Gratitude Offering by Higher Secondary Students…

Reminiscence galore, rich with wonderful tales of Divine Love, marked the evening today when passing out batch of students of 10th and 12th Standard of Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, Prasanthi Nilayam assembled at the Divine Lotus Feet offering gratitude, here in Prasanthi Nilayam.

Come February – March it is Gratitude season in Prasanthi Nilayam with passing out batches of students fondly remember the Divine Mother for His incomparable love of thousand mothers, as it is ‘fondly’ called.

The programme commenced at 1700 hrs. with Veda chanting by the Higher Secondary Wing. What followed next was a burst of rich tales of Bhagawan’s love interspersed with melodious music, instrumental violin and songs.

Every single soul coming to the hallowed portals donning a students’ garb has an individual Swami in him or her Who guides and guards him or her everafter. The experiences narrated in the evening stood testimony to this very fact.

The climax came when students recalled an ‘eventful’ episode from the climax day, 25th March 2011, the day that witnessed the ‘Final Divine Darshan’ of Beloved Bhagawan.

The day was scheduled to host a gratitude programme by the higher secondary passing out batch of students, a drama presentation based on a story as narrated by Bhagawan Himself long ago in Brindavan.

That evening, when Bhagawan emerged quite late, granting Divine Darshan, one of the students had the opportunity to narrate the story-line to Bhagawan. Bhagawan, upon hearing the story-line, commented, “Drama Has To Be Done…” Little did the students understood then that the profundity of the words from All Knowing Almighty Lord, as the story-line had a resemblance with ‘Bhagawan’s – thereafter – April 2011 Divine Drama’, Himself existing from the physical plane.

Grateful students then enacted the drama in essence, in the form of a skit, fulfilling the promise.  The presentation was the story of a young lad, whose relentless pursuit for a mantra, even after the guru sheds his mortal coil ahead of his promise wins him ultimate goal, salvation.

The young lad after pursuing the guru for over 12 long years, finally wins guru’s benevolence, when he offers him to grant him a mantra for salvation. As ordered by the guru, when the boy returns after a dip in the holy Ganges ready to receive the mantra, to his utter disgust, he finds the guru missing. Upon further enquiry, he finds from a passer-by lady, a dancer, that the guru had shed his mortal coil leaving the mantra on the holy sands. The lady dancer notes down the mantra, erasing it from the sands, and the boy in his earnest pursuit, relentlessly pursue the lady, despite hardships and sufferings, for many years.

The scene now moves to the Kingdom where the King calls to find out the holiest of the persons in the Kingdom. As advised by the wise and holy, the King arranges a feast,  condition being when the holiest partakes the food, the temple bell should ring.

The day almost passes without any positive results and the King turns frustrated not before the temple bell rings, at the nick of time. An excited King sends his men out only to find this young lad, famished and tired, eating leftovers from a garbage. Having invited to the Kingdom now, the young man narrates his woeful tales to the King who in turn offers to help. Playing wise, the King calls for the lady dancer for a dance programme. Acting quite pleased at her performance, even as the King decides to offer her precious gifts, he ‘finds’ precious jewels in her ear-ring.

Even as the King ‘acts’ diplomatically, the greedy lady throws away the ear-rings that contains the precious ‘Mantra Leaf’. Grabbing the opportunity even as the young lad opens the leaf to read the Mantra, he attains salvation, as Lord Krishna appears in front of him.

The presentation ended with a group song with the students burst into singing ‘Love’ for Bhagawan.

Even as bhajans continued students posed for group photo sessions. Hall tickets were offered at the Divine Lotus Feet by the School Principal followed by various groups of students with various greeting offerings.

Bhajans ended with Sunday Special “Govinda Krishna Vittaley…” in Bhagawan’s voice and Mangala Arathi was offered at 1840 hrs.

Loud refrain WE LOVE YOU SWAMI reverberated the hall as grateful students joined in unison, bursting into heartfelt feelings for Beloved Mother Sai!!!