Latest Prashanthi Bulletin: September 28th 2005

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Prashanthi Bulletin: September 28th 2005

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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!! Updated Sai News & latest Photos »» Home

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