Jnana Yajna 81
Year & Dates:
March 09, 1961 to March 19, 1961
Yajna Topic:
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita- Chapter 12
Place:
Kolkata (Calcutta), India.
“Hold the yajna in March 1961 or defer it” – The concise note from Pujya Gurudev arrived in the middle of January, and the yajna committee in Kolkata decided to seize the opportunity presented to them after a two-year-pause since the 56th Jnana Yajna hosted in mid-1959 at Kolkata.
His limiting adjuncts…As they began the planning in earnest, another message from Pujya Gurudev stunned them. It would be a whirlwind 11-day yajna instead of the 21-day series, and the formalities of a formal reception, inauguration with the Om flag ceremony, and a protracted presidential address were to give way to a plain and pure start to earnest study of the 12th chapter of the Gita.
The arrangements were done quickly and efficiently. The verses of Chapter 12 were printed and ready for distribution, the publicity materials were prepared, and the venue for the yajnashala was fixed.
Simpler Format for Potent Study
The Beginning: Right after He landed in Kolkata on March 8th, Pujya Gurudev did a quick check of the yajnashala at the Hindi High School, Lower Circular Road. The 81st Jnana Yajna commenced at 7 pm on March 9, 1961, with the auspicious Purna Kumbha welcome, an elegant array of the classic white and red Kolkata saree-clad devotees with diyas, and the resounding Om as He walked to the dais. Sri Ishwarprasad Goenka, the president of the yajna, spoke briefly in Hindi, and then Pujya Gurudev took everyone right into the heart of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita.
The Discourses and the Audience: With eleven days and 20 verses, the pace was brisk and the content was gripping. The audience grew, with women attending in large numbers as they converged from all parts of Kolkata to that centrally located yajnashala. Carrying all in a great wave of Bhakti, it appeared as if Pujya Gurudev made even the nor’wester showers pause and worship Bhagavan Krishna through the Gita. The beauty of Bhakti Yoga effaced the disappointment of the canceled morning classes and a spiritual yatra.
A Sweet Interlude: A children’s event when about 40 children recited the verses of Bhaja Govindam and the Gita Dhyanam delighted Pujya Gurudev. Spending an hour among the little ones and rewarding them with fruits was a refreshingly joyful experience for the tiny devotees and the glorious Guru.
The Conclusion: The intense immersive evoked deep gratitude, and as the winding line of devotees offered their Guru Dakshina with loving reverence, they felt more blessed to receive the Yajna Prasad booklet “Kindle Life” from the holy hands of Pujya Gurudev. The 81st Jnana Yajna concluded on the morning of March 19th since Pujya Gurudev had to reach Mumbai by March 20th for work related to Sandeepany Sadhanalaya.
For Reflection: Having accomplished the tasks of making a great cross-section of India aware of Jnana Yajnas, Pujya Gurudev was gently jettisoning the accompanying features and reshaping His Jnana Yajnas for more time-efficient, focused study.
“Think,” Says Pujya Gurudev
No undertaking in our life, in fact, is a new act that has an independent beginning or end. All actions in the world are in an eternal pattern of the total world-movements. If correctly analyzed our undertakings are controlled, regulated, governed and ordered by the available world-of-things and situations. Apart from them all, no independent action is undertaken or can be fulfilled by anyone. A devotee of Truth is ever conscious of this oneness of the Universe and, therefore, he will always work in the world only as an instrument of the Lord, and not as an independent agent in the undertaking.
From Tyagi Magazine
This is the Simplest way to be Happy!
In a world filled with problems bombarding us from all sides, adopting an attitude of indifference can be liberating. Focus on what you can control, like caring for your immediate circle, while letting go of worries beyond your reach. Embracing this mindset allows for inner peace amidst the chaos of the world.