Sai Darshan Details from October 3 2008 - Sai Students update.

[Guest guest]

October 3 2008

 

At Puttaparthi, the Dasara festival marks the beginning of the

Vedapurusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna with the Vedapurusha, our beloved

Swami, presiding over the Yajna in the morning and imparthing Jnana

in the evning, either through His discourses or through the

inspiration He lends to scholars. The 3rd of October was to mark the

beginning of this magnificent homam (fire sacrifice) as a homage and

prayer for all humanity. The Kulwant hall had been decked to its

brilliant best. The strains of the sacred Nadaswaram filled the air

and the smell of incense filled hearts with the sense of deepest

devotion. A brightly caparisoned Sathya Gita (or Krishna Gita as she

is also known) marched regally, strutting around her tiny trunk,

towards the Yajur Mandir. It was about 8:30 am when an announcement

was made that on this holy day Swami would grant darshan in the

Kulwant hall and then all could move silently into the Poornachandra

Auditorium where the Yajnam would commence. At about 8:50 am, Swami

arrived and He looked as fresh as a rose! Gita moved forward gently

towards Him and with a tiny trumpet, offered Him a salute. Swami took

apples from her caretaker and fed her. She greedily took apples from

His hand and ate them. Swami was so sweetly observing her and He went

on feeding her.

 

Swami permitted the little elephant to move to the Kulwant hall from

the back entrance and He made His much awaited entry into the darshan

grounds. Moving through the ladies and gents side, He came to the

front. Then He moved into the bhajan hall where about a hundred

students clad in saffron were chanting the Vedas along with the

purohits (priests) who had arrived for the Yajnam. Swami sat there

for a while listening to the chants. Then He got the traditional

clothes to be presented to the priests. As per the custom, the head

priest and his wife conduct a separate worship. Swami first gifetd a

green silk saree to the head priest's wife. Then He proceeded to give

the dhoties and angavastrams to all the priests as they bowed at His

feet and sought His blessings. They immediately changed into the new

clothes and were ready for " takeoff " ! Swami asked, " What about the

turmeric and kumkum? " Those were also kept in readiness and Swami

permitted them to leave for the auditorium. Before leaving they

chanted loudly in unison, some hymns and mantras and then began to

file out. Swami then instructed the students also to follow suit. He

sat by the side blessing everyone as they left for the Poornachandra

auditorium.

 

After a few minutes, Swami moved into the interview room after which

He too made His way to the Poornachandra auditorium. There is a

plethora of activity that goes on the Poornachandra auditorium stage.

From the conduct of the Yajnam while chanting Rudram to the silent

reading of the Devi Bhagawatam to the strenous stretching and

exercising of the Surya Namaskar. And this is shared between both

groups, the priests and the students. As Swami arrived on the stage,

the priests sought His permission to churn and begin the sacred fire

to light up the yajnam. He permitted them and then they began to

churn the embers in a wooden cradle. As the first wisps of smoke rose

into the air, they blew and fanned it lovingly into a flame. At the

same time they took great care that no breeze or external force put

it out. Showing it to all assembled, they placed it in the pit and

fuelled it into a wonderful flame! The same breeze that once

threatened to put out the spark now inflamed the holy fire to greater

heights! Like Swami says that there will be many hinderances in the

spiritual path in the beginning. But later these obstructions

themselves hasten ones spiritual progress!

 

And thus, the yajnam began and a silent thrill seemed to surge

through the being of anyone who could comprehend, in part at least,

the great blessing he/she was being subjected to. Swami accepted the

garlands and He also lit a candle with a matchstick. This candle was

used to light up all the oil lamps on stage. The priest engaged in

Surya Namaskar, as is the tradition, came to Swami and offered a

flower at the beginning and fell in full prostration, the Sashtangam

as it is called, to Him. Swami blessed Him and then rising, the

priest circumambulated Swami before continuing His prayers. The

students, a large group on stage, kept the chanting alive and in one

corner the Devi Mahatyam or reading the glories of the divine mother

was on. After a while, Swami moved across the stage to the other

corner where the head priest and his wife were involved in worship.

He placed a garland and recieved their prayers. All the ladies

rejoiced at the close darshan that they got as He came to their side.

On His way back, Swami stopped at the Homakundam. He sat observing

the offerings made to the fire. A magnificent wooden, exquisitely

carved statue depicting the Vishwarupa darshana had been placed at

the back of the stage. When Swami sat at the fire, the hood of the

serpent on the statue seemed to form an arch over His head! Swami sat

there for a while and then retired for the day The yajnam went on

till the Aarthi at about 12:00 pm.

 

In the evening, Swami arrived again in the chair. He moved through

the ladies side which was packed with children from the Primary

school and the students of the Anantapur campus of the University

also. The evenings during the Dusshera are used as a platform for the

wisdom of elders (Swami inclusive) to be showered on all. Today as

Swami went around showering the joy of His darshan on all assembled,

nobody had the slightest idea as to what the proceedings of the

evening would be. Swami came on the stage and asked for the chanting

to cease. Then He called the priest who performs Aarthi daily in the

mandir on to the stage. Sri Narayana Bhatta was the speaker for the

evening! As he was introduced, he prostrated and sought blessings

from Swami. His topic was " Devi Bhagawatam " . Using the 10 years of

Vedic learning experience, he dwelt in a masterly manner on the

significance of the Mother worship. He exhorted all to make attempts

atleast to read the Devi Bhagavatham as it was in very simple

Sanskrit. As he concluded his half an hour talk, Swami asked him to

speak some more on the Gayathri mantra. And thus he dwelt on that

too. When the speaker kept addressing the chant as " Gayathri " , Swami

corrected, " Gayathri Maata " ( meaning Mother Gayathri). The Gayathri

mantra is actually addressed to the sun God and is not a goddess as

common belief is, he said. " Gayathri " is actually a meter in Sanskrit

and it is used to make some of the most powerful chants. He also went

into the fascinating details and after he concluded, Swami applauded

his effort.

 

For the next 10 minutes or so, Swami and the speaker were involved in

a quite animated and deep discussion. After that, Swami smiled and

called a student and asked, " Can you chant the Gayathri mantra? " He

did so and Swami corrected him at some places. With a loving pat on

his cheeks Swami sent him back to his place and called another

student- an American boy this time. This boy too was told to chant

and he did so. Swami smilingly latched on to his errors and after a

loving pat, sent him back. The next student tested was the Iranian

boy Sathya from the primary school. He seemed to impress Swami with

his chanting. Swami was in such a comfortable and calm poise. He

called boys holding letters and accepted them interacting with all of

them for some time. There were smiles everywhere and the silence that

filled the hall was occupied with prayers from the devotees and Grace

from the Lord. Swami then asked for bhajans to begin. Three bhajans

were sung during which the prasadam distribution went on. After that,

Swami recieved Aarthi and retired for the day.