SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM [13]

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Om Sri Sai Ram

SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM

The Life Stories of the Two Avatars of the Age – [13]

SHRI SAI SATCHARITA

The Life of the Divine Avatar Sai Baba of Shirdi

By Hemadpant

CHAPTER XIII

More Sai Leelas - Diseases Cured - (1) Bhimaji Patil - (2) Bala Shimpi - (3)

Bapusaheb Booty – (4) Alandi Swami - (5) Kaka Mahajani - (6) Dastopant of Harda

THE INSCRUTABLE POWER OF MAYA

Baba's words were always short, pithy, deep, full of meaning, efficient and well

balanced. He was ever content and never cared for anything. He said, "Though I

have become a Fakir, have no house or wife, and though leaving off all cares, I

have stayed at one place, the inevitable Maya teases Me often. Though I forgot

Myself I cannot forget Her. She always envelops Me. This Maya (illusive power)

of the Lord (Shri Hari) teases God Brahma and others; then what to speak of a

poor Fakir like Me? Those who take refuge in the Lord will be freed from Her

clutches with his grace".

In such terms Baba spoke about the power of Maya. Lord Shri Krishna has said to

Uddhava in the Bhagwat that the Saints are His living forms; and see what Baba

had said for the welfare of His devotees: "Those who are fortunate and whose

demerits have vanished; take to My worship. If you always say 'Sai, Sai' I

shall take you over the seven seas; believe in these words, and you will be

certainly benefited. I do not need any paraphernalia of worship - either

eight-fold or sixteen-fold. I rest there where there is full devotion". Now

read what Sai, the friends of those, who surrendered themselves to Him, did for

their welfare.

BHIMAJI PATIL

One Bhimaji Patil of Narayanagaon, Taluk Junnar, Dist. Poona, suffered in the

year 1909 AD from a severe and chronic chest-disease, which ultimately

developed into Tuberculosis. He tried all sorts of pathos (remedies), but to no

effect. Losing all hopes, he ultimately prayed to God - "Oh Lord Narayana, help

me now". It is a well-known fact that, when our circumstances are well off, we

do not remember God, but when calamities and adversities overtake us; we are

reminded of Him, So Bhimaji now turned to God. It occurred to him that he

should consult Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar, a great devotee of Baba, in this

respect. So he wrote to him a letter, giving all details of his malady, and

asking for his opinion. In reply, Mr. Nanasaheb wrote to him that there was

only one remedy left, and that was to have recourse to Baba's Feet. Relying on

Mr.

Nanasaheb's advice, he made preparations for going to Shirdi. He was brought to

Shirdi and taken to the Masjid, and placed before Baba. Mr. Nanasaheb and Shama

(Madhavarao Deshpande) were then present. Baba pointed out that the disease was

due to the previous evil karma, and was not at first disposed to interfere. But

the patient cried out in despair that he was helpless, and sought refuge in Him,

as He was his last hope, and prayed for mercy. Then Baba's heart melted an He

said, "Stay, cast off your anxiety, your sufferings have come to an end.

However, oppressed and troubled one may be as soon as he steps into the Masjid,

he is on the pathway to happiness. The Fakir here is very kind and He will cure

the disease, and protect all with love and kindness." The patient vomited blood

every five minutes, but there was no vomiting in the presence of Baba. From the

time, Baba uttered the words of hope and mercy; the malady took a favorable

turn. Baba asked him to stay in Bhimabai's house,

which was not a convenient and healthy place, but Baba's order had to be obeyed.

While he was staying there, Baba cured him by two dreams. In the first dream, he

saw himself as a boy suffering the severe pain of a flogging, which he received

for not reciting his 'Swami-poetry' lesson before his class-master. In the

second dream, some one caused him intense pain, and torture, by rolling a stone

up and down over his chest. With the pain thus suffered in dream, his cure was

complete, and he went home. He then often came to Shirdi, gratefully

remembering what Baba did for him, and prostrated before Him. Baba also did not

expect anything from devotees, but grateful remembrance, unchanging faith and

devotion. People in the Maharashtra, always celebrate Sathya Narayana Puja in

their homes every fortnight or month. But it was this Bhimaji Patil, who

started a new Sai Satya-vrata Puja, instead of Satyanarayana vrata Puja, in his

house, when he returned to his village.

BALA GANAPATI SHIMPI

Another devotee of Baba by name Bala Ganapat Shimpi suffered much from a

malignant type of Malaria. He tried all sorts of medicines and decoctions, but

in vain. The fever did not abate a jot and so he ran to Shirdi and fell on

Baba's Feet. Baba gave him a strange recipe, in this case as follows: - "Give a

black dog some morsels of rice mixed with curds in front of the Laxmi temple".

Bala Shimpi did not know, how to execute this recipe; but no sooner he went

home, then he found rice and curds. After mixing them together, he brought the

mixture near the Laxmi temple, when he found a black dog waving its tail. He

placed the curds and rice before the dog. The dog ate it and, strange to say,

Bala got rid of his Malaria.

BAPUSAHEB BOOTY

Shriman Bapusaheb Booty suffered, once from dysentery and vomiting. His cupboard

was full of patent drugs and medicines, but none of them had any effect.

Bapusaheb got very weak, on account of purging and vomiting and, therefore, was

not able to go to the Masjid for Baba's Darshan. Baba then sent for him and made

him sit before Him and said "Now take care, you should not purge any more" and

waving His index finger "The vomiting must also stop". Now look at the force of

Baba's words. Both the maladies took to their heels (disappeared) and Booty felt

well. On another occasion he had an attack of Cholera, and suffered from severe

thirst. Dr. Pillai tried all sorts of remedies but could give him no relief.

Then he went to Baba and consulted Him as what to drink that would allay his

thirst and cure the disease. Baba prescribed an infusion of

almonds, walnuts, pistachio (a kind of dry fruit), and boiled in sugared milk.

Any other doctor or physician would consider this, as a fatal aggravation of

the disease, but in implicit obedience to Baba's order, the infusion was

administered and strange to say, the disease was cured.

ALANDI SWAMI

A Swami from Alandi, wishing to take Baba's Darshan, came to Shirdi. He suffered

form a severe pain in his ear, which prevented him from getting the sleep. He

was operated for this, but it served no purpose. The pain was severe and he did

not know what to do. While he was returning, he came to take Baba's leave, when

Shama (Madhavarao Deshpande) requested Baba to do something for the pain in the

Swami's ear. Baba comforted him saying, "Allah Acha Karega (God will do good)."

The Swami then returned to Poona, and after a week sent a letter to Shirdi,

stating that the pain in his ear had subsided though the swelling was there,

and in order to get the swelling removed, he went to Bombay for operation, but

the surgeon on examining the ear said that no operation was then necessary.

Such was the wonderful effect of Baba's words.

KAKA MAHAJANI

Another devotee named Kaka Mahajani suffered once from diarrhea. In order that

there should be no break in his services to Baba, Kaka kept a tambya (pot) with

water in some corner of the Masjid and whenever there was a call, he would go

out. As Sai Baba knew everything, Kaka did not inform Him of his disease,

thinking that Baba would of His own cure it soon. The work of constructing the

pavement in front of the Masjid was permitted by Baba, but when the actual work

was begun, Baba got wild and shouted out loudly. Everybody ran away, and as Kaka

was also doing the same, Baba caught hold of him and made him sit there. In the

confusion that followed, somebody left a small bag of groundnuts. Baba took a

handful of groundnuts, rubbed them in His hands, blew away the skins, and gave

the clean nuts to Kaka and made him eat them. Scolding and

cleaning the nuts, and making Kaka eat them, went on simultaneously. Baba

Himself ate some of them. Then, when the bag was finished, Baba asked him to

fetch water, as He felt thirsty. Kaka brought a pitcher full of water. Then

Baba drank some water and made Kaka also drink it. Baba then said, "Now your

diarrhea has stopped, and you may attend to the work of the pavement." In the

meanwhile other persons, who had run away, returned and started the work; and

Kaka, whose motions had stopped, also joined them. Are groundnut medicines for

diarrhea? According to current medical opinion, groundnuts would aggravate the

disease, and not cure it. The true medicine, in this as in other cases, was

Baba's word.

DATTOPANT OF HARDA

A gentleman from Harda by name Dattopant suffered form stomachache for fourteen

yeas. None of the remedies gave him any relief. Then hearing of Baba's fame

that He cures diseases by sight he ran to Shirdi, and fell at Baba's Feet. Baba

looked at him kindly and gave him blessings. When Baba placed His hand on his

head, and when he got Baba's Udi with blessing, he felt relieved and there was

no further trouble about the malady.

Towards the end of his Chapter three cases are cited in footnotes:

1. Madhavarao Deshpande suffered from Piles. Baba gave him decoction of

Sonamukhi (senna pods). This relieved him. Then after two years the trouble

again recurred and Madhavarao took the same decoction without consulting Baba.

The result was that the disease aggravated but later on it was cured by Baba's

grace.

2. Kaka Mahajani's elder brother, Gangadhar Pant, suffered for many years

from stomach-pain. Hearing Baba's fame he came to Shirdi and requested Baba to

cure him. Baba touched his belly and said, "God will cure". From that time

there was no stomach-pain and he was completely cured.

3. Nanasaheb Chandorkar also once suffered from intense stomach-pain; he

was restless the whole day and night. Doctors administered syringes, which

produced no effect. Then he approached Baba, who told him to eat Burfi (a kind

of sweetmeat) mixed with ghee. This recipe gave him complete relief.

All these stories go to show, that the real medicine that cured the various

diseases permanently was Baba's word, and grace, and not any medicines or

drugs.

BOW TO SHRI SAI - PEACE BE TO ALL

*****

SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM - Part II

The Life of the Divine Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

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

CONGRATULATIONS

janma karma ca me divyamevam yo vetti tattvatahtyaktvâ deham punar janmanaiti mâm eti so 'rjuna

janma -- birth;

karma -- work;

ca -- also;

me -- of Mine;

divyam -- transcendental;

evam -- like this;

yah -- anyone who;

vetti -- knows;

tattvatah -- in reality;

tyaktva -- leaving aside;

deham -- this body;

punah -- again;

janma -- birth;

na -- never;

eti -- does attain;

mam -- unto Me;

eti -- does attain;

sah -- he;

arjuna -- O Arjuna.

Meaning: Anyone who knows as such of my Divine birth(s) and activities will

never, after leaving his body, take birth again, but will attain Me, O Arjuna.

Bhagavad Gita of Order, Chapter 4, verse 9.

He is the sub-stratum, the substance; the separate and the sum, the Sath; the SATHYAM

He is the awareness, the activity, the consciousness, feeling, the willing and

the doing, the chith; the SIVAM

He is the light, the splendor, the harmony, the melody, the Ananda; the SUNDARAM

"He who understands the significance of My Divine Birth and My Divinity will

overcome the cycle of Births and Deaths, and attain Me"

-- Gita iv-9 --

Congratulations, dear reader! I am glad you have taken this book in your hand

and decided to delve into its pages. In the first volume of this book, "Sathyam

Sivam Sundaram", I communicated the story of the Advent of the Divine, as Baba,

in human form; of the early years of superhuman intelligence; of the

epoch-making announcement of the fact of Incarnation; of the marvelous works

and signs by which He gives understanding to those whose hearts beat slow; and

of the richness of His mercy, the universality of His comprehension, the might

and munificence of His compassion.

I am now seventy-six years old. He has let me live the last twenty-five years

with Him, in Him, through Him, by Him, for Him. This i is but a reflection of

the I which is He. I am full of thanks that He has preserved me and that He has

permitted and prompted me to declare again, His doings among the peoples.

I am but an amateur sherpa, trudging along the panoramic path to the highest

Himalayan Peak, thrilled to sublime silence by the glory and grandeur that grow

with every onward step, gasping to tell others, in the anaemic prattle of the

plains, the upsurge of empyrean joy. There are thousands, millions, on the

mountain tracks, drawn by the strange fascination of the Supreme Power, the

Sempiternal Wisdom and the Sovereign Love of the Gaurishankar that Baba is.

Many of them have, I know, firmer grasp, finer perception and mature wisdom.

They are more acclimatized to altitudes, and better trained to overcome the

hazards of the heights. I do hope you will soon be able to delve in the pages

of a book that emerges through such a pilgrim.

Meanwhile, come! Give me your hand; we shall go along, page after page, sharing

the wonder and the wisdom, the awe and the mystery, the truth and the

testimony, the glory and the grandeur, and the abundance of the peace.

N. Kasturi

Prashanthi NilayamDasara, 1973

RESUME - (1926 - 1961)

A ring of pink-brown hills, a broad deep valley with a river cutting through and

emptying into a tank built by an Emperor about six hundred years ago - that is

the milieu, where the village of Puttaparthy nestles. It was the seat of a

chieftain who ruled over the surrounding area in the past; later, it became

desolate and isolated, but the soil continued to be the nursery of saints and

scholars. The family of the chieftain, the Rajus, continued to lead and guide,

to teach and train the village youth. Kondamaraju was a saintly centenarian who

built a temple for Sathyabhama, the temperamental Consort of Lord Krishna; he

was proficient in the ancient texts and scriptures. He named his eldest son

after a famous recluse who adorned the family tree, Venka Avadhootha (Venka,

who had given up all attachments to earthly

things); he called him Venkappa Raju. This son married a distant relation, a

daughter who was born after the construction of a temple by her father to Siva,

(under the appellation, Iswara) and so, named Eswaraamba. They were a pious

couple, quiet and contented; the only recreation Venkappa allowed himself was

'playing' epic roles on the village stage just as his father, Kondamaraju did.

They had a son and two daughters; then, on November 23, 1926 was born another

son, Satyanarayana, who proved quite soon that he was uniquely Divine in nature

and attainments.

His playmates called him, 'Guru' (Preceptor). For he was always correcting them

and consoling them; he comforted them in distress and never seemed to get cross

or tired. He was a liberal giver, even at that age; for, he pulled out of empty

bags, delectable sweets, pencils, pieces of rubber, toys, flowers and fruits

for them. When asked how he got them, he answered, 'O, the village Goddess

gives me what I want'. That was only to slake their thirst; that was the only

answer, which would quieten their doubts. But the wonder remained!

It increased when he was put to school; there he acquired a new nickname,

"Brahmajnani". It meant "One who has acquired the wisdom that reveals the Inner

Reality". What a name for a boy of six summers! At the age of eight

Satyanarayana decided to reveal his mystery by a dramatic miracle; when he was

ordered by his teacher to 'stand upon the bench' for listlessness in the

class-room, he 'willed' that the teacher stick to the chair, until he stepped

down from the bench. It happened so and he became the talk of the region. He

was simple and sweet, in spite of all this publicity; he formed a prayer group

of boys in his village and led them from place to place, caroling the hymns he

wrote and taught!

He was an adept at dance and music, as well as the histrionic art. Nay, even

theatrical companies that toured the countryside used his talents; he had the

temerity to write songs for them and for himself and even stretches of

dialogue, when he was barely 'twelve'. He accompanied his elder brother to

Kamalapur and Uravakonda, where he served as a teacher of the Telugu language;

at school, in those places, Satyanarayana stood head and shoulders above even

the teachers, for he shone as a poet, playwright, scout, sportsman and songster

of extra-ordinary standards of excellence. He had also the mysterious power of

tracing lost property, reading others' thoughts, seeing far into the future and

deep into the past. He became the pet of the town and was much sought after, by

the distressed and the

downtrodden.

He sat through the First Year of the High School course and was but a few weeks

in the Second Year Class, when he could no longer ignore the Call of the Task,

which had brought him among men. He had already found it hard to cloak his

majesty in the petty rigmarole of home and school. When on a picnic with his

brother and others among the ruins of the ancient capital of the Vijayanagara

Empire (Hampi), he was seen by them as Iswara, where the Iswara idol was

installed in the Virupaksha Temple. On the 8th day of March 1940, he could not

but leave the body and go to the succor of a devotee in dire distress! His

brother and others as a scorpion-sting or a snakebite, or a fainting fit, or an

attack of hysteria misunderstood this. Doctors, of course, could not diagnose it

right. Quacks and sorcerers were tried; they

guessed wrong. They only tortured him and proved that the boy could suffer great

pain and remain steady and unruffled.

At last, in the village of Puttaparthy, on the twenty-third day of May, 1940,

while scattering gifts into the outstretched palms of all who came, Baba

declared that He was Sai Baba come again to save humanity from downfall. He

asked them to worship him, every Thursday, as the first installment of

spiritual discipline. Back at Uravakonda, even while attending school,

Sathyanarayana was worshipped as Sai Baba, the Saint of Shirdi come again,

according to the promise he had made at Shirdi. Manchiraju Thammiraju the

teacher, who loved Sathyanarayana more than any other member of the staff, has

written about these Thursdays - how, as Sai Baba, his pupil gave to those who

gathered for congregational prayer, sacred ash or other curative gifts of Grace

like a piece of the guru gown that Sai Baba wore at Shirdi (the

saint had entered the tomb in 1918) that He got by a mere wave of the hand!

Hundreds used to flock around Him and interrogate Him on all kinds of subjects,

but He replied calmly and correctly.

He went, on Mahashivaratri (a holy day dedicated to the Worship of Siva) to a

Siva temple outside Uravakonda with a few companions including Thammiraju's

son, Sairam, and the youths were astounded to find a stream of effulgence

flowing from Sathyanarayana towards the Idol of Siva and another flowing from

Siva to Sathyanarayana! One Thursday, He informed the wife of Kasibhatla

Ramamurthy, "I have placed a picture in your shrine; go and worship it." She

hurried thither with some neighbors and opening the locked doors and the closed

window shutters, jammed tight to prevent the entry of monkeys, she found a

picture of Sai Baba of Shirdi, inside the shrine of her home! He introduced or

created such pictures inside many a home during those years - pictures which

gave the people their first acquaintance of the Shirdi

Saint! Thammiraju's experiences are amazing; Sathyanarayana came into his house

one evening and on the wall of his modest home, He called up, as in a movie,

the sacred Forms of the Ten Incarnations of the Lord, besides life-like

portraits of many sages and saints mentioned in the sacred scriptures. His wife

was so moved by this uplifting experience that she wrote a poem on it in Telugu;

it was published in the 'Sai Sudha' magazine of Madras. Another day,

Sathyanarayana gave him a picture of Shirdi Baba in an astoundingly new way - a

bumblebee entered his room through an open window, with something rolled held

fast by its legs. It dropped it and flew off; the paper was unrolled; it was a

picture of the Shirdi Lord! A few days later, a monkey perching on the window,

outside his room, threw a small bundle of cloth into it; when the bundle was

opened Thammiraju writes, it was found to contain a ball of sweets! and a

letter! from Sathyanarayana who was away at Puttaparthy! And what did

the letter say? "The other day, I sent you with the bumble-bee My! picture;

today, I am sending herewith Prasadam for you." Others too had amazing

experiences of the Divine powers of the teenage Baba; but he was biding the

moment for Full Manifestation and Final Declaration.

October 20, 1940; that was the Day He chose. That day, returning sooner than

usual from school, He threw his books outside the door of his brother's house,

and, when his sister-in-law came out to discover what the cause of the noise

was, she was astonished to hear Him say, "I do not belong to you. I am leaving;

I have work ahead." Then he stepped down and took the road. "Those devoted to Me

are calling Me. The task for which I came is yet unfinished: I am starting now,"

He said, and walked vigorously off. He was accosted by the learned Pundit,

Narayana Shastri, the neighbor, who ran up and tried to stop him; he was half

afraid of the boy, for, he had called him out one day when he was expounding a

difficult Sanskrit text and corrected his interpretation. This time, when he

expostulated with the boy, he saw a

halo around His head and was rendered mute. The brother too failed to make Him

retrace His steps; Sathyanarayana told him, "The illusion has gone; I am no

more yours; I am Sai Baba, remember."

Baba proceeded to a garden around the house of the Inspector of Excise, for it

was extensive and open; He sat under a tree with the whole town around Him.

Immediately, He inaugurated the Bhajan that was to progress so quickly and

dramatically in every nook and corner of this vast land, revolutionizing the

habits and attitudes, the nature and character of hundreds of thousands. The

very first song, which He taught the astonished mass of humanity, was an

invitation to surrender to the Feet of the Guru who had so mercifully appeared.

It also contained a lesson that Baba has always emphasized since then that

Bhajan or reverential adoration must be a mental upsurge, not an oral exercise.

It ran thus:

"Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam, Dustara Bhava Sagara TaranamGuru Maharaj Guru Jai

JaiSai Natha Sad Guru Jai JaiOm Namah Shivaya Om Nama ShivayaOm Namah Shivaya

Shivaya Namah OmArunachala Shiva Arunachala ShivaArunachala Shiva Aruna Shiva

OmOmkaram Bhava Omkaram BhavaOmkaram Bhava Om Namo Baba"

The “parents” brought Sai Baba returned to Puttaparthy or rather there; they

prayed to Him not to leave the village. Now, every day became a Thursday and

large groups of people gathered to have His Darshan and Blessings. Baba spent

most of the time at the village in the house of the Brahmin Karnam (hereditary

village accountant) of the village where the aged Subbamma served the pilgrims

with care and love. He granted many people their wishes, which ranged from a

vision of Dwarakamayi (ruined mosque where Sai Baba spent His days) at Shirdi

to the cure of an ulcer or an ache. He sat on most evenings among the devotees,

on the sands of the Chitravathi River and created from the sand images,

pictures, idols, sweets and fruits. He climbed the hills around and vouchsafed

to the groups below, visions of the splendor

and effulgence associated with Siva, Narayana, Kumaraswamy and other Forms of

God. He plucked from the branches of the tamarind tree growing on the hill

apples, mangoes, figs, bananas and grapes and distributed them to the devotees.

He showed them Himself as Krishna or as any one of the Ten Incarnations of

Vishnu, or as Siva.

He also gave guidance to many, who were struggling along the hard path of

spiritual Sadhana. For example, there came to Puttaparthy a lame monk, whose

attainments were two popular vows: he would not speak out, he would only write

what he had to say; he refused to wear clothes. Baba saw through this

exhibitionist asceticism; he requested him either to retire into the forest for

Sadhana (He assured him that he would ensure him food and shelter even there)

and save his devotees the ignominy and the burden; or, to resume talk and

clothes, which are not handicaps to spiritual effort. This incident happened

when Baba was scarce sixteen. People felt that this was the task for which He

had come; correcting and guiding erring men.

One devotee had run deeply into debt and so he decided to escape into Burma or

Malaya. He went to Madras Harbor to purchase a ticket for the journey, his

pocket was picked; penniless he returned to his hotel; there was a letter from

Baba on the table, advising him, commanding him, in fact, to return and brave

it out. He did, and is today, quite happy, with the wife and child whom he had

then decided to desert! How did Baba know his address at Madras?

Hearing that Sai Baba had come again, many who had been to Shirdi and many who

had lost all hope of contacting the Saint hastened to Puttaparthy; they took

Him to Hyderabad, Bangalore, Madras, Karur, Trichinopoly and Udumalpet. Rajas,

and Zamindars, ryots and clerks, doctors and lawyers thronged the house of

Subbamma and later, the tiny little Mandir that she and others built for Baba.

Baba was now twenty years of age; His elder brother, Seshamaraju, the teacher of

Telugu, could not quite grasp the mystery of this phenomenon. He watched with

increasing consternation and genuine fraternal love the procession of cars that

came to the right bank of the river and took his 'simple village-grown brother'

away into the cities that glittered beyond the horizon, full of temptations and

pitfalls. A few press comments that rose from ignorance pained him. So, he wrote

a letter to his brother warning him and imparting to him the lesson he had

learnt in life about society and human foibles, about fame and its attendants.

The reply that Sai Baba wrote to him on the 25th May 1947 is in my possession.

It is a Document that reveals Baba in unmistakable terms. So I must allow you

to have it: "To all who are devoted to me" (Though the letter was written by

the brother, the reply is addressed to all, including you and me, for it is

essential that you and I should know the real nature of the Phenomenon that has

appeared for our sake.)

"My dear One! I received the communication that you wrote and sent; I found in

it the surging floods of your devotion and affection, with the undercurrents of

doubts and anxiety. Let Me tell you that it is impossible to plumb the hearts

and discover the natures of Jnanis, Yogis, ascetics, saints, sages and the

like. People are endowed with a variety of characteristics and mental

attitudes; so, each one judges according to his own angle, talks and argues in

the light of his own nature. But, we have to stick to our own right path, our

own wisdom, our own resolution without getting affected by popular appraisal.

As the proverb says, it is only the fruit laden tree that receives the shower

of stones from passers-by. The good always provoke the bad into calumny; the

bad always provoke the good into derision. This is

the nature or this world. One must be surprised if such things do not happen.

The people too have to be pitied, rather than condemned. They do not know. They

have no patience to judge aright. They are too full of lust, anger and conceit

to see clearly and know fully. So, they write all manner of things. If they

only know, they would not talk or write like that. We, too, should not attach

any value to such comments and take them to heart, as you seem to do. Truth

will certainly triumph some day. Untruth can never win. Untruth might appear to

overpower Truth, but its victory will fade away and Truth will establish itself.

 

It is not the way of the great to swell when people offer worship, and shrink

when people scoff. As a matter of fact, no sacred text lays down rules to

regulate the lives of the great, prescribing the habits and attitudes that they

must adopt. They themselves know the path they must tread; their wisdom

regulates and makes their acts holy. Self-reliance, beneficial activity - these

two are their special marks. They may also be engaged in the promotion of the

welfare of devotees and in allotting them the fruits of their actions. Why

should you be affected by tangle and worry, so long as I am adhering to these

two? After all, the praise and blame of the populace do not touch the Atma, the

reality; they can touch only the outer physical frame.

I have a 'Task': To foster all mankind and ensure for all of them lives full of

Ananda. I have a 'Vow': To lead all who stray away from the straight path,

again into goodness and save them. I am attached to a 'Work' that I love: To

remove the sufferings of the poor and grant them what they lack. I have a

'reason to be proud', for, I rescue all who worship and adore Me, aright. I

have My definition of the 'Devotion' I expect: Those devoted to Me have to

treat joy and grief, gain and loss, with equal fortitude. This means that I

will never give up those who attach themselves to Me. When I am thus engaged in

My beneficial task, how can My Name be ever tarnished, as you apprehend? I would

advise you not to heed such absurd talk. Mahatmas do not acquire greatness

through some one calling them so; they do not become

small, when some one calls them small. Only those low ones who revel in opium

and ganja but claim to be unexcelled Yogis, only those who quote scriptural

texts to justify their gourmandry and pride, only those who are dry-as-dust

scholars exulting in their casuistry and argumentative skill, will be moved by

praise or blame.

You must have read life-stories of saints and Divine personages; in those books,

you must have read of even worse falsehoods and more heinous imputations cast

against them. This is the lot of Mahatmas, everywhere, at all times. Why then

do you take these things so much to heart? Have you not heard of dogs that howl

at the stars? How long can they go on? Authenticity will soon win.

I will not give up My Mission, nor My determination. I know I will carry them

out; I treat the honor and dishonor, the fame and blame that may be the

consequence with equal equanimity. Internally, I am unconcerned. I act but in

the outer world; I talk and move about, for the sake of the outer world and for

announcing My coming to the people; else, I have no concern even with these.

I do not belong to any place; I am not attached to any name. I have no ' mine'

or 'thine'. I answer whatever the name you use. I go, wherever I am taken. This

is My very First Vow. I have not disclosed this to any one so far. For me the

world is something afar, apart. I act and move only for the sake of mankind. No

one can comprehend My Glory, whoever he is, whatever his method of enquiry,

however long his attempt.

You can yourself see the full Glory in the coming years. Devotees must have

patience and forbearance.

I am not concerned nor am I anxious that these facts should be made known; I

have no need to write these words; I wrote them, because, I felt you will be

pained, if I do not reply. Thus, your Baba."

What a letter this! It is an epic epistle; a parting of the curtain, to give us

a quick glimpse of the God in this human frame!

liss.

No wonder hundreds flocked to the village of Puttaparthy to have the Darshan of

Sai Baba and to derive the benefits that the Grace of God can bestow on the

meek, the lowly and the distressed. The Mandir built in the village to

supersede the tiny room next to Subbamma's house had also to be changed; the

festivals of Navarathri and Shivarathri attracted tens of thousands, especially

the latter, since symbols of the Siva that He is, formed themselves in Him and

emerged at the sacred hour which the scriptures declare as auspicious and

significant. Devotees took delight-arranging processions through the streets of

the village, every day, during the Navarathri or Festival of Nine Nights.

So, a site was chosen outside the village and a spacious Prayer

Hall-cum-Residence was constructed. Baba named it 'Prashanthi Nilayam', the

Abode of the Highest Peace, for, He, the source, the sustainer and the

sustenance of that Peace, had that as His visible abode. From this Nilayam, the

Message that every man's heart must be transmuted into a Prashanthi Nilayam is

radiating in all directions and the discipline necessary for this alchemy is

being taught, with sympathy and understanding, to all mankind.

Baba refers to Himself as 'Sai Baba' and to the Sai Baba of Shirdi as 'My

previous Body'. He speaks of His having come down, like Rama and Krishna, for

the restoration of Truth and Morality, Peace and Love among mankind, for

instilling faith in God among men who deny Him through pride and ignorance, and

for saving the good from the talons of the bad. He had announced that till the

age of sixteen He will be mostly engaged in sportive pursuits, and that from

then on until the age of thirty two, He will be drawing people to Him by means

of Mahimas or miracles; for, as He has so often said, without these 'visiting

cards', no one can gauge even a fraction of His Glory. "I shall give you what

you want, so that you may want what I have come to give", is what Baba has

said, at Shirdi, while in His previous body. These

miracles range from revealing to those who go to Him their past and future, to

shaping their future as He wills it to be; by a wave of His hand, He changes

empty air into sacred ash, sweets, images, idols, flowers, fruits, books,

bowls, rosaries, crucifixes, drugs, dolls - in short, all things that man is

accustomed to, as well as many that he has not known.

"If I had come amongst you as Narayana with four arms holding the Conch, the

Wheel, the Mace and the Lotus, you would have kept Me in a museum and charged a

fee for those who seek Darshan; if I had come as a mere man, you would not have

respected My teaching and followed it for your own good. So, I have to be in

this human form with supra-human wisdom and powers," Baba has said. Baba is

every moment the spiritual guide, which is His prime role, though He had said

that He would begin His Upadesh or Teaching only when He reached His

thirty-second year. He was too full of kindness to wait until then, to remove

the ignorance of men, ignorance, that is leading them on to war and ruin.

Since 1947, Baba has emerged as the Great Teacher of the People. That year, He

presided over the All India Divine Life Conference, at Venkatagiri and all

those who heard Him, monk or scholar or litterateur, ryot or industrialist,

young or old, man or woman, were moved by a strange exhilaration into the new

world of the spirit. Thereafter, Swami Sadananda, the author of a commentary on

Patanjali's Yoga Sutra and of other valuable books as well as Swami

Satchidananda followed Him for months and persuaded Him to visit Rishikesh and

Kashmir, Delhi Matura and Brindavan. They had the good fortune to witness some

astounding miracles and hear many satisfying interpretations of religious

doctrine and spiritual discipline, which they spread enthusiastically among

those who contacted them. Baba made them His instruments

for announcing His advent.

In fact, every person who came to Him either for getting some physical illness

cured or getting over some secular handicap or to be helped over a spiritual

stile which he could not negotiate, became a loud herald of the tidings that a

Divine Phenomenon has appeared in human Form inviting all with sweetness and

love, to receive from Him joy and peace, security and liberation.

In February 1958, on the sacred occasion of Shivarathri Baba inaugurated a

monthly magazine to convey His Teachings into every home, a magazine which He

named, "Sanathana Sarathi" (the Timeless Ever-present Charioteer) ever intent

on taking us to the goal of Peace, Everlasting Prashanthi. This magazine is

published in English and many languages other than the Telugu original; it has

brought Baba into thousands of homes and hearts. It has also been the vehicle

for a series of books from the Divine Pen, as well as for the inimitably wise

and simple discourses that Baba gave in the cities and villages He deigned to

visit, at the request of devotees.

The revival of Dharma (the regulated life of the spirit affecting every detail

of the process of living, with liberation from the consequences of ignorance

always in view) is the avowed purpose of all Incarnations of the Divine. Baba

too, has come for the same task. The revival of scriptural studies, of

classical mores, of prayer, of temple-ritual, of simple living and high

thinking, of piety and virtue - these are all items in the Programme of uplift

that Baba has burdened Himself with.

His visits to the ancient temples of Ayodhya, Varanasi and Badrinath were for

"charging the batteries that had gone weak", as He said. These are but stray

examples of His overwhelming Love for Mankind. His ministration of the sick,

the insane, the desperate and the downtrodden and His "extra-corporeal

journeys" to save men from calamity or to bless them at the moment of departure

from the physical cage, proclaim His Mission of Bhaktharakshana (Guarding the

Good). His Touch, His Word, the very sight of Him has opened a new chapter in

the lives of many a sinner, miser, and atheist, idler, agnostic and ascetic.

The revised edition of the First part of this Book published in 1961 gives the

Divine Life of Sri Sathya Sai Baba until the epoch-making visit to Badrinath. I

am thankful for this chance to continue the purifying

record in this Second Part of the same Book, for which the only fit title is

"Sathyam Sivam Sundaram" for, His Nature and His Reality are Truth, Light and

Beauty, Sath, Chith and Ananda, Existence, Awareness and B

SWAMI TALKS TO YOU

The tongue is the armor of the heart; it guards one's life. Loud talk, longs

talks, wild talks, and talk full of anger and hate: all these affect the health

of man. They breed anger and hate in others; they wound; they excite; they

enrage; they, estrange. Why is silence said to be golden? The silent man has no

enemies, although he may not have friends.

Birth is the consequence of Kama (desire; lust); Death is the consequence of

Kaala (Time, the lapse of Time). The God of Desire (Kama) was reduced to ashes

by Shiva; The God of Time is Kaala or Yama. He was subdued by sin. So, one has

to surrender to Siva (God) if one has to escape the consequences of these two

frightfully fatal forces. If between Kama and Kaala, you take refuge in Rama,

then you can escape the rigor. For Rama is the Atma who has no Kama and is

unaffected by Kaala.

While taking food, you should not discuss dreadful incidents. No room should be

given to subjects, which excite the mind. Silence should prevail during eating.

Even sound waves enter into us and affect our minds. Hence people should avoid

seeing television while taking food.

The earth is a great enterprise, a busy factory, where the product is Love. The

earth is a great enterprise, a busy factory, where the product is Love. By

means of spiritual discipline it is possible to produce Love and export it to

millions and millions of people in need of it. The more it is shared the deeper

it becomes, the sweeter the taste and the vaster the joy. By means of Love one

can approach God and stay in His presence. For God is Love and when one lives

in Love he is living in God. If you deny God angrily, you are drying up the

springs of Love in your heart. If you claim that God is nowhere, you are

installing darkness in your heart and making it ready for dark schemes and

misdeeds.

Love which moves, flow from one heart to another, from one place to another,

from one person to another, ultimately reaches the destination which is called

the Grace of God; such love is pure. When you love Me, you love all; for, you

begin to feel and know and experience that I am in all.

Love for all should spontaneously flow from your heart and sweeten all your

words. The best spiritual discipline that can help man is Love. Foster the tiny

seed of Love that clings to me and mine let it sprout into Love for the group

around you and grow into Love for all mankind and spread out its branches over

animals, birds and those that creep and crawl and let the Love enfold all

things and beings in all the world. Proceed from less Love to more Love, narrow

Love to expanded Love.

Expand into Universal Love, unshaken equanimity and ever-active virtue. That is

the Path, which will bring out the Divinity in you to the fullest. Love grows

with every gift of Love; the heart that pours out Love is ever full. God is

there, as Love and you are only drawing on Him, when you are sharing Love with

others.

Prayer alone makes life happy, harmonious and worth living in this universe.

Prayer brings man and God together and with every sigh nearer and nearer.

Prayer is the yearning one experiences to awaken the Divinity latent in the

heart. Prayer is not pronouncing of words. Prayer reveals the real secret of

life; prayer will succeed when thoughts are pure.

CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

/