Chinna Katha: Result of Doing the Guru’s Bidding

There was a great sage called Gautama in ancient India. He had a number of disciples studying under him. One day he called all his disciples and said: "My dear children! You know that we have been experiencing severe drought in this region and there are no signs of its abatement too. I am very much worried about the cattle of our hermitage. They have already become very lean and weak. I am unable to bear the sight of suffering of these dumb creatures. I think these cows have to be driven to a distant place where there is ample pasture and plenty of water. I will be very happy if one of you could volunteer to undertake this task. You can bring them back when the calamity has rolled over."

Many pupils just hung their heads lest their true feelings should be found out by their master. Some tried to hide behind others in order to avoid the direct stare of the Guru.

From Team Venugaanam

We are delighted to bring you the 47^th edition of Venugaanam this July This month, we bring excerpts from Swami’s Divine Discourses compiled in Prema Vahini.

In Atmajyothi, we continue to learn and understand about supreme devotion.

The SKM updates bring to you some pictures from the school during the notebook and stationery distribution by the Sai youth of South Bangalore.

 Prakash gives us a quick insight into the world of phone applications that are making life easy. Read his article “Apps- Changing our Lives”.

Shrikanth highlights  the greatness of Draupadi in Lessons from Great Personalities.

We are happy to have your feedback on how to make ‘Venugaanam’ a

better communication tool. You may kindly mail us at contactus@saikrushnamandir.org . Do feel free to share with us your experiences in following Swami’s teachings or on any other theme of your choice.

We pray to Swami to bless all the children and inmates so that they may all come up to His expectations.

May Swami turn our lives into a celebration of His message of love, sharing and caring.

With All our Prema,

Team Venugaanam

Sai Krushna Charitable Trust

Bhagawan’s Discourse: From the Microcosm to Macrocosm

from Prema Vahini

Understand that the objective world is as unreal as the dream world

Mud alone is real. The pot-consciousness is born of ignorance regarding mud; mud is the basis, the substance of the pot. How can a pot exist without mud? How can effect exist apart from the cause? The world appears as multiplicity only to the ignorant. To wise people (jnanis), Brahman alone exists, Brahman upon which all else is superimposed. The Atma alone is cognised by them; there is nothing else. That is the nondualistic (a-dwaithic) experience.

Atmajyothi

by Shri Lakshminarayan Aithal

This, itself, is the Supreme Learning ( परविज्ञान ). Then :-

ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति । समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम् ।।

भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान् यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः । ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम् ।।गी. 18-54, 55.

The one who is supremely wise himself is the Supreme Devotee. He doesn’t have either distress, or lust; and, he sees God everywhere and in all living beings. Probably, he doesn’t have any mental condition other than the Love in God everywhere. For, such a wise-devotee (ज्ञानीभक्त) God Himself is the Reality. He obtains the experience of the Reality that everything is God and he merges only in God.

SKM Updates

Along with new furniture, the new academic session after summer holidays greeted the children with new books and school stationery. We thank the members of the South Bangalore Sai Samiti who made a generous contribution of note books, stationery, first aid kits to the children of the Sharavathi School. Please see pics below:

Distribution of notebooks and stationery

Handmade Chart for Children

Children excited with their new stationery

Children Praying

 

Cultural Programme

Apps-Technology Changing Our Lives

by Prakash Srinivasan

Apps are revolutionizing our lives every day for the better because they make any service available to us at our finger tips. Here is a look at some apps across categories. This is apart from the first-installed ones like Whatsapp and other anti-virus apps.

Lessons from Great Personalities- Life of Draupadi

The Pandava brothers along with Draupadi and Kunti were in exile after the wax house episode.   One evening, Dharmaja and Draupadi were taking a quiet stroll in the forest.   While walking, they saw a big fruit lying on the ground. They thought given its size everyone can have it for their dinner.   But they were unable to move the fruit.   The other Pandavas who came in search of them also tried in vain and all were exhausted.   Suddenly they observed that something moved under their feet and they realized that they were standing on Romarshi’s hair spread wide on the ground like a carpet.   The sage had undertook several years of penance for this special fruit which would free him from thirst and appetite.    Sensing some disturbance, the sage was just about to open his eyes.    

From Team Venugaanam

We are delighted to bring to you to the 46^th edition of Venugaanam.

In this edition of Venugaanam, we have our beloved SWAMI’s discourse on important things to avoid. Swami advises on the importance of Vedic culture and the need to discern the everlasting from the ephemeral.

The SKM updates brings to you some pics from the school . Do read the updates to know about how one Sai student’s sincere prompting ensured excellent furniture for all the school children. A big thanks to the carpenter. Mr Murugeshan, whose tireless efforts ensured the timely fulfilment.

In Atmajyothi, the discussion progresses to a comparison of devotion and knowledge and how both complement each other.

The Fruit Fly and the Aircraft Designer is a must read for everyone with a scientific temperament.

Don Mason beautifully illustrates the engineering marvels of nature and how a scientist can learn a lot from the creator, if only he opens his eyes to the world’s wonders.

For those of you, who’ve been missing his narrative excellence—Bhargav is back with another outstanding experience of a trek in the mountains in Puttaparthi. If you haven’t gone trekking, you needn’t worry- through his detailed narrative, Bhargav literally ensures that you can experience it first hand!

We are happy to have your feedback on how to make ‘Venugaanam’ a better communication tool. Please mail us at contactus@saikrushnamandir.org . Do feel free to share with us your articles, thoughts and ideas.

We pray to Swami to bless all the children and inmates so that they may all come up to His expectations. May Swami turn our lives into a celebration of His message of love, sharing and caring.

                                                                                                                        With All our Prema,

                                                                                                                        Team Venugaanam

Bhagavan’s Discourse: From the Microcosm to Macrocosm

Source: Prema Vahini, chapter 23

 

Don’t neglect the study of Sanskrit and Vedic culture

In past ages, Indians performed their daily rites, sat in purified places, surrounded by sacredness, and immersed themselves in the study and practice of the teachings of the Vedas and the Upanishads. They recorded their experiences in order to guide others to bring those experiences back again into their own consciousness. But their children and grandchildren placed the books on the altar and duly worshiped them. Neglect reduced them to dust or lumber; the palm leaves disintegrated, and rats ate into them.

Eager students from the West have sought out this lumber, realising that it enshrines incomparable sources of illumination and priceless pearls of wisdom. They lift it reverentially above their heads and acclaim it as the precious gift of the continent of Bharath (Bharatha-khanda) to themselves and their children. They carry it across the seas with joy in their eyes and thankfulness in their hearts.