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Date: Sunday - December 21st 2003
Place: Gandhi Smruti Bhavan, Surat
Time: 3 to 6 pm
Top Students district wise from all over Gujarat (in total 53)
received this award from Maa. Each award is a Plaque in Silver
containing Yogeshwarji's picture. The cost of each plaque is 1000
rupees.
Program began by Maa lighting a lamp and Laxmeshbhai chanting Shlokas
in Sanskrit followed by flower offering to Shri Yogeshwarji by
Deepakbhai Mehta & to Maa by Prabhaben Patel.
Guests on dais:
1) Narayanbhai Jani - Childhood chum of Sri Yogeshwarji who is still
very active in many of Maa's activities. He is 84 but has energy of 50
year old person!
2) Sri Kumarpal Desai – Noted Gujarati Literate, currently heading big
project of building 1st Gujarati Encyclopedia.
3) Lakshesbhai Joshi - Sanskrit scholar from Ahmedabad University.
MC for the program is Prof. Tarlaben Desai also from Ahmedabad.
Dance to Lord Ganesh ---the remover of obstacles.
Dr. Himanshu Pathak gives welcome remarks.
Sri Narayan Jani:
Shri Yogeshwarji's childhood friend - introduces Yogeshwarji to the
audience. Shri Yogeshwarji was very bright during his college days. He
used to get highest mark in all subjects except Science. He failed in
Science as that was not his favorite subject. Consequently because of
the strict rules of the institution in those days, he failed the
entire grade. This was a turning point in his life.
However, Yogeshwarji continued with rejuvenated vigor in spiritual
path. He went to Himalayas and practiced most severe penances in order
to obtain complete grace of Maa Jagadamba. In 1960 he received Maa
Jagdamaba's full blessings. Thereafter, he began to deliver discourses
at various places on spirituality and also started to write copiously
in Gujarati for the benefit of mankind. His message was to attain
self-realization and then serve mankind.
Maa gave Yog Jyot award to all students. Kumarpalbhai and Laxmeshbhai
alternately gave gifts to Students as well. It was worth a note that
during the award giving ceremony Maa was standing even though she had
fast with no water (Nirjala)!
While students received awards, one of the students approached Maa and
said that she wants to say something. Maa nods ok and she is allowed
to speak. The girl said she is very grateful to the organization and
the saints like Maa – who is encouraging youths like her without any
type of expectation in return. After the award ceremony students or
their parents were given opportunity to speak. One by one, without
prompting, many students arose and presented their thoughts. Many of
them were exceedingly happy in the way they received the award. There
was no fanfare; no promoting of any religion or sect. Just students
were encouraged for their outstanding achievement.
One of the students parent got up and thanked Maa and the organization
for this program. His wish was that his daughter's work be appreciated
by a saint and it was fulfilled today. His Guru was Saibaba. He passed
away long ago. But today, he said, 'I am seeing Saibaba in Maa.'
Everyone clapped. He was really moved by today’s whole program.
Later one student came hesitantly. He was visibly nervous as he spoke.
He thanked Maa and Yogeshwarji. He spoke with much emotion. Tears were
rolling down his eyes as he spoke. People had all their ears when he
was speaking. He said that just few days before his final examination,
his father suddenly passed away. However, his mother kept this hidden
from the son until he wrote his examination and then he was told of
the very sad news. He got the highest marks in his entire District. He
said he wants to be a doctor. He wished that his mother be also
allowed to come to the stage. His mother did come up and also spoke.
She said, currently our nation is under the brain-drain crisis. Our
top students --brain of India --study here, become doctors, engineers,
scientists and then they leave India and go abroad to serve in foreign
land. She wants her son to become a doctor and to serve in Gujarat –
the very soil where he grew up and where his forefathers grew up. Both
mother and son were extremely touched by the award.
One of the girl students who love to write poem, wrote something on
Maa to which everyone clapped.
It was discovered that in the very hall, sitting among the audience
was one of Maa's teacher when she was studying in Surat many years
ago. He was asked to come to the stage and say few words. As he came
on the stage, Maa got up from her seat and bowed down to her Teacher.
Teacher was very much moved at this unexpected gesture from Maa and he
bowed down to Maa in return.
He said he was very proud to be Maa's teacher. In Gujarati there is a
saying that the teacher is most happy when the Student becomes more
powerful then the teacher (when shishya becomes savayo). He said it
was probably and accident that he happened to be Maa's teacher. In the
subject of spirituality (Adhyatma) he is still learning the alphabets
-- he is still at letter A in Adhyatma. If Maa allows, he wants to be
Maa's student! (Everyone claps).
Tarlaben Desai, the MC of the program had asked Maa to give some sort
of message and everyone was graced with following message from Maa.
''બધાના સંદેશામાં અમારા
ભાવ વણાઇ ગયા છે. અમારી નવી વિદ્યાજગતને પ્રાર્થના છે કે આગળના અભ્યાસ
માટે કંઇક સહાયની જરૂર હોય તો મા તે સેવાની પ્રતિક્ષા કરશે. આપ સૌના
જ્ઞાનપ્રકાશે વિશ્વ પ્રકાશિત રહે એજ પ્રાર્થના."
The gist of the message in English reads as: “Maa requests students
that in their further education, if they require any kind of
assistance, Maa will be more than willing and waiting to serve. Let
the world be enlightened through the light of your knowledge."
Maa's message is distributed to everyone. In the end Dr. B.J. Jagani
thanks everyone for the success of the program. Because this was
statewide program, many students had come across all of Gujarat. The
Sarvamangal Charitable trust also paid transportation cost of each
student!
Sumptuous Mahaprasad was served to one and all after the program. Over
1000 people attended this program.
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