After the completion of Mangala Haarathi, we all gathered in the Mandir, to see Swamy, and the Lingam that was decorated.
There were flashes and clicks all around. Sayishwara and Sayishwara were so adorably beautifully. It was prasadam time. We assembled in the Prasada-alaya to gratefully recieve the bkessed prasadam. The serving was hot and saturated with Love.
We changed our deeksha avstrams and rested for a while. Our discussion would invariably about Swamy. ARMY 2006, 2007, 2010 personal experieences were on the topic boards.
After a short nap, ritwiks would take a bath, get ready for the next session. In the mean while, a few of us, cleaned the entire yagashaala, the yagna gundas, bedecked with paddy and seseame seads, and flowers.
Next session's prepration including seating arrangements for the Ritwiks, placing logs of wood by the yagna gundas, baskets of sacred offerings ready, cleaning the vessels that would be used for the abhishekam, setting the various items like camphos, flowers etc handy were made, quicky, all under the watchful Presence of the Lord.
At 04:00PM every one was present in the Yagashala, ready for commencing the next session. Ganapathi Prarthana, invocatory prayers were chanted. 132 ritwiks voiced Sri Rudram in Unision, and another session of the cosmic event bagan.
Swamy's residence on the top floor had large windows of the sides. One such window was on the Western Wall. As the evening sun set, Sun's Rays from the window directly bathed the Lingam. It was a visual treat for all of us. The droplets of water that rebounded from the flower on the Lingam looked like drops of light and shining diamonds in the flood of Sun light.
After the nineth iteration, it would be around 05:30 PM and clouds would cover the brigh skies and it invariably rain everyday, through the yagna. The intensity of the rain was so high that the noise of droplets of water hitting the yaagashaal's roof would dominate our chanting voice. Were the clouds competing with us, in chanitng rudram in their own language? or was it the direct abhishekam of the entire assembly by the devas and classes of higher beings pouring in through the clouds...we never know.
At about 06:00 PM, the Rudra Parayana would conclude and a short break for performing sandhya vandanam, and coffee to relax the vocal chords. Singers would assemble with their instruments and sing melodious Bhajans, and simultaneously the Siva Bhaktas decorated the Lingam in befitting style. In about twenty minutes time, every one returned to the Yagashaala and the next session began.
It would by dark by 06:30 PM, dark clouds hovering the skies. Sacred flames dormant in the yagna gundas would be raised by piling in logs and fanning. In a few minutes all the Yagna gundas would be blazing with high rising flames.
Darshan through the Yagagudas can only be experienced and enjoyed, and the beauty of the sight can not be described.
Yagnaacharya would lead the team and proceed with various invocatory rituals. Rudra Homam commenced in after a short duration. Evening sessions were specially more beautifully. The entire sorrounding area, beyond the Yagashaala and His residence was in dark and the Yagna gundas were alive with flames raised for sacred offerings.
Rudra Homam was followed by various Upacharas and Asthavadhana Seva. On the evening of Sixth, Bala Vikas Students from Malaysia and Indonesia offered Mahishsura Mardhini stotram to Swamy. The stortam was rendered with perfect anotation, diction, pronunciation and instrumenal accompanyments.
On the seventh the brahma of the celebration, Pranavaswarupanada swamyji rendered Siva Kavacha stortam, On another evening, the Lady Chanters and Devotees sang beautiful songs for Sai - "Hamko tumse pyar hai kitna, Sai tumhi jaanete". Male singers offered Special Bhajans.
Renderings from Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana Veda were unique, and never repeated. Various stotrams, in praise of Sadguru, Sri Mahavishnu, Shiva, Devi, were made all for the pleasure of Swamy. It was a jouyous experience to be an audiece to the great court of Lord Sayishwara where Vedic Scholars and Learned men offered all their skills to Him. We had the pleasure of receiving the Prasadam of their Naivedyam.
Aarathi in various forms, with single wick, with five wicks, with hundred wicks, and camphor was offerd to Sayishwara. Tiny jyothis infornt of the Parmjoti were so beautiful.
On the evenin gof Sixth, while were moving in the Yagahaala, we noticed that the Pavithra Paadam, or the Sacred Path between the Rows, where special designs were painted, exclusively for Swamy, was very hot, in complete contrast to the tiles just next to the Sacred Path. The adjasent tiles were at ambient temperature, while the tiles below the Pavithra Padam were hot. We could only guess what could have happened. When reported to Mama, he said the event is blessed by His presence, is had been proven beyond doubt.
Since no Seva dals were designated, ritwiks ourselves took turns in various events like cleaning the yagashala after the sessions, serving prasadam, etc during which our bonds with each other and with our Divine Parent strengthened.
Mama and his troupe - Ramaanada Sarma, Badari, Dr. Sathya, Julius were invariably the last ones to arrive for having dinner. Mama ate frugally, and the serving batch would sit with him and dine. We would ask him about the significance of various events and rituals that were performed that day during the Yagna, and hewould explain them elaboratey, with patience and without a trace of discomfort. His body language was reflecting the Love that he had soaked from Swamy. He also narrated so many stories and personal encounters with Swamy, episodes of Love and Grace HE showered so profusely on him and HIS devotees. Often his hands would dry talking to us, and it would weel cross twelve in the night. despite the next days schedule, henever complained or short circuited his narrairions to go to bed.
We would then wash out vesthis and other cloths, dry them, chat and share Ananda, and it would invaraibly One or Two early in the morning before we actually went to bed! Nextday as usual began at five AM with Aumkaram and Suprabhatam.
There were flashes and clicks all around. Sayishwara and Sayishwara were so adorably beautifully. It was prasadam time. We assembled in the Prasada-alaya to gratefully recieve the bkessed prasadam. The serving was hot and saturated with Love.
We changed our deeksha avstrams and rested for a while. Our discussion would invariably about Swamy. ARMY 2006, 2007, 2010 personal experieences were on the topic boards.
After a short nap, ritwiks would take a bath, get ready for the next session. In the mean while, a few of us, cleaned the entire yagashaala, the yagna gundas, bedecked with paddy and seseame seads, and flowers.
Next session's prepration including seating arrangements for the Ritwiks, placing logs of wood by the yagna gundas, baskets of sacred offerings ready, cleaning the vessels that would be used for the abhishekam, setting the various items like camphos, flowers etc handy were made, quicky, all under the watchful Presence of the Lord.
At 04:00PM every one was present in the Yagashala, ready for commencing the next session. Ganapathi Prarthana, invocatory prayers were chanted. 132 ritwiks voiced Sri Rudram in Unision, and another session of the cosmic event bagan.
Swamy's residence on the top floor had large windows of the sides. One such window was on the Western Wall. As the evening sun set, Sun's Rays from the window directly bathed the Lingam. It was a visual treat for all of us. The droplets of water that rebounded from the flower on the Lingam looked like drops of light and shining diamonds in the flood of Sun light.
After the nineth iteration, it would be around 05:30 PM and clouds would cover the brigh skies and it invariably rain everyday, through the yagna. The intensity of the rain was so high that the noise of droplets of water hitting the yaagashaal's roof would dominate our chanting voice. Were the clouds competing with us, in chanitng rudram in their own language? or was it the direct abhishekam of the entire assembly by the devas and classes of higher beings pouring in through the clouds...we never know.
At about 06:00 PM, the Rudra Parayana would conclude and a short break for performing sandhya vandanam, and coffee to relax the vocal chords. Singers would assemble with their instruments and sing melodious Bhajans, and simultaneously the Siva Bhaktas decorated the Lingam in befitting style. In about twenty minutes time, every one returned to the Yagashaala and the next session began.
It would by dark by 06:30 PM, dark clouds hovering the skies. Sacred flames dormant in the yagna gundas would be raised by piling in logs and fanning. In a few minutes all the Yagna gundas would be blazing with high rising flames.
Darshan through the Yagagudas can only be experienced and enjoyed, and the beauty of the sight can not be described.
Yagnaacharya would lead the team and proceed with various invocatory rituals. Rudra Homam commenced in after a short duration. Evening sessions were specially more beautifully. The entire sorrounding area, beyond the Yagashaala and His residence was in dark and the Yagna gundas were alive with flames raised for sacred offerings.
Rudra Homam was followed by various Upacharas and Asthavadhana Seva. On the evening of Sixth, Bala Vikas Students from Malaysia and Indonesia offered Mahishsura Mardhini stotram to Swamy. The stortam was rendered with perfect anotation, diction, pronunciation and instrumenal accompanyments.
On the seventh the brahma of the celebration, Pranavaswarupanada swamyji rendered Siva Kavacha stortam, On another evening, the Lady Chanters and Devotees sang beautiful songs for Sai - "Hamko tumse pyar hai kitna, Sai tumhi jaanete". Male singers offered Special Bhajans.
Renderings from Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana Veda were unique, and never repeated. Various stotrams, in praise of Sadguru, Sri Mahavishnu, Shiva, Devi, were made all for the pleasure of Swamy. It was a jouyous experience to be an audiece to the great court of Lord Sayishwara where Vedic Scholars and Learned men offered all their skills to Him. We had the pleasure of receiving the Prasadam of their Naivedyam.
Aarathi in various forms, with single wick, with five wicks, with hundred wicks, and camphor was offerd to Sayishwara. Tiny jyothis infornt of the Parmjoti were so beautiful.
On the evenin gof Sixth, while were moving in the Yagahaala, we noticed that the Pavithra Paadam, or the Sacred Path between the Rows, where special designs were painted, exclusively for Swamy, was very hot, in complete contrast to the tiles just next to the Sacred Path. The adjasent tiles were at ambient temperature, while the tiles below the Pavithra Padam were hot. We could only guess what could have happened. When reported to Mama, he said the event is blessed by His presence, is had been proven beyond doubt.
Since no Seva dals were designated, ritwiks ourselves took turns in various events like cleaning the yagashala after the sessions, serving prasadam, etc during which our bonds with each other and with our Divine Parent strengthened.
Mama and his troupe - Ramaanada Sarma, Badari, Dr. Sathya, Julius were invariably the last ones to arrive for having dinner. Mama ate frugally, and the serving batch would sit with him and dine. We would ask him about the significance of various events and rituals that were performed that day during the Yagna, and hewould explain them elaboratey, with patience and without a trace of discomfort. His body language was reflecting the Love that he had soaked from Swamy. He also narrated so many stories and personal encounters with Swamy, episodes of Love and Grace HE showered so profusely on him and HIS devotees. Often his hands would dry talking to us, and it would weel cross twelve in the night. despite the next days schedule, henever complained or short circuited his narrairions to go to bed.
We would then wash out vesthis and other cloths, dry them, chat and share Ananda, and it would invaraibly One or Two early in the morning before we actually went to bed! Nextday as usual began at five AM with Aumkaram and Suprabhatam.
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