Ati Rudram Maha Yagnam, Forsyth, GA - May 1st to 11th 2014

"I have not come to you as a Guru --- I have come to you as your own mother." - Amma

Why do we perform Ati Rudram Maha Yagñam?

Ati Rudra Maha Yagñam is being performed for the physical and mental welfare of all the beings in all the worlds and for universal peace and prosperity.

What is Rudram?

Sri Rudram is the center of the entire Vedas. Sri Rudram conducts of 11 chapters (anuvakams) each of Namakam and Chamakam. Namakam extols the divine light of the creator reflected in creation. Chamakam invokes the grace of the divine for various material and spiritual benefits, which are in turn offered for universal peace and well-being. The vibrations of this supreme hymn, Sri Rudram, purify the individual at all levels including body, mind, and intellect. Purification of the self leads to realizing the divinity within, as unity of creation and creator.

What is Ati Rudram?

It is the most potent and highest offering that involves chanting Namakam for 14,641 times along with Chamakam for 1,331 times by 12 priests and 121 ritwiks (those well versed with chanting) over a period of 11 days.

What is Ati Rudra Maha Yagñam?

It is chanting Ati Rudram in combination with yajña (sacred fire) and Abhishekam (worship using holy waters, milk, honey, etc.) Performing these rituals, while chanting, amplifies the power of the mantras several thousand times.

2014 Program Schedule

Wednesday : April 30, 2014

*Prayer & Invocation with Veda Chanting

*Inauguration of Ati Rudram Maha Yagñam

*Lighting of the Lamp

*Worship of Ganesha (Sri Mahaganapathi Pooja)

*Purification Of The Location & Sacred Fire Ceremony (Punyaha, Raksha Bandhana, Ankurarpana, Poorvanga Godana, Vastu-Rakshoghna Pooja, & Homa)

*Installation Of The Lingam (Bimba Shuddhi, Jalaadhivaasa, Ksheeradhivaasa, Dhanyadivasa, Pushpa-Phaladhivasa, Shaydhivasa)

Thursday : May 1, 2014

6:00am- Aruna parayana, mahanyasa parayana, kala pooja, and kala homa

Nadeesandhana, pranaprasthistha

8:00am- Panchamritha Abhishekam

8:30am- Rudra parayana & Rudrabhishekam

11:00am- Agniprasthistha & Agnivibhajana

Rudra homam

12:15pm- Mahamangalaharati

4:00pm- Panchamritha Abhishekam

Rudrabhishekam

Rudra kramarchana, Nitya homam

5:30pm- Sri Chakrarchana (lalitha sahasranamavali)

6:30pm-Music or dance offering (swarnanjali or natyanjali)

7:30pm- Aarathi

Friday: May 2-10, 2014

6:00am- Aruna & Mahanyasa Parayana

8:00am- Panchamritha Abhishekam

8:30am- Rudra Parayana & Rudrabhishekam

11:00am- Rudra Homam

12:15pm- Mahamangalaharati

4:00pm- Panchamritha Abhishekam, Rudrabhishekam

Rudra Kramarchana, Nitya Homam

5:30pm- Sri Chakrarchana (Lalitha Sahasranamavali)

6:30pm- Music or Dance Offering (Swarnanjali Or Natyananjali)

7:30pm- Aarathi

Sunday : May 11, 2014

6:00am- Aruna & Mahanyasa Parayana

8:00am- Panchamritha Abhishekam

8:30am- Rudra Parayana & Rudrabhishekam

11:00am- Rudra Homam

12:15pm- Agni Samyojana, Jayadi Homam

1:00pm- Poornahuti, Uttaranga Godanam, Dasadanam

1:15pm- Aarathi

5:00pm- Veda Chanting

Dedication of Yagña (Yajñaphalasamarpanam)

Honoring Priests and Ritwiks

The lords had planned this event even before people had thought as to who is going to be the recipient of his grace. I had gone to visit a friend (daughter) in California. While she was studying In New jersey and attending the sai center on occasion would stay with our family and over time became one of the family members. After completing her studies moved to California for a job Opportunity and higher studies, where she met her life partner Gurumani Krishnan. She had invited us for the wedding in India, but due to my health constraints I could not attend I told her I will surely make up for that and will make a personal visit and stay with them.

Which we were able to fulfill this February 7th-9th stayed in their quaint and cozy abode. They were gracious enough in offering their comforts to us and they slept on the floor. On Saturday, February 8th they were going for their sadhana, as they were planning on going to the Ati Rudram being held in Atlanta for the very first time in the United States of America. The sadhana consisted of giving up a few things: celibacy for 121 days, alcohol, meat, as well as television. We are to do weekly satsang, singing the glory of the lords, while practicing silence daily and reciting the Rudram, namakam, chamakam, and devi stotrams.

As they were going to the center we joined them, and it was heart rendering to hear them sing with so much dedication and love. When we returned Vishaka said "Koushik, you must join us on this trip!!" With no hesitation I booked my ticket and room accommodations well in advance so that I would definitely be there. Due to my health conditions I did not do or practice sadhana. I only joined our group from the tri-state area towards the end; hardly two weeks and I was going to be a volunteer, not a ritwik.

On April 26, 2014 there was a final homam in Pennsylvania to start our trip to Atlanta. The coordinator asked "will you able to participate in this homam as you have not come for any?" I told him that I will definitely be there to be a part of the event.  He did not know how to go about the event and someone in California suggested you invite a senior

citizen and honor him with vastram and that would be the proper way. This was shared only in the end after the homam was completed.

Sethu was our coordinator for the tri-state region, he did not know where is he going to find this older person, and only a few days ago his father had come from India. He asked him to join and came with him but did not bring any dhoti due to the weather, as the homam was being performed outside. The vibrations in this family's home were very high. They first started with Ganesha prayer followed by Abhishekam to shiva. I was asked to perform the Abhishekam but I refused as I get into a trance and did not want to disturb any one. I asked the uncle to perform as he was much older and said I do not have the dhoti, I said what is the problem? The host will be happy to give you a new dhoti. Everyone was convincing of him not performing due to the weather and I was telling him to come forward. The family gave him a new outfit and a shawl, and he was able to participate in this homam.

On April 28th, early in the morning, I just began writing Om Sri Sai Ram and a message came from Swami to all ritwiks  "even though all of you are selected for performing in this auspicious occasion, please do not let this get to your head, you are not the doer. If you disconnect from this you can receive all the positive vibrations at any time. Do not let your ego get in. Enjoy the scenery, embrace all the people, and spread my love with each and every one you meet. I am always with you, in you, above, behind and around you. Witness my grace on all of you. You are all my children....., love love, love and only love."

I was to leave on the 29th to Atlanta in the afternoon and in the morning at 5:30am I got something in the mail mentioning that the flight had been cancelled due to the weather. In the Atlanta region, a tornado was expected and in the New Jersey area heavy rain and flooding. It was a test how badly did we want this and how intensely. We all scrambled for an airline that would allow us to travel for this auspicious occasion. The compassionate lord opened his arms and made way for me.

The airlines went out of their way in getting a direct flight available to get me there on time and without the lords it would have not be possible. One by one we were arriving at the airport  Michigan, California, upstate New York, New Jersey, Seattle and our shuttle run by only volunteer/ritwik took us to the center were the function was going to be held and dropped us off as they needed all the help to get the event off the ground. The night before with heavy rains had damaged all the effort put into so we had to start all over. More trials and tribulations. Nevertheless, all the participants pooled together and pulled it off.

On April 30^th, we were scheduled to have invocation with Veda chanting and inauguration of Ati Rudram Maha Yagñam. The weather was not cooperating and we did not know how this function was going to happen. Still more flights were being cancelled due to the weather. Tornado warnings all throughout Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi.

We did not let our spirits down and chanted Om Nama Shivaya continuously and vigorously. We thoroughly enjoyed heart rendering bhajans sung by devotees from overseas. The compassionate lord heard our sincere prayers and cleared the path with good weather to go ahead with the program. Professor Nanjunda Dixit, the head priest, tied the sacred thread for me even though I was not a ritwik. He said "the work that you are doing is higher than what I am doing. Continue the seva and make sure you will be here for all the days." I am sure the sacred thread is what saved my life several times during the 12 days.

The power of all mantras. Thursday, May 1st, is the official start of the program. All ritwiks had received their Dikisha vastram and were ready to start. I volunteered to give water to all the men. After completing that I went to the other side to help fill all of the plates with homam items and I was short of 6 plates. When I went to get a plate a lady, in front of everyone, began shouting at me and said "you have to ask for my permission to take things!!" She then went on and told another ritwik "do not involve him. Do it yourself!"  I could have said something but chose to just walk away. I came in front of her time and time again when I would volunteer to clean the hall after each evening program. I would stay until 1:30am cleaning and someone or the other would be dropped off at the hotel.

After several days again I saw the shuttle bus stop and pick up at a resident. It happened to be the same woman from the other day. This time she was silent and did not say anything with her head kept down. A man came up to me and asked me "are you a ritwik?" I clearly answered "no i am not." He then asked me if I was a chanter and again I answered "no". He finally asked me if I was a volunteer and I replied with "yes I am." He shortly follow up with "can you help out in the kitchen?". Now originally I had signed up for cleaning bathrooms, keeping shoes in an organized manner, followed by kitchen seva.  Keeping the bathrooms in order was already being taken care of. The shoes/slippers were placed outside. I was now left with kitchen duty. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the men and women, joking around, and sampling all the varieties of food as we had full reins of the provisions. After completing our duties, on occasion, we would peek into the yajna shala and hear the thunderous chanting of the Vedas.

I felt like going and sitting in front of the energized lingam, so after my duties I went and sat and slipped into a very deep meditative state. I had tears rolling down my cheeks  with no control and fell on top of the homa kundam. People who were not aware of my situation thought it was a medical problem and began running frantically to find a physician. They even went and told Karunanamayi and she said hold onto his feet. When Sekhar heard it was Koushik he told everyone "stay away and do not disturb him. He is with Swami!!" I did not want anyone touching me, especially when I am in a trance, as it disturbs the energy. My presence was now known to all as to who I am and had full rein to move about without anyone questioning or stopping me.

The next day an American woman stopped by the kitchen and said I do not who you are but you came in my dream with a clear box and inside there were a lot of snakes. Who are you? I casually replied “SHIVA”.

On Tuesday, May 6^th, at 5:30AM, I get a text from a friend saying that his friend’s wife was going to be in surgery, she needed help, and to pray that she will be just fine. I could have replied O.K. but instead replied "do not worry. I will be there in the surgical room with her holding her hand." I told him to BELIEVE IN ME. The very next day I call him to follow up. He says she's doing fine and that as she was laying in the surgical room, just as he was told the day before, she felt someone holding her hand.  

I was waiting in the hotel lobby for the shuttle and arrived very early and volunteered to make sure we could accommodate as many as possible. I kept the front seat open in case someone handicapped needed to sit there, but then a man opened the door and took the seat. I told it was for someone else and he replied I am as important as the next. I did not want to go head to head first thing in the morning. I got everyone seated only to find out I was the only one left. I asked the person in the front "sir could you move up a little bit so I can get in as I have to go to work?" He said "I am going to get down and you can get in." I replied with "Sir, I am much taller than you and my legs will not fit in that cramped space." He remarked "I am smarter than you that you cannot trick me." Again, I did not want to start the day in that negative manner. Later in the day, in full public view, catching everyone's attention in plain sight, he suddenly felt the need to prostrate!! With this kind of ego, where does he plan on going?

As I came out of my hotel room, there were two ladies standing on either side of the pillars and immediately started chanting Sai Suprabatham. What did they see that made them chant so spontaneously?  When they were singing, it made me very dizzy and had asked them to stop although it was sung very melodiously.

I went to work in the kitchen and the energy in the ashram yajnam was very high in the morning. As I was working, I was carrying a large pot of hot boiling water when someone called out to me. I completely forgot I had something in my hands. The whole vat of scalding hot water fell on arm and hand. I was burned very badly.  I applied what was available as an aid to alleviate the constant annoying pain. 

To help me forget the pain I went to the yajna shala to meditate. I usually go for meditation only after I have completed the work in the kitchen but that day it was completed in the very beginning itself. I walked on the runway. I had no care of who was watching or observing me. What better way to properly enter as I saw only Swami sitting on the altar with both hands up blessing everyone.

I was in the first row under swami's feet, followed by the priest, and then the ritwik. With a nod to the priest I sat and closed my eyes for hours. I have no idea as to what was going on around me. I had tears rolling down my face uncontrollably as I was in the deep meditative state of mind. The public was stunned that someone who had been burnt so badly throughout his entire arm has no feeling whatsoever. He must be so blessed that without even planning anything he can be with the Lord just like that. People wanted to touch me and get blessings. At some point even fruits and flowers were offered at my feet by Sekhar; the organizer of the event. People, still in amazement, kept saying "how blessed you are! Just with the thought of The Lord you melt in his arms." Many wanted to hear the experience but it was only for a few to hear as there was a message for them. 

Arun, along with Sekhar, were also participants from California. Arun's mother and a friend came after lunch to meet near the kitchen to hear some divine experiences. The following day when they were coming her friend slipped and sprained her knee. She remained in great spirit and did not panic. The ambulance was called for Arun’s mother. "Koushik we came to see you so you have to heal her with your energy!!" I gave her my word that she will be O.K. and return back by 8pm. When I saw Arun, I inquired the well-being of Sita aunty and he replied that she did in fact return by 8pm as mentioned to him earlier. 

The word spread so fast that the ladies came to the kitchen to drink coffee to Karunamayi. In the evening an announcement came that "no one, other than the kitchen staff, is allowed to be back there!" In an interview with the California group with karunamayi she asked “why did you go near the kitchen when everything is available in the dining hall?" The lady answered "we went to see Koushik as he has many divine experiences." The next morning Sekhar came to the kitchen and asked "Koushik, do you mind if I hug you and kiss you?" I said no and he did just that. Gurumani would hug me everyday and say I love you. I met him only a few months ago but there was such a connection of the heart. That day, when I went to the yagna shala to sit, Amma Karunamayi was giving a speech: "shiva is here amongst us, he does not want to see me but I have seen him and today he is in pant and shirt" Hearing that, I hit the floor with full force, fell on a harmonium, a mic stand, and had lacerated the body. Blood was coming out and yet again I felt nothing. Doctors wanted to treat the wound immediately but I did not want anyone to touch me. Eventually I came out of the trance. Arun pleaded "Koushik, for my sake, please see a physician who is here and is willing to help in covering the wound."

On Sunday, the last day, they were honoring all the priests’, ritwiks, and all of the volunteers. I came and sat at my usual spot and drifted off into deep meditation. I saw swami standing in front of me and then on the altar. The garland started to fall from his picture, the lingam, das avatar, and flowers falling from all. I was in Kailasam and could see the snow-capped mountains with the light hitting it just shimmering and glistening. What a beautiful sight! To be in the presence of the beloved lord; thank you for showering your abundant grace on this soul. Swami graced the occasion. I Am There For All My Devotees.

I heard people giving me the title of a "LIVING SAINT, a SIDDHAR, and SIDDHA PURUSHA to this physical body calling Koushik.

Swami, am I even capable of receiving all these titles as I am merely your servant? Professor Nanjunda Dixit tied the raksha for me even though I was just volunteering. He said, “your work is more important than chanting. Working tirelessly in the kitchen and feeding so many people.”  A friend said, "Koushik they are honoring all the kitchen staff. Go and get your award!” I told him the energy is too high I can hardly stand, but listening to his words I stumbled and fell on the divine mother’s feet in a deep meditative state. All the water from the abhishekam and a handful of akshata (rice) on top of my head. The words "nana get up...nana get up brought the function to the end."
Jai Sai Ram, Jai Karunamayi.

Thank you for everyone's unconditional love.
Sai Ram. Love All Serve All.