Ugadi 2018 Divine Omnipresence of Sathya Sai at Prasanthi Nilayam

The Samvatsara with the name Vilambi arrived on the 18th of March 2018, marking the beginning of a new year in the 60-year cycle. The festival of Ugadi was celebrated by the people of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as the people of Maharashtra celebrated Gudi Padwa and the Parsi people prepared to celebrate Navroz. In Prasanthi Nilayam, the abode of highest peace of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba at Puttaparthi, Ugadi is celebrated with great fervour and tradition every year in accordance with the precedent set by Swami Himself. This year was no different. However, it was also quite different in the sense that Bhagawan chose to show His loving omnipresence in a unique manner.

That revelation of His Presence started on note of apparent failure!

The beautifully decorated Sai Sannidhi at Prasanthi Nilayam on the Ugadi day in 2018.

When the discourse went into mute mode...

The morning dawned with the myriad hues and colours of the Ugadi decorations unfolded as the curtains of the Sai Sannidhi were drawn open. The customary Panchanga Shravanam, listening to the annual forecast based on the Panchanga, was delivered by Brahmasri Kuppa Siva Subramanya Avadhani Garu of Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams. The most anticipated part of the proceedings however was reserved for the last. The customary prayer to bless the gathering with His Divine Discourse was made and, as always, the Radiosai team played an appropriate discourse clip that had been prepared almost a fortnight before. It was an audio clip and as Swami and the translator spoke, the text of the message was projected onto the giant screens as well.

A few sentences into the discourse, ‘failure’ struck! The audio suddenly went off and there was absolute silence in the Sai Kulwant Hall. However, the display of the text of the discourse progressed. A few people ran up and down frantically trying to fix the situation as the silence in the hall continued beyond a minute. What had happened was a terrible mistake.

Whenever there is a programme scheduled in Sai Kulwant hall (other than the daily Veda chanting and Bhajans), the systems in the hall are always run on generator power. This is to ensure that the programme goes on smoothly without even the 15-seconds no-power time that is necessary for the generators to kick in. Even on the programme days, to minimize fuel consumption, the generator is put on after the Veda chanting, just before the programme begins. A mix-up or miscommunication had occured because of which the generator-guy had assumed that the programme is beginning at 9 am and had promptly switched the load from raw power to the generator! That had resulted in a downtime when there was no power available for Sai Kulwant Hall. In the meanwhile, the projectors that run on UPS continued to work. Thus, this strange situation cropped up wherein it felt as if the discourse had been ‘muted’.

However, before the blame-game could begin, Swami revealed His masterplan and there were goosebumps instead of annoyance!


Mute spectators to the ‘muting’ miracle

Once the power came back on, the Radiosai team quickly restarted the discourse clip so that the precious few sentences missed could be regained. Swami’s powerful voice once again filled the air as He emphasized on the essential need of winning over the mind and senses to be called as a true conqueror. Then came the lines which made it evident that the ‘power failure’ was actually the ‘practicals’ part of the ‘theory’ that Swami was explaining. Those sentences went like this:

Many think that the loudspeaker is the basis for all sounds.

The moment the current stops here, the loudspeaker is useless.

In this also, it is the current that is the basis.

The ear is merely like the loudspeaker.

It is only because of the Atmic current that the ears make you listen.

The lesson couldn’t have been driven home more powerfully and more aptly! A murmur of excitement and thrill passed through the audience as Swami spoke these words. Swami’s photo at the Sannidhi seemed to be smiling and enjoying the thrill and surprise that the devotees were experiencing. How can one say that Swami is not in Prasanthi Nilayam now?

Screen shot of the sentence in the Divine Discourse that brought goosebumps of joy! 

The experience of His Presence that Swami so lovingly conferred on those that had gathered in Prasanthi Nilayam to begin the New Year was so fulfilling. The live broadcast by Radiosai ensured that those that had virtually gathered at Prasanthi Nilayam too partook the blessing. What good fortune it is to be mute witnesses to His Divine drama where an apparent mistake too is part of His masterplan! The experience is an eye-opener for us when we get thoughts of things going awry or wrong in Swami’s organisations. It inspires us to keep doing our part sincerely, with all love with the complete awareness that everything is part of His masterplan. He is ALWAYS watching and is ALWAYS doing everything for His dear devotee.

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