It was all started after midnight on Devi Bhava. Amritaswarupananda was sitting next to Amma’s chair. Suddenly, a group of Amrita Vishwa Vidya Peetham students brought a bouquet of balloons and presented them to Swamiji, singing, “Happy Birthday To You Dear Swamiji…” Today is Swamiji’s 50th birthday, and they wanted to be the first to offer their best wishes. They also presented him with a sweet photo of Amma soaking Swamiji with a hose during a North Indian Tour a few years ago. Amma handed the balloons to Swamiji one by one and spent a long time talking and joking with him.

Several hours later, Swamiji came to sing the final bhajan set of the Devi Bhava. As soon as he sat down, an elderly French ashram resident (our resident Santa Claus) ran up to Swamiji and hastily garlanded him with a handmade necklace of sparkling heart-shaped baubles.

Swamiji sang with tremendous heart and gusto, and when Amma was finished giving darshan, he got up from the bhajans and went to Amma’s side. After a full prostration, he held Amma’s feet for a long time and then began a pada puja as all the devotees and ashram residents chanted the Guru Stotram and Amma’s 108 Names. Amma was looking at Swamiji with so much love and tenderness as he bathed her feet with rose water, milk, ghee, curd, and honey, and Swamiji performed the ceremony with grace and efficiency. After drying Amma’s feet, he applied chandanam and kumkum, and then fed Amma with his own hand. In turn, Amma fed Swamiji as well. Finally, Swamiji prostrated again at Amma’s feet, and, perhaps responding to some unspoken birthday wish, placed her feet gently on his bowed head. The scene was so touching that many of the devotees looking on burst into tears, one so much so that Amma reached out to console him and wipe away his tears. As for myself, I could only think, “Here is a man who knows how to celebrate his birthday.” It was also a symbol of what’s right with Amritapuri, and with the organization Amma has created. Here was Amma’s senior disciple, an impressive figure in his own right, choosing to celebrate his 50th birthday with an expression of matchless humility and tender affection for his Master.

After Swamiji stood up, some brahmacharis from the ashram’s bakery brought two impressive, five-storied birthday cakes they had made for the occasion. Swamiji fed Amma a bit of the frosting and tasted it himself before dashing down the center ramp to return to his seat with the musicians, his head bowed humbly as he did so. A lone voice cried out, “Happy Birthday Swamiji!” and the entire auditorium erupted in applause and cheers.

The darshan was over. Amma stood up and showered flowers on the devotees who stood with outstretched hands. There was time for only one song…what would it be? Amma Amma Taye…what else? Swamiji and the other singers sang an ecstatic rendition of the traditional bhajan as Amma stood and cast her compassionate glance on each and every devotee in the hall before the doors closed in front of her.

Vinay

23 April 2007