12 Nov 2015: Celebrating Deepavali, the festival of lights that marks the victory of good over evil, and the advent of the New Year, devotees from the State of Gujarat under the auspices of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations commenced a three-day Cultural Offering last evening in the Divine Abode of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba at Prasanthi Nilayam. This is the 13th year on the trot the State is celebrating Deepavali and New Year in Prasanthi Nilayam.
Commencing the proceedings at 1700 hrs, Sri Manohar Trikarnad, State President of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations – Gujarat, first welcomed the devoted assembly with a “Happy Deepavali Greetings”, expressing gratitude to Beloved Bhagawan for His abounding love and blessings. The State President then introduced the guest speaker for the evening, Prof Mehboob U Desai, an eminent educationist from Gujarat.
[media id="I2" type="image" mediahost="http://www.sssbpt.org/images/2015/" url="sayeeshwaraarpanam2015_1.jpg"]
Speaking in Hindi on the subject ‘Sarva Dharma Samabhavana in Bhagawan’s Context’, Prof Desai spoke on the wonderment he had experienced after reading and researching, watching and listening Bhagawan for over a period as to “What is this Wonder Of Beauty Who have pulled the world behind Him???”
Quoting Bhagawan’s Mission in one line, “I have come to light the lamp of wisdom…” the speaker then enumerated on the four pillars of Bhagawan’s teachings, summarizing that Divinity dwells in every single atom of every being.
[media id="I3" type="image" mediahost="http://www.sssbpt.org/images/2015/" url="sayeeshwaraarpanam2015_2.jpg"]
“Before coming here, I have heard, read and researched and watched about Sai Baba a lot. Now, I am here and feel very happy and peaceful, commented Prof Desai earlier, while interacting with our correspondent, baring his heart about Prasanthi Nilayam.
Prof Desai is currently serving as a Professor and Head, Department of History & Culture, Gujarat Vidhyapith, Ahmadabad, Gujarat.
[media id="I4" type="image" mediahost="http://www.sssbpt.org/images/2015/" url="sayeeshwaraarpanam2015_3.jpg"]
After the speech, the session continued with an invocatory devotional song, a medley of various strotras, presented by the Youth girls from the State, invoking Mother Sai as Saiyeeshwari.
Omnipresent He Is, yet the Balvikas children from the State cashed in with the opportunity of invoking Him vide a traditional Ganesha dance, “chahoo aur tumhara gunjan hey…” next.
[media id="I5" type="image" mediahost="http://www.sssbpt.org/images/2015/" url="sayeeshwaraarpanam2015_4.jpg"]
Where duty becomes God and work turns worship, where man relies on God more than anything else, he is sure to sale through to the shore of unbounded Divine grace. This evening’s drama presentation by the devotees from Vadodara district was based on this theme involving Duty, Worship and Reliance on Godhood.
The presentation entitled “Saiyeeshwaraarpanam” portrayed the tragic-turned-fulfilled-life of a cobbler named Vishwas, who had lost his loved ones in a tragedy, yet could continue with his life adhering to principles of righteous-devoted living, not withstanding Him questioning the very existence of God.
[media id="I6" type="image" mediahost="http://www.sssbpt.org/images/2015/" url="sayeeshwaraarpanam2015_5.jpg"]
As he trudged along with his righteous life, as ‘omnipresent grace would have it, he accidentally bumped into a little lad by name Madhav, a cowherd boy in the nearby temple premises, who, in no time replaced his loving ‘long lost’ son. This turned out to be a ‘gentle tap from the greater heaven’ granting great reprieve for the duty-bound cobbler.
As is His saying, Test Is His Taste, his claims of interactions with Madhav became the butt of a joke in the town, for all wrong reasons, as none else, apart from Vishwas was able to see this ‘invisible and invincible’ cowherd. Madhav was termed a lunatic, only until He revealed Himself in presence of the real ‘lunatics’ of the town, proving that the ‘Madhav-Story’ was a reality.
[media id="I7" type="image" mediahost="http://www.sssbpt.org/images/2015/" url="sayeeshwaraarpanam2015_6.jpg"]
Overwhelmed with compassion, when Vishwas took a pair of sandals for his Madhav to relieve the little lad from ‘paining’ his tender feet, he was blocked by the elders from entering the Sanctum Sanctorum.
To the one who is denied to His Presence, He Himself makes His Presence. Madhav appeared before Vishwas outside the premises only to accept the sandals, which, in the climactic end appeared at the Feet Of The Lord at the Sanctum Sanctorum.
[media id="I8" type="image" mediahost="http://www.sssbpt.org/images/2015/" url="sayeeshwaraarpanam2015_7.jpg"]
Bhajans by the Gujarat devotees continued and the session came to a close with Mangala Arathi at 1830 hrs.
II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
