Honouring Lineage

Hari OM

Story-day is for cultural exploration, puraanas and parables and finding out about leading lights in spiritual philosophy.

Jayanti of Srimad Bhagavat Gita and HH Param Pujya Gurudev Swami Tapovan Maharaj

Technically, this was celebrated on 2nd December this year. Chinmaya centres around the globe will all have held their own chantings according to their own timetable, but all within five days either side.

The Bhagavad Gita is considered a most important and influential scripture for its philosophical, practical, political, psychological and spiritual value.  Bhagavad Gita Jayanti marks the birth of this holy book.  It is considered to be in the order of 6000 years since the day when Lord Krishna rendered his philosophical teachings to Prince Arjuna, on the first day of the 18-day battle of Kurukshetra.

The Mahabhaarata is made up of eighteen books.  In book six is found the section which has been extracted and stands alone as the ‘Song of The Lord’.  The Gita itself consists of eighteen chapters and is but 700 (some say 701) verses in length.

Many who have grown up in the tradition have memorised the entire Gita.  It is one of the beauties of Sanskrit texts that they are composed in rhythmical stanzas (shlokas), often also rhyming and can thus be comparatively easily rendered to memory.  Daily chanting of a few verses is undertaken, but at least this once a year, the entire text is chanted.

Within Chinmaya Mission, Sw. Brahmananda-ji is a most wonderful chanter and his rendition of the Gita is available online.  Here is a part of Chapter Four for you, with translation.

This day also marks the Jayanti of our Revered Tapovan Maharaj. This was the second, but most influential guru of Sw. Chinmayananda. Swami Sivananda had realised that the young sadhak to whom he had given sanyaas needed a more powerful intellect to bring him to full potential. 

Sri Tapovan-ji lived a truly ascetic existence and wrote some wonderful books about his journeys through the Himalaya.  READ MORE HERE.

Passing his great spiritual wealth to our Gurudev, who in turn has entrusted Sw. Tejoymayananda to carry the torch, all of us who have had the privilege of attending Sandeepany Sadhanalaya owe homage to the line of masters, this Guru Parampara.

ॐ श्री सत-गुरुणथ् महाराज कि जै !

(OM SHRI SAT-GURUNATH MAHAARAAJA KI JAI - 'the True Guru is king')