Sathyam Sivam Sundaram - Part III [5]

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Sathyam Sivam Sundaram - Part III [5]

Sat, 3 May 2003 20:26:10 +0530

Om Sri Sai Ram

A lovely wall painting of the goddess Parvati, escorted by his two sons: Ganesh

on her right side and Kartikeya on his left; the latter is generally

accompanied by his peacock. Shiva Jambukeshvara temple; Trichy, Tamil Nadu

Mushikavaahana Modaka Hastha,

Chaamara Karna Vilambitha Sutra,

Vaamana Rupa Maheshwara Putra,

Vighna Vinaayaka Paada Namasthe

MEANING: "O Lord Vinaayaka! The remover of all obstacles, the son of Lord Shiva,

with a form which is very short, with mouse as Thy vehicle, with sweet pudding

in hand, with wide ears and long hanging trunk, I prostrate at Thy lotus-like

Feet!"

Sathyam Sivam Sundaram

Part III [5]The Life of the Divine Avathar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai BabaWritten

by N. Kasturi M.A., B.L.

 

 

The Festival of Light

When Baba started on 20th October from Anantapur towards Dharwar, from where He

was scheduled to begin His weeklong tour of the Districts of North Mysore,

someone asked Him, "This is sure to be a memorable tour; what shall we call

it?" Baba immediately replied, "Amarapuriya Ananda-yatre!" (Heavenly Tour of

Bliss). Yes, He had decided on it; He was directing it; He was the host and

guest, everywhere; He was the goal and the guide! No wonder it brought heavenly

bliss to millions of people. When His car, and the others that followed it,

passed Bellary, the first town in Mysore State, the good news spread around

gladdening the hearts of all who heard it, and they in turn communicated it to

their near and dear ones. The news flashed with lightning speed in every

direction. It was the eve of Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, and the news

lit a lamp in every heart; the light spread from doorstep to doorstep

throughout the region.

At Gadag, there were many who had received signs of His Grace and who gratefully

adored His Name and Form. They inspired many others and thus, a sizeable

gathering with flowers in their hands assembled at the entrance of the town so

as not to miss the chance of Darshan. Passing through Hulkoti and Annageri,

where devotees stood on both sides of the road, singing Bhajans in the hope

that Baba would stop and perhaps alight for a moment, Baba reached the

outskirts of the busy city of Hubli, where the mayor of the corporation and

about 3000 citizens acclaimed His arrival. The Mayor prayed for His blessings,

so that Hubli could be "happy, healthy and prosperous."

Dharwar was only twelve miles away. While entering the city, principal

Dharwadkar and the erudite population of Vidyagiri, (Hill of Culture), a

complex of many colleges and training institutes, cheered Him at the gates.

Baba reached the University area and the Vice Chancellor's Bungalow at 9.30

p.m.

Dr. Appa Saheb Adke B.E., Ph.D., the Vice-chancellor, and organizer of the tour,

had been ill ever since his visit to Australia in connection with University

work. "I thought it was a simple affair, drafting the Programme of His tour!

But there was such a sincere pressure from all the corners of the region that I

became perplexed. Realizing this quandary, Baba came to my rescue; He said that

He will settle it Himself at Dharwar," Dr. Adke told me. "I was very ill when

Baba came to Dharwar, but His arrival charged me with vitality; I am more

vigorous than usual since that moment," he declared. He could hardly contain

himself; no one could restrain him and remind him to be careful of his health.

Baba gave Darshan to the thousands that had assembled from far and near, that

night as well as next morning, in the spacious lawns of the bungalow. He met

the office bearers of the Seva Samithis at 4 p.m., and quickly decided on the

dates and the routes, which He would use for the tour. That evening, there was

a huge gathering, of at least 20.000 to listen to His Discourse. Dr. Adke

welcomed Baba to Karnataka and said, "This University has today gained glory

from this precious gift of grace. We deal here with materials and measurements,

things that change, originate and degenerate; we are concerned with collection

and codification, the intellectual process of analysis and synthesis; but alas

we do not earn or confer wisdom! Our hearts are petrified; our brains have

become books. Sri Rama awakened the stone that Ahalya had become through her

craving for the trivial and temporary; when His Foot touched that stone, she

was restored to life, beauty, and goodness. We too deserve that Divine Touch.

Awaken us, Baba, and restore us to the life of truth, beauty and goodness, of

Sathyam, Sivam and Sundaram!"

Dr. Gokak, who has had years of intimate association with the city of Dharwar

and the Karnataka University, called upon his compatriots to offer to Baba the

multifarious anxieties, worries and weaknesses, defects and disabilities that

were then weighing heavily on their hearts, and receive from Him in exchange,

assurance of the Grace, which grants instant relief and constant joy.

Baba began His Discourse in the Kannada language! It was an unexpected thing of

compassion; it aroused an applause from each man, women and child when they

realized that Baba's immeasurable Prema towards them has persuaded Him to speak

for the first time in the language that they could comprehend, which echoed and

re-echoed from the hills around! "Kasturi is not here! I have to speak to you

without an interpreter. I have contacts with the Kannada region since twenty

five years, but this is the first time I am addressing a gathering in Kannada.

You praise your language, extolling it as Kasturi! (Fragrant as musk) I hope I

will not injure that reputation," Baba said.

His Prema is so overpowering that He takes the words out of our mouths so that

He can convey His message to us in ways we can receive with welcoming

enthusiasm. His first venture into Kannada lasted for over an hour and a half,

the diction and the exposition being as sweet and savory as the Telugu, which

is His usual vehicle. The people of Dharwar were thrilled. "Oh, the delight

that He imparted!Oh, the illumination that He granted!How fast was the

flow of His Ganga" - these were the exclamations that filled the University

atmosphere.

After the discourse, Baba sang a few Bhajan songs, which the vast assembly sang

after Him in chorus. The songs were in praise of God in a variety of Names and

Forms as visualized by saints: Shiva, Rama, Shakti, Krishna, Subramanya,

Vishnu. The sacred songs sung by Baba in His flute-like voice filled everyone

with such supreme elation that there was genuine response.

Many in the gathering were staunch and stalwart followers of creeds which stick

only to one Name and Form; ordinarily they would have felt it a sacrilege to

pronounce in reverence, much less sing in adoration, another Name and Form.

Though the scriptures they follow declare that "The One God had many Names",

"Ekam sad Vipraah bahudha vadanthi", they grow in a social atmosphere that

insists on concentration on one name only, so that their faith may be

fractionalized and enfeebled. Therefore, the Bhajans of Baba came as a

refreshing breeze, cleansing the hearts of fanatic conformity, and sweeping out

the cobwebs of fear! "Only Baba can overpower the habit of years and evoke in

our hearts this spring of expansive joy", they exclaimed. Baba taps the very

fountain of the religious urge, whether a person be a man or woman, young or

old, Hindu, Buddhist, Parsi, Christian, Jain or Muslim, or even Agnostic,

Nihilist, or Anarchist.

>From that day, the schedule laid down for the tour was rigorously gone through.

Baba addressed a huge gathering at Vidyagiri, in the quadrangle of the Arts

College. He planted a tree to keep His visit green in the memory of generations

of students; He created a sapphire ring and gave it to Principal Dharwadkar.

Then he spoke about the development of discipline and the earning of character.

 

"My Message is this: Be embodiments of Prema (Love); Do not hate anyone or fear

anyone. Develop Love towards all; understand the grief, and the joy of others;

be happy when others are happy; don't exult when others are in misery.Learn,

even while you are learning good attitudes and habits, the art of silence and

meditation, for example. These will help you to succeed in the School of

Living. This is the most precious lesson available from Sanathana Dharma,

which, let Me assure you, will be re-established in all its glory throughout

the world, so that the world might have peace and prosperity. That is the

mission upon which I have come."

>From Vidyagiri, Baba motored to Hubli, where a mammoth assembly was spilling

over the Karnataka medical college buildings yearning to have His Darshan, and

to listen to His Discourse. The good tidings that Baba was speaking in Kannada

had spread to Hubli and beyond, and all ears were alert to catch the speech and

treasure it.

"Today is Deepavali, when you consume sweets, but, the component that sweetens

every dish is sugar. So too, the article that bestows the characteristics of

Existence (It is), Knowledge (It can be known), and Ananda (it confers joy), on

every 'thing' and 'being' is the Atma, which, when Name-bound and Form-bound, is

God."

He advised the students not to give way to gusts of anger or resentment, but to

use reason, a unique asset of man, to discriminate between alternative

remedies! "The word mantra can be applied to slogans also; the mantra has to be

subjected to Manana, deep reflection. So too, every slogan has to be weighed in

the scale of Reason." Since there were many students of the Medical College

before Him, Baba asked,

"For a four-lettered degree, you spend the best part of your life; for attaining

the Degree of Degrees, namely Grace, can you not spend at least five minutes a

day, contemplating silently on the mystery and majesty of God, which is evident

in the construction, the functioning, and the disintegration of every atom and

cell?"

On the 23rd, Baba proceeded along the Sirsi Road to the West Coast. Leaving

Dharwar at 9 a.m., Baba neared the village of Mundagod forty-five minutes

later. The highway passes only through a few villages, for in this part of the

country houses are situated not on streets, but they peep furtively in twos and

threes from between huge bushes and trees in plantations or forests; so people

from as far as twenty to twenty five miles away from the road had trekked to

Mundagod for the coveted Darshan of the Avatar of the Age.

More than 4.000 simple peasants and plantation laborers were there. Their eyes

got a glint of joy when Baba moved among them and granted the curative Vibuthi

created on the spot to three broken minds which He espied in their midst. Baba

spoke a few words to them about Naamasmarana and Bhajan; He sang three Bhajans

so that they could feel the exhilaration that Bhajan could give, and the

gathering did their best to repeat the lines in tune with His entrancing

melody.

>From then on, the road was sanctified every few hundred yards by song and dance!

At Malagi, Ekkambi, Isalur, and Gowdalli, the sincerity of the villagers was

appreciated by Baba so much that He alighted from the car and stood facing the

disciplined throng for a few minutes, so that they may imprint His form on

their hearts, just as they had already inscribed His Name on their tongues. Dr.

Adke writes, "Whenever He noticed a gathering on the roadside, Baba used to

stand on the foot board of the car, with the door open. People pressed upon the

door, in their frantic attempts to get as near Him as possible and touch His

Feet. But, wonder of wonders, the door did not move even an inch! Hundreds

pushed themselves forward on the door that was well ajar, but it stood firm,

without even a shiver!"

At the stroke of eleven, Baba entered the premises of the Sathya Sai Seva

Samithi, at the Gopalakrishna Temple at Sirsi. He had said casually on the 21st

that He would be reaching Sirsi at 11 a.m. People wondered how the clock had

obeyed Him so meticulously! Just outside the town, tens of thousands had

gathered to welcome Him. Dr. Adke writes, "He would not bear the suffering of

people waiting in the hot sun. He told the gathering that if they start Bhajan,

clouds will gather overhead, to provide cool shade." And the clouds did! He

quoted profusely from the Vachanas of Basavanna and other Veerasaiva poets and

mystics, and captured the heart of the vast assembly. "Love is God; Live in

Love; Start the day with Love; Fill the day with Love; End the day with Love.

You have attached yourselves with Me, by bonds of Love. I am in all beings. So,

have the same Love for all," He reminded them. Baba said,

"See the effect of the singing of the Name. If a few minutes of Naamasmarana

could confer this much of Grace, how much more can you gain by constant

uninterrupted Naamasmarana! The yearning, which you cultivated in your minds

for My Darshan, has fructified today. I am happy to share My Love. May this

give-and-take become a continuous process!"

When Baba descended from the dais, there was not a dry eye among the 40.000

before Him; tears of gratitude and ecstasy were visible. Baba returned to the

Gopalakrishna Temple, and looked at the exhibition of photographs of Himself

and His activities. He moved from thence, without even the rest that many

pleaded with Him to take, on the next leg of the tour - towards Karwar, on the

Arabian Sea!

The road was walled on both sides by thick masses of pilgrims, standing in eager

expectation. One could read the name-board of villages - Nilekani, Hanumanthi,

Marugara, Amminahalli, Janmane, Kasage, Kathagala, Hiregutti. In many places,

yielding to the silent importunity, Baba alighted for a minute or two, to bless

the crowd with a smile that was immediately reflected on every face. At Ankola,

the importunity became a little too boisterous and so Baba moved on, with just

a wave of His hand, which itself, was to them a comforting gesture of Blessing!

 

The small village of Aversa presented a clean festive appearance, with festoons

and banners, arches and greenery, across the road. The assembly of over 5.000

persons was a model of disciplined devotion. Baba spent a long time walking

along the lanes, between men and women, and seeking out for succor the sick and

the distressed. Winning the affectionate loyalty of all by this gesture of

compassion, Baba ascended the rostrum and spoke about the Truth of Identity

that is now ridden by the Falsehood of Diversity.

"The Truth shall make you fearless, for where there is only One, how can fear

arise?" He asked. "The Name for that One is God; remind yourself of the One,

when you rise from bed; recollect that One during the vocations of the day;

establish the faith in the One, in the heart when you go to sleep, so that when

the senses, the intellect, and the imagination are inactive, the One might fill

you and favor you with the bliss of its realization," He advised.

The Aversans were not disappointed; they feared that Baba might not sing

Bhajans, since they discovered signs of hurry among the entourage. Karwar was

waiting, miles away, since about noon! But, Baba sang and filled the cup of joy

to the very brim.

"This vast expanse of water on one side, this vast expanse of humanity on the

other and this vast expanse of Grace in between!" - that was how Baba described

the scene on the Marina that day. "That is the Ganga; this the Yamuna; and My

Grace which is silently gurgling within your hearts is the Saraswathi," Baba

declared, sending the 25.000 devotees assembled there into the seventh heaven

of bliss!

"This meeting should have begun hours earlier; but the serried ranks of devotees

standing on the road shared that time with you; I gave it to them on your

behalf; for, they too are Atmaswaroop, having the same Atma illumining and

inspiring them, instructing and guiding them towards the Paramatma.Their

gratitude is your gain," Baba announced.

The waves whispered into the ears of seashells how happy they were that they

could be silent when Baba sang Bhajans for Karwar to echo in full-throated

exhilaration.

Night was spent in the bungalow of the collector, from where one could see the

wave-crests shimmering in starling. Next morning, Baba went into the

Sitarameshwar Temple, which is to Karwar, as heart to the body, and from there

He drove to the suburban settlement of Kodibag, where deft and devoted hands

had erected a temple for the Previous Body and carved a statue for

installation. The joy of the settlement dwellers knew no bounds; it was indeed

a revealing ceremony, the Installation by Baba and the homage from them to the

Sai, actually present before them. From Kodibag, Baba went along the coastal

road to where the motor launch was to take the party, cars and all, across the

tongue of sea that is yet to be bridged.

The Kali River joins the sea at this point, and so the tongue tastes no

salinity. Baba drew the attention of Dr. Adke, his son Manohar and others in

the launch, to the pearly aquamarine, which the sea was, a furlong away! Baba

remarked, "Crossing the Sea of Samsar, be confident of victory, since the

Master is with you.Why fear when I am near!"

Retrieving the cars from the launch, the journey was resumed fast and when the

State of Goa was entered, it was about ten. About half an hour later they

reached Marga, where, too, aspirants for Grace were ready in their thousands.

It was difficult to restrain them from their yearning to touch the Lotus Feet,

and so Baba found it rather hard to reach the platform soon. His abounding Love

overcame the resentment that mortals might have felt under similar

circumstances; He walked coolly among the excited gathering: He recognized a

sick person and materialized a portrait of Christ for him, for He knew, though

it was not evident for others, that he was a Christian. He created Vibhuti and

placed it in the hands of another person whom they guessed was a Hindu, though

the curative wonder can well be given to followers of all creeds. Baba spoke

for about twenty minutes on the three Gunas, the dull, the passionate and the

balanced, and how man can liberate himself from the apathy of Tamas and reach

the enthusiasm of Rajas and finally attain the equipoise of Satwa Guna.

Then, Baba moved on to the capital city of Goa, Panaji. The Samithi at Panaji

had arranged a public meeting, which Baba was to address in the "Vivekananda

Hall" on the upper floor of the Secretariat Buildings! No hall on earth can

accommodate in comfort the audience that Baba draws to Himself in any town! He

has said often, that the sky shall be the roof of the Shamiana for the

assemblies He addressed! Therefore, the inevitable happened. A very large

section was denied the chance of Darshan. Baba spoke for some time and sang

Bhajans, which delighted those in the hall. Those who heard the discourse and

melody from outside said, "Better luck, next time!Thanks at least for this

much"; this was the consolation of the thousands who could not get into the

hall.

Dr. Adke writes, "When we were nearing Goa, the springs of the Fiat car were

damaged. But when I suggested getting another car for the onward journey, Baba

told me, 'We shall drive in this car only!' The road from Goa to Belgaum runs

through thick forests and ghats, and was also breached by rains. We started

from Goa late in the evening and reached Belgaum at nine. How we reached the

destination without a breakdown is a mystery that Baba alone can explain. We

knew that it was Baba's Grace that brought the party safe."

At Belgaum, Baba went straight into the enormous gathering of about 70.000

persons waiting for Darshan. Belgaum is a big city and Baba is the Supreme

Savior. The Sathya Sai Seva Samithi had taken elaborate precautions against any

stampede; they had put up barricades of tough bamboo to sectionalize the

gathering and provide vacant paths in between, for Baba to walk along and

confer Darshan from within a few feet for all. When intimation was received

that Baba had come, they rose in haste and rushed towards where they sensed He

was! The home guards, the volunteers (men and women), the boy scouts, and

members of the Samithi sprang into action and curbed the excited crowds as best

as they could.

Meanwhile, Baba had come on the dais; His golden voice floated in ever-widening

circles far and wide. Everyone stood where he was and drank the ambrosia. Each

man turned towards the place from where the call had come. Sri Narke, an

engineer who was of the party says, "Bhagawan raised His Hand! Every man was

fixed to the spot where he stood! Bhagawan’s Hand came down; they sat

silently, wherever they were."

"I couldn't leave Goa in time. There were eager groups of devotees waiting at

every village, whether we passed through jungle or bald fallow wastes. How can

I ignore their tremendous thirst?" Baba said. "I borrowed a little time from

you and gave it to them," He confessed.

The gathering became gentle and calm.

"Having joined this uplifting a gathering of thousands of seekers of light,

eager to cleanse themselves and become worthy of their divine destiny, you have

a responsibility: Try to realize that you are fundamentally divine; practice

meditation for a few minutes every day to instill this faith into yourself," He

advised. "The boulder on the hill is turned into an idol for the temple. Hammer

and chisel have made it a thing of beauty and a joy forever, a perpetual source

of inspiration to render life wholesome and holy! You too must subject

yourselves to the hammer of discipline and the chisel of pleasure-pain, so that

you emerge from the boulder into an authentic Image of God!" He exhorted. "I

have been touring Karnataka since five days; I wish to emphasize one point now.

Thousands of people are attending such meetings; thousands more are waiting

along the roads. In the heart of every one of them, I know, sincere adoration

is welling up towards God. But adoration must be regulated through discipline.

It should not be wild and untended. You rush forward to touch My feet or to

prostrate before Me, regardless of any consideration for women, children, the

aged and the sick. You fall upon them when you press forward toward Me. Do not

injure the Sai in those people, when you rush towards this Sai, to demonstrate

your devotion! The merit and all the austerity you undergo to see and hear this

Sai is well nigh cancelled, when you inflict pain on the Sai who resides in

them," He said. Many bowed their heads in repentance and shame. "Cultivate

love, tolerance and reverence towards the weak, the handicapped, the distressed

and the diseased. Give them your compassion and sympathy. Serve them, sensing

the divine bond of kinship," Baba directed.

Baba resumed the tour next morning, taking the road to Bijapur, the Headquarters

of another District in North Karnataka. Within miles He alighted at Bali-Hongal

where devoted hearts prayed for the triple gifts of Darshan, Sparshan and

Sambashan: seeing Him, touching Him and listening to Him. He conferred on them

the first and the last of these only, for there were thousands so early in the

day! Baba spoke to them of inner purification and the awareness of the constant

presence of God as the means to ensure it.

Throughout the day, miles after mile, it was Bhajan and Kirtan all along the

road to Bijapur. The villagers waited, watching the cars that passed along, for

hours at a stretch, doing Bhajan. They halted every scooter and truck, to find

out whether Baba had started, and was on the way. Some villages got ready a

folk welcome with traditional drums and dances; some brought out long brass

horns which they blew loud and long to awaken the countryside into the glorious

day. Some paraded the temple umbrella and persuaded temple priests to stand

across the road, with ceremonial pots of holy water in their hands and Vedic

chants on their tongues! There were police cars before and behind the cars of

the party; while the officers tried to regulate the enthusiasm of the village

gatherings, they themselves were not above the temptation to seize as many

chances as they could, to touch His Feet!

Baba halted for about an hour at Gokak at noon, and proceeded apace to Bijapur,

the journey being interrupted every few miles by yearning on one side and

compassion on the other. For those who were with Baba in the same car, it was a

boon of unstinted ecstasy. Baba sang many songs, asked all else to sing Bhajans,

prompted one or two to compose poems on the spot about the epic, unfolding

before their eyes; thus as the road rolled away, fast, from underneath the car,

they lost all sense of time and space.

"At Bijapur, the gathering was packed thick for miles," writes Dr. Adke. "I made

bold to suggest to Baba, "This meeting has to be cancelled! It is impossible to

go through this item of the tour! Let us go to the next place." Baba said,

"No." At least 75.000 persons were surging impatiently over the roads and open

spaces. Dr. Adke writes, "Baba went right into that sea of agitated confusion.

Everyone was nervous about the situation. But soon we saw Him safe on the dais

under the blaring lights and before the microphone. As soon as Baba started

singing the usual introductory verse, every man, woman and child was enchanted;

the waves were stilled, quiet prevailed, and we were relieved."

"For what purpose were you born? What has been your achievement in the years

that you have spent as men among men? What are you intending to leave behind

when you die?" Baba asked the vast gathering.

Vineetha Ramachandra Rao, who was of the party, writes, "We have heard that when

Krishna played on the Flute, even the thousand-hooded snake lay low; when Baba

spoke in that captivating voice even though His opening sentences were so

challenging to their self-complacence and indolence, the seventy five

thousand-hooded snake lay calm, plunged in self-examination. Baba advised each

one to cultivate Love, for "Love is the motivator of the Universe, Love is God

and Love alone can win the Grace of God and merge man in God." When Baba spoke

of the efficacy of Bhajan and sang a few songs, the assembly yielded without

reservation to the magic of His Flute! All the higher tendencies sprouted,

foliated, put forth buds and blossomed in the heart; everyone felt a thrill,

the thrill of Cosmic Awareness."

Spending the night at the circuit house, Baba rose early and was ready to

fulfill the engagements He had planned for the day. A score of minutes ticked

away as they drove forward; they were surprised to see across the road, a

pandal of green and yellow creepers and festoons, flags and garlands, and on

the ground, about a hundred persons singing Prashanthi Nilayam Bhajans!

Let us listen to Dr. Adke describing what happened: "They beseeched Baba to

drive into their village which was only two miles off; they said they had

repaired the road and made it car-worthy; they promised they would be quiet and

disciplined; they announced that the villagers were longing for His visit. I was

anxious about the correct execution of the busy timetable already laid down for

the day. But Baba said, "Well, we shall go and be with them for five minutes."

The cars turned, traversed the clean dustless road which had been sprinkled

thick with water, into the village. As the cars passed, lamps waved, women

scattered flowers on the car. The men blew horns and beat big drums. Bells on

the necks of cattle tinkled as they stood on the sides, with red paint on their

horns. Baba was happy to see the villagers sitting with the surge of joy lending

luster to their eyes. He sang a few Bhajans, encouraging the assembly to sing

them after Him, without hesitation and fear. Baba drove back to the main road

only after spending about forty minutes there.

It was one continuous flood of devotion, fertilizing the entire area, entering

into every home, every heart, arousing man, woman and child: Baba could not

bear to see the people sitting or standing in the sun. Nor could He allow them

to be glum and cheerless. While moving from Bijapur to Bagalkot, Baba sang a

large number of songs in Kannada to the delight of the Vice-chancellor, his

son, and others.

He sang songs composed by the famous medieval Kannada saints, Purandara Das and

Kanaka Das; He described the story of Kanaka Das at Udipi, where the idol of

Krishna installed by Madhawacharya turned around in order to give the shepherd

saint Kanaka Das the Darshan he longed for. For Kanaka Das was not admitted

into the temple since he was a person of inferior caste! Baba also sang some

songs composed by Him on the spot in Kannada. It was a glorious hour for lovers

of that language and seekers longing for the Divine.

Passing through places like Kerur, where devotees fed their eyes on Him, Baba

reached Nargund, and saw about twelve thousand people gathered there from all

the villages around, and even from Hubli and Dharwar, which were hours away by

car. He told them of the immanence of God in the universe, and said that only a

perfected, pure intelligence can recognize that fact; just as only the one

tongue among all the limbs and organs of the body can recognize the salt

dissolved in water.

Passing through wavy fields of grass and grain, fondled by the soft caresses of

stray breezes, Baba reached Navilgund in the evening. A sea of faces sat before

Him in disciplined silence and Baba spoke to them and sang for them in plentiful

compassion. "The objective world is ever changeful; it is fitful and flickering,

but the Atma is eternal, adamant, unaffected by time, space and causation, which

are only modifications it is supposed to undergo!

Ekam eva adwithiyam Brahma: One only, without a second, is Brahma. To become

aware of the One, which has no second, you must practice the five disciplines

of Mantra, Naamasmarana, Yoga, Dhyana and Samadhi. Just as the music and the

musician immanent in the ether, as waves projected by the broadcasting station

are caught and made manifest by the receiver and its many contrivances, God who

is present but Unmanifest to the eye or mind, can be realized and recognized,

through these contrivances," Baba explained.

The sun must have traveled slower than usual that day, for Baba was able to

reach Hulkoti at 6 p.m., after a halt at Annigeri on the way to receive flowers

and shower blessings on a huge gathering on the roadside. There was a record

crowd of eager devotees at Kulkoti and Baba gave them Darsan as well as the

assurance of His continuing Grace.

He then left for Gadag, a city famous since centuries for the Veera Narayana

temple, immortalized in Kannada poetry and at present a great center of

commerce and industry. Gadag astounded everyone by the enormity of the number

of people who assembled there to revere Baba. There were over a hundred

thousand!

Sri K.H. Patil, who welcomed Baba said, "The doors of heaven have opened this

day before Gadag! The Light of the Spirit is resplendent once again, in this

ancient city." Baba spoke of the Vedic Prayer, which summarizes the aspiration

of man, since the beginning of his history on earth:

Asatho Ma Sad Gamaya (From the unreal, lead me to the Real!)Thamaso Ma Jyothir

Gamaya (From darkness, lead me to the Light)Mrthyor Ma Amrtham Gamaya (From

death, lead me to Immortality!).

He said that distinction is unreal, egoism is darkness, and desire is death!

So, man must become aware of the One of which He is a spark, of the One which is

all this and more, the One which fills and fulfils all." The Bhajans that Baba

sang and which the voices repeated cleared the sky of the vibrations of

multiplicity and filled it with the "is-ness" of the One. Rama, Krishna,

Shakti, Siva, Vishnu, all were integrated in the melody of that music of the

masses, offered at the Feet of Sai at His bidding, and in tune with His cosmic

voice.

When Dharwar was reached, lights in most of the houses had been extinguished,

and cows were dozing on the roads, chewing the day's fast-eaten food!

When the sun rose next day over the horizon, the calendar showed October 27, as

the date. And Baba was as fresh as the Sun who shows no tinge of tiresomeness,

however long the journey, however monotonous the route, however fulsome the

acclamation offered to Him in however many languages, however gladly He is

welcomed in however many lands by however many billions! He was as aware of His

Mission and as unassuming in its performance as the Sun!

But, others of the party, who were mere men, aroused His pity. He persuaded Dr.

Adke, his son and others to take rest, in spite of their disinclination. As for

Himself, He spent the day visiting the homes of devotees at Hubli and Dharwar,

for, as Baba has often said, "Your Ananda is what sustains Me" (Mee Anandame

naa Aahaaram). When Baba visits a home, however short the stay, He leaves it a

Heaven of Peace and Love. Often He goes alone into the house in order that 'the

devotee may not be distracted by the need to attend to the companions!' He

persuades the devotee not to indulge in pompous receptions and invest in

exhibitionistic decorations, exotic garlands, expensive feasts or quick

publicity among kinsmen and friends. He comes as our nearest and dearest

kinsman, arriving after a long absence, to bless, to heal, to enrich, to

elevate, to alleviate, to console and correct, to confer courage and conviction

and confirm the consummation of spiritual aspiration. He fondles the children,

recognizes even slight gestures of homage, remembers the names of everyone in

the family, relates incidents unknown or forgotten, promises relief, and leaves

everyone grateful. Where gloom hung thick, He installs joy; where the musty air

of sickness was repelling, He brings the fresh fragrance of health and

hilarity. His visit to a home closes the chapter of disease, despair, distress

and doubt and opens another, tingling with joy and cheer, peace and goodwill,

vigor and vibrant harmony.

Monday, the 28th! He was to reach Brindavan that evening, and so, He drove along

the Hubli-Davangere Road, lighting the faces and lightening the hearts of the

residents of those villages and towns, adjacent to that road. Kundgol was the

first place where a gathering had collected, under the auspices of the Sathya

Sai Seva Samithi. And what a gathering! The wide expanse of a football field

packed thick! At least 25.000 in number! Baba spoke of Indian culture, of the

word 'Bharath,' of the syllable 'Bha', which He interpreted as Light, the Light

of Spiritual Realization, the light that reveals the identity of all as God. He

said that His heart was filled with joy at the Love that had induced them to

wait for His Darshan for hours since early dawn. "Extend this Love towards all,

for I am in all," He suggested. "Devotion to Me is to be expressed through

service, love and cooperation and by refraining from scandal mongering,

faultfinding and hatred," He emphasized. When He sang a few Bhajans towards the

close, harmony reigned and distraction disappeared from the inner and outer

atmosphere.

Karjigi was the next place where Baba blessed the people. Then Baba visited the

holy village of Agadi, renowned as the hermitage of the late Saint Seshaachala

Swami. Saints and sages are the sappers and miners, the road-makers, surveyors,

the bridge builders who prepare for the Avatar. Baba was received at the

entrance to the shrine by women waving lamps, and Vedic Scholars chanting hymns

of prayer and supplication. He moved among the vast congregation, which was

engaged in Bhajan, and later spoke to them of the efficacy of the Name and the

discipline of constant repetition of the Name.

The stream of cars bringing redemption and relief was delayed a while at Haveri.

Baba went to the Grama Seva Mantap (Home for Village Reconstruction) and

addressed the gathering, composed of students of the Agriculture and other

colleges of the place. He drew their attention to the setting of natural beauty

and grandeur where they had met and said that it was a heritage which all can

share. "You have another heritage which all can share and that is, the Grace of

God," He said. He advised them to learn well at college, and also learn the art

of being at peace with themselves and others, through Naamasmarana and Bhajan.

When Baba sang Bhajans, about a dozen sleek cows of the Mantap were seen

listening with a glint in the eye and a tingle in the ear. There was an

enceinte (pregnant) cow in the group; the calf hurried out into the world in

its eagerness to listen to the voice of Brindavan. At Rane Bennur, Baba laid

the foundation stone of the Arts and Science College and proceeded to the

Cotton Market, where 25.000 devoted persons were awaiting Darshan. "Let your

words be charged with Truth; let your deeds be charged with Sincerity - Sathyam

Vada; Dharmam Chara - Talk in Truth, walk in Righteousness; that is the way to

reach the goal and find it," Baba advised. The vast gathering got and hour of

bliss, through word and song, that day.

Baba motored from Rane Bennur through lines of devotees that thronged the roads

to Harihar (where He alighted from the car and gave Darshan for a few minutes)

and at Davangere, Chitaldrug, Sira and Tumkur to Brindavan, carrying with Him

the Love and rapturous devotion of the millions His Grace had captivated.

Dr. Adke writes, "I had the good fortune of being with Baba and witnessing the

grateful joy of people everywhere and the happiness of Baba at their sincerity

and simplicity. I was able to go as far as Whitefield, near Bangalore, where

Brindavan is, and take leave of Baba from there. When I left, Baba said, 'Do

not think you are going back alone! I am with you! Let us both go together!'

That is the measure of His Love, His Omnipresence, His Omnipotence, His

Divinity!"

The adoration offered to Baba and the attention with which huge gatherings at

every place, whether it be a hamlet or village, a city of colleges or of

factories, a historic spot or a place of pilgrimage, treasured His words of

hope and promise, are eye-openers to those who plan for the future. They reveal

that people are eminently responsive to the call of the spirit towards the

higher life, that the fascination for short cuts and artificial props to

happiness cannot withstand the charm of the Divine Directive of Baba.

 

 

Baba began this tour on Deepavali, the Day when India celebrates the Festival of

Lights. Sri Aurobindo writes in 'the Synthesis of Yoga', "The Guru should awaken

the Divine Light and set working the Divine Force." Baba awakened the Divine

light; in every heart, He lit the lamps, He, the Divine, aroused the Divine

Force.

 

 

To be continued [6]

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