FROM PUTTAPARTHI...SEVA & NOTHING BUT SEVA !!!

[Guest guest]

In 1989 we had accompanied Bhagavan to Kodaikanal. And it was Bhagavan's plan that the adjacent hill should be cut so that a spacious Bhajan hall could be constructed. And so, He instructed all the devotees, students and teachers who were with Him to take to this seva.

In the morning, after we had our breakfast, all devotees and students would take up various tools, implements and start doing the service activities.

Wherever Swami goes, whether it is Brindavan, or Prashanti Nilayam, or Kodaikanal there are groups of hawkers who sell small photographs and trinkets to make their meager livelihood. So, these hawkers had laid out their wares on the Kodaikanal Lake road, outside 'Sai Shruti.' One day, a police inspector came there and he thought that they were obstructing the traffic and therefore he confiscated all their wares. This event was intimated to Swami.

Next morning, the devotees had come for Darshan and this police inspector was also sitting in some corner. Swami went amidst the devotees. He went up to this gentleman and from a distance we saw there was a brief conversation that took place between them. The next thing that happened was that when he went back, he returned all the wares of these hawkers!!!

When we were in Sai Shruti with Swami, these hawkers had made a prayer to Bhagavan through somebody. They prayed: " Swami, when your devotees and students are doing this seva, we are busy in our own work, and are not able to do these service activities. But when the devotees retire for lunch, at that point of time, we are free. If you permit us, we pray for your permission and blessings, that during that interval we may be given the chance to help with the construction, so that this seva activity can continue from morning to evening. "

Swami was so touched by this prayer of these vendors that not only did He bless them with that opportunity, but put that as an ideal before all of us, saying " See, look at that feeling with which they have come forward to do this service activity! "

Once here in Prashanti Nilayam during NARAYANA SEVA day, we had distributed all the work to the students but there was this group of 8th class students, 13 years olds, who we thought were too young and therefore they were left out.

On that eventful morning Swami came out of the interview room while we were all busy with the arrangements at the stadium. When Swami came out of the interview room, He saw these 8th class students seated in the Mandir. And He expressed surprise! " What is this? Do you not know that it is Narayan Seva day today? What are you doing here? " And the boys very vociferously informed Swami " Swami all these senior boys have taken up the work. They have not left any work for us! " And this is what Swami told these small children:

" If nothing else go and take water and serve the Narayanas. And earn some punyam (merit)! "

After retirement one gentleman settled down in the ashram and Swami asked him to go to our canteen and serve water to the devotees who come there for meals. And after some time Swami verified his work. " Do the devotees come to you for water, or do you go with your jug, table to table serving the water? " And he said: " Swami, I go to each devotee and serve the water. "

 

And Swami was so delighted that he mentioned this in a discourse and said: " See, this is how seva should be done! " So from the youngest to the eldest nobody is unqualified for this!

 

Sri Sanjay Sahani is a former student of Swami's Institute and the principal of the Brindavan Campus in Bangalore. This talk was delivered by him in the Divine Presence on Ugadi Day, 9th of April 2004.