Sairam friends,
There was a news that a girl from Assam travelled on Andhra for a dance competition. There were some 3-4 guys in the train bothering her. There was no one to help her and she passed away.
Last night, I was in Saibaba temple and during night aarti, I saw news about Ankita Bhandari‘s parents sitting infront of India Gate seeking justice for her daughter. I felt very painful that a girl lost her life due to unethical people with lust went ahead to kill a women when she tried to safeguard her dignity.
I repeatedly wanted to tell you that India has become insecure both for men and women. Most of us assume that we are safe. That’s because we have not got into the situation the girls above had gone through. Further, being women is easy target and hence girls suffer more.
I saw Shirdi Saibaba aarti from distance and wondered how parents who lost their son or daughter would feel.
That’s when I felt like writing about why external show-case of devotion has got nothing to do with internal thought process. Secondly, we should learn to realize that Goddess or Shirdi Saibaba do not exist only in temples, paintings or statues. They exist in other human.
My love for chanting
I have been doing Naam Smaran – Chanting of holy name of Goddess and Shirdi Saibaba for several years now. I started this habit when I was working in Mumbai. My train from Borivali east to Andheri East and then, from there a bus ride gave me enough time to chant Sai’s holy name. I did the same on my return to my flat too.
I also chant when I am coming around Dhuni or during the time I do some work in Saibaba temple here in Coimbatore. As a strange habit, I started chanting aloud when I am in Dwarakamai in the past couple of years. I chant aloud whenever someone or I myself offers woods in the holy fire of Sai. I am not sure if I am disturbing others when I do it.
The greatness about chanting is that, you will have some spiritual experiences and one of them is you could feel the presence of Goddess in yourself. This is why I say that when you do chanting of Goddess Durga, she lives in you. If you chant remembering Sai or Goddess Mahalakshmi, they live in you.
Having said that, do you believe only those who are religious or take some spiritual efforts like me are the one’s whom Sai or Goddess choose to reside? I can chant but I had also done mistakes in my past and might do mistakes in my future. If the mistake I do is cruel and too bad, Goddess or Sai are not going to live in me. They will leave me to live as I wish and face the consequences.
That’s why its wrong to assume someone religious or those who take spiritual efforts to be good forever. We cannot define “Being good”, but I believe good women exists, good men exists and Goddess Durga and Shirdi Saibaba lives in them.
This Navratri, I want you to come out of assumption that Goddess lives in a statue or painting alone.
Sai blessed me to take care of little Durga Shrine in dream
I had often had dreams of Goddess. Almost 10 years back, just before I woke up, I had a dream of white tiles pasted on our back side compound wall. I was wondering what could it mean. Like I serve in Saibaba temple my Father used to take care of the near by Ganesha temple in our Colony. My Father returned from temple in the morning and told me, he’s planning to repair the little Durga shrine kept in the wall of temple. He was already planning to paste tiles in the wall of Durga shrine. Note that it’s not a big wall. It will need maximum 20 tiles or less.
I told my father about the dream and said Goddess Durga is asking to take care of it. So, we both drove to a shop, got tiles and the work was done.
During this time, I was also obsessed with Karni Mata.
Karni Mata is perceived as a women saint and an incarnation of Goddess Durga. I used to continuously chant holy name of Shirdi Saibaba, Goddess Durga and Karni Mata for 3 days. This resulted in peculiar spiritual experiences.
Met a girl called Karni in Coimbatore
I was too much obsessed with Karni Mata and had some dreams. Once, I told my colleague in my office that I worship Karni Mata and to my surprise she showed me a book on which it was written Karni. She told me that one of her best friends’ name is Karni. I wanted to meet this girl. I did meet this girl because I can never travel to Rajasthan and asked her about Karnia Mata. She said, Karni Mata is her family deity and have a place for pooja in her home.
I was expecting her to tell some experiences or stories but she said, I just worship her. She’s good but I was curious to know someone who’s family deity itself is Karni mata to tell something more about the Goddess.
This is the difference between deeply thinking about Goddess or Guru and simply worshipping. When we are deeply devoted, we will get divine experiences.
Note: During some period in my life, I suddenly get attracted to learn about a particular Goddess and worship her. These days, I worship Goddess Durga and do not remember Karni Mata much but I believe she’s incarnation of Goddess Durga who lived in Deshnok before 600 years.
Anyway, My articles won’t have proper beginning and end. I just want to share that I felt painful looking at Ankita Bhandari’s parents. I started questioning how can a country with such religious practice can kill a girl like this.
We should practice looking at Goddess Durga and Shirdi Saibaba in good women and men.
The problem is, we continue to search for them in temples, paintings and statues.
OK Guys,
Sairam
Venkat
