His Caravan moves on…
Inspiring story of Sai’s Selfless Saga called Sri Sathya
Sai Deena Janoddharana Pathakam…a selfless Mission with
a peerless Vision…
Supposedly a pair of eyes is on a constant watch of the
universal drama called life, its turbulent inner
currents with diversified feelings and passions in the
backdrop of most unorthodox settings…and this constant
watchful vigil does scan every single pixel on the
universal image, thus, saving humanity from undoing its
graded stature in this vast universal home…and, but for
these pair of watchful eyes of this eternal being called
God, there would not have been any ‘survivors’ at all on
planet earth. These radiating sparkling eyes do have the
real touch of concern, kindness, love…that speaks to
every little heart in the most unaware fashion from the
human point, but, the most natural course from the
exalted Godly status.
It is this story of God’s greater concern, kindness and
love that manifested in the form of Sri Sathya Sai Deena
Janoddharana Pathakam, an institution for the
rehabilitation of the destitute children initiated at
the auspices of Bhagawan as an act of His greater
benevolence.
Nascent ‘Mission’
Talking of an tragic incident reported by a newspaper
wherein an uneducated, hapless, helpless mother resorted
to the extreme step of committing suicide after
poisoning her three children, Bhagawan during His Dasara
Divine Discoure on 6th Oct 2000 posed a question to the
devoted assembly: “Can we Bharatiyas be so stone-hearted
and wicked to allow such a painful event to take place?”
Condemning the incident as a shame on Bharatiyas,
Bhagawan called for initiating Grama Seva activities by
His students from Sathya Sai Institutions serving a role
model for the rest of the world to emulate…He exhorted:
“…So we should go to each and every village and provide
food, clothing and education to the needy. In addition,
make them understand that should the mothers themselves
act in such a cruel manner then can anyone improve their
lot?” It was a clarion call to go and conquer, to
convince them to conviction of the utility of the
precious earthly sojourn called Life…
“It is My wish to see that the poor children are
provided with sufficient food, necessary clothing and an
education with which they can lead their lives in the
society with dignity. A thousand such needy families
shall be provided with one lakh rupees each which will
be invested in a fixed deposit. The interest accruing
therefrom will be used for the food, clothing and
education of the children. Our students will take up the
task of educating them. They are indeed poor, but they
too belong to the human race. Develop the feeling of
brotherhood and love towards them.”
Action followed with lightning speed. To begin with,
construction began for two-room tenements to house the
first come orphans and destitutes converting His own
orchard into a housing colony. Sixty children from such
families were selected from Bukkapatnam, Kothacheruvu
and Puttaparthi Mandals and were adopted under the Sri
Sathya Sai Deenajanoddharana Pathakam Project. They are
receiving school education under the loving care of Sai.
Not only that; a sum of one lakh rupees has been
deposited in the name of each child to meet its needs as
and when it came of age. Every week, on Thursdays, they
are brought to the Presence for Divine Darshan of the
Universal Mother. It is a sight to see how the Lord
looks Love at them, His charming smile drizzling
compassion. None can call them ‘anathas’ anymore as the
One ‘A’natha has made them all ‘Sa’nathas.
…and thus came into being the Sri Sathya Sai Deena
Janoddharana Pathakam, inauguraged by Bhagawan on the
20th July 2002 during the holy auspicious occasion of
Guru Purnima…
Every action, every project that originates from this
Supreme Abode of Peace of God walking on two feet does
have a metaphorical siginificance of being a role model
to the world at large, to emulate…Taking a cue from this
act originated from Prasanthi Nilayam, the Sri Sathya
Sai Seva Organisations, Andhra Pradesh followed suit…in
organising the state unit of Sri Sathya Sai Deena
Janoddharana Pathakam, serving 93 selected children from
9 districts of the state. Following similar structural
guidelines that of the Project in Prasanthi Nilayam for
the modus operandi this project has been on, yet another
signpost that stands as a testimony to the yeomen
service done under the Divine Patronage of Bhagawan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba for the welfare of humanity. …And it was
time for these tiny tots to have the glimpse of their
life time…coveted darshan of The One who reversed their
otherwise would have been fatal fate. …and the children
with their caretakers grouped in for a collective
prayer…
Swami! With Thy Divine Blessings, the Sri Sathya Sai
Seva Organisations of Andhra Pradesh are spreading Thy
Divine Message to one and all through the Spiritual,
Service and Educational wings of the organisation.
Dear Sai Maa! On the lines of the Deena Janodhdharana
Pathakam started by Thee in Prasanthi Nilayam, with the
same spirit, a similar scheme has been initiated in
different parts of Andhra Pradesh. Under the scheme, 93
children aged between 5 to13 have been picked up on the
basis of a survey conducted in different villages
throughout the state. After detailed medical
examination, these students have been admitted in the
Sathya Sai Schools and other educational institutions
and are provided education, boarding, lodging,
completely free. These children have also been provided
appropriate training by the Bal Vikas Gurus and Teachers
in Sai Schools.
All these students are showing excellent progress in
edcuation and character befitting the students of Sri
Sathya Sai Educational Institutions under the Divine
watchful eye of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Swami! We are indeed grateful and extremely happy to
submit these few lines to you.
The all conquering motherly love and compassion of
Bhagawan that knew no bounds responded to their prayers
and their day was made! The afternoon of 3rd March 2007
witnessed these children offering themselves at His
Lotus Feet in His immediate presence…
Their day was made!
It was indeed a long wait for the devotees as Bhagawan
did not come out in the morning…and in the evening it
was at 4:40 p.m. when Bhagawan ultimately came out…after
having a full round Bhagawan was taken into the dais.
The proceedings started with veda chanting that
prolonged for sometime and these tiny tots excelled to
the expectation, chanting with clarity and clear
intonations to receive ‘Divine Pat’ and rapturous
applause from the capacity crowd. This was followed by
an enthralling band display; melody in the bhajan
synchronised to the beats of drums with induced
discipline suffused with devotion was indeed a veritable
feast to the hearts as these destitute turned ‘His
Property’ yet again came up with a display with
precision. Chekka Bhajana or Chiratala Bhajana is a folk
art of Andhra Pradesh wherein a troupe consiting of 10
to 20 members, holding a chiratalu and handkerchief on
either hand form into a circle while the leader in the
centre begins the bhajan that will be joined by other
members. These players hang garlands in their necks, tie
jingling bells to their ankles, tie colourful waist
bands and engage in various steps facilitating narration
of episodes from Epics and Puranas. A boy who was made
to speak in Telugu, spoke to the tune that, he, an
orphan who had nothing, no education was able to stand
up and speak with clarity was just because of Bhagawan’s
Divine Grace and Benevolence.
The last items for the session, the musical dance drama,
“Jagruti” meaning awakening, was a beautiful portrayal
of the affective side of the Project, coming in with the
essential message for the need to sharing selfess love
with one and all seeing God in all beings…
Dance artiste, Chakri, son of a wealthy person by name
Jagannadham was wooed by his greedy father to go to
America in search of millions and an inspired Chakri got
encouraging support from his friend Naresh who had all
cosy words about the land beyond seven seas. At this
juncture, the day-dreaming Chakri came across another
friend Sathyam incidentally narrated his version about
the best use of education, by living a life with
contentment, serving the poor and needy with selfless
love and compassion….and he had the mystical tales of
the lives of Saint Poet Pothana, Saint Singer Mira Bhai
and Dokka Seethamma. The greedy Jagannadham who resisted
all such motives from Sathyam to make Chakri another
Prahlada was caught offguard when his old parents who
were sent to “destitute home” were brought to the scene…
Realising his folly, a remorseful Jagannadham sought
apology from his parents and assured Sathyam that his
son would not be sent to America in search of pleasure
and money but would be serving the hapless and helpless.
The drama reached its climax when Sathyam revealed that
he was a lucky receipient of the Divine Shower of Grace
of Bhagawan through Sri Sathya Sai Deena Janoddharana
Pathakam; He further explained how his life transformed
into a better one enriched with values ever since he
came under the Divine patronage of Bhagawan Sri Sathya
Sai Baba. Upon hearing the narration of young Sathya,
Jagannadham and Chakri resolved to follow the path of
Love and Service and make their lives worthy. The drama
ended with a group song describing how Bhagawan
established the Kingdom of Love.
Impressed by this scintillating emotional display of His
essential message, Bhagawan advised the organisers to
start the project in all the districts in the state to
take the movement on…forward… Further, Bhagawan also
expressed His wish to conduct the show in all
educational institutions/colleges in the state. Motherly
compassion of Bhagawan was out to the fore yet again,
when Bhagawan personally distributed clothes to each and
every children of the 93 member strong group. A coveted
group photo session was the last benediction which was
followed by Arathi. Most memorable day in the life of
these innocent little hearts…Indeed their day was made.
Invincible Will of God does run the show on this world
stage…It is for the human to decipher all these
wonderful actions, to fill our hearts with pure selfless
love and transmute that love into acts of service to our
brethren in a spirit of dedication and, above all, with
the clear understanding that all that is being done is
unto ourselves, for, as He points out, there is none to
be called ‘another’. Indeed, it was a sight to see how
the Lord looked Love at them, His charming smile
drizzling compassion. None could call them ‘anathas’
anymore as the One ‘A’natha has made them all
‘Sa’nathas. Quintessentially it is indeed a selfless
Mission with a peerless Vision.
Read on...Insightful Article on
the Project
--------
An insightful account on the Project published in
Sanathana Sarathi January 2006 issue...
SRI SATHYA SAI DEENAJANODDHARANA PATHAKAM
Smt. K. Geetha Paramahamsa
Are you studying in Class VII?” Swami paused before a
group of 60 boys sitting in the south-eastern corner of
Sai Kulwant Hall, and asked one during Darshan. It was
around January 2004.
“No, Swami!” the boy replied kneeling down humbly before
Bhagavan.
“VIII?”
“No, Swami!”
“IX?”
“No, Swami!”
“What are you studying?” Swami asked.
“Class X, Swami”, the boy answered. It was, no doubt,
odd, but nevertheless a fact. Swami had a hearty laugh
before He remarked, “jumping and jumping up!” and moved
on. The boy, an inmate of the Children’s Home
established by Bhagawan under the Deenajanoddharana
Pathakam on 20th June 2002, was one of the seven boys
appearing for the Class X public examination in March
2004. He is among the 62 boys that came to Bhagawan to
share His compassion and benediction. All the seven boys
passed Class X, six in first class and one in second
class!
A few weeks before Bhagawan inaugurated the Pathakam, He
had told at a meeting in Sai Kulwant Hall of His anguish
and deep concern, moved by a press report in a Telugu
daily, that a woman with her four children had committed
suicide unable to maintain them and herself, on the
death of her husband. Immediately thereafter, He
instructed enumeration of destitute boys in the three
Mandals of Puttaparthi, Kothacheruvu and Bukkapatnam.
Over eighty boys with their relations came to Prasanthi
Nilayam on 20th June 2002. Of them, only sixty-two boys
(including two that have recently been admitted) with
twelve mothers have stayed on to receive Bhagawan’s
benediction. The youngest of them was only ten months
old and the eldest was under thirteen in June 2002.
When the boys came from the dusty villages, they were
looking shabby in dirty rags, and undernourished. Some
had skin problems while several had problems with
eyesight. All needed a haircut and bath, to begin with.
As they were brought to Prasanthi Nilayam along with
their relations, they were housed in shed No. 30 in the
Ashram. Bhagawan came to the shed on that day and
distributed new clothes and other accessories to them,
as they had nothing to use.
While they were in the shed for about five weeks, the
first thing they began to learn was Veda chanting. How
could it be otherwise for the children of Veda Purusha?
Now they recite Veda well. A few months later, Bhagawan
asked late Sri P.V.Narasimha Rao to visit the Children’s
Home (the complex to which the boys were shifted in July
2003). It was a surprise visit. When Sri P.V. Narasimha
Rao went round the Home and listened to the recitation
of Veda by the boys, he remarked, “simply enchanting!”
When the boys were shifted to the new sprawling complex
on the Guru Purnima Day, 25th July 2003, Swami
personally went there and boiled milk (boiling milk is a
ritual observed by the house owner while house-warming).
The new complex has a prayer hall, a spacious dining
hall with a modern kitchen and stores attached. It has
about 200 independent rooms with a toilet and a bath
attached to each. A solar water heater provides hot
water to all the inmates of the Home.
A few days after their moving into the new complex, they
were in Sai Kulwant Hall for Darshan of Bhagawan when
fruits were being distributed among all the devotees
present. One of the students who came to the group of
inmates of the Home, distributing fruits, offered a
fruit to one boy Nagendra. “No, thanks”, the boy
declined politely, “you have given me one already!”
“What a contrast to some among the grown-ups and
so-called educated who pester us for more, even after
getting their due,” the student wondered. That is the
level of transformation brought about in the boys in a
few days after coming into the fold of Bhagavan.
Bhagavan knows whatever happens in the universe. Does He
not know about what happens in the Mandir? He walked
slowly to the boy and offered a fruit Himself.
“No, thanks, Swami”, he said, “I got already.”
“Doesn’t matter, take it”, said Swami, “I am giving it.”
“No, thanks, Swami”, the boy politely declined.
“What do you want?” Swami asked.
“Chaduvu (education), Swami!” the boy answered. Everyone
was pleasantly surprised.
“I will arrange that”, promised Swami.
Swami again asked, “What more do you want?”
“Nothing, except education”, the boy answered.
Swami was pleased. He materialised a gold chain and put
it around the boy’s neck Himself.
Swami followed up His promise promptly. A new school
building with eight classrooms came up in the complex in
just two months. Trained teachers among Seva Dal
volunteers teach the boys. Besides, quite a few devotees
of Bhagawan work there voluntarily.
Bhagawan inaugurated the new school building in February
2003. He went into each classroom, touched each
blackboard and blessed it. The boys, who were then
attending their classes in some rooms of the complex,
promptlymoved into the new school building.“Till
recently, we had no square meal a day and none to care
for us”, an inmate recalls. “Today Swami has arranged
everything for us. We are well clad and well fed. At the
time of our arrival here, we underwent a health
check-up, the first in our life. We get sumptuous
breakfast, lunch,afternoon snacks and dinner, not to
speak of frequent bouts of Prasadam Swami sends us –
especiallyfruits, sweets, dry fruits, cashew nuts,
biscuits and chocolates – all in baskets!”
Each inmate has six pairs of dress, two pairs of night
dress, sweaters and rugs in winter, mattresses, pillows,
bed sheets, shoes, chappals and what not.
“We enjoy all facilities here on par with the inmates of
hostels of other Sri Sathya Sai educational
institutions, may be better”, an inmate claims happily.
“Not only that, we are given equal opportunities to
stage cultural programmes like them on occasions such as
the Convocation of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Learning, Bhagavan’s Birthday celebrations, festivals
like Ugadi, etc.”
Daily routine in the Children’s Home begins at 4.30 a.m.
when the boys wake up and join Nagar Sankirtan. Jogging
follows. On return, they bathe and sit for Bhajan. After
breakfast, they go to school at 7.30 a.m. At 10 a.m.
they have a few minutes’ break to have milk. At 12, they
move for lunch. After lunch, they relax for a while, do
homework, etc., and return to school by 2 p.m. They
attend Bal Vikas classes between 4.30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
when they go into their own spacious playground to play.
After bath, they have dinner at 6.30 p.m., do homework
and study up to 10 p.m. before they pray and go to bed.
The boys find time for hobbies such as kitchen
gardening, painting,cultural activities, etc. They have
been initiated into yoga and are now able to perform as
many as 26 Asanas with ease.
Boys who passed Class X in March 2004 are now taking the
Senior Secondary grade of the National Institute of Open
Schooling. They opted for two subjects in computer
science besides English for examination in April-May
2005. They will take examination in mathematics and
accountancy in 2005-06 when they qualify for admission
to the BCA Course of the Indira Gandhi National Open
University in July 2006. The Computer Lab at the Home
has eleven systems all local area networked (LAN). Ten
other boys will take the Class X examination of the
Andhra Pradesh State Board of Secondary Education in
March 2006.
“We go for Darshan of Bhagavan in Sai Kulwant Hall on
Thursdays and Sundays, and on every festival day by a
special bus”, an inmate says, “and return recharged with
His bliss.” “At the outset, we fell for the excellent
food we were having for the first time in our life.
Today we realise the more valuable things we receive
here owing to His grace – motherly love and affection,
good bringing up in value system and quality education
tempered with spirituality. I do not know how many among
the millions of contemporary students in the country are
that lucky.”
Bhagavan pauses before the group of the boys during
Darshan, and makes affectionate enquiries about their
food, facilities, health, education, etc. As Bhagavan
goes by the boys in Sai Kulwant Hall, most devotees feel
that Bhagavan has utmost concern and compassion for
these boys.
Bhagavan’s love and compassion for them knows no bounds.
When the Class X public examination was approaching, one
boy told Swami in the Darshan line, “I am not able to
remember what I study, Swami!”
“That is education, my boy!” Bhagavan quipped, a comment
on the present-day system of education in which we learn
not much worthwhile to remember.
On 17th March 2003, Bhagavan went to the Home. It was
the day on which the public examination for Class X
commenced.
Bhagavan blessed the boys taking the examination
personally, putting Vibhuti on the forehead of each of
them. Parents see their children off to examinations.
Here Lord Himself arrived to bless them and see them off
to their examinations. What a blessed lot!
Bhagavan had set apart one lakh rupees for each of the
boys at the time of launching the scheme. This will be
gifted with the interest that it earns on the completion
of their education and finding a placement for service.
Bhagavan once explained, “This is only a token of what
Swami gifts them, because they bask all the time in His
Divine aura, enjoying His love, compassion and
protection invaluably!”
Besides the boys, the mothers of some of them, twelve,
live in the Home. Some serve as Ayahs to the boys,
besides helping in the upkeep and maintenance of the
Home.
One, Smt. Venkatalakshmi, had her backbone broken
completely. She was in bed when she entered the Home.
She underwent physiotherapy in Bhagavan’s General
Hospital at Whitefield, Bangalore. It is just a miracle
that she now attends to her work on her own. “I am
having physiotherapy as advised. But my hope centres on
Sai therapy – incessant chanting of Sai Ram”, Smt.
Venkatalakshmi says, “It has paid off. Swami, in His
abundant grace, has allowed me very good improvement in
stages. Today I can attend to my work without support of
others. I can even walk around using the walker. It is
purely a Sai miracle that I am back on my legs.”
“Our best resource here is prayer”, says an inmate.
“Whenever anyone of us has a problem, we all pray
together for him, and Swamiresponds. When someone is
ill, they take him promptly to the hospital for
treatment. But, on our part, we pray for him, and he
will be back soon in good health owing to Bhagavan’s
grace.” It is no surprise that one boy is completely
cured of cancer in the throat having undergone surgery
twice in the Kidwai Hospital at Bangalore. A couple of
boys have been treated of suspected tuberculosis with no
trace of it. At least a dozen boys have had fractures of
leg or hand on different occasions, but everything is
set. More surprisingly, a dumb boy that came with his
dumb mother is now able to speak and study, and is no
different from others.
The boys have their own Homa Kunda – of all things!
“Whenever they performed Homa (Yajna), there was rain.
It is remarkable”, one teacher at the Home noted. “They
do Homa with Sai Gayatri or do Ganesh Homa.” They
celebrate festivals of all religions. The mothers have
grown spiritually, beyond imagination. They do Sai
Vratams, Sita Vratams, etc. They themselves feel that
they have shed the vestiges of their earlier
cantankerous environment of filth, squalour and slang.
“Our aspiration in life is clear”, an inmate declares.
“We have, no doubt, ambition to come up in life getting
good education and winning high positions. More than
that, we aspire to shape into effective instruments of
Bhagavan to perform His work on earth, as a member of
the universal Sai family, imbibing human values dear to
His heart.”
So moves on the caravan – SAI caravan!
An insightful account on the Project published in
Sanathana Sarathi January 2006 issue..
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