Gita Jayanti celebrations at Sringeri
Devotees during the Gita Jayanti reverentially welcoming Sri Sri Sri Sannidhanam during the Gita Jayanti event
With the blessings of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahasannidhanam and Jagadguru Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati Sannidhanam, Gita Jayanti was celebrated in a grand fashion in Sringeri on December 7, 2019.
Hundreds of devotees took part on the occasion. In the morning, the entire Bhagavad Gita was chanted at a function arranged in Pravachana Mandiram (adjacent to the temples of Goddess Sharadamba and Adi Shankaracharya at Sringeri). Around 40 of these participants recited the entire Bhagavad Gita from memory. These participants were all selected from a list of successful candidates under the Gita Jnana Yajna scheme of the Sringeri Math. Under the scheme launched during the 56th Vardhanti (in the year, 2006) of Sri Mahasannidhanam, anyone reciting all the 700 verses of the Gita from memory is personally examined by the Jagadguru and is blessed. Successful candidates also receive a reward of Rs. 21,000. Till date, more than 2600 participants from various parts of the country have been successful, with the rewards exceeding Rs. 4 crore.
Sri Sannidhanam offering Pushpa Seva to Bhagavan Sri Krishna on Gita Jayanti
After the Parayana ended at noon, Vidwan Sri Tangirala Sitarama Sharma rendered an Upanyasa pointing out how the Bhagavad Gita propounds the message of the great Vedantic teaching – “Tat Tvam Asi” (That thou art) – signifying that the Jivatman is non-different from the Paramatman.
In the afternoon, Parayana of the entire Bhagavad Gita took place a second time from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Thereafter, each one of the participants expressed which verse from the Gita has been a source of personal inspiration to them in their lives.
Sri Sannidhanam giving Anugraha Bhashanam on Gita Jayanti
The valedictory of the event began in the divine presence of Jagadguru Sri Sannidhanam at 5 pm. The 12th chapter of the Gita, Bhakti Yoga was chanted in the divine presence of Sri Sannidhanam. Asthana Vidwan MA Nagaraja Bhat in his discourse expounded on the relevance of Bhagavad Gita in daily life. Thereafter, Sri Sannidhanam blessed the audience with an elaborate Anugraha Bhashanam. Sri Sannidhanam talked about a verse that compares Srimad Bhagavad Gita with the holy river Ganga, and goes on to state that how Bhagavad Gita is superlative in comparison. While the river Ganga is described in the Puranas to have originated from the Feet of Bhagavan, Srimad Bhagavad Gita flowed as His divine speech. If someone were to slip deep into the waters of the holy river, he may never come out alive. Contrarily, the deeper one plunges into the divine teachings of the Gita, the more he will be able to raise out of the ocean of Samsara! Whereas the river Ganga flows into the inert ocean, the Gita leads one to the ocean of the bliss of non-dual Consciousness. Sri Sannidhanam then proceeded to explain how Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada in His inimitable commentary on the Gita has conveyed the essence of Advaita as propounded in the verses of the Gita. Sri Sannidhanam expressed happiness that successful participants of the Gita Jnana Yajna scheme had taken part in the event and blessed them that they further the cause of the spreading of the message of the Gita by teaching others to chant. Mahamangalarati was then performed to Bhagavan Sri Krishna in the divine presence of Sri Sannidhanam.
Deepotsava at Sri Harihareshwara Swami Temple
Sri Sannidhanam at the Harihareshwara Swamy temple
After blessing the participants with Mantrakshata, Sri Sannidhanam proceeded to the Harihareshwara temple located in the Harihara street in Sringeri and graced the Deepotsava function at the temple.
Sri Sannidhanam during the Deepotsava at Harihareshwara Swamy temple