8 years in austere path culminated today

Dear Members:

This is to announce that the monthly pournami poojas went on well by Divine Grace. The annual Gayathri homam also was done today in the morning for Universal Welfare.

On a different note, a deeksha that I maintained for 8 years (not cutting hair and maintaining the appearance and lifestyle of a pure ascetic) came to an end today on culmination of a vow that I undertook on upaakarma day of 2003. After the Gayathri homam, I have removed the deeksha (the jataa mudi - top knot of hair, and my beard) and have reverted to normal secular appearance.

8 years seems much when written on paper - but it did run in a jiffy....I had both highs and lows during this period - both personally and spiritually - but by God's Grace remained steadfast in my vow - avoiding all temptations to cut short on that....the vow involved restricting the way I operated - like not striking vengeance even when I was provoked.....not misusing mantras even under the gravest provocation including attacks on my personal integrity.....not eating any food outside which involved starving even on days when I trekked spiritual hills most of the times....not sleeping on beds - even when I was sick......accepting developments in life as they come (including some very embarrassing situations that arose out of certain developments in my life - which I was asked to endure in silence)....etc. These 8 years I felt I was walking with God....through the highs and lows, I could feel a rare peace and some real purpose in my life....I could be a channel of peace for many persons (many felt reassured when I spoke something positive or in a blessing tone to them - as they thought coming from a person with such appearance it must hold more weight).....

Ideally I should have maintained that ascetic appearance throughout life, but in deference to the wishes of some very close relatives, and also due to the fact that certain developments in my personal life might prompt such a change in the near future, I have taken the decision to revert to secular appearance on completion of the vrata deeksha today. It is not fair to look like a siddha unless one can live like one with perfect austerity .....I thank God for having allowed me to lead such a life for at least some years in my life...and I thank the Godly voice that motivated me to take this up....it was to save a dear one from an almost sure danger in the year 2003 and again in early 2011 that I was asked to maintain this vow and was required to not divulge the reason to anyone till the vow ended....that was the toughest part of it - not divulging the real reason to anyone, and so I had to say the partial reason of my attachment to vedic way of life. I still feel somewhat hollow today after changing my appearance - to be honest, and it may take some time for me to feel "normal" again...for me, that siddha appearance and attitude had become the normal one in the past few years and now I may have to change a little!

My spiritual routines - like daily Shiva pooja, meditation routines, ekaadasi vratam, Pournami pooja and other homams will continue as before - but I may look very different from what you all have seen me as! I may look like just another modern day astrologer in the future!

I am sharing this personal info. because some of you might have been prompted to join this group mainly attracted by my ascetic appearance and it is not fair for me to keep this changed appearance from you all. A public figure who is mentoring others has the responsibility to declare changes in his profile to everyone so that they may take informed decision about whether to continue as his mentees or not, and hence this post in this blog.




Om Namah shivaya.

Blessed be.
Pandit R. DAKSHINAMOORTHI.