Thursday, August 24, 2000
This morning, mass marriages were performed in the Sai Kulwant Hall. The brides and bridegrooms, most of them from poor backgrounds, came in a procession from Sri Pedda Venkappa Raju Kalyana Mandapam. Swami blessed the couples with Padanamaskar and sacred rice. He even posed for photographs with some of them.
At the end, Prasadam was distributed. Around 250 couples were blessed with their marriage being performed in the Divine presence. Swami spent some time with Sai Geeta (elephant) by feeding her apples and bananas. After the interview, Swami came to the Ganesh portico.
Student : Swami, M.B.A. drama. (Swami acted for some time as if He could not hear and boys repeated their request again and again.)
Swami : After seeing yesterday’s drama, I think, our boys’ drama… (Smiled)
They performed from their heart. (Swami mentioned that people who come from outside have lot of devotion. He told about an incident where a group of devotees from America paid for their tickets in U.S.A. and booked their tickets after coming to India because they were not sure what programmes will be here and they did not want to miss them by making advance reservations.)
Student : Please come, Swami.
Swami : Study well, get good marks, that is all I want. No need of any drama.
Life itself is a drama. Yesterday the programme was very good. They did not waste any time. Our boys… (Swami meant that our boys perform very slowly.) They put up five dramas, first was Swami’s drama.
(Others mentioned the names of the main characters in other scenes like Markandeya, Andal and Kanakadas.)
Prof. A. K. : Swami, their level is different, our level is different.
Swami : No, no. They do it with interest. (Playing with the word ‘interest’) They do it with ‘in-trust’. Our boys do ‘in-rest’.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, those people were very quick.
Swami : They were quick and our boys, only trick. (Referring to a student)
Where is that Delhi Bull?
Student : Swami, he has gone for Prasadam distribution.
Prof. A. K. : Swami, Mee Enakala… (Swami, he is behind You.)
Swami : (Smiling) Yalakala! (Rats!)
Prof. A. K. : Morning, as we were sitting behind, we could not see the painting there. What was it, Swami?
Swami : Meenakshi Kalyanam. The poster depicts the scene in which Shiva’s marriage with Meenakshi is performed. Who is Meenakshi’s husband? (Some replied, ‘Sundaresan’.) Sundaresan! (Jokingly) The one who is in Whitefield? (Referring to Dr. C. N. Sundaresan, Faculty Member, Department of Chemistry, Brindavan Campus of the Institute.)
After Bhajans at 5.30 pm, Swami retired to the Poornachandra residence.
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