Section 7.   Vishnu Sahasranaama Saarvajanika Yajna

Eleven days passed in elevating and enlightenising succession. The audience swelled considerably, taking the new spiritual ecstasy wider and wider.   In the 12-day event, the most yearned for was the Vishnusahasranama Samooha Mahayajna of the last day.

Vishnusahasranama Sarvajanik Yajna calls for more than a full day’s preparation to set the venue with ceremonial details. But the Satrashala could be available only the previous evening, after the day’s programme. Undeterred, in full tempo, Dharma Sevaks and Sevikas strove hard round the clock to complete cleaning and decorating the Satrashala for the great holy mega event.

By the time Bhoomanandaji Maharaj could leave the Satrashala for a short while before reaching back for the function, it was Arunodayam. 

By 8 in the morning, devotees with previously distributed free coupons started arriving.  Srimad Bhagavata recital over, the whole Mandapam poised for hosting the last event.  1000 people took their seats in front of 250 lamps placed in 11 rows.  Around the havan-kunda sat 11 persons for the havan. The arrangements quite sublime and the devotee performers equally set for the holy spell, the Satrashala put on an exquisitely sublime look, reminding every one of the Vedic Ashvamedha Yaga.

By 9.15 the Swamijis took the seat on the dais and clicked off the Mahayajna.  Bhoomananda Tirthji Maharaj apprised the audience about the genesis of Vishnusahasranama.  “The great Sage Vyasa, to whom we owe this towering heritage, has been couched in Bhishma’s words to Yudhishtira, while the grandfather was still lying on his bed of arrows in Kurukshetra battlefield, waiting to breath his last! Bhishma recounts that the thousand names were first narrated by Lord Shiva to Parvati, revealing how Mahavishnu alone was the Self-born, Self-sustaining Supreme Power, from whom alone all others including himself (Lord Shiva) derive their status and powers. 

With no sentence, verb or special order or enunciation, these thousand names in simple words describe the Lord of all Sacrifices giving Him a thousand epithets.  Each is a coinage of the human heart, mind and intelligence. Obviously it carries the knowledge, worth and aspiration of the humans themselves.  In other words, the whole sahasranama represents self-assertion, self-effort and self-fulfilment of the human!  Though cast in notes of praise, it is verily the determined pursuit, perseverance, of the human mind and heart to elevate, strengthen and broaden themselves, imbuing in the process unending potential and possibilities before them.

Self-made, self-willed and self-sought, each of the Nama goes to enrich, empower and edify the reciter.  The rest is all imagination meant to ultimately engulf the imagining mind itself. The act done is external, but the process and fruition are verily internal.  The objective involvement sought to embellish the Subject in the performer!

The whole session brought a change in the audience’s perception: 

“Here now you perform the act of Archana or Havana, to empower and edify yourselves, the actor – in the same way as you eat to nourish and strengthen your body.  Invoke devotion from your heart, employ it heartily to get the resultant benefits in full, helped by none other and looking to nowhere else than your own heart!”

 

“Let every flower taken to the heart and then placed at the altar of the luminous lamp enlighten and expand your within. Until at last you merge with the Ever Bright Reality or become one with it yourself…”

Swamiji, always enlightening his audience with the power of words, heart and soul at once, elevated the participants and spectators of the Mahayajna to ecstatic dimensions. 

The first hundred names were chanted by Bhoomananda Tirthaji Maharaj himself, the next followed from Ma Gurupriyaji before the third hundred were recited by Swami Nirvisheshananda Tirthji Maharaj, the triangle and circle went on revolving. Following the lead chant, the Brahmacharins and Brahmacharinees from the Ashram also recited in chorus to keep the spell unbroken and vibrantly buoyant. 

Meanwhile each of the Swamis, in turn, went around the Satrashala, nay Yajnashala, to over-see every one, each corner and every phase.  This inspectional meandering gave a personal closeness, giving further fillip to participants and spectators. 

While participants did the Yajna with flowers or Havana saamagri, the spectators did it with their tongue and mind.  Who excelled whom, is an ever relevant question!  Herein lay the great event’s magnitude and magnificence!

Prosperity is what people look to first. Thought of felicity comes but later to their minds. Lord Vishnu richly represents the second.  But can the first be missed altogether, at least until devotional faith grows to be full-fold? To enrich the minds and hearts of people, who are first and last earthy, Bhoomananda Tirthji Maharaj has always blended Vishnu’s 1000 Namas with Lakshmi’s 108, thus ensuring adequate riches with the greater enrichment called spiritual wisdom, which alone has the power to ensure human well-being at all levels.

Thus followed Lakshmistuti and the 108 Lakshmi Names. These over, the great Sarvajanik Yajna stood in essence complete. Poornahuti alone remained to be performed. To facilitate swiftness in procedure, 5 Poornahuti plates were circulated by the head devotees in each line, to be touched and owned up by all participants.

What is Poornahuti? It is a rare offering relevant only to such grand occasions.  It encompasses all materials we use for our secular and religious life. Religiously cooked rice, raw vegetables, sandal piece, incense, silver and gold pieces, a piece of dress… everything nourishing, necessary or even ornamental, has a place in the Poornahuti plate.  It reminds us of the supreme truth that there is nothing besides God. Whatever forms our food, dress, conveniences or luxuries go to constitute the large manifestation, body, of God.  All are but His own embodiment. One’s attitude to God must be one of all-foldness, all-inclusiveness and not piecemeal, short-ranged or divisional. 

Swamiji said: “Devotee mind should grow from ‘a mustard’ measure to ‘a mountain’ measure, and on to the ‘the sea dimension itself’.  It should not stop until it embraces everything and all, like endless space, eschewing any specific love or hate, possessing or preferring none to breed inevitably their opposites.”

Poornahuti circulation over, the offerers positioned themselves close to the huge Havana kunda, heralded by Nirviseshanandaji Maharaj. All attention was focussed there. “Poornamadam, poornamidam….  Poornam eva avashishyate…” went up the Mantra from the dais. With the additional

                        “Aakashaat patitam toyam yathaa gacchati saagaram,
                        yajna-yaagaakhilam sarvam vishnum-eva-adhigacchati”

On a signal by Poojya Swamiji, all materials in the plates were offered to the fire that blazed forth, with full acknowledgement and splendour from the fire, by now, blazing within!  The scene lit up multitude of hearts and minds.

The only item left was Samaapana-deepa-araadhana. By then on every lamp, kalasham and the three-tier Havana kunda, on a banana piece cut to size had already been placed pieces of camphor.  Ringing the traditional bell Swami Bhoomananda Tirthaji Maharaj and others recited Upanishadic Mantra “Na tatra sooryo bhaati…  suffixing it with the concluding lines drawn from Mundakopanishad “Yathaa nadyah syndamaanah samudre …purusham-upaiti divyam”.  Deepaaradhana on the stage blended with multiple camphor flames everywhere from the Satrashala. The assorted, collective smoky brilliance filled the eyes as well as hearts of all there, transporting them to ecstatic heights!   Vaikuntha indeed, Devaloka itself, Redemption personified many voices rose up in unison, leaving nothing more to be gained or looked for!  Can contentment, delight, exultation be so full, complete!  

Prasada distribution commenced, all devotees lining up and coming to the Swamiji Maharaj pair to receive Jnana Prasada as well as Anna-Prasada from their benedictory hands. Their lines looked endless and hasty, compelling to call off the programme to let the valedictory function of the Satram.

Malliyur Sriman Shankaran Nambootirippad, called Bhagavata Hamsam, had already arrived, despite his age and ill health, to the delight of the devotee community.  Bhoomanandaji Maharaj presiding, Prof. Vaidyalinga Sharma by his side, Malliyur gently poured forth his characteristic devotional addiction.  The session ended after Swamiji Maharaj, Prof. Vaidyalinga Sharma and Purushothama Swamiji also addressed the assembly.

The Dharma Dhvaja was brought down by Purushothama Swamij Maharaj to mark the successful conclusion of the 12-day event. The great holy event, originated by the Ashram-twins also concluded in their own hands, but not before it was let known to all that it would re-commence in December the next year.

The incomplete Prasada distribution was completed, leaving the fond notes for the next event even stronger and more vibrant in the local as well as outstation votaries alike!

 

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