Prashanthi Bulletin - September 28th, 2005

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Prashanthi Bulletin

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September 28th, 2005 This evening was again a very lucky one for all devotees

and students. The Higher Secondary School students of the X class had been

preparing to stage a Sanskrit Drama for a very long time, close to a year.

Swami had said that He would give them an opportunity. Their fortunate moment

had come and Swami had given His consent for the Drama to be staged this

evening. All the participants were seated in their costumes during Darshan

time. A huge backdrop with a black curtain was placed at the rear end of the

Kulwant Hall. The title of the drama was put up on the backdrop in white

letters - Satyam Vada Dharmam Chara - which also happens to be the motto of our

Institute. At Darshan time, Bhagawan came in the car and went out of the Kulwant

Hall. After a while, Swami returned and went into the interview room. All the

participants were waiting anxiously for Swami's green signal. At 4.00 p.m.

Swami came out of the interview room and sat on the dais, right at the centre.

All the drama boys had taken their position behind the backdrop. Vedam chanting

continued for a while and at 4.05 p.m. Swami asked them to begin their drama. A

few boys came forward with a beautiful large card giving the details of the

programme. Swami Blessed the card and the boys. The drama began with a dance to

the song 'Ramana Ramudu Kodanda Ramudu?' The dance was very well choreographed

and concluded with a dialogue between two fathers whose sons happen to study at

Swami's School and have currently returned home for their Diwali vacations. Both

of them feel privileged to be fathers of children who study at Swami's school.

The dance was part of the initiative taken by one of the sons to celebrate

Deepavali. The other son had gathered the Balvikas children of his locality and

had arranged for a presentation in the evening. Both fathers prepare to go for

the presentation. Now begin the

Sanskrit skits. Two Chinna Kathas written by Swami were depicted through a

Sanskrit play, one illustrating the power of 'Satyam Vada' and the other

demonstrating the importance of 'Dharmam Chara'. The first play: There is a

thief in town who happens to stumble into the premises of a Guru who is

teaching his disciples. The thief approaches the sage and pleads with him to

help him out. He has taken to this profession out of compulsion, to feed his

family. He is unable to give up all his bad habits, including stealing. The

sage advises him for a while and demands the thief to give up just one bad

habit of his and that would take care of his welfare. The thief ruminates a lot

and unable to give up drinking, gambling and stealing; finally decides to give

up speaking lies which was very common for him. The sage is pleased and blesses

the thief. The next day, as the thief is getting ready at night to take his loot

from some house near the palace, he spots another man who

questions him as to what he was doing here. In fact that man was the king in

disguise taking rounds of inspection at night. The thief, remembering his

promise to the sage, confesses that he was a thief and was getting ready to

steal for the night. The king was very impressed at the honesty of the thief.

Suddenly, the king gets a bright idea and wishes to check the security system

at his own palace. Therefore, he tells the thief that he too was a thief and

would help him in stealing from the palace treasury provided he was ready to

share the loot equally amongst themselves. The thief immediately agrees to

this. The king in disguise guides the thief very easily to the treasury of the

palace. There, among other gems and jewels, he shows the thief a box containing

three very precious diamonds. The thief is thrilled. He takes one and gives the

second to the king in disguise and leaves the third in the box. The king is

surprised and asks him to pick up the third one too. At this

the thief replies that he had promised to share the loot equally. So how could

they share the third one? Besides, he says that the purpose of looting was only

to sustain the family and not to hoard wealth. The king was again stunned at the

genuineness of the thief. The next day in the palace, the king raises the issue

of the theft and sends his treasurer to check the treasury. The treasurer

returns stating that all was fine but the three diamonds had gone. Now the king

is shocked. He realizes that there is something fishy. He sends the treasurer

again to search properly and meanwhile calls for the thief from the village. On

enquiry, the thief honestly narrates the entire episode. Finally, the king

having his own suspicions orders the treasurer to be searched. To everybody's

dismay and shock, they find the second diamond inside the turban of the

treasurer. But all are surprised as to how the king knew all this. Then the

king removes the third diamond from his robe and

narrates the whole story to his courtiers. Needless to say, the treasurer is

given the pink slip and the erstwhile thief is now appointed as the treasurer

of the palace treasury. That is the power of 'Satyam Vada'. Just following one

virtue made the thief into a nobleman! The second skit - Dharmam Chara. The

sage Mahatapa was very arrogant of his spiritual prowess. He had gained several

powers on account of his yogic practices. Once while performing his tapas, a

bird showers its droppings on him. Furious with the bird, the sage mutters that

he should burn the bird into ashes. Even as the sage utters these words the bird

literally burns into ashes. The sage realizing the power of his words is filled

with great pride. With all his pride and arrogance he goes into a nearby

village to beg for alms. He goes to one house and shouts - Bhavati Bikshan

Dehi. The housewife calls out from inside that she is serving her husband and

therefore the sage should wait for a

while. Hearing this reply, the sage gets very annoyed. Who was this unworthy

lady who could make a sage like him wait for alms? Sensing his anger from

within the house, the woman shouts back, "Don't think you can burn me like the

bird in the forest'. Hearing this, the sage was shocked. How did this lady come

to know of an incident that occurred somewhere deep inside the forest some time

back? Amazed at her omnipresence, he then pleads with her to reveal the secret

of her powers. She confesses that she had done no great penance. All that she

did was serve her husband with total commitment and devotion. That was her

Svadharma. She then advises the sage to go to the butcher in Mithilapuri and

seek wisdom from him. This further shocks the sage. How could a mere butcher

impart wisdom to him? Yet, out of curiosity he goes to Mithilapuri and seeks

for the butcher. The butcher welcomes the sage saying, "O so the lady sent you

to me, please come'. Again the sage is

dumbfounded to find all these people manifesting such omnipresence. The butcher

then explains how it is most important for each one to do their duty perfectly.

Atmadharma is most important. One need not go to the forest and do penance.

Staying in the society and performing ones own duties, but with detachment and

offering everything to the Lord, is by itself a great Sadhana. This Upanishadic

play concluded by quoting Swami's statement - Hands in society and Head in the

forest. Both plays were very well presented. The Sanskrit was so lucid and

simple that all of us could easily understand all the dialogues. In fact the

public applauded after every scene, proof that all could understand very well.

As the final scene came up, wrapping up the play, Swami went into the interview

room. Spirits were a little down. But yet, the students continued the play. As

they were about to complete the final group song, Swami again came out into

their midst and there was loud

applause. They repeated the final song. Swami smiled, clapped and Blessed them

with Abhaya Hasta. All of them were Blessed with group photos. Swami spoke to

some of them too. He sat for a while showering the Blessing of His Darshan on

all of them. At around 5.05 p.m., He took Aarti and retired for the day. The X

class boys were filled with joy. The Lord had finally answered their prayers

and had given them an opportunity to offer their play at His Lotus Feet.

Enthused by their success, plans are already on for the XI and XII class

drama!!

You can see an illustrated version of happenings at Prashanthi Nilayam in the

Prashanthi Diary of our monthly e-Journal Heart to Heart. The previous issue of

Prashanthi Bulletin is available here. The Photo album contains photos of events

of past Prashanthi Bulletins. Index of past Prashanthi Bulletins...

 

Source: Radio Sai Websitehttp://www.radiosai.org/pages/PB.htm