Volume 40, issue 1, Page 1 On behalf of the 2017-2018 Executive Committee, we wish you a happy and prosperous new year. Our temple has grown almost double in the last 10 years and with that has come a welcomed change in how we do things. Having said that we can not abandon our way of governing as set forth in our current Constitution. Our goal this year is to become more efficient and transparent in how we operate. In doing so we have created emails for our officers and chairpersons of the Executive Committees. If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, please email us by clicking PUJAS FOR JAN - on the Executive Committee name included in this newsletter and FEB posted on our website. GANESHA HAVAN J A N 1 On that list, you will see some familiar names and a few new S A N K A S T H I J A N 5 names. We hope this will encourage those of you who have a will- ingness to serve to come forward and let us know. KARTIKEYA PUJA J A N 6 KITE FESTIVAL J A N 7 A big thanks to all who completed the membership form during Di- wali. We have updated our database and hopefully all of you are SATHYANARAYANA J A N 1 2 & 31 now receiving the newsletter. The information you provide allows PUJA us to include your email for the newsletter and to provide you with KALYANOSTAV J A N 2 0 - 21 your charitable contribution notice. Don't forget to like and follow us SARASWATI PUJA J A N 2 7 on Facebook. THAI POOSAM F E B 3 Please be on the lookout for more information from our Education and Career Counseling Committee’s first event to be held on Janu- MAHA SHIV RATRI F E B 1 3 ary 27th at 4:00 pm. THIRD SUNDAY F E B 1 8 The temple's success does not depend on the work of one or a few, PUJA* it requires all of us to put forth some effort. That effort may be an hour or so of your time volunteering to help clean, plant, or cook. That effort may be a monetary contribution regardless of the amount. In either event, we appreciate your continued support. Happy New year and Best wishes. Mukti Patel President Volume 40, issue 1, Page 2 HTS Augsta Executive Committee 2018 President Mukti Patel Vice President Sanjiv Sondhi Secretary Varsha Kulkarni Joint Secretaries Kiran Karanth, Surekha Prasad Treasurer Unikrishna, Padmaja Bapat Board of Trustees Joint Treasurer Ranjana Rai, Jyoti Chand Chairman: Nandi Shetty Mukti Patel, Srinivas Thiyagarajan, Nimitha Puja Committee Vice Chair: Sreeni Doppalapudi Shetty, Sathyaji Molakklu, Asha Patel Secretary: Brinda Balan Prasad Committee Geeta Shah, Samlesh Bansal, Sudha Sinha Members: Ravi Murugappan Dharma Thiruvaiyaru, Swati Wakade, Jagruti Adarsh Gulati Cultural Committee Patel, Puja Sharma, Arun Kachroo, Krina Patel Indrani Ganguly Puttur Prasad, Mukund Deshpande, Shankar Ram Shetty Audio Visual Sethuraman Tarak Patel Temple Development/ Piyush Patel, Mukut Sharma, Chirag Patel, Kirit Hiren Patel Mainteance Bhavsar, Neel Shah BOP: Sheila Kamath T R Reddy IT Committee Hinal Karia, Sanjeev Singhal, Arun Kachroo Calling Post Devesh Patel, Meena Venkatesh Publication Committee Sharad Purohit Community Outreach Meena Arun, Usha Patel Committee Balsahal Committee Balshubha Paregi Youth Committee Shaji Kamalasanan, Anita Patel Membership Committee Devesh Patel, Chetan Patel, Kailash Kailash Srinivas Akkella, Anita Gangwani, Sajitha Men- on, Lopa Agarwal, Vaishali Sondhi, Nirja Gupa, Education Committee Srinivasan Thiyagrajan, Shaji Kamalasanan, Ra- ma Mandavat Surekha Prasad, Devesh Patel, Neal Shah, Plannning Committee Anna Ramanathan, Rajesh C. Patel Ex Officio Chandramohan Wakade To Send email click/tap and hold on the name of committee Volume 40, issue 1, Page 3 Sri Dakshinaa-moorti – Guru of all Gurus By Angarai Venkat Subramanian Contributed by Dharma Thiruvaiyaru DakshiNaa-moorti is indeed the foremost preceptors and PuraaNa’. It is believed that Sri. is the personification of ultimate awareness and Adi Shankaracharya studied ‘Suta knowledge. We worship Him as the Lord of wisdom. In Samhita’ eighteen times before composing his Bhaashya this article, we shall explore Sri DakshiNaa-moorti as (commentary) on .Brahma Sootras’. It was perhaps his ‘Guru of all Gurus’ in terms of research, teachings, un- familiarity with Suta Samhita that inspired him to com- derstanding, and, inferences by looking at the Kumaaras, pose Sri DakshiNaa-moorti Stotra. Sri. Adi Shankaracharya, Sri. Ramana Maharishi, Poojyasri. Dayaananada Sarasvati of Aisha Vidya The DakshiNaa-moorti Stotra contains some of the most Gurukulam, and the Paramacharya of Kaanchi Kaama profound teachings of Advaita (Monism) Vedaanta KoaTi PeeTham Sri. Chandra Sekhara Sarasvati. (Philosophy). The wisdom conveyed by this Stotra’s vers- es can bring about a radical transformation of one's world Lord DakshiNaa-moorti and the Four Kumaaras view by removing ignorance about the world, about Brah- Sanaka, Sananda, Sanaatana and Sanat-kumaara who maN, and about oneself. This transformative knowledge is were born from the mind of Brahma, are collectively re- capable of destroying the moola avidya (fundamental ig- ferred to as the “Kumaaras”. When Brahma ordered them norance) that is the ultimate cause for all suffering. Thus, to procreate, they didn’t; they were very dispassionate the DaskhiNaa-moorti Stotra is a moaksha shaastra, a and were not interested in material things; several ques- scriptural teaching that can lead to one's liberation from tions sprang in their minds and they wandered for about the cycle of birth and death. This one hundred years in search of answers; the almighty and Stotra is also a superb work of all merciful Lord Shiva who is the indweller of all, en- poetry set in a meter known as lightened the Kumaaras in the form of DakshiNaa-moorti. shardula vikridita. In its verses, Sri. Shankara deftly employs po- Lord DakshiNaa-moorti is believed to teach through etic imagery and vivid K I T E ‘Paraa Vaak’, which is a divine speech-form inaudible to DaskhiNaa-moorti Stotra is a F E S T I V A L worldly ears and it resides in the recesses of silence. As moaksha shaastra, a scriptural J A N 7 T H soon as Sri DakshiNaa-moorti assumed silence, the ku- teaching that can lead to one's maaras too merged into that Supreme Silence, the true liberation from the cycle of birth KALYANOT state of the Self. The four Kumaaras represent the four and death. This Stotra is also a S A V J A N components of the antah-karaNa (“inner organ”) - manas superb work of poetry set in a 20- 21 (sensory mind), buddhi (intellect), ahankaara (ego), and meter known as shardula vikridi- chitta (storage) – and they were focused on realizing the ta. In its verses, Sri. Shankara Divine Reality within. Ordinary expressions are of no use deftly employs poetic imagery in grasping the teachings of Sri DakshiNaa-moorti who and vivid metaphors to extend explains the true meaning of BrahmaN naturally through the power of Sanskrit language to ‘Paraa Vaak’. It is often said of the imagery of beyond what is possible by mere prose. Among all of Sri. DakshiNaa-moorti thus: Shankara's works, this Stotra stands out as a dazzling and “Chitram vaTa taroar-moole vriddhaa shishyaah gurur brilliant gem. yuvaaha Lord DakshiNaa-moorti and RamaNa Maharishi Guroastu maunam vyaakh-yaanam shish-yaastuh chinna sanshayah The great sage RamaNa Maharishi of AruNaachala very strongly believed that ‘Silence is unceasing eloquence’ - It is strange to see the very old disciples and the very and that oral lectures are not as eloquent as silence. Ma- young teacher, who sit under a banyan tree, with the harishi was considered by many as a personification of the teacher always observing silence, and the students getting primal master ‘DakshiNaa-moorti’, the ideal teacher Who all of their doubts cleared.” taught by silence. Lord DakshiNaa-moorti and Sri. Adi Shankara- I vividly remember having read ‘Mountain Path’ as well charya as Maharishi’s devotees explaining during their satsang We believe that the first substantial historical record that during Mahaa Shivaraatri day when one of the devo- about DakshiNaa-moorti is in ‘Suta Samhita’ of ‘Skanda tees requested Maharishi to teach them the essence of Lord DakshiNaa-moorti, he agreed and Contd on pag 4.. Volume 40, issue 1, Page 4 ya’s DakshiNaa-moorti Stotra: SRI DAKSHINAA - MOORTI CONTD/.. ‘Mauna vyaakhyaa prakaTita Parabrahma-tatvam...’ said “here it goes” and remained silent for hours, and then Parabrahma tatvam (Philosophy) is best explained by asked whether they understood the concept of Lord silence; one cannot get to know DakshiNa-moorti. All of the disciples gathered there said they did. They were at peace and were glowing, not realiz- Parabrahmam by mind or speech; profound silence awak- ing that well over 8 hours had passed. ens the knowledge of the Supreme Brahman; by practic- ing silence, one can progress from the stage of ‘No- One of RamaNa Maharishi’s profound statement was thought to God-thought’. “Chummaa iru” meaning ‘Just be silent’, which is not a state without thoughts; it is a state where there is no ’Gurave sarva loakaa-naam, 'thinker'. Silence is something that no thought or deed can bishaje bhava roagi-naam, assail. It is the natural state of ‘Being’ and it cannot be nidhaye sarva vidyaa-naam, 'practiced'. If we can admit that 'action' can take place Sri DakshiNaa-moortaye spontaneously, it can likewise be understood that the namah’ 'thought' also can take place spontaneously. This spontane- ity and unison of thought, speech, and action is the reason Salutations to that Sri. that jnyaanis (wise-ones) are said to have the nature of a DakshiNaa-moorti, Who is child.