Sanjay Roshan Talwar

Description :

The Shri Adishankaracharya Stotams or Sthutis were most favourite with Shree Mataji. This was told to me by my Sahaja elder brother Rajesh Shah. Having recently been introduced as a Sahaja bhajan singer to all by Shree Mataji in 1986, I was called upon to sing before a packed hall of newcomers & seekers at Mavalankar Hall, Rafi Marg, New Delhi. It was my very first Public Program performance. I had got a call from India Leader Rajesh Shah, that Shree Mataji wanted me to render the Guru Sthuti, The Mahalakshmi Strotam (Ashtakam) and a few of my new bhajans. I was delighted, but very nervous. Firstly I did not know strotams at all. So I had just 2 days to prepare them and perform it on stage. Fortunately Rajesh Bhai had a recording of it sung by the Subhhalakshmi Sisters of Chennai. I remember hearing the Guru Shtuti & the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam sung by them at least a 100 times, till I had learnt them verbatum. I finally sang them on stage. I still remember Mother very lovingly glance at me. Later when I went to bow before her on stage after my performance, She blessed me. In another incident in 1987 at Ganapatiphule, The Ganasha Pujawas about to start. The previous night I had performed on stage at the musical program. Shree Mataji sent me a message from the stage that I must sing the Ganesha Sthuti at the Puja. Frankly I had no clue about it. But to my rescue, a yogini sat by my side produced a book having the Ganasha Sthiti by Shri Adi Shankaracharya. I hardly could read Sanskrit, but fortunately it was in Roman English. I started to keep reading the Sthuti again and again. I really do not know how much time had elapsed when the Puja actually started and I got a message form the stage asking me to start with the Guru Sthuti. I had no tune in my mind till then. I had just simply learnt how to pronounce the Sanskrit properly. So I just prayed to Mother to help me compose the Sthuti while I sang it. It is unimaginable the kind of composition that flowed through me. It stunned me. I was singing the complete Ganesha Sthuti flawlessly - Hemja Sutam Bhaje.... Mother looked very pleased and lovingly towards me. I was stung by astonishment at myself and of course flooded with vibrations. This song was originally recorded for my Album PHUHAAR. However in this site I have made available all Stutis complimentary. I must share one more similar experience on the Guru Ashtakam - "Tatahkim Tatahkim...". I was in Cabella in 1997. I had brought a huge group of Sahaj Yogis to Cabella for The Guru Puja, and many of us weRE putting up at the Daglio school for children. One day a message came from Shree Mataji to me along with the page on Guru Ashtakam. "Shree Mataji wants you to prepare this for the Puja". I became completely thoughtless. Till the puja time I just figured out how to read the Sanskrit verses. When we sat at the Puja and Shree Mataji made a gesture towards me to start singing the Sthuti, I do not know from where came the melody, and so beautifully my foreign brothers played the musical instruments. It appeared I had fully prepared the rendition. Such are the miraculous experiences I have had with the Strotams & Stutis of the great Seer Shri Adi Shankaracharya. Do read an elaborate account of the recording of Ganesha Sthuti - Hemja Sutam bhaje..." in the Album notes of the Album PHUHAAR.