Makara Sankranti day Divine Discourse

January 18, 2007 This morning, Bhagawan visited the Indoor Stadium complex at 9.15 am. Some more construction work is going on there, like the addition of tennis courts. Yesterday and the day before, Swami sat outside in the stage area in the Sai Kulwant Hall after darshan, and Blessed many of the students, 'Birthday boys' and others. On Tuesday, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh had an audience with Swami along with some of his Cabinet colleagues for around half an hour before the evening bhajans began.

 

January 16, 2007
 
Direct flights to Puttaparthi by Kingfisher airlines. Devotees can now fly to Puttaparthi airport directly from 21^st January to 23^rd March on Kingfisher Airlines.  above photo of aircraft type ATR72 to be used on  flying sector Bangalore - Puttaparthi - Bangalore route.

Photos: Makara Sankranthi & Valedictory Function of Sports and Cultural Meet 15 & 14 Jan

January 15, 2007
Makara Sankranthi & Valedictory Function of Sports and Cultural Meet :  Makara Sankranthi morning darshan was at eight o'clock. Swami was led into the Sai Kulwant Hall by the Brass Band of the Institute, since the morning function incorporated the Prize Distribution ceremony of the Annual Sports and Games. Bhagawan came onstage after His darshan round and Blessed the trophies and shields arrayed there, bought up to Him by the Sports Directors of the various institutions. At 8.15, Swami signalled for the proceedings to begin.

The Vice-Chancellor, Sri A. V. Gokak, spoke first, elaborating on the significance of the Makara Sankranthi festival, when the Sun begins to turn Northward. The second speaker was Prof. G. Venkataraman, former Vice-Chancellor. He congratulated the students for their enthusiastic participation in various events and especially in yesterday's drama. After his speech, the Vice-Chancellor called up the captains of the various institutions and Bhagawan presented them with trophies. Following this, Bhagawan got up to deliver His Sankranthi message.

The farmers rejoice on this day, since they have completed the harvest and it is their day of rest. Even the poorest labourer would enjoy payasam on this day. The festivities extend even to the animal kingdom, with bulls being decorated and taken around in the villages.

See good, do good, hear speak good, think good. Take good examples wherever you find them. Don't eat just for the sake of taste - eat nutritiously. Sai students set an example wherever they go, at whichever institution they work.

HINDU stands for one with
Humanity
Individuality
Nationality
Devotion and
Unity

When you have unity, you experience divinity, which unites all nations, which depends directly on individual behaviour with human qualities.

After Swami sat down, He continued for ten more minutes.

Swami did not want to go to Chennai earlier, when there was no water there - He felt sad on seeing children playing in sewage water. Now, Swami has supplied water from the Krishna river, everybody is happy, so Swami is going there.

Nowadays, people consumed with jealousy make up all sorts of stories. You need not pay any heed to them - rely on your own experience. All My students are pure 24 karat gold. I wish them all success in their examinations.

Swami concluded with "Hari Bhajan Bina" and asked for Arati. Prasadam was distributed to all while the Band played some tunes. Swami then returned to His residence preceded by the Band.

In the afternoon, the Prasanthi Nilayam post-graduate students prepared their drama, "Sri Krishna Rayabaram", presenting the story of Lord Krishna going as a messenger of peace to Duryodhana's court. After His darshan round, at 4.40, Bhagawan came to the Bhajan Hall where the actors were ready with their costumes. He spent 20 minutes with them, joking a little, speaking to the boys who made the costumes ready, fine-tuning Krishna's dhoti and so on. Thereafter He went into the interview room for five minutes, and then went in His chair up to the set which had been erected in the centre of the Sai Kulwant Hall, interacting with the set boys too. The drama got underway at 5.20 when Swami came back to the stage area. Halfway through, during one of the scene changes, Swami went into the interview room for a few minutes and returned. Poetic dialogues from the Bhagavatha were highlights of the drama and were incorporated by Swami Himself during the practice sessions. The drama concluded at 6.30 pm with the "Vaasudeva darshana" of Lord Krishna with many hands and faces, played by nine students dressed as Krishna. Even as all the actors gathered for the final curtain call, Swami called up the student who played the main role of Krishna and Blessed him with a chain. For the next 20 minutes, Bhagawan interacted with the students and gave them photo opportunities with Him - group photos, then in twos and threes. Swami accepted Arati and went to the interview room briefly, only to emerge and again interact with the students. It was nearing seven o'clock when Bhagawan returned to His residence.  Sankranti discourse excerpts
 Also read a detailed report & transcript of Swami's discourse sent to SBOI Group by a devotee

 

January 14, 2007  This evening, the Brindavan students presented their drama "Bhaktha Prahlada". The central part of Sai Kulwant Hall was prepared as the stage for the drama, and the backdrop covered the Lotus arch gate. More than a thousand disciples of the Maharashtra saint "Junglee Maharaj" were conspicuous among the devotees with their yellow headgear, sitting together as a group. Their spiritual master was seated on the verandah.

Bhagawan came onstage after His darshan round and the drama commenced at 4.45 pm. The opening piece was a symbolic narrative dance depicting Hiranyakashipu, a counterpart of the modern-day atheist, conquering the five elements and declaring that none should worship God, since he, Hiranyakashipu, was the all-powerful one. The settings of the drama, all prepared by the students themselves, were quite magnificent and on three tiers. The hour-long drama which was enlivened by many songs and quotations from the Bhagavatham also conveyed many of Bhagawan's sayings through the sage words of Prahlada.

Bhagawan was very pleased with the presentation and bestowed a chain on Prahlada as the drama concluded. Then He went down and had a photograph session with all the students. After Arati, Swami went into the interview room for ten minutes. Then He again went towards the drama boys, spoke to many of them and had another round of photographs with them singly and in twos. After fifteen minutes of this photo session, Swami entered His car and left for His residence.  click here to see all the images from Bhaktha Prahalada

January 13, 2007 This evening, Bhagawan sat onstage for fifteen minutes after His darshan round in the car at 3.40 pm. After Blessing a large number of 'Birthday boys' and taking letters from some students, Swami got up and walked back to the verandah. There, He entered His car and left for a drive. The Brindavan drama students were ready for a dress-rehearsal in the Poornachandra, and when Swami left the Mandir in the car, the Prasanthi Nilayam drama students scrambled to get ready in the Institute Auditorium. But Swami kept both groups guessing, returning to the Mandir via the rear gate of the Ashram and later attending the Bhajan as usual.

"Cleaning House..." - Happy Sankranti - Pongal

January 12, 2007
Morning  Sports and Cultural Meet:  (click here or scroll down to read the Evening details): The Sports and Cultural Meet of the Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions got off to a colourful start this morning. Bhagawan arrived at the Vidyagiri stadium by 7.15 am and was led to the Shantivedika dais by a procession consisting of the Brass Band troupes of Anantapur and Prasanthi Nilayam campuses, slow-march squads with flags,

Photos Sports day

 caparisoned Sai Gita and motorcycle escorts from all three campuses of the Sai University. As soon as Bhagawan was seated onstage, the ceremonial march-past began. First to cross the dais and salute Sai Ma were the tiny tots of the Sri Sathya Sai Primary School.

 Photos Sports day

They were followed by the girl students of the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, the Anantapur women's' campus of the University, the boys of the Higher Secondary School and finally the Brindavan and Prasanthi Nilayam mens' campuses. With all the students arrayed on the ground after the marchpast, the Institute flag was brought to the flagpost in front of the dais, and Bhagawan hoisted the flag using a remote control button at His seat onstage. After the Oath by the students to "...participate in the Annual Sports and Games in the true spirit of sportsmanship ... and for the Glory of our Mother Sai", Bhagawan lit the Games torch and released balloons and doves. The torch was carried halfway up the Hill by students in relays, and thereafter by the mascot, a large Dove, and lit up the flame atop the Hill, while the torch song composed by the students filled the air. With this, the inaugural ceremonies concluded with the Brass Bands of Anantapur and Prasanthi Nilayam marching past the dais while the students marched out of the ground and cleared it for the presentation by the Brindavan campus.

The Brindavan programme began at 8 o'clock, with the "Thunderbirds" - students on paramotors coming in to land from the empyrean. Two students made impeccable landings in the middle of the ground and ran up to Bhagawan for blessings. The next presentation was by the "Trailblazers" on motorbikes. Criss-crosses, ramp jumps, riding standing on the pillion with no rider below: the trailblazers executed all these stunts with precision, ending with a large pyramid of more than 30 students on 14 bikes. The 20 minute Brindavan programme concluded with a cricket drill. Set to the tune of the song "Aashaayein", the colourful drill with a grid of students executing various cricketing strokes in a synchronised manner ended with a "last ball of the match" demonstration. All the Brindavan students then gathered together on the ground singing their final song to Swami, "Aasman pe".

The boys of the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School and the Prasanthi Nilayam campus of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute were the next to present their programmes. A dance to the song "Eka Dantaya" began the proceedings with the backdrop of a large figure of dancing Vinayaka. The dancers were in various colourful folk costumes, including traditional peacock and horse costumes. Gymnastics on a long and narrow trampoline followed - somersaults, back-flips, even jumping over a van. "Prasanthi Kungfu" was next - a display of Chinese martial arts, with the largest ever display of 120 traditional Chinese weapons. A basketball medley followed, with students spinning basketballs on their hands, jumping over a van with a trampoline to do a slam-dunk, ending their basketball wizardy by throwing all their balls in the air together at the end. The "Meteors" followed - school boys twirling twin balls of gold on either side of a 3-foot elastic rope, bouncing the twirling balls high in the air, juggling with the balls on fire and so on. The "Hawks" then took centrestage - carabining down from Vidyagiri Hill at high speed. Human Pyramids by the school students was next, with the highest pyramid being 8 levels high. The "Power Rangers" then took over, doing a variety of stunts on seven jeeps. "Ground-surfing" by pulling along a pair of students lying on the ground, Pyramids, handstands, handwalking and jumping through hoops of fire from jeep to jeep, unconcernedly standing on the bonnet as the jeep moved on without a driver, criss-crosses at high speed and driving on a collision course only to swerve away at the last moment - all this was presented in just five minutes. The "Power Rangers" ended their show with a human firecraker offering obeisances to Swami while bursting the firecrackers draped all over him. Indian martial arts with a Punjabi flavour was the next item, with twenty-foot long swords being a star presentation.

The Prasanthi Nilayam programme concluded with the Hawks again carabining down the Hill, making smoke trails, breaking pots and ploughing through walls on the way. "We Love You" was written in ten-foot letters of fire as the Prasanthi Nilayam students gathered in the ground for their final song "Aaj ke din Hum gayenge". Bhagawan accepted Arati from the stage and returned to the Mandir at 9.30 am as the afternoon's programmes by the Anantapur Campus and the Primary School were announced.

January 12, 2007 Evening Sports and Cultural Meet: The Afternoon programme got underway with Bhagawan arriving at the Stadium at 3.35 pm. The gymnastics boys of the Primary School led Swami into the Shanti Vedika with "two-person cartwheels". Once Swami went up the lift to the stage, small children, three girls and three boys, came up to Him and presented the Primary School programme card, commencing their events. Most of the colourful Primary School mass participation items were presented on a 20x20 grid marked on the ground and were impeccably synchronised. A semi-classical dance, frolicking by small boys dressed as flowers, a dance in South-East Asian style with long fingernails, an East-West fusion dance by boys, small girls dressed as flowers, a peacock dance and formations with hoops followed one after the other. Interspersed with these items were the gymnastic and acrobatic feats by the boys: floor exercises including jumps over a group of supine boys, breathtaking Malkhamb feats on five poles including leaping from pole to pole with no extraneous support, an aerial grid formed by 30 students on 40 foot tall scaffolding, and human pyramids in intricate patterns. The hour-long presentation drew to a close with all the students assembling together to the song "Madhura Mohana".

 Photos Sports day

After a ten minute break, Swami came back onstage, and the Anantapur campus programme got underway. Roller-skating on platforms atop twin trucks was the first item, with many routines from figure-skating exhibited in that cramped space. Next was the thematic presentation on the Integral System of Sathya Sai Education. Each item of theirs highlighted one facet of the Integral System. Starting the day with prayers and yogasanas was depicted with a Yoga drill. Academics, inculcating mutual love and respect between teacher and taught, was displayed with a synchronised drill using folding chairs. Sports and games was represented by a badminton drill. Service activities and grama seva were also presented, with the construction of houses for the needy being depicted. The two trucks with girls atop poles and ropes doing a malkhamb drill provided an interlude. The "dancing dolls from Anantapur" danced to a song extolling Bhagawan and His educational mission. The concluding event was a depiction of the Convocation ceremony. As all the students gathered for their final song, the acrobats atop the poles on the trucks in the background arranged themselves to form the word "SAIRAM". Bhagawan accepted Arati and returned to the Mandir at 5.40 pm.

Both in the morning as well as in the evening, when Bhagawan reached the Yajur Mandiram, He interacted with the motorbike escort students and the Band groups, appreciating the students' presentations and also granting them group photos.


Also read:

"The voice of conscience"

• 
  13^th Jan. A Solitary Bracing Anecdote
      
• 
  God, The Avathar and The Doubting Thomas written by Dr.G Venkatraman pdf format

January 11, 2007 On Tuesday, Swami had visited the Airport in the morning, where the paragliders of the Brindavan campus took off in His presence. In the evening, He watched them land at the Stadium. Yesterday, Bhagawan came to the Stadium in the morning and watched the touchdown of the paragliders, and later the marchpast practice. In the evening, He came to the Institute Auditorium by 2.45 pm and watched the drama practice by the Prasanthi Nilayam students for more than 90 minutes. Then He returned to the Mandir and started a long bhajan session in the Bhajan Hall, going on from 4.45 to 5.45 pm. And finally, this evening, the Brindavan students got a chance to present their drama rehearsal in front of Bhagawan in the Institute Auditorium. Swami went to the Auditorium after evening darshan and remained there till nearly five o'clock when He returned to the Mandir for Bhajans. After Arati, Prof. Anil Kumar was asked to announce the Sports Meet programme for tomorrow in the Stadium, and the Prize-Distribution along with Sankranthi celebrations on the 15th. Photos - Car Darshan 11^th Jan 

January 10, 2007 These days, Swami is going to the Vidyagiri stadium daily and watching the practice (Sports day-12^th Jan) sessions there. Also today 10th Jan 07 Swami drove outside the Ashram to watch the on going sports day rehearsal inside the open spaced stadium. Swami drove twice i.e. Morning & evening. Practically every day blessed devotees are enjoying closeup car darshan on the main road.

Photos 10th Jan 07.

January 8, 2007 This evening at 4.55 pm, Bhagawan came onstage, and the Music College students presented a programme on the occasion of Thyagaraja Aradhana, the birth anniversary of Saint Thyagaraja. As is customary, they sang some of the famous Pancharatna kritis composed by Thyagaraja, and also some more of his popular works like 'Nagumomu', accompanied by veenas and violins along with the mridangam. After 45 minutes of their programme, Swami called them up and gave them clothes. Then they continued with an instrumental rendering of 'Manavyalakim' following which Swami accepted Arati and returned to His residence.

Photos- Thyagaraja Aaradhana Music Programme by Students of
Sri Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of Music

These days, Swami is going to the Vidyagiri stadium daily and watching the practice sessions there. In the mornings there is the march past practice, and in the afternoons, practice sessions of the various campuses' demonstration items for the inaugural function of the Sports Meet. This year, the function is to be held on the 12th of January instead of the 11th, as per Bhagawan's instructions. Swami has been going to the stadium via the main road and returning through the Primary School, the General Hospital and Sai Srinivas Guest House.

January 4, 2007 This morning, Bhagawan came to the Vidyagiri stadium to watch the march past practice session by the students. He was there from around 8.45 for about half an hour before He returned to the Mandir. Last evening, after coming for darshan at around 4.20 pm, Swami sat onstage at around 4.30 for twenty minutes, blessing the 'Birthday boys' and taking letters from some students. Later, He came to the Bhajan Hall for Bhajans as usual.
 

 January 2, 2007 This morning, Bhagawan spent a lot of time with the Sai Students - alumni of Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan. After Swami's darshan round, the Sai Students were called into the Bhajan Hall and Swami was with them from about 8.30. He moved among them, He spoke to them, they sang to Him - it was a moving session. 9 o'clock came and went, there were no Bhajans. Finally, at 9.45, Swami asked some of the erstwhile Mandir singers to sing some of His favourite Bhajans, including 'Sai Bhajan Bina'. Bhagawan finally retired to His residence at 10.10.

January 1, 2007

The New Year was ushered in with musical programmes by Swami's students past and present, in the evening and the morning respectively. Bhagawan came for morning darshan at 7.20 and went around the packed Sai Kulwant Hall in His car. He then came onstage and the hour-long music programme began. The conclusion was a presentation by the Brass Band. Swami asked the Band students to come up for group photographs. Prasadam was distributed to all. Swami then went into the interview room, and when He came into the Bhajan Hall, the students began Bhajans. Swami presented the main singers of the morning with clothes, and after the first Bhajan, accepted Arati and retired for the morning.

Photos & detailed report: New Year with God - Prasanthi Nilayam - Morning & Evening  

Bhagawan was led into the Hall in the evening by a procession of Sai Students chanting Vedam and bearing the Poorna Kumbham. On reaching the stage, Swami asked the Vice-Chancellor to start the proceedings at 3.35 pm with an introductory speech. After Sri. A. V. Gokak's speech, the Sai Students offered to Bhagawan the CDs of the 9th and 10th volume of bhajans sung by Sai Students. Their musical offering for the evening began with a presentation on the Brass Band, and continued with songs interspersed by a few words from many of the alumni. Bhagawan was very pleased with their programme. He went into the interview room after the program concluded at 5.30, and when He emerged at 5.45, asked for Bhajans in the Bhajan Hall. After 20 minutes of Bhajans, He accepted Arati and returned to His residence.  For More detailed report & photos click here

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