Gurucharanam Saranam

 SANTHIGIRI ASHRAM
 

Dedication of Parnasala – 2010

 
  Here Begins a New Renaissance in Human Civilization….
A Sacred Occasion for You to be a Part of..…
 
  
 

The Significance of Parnasala

 
Navajyothi Sri Karunakara Guru, the founder of Santhigiri Ashram, took birth on Thursday,
1st September, 1927, at Chandiroor, a small village in Alappuzha district of Kerala. His was a
childhood marked with miseries. While he was still an infant, his father died. The little child was
welcomed not by tender flowers, but by the piercing thorns of poverty and difficulties.
Guru was very quiet in his childhood. He did not speak much. He felt inside him a ‘Light’ - an
effulgence - prompted by which he spoke occasionally. He was privately tutored by a local
school teacher, that too at the age of eight. When he was 13, he approached his teacher and told
him about his desire to lead the life of an ascetic.  Guru thus reached Aluva Advaita Ashram in
1940. He lived in Sivagiri Mutt and its branch ashrams for 17 years. But his search for a Guru
remained unfulfilled. He required the guidance of a spiritual master to clarify his childhood
visionary experience of the ‘Light’. Being born with an inherent spiritual mission, he struggled in
the absence of a spiritual guide.  But soon the Master he was waiting for came into his life –
Qureshia Fakir, a wandering Sufi saint, who sensed the glitter of Guru’s soul and embraced him
exclaiming three times, “You are the Heir, You are the Heir, You are the Heir’’.
Guru accepted Qureshia Fakir, known also as Pattani Swami, as his spiritual guide for self-
attainment. Guru was at that time serving in Sivagiri Mutt. Several years went by with extreme
sacrifices, pain and difficulties. At the end of it all, he came to Pothencode, near
Thiruvananthapuram, and established Santhigiri Ashram in the year 1964. He built a ‘Parnasala’
– a single thatched room with four wooden poles supporting it. That was the nascent form of the
‘Parnasala’. In the year 1969, it was tiled with permission from Guru.  It was here that Guru sat
and discoursed to disciples.
The spiritual attainment of Guru took place in the year 1973 after several ordeals and sacrifices
that were beyond human endurance. A revelation came from the Supreme Effulgence of
Brahman that what It (Brahman) desired for ages had now been fulfilled through Guru. Along
with it came the corrections to age-old spiritual errors. Guru revealed that the misfortunes and
difficulties suffered by human beings are due to ‘karmic’ errors. By his spiritual completion,
Guru was ordained to perform spiritual purification of the souls, to free them of all karmic
impurities. Along with it a large community of disciples, who recognized Guru’s Supreme
spiritual ascendancy, came into existence at Santhigiri, as the Santhigiri Guru Parampara.
Guru permitted the construction of Sahakarana Mandiram (Shrine of Togetherness) in the ashram
for realizing his mission of bringing lasting peace to mankind. It was consecrated by Guru on
1stMarch, 1999. A revelation was received that in future, the heads of nations would assemble in
Sahakarana Mandiram to discuss and formulate matters of governance. This would be the
fulfillment of the ancient Rishi tradition that the rulers govern as per the universally ordained
dharma revealed by the embodiment of dharma – the Guru. The visits of a galaxy of national
leaders like the late  President, Sri K.R. Narayanan, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, (then President of
India), Smt. Sonia Gandhi, UPA Chairperson, Sri. L.K. Advani, Leader of the Opposition, Lok
Sabha, and several others from India and abroad are seen as the beginning of the fulfillment of
this prophecy.
Guru had established the edifice of his earthly mission by the establishment of the Sahakarana
Mandiram. On 6th May, 1999, Guru left his physical body and merged with Adisankalpam - the
Primordial Consciousness, the source of Creation. It was revealed from the Supreme Light that
Guru’s body should be laid to rest in the Parnasala itself.  This sacred space where Guru’s body
rests should be the most magnificent in the world, in keeping with its divine significance.  For,
Guru is the embodiment of Brahman who opened the path of a great correction and enduring
goodness to humanity. The permission to construct this most beautiful and magnificent structure
was given to humanity in the year 2000. As per the wish of Guru, that all matters concerning him
should be performed with the participation of all people, Santhigiri Ashram is arranging this
opportunity for all to be a part of this sacred work of dedication of the Parnasala.
The parnasala is nearing completion in the form of a full bloomed white lotus made of marble.
An amount of Rs.30 crore has already been spent. Work is still in progress and is scheduled to be
completed and dedicated to Guru in the year 2010. An image of Guru in pure gold will be
installed in the parnasala.  Those who did not have the luck of beholding Guru in his earthly
form can find solace and earn virtue by worshiping his graceful golden form. As millions of
pilgrims assemble here from all over the world, they should be provided with boarding and
lodging and other infrastructural facilities. An estimated amount of Rs.200 crore would be
required to complete this task.
As the world is increasingly beset with problems and human beings lose faith in each other,
amidst growing extremism and schisms of caste, race and religion, political separatist ideologies
and movements, what gets destroyed is peace -- peace in the individual and in the family. The
reason behind this blighted and dangerous situation is the contamination in the subtle and gross
worlds caused by the errors of our forefathers and several generations gone by. Guru has warned
us not to fuel this error any more. He has given us a method, a path to cleanse the spiritual and
karmic imperfections of our ancestors; a method to elevate our soul to the ultimate point of virtue
and blessedness. It is our experience that accumulation of great wealth, influence, power and
status do not provide us peace. On the contrary, these worldly possessions increase our sense of
fear and create tensions, taking a toll on peace.
As a result of our karmic aberrations, poor understanding of spiritual truths and the resultant
deviation in rituals and worship, our souls cannot gain ‘punya’ (virtues). The rituals and worship
we follow blindly are contrary to the requirement of this age (Kali Yuga) and therefore do not
help in the elevation or enrichment of the soul. It is this lack of ‘punya’ in the soul that manifests
as diseases, misfortunes and other calamities. This has been the sad state of our world for many
ages, spanning Yugas and Manvantaras. It is for the first time, ever, through the Divine Will of
God, Guru could initiate a process of correction and purification of this spiritual pollution
covering the subtle and gross realms of human existence.
This purification effected by Guru for families is known as ‘Pithru Shudhhi’ or ‘Guru Pooja’. By
a prayerful surrender to Guru, the karmic dirt of our souls and of our genetic tree is removed,
opening the path to a virtuous and blessed life for the householders. Recognizing the great
significance of this mission of Guru, the Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, has
recognized Santhigiri Ashram as a research institution, both in social science and industrial
research.
There will be peace and prosperity in the families through a life rooted in dharma and surrender
to Guru. The dedication of the Lotus Parnasala in which the body of Guru eternally rests,
emitting the indescribable effulgence of Guru, will be the occasion of a new renaissance in
human civilization. It heralds the birth of unending peace in the world! The greater the work of
the dedication of the Parnasala, the bigger the change awaits us in life.
In the name of Guru, we invite all men and women – the children of the world - to take part in
this dedication and to absorb in their soul the divine grace and light arising out of this sacred
mission.
With Prayers,
 
 
( PS: The above is the copy of an announcement issued from Santhigiri Ashram)