Three-day event culminating in Seetha Kalyanam in Auckland: April 23-25, 2021
Venkat Raman
Auckland, January 16, 2021
The corridors of Shri Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan (located at 12 Princes Street in Onehunga, Auckland) will reverberate piety, accruing the Divine Blessings of Lord Vishnu, as devotees recite His Name ten million times for the good of all living beings.
The Marathon, arguably the first of its kind in New Zealand and possibly the Southern Hemisphere, is being organised by the Auckland based Bhajan Satsangh Prayer Group Trust, from Friday, April 23, 2021 to Sunday, April 25, 2021. It incorporates Rama Navami (The Birthday of Lord Rama) and ‘Sita Kalyanam’ (His Marriage to Goddess Sita).
The Programme is as follows:
Registration is required- please use the QR Code in the Poster or visit http://bhajansathsangh.org
The One Crore Virtue
More than 1000 men, women and youngsters are expected to participate in the ‘Koti Vishnu Nama Parayanam’ over three days which correspond with the ANZAC weekend.
‘Vishnu Sahasranamam’ means 1000 names of Lord Vishnu, worshipped as ‘Protector of the Universe,’ and hence reciting it once equals to mentioning God’s name a thousand times.
Trustees Venkat Subramanian and Ravi Shankar said that on that count, reciting the Prayer by 500 persons, twenty times each, will equate 10,000,000 recitations.
“When we chant the 1000 Names alone (Vishnu Sahasranamam, once), we get the benefit of chanting the 1000 names of the Lord. But when we are in a group and we chant the same 1000 Names, the effect is multiplied by the number of people who are present there. So, even if there is only one other person at Satsangh when you chant the 1000 Names together, instead of getting the benefit of the 1000 Names, you get the benefit of 2000 Names in the same amount of time. Extending the same logic, if there are 500 people and together we chant Vishnu Sahasranamam 20 times in unison, then each of us gets the benefit of chanting One Crore (ten million) Namas of the Lord, a daunting task that would otherwise take about 30 years even if we chant every day,” they said.
Sita Kalyanam
The crowing glory of the ‘One Crore Vishnu Sahasranamam Marathon’ will be ‘Sita Kalyanam,’ the marriage of Lord Rama (an Incarnation of Lord Vishnu) with Sita (an Avatar of Goddess Lakshmi) on Sunday, April 25, 2021.
One of the joys of being a Hindu is the perception of God or Goddess as per one’s desire or disposition. Thus the Lord or Goddess can at once be a King, Queen, Parent, Relative, Brother, Sister or even a Friend. Extending that thought is the pleasure of ‘conducting’ and ‘witnessing’ the Marriage of the Divine. The Rama-Sita Wedding is known as ‘Sita Kalyanam,’ one of the most auspicious occasions for Hindus.
The Bhajan Satsangh Prayer Group Trust is affording a unique opportunity to participate in this Divine Endeavour for Devotees, who can indeed belong to any religion.
Sponsorships for two persons- one each to represent Lord Rama and Goddess Sita will be based on a lucky draw before the start of Sita Kalyanam on April 25, 2021. Sponsorship costs $501 to be paid by the successful bids at the venue. However, those interested may please register their names as soon as possible at http://bhajansathsangh.org
About Vishnu Sahasranamam
Vishnu Sahasranamam (or Vishnu Sahasranama) is a masterpiece by Veda Vyasar (Veda Vyas), also the author of timeless epics that include the Adhyatma Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, and other Stotras.
Yudhishthira (Dharma), the eldest of the Pandavas (not counting Karna) was confused about the biggest Dharma to follow in life. He approached Lord Krishna, who took him to Bhishma, the great warrior lying on his deathbed on the battlefield, felled by Arjuna’s arrows. Yudhishthira gets guidance on all aspects of life, commencing with Vishnu Sahasranama. It was the essence of Bhishma’s life. Sage Vyasa and Krishna were witnesses to this moment on the Kurukshetra battlefield.
Bhishma said that Yudhishthira (and indeed every being) should surrender to the Supreme Being. Mediating on his name 1000 times would help achieve the auspicious state of self-liberation. Bhishma continued saying the 1000 names of Vishnu, and this part of the Mahabharata is called Vishnu Sahasranamam.
The Significance
Mr Subramanian outlined the significance of Vishnu Sahasranamam.
“Chanting or listening to Vishnu Sahasranamam ensures, that nothing inauspicious or unwelcome will accrue to those in this world or the next. It creates positive energy and peace of mind for the whole family at home. Doing so in a Temple energises the precinct and provides peace of mind to the whole community. As a community, let us join and achieve this goal in just two days for personal and universal welfare and liberation,” he said.
Quoting a verse from Bhaja Govindam (a Composition by Adi Shankaracharya as a Salutation to Lord Rama and Lord Krishna), he said, “From Satsang comes non-attachment, from non-attachment comes freedom from delusion, from freedom comes self-knowledge and from self-knowledge comes liberation even while living.”
About the Bhajan Satsangh Prayer Group Trust
Bhajan Satsangh Prayer Group Trust is an organisation registered under the Societies Act. It has nine Trustees and represents a community of approximately 300 families in Auckland. The Trust is a Voluntary, Non-Political, Not-for-Profit organisation, with the objective of creating and maintaining a platform for learning and sharing the traditions of Indian culture. Music is an integral part of that process.
The Trust primarily facilitates gathering of its members once a month for Bhajans – the first Saturday attended by 100 people. This helps especially the younger generation to learn the traditions of their culture.
This practice has continued for over 20 years and was formalised in 2009 with the establishment of the Trust, which has been approved by Inland Revenue Department (IRD) under the Charities Act 2005 as a Donee Organisation, making people eligible to claim a tax credit for their donations.
The above story has been sponsored by
