eswaramma day_photo_slides - 2007 SBOI

The sixth day of May each year is awaited with a lot of hope and expectation by the Bal Vikas students of Sri Sathya Sai Organisations, for Easwaramma Day celebrations gives them an opportunity to express their love for their Lord Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in the form of programmes in the Divine Presence. This year, the Bal Vikas children of Tamil Nadu and in fact thousands of devotees were blessed with an opportunity of witnessing and participating in the Easwaramma Day Celebrations in the Divine Presence at Sai Sruthi, Bhagawan’s ashram at Kodaikanal, a hill station in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

The morning was cool and pleasant and the sunrays were gradually lighting up the sylvan surroundings. Sai Sruthi was beautifully decorated with colourful buntings and festoons. The portrait of Divine Mother Easwaramma adorned the walls along with posters depicting Bhagawan’s teachings. At 7.30 a.m., amidst auspicious sounds of Nadaswaram, Bhagawan came out and granted Darshan to the devotees. Soon the Mahila Wing started singing Bhajans and Bhagawan commanded His students to start distributing gifts such pens, notebook, etc. to the 3000 Balvikas students.

On this occasion, around 100 infants less than a year old and their mothers from the weaker sections of the society were chosen for adoption by the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, Tamil Nadu. They were each given a kit comprising of a plate, bowl and spoon, sweater, cream and powder for the infants. In addition to this, Narayana Seva (feeding of the poor) and Vastradanam (distribution of clothes) were also simultaneously conducted in the lower ground. The whole place was a beehive of activity as the students, elders and Sevadal volunteers were busy shifting plates full of Chakkara Pongal (sweetened rice), Pulihora (Tamarind rice) and sweet. Every single individual who came there that morning went back after having received Prasadam and a picture of Swami, and of course, with their hearts brimming with love and joy. As is always the case with Bhagawan’s activities, in spite of large numbers, the whole activity was carried out in perfect order and in an atmosphere of love. As the Prasadam distribution was going on, Bhagawan moved about amidst the devotees blessing them and supervising the proceedings. At 10.30 a.m., Arati was offered to Bhagawan and the morning programme came to a close.

In the afternoon, Bhagawan came to the Bhajan Hall at 4.10 p.m. After a few Bhajans, four Bal Vikas students came on to the stage and recited vedic mantras. Following this, two Bal Vikas students were blessed by Bhagawan to address the gathering, one in Tamil and another in English. Both the speakers highlighted the need for loving and serving one’s parents. Parents are the very embodiments of love and sacrifice, and without earning their blessings, all spiritual exercises would be futile, they said. Recalling the importance attached to this virtue of filial devotion in the Indian tradition, the young speaker who spoke in English chanted the lines from Taitreyopanishad - “Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava” meaning that one’s mother and father should be respected like God. In conclusion, the young speaker concluded by promised Bhagawan that they would follow Swami’s teachings and example, and love and serve their parents throughout their lives.

Then Dr. G.Venkataraman, scientist and former vice-chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai University addressed the gathering. He spoke about the sad state of affairs prevailing in families today. Love and respect for parents was on the decline. They have been reduced to merely giving cards and gifts on one occasion in a year. This, he observed, was the root cause of all the problems that are affecting mankind today. Quoting from Bhagawan’s discourses, he said that one needs to ‘pay rent’ in the form of love and gratitude to one’s ‘parent’ for the services that one has received from them. Dr. Venkataraman concluded his speech with an incident that happened in the year 1968 when Bhagawan was preparing to visit East Africa. Mother Easwaramma had heard from some people that Africa was full of dangerous wild animals and hence she was concerned about Bhagawan’s safety. She voiced her concern to many people but none of them gave her any satisfactory answer. So finally she approached Col. Joga Rao and categorically told him that the East Africa trip should be cancelled. Col. Joga Rao told her that Swami was God and assured her no danger will befall Him. But the loving mother that she was, she replied innocently, “You and I know that Swami is God. But do the wild animals in Africa know that He is God?” Such was her unbounded love and affection for Swami.

The next speaker was Prof. Anil Kumar, who is a faculty member in the department of Bio-Sciences in the Prasanthi Nilayam campus of Sri Sathya Sai University. He is better known as the translator of Bhagawan’s discourses in to English. He recited a beautiful Telugu poem about the four most blessed and privileged women in human history – Aditi, Koushalya, Devaki and Easwaramma, all of whom were chosen by the Lord Himself to be His mother in His various incarnations. Prof. Anil Kumar concluded his speech by narrating two wonderful incidents that took place in Kovvur and Chirala, two places in Andhra Pradesh that vividly demonstrated the omnipresence and omnipotence of Bhagawan.

Following this, Bhagawan most graciously granted His Divine Discourse. He began by saying that one without control of mind is no man at all. He then materialized a gold necklace with a pendent of Goddess Lakshmi, which He gave to a lady devotee from Canada. Bhagawan then recalled how Mother Easwaramma extracted a promise from Bhagawan that He would not forsake Puttaparthi and move to another place. He also described his visit to East Africa, and also the events that led to and followed Mother Easwaramma’s peaceful and blessed exit from this world.

The programme concluded with vocal concert in Carnatic music by Sri Raghavachari and Sri Seshachari, the famous duo from Hyderabad. They had everyone immersed in their soulful music for close to half an hour. Bhagawan accepted Arati at the conclusion of the programme.

At Prasanthi Nilayam, the celebrations were conducted in the serene environment of the Samadhi of Bhagawan’s parents (memorial building where the earthly remains of Bhagawan’s parents are interred) near the ashram campus. At 8.00 a.m. the proceedings began with Bhajans. Pooja was conducted in memory of Bhagawan’s parents in the sanctum-sanctorum of the memorial. After arati was offered, Narayan Seva was conducted and Prasadam was distributed to all who had gathered there.

Jai Sai Ram!

Source: sssbpt.org



Eswaramma day:6th May 2007				Photo: dinamalar.in