Shirdi Sai Baba Aarti

Aarti is a devotional prayer that has devotees standing before the image of a deity or consecrated saint accompanied with singing of devotional songs in unison. This singing is often accompanied by other musical instruments such as bells, gongs and cymbals. In Hindu rituals aarti is a rich and vibrant event, when the deity is adorned with garlands and showered with flowers along with aromatic incense sticks and waving of panchmukhi diya or five-wicks oil lamp around His figure in clockwise.

After offering the aarti before the deity, it is brought before all the devotees, who then pass their hands by turns over the sacred flame of the aarti lamp and quickly bring them closer to their faces and heads as a gesture of receiving the auspicious energy from the holy flame.

At Shirdi, there are four aarti sessions all through the day, during which devotees congregate invoking Sai Baba, seeking His blessings. Saibaba's aarti is sung in Marathi. As a living manifestation of the abstract concept of God, Shri Sai Baba is an epitome of the supreme power that guides, protects and support. This yearning that has created a bond of love and faith between Sai and his devotee is expressed through the aarti.

Aarti is performed four times everyday in Saipuram. The day begins with the invocation of Shri Sai Baba with the morning aarti called the Kakkad Aarti at 5.15am. Madhyan Aarti or Midday aarti is held at 12noon. The evening aarti or the Sandhya Aarti takes place at 6.30pm and the day closes with Shej Aarti or Night aarti at 10pm. With Shej Aarti darshan of Shri Saibaba gets over till the next day. Priests attend on him during all these rituals and rites. During these aartis devotees make offerings to Saibaba in the form of new clothes, flowers, fruits and sweets, etc. A little bit of Udi or sacred ash is also given to the devotees as a token of love from Shri Sai at the end of the rituals.

Shirdi Sai Baba's Teachings

Sai Baba of Shirdi is the epitome of reverence a guiding force who generates supreme faith and confidence among his devotees looking for salvation and in quest of coming out of the drudgery of living. As a divine mother he is saturated with love for those who seek him. With his mission of making people about the divine consciousness and transcending the limits of mortal body, his teachings are guiding his devotees to the path of salvation. People are blessed who follow his teachings.

Among the teachings of Sai Baba of Shirdi there are the cardinal principles of Sai Path called 'Shraddha' and 'Saburi'. Sai Baba looks for these two qualities in his devotees. Here are the teachings and philosophies of Sai Baba of Shirdi.

Shraddha
'Shraddha' is a Sanskrit word, which roughly means faith with love and reverence. Such faith or trust is generated out of conviction, which may not be the result of any rational belief or intellectual wisdom, but a spiritual inspiration. According to Sai Baba of Shirdi, steadfast love in God is the gateway to eternity. Baba's teaching, both direct and indirect explicate the significance of 'Shraddha'. Baba reiterates the spiritual guidance of Shri Krishna to Arjun - "Whosoever offer to Me with love or devotion, a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, that offering of pure love is readily accepted by Me".

Saburi
'Saburi'; means patience and perseverance. Saburi is a quality needed throughout the path to reach the goal. This quality must be ingrained in a seeker from day one, least he looses his stride and leaves the path half way

Purity
For Sai Baba it was not the purity of the body but inner purity that mattered. No amount of physical and external cleansing would serve any purpose if the man remained impure in mind and heart. Therefore, Baba cautioned His devotees not to make austerity as an end itself, lest they should indulge in physical mortification.

Compassion
Himself an epitome of compassion and love, Sai Baba taught compassion among his disciples. Baba often told His devotees, 'Never turn away anybody from your door, be it a human being or animal'.

Complete Surrender to the Guru
Sai Baba put Guru on a high pedestal of reverence. For Him Guru was the profound base of the path of devotion. Pointing to his physical frame, "This body is my house. I am not here. My Guru (Master) has taken me away". He asked for complete surrender to the 'Guru'.

Sai Baba's Teachings through 'Udi' and 'Dakshina'

Udi
Udi or the sacred ash was produced from the perpetual fire called 'dhuni' lit by Sai Baba in Dwarkamai at Shirdi. Explaining the meaning of life He would refer to Udi and taught that like Udi all the visible phenomena in the world are transient. Through this example Sai Baba wished to make his devotees understand the sense of discrimination between the unreal and the real. Udi taught the devotees discrimination or vivek.

Dakshina
Sai Baba would demand 'Dakshina' or alms from those who visited him. This explained the sense of non-attachment to worldly things. Hence Dakshina taught the devotees non-attachment or Vairagya.

What's The Meaning of Om Sai Ram?

As far as i am aware we should not be looking for the meaning of mantras. We should chant the mantras that we fell we are attracted to. Mantras are chanted to kindle the spiritual enerfies with us. They make a positive effect on our mind and heart and brings us nearer to soul.

So when we feel a soothing and deep effect, or if we feel the spirit within us is evoked or when the hairs of our soul stands on their on their end, we should repeat that mantra more and more.
It is more important to quench our thirst by drinking water than to know more about water. Reading a lot abiut water, knowing its chemical formula like H2O will not satisfy the thirst. it is ok if after satisfying out thirst by drinking water we drink may try to find the meaning of what water is, still drinking of the water is always of more importance than finding it's meaning or gathering much information of the water.
Sai Baba used to ask devotess Naam Saptah. Any divine name of God or mantra would be chanted continuously for a week. By this Sai Baba also indicated that the effect of chants gather more spritual energy when it is being done on continuous basis. The dynamo of the mind should churn more and more chants to create that energy just as a dynamo has to be spin more to create more electric energy . Hence Shraddha and Saburi. We cannot except to light our house after an hour of dynamo spinning.

Now coming to the meaning of Om Sai Ram. Om has been given many meaning yet it is beyound all meanings. The rishis and sages who went deep within their self experiences this sound AUM
ॐ and it has great spiritual significance. Again it has to be experinces. We can expereince it. Just sit with your body relaxed and straight, mind also relaxed after taking a slow deep breath chamt AUM, and you will feel the effect it creates on mindand body. Every day if the chant is repeated it reveals ots new meaning.

Sai is the name of God given to Sai Baba of Shirdi. In Sacred Text Shri Sai SatChritra Chapter 3. In Sai Baba's saying one can note that Sai Baba said that even the chanting of name Sai with Shradha (Faith) will burn away the sins (the sanskaric effect one reaps of hurting other beings) of speech and deeds.

Ram. Ram again is a spiritual name with great powers. Many devotees has felt and still feels the power of name Ram (Raam). So this manta Om Sai Ram combines the power of three powerful chants.

About the chanting of the mantras one thing comes to my mind what Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsha said about it. In the bookGospel of Sri Ramakrishna it is recorded while His talks with one devotee that The chanting of Mantra has great effect and leads one to the God Sat Chit Anand. It bears fruit even if the effects does not show immediately. It is like a seed that will germinate, the tree will grow and bear flowers and fruits.

However the effect is more powerful when one has his mind on the mantra and God. The unconscious repetition of the mantra while the mind is engaged in the worldly affairs has little effect. ~ Om Sai Ram

Lord Satyanarayan Photo


Lord Satyanarayan Aarti

Om Jaya Jagadeesha harey Swaami Jaya Jagadeesha harey
Bhakta janon key sankata, daas jano key sankata,
Kshana mein door Karey - Om Jaya Jagadeesha harey ..

Jo Dhyaavey Phala Paavey Dukha Vinasey Mana kaa
Sukha Sampati Ghara Aavey, Kashta Mitey Tana kaa –
Om Jaya Jagadeesha harey…

Maat Pitaa Tum Merey Sharana Gahoon kiski
Tum Bin Aur na Doojaa Aash karoon Jiski - Om Jaya…

Tuma Purana Paramaatmaa Tuma Antaryaami
Par-Brahma Parameshvara Tuma Sabake Swami - Om Jay…

Tuma Karunaa Ke Saagar Tuma Paalana Kartaa
Mai moorakh khal-kaami
Mai Sevaka Tum Swami Kripaa Karo Bharataa - Om Jay.....

Tum Ho Ek Agochara Sabkey Praanapati
Kisa Vidhi Miloon Dayaamaya Tuma ko main kumati - Om Jay......

Deena Bandhu Dukha Harataa Thaakur Tum merey Swaami Rakshaka tum Mere
Apney haath uthaao, apney charan lagaao, Dwaar para main terey, Om Jay......

Vishaya Vikaar Mitaao Paap Haro Devaa
Shraddhaa Bhakti Badhaao Santan Ki Sevaa - Om Jay.....

Tan Man sab tera, sab kuchh hai tera,
Tera tujhko arpan, kyaa laagey mera. Om Jay......

Why do we ring the bell in a temple?

Is it to wake up the Lord? But the Lord never sleeps. Is it to let the Lord know we have come? He does not need to be told, as He is all knowing. Is it a form of seeking permission to enter His precinct? It is a homecoming and therefore entry needs no permission. The Lord welcomes us at all times. Then why do we ring the bell?

The ringing of the bell produces what is regarded as an auspicious sound. It produces the sound Om, the universal name of the Lord. There should be auspiciousness within and without, to gain the vision of the Lord who is all-auspiciousness.

Even while doing the ritualistic aarati, we ring the bell. It is sometimes accompanied by the auspicious sounds of the conch and other musical instruments. An added significance of ringing the bell, conch and other instruments is that they help drowned any inauspicious or irrelevant noises and comments that might disturb or distract the worshippers in their devotional ardour, concentration and inner peace.
As we start the daily ritualistic worship (pooja) we ring the bell, chanting:

Aagamaarthamtu devaanaam gamanaarthamtu rakshasaam Kurve ghantaaravam tatra devataahvaahna lakshanam
I ring this bell indicating the invocation of divinity, So that virtuous and noble forces enter (my home and heart); and the demonic and evil forces from within and without, depart.

What is Guru Purnima?

The full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashad (July-August) is observed as the auspicious day of Guru Purnima, a day sacred to the memory of the great sage Vyasa. All Hindus are indebted to this ancient saint who edited the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata. Vyasa even taught Dattatreya, who is regarded as the Guru of Gurus.

Significance of Guru Purnima
On this day, all spiritual aspirants and devotees worship Vyasa in honor of his divine personage and all disciples perform a 'puja' of their respective spiritual preceptor or 'Gurudevs'.

This day is of deep significance to the farmers, for it heralds the setting in of the much-needed rains, as the advent of cool showers usher in fresh life in the fields. It is a good time to begin your spiritual lessons. Traditionally, spiritual seekers commence to intensify their spiritual 'sadhana' from this day.

The period 'Chaturmas' ("four months") begins from this day. In the past, wandering spiritual masters and their disciples used to settle down at a place to study and discourse on the Brahma Sutras composed by Vyasa, and engage themselves in Vedantic discussions.

The Role of the Guru
Swami Sivananda asks: "Do you realize now the sacred significance and the supreme importance of the Guru's role in the evolution of man? It was not without reason that the India of the past carefully tended and kept alive the lamp of Guru-Tattva. It is therefore not without reason that India, year after year, age after age, commemorates anew this ancient concept of the Guru, adores it and pays homage to it again and again, and thereby re-affirms its belief and allegiance to it. For, the true Indian knows that the Guru is the only guarantee for the individual to transcend the bondage of sorrow and death, and experience the Consciousness of the Reality."

How to Observe the Day

At the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, the Guru Purnima is celebrated every year on a grand scale.

1. All aspirants awake at Brahmamuhurta, at 4 o'clock. They meditate on the Guru and chant his prayers.
2. Later in the day, the sacred worship of the Guru's Feet is performed. Of this worship it is said in the Guru Gita:

Dhyaana moolam guror murtih;
Pooja moolam guror padam;
Mantra moolam guror vakyam;
Moksha moolam guror kripa

The Guru's form should be meditated upon; the feet of the Guru should be worshipped; his words are to be treated as a sacred Mantra; his Grace ensures final liberation".
3. Sadhus and Sannyasins are then worshipped and fed at noon.
4. There is continuous Satsang during which discourses are held on the glory of devotion to the
Guru in particular, and on spiritual topics in general.

The Guru's Advice
Swami Sivananda recommends: "Wake up at Brahmamuhurta (at 4 a.m.) on this most holy day. Meditate on the lotus feet of your Guru. Mentally pray to him for his Grace, through which alone you can attain Self-realisation. Do vigorous Japa and meditate in the early morning hours.

"After bath, worship the lotus feet of your Guru, or his image or picture with flowers, fruits, incense and camphor. Fast or take only milk and fruits the whole day.
In the afternoon, sit with other devotees of your Guru and discuss with them the glories and teachings of your Guru.

"Alternatively, you may observe the vow of silence and study the books or writings of your Guru, or mentally reflect upon his teachings. Take fresh resolves on this holy day, to tread the spiritual path in accordance with the precepts of your Guru.

"At night, assemble again with other devotees, and sing the Names of the Lord and the glories of your Guru. The best form of worship of the Guru is to follow his teachings, to shine as the very embodiment of his teachings, and to propagate his glory and his message."
5. Deserving aspirants are initiated into the Holy Order of Sannyas, as this is a highly auspicious occasion.
6. Devout disciples fast and spend the whole day in prayer. They also take fresh resolves for spiritual progress.