Eternal Thoughts
God is attracted by pure and selfless devotion; He does not wait for any formal invitation or prayer to rush for his devotee's assistance.
Nutrition and Succour for COVID patients at Chikkaballapur District
On the auspicious morning of May 06, 2021, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai has flagged off a Nutrition drive as an aid to support the Karnataka Government’s effort in providing nutrition to all COVID-19 affected patients, admitted to the Government Hospitals of Chikkaballapur District, Karnataka.
On a daily basis, all the affected patients will receive a fruit, fruit juice or buttermilk, and a biscuit packet, to supplement their meals. Once a week, they will also receive packaged diet supplements containing wholesome dry fruits and amla (gooseberry).
This initiative will be extended soon to the Government Hospitals at Mandya and Gulbarga Districts as well.
Upanayanam Ceremony – Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli - February 20 and 21, 2021
On 20th and 21st February, 2021, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai undertook the performance of the sacred Upanayanam ceremony for 84 young vatus. The proceedings began on the evening of Saturday 20 February, as all the vatus, their parents and families gathered for the performance of guru prārthanā, navagraha homa and gāyatrī homa at 5:00 p.m by the entrance of Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham hall. These prayers and homas were performed as an offering to invoke Goddess Gayatri to bless all the vatus who would be initiated into the sacred gāyatrī mantra during their Upanayanam ceremony the following morning. The rituals were underway when Sadguru arrived and granted Darshan to everyone who was gathered at Premamrutham. Sadguru then sat as Bhajans continued and after some time, He proceeded to the homa kuṇḍa where He performed the final pūrṇāhuti and thereafter blessed everyone with sprinklings of the sacred water from the yajña.
Sadguru then briefly spoke to all the young vatus, revealing that this auspicious occasion marked the official launch of the re-awakening of sanātana dharma which is the real mission of the Sai Avatar. Sadguru also revealed that in times to come, sanātana dharma would spread not only across India but throughout the globe.
As Sadguru concluded His message, He received Mangala Arati as the rituals for the day came to a conclusion.
On the morning of Sunday 21 February, 2021, the rituals began at 8:00 a.m at Premamrutham, where all the vatus and their parents were seated. The event began with prayers to Lord Ganesha to remove all obstacles. Thereafter, the rituals of the Upanayanam ceremony began and Sadguru arrived at Premamrutham at around 9:00 a.m. After granting Darshan, Sadguru took His seat on stage and the proceedings continued as the sacred thread was invested to each boy by his father and the auspicious gāyatrī mantra was chanted into the ears of the young boys. This initiation into the gāyatrī mantra is also known as brahmopadeśa and facilitates the flow of Divine guidance to inspire and illumine the intellect so that the jīva or individual soul may know the paramātma or Supreme Self.
After the ceremony concluded, Sadguru profusely blessed each of the vatus and their parents and lovingly took photographs with all of them. Sadguru then addressed everyone reminding the importance of the Upanayanam ceremony and how the word itself means that it gives one a closer vision of one’s true Self’. When one is born from the mother’s womb, one is no different from an animal but after this sacred ceremony, the jñāna śakti or power of wisdom is awakened, thus bringing one closer to the Divine Self.
Thus, the most auspicious and sacred Upanayanam ceremony came to an end and after receiving Mangala Arati, Sadguru proceeded to partake lunch with the blessed young vatus.
Divine Visit to Mandya, Melkote and Mysore - February 18 to 20, 2021
Sri Sathya Sai Sharadaniketanam, Mandya - February 18 And 19, 2021
During Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai’s visit to the Mandya campus in November 2020, Sadguru had also visited the Sri Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple in Melkote. There, He had blessed the priests and promised that He would offer a gold-plated Suryamandala for the Rathasaptami festival in February 2021. Therefore on 18 February 2021, along with some guests, students and staff Sadguru embarked on a two-day visit to Mandya, Melkote and Mysore.
On Thursday 18 February, Sadguru departed from Muddenahalli by helicopter and landed at Sri Sathya Sai Sharadaniketanam, Mandya at 10:30 a.m. He was lovingly welcomed by the students and staff of the campus with a grand procession and guard of honour. Sadguru proceeded to the prayer hall, ‘Sai Hrudayam’, where after Bhajans, the music group offered a bouquet of songs. The gathering was then welcomed by Sri Shashank Narayana, Warden of Sri Sathya Sai Sathya Niketanam, Hassan campus. After an invocatory chant of the sannyāsa sūktam, four students expressed their gratitude to Sadguru and shared their learnings from the parāvidyā classes and expressed their readiness to serve in Sadguru's mission and to follow His words.
Sadguru then answered a few questions asked by the students and then went on to explain the vision behind the introduction of the Gurukula system of education and the NIOS system.
Emphasising the importance of being in good company, Sadguru expanded on the examples of the Pandavas and Duryodhana. Commanding the students to develop good habits which would make their present and future life strong, positive and sublime, Sadguru concluded by saying that by becoming a good and selfless servant of society, anyone can become like Him.
In the evening, Satsang was held at the Dhyana Mantapam in the majestic Lord Shiva temple. After a few Bhajans, the Music Department of the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence presented devotional songs in Kannada, by various saints of Karnataka. Sadguru then spoke about the teachings of Adi Shankaracharya in the Viveka Chudamani and expanded on the importance of sense control. Narrating the examples of five animals who lose their lives due to lack of control of one sense, Sadguru cautioned that human beings must be very careful as they possess all five senses. He said that before doing anything, one must always ask whether the action will take one closer to God or away from God. Sadguru spoke further on the topics of viveka and vairāgya and thereafter received Mangala Arati before retiring for dinner.
The next morning on 19 February, the students and staff gathered for a special prayer session as they chanted Suprabhatam in front of Sadguru’s residence. Sadguru granted Darshan to all of them from the balcony and then descended down at 6 a.m. Speaking to the students, Sadguru guided them on choosing the right path saying that if one chooses the right path, one reaches the right destination. Sadguru spoke about the festival of ‘Rathasaptami’ and referring to the movements of the Sun, explained that jñāna mārga is like moving in a helicopter whereas, bhakti mārga and karma mārga are like moving in a car. Therefore, it is jñāna mārga that will take one to the final destination quickly.
After interacting with the students, at 6:30 a.m Sadguru proceeded to Melkote by helicopter.
Sri Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple, Melkote And Mysore– February 19, 2021
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai arrived at Sri Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple at Melkote by 7 a.m and as the first rays of the morning sun on the auspicious day of Rathasaptami or Surya Jayanti touched the feet of the utsava mūrti, special pūjā was performed to the Swarnaprabha Vahanam. Thereafter, the murti was placed on the Vahanam and drawn in a grand procession. Sadguru then went inside the Sanctum Sanctorum for Darshan of the main sannidhi and then departed to Mysore.
In the evening at around 5 p.m, everyone gathered for a Satsang at the home of Professor J Shashidhara Prasad, former Vice-Chancellor of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prashanti Nilayam. After a few Bhajans and songs by the music group, the grand-daughter of Professor Shashidhara Prasad offered a devotional song on Goddess Lakshmi at Sadguru’s feet. When Sadguru asked the little girl as to what she would ask for if the Goddess came to her home, she responded saying that she would not ask for anything. This made Sadguru very happy and He said that the dearest of devotees are those who ask for God only for God’s sake. He explained that just as democracy is for the people, by the people and of the people, in the same way, spirituality is for God, by God and of God.
Sadguru then concluded the session and after interacting with a few devotees, retired for the evening.
Mysore And Mandya - February 20, 2021
On the morning of 20 February, Sadguru proceeded to the home of Brother Sai Manohar who is currently serving as a site engineer at the Sri Sathya Sai Vaniniketanam, Gadag. Sadguru spent precious moments with all the family members and after blessing them all profusely, departed to Sri Sathya Sai Gokulam, a dairy products company founded by alumnus Sri H N Prashanth.
After a grand welcome by Sri Prashanth, and his family, Sadguru inaugurated the company factory. Various homas had been underway and Sadguru then performed the pūrṇāhuti before inaugurating the office space and spending precious moments with Sri Prashanth and family. Sadguru then blessed all the workers and staff of the factory and all the devotees who had gathered. Speaking to all the devotees, Sadguru emphasised the importance of working for dharma and not for money or fame. He said that if one works for dharma, all else automatically follows. Sadguru also guided on a collaboration of Sri Sathya Sai Gokulam with the Saisure initiative of the Annapoorna Trust. After speaking to the family and guiding them on how to proceed further, Sadguru partook lunch and then departed back to Mandya campus, reaching around 12 p.m.
After a brief rest at the campus, Sadguru then spent a few moments with the staff and students. Promising to return after two months, Sadguru then departed by helicopter at 4 p.m and returned to Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli at 4:45 p.m.
Divine Visit To Sri Sathya Sai University For Human Excellence, Gulbarga - February 14 And 15, 2021
The morning of 14 February saw a continuation of the Chairpersons' Meeting as all the Heads of Institution, Chairpersons and Post-Graduate students gathered once again for discussions on the next steps of the education mission. Later in the morning, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai along with the University faculty members joined the meeting where Sri B G Jayaram presented a brief recap of the Chairpersons' discussions.
Sadguru granted further guidance on how the institutions should proceed and spoke about the National Education Policy 2020. He then elaborated on various aspects of the educational institutions and spent some time answering questions that had arisen during the discussions. The morning session concluded thereafter.
In the early evening, everyone gathered at the volleyball and basketball courts where the students of the campus had prepared to play matches. Sadguru arrived and enthralling matches of volleyball, followed by basketball took place. The teams which consisted of students in Post-Graduate programmes, Undergraduate programmes, the Pre-University College and High School, played with much energy and vigour, giving their all just to bring a smile to their Lord's face. In these institutions, playing sports is not about competition, winning and losing but rather an exercise in teamwork, cooperation, and good sportsmanship and indeed - the boys demonstrated these qualities in abundance. As the matches came to a close, Sadguru blessed all the team members and after taking group pictures with them, everyone proceeded towards the Prayer Hall for the evening Satsang.
The Satsang began with two Post-Graduate student speakers. The first was Brother Niketan T C. Brother Niketan spoke on the topic of 'paravidya - as a student, teacher and seeker'. He spoke about how paravidya classes with Sadguru had brought about a change in perspective in his life and about how teaching paravidya to younger students would enable them to possess a better perspective at a younger age. Brother Niketan also spoke about the importance of not only being near to Sadguru, but rather being dear to Him.
The next speaker for the evening was Brother Battu Bhargav Sai, who narrated three short anecdotes on the topic of 'Organisation as a family'. Brother Bhargav Sai shared through his own experiences how love, compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance are essential for everyone to live as one family. The two inspirational speeches were followed by a scintillating music performance by staff and students from the Department of Music, Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence. Brothers Pranav Kashyap and Srinivas Viswanadha rendered a number of Annamacharya Kirtanas and devotional songs, after which Sadguru expressed His happiness and conveyed that He would personally take care of the music and Vedic studies departments as the world was only created for man to love God and these two departments facilitate the inculcation of such love. He also explained that the only thing that one needs to do on Earth is to love God and be loved by God. All else is unnecessary and avoidable. Sadguru said that only the life of one who has learnt to love God and God alone, is worth living and can be considered successful and all other pursuits and achievements are a sheer waste. Promising to return after a few months, Sadguru brought the session and a wonderful three days to a close. Mangala Arati was offered and Sadguru retired to His residence where He partook dinner along with His guests.
On the morning of 15 February 2021, after profusely blessing the campus staff and students, Sadguru departed from Gulbarga and arrived at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli in the afternoon.
Divine Visit to Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, Gulbarga - February 13, 2021
On the morning of 13 February, all the chairpersons, Heads of Institutions, University staff members and Post-Graduate students gathered at the state-of-the-art conference room in the pentagon building. As soon as Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai arrived, Sri B G Jayaram welcomed all gathered, delivered a brief introductory talk. Thereafter, Sri B N Narasimha Murthy addressed everyone. He spoke about Sadguru's vision for the educational institutions and how Sadguru has changed the structure of the institutions from being educational institutions providing spiritual knowledge, to being spiritual institutions providing academic knowledge.
This was followed by Sadguru's inaugural address of the Chairpersons' meeting wherein He outlined the journey of the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam in the last ten years. He spoke about various challenges and problems that had surfaced over the years and the ways in which He had dealt with each of them, leading to the institutions becoming what they are today. Sadguru emphasised the importance of both jana (people) and dhana (monetary contribution) in sustaining such institutions and explained how both were equally important.
After a presentation by brother Pavan Deshpande, alumni and Chartered Accountant who has dedicated His life in service of this noble mission, Sadguru granted precious guidance to all the staff members gathered about the next steps in the future of the education mission.
Thereafter, there was a short break for refreshments after which everyone gathered in the Prayer Hall for a quiz by the Post-Graduate students of the University.
Six rounds of fun and learning took place on the theme of the book 'God Management' by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, after which Sadguru blessed everyone and retired to His room for lunch and rest for the afternoon.
In the evening, all were gathered once again at the prayer hall for evening Satsang. The session began with a welcome address by Brother Devendra who is currently pursuing his second year at the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, followed by speeches by two Post-Graduate students, Brothers Snehil Naidu and Anil Chandra. First, Brother Snehil spoke on the topic of 'Vision and Mission of Sathya Sai' and beautifully spoke about the ways in which Sadguru has brought about a complete educational reform through His institutions, emphasising more on the spiritual aspects of life rather than the material and worldly aspects and outlined what Sadguru expects of each one playing a part in this mission.
Thereafter, Brother Anil Chandra spoke on the topic of 'The triangle of parent, teacher and student'. He narrated his own experience of the importance of the tri-partite relationship between parent, teacher, and student by recollecting anecdotes from his own internship at the Hampi campus. Brother Anil elaborated on the equally important roles of parents, teachers and students in the education of a child and shared his own learnings on the topic.
Sri B N Narasimha Murthy then addressed the gathering and spoke about the importance of inspiring teachers who encourage students to be the best they can be. Sharing some of his experiences, Sri Narasimha Murthy demonstrated how an inspirational teacher can mould a child and guide them towards a life of service.
Sadguru then granted His Divine message and explained how a person whose thought, word and deed is always in line, never suffers. “If one chooses to serve and do good, then one would never experience regret.” Sadguru spoke about the importance of making decisions in life that are based on what is good (śreyas) rather than what is pleasurable (preyas) so that regret is not experienced at the end of life. He also reminded everyone that at the end of life, nothing would matter other than the good that one has done with one's life and therefore, one must live life so that it is fulfilling and satisfying and one does not feel regret about anything that one may or may not have done.
The evening session concluded with a wonderful quiz on apara vidya, with questions on general knowledge and awareness of current affairs. Whilst a great deal of emphasis is placed on para vidya or higher knowledge, the Sri Sathya Sai educational institutions also place an equal amount of importance on creating well-rounded, wholesome graduates and in this regard, general knowledge and awareness is a key aspect of the curriculum. After a fun-filled session of laughter and learning, Sadguru blessed all the participants of the quiz and after Mangala Arati, He retired for the evening.
Divine Visit To Sri Sathya Sai University For Human Excellence, Gulbarga - February 12, 2021
On the morning of 12 February 2021, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai departed to Bangalore airport along with a group of staff, students, and guests, and proceeded to board the short flight to Kalaburgi. Upon landing, Sadguru was welcomed by the University Management team and He was escorted to the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence campus. As He arrived, Sadguru immediately proceeded to the newly refurbished guesthouse, ‘Sai Vishranti’, which He inaugurated along with His guests. He then retired to His room for lunch and rest.
In the evening, everyone gathered at the prayer hall of the magnificent pentagon building and as melodious bhajans filled the atmosphere, Sadguru descended from His room. The evening Satsang began as Sri A R Manjunath, Pro-Chancellor welcomed Sadguru back to the campus after a gap of almost one year and offered his deep gratitude for blessing the campus staff and students once again. He briefly spoke about the history of the campus and the mission of the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence as fulfilment of Sri Madiyala Narayana Bhat's noble vision for upliftment of the nation.
Thereafter, Sri B N Narasimha Murthy, Chancellor of the University addressed the gathering. He recalled the amount of effort that had gone into building this very campus and recollected how the site was when he had first visited the land almost ten years ago in 2012. Sri Narasimha Murthy recounted how he would travel from village to village with Sri Madiyala Narayana Bhat in order to gain support for the institution at Muddenahalli and offered his gratitude to Sadguru for the blessings showered for making the institutions into what they have become today, with the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence at the helm.
Sadguru then spoke about the importance of the joint efforts of nara and narayana. He said that just as Lord Krishna was the guide and Arjuna had to fight the war, so too, God can only guide and man must make efforts to fulfil the shared vision. Emphasising on selflessness, Sadguru explained that one's life must be for the sake of others and one must live to serve others as selflessness is most important. If one serves selflessly, the ego slowly disappears until all that remains is God.
The Divine discourse was then followed by a para vidya quiz which saw the participation of four teams made up of younger and older students from different campuses, along with staff members. The quiz brought a lot of joy to Sadguru and everyone gathered, serving as a reminder of all the learning that took place in the last one year. After the quiz, Sadguru graciously blessed all the participants with gifts and after receiving Mangala Arati, retired to His room for dinner and to rest for the evening.
Makara Sankranti Celebrations – January 14, 2021 - Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli
Morning
Sri Sathya Sai Premamrutham Hall reverberated with excitement and anticipation as devotees gathered to be in the Divine presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai on the auspicious occasion of Makara Sankranti.
Swami entered the hall amidst vedic chanting and blessed the gathered devotees with His darshan. He then ascended the stage and took His seat on a beautifully decorated throne that was surrounded by a halo of red roses.
Dr Sailakshmi welcomed all present, and pointed out that the northward journey of the sun which begins on Makara Sankranti also represents the deeper significance of each individual’s spiritual journey on the path towards God. On this day of new beginnings, gratitude is offered to the Almighty for the bounty of nature that is reflected in mother earth, cattle, and the sun which is the source of all life.
A vedic invocation was offered by the women staff of Sarla Memorial Hospital who chanted the Medha Suktam.
It was then announced that on this auspicious day, construction had begun for the Sri Sathya Sai Veda Gurukulam complex at Sathya Sai Grama. Students of the Gurukulam will receive education in both vedic and secular knowledge. This system of education will undoubtedly lead to the revival of Sanātana Dharmā and spread the advaitic message of vedanta that unequivocally states: “All is divine.”
The memory of late Smt Sarla Indulal Shah was then honoured for her exemplary dedication and service to Swami over a lifetime of seva. In honour of her service, Sri Sathya Sai Baba had willed that a general hospital would be constructed, and on Makara Sankranti day of 2018, the preliminary wing of the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital was inaugurated by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. Since then, thousands of patients have availed of the exemplary medical services offered here, all of which is absolutely free of cost.
In honour of late Smt Sarla Indulal Shah, the third anniversary of the hospital was celebrated. Dr Raghupathy, who has been serving at the hospital since 2015, was then invited to present an overview of the progress of the hospital in the last one year. He pointed out that the last year had been extremely challenging, as the COVID pandemic had infected many all over the world, regardless of societal status. He said, “Swami utilised that adversity and changed it into an opportunity with His ‘Master the Mind’ series which taught us how to realise our Self and see our own divinity within.” He praised and thanked the support staff at the hospital who had fearlessly and selflessly served during the COVID times.
Dr Raghupathy then made special mention of the energetic interns, students of Human Excellence and the administrative staff of the Trust, all of whom had offered continuous service during the pandemic. Dr Raghupathy again thanked Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai for His guidance in all areas, especially for guiding the ashram staff on how to work in tandem with government officials and with the community. Dr Ragupathy then announced that a 300-bed hospital would become fully functional within the next five months at Sathya Sai Grama. The hospital will have two operation theaters and will offer medical specialties in different areas. Not just this, a new cardiac complex will also be built which will offer three specialty courses for young doctors. Next year, i.e., in 2022, a full fledged medical college too will be established that will provide medical education totally free of cost.
Two staff members of hospital shared their thoughts and experiences with those gathered. Dr Saritha Purushothaman, who had previously worked both in India and abroad, joined the General Hospital at Prashanti Niliyam in 2007, and was blessed by Swami in 2016 to join the hospital at Sathya Sai Grama. Dr Saritha oversees the Sai Arogya programme, conducting medical checkups for all of Swami’s students, overseeing their health and well-being. She shared her inner journey with Sadguru in a beautiful poem and thus offered her heartfelt gratitude to Him.
An insightful and informative video highlighting the dedication of Smt Sarla Shah, the inauguration of the hospital by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai and the current activities and services offered was showcased thereafter. The second staff member, Sri Tanmay Hedge, who has been serving as General Manager - Operations, at the Hospital since March 2020, addressed the assembly. With Masters Degrees in Hospital Management and Healthcare Systems, he served at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Prashanti Niliyam in an administrative capacity. He lovingly shared his journey through his education and previous work and expressed his deepest gratitude to Swami for bringing him to Muddenahalli.
Sri B N Narasimha Murthy, Chancellor of the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, who addressed the gathering next, gave an overview of the importance of taking money out of the equation of healthcare and emphasised the great importance of offering medical care and medical education free of cost. He observed that on one side at Sathya Sai Grama we have modern technology represented by the Sarla Memorial Hospital, and on the other, we have the launch of Sri Sathya Sai Veda Gurukulam representing the ancient traditional knowledge of vedānta. This is a great gift of combining spirituality and science. He said, “All of the saints and avatārs are our benefactors, and we must listen to them and follow their teachings in order to cross over the ocean of samsara.” He further emphasised, “We all are so fortunate to have an embodiment of God here with us walking this sacred land. We should value His words and follow the teachings of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai.”
Sadguru then blessed all with His Divine Discourse by saying that Makara Sankranti was a most auspicious time to “move upwards,” or engage in spiritual practices. He continued by saying that “Two professions have been worshipped in Indian culture, that of teachers and doctors. God is selfless and expects nothing from us, and these two professions also ought to be selfless and must be provided free of cost to everyone. When the initial Indian system of education was broken down by foreign influences and fees were charged, then most of the village schools disappeared. God is selfless and expects nothing in return for His gifts. These two professions should also be practiced selflessly. When education became a commodity, spirituality was thrown out. We now need to go back to the beginning, to vedic education and start over again. Both, traditional vedic education and the modern disciplines of worldly studies should be taught side by side. Without parā vidyā, aparā vidyā of worldly studies is blind. And vedic education without worldly studies is lame. The two should therefore work together.”
Sadguru then said, “If you do good, that good will always take care of you. This is the universal rule of sanatanā dharmā — you will always be taken care of. As long as we do good and remain selfless, nothing can stop this method of education. That is the eternal law of sanatanā dharmā. When we realise the truth of our inner sun, which is the ātman, Brahman, that is truly when Sankranti happens.”
Sadguru then introduced two young pundits from Trupathi who have joined the Sri Sathya Sai Veda Gurukulam to teach Vedic knowledge. He said that He chose young pundits so they could work for 30-40 years! Sadguru also stressed that His mission will be carried forward by all the young interns and graduates. He had told them, “If you don’t do it, nobody will do it!” He said that they will “work alongside God serving humanity.”
Sadguru said, “Although this is an Indian festival, the sun, earth, animals and nature are there in all countries. We must pay our gratitude to them on this day. Sankranti is an occasion like Thanksgiving, in India. Let everyone be healthy and happy, let all have joy and auspiciousness in life. This is the wish we all have on this Sankranti day.”
Sadguru then called upon the staff of Sarla Memorial Hospital to come onto the dais to receive His blessings.
Evening
Eager devotees gathered at Premamrutham Hall in the evening to bask in the Makara Sankranti celebrations.
Beloved Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai walked in to the Hall and graciously bestowed His blessings on all as He moved around blessing the devotees.
After Sadguru had taken His seat amidst the audience, Sister Bhuvana Santhanam greeted the gathering warmly, and shared a quote from Sri Sathya Sai Baba: “Music, or nadam, emanated from the breath of God. That which emanates from God must go back to Him. Music can only be considered as holy and auspicious when it is offered to the Divine, everything else is noise.” She then introduced the students and staff of the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Gurukulam, who offered a bouquet of vocal compositions by Saint Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and other great saints. The dynamic renditions of classic Carnatic songs left the audience enraptured! Sadguru’s presence in their midst made this beautiful expression of Indian culture even more memorable for the audience.
The concert was enhanced by creative graphics accompanying each song that informed the audience about the composer and provided a brief translation of the lyrics in English.
Upon the conclusion of the concert, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai ascended the stage and graciously gave His blessings and gifts to each of the participants.
Mangala arati was then offered, which marked the conclusion of the Makara Sankranti Celebrations.
Bhoomi Puja of Sri Sathya Sai Veda Gurukulam - January 08, 2021 - Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli
On 18 December 2020, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai made a very significant announcement. He exalted the importance of recognising the divinity within everyone, and emphasised that since ancient times, the knowledge of vedānta has been shared only with the deserving and the important criterion being that the Guru would test the disciple and only then was the secret teaching passed on. He went to reveal that the Sri Sathya Sai Veda Gurukulam will be initiated soon and select students would be enrolled. These students will be trained for 15 years i.e., primary school to University, and the focus of education being vedā vedānta along with academic subjects with emphasis on English speaking for effective communication skills and computers. After gaining rich knowledge, they will travel to every country and continent to spread the vedāntic teachings. Hence, parā vidyā and aparā vidyā, both would be taught.
Swami announced that He would also perform a Mass Upanayana ceremony for the vatus who will join the Veda Gurukulam and stressed on the importance of sandhyavandanam. He then stated, “This was one piece that was missing in the jewel of our education system. This is the crest-jewel (chudamani) of all the education”.
There was another announcement that on Sankranti, Bhoomi Pooja for the Veda Gurukulam at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli would take place. Two Pandits from Tirupati (one, a scholar in Rigveda and the other in Yajurveda) had been chosen to teach at the Gurukulam and both had studied at Sri Venkateswara Veda Vignana Peetham at Tirumala.
The momentous day soon arrived. On the auspicious morning of January 8, 2021, bhoomi pooja (a ritual performed in honour of Mother Earth) was performed at the site for the upcoming Sri Sathya Sai Veda Gurukulam in the gracious presence and with the blessings of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai. When Sadguru had visited Tirupati in December 2020, this ceremony was pre-decided with the pandits (Vedic scholars) there and in accordance with the panchangam (calendar), this auspicious muhurtham (auspicious time) had been chosen.
The proceedings for the bhoomi pooja began with Ganapathi pooja (worship of Lord Ganesha), kalasha sthapana (kalash is an urn, and this ritual is performed before a pooja), poojas to the ashta dikpalakas (guardians of the cardinal directions), go pooja (worship of cow), sarpa pooja (worship of snakes) and prayers to various creatures and beings of different lokas (worlds). Special offerings were made to invoke their blessings.
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai arrived at the site by 9.30 a.m. and shanku sthapana (laying the foundation stone) was performed at exactly 9.47 a.m. in the eeshanya or north-east direction of the Tapovanam where a temple for Lord Shiva will be constructed. Sacred offerings of navaratnas (nine gems) and navadanyas (nine grains) were made along with panchamrutha abhishekam (a ritual where the idols are bathed with milk, curds, honey, sugar and ghee) amidst Vedic chants.
Even as Sadguru broke the coconuts during the Ganapathi pooja and shanku sthapana, big flowers were found inside which was a sign of auspicious beginnings, in accordance with divine sankalpa. An ashatakona homa kunda (an octangular pit for making offerings during yagnas) had been specially designed for the occasion and Ganapathi homa, vastu homa (prayers to the deity of directions) and navagraha shanti homa (prayers to the nine planets) were performed by Vedic priests from Tirumala. Poornahuti (offering made at the end of a ritual) was offered, after which the sacred water from the kalasha was sprinkled on everyone.
Thereafter, one of the priests Vidwan Kashiji explained the significance and importance of Vedas and how the Vedas are the basis of everything one does in their daily lives. Sadguru also spoke about the sacred land, as it has been sanctified by the penance of various sages and saints. It is the land blessed by Lord Rama Himself and therefore has been chosen for the Veda Pathshala.
Sadguru revealed the forthcoming structures that will be constructed - the Uma Maheshwara temple, yagashala (a place for worship), pushkarini (pond), Sharadamba temple, the Veda pathshala and residential blocks for teachers and students.
After the programme concluded, Sadguru partook lunch along with the guests, staff and students of Vedic Studies at Atmadeep, blessed everyone and proceeded back to Premdeep.
Divine Visit to Sri Sathya Sai Prashanthiniketanam, Nallakadirenahalli - 04 January, 2021
It was the happiest day for the girl students of Sri Sathya Sai Prashanthiniketanam, Nallakadirenahalli, as they waited in anticipation for the Lord. The previous day was spent in cleaning, decorating, preparing cards, making garlands, song practices and much more. As the staff and students threw themselves enthusiastically into the assigned tasks, there was only one aim in every heart: To make Swami happy. That wonderful morning, the whole campus was decorated with colourful garlands, handmade crafts and dressed in grand sarees, the beaming students stood ready to receive the Lord.
Finally, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai arrived with His entourage and was welcomed by the girl students in a Veda procession. Swami and His guests were presented colourful flower bouquets by the Heads of the institution. Swami visited the upcoming hostel building which is under construction and provided guidance to the contractor and workers.
Swami was then led to the prayer hall where the staff and students had gathered. The programme commenced with an auspicious Vedic invocation by the University students. The welcome address was given by Smt. Purnima.M, Principal of Prashanthi Bala Mandira Girls’ School. This was followed by an inspiring speech in Sanskrit by the faculty of Prashanthi Nikethanam PU College. Ms. Roopa, a tenth-grade student then expressed her gratitude to Swami for taking care of her entire education and for supporting her family in times of crisis. Ms. Amrutha, a PU college student, spoke about the gift of education that she is receiving in this institution, about her learnings from the paravidya classes and the joy of service that she experienced during the lockdown period.
The talks were followed by soulful music renditions by students from the school, PUC, and the University. It is so rightly said that ’music is the fastest and surest way to reach God’!
Thereafter, Swami delivered His much-awaited divine discourse. Swami elaborated that it was His dream to see the school, college and University in one campus which had manifested into reality that day and named it as the” Triveni Sangama.’’ Swami encouraged the girls to excel in sports, especially volleyball. He said that He plans to hold a volleyball match between the school, college and university level girls. After motivating all the students to play games regularly, Swami partook lunch with the tenth grade and the second-year PUC students. He distributed ice-cream to everyone.
Post lunch, Swami visited all the classrooms, laboratories, office and staff rooms before blessing the elders with an interview. After the Mangala Arati was offered, Swami departed from the campus leaving everybody in a state of deep bliss.
