"What was there for breakfast?"

Sunday, June 18, 2000 (Morning)

Swami : (To a Primary School student) What did you have for breakfast?

Student : Swami, Dosa.

Swami : How many?

Student : One, Swami.

Swami : (To the Institute students) What was there for breakfast?

Student : Uttapam, Swami.

Swami : Utta… Appam! How many?

Student : One, Swami.

Swami : Only one! What was the other item?

Student : Tamarind rice, Swami.

Swami : Kya? (What?)

Student : Pulihora (Tamarind rice), Swami.

Swami : Oh! That is just coloured rice. 

(After the interviews, to the teachers) Why should boys sit along with the teachers? (No reply. Then asking a teacher) Tell, is it good?

Teacher : No, Swami.

Swami : Then why are they sitting?

Teacher : Swami, when they come for Your Darshans, it sometimes gets late. So for the sake of a seat, they sit near us.

Swami : (To a teacher about the book that he was holding) What is it?

Teacher : Swami, four to five Vahinis, I bound them together. (Vahini, literally meaning a stream, is the series of books written by Swami as articles in the Sanathana Sarathi monthly magazine since its inception in February 1958)

Swami : Vahini! Bharya Vahini? (Your wife’s Vahini? Meaning her writings.)

Teacher : Prema Vahini, Prasanthi Vahini. (Then the teacher took out a magazine ‘Sai News-Australia’.)

Swami : What is it?

Teacher : Swami, it is an Australian book. Swami, the paper quality is very good and photos are also very good.

Swami : They spent a lot of money. With money you can get anything, except a mother. You may get a mother also, but not a real one, only artificial mother.

Teacher : How nicely You said it, Swami! (Swami repeated the statement and went through the whole book.)

Students : Swami, Poornachandra session. (Poornachandra sessions were an opportunity wherein Swami permitted all the students to come to the Poornachandra Auditorium. He would sit in their midst and interact with them on various topics. It would be a personal session only for the students and teachers, and a much sought-after opportunity.)

Swami : Go to Poornachandra now, it is there.

Students : Please, Swami.

Swami : (Smiling mischievously) Your Wardens and Vice-Chancellor did not ask Me, what can I do? Ask them? (To a student) What is the programme? Drama?

Student : No, Swami.

Swami : Why? Put up one drama.

Source: Students with Sai: Conversations (2000-2001)