The Devotion of Bidda Kishtappa and Thyagaraja

 January 24, 1998

Swami blessed the Project reports of the MBA/MFM students during Darshan. After Interviews, Swami came again. He saw some of the Project reports and commented on them. Noticing the binding…


Swami: See! What binding is this, anyone can easily tear pages from it. 
(Swami then pointed to another report that was hardbound) Binding should be like this; nobody can tear pages from it. 
(Then Swami called a student and searched for something in his report.) Where is Rakesh? Where is Rakesh? (After finding the right page), Here is Rakesh. (Actually, one of the sentences in the page contained the name, ‘Rakesh Menon Committee’) I know everything, sir! (Swami would often reveal to students His omniscience through such small instances. He then gave Padanamaskar to all the MBA/MFM students)

Student: Talk to us, Swami.

Swami: First Padanamaskar, then talk to us, next marks, then you will pass and go away. How many students are there in your class?

Students: 47

Swami: 4+7=11, 1+1=2, two is not a bad number.

Student: Swami, Project on Rural Development.

Swami: Good, why such a small project? It can be completed in one day.

Student: On Gokulam.

Swami: You give medicine to animals, how will you know that they have responded to your treatment, they can’t even talk? 

(To a student) How many children do you have? 

(Then Swami narrated an incident from a person’s life.) There was a man called ‘Bidda Kishtappa’. He was Swami’s devotee. He had 22 children. But he never faced any difficulty in taking care of these children. He was a weaver by profession. Every time he moved the weaving block, he would chant ‘Sai Ram’. On one occasion he told Swami that he wanted to leave his mortal coil in Prashanti Nilayam. One year, when he came to Prashanti Nilayam during Shivaratri, he developed fever. I asked him to go to the hospital, and there he passed away. His wife was happy that his wish was fulfilled. Each of his children sends 100 sarees for the Narayana Seva. One should live up to his name. 

See Thyagaraja, he sacrificed the world to attain the kingdom of God. One day after returning from bath in Kaveri, he saw lots of valuables in his house. When he asked as to who sent them, the king’s couriers told him that the king had sent them, since he was a destitute (Anatha). Thyagaraja asked them, “Who is an Anatha? I have Lord Rama as my Natha (Master). Only Rama is Anatha. Give these jewels to Him.

(Then Swami called some students to distribute oranges to all. He asked a teacher to show his orange, which was a bit small.) Very small for a teacher. Students gave knowingly!! 

(After a pause) No, they didn’t actually mean to give you a small orange, you are thin and short; so small orange. (To a Student) What is this cover?

Student : Skin

Swami : Inside?

Student : Juice

Swami : Which one you would like to have?

Student : Juice

Swami : You have to remove the bitter skin, which is the world to enjoy the sweet juice which is God. The skin of the orange can be powdered and used for brushing the teeth. It has cleansing qualities. There is Vitamin ‘C’ in it.


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