FEB 26TH AND 27TH: MAHA SIVARATHRI CELEBRATIONS [2006]

[Guest guest]

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 stotrams that was a fitting finale to the ceremony we had just witnessed.

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.

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. 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! With Sai love from Sai brothers -

'' Courtesy: http://media.radiosai.org

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