Index of earlier Bulletins

August 16, 2006

August 16th, the 7th day of the Athi Rudra Maha Yajnam also happened to coincide with Shri Krishnajanmashtami celebrations. Swami entered Sai Kulwant Hall at 7.20 A.M and after completing the Darshan round, sat on the sofa to monitor the yajnam proceedings. Today’s programme had commenced at 5 A.M and by the time Swami had come, the Ritwiks had finished the Arunaparayanam, Mahanyasam, Panchamrutha Abhishekam and were chanting the Rudram. At about 7:50 am, Swami’s students had came in a procession from Swami’s “Gokulam” leading His pet cows, fawns, and the apple of Swami’s eye, His very own Sai Gita. When Swami saw the procession and His children from the animal kingdom, He immediately motioned to be wheeled near the main gate. Through the Yajna mantapam, between the homa kundams, He came down unto the Rama statue gate and showered His love on them.

Firstly, the latest entrant in Gokulam, a 5 day old calf was fed by Swami. He took a feeding bottle with milk and watched the calf lovingly as it guzzled away intently and happily. It was heart-rending to see tears streaming down Sai Gita’s eyes when Swami was feeding her. It was testimony of the love that the Lord and His pet shared. Swami had her called for a second round of feeding too. Then the fawn received His grace following which the strong and healthy cows were brought too. For them there were apples and bananas. All the while, the students’ bhajan group were singing Krishna bhajans whole heartedly and full throated. Having showered His love and grace, Swami returned to the sofa on centre stage.

After sitting there for a few minutes, Swami continued to shower His love - this time the recipients were the Khan Brothers who had enthralled the audience with an exquisite musical rendering last evening. Swami went into the interview room and the chanting continued. The Rudram homam was followed by the Sai Gayathri homam. This was followed by recital of small portions from the four Vedams, and then ‘Nadaswaram’ . At about 9:10 am, Swami came out and sat again. Mahamangala Aarthi was taken at 9:40 am after which Swami retired to Yajur Mandiram.

The evening proceeded similarly to the previous days. Swami came out of the Yajur Mandiram at 3:18 pm as the Mangala Vadyam ushered Him into the Kulwant Hall musically. He immediately called for the speeches as soon as He sat down at 3:25 pm. Sri Vinay Kumar introduced the speakers for the day. The first speaker was Sri Nirbhayananda Saraswati, head of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Ashram at Bangalore who was to elucidate the significance of the Athi Rudra Maha Yagnam. He had spoken at the World Parliament of Religions at Barcelona in 2004.

He started off by paying his homage to Swami, who could single handedly achieve what no other organization, government or any country could ever achieve. A gist of his speech follows:

“How to achieve the concept of Vasudeiva Kutumbakam (the whole world as a single family) seems to be a million dollar question even with the establishment of League of Nations, United Nations etc. but when one enters the village of Puttaparthi it is obvious that it is easily possible for we can see it in action. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has found various institutions with that very intention. Without further ado let me dive into the topic given to me.

The Rudram, a portion of the Yajur Veda which is divided into the Krishna paksha and Shukla paksha, occurs in the Taitreya Shaka. To be precise it occurs in the 5th and 7th prapatakas of the Vaishvadeva kanda. That is the source of the Rudram chanted here. The Rudram is very lyrical, musical and uplifting since it is divine in nature. Once a student of sage Yagnavakhya asked, “How can immortality be reached?” To this the sage replied by chanting shata rudra, that is eleven rithwiks chanting Rudra 11 times is enough to attain immortality. The Athi Rudra Yagnam is the chanting of the 14641 times, which is when 121 people chant the Rudram 11 times a day for 11 days. Shatananda Rishi says that the Athi Rudram can render virtues, graces, magnetism, wealth, peace of the world, enhancing the longevity of life, enhancing health- social, political, economic. Rudra means one who wards of difficulties that arise of the mediocrities in life. Lord Dakshinamuthy, a form of the Rudra has a very unique way of teaching. His students would come to Him with doubts and sit in His presence. He would clear all doubts through silence! They would go after sitting some time with all their doubts clarified.

A metaphysical definition of the Rudra is also present in the Vedas which will easily clear the doubts of the modern day scientific mind. The spiritual science is the essence of all sciences since it explains the Truth itself, and not manifestations of the Truth which the other sciences deal with. The Rudra is described as the Sadchidananda Swaroopa. He is beyond the mind. So no words could capture Him. He gave into the influence of Maya and therefore became encased in the facets of Time, Space and Causation. Shiva, Vishnu and Devi. Creation depends on all these three. Shiva represents time. He is known as Mahakala in Ujjain. Mortality depends on Him. Therefore it is certain that when the Lord is worshipped, there will be enhancement of life in the world. There will be AYUSH KAMA, enhancing of Health-economic, social and spiritual. Hence there will be Universal Peace.”

The second speaker was Sri Krishan Bhagwath, a student who is pursuing his MBBS, an alumnus of the Loka Seva Trust institution at Alike which is under Bhagawan's supervision. He spoke about the role of Youth in modern day life. He highlighted the fact that at the centre of violence, disoriented youth are always found. He said that the youth had to transform in the Sai way. Then and only then will there be Universal peace. He also used Swami’s description of the Youth, where Swami compares them to Hanuman, who is courageous, valorous and mighty but is also devoted and humble. So he said that the youth should follow the footsteps of Hanuman as advised by Swami.

Then Swami called out to one of the research scholars of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Sri Sanjay Mahalingam, and asked him to speak. He presented a well designed and structured logical flow of the Truth behind the Self, the Individual. The fact that the speech was impromptu was unbelievable. It was clear exhibition of clarity of thought. He began with a story (which Bhagawan has narrated) of a conversation between Vyasa and an insect, which highlights the moral that verily man and animals are same in all aspects like food, family, death, birth, fear, etc. The rest of the speech was an analysis of how the humans can differ from this very banal similarity. The fundamental questions like ‘Who are you?’, ‘Where do you come from?’, ‘Where do you go?’ all remain mystical and mysterious. He then narrated a story which highlighted the fact that the more we learn about the cosmos and the creation the more ignorant we become and the secret of understanding is to know thyself - and you shall know all. He went on to say, quoting Adi Sankara, that it was very difficult to attain human birth and we should make full use of it and understand the self in order to get emancipation. Time engulfs everything and everything is a victim of the onslaught of time. Everything is ephemeral and therefore in the little time that we have we must divert our attention to the Cosmic Being who is beyond time and space and only then we can also transcend this Time. The essence of all spirituality, the messages of all the spiritual masters is just one. It is a single syllable that encases all of spirituality-‘I’. The self realization is the greatest of all Truths. So the question that comes to the mind is, “What do I need to know Myself?” The answer is given in the Upanishads, essentially three types of enquiry. The nethi which highlights the fact that as long as there is a knower, known and the process of knowing the Self is different. Hence we are not the body. The Kena Upanishad keeps the spirit of inquisitiveness alive and asks the seeker to question the very source of everything. He ended with a reference to the sacrifice by saying that we should offer all our desires in the sacrificial altar and crave for this ultimate knowledge of Truth.

Swami then retired to the interview room for a few minutes as the dais was made ready for the discourse. Within a few minutes Swami emerged from the interview room and blessed the audience with His Divine Discourse. A summary of the discourse follows:

“Embodiments of Love!
The preceding speakers have explained very well, very little is left for Me to speak.

More than offering food as charity to the hungry man can there be a greater act of charity?

Parents are man’s Gods. So it is said in the scriptures. There is no other penance greater than that of truth, no other path greater than compassion, nothing more profitable than the company of good people.

Embodiments of Love!
We live by partaking food. Without partaking food it is not possible to live. Where from does this food come? Everything can thus be traced back to the Source. It is the Infinite Principle that is the source of everything. All objects the seen and the unseen are all creations of God. The past, the present and the future are manifestations of God.

The real truth is cognized only by Parvati. All deities assemble and ask her, “Who is Shiva? He has got matted hair and locks all over him. He wears the tiger skin for dress. The bull is his chariot and he rests in the burial ground. He begs for his food. How is it that you married him?” Parvati laughed and replied, “You all think of the physical and mundane worlds and form, at the level of the body and the mind. You all must look within. In that context, Shiva is that lingam which has its boundaries beyond infinity, beyond the comprehension of the mind. He is the smallest of the small and biggest of the big. To know the truth one should attain the temperament of truth. None can understand His form.

He is all brilliance with the effulgence of a thousand suns. Can you hold a candle against such dazzling brightness? When He is the oceans that can engulf all of land and all seas, can you give Him a bath?

The whole society and world shouts for they are blind. They go only by the external form. We worship what we see everyday. None can decide what to offer to God. Many question the purpose of the Yagna. They are asking questions like - Why pour so many grains into the altar? Why so much ghee is poured? They say that instead it can be given to the poor and needy. Here is an anology to clarify understanding. When the farmer finishes with the plough, he takes a few bags of paddy and sprinkles it all over the fields. Is it that he is just throwing it away? He only does it so as to reap the harvest at a later time when the paddy fields become rich. He gets much more than what he had thrown. Similarly whatever is cast into the Yagnam will never go waste. It will come back many folds. The grain, the ghee offered will give multiple profits in the future. Whatever is offered to God will come back in abundance.

Everyone goes by outer form and external appearances without looking within. No one sees the inner reality. Only Parvati did, so the Great Shiva accepted her as His consort. Nowadays everyone goes by the external packaging. They get lost in the beauty of the packaging. One has to break through the packaging to explore what is inside. The true beauty lies inside, it lies within. Divinity is within us. Everywhere there is man and God is within man. To realize this man must remove the package. You should first be united with the soul, out of which purity arises from which there is Divinity. You are not one but three. The one that other think you are (identification by the body), the one that you think that you are (your mind in action) and the one that you really are. You are not the mind and the body but you are truly the ONE. (At this point of time, Swami sat down and sang the bhajan, “Shiva, Shiva, Shiva, Shiva Yena Radha…”)

Namah Shivaya, is five letters which goes around the five worlds. It’s the purest of all, all effulgent and all beautiful. Brahma, the generator, Vishnu, the sustainer and Shiva, the destroyer are all different only at the mundane level. The creation requires the action of all three of them as a single entity. The red colour arises of the combination of the three components betel leaves, betel nut and the chunnam.

All worldly possessions, acquisitions and wealth are ephemeral. Nothing is permanent. Alexander the Great was in India near the Sindhu river. He was marching in for conquests. At that time he suffered a heart attack. The doctors said that it was fatal. Alexander wanted his coffin to be so designed that his two hands were outside and taken in a procession all over his kingdom. When the procession was going on, the question was, why such a strange request? The great king that he was, the conquests that he made, the wars that he won, he was going empty handed at the time of death. Nothing that he conquered or won was going with him. To indicate this, such a request was made. Similarly Harishchandra, the embodiment of Truth, also took nothing. So also the great King Nala. Only the good deeds will come with you when you leave this world. So we must help and serve others.

Swami is constantly blissful, there is nothing as worry. When the President asked Swami what He wanted, Swami just replied that in everyone’s well being and happiness alone lies Swami’s happiness. Therefore all must pray for the Peace of the entire world. In Peace everything else is contained. The boy who spoke prior to Me, comes from college in Delhi. He is right now pursuing his Ph.D in the Management. He obeys every command of Swami. He reads good books and gives very good talks. He has read all the works of Sankara and has all the books of Sankara. He has very good dtermination. The other boy who spoke is currently pursuing his MBBS. He is also our student. There is one more student called Veda Narayanan, true to his name he is an expert in Vedas. He became a teacher and received the best teacher award last year from the President of India. He also told the President that he has settled in Puttaparthi. The President congratulated him for his decision.

Annually we have around 500 boys in our college. All of them secure first class marks in their academics. They do not publicize in newspapers. These students are really great, whatever Swami says they are ready to follow. The boys are pure gold. The students are good in all fields - music, dance, sports, you name it - they are excellent. But the best part is our students are very careful about character. Character is most important to them all.

Ever year the students take part in the Annual Grama Seva. The students from Anantapur, Brindavan and Prasanti Nilayam campuses go from village to village and help the villagers there. They go and give food to villagers, help in construction and repairs. Hence they have very good name in society. People say that they are true to the white colored dress that they wear.

Swami has vowed that He will take care of food, clothing and water for all. So, crores of money has been spent in order to realize this. Water has been supplied to the whole of Chennai city, East Godavari and other water-scarcity-hit districts. Around 50 buses came in from Chennai and the people expressed their gratitude. But Swami merely replied, it is not done for gratitude. You all belong to Me so I have done this. All were happy. Hence we must serve all. LOVE ALL SERVE ALL.

Our students are really great. They follow this principle by the letter and spirit. If they find any needy person they even go to the extent of giving their own clothes. Our students are not ordinary. The are going to be the ideals of the world. They are the Leaders of tomorrow. Swami will explain in more detail tomorrow. Time is up for today. Now do Bhajans and do Namasmarana.

Then the Bhajans were sung with full throated enthusiasm and fervour. Swami sat for a few Bhajans and retired back to the Yajur Mandiram at around 6:15 pm.

Images from 16th August as well as the text versions of Bhagawan's Discourses on the 9th, 10th and so on are available at the Book Trust website.

During the Ati Rudra Maha Yagnam, Radio Sai will be broadcasting special half-hour capsules daily: The schedule page lists this programme as "Sounds from the Ati Rudra Maha Yagnam being conducted at Prasanthi Nilayam." We have also started a download service, with these programs forming a pilot run: these programs are available for download from http://stream.radiosai.org/ our download site.

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