Wednesday, July 26, 2000
After the evening interview…
Swami : (Showing the list of names of people who are going to participate in the Varalakshmi Vratam to Prof. Anil Kumar) The names are in the order of A, B, C, D.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, I don’t understand.
Swami : Names of teachers. Your name, Anil Kumar is the first. (Swami showed Sri Bhagia his name on the list. Seeing a cushion next to Prof. Anil Kumar) What is this mat? Puppies sit on them and you also sit on it.
(Swami referred the same to another student.) He is sitting on puppies’ mat. (The student did not understand. Swami told Prof. Anil Kumar to explain.)
Prof. A. K. : (To the student) Puppies sit on this mat and I also sit on it. (Swami laughs.)
Swami : Who is Bharat? (The boy who spoke in the foyer session this morning knelt down.)
Prof. A. K. : Swami, he spoke in the morning. He studied here from Primary School onwards.
Swami : I know. He studied in School, then at Brindavan and now here. When he was in Primary School, he wanted to come to the Institute. After coming here, his Drishti (vision) is on Primary School. Those who want to progress in life should not forget the past. Gratitude should be there.
(To the student) What you ate (learnt) there (in Primary School) is now coming out as belch (referring to digestion of the knowledge and values taught in the Primary School).
(To Prof. Anil Kumar) He spoke on values. Tell Me what all he spoke.
Prof. A. K. : (Similing embarrassingly) Swami, please don’t ask such questions suddenly.
Swami : Sadgunam, Sadaacharam, Sadbuddhi, Sadchintanam (Good character, good conduct, good intellect, good thoughts). He told to practice all these values. He had only ten minutes to talk. He spoke about a tender plantain leaf, where all dishes are served. You offer them to Durbuddhi, Duralochana and Dushchintana (bad intellect, bad thoughts, and bad thinking).
These demons tear the leaf. You then offer the torn leaf to God. First, you should give it to the right person. While offering, you say: “Pranaya Swaha, Vyanaya Swaha, Udanaya Swaha…” (Mantras chanted before eating; these Mantras are offerings to the vital airs within the human body) and you eat it. You also say: ‘Netram Samarpayaami’ (I offer my eyes); ‘Stotram Samarpayaami’ (I offer my ears); and ‘Hastam Samarpayaami’ (I offer my hands). But offer only flowers to God.
Prof. A. K. : (With astonishment) Then Swami, shall we pluck our eyes, cut our ears and offer? (Swami laughed.)
Swami : You should have Sadalochana (good thoughts), Satchintana (right thinking), Sadbuddhi (good intellect), Satpravartana (good conduct). Just telling about them is no use. Using the senses properly is Samarpayaami (offering). Cleaning a vessel outside is no use. The vessel should be clean on the inside as well. Outside being clean is just Aadambaram (pomp). But what is needed is Aacharana (putting into practice). (Many students were showing letters to Swami.) I am not going to take the letters. They give letters, so that they can take Padanamaskar.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, may be emergency letters.
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| Madhvacharya, the chief proponent of Dvaita (Dualism) |
Swami : (Swami made a thundering declaration to this observation.) When I am there, there is no emergency. If it is an emergency, I Myself will go to them. There is no need to write a letter, there cannot be emergency. Venkataraman (Prof. G. Venkataraman, former Vice-Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning) is preparing for tomorrow’s talk. He is going to talk on Madhvacharya. (Madhvacharya 1199–1278 AD, was the chief proponent of the Dvaita (dualism) School of Indian philosophy, one of the three most influential Vedanta philosophies.) (Referring to the morning prayer talk) Expressing gratitude is devotion. One should always remember the past and offer gratitude to all those who have helped our progress to this present state. One should offer the tender fresh plantin leaf to God first and not the demons. Today the reverse is done. So offer your youth and all its goodness (the plantin leaf) to God first, don’t wait for old age to set in to turn to God. (The boy who spoke in the morning asked for Padanamaskar.) You took it in the morning. (In the morning, the student took Namaskar at Swami’s chair in the College during the prayer session. Swami allowed him to take Padanamaskar again. He said to him) Is this the interest for that (Namaskar)?
(To Prof. Anil Kumar) Why are you staring at Me like that?
Prof. A. K. : Swami, Your face is so fresh!
Swami moved towards the interview room. One student gave Swami a bunch of photos. Swami went through all the photos.
Swami : (To Prof. Anil Kumar) See, I went through so many photos. Still I did not drop any of them.
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