ASHADI CELEBRATIONS - 3rd DAY

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ASHADI CELEBRATIONS - 3rd DAY

a Glorious Ashadi Evening...

Posted on 4th July 2009 @ 01:30 hrs. IST

July 04, 2009

Maharashtra Bhakti Gaatha, the scheduled

programme for the morning of Ashadi Ekadashi was shifted to the evening

session as per the Divine command. The postponement came as a blessing

in disguise as the tenor, the colour, the act, everything related to

the show bloomed to boom into a wonderful showpiece on the twilight of

the auspicious Ashadi Ekadashi Day in the immediate Divine Presence.

Maharashtra is a rich saga of Bhakti and the presentation titled Maharashtra Bhakti Gaatha was a saga of song, dance and melody with the central theme revolving around the rich religious tradition of the state.

Presented by the Bal Vikas students and Gurus of Sri

Sathya Sai Seva Organisations of Mumbai, Nasik and Pune, the Musical

Drama was a walk through to the times of great spiritual masters of the

blessed state. Tablets inscribed with Bhagawan’s quotations

highlighting the greater importance of Namasmarana were displayed in

vantage points in the hall while the sprawling stage which was the

centre of performance on the previous day was again put to use as the

music artistes played on their instruments on the two levels of the

stage.

Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra is popularly

known as the financial capital of India. At a time when the world is

reeling under economic recession, the Bal Vikas children from the twin

states had some important message for the world that often tend to run

after money. Presenting the greater importance of Namasmarana and the

folly behind running after “dabbuâ€, the children aptly conveyed the

message running through the great lives of saints of Maharashtra,

through dance, dialogue interspersed with commentary. The world is

caught in the grip of economic recession, but in Maharashtra, there is

only “Sai Sessionâ€. This is true because Maharashtra believes that to

enjoy continuous peace and happiness, simplicity must be the way of

life.

The great saints of Maharashtra have proved from

their own lives that even a humble householder by chanting the name of

the Lord and doing his daily duty with sincerity and devotion would be

able to scale great spiritual heights. The time spent in Namasmarana

alone is the time rightly and worthily lived.

 

 

 

 

Earlier, on a day that had a long waiting for

Bhagawan to come out, He was accorded a conventional Maratha welcome by

the men dressed in traditional attire, typical of Maharashtra, blowing

conch shells, surcharging the surrounding with spiritual vibration,

while taking one and all to the nostalgic past of Maratha legacy. After

the artistes and organisers offered their obeisance to Bhagawan, the

programme started with the collective chanting of Pandurangashtakam:

“Maha Yoga Peete thate Bheema Radhya,

Varam Pundarikay Dathum Muneendrai,

Samagathya thishtanthamanandakandam

Parabrahma lingam baje pandurangam …â€

“I worship that Panduranga, who is the absolute Brahman,

Who is the source of immense happiness,

Who stays in the great seat of yoga, in the banks of Bheema,

Along with great seers to fulfil the boon to Pundarika …â€

As the song “Jai Jai Vitthala Jai Hari Vitthala …â€

(Victory to Vitthala) was sung to the accompaniment of sweet music, two

youth blew bugles to signal the formal commencement of the programme.

At the outset, Dindi procession group members offered their humble

salutations to Bhagawan to the song, “Maze Mahe Pandhari …†(my native

place is Pandhari).

Why was this theme chosen? As the announcer went

about explaining the concept of the musical, it became clear that the

only solution for the present economic crisis was constant

contemplation of God, chanting His name incessantly. People want Dabbu,

Dabbu, Dabbu (money, money, money). Money is everything, money is life

for them. They struggle day in and day out for earning money. The world

is caught in the vortex of economic crisis. The only way out is

chanting of God’s Name. Namam is Dharma (righteousness), Jnanam

(wisdom), Santhi (peace), Sukha Pradayakam (bestower and happiness and

welfare). The only way to peace and happiness is simplicity in life. In

Maharashtra, great saints have proved beyond doubt that by chanting the

Name of God even a householder can scale great heights in life.

Songs accompanied with deft movements of dancers provided the perfect relief and acted as interludes to the musical.

 

 

 

 

Maharashtra is home to illustrious saints like Sant

Tukaram, Sant Ramdas, Sant Jnaneswar, Sant Namdev, Sant Sakkubai, Sant

Eknath etc… These saints took refuge in the Name of the Lord. What

saints did was “Sai Sessionâ€, but now because of misuse of money there

is economic recession. The name of the Lord must dance forever on the

tongue. It is because of these saints that Bhagawan visited Maharashtra

a number of times in the past. He visited Satara, surcharged the idols

of Vitthala and Rakumai at Pandharpur. He would visit Dharmakshetra

quite frequently. Maharashtra is the State where the earlier

incarnation of Bhagawan lived. Shirdi Sai Baba gave the message of

Sraddha and Saburi (steadfast faith and patience) to the whole world

from Shirdi. The depiction of famous Chavadi Procession of Shirdi Baba

with the accompaniment of the Bhajan “Dham Dham Dham Damaru Bhajeâ€

evoked nostalgic memories of those glorious days of the previous

incarnation.

Interestingly, as if evoking a positive response

from Bhagawan, the narrator in his innocent, childish voice posed a

question to Bhagawan, “Swami, is it true what we heard that Swami would

again visit Dharmakshetra?†and pat came His answer, when He smilingly

nodded indicating His positive response.

This offering of song and dance concluded with

earnest entreaties by the cast to Bhagawan to visit Maharashtra

again…they sang in chorus… “Raava Raava Rakshimpaga, Kapadaga,

Palinchaga, Paripalinchaga …†(“come, come to protect, to save, to look

after …â€). Yes the old memories will come alive again was the chorus.

After the distribution of Prasadam, Arati was offered to Bhagawan at

6.50 p.m.

The songs “Ananda Lahari Bhajave …†and “Dheem,

Dheem Dama Damaru Baaje …†by the two vocalists and the taals (vocal

beats) by the Panditji kept the appreciative audience riveted to their

places with intermittent applauses for more than an hour. There were

also interludes in the form of performances by the flautist, one each

on the tabla, on the Sarangi, on the harmonium and on the keyboard that

added variety to the performance. The whole concept was designed in an

innovative way as the Panditji was well known for it, to make it an apt

offering to the Musical Divine in physical frame.

At the end of the performance, Bhagawan asked the

State President, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations, Maharashtra and Goa

to honour the artistes with shawls and white safari suit pieces.

Bhagawan also blessed the artistes with Padanamaskar and a group photo

session.. Prasadam was distributed to the entire congregation of

devotees. After Arati, Bhagawan retired for the day at 6.45 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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