A R M Y

You will be wondering what this ARMY is! It has nothing to do with the regular Indian army or any other army defending or attacking a particular country! It is a religious and spiritual congregation intended to sanitize the mind and heart of Man for the well being of  entire humanity! The word ARMY is an abbreviation of  Ati Rudra Maha Yagna organized and conducted by a group of dedicated devotees of Bhagawan Sri Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba!! Primum mobile for this great mahayagna is no doubt the grace of the Avatar but for which the yagna would not have taken place! As the Gita proclaims, “ nimitta matram bhava Savyasachin”, Swami has chosen as his instrument the most devoted and dynamic person from Sacramento Sri Sekhar Boddupalli whose indefatigable energy and inspiration resulted in organizing the mahayagna! It was the vajra sankalpa of Bhagawan that brought various persons to cooperate and coordinate things for the wonderful success of the mahayagna! Spacious land was offered for temporary constructions and every item of the mahayagna had its sponsors that made the task of Sri Sekhar easy!

The Atirudra maha yagna began with a bang with the ‘ girivalam’ by all the ritviks and chanters who had registered themselves for the entire period from July 26 to August 6, 2017. Uniforms for the ritviks and the chanters were distributed and the Mahayagna started on 27th July in right earnest. Chanting of Mahanyasa and Aruna Parayana was the highlight in the mornings. Ritviks and chanters from 22 countries including a large number of women had enlisted themselves for the Mahayagna! The distinctive factor of the yagna was that no consideration was given for race,religion,caste, creed, language, or community! It was expected to be one whole, pouring out of pure love for Bhagawan! Eleven huge home kundas beautifully decorated were ready for sacrificial offerings. Each homa kunda had eleven ritviks presided over by a priest. As Sri Rudram was chanted eleven times daily the ritviks offered medicinal herbs and ghee offerings into the sacrificial fire. Simultaneously Abhishek was performed to the golden idol of Bhagawan and the beautiful Siva linga on the dais.

The venue was kept spic and span by the Seva dal volunteers and others! Water and other needs were meticulously looked after by the organizers! Even toilets for the participants and the public were temporarily provided with modern amenities like flushing! We have lost count of the Bisleri and other water bottles supplied to the ritviks and the chanters daily. Cultural events stole the limelight during the evenings! Dance programs by the Bay area members and the presentation of a stotra by the Canadian group were appreciated by all. I had the fortune of reciting a few stanzas on the life and message of the Sai Avatar! Attendance swelled as days went by. Saints and dignitaries visited the mahayagna and wondered at the scale of the event. No such event had taken place in Tiruvannamalai earlier. Drought and water scarcity was the bane of the region. There were no rains since four years. Three days after the start of the yagna, thunder, lightning and a four hour long rain drenched the entire town to the utter delight of the people! Surely the Gods were pleased to shower their blessings through rain! Medical units were arranged to treat those with minor ailments and dehydration. A number of children and adults had to be treated for loose motion and dehydration. Food arrangements were very good and the Bengaluru cooks excelled in preparing new, nice recipes that tingled the tastes of many! Narayana Seva provided food packets to the neighboring villages. Clothes were provided for the poor under the Grama Seva program very dear to Bhagawan Baba! A similar yagna was performed in Atlanta in the US and in Badrinath in the Himalayan regions two years back!

Taken from the Yajurveda, Sri Rudram is also called ‘Satarudriya’ and ‘ Rudradhyaya’. Considered very important in Saivism, it views Lord Siva as the supreme God! Sri Rudra is famous for it's ‘ Panchkshari mantra’-- the five syllable ‘Namah Sivaya’ which appears in the text of the ‘Satarudriya’ in the 8th anuvaka. It also contains the mantra “ Aum namo Bhagavate Rudraya.” Chanting Sri Rudram is of great benefit. Various attributes of Lord Siva are invoked and worshipped in the stotra. Chanting can be with or without the accompaniment of a Vedic yagna ritual. Done with the Vedic ritual, it is called Rudra Yagna as the one performed in the town of Tiruvannamalai! According to legend, Lord Siva, after Bhasmasura was killed with the the help of Lord Vishnu, performed the Thandava dance and performed Rudra Yagna for the betterment of humanity! The place where the Rudra Yagna was performed is where Sri Kala hasti temple stands now!! This temple has one of the Panchabhuta Lingas, the Vayu Linga!

It is for the well being, peace and tranquility of the entire world--” Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavanthu” that such yagnas are being performed by the selected few! The Ati rudra Maha yagna is an illustration of the dedicated spirit of Love, pure and simple, for the ailing humanity beset with innumerable dangers and difficulties. With the onslaught of inner and outer enemies, and the relentless illusion drawing it away from God and spirituality, humanity is badly in need of such selfless sacrifices like the Ati rudra Maha yagna to restore faith and spirituality in society! Let many more Ati Rudra Maha Yagnas be performed for the benefit of the world!