Significance of the Ancestral Cleansing

Gurucharanam Saranam

Significance of the Pitrusuddhi - Ancestral Cleansing at Santhigiri

By M. Chidambaran, Dy. Director of Education- Retd., Haripad)

This is not the usual pitrusuddhi (purification of the souls of our ancestors) carried out through sacrifices (homas) or oblations as practiced according to the Hindu tradition. Real pitrusuddhi does not happen through that ceremony. The sinful souls of the dead who are ineligible for liberation or mukti become instrumental in generating children in neecha rasi (evil position of stars) which in turn results in failures of actions (karma) and also misery. This can be overcome only through pitrusuddhi carried out through sankalpa or will which is the unique way of the Guru. He divines the conditions of all objects of our worship and those of our earlier generations (souls of the dead) and with His knowledge of Brahman He brings them to his own spiritual light making them eligible for liberation through His acquired goodness (virtues). This is what is known by the name Guru Pooja in Santhigiri.

Our duty is to bring forth our children to become parents to establish a new lineage (parampara) of the people arising from the purified souls. Such people will be the embodiment of goodness, fortune and power as well as purity of action. The realization of the ultimate truth experienced by the faithful and the disciples of the Guru is the distinctive characteristic of Santhigiri. Nowhere else can we find believers and disciples who have really experienced visions and revelations as in Santhigiri. The concept of God is realized through the Guru. People who follow different religions, faiths and practice different rituals can have their sins of the previous births removed by following the path of the Guru. He is the only person who can divine the actions of the previous births and foresee the future and its dharma and advise how to carry out our duties in relation to it. Offering correctives to the darsans the Guru alone can lead us to the path of liberation. Without a real Guru this becomes impossible. We can find out this Guru through His disciples who have actually experienced His grace.

The purpose of Guru’s birth is the creation of a casteless and classless society, the members of which will maintain purity in thought and action and also hold on to eternal moral values, fraternity and peace. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru fulfills this mission of establishing a new lineage of people with faith in One God following the genuine dharma and karma of Manu. Hence this is a liberating religion. Santhigiri will be known as the birthplace of anew concept of humanity. Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru spoke on the relevance of Santhigiri Ashram to the present age thus:

‘The knowledge initiated for the dissemination of dharma which human race cannot attain through Manusmriti of Manu can be obtained through the message of Santhigiri. Of the four epochs known as chaturyuga, the last one is kaliyuga. It is brought out through our lineage what the objectives of life during Kaliyuga should be, and what the full realization of divinity is expected to be.  The corrections regarding the dharma to be followed in each epoch starting with Krita or Satya yuga as propounded by Sri Krishna through Bhagavat Gita becomes a reality through Santhigiri.

Sri Krishna took his birth at the end of Dwapara Yuga. His life and message have not been properly understood by either scholars or unschooled people. This distressing fact cannot be forgotten. Sri Krishna’s birth and life based on dharma sastras and puranas was a great asset to humanity. Even that we have failed to follow. Countless scholars have explicated the idea contained in the Gita. However nobody belonging to the human kind right from the Brahmin to the chandala (the untouchable) has failed to comprehend the full significance of it.

The concept of form, name and quality, countless subtle states, cause and effect relationship, the knowledge about age, the stages of dharma in the order jagrat (wakefulness) dream, slumber, turiya and turiyateeta and the inner secrets of life are perceived through the faculty of darsan (vision) of disciples and believers. They are realized from time to time as the divine design. This is a phenomenon unique to Santhigiri. Some serious mistake had crept into this kind of knowledge at some point of time resulting in the non realization of the absolute truth, which is symbolically described as the loss of the fourth face of Brahma. Nevertheless, some great souls who came after Sri Krishna could perceive the truth….. Thanks to the serene and blameless divine darsan of exalted souls. Santhigiri by its precepts and practices embodies their great ideals. It has been fully proved here that the people belonging to all castes and creeds can realize the ultimate truth. It takes into account that has been emphasized in our ancient puranas and epics. It also focuses on the yuga dharma of Kaliyuga and it is revealed only through the special faculty of darsan.

India’s purnas, epics and Vedas prescribe a laborious method of long term practice for the attainment of spiritual realization. However, Santhigiri emphasizes spiritual realization through activities according to yuga dharma not hurting even an ant. This is nothing but what the Holy Bible said, ‘seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened’. It is the same as the ‘jyoti varna’ in the Holy Koran and ‘Satya Dharma’ described in Hinduism or the Sanatana Dahrma.  Therefore Santhigiri shows us the divine exhortation for all people to grow in every way’.(To be continued)

Spiritual Cleansing - Gurupooja at Santhigiri

Gurucharanam Saranam

Spiritual Cleansing - Gurupooja at Santhigiri
(Sacred words of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru)

Translated from the original Malayalam

We fought one another remaining in a system which laid down that we should not touch, step into, accept or perceive the sanctified aspect within all performances. In that fight, varnashrama dharma was lost and the caste system arose. The castes were also not to touch one another. All the karmas were hit by this system. We (at Santhigiri) are taking back that bruised karma, which many had tried in vain earlier. Santhigiri’s karma is directed at reverting to the caste-less state and not at devoleping a sanyasa cult. Nor is it aimed at tracing the root of the Indian civilization with a view to retrieve it. It is not necessary to lift it up. Because this is Kali: The dharma of Kali is not to step on the shoulder of the errors that have arisen in the whole world and then revive it. Our karma as well as the dharma of Kali is to wipe out the aspect of error.

In this karma, both the genders of householders should earn a great level. The householder-life (grihasthashram) is a great concept wherein a householder elevates himself (in such a manner) that through his offspring and lineage, he acquires the intelligence to rule the world; the karma (way of action) to impart goodness to the world or even become capable of assuming the role of the protectors of the world or its motherhood. Without knowing this, you live and perish as opportunists.
You don’t know what God-worship is. You do not know even to act distinguishing what is the Householder, Sanyasi, Yogi and Karmi. None of these karmas is now with us. Our success in life lies in retrieving them. This is the first effort in the world (in this direction). No where else has this effort taken place. Let it come if it is going to come elsewhere. We have reached the stage of the humbleness of the performance of God’s creative contemplation.

When I first reached this place for the actualization of this performance, I was told not to stay where I could be seen by two persons together. Many sort of things happened here at that period. The people of this place also know some of it, but their knowing was of no avail. When I first made a hut here, I handed over its care to some local residents here. And you came in (here) witnessing their fall. What is that fall like? These people had come and witnessed the happenings here. Despite many events which took place in front of them, being caught by cognitive lacking, they were distanced (from here) forever in a manner that it is impossible for them to come back or take it back. Some of them repent today saying that it was (their) flawed action. However, there is no use of their saying so.

The karma now being performed here today is aimed at moulding such offspring who can give birth to the array of deva (god), devi (goddess), rishi (seer), sanyasi (renunciate) and jnanis (the wise) who were worshipped by our forefathers with love and reverence. Nobody who came until now has done this performance, for God has not ordained them for it. But God has granted us that karma. You should realize that, but you fail to understand it in whatever way it is said. In this institution, where more than 15,000 families performed Gurupooja, there are no people even countable by fingers who live knowing it in that greatness. How will you then discern this karma? Many children of this place who were once associated with this have forgotten this. I have not told them anything. Whenever they come to me, sometimes I try to prick them saying it like a story, but they have no pain. Why so? Because all of us are the progeny of people who have read the ancient tales and epics like a story and, turning that story into play, made it into recklessness.

When it is mentioned that our subject is to correct this ignorance - what becomes necessary is your children. But they are not able to be brought forward because the dharma by which we worshipped, and were made to worship with the offerings of love and wealth, is entangled with our soul. (Such being the truth), when a girl is born, she is led away from her virtues in such a manner that her goodness is unable to be known. When a male-child is born, he is transformed into a drunkard in such a manner that he is unable to know what duty he has towards the world. There is a great effort in changing these vices. This effort in one way is good. For, at least, for that sake, you would get in contact (with Guru) and act.

There’s a saying among us that the husband is God! Is the meaning of this saying then a fool, who fulfilled (his life) with theft and one who has never shown justice to anything? Does it mean an unchaste person who has not learned to live in righteousness, living without humility and virtue, pulling down the undergarment of women? It is all this we are creating and letting out. How can they manage this country? What all this depravity (depredators) cannot perform?

The ‘Gurupooja’ here is the foremost karma which I am doing for this for you. (I am) not talking about its greatness. I don’t understand such greatness. I am not leaned, great by virtue of wealth, capability or education. God has not led me into any such things. But there is one thing. God has granted you a suitable setting where irrespective of your status, you can assemble. And through this, together through you and your offspring, children are taking birth from whom will be born several great souls who are capable to do whatever (good) for the country and indeed the whole world. We don’t know how it is made to happen.

But we do it in the Sankalpa (conception) called ‘Sankalpamathrena Parameswarah’, whereby, after envisioning everything that has come until now in the law of Devi-Devas - giving whatever they require (they are not abandoned) - a way is found by the path shown by God to give them an opportunity to take birth or make them entitled for liberation. We are handling this exactly the way the revelation is received from God to perform this. It’s not performed, as someone might think, attracting some evil spirits by sitting and chanting. Nor is it performed bringing a ‘root’ from the places where I spent life. I have not taken any ‘root’ of others. I have not found a suitable scenario also wherein I could take this ‘root’. There are no suitable ‘roots’ either. In fact, it is being nurtured by scraping off all these ‘bottoms’, then burning them with fire, scooping good mud and then planting the sapling there. What is required for it is, suitable children. You do not know how I perform it. That is my sadness.

What I am making you do is a performance, which, by correcting the flaws in the traditions that have come from the beginning until now in the deva and rishi lineages (trimurty and seer traditions), without exterminating the essence of these lineages, will transform them into a great status. Then how great should be your eminence? It is a performance in humility to bring within you the privilege of not only ancestral souls, gods, goddesses and rishis but even some genderless ghosts also to be born of you (for release). Retaining the truth in that path, transform yourself as the sanctified work emerging from that truth. This is the goal. I have no other rationale or doctrine. I have done this for 15,000 families in this manner, but they are unable to take it. Not merely that but building up contrary attributes in their actions, make it the cause for its destruction. There are about fifteen households who have perished like this in this locality despite performing it with genuine sacrifice, prayers and contemplations; rest of the families (perished) leaving this place.

The ancestors did have (their share of) good and bad (in them). The difficulty was great when these (the deeds of ancestors) were tried to be eliminated. You will understand it when you reflect on the great souls of the past, in order to realize that. But the biographies made up on them are unsuitable for such evaluation.
For instance take ‘Geeta Govindam’. What is the purpose of making children enact Krishnaleela? You are inflating the sensuality already present in them, by adorning and bringing up children in this manner and spoiling them - adding to the fulfilment of such action and taking it up. This is what the Saktheya, Saiva and Vaishnava have done here. You cannot change it at all. This is the fact behind the coming of so many great souls. We don’t have the aptitude to remove it through (our) lifetime. But we have the luck.

You will not be able to find a similar thing (Gurupooja) elsewhere in the world. Nor has it ever happened in the world. In your epics mention is made about the ‘Bhageerata Prayatna’ (the effort of Bhageerata). Bhageerata was a king and he could do many things, but there too, not this. Here, you are endowed with awareness in a manner of witnessing it yourself and accepting with discrimination. God has ordained it for you. It is in the said awareness the deva, devi, rishi, monk, jnani (seer), the devout, the pitru [ancestral souls] are all guided and placed in auspicious constellations. Your children, after living truthfully, are entering into that constellation. Even if you are unable to become so, it should be made possible through your children. This is the great work that you do for the world. After performing this (Gurupooja) for you, I am guiding you how you should live till the birth of a progeny. (However), you do not understand that. Instead, making your children listen and obey, describing it as some other big thing, you are not allowing them to come in front, in (the matter of) dharma.
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