2024 Shraddha and Navaratra

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Mohan Dass



2024ShraddhaAndNavaratraAnnouncement


The Yogi Gupta Society is pleased to announce that Shraddha and Navaratra will be performed this year in India on the bank of the Ganges River by Brahmin priests under the auspices of the Yogi Gupta Society.1

Photo of Yogi Gupta performing a past Shraddha Ceremony on the bank of the Ganges River in Laxmanjhula.

Shraddha

Shraddha – offering food, water, mantras and blessings to the departed relatives and ancestors – is an essential and necessary duty in life. Through Shraddha, a new body is provided for the ancestor’s spirit, who is thus aided in its progress from lower worlds to higher. The departed ones receive the benefit of Shraddha even though they have been born again.

Everyone has this obligation toward deceased relatives and the Manes (souls of the departed ancestors). Deceased spirits expect from their living relatives’ performance of Shraddha rites. The Manes get pleasure and satisfaction from it and, in return, they favorably influence the family fortune and happiness of the performer. Through Shraddha the performer gets peace, happiness, success, and affluence, and achieves fulfillment of his worldly obligations and responsibilities.

Shraddha this year will be performed from September 18th to October 2nd on the bank of the Ganges River with Tarpan (libations), Pind Daan (offering of rice balls), clothes distribution, Bhandara (sattvic meal) and Brahmin Dakshina* (gifts to persons of spiritual merit).2

The gifts and feasts made on behalf of the departed souls of your ancestors are received by the said souls as the fruits of their own acts, and the sense which they thus acquire fills them with better hopes and desires for their future state, (hence rises the hope of redemption by means of the redeeming Son of Man).3

Photo of Yogi Gupta with nine Brahmin priests in a past Navaratra yagna and offering of havis (havan samagri) in the sacred fire while chanting mantras addressing Durga Ma.

Navaratra Path

This worship of Divine Mother Durga Ma, who rides a lion and wields weapons to destroy the evils of mundane existence is conducted in India by the Brahmin priests in the manner prescribed by Yogi Gupta in years past. The Autumn Navaratra has a high significance and brings great blessings occurring as it does at the end of the rainy season that has washed away all the dirt of the earth and has brought the bright, clear and charming autumn.

The Brahmin priests during nine days of Navaratra live a life of austerity, i.e., sleeping on the floor, eating only sattvic food, and praying and chanting the mantra of the scripture, Durga Sapta Sattee. The priests perform yagna (sacrifice or worship) on the ninth day and beg for the Grace of Mother Durga on your behalf for the fulfillment of your specific desire that you have requested. Navaratra Path will be performed this year from October 3rd to October 11th, with Paths (readings of scripture), Havan (fire offering) and Kanya Poojan (worship of the female Divinity during Navaratra), Bhandara and distribution of Dakshina.4 On such an occasion, the following benefits may be obtained by the worship of the Goddess Durga on the dates above.

No. Benefit
1. Victory over enemies.
2. Deliverance from poverty, adversity, fear and pains.
3. Prevent calamity and grief in your life.
4. Protection from all the afflictions and evil influences.
5. Protection from troubles caused by supernatural spirits.
6. Protection and freedom from physical, mental and emotional problems.
7. Protection from fire, weapons and burglaries.
8. Freedom from bad dreams and negative influences of bad stars.
9. Protection from fire accidents.
10. Deliverance from all kinds of sufferings
11. Bestowing upon one fame, glory, riches, wealth, prosperity, satisfaction of heart-felt desires (whether temporal or spiritual) and wisdom.
12. Attainment of long life.
13. Attainment of the desired goal.
14. Avoidance of accidents and unexpected death.
15. Prevention of physical, material and spiritual agonies.
16. Achievement of happy marriage and satisfying family life.
17. No separation from one’s dear ones, whom you love.
18. Achievement of self-respect and respect in society.
19. Achievement of good luck and victory over all obstacles.
20. Welfare, success and joy to the family.
21. Attainment of spiritual knowledge here and salvation hereafter.

May Durga Ma grant you the blessing you seek.

Making Your Requests for Shraddha or Navaratra Path

To make your request, the donation for each Shraddha beneficiary in the request is $155 and the donation for each Navaratra Path benefit is $165. There is a $45 courier fee for the entire request together. Th deadline for receiving requests is August 22st, 2024. There is a late charge of $100 for any requests received after that date.

Patrons should include instructions for their requests, which we will forward to the Brahmin Priests in India along with the payment. For Shraddha requests, instructions should include for each beneficiary the name of the departed soul, your relationship, and, if known, the date of birth and date of death.

For Navaratra Path requests, instructions should include the name of each beneficiary, and number of the specific intended benefit from the above list of benefits that you desire to obtain from Divine Mother Durga Ma. More than one benefit can be requested for a beneficiary, however the donation for each benefit is $165.

Payments for Shraddha or Navaratra Path can be made via Paypal to payments@yogiguptasociety.org, please add 3% Paypal fee to the total if paying via Paypal. We will also accept cashier’s check, USPS money orders or personal checks made out to Yogi Gupta Society, Inc. and mailed to the address below. Early payment is advised if paying by check to allow sufficient time for the check to clear.

Requests can be sent by email to: info@yogiguptasociety.org, or by mail to

Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.
629 W. 170th St., Apt. 2B
New York, NY 10032

Om Shanti,

Mohan Dass, Secretary
Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.

  1. Except for dates, addresses or as otherwise noted, the Shraddha and Navaratra portions of this announcement are paraphrased from the 2001 version of the annual Shraddha and Navaratra bulletin sent by the Yogi Gupta New York Center to Yogi Gupta’s disciples and patrons.↩︎

  2. These details of the Shraddha ceremonies are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Brahmin priests to YGS.↩︎

  3. Mitra, Vihari-Lala, translator (1891). The Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha of Vālmīki: Sanskrit text and English translation, Volume 3, Chapter LVI, Verse 3.56.38 and commentary by the translator.↩︎

  4. These details of the Navaratra ceremonies are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Brahmin priests to YGS.↩︎

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2023 Shraddha and Navaratra

Posted on June 22, 2023 by Mohan Dass

The Yogi Gupta Society is pleased to announce that Shraddha and Navaratra will be performed this year in India on the bank of the Ganges River by Brahman priests under the auspices of the Yogi Gupta Society.1

Yogi Gupta addresses the Pitries during Shraddha
Yogi Gupta addresses the Pitries, the departed Souls of the Relatives and Ancestors, during a past Shraddha Ceremony on the bank of the Ganges River.

Shraddha

Shraddha – offering food, water, mantras and blessings to the departed relatives and ancestors – is an essential and necessary duty in life. Through Shraddha, a new body is provided for the ancestor’s spirit, who is thus aided in its progress from lower worlds to higher. The departed ones receive the benefit of Shraddha even though they have been born again.

Everyone has this obligation toward deceased relatives and the Manes (souls of the departed ancestors). Deceased spirits expect from their living relatives’ performance of Shraddha rites. The Manes get pleasure and satisfaction from it and, in return, they favorably influence the family fortune and happiness of the performer. Through Shraddha the performer gets peace, happiness, success, and affluence, and achieves fulfillment of his worldly obligations and responsibilities.

Shraddha this year will be performed from September 30th to October 14th on the bank of the Ganges River with Tarpan (libations), Pind Daan (offering of rice balls), clothes distribution, Bhandara (sattvic meal) and Brahman Dakshina (gifts to persons of spiritual merit).2

“धर्मदातुः प्रवृत्ता चेद्वासना तत्तया क्रमात् । आपूर्यते प्रेतमतिर्न चेत्प्रेतधियाशुभा ॥”

The gifts and feasts made on behalf of the departed souls of your ancestors are received by the said souls as the fruits of their own acts, and the sense which they thus acquire fills them with better hopes and desires for their future state, and “hence rises the hope of redemption by means of the redeeming Son of Man.”3

Navaratra

This worship of Divine Mother Durga Ma, who rides a lion and wields weapons to destroy the evils of mundane existence is conducted in India by the Brahman priests in the manner prescribed by Yogi Gupta in years past. The Autumn Navaratra has a high significance and brings great blessings occurring as it does at the end of the rainy season that has washed away all the dirt of the earth and has brought the bright, clear and charming autumn.

The Brahman priests during nine days of Navaratra live a life of austerity, i.e., sleeping on the floor, eating only sattvic food, and praying and chanting the mantra of the scripture, Durga Sapta Sattee. The priests perform yagna (sacrifice or worship) on the ninth day and beg for the Grace of Mother Durga on your behalf for the fulfillment of your specific desire that you have requested. Navaratra Path will be performed this year from October 15th to October 23th, with Paths (readings of scripture), Havan (fire offering) and Kanya Poojan (worship of the female Divinity during Navaratra), Bhandara and distribution of Dakshina.4 On such an occasion, the following benefits may be obtained by the worship of the Goddess Durga on the dates above.

No. Benefit
1. Victory over enemies.
2. Deliverance from poverty, adversity, fear and pains.
3. Prevent calamity and grief in your life.
4. Protection from all the afflictions and evil influences.
5. Protection from troubles caused by supernatural spirits.
6. Protection and freedom from physical, mental and emotional problems.
7. Protection from fire, weapons and burglaries.
8. Freedom from bad dreams and negative influences of bad stars.
9. Protection from fire accidents.
10. Deliverance from all kinds of sufferings
11. Bestowing upon one fame, glory, riches, wealth, prosperity, satisfaction of heart-felt desires (whether temporal or spiritual) and wisdom.
12. Attainment of long life.
13. Attainment of the desired goal.
14. Avoidance of accidents and unexpected death.
15. Prevention of physical, material and spiritual agonies.
16. Achievement of happy marriage and satisfying family life.
17. No separation from one’s dear ones, whom you love.
18. Achievement of self-respect and respect in society.
19. Achievement of good luck and victory over all obstacles.
20. Welfare, success and joy to the family.
21. Attainment of spiritual knowledge here and salvation hereafter.

May Durga Ma grant you the blessing you seek.

Making Your Request for Shraddha or Navaratra Path

To make your request, the donation for each Shraddha beneficiary in the request is $150.00 and the donation for each Navaratra Path benefit is $160.00. There is a $25.00 mailing and handling fee for the entire request together. The deadline for receiving requests is August 15, 2023. There is a late charge of $75.00 for any requests received after August 15, 2023.

Patrons should include instructions for their requests, which we will forward to the Brahman Priests in India along with the payment. For Shraddha requests, instructions should include for each beneficiary the name of the departed soul, your relationship, and, if known, the date of birth and date of death.

For Navaratra Path requests, instructions should include the name of each beneficiary, and number of the specific intended benefit from the above list of benefits that you desire to obtain from Divine Mother Durga Ma. More than one benefit can be requested for a beneficiary, however the donation for each benefit is $160.00.

Payments for Shraddha or Navaratra Path can be made via Paypal to payments@yogiguptasociety.org, please add 3% Paypal fee to the total if paying via Paypal. We will also accept cashier’s check, USPS money orders or personal checks made out to “Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.” and mailed to the address below. Early payment is advised if paying by check to allow sufficient time for the check to clear.

Requests can be sent by email to: info@yogiguptasociety.org, or by mail to:

Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.
629 W. 170th St., Apt. 2B
New York, NY 10032

  1. Except for dates, addresses or as otherwise noted, this article is paraphrased from the 2001 version of the annual Shraddha and Navaratra bulletin sent by the Yogi Gupta New York Center to Yogi Gupta’s disciples and patrons. ↵
  2. These details of the Shraddha ceremony are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Bhramin priests to YGS. ↵
  3. Mitra, Vihari-Lala, translator (1891). The Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha of Vālmīki : Sanskrit text and English translation, Volume 3, Chapter LVI, Verse 3.56.38 and commentary by the translator. ↵
  4. These details of the Navaratra ceremony are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Bhramin priests to YGS. ↵
Posted in Religious Services, Yogi Gupta | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

2022 Shraddha and Navaratra

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Mohan Dass

The Yogi Gupta Society is pleased to announce that Shraddha and Navaratra will be performed this year in India on the bank of the Ganges River by Brahman priests under the auspices of the Yogi Gupta Society.1

Yogi Gupta performing the 1998 Shraddha Ceremony on the bank of the Ganges River in Laxmanjhula.

Shraddha

Shraddha – offering food, water, mantras and blessings to the departed relatives and ancestors – is an essential and necessary duty in life. Through Shraddha, a new body is provided for the ancestor’s spirit, who is thus aided in its progress from lower worlds to higher. The departed ones receive the benefit of Shraddha even though they have been born again.

Everyone has this obligation toward deceased relatives and the Manes (souls of the departed ancestors). Deceased spirits expect from their living relatives’ performance of Shraddha rites. The Manes get pleasure and satisfaction from it and, in return, they favorably influence the family fortune and happiness of the performer. Through Shraddha the performer gets peace, happiness, success, and affluence, and achieves fulfillment of his worldly obligations and responsibilities.

Shraddha this year will be performed from September 10th to September 25th on the bank of the Ganges River with Tarpan (libations), Pind Daan (offering of rice balls), clothes distribution, Bhandara (sattvic meal) and Brahman Dakshina (gifts to persons of spiritual merit).2 The gifts and feasts made on behalf of the departed souls of your ancestors are received by the said souls as the fruits of their own acts, and the sense which they thus acquire fills them with better hopes and desires for their future state, and “hence rises the hope of redemption by means of the redeeming Son of Man.”3

Navaratra

This worship of Divine Mother Durga Ma, who rides a lion and wields weapons to destroy the evils of mundane existence is conducted in India by the Brahman priests in the manner prescribed by Yogi Gupta in years past. The Autumn Navaratra has a high significance and brings great blessings occurring as it does at the end of the rainy season that has washed away all the dirt of the earth and has brought the bright, clear and charming autumn.

The Brahman priests during nine days of Navaratra live a life of austerity, i.e., sleeping on the floor, eating only sattvic food, and praying and chanting the mantra of the scripture, Durga Sapta Sattee. The priests perform yagna (sacrifice or worship) on the ninth day and beg for the Grace of Mother Durga on your behalf for the fulfillment of your specific desire that you have requested. Navaratra Path will be performed this year from September 26th to October 4th, with Paths (readings of scripture), Havan (fire offering) and Kanya Poojan (worship of the female Divinity during Navaratra), Bhandara and distribution of Dakshina.4 On such an occasion, the following benefits may be obtained by the worship of the Goddess Durga on the dates above.

No. Benefit
1. Victory over enemies.
2. Deliverance from poverty, adversity, fear and pains.
3. Prevent calamity and grief in your life.
4. Protection from all the afflictions and evil influences.
5. Protection from troubles caused by supernatural spirits.
6. Protection and freedom from physical, mental and emotional problems.
7. Protection from fire, weapons and burglaries.
8. Freedom from bad dreams and negative influences of bad stars.
9. Protection from fire accidents.
10. Deliverance from all kinds of sufferings
11. Bestowing upon one fame, glory, riches, wealth, prosperity, satisfaction of heart-felt desires (whether temporal or spiritual) and wisdom.
12. Attainment of long life.
13. Attainment of the desired goal.
14. Avoidance of accidents and unexpected death.
15. Prevention of physical, material and spiritual agonies.
16. Achievement of happy marriage and satisfying family life.
17. No separation from one’s dear ones, whom you love.
18. Achievement of self-respect and respect in society.
19. Achievement of good luck and victory over all obstacles.
20. Welfare, success and joy to the family.
21. Attainment of spiritual knowledge here and salvation hereafter.

May Durga Ma grant you the blessing you seek.

Making Your Request for Shraddha or Navaratra Path

To make your request, the donation for each Shraddha beneficiary in the request is $145.00 and the donation for each Navaratra Path benefit is $155.00. There is a $25.00 mailing and handling fee for the entire request together. The deadline for receiving requests is August 10, 2022. There is a late charge of $75.00 for any requests received after August 10, 2022.

Patrons should include instructions for their requests, which we will forward to the Brahman Priests in India along with the payment. For Shraddha requests, instructions should include for each beneficiary the name of the departed soul, your relationship, and, if known, the date of birth and date of death.

For Navaratra Path requests, instructions should include the name of each beneficiary, and number of the specific intended benefit from the above list of benefits that you desire to obtain from Divine Mother Durga Ma. More than one benefit can be requested for a beneficiary, however the donation for each benefit is $155.00.

Payments for Shraddha or Navaratra Path can be made via Paypal to payments@yogiguptasociety.org, please add 3% Paypal fee to the total if paying via Paypal. We will also accept cashier’s check, USPS money orders or personal checks made out to “Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.” and mailed to the address below. Early payment is advised if paying by check to allow sufficient time for the check to clear.

Requests can be sent by email to: info@yogiguptasociety.org, or by mail to:

Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.
629 W. 170th St., Apt. 2B
New York, NY 10032

  1. Except for dates, addresses or as otherwise noted, this article is paraphrased from the 2001 version of the annual Shradha and Navaratra bulletin sent by the Yogi Gupta New York Center to Yogi Gupta’s disciples and patrons. ↵
  2. These details of the Shraddha ceremony are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Bhramin priests to YGS. ↵
  3. Mitra, Vihari-Lala, translator (1891). The Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha of Vālmīki : Sanskrit text and English translation, Volume 3, Chapter LVI, Verse 3.56.38 and commentary by the translator. ↵
  4. These details of the Navaratra ceremony are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Bhramin priests to YGS. ↵
Posted in Religious Services, Yogi Gupta | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

2021 Shraddha and Navaratra

Posted on July 16, 2021 by am

The Yogi Gupta Society is pleased to announce that Shraddha and Navaratra will be performed this year in India on the bank of the Ganges River by Brahman priests under the auspices of the Yogi Gupta Society.1

Yogi Gupta 1989 Shraddha
Yogi Gupta and Brahmin Priests performing 1989 Shraddha Ceremony

Shraddha

Shraddha – offering food, water, mantras and blessings to the departed relatives and ancestors – is an essential and necessary duty in life. Through Shraddha, a new body is provided for the ancestor’s spirit, who is thus aided in its progress from lower worlds to higher. The departed ones receive the benefit of Shraddha even though they have been born again.

Everyone has this obligation toward deceased relatives and the Manes (souls of the departed ancestors). Deceased spirits expect from their living relatives’ performance of Shraddha rites. The Manes get pleasure and satisfaction from it and, in return, they favorably influence the family fortune and happiness of the performer. Through Shraddha the performer gets peace, happiness, success, and affluence, and achieves fulfillment of his worldly obligations and responsibilities.

Shraddha this year will be performed from September 20th to October 6th on the bank of the Ganges River with Tarpan (libations), Pind Daan (offering of rice balls), clothes distribution, Bhandara (sattvic meal) and Brahman Dakshina (gifts to persons of spiritual merit).2 The gifts and feasts made on behalf of the departed souls of your ancestors are received by the said souls as the fruits of their own acts, and the sense which they thus acquire fills them with better hopes and desires for their future state, and “hence rises the hope of redemption by means of the redeeming Son of Man.”3

Navaratra

This worship of Divine Mother Durga Ma, who rides a lion and wields weapons to destroy the evils of mundane existence is conducted in India by the Brahman priests in the manner prescribed by Yogi Gupta in years past. The Autumn Navaratra has a high significance and brings great blessings occurring as it does at the end of the rainy season that has washed away all the dirt of the earth and has brought the bright, clear and charming autumn.

The Brahman priests during nine days of Navaratra live a life of austerity, i.e., sleeping on the floor, eating only sattvic food, and praying and chanting the mantra of the scripture, Durga Sapta Sattee. The priests perform yagna (sacrifice or worship) on the ninth day and beg for the Grace of Mother Durga on your behalf for the fulfillment of your specific desire that you have requested. Navaratra Path will be performed this year from October 7th to October 14th, with Paths (readings of scripture), Havan (fire offering) and Kanya Poojan (worship of the female Divinity during Navaratra), Bhandara and distribution of Dakshina.4 On such an occasion, the following benefits may be obtained by the worship of the Goddess Durga on the dates above.

No. Benefit
1. Victory over enemies.
2. Deliverance from poverty, adversity, fear and pains.
3. Prevent calamity and grief in your life.
4. Protection from all the afflictions and evil influences.
5. Protection from troubles caused by supernatural spirits.
6. Protection and freedom from physical, mental and emotional problems.
7. Protection from fire, weapons and burglaries.
8. Freedom from bad dreams and negative influences of bad stars.
9. Protection from fire accidents.
10. Deliverance from all kinds of sufferings
11. Bestowing upon one fame, glory, riches, wealth, prosperity, satisfaction of heart-felt desires (whether temporal or spiritual) and wisdom.
12. Attainment of long life.
13. Attainment of the desired goal.
14. Avoidance of accidents and unexpected death.
15. Prevention of physical, material and spiritual agonies.
16. Achievement of happy marriage and satisfying family life.
17. No separation from one’s dear ones, whom you love.
18. Achievement of self-respect and respect in society.
19. Achievement of good luck and victory over all obstacles.
20. Welfare, success and joy to the family.
21. Attainment of spiritual knowledge here and salvation hereafter.

May Durga Ma grant you the blessing you seek.

Making Your Request for Shraddha or Navaratra Path

To make your request, the donation for each Shraddha beneficiary in the request is $145.00 and the donation for each Navaratra Path benefit is $155.00. There is a $25.00 mailing and handling fee for the entire request together. The deadline for receiving requests is August 10, 2020. There is a late charge of $75.00 for any requests received after July 25, 2020.

Patrons should include instructions for their requests, which we will forward to the Brahman Priests in India along with the payment. For Shraddha requests, instructions should include for each beneficiary the name of the departed soul, your relationship, and, if known, the date of birth and date of death.

For Navaratra Path requests, instructions should include the name of each beneficiary, and number of the specific intended benefit from the above list of benefits that you desire to obtain from Divine Mother Durga Ma. More than one benefit can be requested for a beneficiary, however the donation for each benefit is $155.00.

Payments for Shraddha or Navaratra Path can be made via Paypal to payments@yogiguptasociety.org, please add 3% Paypal fee to the total if paying via Paypal. We will also accept cashier’s check, USPS money orders or personal checks made out to “Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.” and mailed to the address below. Early payment is advised if paying by check to allow sufficient time for the check to clear.

Requests can be sent by email to: info@yogiguptasociety.org, or by mail to:

Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.
629 W. 170th St., Apt. 2B
New York, NY 10032

  1. Except for dates, addresses or as otherwise noted, this article is paraphrased from the 2001 version of the annual Shradha and Navaratra bulletin sent by the Yogi Gupta New York Center to Yogi Gupta’s disciples and patrons. ↵
  2. These details of the Shraddha ceremony are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Bhramin priests to YGS. ↵
  3. Mitra, Vihari-Lala, translator (1891). The Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha of Vālmīki : Sanskrit text and English translation, Volume 3, Chapter LVI, Verse 3.56.38 and commentary by the translator. ↵
  4. These details of the Navaratra ceremony are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Bhramin priests to YGS. ↵
Posted in Religious Services, Yogi Gupta | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

2020 Shraddha and Navaratra

Posted on July 10, 2020 by am

The Yogi Gupta Society is pleased to announce that Shraddha and Navaratra will be performed this year in India on the bank of the Ganges River by Brahman priests under the auspices of the Yogi Gupta Society.1

Yogi Gupta during 1994 performance of Shraddha on the bank of the Ganges River, Laxmanjhula, India

Shraddha

Shraddha — offering food, water, mantras and blessings to the departed relatives and ancestors — is an essential and necessary duty in life. Through Shraddha, a new body is provided for the ancestor’s spirit, who is thus aided in its progress from lower worlds to higher. The departed ones receive the benefit of Shraddha even though they have been born again.

Everyone has this obligation toward deceased relatives and the Manes (souls of the departed ancestors). Deceased spirits expect from their living relatives’ performance of Shraddha rites. The Manes get pleasure and satisfaction from it and, in return, they favorably influence the family fortune and happiness of the performer. Through Shraddha the performer gets peace, happiness, success, and affluence, and achieves fulfillment of his worldly obligations and responsibilities.

Shraddha this year will be performed from September 1st to September 16th on the bank of the Ganges River with Tarpan (libations), Pind Daan (offering of rice balls), clothes distribution, Bhandara (sattvic meal) and Brahman Dakshina (gifts to persons of spiritual merit).2 The gifts and feasts made on behalf of the departed souls of your ancestors are received by the said souls as the fruits of their own acts, and the sense which they thus acquire fills them with better hopes and desires for their future state, and “hence rises the hope of redemption by means of the redeeming Son of Man.”3

Durga Ma

Navaratra Path

This worship of Divine Mother Durga Ma, who rides a lion and wields weapons to destroy the evils of mundane existence is conducted in India by the Brahman priests in the manner prescribed by Yogi Gupta in years past. The Autumn Navaratra has a high significance and brings great blessings occurring as it does at the end of the rainy season that has washed away all the dirt of the earth and has brought the bright, clear and charming autumn.

The Brahman priests during nine days of Navaratra live a life of austerity, i.e., sleeping on the floor, eating only sattvic food, and praying and chanting the mantra of the scripture, Durga Sapta Sattee. The priests perform yagna (sacrifice or worship) on the ninth day and beg for the Grace of Mother Durga on your behalf for the fulfillment of your specific desire that you have requested. Navaratra Path will be performed this year from September 17th to October 25th, with Paths (readings of scripture), Havan (fire offering) and Kanya Poojan (worship of the female Divinity during Navaratra), Bhandara and distribution of Dakshina.4 On such an occasion, the following benefits may be obtained by the worship of the Goddess Durga on the dates above.

No. Benefit

  1. Victory over enemies.
  2. Deliverance from poverty, adversity, fear and pains.
  3. Prevent calamity and grief in your life.
  4. Protection from all the afflictions and evil influences.
  5. Protection from troubles caused by supernatural spirits.
  6. Protection and freedom from physical, mental and emotional problems.
  7. Protection from fire, weapons and burglaries.
  8. Freedom from bad dreams and negative influences of bad stars.
  9. Protection from fire accidents.
  10. Deliverance from all kinds of sufferings
  11. Bestowing upon one fame, glory, riches, wealth, prosperity, satisfaction of heart-felt desires (whether temporal or spiritual) and wisdom.
  12. Attainment of long life.
  13. Attainment of the desired goal.
  14. Avoidance of accidents and unexpected death.
  15. Prevention of physical, material and spiritual agonies.
  16. Achievement of happy marriage and satisfying family life.
  17. No separation from one’s dear ones, whom you love.
  18. Achievement of self-respect and respect in society.
  19. Achievement of good luck and victory over all obstacles.
  20. Welfare, success and joy to the family.
  21. Attainment of spiritual knowledge here and salvation hereafter.

May Durga Ma grant you the blessing you seek.

Making Your Request for Shraddha or Navaratra Path

To make your request, the donation for each Shraddha beneficiary in the request is $130.00 and the donation for each Navaratra Path benefit is $140.00. There is a $25.00 mailing and handling fee for the entire request together. The deadline for receiving requests is July 25, 2020. There is a late charge of $75.00 for any requests received after July 25, 2020.

Patrons should include instructions for their requests, which we will forward to the Brahman Priests in India along with the payment. For Shraddha requests, instructions should include for each beneficiary the name of the departed soul, your relationship, and, if known, the date of birth and date of death.

For Navaratra Path requests, instructions should include the name of each beneficiary, and number of the specific intended benefit from the above list of benefits that you desire to obtain from Divine Mother Durga Ma. More than one benefit can be requested for a beneficiary, however the donation for each benefit is $140.00.

Payments for Shraddha or Navaratra Path can be made via Paypal to payments@yogiguptasociety.org. We will also accept cashier’s check, USPS money orders or personal checks made out to “Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.” and mailed to the address below. Early payment is advised if paying by check to allow sufficient time for the check to clear.

Requests can be sent by email to: info@yogiguptasociety.org, or by mail to:

Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.
629 W. 170th St., Apt. 2B
New York, NY 10032

  1. Except for dates, addresses or as otherwise noted, this article is paraphrased from the 2001 version of the annual Shradha and Navaratra bulletin sent by the Yogi Gupta New York Center to Yogi Gupta’s disciples and patrons. ↵
  2. These details of the Shraddha ceremony are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Bhraman priests to YGS. ↵
  3. Mitra, Vihari-Lala, translator (1891). The Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha of Vālmīki : Sanskrit text and English translation, Volume 3, Chapter LVI, Verse 3.56.38 and commentary by the translator. ↵
  4. These details of the Navaratra ceremony are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Bhraman priests to YGS. ↵
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2019 Shradha and Navaratra

Posted on June 24, 2019 by am

The Yogi Gupta Society is pleased to announce that Shradha and Navaratra will be performed this year in India on the bank of the Ganges River by Brahman priests. As was done last year, these sacred ceremonies will be held directly under the auspices of the Yogi Gupta Society.[1]

Shiva Ganga
Akasha Ganga descending to Earth through Lord Shiva’s hair in order to wash away the sins of the Pitries.

Shradha

Shradha — offering food, water, mantras and blessings to the departed relatives and ancestors — is an essential and necessary duty in life. Through Shradha, a new body is provided for the ancestor’s spirit, who is thus aided in its progress from lower worlds to higher. The departed ones receive the benefit of Shradha even though they have been born again.

Everyone has this obligation toward deceased relatives and the Manes (souls of the departed ancestors). Deceased spirits expect from their living relatives’ performance of Shradha rites. The Manes get pleasure and satisfaction from it and, in return, they favorably influence the family fortune and happiness of the performer. Through Shradha the performer gets peace, happiness, success, and affluence, and achieves fulfillment of his worldly obligations and responsibilities.

Shradha this year will be performed from September 13th to September 28th on the bank of the Ganges River with Tarpan (libations), Pind Daan (offering of rice balls), clothes distribution, Bhandara (sattvic meal) and Brahman Dakshina (gifts to persons of spiritual merit).[2] The gifts and feasts made on behalf of the departed souls of your ancestors are received by the said souls as the fruits of their own acts, and the sense which they thus acquire fills them with better hopes and desires for their future state, and “hence rises the hope of redemption by means of the redeeming Son of Man.”[3] The contribution to YGS for each Shradha beneficiary is $120.00 USD.

Sponsors are expected to sponsor it yearly, they should provide YGS with the full name and dates of birth and death for the deceased and inform YGS of their wishes as soon as possible before the Shradha dates.

Darshan of Sri Durga Ma
Durga Ma with Divine Weapons riding a lion. Photo of Durga Ma shrine at Sita Ram Dam Temple

Navaratra Path

This worship of Divine Mother Durga Ma, who rides a lion and wields weapons to destroy the evils of mundane existence is conducted in India by the Brahman priests in the manner prescribed by Yogi Gupta in years past. The Autumn Navaratra has a high significance and brings great blessings occurring as it does at the end of the rainy season that has washed away all the dirt of the earth and has brought the bright, clear and charming autumn.

The Brahman priests during nine days of Navaratra live a life of austerity, i.e., sleeping on the floor, eating only sattvic food, and praying and chanting the mantra of the scripture, Durga Sapta Sattee. The priests perform yagna (sacrifice or worship) on the ninth day and beg for the Grace of Mother Durga on your behalf for the fulfillment of your specific desire that you have requested. Navaratra Path will be performed this year from September 29th to October 7th, with Paths (readings of scripture), Havan (fire offering) and Kanya Poojan (worship of the female Divinity during Navaratra), Bhandara and distribution of Dakshina.[2] On such an occasion, the following benefits may be obtained by the worship of the Goddess Durga on the dates above.

No. Benefit

  1. Victory over enemies.
  2. Deliverance from poverty, adversity, fear and pains.
  3. Prevent calamity and grief in your life.
  4. Protection from all the afflictions and evil influences.
  5. Protection from troubles caused by supernatural spirits.
  6. Protection and freedom from physical, mental and emotional problems.
  7. Protection from fire, weapons and burglaries.
  8. Freedom from bad dreams and negative influences of bad stars.
  9. Protection from fire accidents.
  10. Deliverance from all kinds of sufferings
  11. Bestowing upon one fame, glory, riches, wealth, prosperity, satisfaction of heart-felt desires (whether temporal or spiritual) and wisdom.
  12. Attainment of long life.
  13. Attainment of the desired goal.
  14. Avoidance of accidents and unexpected death.
  15. Prevention of physical, material and spiritual agonies.
  16. Achievement of happy marriage and satisfying family life.
  17. No separation from one’s dear ones, whom you love.
  18. Achievement of self-respect and respect in society.
  19. Achievement of good luck and victory over all obstacles.
  20. Welfare, success and joy to the family.
  21. Attainment of spiritual knowledge here and salvation hereafter.

May Durga Ma grant you the blessing you seek.

Making Donations or Requests to YGS

To make your request, the donation for each Shradha beneficiary in the request is $120.00; the donation for each Nav-Durga beneficiary in the request should be accompanied by $130.00 along with the number of specific benefit from the above list. There is a $20.00 mailing and handling fee for the entire request together, payable to Yogi Gupta Society, Inc. The deadline for receiving requests is August 1, 2019. There is a late charge of $75.00 for any requests received after August 1, 2019.

Donations or requests for Religious Services or Paths to be performed by Hindu priests on the banks of the Ganges River in India can be made to YGS via Paypal to payments@yogiguptasociety.org. YGS will also accept cashier’s check, USPS money orders or personal checks made out to “Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.” Patrons should include instructions for their requests, which we will forward to the Brahman Priests in India along with the payment. For requests other than yearly Shradha or Nav-Durga Path, there is a $75.00 mailing and handling fee. Please include the appropriate mailing and handling fee in your payment to YGS. Early payment is advised if paying by check to allow sufficient time for the check to clear.

Requests can be made by email to: info@yogiguptasociety.org, or by mail to:

Yogi Gupta Society, Inc.
629 W. 170th St., Apt. 2B
New York, NY 10032

[1] Except for dates, addresses or as otherwise noted, this article is paraphrased from the 2001 version of the annual Shradha and Navaratra bulletin sent by the Yogi Gupta New York Center to Yogi Gupta’s disciples and patrons.

[2] These details of the Shradha and Navaratra ceremonies are from private correspondence in 2017 from the Bhraman priests to YGS.

[3] Mitra, Vihari-Lala, translator (1891). The Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha of Vālmīki : Sanskrit text and English translation, Volume 3, Chapter LVI, Verse 3.56.38 and commentary by the translator.

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SAMPLE Letter To a Medical Doctor

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Sadhana

Yogi Gupta exhorted his disciples to disseminate the ancient teachings that they learned while they sat at his feet in New York City: “Unadulterated truths, passed from God to Guru to disciple, since time immemorial.” The Master frequently stated that his mission in America was to “raise the health of the American people.” Yet we sometimes do need to avail ourselves of the services of medical practitioners trained in the techniques of Western medicine. The following is a letter that patients might use as a template to modify and then give to their Medical Doctors as a means of possibly raising the physicians’ awareness of the benefits of the teachings of the ancient Yogis of India. I myself did give an earlier version of this letter to my Orthopedic Surgeon, who is intelligent and possibly receptive.

This letter contains information that the disciples in Manhattan heard many times from the lips of Yogi Gupta himself. Some of the quotations, statements, and paraphrases are also from Yogi Gupta’s records or tape recordings, published works, or personal correspondence. I have attempted to arrange this information in such a fashion as might appeal to the sensibilities of a Western, allopathic, Medical Doctor. Because all the information is based upon direct quotations from The Master, I made no attempt to cite Westernized “proofs” of His teachings. I rely on Yogi Gupta’s statement in Yoga and Yogic Powers: “Forces of Nature are far stronger than those of Man. When the forces of Man work against the forces of Nature, it is Man who loses the battle” (Yogi Gupta New York Center, Publishers, 1961, chapter 38, page 205).

I feel that there is an ever-increasing need for this kind of information, especially considering the powerful economic, social, and cultural forces arrayed against it. As a case in point, an issue of a popular men’s health magazine in April 2018, argued forcibly that raw milk is unhealthful. Considering that humans have thrived on unpasteurized, un-homogenized milk for many millennia, this attitude probably has economic roots. With the aim of providing a sample of this type of letter, I have provided it to you, the readers of the Yogi Gupta Society Newsletter.

Dear Doctor:

Thank you for all your recent help with my surgeries; I much appreciate your surgical expertise. I think that American surgeons such as yourself are the finest surgeons in the world. I hope you continue operating for a long time to come.

Should you find it useful, I am offering the following information:

  1. The appropriate diet for homo sapiens is mostly uncooked edible plants: roots, stems, leaves, seeds, and flowers. In the process of overheating plants, the nutrients are lost.
  2. Homo sapiens thrives best on a diet of uncooked plants, not animal flesh.
  3. The milk of herbivores such as cows, sheep, and goats, are ideal additions to the human diet.
  4. Prehistoric India had a highly advanced health-care and medical system.

Overheating Destroys Nutrients

The appropriate diet for homo sapiens is mostly uncooked edible plants: roots, stems, leaves, seeds, and flowers. In the process of cooking plants, many nutrients are lost. A simple test of this fact is to ask the farmer to plant some popcorn. “He will not do it,” as he knows that there is no life in the dead seed. Analogously, dead material cannot nourish a live body. How many zoos feed cooked food to their animals? Where cooked food is fed to animals, what are the studies on the cancer rates? Even without cooking, we all see how quickly the banana turns black when we cut it because vitamin C has been oxidized and lost by the exposure to air. Caveat: Some plants are improved by heating, for example, potatoes.

Plants Are Better Than Animal Flesh

Homo sapiens thrives best on a diet of uncooked plants, not animal flesh. Some of the simplest ways to deduce this truth are:

  1. Intestines: The length of the small intestine of homo sapiens is about twenty-three feet, whereas that of a dog is about four feet. The meat ingested by the dog is digested rapidly, whereas, in the long gut of the hominid, the meat decays before it can be eliminated, resulting in all kinds of diseases.

    Elephant getting its protein and calcium from grass.

  2. GRASS MAKES MUSCLE: The human meat-eater makes an odd assumption, namely, that animal flesh must be consumed in order to produce bodily muscle tissue. On the contrary, the largest animal walking on the planet, the elephant, eats mostly grass, uncooked, of course. From the grass, furthermore, this huge elephant produces a valuable form of calcium, ivory. The largest animal in the jungle, our cousin, the gorilla, thrives on plants, also uncooked, of course. If gorillas cannot find enough plants, 3% of their diet may include insects and caterpillars; however, they would prefer mangos to mosquitos. Many humans consume the flesh of the cow and sheep, which ate mostly grass. Some humans consume the flesh of the chicken, which ate mostly seeds. How do the humans think that the muscle flesh that they consume was produced?
  3. Dentition: When I open my mouth and look in the mirror, I don’t see the fangs for cutting, slicing, and tearing muscle tissue that the dogs, lions and other carnivores have. My dental tool kit is best suited for grinding and chewing the five parts of plants—roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds, which are in the fruit.

Milk is an Ideal Addition to the Human Diet

The milk of herbivores such as the cow, sheep, and goat are ideal additions to the human plant diet. These animals convert uncooked plants, mostly grass and leaves, into milk. Cows produce so much milk that their usual one calf only takes less than one-fourth of it; three-fourths are for human consumption. Furthermore, human mothers whose diet is mostly uncooked green leafy vegetables also produce copious amounts of milk. In other words, milk is a form of processed raw plants. Some Yogis in India live for long periods of time just on milk, as have countless saints and sages for thousands of years; they maintain that milk is a perfect food. Again, humans consume milk in order to increase their protein and calcium intake. How do they think the cow produces all that milk from grass? Caveat: Of course, the best “milk” to consume is fresh from the cow that is well cared for — unpasteurized and un-homogenized, organic, free-range, without chemicals in the feed or the cow.

Prehistoric India Had an Advanced Medical System

Prehistoric India had a highly advanced health-care and medical system, including complex surgery on the teeth and eyes. Attempts to date Indian medical and scientific literature frustrate many Westerners; the direction often leads to “revealed scripture.” Of course, we recoil at such suggestions.

In Conclusion: Keep Harmony with Nature

Most of us with advanced Western educations at first recoil when we hear these facts that I describe in this letter. “Crazy!” “Ridiculous!” “Impossible!” “Our mothers, our teachers, our doctors lied?” These facts are so obvious and so simple that we are stunned into disbelief. I confess that when a man who appeared to be a typical American first told me that “you’ll be fine if you stop eating dead food,” I rejected his input immediately. As an adult, this man had studied the facts and changed his eating behavior. I had been quite ill for some time, but although he freely handed me the keys to good health, I rejected his advice as “absurd.” I was a typical American inured to believing my educational and cultural superiority.

To accept these truths is to acknowledge that our culture has been inducing disease in us; our parents and their parents back for centuries have been feeding us dead material; our teachers have been forcing us to learn harmful lifestyles; our doctors have been trained to make us sick. This conversion of one’s frame of mind requires a huge effort, an effort in which we risk ostracism, condemnation, and ridicule. The first economic, social, and cultural forces arrayed against these truths are formidable. For many of us, the only way we can “jump ship” is when we become so ill that we might otherwise die.

Having been at death’s door so often, I finally listened to common sense. I did not start this food lifestyle “conversion” until I was 40 years old; hence the arthritis that plagues me now was well established in my body, due to four decades of consuming a diet high in protein, processed, and cooked food.

In summary, this letter is my gift to you as a means to describe paths to avoid the ailments that are often the by-products of the stressful lifestyles of many Western Medical Doctors. These paths follow in harmony with Nature, without bad effects or side effects, only good effects. These paths seem arduous and time-consuming, but they are sure. The keys to a disease-free, long life are a combination of the “nine chief forms of Yoga,” especially Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga, Yoga Food Concepts, Atharva Veda, and Ayurveda. When humans attempt “to work against the forces of Nature,” the humans will lose the battle against these far stronger forces.

Blessings, Your Grateful Patient

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Yogi Gupta Society Newsletter – 2019 Winter Issue

Posted on March 17, 2019 by am

Yogi Gupta Society Newsletter – 2019 Winter Issue

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Yogi Gupta Society Newsletter – 2018 Summer Issue

Posted on August 11, 2018 by am

Yogi Gupta Society Newsletter – 2018 Summer Issue

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Yogi Gupta Society Newsletter – 2017 Winter Issue

Posted on January 13, 2017 by am

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Yogi Gupta Society Newsletter – 2017 Winter Issue

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