Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's Guru Purnima speech at Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi

Above two pics are courtesy:
https://www.facebook.com/RaviShankarPrasadOfficial/photos/pcb.10155423093998329/10155423077588329

Above two pics are stills captured from video mentioned below.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_Shankar_Prasad:

Ravi Shankar Prasad (born 30 August 1954) is an Indian lawyer, politician and the current Union Minister holding Law and Justice and Ministry of Information Technology (India) portfolio in the Government of India. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Prasad represents the state of Bihar as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. During the NDA Government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's prime ministership, Prasad held the position of Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal and Mines, the Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. He is also a designated senior advocate in the Supreme Court of India.

--- extracts from wiki page of Shri Prasad ---

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon'ble minister for Law and Justice, and Information Technology, starts his speech around 1:45:00 in this video, Guru Poornima Celebrations at Prasanthi Nilayam (Morning Program) - 9 July 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3ujg0lhKD0 published by Radio Sai Global Harmony.

I have transcribed below some parts of his speech (the transcription may not be exactly word-to-word but I have endeavoured to capture the meaning accurately.).

My aadarneeya pranams (respectful salutations) to you. Guru Purnima Shubh Kamnaye (best/good wishes) to all of you.
...
But let me make it very clear. I have not come here as a senior minister of the Narendra Modi government. Here I have come as a simple Bhakt, as a simple devotee to offer my pranam.

Today I am singularly honoured, uniquely privileged that I have been invited here today in this abode of Lord Sainath. .. In fact I was looking forward to visit this great heaven on earth. I got the privilege to once have the direct darshan of Lord in Delhi. But I never got the opportunity to visit here. And what a great day to offer my sadar pranam (humble salutations) on the Guru Purnima day.
...
There is a very famous couplet of Kabir Das.
"Guru Govind dono khade Kaku lagu paay
Balihari Guru aapno Jo diyo Govind Bataye"

I must pay my regard to my Guru who leads me to the path of the Govind (God).

At the very outset, I would like to compliment my young friends. What a beautiful bhajan you (sang)! I wish I would have listened more to these beautiful bhajans. Being a lover of classical music, I have been listening to bhajans all around. But this soul rendering bhajan really was extraordinary. My warm compliments to all of you.

How I see the work and philosophy of Lord Sainath? The first is on the spiritual and philosophical level. What is the essence of India, ladies and gentlemen? The essence of India is as outlined in RigVeda, "Ekam Sath Viprah Bahuda Vadanti". Truth is one, wise men interpret it differently. You have your own perception of truth. I have my own. You follow your path. I will follow my own. I will respect your path. You respect my path. Because, in the ultimate analysis, your path and my path merges at the same destination, wherein lies the ultimate truth. Permanent, indivisible, eternal, perennial, inspiring. What we call the Parama Satya (ultimate truth)!

And you see all the utterances of Lord Sainath. Ultimately what he says? Love one and all. To serve one and all. And how I see the essence of this philosophy, ladies and gentlemen. My understanding is - living body manifests itself in many ways. You can be an insect (living body). You can be a fish - you can be a living body. You can be an animal - you can be a living body. But the day you are born as a human being, that is the first blessing which God has given. You have come as a human being on this earth. Because as a human being, you have got the faculty to understand the pain and the suffering and the agony and the ecstasy of (your fellow beings). And the great Bhagavan has always been teaching (learn to) love each other. And when you love each other there is no boundary of caste or religion or faith, because every faith leads to the same destination. I see this creative goodness in every human being as the biggest contribution that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has given to all of us.

And just we heard about the international work going all over. Yeh sara kaam kya ho raha hai (What is all this work that is going on?) Acche insaan ko banane ki koshish hai (It is an attempt to make good human being(s)). Acche insaan bano. Learn to become a good human being - free from anger, free from arrogance, free from jealously - just keep one spirit. The spirit of love. The spirit of accommodation. The spirit of reciprocity. And the spirit of mutual respect. I think that is the biggest contribution.

And if I can say, I will say with great pride, and I wish to congratulate the board of (trustees and other heads of Sathya Sai trust and orgn.) and all your team the world over, the biggest voluntary movement of man making is being done by the Sathya Sai movement which I wish to compliment (them on). [Applause]

(I was told) that in 170 countries you have your branches. We [referring to himself and other political colleagues of his] are in politics. We are in public life. Just now it was mentioned that I was privileged to work under the feet of my Lord, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, our political guru, our father figure, who visited number of times, Prasanthi Nilayam. I know how much he had devotion to the Lord here.

And now I have the privilege to work under Narendra Modi, another eminent leader, powerful leader, seeking to change the country. We are privileged to work under him. But we work with authority. Because the people have given us the authority to work for the country as elected people, elected government. Therefore in many ways, even though, my Prime Minister says we are Pradhan Sevaks (chief servants), we are also working for the people in the most informal manner, but we carry some authority (that) the people of the country have given to us.

I use the words, voluntary contribution - without any authority, just out of love, this great organization is doing world over. And today I would like to felicitate because my observations are also being webcasted across the globe. I am also the IT minister of India. And therefore it gives me singular honour to compliment the board of connecting the virtual with the real. Sitting far away in South India in Prasanthi Nilayam, I am talking to you and I am talking to Sai Bhakt (devotees) all across the globe. Therefore from this abode of peace, love, I wish to compliment all the Sai Bhakt all over the globe. Keep the good work going for the sake of humanity and development. [Applause]

What is the second contribution of Lord Sai Bhagavan which is important for all of us. (And) this needs to spread more and more. Serve the poor. Serve the underprivileged. Their service is the easiest route to reach God. [Same words in Hindi are said by Shri Prasad:] Garibon ki seva karo. Vanchiton ki Seva Karo. Unki seva mein hi ishwar ki praapti hai. It is a great message that he has been able to give.

Let me quote Kabir Das again. A very famous couple of Kabir Das.
Sai itna dijiye jame kutumb samaye
main bhi bhukha na rahoon sadhu na bhookha jaay

Hey Lord, give me this much that I am able to take care of my family. But if a hungry human being comes in front of my house, I should not turn him down unsatisfied. This sadhu is a symbolism. The symbolism is don't live for yourself. Live for others. Take care of your family. But also take care of others. And you know something unique, why I quoted this couplet? It begins with "Sai itna dijiye jame kutumb samaye; main bhi bhukha na rahoon sadhu na bhukha jaay". And after four hundred, five hundred years, here comes Lord Sainath who actually concretises this couplet into extraordinary initiative.

Yesterday I was told, 20 Lakh operations done without a single (farthing)! The best of the quality education being given in this NAAC certified university, without a single farthing! So many schools being run. Thousands and thousands of villages in this water-scarce land of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Karnataka being provided drinking water all by the initiative of this great institution. How do you explain it? Yesterday I was talking to a big eminent trustee of this board. I said, how do you all manage it? Now (that) Lord is not there.

And he said one comment of the Lord which made me emotional. Once they asked him, how do we run all this? Should we charge even something little? Token? And Lord Sai Baba told them one thing. Does a mother charge her child for helping him in anything? [Applause]

Do you understand the philosophy of it? There is a profound philosophy behind this, ladies and gentlemen. And what is the philosophy? Love (and) serve the other, as the mother serves a child, without seeking any return. And if this has been the motto, I have not the slightest doubt that if Lord Sai Bhagavan has given so much not only in Prasanthi Nilayam but the whole world, surely his divine blessings will be there and this great work will continue to prosper (in) the remotest part of the world and also India.

To my young friends, I have to make a last observation. What is India? Is India a geographical entity? Is India merely a physical entity? Yes, we are technologically very powerful. And I want to tell you, my young friends, as IT minister of India, that in a population of 1.25 billion - 125 crore - India is home to 1.08 billion mobile phones. 108 crores! Out of which, 500 million - 50 crore - is smartphone. We have got Aadhar card - 115 crore. Unique identity kept in safe condition. We have got 500 million - 50 crore - Internet (connections). And how we are using this, to leverage technology for social good - we opened 25 crore Jandhan accounts (for) the poor and we linked that Jandhan account with Aadhar (straight) to the bank and started serving subsidy to the poor direct to the bank account. And we saved 50,000 crores in the last 2 years which used to be pilfered by fictitious persons. That is how we linked technology for public good.

But India is certainly a place for science, innovation, technology. But remember one thing, India is the chosen earth, chosen place of divinity. [Applause] That will remain the first and ultimate calling of India. And how do you explain India geographically. You go to deep north in the Himalayas, you find Badrinath where Badri Vishal Lord (Vishnu) is residing there. You go a little east there - you find Kedarnath where Mahadev is residing. You go deep south on the tip of (India touching) the Indian Ocean, there is Kanyakumari the Mahadevi residing there. You go a little (further) in this proud land of Andhra Pradesh you (find) Lord Vishnu as Lord Venkateshwara is residing in Tirupati. You go deep east, you have Devi Kamakhya residing in the hills of Assam. You go (East), you have Puri, Lord Jagannath residing there. You go deep West, you have Lord Somnath in Gujarat, a little ahead you have Lord Krishna in Dwaraka. They are there for the last thousands and thousands of years.

So many other faiths came. We respected all. We welcomed all. Because India is a land which has been respecting all the faiths. Come experiment (with) your chosen divinity to the own marga (path) which you believe is the right path. That is the essence of India. And therefore this cultural identity of India merging with the spiritual identity with the profound slogan of unity in diversity is the essence of India. Why I am saying so? The great Lord realized that this profound land of India with the blessings of the unity in diversity, inspired by the philosophy of Sanathana Dharma, and also respecting all the faiths, must become a beacon. As what the previous speaker rightly called, that is the essence of Bharat, Bharatvarsha.

That larger vision to make India truly a great country for the world not only economically, not only educationally, not only militarily, but also spiritually, that is the calling of India. [Applause] Spiritually - for the sake of service, spiritually - to make a better human being. I think that in my very considered view is the real essence of Lord Sai Bhagavan. And he conveyed this in such simple language, by his own conduct.
...
Let me share my own experience. The moment I entered this heavenly place, the moment I bowed my head before the Lord, I am sitting here, and I don't know, I am feeling a different energy. And mind you, when I say so, I have traveled around the world (to) so many countries. I have seen India from my younger days. I have studied many scriptures. But the living experience of powerful energy (which I experienced while coming) is truly extraordinary. [Applause]

That I think is the message. Trust in me. Trust in my teaching. Trust in my vision. And my hand of blessings and guidance shall always be there. I think that is the biggest blessings on the Guru Purnima day. And (ref. to trustee of Central Trust) again (I compliment) you and your team for inviting me on this very pious day of (Gurupurnima and) having the experience of this profound energy myself and getting the unique privilege of getting the darshan of large number of devotees present here. My vandan, srivandan, namaskaram (salutations) to all of you.

--- end transcript of most of Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad's speech ---

[I thank facebook.com/RaviShankarPrasadOfficial, wikipedia and Radio Sai Global Harmony, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above pics, extract and transcript from their pages and video on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]