Scholarly Speeches and Dance Drama Presentation…
Thursday, October 2nd, 2014
As the traditional Prasanthi Vidwan Mahasabha entered into day-5 today, this evening’s session was marked by two speeches, Bhagawan’s Divine discourse and a Dance Drama presentation by the Prasanthi Dance Group.
Commencing the session at the scheduled hour, 1640 hrs., with invocatory Vedic chanting by the students from Anantapur campus, followed by an introductory talk, this evening session had two speakers, Dr. (Miss) Deepa Seetharaman, Assistant Professor at Dept of Physics, Anantapur campus followed by Sri Sanjay Sahni, Associate Professor at Dept of Commerce, Brindavan campus. Sri Sahni is also the Director of the Brindavan campus of SSSIHL.
Speaking first, Dr Deepa Seetharaman presented a thesis on the subject “From Fear To Fearlessness” defining ‘fear’ with the help of ancient scriptural texts and words from some of the spiritual masters. Fear is an apprehension about a possible extinction of something precious about life, said the speaker, explaining the three stages in the process, namely Bhaya (fear), Nirbhaya (effort to overcome fear) and Abhaya (absence of fear). It is imperative that God instilled the feeling of fear in man as it would help him depending on Godhood for ‘fear’ of his incapacity or powerlessness. Quoting the masters like Vivekananda and Adi Shankara, the speaker put forth the theory that ‘fear comes out of ignorance, man’s ignorance about his true nature’. The most effective tool to overcome the feeling is Bhakthi and Jnana, with Bhakthi, one gets immersed in the chosen God that grants the needed assurance; Jnana on the other hand grants the supreme wisdom of “Brahmam”, where fear finds no place.
With Bhagawan with us, one should be able to progress from Bhaya to Nirbhaya to Abhaya to reach Him, concluded Dr Deepa.
Sanjay Sahni, a seasoned speaker, who had the rare good fortune of speaking in Bhagawan physical presence many a time, delivered a structured speech with sprinklings of exciting, revealing experiences from the nostalgic golden past, describing the indescribable, delving deep into Sai Bhagavatham.
Speaking on the theme of gauging the one who has seen God, Sri Sanjay Sahni said the right proof of having seen and touched by God is imbibing the qualities and nature of God in one’s own life. Explaining further, Sri Sahni spoke about Bhagawan’s 3 P’s, Purity, Patience and Perseverance, as the three most essential qualities in emulating Bhagawan in our lives.
Bhagawan’s Divine discourse followed next, played on the public address system, and ended with the bhajan “Sathyam Jnanan Anatam Brahma…”
Next to come was the final act of the day’s session, an exhilarating, innovative Dance Drama presentation by the Prasanthi Dance Group. Entitled “Jantoonam Narajanma Durlabham”, the presentation had man’s own story, the story of humanity as its central theme.
Illustrating man’s changing colours of ego, selfishness, pride, vanity and his never-ending confusion in knowing the Truth from untruth, Reality from illusion, the ‘multi-art’ presentation with songs, dance, shadow-play in perfect alignment weaving the story of man, was a stark reminder to man telling him ‘how he is different from the animal kingdom and how his life on earth is the most precious one’.
The Prasanthi Dance Group comprises of students from the Primary School, Easwaramma English Medium School, Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School and from the college campuses at Muddenahalli, Brindavan and Prasanthi Nilayam. The ‘troupe’ earned a rave appraisal for its brilliant show, receiving rapturous applause from the capacity audience.
Bhajans continued and ended with Mangala Arathi at 1920 hrs.
Eleven villages in the Puttaparthi mandal have been served today, on the 5th of Sri Sathya Sai Grama Seva 2014.
II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
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