Report on Upākhyāna & Kīrtana by Dharmaprachāraka Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy in BeṅgaĪūru, Puṇe, Sāntācruz and Dādar Sabhā-s (August 2023)
Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy mām, Dharmaprachāraka of Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h, was invited to BeṅgaĪūru Sabhā, Puṇe Sabhā, Sāntācruz Sabhā and Dādar Sabhā recently to deliver his Upākhyāna and Kīrtana. Here are some reports and photos.
BeṅgaĪūru: 4th, 5th, 6th August 2023
Upākhyāna & Kīrtana by Dharmaprachāraka Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy at Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h, BeṅgaĪūru
by Sandhyā Nāyel, BeṅgaĪūru
As part of the Chāturmāsa evening programmes during the Adhika Shrāvaṇa māsa in the BeṅgaĪūru Math, Dharmaprachāraka - Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h, Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy mām was invited by BeṅgaĪūru Local Sabhā for three days – 4th, 5th and 6th August 2023 to give talks and perform Kīrtana at Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h, BeṅgaĪūru. The laity experienced an enriching three days of shravaṇa, manana and chintana inspired by him.
Day 1 - 4th August 2023
Commentary and brief explanation of Shiva Mahimna Stotra
It was a lively and enjoyable hour of stories brought to life from the Purāṇā-s, some of which we had heard in our childhood but now understood with new perspectives of Bhakti and Sharaṇāgati. Chaitanya mām beautifully narrated the story of Pus͟hpadantāchārya who composed the Shiva Mahimna Stotra and the compelling situation leading to this beautiful composition. He brought out that we must always know that it is the Divine who is working through us and we are the "nimitta mātra". This will help keep our ahaṅkāra in check. We must always remember that all our actions and the results thereof are an offering at the Lotus Feet of our Guru.
Day 2 - 5th August 2023
Appayyā Diks͟hitār Kathā
This great master composer of innumerable stotra-s was an incarnation of Lord Shiva. His inspiring life was beautifully narrated by Chaitanya mām in his inimitable manner. It was interspersed with beautiful anecdotes from Sant Appayā’s life and bhāvapūrṇa bhajana-s.
Day 3 - 6th August 2023
Kīrtana on "Guru Mahimā"
Dressed in the traditional attire as a Kīrtanākāra, wearing the "pheṭā"(turban/headgear) and "shāllŏ"(shawl), and playing the "tāĪa" (cymbals), Chaitanya mām treated us to the Nāradīya style of kīrtana on "Guru Mahimā".
He lucidly explained the true meaning of Sadguru and Their Kimayā - The Guru who removes the darkness of ignorance and ushers in the light of knowledge. The Guru who is to be prostrated to, even before bowing down to God for Guru is the One who shows us the path to God.
Chaitanya mām beautifully narrated the life and times of Sant Nāmdev to illustrate the subject of Guru Mahimā. He also mentioned incidents from the life of Sant Tukārām. He interspersed his narration with beautiful Abhaṅga-s and Nāmasmaraṇa-s engaging the audience, making the entire sabhāgṛha, bhaktimaya and amṛtamaya.
Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy mām was felicitated by the Sabhā President Chaitanya Shiroor mām. Everyone present felt blessed to listen to the traditional and mesmerizing Kīrtana after a very long time. We are looking forward to Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy mām's next visit!!!
We are truly grateful that Chaitanya mām could come and present his Upākhyāna) and Kīrtana to the BeṅgaĪūru sādhaka-s and augment our Chāturmāsa Sādhanā.
President, Shrī Chaitanya Shiroor
Pune: 12th, 13th August 2023
Talk on Shiva Mahimna Stotra and the Kathā of Shrī Appayā Diks͟hitār
by Smt. Prīti PaṇemaṅgaĪor, Puṇe
The sacred period of Chāturmāsa, is a time to turn inward and try to understand the Divine teachings of our Guru and Shāstra-s. H.H. Swāmījī guides us to increase our individual sādhanā as well as learn about our scriptures.
The Puṇe Local Sabhā invited Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy mām, Dharmaprachāraka, Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h, on 12th and 13th August 2023, to give us insight into the Shiva Mahimna Stotra and narrate the Kathā of Shrī Appayā Diks͟hitār over two days.
Both these sessions were absolutely brilliant. Chaitanya mām has a way of making each subject very interesting in his inimitable style. The expositions were enhanced with anecdotes and stories from our Purāṇā-s.
Dr. Gulvāḍy mām covered about 23 shloka-s from the Shiva Mahimna Stotra and three from the phalashruti. He explained the shloka and told stories in reference to each of them. Dr. Gulvāḍy mām brought out the pivotal importance of Shiva as our Ārādhya Devatā and the bhakti towards Him through the session.
The Kathā of Shrī Appayā Diks͟hitār was so beautifully woven with bhajana-s and the history of that period. The audience was visibly moved by the wonder that is our Sanātana Dharma. They sat right through riveted to the narrative.
The Puṇe Local Sabhā was blessed to have these two days of spiritual bliss in the company of Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy mām.
Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy mām was felicitated by a senior sādhaka, Shrī Sudhākar Ragaḍe.
Sāntācruz Sabhā, Mumbaī: 19th, 20th August 2023
Talk on Shiva Mahimna Stotra and the Kathā of Shrī Appayā Diks͟hitār
A Report by Shrī Dattānand Gulvāḍy mām, President Sāntācruz Sabhā
During the current Chāturmāsa period, our Sāntācruz Sabhā had organised a satsaṅga - a talk by our Dharmaprachāraka Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy mām, on Saturday, 19th August 2023 and Sunday, 20th August 2023 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Shrīmat Ānandāshram Hall, Sāntācruz.
The topics for the talk by Dr. Chaitanya Gulwāḍy mām, were
i) Shiva Mahimna Stotra and ii) Appayyā Dīks͟hit Kathā.
Both talks went off very well and the audience appreciated them a lot. On the first day of the satsaṅga, Dr. Gulvāḍy mām gave a very good insight about the 32 shloka-s of the Shiva Mahimna Stotra, highlighting the important shloka-s and explaining in detail their meaning with examples in the form of short stories. The audience felt enriched with the learnings from the Shiva Mahimna Stotra. They were encouraged to chant the stotra daily. The audience of 40 devotees had a very good experience and a satisfying evening during the satsaṅga.
On the second day of the satsaṅga, Dr. Gulvāḍy mām gave a talk on the renowned Saint Appayyā Dīks͟hit and vividly described with a Kathā, about the Saint’s teachings on our Sanātana Dharma. This talk was interspersed with beautiful bhajana-s in connection to Appayyā– Dīks͟hit’s Kathā. Dr. Gulvāḍy mām also conveyed in his Kathā that Appayā Dīks͟hit was a very learned Saint, well-versed in Hindu scriptures. The talk was made very interesting, and the audience numbering 50 devotees gave a lively response during the satsaṅga.
The Sāntācruz Sabhā thanked Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy mām for his talks on both the days and for giving the audience a deep insight into the Hindu scriptures. The sabhā also thanked the audience for their lively response.
Dr. Chaitanya Gulvāḍy was felicitated by Shrī Dattānand Gulvāḍy, President Sāntācruz Sabhā
१ सेप्टेंबर धोर्नु ३ सेप्टेंबर थाई २०२३, दादर सभा द्वारा आयोजित धर्मप्रचारक-श्री चित्रापुर मठ , डॉ. चैतन्य गुलवाडी माम्मागले कथाकथन आणि कीर्तन, हाज्जो वृत्तान्तु
लेखिका संगीता पवार
॥ ॐ श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः ॥ श्रीभवानीशङ्कराय नमः ॥ श्रीमात्रे नमः ॥
दादर सभेच्या साधकांगल्या खात्तिर सेप्टेंबर महीनॉ एक पर्वणी घेवनु आयलॉ. १ सेप्टेंबर धोर्नु ३ सेप्टेंबर सांजॅ ६-७ घंटेथाई , धर्मप्रचारक डॉ. चैतन्य गुलवाडी माम्मागले २ दिवस कथाकथन आणि तिस रे दिवसु परम पूज्य परिज्ञानाश्रम तृतीय स्वामी जींगल्या समाराधना निमित्ताने तांगेल्या जीवन चरित्राचेरी कीर्तन. एक सत्संगाचॉ महान अवसरु सगळ्यांक प्राप्त जाल्लॉ. १ सेप्टेंबराक कर्नाटक सोसायटींतुले मित्रमंडळ हॉलांतुँ साधारण ५० साधक एकत्रित जाल्लॅ. कार्यक्रम वेळेरी ६ घंट्यारी सुरु जाल्लॉ. सभा प्रारंभ प्रार्थने माग्गिरी दादर सभेच्या सेक्रेटरी दिनेश कारकळ माम्मानॅ प्रथम परम पूज्य सद्योजात स्वामीजींक नमन कोर्नु धर्मप्रचारक म्हुणू नियुक्ति जाल्लेल खात्तिर चैतन्य माम्मागलॅ अभिनंदन केल्लें. तशीची चैतन्य माम्मागलॉ थोड्क्यांतुँ परिचय कोर्नु दिल्लॉ.
तदनंतर चैतन्य माम्माने आपणागल्या सुलभ, ओघवत्या आणि रसाळ वाणीने शुद्ध कोङ्कणी भाषेंतुँ उपाख्यान सुरु केल्लें . विषय आश्शिल्लॉ श्री पुष्पदंताचार्य विरचित ‘शिवमहिम्न स्तोत्र’. प्रथम पुष्पदंताचार्यांगल्या चरित्राविषय सांगुनु माग्गीरी संपूर्ण स्तोत्राचॉ अर्थु तान्ने सुलभ कोर्नु सांगलॉ. तागेलॅ कोङ्कणी भाषेचेरी आश्शिलॅ प्रभुत्व सतत दिस्सुनु येत्तालॅ. समर्पक उदाहरणं, विषयाक अनुसरूनु काण्यॉ सांगिलमिती विषयु रोचक जाल्लॉ. वेळ कश्शि वचूलॉ हें कल्णीचि . दुसर्या दिवसु कथाकथनाचॉ विषयु आश्शिलॉ - महान शैव संत अप्पय्या दीक्षितार हांगेली जीवनयात्रा. अत्यंत उच्च कोटीचॅ संत, भगवान शिवागल्या अवतार स्वरूप आश्शिल्या अप्पय्या दिक्षितार हांगेली कथा आयकतना सर्व साधक रम्मुनु गेल्ले.
अंतिम दिवसु परम पूज्य परिज्ञानाश्रम तृतीय स्वामीजींगल्या समाराधनेचें औचित्य साध्धुनु चैतन्य माम्माने तृतीय परिज्ञानाश्रम स्वामीजींगल्या जीवनाचेरी ‘गुरु महिमा’ ह्या विषयारी कीर्तन केल्लें. स्वामीजींगल्या बाल्यकाळांतुल्यॉ काण्यॉ, संन्यास घेव्नु शिष्यस्वीकार जायनाफुडे गुरुंगल्या सुरक्षित छत्रामुळांतुलॉ काळु, मठाधिपत्य स्वीकार कर्नाफुडे केल्लेले कार्य, मठाच्या धनसंपत्तीची उन्नती जाव्ँका म्हुणू विक्कत घेत्तिलि शॅत्तं, शॅत्तांतुँ मठाच्या नित्य विनियोगाखात्तिर नारलु, तांदुळु आणि राँदईकाई इत्यादिंचॅ व्यवस्थापन, तांगली परदेशयात्रा इत्यादि विस्ताररूपाने सांगलें.
तशीची स्वामीजींगल्या कालावधींतुँ अनेक मंदिरांतल्या मूर्तींगलि परदेशांतु तस्करी जात्ताली. हें कळणाफुडे स्वामीजींनी स्वतः त्यॉ मूर्त्यॉ मठांतुँ हाण्णु, सरकारी अधिकार्यांक आप्पोव्नु त्या मूर्तींचे पंजीकरण इत्यादि कोरोव्नु घेव्नु एक वस्तुसंग्रहालयाचे निर्माण केल्लें. तशीची आपणागल्या गुरुंगल्या अतीव तीव्र इच्छेखात्तिर आणि शैव-आगम शास्त्राच्या विधींगल्या संरक्षणाखात्तिर पुनः रथोत्सव सुरु केल्लॉ. रथोत्सवाचें वैशिष्ट्य आश्शिल्लॅ ‘अभिनव सम्मेलन’. हॅ सग्ळें चैतन्य माम्माने अत्यंत आत्मीयतेने साधकांगल्या इद्रारी प्रस्तुत केल्लें. तशीची स्वामीजींनी साधकांखात्तिर आणि वयोवृद्धांखात्तिर केल्लेलॅ आयोजन इत्यादी विषय प्रस्तुत कोर्नु साधकांक गुरुवर्यांगल्या सान्निध्याचॉ एकु अनुभवु दिल्लॉ. हॉ अद्भुत सत्संगु समाप्त जात्तना, आणि आणि अशीची कार्यक्रमाँचें आयोजन जाव्ँका ही प्रत्येकागल्या मनांतुँ इच्छा आस्तनाची ह्या तीनी दिवसाच्या–
कार्यक्रमाचें समापन जाल्लें. हॉ कार्यक्रमु प्रत्यक्ष हॉलांतुँ तशीची ऑनलाइन उपलब्ध कोर्नु दिल्लेलमितीं ज्या साधकांक प्रत्यक्ष येवच्यांक वांट आश्शिलॅ तान्नी सुद्धाई घराँथाव्नु कार्यक्रमाचॉ आनंदु घेतलॉ. साधारण ६५ – ७० लोकांनी प्रतिदिवसु हॉ कार्यक्रमु प्रत्यक्ष आणि ऑनलाइन आयकलॉ.
ॐ नमः पार्वतीपतये हर हर महादेव !