|
Report on Easwaramma Day
Celebrations 2006
EASWARAMMA
DAY CELEBRATIONS: 6th MAY, 2006
Easwaramma Day is one of the most important festivals celebrated
in Bhagawan's presence every year. It commemorates the day when
the mother of Bhagawan's physical body attained final merger
with the Divine at the end of a glorious earthly career as the
mother of the Divine Universal Mother - Sai. This year
Easwaramma Day was celebrated at Brindavan in a grand manner
amidst programmes by the Bal Vikas children. On the morning of
6th May, Bhagawan arrived in Sai Ramesh Krishan Hall as the Bal
Vikas children were singing bhajans. Swami was seated on the
dais listening to the bhajans for close to an hour at the end of
which He accepted Arati. Then, Bhagawan proceeded to inaugurate
the Narayana Seva (feeding of poor people) that was arranged
next to the Sai Krishan Kalyana Mantapam and blessed the
hundreds who had gathered there to receive the Prasadam and
clothes.
The
afternoon session commenced at 4.05 p.m. with bhajans by the
students of Bhagawan's educational institutions. Bhagawan then
blessed Sri Sanjay Mahalingam, a Research Scholar in the
Department of Management, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam to address the gathering. He began
by quoting a few stanzas from 'Guru Ashtakam' composed by Adi
Shankara that speaks of the ephemeral nature of the material
world and the utter futility of not having one's mind fixed on
the lotus feet of one's spiritual master. For, without this, one
can never achieve lasting peace and bliss that one aspires for.
Sri Mahalingam then quoted from one of Bhagawan's Guru Poornima
discourses where He assured that having reached the lotus feet
of the Guru, all one has to do is to remain silent and to keep
at bay such tendencies that take one away from His lotus feet,
and He will look after all their spiritual and material needs.
Elaborating on the meaning of silence, he said that it is only
when one is established in the Self that one can be truly
silent. He further said that what takes one away from the Guru
is the frustration arising from unfulfilled desires, and
therefore it is of paramount importance to keep one's desires in
check.
After the inspiring talk by Sri Mahalingam, Bhagawan graciously
rose up to deliver His Divine Discourse. He began with a Telugu
poem that expresses the fact that all that one brings with
oneself when one enters the world is a garland, not of flowers
or precious gems, but of the consequences of one's deeds of
previous lives. Hence, one should always discriminate as to what
is good and what is bad and make use of the senses in the right
way. Only if the senses are utilized in a sacred manner can one
be called a human. Cultivating Sathya (Truth) and Prema (Love)
alone can aid in the elevation of the human consciousness.
Bhagawan then mentioned that it was Mother Easwaramma's three
small wishes that have now taken the shape of the magnificent
super-speciality hospitals, the mammoth water supply projects
and a university that have conferred immense benefits on
millions. Then Swami said that it is the duty of every child to
make his/her mother happy. Swami concluded His discourse with
the Bhajan "Hari Bhajan Bina Sukh Shanti Nahin …"
Later
that evening, the Bal Vikas children of Bangalore presented a
drama entitled, "Bhaktha Sudama" which depicted Sakhya Bhakthi
(the form of devotion where one adores the Lord as one's dearest
friend). Sudama was Krishna's fellow student at their Guru
Sandipani's ashram. On one occasion, Sudama greedily partook a
portion of food meant for Krishna while the latter was asleep.
After the completion of their studies, the close friends go
their separate ways, Krishna to ascend the throne of Dwaraka and
Sudama to the life of a Vedic scholar. As a result of the
sacrilege committed by Sudama in giving in to his greed, his
life was one filled with poverty, with the children often having
to go hungry. Sudama's wife persuades him to approach his old
friend Krishna to help him out of their miserable condition, but
he is loathe to misuse his friendship with Krishna for mere
material gains. Finally, when their situation becomes dire, he
decides to pay a visit to Krishna. He has nothing to offer
Krishna except a handful of beaten rice. When he meets Krishna,
He welcomes him with great affection. Lost in the love showered
by Krishna, Sudama forgets the purpose of his visit and does not
mention his woes to Krishna. He remembers this only after he
takes leave of Krishna to return home. But, when he returns, he
finds to his astonishment that where his small hovel once stood,
there was a magnificent mansion where his wife and children were
residing in great luxury attired in the finest of clothes. It is
only then that he understands the boundless love and affection
of the Lord who, unasked, fulfils the needs of those who are
devoted to Him.
|
|
At the end of
the play, Bhagawan blessed the participants with photographs and
accepted Arati before retiring to His Trayee Brindavan
residence.
Jai Sai Ram!
Source:
http://srisathyasai.org.in/Pages/Events/eswaramma_2006_report.htm
Images from Easwaramma Day
Celebrations at Brindavan 2006
Images source:
http://sssbpt.org/images/03/index.htm
|