October 18 2008
Puttaparthi too takes its breaks and mini vacations. After a period of
hectic activity, it is usually a period of relative lull and the word "hamlet"
that has been long associated with Puttaparthi seems to make some sense. The
canteens inside and the hotels and restaurants outside are quite calm and the
serpentine queues and the 'bursting at the seams' are very conspicuous by their
absence. It looks like the inactive stillness of the lake before a maelstrom of
activities arrive.
But hold on! We are speaking here only of Puttaparthi; not The Resident
of Puttaparthi, Partheesha as He is referred to in the Suprabhatam. For Swami
there seems to be nothing like rest! He is ever on the move and at work. The
last week after the Dusshera celebrations has seen so much that though we have
no formal name for the "activities" we deem it as something wonderful that it
must be recorded.
The preparations for the Sahasra Chandra Darshanam Yajnam is on in full
swing. A huge and magnificent stage is being prepared at the Vidyagiri stadium
as an extension of the Shanti Vedika to serve as the altar holding the
Yajnakundas on the 15th, 16th and 17th of November this year. Plans are afoot
for the Lord to arrive in the golden chariot on that grand day. The
preparations are on at full speed and Swami regularly visits the stadium
charging all those working with divine energy and vigour. Also being
constructed and erected are special bathroom complexes for the priests who
would be arriving and arrangements for their comfortable stay are on.
In connection with this, it was planned to have a rehearsal with the
movement of the golden chariot which measures about 15.5 feet in height if the
golden umbrella on top is removed. A 'roadblock' literally was discovered as
the engineers and others found that the arch after the General hospital had
only a 14.4 feet clearance at best. While mortals planned on as to whether the
road under the arch should be dug or the walls on the side must be demolished,
the person given charge of the chariot by Swami, Sri Srinivasa Chettiar did
what is a very common phenomenon for devotees - he went to Swami and prayed for
a solution. Quoting what he said, "Swami said that there is nothing to worry
and that everything will go on fine." With His name on their lips and faith in
their hearts, the devotees took out the chariot in the night and proceeded to
the stadium for their 'test drive' if we may call it so. They were in for an
example of the Lord's grace and love as the chariot simply passed under the
arch. Along with the jaws that dropped to the ground, measuring tapes too were
dropped and what does the reading say, 16 feet! Talk about the "growth" that
one achieves when the Lord blesses! As Sri Srinivas Chettiar recalls, "I could
clearly see Swami guiding us and the chariot that night. The next day I ran
upto Him and telling Him what had happened, thanked Him for everything. A
procedure which we planned and estimated would take 4 hours had been
accomplished in 28 minutes!"
We are thrilled when we hear such a story of glory of the Lord. But those
living 'with' Him in the true sense do not even bat an eyelid and seem to say,
"It is natural for Him to such things." And has not Swami Himself said, "What
you consider as Aascharyam (surprising) for you is Sahajam (natural) for me."
And along with the yajnam, the other buzz word at Prashanti Nialayam
right now is the Rudram. The students and staff are planning to persent before
Swami thousand who can chant the Rudram perfectly and confidently as a birthday
gift. Every night, the hostels come alive with the chants as student teachers
visit various rooms and share their learning. Swami too continues to encourage
the students. On the 10th of October, Swami came out and sat listening to all
the 11 anuvakas of the Sri Rudram. These days invariably the chants of the
Rudram alone fill the air as He comes out for darshan rounds. Then as the chant
was completed, Swami called for Sri Ajit Popat, spoke to him for a while, and
asked him to address the gathering at 5.25 pm. Sri Popat spoke on the need for
all of us to be Grateful, Gracious and Godly. After he concluded at 5.45 pm,
Swami asked whether any of the students were ready to speak. A boy who went to
Him confidently faced the next question from Him, "Will you speak in Telugu?"
"Swami I will speak in English...." "Naa! Not English." And so another student
more fluent in the sweet tongue that Telugu is went upto Swami. Swami blessed
him to speak and his fifteen minute Telugu speech was followed by a loving pat
and words of guidance from the Lord.
Most of the other days were similar in the fact that Swami would take
complete rounds in the chair and the devotees filled their hearts to the brim
with the joy of seeing Him from close quarters. The days of the "chair
darshans" have revived the joy of uncertainty that Swami confers by suddenly
turning into a previously forgotten bylane or route and grants close darshan.
We use the word revived for in the days when He came for the rounds in the car,
the car would not be able to navigate in any of the routes other than the main
one left empty for it. Again, its not to say that Swami has never made the car
go through impossible alleys and lanes and thrilled the devotees! On one
occasion the car had been made to take a round around the Ganesha on stage (!)
and surely it was His blessings alone that helped the driver through that test!
On more than one occasion, Swami came out and sat listening to the Vedas
being chanted. Midway through the week, Swami notified that bhajans must begin
at 5:00 pm instead of the usual 5:30pm. For two years now, Swami shifts the
time to 5:30 during the summer and back to 5:00 as winter approaches! Feels
almost like the clock adjustments that go on in some European nations between
the summer and winter. One of the days, Swami completed a full round and as He
moved near the interview room, signalled to go towards the ladies side instead
of the interview room. The children from Primary school had come and Swami
seemed in a mood to cheer them with His presence. He took a round via the path
through which He returns to Yajur mandir after bhajans and then turned towards
the gents side in the main path. And then, like the days of yore, Swami
mischievously asked for a path to be made between the primary children. The
little girls on His right and the little boys on His left rejoiced and rose on
their knees at this unexpected sweet gift that Swami had showered. More sweet
gifts would follow soon as chocolate bars were distributed to all.
On yet another occasion, all the M. Phil students from the University
sought His blessings on the successful completion of their course. They had
made a card and Swami blessed all of them in the veranda. And thus the week
following Dusshera had its own beauty and joys to offer. And now the
preparations and anticipation for the Deepavali celebrations and Grama Seva
after the semester end exams of the University are on...
.
__,_._,___
