[Advaita-l] Teachings on the Vijaya Yatra - Concentration during Pooja for the Grace of the Lord

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Around the beginning of the month, a nugget of Wisdom from the Jagadguru may be posted
on the Chaturamnaya list : http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/chaturamnaya )
 
 
http://vijayayatra.sringeri.net/vijayayatra/vathirairuppu-apr-14-15-2017/
 
VATHIRAIRUPPU: APR 14-15, 2017
Jagadgurus at Vathirairuppu
 
The Ubhaya Jagadgurus arrived at Vathirairuppu in the evening of April 14, 2017 to a devout welcome. After Dhuli Pada Pooja and a prayer song on
Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Mahaswamiji, Swagata Patrikas in Sanskrit and Tamil were read out and submitted to the Jagadgurus. Devotees at
Vathirairuppu expressed joy at the arrival of the Sringeri Jagadgurus on the Tamil New Year day, marking the onset of the Hemalamba Samvatsara
as per Souramana system (the solar almanac).
 
In His Anugraha Bhashanam, Sri Mahasannidhanam said that people naturally find it difficult to concentrate when engaged in Pooja. However, to secure
the Lord’s Grace for our spiritual welfare, it is important to cultivate dispassion towards everything at least during the time of Pooja. Pooja must
be performed with the feeling, “I need nothing in this world. I only seek the Lord’s Grace” – This will enhance the concentration with which the Pooja
is performed. Sri Mahasannidhanam also recounted the previous visits of the Sringeri Jagadgurus to Vathirairuppu – the 1957 visit of His Guru and the
1987 visit that He Himself had made.
 
Sri Sannidhanam in His Anugraha Bhashanam stated the need for cultivating devotion at a young age. Sri Sannidhanam also said that it is not wise to ask
how long acts of devotion must be performed. We must remember that devotion culminates in receiving the Grace of the Lord. When a person wants to buy
or build a house, he begins to save for this purpose by regulating his day-to-day expenditure. He does not stop spending for his daily needs. Likewise,
despite our daily worldly pursuits, we must set aside time to engage in acts that bring about our spiritual welfare.
 
Later in the evening, the Sharada Chandramoulishwara Pooja and Srichakra Pooja was performed by Sri Sannidhanam.
 
VISITS
 
On April 15, Sri Sannidhanam visited the Azhagiya Manavala Perumal temple and had Darshan. Sri Sannidhanam also graced the Hindu Higher Secondary school
and blessed the staff, teachers and students. Sri Sannidhanam then graced the Sri Ramamurthy Swamy Bhajana Samajam, where Sri Adi Shankaracharya Ashtottara
Parayanam is being done regularly. Later when giving Darshan to the devotees, Sri Mahasannidhanam commended the Hindu Higher Secondary School for its efforts
in providing quality education to students in the region and blessed the school authorities with Rs. 1 lakh as Sharada Prasada towards developmental activities.