Ladies’ Day in The Divine Presence…
Saturday, November 19th, 2011
Today is November 19, International Ladies’ Day in Prasanthi Nilayam and for Sai Fraternity all over the world. Ever since its inception in the year 1995, calling for greater women participation in social and spiritual revolution in their role as feminine energy, November 19 has been the dotted day in Prasanthi Calendar when womenfolk comes active celebrating the day in His Divine presence.
This mornings presentation began at 0830 hrs. with Vedam by the women students of Anantapur Campus chanting Rudram, Mantrapushpam and Durga Suktam for half- an-hour. Anantapur Band followed playing soulful tunes as students from the campus followed by senior ladies’ paid tributes at Beloved Bhagawan at the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Introducing the speakers for the session, Ms. Chetana Raju spoke of the persona of Sri Sathya Sai, reminding the audience that nothing could ever fill the vacuum created by Bhagawan’s physical passing on…Swami always Was…Swami always Is…Swami always Will Be…Bhagawan is past, present and future stressed the speaker recapitulating the most wonderous time Bhagawan had given to mankind, walking talking and living among humanity.
There were three speakers for the morning session. The first speaker, Dr. Malathi Srinivasan, a former student of Anantapur Campus and currently Principle Scientist, CSIR, Bangalore shared some interesting incidents during her tenure as a student at Anantapur Campus. Staying away, for the first time in life, the speaker was infested with nostalgia and thus had a tough time. Praying hard, she asked Bhagawan to show His omniscience, a conditional prayer, asking for a particular prasadam. Ominipresent Mother Sai responded to her sincere prayer, giving in to the devotee’s demand, sending His student her ‘chosen prasadam’ while the rest of the lot got regular laddu prasadam. This was a ‘visiting card’ from Mother Sai instilling greater faith in His omniscience, came at the appropriate time. Women, in Bhagawan’s words, are supposedly blessed with seven qualities, Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema, Ahimsa, Tolerance and Spirituality, said Dr. Malathi mentioning on the inception of Anantapur Campus in 1969, crediting the same to Mother Easwaramma’s wishful desire.
The second speaker, Mrs. Madhuri Naganand, spoke of her first darshan of Bhagawan in Bangalore. A Shirdi Sai devotee originally, she had a prayer to Baba to grant her ‘Pratyaksha Darshan’ and as an answer to her prayer she was guided to Bhagawan in Bangalore, resulting in her first ever darshan of Sri Sathya Sai. Referring to the Taitireeya Upanishadic dictum, “Mathru Devo Bhava”, Mrs. Naganand called upon the attention to Bhagawan’ s own life, treating His physical mother with great reverence, reminding the audience of the role and importance of women in society.
The final speaker was Mrs. Phyllis Krystal, a nonegenarian, veteran devotee from the US, author of many popular books of Sai literature. Narrating her first ever meeting with Bhagawan, a soft spoken Mrs. Krystal shared with the audience highlights of many a councelling she has been fortunate to receive over the years. Omnipresent Sai is ‘everywhere’ and it is our duty to take His mission onward; what we need to do is to love Him by all means, said the spirited speaker, reminiscing her precious moments with Beloved Bhagawan.
Sai Kulwant Hall bore colourful decorations and the Seat of Bhagawan, the Sacntum Sanctorum, was a riot of colours, bedecked with flowers and buntings of varied hues.
Bhajans by Anatapur students continued and special Italian Prasadam was distributed before Mangala Arathi offering at 1015 hrs.
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