Yesterday, Bhagavan had a twenty minute darshan round, spending a few minutes with His students currently working at the Super Speciality Hospital at Bangalore, and later with some Primary School students. This evening, He came for darshan a few minutes before five o'clock in the special white chair. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra was also part of the congregation in Sai Kulwant hall. The evening bhajans began as Swami completed His darshan round and Swami sat onstage, making a brief round of the verandah. At 5.40, He asked for the microphones to be brought, and asked Prof Anil Kumar to speak. Following his twenty minute impromptu talk, the former Vice-Chancellor Sri. S. V. Giri was asked to speak. Then Bhagavan began His Divine Discourse at 6.20 pm. In His fifty-minute Discourse, Swami touched upon the Upanishadic truth of the Unity of all creation. Following the Discourse, the students sang a bhajan while prasadam was distributed, and Arati was offered. At the end, while 'Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu' was being chanted, Swami called up the lead singer and asked him to chant 'Samasta Jeevah Sukhino Bhavantu' - he chanted this thrice and the session concluded at 7.20 pm. with Bhagavan returning to His residence in the car. Later in the evening, Swami sent word that tomorrow onwards, Vedam should be chanted in the Sai Kulwant Hall from 8 am to 9 am and from 4 pm to 5 pm before the bhajan sessions.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Bhagavan went for a drive at 11.40 this morning, returning to His
residence after noon. In the evening, the devotees from Medak district
presented a drama 'Devudu Unnadu'. After His darshan round when Swami
came onstage, some of the devotees came up to Him for blessings and
the drama got underway at 5.30 pm. The forty-five minute Telugu play
showed the transformation of two youths to theists with many quotes
and poems from Swami. After the drama, Swami went inside the interview
room for five minutes and emerged with clothes for the participants.
He went down from the stage and moved among the children while bhajans
went on, and took group photographs with them. He blessed one of them
with a chain, and gave them the clothes Himself. After nearly half an
hour of interaction, once He came onstage, He accepted Arati at seven
o'clock. He interacted some more with the devotees before returning to
His residence ten minutes later.
This evening, the centre of Sai Kulwant Hall was filled with items for distribution. Devotees from Medak district of Andhra Pradesh are here in strength in their Parthi Yatra. Bhagavan arrived at a quarter-past five and after His darshan round, came onstage. Children dressed to represent the various faiths came up to Swami for blessings. After some more devotees came up and got various items blessed, the distribution programme for the evening got underway. The recipients' names were called out and they came up with flowers to offer to Bhagavan. Sewing machines, kits for various trades, bicycles, push-carts and so on were presented to more than eighty people. A music programme based on the nine paths of devotion followed the distribution ceremony. Swami called up one of the children at 6.30 pm and blessed him with a chain while a song on 'God as friend' was being sung. As the music programme concluded, Swami sent them clothes and prasadam. Arati was offered at 6.45, and some of the participants came up to the stage for a group photograph before Swami left for His residence in the car.
This morning, Bhagavan sent word that the students of the Higher Secondary School and the University should come for morning darshan - usually they come for morning darshan only on Sundays and festival days. Clothes were to be distributed to them. Swami came at half-past nine while the bhajans were going on. After inspecting and sorting the cloth material in the Bhajan Hall, He came onstage and watched while the cloth pieces were distributed to the students and teachers. At a quarter past ten, He accepted Arati. USB memory sticks were also distributed to the senior students.
In the evening, Swami came for darshan at 4.30 pm and moved to the Bhajan Hall, where He distributed sarees to the family members. Once the evening bhajans began in Sai Kulwant Hall, He came onstage and had a brief interaction with one of the Music college teachers, blessing him with a bracelet. Swami then moved to the interview room and returned after half an hour to sit onstage for a couple of bhajans and then accept Arati.
This evening, the doctors attending the Orthopaedic conference at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences were seated in the centre of Sai Kulwant Hall on chairs. Bhagavan arrived for darshan at 4.25 pm, and after His darshan round moved to the interview room after a brief interaction on the verandah. After the five o'clock bhajans began, Swami came to the stage. He asked for a bhajan with alap. Bhagavan moved down among the doctors up and down the central path as the doctors crowded around Him. Once He returned onstage, prasadam was distributed. Arati was offered at 5.45 pm.
This evening, Swami went to the Super Speciality Hospital at Prasanthi gram at around 3.45 pm - the Hospital is hosting a two-day international conference in Orthopaedics. The Biosciences department of the Sri Sathya Sai University is also hosting an international conference in Diabetes research. Bhagavan returned to the Mandir while the bhajans were going on. He moved to the Bhajan hall and inspected some items kept there before coming onstage. Sri Sunil Gavaskar, the cricket legend, was here to celebrate his 60th birthday. Swami interacted with him for a few minutes before coming to the stage and accepting Arati at 5.30 pm.
The African choir was to perform this evening, and the members were seated in the centre of Sai Kulwant Hall. Swami completed His darshan round and came onstage to begin the programme at 5.30 pm. After a brief introduction by Mr. Victor Krishna Kanu of Zambia, the choir began their performance which had songs in Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Hindi English and more. After 45 minutes, Swami sent clothes for the performers and came down from the stage. Seated beside them, He asked for some more songs, and they performed for ten minutes more. He then gifted them photo frames as mementos, and also had group photos with them. After interacting with them for a few minutes, He accepted Arati as prasadam was distributed, and left for His residence at seven o'clock.
This evening, the bhajans began at 5 pm, and Bhagavan came to Sai Kulwant Hall ten minutes later. While He was on His way, He granted permission for the group from Brazil to present their bhajans. The students made way for the Brazilian group to sit in the centre of the Hall, and at 5.15, they began their programme of Bhajans, many of which were in Portuguese. At six o'clock, they concluded, and made way for the Indonesian group. The devotees from Bandung presented a traditional Sundanese Angklung ensemble with the bamboo instruments playing a couple of bhajans and a traditional melody. After their presentation, Swami accepted Arati while prasadam was distributed and returned to His residence at 6.20 pm.
This Gurupoornima morning, Bhagavan came into Sai Kulwant Hall at ten o'clock clad in a yellow robe, seated on a special white chair, welcomed by the students' Panchavadyam band. The stage was set for a felicitation programme. Once Swami reached the verandah, He blessed the cakes arrayed there and then came onstage to begin the proceedings at 10.15 am. Prof. Anil Kumar announced the programme and called up the distinguished persons with brief introductions to sit beside Bhagavan. There were three brothers: Sri Appa Rao - outgoing Finance Controller of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Sri Sathyanarayana Murthy - Engineer in charge of the Airconditioning of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Dr. A. V. Lakshmi Narasimham - outgoing Registrar of Sri Sathya Sai University. Along with them was Sri M. Nanjundaiah - outgoing Controller of Examinations of Sri Sathya Sai University. Mrs. Appa Rao and Mrs. Nanjundaiah were seated beside their husbands. After the distinguished persons were garlanded by their junior colleagues, there were a couple of speeches by Dr. A. N. Safaya - Director of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences and Prof. Vishwanath Pandit - Vice Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai University. Arati was then offered at 11.30 am. While Arati went on, prasadam was distributed, and Swami blessed the persons onstage with mementos and clothes. The function was brought to a close with a collective 'Samasta Loka Sukhino Bhavantu' chant at 11.45 am following which Swami left for His residence.
In the evening, the bhajans began at 5 pm, and Bhagavan came to Sai Kulwant Hall at 6 pm. Once He reached the stage after His darshan round, He asked for the chairs to be arranged on the stage like in the morning, and asked the personalities of the morning felicitation ceremony to once again come onstage. At 6.30 pm, the bhajans were stopped and Bhagavan began to speak, seated between Sri Appa Rao and Prof. Nanjundaiah. Swami commended their services and exhorted the youngsters to follow their example in selfless service. After His Discourse, Swami asked for a couple of Bhajans to be sung and prasadam was distributed. It was 7.45 when He accepted Arati. After Arati, He sat onstage and interacted some more with the gentlemen and ladies before slowly moving to His residence in the car at 8 o'clock.
This evening, the centre of Sai Kulwant Hall was set up as a stage for a musical by the Tamil Nadu Balvikas and youth. But when Bhagavan came to Sai Kulwant Hall and came onstage after His darshan round, He indicated that the microphones be brought. At 5.25 pm, He commenced His Divine Discourse. The fifty-minute discourse had the triune fear of sin, love of God and morality in society as the theme. Swami stressed the need for individual transformation before attempting to change society. After His Discourse, Swami asked for the programme by the Tamil Nadu children to begin. The hour long drama had many songs and a couple of dances, and brought out the message of various saints and sages culminating in the golden age of Sai. Swami went down from the stage for group photos with the participants before returning to the stage and accepting Arati at 7.30 pm. He then moved to the interview room for a few minutes before returning to His residence at 7.45.
