CMW News: News

The following brahmachārīs of Chinmaya Mission were initiated into sannyāsa on Mahāshivarātri, March 10, 2013: Br. Anshuman - Swami Prameyananda, Br. Ravi - Swami Sakshiroopananda, Br. Vinayak - Swami Prathameshananda, Br. Kedar - Swami Sughoshananda, Br. Varada - Swami Someshananda, Br. Vijith - Swami Jitatmananda, Br. Prayag - Swami Medhajananda, Br. Ritesh - Swami Sarvapriyananda, Br. Vasudev - Swami Govindananda, Br. Rishi - Swami Anukoolananda, Br. Sampoorna - Swami Aksharananda, Br. Aniruddha - Swami Anuttamananda, Brni. Namita - Swamini Samhitananda, Brni. Aparna - Swamini Akhilananda, Brni. Nishita - Swamini Supriyananda, Brni. Vana - Swamini Sugeetananda, and Brni. Vibhooti - Swamini Svaprabhananda. Click here to view the video.

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Live Next to Chinmaya Govardhan

Live next door to the beautiful Chinmaya Govardhan ashram in St. Augustine, Florida. A beautiful, large house with 5.4 acres has just gone on sale right next to the ashram. The site is just 13 miles west of the lovely, historic town of St. Augustine and a 10-minute drive from the beach. It would be a great blessing to have a Chinmaya Mission family (or other supportive persons) living next to the ashram. If you, or anyone you know, might be interested, please email Brahmacharini Arpita or call her at (904) 692-4121.

6215 Solano Creek Road, Elkton, FL 32033: A beautiful, large one-story house; excellent condition; built 10 years ago; lots of large windows and light. On 5.4 acres, 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, large kitchen and living room, office, front porch, extra barn, landscaping.

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Upanishad Ganga Nominated for 8 Indian Telly Awards, Wins 3

By the Lord’s grace and Pujya Gurudev’s blessings, Upanishad Ganga, the first-of-its-kind television serial, won three Indian Telly Awards on May 3, 2013. It was nominated for eight awards in total (seven jury awards and one online award):

Best actor in supporting role: Late Dwaraka Prasad in Magh
Best edutainment/science/knowledge-based show
Best dialogue writer: Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi (Winner)
Best videography: Sanjeev Srivastav
Best packaging: Hari Sudhakar
Best music director: Amod Bhat (Winner)
Best choreographer: Bushan Lakandri (Winner)
Best historical/mythological serial (online award)

The winners were announced at the 12th Annual Indian Telly Awards in Mumbai; the telecast will air on India’s Colors channel on May 25. Hearty congratulations to the entire Upanishad Ganga Team!

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Honorable Citation for Head of CORD Siruvani

Dr. Meera Krishna, head of CORD Siruvani, was invited to the National Commission for Women in Delhi to receive an honorable citation in March. Congratulations to Dr. Krishna! See photos on CORD USA’s Facebook page.

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Don't Just Survive—Thrive!
by Sandhya Simhan and Bina Mahabir

Swami Sarveshananda (CM Dallas) likes a good laugh and can often get his ardent listeners grinning with his thoughtful quips. During his visit to New York City Feb 24-27, Swamiji spoke on coping with the stresses of daily life in a series of talks aimed at CHYKs as well as adults, including senior members of CM New York.

Swamiji’s trip commenced on a Sunday evening with a small, personable dinner hosted by core CHYK members. Even over something as simple as a chili bhājī, Swamiji was able to convey larger lessons about facing struggles (from stress or spice) with even-mindedness.

Swamiji, who is also the National Director for CHYK West, spent the next two evenings discussing stress management for the larger CHYK and adult audience of CM New York at the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan hall. He focused first on verses from Bhaja Govindam and Bhagavad Gita, detailing first the sources of stress, and then revealed strategies to face them. Emphasizing the importance of treating challenges as situations, not problems or crises, he said the latter two are simply illusions created by the mind, and focusing on cause-effect relationships instead of sinking into guttural, emotional reactions can allow us to handle life’s challenges much more efficiently.

Swamiji spent some morning time briefly sightseeing, as this was his first visit to the Big Apple. His bhikshā schedule included with various CM families and CHYKs, as well as his gracious Manhattan hosts. Swamiji has a not-so-secret fondness for cooking and enthusiastically helped the CHYKs make blueberry cobbler and baklava as prasād for the evening lectures. Needless to say, his recipes provided delicious results and the prasād was enjoyed by all.

Swamiji gave a talk on the same interesting theme in Long Island for mostly seniors with a sprinkle younger people in between. Hosted at the home of CM NY’s president, Jatin Kapadia, the talk was followed by a bhikshā dinner where everyone was invited. Swamiji spoke not only on the challenges faced by senior citizens, but also the means to cope with those issues. He led the captive audience through the explanation of the different life stages of brahmacharya (student life), grahasta (householder life), vāņaprastha (withdrawal), and sannyāsa (renunciation). The discussion was fascinating and concluded with a brief but lively Q&A session.

CM New York members, grateful for Swamiji’s sharing of practical wisdom based on profound scriptural teachings, eagerly look forward to his return.

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Susamskrtam

samskrtam deva bhāshāsti veda bhāshāsti samskrtam
prāchīna jnāna bhāshā cha samskrtam bhadra manđanam

“Sanskrit is the language of the Vedas; it is the language of the gods. It is the language in which is hidden all the knowledge and wisdom. Hence, this treasure must be protected from extinction.”

Susamskrtam, a music and dance celebration on the divine origin and grandeur of Sanskrit, was held in CM Dallas on March 3, 2013. The fundraiser benefited YEP America, the six-week course for young adults to be conducted at the CM Piercy, CA ashram this summer. The sold-out show was held at the Hill Performance Hall of the Eisemann Center in Richardson, offered tribute to Vedic culture and the glory of Sanskrit that has bequeathed to India a rich cultural heritage that has endured the test of time.

Linguists and scientists agree that the structure of the language is flawless. Grammarians have identified Sanskrit and traced it back to be the root source and development of most European languages. Sanskrit has a highly inflected grammatical structure, which contributes to the exquisite conciseness of the language. Though the language is not in everyday use today, its highly systematic framework is remains of immeasurable value to the modern world. Sanskrit provides the perfect medium for literature, logic, mathematics, poetry, literature, and the arts, and is considered to be the very foundation of Indian culture.

bhāratyaikatā sādhakam samskrtam, bhāratīyatva sampādakam samskrtam
jñānapunjaprabhā darshakam samskrtam, sarvadānanda sandohadam samskrtam

The unity of India lies in Sanskrit. It inspires our nationality and is the key to the treasure of great knowledge. It brings pleasure to readers.

A talented team of musicians and dancers was formed by directors Vidya Krishnan and Natana Valiveti. The team carefully selected gems from Sanskrit literature—from Maheshvara Sutras, to Valmiki’s Ramayana, to Kalidas’s Rtu Samharam—to perform, as well as the Vedic chanting of Shīkshāvalli and Atmapujopanishad, and a puppet show in a gurukulam setting by Bala Vihar children and dancers.

The origin of Sanskrit was depicted through a performance of Lord Shiva’s Ānandatānđava, or a Dance of Bliss that symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, birth and death, and is performed to the beat of His đamaru. At the end of the Ānandatānđava, Lord Shiva played the đamaru 14 times, creating the 14 letters and sounds of Sanskrit. These 14 sūtras, or formulas, are renowned as the Shiva Sūtras or Maheshvara Sūtras, the phonetics of Sanskrit. From the 14 sūtras emerged the 7 ragas that are the basis of Indian classical music and threads that connect one to the Supreme.

The sacred syllable OM is the root cause and foundation of the divine origin of Sanskrit. The sanctity and spirituality of the language has been treasured because of the way it has been used in India. Sage Panini is credited with penning the sūtras, which form the entire cosmos. In his brief grammatical treatise, Ashţādhyāyī, Panini codified the rules of the spoken Sanskrit of his times, making the language systematic and free from ambiguity, with a precise structure. Sanskrit became a meticulous tool for higher scientific, philosophical, and scholarly thought.

The orchestra was comprised of Anuradha Sridhar (violin), Shriram Brahmanandam (mrdangam), Shriram Rajamani (vocal), Sarada Karthik (vocal), Natana Valiveti (vocal), Ashwin Krishnakumar (flute), and Jaya Pandrangi (veena). The dancers were Vidya Krishnan (choreography, nattuvangam), Shruti Hegde, Devina Jagota, Nitya Krishnan, Sandhya Raghraman, Megna Murali, and Shachi Hegde. The puppeteer emcees were Sudharshan Iyengar and Sahana Srinivasan. The Vedic chanters were Sansdhitha Anand, Jay Appaji, Chitra Ashok, Bhamathi Bhat, Shruti Bindingnavile, Anjana Chowdiah, Ashwin Devaraj, Avani Kashyap, Arnav Kashyap, Arjun Menta, Namya Mysore, Sriram Rajagopalan, Jayram Rajagopalan, Tarunkrishna Ramji, and Sanjana Shriram and Sneha Shriram.

The show benefited YEP America, Chinmaya Mission’s Youth Empowerment Program, a value-based leadership program for young college graduates who have a keen desire to learn Indian culture and serve. An initiative of All-India CHYK, YEP is a one-year, work-study, residential program that has received high acclaim throughout India. YEP’s “Yuva Veers” aim to actively learn, serve, and grow through Vedantic studies, a variety of fieldwork, and hands-on internships—all of which are designed to promote individual inner strength and holistic transformation for a balanced lifestyle of personal growth and selfless service. YEP America 2013 is an innovative 65-day leadership retreat for youth, to give them life skills and clear vision through a curriculum that also includes workshop facilitation, public speaking, and management skills. Under the guidance of Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda, YEP America is being led by Swami Sarveshananda (CM Dallas, CHYK West National Director).

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CM Boston's Exciting Start of 2013
by Radhika Pillai

Lending some much needed warmth this winter, Chinmaya Mission Boston (CMB) began 2013 with some delightful events. The programs were held under the auspices of the center’s Bala Vihar program and language classes.

Makara Sańkrānti celebrations were held on January 13, wherein BV students spoke on the spiritual significance of the festival. Dressed in colorful costumes, students from the Telugu class presented a musical item about the traditions associated with the festival. The presentation captured joy of the occasion and BV Director Shashi Dwarakanath lauded the efforts of the teachers for taking the time to organize the event and make it memorable.

India’s Republic Day was celebrated at Chinmaya Māruti on January 27. Teachers, parents, and staff associated with the BV and Hindi classes put forward a great team effort for the occasion. Indian flags decorated the ashram entrance and all the hallways, enlivening the atmosphere with patriotic flair. Students from the Hindi class addressed a packed auditorium, speaking on the importance of Republic Day and how it is celebrated in India. The BV students presented songs from My Prayers, including a heartfelt rendition of “Chinmaya Bala Vihar lāyegā navīnatā; Chinmaya Bala Vihar lāyegā ekatā,” which served as a sparkling testament to Pujya Gurudev’s legacy.

CMB commemorated the 150th birthday celebrations of Swami Vivekananda with BV students presenting a skit on his life. The skit demonstrated how Swami Vivekananda displayed extraordinary character and honesty from his childhood. The students wrote and directed the skit themselves, sprinkling it with humor and meaning. Students also created portraits that captured Swami Vivekananda and his teachings to the world; these now adorn the classroom walls in honor of his 150th birth anniversary

BV Coordinator Latha Sainath said more events have been planned for the rest of the year: “We want to celebrate more events that bring the religious component of traditions together with the cultural aspects to increase awareness in the children.”

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Meditation on Mahāshivarātri at CM Houston
by Padmashree Rao

As an ashy sky poured joyous rain onto the massive Shivalingam atop the Saumyakāshi Shivālaya temple at CM Houston, nearly 5,000 devotees—children and adults—gathered in the Chinmaya Prabha ashram premises to celebrate Mahāshivarātri on March 10, 2013.

The celebration had commenced with a Mahāmrtyunjaya Homa on March 9, with hundreds of families chanting the Mrtyunjaya Mantra 108 times for the spiritual upliftment and good health for everyone.

Lord Shiva is praised as abhisheka-priyah, or “One who loves to bathe.” The dark clouds of March 10 began showering, as if to the rhythmic sounds of the Mahanyasa Purvaka Rudrabhisheka being conducted in the temple. Rudram was chanted to the abhishekams of water, milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, and fruits throughout the day. After each set of 11 Rudrabhishekams, the Shivalingam was adorned with turmeric, kumkum, sandalwood and vibhuti, Lord Shiva’s favorite. The day-long worship filled every corner of the ashram with a tangible sanctity.

A special feature of this Mahāshivarātri was the unbroken chain of abhishekams performed by the loving hands of Bala Vihar children. As part of their Bala Vihar classes, the children, from toddlers to teenagers, were thrilled with their field trip from classroom to temple to perform their abhishekam at a special altar amid a simulated snowy Mount Kailasa. Their smiles added warmth to the cold air and made the event a memory to cherish.

Another memorable feature was the satsanga with Acharya Gaurang Nanavaty, who explained the significance of the Shiva Mānasa Pūjā. He said, just as we prepare our home to receive a most beloved guest, the mānasa puja presents an opportunity to adore the Lord in the mind with unlimited devotional offerings. Gaurangji described the steps to offer and emphasized offering every physical action as divine worship, with reverence and gratitude.

The evening of Mahāshivarātri welcomed thousands of devotees who were mesmerized by the beautifully decorated Shivalaya temple. The chanting and rituals continued. The majestic, meditative Lord Shiva, the shining Shivalingam, and the glowing altar deities dressed in brilliant white enchanted devotees. In the hour before midnight aarti, the celebrations led to a powerful meditation session. The silence in Shivālaya enveloped every devotee and invoked Lord Shiva in their hearts.

The dedicated teamwork of an army of volunteers included the local sheriff and police officers, the Mission sevaks who ushered cars into the ashram all day, the temple team that worked for weeks to plan, the decorations team that brought alive Mount Kailasa and made the entire ashram festive, the CHYKs who added their energetic support, the kitchen team that offered prasād to all, and the audio-visual team that blended music and silence. All the volunteers were guided by Acharyas Gaurang and Darshana Nanavaty.

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The Worthington Food Pantry

“Hello,” a cheery voice announced, “Welcome to the Worthington Food Pantry.” An instant hush fell over the 40 or so CM Columbus members who had assembled at the food service center to volunteer, enabling the Pantry to open a new monthly slot for community service. For the next couple of hours, the intricate workings of Food Pantry, its mission, and its services were described. The tour of the facilities was eye-opening, showing the complicated and systematic behind the scenes. From the backroom workers to the front room greeters, it was amazing to see what all was needed to make the place work.

Multiple people in positions such as greeter, interviewer, backroom worker, resource center aid, and shift manager, made the Pantry run efficiently. The three-hour shifts demanded concentration and attention to detail, as well as social skills and teamwork. The day was complete with visible life lessons on love, service, teamwork, love, and the value of time and resources, where every contribution, however small, counts big.

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Mahāshivarātri Celebrations in New York
by Bharvi Chavre

CM New York’s Long Island group of Chinmaya Bala Vihar students gathered in festive attire to celebrate Mahāshivarātri with the chanting of prayers and the offering of milk abhishekam to the Shivalingam. The pūjā also included the sacred chanting of Lord Shiva’s 108 names and the narration by select students of stories about Shivarātri and five main Shiva temples representing the five elements of space, air, fire, water, and earth. The festivities concluded with bhajans and ārti.

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Mahāshivarātri at Chinmaya Vrindavan
by Brahmachari Eric Dee

As the red dawn lingered on the horizon on March 9, Mahāshivarātri celebrations began at Chinmaya Vrindavan at 6:30 a.m. Chanting filled the silence of the temple and the Ganapati Homam started the full day of activities. The morning puja and Rudrābhishekam followed the homa. Throughout the constant flow of devotees all day and evening, the hall remained filled to capacity.

The Chinmaya Swaranjali group from the Central New Jersey Bala Vihar chanted Shiva bhajans, carrying forward early morning vibrations into the afternoon puja. The sweetness of the bhajans echoed hours later and after the puja, the prayerful atmosphere of the temple was kept alive until evening by various adult bhajan groups and musicians.

The day’s last devotional outpouring was offered by the Swaranjali group of Baskin Ridge/Bridgewater Bala Vihar. Ekādasha Rudrābhishekam included 11 rounds of Rudram chanting and began at 6 p.m. This was followed by a delightful devotional santoor concert by Deepal Chodhari, a renowned local artist and Bala Vihar parent. CM Princeton’s resident acharya, Swami Shantananda, then guided everyone through a short meditation session and gave a simple explanation of the significance of Mahāshivarātri puja and fasting.

Shortly after midnight, the festivities concluded with chanting and Shiva Aarti. With Bala Vihar classes in the morning, everyone dispersed in quick order. The lingering incense, lights, and silence were locked in with the Lord for the night.

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CM Toronto's Shivālaya Resounds

Chinmaya Mission Toronto celebrated the night of Lord Shiva, Mahāshivarātri, on Sunday, March 10. The festivities started in the morning, with Bala Vihar students performing puja. The youngest sat solemnly around the Shivalingam with backs straight, hands in prayer, and eyes gently closed in heartfelt devotion.

Resident acharya, Swamini Shivapriyananda, asked the children, “Who is Lord Shiva?” A youngster replied, “He is infinite.” When she asked, “When is His birthday?” the student’s reply came as, “He is unborn.” The day thus started with a precious opportunity for reflection that helped prepare everyone’s mind for the worship, satsang, and meditation that would follow in the evening.

At night, all devotees gathered again to revere and worship the One who is infinite and unborn. Offerings of bilva patra, milk, bananas, and flowers were made. The atmosphere was charged with the energy of Lord Shiva, uplifting minds. In her address, Swaminiji expounded on the glories of Trilochana Mahadeva, the three-eyed Lord. She spoke of the eyes of justice and compassion, and of the third eye of wisdom. Through His third eye of wisdom, Lord Shiva knows how to temper justice with compassion.

Everyone was invited to call upon the Lord, who is Auspiciousness, with the chanting of “Om namah Shivaya.” The evening culminated in guided meditation, during which we were led to surrender to the Lord, to that Beauty that never fades, tarnishes, or ages. Mahāshivarātri was thus an evening that brought great upliftment and fulfillment to all present. Special thanks were offered to all the sevaks who contributed to make the evening a wonderful success.

Video Link

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CM Orlando Celebrates Mahāshivarātri
by Sree Nambiar

CM Orlando observed the auspicious day of Mahāshivarātri on March 10, 2013 at its Kaivalya ashram. The day began early with kalasha sthapana at 6 a.m. and Ganapati Homam.

Under the guidance of Acharya Shailaja Nadkarni, over 200 Chinmaya Bala Vihar students and 150 parents participated in the Mahāmrtyunjaya havan in the Annashree hall. Each Bala Vihar student had the unique opportunity to make an offering into the holy flames. The hall reverberated with Vedic chants recited by the priests.

The day included Lord Shiva’s Laghurudra Puja and Shiva Sahasranāma Archanā. In the evening, the Mahārudra Pūjā was performed in the main shrine of the Kaivalya building, where hundreds of devotees lined up to offer abhishekham to the Shivalingam. Aditya Shah, a former BV student and singer, sang beautiful bhajans in glory of the Lord. Rudram was chanted continually throughout and the evening was transformed into a divine experience, especially at midnight, when the devotees were blessed with the indescribable Lingodhbhava darshan.

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Swami Ishwarananda Speaks on Lord Krishna
by Madhu Sharma

A beautiful evening filled with a talk and enchanting bhajans by Swami Ishwarananda (CM Los Angeles [CM LA]) created an atmosphere of intense devotion in the hearts of all who had gathered at the new Radha Bihari Temple in Simi Valley in March.

Dr. Pillai, President of CM LA, introduced Swamiji as an all-in-one spiritual teacher—a guide for seekers, adminstrator, financial advisor, and event planner. He said, “We are blessed to have Swamiji as our head of CM LA. Our CM LA growth has gone up and above” in every aspect. After a vote of thanks to Swamiji and the organizers, and aarti, Swamiji distributed prasad to everyone.

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