The Kindness Of God

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This is about a program that took place on the 27th of February 2004. It was a very funny program. There was no dialogue or speaking; there were only gestures and postures. The students were acting. Only by watching their signs and gestures, we were able to make out the exact theme that they wanted to convey.

Perhaps this was the first time this type of program (known as 'pantomime') was taking place in Sai Kulwant Hall. Usually such things are done in a smaller gathering. But they did this program right in front of Swami and in front of so many people.

The students enacted it in front of Swami and then later, after the enactment, they asked the crowd, "Who will tell the message of this?" Then the other students would raise their hands and one of them would tell the message of the whole scene which had been silently enacted. It was quite interesting and Swami keenly watched every episode (skit.)

In the second episode, one boy sat, acting as if he was doing some penance. A few boys (five of them) started walking close by. The boy who sat there immediately opened his eyes in a bit of anger. In the meantime, another boy came slowly and fell at the feet of all the five fellows. Then the boy who sat doing some penance, the one who had been angry, got up and he, too, did padanamaskar to all the five boys.

The question was asked, "Yes, who will tell the message of this?"

Some boys raised their hands. One boy was asked to give the answer.

The boy said, "This is a story from the Mahabharata. The pancha (five) Pandavas were in the forest trying to lift a fruit (this was the legendary Amrutaphala – the fruit of Immortality). There was a saint sitting there in deep penance. The name of the saint was Roma Rishi. 'Roma" means hair. His hair was so long that it spread a few kilometres, like a black carpet."

"The five Pandavas did not notice the hair, but they saw the very big fruit, which they wanted to pick up and eat. The saint had been doing penance for that fruit because, whosoever ate that fruit would never feel thirsty or hungry. Therefore, that Rishi was doing penance for the procurement of this very fruit. The five Pandavas came there, trying easily to grab that fruit. The Rishi became disturbed, opened his eyes and was very angry, ready to curse all the Pandavas."

"In the meantime, Krishna came to the rescue of the five Pandavas. He came to the sage and spoke a few words, a few courtesies and kind enquiries. Then Krishna fell at the feet of all the five Pandavas. Then the Rishi thought that the five Pandavas must be very great people. So he, too, fell at their feet. Thus his anger was pacified. This is an episode which shows that the kindness of God towards His devotees is such that He would not even mind falling at the feet of the devotees."

Everybody clapped; this was the end of the second episode.