Dance Drama and Music Session by Madha Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Youth on 20th August
Posted at 12:50 Hrs. 21st Aug 2009
Relishing the golden memories of the previous year, reinvigorating themselves, a huge contingent of youth from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, twin states from the northern hindi belt of India have embarked upon a spiritual voyage to Prasanthi Nilayam, counting blessings, feasting their hearts and souls with the immediate Divine Presence of Bhagawan.
A flashback to the previous year would be quite apt and interesting. On that momentous day, Bhagawan, out of turn, most surprisingly, went into the surge of devotees, blessing the youth contingent from the state in abundance with His mighty… towering… immediate presence! None of the youth would have missed a chance to be close to Him as Bhagawan went on making repeated rounds covering each and every member in the group, amidst the swinging surge of devotees, as if literally telling them, that “I belong to You”!!!
On the 21st August evening, the spirited and devoted Youth from the state, numbering 2150, with 1500 gents and 650 ladies, put up a musical drama in Hindi entitled “Manasa Bhajare Gurucharanam”… lighting up the evening turned twilight with the message that only by controlling the mind and surrendering it at the Guru’s Feet one could attain self-realisation.
Anchoring on the first ever song taught by the young Sathya Sai to the mankind, “Manasa Bhajare Gurucharanam” on the 20th October 1940, the drama had two more scenes of lore from the yore. A story on Dakshinamurthi, the great preceptor, depicting how much the mind is responsible for bondage and liberation and hence must be cleansed and purified to free from undesirable thoughts and unwanted desires from time to time was followed by a scene depicting the great master of Advaita philosophy, Shankaracharya singing Bhajagovindam, singing the follies and frailties of temporal existence in the physical plane.
King Janaka’s story of attaining self realization was to follow next. King Janaka’s message to aid him to get self-realisation at the shortest possible time was received by the subjects, especially the learned with amusement and frightened feeling and when at a point of time none could find an answer to the king, there came Ashtavakra who had ready tips for the King to get instant illumination, but not without any pre-condition.
Ashtavakra told the king that they should get out of the rajasic and thamasic surroundings in the posh darbar and thus head towards forest and second condition was that the king should offer his mind as traditional gift to the Guru, the Guru Dakshina that is given by a disciple to the preceptor. King Janaka told Ashtavakra: "The attainment of God is the most important thing to me, so I am prepared to give you absolutely anything you want."
Ashtavakra told Janaka to dismount from his horse and made the horse stand in front of the king. He then told the king to sit down in the middle of the road. Astavakra walked into the forest and sat quietly under a tree. The soldiers who were made to wait only at the periphery waited for a long time. Neither the king nor Ashtavakra returned from the forest. The soldiers wanted to find out what had happened to them, so one by one, they proceeded to look for them. When they went along the road leading into the forest, they found the king seated there, in the middle of the road. The horse was standing in front of the king. The king had his eyes closed and sat still almost immobile. Ashtavakra was not to be seen. The officers were afraid that Ashtavakra might have exercised some magic spell over the king and had made him lose consciousness. They reported the matter to the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister upon arrival addressed the king, but of no avail. Left with no alternative, the Prime Minister sent the chariot back to the city to bring the queen thinking that if the queen spoke to the king, he would surely respond. The queen came and addressed the king: "Swami! Swami" The king did not stir; there was absolutely no response from the king. Meanwhile the soldiers searched throughout the whole forest for Ashtavakra. There, under a tree, Ashtavakra was seated peacefully, in absolute calm and serenity.
The soldiers caught hold of him and brought him towards the place where the king was. Ashtavakra told them: "Why are you all so worried? The king is safe and everything is alright." But still they insisted and brought him before the King seated on the road with his eyes closed, his body completely still. The soldier said: "Here, look for yourself! See what has happened to the King!". Until that time, whether the Prime Minister, or the ministers, or the queen or any of the other court officials or common people, had called out and addressed the King, he neither he opened his mouth in answer nor opened his eyes in acknowledgment. But now Ashtavakra came and spoke to the king, King Janaka immediately opened his eyes and replied, "Swami!" Ashtavakra questioned the king: "Well, the ministers have come, and the soldiers have come, and also many others have come, why did you not reply to their entreaties?" Janaka answered: "Thoughts, words and deeds are associated with the mind, and I offered my mind entirely to you. Therefore before I can use the mind for anything, I need your permission. What authority do I have to speak to anyone or use this mind in any way without your permission and command?" Then Ashtavakra said: "You have attained the state of God-realization."
Stilled mind, that is dead...die mind is diamond…and King Janaka by surrending his mind attained the supreme knowledge…enlightenment!!!
This was followed by a brief stint of music programme by Kum. Geetika Manjrekar, an alumnus of Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar, Indore. Starting her career as early at the age of four, she learnt Hindustani classical from Smt. Malti Joshi of Jaipur Atrolia
Gharana, and is currently undergoing training at the Music Gurukul of Shri Suresh Wadkar at Mumbai. She has successfully performed in various TV channels and also singing in Marati films.
