September 2006 - Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publication Trust

AVATAR VANIATI RUDRA MAHA YAJNADIVINE DISCOURSE: 1YAJNAS FOSTER DIVINENATURE OF MANThe day people took to fascination for English language, knowledge of one’s ownreligion and language declined. When knowledge of one’s own religion and languagedeclined, love for one’s culture disappeared. When love for culture disappeared,righteousness declined on earth. When righteousness declined and disappearedfrom earth, Bharat lost its exalted position. Oh Bharatiyas! Open your eyes and bealert to the situation at least now. Oh men of noble qualities! What more can I explainand convey?(Telugu Poem)Embodiments of Love!Bharat is Pavitra Bhumi,Thyaga Bhumi, Punya Bhumi (landof sacredness, sacrifice and merit). Itis the land where a number of chaste womentook birth.It is the birthplace of Savitri who broughther dead husband back to life by the power ofher chastity. Is there any other country in theentire world where a chaste woman could bringher deceased husband back to life? It is thesacred land which gave birth to Chandramatiwho extinguished the wild fire with the powerof truth. It is the land where Sita was born,who entered the fire and came out unscathedestablishing her chastity and purity. She neverraised her head and never looked at Ravanaeven for a moment during her confinementin Lanka. Damayanti, who reduced an evilmindedhunter to ashes with the power of herchastity, was she not born in this land? Thisgreat land of Bharat is virtually an ocean ofnoble qualities. The entire race of Bharat isresplendent with chastity and purity.Bharat is, in fact, a teacher of all thecountries of the world. Though all men in thiscountry cannot claim such great sacrednessand nobility, every woman here is truly chaste,truthful and righteous. The women of Bharatnever oppose or deride their husbands. Whereelse would Lord Siva incarnate except in thissacred land of Bharat? (loud applause)This Yajna is being conducted forthe welfare of the world. A veryimportant aspect of this Yajna isthat it will protect and foster thedivine nature of man. At the sametime, it will eradicate his demonicqualities. Thus, it will promote thewelfare of humanity. This Yajna canbe performed by anyone interestedin the welfare of mankind.258 September 2006

God Incarnates on Earth to Re-establishDharmaOne cannot attain the vision of Godmerely by doing worship, performing Vratasor conducting rituals like Yajna. It is only bydeveloping purity of heart and noble qualitiesthat one can have the vision of God. God isomnipresent. He is the creator, sustainer anddestroyer of all the objects and beings of theuniverse. Every object in this universe is aof threads. But, that is also not its correctdescription. The threads come from cottonwhich is the source of cloth. Similarly, God is thesource of everything. Nirgunam, Niranjanam,Sanathana Niketanam, Nitya, Shuddha,Buddha, Mukta, Nirmala Swarupinam (God isattributeless, unsullied, final abode, eternal,pure, enlightened, free and embodimentof sacredness). God is called by differentnames by different people, but He is beyondPeople have started realising the gloryof the Vedas now; you can find evenwomen chanting the Vedic Mantras.Men and women appear to be differentso far as their body structure isconcerned, but there is no differencebetween them as regards the learningof the Vedas and chanting of VedicMantras. The Vedas are replete withdivine mysteries and deep spiritualtruths. Rudram forms a very importantsection of Krishna Yajur Veda. Rudramis generally understood to be a prayerto Lord Rudra. In fact, it is the essenceof all the Vedas, viz., Rig Veda, YajurVeda, Sama Veda and Atharvana Veda.gift of God who is immanent in all of them.Easwara Sarva Bhutanam (God is the indwellerof all beings). Isavasyam Idam Sarvam (theentire universe is permeated by God). Hence,whatever object you observe, do not considerit merely inert matter; it is a form of divinity.(Bhagavan showing a handkerchief)You may say, this is a cloth. But itis not really so. It is a combinationall names and forms. He is all-pervading.Sarvatah Panipadam (His hands and feetare everywhere). Wherever you see, it is onlyGod who exists. All the world is the reaction,reflection and resound of God. You see yourbody. But it is like a water bubble. The mind is abundle of thoughts. Hence, one shouldnot lead one’s life depending solely onthe body and the mind. No doubt, theSeptember 2006 259

ody is a gift of God. But we are born to offereverything to God that has been given by Him.Lord Krishna declared: Mamaivamsho JivalokeJivabhuta Sanathana (the eternal Atma in allbeings is a part of My Being). Hence, you arenot a mere human being. The name that youbear has been given to you by your parents. Infact, at the time of your birth you had no nameat all. Therefore, man cannot be identified withthe body which is temporary and impure. He isessentially divine. That is why God incarnateson earth in human form from time to time tomake man realise his divine origin. Wheneverrighteousness declines, God incarnates touphold it as declared by Lord Krishna in theGita.Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glanir BhavatiBharata,Abhyutthanamadharmasya TadatmanamSrujamyaham.(Sanskrit Verse)(Oh Arjuna! When there is a decline in Dharmaand rise in Adharma, I incarnate for theestablishment of Dharma.)In today’s world, righteousness has declinedand truth has gone into oblivion. The wholeworld today is beset with injustice, disorder,indiscipline and unrighteousness. Faith in Godis the greatest truth of man’s life. Truth is God.Love is God. Live in Love. Lead your life withlove. There can be no life without love. LoveGod to receive His love. It is by love alone thatGod can be attained.The Vedas Contain Deep SpiritualTruthsAs stated by the Pandit (head priest) whospoke just now, Rudram consists of Namakaand Chamaka, the Mantras of which are full ofgreat power. Rudram occurs in KrishnaYajur Veda which is the source of manySastras (scriptures), Itihasas (epics)and Puranas (mythologies). Unfortunately, theVedas lost their pre-eminent position becausethere were very few people who chanted VedicMantras regularly. The study of the Vedas isvery beneficial for all as they are rich in spiritualknowledge and contain the fundamentalprinciples governing man’s life. The Vedasare the gift of God for the welfare of the entiremankind. Vedic Mantras can be chanted byone and all without any distinction whatsoeverof religion, caste, nationality, etc. (Swami thencalled on the dais two students, one belongingto Russia and the other to America, and askedthem to chant Vedic Mantras in front of theentire gathering. They chanted Sri Suktam andRudram together with correct pronunciationand perfect intonation to the joy and surpriseof one and all.)It is Swami’s wish that the people of allcountries, irrespective of religion, caste,nationality, etc., should learn Vedas and chantVedic Mantras. Learning of the Vedas is notlimited only to Indians or to people belongingto Brahmin caste. The other day, some peoplefrom Iran and Iraq came to Puttaparthi. Thedevotees from Iran are still here. We aremaking efforts to teach Vedas to all. The Vedasremove all types of sorrow. The Yajna that isnow being performed does not have a limitedobjective like that of Putrakameshti Yajna orAswamedha Yajna. It is for the welfare andemancipation of the entire mankind. A fewfortunate ones are learning the Vedas andpropagating them. However, there are someunfortunate people who learn the Vedas butdo not make any effort to share this knowledgewith others. However, the students of SriSathya Sai educational institutions learn theVedas and share this knowledge with others.In order to learn the Vedas, one shouldacquire the knowledge of Sanskrit tobegin with.260 September 2006

Vinay Kumar has been appointedas the Youth Wing leader of Sri SathyaSai Seva Organisation, Karnataka State.He is entrusted with the responsibility ofmobilising the youth of Karnataka to learnthe Vedas and spread their message.Youth Wing leaders of other States ofIndia like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, etc.,have also been appointed for this purpose.Similarly, the youth of other countriesof the world are learning all the Vedas,especially the Rig Veda.We should not neglect the Vedas. Thesecret of the entire creation is containedin them. They reveal to us the goal andpurpose of life. In fact, they are therepositories of all knowledge. They set thenorms of the four stages of man’s life –Brahmacharya (celibate stage), Grihastha(householder stage), Vanaprastha(recluse stage) and Sannyasa (renunciantstage). People have started realising theglory of the Vedas now; you can find evenwomen chanting the Vedic Mantras. Menand women appear to be different so faras their body structure is concerned, butthere is no difference between them asregards the learning of the Vedas andchanting of Vedic Mantras. The Vedas arereplete with divine mysteries and deep spiritualtruths. Rudram forms a very important sectionof Krishna Yajur Veda. Rudram is generallyunderstood to be a prayer to Lord Rudra. Infact, it is the essence of all the Vedas, viz., RigVeda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and AtharvanaVeda. Another important feature of Rudramis the Ekatwa (unity) between its two parts,Namaka and Chamaka. Namaka lays stresson Virakti (detachment) whereasChamaka dwells on desires for thisand that. What is to be discardedThe study of the Vedas is very beneficial forall as they are rich in spiritual knowledgeand contain the fundamental principlesgoverning man’s life. The Vedas are the giftof God for the welfare of the entire mankind.Vedic Mantras can be chanted by one andall without any distinction whatsoever ofreligion, caste, nationality, etc.and what is to be desired? That which is evilis to be discarded and all that is good is to bedesired. Understanding of both these aspectsis essential for man.Realise the Principle of Oneness ofGodPeople generally think that giving up offamily life, house, land and other forms ofwealth is Thyaga (sacrifice). But this is nottrue sacrifice. This can be done easily. Onewho renounces the fruits of his desires andactions is a true renunciant. One hasto understand the purpose of humanbirth. We are not born merely to eat,September 2006 261

drink and make merry. Human birth is given tous to help our fellow human beings. Help Ever,Hurt Never. Do not hurt or harm anybody. Donot speak harsh words. Do not criticise anyone.To criticise others is the greatest sin. Do notcriticise even your enemy.Human body is made up of Pancha Bhutas(five elements). It consists of Panchendriyas(five senses) which crave for the fulfilment ofdesires. However, there are also certain valueslike Sathya (truth), Dharma (righteousness),Santhi (peace), Prema (love) and Ahimsa(non-violence) which are inherent in us. Thesehave to be brought out and manifested in ourdaily life. This process is called educare. Theknowledge acquired from the study of bookscan be termed as education. This is not thetype of learning that we have to acquire. Whatwe should acquire is educare, by which thenoble qualities that are immanent in us aremanifested in our life. This is the sacred internalpath which requires self-effort and does notdepend upon the reading of books written byothers. Educare is, in fact, the gift of God. Itcan be attained only by God’s grace and by noother means. Therefore, one should constantlycontemplate on God. Sarvada Sarva KaleshuSarvatra Hari Chintanam (everywhere, at alltimes, under all circumstances contemplate onGod). That is real devotion.We may call God by any name, Rama,Krishna, Jesus or Allah, but God is one. Theseare all the different names ascribed to God.Ekam Sath Viprah Bahudha Vadanti (truth isone, but the wise refer to it by various names).Hence, we should never make any distinctionbetween the different names of God.Ornaments are many; gold is one,Cows are of many colours, milkis one.(TeluguPoem)One should have an open heart to know themysteries of God. There is nothing wrong inworshipping God by the name of your liking.But it is wrong to revile other names and formsof God. Some people have Narayana as theirIshta Devata (chosen deity), but they do notlike Siva. This is a big mistake because Sivaand Narayana are the two names of the sameGod. God is one, but He is worshipped inmany names and forms. He who realises thisoneness will have peace of mind. One wholoves one form of God and hates another canhave no fulfilment in life. It is not only for theyouth to realise this principle of oneness; allshould follow this and put it into practice intheir life. It is God who protects the world. Thename of God is more powerful than even themost powerful bomb. God’s name protects thatwhich is good and annihilates all that is evil.Hence, if you worship God, the whole worldwill be protected.Youth should Learn and Propagate theVedasThis Yajna is being conducted for thewelfare of the world. A very important aspectof this Yajna is that it will protect and fosterthe divine nature of man. At the same time,it will eradicate his demonic qualities. Thus,it will promote the welfare of humanity. ThisYajna can be performed by anyone interestedin the welfare of mankind. The material andother resources for conducting this Yajna havebeen arranged by Vinay Kumar. He undertookthe job lovingly and performed it almost singlehandedly.Many people came forward to giverice, fruits, vegetables and other materials, buthe did not accept anything from anyone.The expenditure for conducting thisYajna involves a large amount of262 September 2006

money. He arranged the entire material for thisYajna by himself. I wish that every State hassuch dedicated youth leaders. He is doing a lotof service. I am very happy with his service. Hedeclined all offers of help for conducting thisYajna, saying, “Sai is with me; He alone willhelp me.”He was married ten years ago. Both heand his wife are serving Swami. When theproposal to conduct this Yajna was placedbefore Me, I asked them, “Dear ones! Do youpropose to conduct this Yajna with the desireto have a son?” They replied in one voice thatthat was not their desire and motive of theirprayer. Then I enquired what else they wishedto have. Their reply was, “Swami! We wantYou only!” I have not heard such a reply sofar from any couple. True to his name, VinayKumar is doing a lot of good work with loveand humility. His father was an Income TaxCommissioner. He was a friend of LakshmiNarayana. They were together for a long time.Now Vinay Kumar and Lakshmi Narayana areworking together to organise this Yajna. VinayKumar treats him like his own father. Suchnoble souls and youth leaders are needed inthe world more and more. When the leadersare good and competent, the whole world willprogress and prosper. The world has cometo this sad state due to lack of good leaders.Nowadays, we rarely find good leaders inany field, be it the field of education, politics,religion or spirituality. Wherever you see, allhuman endeavours are beset with craze formoney. Everything is business.However, money is not the consideration sofar as Sri Sathya Sai Organisation is concerned.Everything is free in our Organisation.Education from 1st Standard to thePh.D. level is totally free. Same is thecase with our hospitals. Our GeneralHospitals and Super Speciality Hospitals areproviding medical services totally free of cost.The hospitals outside charge three to four lakhrupees for performing a heart operation. Howcan poor people pay such a huge amount? Itis beyond their means. The medical servicesincluding the specialist services are totallyfree in our hospitals. Poor people come to ourhospitals for treatment without having even arupee in their pocket and return to their placescompletely cured of their diseases. We shouldrender all services free of cost. I wish that allour Seva Dal members and college studentsrender free service. Thereby, they will attainSwami’s grace. You may forget anything, butnever forget the Name of God.(Bhagavan sang the Bhajan, “Hari BhajanBina Sukha Santhi Nahi …” and continued HisDiscourse.)Embodiments of Love!Ati Rudra Maha Yajna is most sacred andhighly efficacious. The lives of all those whoparticipate in it will be sanctified. There will be11 Ritwiks (priests) performing the Yajna ateach Yajna Kunda. There are 11 such YajnaKundas. Thus, there will be 121 Ritwiks whowill perform the Yajna. For each Yajna Kunda,there will be one person, who will look aftereverything concerning the rituals. All the peopleconnected with the Yajna will work in unityto make it a success. It is only by unity thatanything can be achieved. From unity comespurity which ultimately leads to divinity. Hence,all should conduct themselves as brothers andsisters. If, for any reason you get angry on aparticular occasion, consider anger as yourenemy and get rid of it. Kama (desire), Krodha(anger), Lobha (greed), Moha (delusion),Continued on page 279 ...September 2006 263

An Event of Great Spiritual SignificanceATI RUDRA MAHA YAJNA ATPRASANTHI NILAYAMYajna being performed in 11 Yajna Kundas in Sai Kulwant Hall.Anew dimension was addedto the fostering of the Vedas andVedic lore when Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba blessed the performance ofAti Rudra Maha Yajna at Prasanthi Nilayamfrom 9th to 20th August 2006. Ati RudraMaha Yajna is one of the most sacred formsof worship of Lord Siva, who is the conquerorof death and embodiment of infinite mercy,compassion and love. Performed with theobjective of promoting the welfare of the entiremankind and establishing peace, love andharmony in the world, it was a significant stepin the purification of the world’s environmentvitiated by hatred, greed, violence and otherevil propensities of man. BhagavanSri Sathya Sai Baba who is HimselfSiva-Sakthi Swarupa (embodimentof Siva and Sakthi), graced the occasion byHis Divine Presence on all the days of theYajna both in the morning and evening andblessed the participants and priests with Hisbenedictions and Divine Discourses. Hugeconcourse of devotees thronged PrasanthiNilayam to witness this grand spectacle ofimmense spiritual significance.The Yajna programme comprisedAbhisheka (sacred bath) of a specially installedSiva Linga, Parayana of Rudram (chanting ofsacred Mantras of Siva worship) by 121 priestsand students along with Linga Puja (worship ofLinga), and offering of sacred oblations in 11specially constructed Yajna Kundas with sacredVedic Mantras, more particularly Rudramand Sai Gayatri. Besides, there wereilluminating talks on spiritual topicsby a galaxy of learned speakers, and264 September 2006

presentation of devotional music programmesby well-known musicians and the students ofSri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning,Prasanthi Nilayam. The venue of the Yajnawas Sai Kulwant Hall which was beautifullydecorated with colourful buntings, charmingA view of the beautiful Yajna Mandap that wasset up in Sai Kulwant Hall. The picture shows thepriests doing Rudra Parayana in the Mandap.festoons and plantain leaves. A beautiful YajnaMandap was set up in the centre of the Hallwhere 11 Yajna Kundas were made accordingto the scriptural injunctions. The decorationsof the Yajna Mandap was as beautiful andnatural as it was innovative. The material usedfor decoration was bamboos, coconuts, mangoleaves, plantain leaves, coconut leaves andfresh flowers. An altar was also set up in theYajna Mandap where 138 Kalashas containingwater of all the sacred rivers of India wereinstalled for Kalasha Puja (worship of potscontaining sacred water). Besides, many otherKalashas were placed along the sides of YajnaMandap.Inaugural CeremonyBhagavan was offered a traditionalwelcome with Poornakumbham by thechief priest when He came out of Hisabode, Yajur Mandir to shower thebliss of His Darshan on the devotees in SaiKulwant Hall at 2.30 p.m. on 9th August 2006.Bhagavan came to Sai Kulwant Hall in a grandprocession led by Nadaswaram musiciansand Veda chanting priests. After coming tothe dais, Bhagavan graciously inaugurated theprogramme by lighting the sacred lamp at 2.45p.m. amidst chanting of sacred Vedic Mantrasby the students and priests. This was followedby an excellently rendered invocation song onthe glory of Bhagavan Baba addressing Himas Ati Rudra Maha Yajna Purusha and SathyaSai Guru Mahadeva.In his introductory speech, Sri Vinay Kumar,youth organiser of the Yajna, said that AtiRudra was the highest among the four formsof worship of Lord Siva, the other three beingRudra, Ekadasa Rudra and Maha Rudra.Referring to the performance of this Yajna asan historic event, Sri Vinay Kumar expressedgratitude to Bhagavan for providing this sacredand rare opportunity to devotees to witness andparticipate in it. This was followed by a briefspeech by Sri D. Lakshmi Narayana, formerIncome Tax Commissioner, who coordinatedthe organisation of this Yajna along with SriVinay Kumar. He remarked that Bhagavanhad showered His grace on the youth bypermitting them to organise this Yajna in HisDivine Presence. He hoped that the youth inother parts of the country would follow thisnoble example set by the youth of Karnataka.After this, the chief priest, Sri Nanjunda Dixitaddressed the gathering. The learned Vedicscholar said that the concept of worship ofLord Siva by the performance of Ati RudraYajna had been propounded by ancient saintsand sages of Bharat. But the performance ofthis Yajna at Prasanthi Nilayam was a uniqueevent because it was being performedin the Divine Presence of Bhagavanwho is Himself the incarnation ofSeptember 2006 265

Siva, said Sri Nanjunda Dixit. Giving the detailsof the Yajna, the learned priest said that 11priests would perform Rudra Homa at each ofthe 11 Yajna Kundas daily in addition to LingaAbhisheka and Linga Puja along with 11 RudraParayanas by 121 priests daily for 11 days,making a total of 14,641 Rudra Parayanaswhich was the prescribed number for Ati RudraMaha Yajna. In the end, Bhagavan blessedthe huge gathering of devotees, priests andstudents with His Divine Discourse. TheVedas, Bhagavan said, were the source ofall knowledge and the repositories of ultimatewisdom and spiritual truths. Everybody,Bhagavan added, could chant the Vedaswithout any distinction of caste, colour, creed,religion or nationality and derive benefit fromchanting because they contained eternaland universal truths. Bhagavan asked twooverseas students to chant Vedic Mantras infront of the gathering and said that it was Hiswish that Veda chanting should be done bythe people belonging to all the countries of theworld irrespective of their religion or race. (Fulltext of Bhagavan’s Discourse has been givenelsewhere in this issue of “Sanathana Sarathi”.)After the Discourse of Bhagavan, Abhishekaand Puja of the Linga installed in Sai KulwantHall was done and Arati was offered to it. Theprogramme came to a close at 6.45 p.m. withchanting of Mantra Pushpam by the priestsand students. Prasadam was distributed to allin the end.Performance of the YajnaOn 10th August 2006, Sai Kulwant Hallstarted reverberating with sweet notes ofMangalavadyam by Nadaswaram musiciansand Vedic chants of priests at 5.30 a.m.Bhagavan came to the Hall at 6.10 a.m. andblessed the mammoth gathering of devoteesAbhisheka and Puja of the Linga, symbolisingthe manifest form of Siva, was performed alongwith Rudra Parayana. (Inset) Beautiful jewelmaterialised by Bhagavan at the time of PranaPratishtha of the Linga.in the Hall with His Divine Darshan. AfterHis arrival on the dais, Bhagavan went nearthe Siva Linga and performed the sacredceremonies of Prana Pratishtha (energisingwith life principle), Namakarana (naming) andKumbha Abhisheka (bathing) of the Linga at6.20 a.m. surcharging it with divine power. Itwas named Sayeeswara Linga. Bhagavanalso materialised a beautiful jewel in theresemblance of three lines of Vibhuti mark onthe forehead of Siva with a ruby in its centresymbolising his third eye. The chief priestdecorated the Linga with this divine creationof exquisite beauty amidst Vedic chants ofthe priests and joyous notes of Nadaswarammusicians.Bhagavan returned to the dais and occupiedHis seat at 6.30 a.m. Two priests then produced266 September 2006

the sacred fire in the traditional wayby churning one piece of woodover the other. They brought it toBhagavan for His blessings beforeplacing it in the Yajna Kundas. Afterthis, the chief priest described theimportance of the Ati Rudra MahaYajna and gave details of LingaAbhisheka, Rudra Parayana, RudraHoma and other rituals which wereproposed to be performed on 11days from 10th to 20th August. At7.30 a.m., the chief priest startedthe Panchamrita Abhisheka andPuja of the Sayeeswara Lingaamidst Vedic chants. CollectiveRudra Parayana by 121 priests began soonafter Linga Abhisheka and Linga Puja. A uniquefeature of this Parayana was that the studentsof Sri Sathya Sai schools and colleges alsodid Parayana along with the priests. After thecompletion of each of the 11 Parayanas, Aratiwas offered to the Linga. After completing 11Parayanas, Puja of the Linga was performedby offering flowers, silk clothes, basil garlands,Bilva leaves and other sacred articles at theLinga along with chanting of Vedic Mantrasof Linga worship. This was followed by RudraHoma by 11 priests on each of the 11 YajnaKundas presided over by a senior priest.Oblations were offered in the sacred fire withthe chanting of Rudram by all the 121 priestsjointly, sanctifying the environment with highlysurcharged sacred vibrations. After RudraHoma, Sai Gayatri Homa was performed byoffering oblations in the sacrificial fire with thechanting of Sai Gayatri.Poornahuti of the YajnaLinga Abhisheka, Linga Puja, RudraParayana, Rudra Homa, Sai Gayatri HomaRudra Homa being performed by the priests byoffering oblations in the sacred fire alongwith chanting of Vedic Mantras.and other connected rituals continued dailyfor 11 days from 10th to 20th August 2006when Poornahuti (final oblations) was offeredby Bhagavan to conclude this grand spiritualevent of far reaching importance. A sea ofhumanity thronged Prasanthi Nilayam towitness the grand spectacle of Poornahutiof the Yajna on the morning of 20th August2006. The programme of Linga Abhishekaand Linga Puja started on this day at 4.00 a.m.Rudra Parayana began at 5.00 a.m. when allthe priests jointly commenced the chantingof Rudram. The students of Sai institutionsand many devotees also participated in thechanting, filling the Hall with sacred soundenergy from where it radiated to all parts of theuniverse. After completing the prescribed 11Rudra Parayanas, the priests started RudraHoma. Bhagavan came to Sai Kulwant Hallat 7.30 a.m. amidst sacred Vedic chants andauspicious musical notes of Nadaswaram. Asthe auspicious time of Poornahuti neared, allthe devotees in the Hall were filled with eagerexpectation. At 8.05 a.m., the chief prieststarted putting oblations in the Yajna fire withSeptember 2006 267

a long silver ladle instead of the usual shortwooden one while Rudra chanting continuedwith full vigour and devotion by the priests,students and devotees. At the conclusion ofRudra Homa, Sai Gayatri Homa began at 8.15Poornahuti of the Ati Rudra Maha Yajna wasperformed by Bhagavan on 20th August 2006 byoffering oblations in Yajna Kunda withHis Divine Hands.a.m. At 8.30 a.m., Bhagavan went to the mainYajna Kunda presided over by the chief priestand offered Poornahuti by putting oblationsin the Yajna Kunda. A bundle of valuablesand precious clothes blessed by Bhagavanwas also offered in the Yajna Kunda amidstloud joyous notes of music and sacred Vedicchants. Thereafter, Kumbha Abhisheka of theLinga was performed and sacred Kalashawater blessed by Bhagavan was poured overthe Linga and Arati was offered to it.After Poornahuti and Kumbha Abhisheka,Bhagavan went into the rows of devotees andsprinkled Teertham (sacred Kalasha water) onthem with His Divine Hands as a token of Hisblessings on all after the successful completionof the Ati Rudra Maha Yajna. While Bhagavansprinkled Teertham on the devotees, thestudents sang Bhajans in praise of Siva andall the priests performed Kumbha Abhishekaof the Linga by pouring sacred water fromthe Kalashas worshipped during the courseof the Yajna. Soul-elevating Bhajans thencommenced at 9.00 a.m. in which thousandsjoined with vigour and devotion. The Bhajanscame to a close at 9.20 a.m., after which thefinal chanting of Rudram was done by all thepriests jointly. The programme of Ati RudraMaha Yajna came to a happy conclusionwith offer of Arati to Bhagavan at 9.40 a.m.Prasadam was distributed to all in the end.Talks by Learned SpeakersBesides witnessing the Linga Abhisheka,Linga Puja and Rudra Homa, and hearingRudra Parayana, the devotees were blessed byBhagavan with His nectarine and illuminatingDiscourses during the course of the Yajna.In all, Bhagavan gave 10 Discourses duringthe performance of the Yajna. Before theDivine Discourses of Bhagavan, many learnedspeakers addressed the august gatheringand shared their knowledge with them on avariety of spiritual themes. All talks were givenin the afternoon sessions before Bhagavan’sDiscourses after the conclusion of usual LingaAbhisheka and Linga Puja with sacred Vedicchants. The speaker on 10th August 2006was Sri N. Srikanta Rao, a learned TeluguPandit and Sanskrit scholar from Bangalore.Sri Rao dwelt on the glory of Ati Rudra MahaYajna and emphasised the need for worship ofLord Siva for peace and prosperity in the worldwhich was passing through difficult times dueto agitation and restlessness in the mind ofmodern man.On the afternoon of 11th August 2006,Sri Subbaraya Sharma, a learned Vedicscholar gave a talk on Dakshinamoorthy, theincarnation of Lord Siva. Hailing Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba as Dakshinamoorthy of this268 September 2006

Age, Sri Sharma observed that in the DivinePresence of Bhagavan, one experienced blissas one’s doubts melted away just as doubts ofpeople were dispelled by Dakshinamoorthy’sdivine power of silence.Two learned speakers shared their thoughtswith the devotees on 12th August 2006. Thefirst speaker was Dr. R.L. Kashyap, Director,Sri Aurobindo Kapali Sastry Institute of VedicCulture, Bangalore. Explaining the meaningof various Mantras of Rudram, the learnedspeaker observed that Mantras were notordinary words; they came from the highestplane and revealed the power of the soul.Dwelling on the significance of Namaka andChamaka, which form two parts of Rudram,Dr. Kashyap remarked that the object ofchanting the Mantras of Rudram was toharness the intense power of the mind in orderto achieve perfection in all spheres of life andultimately achieve the goal of life. The secondspeaker, Sri S.V. Giri, former Vice Chancellorof Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning,referred to the Ati Rudra Maha Yajna andobserved that Yajna was meant to internaliseknowledge and destroy hatred and other evilpropensities of man. Praising the work doneby the Youth Wing of Sri Sathya Sai SevaOrganisation of Karnataka in organising thisYajna with meticulous planning, Sri Giri hopedthat the example set by the Youth Wing leaderSri Vinay Kumar would be replicated by theyouth in other parts of the world.Two eminent speakers addressed thegathering on 13th August 2006. The firstspeaker was a renowned educationist ofKarnataka, Dr. Gururaj Karjagi. The eruditespeaker explained deep spiritualtruths by narrating a number ofeducative stories and explained thatsymbolism was the medium through whichcommon people could attain the knowledgeof reality. Giving an example, he said that theidol of Ganesh is worshipped for a few daysand thereafter it is immersed in water afterattaining the knowledge of real Ganesh whohas no form or attribute. The second speakerwas Sri V. Srinivasan, All India President, SriSathya Sai Seva Organisations. Referring tothe performance of Ati Rudra Maha Yajnaat Prasanthi Nilayam as an unprecedentedevent, Sri Srinivasan observed that never inhuman history had an Ati Rudra Maha Yajnaof this magnitude been performed and thattoo in the presence of Rudra Himself who hasincarnated on earth in the form of Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba. Sri Srinivasan complimentedthe youth of Karnataka not only for the perfectplanning and execution of the Yajna, but alsofor the spirit of unity, devotion, discipline andsacrifice with which it was being conducted bythem.On 14th August 2006, Prof. N.S.Ramaswamy, former director of IndianInstitute of Management, Bangalore and atpresent Chairman, Indian Heritage Academy,Bangalore was blessed by Bhagavan to addressthe devotees. Prof. Ramaswamy observedthat at a time when the world was plaguedwith conflicts, violence and restlessness,Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has incarnatedto restore peace, harmony and love betweenman and man. 21st century, he said, belongedto India and in essence to Bhagavan who haspractically demonstrated to the world how lovecan unite people of all religions, cultures andnationalities in the bond of brotherhood.On 15th August 2006, Dr.Easwaran, Head of the Departmentof Chemistry, St. Stephens College,September 2006 269

Delhi addressed the gathering. Dr. Easwaranbeautifully illustrated through a numberof mythological stories that Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba is none other than Lord SivaHimself. Dwelling on the significance of thePanchakshari Mantra “Om Namah Sivaya”,the learned speaker observed that it containedthe essence of all the Vedas.There were three speakers who addressedthe devotees on 16th August 2006. The firstspeaker was Swami Nirbhayananda Saraswati,President, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission,Bangalore. The learned speaker observedthat Rudram Mantras were lyrical, uplifting,elevating and ennobling. Quoting fromscriptures, he said that one could attain health,peace, prosperity and ultimately liberation bychanting these Mantras with devotion. The nextspeaker, Sri Kishan Bhagwath, an M.B.B.S.student and an alumnus of Sri Sathya Sai LokaSeva Pre-university College, Alike, observedthat a Poornavatar like Bhagavan Sri SathyaSai Baba came after thousands of years. Itwas a great privilege to be His contemporariesand a rare opportunity to take part in HisDivine Mission as His instruments, said SriBhagwath. The third speaker of the day wasSri Sanjay Mahalingam, a research scholar ofSri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. SriMahalingam said that real Yajna was internaland it was to seek goodness, nobility, spiritualeminence, splendour of our true Self, and tooffer all our desires in the Yajna Kunda for onedesire – to be one with God.Two speakers were blessed by Bhagavanto speak on 17th August 2006, the 9th day ofAti Rudra Maha Yajna. The first speaker wasDr. N. Gopalakrishnan, Director, IndianInstitute of Scientific and Cultural Heritage,Thiruvananthapuram. Speakingon the subject of science and spirituality, thelearned speaker likened the Tandava Nrityaof Siva to the rhythmic movement of heavenlybodies in the universe and the dance ofelectrons in an atom, which was the source ofstupendous energy. Referring to Sai Samithisas atomic reactors of Bhagavan’s love, thelearned speaker observed that the divineenergy of Bhagavan’s love was vibrating inthe whole world and was uniting mankind. Thesecond speaker was Sri Ajit Popat from London.Sri Popat referred to Bhagavan’s educationalinstitutions, hospitals, water projects as Yajnaswhich were providing spiritual education,healthcare and social welfare for the progressand prosperity of mankind. He exhorted allto put their selfishness, greed and hatred inthe sacred Yajna fire, purify their hearts andbegin the Yajnas of healthcare, educare andsociocare as demonstrated by Bhagavan byHis example.Sri S.V. Giri, former Vice Chancellor, SriSathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning was thefirst speaker on 18th August 2006, this beinghis second speech during the course of theYajna. Sri Giri felt that it was a rare opportunityfor all to listen to the chanting of Rudram ina meticulously correct and rhythmic manner.Not only was it being chanted 11 times dailyby 121 priests for 11 days, but the college andschool students were also chanting it alongwith the priests, and hence it far exceeded thenumber of 14,641 Parayanas prescribed for AtiRudra Maha Yajna. The speaker who spokeafter Sri Giri was Sri Gunaranjan Pemmarajufrom Bangalore. Sri Pemmaraju beautifullydescribed how the road of man’s journey of lifecould become smooth and even whenthe Right Hand Side (Royal Highwayto Sai) was equated with Left Hand270 September 2006

Side (Love, Humility, Service) as in an equationof mathematics. After these two speeches,Bhagavan blessed the audience with anothernectarine Discourse. He also blessed tworenowned actresses, Smt. Sowcar Janaki andSmt. Anjali Devi, to address the devotees.Smt. Janaki paid glowing tributes to Bhagavanfor organising this soul-uplifting Yajna andexpressed her gratitude to Him for curing herknees which had immobilised her and also forcancelling the cancer of her daughter-in-law.Smt. Anjali Devi who made the tele-film “ShirdiSai Parthi Sai Divyakatha” expressed gratitudeto Bhagavan for making her an instrument ofHis Divine Mission and for permitting her toperform the role of Mother Easwaramma inthis tele-serial.The first speaker of 19th August 2006 wasSri B.N. Narasimha Murthy, Warden, BrindavanCampus of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of HigherLearning. Dwelling on the exalted ideals setforth in the Vedas, the erudite speaker quotedthe celebrated poet Jayadeva who sang at thebeginning of his immortal work Gita Govinda:“The revival of the Vedas and the survival of thisplanet earth are interdependent.” Referring toBhagavan’s Divine Mission of Veda Poshana(fostering of the Vedas), the learned speakersaid that it was the Divine Sankalpa (Will) ofBhagavan to spread the universal wisdom ofthe Vedas to all parts of the world, and addedthat this was happening before our eyesas witnessed by the entire gathering, howperfectly the children from Iran, Russia andAmerica had chanted the Vedic Mantras in thepresence of Bhagavan.The last speaker was Sri Vinay Kumar,Youth Wing Coordinator of Sri SathyaSai Seva Organisation of Karnataka.Sri Vinay Kumar thanked all who hadhelped in the organisation of the Yajna, andadded that the entire credit of the grandeurand glory it acquired was solely and truly dueto Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s meticulousplanning, His direction and His advice at everystep. Sri Vinay Kumar concluded his talk witha prayer to Bhagavan to make the youth ofIndia and the world effective instruments of HisDivine Mission. The programme of illuminatingtalks which provided subtle insights into thevarious aspects of spirituality, devotion andVedic wisdom to the mammoth gathering ofdevotees by a galaxy of learned speakerscame to a close with this prayer of Sri VinayKumar to Bhagavan.Musical PresentationsA fine medley of captivating classical music,devotional songs and instrumental music by agalaxy of renowned musicians, child artistesand the students of Sri Sathya Sai Institute ofHigher Learning enthralled the gathering in SaiKulwant Hall during the course of Ati RudraMaha Yajna. The first musical presentation wasmade on the afternoon of 10th August 2006by two talented child artistes. The programmebegan with a classical song in praise of LordSiva rendered by the child artiste KarthikGyaneswar which earned him the appreciationof the audience and blessings of Bhagavanwho showered His grace on him at the end ofthe presentation and also materialised a goldchain for him. The second presentation was amasterly flute recital by the child artiste Akashwho showed great maturity and talent in hiscaptivating presentation.Two excellent musical presentations weremade on the afternoon of 11th August 2006.The first presentation was made by awell-known musician, Sri O.S. Arun ofChennai, who started with a prayerSeptember 2006 271

to Lord Ganesh, “Gayiye Ganapati JagaVandana” and followed it up with PanchakshariMantra “Om Namah Sivaya” and three moreexcellent songs in praise of Siva and Sai whichhad a spellbinding effect on the audience. Noless spellbinding was the musical presentationof Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learningstudents who occupied the stage after theconclusion of Sri Arun’s presentation. The veryfirst song of this presentation “SivasankariSivanandalahari …” had a captivating effecton the audience. The students sang sixsongs between themselves to the delight ofthe entire audience and were greeted with athunderous applause at the end of each song.Everyone in the audience was so lost in thesedivine musical presentations that none tooknotice of time as the programme stretchedup to 7.00 p.m. There was no trace of fatigueon any face; instead, everyone displayed joyand exuberance. The students of Sri SathyaSai Institute of Higher Learning made anotherequally enthralling presentation of devotionalsongs on the afternoon of 13th August 2006.First three songs were in praise of Lord Sivaand the remaining three were Mira Bhajansrelished by the audience with much delight.Another scintillating musical presentationcomprised devotional songs by Sri M.R.Vaidyanathan of Coimbatore on the afternoonof 14th August 2006. Commencing with aprayer song in praise of Lord Ganesh, therenowned artiste delighted one and all bysinging songs in praise of Vitthala, Rama andKrishna. Bhagavan blessed the artiste at theend of his presentation and also materialiseda gold chain for him.The evening of 15th August 2006was enlivened by two outstandingpresentations. The first presentationwas made by Ustad Rafique Khan and Partyof Gwalior Gharana fame. The first item theypresented was a scintillating Sitar recital. Thiswas followed by a Kirtan of Om Namah Sivayain which the huge gathering of devotees alsoparticipated. This was followed by an exquisiterendering of Mira Bhajan, “Rama Nama RasaPeeje Manava …” The audience respondedenthusiastically to their grand performance witha thunderous applause. Bhagavan showeredHis blessings on the entire group and distributedclothes to them with His Divine Hands. Afterthis, the Institute students made a delightfuldance presentation to the accompaniment ofsongs in praise of Rama, Krishna, Siva andSai. Among the dance items presented bythem, two items stood out conspicuously bytheir excellence – one was a Yaksha Ganadance (a traditional folk art form of Karnataka)and the other was Tandava dance of Siva.Pleased with their performance, Bhagavanshowered His blessings on the participantsand posed for group photos with them.A musical presentation of excellentdevotional songs was made by two sistersSmt. Ranjani and Smt. Gayatri, reputedartistes from Chennai, on the afternoon of17th August 2006. Displaying their exquisitemusical talent, the artistes enthralled theaudience with four devotional songs includinga Mira Bhajan. Bhagavan blessed the artistesat the conclusion of the programme and gaveSaris to them with His Divine Hands.On the afternoon of 19th August 2006,Sri Ghatam Karthick and his troupe delightedone and all in Sai Kulwant Hall with a fine medleyof instrumental, light classical and classicalvocal devotional music. Besides,Continued on page 279 ...272 September 2006

AVATAR VANIPERFORM ALL ACTIONSTO PLEASE GODRitwiks – Embodiments of Sacredness,Devotees and Students!Bharat is the land ofabundance. It is verily the mine ofgold. It is the sacred land which hasgiven birth to great scholars, musicians andwomen of chastity. It is unfortunate that havingbeen born in this sacred land, the peopleof Bharat are not able to realise its ancientglory and rich culturalheritage.What is True Yajna?T h e r i t u a l sconducted by the headpriest this morningh a v e a p r o f o u n ds i g n i f i c a n c e a n dsubtle inner meaning.People observe theperformance of therituals, but they arenot able to experiencet h e t r u t h a b o u tthem in their heart.Whatever we hearfrom our elders, we should try to experienceit in our heart. Manasyekam Vachasyekam,Karmanyekam Mahatmanam; ManasyanyathVachasyanyath, Karmanyanyath Duratmanam(Those whose thoughts, words anddeeds are in harmony are noble ones;those who lack harmony of these areStudents – Boys and Girls! Youare all young. It is essential for youto keep your environment clean.Eat only clean and pure foodand have only good company.Speak good words, have healthyentertainment and engage yourselfin good activities. Life is a game,play it. Engage yourself in thewelfare of others and conductyourself in such a noble way that itleads to your emancipation.ATI RUDRA MAHA YAJNADIVINE DISCOURSE: 2wicked). Therefore, it is necessary for all thosewho observe the performance of these ritualsto experience their truth in their heart.There are nine forms of devotion forattaining God which have been propagatedsince ancient times. The intense devotion andsteadfast faith that are seen in Bharat are notseen anywhere else. In Bharat, wherever yousee, you find excellence in every field, whetherit is music, literature orany other area. It is onlyin Bharat that people,despite their trials andtribulations, are able tolead a peaceful life bythinking of God at alltimes. Such sanctityand sacredness is notnoticed anywhere elsein the world. All overthe world, whereveryou go, you find onlyturmoil, misery andsuffering. It is the greatgood fortune of thepeople of this countrythat they have taken birth in this sacred land.Performance of sacred rituals like Yajnas andYagas is not found anywhere else in the world.People think that offering oblations in fire isYajna. But true Yajna is to offer oneselfto God, to please God and to becomedeserving of His love. Yajna shouldSeptember 2006 273

not be performed for attaining selfish ends.It should be performed for the welfare of theworld.In Bharat, people have been performingYajnas and Yagas since ancient times. Yajnaswere performed in Treta Yuga, but demonstried to disrupt them because they did notunderstand the truth about them. With thedawn of Dwapara Yuga, most people tried tounderstand the truth about the performance ofthese ritualistic practices. Kingslike Janaka performed manyYajnas. People, especiallythose who are educated, shouldunderstand the true meaning ofYajnas. In fact, it is necessarythat everybody should participatein them. It only means thatwhatever actions one does, oneshould do them to please God.It should be our firm convictionthat we do everything to pleaseGod and attain liberation. Infact, the very purpose of humanbirth is to please God. Humanlife is not meant to be wastedon eating and drinking. Manshould try to recognise his truenature. You keep enquiring fromothers, “Who are you?” and thuswaste your time. But you neverenquire, “Who am I?” Once youknow the truth about yourself,you will know the true nature ofeverybody. You should not wasteyour time on trying to know aboutothers. God is the embodimentof time. Kalaya Namah, KalaKalaya Namah, KaladarpaDamanaya Namah, KalateetayaN a m a h , K a l a s w a r u p a y aNamah, Kalaniyamitaya Namah (salutationsto time, to the one who is beyond time, tothe one who has conquered time, to the onewho transcends time, to the one who is theembodiment of time, and to the one who ordainstime). Time is most precious. Therefore, donot waste even a single moment. Peopletoday make efforts to attain materialistic gainsand mental power. They do everything tosatisfy their senses. But nobody tries to attainIt is only in Bharat that people, despite their trialsand tribulations, are able to lead a peaceful lifeby thinking of God at all times. Such sanctity andsacredness is not noticed anywhere else in theworld. All over the world, wherever you go, you findonly turmoil, misery and suffering. It is the greatgood fortune of the people of this country that theyhave taken birth in this sacred land. Performanceof sacred rituals like Yajnas and Yagas is notfound anywhere else in the world. People think thatoffering oblations in fire is Yajna. But true Yajna is tooffer oneself to God, to please God and to becomedeserving of His love.276 September 2006

self-realisation. How long do the sensualpleasures and bodily pleasures last? They areall momentary. Only the heart is permanent.You should make efforts for the satisfaction ofthe heart. This is possible only by associatingyourself with good company.Satsangatwe Nissangatwam,Nissangatwe Nirmohatwam,Nirmohatwe Nischalatattwam,Nischalatattwe Jivanmukti.(Sanskrit Sloka)(Good company leads to detachment;detachment makes one free from delusion;freedom from delusion leads to steadiness ofmind; steadiness of mind confers liberation.)You become bad by associating with badcompany. Tell me your company, I shall tell youwhat you are. The type of qualities you acquiredepends upon your company. Therefore, youshould associate with noble and spiritualmindedpeople. The people gathered hereform a great spiritual company. This typeof company is not available anywhere else.When you associate yourself with such a noblecompany, you get noble feelings.Good Words Result in Good ActionsWhen water evaporates, it forms intoclouds. But all clouds do not bring rain. Raindepends upon the type of clouds and manyother factors. Today we are not getting properrains. Man’s life depends upon water. Purewater ensures good health and long life.Many diseases are caused by polluted water.Similarly, pollution in the environment is alsothe cause of many diseases. Therefore, weshould keep our environment clean and pure.It is also necessary that we consume onlypure water. Then only can we becomehealthy and blissful. Happiness is veryessential for good health.Students – Boys and Girls!You are all young. It is essential for you tokeep your environment clean. Eat only cleanand pure food and have only good company.Speak good words, have healthy entertainmentand engage yourself in good activities. Life isa game, play it. Engage yourself in the welfareof others and conduct yourself in such anoble way that it leads to your emancipation.Whomsoever you converse with, you shouldalways converse in a peaceful manner, fillingyour words with empathy. Never use harshwords. Your harsh words will hurt the feelingsof others. You should speak such words whichmelt the heart of others. Help Ever, Hurt Never.Help everybody.Saha NavavathuSaha Nau BhunakthuSaha Veeryam KaravavahaiTejaswinavadheetamasthuMa Vidvishavahai.(May the Lord protect and nourish us!May we grow in intelligence and valour workingtogether!May we live in friendship without any conflict!)Develop friendship with others by speakinggood words. Good company will fill your heartwith goodness. When your thoughts are good,your actions will also be good. And whenyour actions are good, their result is bound tobe good. The tongue, that is the gift of God,should therefore be used to speak softly andsweetly in a sacred way. It is a noble traditionof Bharat that people here speak sacredwords. When some elderly person comes toyour house, you should treat him respectfullyand offer him a proper seat. Never useimproper and disrespectful wordswhile talking to elders. Your beingSeptember 2006 277

good or bad depends mainly upon the wordsyou use. When you speak good words, you willhave a good position in society and others willalso speak to you nicely. Ignore any bad wordsspoken by others.All that is Related to God is GoodStudents! Never be proud of youreducation. If you develop pride at this stage,you will become egoistic in life. When yourwords are good, your heart will also be good.When your heart is full of sweetness, all yourfeelings will also become sweet. Therefore,make your heart pure, soft and sweet. Duringthe forthcoming days, many noble persons willfriendly with everybody. The Vedas declarethat we should live and work together, andachieve noble goals with unity.Let us all move together, let us all growtogether,Let us all stay united and grow in intelligencetogether,Let us live together with friendship andharmony.(Telugu Song)This is the foremost teaching of the Vedas.God has given you a soft tongue. You shouldnot speak harsh words with your tongue. Thesoft tongue should always speak soft andThe type of qualities you acquiredepends upon your company.Therefore, you should associate withnoble and spiritual-minded people.The people gathered here form agreat spiritual company. This type ofcompany is not available anywhereelse. When you associate yourselfwith such a noble company, you getnoble feelings.address you. You will have the opportunity oflistening to their sacred talks. See that thesesacred words are imprinted on your heart.Embodiments of Love!Lead your lives with compassion, kindnessand love. Suffuse your life with love. Loveis nectarine. It has unmatched sweetness.Therefore, use always good words.Even if you come across your enemy,offer your salutations to him. Besweet words. Harsh words will make you hardhearted.If you speak good words, you willhave good results. On the other hand, harshwords will always bring bad results.Embodiments of Love!The head priest has given a talk on avery good spiritual topic. You should try tounderstand the meaning of the pointsdwelt upon by him. Do not limit youreducation to what is taught by the278 September 2006

teachers in the classroom. All bookish learningis artificial. This type of artificial education is oflittle worth. What is important is not artificial but‘heartificial’. In the coming days, you will listento the talks of many learned speakers on loftythemes which will enhance your knowledgeand purity. Sravanam (listening), Kirtanam(singing), Vishnusmaranam (contemplatingon Vishnu), Padasevanam (serving His LotusFeet), Vandanam (salutation), Archanam(worship), Dasyam (servitude), Sneham(friendship), Atmanivedanam (self-surrender).Out of nine paths of devotion, Sravanam is thefirst one. So, listen to good things and try toassimilate the goodness contained in them.Move away from the place where unpalatablewords are spoken. Let everything bad dissolvein thin air. Accept all that is good. Then, onlygood will remain with you for ever. All that isrelated to God is good. Only that is true, eternaland sacred. Absorb all that is sacred and trueand base your life on these eternal values.God’s teachings are full of sweetness. Hiswords are nectarine. One should never ignorethe teachings of God. You may even give upthe body, but not the teachings of God. Body ismade up of five elements. Nobody knows whenit will meet its end. It is bound to fall one day orthe other. Do not give undue importance to thebody. Life is not meant merely to sustain yourbody. Associate yourself with sacred companyfor mental purification and attainment of bliss.It is not enough if you merely associate withsacred company; you should suffuse yourheart with sacred teachings of such an exaltedcompany.– From Bhagavan’s Divine Discourse inSai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 10thAugust 2006 on the occasion of Ati RudraMaha Yajna.... Continued from page 263enemies of man. These are the cause of histroubles in life.Embodiments of Divine Self!You are not ordinary human beings; youare the embodiments of the Divine Self. Eachindividual is given a particular name only forthe sake of identification. But in reality, all areessentially divine, not mere human beings. Iwish all of you a happy, peaceful, contentedand blissful life. You cannot have peacewithout devotion. Hence, develop devotion,Bangaru! (an endearing term used byBhagavan, meaning gold). Immerse yourselfin devotion, not in the deep ocean of Samsara(worldliness). It is only your devotion that willtake you to God.– From Bhagavan’s Divine Discourse inSai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 9thAugust 2006 on the inaugural day of AtiRudra Maha Yajna.... Continued from page 272devotional songs in praise of Siva, there werecaptivating flute recitals and other instrumentalcompositions which enraptured theaudience. Bhagavan blessed theentire troupe and distributed clothesto them at the end of their presentation.He also materialised a gold ring for one ofthe members of the troupe. With thisexcellent presentation, the devotionalmusic programmes came to a happySeptember 2006 279

WWorship of the Divine Motherorship of the feminineprinciple of God is an importantfeature of Indian spiritual history.It is customary to worship Durga, Lakshmi andSaraswati during the nine days of Navaratrifestival. But in many parts of India, specialworship is offered to goddess Lakshmi bythe ladies and the function is known asVaralakshmi Vrata. Like last year, VaralakshmiVrata was organised at Prasanthi Nilayam thisyear also with great piety and devotion in theDivine Presence of Bhagavan Sri Sathya SaiBaba. The function was held on 4th August2006 in Sai Kulwant Hall which was tastefullydecorated for the festive occasion. Specialfloral decorations were done on the dais wherean idol of Varalakshmi was placed for offeringworship. More than 1,500 ladies participatedin this function and offered worship to thegoddess.Bhagavan was offered a traditional welcomewith Poornakumbham amidst chanting ofVedic Mantras and auspicious rendering ofNadaswaram music by a group of musicianswhen He came to Sai Kulwant Hall at 7.30 a.m.Soon after coming to the dais, Bhagavan wentinto the rows of the ladies who were taking partin this function and showered His blessings onthem. Bhagavan returned to the dais at 7.40a.m. and formally inaugurated the functionby lighting the sacred lamp placed there. Theprogramme of Puja started with the worshipof Lord Ganesh by the participating ladies asinstructed by the chief priest. After this, theladies performed Puja of goddess Varalakshmifor nearly one hour as per the instructionsgiven by the chief priest. At the conclusionof the Puja, the chief priest offered Arati tothe idol of Varalakshmi placed on the dais.In the end, Prasadam blessed by Bhagavanwas distributed to all. The programme cameto a close with Arati to Bhagavan at 9.00a.m. A sumptuous feast was offered to all theparticipating ladies in the South Indian Canteenat the conclusion of the function.Bhagavan graced the occasion by HisDivine Presence during the performance ofVaralakshmi Vrata in Sai Kulwant Hall.A section of the participants in VaralakshmiVrata performing worship of the goddess.280 September 2006

Sri Krishna Janmashtami CelebrationsSri Krishna Janmashtami this year assumedadded significance at Prasanthi Nilayam sinceit was celebrated on 16th August along withthe performance of Ati Rudra Maha Yajna.On this day, Bhagavan came to Sai KulwantHall at 7.15 a.m. when the priests were doingRudra Parayana collectively after completingthe Abhisheka and Puja of the SayeeswaraLinga.The procession of beautifully bedeckedcows and calves led by richly caparisonedSai Geeta (Bhagavan’s dear elephant) andfollowed by Bhajan singing group of studentsentered Sai Kulwant Hall at 7.45 a.m. fromGopuram Gate. Bhagavan came down fromthe dais to shower His love and blessings onthem. First, Bhagavan fed a 5-day-old calfwith a feeding bottle full of milk and watchedit lovingly as it guzzled the milk. Then it wasthe turn of Sai Geeta. It was a very touchingscene when tears started streaming downits eyes when Bhagavan lovingly fed andcaressed it with His Divine Hands. Bhagavanthen fed it a second time also and showeredHis love on it again. After this, Bhagavan fed afawn. Thereafter, it was the turn of robust andhealthy cows of Gokulam. They were fed withbananas and apples. All the while, a groupof students kept singing Krishna Bhajanswith zeal and devotion. After this, Bhagavanreturned to the dais where two students whowere dressed as Krishna and Balaramareceived Bhagavan’s blessings. Thereafter,Bhagavan released white pigeons for peace inthe world. Prasadam was distributed to all onthis occasion. Meanwhile, Rudra Parayana bythe priests continued which was followed byRudra Homa and Sai Gayatri Homa.The programme came to a close withArati to Bhagavan at 9.00 a.m.Ganesh Chaturthi CelebrationsIn an environment sanctified by the collectivechanting of the Vedic Mantras by PrasanthiNilayam school and college students, and sweetnotes of Nadaswaram music by the AnantapurCollege students, Bhagavan Sri Sathya SaiBaba showered His blessings on the devoteesin Sai Kulwant Hall when He came to the Hallat 8.10 a.m. on the auspicious day of GaneshChaturthi on 27th August 2006. After comingto the dais, Bhagavan blessed the idols of LordGanesh and Kalashas brought by the studentsfor worship in their respective institutions.This was followed by a excellent programmeof devotional music which included Stotras(hymns) and group and solo devotional songsin praise of Lord Ganesh. Presented by thestudents of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of HigherLearning, this programme of soul-stirringmusical compositions in Sanskrit, Hindi andTelugu filled each heart with sacredness andsweetness. The programme came to a closeat 9.30 a.m. with Arati to Bhagavan.The idols of Lord Ganesh worshipped inschools, college, hospitals and premises ofAshram departments by the students andAshram staff were brought in a grand processionto Sai Kulwant Hall on the afternoon of 31stAugust 2006 for the blessings of Bhagavanbefore their immersion. Brought in beautifulchariots and palanquins, the idols which werelined up in Sai Kulwant Hall presented a grandspectacle displaying innovativeness and fineworkmanship of the students and staff. Someof these reminded of the Ati Rudra MahaYajna performed recently. One of them wasshaped like a Linga which was worshippedduring the Ati Rudra Maha Yajna. Anothershowed a Yajna Kunda where two boys in thedress of Ritwiks kept offering oblationsin the Yajna fire. Other displays werealso very beautiful and attractive.September 2006 281

Some of the beautifully decorated vehicles with Ganesh idols which were brought toSai Kulwant Hall for Bhagavan’s blessings before being taken for immersion.Bhagavan blessed all the students and staffmembers accompanying them.After Bhagavan was seated on the dais,the Institute students presented a short skit torelate the significance of celebrating GaneshChaturthi. At the end of the skit, they presenteda jubilant dance to the delight of one and all.After this, Veda chanting and Bhajan singinggroups of students and staff members broughtthe chariots and palanquins before Bhagavan inthe centre of the Hall and offered salutations toHim. After seeking the blessings of Bhagavan,they circumambulated the Bhajan Mandir andtook the idols out for immersion, bringing thejoyous festival of Ganesh Chaturthi to a happyconclusion.SRI SATHYA SAI INSTITUTE OF HIGHER MEDICAL SCIENCESPrashanthigram - 515 134, Anantapur Dist. (A.P.) India(Accredited by the National Board of Examinations)Phone No. 08555-287388 - Ext.: 506, Fax 08555-287544. Email: adminpg@sssihms.org.inApplications are invited from eligible candidates for undergoing DNB training for three yearsin the following Specialities.Minimum Qualification1. Super Specialitiesa. Urology (Session to commence in January 2007) }b. Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery } MS/DNB (GEN. Surgery)2. Broad SpecialitiesMinimum Qualificationa. Anaesthesiology M.B.B.S. and pass in the Central Entrance Test of the(January 2007 Session) National Board of Examinations.The Institute offers stipend as prescribed by the National Board of Examinations and singleroom hostel accommodation on payment of usual rent.The selection will be based on the performance in the written, clinical and viva voce tests forUrology and CTVS and through interview and objective assessment for Anaesthesiology.The application form and the brochure can be had from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of HigherMedical Sciences, Prashanthigram, Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh. Pin - 515 134 onpayment of Rs. 300/- (rupees three hundred only) by demand draft drawn on SBI, PrasanthiNilayam in favour of “SSSIHMS, Prashanthigram”.Director282 September 2006

Thought, word and deed, when man keeps as one,He is acclaimed on earth as truly great,Wedded to truth, the presence of God is gained,Liars, like pebbles, abound; true men, like diamonds, are rare.TEmbodiments of Love!he presence of God, thevision of the Absolute, is not a stateto be attained or newly achieved.God or the Absolute is the very nature of theSelf. The individual is the indivisible God.Even when enmeshed in this world of conflictand confrontation, the Self is God, in reality.Deluding himself as the body in which helives and attaching himself to the charm andchallenge of Nature, he imposes selfhood onhimself and suffers from that limitation. The raindrops clear and pure from the clouds, but onearth the water is rendered turbid and pollutedby its contact with the ground. That does notaffect its real nature. The water that rose ascloud and fell as rain is clear and pure. Thesalt of the sea is discarded in the sea itself. Allthe rivers of all the continents end in the sea;they lose, on merging with the sea from whichthey started their long journey, their forms andtheir taste or characteristic qualities.Similarly, the selves that have assumedhuman forms and that are designated byseparate names, emerge from the same sourceand merge in the universal form which theyparticularised. In the Bhagavadgita,Lord Krishna declares, MamaivamshoJivaloke Jivabhuta Sanathana (theeternal Atma in all beings is a part of MyBeing). They may appear different but theirreality is the One. The Vedas, therefore,accost all selves as Amrutasya Putra (sons ofimmortality). They remind every living being ofits being the undying divine.These Yajnas serve one purposemore than all else – the cleansingof all levels of consciousness,Chitta Shuddhi, for they involverenunciation, invocation ofDivinity and ascetic practices.This achievement alone cannotensure Moksha (liberation).That can be won only by theawareness of the reality leadingto Kshaya (removal) of Moha(attachment) to the unreal. But,this ultimate objective is seldomkept in view.A millionaire may take on the role ofa down‐and‐out in a play and act thepart remarkably well on the stage,September 2006 283

ut that impersonation does not make him adown‐and‐out. Even while on the stage, heknows that he is a millionaire, pretending to bepoor. He will indeed be a fool if he forgets hisreality. The individual self is the role; the realityis God.Every role and action has a method, amode, a way. The engineer, for example,works according to certain norms, certainprinciples and processes. These have to bedecided upon with reference to the nature ofthe subsoil, the type of foundation, the heightof the structure, etc. A painter has to calculatethe area, the base, the background, etc. If theydo not pay attention to these, the structurewon’t be strong, the picture won’t be liked. Thesame holds good for the Yajna (sacrificial rite)that was inaugurated this morning. First, thefire altar, where offerings are poured into thesacred fire. It has to be made to measure, aslaid down in the ancient past. If the prescribedrules are broken or bypassed, the resultpromised cannot be secured. The fire that islit in the altar has, according to the texts whichrecommended the Yajna, to be churned out ofthe hard wood which was used this morning.After it is lit, tongues of flame have to be raisedin order to receive the articles that are offeredto the deities that are invoked by the sacredincantations.The Vedas invite us to realise that everything– living and non‐living – every quality andcharacteristic of everything is only an aspectof the one Atma, the source and substance ofall. The Aham or the ego is an appearance onthe Atma as the foam on the edge of the wave,which is but the ocean itself. The Atma can wellbe devoid of ego, but ego cannot exist withoutthe Atma as the reality underneath. However,man validates Aham (ego), giving it Akaram(form) full of attributes and so, it gets pollutedYajna involves renunciation. It means‘giving up’. What is it that we have togive up? Riches? That is quite easy. Thehome? That too is not difficult. Givingup one’s wife and children, one’s landsand houses and removing oneself intothe forest? That too has been done bymany. But, though one’s body and mindare in the recesses of the jungle, the wifeand children, the lands and houses mightstill occupy the thoughts and emotionsof the person who has come away.What have to be given up, therefore, areone’s evil tendencies, harmful thoughts,selfish feelings and longing for sensualpleasures.284 September 2006

as Ahamkaram (egoism)! When the ego is freefrom the status of ‘ism’, it is a facet or factor ofthe Atma. Attributes, modes, Gunas (qualities)drag it into the tangle of dualities and so, it getsmalefic and sheds its positive, purifying role.The oblation that is done here in the sacredfire is symbolic of the evil adhering to the ego,the animal urges that still animate it.The ‘ism’ or mould in which the ego getshardened tantalises man and blinds him to thetruth. Sankaracharya has described the harm itinflicts and prescribes the recitation of the nameof God to defuse the consequence. The pureego will then merge and lose its identity in theAtma, which has no birth and no death. TheseYajnas serve one purpose more than all else– the cleansing of all levels of consciousness,Chitta Shuddhi, for they involve renunciation,invocation of Divinity and ascetic practices.This achievement alone cannot ensureMoksha (liberation). That can be won only bythe awareness of the reality leading to Kshaya(removal) of Moha (attachment) to the unreal.But, this ultimate objective is seldom kept inview. Vedic rites were gone through in orderto win the boon of sorrow‐free worldly life andblissful heavenly sojourn, and only as a stagein realising the freedom from birth and death,and merging in the truth.With a cleansed mind, one has to pursuethe enquiry into the reality, until no trace offascination for the unreal persists. Yajnainvolves renunciation. It means ‘giving up’.What is it that we have to give up? Riches?That is quite easy. The home? That too is notdifficult. Giving up one’s wife and children,one’s lands and houses and removing oneselfinto the forest? That too has been done bymany. But, though one’s body andmind are in the recesses of the jungle,the wife and children, the lands andhouses might still occupy the thoughts and emotionsof the person who has come away. Whathave to be given up, therefore, are one’s eviltendencies, harmful thoughts, selfish feelingsand longing for sensual pleasures. One has toget rid of envy, of the love for parading oneself.When these have been renounced, hearth andhome cannot harm us.The Vedas desire man to give up theanimalist ego, and its complement, anger.The evils of envy, pride and spite belong tothe same brood. These are all bestial thoughhuman in appearance. The Vedas declare thatlove, tolerance, compassion, non‐attachmentand adherence to truth are the genuine humantraits.Jesus Christ said, “Ask, and it shall begiven you”; “seek, and ye shall find”; “knock,and it shall be opened unto you.” But, are weasking, seeking and knocking? Yes. We areasking, we are seeking, we are knocking atthe door. But, whom are we asking? What arewe seeking? At whose door are we knocking?We are not asking for everlasting bliss; weask only for short-lived material pleasures.So, we do not get all that we ask for. Whatis the reason? Has He no compassion? Thechild is sick but it asks for many varieties ofsweets which the mother refuses to give. Doesit mean that she hates the child? Or, is shehard-hearted? Has she lost her affection? Therefusal is itself a sign of compassion. For, eachperson is an invalid, suffering from recurrentbirth and death. Granting whatever is askedcan only lengthen the suffering. Hence arisesthe withholding and the denial. And, you too donot ask for the indispensable! You do not prayfor the peace that knows no break. If you do,the boon will be granted.Of course, you do seek. But, do youseek God, or someone ungodly? Godwill respond when the call arises fromSeptember 2006 285

the heart. Your call is fouled by greed, by hatredagainst others, by the desire for vengeance,by the hiss of envy and intolerance. I knowyou knock at the door. But, at which door?Keeping the door of your own heart closed,how can your clamour succeed in gettingother door opened? Knock at the door of yourown heart. God, the resident, will come intoview. Prahlada had the faith that God residesin every heart and everywhere. So, when apillar in the palace was knocked at, the Lordmanifested therefrom. Believe that He residesin you and turn your vision inward.You complain that God is merciless, hardto please, etc., only because you do not wishto give Him what you ought to or ask from Himwhat He would gladly give. Tender hearts, holythoughts, loving speech – these can invokethe Divine Atma to manifest into awareness.For, these personify Sathya, embody God asSathya or the Truth of truths. Therefore, Sathyahas to be adored and propitiated. The Homaor offering of oblations in this ceremoniouslylit and ceremoniously fed fire is the symbolicadoration of the Truth of truths, Sathya.Philosophy is interpreted as the searchfor truth. But, truth is not something to besought for. You have only to be aware of it, toexperience it, to be it. Without it, philosophyis but full‐loss‐ophy! These Yajnas whichencourage you to sublimate your emotions areall designed to direct you towards the goal.Truth is totality, the One which integratesand includes the many. The sages of yorewere not satisfied with one facet of the truthor one view, not of one god but of That whereall streams merge. As Bairagi Sastry toldyou now that it is Keshava whom adorationaddressed to all gods reaches.Sarva Deva Namaskaram KesavamPratigachchhati (whichever deityThe Vedas desire man to giveup the animalist ego, and itscomplement, anger. The evils ofenvy, pride and spite belong to thesame brood. These are all bestialthough human in appearance. TheVedas declare that love, tolerance,compassion, non‐attachment andadherence to truth are the genuinehuman traits.you worship, it reaches God). One housecannot become a village, nor one individual, asociety, nor one tree, a forest! To be consciousof the totality, one has to fill oneself with thesublime grandeur of the forest, not squat undera single tree. This is the inner purpose whichled aspirants and seekers after truth to the coreof the Himalayan forests. Keeping away fromthe din of the populace was only an excuse.In the sylvan hermitage, the prayer resonantwith Yajur Veda, ‘Let all be of one mind, ofone heart, towards one goal, sustained by onestrength’ rose more meaningfully and moreeffectively. The present socialist ideal of theunity of mankind is a Vedic concept; in fact,the Vedic ideal was even wider and morecomprehensive. ‘Let all the worlds be happyand prosperous. The world is one family’, theVedas proclaimed.It is wrongly assumed that the Vedas hadonly one section of the population, one caste,one race, one community in view. This is theresult of misreading and mistaken inference.They are concerned, it was said, only withBrahmins and with the Pandits amongthem. This too is a wrong conclusion.Every Vedic ritual had as its goal286 September 2006

the prosperity and peace of the world. TheVedas yearn to establish the welfare of thethree worlds – the nether regions, the earthand heaven. It is a pity that a narrow outlookis foisted by short-sighted people on suchprofound texts. The Vedas do not allow scopefor distinctions on the basis of caste or creed.They assert, “I shall save whoever keeps Me inmemory.” “I shall be beside whoever is besideMe.” “Whoever adores Me in whatever formand through whichever name, I shall manifestMyself before them with that form, bearing thatname.”Oblations are offered in this sacred fireto the One, but the One is invoked throughmany names: ‘Om! Prostrations to Rudra! Om!Prostrations to Aditya! Om! Prostrations toVaruna’, etc. The Rishis or sages had each afavourite form and name and, as a result, theOne Lord acquired many names. Many amongyou perform the worship named, Laksharchanaor Saptaham. What is done then is repeatingthe names of God a hundred thousand times orfor full seven days and nights. A flower is placedbefore the picture or idol with the recitation ofa name – Madhava, Keshava, Narayana, etc.The idol is the same throughout. When wename Him Madhava, we are conscious that Heis also Keshava and Narayana, and we derivedelight from that knowledge.Each hymn of the Vedas is called a Rik,which means ‘praise’. And the word Vedais derived from the root Vid, ‘to know’. Whatexactly should we strive to know? We mustknow the One, which has no second, noanother, no other. So, every word, everystatement in the Vedas, every Mantra or Rikin them, connotes only the One, though outof insufficient or wrong understanding peoplemistake the lesson and ascribe the words toindicate the many.It is essential that the true import begrasped by all. Since the opportunities to learnit have declined, mistaken interpretationsgain currency. In the course of this weeklongVedic Yajna, we shall delve into the deepersignificance of the Vedic teachings.– From Bhagavan’s Discourse on 21stOctober 1982 on the first day of VedaPurusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna (“SanathanaSarathi” March 1983)GOLDEN JUBILEE OF SANATHANA SARATHIExhibition on “Journey with Sai”An exhibition of photographs and other audio-visual materials is proposed to be organisedat Prasanthi Nilayam as part of golden jubilee celebrations of “Sanathana Sarathi” aroundSivarathri 2007, highlighting the visits of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to various places.It will be based on the reports in “Sanathana Sarathi” and other relevant records. Copiesof publications/records giving details of these visits as also the relevant photographs,CDs, video films, documentaries, etc., are required by us for this purpose. All the materialreceived will be gratefully acknowledged and safely returned, if required.It is therefore appealed that those devotees / Sai Organisations who possess such materialsmay kindly send them to: The Convener, Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust,Prasanthi Nilayam – 515 134, Dist. Anantapur (A.P.). Email: editor@sssbpt.orgConvenerSri Sathya Sai Books and Publications TrustSeptember 2006 287

OU N I T E D K I N G D O Mn the occasion of the 80thbirthday of Her Majesty QueenElizabeth II and the 50th anniversaryof the Duke of Edinburgh Award for Youth,the Queen hosted a Royal Garden Party atBuckingham Palace on 13th July 2006. About8,000 invitations were sent out to individualswho had made a unique contribution to theUnited Kingdom. The National Youth Wingof Sri Sathya Sai Service Organisationwas chosen by the Queen and the Duke ofEdinburgh to attend and receive a specialcertificate and recognition for the outstandingcontribution made by Sai Youth towardsnation building and promoting happiness andharmony within the community. Sri Sathya SaiService Organisation of the U.K. has beena recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh awardin the past (please see “Sanathana Sarathi”October, 2005).National Youth Coordinator of Sri SathyaSai Organisation of the U.K., Shitu Chudasamaattended the function and was asked to addressthe audience regarding the work of Sai Youthand Sri Sathya Sai Service Organisation.He told how Sri Sathya Sai Baba teachesthat only youth can transform youth and howHe calls upon them to be leaders like lions -bold and courageous. A miracle of Swami’somnipresence occurred during the ceremony.When the certificate was presented, it bore thename of Divinity itself, Sri Sathya Sai.M O R O C C OCertificate presented by the Queen to theNational Youth Coordinator of Sri Sathya SaiOrganisation of the U.K., Shitu Chudasama.An SSEHV teacher training conference washeld at the American School in Casablanca,Morocco from 1st to 2nd July 2006. Moroccois a French-speaking kingdom in North Africa.As many as 120 teachers from 14 schoolsattended the conference that was conductedfully in French by Carole Alderman, Director,British Institute of Sathya Sai Education andChristina Wilson, a French-speaking trainer ofthe Institute. During the two days of the course,teachers were introduced to the five humanvalues and five teaching techniques throughlectures and interactive activities in which288 September 2006

As many as 120 teachers from 14 schoolsparticipated in the Teacher Training Conferenceconducted in Casablanca, Morocco forintroducing Sri Sathya Sai Human Valuesin the curriculum.everyone participated enthusiastically. Theteachers made sincere efforts to incorporateSathya Sai Human Values into their trainingsessions and even in their interactionsduring the conference. Later, various schoolsdiscussed together and reported back on howthey would take SSEHV further. A resolutionwas made to translate SSEHV books intoFrench and Arabic languages to facilitate theiruse in schools in Morocco. At the end of theconference, all the teachers were extremelyenthusiastic and eager to implement SSEHVas part of the curriculum.July 2006 issue of “Sanathana Sarathi”. Theselfless service rendered by the dedicated Saidevotees in Indonesia continues:On 1st June 2006, one public kitchen wasset up in Klaten and another in Gunung Kitul.In addition, large quantities of food, healthcarematerials, and clothes were delivered. SaiMedical Teams increased from three tosix. On 3rd June 2006, Sai devotees fromJakarta began to manufacture bricks for thereconstruction of many houses that weredestroyed. The flow of relief materials, foodand clothes accelerated. On 4th June 2006, Saidevotees from Bali set up many tents to househomeless victims. Working with Sai Youth,they began reconstructing damaged houses.On 5th June 2006, rebuilding and rehabilitationwork was initiated by Sai devotees in severalvillages, and Sri Sathya Sai Central Councilprovided financial aid, building materials andfinancial resources to rebuild houses.I N D O N E S I ASince December 2005, Indonesia has beenrepeatedly struck by tsunamis and earthquakes.There is a great need for humanitarian helpin these devastated islands. Sri Sathya SaiOrganisation in Indonesia has been tirelesslyproviding disaster relief and medical careto the victims. The exemplary and timelymobilisation of massive resources by the SaiOrganisation in response to these sequentialnatural calamities was partly reported in theTo provide relief to the victims of the tsunamithat struck the south-western coast of Java on17th July 2006, Sri Sathya Sai Organisation ofJava drew up a plan and started implementingit immediately.September 2006 289

As this disaster relief was being rendered,the south-western coast of Java was again hitby a tsunami on 17th July 2006. Sri SathyaSai Organisation again rose to the occasion.Office bearers visited the devastated areas,assessed the damage, ascertained the needs,drafted a plan to provide the urgently neededhumanitarian aid, and began, without delay,to implement the plan. Withstanding thesehorrendous natural disasters, the people ofIndonesia have been comforted by the lovingcare of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Hisdevotees from Indonesia.U. S. A.Jasper, a small town in the State of Texas,was hit by Hurricane Rita. Six months later,the population is still recovering from thedestruction and water-borne diseases resultingneedy. During this camp, 400 patients wereseen. Preventive health screening was donefor diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, etc.Groups of devotees visited a nearby nursinghome for the elderly and provided love andcare to the residents.On 12th August 2006, a free Sai MedicalCamp was held in St. Louis, Missouri inwhich 227 patients were seen. In addition totreating those in need, healthcare educationand preventative healthcare screeningswere provided. Most importantly, a boothwas set up in the Medical Camp titled “SaiHuman Values and Health.” Information aboutSwami’s teaching on human values and healthin English and Spanish languages was madeavailable. Dr. William Kincaid, the Director ofHealth for the City of St. Louis, Missouri cameto the medical camp. On behalf of the city of St.Louis, he expressed his gratitude to Sri SathyaSai Organisation for conducting these freemedical camps for the people of St. Louis.– Prasanthi CouncilB H A R A TA child being examined in the medical campheld at Jasper, a small town in the State ofTexas, which was hit by Hurricane Rita.from the hurricane. In response to this majorcalamity, Sai devotees from the Sai Centresin the States of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texasand Louisiana, working together selflesslyconducted a medical camp on 4th February2006 providing free medical care for theAndhra Pradesh: Anantapur district conductedBal Vikas Children’s Joy Festival at Anantapuron 1st and 2nd July 2006 in which 400 children,110 Gurus and 100 active workers from allover the district took part. 50 children had theopportunity to show their creativity in makingvarious articles like flower pots, bouquets, wallhangings, greeting cards, paintings, etc., withwaste material like used CDs, leaves of differenttrees, flowers, etc. Some children wrote SaiRam on rice grains. 14 students impressivelyspoke on Swami’s childhood, Indian Cultureand the importance of Bal Vikas. Somechildren showed their talent in heritage sports290 September 2006

like playing top in different ways, stick fights inself-defence, etc., to the joy of the assembledaudience. Nine teams from different parts ofthe district took part in cultural programmes likedance, drama and group singing on spiritualthemes. Children demonstrated Puja methodsin Hindu, Muslim and Christian religions andrecited Veda Mantras. They also took part ina debate on cultivating human values. A veryinteresting and enlightening quiz progammeon the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, theBhagavata and Bhagavadgita was held inwhich five teams of 80 selected students tookpart. All winners and participants were givenprizes.West Godavari district conducted Bal VikasChildren’s Joy Festival on 23rd July 2006at Eluru in which 400 children took part. BalVikas rally, parents meet, talks highlighting theimportance of Bal Vikas and Sri Sathya SaiEducation and cultural programmes were thehighlights of the festival.Assam, Manipur and N.E. States: A twodaytraining programme for Bal Vikas Guruswas successfully hosted by Sri Sathya SaiSeva Samithi, Dimapur, Nagaland on 24thand 25th June 2006. About 150 devoteesattended the meet from Assam and Manipurbesides the host State of Nagaland. Facultymembers from the State Organisation dweltat length on the various aspects of conductingBal Vikas classes as well as the need forparent contact programme. On the conclusionof the programme, certificates to 74 Guruswho received training were awarded. Ahappy augury of the meet was the presenceof a number of Naga tribal people hailingfrom even the trouble-torn Wokha district ofNagaland. The devotees enthused by thenice atmosphere resolved to conduct regularSai Bhajans in Dimapur. Another attraction ofthe camp was a cultural programme hostedby Dimapur Bal Vikas students and youth onthe evening of 24th June 2006. The audienceenjoyed the programme and expressed joy atsuch an arrangement.Jammu and Kashmir: In a function heldin R.S. Pura under the chairmanship of theDean, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences andAnimal Husbandry, Sher-e-Kashmir Universityof Agricultural Sciences and Technology ofJammu on 28th July 2006, free services offeredby the Sai Organisation to improve cattle healthby launching free mass vaccination and otherprogrammes for the cattle of border villageswere explained by the President, Sri SathyaSai Seva Organisation, Jammu and Kashmir.On this occasion, copies of the book “SevaPushpam Sai Amritam” were distributed amongthe faculty members of the university. Dr. A.K.Srivastava, Dean of the Faculty, said that oneshould redeem one’s life by engaging oneselfin service of others. This selfless service wouldcome to one’s help in time of need without anylimit, observed Dr. Srivastava.Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal: About 30 kmaway from Allahabad, fire broke out in a villageKante in which about 50 houses of the poorvillagers were burnt. They lost everything. OurSeva Dal members rushed to help them. Theydistributed all the essential food items for aweek and clothes to the victims of the fire. On23rd April, our Seva Dal members went alongwith doctors and visited each house. 210patients were checked and medicines weredistributed. Villagers were amazed at the waySeva was done by the devotees of Bhagavan.September 2006 291

Sri Sathya Sai Samithi, Mirzapur organiseda bio-tech programme in a big way and villagersfrom Sheker, Bihalpur, Bhagalpur and manyother villages attended the programme. Thequeries raised by the villagers were answeredby experts from Allahabad University. Everyvillager was given Bhagavan’s photo andVibhuti.Seva Dal members of Kasgavan and othervillages set an example of selfless service forothers when they repaired the thatched roofsof the huts of poor villagers and put plasticsheets on 30 of them as these were damagedin heavy rain in Kanpur Dehat. During GuruPurnima, Narayana Seva was conducted inKanpur Dehat and 3,000 villagers were servedfood. Chants of “Sai Baba Ki Jai” could beheard all over.Noida Samithi organised a blood donationcamp on 2nd July 2006 in collaborationwith doctors of All India Institute of MedicalSciences, New Delhi. Total blood donatedwas 88 units. On the same day, an eye checkupcamp was also organised with the help ofeye specialists of the Medical Institute. Totalnumber of patients examined and treated was110. Free spectacles were given to the needypatients.292 September 2006

TruthfulnessSi r C . V . R a m a n w a s arenowned scientist. He establishedan institute for conducting scientificresearch. He was the director of that institute.Many young men applied for various posts inthis institute. He called them for interview.Sir C.V. Raman told the young man not toentertain any hope of securing the job in hisinstitute as he did not fare well in the interview.An incident of great significance occurredat that time. A young man, who was also calledfor interview, could not give correct answersto the questions asked in the interview. At theend of the interview, Sir C.V. Raman gentlysaid to him, “My dear boy, do not entertainany hope of securing a job here. Better youtry for a job elsewhere. You may collect yourtrain fare from the office before you go.” Highlydiscouraged and disappointed at his failure, theyoung student went to the office and collectedthe money that was due to him.After some time, Sir C.V. Raman came outof the interview room. Seeing the young manCHINNA KATHApacing up and down in the verandah, he saidto him in a rather angry tone, “There is no usewaiting here. Have I not told you already to tryfor a job elsewhere? Why are you still loiteringhere?” Folding both his hands in all humility,the young man replied, “Sir, I am not waitinghere with the hope of getting the job. I willcertainly follow your advice. I am waiting herefor a different purpose. They have given mefive rupees more than what was due to me asrailway fare. I did not count the money at thetime of receiving. Meanwhile, they closed theoffice and went home for lunch. I am waitingso that I can return the extra money to them.”Putting his hand lovingly on the youngman’s shoulder, Sir C.V. Raman said, “Comeand meet me tomorrow. I will give you theappointment order for the job. I need personsof honesty and integrity like you.”Students should cultivate the habit oftruthfulness like this.“Come and meet me tomorrow. I will give youthe appointment order for the job. I need personsof honesty and integrity like you”, said Sir C.V.Raman to the young man.