[Chaturamnaya] Teachings on the Vijaya Yatra - Cultivate the company of Satpurushas

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Around the beginning of the month, a nugget of Wisdom from the Jagadguru may be posted
on the Chaturamnaya list : http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/chaturamnaya )
 
 
http://vijayayatra.sringeri.net/alappuzha-april-13-2012/
 
Alappuzha: APRIL 13-14, 2012
 
Cultivate the company of Satpurushas
 
Reaching Alappuzha on the evening of April 13th, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji was received with Poorna Kumbha.
In His Anugraha Bhashanam the Jagadguru said that Sri Adi Shankaracharya has advocated the company of Satpurushas – “सङ्गः सत्सु विधीयतां”.
When in the company of Satpurushas, we too attain their qualities of Paropakara. Even the Lord has taken incarnations solely for Paropakara.
The Lord has explained in the Gita that an essential quality of a Satpurusha is to have compassion towards all beings – दया भूतेषु
 
It is in the nature of many to forget when someone helps us, and remember when someone offends us. Satpurushas do not have this nature.
Lord Rama is described by Sage Valmiki as:
 
  एकेनाप्युकारेण कृतेन परितुष्यति ।
  न स्मरत्यपकाराणां शतमप्यात्मवत्तया ॥
 
Lord Rama remembered even a small favor rendered to Him but forgave anyone even if they had offended Him many times. Lord Shiva has shown
that man should learn to see in others their good qualities and not focus on their undesirable qualities. Both the moon and the Halahala poison
had come out of the ocean. Lord Shiva kept the crescent moon on his forehead and swallowed the Halahala poison The Jagadguru further added that
the character of Satpurushas is such that they will be able to find a good quality even in a great sinner.
 
The Jagadguru’s Anugraha Bhashanam also touched upon another of Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s Upadesha – “भगवतो भक्तिर्दृढायीताम्” – that one must
strengthen one’s devotion to the Lord. 
 
The Jagadguru said that the residents of Alappuzha had great devotion towards the Peetham. The devotees felt blessed to watch the Jagadguru
perform the Sharada Chandramoulishwara Puja and Sri Chakra Puja that night – the night of the New Year (Vishu) ushering in the Nandana year
as per the Souramana almanac. The Jagadguru performed the Puja in the Centenary Building of Sanatana Dharma Vidyalaya school, that was
established in 1905. 
 
On 14th April, the Jagadguru had Darshan at Rajarajeshwari temple and laid the foundation stone for Anjaneya temple at Alappuzha.