Param Pujniya Shri Sadguru Bhaiyyu Ji Maharaj was born on 29th April. This auspicious day is celebrated at Suryoday Ashram with great joy and devotion. Every year on this occasion many activities are organized, especially mass marriages of poor girls and food distribution programmes are part of the celebrations. Mass marriages are carried under the ongoing scheme of Sarv Dharma Samuhik Vivah at places like Shirdi, Khamgaon, Amravati, etc in the state of Maharashtra, these celebrations are accompanied by Yagnas and Havans.

Shri Bhaiyyu Ji Maharaj appeals all his concept followers not to bring him presents and instead invest the expenditure of his birthday celebration by contributing on expenses for school materials for the children and helping the needy.

The full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashad (July-August) is observed as the auspicious day of Guru Poornima, a day sacred to the memory of the great sage Vyasa. All Hindus are indebted to this ancient saint who edited the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata. Vyasa even taught Lord Dattatreya, who is regarded as the Guru of Gurus. On this day, all spiritual aspirants and devotees worship Vyasa in honor of his divine personage and all disciples perform a 'puja' of their respective spiritual preceptor or 'Gurudevs'. The true Indian knows that the Guru is the only guarantee for the individual to transcend the bondage of sorrow and death, and experience the Consciousness of the Reality."

Guru - the preceptor - is one of the most touching and elevating features of the Hindu cultural tradition. Guru is an embodiment of God himself. The Guru is the manifestation of that great-unknown divine power. It is very difficult to walk on the spiritual path without the grace of the Guru. With his grace we get a glimpse of that Self which lies dormant within us, and all the obstacles that lie in the path of Self awakening are gradually removed. For, it is through his grace and guidance that one reaches the highest state of wisdom and bliss. The Guru Shishya tradition is celebrated on Guru Poornima, where the disciple or Shishya has the opportunity to honour and express his/her gratitude to the Guru.

Disciples and others come to honour Shri Param Pujniya Sadguru Bhaiyyu Ji Maharaj during the occasion. Poojas and Yagnas take part in all the Ashram Branches though every year prior to the approximation of the occasion P.P. Shri Sadguru Bhaiyyu Ji Maharaj announces where will the event take place and timings and arrangements for GURU-DIKSHA too will be informed at the counter of the referred Ashram.

GURU DIKSHA

GURU-DIKSHA or INITIATION, it is a sort of agreement between a disciple and his Guru in which the disciple accepts him as his Guru, with a promise to strictly adhere to his instructions and similarly the Guru takes upon Himself the entire responsibility to take the disciple to the highest levels of success and perfection. The Guru watches over the disciple continuously, and keeps on guiding the disciple all the time to perfection.

INITIATION is one of the holiest and most significant of the sacred rituals in spiritual life. To receive the Guru-Mantra from a Guru is a rare good fortune and the most precious of the divine blessings that may be bestowed upon the aspirant. Mantra is the thread through which the Guru and the disciple are united, a medium through which the Guru's Shakti - power flows.

The chances of success in Sadhanas are increased manifold by taking Diksha the Guru transfers a part of His own spiritual penance power into the disciple to steer him towards success. The power transferred by the Guru to the disciple also acts in another manner when it nullifies the evil effects of past Karmas, bad stars or misfortune that are causing trouble. And once this happens then not only is the problem easily solved rather one makes swift progress in life.

Guru Diksha is the basic foundation for spiritual and material succes in life.

Lord Dattatreya was born as the son of Atri Maharishi and Anasuya. Dattatreya Jayanti is observed on the full moon day in the month of Margashirsh, which is celebrated every year with great joy and devotion at Suryoday, be it Indore, Pune or Khamgaon Ashrams. Prior to the celebration, P.P. Shri Sadguru Bhaiyyu Ji Maharaj announces where will the celebration of Dattatreya Jayanti take place.

Who is Lord Dattatreya? He has three heads, six hands, four dogs, one cow and one tree behind him. One hand holds the drum, one holds the round shaped wheel or chakra, one holds the conch shell or sankh, one holds a rosary or japa mala and one holds a water vessel or kamandala.

The trident, drum, chakra, conch shell, mala, and kamandalu all have esoteric meanings. The trident is used for killing the ego, the drum is used to awaken people who are always sleeping in a state of ignorance. That is why He is always beating the drum. He is saying, "You must come, you must come with me."

The conch shell represents the OMKARA which is known as the first sound or word in Hindu philosophy. Omkara is the first sound or beat of the Hindu Scriptures, Vedas and Puranas. All the great sages use the OMKARA. Akara (Sustainer), Ukara (Protector) and Makara (Destroyer) when mixed together make one sound the Omkara. This Omkara sound is the sound from the conch shell. This is important, for with every breath we sound the OMKARA. So-hum... I am the world, I am the universe, I am Lord Shiva, I am Lord Vishnu.

We are always chanting this mantra even when we are walking, running or sleeping. The sounds are made at different speeds but in the final analysis, there is only the Omkara So-hum, So-hum. We are always making this sound even though we do not realise it. Lord Dattatreya has given this gift to every one. Animals also use this OM^sound, So-hum, So-hum.

Lord Dattatreya also holds the rotating disc or chakra. It is a round circle with no beginning or end like the universe. He uses this chakra to take all kinds of karma from all people. In His right hand He holds the japa mala or rosary. Here Lord Dattatreya is counting His devotees. In another hand He is carrying the water pot or kamandala. This does not contain ordinary water but the nectar of wisdom. Behind Him is a cow (Kamadhenu). This cow grants the wishes of those who ask for the satisfaction of desires, be they worldly, mentally or spiritually. The four dogs are not ordinary dogs but represent the four Vedas: Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Atharva-Veda and Sama-Veda. They follow the Lord as 'hounds of heaven -and watchdogs of truth' and are owned by Datta, the greatest hunter for the souls of men. They continually surround the Lord. Finally, the tree behind Lord Dattatreya is the Audumbara tree or wish-yielding tree. It fulfills the wishes of those who prostrate to it no matter what problems they may have. The tree is the bearer of nectar and wherever it is found, there Lord Dattatraya will always be present.