Report on Maha Shivarathri Celebrations 2006 - With a Special Report from Brindavan

[Guest guest]

while we type these words, we are also reminded of an incident that occurred

just before the 75th birthday in the year 2000, which we will recall even at

the risk of digressing from the main theme. As most of you know, once every

five years all the Ashram buildings get re-painted. Hence all the buildings in

the Ashram had just been given a new coat. From where Swami was standing on the

veranda, He could see how the name on the East Prashanti Blocks had just been

painted in big bright red letters. He read it out loud - "East Prashanti " and

then turning to the students remarked in Telugu, "Prashanti ki direction

undaa?" - Does prashanti have a direction also? It is very clear in what sense

He is referring to the term prashanti! Going back to the main story, soon

after Swami arrived in Brindavan, the Brindavan boys welcomed Him

with a well prepared programme "Hridaya pushpam". One of the hallmarks of the

integrated system of education prevalent in the Sri Sathya Sai Institutions is

effective time management. The boys put up a creditable programme and also

performed well on their mid-term exams starting the next day. This

time-management quality of course is so useful in today's demanding world where

one always has to do multi-tasking while simultaneously resolving conflicting

and demanding priorities. JAN 29, 2006 : HRIDAY PUSHPAM - A PROGRAMME BY THE

BRINDAVAN BOYS Sundays in Brindavan are always special. On each Sunday the

devotees of Bangalore start the bhajans in the morning and it is continued the

whole day up to the point when Bhagavan enters the Hall again in the afternoon,

and ends only when He signals for arathi at the end of the afternoon darshan.

This gives an opportunity for the devotees to be immersed in devotional singing

the entire day. Sundays are also special as some of the devotees from

Puttaparthi also come down for the day and there is a full house in Sai Ramesh

Hall. After Swami arrived in Sai Ramesh Hall in the afternoon, He signalled

to the boys to start their programme. His Excellency, the Governor of

Karnataka, Sri T.N. Chaturvedi was also present that day, as

he had come to Brindavan to seek Bhagavan's grace. Readers of this column may

recall that Sri Chaturvedi was the chief guest at the Institute's Convocation

on November 22nd last year. (To read the convocation report again, click here).

The programme "Hrudaya Pushpam" (the flower of the heart) by the students was

a mix of soulful group songs interspersed with speeches. The songs varying from

Hindi, Telugu and English lifted the entire atmosphere and also lit up a

beautiful smile on Bhagavan's face. In between each song the students stood up

to express their love, narrate their experiences, and thank Bhagavan for the

wonderful opportunity.

Sreejith expressed his love for Swami in 4 different languages - Bengali, Hindi,

Malayalam, and English and thanked Him for being his only solace and for helping

us to be in bliss whenever He is near us. Asutosh Jha prayed to the Lord to make

us true instruments in His hands and remember Him always come what may.Nishant

Verma related how Bhagavan once cured him of his paralytic attack. He said that

our every breath and heart-beat speaks only one thing - "Swami we can't live

without You." Akshay Kamath said that the small squirrel that helped build the

Ramasetu (bridge across Sri Lanka) and the flute of Lord Krishna are

immortalised. It is similarly our duty also to become immortalised as His

instruments. Sai Giridhar feelingly prayed to Him that we realize

the beautiful relationship we share - that we live for You and You alone. Vivek

Thacker speaking in Hindi expressed his love through a poem (a shaire) which

conveyed that our relationship is deeper than love also. Another speaker

expressed that before man realises that desires are not going to reap him any

fruit, he ends his term on earth. But we are lucky that our Lord Sai has shown

us the reality and has told us that He is our only motive. The last speaker

expressed his gratitude to Swami for He gave him life. He was

a still-born baby when he came out of his mother's womb and only when his

grand-mother put the baby on Swami's altar and also applied some vibhuti did

the baby come to life. He called Swami his true mother for She gave him life.

Wonderful also were the songs that they sang that day. The songs included "Maa

Prana Daivam", "Kaise jiyoon", "Every moment of my life", "O maa O maa", "Sai

Matha Biddalam", "I keep feeling", "O Nesthama", and "There is something

special in your love". The last song was "Maa Jeevana adhaarama", meaning the

very basis of our life is our Lord! The programme ended at about 6:30 PM after

which there were bhajans followed by arathi. FEB 5TH: BHAKTI SAGAR - A

STUDENT PROGRAMME ON BHAKTI The following Sunday again saw another

programme offered by the students immediately after the end of their exams

week. The presentation that the students had planned was to highlight the

profundity of the great teachings on Navavidha bhakti or the nine-fold path of

devotion, on which Swami has talked about on

many, many occasions. After Swami had taken His place on the dais, He

signalled to the boys who were holding an oversized card to come up to Him.

After seeing the card the boys had prepared, He blessed them and asked them to

start the programme. The programme followed a similar format to the previous

programme in which a speaker first expounded on a quality of bhakti and this was

immediately followed by a song. Thus alternating between a speech and a song,

the boys explained some of the major aspects of the ninefold path of bhakti to

everyone's appreciation. The first speaker talked of Shravanam, the foremost

step of devotion giving the example of Parishith's exemplary devotion. This was

followed by the song "Saptaswara". The second speaker highlighted the Keertanam

aspect of Bhakthi, referring to saints like Meerabhai, Purandara Dasa etc. The

song that followed was "Ram Bhajana Karo Mann". A small talk on Vishnusmaranam

was followed by the Tamil song "Easwaramba". Padasevanam or worship of the

Lotus Feet was the next aspect to be discussed. Vandanam or salutation was

followed by the song "Vande Janani Vidyadayini" a song extolling and saluting

Mother Saraswati.

Referring to Hanuman as the best example of Dasyam (servitude), the speaker

quoted several events from the life of Hanuman including the famous one wherein

when Mother Sita gives him a pearl necklace, Hanuman bites each pearl and throws

them away after putting them to his ear as he could not hear them say "Ram,

Ram". This engaging program ended with a rousing Qawali, "Shirdiwale Sai Baba"

to which the entire audience joined in clapping and chorus. At the end of the

program, prasadam was distributed to all. Swami also blessed all the students

and the devotees profusely with His beneficent gaze for a long time before He

retired to Trayee Brindavan. FEB 6TH: CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS IN SAI

RAMESH HALL After a hiatus of a few years, Swami graciously permitted the

celebration of the Chinese New Year in His Divine Presence. Accordingly, about

200 people of Chinese origin, hailing from Hong Kong , Singapore and Indonesia

assembled in Brindavan during the first week of February. Putting up with

myriad difficulties (due to limited infrastructural facilities in Brindavan)

they nevertheless bridged barriers of distance and temporal difficulties to

come together as one unit through intense practice and present a seamless

Chinese New Year program on the morning of February 6th.

Sai Ramesh Hall is decorated for the Chinese New Year The Chinese Lunar New

Year was actually on January 29th. However, the New Year is celebrated over a

period of 15 days and the 8th day is specially marked for honouring the

parents. Hence in this year of the Dog, on Feb 6th - the 8th day after the New

Year, the Chinese gathered at His Lotus Feet to show their filial love to our

beloved Divine Father and Mother Sai. The entire Sai Ramesh Hall was decked

out with intricate floral patterns with large helpings of the auspicious Chinese

colour of red. The program began on a pounding note when Bhagavan was escorted

from His home in

Trayee Brindavan to Sai Ramesh Hall to the resonant sounds of drums with a pair

of lion dancers and dolls leading the procession. When He reached Sai Ramesh

Hall, Swami was given a traditional Chinese welcome before He ascended the

dais. After Swami had taken His seat on the dais, the lion dancers

gave a vibrant display of their art. Devotees from Parthi are familiar with the

lion dance since the students

have performed it during the Annual Sports and Cultural Meet on January 11th

this year and also earlier. However, for most of the devotees in Karnataka,

this was the first time and they watched it with wonderment and joy.The lion

dance has an important place in Chinese culture and is traditionally performed

to inaugurate important events like starting new businesses or other social

events. It is also believed that this traditionally brings good luck to the

people and the pounding drums drive away all the bad luck and evil in their

lives.Additionally the association with the lion's strength and character (like

courage and fearlessness in all situations) is supposed to bring good fortune

and prosperity in the coming New Year and help achieve success in the ultimate

goal of life. After Swami was welcomed with roses and presented with the

day's agenda for His blessings, the programme started with different couples

presenting in turn the following items to our divine parent: Chinese tea, two

types of Chinese cakes - Nian Gao and Fa Gao, Mandarin oranges, a pair of

scrolls, and red packets (Hang Baos) containing sweets as gifts to Swami.

Swami accepted each present with grace and dignity. It was very touching to

see Him pick mandarin oranges from both the gentleman and the lady presenting

it to Him and lovingly stacking the oranges delicately in His lap to the

delight of the congregation. Swami also spent a lot of time going over the

photographs of seva done by our brothers and sisters after the recent

devastating tsunami in the region. While all the presentation ceremony was

going on, there were many in the crowd who wondered - is there a special

significance in these gifts? We did not have to wait long for an answer, for

the presentation ceremony was followed by a drama elaborating on the

significance of the Chinese New Year traditions and culture. Using a back-drop

of Malay and an Indian family visiting their Chinese friends on the occasion of

the Chinese New Year, the Chinese traditions were performed and explained to

their young sons. Thus we learnt that pairs of oranges are presented as a mark

of respect and also as a symbol of wealth - to wish people good health and that

all matters in their life will run smoothly. Chinese tea is offered to guests

during the Chinese New Year and also on festive occasions for good health and

longevity. Two types of cakes are offered to guests during the New Year. The

moon shaped Nian Gao cake which is a New Year cake and the Fa Gao cake for

prosperity. A pair of scrolls is offered to guests with inscriptions in Chinese

letters to wish good luck, fortune and peace in their lives like - "Wish you a

happy, prosperous New Year" or "May all your wishes come true in

this New Year". New Year scrolls being shown to Swami

And finally, through the medium of the drama they explained the significance of

the red packets or "Hong Bao". They are given on all auspicious occasions (like

Birthdays and weddings also) and not just on the New Year. The red envelope is

decorated with Chinese characters for luck and is usually given with money

inside it for luck and wealth. It is a Chinese practise to give an even amount

of money as a gift rather the custom of an odd amount prevalent elsewhere.

However the red packets given to Swami (and later distributed as prasad to the

devotees) contained sweets and not money! The Hong Bao or the red

packets of Prasadam being explained in the drama Arathi brings the Chinese

New Year program to close After the short drama there was a chanting of the

six-syllable mantra Om Mane Padme Hum, which means that by the practise of a

path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your

impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech and mind of a

Buddha. Following this, Lunar New year songs and Chinese and Sanskrit bhajans

were sung by the devotees before mangala arathi was taken to signify the end of

a memorable morning of celebration. Heart to Heart would also like to take this

opportunity to say "Xiang Nian Kuai Le"

or Happy New Year in Mandarin to our readers all over the globe. FEB 12: KAVI

SAMMELAN - A POETRY READING PROGRAMME IN SAI RAMESH HALL For the third

Sunday in a row, the Brindavan students offered a unique programme for our

Lord. A bunch of budding poets - 15 in number, sat arrayed in front of Him, all

ready to read their poems of love and gratitude that they had penned in 13

different languages. After Swami had entered Sai Ramesh Hall around 5:00 PM

and given His darshan to all, He signalled to the boys to start. Two boys

immediately went up to Him and showed Him a card seeking His blessings and

presented the programme to Him. The programme started with a brief introduction

by 2 students in both Hindi and English (where they addressed Swami as the poet

of all the poets) and then the presentation was underway. The poets were all

dressed for the occasion in the traditional costumes of the states where they

hailed from. Each poet got up in turn and stood in front of Swami and recited

His offering to Him with feeling and love. The first poet rendered

his poem in the grandhika style of Telugu and in flowing language described the

glory and grandeur of the Avatar. This was followed by a poem in Hindi

delivered in classical style and referred to the great good fortune of the

residents of Brindavan and the contemporaries of the Avatar and to rejoice in

His boundless grace. This was followed by a poem in Kannada highlighting a

famous sloka from the Bhagavad Gita on Nishkama karma "Karmanyevadhikarasche ma

phaleshu kadachana" which means that you have the right to work but not to the

fruits thereof. The Nepali poem that followed next praised our Lord Sai as

the greatest gift that mankind can ever hope to receive. This was followed in

turn by a poem in English which extolled the glory of Sai's mission and the

role of His students who are His only property. The Tamil poem that was next

resonated well with the large Tamil speaking audience that was present that day

in Sai Ramesh Hall. The poem raised the question as to how we can adequately

describe Him when we fail to even comprehend Him? These were followed by more

poems in Marathi, Malayalam, Tulu, Gujarati, Oriya, Bengali, and again in

Nepali and Telugu all expressing in one form or other their love for Him and

their gratitude for what He has done for them. At the end of their programme

Swami was immensely pleased. All the poets were also thrilled at Swami's

pleasure, for they live only to please Him. Slowly Swami got up from His chair

and asked all the students to come up to Him. Our students don't need a

second invite and immediately swarmed up to Him and milled all around Him for He

was rewarding them with the rare and much coveted group photograph. Swami posed

with them for long till the photographers were also well satisfied, and then in

His inimitable style started joking with the boys. He called the boy who had

narrated a poem in Gujarati and said "pagadiwala marriage ko jata" - the

turbaned fellow is getting married. Swami also showed His omnipresence to

the Hindi poet by telling him the exact name of the place in Bihar where he

hailed from and blessed him profusely. Thus He gave a lot of joy to all with a

word here and a smile there. The programme ended with the song "Hum ko tumse

pyar hai"- Swami we all love You!! Swami raised His Hand and blessed everyone

before He slowly wended His way back to His home in Trayee Brindavan. FEB

10TH TO 14TH: A YAGNAM CONDUCTED IN SAI KRISHAN KALYANA MANTAP With the

blessings of Bhagavan the following pujas and chantings were conducted in Sai

Krishan Kalyana Mantap every morning starting from the 10th of February for

five days. Bhagavan came to the Kalyana Mantap (Marriage Hall) to bless the

priests on the first day and the priests recited the

following everyday over the next 5 days: 1. Ganapathi puja2.

Punyavachanam3. Surya Mandalarchanam4. Nyasam5. Yantraradhanam6. Mahasouram

Parayanam7. 108 Suyra namaskarams with Tricha and Aruna

mantrams8. Surya Sahara Naamarchanam9. Nivedanam10. Nirajanam and Mantra Pushpa

On the fifth day, February 14th a more elaborate ritual was done for

the Poorna Ahuti (the final ceremony). A small fire pit was erected in the

centre of the kalyana mantap for the yagnam or the fire sacrifice. The yagnam

started in the morning around 8 AM in Sai Krishan Kalyana Mantap. However,

we were all waiting in Sai

Ramesh Hall for Swami's Darshan, when around 9:15 AM all the devotees were

requested to go to the kalyana mantap. Swami arrived in the kalyana mantap just

a little before 10:00 AM and took His designated place. When the ritualistic

prayers connected with the yagnam were over, Swami blessed the couple that had

conducted the yagnam and also materialised a gold chain for the lady and asked

the husband to tie it around the neck of his wife. Swami also distributed

clothes to the Brahmin priests who had conducted the prayers over these 5 days.

Blessing the couple that conducted the yagna... Distributing

clothes to the Brahmin Priests

He next asked the priest to recite certain Vedic slokas. After that He also

consigned traditional offerings wrapped in a red cloth and gold coins and other

precious offerings also into the fire to bring the sacrifice to a close.

Consigning precious offerings to the fire... Blessing the devotees

with sanctified rice... After that came a ritual that everyone looks forward

to. Swami walked around the Hall sprinkling akshada (turmeric coated rice) on

everyone in both the ladies side as well as the gents' side. He then sat for

some time giving everyone the bliss of His darshan while bhajans were sung.

Then after taking of arathi He again blessed the couple that had conducted the

yagnam and also posed for photographs with the family before leaving for His

residence. The managala arathi being taken ... Sumptuous

prasadam being distributed to one and all... A sumptuous lunch prasadam of

tamarind rice, curd rice and sweet rice was quickly and efficiently distributed

to all the devotees at the end of the ceremony through multiple counters

arranged in all corners of Sai Ramesh Hall. MANY VISITORS SEEK SWAMI'S

BLESSINGS When Swami is in Brindavan, because of its close proximity to the

metropolitan city of Bangalore, there is a steady stream of visitors who come

to seek Swami's blessings. Even though Swami was in Brindavan in February, not

the normal time when He usually comes to Brindavan, there was more than the

usual quota of VIPS seeking an audience with the Lord. We are not aware of

everyone who came to see the Lord during His stay there, but we were able to

take the pictures of the few who came during the public darshan or bhajan time

or were sitting in Sai Ramesh Hall while awaiting the Lord. On

February 2nd, the Karnataka State Chief Minister designate Sri H.D. Kumaraswamy

and the Deputy Chief Minister designate Sri B.S. Yediyurappa came to seek

Swami's blessings before taking the oath of office the next day. Swami received

them warmly and gave them an audience in the interview room. On Sunday,

February 5th, the Ashram also had another very distinguished visitor. The

Vice-President of the country Sri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who had landed in

the HAL airport in Bangalore that afternoon, came to Sai Ramesh Hall

accompanied by the Governor Sri T.N. Chaturvedi later in the evening close to 6

PM. They sat through the students' programme on Bhakti Sagar (reported above)

and were later blessed with an audience with Swami inside Trayee Brindavan.

On the evening of February 8th, Sri Sri Sri Ravishankar, of the Art of Living

Foundation came to have an audience with Bhagavan. As most of you know

the Art of Living Foundation was celebrating their silver jubilee in the Garden

City on February 17th, 18th and the 19th. Swami gave an audience to Sri Sri Sri

Ravishankar later in the interview room. Taking advantage of the proximity of

Brindavan, all the 850 students of Swami's school in Muddenhalli which is just

56 kilometres from Brindavan came by buses to have Swami's Darshan on February

13th. The ever merciful Lord, who normally sits on the dais in the evening

for the bhajans, chose to come down from the dais and give these boys the bliss

of His darshan from up close. FEB 18TH: SWAMI LEAVES FOR PARTHI It was an

idyllic time in Brindavan. The weather was perfect, and Swami was at His

amiable best. All the devotees of Karnataka and the students of Brindavan who

were

pining for the Lord drank their fill to their heart's content during the few

days that He was there. Unexpectedly on the morning of February 18th, just

after the conclusion of the morning darshan, Swami waited for the arathi to be

completed. Then He raised both His hands and blessed everyone on both the

Ladies and the Gents' side. Then turning to the Ladies in the first row He

announced, "I am going to Parthi." And right after the darshan there was a

scramble. Bags were hurriedly packed, taxis were booked, bus tickets had to be

arranged, breakfast had to be eaten in a hurry and soon there was a steady

stream of humanity taking the long dusty road back to Puttaparthi. Swami left

His abode in Brindavan exactly at 1:00 PM on the road home back to Parthi, where

He arrived around 4:30 PM and was received with full honours.FEB 20TH: A

PROGRAMME BY THE PARTHI BOYS After Swami had settled down in Parthi, the

third year undergraduate class of the Institute welcomed and felicitated Him

with a well-prepared programme on the 20th of February on the theme of EDUCARE,

to express their love and gratitude to Him for His benevolence while they were

students in the Institute. Labelled as a "gratitude programme", the graduating

class from the undergraduate programme, the graduate programme and the High

School traditionally present these programmes in the month of February just

prior to their annual examinations in March. It is a time for emotional

farewells, for fond reminiscences, for fervent prayers and sorrowful

leave-taking from the physical presence of Bhagavan, Who has been their Divine

Mother, Father and Friend since their joining the campus. Swami came

unexpectedly early that evening, just before 3 PM. Most of the 64 undergraduate

boys taking part in the programme were seated in the Bhajan Hall and Swami spent

a few minutes chatting with them prior to the programme. Swami questioned

them about the theme and immediately the boys showed Swami the card they had

prepared depicting a pond with a lotus in the centre and some leaves around.

The boys explained to Swami that they were like the pond and that He was like

the beautiful lotus in the centre of their lives! Swami went on to explain the

subtleties and intricate details of various stories selected by the boys. When

the boys were asked by Swami "Where is Sita?" on seeing a boy dressed as Rama,

the entire Hall was filled with laughter. The boys immediately took the

cue and narrated briefly the story from the Ramayana that was to be depicted.

Swami went on to explain that Rama was the caretaker of all and that Bharatha

was the ruler of Ayodhya. The boys in reply said that Swami was the

caretaker of all. Swami then said that He would come for the programme and asked

the boys to get ready and assemble everything outside.The programme began in the

Divine presence at around 3:20 PM . The various aspects of Educare: E-Education,

D-Duty and Devotion, U-Understanding, C-Compassion, A-Action, R-Reverence, and

ultimately E-Enlightenment were depicted as individual characters who explained

the importance of each value through instances from Swami's life, various

parables and stories from mythology. The importance of Swami's free education

system was highlighted through an incident where a graduate was asked in an

interview what he had received from Swami (the interviewer was referring to the

many rings, watches, pendants etc that Swami manifests as gifts for those He

wills). A speaker explaining one of the values of Educare The boy

replied that Swami had given him the most important gem that had made him what

he was - the gift of free quality education and more importantly,

self-confidence! Duty and devotion was portrayed through a small

skit depicting the story from the Ramayana where Bharatha on being unsuccessful

in convincing Rama to return back to Ayodhya, then reverentially asks Him for

His sandals and with great devotion takes it back to Ayodhya to fulfil his duty

of ruling

the kingdom in Lord Rama's absence. Speakers next spoke about how their hostel

life had taught them the importance of understanding and oneness. Compassion

was highlighted by the story of Siddhartha (Gautama Buddha) saving the swan. A

contemporary story was related next of a benevolent Australian who agreed to

pay the medical school fees for a poor boy who had undergone a major heart

surgery in Swami’s hospital after reading about his story in the Healing Touch

section of Heart2Heart. Nishkama Karma - action without expecting the

fruits thereof

- was highlighted by a story from Swami's Chinna Katha, wherein a boy is sent by

the father to buy fruits for the puja. The boy however, comes back empty

handed and explains that the fruits meant for the prayer had been given by him

to a beggar boy who had not eaten in days. The father is impressed by the son's

act and declares that he has imbibed the good values of Bharat and had earned

the true fruit of action. The boy comes back empty-handed for the puja

Reverence was highlighted by the Mahabharatha story where Yudhistira removed

his armour and crown, walked across the battle-field and sought the blessings

of his grandfather Bheeshma. Moved by this reverence, Bheeshma blessed

Yudhistira to be victorious even though he was arrayed against him on the

battle-field. The boys also presented that by following Swami's teachings, one

could achieve enlightenment. In an unusual twist, there was a

blindfolded boy sitting dejected on a stone to convey that without these values

life is not worth living. In the end, after all the values had been touched

upon, in a dramatic gesture the boy removes the blind-fold to signify that he

has acquired all the values and then thanks Swami on behalf of everyone for

giving us these values that are so vital to life.

The whole presentation was interspersed with songs between these skits and

speeches. Many soul-stirring songs were sung that day, including "Maa Prana

Daivam", "Hum Tere Hain Sai","Dil Yehi Kehta Hai", "Marichithi Vemo", "Yenta

Manchi Teepi", and "Duniya Tere Bina Kuch Bhi Nahin". The singing

of group songs after every speech or skit As each new song would start, a

rose would be presented to Swami by one boy while another group of 2 boys would

present Him the words to the song written in neat calligraphic handwriting.

A rose for the Lord before every song Lyrics to the song being sung

is given to the Lord Swami spent some time talking to all these boys who went

up to Him at the start of each song, and also blessed them by putting His hand

on their heads. At the end, there was multi-lingual rally wherein 8 boys

gave a very short speech for just a minute or two in duration, in eight

different languages, on the theme of Motherly Love. The languages they spoke

in were Tamil, Tulu, Kannada, Lithuanian, Nepali, Manipuri, Hindi and Telugu.

The program was over just a little before 5:00 PM after which arathi was taken

before Bhagavan went back to His Poornachandra residence. Speaking

about Swami's motherly love in Lithuanian FEB 23rd: A PROGRAM BY THE 10TH AND

12TH CLASS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS Not to be left behind, the 10th and

the 12th Class of the High School - the graduating class - had also prepared a

programme to express their gratitude to Swami for all that He had done for them

during their stay here. The programme started with the students singing songs

of gratitude and love, after they had their programme card blessed by Swami.

This was followed by some of the students expressing their feelings for all the

grace Swami had showered on them. Among these, some of the students narrated

their personal experience of how Swami had saved their lives or the lives of

their family members on numerous occasions. Students showing their card to

Swami Jeemut expressed how Swami had saved the life of his

grandmother. "Once while Swami was returning to Parthi from Brindavan and as

was the prevailing custom and is even now, Swami broke a few coconuts

before embarking on the journey. Swami called a boy and whispered something in

his ear. The boy nodded his head and got up and started scanning the students.

Spotting my father, he signalled him to go up to the dais as Swami was calling

him. My father rushed and knelt before Swami. Picking up a broken coconut,

Swami handed it to my father. Immediately after darshan, my father rang up my

grandfather in Assam and enquired about his mother’s health. My father was

shocked to know that my grandmother was suffering from severe gastric ulcer for

a month! My grandfather had not told my father thinking that he would be

disturbed. Surrendering completely to God, my father took the coconut, cut it

into miniscule pieces and with the Lord’s form in his heart and a prayer on his

lips, dropped it into the letter box after addressing it to my grandfather in

Assam. Jeemut talking about Swami saving his grandmother's life

Fortunately, due to Swami’s grace, the envelope arrived just in time, when my

grand mother’s condition was getting critical. Partaking of the remedy given by

the greatest doctor, my grandmother was cured within a week, with no sign of the

gastric ulcer remaining what so ever! The disease had disappeared completely

without a trace! Swami had shown yet again that when man’s hands fold in a

sincere prayer, God’s open to

shower his blessings. " Tarun Bali of the tenth standard talked about how

his brother got into a medicine rack kept by his mother who was a medical

practitioner and happened to rub some transparent liquid into his eyes. Being a

Friday Islamic holiday in the town of Tahalla, Libya in North Africa, there were

unavoidable delays in getting the young child to the hospital. When they

finally reached the hospital, staff gave the desperate parents the bad news

that the liquid had not spared the young child's eyes and he would probably be

blind for life. Day and night the parents prayed to Swami but each day saw the

sight deteriorating further. However, on the 11th day, when the dressing was

removed they found that the eyes had been spared due to Swami's grace and the

child can see even today without the use of spectacles! Tarun Bali

talking about his brother's vision... Kamal Chand of Std XII related how

Swami had saved his father from not receiving a scratch in a motor cycle

accident while the photograph of Swami in his pocket was torn to pieces.

Kamal Chand talking to the audience..... S. Sugeet narrating his

experience... S.Sugeet of the Xth class related how when his mother met with

an accident and was lying seriously wounded in the countryside, a competent

doctor arrived out of nowhere and provided timely medical treatment that saved

his mother's life. He said that the unknown doctor who disappeared after giving

the treatment was none other than our beloved Swami. Jeffrey Erhard also

of the Xth class

related, "I would like to narrate an experience that changed the course of my

life. For my first few years of schooling I was studying in the United States.

My mother tried to teach me to read but I just could not catch on. I remember

that it was like a torture just to read a few sentences. Eventually I was

tested and it was discovered that I was dyslexic. Many different remedies were

tried but nothing seemed to help. In my third standard I was very frustrated

and somehow wanted to read. I remember clearly that I took an easy to read

children's book and hid under a table so that I can concentrate. I struggled

through 2 or 3 pages word by word and finally gave up. In my fourth standard we

were here in Prashanti Nilayam. One day when I was sitting in the Mandir for

darshan, Swami came out and on his rounds glided up to me and pressed

mysteriously on my head. I began to read. At first my mother did

not believe me when I told her that I was reading. But when she realized that I

really was reading, she knew Swami had changed my life ". Jeffrey

Earhard talking about Swami'sinfluence in his life Though out the

programme, the students pleased

Bhagavan with some heartrending songs in English, Hindi & Telugu which were

leavened in between the speeches. The various songs sung by the students were -

"Kya Kush Naseeb Jo Sai Ko Paale (Hindi)", " Pyaare Sai Hamaare (Hindi)",

"Dandaalaya Dandaalaya (Telugu)", " Smile your ever loving smile ", "We want to

be with you Oh Lord!", " Kannula Mundara (Telugu)", "Teri Hai Zameen Tera

Aasmaan (Hindi)", and " Dil Yehi Kahataa Hai Maa (Hindi)". The

students sing for Swami The boys presented roses and the script of the songs.

Swami lovingly accepted and spoke to the students & blessed them profusely.

Swami blessing the students A beautiful card for Swami The

students also made beautiful greeting cards which were appreciated by the

loving Lord. The programme concluded with the students thanking

Swami in various languages such as Gujarati, Marathi, Nepali, Malayalam, Tamil,

Hindi, Telugu and English. In view of their coming Board Exams, Swami also

blessed Vibhuthi packets and the pens with which they would write their board

examinations. Getting vibhuti blessed by Swami Pleased by

their effort, Swami blessed them with an unexpected Divine Discourse

emphasizing the path that a student must follow in his life. He said, "It is

very nice to know that so many of you have been here from Primary School and

have studied till your 12th class. It is very heartening to note that you have

secured good marks and a good

name. But in the Primary School your heart was full of compassion, love,

feelings of caring and sharing. There was a feeling of brotherhood. But once

you come to Higher Secondary School your behaviour and actions deteriorate.

They become cheap and mean. Your words are full of devotion and make all

happy. But some of you have taken to the wrong path fostering a perverted mind.

Think for yourself, how your minds are. The Divine Discourse Human life

is a combination of Manas, Buddhi,

Chitta, Ahamkara and the Body. These five are most essential for liberation.

Above all, the mind must not be polluted. You must never expect for that which

does not belong to you. Be cautious with those things that do not belong to

you. Whatever you do, do it as an offering to Swami, to please Him. Tell

yourself - this is not mine. Who am I? From the microcosm to the macrocosm,

everything is Divine. From the mosquito to the elephant, all are Divine! The

characters keep changing just as in a drama, but all roles are played by Him

alone. All words and songs are His. Only the attire is different. Whatever is

said and seen is all Divine. The whole Viswa is

Viswarupa. Therefore, we must have Viswa Prema. Only then you can see God and be

God. Differences and anger make you an animal. Animals do fight between

themselves. But should we also fight like that? Whatever you do, it should be

like gold. God is Hiranyagarbha. What is the specialty of gold? It remains as

gold even if mixed with mud. You all are golden. But you have joined with the

mud. To purify you all, noble people have to come and clean you. But you all

entertain doubts. Why do doubts come? It comes because of the feeling of

difference. I am different and you are different Special Blessings To A

Fortunate One At one point in His Divine Discourse, Swami beckoned to one

student sitting in the first line to stand up. Pointing to him, Swami said, "I

know everything about everybody. But I act as though I do not know."

I know everything about everyone Swami manifests a ring for a studentin

the middle of His discourse Then Swami narrated the story of another student

who had lost his mother when he was a young child. Since then, Swami had taken

care of this boy and today he was doing his post graduate studies in Swami's

college. Bhagavan then signalled for the boy and he came to Swami. This boy

happens to be the band leader and our readers must have seen his picture along

with that of the band every time they play on festive occasions. Bhagavan

patted him and later materialized a green diamond ring and slid it onto his

finger, saying that green stands for Kshema (welfare). He further said, "See,

I know all about this boy's family. My true property is Love. I Love all, those

whom I see and even those whom I do not. Even at times when I appear angry it

is just that I am pretending to be angry. Iswara Sarva Bhootaanaam. It is with

this Love that God takes care of this entire Universe. " FEB 24TH: A

THANKSGIVING PRESENTATION BY THE SECOND YEAR POST GRADUATE STUDENTS Can one

describe the relation between a flower and the fragrance, the ocean and its

waves, the Lord and His children? To express their love and gratitude to their

beloved Lord, the final year post graduate students offered at the Lotus Feet

of their Master a bouquet of songs. The boys were part of the programme from

the MSc, MBA, MA, M.Tech, and the final year Diploma students of the Music

College. Bhagavan requested the Vice Chancellor to introduce the programme

for the evening. He stressed

on the need for the passing out students to keep two aspects ever in their mind.

One is the 'spiritual vision' and the second is 'social service'. He said that

they were now entering the phase of 'active participation' in Bhagavan Baba's

Master Plan and Mission. At 3.45 p.m. the students began their offering. Two

students took a beautiful card to Swami. The card was a heart-shaped nest with

a mother hen feeding its little chicks. After the "card-boys" were blessed 4

boys took a lovely cake to be cut by Swami which the boys had baked themselves.

The words on the icing of the cake read 'I in You, You in me. So we begin, so we

end.' As the programme began with a prayer to Lord Ganesha, an ornamental sheet

containing the list of songs was presented to Swami. The cake

prepared for Swami A card of a mother hen and her chicks preparedby the

students for Swami This programme too followed the same format as all the

previous programmes. The songs were interspersed with short speeches expressing

their love towards Swami. The boys singing the group songs

Presenting a rose and the lyrics to Swami Among the songs that they sang were

"Jhil Mil Jhil Mil Khilte Taare", " Maa Jeevana Aadhaarama Maa Hrudaya

Sangeetama ", " We Love You Swami ", "Sathya Dharmamu Shanti Premalato Nee

Nitya Jeevana Yatra Saaginchu", "O Maa Sai Maa", "Enta Premayo Swamiki Enta

Premayo Satya Sai Bhagawanuki Enta Premayo", "Ye Bandhan To Pyaar Ka Bandhana

Hai Janmo Kaa Sangama Hai", and"O Nestamaa Priyamaina Bandhamaa". The

mellifluous sounds of a pair of violins playing in the background

lifted the songs to melodious heights. In all about 25 boys expressed their

gratitude in 12 languages - English, Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Punjabi,

Marathi, Gujarati, Konkani, Tamil, Sourashtra and Nepali. The themes of these

little speeches varied from thanking Swami for the education He had given,

poetic expression of love and gratitude, nostalgic memories of yesteryears in

the primary school, to promising Swami that they would lead their lives by

practising Swami's teachings. The last speech - in Telugu - adored the glory

and beauty of Swami's words. The song

following this, expressed the prayer of the students that Swami should speak to

them. Bhagavan blessed the boys and answered their prayers by giving them a

discourse. An expression of gratitude It was 4.50 p.m.

when Swami stood up and began His discourse. He said, "To live in this world

you need secular education (Hemataaraka Vidya). For the life thereafter you

need spiritual education (Brahma Vidya). Even with all great degrees like MA

and MBA, with all wealth, affluence and property, and with all name and fame;

man is not able to win over the worldly life. Worldly knowledge will only

help in living a comfortable life. What great

thing do we gain by merely studying? Chaavu Leni Chaduvu Chaduvavalayu.. one

must study that which leads beyond death. All worldly education is like bulbs

and fans (negative) whereas spiritual education is the current (positive).

The Divine Discourse Man forgets and is ignorant of the inner current

(there is static current even in your hair) and runs after the outer current.

Along with secular education, spiritual education should also be acquired. Mere

secular education cannot even make an ant move. Once you control your five

senses nobody can be greater than you. Everything is contained within man. All

is contained in the

Viswa Rupa - Cosmic Form. Without realizing this truth undertaking any amount of

spiritual pursuit is in vain. All our descriptions of Divinity are waverings of

our mind. It has nothing to do with Godhood. That is why Tyagaraja said - 'Who

can ever describe You O Lord?' When bad thoughts enter your mind, replace

them with good thoughts. If you practise this, you will become virtuous. All

great people have achieved their greatness in this manner. Can anything happen

without God's Will? The human being is the one with a single desire not the

one with multiple desires. Jantu Naam Nara Janma Durlabham. Human birth is

very rare and precious. Do not entertain bad feelings like hatred, jealousy,

anger towards anybody. To be truly human, one must control the bestial

qualities. However fragrant the flower may be, when it is mixed with dirt it

will smell foul. What is Manasu? 'Ma' means 'I', 'Na' means 'No' or

'remove'. Therefore, remove the ' I' feeling and then 'Su' remains. 'Su' stands

for Sugandham - fragrance. Born as a human being, belonging to the human race,

if we go by 'Ma' and 'Ma' alone it will lead to Maya. Therefore remove the Ma -

'I' feeling and then Sugandham will come into your life. Su symbolises

Sugandhaswarupa, Supriya, Sunandamaya, Sukhaswarupa..... Good and bad belong

to you. God has no role to play in this. He is the very embodiment of Love and

Peace. Under any circumstances, be peaceful. You will surely find peace in your

vicinity." Swami concluded His discourse by singing the bhajan Hari Bhajan Bina

Sukha Shanti Nahin. After a few bhajans by the boys, Swami took arati and

retired for the day. FEB 25: AN ENCHANTING EVENING OF PROGRAMMES It was

quite an evening, on the day before

Sivarathri. After Swami came into Sai Kulwant Hall, He sent a lot of boys

scurrying over to Poornachandra. It soon became clear why - when they came back

carrying a couple of watermelons each from Poornachandra for distribution in Sai

Kulwant Hall. Bringing the watermelons from Poornachandra

It was quite a sight to see the boys bring the watermelons two at a time and

give it to the crowd and then run back again for more. It reminded all of us of

Lord Rama's monkey army that helped Him build a bridge across the ocean to Lanka

by bringing a stone each and dropping it into the ocean. But the

evening was not over yet. Swami then called Sri AVS Raju, an elderly devotee of

long standing. He is the author of many books of poetry on Swami and Swami

blessed him by releasing some more books that he had written on this auspicious

day. Swami later gave him permission to read his poetry to the crowd and he

sat right beside the Lord and read his Telugu poems of praise of the Lord.

Though many in the crowd did not understand the words, the feelings of devotion

came through and were appreciated by

all. Sri AVS Raju reading his poetry But the evening was still

not over. Swami then called Sri Ajit Poppat a devotee from London and asked him

to speak to the crowd. Mr. Poppat started off by asking the question - 'What is

discipline? Is it just sitting silently

or speaking softly and so on, or is it something more profound.' He then

devoted the rest of his speech to addressing this question. Speaking in a

mixture of English, Hindi with a smattering of Gujarati, and quoting Sanskrit

verses often, Mr. Ajit in his humorous style drew upon his experiences with

Swami to get his important message across. He said that we are not animals or

birds but humans and even more - we are Sai Bhaktas. We should always listen to

the inner voice and lead a life in light of Swami's teachings so we can be

considered disciplined and true devotees of the Lord. It was an enchanting

evening and a precursor of the exciting promises that the morrow - Maha

Sivarathri day - had in store for one and

all. Sri Ajit Poppat addressing the crowd FEB 26TH AND 27TH: MAHA

SIVARATHRI CELEBRATIONS IN SAI KULWANT HALL The Morning Programme on

February 26th Maha Sivarathri, the night devoted to Lord Siva, is

celebrated over a couple of days in Parthi, as we have a night long Akhanda

Bhajan session that lasts for over 12 hours. On the morning of Sivarathri day,

the Institute boys traditionally sing Siva stotrams and songs in praise of the

glory of Lord Siva to usher in the day in an auspicious and fitting manner.

Swami being welcomed by nadaswaram music February 26th,

Mahasivarathri Day, dawned to an eager, expectant crowd in Sai Kulwant Hall - a

crowd fully saturated with fervent and devotional feelings on this Holy Day. The

entire Sai Kulwant Hall was fully decorated with festoons decorating the roof

and floral decorations adorning the façade of Sai Kulwant Hall. Swami entered

Sai Kulwant Hall around 8:30 in the morning and was

welcomed by the Institute Nadaswaram and the Pancha Vadyam group in the

traditional Indian custom. After He had taken His place on the dais, the Vedam

chanting continued for some time. There was an air of hushed expectancy in the

Hall. Earlier in the morning 4 spanking new red cars that had also been adorned

with floral decorations, had been driven into Sai Kulwant Hall and it was quite

obvious that Swami was going to be presenting it to some chosen devotees.

Soon the mystery was cleared. Swami called Sri Sanjay Sahni, Principal of the

Brindavan Campus, and gave him some instructions. Sri Sanjay Sahni then

announced that Swami was going to felicitate 4 long term devotees who had

rendered yeoman service to the organization. The first was Sri A.

Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna, now retired, was the Vice-President of ECC (a

part of the Larsen & Toubro Group). ECC was the chief construction company that

had executed many of Swami's social projects. Notable among them were the water

projects in Anantapur, Medak and Mehboobnagar districts. The Chennai water

project and the East and West Godavari water projects were also executed by

them. They were also instrumental in constructing the Super-speciality

Hospitals in Puttaparthi and Brindavan, the Chaitanya Jyothi Museum and the Sai

Kulwant Hall. When his name was announced, Sri Ramakrishna came up to Him and

was garlanded by

another devotee standing next to Swami. Swami then personally handed over the

keys of the car which had been driven and was now parked in front of the dais.

Sri Ramakrishna thanked Swami profusely for providing him the chance to

participate in the divine mission and also said that ever since his group had

been of service to Swami, it had grown by leaps and bounds. He further said

that Swami was doing all the work and giving him all the credit. Swami then

personally escorted Sri Ramakrishna to the car and asked him to seat himself

beside the driver and was ceremoniously driven a short distance.

Next was Sri Kondal Rao, Senior Technical Consultant to Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

for the Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply Project, and also the Chief Engineer

supervising the Chennai Water Supply Project. Mr. Kondal Rao had been closely

working with L&T in the execution of these projects. Sri Kondal Rao in the true

spirit of dedicated service worked night and day in the execution of the

projects over the years. Sri Kondal Rao was overwhelmed by Swami's Grace and

fell at His feet and took padanamaskar. Swami then commanded Sri Kondal Rao to

get into the new car and profusely blessed him for all his service to the

organization. Sri Kondal Rao being

gifted with a new car The other two who were similarly honoured

were our very own - Sri K. Chakravarthi, Secretary of the Central Trust and Dr.

G. Venkataraman, Director of the Prashanti Digital Studio and Radio Sai Global

Harmony. Sri Chakravarthi, joined the Indian Administrative Service (Andhra

Pradesh Cadre) in 1960; He worked as the Collector of the Anantapur District

and held various positions including Finance Secretary (projects), Commissioner

of Relief, and Commissioner of Commercial Taxes. He left the

IAS in 1981 to become the first Registrar of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of

Higher Learning and ably nurtured the fledgling institute in its initial years.

Currently he is the Secretary of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust and is one of

the busiest men in the organization working long hours each day handling all

his myriad responsibilities. Sri Chakravarthi getting Swami's

blessings Dr G. Venkataraman, who surely needs no introduction to

our readers, had a very illustrious career in public service and research and

is a former Vice-Chancellor of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.

He also served at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai and the Indira

Gandhi Atomic Research Centre in Kalpakkam. He was the Founder Director of

ANURAG, a unit of DRDO - Defence Research and Development Organization. He is

the recipient of the Sir C. V. Raman Centenary Award, Indira Gandhi

Award and the Padma Shri Award from the Government of India. He has authored

many books including 'Journey into Light: Life and Science of C. V. Raman'. He

currently teaches at the Institute besides running the Prashanti Digital Studio

and Radio Sai. Dr. Venkataraman being honored for his contributions

After all the four had been honoured thus and presented with their gifts of a

car, Swami posed for photographs with them. First He posed with Sri Ramakrishna

and Sri Kondal Rao and praised both of them profusely for their contribution.

Sri Kondal Rao on the left and Sri Ramakrishna Dr G.

Venkatraman on the left and Sri K. Chakravarthi with Swami Next He posed with

Sri K. Chakravarthi and Dr. Venkataraman and listed all their achievements over

the years to the boys seated in front of Him. After this heart-warming

ceremony was over, it was the turn of the Institute boys to sing songs in

praise of our Lord Shiva Himself. About 9 singers of the Institute sang the

following songs and stotram that was a fitting finale to the ceremony we had

just witnessed. Ashwath Narayan singing Shiva Shankari Amey

Deshpande and Guru Prasadsinging Om Namah Shivaya The songs that they had

selected were "Chidananda Roopaha Shivoham Shivoham", "Bilva stotram",

"Lingashtakam", "Vishwanaataashtakam", "Neela kandara deva", "Sada Shiva

Bhajamyaham", "Shiva Shiva Shiva Shiva Yanaraada", "Shiva Shankari", and the

last song was a well rendered duet "Om Namah Shivaya". The boys were ably

backed by 3 key-boards, 2 violins, 1 flute, 1 tabla, and 1 harmonium. The

tiny tots of the Primary School had made many cards and handicrafts especially

for Bhagavan on this auspicious day. Swami with His immense love and grace

asked them to bring it to Him and talked with all the little ones who had

toiled hard to prepare these gifts for Him. Tiny Tots from the

Primary School showtheir handicrafts to Swami Cutting the

cake Swami finally cut the cakes prepared by many groups in the Ashram before

He went home to Poornachandra. Prasadam was also distributed to all the

devotees. The Evening Programme on February 26th The Sivarathri evening

programme is one that most of the devotees look forward to all year, especially

after Swami resumed the lingodhbhavam (bringing out the lingam from within Him)

a few years ago. The queues to get into Sai Kulwant Hall started forming early

so as to get a vantage position to witness

this unique, divine event. Cloths for a safari suit being

distributed Calculators are taken for

being blessed before distribution Swami was welcomed again in the evening by

the same Institute Nadaswaram band as in the morning. After His arrival trays

containing blue boxes and white safari cloth pieces were brought out and kept

for distribution. Swami instructed the boys to begin the distribution of the

cloths and the blue coloured boxes that were actually calculators with a

musical alarm clock. Swami sat and kept watching the distribution

occasionally giving the boys some instructions. After some time to everyone's

surprise, Swami got into His car and went towards Poornachandra and later went

out again for a short while, leaving all the devotees perplexed. Are we

going to have the Sivarathri discourse? Is there going to be a lingodhbhavam?

We just have to love His uncertainty - as He keeps repeating often! After about

half an hour He returned again to Sai Kulwant Hall. After Swami came walking to

the veranda, He raised His right Hand and gave the Abhaya Hasta Blessings to

one and all. The Abhaya Hasta blessing on Sivarathri

evening Smt P. Susheela, a famour playback singer took her place near the

veranda. Swami asked the Institute boys to start with a Ganesha Bhajan. Then,

Smt. P. Susheela sang two Bhajans - "Esawramba Priya Tanaya Sai Narayana" and

"Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam". After these two bhajans the

boys continued and we thought the all night Akhanda Bhajan was well underway.

However, a few minutes after 6:00 PM,

Swami stopped the bhajan singing and asked Sri AVS Raju to share his poems with

the audience as he had done the previous day. He read some of his Telugu poems

for about 20-25 minutes. Then Swami stood up and to everyone's delight

and began His nectarine Sivarathri discourse around 6:30 PM. He said, "The

whole Universe is in Him. Can you build a temple for Him? When He resides in

all beings, what name can you give Him? When all the oceans find refuge in Him,

can you give Him a bath? He is not merely Iswara; He is the Iswara of the whole

Universe. Prapancha is a combination of the five elements. 'Pra' means

expression or

manifestation or blossoming. 'Pancha' stands for the five elements. There are

the five elements - earth, water, fire, air and ether. There are also the five

senses - Shabda (sound), Sparsha (touch), Rupa (sight), Rasa (taste) and Gandha

(smell). The five life breaths are Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana. The

Lord is the basis for the expression of all these. Is any among these

permanent? No, only Brahma Tatva is eternal. What is Brahma - that which

represents these five elements. The divine Sivarathri

message Love is the foundation of the Universe. There can exist neither Nature

nor world without Love. The world is sustained by the Love that is distributed

in the five elements. Forgetting Love, following any mode of worship is in

vain. The five elements express their power through the human life. Good and

bad are all in your thoughts. Correct your thoughts. If there is any element of

hatred, feel ashamed of it. If you are attracted by anybody, it is because of

attachment. Understand that it is God who attracts. All forms are His. You have

none but one true enemy and that is your own mind. You are the origin of

everything. You are all Embodiments of Love. None of you is separate. There is

no second at all. There is nothing like a 6th element. Your Love represents the

Divine Form. Brahma (God) is not away from you. To think that He is away is

Bhrama (Delusion). Action (Karma) is also Divine. Never accuse or criticize

God. All is God. Doubts and imaginations rob us of our Bliss. Never entertain

any doubts. It is like poison. You get doubts about your wife, children.....

all this is useless. Why don't you doubt yourself? Then you will feel so

ashamed. Even if doubts come, brush them aside. You can develop strong faith

only when you remove all doubts. Doubts can be dangerous and can sometimes

prove fatal. Love God and it will transform your hate towards others also

into love. Therefore, develop Love. When all of you enjoy supreme Bliss, it is

Sivaratri for Me. My Blessings to all of you. Sing the glory of God all night.

Do Naama Smarana whole heartedly. Then you will attain Divinity ". It was very

late, almost 8 PM when Bhagavan retired for the evening. It had been a hectic

and an enjoyable day for all. A lot of devotees stayed behind to spend the

entire night singing His Glory in compliance with Swami's command. The

Morning Programme on February 27th Swami came early around 6:30 AM to Sai

Kulwant Hall. After He had sat down in His seat, he commanded that the

air-coolers be brought closer to His chair. A few minutes later, one of the

boys serving Swami also brought many flasks of water. An excited buzz went

around the Hall. Is there going to be a lingodh bhavam this morning? After

Swami sat down in His seat, He commanded that the vessels containing the

prasadam (Pulihora or Tamarind rice and Sakkara Pongal or Sweet Rice) to be

distributed at the end of the Akhanda Bhajan be stacked

on the veranda. The boys not only brought the serving vessels but also the huge

vessels that contained the remaining prasadam and stacked them all next to the

Lord Himself. Soon Swami began drinking copious quantities of water. The

lingering suspicions became a certainty, for as noticed in previous years, He

drinks a lot of water before the emergence of the lingam. The expectations of

the crowd were heightened and they started singing bhajans with renewed vigour

and devotion. Soon Swami's physical discomforts also increased. He

occasionally burped as if bringing out the lingam but it was not time yet for

the emanation of the lingam. Just as a mother has to undergo birth pangs, Swami

undergoes severe physical discomfort in order to manifest the

lingam so that man may realise that behind Creation there IS a Creator who is

Supreme. It is this Supreme One alone who can grant permanent Bliss, and man

must strive to achieve Purity because that is the only gateway to God and

Bliss. The boys attending to Him tried their best to alleviate His physical

discomforts. Added to it were the fervent prayers of all who could not bear to

see our beloved Swami in agony. Swami requested that "Om Namah Shivaya" be

chanted. The chanting went on uninterrupted and soon picked up a fervent pace.

Swami continued drinking more and more water. In earlier times, the Lingam

that emanated from Swami used to be of crystal etc. These days, however, the

lingam is of pure gold, shining with incredible lustre. Can anyone have so much

gold inside one’s body? Wherefrom does all that gold come? Swami says that the

gold forms in Him from the five elements present in subtle form. Initially,

the gold exists inside as liquid or molten gold. For gold to exist in the

liquid state, it must be at very a high temperature. At such temperatures, the

stomach of normal mortals would be completely burnt but not so in the case of

the Avatar. The pace of the chanting increased. Bhajans with a fast beat

were now sung and the atmosphere in Sai Kulwant Hall was electric. The

tension was palpable and everyone was mouthing silent, fervent prayers in the

heart. Just before 8:30 AM, Swami nodded gently, as if to say that the lingam

is now formed and ready to emerge. The atmosphere is

electric! Soon Swami bent His Head down and opened His mouth wide, and an

incredibly big golden lingam - as big as an ostrich egg - emerged out into the

world. The big gold lingam has finally emerged! The lingam is

placed on a bed of flowers on a silver plate The agony (of being unable to

see Swami's physical discomfort) and the ecstasy (of the emergence of the gold

lingam) of the Lingodbhavam were experienced in full by all. Swami, after

holding up the lingam for all to see, placed the lingam in a bed of flowers on

a silver plate. But Swami though visibly tired physically was not

done yet. He was fully aware that not all had witnessed clearly this momentous

event, due to the huge crowd. So He expressed and carried out His desire to go

around Sai Kulwant Hall and show the lingam to all personally. Such is His love

for all of us! Swami shows the lingam to the devotees And this

day was not over yet. Soon a red car was driven in front of the veranda and we

knew it was going to be gifted to some eminent devotee. Swami then called Sri

Paramahamsa and his wife to the front of the veranda. This couple run the

Deenajanodharana Pathakamu - Swami's orphanage. Sri Paramahamsa was honoured by

being garlanded and the car keys were handed over to him. Swami was also kind

enough to pose for pictures with the couple in front of the car.

Swami poses for a photo with the Paramahamsas Swami then asked that all the

children of the orphanage be brought to Him. They all came post-haste in

obedience to the Lord's command. Swami first asked them to do some Veda

chanting, which they did quite creditably to everyone's joy and appreciation.

Swami then had chocolates distributed to all the little kids. Swami

then talked to all of them with a mike in His hand and said that they were not

orphans for He was their mother and father. He said that they should redeem

their lives and live up to all His expectations. He also said that Rs 100,000

had been deposited in their names and the full amount would be given to them

when they are ready (after graduation) to enter the world. Swami said that He

not

only provided them with education but also with all the other needs like food,

clothing, etc. that they needed. It was a touching, poignant moment when time

itself stood still and oneness was experienced as a common emotional bond. And

there was not a single dry eye in the entire Hall, including Swami's!

The boys sing for their Mother and Father A boy thanking Him for all that

He has done for them The boys of the orphanage then sang a few Telugu songs

for Him. A couple of them were even bold and confident enough to thank Him for

all that He had done for them in English! They said that before they came to

the Ashram, their lives were drifting. Now they had love and purpose in their

lives through Bhagavan's Grace and they were determined to fully utilise the

opportunity. After this ceremony, at Swami's command, prasadam was distributed

to all the devotees. He supervised the distribution of the prasadam for some

time and then asked that arathi be taken before He retired back to

Poornachandra. Wherever we are, this is what we must remember on this

Sivarathri day. Firstly, we all have come from the Creator and thus are born as

the Embodiments of Divine Purity. That is what Lingodbhavam really ought to call

to our mind. Secondly, though we start off pure – as Swami says,

children are always pure, at least at the start – desires soon invade us and

contaminate the Mind as much as possible. However, we must resist this and

try to purify the Mind by burning the desires, and Vibhuti or sacred ash is the

symbol of this ultimate burning of desires. Vibhuti Abhishekam thus ought to

remind us of the need to first limit desires and then burn them entirely. We

might miss observing other functions but Sivarathri must be taken very seriously

because it is all about

becoming Pure and then truly become one with God. So we bring to a close this

rather long edition of this month's chronicle of events. It has been an

exhilarating time for all. And the future looks if anything even more exciting,

for really inexplicable are Swami's Leelas. So till next time, all of us at

Heart2Heart wish you the very best. Jai Sai Ram! - Heart2Heart Team Source:

 

navy; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.radiosai.org/"

target="_blank">Radio Sai E-Magazine, March 2006

Issuehttp://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_04/01MAR06/prashanthi-diary.htm