SRI RAMA NAVAMI CELEBRATIONS AT PRASANTHI NILAYAM

[Guest guest]

SRI RAMA NAVAMI CELEBRATIONS AT PRASANTHI NILAYAM

 

The coastal regions of the State of Orissa faced the fury of the floods during the third week of September 2008. More than 6,000 villages in 18 districts of Orissa were marooned in floods, leaving about 40 lakh people homeless. The devastating floods caused untold misery to many people in the districts of Cuttack, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapura. On 7th October 2008, the sacred day of Ayudha Puja during the Dasara celebrations, Sri V. Srinivasan, All India President, Sri Sathya Sai Organisations announced that Bhagawan in His infinite compassion was going to build concrete houses for those rendered homeless by the floods.

As part of Sri Rama Navami celebrations, on 2nd April 2009, 320 gents and ladies, who are the beneficiaries to this divine act of grace, came over to Prasanthi Nilayam showing gratitude to Bhagawan. Bhagawan on this occasion blessed the villagers with clothes; as their names were announced, the villagers received this gift with gratitude after offering their salutations to Bhagawan.

Bhagawan came to the Hall at 4.50 p.m. At the outset, the State President of Sri Sathya Sai Organisation, Orissa gave a brief speech expressing his gratitude to Bhagawan for this benign act of grace. The programme for the evening started with three youth blowing conches and offering their obeisance to Bhagawan. This was followed by “Pala†(traditional and intellectual form of musical programme based on the theme of Indian mythologies and scriptures). The theme of Pala was the relief and rehabilitation of the flood-affected villagers of Orissa. The performance of the youth with cymbals and drum beats and pithy statements enthralled one and all. At the end of their performance, Bhagawan blessed the lead artiste with a gold chain.

This was followed by a play “Shabari Ki Pratikshya†based on the episode of Shabari Moksha (liberation) from the Ramayana.

The scene opens with tribals breaking into dance and music on the eve of Shabari’s wedding ceremony. Having been exposed to the sacred vibrations of Mantras chanted in the Ashram of Sage Matanga, she was leading a Satwic life with vegetarian habits. Naturally, she disapproved of the inhuman and barbaric custom of an innocent creature’s sacrifice before the deity of the tribe as part of the marriage ritual. She ran away from home into the forest cancelling her marriage. Being a girl she was forbidden to enter an Ashram, but after hiding behind, listening to discourses and performance of spiritual practices, she was blessed by Matanga Maharishi to stay in his Ashram. The Rishi revealed to her that one day she would be blessed with Sri Rama’s Darshan.

Time and years rolled by; she went through the daily routine of clearing the pathway to the Ashram. But there was no sight of the Divine personality. She collected fruits and tubers everyday awaiting the Lord to the Ashram. As age took its toll over her, she became weak and emaciated, but steadfastly continued the daily practice.

Due to her sincere prayers and pure heart, the Lord finally visits her Ashram. Feeling electrified and emotionally charged she welcomes them to sanctify the Ashram premises with their Divine presence. Being overwhelmed, she offers the sweet fruits though she has bitten and tongued them. The Lord who is pleased with Shabari’s devotion relishes the fruits and blesses Shabari. She demeans herself by saying that she is a dunce and does not know the ways and means to worship the Lord. Lord Rama consoles her lovingly and gets immersed in the ocean of joy, impressed by her pure, unsullied and selfless love. She falls at His Feet saying that she does not want to live any more, since the consummation of her life has been achieved. Bhakta Shabari attains Moksha (liberation) and merges with the Lord.

At the end of the performance, Bhagawan blessed the artistes by going amidst them and getting Himself photographed. Then Prasadam was distributed to the artistes and the devotees. Arati was offered to Bhagawan at 6.45 p.m. after which Bhagawan retired for the day.

 

Sri Rama Navami was celebrated at Prasanthi Nilayam on 3rd April 2009 with all its religious fervour. The Hall was beautifully decked up for the occasion. The beneficiaries who were to receive the keys of houses were seated in the central part of the Hall. Banners heralding the function were displayed at vantage points in the Hall. “Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. Orissa Flood Rehabilitation Housing Project. Allotment of Houses to Beneficiaries by Divine Hands†was the message in the banners. Maps containing the regions where the houses are built were placed in important locations in the Hall.

Bhagawan came to the Hall in His golden-hued robe at 9.20 a.m. to the accompaniment of Vedic chants. Under Bhagawan’s direct supervision, keys for the houses were distributed to the beneficiaries. Utensils and other articles of daily use, Bhagawan’s photograph were also distributed. As the distribution of these items was in progress, students chanted Vedas in the background. Prasadam was distributed to all at the end. The proceedings for the morning session concluded with Arati to Bhagawan at 10.20 a.m