Message from Amma
Auspicious Dates in the Month of
Sravana (July-August)
Jai Karunamayi!
Recently, during the Los Angeles Meditation Retreat, Amma gave some information regarding auspicious dates in August, along with some suggestions for sadhana that we can perform. By following the guidelines given by our beloved Amma, we can benefit greatly from the positive cosmic energies that are available on these special days. Please note that in Sanatana Dharma, most dates are calculated according to the lunar calendar. Therefore, the calendar dates for these days will change from year to year.
For any questions about these practices, feel free to contact sanskrit@karunamayi.org, and a devotee familiar with the practices will be happy to assist.
Amma's Guidance
On July 17th, the sun entered the Cancer zodiac. This marks the beginning of the meritorious time of dakshinayana – the six months during which the sun moves southward in the sky. The auspicious uttarayana path, the six months during which the sun moves northward in the sky, was completed on the 16th of July. The inspired rishis of ancient India knew how to calculate time very precisely, using their tapas shakti.
The many divisions of time known as years, yugas (1), kalpas (2) and manvantaras (3) are "kala daiva swarupa" – the divine forms of time. Such calculations of time would not be possible without the rising and setting of the sun. That is why the Sun God, who indicates time, is worshipped as Sri Surya Narayana, who is the cause of the wheel of time. He is praised as the divine form of time in the Suryopanishad and as Brahma swarupa in the Rig Veda. Last year, many people from all over the world came to Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh for the purpose of worshipping the kala chakra, the wheel of time.
The Month of Sravana is Dedicated to the Worship of Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi
Taken during Diwali celebrations at the Bangalore Ashram in 2003,
this picture shows a beautifully decorated murti of Mother Lakshmi,
who has just been worshipped with dozens of pink lotuses
The month of Sravana began on the 26th of July, on the first day of the waxing moon. This month is designated for the worship of Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi. In India, it is customary to worship Sri Lakshmi on Mondays. Each day of the week is connected with a different planet, and Monday is connected with the moon. When you worship Sri Lakshmi and Iswara on this day with faith, your mind will become completely pure and will attain a sacred brilliance.
During the month of Sravana, Tuesdays are very auspicious days for worshipping Sri Devi and Sri Maha Lakshmi in particular. In addition, Fridays are also extremely sacred to Divine Mother. By worshipping Sri Lakshmi Devi in the Sri Chakra or installing Her in a kalasa and doing puja to Her on the four Fridays in the month of Sravana, one can eliminate commotion, anxiety, poverty and ill health. One will attain the blessings of immense peace, brilliance, prosperity and one will achieve all noble desires. For the entire month of Sravana, people should take only sattwic food. It is very good to take only milk, fruits and chapatis, and to reduce salty, sour, spicy and oily foods in the diet. Spiritual aspirants should do their sadhana with great care, making sure to maintain their purity and to not tell any lies.
Sloka:
Evam yah pujayed bhaktyam pratyaham sri chakra lalitambikam
Bhuktwa bhogan yadha kamam devi sayujyam apnuyat
Mother Jagadambika not only bestows every kind of auspicious fortune and enjoyment, but She also grants all the noble wishes of those who worship Sri Maha Lakshmi every day with great devotion in this manner in the month of Sravana.
During the month of Sravana, Sri Devi graces those who worship Her in the divine form of Sri Maha Lakshmi and Sriman Narayana. By worshipping Sri Devi in the Sri Chakra, aspirants attain every kind of blessing and even attain moksha – spiritual liberation. When one offers flowers to the Sri Chakra while chanting Samputita Sri Suktam on all the thirty days of the month of Sravana, Sri Dhana Lakshmi will enter one's house. The cooling and compassionate glances of Mother Dhana Lakshmi will fill that entire place with abundant luminescence. She will remove every kind of difficulty and the ashta daridryas (4), the eight kinds of poverty. She will grant spiritual bliss along with the ashtaishwaryas (5) – the eight kinds of divine wealth.
Amma worshipping a Maha Meru Chakra
with golden lotuses -
this powerful Sri Chakra is
now installed
in the Sri Lalita Mandir at Penusila
When you sit in front of a Sri Chakra and chant the Samputita Sri Suktam, the sound vibrations from the mantras fall on your six chakras and untie the subtle granthis, or knots, allowing all the chakras to open like beautiful lotus blossoms. In this way, you will be protected from any negative karma or ill health. Those sound vibrations will give you courage, stability, and the ability to be in your higher Self. In addition, unmarried girls who wholeheartedly worship Divine Mother in the Sri Chakra will be blessed with a good marriage. May all receive Divine Mother's abundant grace by serving Sri Maha Lakshmi in the month of Sravana!
August 4th – This day is known as Sri Vara Lakshmi Vratam, and on this day, Mother Lakshmi grants every kind of auspicious boon. For more information on how to observe this day, please see Amma's Special Guidance for Sri Vara Lakshmi Vratam.
August 9th – This day is Sravana Pournami, the full moon day of Sravana. It is also known as Rakhi Pournami (Sravana nakshatram), because on this day the festival of Raksha Bandhan (6) is celebrated. Those who have a brother can tie a rakhi on his wrist. If you do not have a brother, then you can imagine Sri Ganesha as your brother. Offer Him a rakhi (new white cotton string to which turmeric is applied), imagine that you are tying that rakhi on His wrist, and offer Him some sweets or fruits. Then you will feel and experience that Sri Ganesha is your own brother, and that He is always with you to protect you.
This day is very auspicious for worshipping Divine Mother, and you can chant the Khadgamala Stotram. Performing Sri Chakra puja on any full moon day fulfills all desires, gives abundant divine radiance, and grants moksha itself. One can offer kumkum or flower petals to a Sri Chakra while chanting Sri Khadgamala Namavalih.
It is very auspicious to worship a marakata (green jade) Ganesha or to offer emerald green items to Sri Ganesha - this kind of puja gives every auspicious blessing for the mind and for financial health
August 12th – This day is known as Sankashta Chaturthi, and on this day, those who worship Lord Ganesha with green grass blades while chanting "Om gam ganapataye namaha" one hundred and eight times are relieved of all suffering. All obstacles will be removed from their lives. If anyone has a problem with anger, worshipping Sri Ganesha will reduce that anger tremendously. One can either buy wheat grass for offering, or one can grow regular grass or wheat grass. If you grow the grass, make sure that no one will step on it. It should be kept very clean and pure, as it is intended for puja purposes.
August 16th – This sacred day is known as Sri Krishna Jayanti, and on this day Sri Krishna is worshipped. One can worship Sri Krishna in the Sri Chakra and offer milk, butter or yogurt as naivedyam.
August 24th – This day is a wonderful day for performing the Siva Mauna Vrata, a vow of silence dedicated to Lord Siva. It is very good to maintain silence on this day. If it is not possible to maintain silence for the entire day, then at least half a day or just two hours of observance is good. By taking this vow, one merges with Lord Siva. Silence is very good, as it bestows atma jnana, the knowledge of the Self. External silence leads to inner silence, inner silence leads to silence of the mind, and silence of the mind leads one to the great silence.
Lord Siva is present in the Sri Chakra, so you can do abhisheka with milk to a Siva Lingam or a Sri Chakra while chanting, “Om namah sivaya” one hundred and eight times on this day. You and your family or friends can then drink the sanctified milk as Lord Siva's sacred prasad. Pray to God from the depths of your inner heart, with tears of sincere yearning, to grant you atma jnana, the knowledge of the Self. On this one day, clear your mind, set aside all your worldly affairs, and have only the desire to be in the presence of Lord Siva.
Amma and Swamiji perform milk abhishekam to a
sacred Narmadeswara Siva Lingam
Footnotes:
1) Yuga: A general term for an Age or Era. According to Sanatana Dharma, the world goes through a continuous cycle of these epochs. Each era is divided into four yugas: Satya or Krita, Treta, Dvapara and Kali yuga. A complete cycle of four yugas makes one maha yuga.
2) Kalpa: A time period between the creation of the universe (by Brahma) and the destruction of the universe (by Siva). One kalpa has been defined as 1000 maha yugas.
3) Manvantara: There are 71 maha yugas in one manvantara. One cosmic day of the creator Brahma is 4.32 billion years. According to Srimad Bhagavatam and other scriptures, each day is divided into fourteen periods. Each period is named after the One Ruler who is appointed to rule the earthly world during that period. The generic name for such a ruler is Manu and the period is called a manvantara. Each manvantara is of duration 306,720,000 human years.
4) Ashta daridrya: [ashta: eight + daridrya: poverty] Eight types of poverties: 1. Lack of children, 2. Lack of valor, 3. Lack of victory, 4. Lack of money, 5. Lack of grandeur, 6. Lack of food, 7. Lack of auspiciousness and 8. Lack of grace of Adi Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth.
5) Ashtaishwaryam: [ashta: eight + aishwarya: wealth] Eight kinds of wealth: 1. Shakti, power, 2. Adhipatya, sovereignty, 3. Upanivesha, inhabiting the earth with living beings, 4. Vibhava, exalted position, 5. Dhana, material wealth, 6. Badappana, supremacy, 7. Sarvashakti matta, omnipotence, 8. sarva vyapakata, omnipresence.
6) Raksha Bandhan: [raksha: protection + bandhan:bond] A festival which is celebrated in India to honor the relationship between brothers and sisters. On this day, sisters tie a rakhi (a holy thread) around their brothers' wrists. The brother in return offers a gift to his sister and vows to look after her. This festival is typically an occasion for celebration by the whole family.
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
May All Beings Be Happy
Om Shantih Shantih Shantihi
May the Whole World Be in Peace
