Fun-filled Conversations with Swami on Hostel Life and Hostel Food

Saturday, July 1, 2000


Swami    :    Why did you all come so early? (Students remained silent.) Why did you all come so early?

Student    :    Swami, to have Your Darshan.

Swami    :    No! You all came at 2.45 pm itself. You should come at 3.00 pm.
(To students sitting near the Krishna statue) Why did you come so early? I told you to come after having tea. You came off at 2.45 pm itself.
(After crossing the pillar, to another student) Why did you come so early? (Student remained silent and smiled. When Swami came near Ganesha, one student was taking photo of Swami.) Aye! Dunnapotha! (He gestured to the student to keep the camera down.) Reel Hai? (Is there a reel inside the camera?) (The student nodded in affirmation. Then Swami went little further. To another student) You spoke in the morning. (To the student who spoke in the prayer session) You spoke on ‘Love and God’s Compassion’. (The student nodded his head in affirmation. Smiling) See! I know! I came there. (After coming out of the interview. To a student) Letter? Keep it. Keep it. You expressed your gratitude in the letter by saying, ‘Thank You’, isn’t it? (The student nodded in confirmation. To Prof. Anil Kumar) Who gave these cameras to boys?

Prof. A. K.    :    Most of them are given by You.


Sri Sathya Sai with 
Prof. G. Nageswara Rao
Swami    :    (Seeing so many cameras, to another teacher) Are they getting for one or two rupees? (Pointing to Dr. G. Nageswara Rao, Deputy Warden, Sri Sathya Sai Hostel for Senior Students, Prasanthi Nilayam Campus) When will he become fat?

Prof. A. K    :    When I become thin, he will become fat. (Swami laughed.)       

Swami    :    (To a student) What is it? (The student comes and shows an English poem written on a paper with coloured background. Swami reads the poem.) Good handwriting. But why colours? Did you do it?

Student    :    Yes, Swami.

Swami    :    Whose handwriting? Not yours!

Student    :    No, Swami. (Pointing to another student) His.

Swami    :    Handwriting is good.  

Prof. A. K.    :    Swami! (Pointing towards a student) This boy has drawn something.        

Swami    :    Picture? (The student gets up and shows a sketch of Swami.
After observing it for a while) Do I have such a big mouth?

Prof. A. K.    :    Swami, there is one more picture behind. (Swami saw the original photograph from which the boy drew the sketch.)

Swami    :    So you saw this and drew the sketch. (Then He materialised Vibhuti for the student. He saw a sketch of another student, which was a drawing of Lord Shiva. Swami commented on the sketch and blessed the student. To the same student) Which place?

Student    :    Swami, Punjab.

Swami    :    Your face is not looking like a Punjabi face. Where in Punjab?

Student    :    Kapurthala.

Swami    :    Acha! (Ok!) (Swami materialised Vibhuti for the student.)

Students    :    (In chorus) Swami! Come to Hostel.

Swami    :    What was breakfast?

Students    :    Parotha, Swami.    

Swami    :    Parotha. How many? One or two? Only one…

Student    :    Pongal also Swami.

Swami    :    Pongal! That is ordinary… No oil was there. (The kitchen in-charge Sri K. Venkatachalam got up.) 


Sri K. V.    :    We put oil, Swami.
Pongal - a South Indian dish
Swami    :    No, you did not. If you touch the Pongal, oil should stick. Pongal means Madras Pongal. Aye! Siva Sankara Sai… (Warden comes) You give only little Pongal to boys.

Warden    :    We give a lot, Swami. Afternoon, we gave green leaves Dal, chapati, rice and buttermilk.

Swami    :    Night?

Warden    :    Vegetable salad, Swami.

Swami    :    What?

Warden    :    Salad.

Swami    :    Oh! Vegetable pieces.

Warden    :    Vegetables like cabbage, cucumber and carrot. Also chapati and Rasam.

Swami    :    No oil in chapati.

Warden    :    Swami, tomorrow is Sunday. Please come to Hostel.

Swami    :    I will see.

Warden    :    Even here it will be fine.

Swami    :    (To the students) See! He wants to serve food here.

Warden    :    Swami, at least Poornachandra session.

Swami    :    On 6th, 7th and 8th, Vice-Chancellor has called Me to the Institute, but I don’t want to go.

Warden    :    6th is Thursday, Swami. Tomorrow is Sunday.

Swami    :    I will see. (Students also ask loudly to Swami.) Manchidi Manchidi (Very happy). (To a student) Got letter from brother?

Student    :    No, Swami.

Swami    :    (To another student) What is that? (The student showed a Telugu poem.) Your name or My name?

Student    :    Your name Swami. (There was a word ‘Dashakanta’ in the poem.)

Swami    :    Who is Dashakanta?

Student    :    In Your presence, there is no Dashakanta.

Then Swami went back into the interview room. Then at 4.20 pm, Swami came inside Bhajan Hall.

Swami    :    (To a student who was holding a letter) Yesterday only you gave a letter. Why are you giving a letter again? Only one day. (Swami then spoke to an elderly lady devotee and turning towards the students.) See! She comes from America. She served as an Administrator for 23 years. She is a very good lady. She resigned and came here. (To a student) Your mother-in-law is waiting outside. Go with her. (The student did not speak. Swami continued mischievously) She will adopt you. You can become Administrator in America. Go with her. (The student kept quiet. Then Swami mentioned to another student) Ekkada Ninchi Vacchavu? (Where do you come from?) (The student could not understand.) Sikkim!

Student    :    Yes! Swami.

Swami    :    Not Nepal?

Student    :    Sikkim, Swami.

Swami    :    Idi Sikkim Face Kaadu! (This is not a Sikkim face!) Darjeeling?

Student    :    No, Swami. Sikkim.

Swami    :    Nepal?     

Student    :    Swami, Sikkim.

Swami    :    (Jokingly) If you are from Nepal, then go to Bhopal!


Source: Students with Sai: Conversations (2000-2001)

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