Glimpses Of Shivaratri Celebrations At Prasanthi Nilayam - Lingodbhava on 4 March 2000

 

"Shivaratri celebrations started on the morning of 4th March, 2000 when Bhagavan came to Sai Kulwant Hall at 7.00 a.m. to bless the devotees with His Divine Darshan. Since Sai Kulwant Hall was packed with devotees, thousands of them waited for Bhagavan's Darshan outside the Hall. As soon as Bhagavan came, a wave of ecstasy ran through the vast multitude. Swami blessed all the devotees, both inside and outside the Hall. After giving the bliss of Darshan to the entire gathering. Bhagavan sat in the chair and gestured the programme to be started. At 7.30 a.m., the students started singing Stotras, which included Shiva-Ashatakam, Bilva-Ashatakam and Linga-Ashatakam in praise of Lord Shiva. Soon after this, Bhagavan instructed the students for Prasadam distribution. Bhajan and Prasadam continued up to 8.45 a.m. Bhagavan showered bliss on the devotees and students by distributing toffees and sweets to them.

After the distribution of Prasadam, Bhagavan distributed 50 sewing machines to the needy persons from Anantapur and adjoining villages. They included several deaf and dumb and other handicapped men and women for whom these machines would serve as a means of livelihood. Bhagavan gave clothes also along with sewing machines to all the fifty men and women. This programme was organized by Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samithi of Anantapur. The morning programme came to a conclusion at 8.55 a.m. with Mangala-arati to Bhagavan.

There was much expectation in the air when Shivaratri Bhajan started in the evening of 4th March 2000. Bhagavan came to Sai Kulwant Hall at 3.00 p.m. and blessed the congregation of devotees, which included the Chief Minister of Kamataka, Sri S.M. Krishna. Before the Divine Discourse, a musical performance was given by me famous flute player, Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao. At the end of the programme, Bhagavan Baba blessed the artiste and materialized a gold ring for him.

Before giving His Divine Discourse on the auspicious occasion of Shivaratri, Bhagavan graciously permitted three speakers to make brief speeches. The programme began with Veda chanting by the students. Srinivas, Member of the Central Trust, then introduced the three speakers, viz.. Prof. G. Venkataraman, Sri S.V. Giri and Sri V. Srinivasan.

After these three speeches, the great moment arrived when Bhagavan rose from the chair at 5.15 p.m. to deliver His Shivaratri Sandesh (message) to the eagerly awaiting devotees. In answer to the prayers of the previous speakers, Bhagavan dwelt in detail on the concept of Pancha Kosha and exhorted the devotees to transcend these Koshas (sheaths) and realise the Self, which was the goal of man's life on earth. Bhagavan— concluded His Divine Discourse at 6.30 p.m. with the Bhajan, Trema Mudita Manase Kaho Rama. Rama, Rama...' Thereafter, the students of Prasanthi Nilayam and Bridavan Campuses started the night-long Shivaratri Bhajan.

When Bhagavan sat in the chair, all eyes were fixed on Him. Though He was moving His right hand with the rhythm of the Bhajans. signs of LINGODBHAVA were visible on His face. Bhagavan Baba started drinking more and more water. The devotees held their breath when signs of emergence of the Linga from Bhagavan's body became prominent. The much awaited moment arrived at about 7.00 p.m. when with a forceful movement. an oval-shaped golden Linga emerged from Bhagavan's mouth, sending the hundreds of thousands devotees into raptures. Holding up the Linga in His right hand, Bhagavan showed it to all the devotees first from the platform and then by moving between the rows of devotees. It was the greatest event in the lives of assembled devotees when they witnessed soul-elevating divine phenomenon. Bhagavan left the Sai Kulwant Hall for His residence at 7.20 p.m. Night-long vigil and Bhajans continued with devotional fervour.

In the morning of 5th March, Bhagavan came into the Hall at 6.15 a.m. and showered His blessings on all the devotees, both inside and outside the Hall, while the Bhajans continued. At 6.45 a.m., Bhagavan blessed the devotees with another Discourse. In the end, Managala-arati was offered to Bhagavan and Prasadam was distributed to all the devotees. Thus concluded the holy celebration of Shivaratri at Prasanthi Nilayam." Editor. SS, 4/2000. pp. 122-124

Glimpses Of Shivaratri Celebrations At Prasanthi Nilayam - 1999

"The holy festival of Shivaratri became the holiest this year (15 February 1999) when Bhagavan gave a glimpse of His divinity once again by Lingodbhava (emergence of the Linga) before a vast multitude gathered in Sai Kulwant Hall at Prasanthi Nilayam. Every year since 1940, when Bhagavan declared that He was Shiva-Shakti Avatar of Sai Baba, this emergence of the Linga (one or many) had been happening on Shivaratri till 1977 when Bhagavan discontinued this divine manifestation as the number of devotees to witness this divine event became too large. A wave of divine ecstasy ran through the vast assemblage of devotees when Bhagavan in His mercy showed this Leela again on the morning of 15th February 1999 at 6.15 a.m. by manifesting a golden oval Linga before His morning Shivaratri discourse at the conclusion of night-long Shivaratri Bhajan. The divine manifestation of the Linga on Shivaratri of 1999 is a profound reminder of Bhagavan's Divinity to mankind, as Bhagavan says, 'I manifest My Mahimas to express the love I bear to mankind and to demonstrate My Grace and to make you realise who I am.'

Shivaratri programme started in the morning of 14th February 1999 in Sai Kulwant Hall with Bhagavan's Darshan at 7.00 a.m. to a huge gathering of devotees. After Darshan. the students chanted Shiva Stotras and Bhajans and the morning programme came to conclusion with the distribution of Prasadam and Managalaarati to Bhagavan.        "

In the afternoon of 14th February. Bhagavan graciously permitted three speakers to make a brief speech before His Shivaratri discourse. The first speaker Gen. S.P. Mahadevan revealed how he was saved by Baba in all dangers in several wars when he was face to face with death. As Prahlada preferred God to father. Bharat to his mother, Lakshmana to his wife and Mira to her husband, we should prefer God to everything in life and chant His name with full faith, he advised. The second speaker Prof. G. Venkataraman referred to the Puranic story of Shiva swallowing the Halahal to exhort that it was the purity of Shiva that solved the great problem of deadly poison. We should therefore imbibe purity in our life. The third speaker, Sri S. V. Giri, emphasized that Shivaratri was the holiest of all the festivals because this gave us an opportunity to control the mind and suffuse it with divinity. Referring to me golden days when Swami manifested the Linga on Shivaratri, Shri Giri said that emergence of the Linga added a new dimension to our consciousness.

After this, Bhagavan gave His Divine Discourse, which was followed by night-long Bhajans, in which a large number of devotees participated with devotional fervour.

On the morning of 15th February 1999, Bhagavan showered His rare benediction on the devotees by Lingodbhava and nectarine discourse and the Shivaratri programme concluded at Prasanthi Nilayam with the distribution of Prasadam and Aarati to Bhagavan at7.30a.rn.

Emergence Of The Linga

The night-long Shivaratri Bhajans were going on uninterruptedly when Bhagavan came to Sai Kulwant Hall at 6.00 a.m. on 15th February 1999. After giving Darshan to the huge concourse of devotees, Bhagavan came to the dais and sat in the chair. Everybody was ready for Bhagavan's Divine Discourse on this holy morning. The mike had already been placed on Bhagavan's table.

After sitting in the chair, Swami placed His own hand on His chest a couple of times because He was feeling the emergence of the Linga from His stomach. In spite of these signs very few could guess that the manifestation of the emergence of the Linga was imminent, as the usual signs of swaying coughing, etc. were not discernible this time. And then exactly at 6.15 a.m., the Linga emerged out of Swami's mouth and He took it in His cupped hands. Then He held it aloft in His right hand to show it to the devotees. A wave of bliss and ecstasy ran through the assembled devotees, who responded with a joyous applause. The Linga that emerged from the body of Bhagavan Baba this year was oval shape and golden in colour.