Deeksha Material

Saranagathi Deeksha Sankalpam

Deeksha Procedure – Telugu

Deeksha Procedure – English

Deeksha Procedure for Children

Deeksha Conclusion

This is a vratham taken in the mood of following in the path of our divine mother, Goda Devi. It is initiated at the start of Dhanurmasam and practised through to Goda Ranganath Kalyanam. As Goda said “ve:ngadavarkku ennai vidi enna immaaththam”. Let’s all accept her mercy in reaching Lord and imbibe the mood of prayers as she wants us to.

The ultimate goal of this vratham is to inculcate sa:tvik practices to clarify our mind, purify our actions and ultimately bring the soul to the feet of our beloved Sri Venkateshwara. In order to do so, there are recommended, simple actions to we can inculcate into our daily lives.

Consciousness

We take this Deeksha from a Vaishnava devotee of Lord Sri Venkateswara and sincerely pray for the good of this entire universe. One should practice not to hurt others way either by word, deed or thought unless it is verily necessary for protecting the common good. Other bad habits should be left out without as well. After the Deeksha period is over, on the last day, one can meditate on how their consciousness has been affected during the month and carry forward as many of these simple, yet effective, practices for the rest of the year.

Mantra meditation

One can prepare a Kalasa with the mantra “Om Namo Venkate:sa:ya” adorned with the divine Discus and Conch on either side. One can write or say the mantra and offer a grain of rice each time into the Kalasam as many times as possible. One should perform “Nagara Sanki:rthana” collectively with like-minded devotees in the early mornings daily with the Kalasam and the Lord in deity or photo form. Devotees should take part in sravanam, the devotional act of listening and reading stories of the lord and can discuss these topics collectively.

Finally, prasadam can be prepared with the kalasam’s collected grains and distributed to all the devotees.

We should all take part in Bhajans related to Lord Venkateswara and His loved forms including Sri Rama and Sri Krishna.

Clothing

White denotes peace of mind and Yellow denotes the sacred relationship of this soul with the Supreme Lord Sri Venkateswara. Thus, devotees should strive to wear either yellow or white clothing throughout the vratham.

Decorating the body

Just as Lord loves everyone, a devotee also loves Lord and does all services as he has instructed. Tulasi garland signifies and enhances our sa:thvik virtues. We thus decorate the lord with Tulasi garlands and we ourselves wear Tulasi mala on our torso.

Hanuman is an example of egoless and pure service to His master. To inculcate the mood of pure, selfless service, we keep Hanuman in our heart and wear his pendant on our chest.

Diet

During Deeksha, it is recommended to take maha prasadam only once per day. Fruits or palaharam offered to the lord as needed can be consumed the rest of the day. Aside from young children, pregnant women, elderly people and those suffering from ailments and ladies during their monthly cycle – everyone should strive to control their prasadam intake only to what is necessary.

Absolutely no onions, garlic, mushrooms, meat, alcohol and tobacco products permitted.

Sleeping

Throughout the Deeksha, sleep on the floor unless there are medical issues preventing this practice. Sleeping on the floor enhances our connection with the earth, keeps our poster healthy and induces a deeper, more restful sleep.