Sai Darshan News: Tuesday, September 4, 2007

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Tuesday, September 4, 2007

 

On this morning of Krishna Janmashtami, Bhagawan came for morning

darshan resplendent in a yellow robe. The procession of cows from

Gokulam had just reached the Sai Kulwant Hall when Swami arrived at

8.10 am; He stopped the car near the procession at the centre of the

Hall and alighted there. Moving around in His chair, Swami fed

bananas to the cows, apples and other goodies for the elephant calf,

and moved to the stage area. The Music College students' nadaswaram

band, the bhajan group that came along with the procession, Vedam

chanting, all went on as Swami moved about, Blessing various members

of the animal kingdom brought to Him by the students, like a

peacock, doves and so on. Onstage, Swami sat for a while, then asked

Sri. S. V. Giri to make an announcement, that the Krishnashtami

programme would commence in the evening. Prasadam was distributed

while Swami received Arati and returned to His residence by 8.50 am.

 

The central part of Sai Kulwant Hall was set up as a stage for the

evening programmes. Swami arrived by 3.45 and came onstage after a

full round of Sai Kulwant Hall in His chair. The Sri Sathya Sai

University Brass Band presented an innovative programme first, with

tableux of Krishna's life being acted out as they played the

pieces " The Tempest " , " Murali Krishna " and so on. Devotees from

Nalgonda, assembled at Prasanthi Nilayam in large numbers on their

Parthi Yatra, presented the next programme, which was a twenty-five

minute Telugu drama highlighting the need for compassion towards the

differently abled and less fortunate members of society. Some songs

by the Nalgonda devotees followed, with the students singing some

bhajans on Bhagawan's command. After a brief visit to the interview

room, Swami returned to the stage, stopped the Bhajans, and stood up

to speak at 5 pm.

 

Bhagawan materialized a golden lingam, and mentioned in the

Discourse that this is the concrete form of Pure Satwa. Briefly

touching upon the purity of Krishna who was only seven years old at

the time He sported with the Gopis who were of the age of

His " mother " , Bhagawan narrated various incidents in the Ramayana

which brought out the sacredness and purity of the characters in

that immortal epic. At the end of His seventy minute Discourse,

Bhagawan underscored the oneness of Rama and Krishna, telling all of

us to Chant the Name of Rama, Chant the Name of Krishna, if you like

this Form, Chant Sai Rama, Sai Krishna, but never forget God's name.

 

The students sang bhajans for ten minutes after Bhagawan's Discourse

before He took Arati and returned to His residence.

 

Sunday, September 2, 2007

 

The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust was founded 35 years ago on this

day. To mark the occasion, all of Bhagawan's students working in His

various institutions assembled at Prasanthi Nilayam and sat together

in the Bhajan Hall in the morning. Swami came into the Bhajan Hall

at 8.15 after His darshan round. Some group songs were sung, after

which Swami conversed informally with some of the boys. The session

lasted till nearly ten o'clock, when Swami accepted Arati after some

more group songs.

 

The afternoon session was in the Sai Kulwant Hall. The programme got

underway at four o'clock with Bhagawan seated onstage, with four

elders and two former students being introduced as the speakers for

the day. Sri V. Srinivasan, Sri S. V. Giri, Sri Chakravarthy and Sri

G. Venkataraman followed two speeches by Sri N. Sudhindran and Dr.

T. Ravi Kumar. After these speeches, Bhagawan stood up to speak at

5.35 pm.

 

Swami praised His students working in the Central Trust and allied

institutions for their unselfish and pure-hearted approach. He

exhorted them to be ideals in their respective fields. He said that

Faith and confidence on the Self will tide over any problems.

Bhagawan said, " What We desire is not money, but Virtues " . After

speaking for half an hour, Swami started distributing watches to all

the 150 former students working at Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan -

as He sat onstage, they went up one by one and accepted the watches

from His hands. Then prasadam distribution began, with Sri.

Harishankar Bhat giving the vote of thanks, followed by Arati at

6.20 pm.