Sathya Sai with Students: The First Ati Rudra Maha Yajna at Prasanthi Nilayam

Wednesday, August 9, 2006 to Sunday, August 20, 2006

Sri Sathya Sai Speaks during the Ati Rudra Maha Yajna

… Continued from Part 1

Bhagavan’s messages contained in the 10 Discourses given by Him during the Ati Rudra Maha Yagna are as under:

9th August, 2006

“The day people took to fascination for English language, knowledge of one’s own religion and language declined. When one’s own religion and language declined, love for one’s culture disappeared. When love for one’s culture disappeared, righteousness declined on Earth. When righteousness declined and disappeared from Earth, Bharat lost its exalted position. Oh! Bharatiyas! Open your eyes and be alert to the situation at least now. Oh! Men of noble qualities! What more can I explain and convey? This Yagna is being conducted for the welfare of the world. A very important aspect this Yagna is that it will protect and foster the Divine nature of men. At the same time, it will eradicate his demonic qualities. Thus, it will promote the welfare of the humanity. The Vedas are the gift of the God for the welfare of entire mankind. Vedic Mantras can be chanted by one and all without any distinction whatsoever of religion and nationality.”

10th August, 2006

“It is only in Bharat that people, despite their trials and tribulations, are able to lead a peaceful life by thinking of God at all times. It is the great good fortune of the Bharatiyas that they have taken birth in this sacred land. Performance of sacred rituals like Yagnas and Yagas is not found anywhere else in the world. People think that offering oblations in the fire is Yagna. But true Yagna is to offer oneself to God, to please God and to become deserving of His Love”.

The Ati Rudra Maha Yajna at Prasanthi Nilayam

11th August, 2006

“As long as you harbour evil qualities like desire and anger and greed etc., humanness cannot blossom in you, and you cannot experience bliss. You are all embodiments of Love. You cannot live without love even for a moment. You may express your love in any form, but lead your life as an embodiment of love. In this way, you will eventually attain Divinity. This is the important message I am conveying to you today”.

12th August, 2006

“The body is made up of five elements and is bound to perish sooner or later, but the indweller has neither birth nor death. The indweller has no attachments whatsoever and is the eternal witness. Truly speaking, the indweller who is in the form of the Atma, is verily God Himself. Death is certain someday or the other. Therefore, earn a good name even at the cost of your life. There is no point in becoming a great man in life; it is enough if you earn a good name”.

13th August, 2006

“The day on which all the devotees gather and sing the glory of God melodiously, the day on which the sufferings of the poor are lovingly removed and all people live like brothers and sisters, the day on which groups of Dasas (Servants of God) who constantly contemplate on God are served a sumptuous feast, the day on which they visit us and narrate the stories of God lovingly, enjoy that day as the real day. All other days are mere death anniversaries. Do I need to say more, Oh noble souls?” (Telugu poem) “The youth have matchless powers. Though they are highly educated, having graduate and post graduate degrees and occupying high positions, yet they do not know the essence of education. Thinking that they are highly educated and have high academic degrees, they are inflated with pride. Due to this pride, they are forgetting the canons of their religion and culture.”

Sayeeswara Lingam

14th August, 2006

“The day you give up the body attachment, forget the senses and contemplate on the Atma Tattva (Principle of the Self), that very day, you yourself will become the embodiment of the Divine principle. You are not merely a human being.

You are God yourself. But you are deluded to consider yourself a human being. You have donned the garb of a human being for the sake of living in this world. This human form is only a dress. As long as you are acting on the stage of this world, you wear that dress. The moment you leave the stage, you cast off that dress. You wear this dress only to enact a role”.

18th August, 2006

“Oh man! Do not feel proud of your education. If you do not offer you salutations to God and do not think of Him with devotion, all your education will become useless (Telugu poem). Man is endowed with three qualities – Satva, Rajas and Tamas (serenity, passion and sloth). We should inculcate Satvic qualities. One with evil thoughts will see evil in everything. One with good thoughts will see good everywhere. One who is completely devoid of all thoughts will, however, attain total and eternal peace. Cloth is made of weaving threads. Where do the threads come from? They come from cotton. Human body is like the cloth that is woven by the threads of our Karmas (actions) of previous births from the cotton of Samskaras (mental impressions). This cloth of human body is God’s gift to man.”

Sri Sathya Sai presiding over the Ati Rudra Maha Yajna

During the 11 days of Yajna, a combination of singers, including Institute students, offered classical, devotional and instrumental music at the Lotus Feet. They were as follows:

• 10th August, 2006: The child artiste, Mr. Kartik Gyaneshwar and child artiste, flutist Mr. Akash

• 11th August, 2006: The renowned musician from Chennai, Sri O. S. Arun and the Institute students made a musical presentation

• 13th August, 2006: The Institute students presented devotional songs

Music Programme by the Students of Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of Music

• 14th August, 2006: Sri M. R. Vaidyanathan of Coimbatore presented devotional songs. Bhagavan blessed the artiste and materialised a gold chain for him.

• 15th August, 2006: Ustad Rique Khan of Gwalior Gharana and party presented a Sitar recital. Bhagavan showered His blessings on the entire group and gifted clothes to them. The Institute students presented two dance items, Yaksha Gana dance (a traditional folk art form of Karnataka) and Tandava dance of Lord Shiva. Pleased with their performance, Bhagavan showered His blessings on the participants and posed for group photos with them.

• 17th August, 2006: The reputed artistes from Chennai, the two sisters Smt. Ranjani and Smt. Gayatri presented devotional songs. Bhagavan blessed the artistes and presented saris to them.

• 19th August, 2006: Sri Ghatam Kartik and his troupe presented a fine medley of instrumental, light classical and classical vocal devotional music.

Bhagavan blessed the entire group and presented clothes to them. He also materialised a gold ring for one of the member in the troupe.

With this excellent presentation, the devotional music programmes that were arranged for the Ati Rudra Maha Yagna came to a conclusion.