August 15, 2008(source:http://saistudents.org/alumni/home/news.php)

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August 15, 2008

The completion of sixty years is a very spiritual event in the life of

a person as per Bharatiya traditions. It is celebrated as the "Shashti

Poorthi." It signifies the fact that a person has completed all his/her

earthly duties and from now on, the focus is God and God alone. It is

an event that marks the watershed in the life of any person. And India

today, turned 60 as a free and independent nation! What greater fortune

for this nation for when everyone turns Godward as they turn 60, God

has turned towards her ever since her birth and also when She turned

60! As if symbolizing this Godward turn for Mother India, as everyone

awoke to "life and freedom", in the words of Pandit Nehru, Puttaparthi

awoke to the celebration and worship of the Mother in the form of the

Varalakshmi Vratam! It is very significant that this Vratham(vow) is

one that is done only by the ladies and it has very spiritual

connotations. The fact that this vow was performed in the divine

presence on the occasion of independence day as Mother India completed

her 60th birthday was in itself thrilling and goose bumps erupted on

the being of anyone who realized the supreme significance.

The whole Kulwant hall resembled a bedecked bride awaiting her

Lord! The stage had been set and a small pandal had been erected to

house the presiding deity, Lakshmi. All the ladies participating in the

pooja were seated neatly in rows on both the ladies and gents side of

the Kulwant hall. Swami came out after 9:30 am. He moved along the

lines of the ladies, all dressed up in pink, granting darshan. There

was the gap in the centre but today Swami said that He wanted to go on

and complete a full darshan round. The students were in one corner of

the hall and Swami moved there too. After completing it, Swami moved

onto the stage. There He lit the lamp to mark the auspicious beginning

of the worship. The Veda chanting was told to subside and the pooja

began. Swami sat for a while as the worship went on and then He moved

into the interview room. Five minutes later He was out again and He

began a second round of "rounds" starting with the ladies side. He

slowly moved along the lines of the worshipping ladies and blessed a

few of them too by sprinkling the holy Akshatha grains. He moved around

the entire gathering and surely there wasn't even a single woman who

could complain of not being able to see Swami from close quarters.

As Swami went on these rounds, the pooja continued. The

various aspects of Laksmi were worshipped and mantras chanted- some by

everyone and some others only by the priests. Swami slowly returned to

the stage and He sat witnessing the rituals. The story behind the

worship and the inner significance also was explained by the chief

priest. The event concluded with the women exchanging gifts with the

feeling that they were welcoming and presenting to the Goddess Herself.

As holy threads were tied on the wrists, Swami blessed the conclusion

of the worship. He spoke to and blessed the priests. Prasadam was

blessed to be distributed to everyone and as the prasadam distribution

went on, Swami asked the priest to chant some special Sama Veda

mantras. He chanted or rather sang them slowly and well. Swami swayed

to those tunes! After that was completed, He blessed the priests once

more and then left after receiving Aarthi.

In the evening, there was a scheduled programme by Smt

Sunitha. She is a renowned Playback Singer, Anchor and Dubbing Artist

in Bollywood and Tollywood. She has won many awards at various levels.

The stage was set by way of a wonderful blue carpet in the central

marble block. The artistes were ready and Swami came for darshan

rounds. He took a complete round and then moved into the interview

room. He soon came out and asked for the concert to begin. She sang

many light devotional songs and most of them were in Telugu. She was

lost in the joy and feelings that aroused in her as she sang and Swami

too was very happy listening to her sing. She was accompanied by a

keyboard, a table, a veena, a tambourine and a mridangam. She completed

her planned quota of 6-7 songs. Swami, however, asked her to sing some

more. She sang one more and when Swami asked her to sing another, she

seemed so very thrilled and happy. She told Swami that the song she was

about to sing was one that matched exactly to what she was feeling

right now. She also sang a Meera bhajan. She finally concluded with

Swami's bhajan, "Giridhara Naagara Kunja Vihaari" which everyone

followed.

Swami called her to the stage and created a gold chain for

her. He also gifted silk sarees to her and safari pieces to her

accompanying artistes. He also blessed her husband who came up the side

stage. He had many words of encouragement for the singer and He very

lovingly blessed her. To the husband, He seemed to be advising and

correcting! He blessed him too and then each of the accompanying

artistes too had their share of interaction with Him. As they returned

to their places, Swami asked for the boys to sing bhajans. Two bhajans

with Aalaap were sung and everyone including the artistes followed with

great fervour. As the bhajans concluded Swami called one of the

students and asked him to sing a song. He sang the Carnatic song,

"Dinakara Shubhakara" with all its intricacies. The singer artiste of

the evening, Smt Sunitha, herself was lost in appreciation of the lad's

singing. After he completed Swami told her that from a young age itself

the boy had been practising and that he was a student in the

University. She seemed very happy and pleased for she too had begun her

music training at a young age of three.

Prasadam was blessed to be distributed to all and Swami

received Aarthi. Swami sat through the whole Aarthi and at the end

raised both His hands in blessings and benediction. It was 7:00 pm as

He retired into Yajur Mandir.

 

Click here to see pictures of the event.

August 14, 2008 15th of

August 2008 had both celebrations, of the Indian Independence Day and

the Varalakshmi Vratam. Swami never allows anyone to go disappointed.

And thus, Swami instructed the students to put up their traditional

I-day drama on the 14th evening itself so that the very elaborate

preparations that had gone into the Vratam could continue into fruition

the next day.

The stage was set and all the boys in their costumes were

seated in the bhajan hall. Swami moved along the lines as He came out

for darshan and then as He reached the central block, He looked

admiringly at the simple yet elegant backdrop that had been constructed

with the Indian tricolour on it. He cut through the central area and

moved straight into the bhajan hall. All the actors were waiting. Swami

seems to be fascinated by good colourful costumes. And like a child, He

seemed so happy seeing the 'various colours' of the boys! He was

'introduced' to Gandhiji, Subash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh. He

looked at a bearded person sitting nearby and asked him what he was

doing. He turned out to be Harishchandra and his wife Chandramati too

was nearby in a blue saree! Swami was also very happy to see Krishna

and Arjuna figure in the scheme of things. He enquired into the

duration of the programme. 1 hour was the answer. Similarly, Vasishta

and Vishwamitra were introduced to Him. Swami blessed all the actors

and told them that He would soon be out to witness their programme.

As per His word, He soon came out and asked for the Veda

chanting to give way to the programme. Krishna and Arjuna came up to

Him and offered roses. Swami appeared very touched seeing Krishna in

all splendour. The programme started with the Sootradhaari or compere

introducing the drama. Then all of a sudden, he asked, "Why are you

proud to be an Indian?" Everyone were taken by surprise. A few tense

moments passed when it seemed that no one wanted to voice an answer!

Then a hand went up and a student rose saying, "There are many reasons

why I am proud to be an Indian. But the greatest and the most heartfelt

is because God has taken birth here over and over again through the

ages!" The crowd burst into a joyful applause and Swami was very

touched. He called the student and told him to announce that the

programme was being done by the 2nd year post graduate boys and he did

as asked. The programme continued with another student, a lad from the

8th standard getting up and stating that he too was proud to be with

the avatar and for the reason that Bharat has such a glorious culture.

Swami was deeply touched to see the fire in the belly of that child.

The drama was weaved into a fine brocade of a story by the

threads of little known individual patriots who gave their all for the

sake of Poorna Swaraj. The story coursed alongside the lives of two

young men who dedicate their lives for the freedom struggle under the

leadership of the Mahatma, Gandhiji. They rise against the British

non-violently, trusting the power of their immortal spirit rather than

relying on the strength of the mortal body. They receive the blows

rained by the British joyfully knowing that each blow that seemed to

crush their body actually developed their resolve to be free into an

indomitable and unbreakable one. They go to jail and there too

experience the joy of Unity and oneness as people of all religions and

strata in society rub shoulders, united in the common cause of freeing

Mother India from the fetters of foreign rule. Gandhiji motivates them

by his mere words which are laced with Truth.

The episode of Sathya Harishchandra was depicted very aptly at

this point. Being a king, Harishchandra is reduced to a poor undertaker

at the cemetery. His legendary adherence to Truth is seen as he refuses

to be bound by bodily attachments and bury his own son for free. His

wife pleads and the king's heart bleeds. But he remains firm in his

resolve to be on the path of Truth. As Swami saw the episode of

Harishchandra, He became very emotional. It seemed as if His heart too

bled and tears were shed at the memory of a person who always adhered

to the path of Truth and righteousness. Especially when Chandramati,

the wife, pleaded for the son, the divine mother that He is, Swami felt

the pangs of another mother's heart.

When the protagonist of the play loses his son to police

brutality, he is a broken man. With tears he goes to his Guru, Sri

Aurobindo. His brother and comrade too is there and he is just unable

to understand why people meekly receive blows and think that it is

bravery to be non-violent. Did not the Lord Krishna in the Bhagwad Gita

too urge Arjuna to rise in arms? The Guru clears all the doubts by

taking both the disciples through the Bhagwad Gita. The Krishna Arjuna

dialogue ensues and message becomes very clear. Krishna, though

apparently urged Arjuna to wage war, wanted him to actually give up

body attachment. And war was the means of doing it then for Arjuna did

not want to fight because he thought he was killing his own people. Non

violence was the means now for the revolutionaries wanted to fight

because they thought they were killing enemies! Whatever be the means,

the end must be to annihilate body consciousness and then alone can one

be truly free.

Towards the end, the heroes, Gandhiji, Bhagat Singh and Subash

Chandra Bose made their brief but very inspiring appearances. Patriotic

songs were liberally sprinkled all over the drama and all the singing

was being done live. Rather than using recorded tracks, the boys wanted

to get immersed in the feelings of the day and occasion and sing the

songs live. It had the desired effect as each song touched the people

in some deep recess of the heart. There were no spectators or audience

today as all felt one with the feelings of patriotism and true love

being depicted at the centre. The drama concluded with all the students

coming forward in the crescent formation. Then in military style, one

by one, they all stepped out of line, stated loudly and proudly what

the Bharata Bhagya Vidhata, Swami, had done for them and then stepped

back in line. As this concluded, it was so clear for all in the hall

that if at all there is a True Patriot, then He sat right before them

robed in the saffron of sacrifice! This final portion elicited a lot of

applause from everyone.

Swami called all the actors to Him. He was very happy and He

congratulated everyone. A 'muslim' from the drama was called onstage

and Swami spoke a few words with him. He however commented that the

Bhagwad Gita was the greatest treasure from India and more time should

have been spent on dilating its teachings. He then moved down to the

performance area to grant the students the privilege of group photos

with Him. He materialised a beautiful and thick gold chain for the

student who played the role of Krishna.

A point to be noted here is that Swami always seems to gift

those actors who do positive roles, however small their actual roles

may be. It is not that He is not rewarding talent and making a bias or

anything of that sort. Swami believes that the only way to spread

goodness and 'Godness' in the world is by embodying those qualities.

Whenever the students put up a drama in front of Him, they involve

themselves so deeply in their roles so that they can do their best. It

is but natural that the ones who get so involved in the roles that are

divine, Krishna in this case, really embody that divine spirit, even if

its for a short duration. Swami rewards that noble effort and feeling.

Swami accepted all the letters the boys had to offer. He moved

back on stage slowly and then very patiently and lovingly posed for

group photos with all the boys. He Himself called on the groups.

"Krishna and Arjuna", "Bose and Gandhi", "Harishchandra and

Chandramati", "the sepoys", "the red clothes sepoys" (British

soldiers), and so on -- He would call and they would go on stage to

pose for photographs with Him. He blessed lush red apples to be

distributed to one and all. As if that were not enough, He personally

distributed watches to each and every member of the 130 strong team

that had made the presentation. As this distribution went on, each

student interacted with Swami in his own way and Swami responded to

every one of them and made them feel special. One of the students gave

a golden ring to Swami and requested Him to put it on his finger. Swami

smiled and obliged. All the students prayed that Swami visit the hostel

and Swami said, "I will come". Then Swami asked for bhajans to be sung

as He continued to distribute watches ensuring that He missed no one.

The bhajans began and after two bhajans of vociferous and enthused

singing, Swami received Aarthi. It was past 7:00 pm when He retired to

Yajur Mandir.

 

Click here to see pictures of the event.

August 13, 2008 Every

day spent in the presence of the Lord is something special to be

remembered. Every day and in fact every moment, the Lord touches

hearts, cleanses minds and uplifts spirits. On occasions when we get

'lucky' we see, hear or at least get to know how the dear Lord did

these things. This Wednesday, turned out to be special not because

Swami did anything that He does not always do, but because anyone with

a little alertness could observe and admire what He did!

Swami came for darshan at about 4:05 pm. The students' blocks

appeared a little barren, since many of the boys were practising for a

drama to be put up in His presence the next day. Swami moved slowly

through the ladies section of the hall and then as He neared the

central area, thousands of fingers on the gents side were crossed as

all watched in anticipation whether Swami would proceed straight or

take the now famous "square cut" detour. The sigh of joy and relief was

almost audible as Swami moved through the central area into the gents

side. He collected letters and blessed the ones assembled. He spoke to

the youth members from West Bengal who had assembled. He blessed the

programme that they had come ready with. Moving through the students,

He blessed some of the boys holding trays and also collected letters

from the boys. Then, Swami moved into the interview room after blessing

Sri Rasagothra who was seated on a chair in the portico.

After a few minutes, Swami came out and to the stage. He sat

there as the Veda chanting went on. He called the boys who were holding

trays. He blessed them by showering the sacred akshatha grains on their

heads. To one student who went up, He said, "I blessed you in the lines

right?" Another boy was so engrossed in Him and lost in the joy of

receiving the 'rice shower' that he forgot that he had a letter for Him

in the tray. Swami Himself reminded him to give the letter! He blessed

about 14 students thus. Then He saw two boys seated with a tray full of

"sacred threads". He called them and blessed them too. After a few more

minutes, He went via the interview room to the ladies side. He moved

slowly through them, speaking to many of them, giving padanamaskar and

taking letters. He came once again towards the central blocks. But

then, He asked to go back to where the youth from Bengal were seated.

He spoke to them for some time and then even created a gold chain for

one of the ladies. Then moving slowly along all the ladies seated on

the mandir side also, Swami went into the interview room. Bhajans began

at 5:10 pm and Aarthi was taken at 6:00pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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