Yes, this Santarpana occurs on every ekadashi at 6pm with the support of Sri RamachandrapuraMatha. What is this? During ekadashi, that too when the God comes around, people are being fed! Come…visualise…you too participate in this Santarpana, experience and attain satisfaction. This experience is unique and special. Did Purandara Dasa not say – “Rama Nama Payasakke, Krishna Nama Sakkare; Vittala Nama Thuppava Beresi Baayi Chapparisiro”. On this Ekadashi festival, there are variety of things to feed on, like spirituality, devotion, intellectual discussion, music, literature which are necessary for our lives. They are like the rice of the festival. The highlight of this festival is the prose and poetry of lyricists and poets. The accompanying instruments are the accompanying spices. Literature is the vessel or utensils to be cooked. The old and new artists’ singing are the usual and new food on offer to listen. Combining all of the above with bhakti and life and cooking it in the fire called sound, the food called music is created. The person feeding this to our souls is the avatara of Sri Adi Shankara i.e., SriCharana. Do people who feed on this need a better chance and luck? After filling oneself in this way, is there any way that one cannot belch happily.
I am one of the many who consumed happily in this festival of sound on 18 November 2018. We had tastefully selected and enjoyed the various dishes of sound like the music and intricacies of Pillari Geethas of Purandara Dasa including Lambodara Lumikira, Kereya Neeranu Kerege Chelli; the main aspects of Purandara Dasa’s Krithis. Along with this, we heard 2 songs written by Santa Shishunala Sharif, Kanaka Dasa and Bhadrachalam Ramadasa each.
SriCharana explained the wishes of the lyricists and the meaning of the lyrics. Swamiji further expressed the meaning of the lyrics in such a way that commoners like me could understand it at ease. SriCharana entered into the heart of the lyricists while doing so. This experience lighted our interest in sound and practice of music. This reminded the listeners that music can be path to gaining Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. This message was brought to us through music and discourses of Ramakatha, Bhava Pooje and Rama Pada.
Every Ramakatha not only perpetuates spiritual insights but also introduces lyricists and their wonderful works. The programme also introduces new artists and their prowess to the listeners. The programme also brings to us the knowledge on music, lyricists, their wishes and their character. Hence, musicians, students and others attend this programme to understand how they must learn music. I wondered how beautiful it would be if all of them would bring music to the depth of the lyrics and bring that into practice.
SriSannidhana sings the sholkas and geetas with emotion, softly and with a sweet voice. Our hearts listens to this and melts into it. The accompanying singers support this very well. The programme is beautifully accompanied by Vidwan Prajnana Leelashuka Upadyaya on harmonium, Vidwan Subramanya Hegde on Sitar and Vidwan Ganesh Baghawat on Tabla.
*- The small eyes and big stomach like Ganapati, should not become greedy and become a big eyed but small stomached person.
*- If you throw away the water back into the pond, then we are the one standing with only the remaining wetness in our hands.
*- Have faith and trust in God and full strength into your soul.
*- Mantras are created according to the circumstances at the point of time. They may be used for good or bad purposes. Chant the Rama japa of Sri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama which has no such circumstances. This weapon called Rama Nama Japa fights the ignorance in the person and wins this battle with positive energy. In this way, SriRama’s victory is our victory.
*- Music is Saraswati. She is the mother of this world. Hence one should not take it in extreme meaning that Purandara Dasa is the father of music or that Gandhi is the father of the nation.
*- Musicians should first understand the depth of raga and lyrics themselves and then should enjoy singing it.
*- One should understand the original meaning of the synonym and antonym of words.
I am enjoying till today, such words of wisdom and more as said by SriGuru.
Sri Sri Raghaveshwara Bharathi Mahaswamiji is that divine mother who brings down a devotee’s ego and arrogance with just a smile, raising a mortal into an immortal person. Samsthana is the one who feeds Amruta (ambrosia) to all individuals. I offer my gratitude and pranams on behalf of those who have all attended the programme to the feet of SriSamsthana.
