26 Nov 2022
O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,
1) This will be celebrated in the house of Dr. C. Annapurna from 2.30 pm. onwards. Those who wish to attend (if it is convenient only) may come. Please have your lunch and come. At 5.00 pm, some Datta Prasaadam will be given as evening snacks. This will reduce the strain of the host and devotees are requested to understand this with good hearts. Please don’t bring any eatable item since the Prasaadam is prepared here itself and unnecessary excess will get spoiled.
2) Those who are residing out of Hyderabad need not attend because on Datta Jayanti, Shri Datta Swami will give the divine message, which will be circulated among the devotees even before Datta Jayanti. Hence, don’t take the unnecessary strain of a journey.
3) Those who are attending Datta Jayanti are deeply requested not to bring sweets and fruits. The worship of God Datta is through knowledge (Jnaana yajna) and not through materials (Dravya yajna). Hence, materialistic gifts to God Datta are not good. Please come with vacant hands. If you are having so much enthusiasm, you can give Guru Dakshina in the form of money as per your capacity and devotion (Yathā śakti, yathā bhakti). Between the capacity and devotion, you must follow whichever is minimum. If your capacity is 1 rupee and if your devotion to Swami is 10 rupees, you must give 1 rupee and not 10 rupees. If your capacity is 10 rupees and your devotion to Swami is 1 rupee, you must give 1 rupee and not 10 rupees. If your capacity is 0 and devotion to Swami is infinite, you must give 1 salutation (Pranaama). All these are equal to Swami. Please follow this whenever you meet any spiritual Guru. Don’t give any material as Guru Dakshina because the material given by you may not be the immediate necessity for the Guru. If you give Guru Dakshina in the form of money, the Guru will use it for his necessity. If you give material that is not required for the Guru, he will sell it for half rate to a shop and purchase half of his necessary item for that half rate only. Your Guru Dakshina is counted as that half only. Instead of material, if you give Guru Dakshina in the form of money, the Guru may get the full necessary item with that money. Your Guru Dakshina is then counted as full. When you purchase the material and give it to the Guru as Guru Dakshina, half of it is going to a shop only. You are also advised not to bring any flower purchased in the line of this advice. You can bring flowers if you have flower plants in your house. The best flower to be given to God is the heart-lotus flower (Samarpyaikaṃ cetaḥ sarasijamumānātha bhavate… Shankara). Analysis of every aspect is the very nature of God Guru Datta. Kindly don’t violate the above given advices if you are a sincere devotee of Swami.
-Datta Swami
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