Aradhana Mahotsavam concludes in Prasanthi. The Valedictory Session of the Colloquium, "Experiencing the Divine - The Form to the Formless" was held on the evening of 25th April 2012. The proceedings began at 5.15 p.m. after the Vedic chants. Sri Srinivas Srirangarajan introduced the two speakers who dilated at length on the above mentioned topic. The first speaker was Sri Sai Giridhar, a research scholar, who is also a seasoned speaker and versatile actor from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and the second to address the gathering was the eloquent speaker, Dr. G. Venkataraman, a renowned physicist, 5th Vice Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and presently the head of Radio Sai Global Harmony.
Sri Sai Giridhar began his speech with a Sloka from the Bhagavad Gita: Mookam Karoti Vachalam Pangoom Langhayate Girim Yatkripa Tamaham Vande Parmanand Madhavam (Salutations to the ultimate One, by whose grace, a dumb man becomes the most talkative and a physically disabled man crosses the highest mountain) Speaking on the purpose of an Avatar, Sri Giridhar opined, Bhagawan came to establish Prema Dharma, to establish love in the hearts of devotees. Bhagawan set up marvellous models like Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences for humans to emulate. But his ultimate objective was transformation of human heart. Narrating a wonderful experience of a gentleman from Indonesia, who had come as part of a team to study the Sri Sathya Sai system of education, Sri Giridhar said after hearing a teacher speak in the moral class, the person who had not seen Bhagawan before came to the speaker and asked, "Does Sai Baba often come to you and give such beautiful benedictions?" The speaker was a bit nonplussed. Then the person told him what he had experienced, he saw Bhagawan sitting in the chair placed for Him, and also conferring His benedictions at the end of the speech. Continuing further, Sri Giridhar told another experience he had when he went with a group to Badrinath. This happened after Bhagawan left His mortal coil. The saint in an Ashram in Badrinath welcomed them to his abode, and said, Bhagawan has not gone anywhere, He is not far away. "Fill your hearts with love, purify your thoughts and call out once Sai Ram, He will be there right in front of you." Sri Giridhar ended his enlightening speech by saying that we should make a conducive atmosphere in ourselves so that Bhagawan will see, speak, listen through all of us. Padmashri Dr. G. Venkataraman began his speech by offering his loving salutations at Bhagawan's Lotus Feet and thanking the Trustees for giving him an opportunity to speak. The erudite speaker quoting from the film Mira said, M.S. Subbulakshmi posed a question in a song, "Oh the One, who is everywhere, where have you disappeared?" Mira posed a question, but there was no answer. In September 1984, Bhagawan gave a series of Discourses on the Bhagavadgita. In one of the speeches, Bhagawan said, "Now, right here, you are able to see Me, but when you go out of this place, you will neither see Me or the people in this gathering." Dr. Venkataraman said, the essence of Swami's remark can be taken in the context of the present scenario. "The absence of Swami is only at a physical level. If we restrict him to a form, it is our weakness. Whether we like it or not, we should move forward. The time has come to look for Him inside than outside." Speaking further, the learned speaker said, the term legacy is interpreted in the form of something inherited from generation to generation. But Bhagawan's legacy is His Legacy of Love. After the inauguration of the Anantapur College in 1971, Bhagawan said, India is being converted into a Bhoga Bhumi (a land of pleasures). Bhagawan had said this much before the advent of Internet and Smart Phones. Describing a revealing experience, Dr. Venkataraman said that one occasion in the year 1998, Bhagawan took him along with Him in His car in Brindavan, Bengaluru. In the course of the ride, the speaker posed a question to Bhagawan, "Why there is so much Adharma (unrighteousness) in the world?" Then Swami posed a counter question to the speaker, "What is the mood in Sai Ramesh Krishan Hall before I come for Darshan?" Dr. Venkataraman replied, "Swami, there is absolute silence, everyone waits with bated breath for Bhagawan." Then Bhagawan asked, "When a child cries, what happens?" The speaker promptly replied, "Everyone's attention is diverted towards the child." In the same way, Bhagawan said the media and everybody's attention is focused on Adharma, when there are so many people following the Dharmic path (righteous path). Speaking in the same vein, Dr. Venkataraman said, when Bhagawan visited Mumbai in 1968, Bhagawan paid a visit to Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. The Kulapathi was Sri K.M. Munshi. Sri Munshi asked Bhagawan, "Should India go nuclear?" Swami gave a succinct reply. Comparing U.S.A. to Arjuna and Russia to Bhima, Bhagawan said, India is like Dharmaraja. Though Dharmaraja is not so proficient in warfare like Arjuna and Bhima, but both Arjuna and Bhima go to Dharmaraja for any wise counsel. In the same way, India is like the engine, which will lead the other nations in the spiritual path. Dr. Venkataraman concluded his speech by saying, "Let us pick up the torch of Prema and march forward valiantly. At the end of his speech, Youth and devotees from West Bengal presented a bouquet of nine well-knit songs to the delight of the devotees. The songs in Hindi were well choregraphed with soothing music. For about half an hour, the youth and devotees, both ladies and gents presented the songs with matching visuals of Bhagawan's Darshans which added a beautiful aura to the programme. After these songs, there were a few Bhajans. Sri Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam concluded with distribution of Prasadam and Arati at 1920 hrs. II Samasta Lokaaha Sukhino Bhavantu II Source: http://www.theprasanthireporter.org
