June22- posting of Saudi Sai center activities

[Guest guest]

Sai-Satsang in 4 centers continued

(week ending 22nd June, Friday)

 

Sairam to all Children, Sisters and Sai Brothers

in all 4 Sai SatSanghs in Dammam, Jubail, Jeddah and

Riyadh.

 

We continue with the Twentieth (20) posting of the

activities of all 4 centers.

 

Summary:

1) Total Attendance all over Saudi over 110.

2) Music program in Riyadh (Alai Paudhe)

3) Special posting for Children of SAI- Balvikas in

Saudi

 

Details:

 

In Dammam the weekly satsang was held on the evening

of Wednesday 20th June at Bro. Kaladeepan’s

residence. The attendance was by about 25 members

starting at 7.30 pm. Aarthi was taken by Bro. Raj

Rajagopal who had come down from Riyadh who also

stayed on for the Study circle that was held later

and attended by about 15 members. Some exchange of

books took place in the mobile library.

 

Next week Bhajan is scheduled at Bro. Shastri’s

residence at Rizayat compound.

 

Jubail center held the weekly Satsang on Thursday 21st

June at 7.30 pm attended by about 11 members at Bro

Naidu’s residence. Aarthi was taken by Bro Jayaraman

who had come down with another member from Dammam.

 

In Jeddah the weekly satsangh was held on Thursday

21st June at 7.30 pm and attended by 14 members.

Aarthi was done by Bro Gopi who informed me about the

proceedings in the absence of Bro K.P. Rajan.

Riyadh group held the weekly Bhajan on Thursday 21st

June evening from 7.00 am till about 10 pm. It was

attended by about 60 members. The weekly Shirdi Baba

Satcharitha was read by Bro. Kham. The aarthi was

taken by Bro Gopi who was the master of ceremonies or

the Music program that was held after the bhajans.

 

The Music program was a specially conceived event to

welcome Mrs. Sathyabama Packy who usually resides in

Sydney, Australia. It covered 15 songs in mostly

Carnatic music formats and sung melodiously by Batha

Suresh, his daughter Lavina, Gops, Karthik, Meera

Ramana and Mrs. Mythili Sreenivasan. The

accompaniments were done effectively by Bro Ravi

Shankar on the organ and Karthik in Miruthangam/

Dola.

 

While it was not possible to comment on all songs, I

will translate here one of the famous Tamil songs

“Alai Payudhe” sung by Batha Suresh in Raga Kaanada,

composer: Uthukadu Venkata subbiyar, Adi Tala, for

benefit of Non-Tamilians. The background is a devotee

longing for Lord Krishna playing flute (Kannan is one

of the Tamil names of Lord Krishna- literally it means

“eyes”)

 

Mind is tossing like (sea) waves, Kanna (Lord

Krishna), my mind is churning a lot (because) of your

blissful, enchanting flute music

 

I, standing like a non moving statue, without count of

time and it was all strange, Muralidhara, my mind is

churning like a wave

 

Even the sweet moon is burning like a mid day noon, my

brows are looking at your direction, your melodious

flute music is coming floating in the air making my

eyes close in trance in a special way

 

Come, Step hard on my turbulent mind, making me happy

 

In the secluded forest, come embrace me and give

special feelings

 

Like the waves of the vast sea (of my mind), entwined

with Sun’s rays, Come to make merry

 

While I cry out in agony (for you), and you are

enjoying with other (gopis)

 

Do I deserve this? Is this proper, is this right?

 

As you play the flute, like the heavy tossing (of

waves) with an aching heart, Kanna (Lord Krishna) my

mind is tossing around like waves.

 

 

From Children (Balvikas) book of short stories

referred to last week, here is another story. This

time it is about dangers of Greed.

 

A man was very greedy even after owning a lot of land.

He heard that a village head was selling and went to

him to buy more. The village head said “Pay me one

gold coin and you can have all the land that you can

cover by walk from sunrise to sunset. The only

condition is that you start in front of me in the

morning and must reach me back before sunset,

otherwise you get nothing and lose you gold coin.

 

The greedy man set out at the crack of dawn after

meeting the village head and walked fast towards north

and then about midday, turned east and walked again

without resting, then by afternoon, turned south and

walked. The he realized that he has to get back before

sunset and then turned west and walked back towards

the starting point. As he was greedy, he did not take

the straight line but made a curve so as to get more

land. Then at a distance he saw the village head and

realized that time was so near the sunset. He hurried

and was anxious and as he reached within 3 steps of

the village head, he fell down “dead with exhaustion

and dehydration” as he had walked for 12 hours without

rest or water. A he was buried in a small grave, the

village man told others “Look this man wanted to get

so much land for one Gold coin and all he got was just

a six feet of grave- this is what Greed leads men to”.

 

 

There are of course different versions of the same

story by different authors (including one by Leo

Tolstoy) but the moral of the story is “Greed is self

destructive” and Charity helps everyone.

 

By the way, if you wanted to listen to the “Alai

Payudhe” song by an accomplished singer (Ms. Sowmya)

Pl visit

http://www.karnatik.com/c1000.shtml and listen on your

computer.

 

Sairam and Pranams to all.

P.B.V.Rajan