Touched by Grace
Kalpana Kundaje pacchi ‘s moving account of all the spiritual activities in their sabha in California endorses how distance does not dim the reach or loving guidance of the Guru (May 2025)
I recall with deep joy our first meeting with Parama Pujya Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji in 2001. We were about to move to the U.S. Our sons, Anshul and Kunal, were heading there for higher studies and my husband Bharat Kundaje had also been offered a job in California. Before this major life shift, we visited Shirali to seek Swamiji’s Blessings. I also wished to receive mantra-deeksha from Him.
Being in Swamiji’s Presence was one of the happiest moments of our lives. His radiant smile filled us with boundless joy. We were stepping into unchartered territory, but His Grace filled us with hope. Swamiji personally drove Bharat and the boys to a scenic hilltop and engaged in a friendly, thoughtful conversation with them. The Lord been a dear friend of Arjun too, I remember musing.
When Swamiji gave me the mantra, He assured me it would bring strength and courage. It was only a few years later that I understood the significance of those prophetic words. We were faced with a deeply challenging time. But Guru-kripa helped us navigate those rough currents and reach safer shores. This was a powerful reminder that Grace can carry us through even the most turbulent tides.
Planting Seeds of Satsang: Fast forward to December 2017. We moved from Southern California to the Bay Area. A few members of our Bhanap community requested us to start a Chitrapur Satsang group. They knew that Bharat’s father, Shri Kundaje Rajaram Rao, had been deeply involved in our Math’s activities, he had been President of Dadar Sabha and later of Bangalore Sabha. Bharat too had strong ties with our Math. So we were happy to rekindle our spiritual connection with the Math, here in CA. We created a WhatsApp group, around 50 members joined and soon monthly satsangs began, rotating homes for hosting, with everyone contributing to naivedya and prasad bhojan, fostering togetherness and seva bhaava. We informed Swamiji and began our first satsang with Devi Anushthana in May 2018. We realized that many sadhakas were unfamiliar with Swamiji’s bhajans and stotras and neither had the books nor the audio recordings. So, making this a priority, I uploaded audio recordings and lyrics to Microsoft OneNote and encouraged participation by putting up a select list of bhajans/stotras every month and giving each sadhaka a chance to lead one item, after a month of preparation. This not only boosted confidence but ensured inclusivity and involvement.
During Datta Jayanti in 2019 at Talmakiwadi, I wished to seek Swamiji’s Guidance, but had lost my voice due to a bad cough. So, I handed Him a note during Teerth- vitarana, and expressed my desire to learn Ninad. Soon after Swamiji had gone back to Shirali, I received a call from Priti Panemanglore pacchi informing me that Sangeeta Pawar pacchi would teach me Ninad. Swamiji also sent ‘teerth’ for me through someone traveling to Mumbai—a deeply emotional moment reassuring me of the Guru’s love and care. After returning to California, and with Swamiji’s Blessings, we taught Ninad to the sadhakas.
In the same year, we celebrated Shankar Jayanti through storytelling and chanting. Prarthana Varga kids were made to narrate the story of Guru Adi Shankaracharya’s life, while sadhakas chanted stotras relevant to events in His life. It was an enriching session for all.
I also reached out to Shilpa Mudur pacchi to start the Girvana-Vaikhari conversational Sanskrit course for our group. After receiving Swamiji’s Anumati, she began weekly Zoom classes with around 10 sadhakas. The course went on for more than a year and laid a strong foundation for some of the sadhakas to continue more advanced Sanskrit studies.
Expanding Our Spiritual Canvas: By 2020, we had begun chanting Geeta Dhyanam and chapters 12 and 15 of the Bhagavad Gita for Geeta Jayanti. We also began chanting Navaratri Nityapaath and Lalita Sahasranam and performing Guru Pujan and Devi Anushthana collectively. Male sadhakas were supported in learning and performing Gayatri Japa and Anushthana with the help of guided material and videos. Slowly but steadily, we were moving forward.
During a personal meeting with Swamiji that year, He emphasized the importance of Yoga and Pranayam and advised learning Bhastrikaa, Kapaalabhaati, and Kumbhak from Sharayu Haldipur pacchi. Bharat learned the techniques and taught them online during COVID-19 to our group of enthusiastic participants.
Realizing that many sadhakas were not familiar with the Guru Parampara Charitra, we also did a pathan followed by English synopses on the life and teachings of each Guru. This helped break language barriers, sparked interest to read the original and many gained confidence to participate in the online pathans that were jointly organized with the US East Coast group during Chaturmas and Sayujyam Seva.
Each June, we celebrate our Parama Guru- Shri Parijnanashram Swamiji’s birthday with cake cutting by Prarthana Varga kids. In 2021, we held the event outdoors- the rolling hills, serene lake, and azure sky, providing an idyllic setting for the Ashtamurti Upasana. We listened to PP Swamiji’s explanation on how to expand one’s perception outward and experience the Vishwarupa Darshana, through Ashtamurti Upasana. The session was deeply transformative.
For Gokulashtami, we introduced the tradition of singing Ashtami- Mhantis composed by Shree Ramavallabhdas, while Prarthana Varga children rocked baby Krishna to sleep during shayan. Since 2022, we celebrate this outdoors with bhajans, vanabhojan, and Garba, all creating a magical Vrindavan-like experience. Last year, we also visited Sri Krishna Balaram Goshala, an ISKCON initiative, where we interacted with the cows, fondly remembering the goshalas in Shirali and Karla and Swamiji’s affection for the cows.
In December 2023, we celebrated Skanda Shashthi singing bhajans from Ananteshwar Vaibhav, composed by Vijay Bhatmam. We played the recorded commentary by Shailaja Ganguly pacchi for historical context. A short video showcasing Ananteshwar Temple, Palkhi and Rathotsav, and more was also shared. Our Yuvas and Prarthana Varga presented a dance offering, bringing the story of Lord Skanda to life.
Our US West-Coast Chitrapur Satsang Group is still young, and we have a long way to go, but Pujya Swamiji’s Sankalpa and Anugraha have nurtured its growth at every step and have led us this far in a short span of seven years. Swamiji often reminds us that seva is something larger than oneself; and we remain committed to aligning our drishti with His, striving to remain steadfast in devotion, service, and sadhana. Jai Gurudev!
Sadhana in California
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