Srimad Bhagavat Saptah & other Celebrations
at Shanti Mandir, Magod
December 24, 2003-January 1, 2004

One of the pre-eminent scriptures of the Vedic tradition is the Srimad Bhagavat which comprises twelve books or “parts” written in Sanskrit long ago by the ancient sages to ensure that the original wisdom (until then, carried in the oral tradition) was not lost.

Comprising more than a thousand pages of wisdom, and recounting the glories of Sri Krishna and his various incarnations, it begins with the words:

“We sing the glory of Sri Krishna who is all truth, consciousness and bliss, who is responsible for the creation, sustenance and destruction of the universe and who puts an end to the threefold agony (the various kinds of human suffering).”

It is said that liberation is granted to those who recite or listen to this entire work over a seven-day period. The great scripture not only gives a vivid description of the leela (divine play) of the Lord but also lays down rules of conduct for householders and sannyasins in ways that remain just as applicable today, if not more so, as when first written down.

So it was that from 24 December 2003 to 1 January 2004 devotees at the ashram in Magod found themselves not only in the company of Gurudev and his fellow Mahamandaleshwars and Swamis but also 125 Brahmin priests who had come from near and far to continue this ancient tradition of the seven-day Srimad Bhagavat saptah.

Swami Nityanand arrived in the ashram in Magod the day before the auspicious event in the company of Mahamandaleshwar Swami Brahmanandji and Mahamandaleshwar Swami Vishveshwaranandji from Sannyas Ashram, Mumbai.

On their way to the ashram they visited a temple named Tadakeshwar, dedicated to Lord Shiva. Tadka means “scorched in the sun”. Here, Lord Shiva’s linga stands in an unroofed temple exposed to the sun’s relentless fire. Various attempts have been made over the decades to build a roof for the temple but all have failed.

The arrival of the three saints and accompanying devotees was a joyous occasion. Greeted in the traditional manner with much love and devotion, they were lead from the ashram entrance to the Panch Dev temple by young girls who each carried a kalash (copper water bowl) on their head. Aarti was then performed, the striking music of the Yeola Brass Band and the rich resonance of the conch adding to the vibrant feeling.
Photos December 23: Welcome at Shiva Temple and Shanti Mandir, Magod

December 24 witnessed a Shobha Yatra – a great, two-hour procession through the nearby city of Valsad carrying the main pothi (a sacred relic in the form of the Srimad Bhagavat) to apprise everyone of the great event. The Srimad Bhagavat itself says whenever the seven-day recitation is to be held, every effort should be made to inform everyone.

The procession was lead by the Guruseva Band from Yeola, followed by the young Brahmin students of the Shanti Vidya Mandir (the ashram’s Vedic school) on horses and girls with the traditional kalash on their heads.

The pothi was carried on a beautifully decorated elephant, followed by young boys who waved saffron flags.

Mahamandaleshwar Swami Brahmanandji sat on a tractor decked with flowers while Gurudev and Swami Vishveshvaranandji followed in a horse carriage. Yet another tractor carried the other saints who had gathered for the occasion, with the devotees bringing up the rear.

The procession was greeted by the local townspeople and villagers with great honour as they offered their pranams to the saints and to the great scripture, along with water and beverages. The procession ended at the ancient Ganesh temple where prayers were offered.
Photos December 24: Shobha Yatra
That afternoon, there was another yatra in which 125 Yajmans (sponsors/hosts for each of the 125 Brahmins) each carried a pothi on their heads from the ashram to the village of Magod and back, led by Gurudev on foot. The main pothi was then invoked and installed in the Mandap. Then followed the inauguration speech by Mahamandaleshwar Swami Brahmanandji.
Photos December 24: Pothi Yatra
The front of the Mandap had a traditional rural look, with its cow dung-smeared floor and jute backdrop which contrasted perfectly with the festive ambience of the colourful, fabric-draped ceiling and chandeliers in the back.

Three stages were erected in the southern corner of the tent. Swami Vishveshwaranandji sat in the centre, on the Vyas Peeth – a position of great honor. To his right sat Mahamandaleshwar Swami Brahmanandji, Gurudev, Mahamandaleshwar Swami Advaitanandji and Swami Gopalanandji. Musicians occupied the stage to the left.

All around the perimeter of the tent sat the 125 Brahmin priests, each with a copy of the Srimad Bhagavat from which they recited verses in Sanskrit each morning from 9 am to noon.
Photos December 24 & 25:
Each afternoon, at 2:00 p.m. the saints returned to the Mandap for four hours of discourse and chanting, the musicians singing the Sant Poojan and Bhagavat to 6:00 p.m.

The main discourse each day was given by Mahamandaleshwar Swami Vishveshwaranandji who beautifully narrated stories in Gujarati from this ancient, most sacred scripture which is considered to be the veritable sound-body of the Lord himself.

Of course, throughout the 7-day worship, the ashram schedule continued with early morning abhishek and chanting – aarti, Vishnu Sahasranam, Sri Krishna Govinda - and the evening aarti, Shiva Mahimna, etc.

The constancy and power of the Vedic mantras created an atmosphere so profound, so steeped in the feeling of the ancient ways, that it was easy to be carried by one’s imagination to the times when sage Sanaka first narrated the Srimad Bhagavat to Narada.
Photos December 26:
Regarded as an embodiment of the Lord himself, the holy book is capable of conferring, in the age of Kali, the reward of speedy access to Vaikuntha (the heavenly realm of Lord Vishnu) by merely being read or heard in its entirety.
As Mahamandaleshwar Swami Brahmanandji very aptly said in his inaugural address, one simply has to attain salvation within seven days for there is no eighth day of the week, no matter how much we count.
Photos December 27 & 28:
The afternoon discourses were balanced with melodious bhajans, couplets and shlokas sung by the musicians with such focus and love that everyone swayed joyfully to the melodies, some even moved spontaneously by the rhythm to dance the traditional garbha.

As the days passed and the various incarnations of the Lord were narrated there was much excitement among the children who, in a most heartfelt and skilful manner, acted out various stories from the Srimad Bhagavat, including the wondrous birth of Krishna.
Photos December 29:
On the sixth day, when the story of the marriage of Krishna and Rukmini was narrated, an actual wedding was performed in which an employee of the ashram, who had been engaged, was married in accordance with the Vedic rites. Devotees from the north of India accompanied the groom in the wedding procession while those from Gujarat accompanied the bride’s family. It was a truly joyful, most auspicious occasion. As Gurudev said, "Every marriage is divine and unique, sanctified by the union of Shiva and Shakti. But when a marriage takes place in the midst of 125 Brahmin priests and so many saints and sadhus it is especially unique and blessed."
Photos December 30:
On the concluding seventh day, after evening aarti, the pothis were carried on their heads by the Yajmans to the Panch Dev temple.
Photos December 31:

January 1 2004, which was also the fifth anniversary of the ashram in Magod, saw the special occasion conclude with a yagna (sacrificial fire ceremony), the saints blessing the gathering with their parting words.

Mahamandaleshwar Swami Advaitanandji observed that, just like Swami Vivekananda, Swami Nityanand was responsible for bringing about a spiritual revolution, spreading the Vedic knowledge all around the globe. And he even pointed to the physical resemblance between them. A turban was then wrapped around Gurudev’s head in the manner of Swami Vivekananda.

Though well into his eighties, Maharajji not only sat through the entire event but spoke most eloquently, with great depth of knowledge and feeling. He observed that just as Krishna ruled Dwarka for 125 years, so 125 Brahmins came to recite the Srimad Bhagavat. He also noted that the ashram at Magod was now five years old just like the five-year old devotees of the Lord, Prahlad and Dhruv, who feature in the Srimad Bhagavat.

He concluded with a prediction that in the time to come, the ashram in Magod would become a great centre for learning and spiritual awakening. This memorable occasion ended with a sumptuous bandhara (vegetarian feast).
PHOTOS