As the scriptural authority says “apyachuto
guru dvaaraa prasadakRut” it is very easy to please the Supreme Lord (Narayana)
using guru as the channel. This is very obvious in the case of
Gurusarvabhouma Sri Raghavendra teertha (Rayaru), the Kalpatharu (the divine
tree that grants all wishes) of Kaliyuga. He grants the desires of
supplicants without hesitation; devotees serving him with a pure heart are
doubly blessed because he also removes their sins, blemishes and other
shortcomings. People have experienced this in person and is something that
great gyAnis have vouched for. The benefits of obtaining Rayaru’s grace have
been profusely documented in religious works like Sri Raghavendra Vijaya,
Sri Raghavendra stotra and hundreds of compositions by great saints.
The very venerable Srimat Sushameendra teertha,
the present pontiff of the Matha, has reassured devotees on innumerable
occasions that coming to Mantralaya is not mandatory to obtain Rayaru’s
grace, it is enough if one performs devout service in one’s home by going
around Rayaru’s picture while reciting Raghavendra Stotra. Even reciting
“Sri Raghavendraya namah” with intense devotion is good enough to obtain his
total grace.
There are many popular ways of serving Rayaru.
One of the most common but very potent advices that you get from Rayaru’s
devotees while seeking solutions for life’s numerous problems is, “ Go to
Mantralaya and perform the Sankalpa Seva, Rayaru will definitely bless you”.
Sankalpa means an oath or a resolution to do something, Seva is the service
performed to a celestial being. In this case Sankalpa Seva involves the
following steps:
1. going to Mantralaya at a convenient time,
2. obtaining darshana of (or viewing) Rayaru’s
Brindavana,
3. taking the oath to perform Seva in the
prescribed manner
4. performing the Seva while following some
strict rules.
The number of devotees who have performed
Sankalpa Seva in this manner and benefited from it is so huge that listing
them is next to impossible.
We are listing below 15 of the most frequently
asked questions about Sankalpa Seva.
1.Who should take the oath to perform the
service (Seva)?
^^^^^^
Anybody who wishes to benefit from Sri Rayaru’s
grace is eligible to take this oath.
2. Who
will administer the oath to perform the Seva?
One of the archaks or volunteers will do this.
3. Is there any fee for administering the oath?
Since this is a major service that the Matha is
performing for devotees, nothing more than a symbolic token of Rs. 5 is
expected. This should be tendered at the offices of the Matha.
4.What are the ingredients that the devotees should bring for the oath
taking ceremony?
^^^^^^
a) Utensils to perform
Achamana
b) A small plate
c) One new, unpeeled
coconut
d) One coconut as a
symbolic offering
e) Loose change as
dakshina
5.What is the correct time for performing Seva?
In the mornings between 5 and 8 AM, and in the
evening between 4 and 5, are the most appropriate times for performing Seva.
6.How many times should the pradakshina (going
around the Brindavana) be performed?
Based on one’s ability, one can choose from 5,
11, 14, 28, 54 times.
7. For
how many days should the Seva be performed?
^^^^^^
Based on one’s endurance, one can choose from
1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 42 days.
8. What are the regulations governing the
actual Seva?
a) The
person taking the oath should bathe in the river twice, taking care to wet
the head. A woman need to do it once only.
b) One
should not use soap while taking bath.
c) One
should not use cloths which have been dried in Madi for performing the Seva,
and not use wet cloths.
d) One
should dress in a traditional manner, using a pancha-kache (five folds)
e) One
should not use hair oil or any type of ointments; one shold also not do any
kind of make up or decoration
f) One
should not have a haircut or shave in the days on which seva is being
performed
g) One
should not adorn one's hair with any flower, other than what has been
offered to Sri Hari-Vayu-Guru
h) One
should eat only once a day. In the night, milk or fruits can be consumed in
moderate quantities.
i) Foods
that have been cooked or fried or prepared in hotel should be avoided.
j) After
the pradakshina is completed one should spend time by going through
religious, pious works and avoid wasteful activities like idle gossip.
Ladies should sing the compositions of Haridasas.
k) One should not sleep on a bed; however a chaape
( a thin mattress made of fibre) can be used.
l) On Dwadashi and during the Dhanur masa, one can
continue pradakshine after taking food.
9. Are
there any regulations governing the pradakshine and namaskaara
(prostration)?
^^^^^^
Yes, the the pradakshine and namaskaara should be performed
in the manner prescribed by religious scriptures. Devotees should keep the
following aspects in mind while performing pradakshina during the Seva.
a) One should perform pradakshina 5 times around the Hanumanta
icon in front of the brindavana
b)
During each pradakshina, one should perform namaskaara 4
times, one on each side of the brindavana, with utmost devotion
towards Sri Rama, Narahari (Narasimha), Krishna and Vedavyasa respectively.
c) One should do one namaskaara in front of Sri Vadeendra
teertha’s brindavana too.
d) During the pradakshina time one should recite pious religious
compositions like Sri Raghavendra stotra, Vayu Stuti,
Dashaavatarastuti,
Krishnaashtakam, Vishnu Sahasranama etc.
e) After performing the pradakshine in the main
courtyard, one should also perform one pradakshine of the brindavanas of
Sri Sudharmeendra teertha, Sri Suvrateendra
teertha, Sri Suyameendra teertha, Sri Sujayeendra teertha and the banyan
tree.
f) Ladies should not peform sAshtanga namaskara wherein the
entire body touches the ground. They should kneel and perform the namaskara.
10.
Are
there other ways of performing Seva to Rayaru?
^^^^^^
Yes. As stated before, if one is sincere and
devoted to Hari, Vayu and Rayaru, there are many ways of performing Seva to
Rayaru. The following section lists some of the main ones:
a) Sitting in one place and reciting Sri
Raghavendra stotra 108 times.
b) Hejje namaskara (going around the Brindavana
advancing one foot at a time and performing namaskara for each stride)
c) Urulu Seva – rolling on the body and going
around the brindavana. This is forbidden for women.
d) Reciting Sri Raghavendra stotra 108 times while
performing abhisheka for Rayara Brindavana with cow’s milk.
e) Going through religious works composed by great
gyaanis; some of the popular ones are Sudha, Parimala, Sri Madhva Vijaya,
Sri Raghavendra Vijaya etc.
In all of the above cases, the main ingredient
is sincerity, pure heart and intense devotion.
11.
One
of our relatives is handicapped. Can we take the oath in his name and do the
pradakshina?
^^^^^^
Certainly. This is also acceptable to Rayaru.
However, the person on whose behalf this Seva is being undertaken should be
around.
12.
One
of our acquaintances told us that during the Seva period, Sri Rayaru appears
in our dream and blesses us. Is this true?
Even though not many people can prove with
absolute certainity that it was Rayaru himself who appeared in their dreams
and blessed them, there is no doubt whatsoever that serving him with a pure
heart and intense devotion will fetch his grace, maybe in a dream and
sometimes even directly!
13.
What
is meant by ‘Poorna phala”?
As stated earlier, at the beginning of the Seva
the devotee should set aside a new, unpeeled coconut. After the completion
of the Seva, this coconut is symbolically offered to Rayaru and returned
with mantrakshate. This is called Poorna phala.
14.
What
should be done with Poorna phala?
^^^^^^
After receiving the holy coconut from the
priest, one should handle it with great care and respect. It should not be
kept on the ground or made impure in any way. It should be brought home and
worshipped with devotion as it represents Rayaru’s blessings. Later it
should be consumed (without cooking) in the company of close relatives.
15. What
should be done after performing the Seva?
Since it is absolutely certain
that Rayaru will bless you with fruits appropriate to the level of service
performed, one should be patient until the desired result is obtained. In
addition, all the discipline and devotion displayed during the Seva should
be retained as much as possible, as long as possible. This is a sure way of
obtaining Rayaru’s grace.
