SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI
PART - 26
(Continued from the previous issue)

ACT vi - scene 3

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Sathya’s house. People are engaged in doing various things. At that time, a beggar comes to the house, begging for food. As beggars normally do, he cried out to the lady of the house, though he could not see her. Seshama who is there near the door, asks the beggar to go away.

BEGGAR: Mother, please give me some food. I’m hungry!

SESHAMA RAJU: We are busy! Go elsewhere.

BEGGAR: Mother, please give me some food.

Sathya who is watching all this, quietly goes into the kitchen to fetch some food for the beggar. This matter is promptly reported to the mother by Sathya’s sister.

PARVATHAMMA: Sathya has gone to the kitchen.

VENKAMMA: Yes, He has gone to get some food for the beggar.

PARVATHAMMA: Mother is there; maybe He will ask her.

BEGGAR: Mother! Please give me some food.

Sathya brings food and gives it to the beggar.

BEGGAR: May you be happy, dear boy!

SESHAMA RAJU: [becoming angry] Sathya, come here. Is not mother there? What do you mean by giving food like this on your own? At this rate, nothing will be left us.

SATHYA: That does not matter. The important thing is that we must give food to the hungry.

SESHAMA RAJU: If you keep on doling out food like this, you will have to fast.

SATHYA: I am ready to. Mother too fasts from time to time.

SESHAMA RAJU: That she does for securing God’s Grace.

SATHYA: They say that man is an embodiment of God. And God also comes in human form. The beggar to whom I gave food is My God. If he eats, it is as good as My having eaten.

SESHAMA RAJU: Does that mean You don’t want lunch?

E.AMMA: Come children, it’s time to have food!

PARVATHAMMA: Coming mother! Come, Venkamma.

VENKAMMA: Yes, sister.

All the children respond to their mother’s call and assemble for lunch. Sathya does not join. He is watching the beggar eat.

E.AMMA: Sathya, you also come and join for food.

SATHYA: Mother, have I not already given My share to the beggar?

E.AMMA: Yes, You have given Your share to the beggar and his hunger is appeased. But does that fill Your stomach? Come now, and have food along with the others.

SATHYA: No, mother, My hunger has already been appeased.

SESHAMA RAJU: Come on Sathya, have You become averse to food?

PARVATHAMMA: Come brother, join us please.

E.AMMA: Come child and have food.

At this stage, Kondama Raju and Venkama Raju enter the house. Kondama has been hearing what was being said.

K.RAJU: For my grandson, the satisfaction that others experience is as good as His own! Sathyam is beyond hunger and thirst.

V.RAJU: Father, in your perception your grandson is beyond everything! But what about Sathyam’s father and mother? If Sathyam starves, will they not be unhappy? Please tell me, how can we eat when Sathyam does not?

E.AMMA: Come Sathyam, come and have food.

V.RAJU: Come Sathyam, come.

K.RAJU: Sathyam’s word is Truth! You go and have your meals.

(To be continued)

- Heart2Heart Team

SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI
PART - 27
(Continued from the previous issue)

ACT VI - SCENE 4

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One day, as the boys are walking to School, they decide to have a splash in the river.

BOY: Come Raju, let’s all swim.

SATHYA: Please no, I don’t want to.

BOY: You are always like this!

BOY 2: In that case, You look after our books while we go swimming.

Sathya watches, while others enter the water and start having fun. Meanwhile, another gang of boys come there. These boys are jealous of Sathya and do not like Him.

ONE BOY IN THE GANG: [to Sathya] Raju, all those boys are swimming. Come let’s join them.

SATHYA: I’m not interested.

ANOTHER BOY: [irritated] He is always like that, different from us. Spoilsport.

BOY: [to Sathya] Today also we could not answer the Teacher’s questions. Why did You have to answer when we could not?

ANOTHER BOY: Was it to get us scolded by the Teacher?

SATHYA: I knew the answer and I gave it. What’s wrong with that? You couldn’t answer and that’s why the Master scolded you.

BOY: The Teacher called us ‘Ignorant fools!’

ANOTHER BOY: Listen, in future if the Teacher asks a question, You should say that You don’t know the answer.

THIRD BOY: If You dare to answer, see what I’ll do to You!

SATHYA: What will you do?

BOY: What will I do? I’ll push You in the sand and drag You!

SATHYA: Is that all?

Annoyed, the boys try to push Sathya down.

ANOTHER BOY: What should we do now?

THIRD BOY: We’ll pelt Him with thorny nuts.

YET ANOTHER BOY: Come! Let’s go and collect the nuts.

The rowdy gang start flinging thorny nuts at Sathya. Meanwhile, Sathya’s friends who are in the water, see what is going on.

BOY: Hey! They are throwing nuts at Raju!

SATHYA: [to the attackers] By throwing these at My head, only your arms will ache! I don’t feel any pain. The nuts are very soft like sponge.

One of the attacking boys touches a nut to see if it is soft; it is not!

BOY: Ouch! The thorns hurt!

ANOTHER BOY: Yes, it hurts!

THIRD BOY: This is strange! The nuts hurt us but Raju finds them soft like a cushion! ……Yes, it is true it hurts!

BOY: Hey! What do you think? Raju is not just another student like us. There is Divine Power in Him.

ONE OF THE ATTACKERS: Raju, I did something wrong. Forgive me please! I’ll never again do such a thing.

SATHYA: You were not the one who did wrong; rather, it was the bad qualities of anger and jealousy in you that did it. If you want to get rid of those bad qualities, you must cultivate Love, Forbearance, and the spirit of Sacrifice. Since I’m one of you, I love every one of you. Not only that – I’ll never get angry with any of you. To err may be a human tendency but real humanness consists in correcting oneself. That is the essence of the Love Principle. Try and understand it!

The boys cheer and lift Sathya on their shoulders.

(To be continued)

- Heart2Heart Team

SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI
PART - 28
(Continued from the previous issue)

ACT VI - SCENE 5

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Sathya comes home, thorns all over His dress and on His head too. His sisters and mother are shocked.

PARVATHAMMA: What’s this Sathya! I see so many thorns in Your head! Did You fall on a thorny bush?

VENKAMMA: O my God! So many thorns, so many of them! ….Mother see!

EASWARAMMA: What my dear?

VENKAMMA: Look how many thorny nuts are stuck in Sathya’s hair. Mother, see!

EASWARAMMA: Oh! So many thorns! Sathyam what happened? O my dear child, how did it happen?

SATHYA: Mother, why are you so agitated? Good and bad, friendship and hatred, pleasure and pain, are all near each other! ….. I replied very well to the Master’s questions and he liked My answers. The other boys could not answer properly, and became angry with Me. To give vent to their anger, they pelted thorny nuts at Me.

PARVATHAMMA: They hit you?! I’ll ask father to break their bones!

VENKAMMA: If we tell grandfather, he’ll take care of all of them!

SATHYA: Why are you upset so much about such a small thing? The feeling of anger and revenge are like fire. The fire blazes for a while but dies down eventually. These boys have again become My friends, have they not? They even asked for forgiveness. Therefore, we should not think of doing harm to them.

EASWARAMMA: My! What kind of friends! Do friends pelt thorny nuts? ….. If tomorrow something more serious happens……

SATHYA: Mother, nothing serious will happen! Why are you unnecessarily worried?

ACT VII - SCENE 1

Puttaparthi village scene. Cloth merchant Gurunatham brings his products on a cycle and parks himself under a shady tree. From there, he calls out to the village folk, particularly the women. He knows practically everyone by name.

VENDOR: Clothes! Clothes! Gurunatham brings you all new clothes! Come quick, come one, come all! Ladies come! Venkatalakshmi, Ramalakshmi, Subbalakshmi, Veeralakshmi – all of you come! Hurry and don’t delay; if you do, the clothes will all be gone! And I won’t come again for another month! Madame Subbalakshmi, please come. [to a lady] You there, what are you staring at?

Hearing the cry of the salesman, many, especially ladies, leave their house to go and see what is being offered for sale.

LADY 1: Sister-in-law, cloth merchant Gurunatham has come. Let’s go and see what he has to offer.

LADY 2: Yes, coming.

VENDOR: Mothers, come quick, and remember, my next visit will be a long time after.

LADY 3: Gurunatham, any new designs?

VENDOR: Want to see? I have shirts and trousers for ladies and sarees and blouses for men! Would you like to see?

LADY: Aren’t you getting your words mixed up?!

VENDOR: Oh, did I? Look, I have sarees from Barampuram, Vatlamudi, Gadwal, Dharmavaram and Ambajipeta [these are names of places famous for the production of good sarees].

LADY: Ambajipeta? That place is famous for bitter medicines, is it not?

VENDOR: Sometimes, business is also like a bitter medicine! [to a lady customer who is inspecting] You there, careful! You will dirty the clothes. For men, I have shirt pieces, lungis, and some under garment cloth.

MAN: What sort of cloth is that? I had a banian stitched with that cloth and I felt as though I was wearing thorns! It was that rough.

VENDOR: Where did you get the idea that under garment cloth would be soft?! Try this one this time. Shall I give you two yards of this? Here, take this.

WIFE OF THE MAN: That’s enough! He hardly gets out of the house; maybe once a year! Cheap cloth will do for him! Now, have you got any sarees?

VENDOR: Try this cloth. Make a dress out of it and lie down on a thorny bush if you will. Yet, you will feel as if you are sleeping on a rubber mattress. Lady, take a look at this Mangalagiri saree. Wear it, put a red vermilion mark on your face, and you will look just like Goddess Lakshmi! This one is from Dharmavaram. The design is absolutely new and it is double colour – dark green and pale red; both colours can be seen. And when you wear it, others will not be able to decide what the colour of the saree is.

LADY: What, are you saying that the saree will appear not to have any colour?

VENDOR: Why are you trying to buy a saree, without first deciding upon the colour?

Meanwhile, in Sathya’s house, the girls hear the sales commotion come out to see what is going on. They are excited to discover that clothes are being offered for sale.

PARVATHAMMA: Mother! Cloth vendor Gurunatham has come!

KONDAMA.RAJU: [calls out] Gurunatham!

VENDOR: Sir!

KONDAMA.RAJU: Come here.

VENDOR: [to the people gathered under the tree] Ladies, I have to go to Kondama Raju’s house. Please pay up fast.

LADY: Here’s the cash.

GIRL: Don’t forget to bring a silk dress for me next time.

VENDOR: You start saving money for the dress, and I will surely come at the time of the Dussera festival.

LADY: Here’s the money I owe you.

KONDAMA.RAJU: Gurunatham!

VENDOR: Coming sir! …. Oh, I forgot this sheet; someone might whisk it away!

Cloth vendor comes to the house of Kondama Raju. Kondama asks the girls to come out. Sathya also joins.

KONDAMA.RAJU: Venkamma, Parvathi, come.

VENDOR: Salutations sir, and salutations mother!

KONDAMA.RAJU: Girls, pick what you want. [to vendor] What types do you have?

VENDOR: All types sir! [to Sathya] Boy, how are You?

KONDAMA.RAJU: You are coming after a long time.

VENDOR: Yes sir. I came for Dussera but could not come for Deepavali because of the pregnancy of my wife.

KONDAMA.RAJU: Is that so?

PARVATHAMMA: [pointing to a dress] How much does this cost?

VENDOR: Eight annas [in those days, the rupee was divided into sixteen annas].

SATHYA: In Reddy’s house it was six annas and here in Raju’s house it is eight annas, is it?

VENDOR: What Reddy are you talking about? I did not go to any Reddy’s house.

SATHYA: Did you not sell a blue saree in Harishchandra Reddy’s house? I know everything!

VENDOR: Boy! If you expose me like this, what will happen to my prestige? Will I tell a lie in Raju’s house? That blue saree was Salem silk. That material shrinks, and the saree will reduce to the size of a handkerchief! I sell such second-rate stuff to those who haggle and bargain. But here, I bring only good stuff! By the way, staying here, how do you know what happened there?

SATHYA: That’s something you will not understand!

VENDOR: Come on, take what you want, take it!

KONDAMA.RAJU: Gurunatham!

PARVATHAMMA: Mother, I’d like to have that purple-colour saree.

EASWARAMMA: Take what you like, my dear!

KONDAMA.RAJU: That colour is a good choice, young one!

VENKAMMA: I want this red-coloured upper cloth.

EASWARAMMA: You already have a red piece; take one with yellow colour.

VENKAMMA: As you say mother.

VENDOR: Anything else you want? I have a good selection.

SATHYA: Be careful about the measurement!

VENDOR: Yes, boy.

SATHYA: When you were selling under the tree, you said two yards but measured out only one!

VENDOR: Come on! Don’t reveal all my secrets! It will ruin my prestige!!

K.RAJU: Look Gurunatham. A mistake can be corrected but cheating cannot be rectified! Measure carefully!!

VENDOR: Yes sir! …. [shocked by Sathya’s exposures] Oh my dear!

PARVATHAMMA: Mother, why don’t you pick a saree for yourself?

EASWARAMMA: Not now; later perhaps.

VENDOR: Mother buys for herself only at the time of the Sankaranthi and Deepavali festivals.

Venkama Raju walks in at this juncture. Seshama Raju follows a little later.

VENKAMA RAJU: Hello Gurunatham, have you brought anything for me?

VENDOR: Clothes for you and mother are being specially woven now, and I will bring them at the time of Sankaranthi.

SESHAMA RAJU: Gurunatham, did you bring the Rangoon silk I had asked for?

VENDOR: Would I not?! Here, just for you, a piece six yards long. It is so fine and silky that you can wrap it up and hide it in the palm of your hand!

SATHYA: All lies! This is not Rangoon silk but Dharmavaram silk!

VENDOR: [squirming] Not quite my dear boy. Dharmavaram material gets shipped to Rangoon, and we get it from Rangoon. So it is Rangoon material, is it not?

SESHAMA RAJU: Okay, okay. Now how much does it cost?

SATHYA: Twelve annas.

VENDOR: Correctly said my boy! You have upheld my dignity.

SATHYA: Twelve annas is your price but the real cost of that material is only eight annas!

VENDOR: No, no! It is twelve annas!

SATHYA: Open and see and you will find eight annas printed on the cloth!

SESHAMA RAJU: [to vendor] Hey you! Why did you say twelve annas, when it says eight annas here?

VENDOR: [to Sathya] I don’t understand how You can see what is written in the cloth?!

SATHYA: That’s the way it is. I can see what others cannot. ….. Just because we don’t bargain in the Raju household, you should not ask for any price you like! Don’t cheat!!

VENDOR: No boy, it’s not cheating …..

SATHYA: I know the difference between Truth and lies. Don’t tell lies again!

K.RAJU: [to vendor] Your name may be Gurunatham [meaning literally, Master of Gurus] but my grandson is the Guru of the whole world! Be careful, no one can cheat Sathyam!

VENDOR: Forgive me sir, I made a mistake. In business, one tends to exaggerate. Please don’t hold it against me. I’ll give you the best of clothes for bargain prices!…[to Sathya] How about this one for you son? It’ll look nice on You.

K.RAJU: Yes Sathyam, You also take what you want.

SATHYA: Grandfather, I don’t need any clothes. These merely cover the body. What one needs is the dress of Wisdom, for it is Wisdom alone that can sweep away the dirt in the mind.

SESHAMA RAJU: Stop that silly talk and take this one. You will look nice in that dress.

SATHYA: No brother, I have no desire for clothes.

EASWARAMMA: That’s all right son. Just take it; it will look nice on you.

SATHYA: Mother, no! I have already said it – I just don’t want, that’s all.

KONDAMA.RAJU: Sathyam’s word is like the arrow of Lord Rama; it does not return!

(To be continued)

- Heart2Heart Team

SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI
PART - 29
(Continued from the previous issue)

ACT VII - SCENE 2

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SCENE 2

Young Sathya used many methods in order to turn people towards the spiritual path. One of these was to form a Bhajan group for boys. Sathya led the boys in singing Bhajan songs that were in praise of Vittala, one of the names of Lord Krishna.

One day, these boys arrange a special Bhajan programme for the benefit of the villagers. The event is a great success. Everyone is filled with bliss.

Easwaramma is especially proud of her son. When Satya returns home, she performs a small ritual that was supposed to ward off evil and jealous eyes.

SATHYA: Mother, why do you have to do all this? No evil eye can touch Me!

VENKAMMA: You sang Bhajans so well, and everyone was closely looking at You. Some of them might have had evil eyes, and mother is doing this to cancel the bad effect.

SATHYA: Everyone looks at the idol of God but nothing happens to the idol.

EASWARAMMA: That’s different. People look at idols with love and devotion. Here, people could be jealous. I don’t want You to be affected by evil eyes.

SATHYA: When sparks of jealousy fall on the waters of Divinity, it is the fire that gets extinguished! Nothing happens to the water, does it?

KONDAMA RAJU: How well said, Sathyam! These are the words of One who has digested the whole of spirituality!

VENKAMA RAJU: These are words far beyond Your age! That’s why we are anxious to shield You from evil eyes!!

EASWARAMMA: Enough! All of you come now for food!

SCENE 3

Kondama Raju is getting on in years. One day, he calls all the members of his family together, and announces his intention to divide his possessions among his four sons. The scene is Kondama’s house.

KONDAMA RAJU: You all may be wondering why father has called you. Your father is becoming old. And there are still some duties to be performed. All along, I have been managing the ancestral property of the Ratnakara Family, and my own finances. You, my sons, have families and the responsibility of bringing up your children. From now on, you will do the managing. Your eldest brother Venkama [Raju] who is like a father to you all, will explain all this in detail.

VENKAMA RAJU: You have heard what father said. His view is that the property has to be divided some time or the other. The details of the division have been recorded by him personally on these papers. …… [hands out the papers] Read them, and convey your response to father. [to Kondama Raju] If you leave everything to us, what about yourself?

KONDAMA RAJU: Why do I need any property? Are not all of you my property? What do I need? Just some food, that’s all. That I’ll cook myself.

SATHYA: Grandfather!

KONDAMA RAJU: Venkama, I have a small request! ……. Give me your son Sathyam; that’s enough! I will be as happy as if I have received all the traditional eight great forms of wealth….. Well, Venkama?

VENKAMA RAJU: Sathyam is your grandson. Why ask me?

KONDAMA RAJU: That word is enough! If any of you have any doubts about the property division, ask me.

ONE OF THE SONS: We have no doubts.

ANOTHER SON: We have never questioned your decisions!

THIRD SON: Let things proceed as you wish.

KONDAMA RAJU: Good! Venkama, prepare the formal documents and have the property divided. Sathyam is my property now, and also my everything!

SCENE 4

The ancestral property of the Ratnakara family has been duly partitioned among the four sons of Kondama Raju. Kondama now moves into a small hut and lives there along with Sathya. One day, Kondama is cooking. The smoke irritates his eyes, and tears come out.

SATHYA: Grandfather, why are you crying?

KONDAMA RAJU: These are not tears of sorrow, my grandson, they are tears of Bliss! Also, these onions are adding to the tears!

Sathya now takes over the cooking. After a while, ……

KONDAMA RAJU: Sathya! Oh, what a wonderful aroma! Serve me quick!

SATHYA: Wait grandpa! The cooking is not yet over!!

When the cooking is over, Sathya serves food to His grandfather, and both start eating.

KONDAMA RAJU: It’s very nice, very nice! ……..[to Sathya] How is it?

SATHYA: Very nice!

KONDAMA RAJU: It’s Your cooking!

At this stage, Easwaramma enters the house, bringing some dishes that she has prepared at her home.

EASWARAMMA: What! Grandfather and grandson are already eating?!

KONDAMA RAJU: Yes!

EASWARAMMA: But I have prepared food and brought it!

KONDAMA RAJU: No my dear. Sathyam has already done the cooking for today. Do you know how tasty His cooking is?
EASWARAMMA: What?! Sathyam did the cooking?

SATHYA: Yes mother!
KONDAMA RAJU: Cooking is one of the sixty-four arts. Is there any art that my grandson does not know?!
EASWARAMMA: Very good! With that wonderful cooking of the grandson, grandpa’s stomach must be nearly full! Now that you have finished food, let me serve some pudding as dessert!
KONDAMA RAJU: Go ahead my dear!….. Now tell me grandson, how is mother’s cooking?

(To be continued)

- Heart2Heart Team

SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI
PART - 30
(Continued from the previous issue)

ACT VIIi - SCENE 1

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SCENE 1

A group of boys are playing on the bank of the river. They are jumping around and catching frogs.

CHORUS: Look, there’s a frog! See, a small frog here! Jump like frogs!! I got one! I got two frogs!!
BOY 1: Hey, don’t touch them; it is not good.

BOY 2: We’ll take all these home.
BOY 3: How shall we take them?
BOY 4: Here’s a basket; put them all in.

Sathya comes along and watches the boys causing pain to the frogs.

SATHYA: Stop, stop! Poor things, let them be free and play happily; don’t imprison them in the basket.

BOY: If they are happy playing, so are we.

SATHYA: If play is what you want, let us all play together. Does anyone play with frogs? See how they are suffering. Let them go. You must not kill living beings.

ANOTHER BOY: We are not killing them but just taking them home.

THIRD BOY: We will play with them.

SATHYA: Causing pain to dumb animals is a great sin.
BOY: It is not a sin. Frogs can survive anywhere. They will be safer in the basket than in water.
SATHYA: Will you be safe if you are thrown into water? Every species must be in its own habitat. This is the secret of Creation.
BOY: I too will tell you a secret. There are snakes in the water. And do you know what snakes do when they see a frog? They grab them and swallow them!
ANOTHER BOY: But will not the frog then die?

FIRST BOY: It will. And it is to protect the frogs that we are putting them all in the basket and taking them home.

SATHYA: God alone knows whom to protect, whom to save, and whom to punish. We don’t.

BOY: That’s why we are saving them.

SATHYA: You think you are very clever? Release the frogs, or else….

BOY: I will not release them.

SATHYA: Release, or else….
BOY: I will not!

Sathya waves His hand. The frogs all turn into pigeons and fly away. The boys are astounded.

BOYS: Hey! The frogs have changed into pigeons!!

ONE BOY: Raju, we don’t understand your words but we understand your heart. You are not an ordinary person like us. We made a terrible mistake. Please forgive us!

SATHYA: It is good that you have realised your mistake. No one must ever again do this kind of thing.

BOYS: Yes Raju.

SATHYA: Come, let us go.

In this manner, Sathya exhibited noble qualities from a very young age and taught virtues to people. He transformed them in many ways. He always corrected those who inflicted pain or spoke harshly.

SCENE 2

During the period Sathya was studying in the Bukkapatnam School, His elder brother Seshama Raju got married to one Suseelamma, the daughter of Pasupathi Subbaraju of Kamalapuram. Seshama Raju then went to Kamalpuram. There he stayed with his in-laws. Sathya was sent along with Seshama, so that He could pursue higher studies there under the direct supervision of His elder brother.
Before all this happens, while Seshama is still in Puttaparthi, one day, Seshama is walking along a street in Puttaparthi. At that time, two people seated under a tree are talking to each other.

MAN UNDER TREE: Look, Seshama Raju is coming. I’ll talk to him.

THE OTHER MAN: [to Seshama] Look, sir, is it proper for you to do this?

SESHAMA RAJU: What are you talking about?

FIRST MAN: Great! You talk as though you know nothing! The whole village is talking about your younger brother Raju, and you act as if you don’t know anything. I understand!

SECOND MAN: It appears that Raju does magic and chants strange hymns. He is apparently claiming to have great powers.

FIRST MAN: If this sort of thing continues, we will not keep quiet. We have put up with it so far on account of the prestige of your grandfather and father. Din some sense into your younger brother and ask him to act according to his age.

SECOND MAN: It seems that he is preaching that cock fighting and other such games are harmful to animals. He is even composing and singing provocative songs to campaign against such sports. Haven’t we been having these sports for ages?

SESHAMA RAJU: Yes sir, I will advise my brother suitably. Please understand that I am not supporting my brother Sathyam, but in childhood, does not one do many things in sheer innocence? You should therefore not be too much disturbed by these things.

FIRST MAN: Matters have gone too far, Seshama Raju. We don’t hate or dislike your brother. Rather, it is out of concern for him that we are reporting to you; he is a son of the Raju family, is he not? Well, it is all up to you now.

SESHAMA RAJU: Don’t worry sir, I shall do the needful.

SECOND MAN: You had better do something before matters get out of hand!
FIRST MAN: Well said sir!

SCENE 3

House of Venkama Raju. Members of the family have gathered and are discussing the complaints against Sathya, being made by various people in the village. Kondama Raju also is present.

VENKAMA RAJU: Sathyam’s behaviour is causing increasing anxiety day by day. He does not speak like young boys ought to, and His behaviour is not what is expected of Him.

EASWARAMMA: Sathyam is young and He does not know the difference between good and bad. But then please, sometimes, there is profound meaning in the words of children. And we may not always understand them, isn’t that so?

VENKAMA RAJU: What you say is certainly true, Easwari but as I said earlier, His behaviour is not in conformity with what is expected. He seems to think that there is some Power in Him, but will others accept that? Many are even ridiculing Him.

KONDAMA RAJU: Sathyam, it seems there are many complaints against You!

SESHAMA RAJU: Yes mother. The other day He made all the pupils in the Puttaparthi School go on strike. Is this what children of His age do? And when the Telugu master in the Bukkapatnam School asked why He had not written the notes, He gave a peculiar answer. The Teacher let Him off lightly but Sathyam got the Teacher stuck to the chair. When asked why He had done so, He replied that He had done it for fun, and not as an insult to the Teacher. Now, He has created another problem. For generations the people in the village have been having cock fighting and horse racing; but He has attacked these traditional sports and incited people to sing songs against these past-times. The elders of the village are agitated and are asking if this is the sort of thing a young kid ought to do.
SATHYA: Grandfather! I did not do anything wrong. Medicine may be bitter but when taken it does good, does it not? Good advice is like medicine; why don’t people understand that?

KONDAMA RAJU: Well said my dear grandson! That’s the way to teach lessons to people!!

SESHAMA RAJU: [to Kondama] You alone are impressed by the words of your grandson; others are not. No one understands what He says and even if they do, they will not accept. In this Kali Age, how many people will listen to good advice? And, is He of the right age to talk about such matters as good and bad, Morality and Justice, Dharma and Divinity?

KONDAMA RAJU: [to Sathya] Answer him!

SATHYA: Good and bad, Morality and Justice, Dharma and Divinity, have nothing to do with age!

SESHAMA RAJU: Mother! Do you see how He answers back with scant respect for my seniority in age?

EASWARAMMA: [to Seshama] He is not arguing with you but, out of affection for you, telling you what you should know! Look Seshama, why don’t you think of a solution that would prevent Sathyam, from coming to harm?

VENKAMA RAJU: There is only one way – let us send Sathyam to Kamalapuram.

SESHAMA RAJU: Yes father, I too wanted to make the same suggestion.

EASWARAMMA: Kamalapuram?

VENKAMA RAJU: Yes, Kamalapuram has a High School suitable for higher studies, once one completes studies in the Bukkapatnam School. Seshama is already there, undergoing Teacher’s training, and staying with his in-laws. Sathyam can stay along with Seshama and study there.

KONDAMA RAJU: Well Sathyam, will you go to Kamalapuram?

SATHYA: Grandpa, who are we to decide what should be done and what should not be? God alone decides! As for Me, all places are the same to Me.
VENKAMA RAJU: That looks like a good solution. You will get good education there, that will prepare You well for a Government job. What do you say, Easwari?
EAAWARAMMA: There are still three months more for Vijayadasami [the admission time]. We’ll think about it when the time comes. But then, father-in-law has to agree, has he not?

KONDAMA.RAJU: What can I say my dear? I am an old man, and it is all the same to me. Just that I am very much attached to the young one. Seshama, Venkama! You both want Him to go to Kamalapuram so that His behaviour changes, so that He can study better, so that no harm befalls Him, and so that He eventually becomes a great man, is that not? Well then, send Him there! Even He has agreed!! It is not in Sathya’s nature to offend or hurt anyone.

(To be continued)

- Heart2Heart Team