Tuesday, June 20, 2000
In the evening, Swami gave Padanamaskar to the Uttar Pradesh Bal Vikas children and their teachers. Wrist watches and Prasadam were also given to them. In the first block, He told the former students waiting for His guidance and instructions to go home and start working. Nevertheless, they said that they wanted to stay with Swami. He then told a guest, “Nobody wants to leave from Prasanthi Nilayam. Everyone wants to stay with Swami.” Then Swami spoke with the Research Scholars.
Swami : What did (mentioned a teacher’s name) he teach today?
R. S. 1 : Swami, we met in the morning.
Swami : Which subject?
R. S. 1 : International Finance.
Swami : Who is a leader?
R. S. 2 : Swami, Krishna.
Swami : Who are the followers?
R. S. 2 : Dharmaja, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva.
Swami : What about Bheema? He is also a devotee. (Smiling) Bheema Kodathadu (Bheema will beat you). What is the meaning of Bharata?
R. S. 2 : Bhava, Raga, Tala (Devotion, rhythm and beat).
Swami : That is in Music. What is its meaning? (Getting no response from the students). ‘Bha’ Ante Prakasamu (means effulgence), ‘Ra’ Ante Ramminchutamu (attraction), ‘Ta’ Ante Tanmayatvamu (forgetting oneself). (Getting attracted by the effulgence and forgetting one’s own self. That is the meaning of Bharat.)
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| Goddess Saraswati at Prasanthi Nilayam Campus |
Who is Bharati? (No response from the students.) Bharati is Saraswati. What are the other names of Saraswati? Saraswati Namastubhyam Varade Kaamaroopinee, Vidyarambham Karishyaami Siddhir Bhavatu Mesada, Padma Patra Vishaalakshi Padma Kesari Varnini, Nityam Padma Layam Padma Saamam Paatu Saraswati, Bhagavati Bharati Nisheshya Jaadyapaha. (Oh Goddess Saraswati, I bow down to You. Please bless me. As I commence my pursuit of gaining knowledge, I pray that I be successful in my endeavours. Oh Mother Goddess who resides in the Lotus, and who has the complexion of lotus-like saffron, please protect me. Oh Goddess Bharati, please remove my laziness.) See, so many names for Mrs. Brahma! (Mother Saraswati is the consort of Lord Brahma.) What are those of Lakshmi? (Swami then said all those names and asked one of the Research Scholars to repeat the same.) You should know all these; it is there in Mahabharata. Yenna Bharathe, Tanna Bharatha (What is not there in Bharat is not there anywhere else in the world). Who said this?
R. S. 2 : Swami, Vyasa.
Swami : There is a saying, Vinte Bharatame Vinale, Tinte Gaarele Tinale (Only Mahabharata is worth hearing and Vada (a fried savoury) is worth eating)! Who is an ideal leader?
R. S. 3 : Tata.
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| Jamsetji Tata (1839-1904) |
Swami : Tata is his surname. His real name is Jamshed. At that time, people were known by their professions – Rickshawala, Jhatkawala, etc. What did he do?
R. S. 3 : He set up industries.
Swami : Nee Thalakai (Your head)! He was in iron and steel business. He used to import and export. He got cycle rickshaws from China to Bombay. He wanted to clean up Bombay, but he could not. Even now, it is dirty. Where you have come from?
R. S. 3 : Jamshedpur, Swami.
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| President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) |
Swami : (Smiling) That is why you know so much about Tata. (To students) American President Lincoln, was a great man. His father was a carpenter. It was a poor family. His mother used to stitch clothes for other small children and thus they made a living. Lincoln was taught to be a self-confident man. Later, he lost in the elections a couple of times, but finally, he was elected as the President of America. He had self-confidence, Atma Vishvasamu. Columbus (repeated thrice), what did he do?
R. S. 2 : Discovered India, Swami.
Swami : Thalakai! Discovered America. As a small boy in Italy, he lived by the side of the ocean and would always keep staring at it. He had many unanswered questions: From where did all this water come? Where does it go? Is there land beyond these waters? He wanted to find out. Who financed his trip?
R. S. 1 : Spanish Queen, Swami.
Swami : He was given money by the Spanish Queen. She gave him two ships and four men. They traveled for a long time in search of land. After 10,000 miles, they did not see the land. The other men got disillusioned. However, Columbus had self-determination and self-confidence. They went on. After 10,500 miles, they spotted land. All because of self-confidence.
(Praising the students) Many of them have double degrees. The students (alumni) are working in various companies. Some are in Sundaram Finance in Madras. They work very well. Once, the employees were planning for a strike. Our students said that we are being paid for work and not for strike; we will not be a part of it. The other employees accepted our students’ explanations and called off the strike. There have been no strikes since then. Three students are working in Indonesia too, in Sai Lakshmi Mills.
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| Christopher Columbus discovered America 1492 |
(Pointing to Sri Nitin Acharya) He is from Bombay. He left his job and joined here. He has done his engineering and M.B.A. He now works in the Book Trust. His brother is in Indonesia, our M.B.A. student.
(Then Swami introduced Sri Rameswar Prusty.) His first brother (Sri Venkateswar Prusty) is a teacher in our School (Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School); second brother (Sri Rameswar Prusty himself) works in the Central Trust, the third (Sri Bisweswar Prusty) M.B.A. Ho Gaya (has finished M.B.A.), Wait Karta Hai (he is waiting for Swami’s instructions).
(Calling a student) Where did you work?
Student : Swami, C-DOT.
Swami : They did not relieve him immediately. He had to pay 1,00,000 (to break the contract) to come and study here.
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