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]

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.

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.