Sai Baba Darshan photos & update 10, Aug 2008

August 12, 2008

Sunday, August 10, 2008 Swami had decided to gift His dear students with a wonderful opportunity today! He had invited all to the Poornachandra Auditorium to view a film entitled, "Living with God is true education" which had been prepared by the students working at the Prashanti Digital Studios. The Auditorium began filling at 3:00pm and by 3:30pm, it was filled by students who had filed in. At about 3:50pm, a hush fell over the entire gathering as Swami entered the hall from the stage. The students had lined the paths as usual and Swami slowly move to His place in the centre. As Swami entered the hall, the musical CD entitled, "Bhaavanjali" which Swami had graciously blessed for release, was being played.. Swami and

the guests who had come with Him sat in their respective places.. Swami was surrounded by boys and how apt it was.

Living and sitting with God, the students were watching ,"Living with God is true education"! The new Vice chancellor, Prof Vishwanath Pandit, welcomed everyone and spoke a few words of gratitude to Swami as an introduction to the film. He said that it was indeed wonderful to see something by the students, of the students and for the students with Swami, on Swami and around Swami! The film then began and the lights all went out. Swami was attention personified as the storyline moved on along Swami's philosophy of education. It showed how Swami's University combined the best of modern education with the glorious culture of the Gurukula system of education. The documentary traced the history of how Swami literally put together bricks and bonded them with Love to raise the massive edifices of Educare in Puttaparthi, Anantapur and Brindavan at Bangalore. Swami was quite nostalgic as the events

that led Him to build the hostel in Brindavan right next to His bungalow were recounted. He became emotional as former students, now well settled in various professions, related how Swami would personally take care of every aspect of their lives and how they would manage everything in the hostel and college as in Self-rule, for here The Self really ruled! When a former student. now a teacher in the University, recalled an incident where Swami miraculously made the sweet filling enter into the hollows of the wheat dough fried in oil, Swami pointed and said, "That is Ravikumar!" The videos of the Sports meet where Swami was almost tumbling in laughter and enjoyment made everyone clap in joy as they all relived those lovely moments. Memories of Kodaikanal and Trayee sessions captured on film also left indelible imprints in the hearts of all watching. Swami was at many times recollecting the people involved and the incidents and events and telling them to

the vice chancellor. It was an experience that thrilled many. As one viewer put it, "As you see Swami toiling, as You watch Him laughing and thinking for your welfare, as You see Him excited and grim on your cause, something deep inside your heart sprouts back to life….your tears would water it and the strength of relationship endows it a will to sustain it." At the point when, Indreshwar, the grandson of the Rajmata, narrated how none of the students were even in the billionth worthy of what Swami was showering on all, Swami said,

"Stop! We will go now!" It was a very profound moment. Swami said that the devotees from Vijaynagar with the drama were waiting. But it was a perfect and beautiful spot to leave everyone in the hall lost in deep introspection. As the film was stopped, the students who had prepared a card for putting up a drama on August 15th went to Swami. Swami interacted with the students for quite some time. Then He began to move towards the stage.All the students moved to Him like bees to the lotus. As He neared the stage, the students from the Digital Studios presented the two boys whom Swami had blessed to join as employees at the studios. Swami blessed them. There is something beautiful and poignant to be mentioned here. One of the boys whom Swami blessed to join the studio has been rendered almost immobile due to a tragic accident a few years ago. With dogged determination and tons of His love and grace,

he has overcome, mentally and psychologically, the trauma of the tragedy and has become a revelatory inspiration of sorts. For the past three months, he has relentlessly and devotedly worked on picking up video editing and photo editing softwares, using a stick plastered to his hand to handle a keyboard and the mouse. Moving around in his battery powered wheelchair, Raghuram, has only smiles to flash at everyone and his is the only "four-wheeler" that is allowed everywhere without a vehicle pass! And so, when he offered a rose and himself as a flower at His feet, Swami remarked, "I know he works very hard." Swami flashed a lovely smile at him and blessed him. Swami then moved from the auditorium towards Kulwant hall where all the devotees from Vishakapatnam had gathered.

Swami took a turn in the central marble block after 'inspecting' all the children involved in the drama as they sat in front of the backdrop. He came on the stage and asked for the program to begin. The children accompanied by an adult from both the ladies and gents side went up to Him with cards and roses. As Swami blessed them, a group of people advanced to the stage with a big silver lamp and a Shivalingam. Swami lit the lamp and blessed the Shivalingam. Like a sweet child, He picked the silver snake that lay coiled around the lingam and then placed it back. As the devotees returned to their place, the drama to be staged was introduced. The drama featured the story of Mallamma, a great devotee of Lord Rama from the Rayalaseema district. Her father writes a shatakam (hundred stanzas) but is refused entry into the temple to offer to the Lord as he belongs to a lower caste. Mallamma speaks

strongly to the guards and has them shut-mouth. But as always, might becomes right and both father and daughter are thrown out of the temple. With her intense devotion and prayers to Rama, Mallamma forces the Lord to appear before her and Rama himself blesses her to write the Ramayana in her native tongue. She thus composes the Ramayana in Telugu. She goes back to the temple and the guards feel that she must be punished for her audacity. But she is rescued by none other than Tenali Ramakrishna, the minister and jester for the king Krishnadevaraya. Being a great poet himself, ramakrishna is floored by Mallamma's work. He personally informs the king and soon, the king also appreciates and gets her work published and recognised. Mallamma finally, lost with Rama's name on her lips and His beautiful form in her heart, gives up the ghost. The drama was interspersed with lovely recorded songs and dances by children.

As the drama concluded, Swami moved down from the stage.. He created a golden chain for the devotee Mallamma! He also got a wonderful blue saree and gifted it to her. He gave all the other girls sarees. As they crowded and almost mobbed around Him, He was sweetly telling them, "I will give all of you. I will give all." He then personally distributed white cloth pieces to all the boys. He accepted letters from many of them.. Blessing all of them, Swami returned to the stage. He asked for bhajans to be sung and blessed prasadam to be distributed to all. After 4-5 bhajans, Swami received Aarthi and left for Yajur Mandiram. Om Sai Ram