July 3rd evening, 2005

This evening, Bhagawan came out at 3.30 p.m. It was the final chance for the Alumni students to make their prayer. Of course, they had sent a card inside the Poornachandra which was Blessed by Bhagawan but nothing can substitute a personal interaction with Swami. Once again, the car came gliding by. To their joy, this evening, unlike other days, the car window glass was open. Swami was receiving letters from devotees too. So there was a great chance for some interaction. Their prayers were finally answered. All of them knelt down and literally peeped into the window. The car halted. Some of the boys told Swami about the Meet and also showed the Card. Swami looked at the card, heard their prayers and said, "Chaala Santosham" - Very Happy.

The car moved forward, crossed the portico and came onto the stage as is the practice now. Swami sat on the dais for a long while. Around 4.00 p.m. Bhagawan started calling boys with letters. He spent considerable time with each one of them answering their questions and giving them some loving advice and message. After a while He signaled to the Birthday boys. They too went in a line and one by one sought His Blessings. Taking this chance, two representatives from the Institute Alumni Group too, joined the queue.

They once again showed the card to Bhagawan. They mentioned the details and also showed a tentative programme list. Swami took the sheet and went through it very keenly. He said, "Very Happy, Very Happy". At 4.35 p.m. Prasadam was distributed to all devotees, students and staff. Bhajans began at 4.45 p.m. and at 5.15 p.m. Swami took Aarti and retired to His abode.

July 3rd morning, 2005

This morning - a Sunday - all of us were seated in the Mandir by 7.30 a.m. Bhagawan came out at 8.00 a.m. Once again, the Alumni students were seated along the pathway opposite to the students. As the car glided by, Bhagawan looked at them and the card and smiled, but no conversation!

He moved and reached the dais. For the last two days, the car moves through the Portico and instead of halting along the path, Bhagawan asks Sri Padmanabhan to take the car onto the stage. That's a great task for him. However, with the precise accuracy of a surgeon, he manoeuvers the car along the ramp and parks it on the stage. Next, the sofa glides out and is moved to the centre of the dais.

Today, as Swami sat on the dais, we noticed a very special thing. All these days, Bhagawan was using His left hand very frequently while there was difficulty in moving the right hand. However, this morning, He was moving even His right hand very frequently; to open the letters and even to hold the kerchief. He was also waving with His right Hand. This made us all very happy.

After a while, at 8.45 a.m., Swami called one of the Vedam teachers and gave some instructions. Bhagawan wanted the meaning of the Vedic chant to be spelt out. Brother Sudhindran was asked to handle the task. The Mantram chosen was Narayanopanishad. The core group would chant a line at a time and Sudhindran would give the translation with add-on footnotes wherever necessary. Bhagawan was very keenly listening to the translation.

When the word Vaikunta was used while translating the line 'Vaikunta Bhuvana Lokam Gamishyati', Swami asked him what the meaning of Vaikuntam was. Brother Sudhindran then spelt out the meaning of Vaikuntam as that which is all pervasive. After the whole Mantram was recited with explanation, Bhagawan called brother Sudhindran forward. Even as we were watching him come forward, Swami's right Hand moved with a jerk and out sprang a beautiful gold necklace! Not a chain as He usually materializes, but this was an ornamental broad and thick necklace with so many designs on it.

Bhagawan handed over the necklace to brother Sudhindran and spoke to him and Dr. K. Anil Kumar - a Vedam Teacher - for quite some time. We were wondering what Swami was telling them. Out of His Love, Swami asked Sudhindran to repeat the message to the audience. He took the Vedam mike and said, "This gold necklace that Swami has created now has the power of the Narayana Mantram in it". Just before this, towards the end of the Mantram, the Upanishad explains that 'Om' is a single lettered word, 'Namo' is a two lettered word and 'Narayanaya' is a five lettered word. Therefore, this Mantram 'Om Namo Narayanaya' is an eight lettered Mantram. The power of this Mantram is contained in the necklace.

Brother Sudhindran continued, "All the Beejaksharas (root letters) of this Mantram are potentially present in this artifact. The aspect of Purusha (Jnana) and Prakriti (Daya - Compassion) are contained in it. This necklace represents the Love of Mother (Sai) and Father (Baba)".

After this, again Bhagawan spoke to them for a while and later he once again conveyed the message to all of us, "This Mantram is the quintessence of all the scriptures. All scriptures guide mankind to Divinity. This Mantram is chanted in praise to the Lord - our Mother and Father. But at the ultimate level, there is no Father and no Mother. There exists only the Supreme One!"

The whole episode was literally like a Mantropadesham for all devotees at one go! The Sadguru seated on the dais and all of us seated at His Feet and He was giving us the initiation into the Narayanopanishad with all its nuances and potencies!

Bhajans started at 9.10 a.m. and by 9.20 a.m. Swami retired for the morning.

July 2nd, 2005

Being the 80th year of the Avataar, a number of programmes are being scheduled in the Divine Presence. This year also happens to be the eve of the 20th anniversary of the School of Business Management, Accounting and Finance of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. To celebrate this occasion, all the alumni of the School of Business Management, starting from the 1986 batch when the programme made its beginning by the Divine command; are planning to come over to Prasanthinilayam on the 20th and 21st of August and offer their collective gratitude to Bhagawan. 21st of August is the Anniversary Day of the School of Business Management and hence has been chosen for the celebration. The 27th quarterly medical camp of the Institute Alumni is also being held on the same day. Therefore, these two days are very special for the Alumni of the Institute this year.

In this regard, a number of Management Alumni from the cities of Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai had come to Parthi on the 1st night. This morning, they were all seated on the steps across the Brass Railings next to the dais, to pray to Bhagawan to Bless the Meet. They wanted to place this idea at His Lotus Feet and seek His permission for the same. As Bhagawan's car glided along the path, they all knelt down and prayed to Bhagawan. Swami looked and smiled at them but did not converse with them.

In the evening, Swami came out at 3.50 p.m. Once again the car went past the old students and Swami looked at all of them. As He sat on the stage, He again looked at the Alumni students and gave a smile. This evening was set out exclusively for students with letters. Bhagawan accepted letters from so many students. As He would signal to one student, a number of them would line up. Very patiently the Loving Mother in Bhagawan would receive each letter, open the envelope, pull out the letter, unfold it and start reading the contents. All along the student would kneel down just next to Bhagawan looking right into His face! What a great and unique opportunity of praying to God and being just next to Him looking at Him even as He answers the prayers! Then Bhagawan would give some answer to the student with a loving pat on his back or an assuring grip on his hand. All the students were overjoyed!

At 5.00 p.m. Swami went inside the Bhajan Hall. Bhajans began and Aarti was given at 5.45 p.m.

June 27th to July 1st, 2005

On the 27th, Bhagawan came out for Darshan around 3.40 p.m. He spent the entire evening session inside the interview room. On the 29th morning, Swami came out close to the morning Bhajans time at around 8.55 a.m. However, He sat for a full 50 minutes listening to the wonderful Bhajans sung by the singers.

29th evening, He was out by 3.30 p.m. and sat down on the dais. After a while, some woman on the Ladies side created a little commotion – crying out to Swami loudly. Bhagawan asked our brother to take His Chair towards the Ladies side of the Portico.

What happened next was a great event for all of us! Swami asked His Sofa to be wheeled all along the Darshan line. For the first time after arriving at Prasanthinilayam, Bhagawan gave Darshan in the sofa moving along the normal Darshan route. All were delighted and many offered their letters to Bhagawan.

After the round, once again He came and sat down on the dais and later received letters from students and profusely Blessed all the Birthday boys.

30th Thursday, Bhagawan was out in the evening at 3.40 p.m. He sat outside until 4.40 p.m. and then as He went inside there was a heavy downpour which unfortunately did not last long enough to raise the water table level and bring succor to the water scarce people.

On the 1st, Friday, in the morning, Swami came during the bhajans, and went around the Kulwant Hall in the car - an extra round - much to the delight of the devotees. In the evening, after coming to Sai Kulwant hall for darshan, Swami asked the car to move to the front of the stage. Then He again entered the car and went out of the hall, on a round outside the ashram, in the village. The escorts could not catch up in time, and when Swami's car reached the Ganesh gate, it was surrounded by the devotees craning to have His darshan.

June 26th, 2005

Yesterday evening there was no Darshan. Today being Sunday, we all had come for morning Darshan. Bhagawan came out at 8.25 a.m. By 8.30 a.m., He was seated on the dais and we had the good fortune of feasting on His Divine Form for a long while. He sat there amidst Vedam Chanting which went on till 10.10 a.m. Very rarely does Swami sit outside for so long. Bhajans started only at 10.10 a.m. and went on till 10.25 a.m. He then took Aarti and went inside the interview room for a while, before retiring for the morning.

In the evening Swami was out by 3.30 p.m. Bhajans started as usual at 5.00 p.m. and by 5.15 p.m. Swami took Aarti and proceeded towards the PC Auditorium.

June 24th, 2005

This morning there was no Darshan but in the evening Swami came out at 3.55 p.m. He cut across on the Ladies side and came on to the stage. He sat on the dais amidst Vedic Chanting until 5.00 p.m., when He started receiving letters from students. A number of them were Blessed with the opportunity of offering their letters and receiving some reply from Swami. At 5.30 p.m. Bhagawan went inside. Bhajans started at 5.40 p.m. and Aarti was offered at 6.05 p.m.

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