THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS- by Sri B.S.Narayana Murthy

[Guest guest]

THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

'Deepavali', the festival of Lights

Comes once a year,

But to Sri Sai Baba, every day

was a day of lights;

And He delighted in burning little oil lamps

At the dilapidated mosque at Shirdi

Which was His home in those early days

When He was just a wandering 'fakir'.

 

He collected oil for the lamps

By begging from His neighbours.

And they obliged Him for a time:

But one fine day they said

'We know not why You burn all those lights

But no more oil shall You have from us;

All His pleadings with them were of no avail

And He had no money to buy the oil.

 

Dismayed, but undaunted.

He returned to the mosque,

Drank the drop of oil that was in the oil-pot,

Filled the pot with water

And poured the water into the lamps.

The onlookers jeered and laughed at Him,

But lo! when Baba lit those lamps,

The lamps burn'd bright with a celestial glow.

 

People stood stunned for a moment

Hardly believing their eyes.

And then wisdom dawn'd on them

That this was no ordinary mortal

But a living manifestation

Of the Divine Lord Himself!

With remorse they prostrated before Him

And pray'd for His forgiveness.

'Arise, My children' said He

'You are forgiven, but believe Me

I am an Emissary of God

Endow'd with powers far greater

Than you can ever imagine;

Seek refuge in Me

And all your woes will vanish

Like darkness before the Sun: