas { the virgins} were the focus of the entire episode. These girls are from the lowest strata of the whole country. Sri Swamiji has adopted the entire Rikhia panchayat. Who can protest a girl of hardly 7 year old tells you that you can't go through that gate.?
The hallmark of the yajna was understanding, compassion, surrender, faith and above all seva. In life , when the attitude of seva comes then the understanding changes. To try and cure a sick person is service and give a peace to anunbalanced mind is also seva. But meaning of seva is quite wider. We try to do service according to oue needs and we are confined to the field of giving. Swami Niranjananda says, " When seva is taken as limitless field and there is preparation for service emotionally, theoritically, intelectually,socially,physically and mentally, then seva is successful in uplifting humanity."
The yajna showed the power of Guru , as an accomplished human being . The presence of Swami Satyanandaji and Swami Niranjanandaji was divine and long lasting experience. I could perceive a feel of Shirdi Sai Baba during Paramahamsa Satyanandaji's presence.It is the same compassion, serinity , calmness and the way he communicates , which we heard of Sai Baba of Shirdi. It was a great teaching about how we can communicate and live our lives with the higher understanding and ultimate awareness.
Paramhamsa Satyananda sayings are just wonderful. Sri Swamiji reninded us, this giving of prasads to the all and sundry is not charity, for charity is the mother of poverty. It is a giving of blessings from the Cosmic Mother. Hundreds of devotees, sannyasis and volunteers worked hard through out the entire program, doing everything from cleaning the toilets to the packing of prasads, to serving of food - offering our service to a higher force, to the Guru, to the Cosmic Mother , dedicated to the one man who dedicated his entire life to the serving of God and more than serving to the downtrodden, to the neglects of the societies and inspiring thousands of us to do the same. If we give, the whole wealth of the world will be ours. This is the secret of abundance and divine life.
There is an inherent tendency to achieve the objectives , as there is a spark of divinity within the self. A new dimension of yoga will evolve . We are at the threshhold of the new phase of evolution. In a few decades , anetwork of people with common purpose and a yogic perspective will grow and the drama of yogic events will transform our planet to a spiritually vibrant realm.