May 18, 2010 – Surprise Discourse by Bhagavan

It was going to be another of those special evenings - an evening when Swami would delight everyone present in a way none of them had imagined. It all started like any other day. Swami arrived for darshan at 5:15 p.m. as the bhajans were on. He moved through the ladies' side and then the gents' side. Blessing some of the alumni, He moved towards the stage.

Along the way, He blessed many of the research scholars who wanted to go home for a short vacation. The birthday boys too were blessed before Swami ascended the stage and sat for bhajans. As the bhajans were on, Swami read a few letters of His from never-ending mail. After a while, as one bhajan was concluding, He looked up and sat as if waiting for some precise moment.

And then, He asked for the bhajans to be stopped. Looking to His right, He whispered, "Mikes". Everyone assumed that there was going to be a talk when one of the students by His side got up to confirm. "Swami, should we get Your mikes?" Swami nodded a ‘Yes’ and then everyone realized with a thrill that Swami had decided to speak! And now, it seemed to be a strange predicament. The person who normally translates, Prof. Anil Kumar was not in station.

The warden of the Brindavan campus, Mr. B. N. Narasimhamoorthy too had left just two days ago. Swami was told, "Swami, there is no translator." Pat came the reply, "What can I do? I will speak!" The student next to Swami had an idea to call Prof. Nanjundaiah, the former Controller of Examinations and more importantly, the former translator for Bhagavan.

Swami began His discourse in a very soft tone and said, "Everyone today seem fearful for no reason at all!" Age and the physical distance from Swami ensured that the translator heard nothing and the translation went off mark as he said, "God is the embodiment of bliss." Swami looked at him and said that was not what He said! He repeated once or twice and then looking at everyone, Swami smiled as if to say, "This is not going to work this way." A couple of enterprising students who knew Telugu moved forward towards Swami and since they could hear Him better, began a sort of a different translation process.

As Swami spoke, the boys in the front grasped the import and either repeated Swami's words or the import to the revered translator who then framed it into a sentence and spoke it over the PA system. It was a unique experience for everyone involved and Swami seemed to be enjoying this Divine play!

When transcription and translation occur, can mutations be very far? Indeed there were mutations but the Lord was very kind and loving. Whenever there were errors, He repeated Himself to make things clear. He smiled many times and said, "Paapam! He cannot hear!" This is the summarized form of what Swami said:

The land of Bharat has produced great chaste women. Consider the case of Savitri. She saw her husband lying dead in front of her and Yama had arrived to take him away. With the sheer power of her chastity, she could chastise even death and bring back to life her dead husband. Draupadi was another great woman who treated all her five husbands alike.

The story of Harishchandra shows the power of Truth. He was an emperor but when he moved out, he did not have a naya paisa with him. His son had to drink water from the God-given hands as they did not even have a cup. When he put his wife, son and himself for an auction to pay off his debt, nobody came forward to buy for who would dare buy the emperor and the empress? After a while the wife and child are sold. Finally an undertaker buys him off too and the king keeps his word.

His own son is bitten by a snake and when his wife comes to the crematorium, Harishchandra refuses to allow the pyre without her paying the tax. He asks for her mangala sutra to pay for it. It is in this state that the Lord manifests and returns Harishchandra and his family to their erstwhile grandeur. One should be selfless but everything that one earns, he must keep one fourths of it for himself. The rest he can give away.

Chandramati is another great woman. With her chastity, she could put out a forest fire. That is the power of chastity. It is equal to the power of penance. Sita too underwent Agnipariksha - the trial by fire and came out unscathed. Such are the great women of Bharat.

Will you ever find such stories and deeds in any other country? Just like a Pativrata lives for her husband, there is also the concept of Sativrata where the husband lives for the wife. The former is on the rise today but sadly, the latter is declining. Everyone must develop into ideal Pativratas and Sativratas.

When I say my kerchief, my chair, my boys, who is the 'my' referring to? Enquire into that. Kill the small 'i' of your ego and identify with the capital 'I' that is your self. I and you are one. There is no difference. I shall speak more tomorrow for it is already late now.

It was indeed a great opportunity and privilege for the veteran translator and the boys. It also showed that Swami's work always goes on - perfectly. Nobody is indispensable and many times, His mission goes on in spite of us! Swami said that the translator had also been strained. In response to that, the translator humbly submitted, "Swami, I have troubled you a lot. Please forgive my inadequacies. The Discourse has proceeded in spite of me." Swami blessed him and told the boys to begin bhajans.

Bhajans began and the mikes were removed. Swami was smiling at the boys in the front and the translator moved to Swami and it looked like he was seeking pardon. But Swami seemed to ignore that as if it was all a part of His play - and it indeed was! Swami then asked for aarthi and after that was done, He blessed everyone and then moved towards the Residence. The clock showed 7:20 p.m.

Dear reader, how do you like this section? Does it help or inspire you in anyway? Please share your reflections with us by writing to h2h@radiosai.org mentioning your name and country.
Thank you for your time.