OM NAMO BHAGAVATE PANDURANGAYA BALAJI VANI Volume 11, Issue 4 April, 2017 HARI OM In Month of March, Holi poornima and Yugadi was celebrated. Tulasi Das Goswami Ramayana reciting started on Tuesday March 28. Tulasi Das Tulsidas, also known as Goswami Tulsidas was a poet-saint, reformer and philosopher from Ramanandi Sampradaya in the lineage of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya renowned for his devotion to the Lord Shri Rama. A writer of several popular works in Sanksrit and Awadhi, he is best known as the author of the epic Ramcharitmanas, a retelling of the Sanskrit Ramayana based on Rama's life in the vernacular Awadhi. Tulsidas started composing poetry in Sanskrit in Varanasi on the Prahlada Ghat. Tradition holds that all the verses that he composed during the day, would get lost in the night. This happened daily for eight days. On the eighth night, Shiva ordered Rama Darbar at Balaji Temple. Tulsidas in a dream to compose poetry in the vernacular instead of Sanskrit. Tulsidas woke up and saw both Shiva and Parvati who blessed him. Shiva ordered Tulsidas to go to Ayodhya and ATO VICĀRAḤ KARTAVYO JIJÑĀSORĀTMAVASTUNAḤ | SAMĀSĀDYA DAYĀSINDHUṂ GURUṂ BRAHMAVIDUTTAMAM || 15 || compose poetry in Awadhi. In the Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas hints at having the Darshan of Shiva and Parvati in both dream Hence the seeker after the Reality of the Ātman should take to and awakened state. reasoning, after duly approaching the Guru – who should be the Ramacharitamanas, "The Mānasa lake brimming over with the best of the knowers of Brahman, and an ocean of mercy. exploits of Lord Rāma" is an Awadhi rendering of the Ramayana narrative. It is the longest and earliest work of Tulsidas, and MEDHĀVĪ PURUṢO VIDVĀNUHĀPOHAVICAKṢAṆAḤ | ADHIKĀRYĀTMAVIDYĀYĀMUKTALAKṢAṆALAKṢITAḤ || 16 || draws from various sources including the Ramayana of Valmiki, the Adhyatma Ramayana, the Prasannaraghava and Hanuman An intelligent and learned man skilled in arguing in favour of the Nataka. The work consists of around 12,800 lines divided into Scriptures and in refuting counter-arguments against them – one 1073 stanzas, which are groups of Chaupais separated by Dohas who has got the above characteristics is the fit recipient of the or Sorthas. It is divided into seven books (Kands) like the knowledge of the Ātman. Ramayana of Valmiki, and is around one-third of the size of Valmiki's Ramayana. Twelve works are written by Tulsidas. He was acclaimed in his lifetime to be a reincarnation of Valmiki, the composer of the original Ramayana in Sanskrit. He is also considered to be the composer of the Hanuman Chalisa, a popular devotional hymn dedicated to Hanuman, the divine devotee of Rama. Tulsidas spent most of his life in the city of Varanasi. The Tulsi Ghat on the Ganges River in Varanasi is named after him. He founded the Sankatmochan Temple dedicated to Hanuman in Varanasi, believed to stand at the place where he had the sight of Hanuman. Tulsidas started the Ramlila plays, a folk-theatre adaption of the Ramayana. Tulsidas died at the Assi Ghat on the bank of the river Ganga Vittala Das, Narayananda Swami, Hanumanthanatha Swami & Reference: wikipedia Siddaramaiaha Chaithanya Swami at Ele Ram Pura. Hari Om MONTHLY EVENTS REGULAR ACTIVITIES st th April 1 Saturday – April 4 Tuesday TEMPLE OPEN Tulasi Das Goswami Ramayana reciting 6:00 – 8:30 PM WEEKDAYS 7:30 AM TO 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM to 8.30 PM April 6th, Thursday WEEKENDS SAT-SUN 7:30 AM to 8:30 PM Panduranga Abhishekam 6:30 PM Daily Puja & Aarti April 7th, Friday Morning 8:00 AM MahaLakshmi Abhishekam 6:30 PM Afternoon 12:30 PM Evening 8:00 PM April 8th, Saturday Pradosham Homa 4:30 PM Every Monday Rudra Abhishekam 5:30 PM Rudrabhishekam (Shiva Puja) 6:00 PM th April 9 , Sunday Every Tuesday Hanuman Abhishekam 10:30 AM Hanumanji Puja 6:00 PM April 10th, Monday Every Wednesday Hanuman Jayanti, Satyanarayana Pooja 6:30 PM Vishnu Stotram 6:00 PM April 13th, Thursday Tamil New Year Every Thursday Sri Sai Bhajans 7:30 PM April 14th, Friday Sankata Hara Chaturthi, Ganesha Abhishekam 7:00 PM Every Friday Santoshi Mata Puja 7:00 PM th April 16 , Sunday Lakshmi Puja, Lalitha Stotram & Mahaprasadam Shirdi Sai Baba Abhishekam 10:30 AM April 21st, Friday Every Saturday Sri Venkateshwara Suprabhatam Seva 8:00 AM Vasavi Abhishekam 6:30 PM & Vishnu Stotram April 22nd, Saturday Balaji Abhishekam 5:00 PM Every Sunday Yoga & Children’s class by Pushpa Dhar 9:30 AM April 23rd, Sunday Bhajans, Puja & Aarti 7:00 PM Pradosham Shiva Pooja 5:30 PM Every Sankasthahara Chaturthi th April 25 , Tuesday Sri Ganesha Puja 7:00 PM Amavasya Shiva Pooja 6:00 PM April 27th, Thursday Every Purnima Sri Satyanarayana Puja 6:30 PM Kritika Subramanya Abhishekam 6:30 PM April 28th, Friday Every Amavasya Radha Krishna Abhishekam 6:30 PM Siva Pooja check website for time April 30th, Sunday Third Thursday of every month Shankara & Ramanuja Jayanthi Satyanarayana Pooja 11:00 AM Vedic Anna Dana for India OUR PURPOSE The purpose of Balaji Temple is to form a Hindu Temple and Vedic Cultural Center on the Peninsula in the heart of Silicon Valley where people can come together to study and worship, regardless of our different backgrounds. Our aim is to promote the feeling of universal love and unity among all people. We will share the ancient wisdom of the Vedas and the Upanishads (sacred texts of India) with individuals of all ages and backgrounds. We will celebrate the One Truth behind all religions: that God is One and in all of us. Our worship services are free and open to all who wish to celebrate with us. All are welcome. Construction at 5004 N. First Street, P.O. Box 1146, San Jose, CA 95002 for landscaping and building will begin soon. Please donate generously to expedite this good cause. BALAJI MATHA BOARD MEMBERS President Sri N. Swamiji (408) 203-1036 Secretary Krishna S (408) 718-3655 Treasurer Babu. D (408) 242-8278 BALAJI TEMPLE, 5004 N. 1st Street , San Jose, CA 95002 (408) 203-1036 / (408) 956-9050 Email: [email protected] http://www.balajitemple.net http://www.balajimatha.org Non-Profit Organization. Peetadhipathi Narayanananda Swamiji leading Ramayana Vittala Nityananda Swamiji & also devotees participated. .