The saying, ‘Every drop counts....’ is often used in terms of water but it holds true even for blood. Blood is something that cannot be produced or created by any means. Science has not yet advanced to the point that it could replicate ’blood’, a creation of God. This fact makes it very unique in itself and all the more so because we, humans are its only source. Thus, blood is collected and stored in blood banks, in order to make it readily available, when the need arises. 

Under the guidance of Dr Aniruddha Joshi (MBBS, MD Medicine, who is fondly revered as Aniruddha Bapu by his devotees), the organization ‘Aniruddha’s Academy of Disaster Management’ with its allied organizations have been organizing blood donations camps for over two decades now. However, this time, the blood donation camp was conducted at a large scale; camps were held at multiple locations in Maharashtra as also in other states on the same day. However, due to unavailability of a few blood banks on the day of the ‘Mega blood donation camp’, camps at few locations were held on another day.  

 The donation of blood draws a spiritual significance too. In the Shrimadpurushartha Granthraj – Volume 3 – Anand Sadhana, Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu writes about the nine drops that the Almighty is fond of. One among them is the “drop of blood”.  

“The drops of blood donated by one person with faith to another and with a selfless motive at that.”  

- Achaman 122 (Ananḍ Sadhana) 

And when we mull it over carefully, we come to understand that by way of these ‘blood donation camps’, it is Bapu himself who makes available to us this opportunity, it is indeed ‘He’ who is the mastermind in organizing these camps, in encouraging us to participate, thereby ensuring the fulfillment of this ‘Āchaman’ through us.  

Coming to think of it, had it not been for these blood donation camps organized by Bapu, we would have never ever visited any blood bank voluntarily to donate blood. And suppose, if at all one must have taken the effort to go to a blood bank. Would it ever be a collective activity? This is the underlying crux we often overlook.  

Bapu has already emphasized the importance of collective Upasana. And the blood donation activity that we all Shraddhavans perform collectively with ‘Naamsmarana’ of our beloved Dad, is no less than a collective Upasana. This camp, I feel, is the raised hand of our beloved Sadguru to bless all of us, and to be a participant in this camp is our acceptance of that blessing. Sadguru Bapu, on many levels, keeps plenty of opportunities flowing towards His Shraddhavans, it is for us to look for the one and make it fruitful.  

This activity also infuses in every individual a sense of selflessness for when you donate blood you are completely oblivious about the recipient of your blood; it could be anyone from a small child to an elderly person, of any caste, creed or religion. For us Shraddhavans, this is the doing of our Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu, who strives to elevate us not only on the spiritual level but also on the worldly level.  

To speak in terms of numbers, this year, the magnitude of the camp was such that more than 15,000 units of blood were collected overall in a single day. It is an outcome of the pure love and the utmost gratitude that all Shraddhavans have towards their dear Sadguru.