SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM [62]

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Dear Sai brothers and sisters of the worldwide ‘’ family,

We have completed the postings of Sai Satcharita, Khaparde Diary of Shirdi

events during the time of Shirdi Sai, Sathyam Sivam Sundaram [all 4 parts] as a

Sadhana in spreading the Divine Avatar’s life story for the benefit of all our

members and prospective aspirants and co-pilgrims to the Divine Lord Sai’s

Lotus Feet. Hope you all enjoyed them and these helped all of us in reaffirming

our faith and surrender at our Divine parent Sai’s Feet. Hereunder we give the

summing up of the Divine story of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

With Sai Love, Sai brother

M. Palaniswamy – ‘’

Om Sri Sai Ram

SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM

The Life Stories of the Two Avatars of the Age – [62]

Ganesha Mantra: AUM Gung Ganapathaye Namah

Ganesh Gayatri

Tat purushaaya vidmahe

Vakratundaaya dheemahi

Tanno dhanti prachodayaat

THE ADVENT OF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA

The Lord fulfilled His word given to the then Arjuna some 5230 years ago when He

descended again as Sathyanarayana Raju to be known later as Bhagawan Sri Sathya

Sai Baba. Probably He waited for all these years for the yearning of His

devotees over the ages and prayers of the virtuous to reach a crescendo as the

'amsavatars' (partial incarnation) that came in between did only partial

fulfillment of the vow of Dharmasthapana (establishment of Dharma or

Righteousness) during their sojourn on limited roles. The task by any standard

was so enormous that the advent of a Poornavatar (complete fulsome and perfect

incarnation) with all the accompanying powers became imminent.

He came to walk on the earth this time not with a bow and arrows, nor a flute

and a discus; not as a powerful prince of prowess and statesmanship nor a

kingmaker, but much much more than that since the battles to be fought and won

are on the intellectual plane. Physical prowess and conventional warfare have

to take a back seat this time. Their place is taken by penetrating powerful

words of wisdom and disarming Pure Love, the splendor and majesty remaining the

same as a rule. The assurance given more than five thousand years ago at the

beginning of the Kali Yuga thus became fulfillment on the 23rd of November 1926

when the present Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born at Puttaparthi, an

insignificant underdeveloped remote village in the Anantapur District of Andhra

Pradesh.

It will look strange, yet interesting to note that the early part of the

Yugavathars, be it Sri Rama, Sri Krishna or Sri Sathya Sai, was bristled with

the onslaught of opposing evil forces either as ogres, demons and brutes or as

powerful asuric (demonic) forces in the guise of kings and kinsmen, or in their

modern version of exorcists, critics and carpers. If the earlier ones were met,

subdued and killed with arrows and the discus, the present ones are mellowed

and subdued by Wisdom and Love. Love is the greatest weapon of the present

Avatar before which any powerful enemy kneels in utter submission.

Like His previous avatars, this time also He chose His father and mother for His

earthly career. The choice fell on Pedda Venkappa Raju of the Rathnaakara family

and Mother Eswaramma, whose lives were sanctified and glorified for posterity to

remember. Motherhood received a greater measure of respect and honour, which was

probably its due. What He could not (or did not?) do for Mother Kausalya in the

Treta (the Age when Sri Rama Avatar incarnated), He fulfilled in the Dwapara

(the Age when Sri Krishna Avatar incarnated), and what still remained, in Kali

Yuga (present age). If Mother Kausalya had to suffer pain and agony at the

separation of Rama while He was in exile, it was amply compensated when Mother

Devaki and Vasudeva were emancipated from the clutches of his uncle, the

devilish Kamsa. He also gave joy and Grace to

Mother Yasoda by making her His foster mother. So the fortune of one was divided

for the two as both - chosen by Him only - deserved that grace. Yet, He was not

satisfied in rewarding them. Perhaps He chose two more this time - mother

Eswaramma as His Devaki and mother Subbamma as His Yasoda. How fortunate these

mothers are! Their names are in gold in human history.

I AM SAI BABA...

The baffling experiences and the mind-boggling miracles that followed and the

unlimited glory that brought even the toughest and the greatest to the fore to

kneel before Him and seek His blessings convinced even His adamant elder

brother Sheshama Raju, the Telugu Pundit of Kamalapuram School, with whom He

lived for a few years as the elder brother wished to educate Him to become a

Government servant.

As a child He was not only precocious, but demonstrated exemplary divine

qualities of compassion, forbearance, generosity and wisdom which distinguished

Him from all children of His age in the village. The Divine child was recognized

only by the centenarian grandfather Kondama Raju, who discovered, much to his

joy and wonder, that the Lord had only fulfilled his prayers as foretold by the

celebrated Venkavadhoota (a realised soul - an anchorite of wisdom) of his

family whom the former revered like a guardian angel. The boy Sathyanarayana

Raju was miraculous even as a child. He would take out peppermints and sweets

from nowhere for his classmates who looked at Him with awe, wonder and

adoration. They conferred on Him the title 'Guru' as His

wisdom was sufficient to command respect from even His teachers. Then came the

annunciation on 20th of October 1940, at the age of 14, that He, as the

reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, had to respond to the call of His devotees

for whom He had come and was, therefore, no more the 'Sathya' of His family

members. This startling revelation marked the beginning of His avataric

mission. Crossing over to the garden of Shri Anjaneyulu, next door neighbor of

His elder brother, He sat on a stone block to teach those who had collected

around Him and to the whole universe the first prayer:

As a child He was not only precocious, but demonstrated exemplary divine

qualities of compassion, forbearance, generosity and wisdom which distinguished

Him from all children of His age in the village. The Divine child was recognized

only by the centenarian grandfather Kondama Raju, who discovered much to his joy

and wonder, that the Lord had only fulfilled his prayers as foretold by the

celebrated Venkavadhoota (a realised soul - an anchorite of wisdom) of his

family whom the former revered like a guardian angel. The boy Sathyanarayana

Raju was miraculous even as a child. He would take out peppermints and sweets

from nowhere for his classmates who looked at Him with awe, wonder and

adoration. They conferred on Him the title 'Guru' as His wisdom was sufficient

to command respect from even His teachers. Then came the

annunciation on 20th of October 1940, at the age of 14, that He, as the

reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, had to respond to the call of His devotees

for whom He had come and was, therefore, no more the 'Sathya' of His family

members. This startling revelation marked the beginning of His avataric

mission. Crossing over to the garden of Shri Anjaneyulu, next door neighbour of

His elder brother, He sat on a stone block to teach those who had

collected around Him and to the whole universe the first prayer:

“Manasa bhajare GurucharanamDustara bhava sagara tharanam”

Meditate in thy mind on the feet of the Guru; that can take you across the

turbulent sea of Samsara). Young Baba was given a rousing welcome at

Puttaparthi. He took residence at the house of Subbamma, His mother Yasoda, who

looked after Him and His ever-growing number of devotees. His mission was

further amplified in a letter He wrote to His brother Sheshama Raju on 25th May

1947 in answer to the fear and anxiety the former had expressed out of fraternal

love. He said: "I have a task to foster all mankind and ensure for all of them

lives full of bliss. 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 seek".

Subsequent years witnessed His multifaceted personality in action on all fronts

of human activity, mainly, spiritual, educational and service. The avatar made

it clear that the objectives of His avataric mission would consist mainly of

Vedaposhana (fostering of the Vedas - the repository of wisdom) and

Bhaktasamrakshana (protecting and fostering of His devotees). The former

broadly included the propagation of Vedic philosophy and Indian Culture and

preservation and dissemination of ancient wisdom enshrined in the scriptures.

The latter, namely, Bhaktasamrakshana, covered a wide variety of subjects

offering succor whenever and wherever they were physically or mentally in

distress, medical treatment through special institutions like Super specialty

hospitals, establishment of educational institutions for the overall

development of the human personality, providing pure drinking water through huge

water projects, housing and monetary help to the poor and destitutes, Narayana

Seva (feeding of the poor) and clothes distribution through students under

village Seva activities, overall development by adopting villages all over the

country through Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations and umpteen number of

activities aiming at the welfare of human society, all free and with no

discrimination.

When God undertakes any activity directly its expansion is unlimited and the

beneficiaries innumerable. The Primary School He had started to fulfill the

desire of Mother Eswaramma has grown into a full-fledged university. The small

hospital opened to meet the medical exigencies of the village has now become a

gigantic world-class hospital. The water project is supplying pure drinking

water to lakhs of people.

“Paritraanaya Sadhunaam

Vinasaya cha Dushkrutham

Dharma Samsthaapanarthaya

Sambhvami Yuge Yuge.”

(For the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of the evil-doers and

for establishing righteousness on a firm footing, I incarnate from age to age)

And fulfilling this assurance and responding to prayerful hearts, all through

the passage of time, He has come as Yugavathar Sri Sathya Sai, to protect the

righteous, to destroy the wicked (qualities) and thus to establish

righteousness and lead the mankind to the promised Golden Age. He is with us,

talking, moving and thus preparing us to embark on the ultimate journey - the

direct flight to Divinity, the journey within.

Maharshi Aurobindo breaks his prolonged silence to announce….

Perhaps Maharshi Sri Aurobindo was the first to experience the effulgence of the

Avatar, for he broke his prolonged silence on 24th November 1926 to announce to

his followers about the Advent, just within twenty four hours of the event. He

declared

"A power infallible shall lead the thought in earthly hearts, kindle the

immortal's fire, even the multitude shall hear the voice…"

The day was of special significance to grandfather Kondama Raju since it

fulfilled the prophecy of his most revered and celebrated ancestor

Venkavadhoota of the Rathnaakara family. It was long ago that this great soul

had confided in him that the Lord of the universe was sure to answer his ardent

prayers that He should take birth in his family. And it was fulfilled on 23rd

November 1926 at 5.06 a.m., to be written in gold in the history of humans.

PROPHECIES ON THE COMING OF SAI

FROM THE BIBLE

"I saw heaven standing open there before me was a white horse, whose rider is

called Faithful and Truth. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are

like a blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on

him that no one knows about Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,

and his name is the world of God". (Rev.19:11)

FROM NOSTRADAMUS PREDICTIONS

"The triplicity of waters (3 sided seas - India) will give birth to a Man who

will choose Thursday as His Holy day. His voice, reign and power will rise

across Land and Sea, amidst storms in the East"

SHIRDI SAI ASSURES HIS SECOND COMING

Shirdi Sai Baba before His 'departure' had given the assurance to some of the

devotees gathered around Him that He would return after eight years in Andhra

Desh.

…AND THE AVATAR IS BORN

God willed to manifest and so the time and the day and the year and all was

auspicious. It was Monday in the holy month of Karthik (Karthik Somavaara) in

the year Akshaya with the star Aarudhra in ascendance. Music instruments

themselves announced the holy event much to the delight of Grandfather Kondama

Raju and to the wonderment of father Pedda Venkama Raju and mother Eswaramma.

The holy event was further made enigmatic and awesome by the presence of a

cobra underneath the bedspread as if it was the child's bedstead. The twang of

the tanpura and the appearance of the cobra from nowhere sent the bewildered

Pedda Venkama Raju to an astrologer who consoled the Raju family with the

assurance of an unusually auspicious birth.

The village of Puttaparthi, which the avatar had chosen to take birth, is

nestled in a valley surrounded at least on three sides by hillocks. The open

side edged on paddy fields extending to the banks of river Chitravathi. The

river was in spate during the rains and became a trickle in summer. The

riverbed was rich in sand and the avatar had His boyhood 'Leelas' over

there in the thick of his classmates. Puttaparthi was almost an isolated village

sparsely populated. Arnold Schulman, playwright and scriptwriter from Hollywood,

who wrote a book on Baba, described the village as five minutes away from Stone

Age.

THE LEGEND OF PUTTAPARTHI

Years later Swami asked some of His devotees, "Do you know how the village got

the name of Puttaparthi?" And He narrated: "Its original name was Gollapalli.

Many decades ago, lots of cowherds lived here. They eked out a living by

tending to the cows. One particular cow which was quite strong and sturdy never

would yield even a drop of milk. The cowherd was vexed, not knowing the reason

for it. To make sure that the calf was not drinking up all the milk, he tied it

far away from the cow. But it was of no avail. One night, he slept in the

cowshed. Seeing the cow going out of the cowshed in the early morning hours, he

followed it. It went and stopped near a snake pit. A snake came out and, raising

itself on its tail and holding the cow's teat in its mouth began drinking the

milk. The cowherd was stunned, and, in burning

anger, flung a big stone at it. Its head was severed from the body and, foaming

at the mouth it fell down dying….It cursed 'May your cowherd clan be

destroyed'. From that day the cowherd clan began to perish and the tribal began

to flourish. Snake pits also proliferated everywhere from that moment onwards.

The name Gollapalli was replaced by the name 'Puttapalli'. It was also known as

'Valmikapuram'. In course of time the tribal also perished and Brahmin families

began to flourish. But because they failed to worship the deities properly,

their clan also perished, and then the Kshatriya clan, the Rathnaakara family

in particular, took root here. 'Puttapalli' in due course of time became

'Puttaparthi'. Adjacent to the old Mandir was Venugopala Swami

Temple. Even to this day there is no idol or statue for a deity there. The stone

flung at the serpent was installed here in place of a deity. People offer daily

worship to that stone. If sandalwood paste is applied on that stone, one can

easily see the outline of little Krishna trampling on the hood of Kalinga, the

snake king."

KONDAMA RAJU OPTS FOR THE ULTIMATE

Grandfather Kondama Raju who died at the very ripe age of 116 in 1950 had two

sons, Pedda Venkama Raju and Chinna Venkama Raju; both named after the sage

Venkavadhoota. His deceased brother's two sons, Subba Raju and Venkitarama

Raju, also lived with him. It is said that when the family partition took place

much later, Kondama Raju gave it all to be divided among the four, himself

opting for eight year old Sathya (Swami) with whom he wanted to spend his last

days. Because, he was fully aware that his grandson was none other than God.

Acknowledging his devotion Swami Himself said recently "He was an ardent

devotee of Swami. He used to come to me early in the morning at 5'o Clock.

Seeing him coming from a distance I used to cover myself with a blanket

pretending to be asleep. He would come slowly, lift the blanket, touch my

feet and return. He used to come early in the morning because he did not want

anyone to notice him touching my feet. He was little apprehensive about what

the villagers would think if they noticed a 116 year old grandfather touching

the feet of his grandson".

Swami refers to His grandfather with great respect and love calling him a

'jnani'. It was his great spiritual wisdom that enabled him to understand the

Divinity of his grandson and to name his daughter-in-law as Eswaramma after

marriage, her original name being Namagiri amma. He was a strict vegetarian and

very pious. Until old age incapacitated him he entertained the people of

Puttaparthi and nearby villages by living the role of Lakshmana on the stage as

he loved most the devotion and Saranagathi (surrender) of that great character.

It was his piety that prompted him to construct a temple for Satyabhama, the

consort of Lord Krishna, whom he had seen in distress in a dream requesting for

shelter from the raging weather. See how his devotion and dedication earned for

him a rich dividend from the Lord: Swami Himself

narrates:

KONDAMA RAJU'S FINAL 'DESIRE'

"On a particular evening, I went to Puttaparthi to see him. At that time he was

sitting on a cot, deeply immersed in singing a ballad, which described Rama

lamenting over the fainting of Lakshmana in the battlefield. He was very fond

of that episode from the Ramayana. Rama lamented, 'In this world I might find

another mother like Kausalya, a wife like Sita, but definitely not a brother

like Lakshmana.' This is what he was singing when I entered his room. I said,

'O grandfather what are you doing? He exclaimed 'O Swami, You have come' and

fell at My feet. He said, 'Swami, I am fully aware that you are not an ordinary

child but Easwara Himself. You are born in our clan to redeem all of us. But, I

pray that you fulfill a small desire of mine. Dasaratha did not have the good

fortune of drinking water from Rama's divine hands

at the time of his death. But Jatayu was fortunate enough to be the recipient of

such an act of grace in his last moments. Swami let me also have the good

fortune of sipping water from your divine hands when my end approaches'. I

promised that I would certainly fulfill his desire …..” And He did it.

…AND THE STAGE WAS SET FOR THE DIVINE ADVENT

Mother Eswaramma was the daughter of one Subba Raju of Kolimigundla in Kurnool

District, a distant relative of Kondama Raju. On a visit to this village along

with his son, Kondama Raju persuaded Subba Raju to shift to Karnatagapalli

village on the other bank of Chitravathi River for better security as

Kolimigundala was infested with robbers and dacoits. More importantly,

this renewal of relationship resulted in the marriage of Pedda Venkama Raju and

Eswaramma. The three children born to them were named Seshama Raju (son) and

Venkamma and Parvathamma (daughters). Mother Eswaramma longed for yet another

son. She intensified her prayers and vows for a few years that rolled by and,

it appears now, the Lord of the Universe, the compassionate one decided to

descend as her darling son, Sathyanarayana. The name was aptly chosen, for the

mother had not only just completed the Sathyanarayana Pooja, but also had

partaken of the 'prasad' of Sathyanarayana Pooja from her mother-in-law

Lakshamma from the priest's house where she had gone to perform the holy

ritual.

AVATAR CHOOSES HIS PARENTS

Many years later once Swami was sitting in the midst of a group of devotees. One

among them, Pandit Rama Sarma, a great scholar well-versed in Sasthras and

Puranas felt the urge of getting a doubt clarified. Taking advantage of the

jovial mood in which Swami was, he asked a question “Swami was your incarnation

a Pravesa (an entrance) or Prasava (Encience)?" Mother Eswaramma was sitting in

front. Swami asked the mother to tell Rama Sarma what had happened at the well,

after her mother-in-law had alerted her about some unusual event. Eswaramma

said: "She (mother-in-law) had dreamt of Sathyanarayana Deva and she cautioned

me that I should not be frightened if something happens to me through the will

of God. That morning when I was drawing water, a big ball of blue light came

rolling towards me and I fainted and fell. I felt,

it glided into me." Turning to Rama Sarma with a smile swami said: "There you

have the answer. I was not begotten. It was Pravesa not Prasava." In answer to

a query from the editor of a newspaper in Bombay in 1970 Swami revealed that he

had chosen His father and mother as He had done in the previous avatars of Rama

and Krishna.

Avatars have always been beyond the comprehension of ordinary beings unless and

until they vouchsafed a glimpse of their divine nature. The divinity of Rama

was known only to a very limited few. All others saw him at best only as a

charming noble prince of great powers and statesmanship. In fact he had to

instill courage and confidence in his ally Sugriva by piercing a row of Sal

trees with one powerful arrow in one shot. Krishna would not have been relied

upon by Arjuna, had he not been given the vision of the Virataswaroopa of Lord

Vishnu. Human mind, by virtue of its fickleness, is bound to droop unless proof

after proof is offered to remind them of the stature and capabilities of

divinity.

In Kali Yuga the situation is more complicated. Sugrivas and Arjunas are

countless. And the approach is also quite different. Here every word or deed

has to appeal to the intellect and meet questions arising from reasoning. Still

doubting Thomases are many. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in the course of His

corrective teachings often gives a glimpse of His supernatural nature, which

allays most of the doubts of His devotees. Yet they crave for more and more of

such experiences to cement their faith.

AN OPEN LETTER TO 'TO ALL DEVOTED TO HIM'

It is difficult to unravel the mystery of an Avatar. It is better to experience

as Baba Himself advises us. Baba's elder brother Seshama Raju failed to grasp

the mystery of this phenomenon. So, when he observed that at a very young age

of twenty the cosmic magnet started attracting peoples from all corners to bask

in His glory, he was prompted by fraternal love to write and warn his younger

brother not to be carried away by the glitter of the world as there were

dangerous pitfalls. Baba promptly replied this letter on 25th May 1947 not only

for the sake of His brother but for the whole

humanity as it was addressed 'To all who are devoted to Me' revealing who He was

and why He has come-

“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, as a right. I expect that

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 will not give up My mission, nor My

determination. I know I will carry them out……."

"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……. No one can comprehend My Glory, whoever he is, and

whatever method of his enquiry, however long his attempt."

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

patience and forbearance…."

Manifestation of His divinity was available to His devotees even at the age of

six when he pulled out sweets and sugar candy from a bag for His classmates.

But except that they were baffled at this, they could not decipher its real

implication nor did He tell them the 'why' and 'how' of it but for saying that

they were 'from the village goddess' which sealed their doubts. Because, as He

had told Kasturiji who sought His permission to publish the first volume of His

Life in 1958-59 that 'the world must be ready to receive it', it was too early

for Him to reveal His identity. The avatar moves in a calculated predetermined

manner. But those who have eyes will not fail to observe and understand His

Glory, for every act or word is meaningful.

It was at the seashore of Masulipatam that He once walked into the sea to give

His devotees the coveted Darshan of Seshasayee, the Lord on the Serpent Sesha,

when He was still in His teens. And when He returned to their side His clothes

were not wet! It made them wonder who He was. It was, one may say, to prepare

the world to accept what He had to say with authority.

Addressing a mammoth gathering of more than a lakh on the second day of the

inauguration of Dharmakshetra in Bombay in May 1968 Baba said:

"……I must tell you about My Reality because ninety nine out of every hundred

among you do not know ……. In truth, you cannot understand the nature of My

Reality, either today or even after thousands of years of steady austerity or

ardent inquiry, even if all mankind were to join in that effort …… Since I move

with you, eat like you and talk to you, you are deluded in to the belief that

this is but a human phenomenon. Be warned against this mistake …… any moment My

Divinity may be revealed to you ………This Human Form is one in which every Divine

entity, every Divine Principle, that is to say all Names and Forms ascribed by

man to God are manifest……. Let Me also draw your attention to another fact. In

the past, on the occasions when God incarnated on earth, the bliss of

recognising Him in the Incarnation was vouchsafed only

after the physical embodiment had left the world, despite plenteous evidence of His Grace……."

The editor of Blitz Shri R.K. Karanjia, who was engaged in the manufacture of

barbs and bristles to launch a seething attack on the Avatar for quite some

time, turned His admirer and believer after a long interview. When enquired

whether He was presently 'raising the level of consciousness of mankind to a

godlike condition to enable them to command their own destiny', Baba said:

COMPASSIONATE YOUNG SATHYA

Sathya was the darling not only of the Raju family but also of the village. It

was a joy for all to watch his radiant face and curly locks of hair. It is said

that even at the age of four He had concern for human sufferings. He never

allowed beggars to be turned away. Nor did he like killing of fowls for food.

Other family members except Kondama Raju being non-vegetarians he ate only at

the neighboring house of Karanam Subbamma, a pious Brahmin lady who was His

mother Yasoda.

HIS EARLIER SCHOOL DAYS

Sathya had his schooling initially at Puttaparthi Primary School and then at

Bukkapatnam Middle School and the Kamalapuram and Uravakonda

High Schools where his elder brother Seshama Raju was a Telugu teacher. He

earned the name of 'brahmajnani' at the age of six in his school. The teachers

and students got a glimpse of His divinity when, at the age of 8, his teacher

who punished Sathya for not taking down notes, by asking him to stand upon the

bench for the rest of the period, had to remain glued to the chair till the

time he was asked to get down at the behest of another teacher whose period it

was. At the age of 12 he accompanied his brother to Kamalapuram and later to

Uravakonda. At these places Sathya was known for his mysterious power of

tracing lost properties and identifying the culprits. At the High School he

attended the first year and a few weeks of the second year. He was

extremely popular in the school among students and teachers alike who often

enjoyed the fresh sweetmeats and sugar-candy pulled out from his bag saying

that they were from the village deity. Mystery thus grew around the young

Sathya. His close relatives looked at it with awe and suspicion.

SIGNS OF DIVINITY

On the 8th of March 1940 Sathya suddenly became unconscious as if stung by a

scorpion for which the place was known. In fact he had left his body to save

some devotee in distress as was His wont in later years. His reserved nature

and behavior as if possessed made his people conclude that he was under the

influence of some evil spirit. What followed was a series of harassment to his

tender body from doctors, quacks and sorcerers who had vowed to release him

from the clutches of the evil spirit. Sathya suffered all this silently which

in their eyes was confirmation of their conjecture.

None realised that the divine being had no body consciousness. Explaining the

situation much later Swami Himself said "I wanted to make known that I am

Divine stuff impervious to human suffering, pain or joy".

HE DECLARES: "I AM SAI BABA"

On the 23rd of May 1940 Sathya was in a very happy mood much to the relief and

satisfaction of his close relatives. He created flowers and sugar candy and

gave as prasad to all assembled. He also gave them a ball each of sweet rice

cooked in milk. But the father, when told of this welcome development, only

became wild with anger and he lifted a stick to draw an answer to his question,

who he really was? Pat came the reply "I am Sai Baba… I came in answer to the

prayers of Venkavadhoota". Venkavadhoota was the patron saint of the family who

died years ago. Their reverence to this great

man forced them into silence. But one among the melting crowd asked for proof.

Sathya asked for jasmine flowers which when he threw on the ground formed into

Telugu letters "Sai Baba". Sathya became so popular that there was thick crowd

on Thursdays for the Pooja and worship of the little master who created

Vibhutti and other articles for his devotees.

OMNIPRESENCE AT VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE

But Seshama Raju was bent upon drawing Sathya back to his High School studies.

So in order to change Sathya's mind he thought of taking him to Hospet and to

Hampi, places of interest, in response to an invitation from friends. Hampi was

the capital of the famous Vijayanagara empire, now in ruins but housing the

temple of Viruupaaksha, the tutelary deity of the emperors of Vijayanagara. But

inside the temple it was Sathya who received aarti from the priest in place of

Viruupaaksha once again affirming that he was none other than the Lord Himself.

To those who rushed out to confirm this Sathya was seen leaning on the wall

outside the temple, his eyes fixed on the horizon. Seshama Raju had no option

but to accept this though he tried to cling on to his ill-based conviction.

THE AVATARIC MISSION BEGINS…

ON THE 20TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 1940, the day after they all returned from Hampi by

special bus, Sathyanarayana started for school as usual. The excise Inspector

of the place, Sri Anjaneyulu who was very much attached to the little Baba,

accompanied Him, as far as the school gate and went home, rather reluctantly.

He seemed to see a superb halo, round the face of Baba that day and he could

not take his eyes away from the enchantment. Sathya returned from school

quickly. And, standing on the doorstep outside the house of his brother Seshama

Raju, Sathya firmly declared after casting the books aside "I am no longer

Sathya, I am Sai" and to the sister-in-law who was in surprise and anguish he

said "I am going, I don't belong to you…. My

devotees are calling me… I can't stay any longer….. I have My work." The

pleadings, first from the sister-in-law and next from the brother had no effect

as Sathya moved into the garden of the Excise Inspector Anjaneyulu and sat on a

rock. Neighbour Narayana Shastri who rushed to the spot saw a halo around the

face of Sathya as he pronounced the historic declaration. So did Anjaneyulu see

earlier as he escorted him upto the gate for the school. People rushed from all

sides to offer flowers and fruits and to prostrate before the Lord. It made

news everywhere. Bhajans rose in full-throated ease. People rejoiced as they

got what they longed for. And the young Baba taught them, nay, the whole

universe, the first prayer that day:

"Manasa bhajare GurucharanamDustara bhava sagara tharanam"

(Meditate in thy mind on the feet of the Guru; that can take you across the

turbulent sea of Samsara).

DIFFERENT PHASES OF HIS MISSION

Baba was given a fitting welcome at Puttaparthi. He first visited Karanam

Subbamma's house then the family house. He however took residence at the house

of Subbamma, His Yasoda, and she not only looked after every need of Baba but

also His ever swelling number of devotees. Consequently everyday Bhajans which

started to be accommodated in a room extended to a shed and finally a bigger

hall. The spacious house of the Karnam became insufficient. Baba would feed

everyone and His express blessings averted shortage of food at any time. But in

order to accommodate all the devotees a much bigger shed or open space was

required. So the Bhajans were conducted on Chitravathi sands almost regularly

in the evening. Kasturiji has recorded: "Baba Himself has said many times that

in His life, the first sixteen years shall be marked mainly

by Leelas, next sixteen by Mahimas or miracles and the subsequent years by

upadesam". He has assured of course, that Leela, Mahima and upadesam will be

main notes but the other two will not be absent during every stage.

Have you ever seen the Lord emerging in all His glory to confer the boon of

coveted Darshan on the orderly crowd of His devotees in the morning? As He

moves in measured steps to glide into the enclosure of a congregation of

mothers first and men next, showering benediction from an effulgent face, one

cannot but gather an impression that heaven and earth have decided to meet now

and here only. And, as He looks at His dear ones whose existence is His Will, a

divine smile comes running to sit and play on His beautiful roseate lips. And

all the beauty in the world rushes to His lips to convey the message of love

saying, “I love you my child, however you are”.

As He gently collects the envelopes into which His children have poured their

woes for redressal, the Lord smiles His grace on them with a word or two

touching their hearts and soothing their minds, assuring them hope for a better

life thence. The turn He takes to the next section of His devotees is a turn in

the lives of the one He just left behind, for they remain meditating and musing

on the grace that was theirs a while ago. As an elderly devotee once put it,

“seeing Him moving is real meditation”. Indeed! When the effulgence that has

created, enlivened and sustained the universe over millions of years out of

sheer love assumed a perceptible form, it is certainly to be meditated on.

THE WALKING LOVE

When Love walks on two legs, that Loving Beauty is a joy for ever. One feels

pained when one thinks that His 78 year old human frame is put to great strain

for the sake of His loving devotees. But when one reverts to the fact that the

moving figure is but the concretization of the Divine Effulgence that permeates

and envelops the whole universe, his heart ticks in joy to respond to that great

compassion. After all, for whose sake has He come? For whose sake is He walking?

For whose sake is He straining His human frame? It is all for us, His children

in whose hearts He has already taken seat as unsullied love – pure

unadulterated Love. All that He wants from us is the preservation of that Love

in its pristine purity and pour out the same in abundance wherever it seemed to

have dried up. It is like lighting a thousand lamps

with one lighted candle. This walking Love knows no barriers. It has neither

friend nor foe. It flows and flows to meet its kind unhindered and undisturbed.

THE TALKING LOVE

The throng of devotees sitting in the Darshan line is unwilling to settle for

anything less than a nectarous word or two that gently drop from those Divine

lips to soothe their aching hearts. And the Lord obliges wherever He finds

deservedness. His looks and smiles are also equally expressive. Still a word

from Him not only resounds in the external ears, but finds its way much deeper,

say, into the very heart. So He enquires: ‘When did you come?’ ‘Your family has

come?’ and so on. So the visitor, the seeker, gets satisfied. Joy wells up in

his eyes and trickles down his cheeks as tears of happiness, while his heart is

filled to the brim with gratitude, not to speak of his mind that goes in trance

of a communion. That is the alchemy of the Voice Divine. It merges with the

very life-breath and begins to vibrate as

‘so-ham’.

But there is a silent talk – of looks and gestures. It is equally rewarding if

not more. As we all know the mind keeps talking to us. And, in the Divine

Presence, it is perhaps cautious enough to speak only sense, but always

desiring for something – this time useful and helpful. It may be for love, for

mending a broken heart, or for a lost affection and so on, all positive. So,

such desires find expression in silent talk – heart to heart, mind to mind or

rather mind to over-mind. That is why the Lord says that ‘I like to listen to

the silent talk of My devotees and the Names by which they identify Me.

FONT-SIZE: 10pt">’ So, outwardly no physical talk – a situation that borders on

‘neglect’. But a seasoned devotee is often happy with the internal, unseen

communion with the Master making all communication easy. And so Bhagawan seldom

goes to such ones for courtesy chat. Of course, this is by no means a yardstick.

For, He cautions us, ‘Love My uncertainty’. Let us listen to a writer in this

context. “Bhagawan Baba selects words to talk to anyone. They are apt,

meaningful, short and expressive. He seems to advise that words are not to be

squandered; they are not to be wasted. Every sound, every syllable is the form

of the primordial ‘OM’. It is Sabda Brahman. So ideas should be conveyed using

the minimum words. This is yet another instruction to devotees in general and

Sai

workers in particular. Because, raised voice that can cause noise in the

atmosphere will mar the flow of love that words are intended to carry. A hushed

tone makes the person talked to also attentive. And when He speaks to anyone,

love drips from His words. They at once console, assure and soothe. Soft and

pleasing words are undoubtedly carriers of peace and love. They are bound to

cool and soothe the listener.

Yet another salient feature of His soft talk is prominent when He converses with

devotees at personal interview. The conversation is audible only to the

concerned and Himself even when others are very much within the hearing

distance. He does not want others to hear what the one in distress is pouring

out from his aching heart to the Lord for redressal.

THE SPEAKING LOVE

One of the media of communication to His devotees chosen by the Lord is His

divine discourses. The devotees, always packed to capacity of the Sai Kulwant

Hall which can generously accommodate 30-40 thousand people, are drawn from all

walks of life from all over the globe. During celebrations another half of that

number will squeeze into the space around including the passages. And in the

depth of that remarkable silence, that ringing melodious golden voice of the

Avatar of the Age begins to send waves of hope and assurance to one and all in

and around and, now, all over the world through Radio Sai Global Harmony. While

the eyes of those sitting around feast on the captivating figure of the Lord,

the ears the world over enjoy the soothing words of assurance and wisdom. Time

available or not, convenience or inconvenience,

the thirstful supplication of His loving devotees never fails to draw this

shower of benediction at any special congregation.

The Divine Discourses cover a wide variety of subjects including Indian culture,

philosophy, religion, morals, ethics, science, the great Indian epics like the

Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Bhagavatham, Vedas, Upanishads, Sasthras,

Puranas, Human Values, and so on. It is a sacred stream of wisdom

understandable as also applicable to every layman and scholar alike. No

celebrations, festivals or special functions will be deemed complete if it is

not adorned by this crowning item. This shower of nectar sweetens every subject

discussed because of its natural qualities of unique presentation and universal

appeal.

THE PAIN OF LOVE

It is perhaps Love at its best if one happens to observe the concern and the

maternal pain on the face of the Divine when His darling daughters go back to

Anantapur after a short stay which means all tears for them or when His darling

sons go back to Brindavan after a very short holiday. A devotee inside the

ashram once described how the Divine Mother was seen looking through the window

at the slowly moving buses carrying His ‘only property’. The Cosmic Being who is

the cause and effect of everything in this universe is perhaps endorsing the

parental love that finds expression on such occasions in daily life. It is

common place knowledge that it is all joy for the Mother to receive the

children when they come for vacation and it is all pain when they part (for

their own good). But the Divine Mother whose love is more than

that of a thousand mothers must be bearing that pain a thousand fold for each of

Her children. The only difference is that here She contains, but there she

bursts. What a sacred bond! The journey-bound children whose moistened eyes

invariably remain riveted to the Mandir to catch a glimpse of the Mother Divine

make any onlooker glued to the ground wondering at the inseparable bond. It is

no less with His devotees. Recalling a conventional custom of escorting the

visiting married daughters back to their husbands’ houses Bhagawan once said

that, He did accompany them unseen to the gates of their respective homes. It

is true when He says “I am with you, in you, behind you, around you”. He

envelops us in love.

But should such an unsullied love go unrewarded? Or, at least unresponded? If

the mother of the physical frame cannot stand even an iota of indifference,

neglect or disobedience what will be the quantum of pain we inflict on the

Divine Mother whose pure, unadulterated selfless love is a thousand fold? This

is the pain of real love. For, even parents’ love for their children is with an

eye on recompense at least in the old age. Though such a bond of love falls

under filial duty it has a tinge of selfishness and self-interest. But here is

one whose love has not even a trace of selfishness. It is God’s love.

If and when we remain wayward even after exhortation after exhortation do we

have the right to call Him Mother Sai? Leave alone the stout claim for Her

love. Still she loves. That amounts to giving a loving smile, gulping the pain

of the injury we inflict by our slackness to follow His advice.

It stirs up the audience when they see the loving parent sitting proudly to

listen to the citation of extraordinary academic achievements of His children

who are His ‘only property’ or an extraordinary feat of one of them in the

annual sports that had thrilled thousands watching with baited breath. What a

beautiful smile of satisfaction and fulfillment it brings on the Divine face!

It would have abashed the physical parents who gave them their body, leaving

the rest in His hands. To such a Father and Mother (two in one) can anyone,

much less so a student who has his fill of Sai’s Grace shows a shade of

disobedience? No. The students are on their toes to please Him as they are well

aware of His bounty in dolling out the rarest commodity in the world today –

Pure Love.

“I have come not to disturb or destroy any faith. But to confirm, each one in

his own faith, so that a Christian be a better Christian; a Muslim be a better

Muslim; a Hindu be a better Hindu”

In truth, you cannot understand the nature of My Reality either today or even

after a thousand years of steady austerity or ardent inquiry even if all

mankind joins in that effort. But in a short time, you will become cognizant of

the bliss showered by the Divine Principle, which has taken upon itself this

sacred body and this sacred name. Your good fortune, which will provide you

this chance, is greater than what was available for anchorites, monks, sages,

saints and even personalities embodying facets of Divine Glory!

Since I move about with you, eat like you, and talk with you, you are deluded

into the belief that this is but an instance of common humanity. Be warned

against this mistake. I am also deluding you by My singing with you, talking

with you, and engaging Myself in activities with you. But any moment, My

Divinity may be revealed to you; you have to be ready, prepared for the moment.

Since Divinity is enveloped by humanness you must endeavor to overcome the Maya

(delusion) that hides it from your eyes.

This is a human form in which every Divine entity, every Divine Principle, that

is to say, all the Names and Forms ascribed by man to God, are manifest! Do not

allow doubt to distract you; if you only install, in the altar of your heart,

steady faith in My Divinity, you can win a Vision of My Reality. Instead, if

you swing like the pendulum of a clock, one moment devotion, another moment,

disbelief, you can never succeed in comprehending the Truth and win that Bliss.

You are very fortunate that you have a chance to experience the bliss of the

vision of the sarvadhaivathwa swaruupam (the embodiment of all forms of

Divinity) now, in this life itself.

Let Me draw your attention to another fact. On previous occasions when God

incarnated on earth, the bliss of recognising Him in the incarnation was

vouchsafed only after the physical embodiment had left the world, in spite of

plenty of patent evidences of His Grace. And the loyalty and devotion they

commanded from men arose through fear and awe, at their superhuman powers and

skills, or at their imperial and penal authority. But ponder a moment on this

Sathya Sai Manifestation; in this age of rampant materialism, aggressive

disbelief and irreverence, what is it that brings to It the adoration of

millions from all over the world? You will be convinced that the basic reason

for this is the fact that this is the Supra-worldly Divinity in Human form.

Again, how fortunate you are that you can witness all the countries of the world

paying homage to Bharath; you can hear adoration to Sathya Sai's Name

reverberating throughout the world, even while this body is existing-not at

some future date, but when it is with you, before you. And again, you can

witness very soon the restoration of Sanathana Dharma to its genuine and

natural status, the Dharma laid down in the Vedas for the good of all the

peoples of the world. The revival of Vedic Dharma is Sai Sankalpa (Sai's Will),

not just drawing people towards Me, attracting them by the manifestation of My

powers and potential. This is not a phenomenon of illusion. This phenomenon is

the one that will uphold truth, uproot untruth, and in that victory make all of

you exult in ecstasy. This is

the Sai Sankalpam (Sai's Will).

As a humorist Sai is matchless. His subtle humour, which is often earthly in

texture, deludes us to believe that He is of the earth and is with us on the

same plane. It will not, all the same, hurt or offend anyone. He is at home

with the boys of His College with whom He cracks jokes to often convey a lesson

in spirituality, morals or ethics. Swami's humour is only a medium to convey a

great lesson, a correction to weed out a flaw, and a gentle push on the path of

spiritual progress.

GLIMPSE OF HIS OMNIPOTENCE

"One day Swami on His way to the Hostel plucked a Tulsi leaf and placed it in

the palm of a student and said: 'Keep it safe. Don't show it to anybody'. He

just obeyed. But the warden insisted to see it. When the boy opened the

handkerchief in which it was tied he found a gold coin. So he said 'Keep it

safe, don't show it to anybody'. But his friends pestered and he had to yield.

When they opened the handkerchief it was only a Tulsi leaf. The boy was greatly

disappointed. Seeing his disappointment Swami called him and asked for the leaf.

He blew at it and lo! The gold coin appeared and Swami blessed him to keep the

same with him as His gift. Nothing is beyond His Power. His Sankalpa is enough.

It can change earth into sky and sky into earth. This incident, though humorous,

was but a glimpse of His omnipotence. The students

get such revelations often which cement their faith in their protector and patron."

Source: http://www.sssbpt.org/Home.asp

CONTINUED…

With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of the beloved Divine Lord and Mother Sai

And with Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

/