 |
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Austin
Sri Venkateswara Temple of Austin
|
|
Dear Devotees,
Today the priests start the
27 Day Nakshatra (star) Yagna. This yagna changes lives and brings clarity to the mind. Priests will include special mantras for each Nakshatra daily and related Graha starting with Krittika Nakshatra today. There is still time to register! Visit
NAKSHATRA YAGNA. The yagna is conducted daily from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm in the Sai Temple Homa Kunda building. Today, the first day, it starts at 4:30 pm - 8:15 pm.
Saturday is Pradosham, with a special Rudra Abhishekam to be conducted at 7:00 pm over the Sahasra Lingam at Sri Venkateswara Temple.
Please join us for Landscaping Seva behind the Sri Venkateswara Temple Sunday morning. It starts at 8:30 am behind Sai Temple kitchen, where we collect gloves, and goes until about 10:00 am, after which it is too hot to work. Last week, Jill served the teenagers frappacinos afterwards! They taste delicious after hard work!
Supplies needed by the Temple include:
- Prasad supplies - Nuts & Raisins (leave at Baba temple)
- LOTS OF GHEE FOR 27 DAY NAKSHATRA YAGNA, 2 litres per day
- Boxes of incense
- Moong Dal for God's daily prasad
- Milk - 25 gallons per week - offered during abhishekams, for Prasad, or for the shilpis (religious artists) who use about 14 gallons a week for tea!
- 8" Dixie paper plates (Costco/Sams) for free prasad on Thursdays.
- Canola or cooking oil, used for free prasadam for all Devotees
- Prasad for Thursday - to offer to Sri Sai, at 6:30pm & 8pm - bring to main hall.
All prasad is served to Devotees free of charge.
With loving regards,
Craig Sastry, Chairman
|
|
From Sai Baba
You remember me only sometimes. Pray to me now and then. Crave for my presence not always. But I must tell you something. I want to be with you always. If you too seek the same, then we are united.
|
|
From the Bhagavad Gita
"Arjuna, let Me tell you something about people's attitude towards duties. As is to be expected, such attitude is colored by the Gunas of the person concerned. Basically, one encounters three types of attitudes:
Persons of Sattvik disposition perform all the prescribed actions with sincerity and devotion, doing them all for the pleasure of the Lord, renouncing at the same time all claims to the fruits of action. Such persons never shirk their responsibility, however unpleasant the consequences.
By contrast the Rajasik one is quite calculative, checking to see what is there in it for him. If action calls for some unpleasantness, he would not hesitate to shirk his duty, inventing some lame excuse or the other; he is more worried about his skin than his sacred obligations! But he does not always avoid action; if he perceives it as beneficial to him, then he would plunge into it with gusto.
About the attitude of the Tamasik one, need I say anything at all? He is a born shirker, immersed in sloth and torpidity."
-Chapter 18
|
|
Medical Camp at Temple Community Hall, August 7
The first Medical Screening Camp will be held at the temple Community Hall on Sunday, August 7. It is supervised by licensed physicians, and open to everyone.
The Temple is targeting low income families in the community and those without health insurance.
Hours are 8 am - 12 noon and 1 pm - 5 pm, walk in basis.
|
|
Special Job/Seva at the Sri Venkateswara Temple
We have many inquiries about volunteering at the Temple. What is most needed now is a single person or team of individuals to clean the Sri Venkateswara Temple once a week in the afternoon. This involves vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping. It's hard work, but the Temple looks so beautiful afterwards, with the shrines reflecting on the clean granite floors. If you are interested, please contact me! Craig Sastry (512) 810-0435.
|
|
Cosmic Story: Draupadi Laughs at Bheeshma
After the Pandavas defeated their cousins the Kauravas in an 18 day battle, Krishna took the five brothers and their wife Draupadi to sit with their grandsire, Bheeshma. Bheeshma was defeated in battle against the Pandavas. By a boon from Bheeshma's father, he could choose the time of his death. He lay on the field of battle, filled with arrows, waiting for the northern ascension of the sun. Until that, he chose not to die. Bheeshma was a great soul. He was one of the Divine Vasus brought to earth by a curse. He was respected as an expert on dharma. As Bheeshma lay dying, Yudhisthira, the eldest brother, respectfully asked Bheeshma to educate him how to be a righteous king.
While Bheeshma was describing to the Pandavas the various aspects of dharma, Draupadi, wife of the Pandava brothers, let out a laugh. Her husbands' thought this entirely inappropriate for such a solemn occasion. Bhima and Arjuna were furious with her. King Yudhisthira hung his head in shame, as he felt Bheeshma was being insulted by her rudeness. Even though Bheeshma fought against them, they held him in the highest regard.
Bheeshma asked Draupadi to come near. He said "My dear child. I understand your feelings, but your husbands may misinterpret them. So please explain yourself." She said "Revered grandsire! You are teaching lessons of Dharma to my husbands. They are all good and virtuous! They, not you, have upheld dharma. It occurred to me that you should have taught these lessons on dharma to our cousins, the evil Kauravas, who you fought for, and not my husbands. This seems to me very ironicial! Thus I could not stop from laughing."
Bheeshma then said "Oh Draupadi, I understand your feelings." He then explained why he had made the decisions he did and not supported the Pandavas. "As I was living with the Kauravas, I was eating their bad food, and sharing their wicked company. Thus my intellect was clouded. Knowing the Kauravas were wrong, I still could not correct them. My good fortune is that Arjuna's arrows have drained away all my impure blood in these final days. As a result, my good thoughts and feelings lying deep within me are now coming out."
Serious spiritual seekers should carefully consider these words. Why did Bheeshma choose to side with the evil doers, even though he was righteous by nature? He said that the evil company poisoned his mind. In addition, the food he ate, purchased through evil means, also poisoned his mind. This is why the saints say "Avoid evil company" and "Be careful who prepares your food, and how it is purchased."
|
|
|
SPECIAL EVENTS AT TEMPLES
JULY
Thursday, July 28 - August 24, 27 day Nakshatra Yagna, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm daily; first day, Thursday, starts at 4:30 pm - in Sai Temple Homa Kunda building.
Saturday, July 30,
Pradosham, Rudra Abhhishekam
AUGUST
August 1 - 24, 27 Day Nakashatra Yagna continues, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm daily
Sunday, August 7, Sudarshana Jayanti, Sudarshana Havan, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Monday, August 8, Skanda Shasthi, 7:00 pm
Thursday, August 11, Guru Peyarchi - Guru/Jupiter goes from Simha to Kanya Rasi, special Mantras included in Nakshatra Havan for Guru.
Friday, August 12, Vara Lakshmi Vratam, Lakshmi Puja, 7:00 pm
Saturday, August 13, Sundar Kand Parayana to Sri Hanumanji, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Monday, August 15, Soma Pradosham, Rudra Abhishekam 7:00 pm
Wednesday, August 17, Sravana Poornima Satyanarayana Puja, 6:30 pm
Wednesday, August 17, Sri Chakra Navavarna Archana (Poornima), 4:00 pm -8:30 pm
Wednesday, August 17, Rig Veda, Yajur Veda Upakarma
Saturday, August 20, 108 Hanuman Chalisa Parayana, 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm; followed by Hanuman abhishkam at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, August 24, Krishna Janmastami. Evening, abhishekam, puja, bhajans.
Saturday, August 27, Krishna Janmastami, celebrated. Morning - Dress up competition for child Krishna, pinata, Krishna statues for children, pinata
Saturday, August 27, Sahasra Deepa Alankaram to Lord Venkateswara, and Unjala Seva (swing), 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm (very beautiful!)
Monday, August 29, Soma Pradosham, Rudra Abhishekam 7:00 pm
SEPTEMBER
Saturday, September 3, Sama Veda Upakarma
Sunday, September 4, Ganesh Chaturthi,
Wednesday, September 7, Skanda Shasthi, Murugan Abhishekam, 7:00 pm
Saturday, September 10, Sundar Kand Parayana, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Saturday, September 10, Chandi Homa, 10:00 am
Tuesday, September 13, Onam
Wednesday, September 14, Pradosham, Rudra Abhishekam, 7:00 pm
Thursday, September 15, Navavarna Sri Chakra Archana, 4:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Friday, September 16 - Friday, September 30 MAHALAYA PAKSHA - Shraddha Paksha. Ancestor shraddhams begin
Saturday, September 17, 108 Hanuman Chalisa Parayanam, 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm followed by Hanuman Abhishekam at 7:00 pm
Saturday, September 17, Ayyappa Puja, 6:30 pm
Sunday, September 18 Satyanarayana Puja, 4:00 pm
Monday, September 19, Sankata Hara Chaturthi, Ganapati Abhishekam, 7:00 pm
Saturday, August 24, Sahasra Deepa Alankaram, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm.
Tuesday, September 27, Pradosham, Rudra Abhishekam,
7:00 pm
Wednesday, July 28 - August 24, 27 day Nakshatra Yagna, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm daily
Friday, September 30, Mahalaya Paksha ends
|
Regular Temple Activities at a Glance
To schedule a private puja with a priest at the Temple or at your home, please contact Balaji Atyam at (512) 297-3746. He will find you the right priest and the right muhurth (timing). Priest information on
website.
Baba Aarati is daily at 7:30 am, 12:00 Noon, 6:30 pm, and 8:00 pm (a little later on Thursday's).
Baba Temple Hours M-F are 7:00 am - 8:30 am, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm; Weekends: 7:00 am - 8:30 pm (open all day Sat/Sun).
Sri Venkateswara Temple Hours M-F 8:30 am - 12:30 pm and 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Weekends: 7:30 am - 9:00 pm (open all day Sat/Sun).
Volunteering for Teens (and others): Come Sunday morning, 8:30 am - 9:30 am for Sandwich Seva. Stay after for Landscaping, cleaning activities, special projects. Contact
JILL for more information.
Maha Mangala Aarati each evening in SVT (Sri Venkateswara Temple) at 7:30 pm.
ABHISHEKAMS - WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Daily Shiva Abhishekam at 7:00 am
Friday: Padmavati at 7:00 pm, Parvati at 7:30 pm.
Saturday: Lord Venkateswara, 9:00 am. Hanuman on 1st and 3rd Saturdays, at 7:00 pm. Suprabhatam at 8:45 am after February 1, 2016.
Sunday: Ganapati, 10:30 am in front of Baba Temple, 7:00 pm in Navagraha Building-SVT; Ayyappa 7:00 pm in Navagraha Building
Monday: Lord Shiva at 7:00 pm
Tuesday: Lord Subramanya at 7:00 pm
Wednesday: 1st and 3rd Wednesday, Ram Pariwar
Wednesday:
2nd and 4th Wednesday,
Thursday: Sai Baba and Dattatreya: 7:15 pm
Prasad. Prasad meals are distributed free to devotees on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Devotees are welcome to bring prasad to Baba Temple. If you would like to sponsor prasad on any of these days, please see details
HERE.
Educational Classes: Bal Vikas classes are offered to students 4-11 years old on Sunday mornings. Teen class also available on Sundays at 4 pm. Tabla, Classical Indian Music, and Dance classes also offered.
Annadanam: The Temple distributes free food to the homeless through Salvation Army and Caritas in downtown Austin; to hungry school children through Leander ISD, and in India through various organizations. To help feed others -
click here. Free Prasad meals for devotees are generally available to devotees on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Bhajans: Thursday evenings, 7:30 pm - 8:00 pm, in the Sai Baba Temple - all are welcome to join.
Hanuman Chalisa Parayana:
Hanuman Chalisa chanting every Tuesday at 7:00 pm; on third Saturday of each month 108 Hanuman Chalisa parayana from 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm.
Sundar Kand Parayana: Tulsidas' Hindi Sundar Kand, the story of Hanumanji's adventure in Lanka, is recited the second Saturday of every month in front of Lord Hanumanji, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, followed by Special Hanuman Archana.
Sahasra Deepa Kala Archana: Performed on the fourth Saturday night each month, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, with music and/or dance. Devotees light 1000 oil lamps for Lord Venkateswara. All are welcome to participate, including families.
|
|
Contact Information
Both temples are located at:
2509 W. New Hope Drive
Cedar Park, TX 78613
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 877
Cedar Park, TX 78630
Administrative Office: (512) 528-0807
Sai Baba Temple: (512) 260-2721
Sri Venkateswara Temple: (512) 986-7269
|
|
|
|
|
|
