Jnana Yajna 65
Year & Dates:
January 01, 1960 to January 21, 1960
Yajna Topic:
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita- Chapter 13
Place:
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), India
“We are thankful to the Lord for the spirit of cooperation that we have been witnessing in all the yajnashalas and also for the new awakening felt all over India as a result of our constant and dedicated efforts. To the Lord, who is the true Yajna Adhyaksha everywhere, we offer all our achievements so far made, and prostrate to draw new inspiration from Him for facing the new years that lie ahead, and to strive the more, always in the service of our culture.” Thus penned Pujya Gurudev in an early 1960 editorial of Usha.
His 65th Yajna inaugurated on the evening of January 1, 1960 was a truly inspirational blessing for Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The celebratory spirit was obvious in that bright, aesthetically pleasing, grand pandal measuring 150′ by 100’ praised as “the grandest and the biggest ever erected in the city of Trivandrum.”
Growing through the Gita
In his inaugural address, His Excellency the Governor of Kerala, Sri Ramakrishna Rao, encouraged the audience to integrate the Gita way of life in line with Pujya Gurudev’s teachings. He brought attention to how Srimad Bhagavad Gita was “the never-failing book of inspiration” for Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. In difficult situations and moral dilemmas, Gandhiji would reach for the Gita which always guided him with the right resolution to implement.
Pujya Gurudev’s discourses in the evenings were on Gita, chapter 13, and His morning classes were on Kenopanishad. In His introduction, Pujya Gurudev explained how Chapter 13 identified the relationship between the Knowing Principle (Kshetrajna) and the field of experiences (Kshetra). In the modern world when the focus of happiness is more on the environmental level rather than on self-improvement, the experience of joy is hollow. So, unless an individual is fully equipped with a pure mind and clear intellect, happiness will not be realized no matter what changes in economy, politics, or scientific advancements.
To purify the mind through devotion, the Vishnu Sahasranama Laksharchana was performed on January 10th. Thiruvananthapuram being the place of the sacred Sri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple, that daylong worship melted the hearts of all devotees who had been learning from Pujya Gurudev how the substratum of all experience is that all-pervasive Divine Presence. Another notable event during the 65th Jnana yajna was the reverential observance of Tapovan Day on January 13th. That day, the class and discourse were canceled as Pujya Gurudev withdrew in remembrance of His great Guru, spending the day in silence, fasting, and meditation.
January 16th and 17th went by in a memorable yatra to Madurai, and a vibrant Kathakali performance embellished the yajna’s conclusion on January 21st.
After the 65th Jnana Yajna, Pujya Gurudev graced the first “All India Chinmayee Devi Sammelan” held in Kollengode during January 23-25, 1960 to encourage “the motherly hands” of Devi Groups “in molding the brilliant future of our Land.”
Chinmaya Mission, with its enriching Study Groups, blossoming Bala Vihars, and nourishing Devi Groups was gathering full steam as a spiritual renaissance when 1960 opened up.
Photo Gallery
Traditional flag hoisting ceremony before the inauguration of the 65th Yagna!
Welcome address delivered by the then Governor B. Ramkrishna Rao!
Gurudev in a conversation with the Governor, during the Valedictory function of the 65th Yagna!
“Think,” Says Pujya Gurudev
He alone sees who sees this:- This is a very powerful and direct assertion. Everybody sees; but not the Real. Wrong perceptions indicate maladjustments in the instruments of perception. Hallucinations and illusions, false imaginations and delusory projections of the mind veil the reality of a thing observed. Therefore, here the Yogeshwara asserts that he who recognizes this harmony of one Truth, this thread of Reality, that holds all experiences together, which is one in all beings, is the Truth to be realized in the world. Others see, and yet, do not see; he alone sees who realizes this Supreme Lord that is the Imperishable.
From Tyagi Magazine
100% Transformation Guaranteed!
In the video excerpt, Pujya Gurudev expounds on the essence of undivided devotion and its transformative power in our lives. Through practical insights and guidance, discover how to navigate distractions and overcome worldly attachments, paving the way for a deeper spiritual practice.