Wednesday, May 16, 2001
 |
| Sri Sathya Sai entering Trayee Brindavan |
Swami came at 4.30 pm. Coming near the Jhoola, Swami indicated to the Brindavan Warden to speak. He then spoke stating that Swami had commanded all the students to go home during the vacations and serve their parents.
Swami : Must go! You are not telling strictly. They must go. They can’t stay back. (To the Principal, Sri Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of Music) How many children came for admissions?
Principal : Totally, 75 came. 24 were selected. (Swami enquired about specific numbers for each specialisation.)
Swami : Are they good students?
Principal : Even if they don’t know, they have potential.
Swami : (To Brindavan Warden) What is the name of the band leader?
B. Warden : Das.
Swami : (To Dibya Jyoti Das, leader of the Institute Brass Band) What are you doing now?
Das : Swami, Ph.D.
Swami : Stop your Ph.D. for sometime for now. Today I am giving appointment order. Good pay. What appointment? For Mathematics. (To Brindavan Warden) He is good boy. PG, Ph.D. and now teaching. Now we need more teachers to teach, so I appointed him. (To Dibya Jyoti Das) Who else is there in Mathematics?
B. Warden : Balasubramanian, who plays Tabla.
Swami : Who else? Who has got ‘O’ grade in Mathematics?
(To Dibya Jyoti Das) How many Ph.D. boys are there?
Das : Seven, Swami.
Swami : Good number. (To Brindavan Warden) Where is Darjeeling boy? (One of the students, Shailesh Bangdel came forward.) What are you studying?
Student : M.B.A.
Swami : Such short boys are in M.B.A.! What are the subjects in M.B.A.?
Shailesh : Values-based Management, Self Awareness and Personality Development.
Swami : What is Personality?
Shailesh : Swami, character, behaviour…
Swami : Character and behaviour are separate. How many types of character are there?
Shailesh : Individual, National and Fundamental Character.
Swami : First is Individual Character, next is National Character and third is Fundamental Character. Speak a little. (After his speech) After M.B.A., where are you going? Darjeeling? (No reply.) When are you going? Tell!
Shailesh : I will do whatever You tell.
Swami : Then book a ticket tomorrow. For 15 days be with parents.
Shailesh : 15 days I will be with You, Swami.
Swami : Parents too must be made happy. Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava (Parents are Divine). Fundamental Character is first. (To Brindavan Warden) In My opinion, that is also a subject... To test the boys as to what they do when they go home… Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Bangalore too. We must see how they behave outside.
Shailesh : I want to be with You. What will we do going home? You are our parent.
 |
| Sri Sathya Sai with Students in the lawns of Trayee Brindavan |
Swami : That is different. 20 years you were with parents. You have no gratitude to them. You have stayed here for just two or three years, how can you then show gratitude? Gratitutde must come first. Swami has given free education. If you have no gratitude, what is the use? Are you a Brahmin?
Shailesh : No, Swami.
Swami : Are you a Kshatriya? (The student nodded.) Kshatriya Deeksha (the vow of a warrior) is very important. Deeksha Kankana (the vows). How many Kankanas (vows) did Krishna have? He had three. The first was ‘Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya, Glaanir Bhavati Bharata; Abhyutthanam Adharmasya, Tadaatmanam Srujaamyaham’ (Whenever and wherever there is a decline in the practice of righteousness, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of unrightous behaviour, at that time I descend Myself). The second was ‘Paritranaaya Sadhunaam, Vinaashayacha Dhushkritam; Dharma Samsthapanarthaaya, Sambhavami Yuge Yuge’ (In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of righteousness, I incarnate age after age). The third one was ‘Sarva Dharmaan Parityajya, Maamekam Sharanam Vraja; Aham Tvam Sarva Papebhyo, Mokshayishyami Maashucha’ (Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear). These were the three Kankanas of Krishna. How many Kankanas do you have? Only one. Follow Swami’s words. Go home tomorrow. With you, I will send two more boys. Calcutta boys. Till Calcutta, you can go together. From there, separate. Are you not willing to go?
Shailesh : We are here for You.
Swami : What about parents? Who is first – parents or Swami?
Shailesh : Parents will come here to meet us.
Swami : You are not going just to meet them. Serve them. Good boy. Go by tomorrow evening bus. (The student was silent. To Brindavan Warden) Send all the boys. Don’t keep anyone in Hostel. (To student) Speak with a smile. Tell that ‘I will go home to keep up Swami’s word’.
Shailesh : Swami, You are our mother.
Swami : Mother is at home.
Shailesh : Swami’s Love endears us to Him. His Love is that of a thousand mothers.
Swami : You don’t love one mother, how can you understand thousand mother’s love? Go home for ten days. Make parents happy and come. (The student was silent, feeling a bit sad and in tears.) Do you want kerchief?
(To Sujith, another student) Malayalam singer? When are you going home?
Sujith : Parents have come here.
Swami : I will send them too. What all strategies students adopt (to stay with Swami)! They send telegram to parents, ‘Come here immediately’.
(To the student) I will send parents also with you. Go home. Mother will give sweets. Eat well. Now speak something and sing.
Sujith : Throat is not good.
Swami : Throat is good.
During his talk, Sujith mentioned that his mother had called him home and asked him to eat well and take rest, but he had refused.
Swami : Why don’t you have Buddhi (intellect)? (To Tara Shankar, an Assamese student) You too, go to Assam.
Tara : Parents are coming here.
Swami : Tell ‘No’ to them.
Tara : They have already started.
Swami : Yesterday they started, you start today. Go with parents. There are ten days holidays. Speak. (Tara Shankar asked if he could sing the famous Meera Bhajan, ‘Payoji Maine’. After the song, Swami asked him to speak. After his speech, Swami held his hand.) It is like ice. Why fear? (To Brindavan Warden) See his hands. Go and sit.
 |
| Sri Sathya Sai blessing all from the balcony of Trayee Brindavan |
Swami got up at 5.47 pm. Swami gave Prasadam trays to the students and blessed all from the balcony of the first floor before retiring for the day.
(Editor’s Note: In this set of conversations, we see a constant ‘argument’ between Swami and students. Swami wants the students to go home and spend time with parents. The students, on the other hand, want to spend all their time in Swami’s physical presence. This was something very common to every vacation. Swami would ‘try His best’ to convince the students to go home so that they could make their parents happy by their physical presence. The students from their side would come up with very innovative excuses for staying back with Swami as we have just read in some of these conversations. It is the sweetness of this unique bond of Swami and His children which has been captured in these conversations. It is not at all a matter of disobedience on part of the students. Instead, it was Love unfolding between the Divine Parent and His beloved children.)
Eternal bond of LOVE...."prema bandhamu''
ReplyDeleteOM SAI RAM:)
ReplyDelete