"To know yourself is why you are on Earth. You were born to realize the Self. You are not here to make money, to clothe yourself or to entertain yourself. These are incidentals." -Gurudeva

The Final Day of Gurudeva's 12th Mahasamadhi celebrations began at 4:30 am, with a final Homa in the yagasala, followed by a Padapuja in Kaduval Temple.

Beginning in the early morning hours, the two priests began the final homa. After hours of complicated purifications, chants, kriyas and visualizations, The 108 conch shells were paraded to Kaduval Temple, where they were poured over Gurudeva's tiruvadi. The power of the ancient agamic rites mixed with the simple love from all of those in attendance. It created an expansive bridge to the inner worlds. Gurudeva's presence was felt by all, closer then body, closer then mind. Right within our budding hearts, he whispers the subtly of Siva's mysterious, mystifying Universe. Everything we have and more importantly, everything we are is all by virtue of Gurudeva's endless grace. Aum Namah Sivaya. Sivaya Namah Aum.

Click Play to hear an audio excerpt by Gurudeva (audio may not work in old versions of Internet Explorer)

"It is darshan vibration that makes a human being a holy person. When we say someone is holy or saintly we are feeling the radiations of that divine energy flooding through him and out into the world. The inner life of a devotee has to be stabilized, cherished and well protected by the guru. The guru is able to do this through his well-developed facilities of darshan, even if his devotee lives at great distances from him. Unless the inner vibratory rate of the devotee is held stable, he will not come into his fullness in this life. If a plant is transplanted too often, it won't come into its full growth. If the bud is picked before it blooms, it will not flower or give forth its redolent fragrance. Yes, the grace of the satguru fires the ability to meditate in the seeker." -Gurudeva

On the 3rd day of our recent celebrations of Gurudeva's Mahasamadhi, we began the day with a MahaGanapati Homa, the first ceremony held in our recently created yagasala. The two priests chanted beautifully as they invoked Ganesha's benevolent grace, sanctifying the space and preparing for the next 30 or more hours in which the final Gurudeva Pujas and homas could now take place unhindered. The day continued with a satsang with Satguru Bodhinatha, and afterwards some time for pilgrims to explore the grounds and do sadhana before the evening's worship began.

As the sun lowered towards the horizon the priests invoked within the yagasala's 108 conch shells, 108 different deities as prescribed by the Saiva Agamas. Each of the deities are manifestations of Siva's various attributes. At the peak of the arrangement is a Siva Kumbha, in which sits Lord Siva. In this particular puja however, Gurudeva was invoked in the Siva Kumbha, having become the Self of himself. On the final day of the celebrations the 108 conches are poured over Gurudeva's paduka. Both priests expressed their joy that they were being given the time to perform the full agamic rite. Something which rarely, if ever happens in temples today. It resulted in a peerless and powerful ritual, the likes of which we may not see again for a very long time.

Each year Sadasivanathaswami sits during the final four-hour Mahasamadhi abhishekam and homa and writes a garland of words to place around Gurudeva's neck, a poem to express our enduring bhakti to Gurudeva. 
This was the twelfth year, and they say it is special. It certainly felt special.

"Earth took twelve turns while Jupiter took one
In timely circles 'round our Central Sun,
Since your Great Departure's mystic heights;
They both returned to see what you have done.

"Seldom one sees such pure Agamic rites,
Redolent of the scented days and nights
When Sivacharyas took souls safe and sure
To Siva's Feet in fiery, mantric flights.

"Priests paired before the flame tender runes pure,
So subtle beings and consciousness' high state
Would rush to mingle here and thus conjure
Your advent in our midst with sweet allure.

"White conches strictly laid, one hundred eight,
Five times the sacred mountain they surround,
Each safeguards a cherished Siva name--wait,
Each illustrates your life, your work, your gait.

"It's been a year of richness, gifts abound,
A flood of boons and goodness to astound,
Of watery wealths, of trees and grants and sod,
As your hand moved, all hindrance to impound.

"A year your written wealth spread far abroad,
A year your temples rightly honored God,
A year your monastery swelled inspired,
A year your shishyas' path was soundly trod.

"And as we ponder all that has transpired,
Each gift, each windfall, each good boon acquired,
We sit here chastened--while we did take part,
T'was all in your mind's furnace forged and fired.

"Faces fondling Earth, we hug you to heart,
Nine dozen conches poured on feet impart,
Nine dozen names intoned your graces sum,
You leave us not as we your shrine depart."


Aum Namah Sivaya

As many TAKA readers know, after Gurudeva's Mahasamadhi in 2001, the monks initiated a project to collect every single audio and video tape of Gurudeva that we could find. These were then digitized. For 12 years our team of sevaks has been patiently transcribing these talks. As they will tell you, these archives are full of incredible gems. We are happy to announce that the powerful pujas during the Mahasamadhi 2013 inspired us to start sharing these with the public. With Bodhinatha's blessings, we will be selecting many of these gems and releasing them in the months ahead. For today, you can use the controller above to listen to "Singing to the Gods," a talk given by Gurudeva in 1978.

After seven years of study, preparation, proving themselves to their guru by living the teachings in all aspects of their lives, Mrunal and Padmaja Patel received their mantra diksha on November 1st, which means receiving spiritual initiation from Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami to chant Aum Namah Sivaya 108 times daily on rudraksha japa mala. Prior to this, they were chanting Aum Saravanabhava. It is the first of two dikshas that all sishyas in Saiva Siddhanta Church prepare to receive. They are now known as dikshasishyas.

Also, Mrunal's mother Hansa Patel took her four vows—with assistance from Padmaja and Jigisha, Mrunal's sister, also a Himalayan Academy student—entering Saiva Siddhanta Church as a vratasishya. Congratulations, Dadiji!

Click here for many more photos and description of Gurudeva Mahasamadhi observances by Saiva Siddhanta Church sishyas in Mauritius

"Life is meant to be lived joyously. There is in much of the world the belief that life is a burden, a feeling of penitence, that it is good to suffer, good for the soul. In fact, spiritual life is not that way at all." Gurudeva

Day two of the Aadheenam's Gurudeva Mahasamadhi Celebrations began with a short early-morning pada puja performed by Sadhaka Mayuranatha and Sadhaka Jayanatha. Following the puja was a silent meditation.

After Breakfast, the group of pilgrims gathered in the courtyard for a Santsang with Paramacharya Sadasivanathaswami. He gave a short talk and then told some wonderful stories about Gurudeva. He then played a video, taken during Gurudeva's 70th birthday on an Alaskan cruise ship. In the Video Gurudeva described his first meeting with Yogaswami. Paramacharya ended the class with a discussion about the importance of the guru.

Pilgrims continued their full day with lunch followed by a grand paduka parade out to the Swayambhu Lingam. Gurudeva's tiruvadi were placed on a palanquin and paraded through the property to several key points where worship was performed and individual groups of pilgrims had a their chance to receive prasadam. The first stop was Umbrella Ganesha, the second was Iraivan Temple, followed by Dakshinamurti, then Muruga Hill, and finally the Swayambhu Lingam. Afterwards everyone returned to Kaduval temple and then left for the evening, to return the next day for our first homa in our newly created yagasala.