Control of Elements (November 1974) by P. V. Satyanarayana Sastry, B. A.

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CONTROL OF ELEMENTS (November 1974)

BHISHASMAD VATAH PAVATE, BHEESHMODETISURYAH,

BHISHAASMADA- GRISCHENDRASCHA MRITYUR

DHAVATI PANCHAMA ITI.

(TAITTEREEYA UPANISHAD )

Through fear of Him blows the wind. Through fear of HIM rises the Sun.

Through fear of Him again Fire and Moon shine. Fifthly, Death runs to fulfil

its duties.

In canto XVI and XVII of Srimad Bhagavata. We read that after driving Kaliya

Nag from the waters of the Yamuna, Lord Krishna and the inhabitants of Braja

with their cows spent that night near the bank of Kalindi, oppressed with

hunger and thirst and worn out with fatigue. While they were all asleep fire

broke out in the forest dried with summer heat and began to burn down Braja.

The fire surrounded the sleeping inhabitants. The inhabitants found

themselves helpless and sought refuge at the feet of their Lord Bala Gopala.

Observing the perturbation and helplessness of His people, the Lord, in the

abundence of His compassion for His devotees, immediately swallowed up that

fierce conflagaration, possessed as He was of unlimited energy (Anantha

Sakthi dhrity)- It is no wonder that as the creater of the universe and the

elements, Lord Krishna had controlled and swallowed the encircling forest

fire.

H. H. B. V. Narasimhaswamiji of revered memory, in his Preface to Vol. II of

Life of Sai Baba observed "WHAT SRI KRISHNA WAS AND WHAT HE SAID PUZZLED

THIS AUTHOR AND PUZZLED SO MANY OTHER PERSONS; AND AFTER SEEING WHAT SAI

BABA SAID AND DID, ALL THESE PUZZLES DISAPPEARED AND CLEAR LIGHT DAWNED UPON

EVERY ONE" etc When that is the case with a devout and religious minded soul

like our Swamiji it can better be imagined how the sceptics and atheists

respect the above mentioned incident in the life of Lord Krishna as

unbelievable and as a figment of the imagination of the author, sage Veda

Vyasa. Let us now see how Lord Sai in his own ingenious way proved the

veracity of the above phenomenon.

One day at noon the fire in the dhuni began to burn brightly and the flames

were seen to be reaching the rafters of the mosque. The people who were

sitting in Dwarka mai did not know what to do. It was not for them to ask

the omniscent and omnipotent Baba to do something to quell the rising

flames. Baba was then evidently in a transcendental mood. But the feelings

of the devotees reacted on him and he came to his normal condition. He

immediately went to the Dhuni and with his Satka (Small stick) struck on the

pillar nearby saying "Get down, Be calm" several times. The fire obeyed

immediately and resumed its normal condition.

Commenting on this incident in his Sri Sai Satcharitra, that great devotee

Sri Hemadpant says "This is our Sai, an incarnation of God. He will bless

any man who will prostrate and surrender himself, to him" as did the

inhabitants of Vraja on that fateful night referred to above.

Again on a midsummer day one of the hayricks at Shirdi caught fire through

accident. There were many hayricks nearby. The wind was blowing fiercely and

the other ricks were in the imminent danger of being caught fire and reduced

to ashes. One of the residents ran up to Baba and craved to save them and

their cattle. Baba immediately went to the burning stack and drew a thin

line with water round that stack and said "Only this stack will be burnt,

and no others". Only that stack was burnt, though other stacks were near and

a wind was blowing.

( B. C, S. 342 )

Baba was occasionally preparing Meetha Chaval (Sweet Rice) or Pulava and

feeding the people that came to him. He used to personally attend to the

cooking business. To test whether the food was properly boiled or not and to

ensure for its proper condition, jaba used to thrust his bare hand into the

boiling cauldran and churn the whole mess from side to side and up and down.

Strange to say that Baba's hand was never burnt in the process. This fact

also evidences his absolute control over the fire and its attributes.

In this connection, it is worthwhile recollecting what Sri Sai Saran Ananda

Swami (Vamanrao P. Patel in his poorva Ashram) says on this aspect of Baba's

supernatural powers, in his "Shri Sai, the Superman". "The idea that He is

an entity apart from God has entirely left Him. He lives, moves and acts in

God and when any of the Supernatural Powers is being exercised or used by

Him He never thinks that He has been doing anything extraordinary, the

exercise of these Powers being so natural to HIM".

In St. Mathew, Chapter 8, verses 24-27 it is stated that when Jesus the

Christ was asleep in the ship, there arose a great tempest in the sea and

the ship was tossed up and down with the winds and waves. Then the disciples

woke up Jesus and implored him to save them. Jesus then rebuked the winds

and the Sea and there was a great calm. The men marvelled saying "What

manner of Man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him".

We find a similar incident in the life of Sai Baba. Rao Bahadur Moreswar V.

Pradhan, B. A. L L. B. recounts in his statements of experiences how in

1910, there was a severe storm and heavy down pour of rain in Shirdi and how

Baba controlled it saying., "O God! Enough, stop the rain. My children have

to go back home. Let them go back without difficulty". Immediately the storm

stopped and Mr. Pradhan was enabled to return home that, night.

, Similarly in 1914 Baba controlled a fierce storm through his divine

powers. He continues to exercise his supernatural powers for the benefit of

his devotees, which evidences his God-head. Here is an instance.

In 1951, I was working as Stationary Sub-Magistrate, Kai-kalur There is a

Sanskrit School there. As a devotee of Sanskrit Language, I was closely

associated with the activities of the School. The teachers arranged literary

meetings on 13th and 14th October, 1951 in consultation with me. I attended

the Mahasamadhi Day on 10-10-1951 at the Sai Mandir, Ventrapragada. At the

time of departure on 11-10-51, I earnestly prayed Baba to make the function

a success.

Kavi Samrat, Padma Bhushan, Kala Prapoorna Sri Viswanatha Satyanarayana Garu

(Recipient of Jnana Peetam Award of Rs. One Lakh) Kalaprapoorna, Pandit

Penumatsa Satyanarayana Raju garu and some ten eminent scholars were invited

and they attended the conference.

The opening session was held on the morning of 13-10-1951. At 3 PM the

evening session began. Soon there was a gale and drizzle. The sky was cast

with clouds and was threatening. The Pandal appeared to be in danger of

being blown off by the wind. I felt nervous and mentally prayed to Baba.

Soon the gale and drizzle subsided. Everything went on well according to

Schedule. When we returned home the court yard of my house was very damp and

wet. When questioned I was told there was a heavy downpour of rain at 4 PM

that day as a result of which the side canals were flooded. And the whole

area overflowed with water. My further enquiries revealed that beyond a

radius of 2 furlongs from the meeting place there was fierce gale and heavy

downpour of rain. The absence of gale and rain near and at the meeting place

was entirely due to the kripa (mercy) and divine powers of Prabhu Sainath.

This happened thirty three years after the Mahasamadhi of Baba which

confirms the following assurances given by the benign Sai.

BABA'S CHARTERS

& SAYINGS.

50. I shall be active and vigorous from the t9mb also.

51. Even after my Mahasamadhi, I shall be with you the moment you think of

me, at any place.

52. As soon as a devotee calls unto me with love, I will appear. I require

no train to travel.

This is our Sai who is Krishna and Jesus rolled into one. The same divinity

indeed. It is due to accumulation of merit of several births that we have

become the children of Mother Sai and receive his constant care and

protection. Let us repay our debit to our Prabhu through constant

remembrance of HIM and through repeating His Holy Name 'SAI' always.

P. V. Satyanarayana Sastry, B. A.

Retired Thasildar,

Krishna Lanka,

Vijayawada - 2 (A. P.)

 

(Source Shri Sai Leela Nove 1974)