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Krishnashtami 2004 in Parthi, 6th
September 2004
06 Sept 2004
This morning we entered the Sai Kulwant Hall to find it
decorated with a variety of colours. It looked gorgeous! On the
stage, Bhagawan’s sofa was kept in the centre and on either side
were a set of pots kept one on the other – yellow and white in
colour – with a flute and a peacock feather adoring the top most
pot. Next to it was an idol of Lord Krishna kept on a pedestal.
As we awaited the arrival of Lord Sai Krishna, the Naadaswaram
played tunes from our rich cultural collections. At quarter past
seven, the golf cart was seen emerging from the Poorna Chandra
Hall. The Vedic chants began. What do we see? We rubbed our eyes
to make sure it was true. How compassionate our Lord is. To give
us joy and Bliss, Swami had worn the Pitambaram – yellow
coloured robe. He looked just great!! This gave us all some
feeling of compensation for not having the cow procession this
time.
Swami took a full round of the hall and came and sat on the
sofa. He asked the Vice-chancellor about the programme for the
day. The VC explained to Swami that students were ready with a
Music programme blended with commentary – elaborating on the
inner significance of various aspects of Krishna’s life as
expounded by Bhagawan. However, Swami had other plans of which
we were not aware. He called the boys who were going to make the
presentation (the commentary part of it). Two of them went
forward and Swami told them to sit down next to Him. After a few
minutes, Swami asked if there were anybody else. Two more
students went forward who were going to present the Telugu
module of the presentation. Swami spoke to them and asked them
also to sit next to Him.
After a few minutes, Bhagawan asked the Vice-chancellor to
introduce the programme. The VC spoke for a few minutes and
asked the boys to commence their presentation. However, instead
of the Music Programme, Swami asked each of these boys to give a
short talk to the audience. One by one, all the boys took their
position in front of the podium and gathering from the material
they were to use as part of their presentation and adding few
spontaneous remarks and instances, each one got through with an
inspiring and interesting talk. By the time they all completed,
it was around 8.05 a.m. One student spoke in Telugu, the rest in
English, interspersed with verses in Tamil, Telugu, etc.
Bhagawan gave a signal to arrange the Discourse table. It was
8.10 a.m. and Bhagawan started His Divine Discourse.
Highlights of the Discourse:
Human life has its limitations but God has no limitations. King
Bali after performing hundreds of Yajnas and still not attaining
mental peace performed the Ashvamedha Yajna. At that time Lord
Krishna appeared in the form of short Vamana. The Guru of king
Bali, Sukracharya cautioned the king against offering any alms
to this apparently innocent and short Brahmin. However, the king
had given a word and would not go back on his word. Upon asking
what the Brahmin wanted, Vamana revealed his request of just
three steps. The Guru again warned the king not to take this
matter lightly for the consequences would be dire. But king Bali
being a man of character refused to take back his word. He
prayed to Vamana to accept the garland strung together using the
rewards of his hundreds of rituals. Vamana accepted this
offering. (Saying so Bhagawan materialized this golden garland
(necklace) – a huge one – having hundred plus coin like shapes
linked together. As Bhagawan materialized the chain, it
emerged with a jingling sound and appeared to be very heavy!
Swami held it up and then placed it down. After a few minutes He
hung it on the mike stand so that all could see!!)
Vamana then assumed a mighty form and covered all the three
worlds with His three steps. All people praised and glorified
Vamana. Thus God has no limitations. All the mighty powers of
Lord Krishna are for the welfare of humanity. For example, the
sun rises everyday. Who controls it? The sun automatically
follows its own duty. The light dispels the darkness. The stars
that are seen so clearly in the night sky are hidden during the
day. Scientists think that this is only on account of the light
of the sun. However, they are not able to discover the Divine
Mystery.
Who is the designer of the freely flowing rivers? All the five
elements have emerged from God and behave in accordance with the
dictates of His Will. They all discharge their respective duties
impeccably. This is how it was in the Dwapara age. The Dwapara
age set an ideal for all the ages to come. However, the power of
Divinity is not limited by age.
Each one must perform his duty scrupulously. But it should not
be done out of force. Rivers flow so spontaneously. Scientists
are unable to discover the mystery behind all this. The moment
the child is born it starts crying. Nobody knows why this
happens. When the child cries, if you place milk or honey in its
mouth, it stops crying. Thus people concluded that man is born
basically to satiate his hunger. Day and night man struggles to
eke out a livelihood but why does he not think of the Lord?
When two branches in the forest rub against each other, it
starts a fire. It may be difficult to burn the same branch
otherwise, but due to friction, it triggers off a fire. There is
fire in the wood but this fire does not burn it from within!!
How? There are so many mysteries in Nature. Nobody understands
all this. Man is in search of God to unravel the mysteries of
Nature. God is not an object that can be discovered in this
manner. Morning to night humans struggle hard just to fill their
stomachs, eating food to their full without any limit.
Forgetting the Lotus eyed One, what great pleasure do they
achieve?
>Everything in this world happens by God’s Will. People think
that these powers are acquired from some strange source. No,
these are all powers of Nature. You throw a stone at somebody
and it hurts. You rub two stones against each other and it gives
sparks of fire. But when you see a stone do you see the fire in
it? No. Because it is latent. The latent becomes patent
(manifest) at the appropriate time.
There used to be a lamp at Nanda’s house in Gokul. Every
evening, it was a practice that the daughter-in-law of every
household would come over to Nanda’s house and light the lamp
from this burning lamp. It was their faith that this would
spread prosperity and happiness – as in Nanda’s house - in all
their houses. One day, a new daughter-in-law named Suguna came
to Nanda’s house to light the lamp. As she was lighting her lamp
from the flame, she saw the tiny form of Lord Krishna in the
flame. She was so enthralled by the attractive form of the Lord,
that she stood there enraptured by His form.
Slowly, her finger started burning in the flame. But she was not
at all aware of her body. She just kept watching His Form!!
The other Gopikas seeing this were so enthralled themselves that
they started singing with joy about Suguna witnessing the Form
of the Lord. They sang, “Sugunuku Kanipinchenanta…”. Mother
Yashoda came running out and witnessed the scene. She saw the
finger of Suguna burning and she immediately pushed her hand
aside. She chided her asking her whether she wanted to bring a
bad name to the family of Nanda. Did she want people to say that
she burnt her finger at Nanda’s house? In fact when Suguna’s
in-laws did come over there, they were very upset and decided
not to send Suguna anymore to Nanda’s house. So many such
mysterious episodes took place in Yashoda’s house!
Once, all Gopikas were waiting for Lord Krishna. They came to
Yashoda’s house and asked her about Krishna. They asked her
whether she was hiding Him anywhere. Then a great miracle
happened. Each one could see Krishna in the choice of their
form!! All could not see the same Krishna but each one witnessed
their own Krishna. As one of the students mentioned in his talk,
once Swami appeared to this student as Krishna in Brindavan. The
student then asked Swami, “Swami, I am able to see you in this
magnificent form, but what about all the other boys. They cannot
see, nor will they believe me.” I told him, “Your Prapti
(deservedness) is yours. Their Prapti is theirs.” Do not worry.
Mother Yashoda kept asking her Krishna, “Krishna, why don’t you
eat the butter which is at home? Why do run after the butter in
other’s houses and earn the title of a thief. There is so much
butter at home but you do not relish it.” In fact, this is true
elsewhere too. Nobody likes the tasty food made at home, but
they cherish the food made outside. However, Krishna had a
different reason! Butter signifies a pure heart! Soft and sweet!
Krishna accepted butter from those who had a sweet and pure
heart. But in the process He earned the title of a thief.
Here again, it depends on how you say it. If we sing with love –
Chita Chora – we all like it. But if we just say it in words, we
feel very unpleasant. (At this point, Swami sang the Bhajan –
Chita Chora Yashoda Ke Bal…..People followed with gusto). That
is why people sing the glory of the Lord with music. Mere verbal
ex-pressions will not please God. A combination of Bhava, Raaga
and Taala will please Him. Even in the Krita and Treta Yuga when
people recited all the four Vedas day and night, they could
still not attain God. But when they expressed the same in the
form of music, they were able to attain God.
>But then what about people who do not have knowledge of music?
No problem. Sing in your own way. You need not be music experts.
For example, if you just utter the words – Rama Nannu Kapaadu –
it sounds very dry. But when you sing it with love – Rama Nannu
Kapaadu – (Swami sang the line), it sounds so melodious. (There
was a loud clap from the audience).
Therefore sing with feelings. It is music that takes you closer
to God. Offer your heart with music wholeheartedly to God. You
will certainly find Him. However, some get disappointed. Why?
Because of prior appointment. Do not have any appointment. Then
there will be no disappointment!!
No one else has enjoyed the Bliss that Gopikas enjoyed at the
time of Lord Krishna. Think of those days and sing the glory of
God today. It is music that melts the heart and God is only
after the heart!! In the times of Lord Krishna so many devotees
merged with Krishna. He is Gaana Priyudu!
Krishna!! Just one word is enough – with feelings. No other
Avataar has shown the Leelas and Mahimas as shown in the Krishna
Avataar. If you want to enjoy that Bliss, sing with your heart
and with Raaga. If there is no Raaga (tune) then there will be
Roga (sickness).
Students, you all do Bhajans. Each one sings in his own way. If
all of you truly sing in harmony, you will find God in your
heart. Therefore, sing with perfection and God will manifest in
your heart!!
Devotees have had so many experiences in times of Lord Krishna.
Today people are attracted to songs in theater drama and films.
But what about music for God? Any person of any age will get
carried away by good music. For example, babies are put to sleep
by singing a lullaby! Though the baby cannot understand the
meaning, it responds to the music and goes to sleep! Whether you
know the techniques and science of music or not, it does not
matter. Go ahead and sing with all your heart!!
It is the Gopikas who have really experienced God. Suguna, the
Gopika sang so well. Nanduni Inta, Gopaluduanta, Deepalu
Kanipinchenanta, Sugunuku Kanipinchenanta …. There is so much of
rhythm and beat. The word ‘Anta’ adds so much beauty to this
verse. (Swami sang the verse). Only when we add the Divine
feelings to the Bhajans we sing, we will experience Divinity!!
Bhagawan concluded His Discourse at 8.50 a.m. Students started
singing Bhajans. Prasadam was distributed to all devotees. Swami
gave the materialized chain to Arun and asked him to keep it on
the lid that covered the glass of water kept for Swami. By 9.15
a.m. Swami took Aarti. Throughout the Aarti Swami sat on the
sofa giving beautiful Darshan! Then He got up and got into the
golf cart. He stood in the golf cart giving a clearer Darshan to
all. As the cart approached the Poornachandra Hall, He sat down.
Thus we had a wonderful morning basking in the Benign Presence
of our Sai Krishna!
Source:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabanews/message/3850
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