Once the village of Puttaparthi was affected by infectious diseases like cholera and plague. Several people died due to these diseases. Then, I warned the children of the village that these diseases would spread through drinking polluted water and eating impure food. I, therefore, advised them to take proper care in this regard. I advised them to drink clean and pure water.

I told them, “Do not eat too much. Avoid unclean food. Eat only clean food in small quantities. Not only that, keep your mouth always fresh and clean. Several diseases affect you due to unclean mouth. It is not good to eat anything and everything when you feel hungry. Eat only wholesome food. God’s grace is important both for good health and happiness in life. Hence, always pray to God.” Happiness can be attained only through constant contemplation on God, nothing else. It is not something that can be attained from outside. It springs forth from one’s own heart. In order to attain health and happiness, we should constantly contemplate on God and thereby sanctify our time.

Each one should enquire for whose sake he or she is living. When any one poses this question to oneself, the answer is: “I am living for myself and not for others.” He justifies his answer by saying: “I am eating to appease my own hunger. I am taking medicine to cure my illness. It cannot be cured by anyone else taking the medicine.” When two persons are sleeping in the same cot, they do not get the same dreams but have different dreams. Basing on these facts man feels that he is living for himself.

Later on, when he grows up he seeks a job on the ground that he has a family to look after and support. The same person, who once said he was living for himself, later on pleads that he is living for his family. When invited by a friend to accompany him to Bangalore for an interesting sports event, he says that he has to attend his office and cannot take leave and hence he is unable to accompany him. He thus cites his duty as a reason for his inability to enjoy the sports. But when his wife or child is sick and in a hospital he takes leave even on loss of pay and goes to attend on them. The same person, when he is hungry and just sits for taking his dinner, leaves the meal served on the table and rushes out when he hears that his son or daughter is involved in an accident. Even hunger is forgotten. The person, who was proclaiming that he was living for himself only, now starts caring for his wife and children.

When the village is in the grip of an epidemic like cholera or plague, the same person comes forward to do his best to combat the spread of the disease, because this may affect his own family too as they are part and parcel of the village. Thus man is born in society and grows in society. It is the bounden duty of everyone to feel that his own welfare is bound up with the welfare of all others in society.

When this body was seven years old, this tiny hamlet of Puttaparthi was afflicted by dreadful and infectious diseases like cholera and plague.

Fear-stricken parents would not allow their children to go out of their house. But the children, out of their love for Me, would come to Me without even telling their parents. All those children were of the age group of six to eight. One day, nearly 12 boys gathered around Me and said in an anxious tone, “Raju, we have come to know that cholera and plague have spread in our village. It seems they are dangerous and fatal. What would be our fate?”

I told them, “The body has to perish one day or the other, whatever may be the precautions you take. So, do not be afraid of death. Contemplate on God and take care that the diseases do not afflict you.” The boys asked Me as to which form of God they should contemplate on. They were all very innocent. In those days, this was a very small village with a population of 106. They had no idea as to which form of God they should worship. I told them to light a lamp, place it at a thoroughfare at 6 o’clock in the evening and do bhajans. They did not know what bhajans to sing. Then I composed a few bhajans for them. I told them, “We need not search for God outside. He Is within us. Let us go round the village chanting the name of Ranga, wearing ochre robes and anklets and playing cymbals. Let us also get rid of the evil qualities of anger and desire.”

In those days, after 5 o’clock in the evening no one dared to go beyond the Sathyabhama Temple as people considered it to be far off from the village and believed that the area beyond the temple limits was haunted. I infused confidence in them, saying there were no ghosts or spirits and advised them to drive away the diseases of cholera and plague by chanting the Name of God. We wore anklets and walked up to the riverbed of Chitravathi playing the cymbals and singing bhajans. It was the Divine Name which eradicated the diseases of cholera and plague within a short span of three days.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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Announcing the dismissal of Maya, announcing His True Truth, Sathya, The ‘little’ Divine at 14, bestowed upon the humanity the first blessing and in fact, the Ultimate Blessing… Prayer For Liberation, Manasa Bhajare… While revisiting the epochal happening on the 20th October 1940, man should ponder upon as to what does The Mantra entail? It is simpler than the simplest. The mind that serves as a mirror for the individual jeeva need to be purified with the everlasting presence of the Guru, The SadhGuru, Who Is nothing but the purest feeling of I Am…SAI…I Am… Bhagawan says, the ‘I’ represents The Brahmam, and He…Sathya Sai Is the very Source of this Brahmam…Para Brahmam…The True Truth, The Absolute!!! It is this Truth that the then 14 year old ‘Little Divine’ pronounced to you and me and to one and all, to His creation at large! The Mantra that becomes the essence of human life, that contains the Secret For Liberation!

A recap of the epochal happening on the Annunciation Day, as penned by Prof N. Kasturi.

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 that enchantment. Within a few minutes, Baba too turned back to the house. Standing on the outer doorstep, he cast aside the books He was carrying and called out, “I Am no longer your Sathya.” “I Am Sai.” The sister-in-law came from the kitchen and peeped out; she was almost blinded by the splendour of the halo, which she saw around Baba’s head! She closed her eyes and shrieked. Baba addressed her, “I Am going; I don’t belong to you: Maya has gone; My bhaktas are calling Me; I have My Work; I can’t stay any longer.” And, so saying, He turned back and left in spite of her pleadings. The brother hurried home on hearing all this; but, Baba only told him, “Give up all your efforts to ‘cure’ Me; I Am Sai; I do not consider MySelf related to you.” Neighbour Sri Narayana Sastri heard the noise; he listened and realised that it was something serious; he ran in; he saw the splendour of the ‘halo’ and fell at Baba’s Feet. He too heard the Historic Declaration, “Maya has left; I Am going; My work is waiting.”

Seshama Raju was nonplussed; he could scarce collect his wits to meet this new situation. A boy, just fourteen, talking of bhaktas, work, maya, and the philosophy of belonging! He could think of only one plan: Sathya was entrusted to him by the parents and it was therefore his task to inform them; Sathya could leave the house, only after they came to Uravakonda.

But, Sathya would not step into that building again; He moved out into the garden of Excise Inspector’s Bungalow, and sat on a rock, in the midst of the trees. People came into the garden from all directions bringing flowers and fruits; the tope resounded to the voices of hundreds, singing in chorus the lines that Sathya Sai taught them. The first prayer that He taught them that day was, as many still remember,

Maanasa bhajare GuruCharanam
Dusthara bhava saagara tharanam

“Meditate in thy mind on The Feet of The Guru; that can take you across the difficult sea of samsara.”

His classmates wept when they heard that Sathya will no longer attend school, that He was much beyond their reach, that His company was hereafter only for those upon whom He showers His Grace. Many came to the garden with incense and camphor, to worship Him. Some came to sympathise with the family, some to congratulate them. Some came to learn and some, alas, even to laugh!

Three days passed thus in that garden; three days of bhajan and namasankirthan. A photographer came with a camera; he wanted Baba to remove a crude stone that was right in front of Him but Baba did not pay heed to that prayer. He clicked nevertheless and lo! As can be seen ‘above’, the stone had become an image of Shirdi Sai Baba! But only in the photograph, not for all assembled there.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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It was an afternoon in Prasanthi Nilayam, almost seven decades ago. Prof Kasturi, Bhagawan’s biographer-cum-translator, who had ‘many pens in his pocket’, was standing on the portico of the then Sanathana Sarathi Press, absorbed in an active conversation with himself, until a ‘curious’ gentleman came by and asked him:

Are there any books on Swami available here?

Kasturi: No, we print only a monthly magazine.

The curious ‘soul’ moved on, apparently disappointed, not ‘knowing’ that he was being made an instrument in His Hand.

The said portico of the then press building could be seen from the first floor of the Mandir, that housed The Divinity in person then. Interestingly Bhagawan had ‘noticed’ the conversation, and soon sent word for Kasturi.

Ever implicitly obedient to The Master, Kasturi ‘instantly’ presented himself in The Master’s Presence.

Bhagawan: What did that person ask you?

Kasturi: He asked whether there are any books on Swami.

Bhagawan: And what did you tell him?

Kasturi: I told him there were no books.

Bhagawan: That is not the right answer; you should have told him that this Swami cannot be understood through books.

Saying so Bhagawan permitted Prof Kasturi to leave, only to ignite a burning volcano of ‘deep introspection’ inside of him.

Narrating the events after, writes Prof Kasturi.

“I came down the steps, wiser as a result of the glimpse He gave me of His inscrutability and sadder, at the prospect of no book being published on Swami, not even the one by me. Baba was looking down on me when I slowly wended my way back to the press. When I was half-way through, I looked up through the wet film. I then knew that He had read my mind, for, He waved the reassuring Palm to calm the surging sadness.”

“Consolation was conferred pretty soon. Baba was among devotees at Madras (Chennai) and Venkatagiri for a few days. At Puttaparthi we were hoping He would return by the weekend. But, His car negotiated a newly-laid macadam road and pulled up, quite surprisingly on Thursday itself. He sent for me. My heart went pit-a-pat. What was I in for? Had I done anything reprehensible? Talking ill of others or even thinking ill? My mother who realised that I was summoned into the Presence started praying that I may be pardoned for any blunder into which I had stumbled. I presented myself before Him. He smiled at my situation, eyed me from head to foot and said, “At Madras and Venkatagiri, people are asking, “Any literature on Swami?”, and you are sitting quiet here.”

Eleven years after that first meeting at Bangalore (Bengaluru) , Baba had decided that the time was ripe, the world had developed the appetite, and that the book can be served to the hungry. When the typescript was nearly ready, I struggled long to discover a title worthy of the Avatar. Baba had the letter S S S repeated on the parapet on the first floor of Prasanthi Nilayam. He referred to Himself as S S S often, in such statements as, “Unless I say S S S, how could it come through?” or “Sai Ki Sarvamoo yes yes yes” (For Sai, always, it is S S S). I decided therefore that the “Life” must have three words in its title each beginning with an S. It must also be redolent with Divine vibrations and convey the glory of God whose leela (Divine sport) the book was presuming to narrate. I roamed over Vedic, Upanishadic and Epic pastures but could not hit on any better phrase than ‘Sathyam Jnanam Anantham’ expressive of God or Brahman. S S S is Sri Sathya Sai, Sathyam has to be in the title, but, what are the other two S’s to be? Santham, Sundaram, Sivam, Santhosham, Sukham? I posed my problem before many. At last one night while waiting for a train on the platform at far-off Davangere, I decided that “Sathyam Sivam Sundaram” sounded appropriate and authentic.

Baba blessed it the instant I consulted Him at Nandanavanam, Whitefield. He went into the room behind and brought out an album of photographs. He showed me three photographs of Himself when seated on the same chair at Nandanavanam taken within a few moments of each other by Matthews, saying, “You can have these three together, side by side on the cover. See! This is a little serious Sathyam. Here you find Me with the bud of a smile, as Sivam, and this is a full smile, Sundaram. Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram is good”, He said with a pat on my shoulder.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavnatu II

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Easter Day 2011 the world received some excruciatingly devastating news.  Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba had chosen to aloof Himself from the Physical. Easter was on 24^th April that year.

This year Easter Day just passed us by on 27^th March.

Incidentally, 28^th March, was the day The Lord selected to admit Himself into the SSSIHMS. Then on, each day every devoted heart experienced tremendous soreness and awaited any bit of news, each moment of the day about their Beloved Swami – their Centre of Adoration. The fervour for Bhagawan surpassed limits. And anxious thoughts flooded each cell of the being.
What all has He taken upon Himself? What can we do to ‘ease’ things?  Are we not responsible in some way for all that was happening? How can we share in howsoever a minute manner the colossal expanse, the unimaginable magnitude, the almighty contamination the Almighty had thrust upon His most adorable Form? Bhagawan is beyond pain, yet, each heart was writhing, burning in agony. And still is.
Prayers rented the ether…prayers to Him…for Him.

On this day, on 28^th March 2011, a pacemaker was fitted into the heart of the One Who is the Heart of the Universe…Who sets the pace of every atom in creation! Is there anyone Who can fathom the leelas, the sportive play, the mystical pronunciations, the transcendental acts of Bhagawan? The human mind is fixed in limitations, confined in conditions. Conversely, God is beyond conditions, beyond logic, beyond any and every limitation. There are no laws binding upon the One Who makes the Laws…for, even as the energy structure is being altered, transformed and amended as each person and the environment evolves…classifying a dynamic process…His Will too refines, redefines and decides the Cosmic Script and the laws that harmonise and fit the script.

No one can comprehend the ways of God. They are beyond description. – Baba

Avatars do not manifest to please or convince any mortal. The descent of God in the Physical is for the resuscitation of Dharma, for reviving Shanti, for escalating pristine Prema, for establishing Ahimsa, for the protection of the meek and downtrodden, to bless the helpless, fundamentally the Divine Being appears so as to facilitate the wellbeing of each being. The welfare of all beings attracts a Divine Incarnation. Consequently, the life, breath, message and mission of the Sathya Sai Avatar, the Source of Creation, the eternal spring of Compassion is essentially Samastha Lokaah Sukhino Bhavantu.

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Moreover, the essence of Samastha Lokaah was planted in each individual soul as it birthed itself from the Cosmic Womb…the womb of Mother Sai. Quite essentially and unknowingly all are silently exuding this Mantra. It is time enough to arise, awaken and be aware of this truth, this Dharma of our existence especially during this period of Sai Lent. Then on may it blend with every heartbeat, each inhalation that destiny has bestowed upon us. Isn’t this what pleases the ever blissful Supreme Father and Mother of Creation? Isn’t this the bliss of our Precious Lord?

Come, let us dwell upon the sublime living exemplified by Sai…may Sathya Sai Bhagavatam continuously absorb our soul, may Samastha Lokaah/Jeeva Sukhino Bhavantu propel our thoughts, words and deeds. May His compassion be our everyday mission. Together let us offer allegiance to the breath of Sai.

Every dawn guide us, Oh! Beloved Master,
How may we reach out to all incessantly?
How may we live to please only Thee?
May the shimmering pink-gold Light of Thy Prema,
Embrace our heart space,
Help us to be kind to ourselves too,
Strengthen our personal sadhana,
Intensify our Aradhana,
That we may  sychronise the five senses with each human value,
In thoughts, words and deeds as they flow through,
Deepen our understanding of Samastha Lokaah/Jeeva Sukhino Bhavantu,
Whereby,
We remain ensconced in the sphere of Sathya Sai,
Enhance our link and association with You,
You are Now, You are Forever,
May we ever bask in the realm of forever with You.
Now and Forever.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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To Bhaktas!

My dear Boy. I received your letter and I noted the flow of the current of Prema and the echo of Bhakti in every word.

It is impossible to see into the hearts of Jnanis and Yogis; nor is it possible to understand their ways. So, naturally, people talk about them, just as their fancy prompts them. No amount of fault-finding indulged in by these people can affect us, so long as we act truly and well, keep our purpose steadily in view and so long as we do not lose hold of the values dictated by Jnana. Don’t you know that only those trees get stoned, which have fruit on their branches? The tree with no fruits is not noticed by passers-by.

Good and bad co-exist; they are companions for ever. That is in the very nature of the world.

And, why, let me ask, should these people be blamed? Poor fellows! What do they know? What can they know? They are caught by every gust of greed, anger, envy and hate. So, they become intolerant and have no control of mind or tongue; they indulge in loose talk and slander. Those that know will never talk like that. It is not wise to take such ignorance seriously.

Truth alone can win, believe Me. Un-truth must fail. It might appear to win for some little while, but, as soon as Truth appears on the scene, un-truth does flee.

It is not the nature of Mahatmas to exult when worshipped or droop when they are neglected or cal­umnied. No Gita has laid down rules and regulations for the behaviour of Mahatmas; but, Sathpravarthana and Sadbuddhi are the fundamental traits …Beneficial Activity and Beneficial Thoughts. Provided these are there,  whatever is done over and above this for the benefit of the Bhaktas and for their welfare according to their deserts, we can afford to be free.

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You should pay no heed to the talk you men­tion. The Mahatmas do not owe their greatness to others who recognise them as such; nor do they lose their great­ness if some one fails to recognise them. Their stature is not heightened by praise or lowered by blame.

Of course there are some “Yogis” who suffer from blame and they have every reason to fear. I shall tell you who they are.

They quaff their full, they swallow pills

Of opium, and chew the bhang—these ‘noble’ folk!

They drink, they eat their fill

Of low unwholesome food—these `famous’ men!

“Tis wrong to state ’tis false to say

That anything dies, they never die,”

They swear while (!) cutting throats and eat

The living things they like—these `teachers’ grand!

They preach the lessons of love and peace

But hate and fight, all on the sly—these `gurus’ great!

They fret and fume and speak for long

On dry as dust philosophy!

This wondrous gang of Yogis false

They surely dread a fall.

It is only such that have to be afraid. You must have read, in the lives of Mahatmas, how they were as­sailed by small men in even worse ways. It is all part of the scheme,: don’t worry. How long can the poor dogs bark at the star? How can they produce any effect on the star? All this will continue just for a little time; our integrity is the means to victory.

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I shall not slacken My Task, My Activity, My Determination. For Me, Reputation, Fame, Blame, Calumny—all are equally insignificant. I am quite unconcerned with the whole lot. I speak and act, only to help the world and for the sake of the people. But, let Me tell you, I have no name, no place, no possession. By whatever name I am called, I respond! To whichever place I am called, I go and make My appearance. I have this as My very first, My vow, My self-imposed task.

I have not spoken of this to anyone so far; I am not a part of this world; I am far far away from it. But yet, I engage Myself in the uplift of its inhabitants. My Shakti, My Power, My Mystery can never be understood, whoever studies it, howsoever intensely and well.

You can yourself witness the glory that will be manifested hereafter. Bhaktas must learn patience and await events. Then, you will yourself realize the absurdity of your fears.

I wrote this reply to you, because I felt you will be sad, unless I wrote. Otherwise, I would not have replied at all, for it is not in Me to pay heed to such things.

Thus…..Your Baba.

II Samastha Lokaha Sukhino Bhavantu II

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]]> https://new.theprasanthireporter.org/2015/04/my-task-is-this/feed/ 0 https://new.theprasanthireporter.org/2014/11/ananya-bhakti/ https://new.theprasanthireporter.org/2014/11/ananya-bhakti/#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2014 13:40:30 +0000 The Reporter http://www.theprasanthireporter.org/?p=9602 How many of us do get immersed in the melodic, enchanting music of Sai Krishna’s flute, completely intoxicated, forgetting our own selves??? Bhagawan narrates the essence of true, unparalleled devotion…Ananya Bhakthi… From Bhagawan’s Divine discourse at Abbotsbury, Chennai, on 19 Jan 1986.

A Gopika once asked Radha how she felt when she saw Krishna, how her heart responded, what transformation occurred in her and what joy she experienced. Radha replied: “The moment I hear the melodious flute of Krishna, my heart becomes still, and I forget myself when I learn that Krishna is coming. I am lost in the music of His flute and I am aware of nothing else. How can I describe to you my feelings when I am intoxicated by the magic of His melody?”

The God intoxicated devotee cannot describe his blissful experience in words. One who attempts to express it, has no real experience of it at all.

Those who regard themselves as devotees should recognise the vast difference between their narrow minded attitude and the ineffable character of true devotion. They should resolve to shed all their petty attachments and develop steadfast devotion to God as the main object of their life. For this purpose, the company of the good is essential. Good thoughts are promoted only through association with the good. This means avoiding contact with the evil minded and the unrighteous. Association with bad persons makes even a good person bad. There are classic examples of the evil consequences of association with the bad. Kaikeyi in the Ramayana and Dharmaraja in the Mahabharata are examples of persons who suffered grievously because of their association with evil minded persons Manthara in the case of Kaikeyi and the Kauravas in the case of Dharmaraja.

Everyone must strive to fill the heart with true devotion. Constant contemplation on the form of the Lord and frequent repetition of the Lord’s name are the means by which the heart is filled with the love of God. When there is this love, the devotee is filled with inexpressible ecstasy. It was out of such ecstasy that Kulasekhara Alwar, the royal saint, exclaimed: “Oh Lord! People talk of Moksha as the means of redeeming life and getting rid of birth and death. I do not ask for such redemption. I shall be content with loving you and serving you in countless lives. Allow me to love you and serve you that is the only blessing I seek from you and not Moksha.”

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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Baba was involved in a criminal case. He had to give evidence in a case which related to the theft of some valuables from a rich man’s house by a gang of thieves. The police caught the thieves and questioned them about the stolen ar­ticles. The thieves said that the valuables had been given to them by a fakir.

Searching for the fakir, they came to Baba. They asked Him: “Fakir, did you give these articles to them?” “Yes,” He said. “Wherefrom did You get them?” was the next question. Baba replied: “They have come from the same place from which all things come.” “Who gave them to You”? “I gave them to Myself.”

Baba gave such intriguing an­swers, which the police could not understand. “I Am the giver of every­thing. How can anyone get anything without my sanction?” declared Baba. Feeling that it was futile to question him further, the police prepared a report. Baba received a summons from the magistrate to give evidence in the case. Chandubhai Patel did not want Baba to go to the Magistrate and so arranged for Baba being examined on commission (in Shirdi itself). During the examination on commis­sion, Baba was asked: “What is your father’s name,” He replied: “Baba.” (Baba means “Father” and the reply meant that the father’s name was “fa­ther.”)

Q. “What is your religion?”

A. “The religion of God”.

Q. “Wherefrom did you come?”

A. “I have come from the Atma.”

Q. “What is your caste?”

A. “The caste of the Divine.”

Baba answered all the questions in this manner. Earlier He had been hailed as “Sai.” In his examination, He had given his father’s name as Baba. By the combination of these two names, he was therefore called “Sai Baba.” No one knew when and where Sai Baba was born and who gave Him that Name.

Later, many persons began to have doubts about His transcendental powers. One day, the birth anniver­sary of Dattatreya was to be celebrated (in the month of Margasirsha on Pan­chami day.) Several devotees had assembled in Shirdi. Among them was a wealthy man, a great scholar called Kaijack. He is not to be confused with Hijack!” His name was Balwant Kaijck. As he was approaching the Masjid, Baba took His stick and waved it at the devotees, asking them to get away. He even beat some of them, shouting, “Saitan! Saitan!” No one could understand why Baba was be­having like this. “I Am suffering labour ­pains. Get away, all of you!” He shouted. In those days, Baba not only used to shout at people, but also wield the stick on them on occasions. He used even to throw the stick at fleeing persons. Every one used to be afraid of him. They all fled from the place.

Some time later, He called all of them to come. “Balwant Kaijack, come!” He said. When Balwant came, Baba went inside the Masjid. Balwant went in and found that Baba was not there. He found a three-headed baby on the floor. Baba had declared that He was suffering from labour pains and there was a baby there. The three­ headed child appeared to represent Dattatreya. It was a small baby with a number of hands. Balwant recognised the child as Dattatreya and called other devotees to come inside. They went in and on seeing the child closed their eyes. At that instant Baba reappeared there. From that time onwards, people started looking upon Baba as the incarnation of Dattatreya.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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For the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of evil-doers and for establishing righteousness on a firm footing, I incarnate from age to age. Whenever asanthi or disharmony, overwhelms the world, the Lord will incarnate in human form to establish the modes of earning prasanthi or peace, and to reeducate the human community in the paths of peace. – Baba

As a prelude to creation…
Niraakar Brahman…
…Pure Consciousness…
…is all that existed…
Bliss embraced Bliss…
…then…
… the as yet Formless Supreme Being…
…did initiate ripples of spontaneous sportive activity…
…and,
…for creative cosmic play to prevail…
…That Primal Energy ‘expanded’ and ‘multiplied’ Itself…
…the hitherto Unmanifest Absolute…
…manifested into incalculable many…
Thence did commence…
…the spectacular Cosmic Opera…
… and…
…the Universe came alive…
…living, breathing, being…

Exquisite and wonderful living beings as well as a variety of splendid objects…formed a part of this singularly Fabulous Play…the elements five – Space, Air Fire, Water, Earth…that breathed life; sun, moon and stars adorned galaxies; oceans, rivers; mountains, plains; plants, trees; fish, reptiles, birds and animals…innumerable varieties of flora and fauna…so on and so forth…adorned and bedecked Earth…

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Nonetheless, human beings were awarded the highest distinction of a crown – the human race did find itself on the top rung of the ladder of creation…and the onus was on man to nourish, nurture, protect, defend, shield and support all else that shared his habitat…with loving sentiments…along the guidelines of Sathya, Dharma, Prema, Shanti and Ahimsa…Truth, Righteousness, Love, Peace and Kindred Oneness…
That was until greed filled the mind of man…obliterating and submerging his heart…and along with it…the inherent divinity that dwelt within.
Mother Earth sent out fervent appeals…those oppressed lamented in helpless woe…for the Supreme Being to shower compassion and mercy…sages and wise men sought Divine Intervention…and the appropriate balance that would accompany that Superlative Presence.

When you call out to the Lord seeking succour, solace and support for all of creation from the malaise of selfish living…you know you are following the precepts set by sages, wise men and holy souls…their cry for assuagement, remedy and alleviation was ever a preamble to the Divine Advent.

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yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in righteousness…I manifest Myself to establish Dharma…for the protection of the virtuous…destruction of evil and for the establishment of all things righteous…

I came …because the good men of the world, the saintly, the wise, the sage, and the seeker, the guides and the Godly longed for Me.- Baba

And so it is,
When callous wayward acts of humans,
Immerse the world,
In heinous crime, ruthless scheming exploitations…
… and conniving falsehood,
The Perfect Being from being…
…the Formless Absolute…
Assumes a Blazing Form to protect the ethical, the humble…
…the devout, the resolute…
…many noble ones facing disrepute…
…so also…to defend, elevate and uphold Truth…

Rama, Krishna…Jesus…Buddha…so too, many a Prophet heard the piteous cries and manifested to heal, harmonise, resuscitate and revive.
Consequently, to redeem all from the outrageous dilemmas and violent predicaments caused by the dreadful fangs of the age of Kali…has come Sai. 

If all of ether were to be converted into reams of paper…there would not be space enough to write about the splendour of Mother Sai…

If the tears of longing that each being shed from the time of creation were to be taken for ink…it would not suffice to compose adoring paeans reflecting the grandeur and greatness of Sathya Sai…

If the sum total of the radiance of each dazzling ray of the sun and each sparkling moonbeam…or the glittering glow of a gigantic heap of diamonds were accumulated…it would not serve to outshine the effulgence in the heart…the simple chanting of the name of Sai creates…deep within the core.

If unsullied faith were to acquire dimensions of a celestial pen…and the choicest words in all the languages were drawn upon…with epochs en masse since the genesis of creation…offering themselves as an allotted period…even then…the duration wouldn’t be enough to write or speak of His majestic illustriousness…

With Time as an ally, if all the miracles so far witnessed by untold millions were perused through with limitless encores…yet, His abundance, power, capacity, inscrutability, immense vastness, greatness and depth would not be known…for nothing but the surface has been skimmed until now…such is the charisma of Beloved Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai – unfathomable and immeasurable…it remains eternal…and eternally sans conclusion.

Suffice to say at this moment that the era of Sathya Sai has much more in store.

There is no one who can change My course or affect My conduct to the slightest extent. I am the Master over all. – Baba

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Nothing can hold Me up or agitate Me or cast a shadow on Me in this Human Form; be certain of that. Not even a hair can be touched by forces of calumny or distrust or ignorance. My Sankalpa (Will) must prevail; My task must be accomplished. My Mission will succeed. I have come to illuminate the human heart with the Light Divine and to rid man of the delusion that drags him away from the path of Santhi (Peace), the perfect equanimity of Realisation. Baba

There is extreme perfection in the Divine Scheme…the task the Lord has set for Himself…most definitely is meandering towards accomplishment. There are no delays…no denials…as certainly as there is no pause that is not His plan…all that is transpiring is simply an unfolding of sequences in the myriad scenes of the grand mystical play.

His Will will prevail…His words will triumph…the Sathya of Sai will reign supreme…it has to…this is the law of the Universe…this is but natural in the Cosmic way of things…though incomprehensible to frail, confined and limited human minds. Laws are for finite beings to remain within limits…nothing can bind the Source of all creation…that Eternal Principal…that Infinite Beloved One…Whose boundless immensity remains a mystifying mystery through time and space for the wisest amongst humans.

No one can understand My Mystery. The best you can do is to get immersed in it. It is no use your arguing about pros and cons; dive and know the depth; eat and know the taste. – Baba

Oh! Beloved Mother Sai…if water from all the seas, rivers, lakes, streams…were collected together it would not serve to be a sufficient measure as to the flow and the depth of Your innate compassion.

The collective perfume of every wild flower…along with the heady scent of each exotic bloom would be no match for the incessant fragrance of Your unconditional and unequivocal love, Oh! Mother Divine.

If the intellectual brilliance of umpteen illuminated minds were to be drawn upon – Your exalted Enigma…the power of Your impregnable Will would forever remain an impenetrable mystery…enduringly undetermined, unsolved and beyond reach.

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Earn the right to approach the Lord without fear and the right to ask for your heritage. – Baba

Oh! Loving Lord…collectively do we implore You and pray -
May the moments of each day be saturated with limpid dew drops of Your flawless Compassion…along with joyous whiffs of Your pure Love…may our yearning solely for You and Your extraordinary Presence amplify remarkably…may our adoration and devotion be worthy and our character be exemplary…
Oh! Beloved One…we crave for a privileged view of some cherished specks of Your ungaugeable Mystery…of Your indomitable Will…to bide over the alarming times of the age of Kali…and thus…oh! so naturally…in hushed awe, anxiously…unrestrainedly… reverentially… Oh! Dearest Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai…we, Thy children await Thee…Beloved Thee…

…To take us all from separatism to solidarity…
…from cruelty to kindness to kindred oneness…
…from disunity to compatibility…
…from being foes with fiendish ways…
…to being sincere friends and allies…always…
…from vicious, despicable crime and terrorism…
…to tender compassion and humane wisdom…
…from discord to amity and accord…
…from all that is revolting to all that is enriching…
…from passions fuelled by the flames of greed…
…to the purity of selflessness authentically decreed…
…from the division of hatred to the sync of harmony…
…from anger, enmity…
…hostility and loath…
…to the rapport and unequalled affinity…
…symbolic of wholesome love given unconditionally…

God incarnates for the revival of Dharma (Righteousness) which includes morality, truth, virtue, love and a host of other qualities that uphold the communities of man as well as the individual. The other purposes usually give — serving the devoted, destroying the wicked, re-establishing the sacred tradition — these are all secondary. For, he who is righteous will be guarded from harm, by righteousness itself; he who is unrighteous will fall into disaster through the evil that he perpetrates. The one task includes all else.
I shall fulfil that task, whatever the comments that others may make. Comment is a natural corollary. I do not pay attention to it; nor should you. The higher the hill, the deeper the valley. Praise or blame will not affect me in the least. The unshakeable foundation on which my work is proceeding is Ananda. I cannot be moved from it, by any one, at any time. – Baba

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The world has lived with a unique human Phenomenon for 50 years now! Millions are celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Advent of this Person, on November 23, 1975. I have spent 28 years in the bracing climate of His Presence, the cool, comforting, but, none-the-less vital and vibrating aura of this Phenomenon. I have witnessed the waves of gratitude that surge round His Feet, from hearts reinforced by the impact of His Love, minds cleansed by the imprint of His Power, brains rendered wholesome by the intake of His Wisdom and bodies strengthened and straightened by contact with His Compassion.

Arthur Osborne summarized all that he had to say about the Sai Baba of Shirdi in two words: “The Incredible.” Dr. S. Bhagavantam ventured to summarise his experiences of the Sai Baba I am writing about in two other words, “The Inexplicable.” As a scientist who has dedicated himself to the study and propagation of physics, he had to confess that this Sai Baba is a law unto Himself, Who cannot be construed by any of the known categories of physics or even metaphysics.

Dr. Bhagavantam has the integrity of a scientist, who accepts the existence of the inexplicable and asserts that a fact can never be fiction, however vehemently it is ignored or denied by those who would not or dare not see.

I have experienced Baba in almost every phase of His multifaceted personality. He has cured intractable illness; He has infused confidence and courage; He has brightened the intellect revealing unsuspected sources of joy and power; He has opened several satisfying opportunities for offering skills and strength at the service of fellowmen.

He has allowed me to share in the wonder aroused at the manifestations of His Love in distant lands like Uganda, and nearer home in many parts of India. I have witnessed emanations of vibhuti, nectar, gems, slips of paper on which warnings, counsels, and teachings for the recipients are written, and eats, from pictures of this Sai Baba, in homes and shrines in places hundreds of miles away from where His physical frame resides. I have met and discussed with people who have welcomed Baba into their homes, sat around Him and talked with Him for hours, sung songs which He taught them – all this, when I knew He was hundreds of miles away.

Baba says, “No one can come to Me unless I call him.” And, I know hundreds of instances where cynics, agnostics, atheists, rationalists, fanatics of various creeds, patients suffering from various complexes, manias and intellectual anemia, arthritis, apoplexy etc. have been called by Him and directed along the path of Sadhana to the understanding of their innate Divinity. How does He call them? By arousing curiosity, awakening interest, assuring cure, alerting during dreams, advising through friends or acquaintances, administering some warning or desire which He alone can avoid or fulfill.

Arnold Schulman toured India and even met Him; he returned to New York, happy in the conviction that in India every Guru is a ‘crook’ and every pupil, a ‘psychopathic patient’ – or at least a sizeable majority! Now, here was a person whom Baba decided to call and correct.

He implanted in his mind an idea which Schulman himself tried to dismiss as impossible, undesirable, impracticable, and even insane! It was “to write a book on one of those Gurus, the person he had discarded with a shrug, the Sathya Sai!” When he finally arrived before Him, after many hesitations and heart-searchings, Baba told him, “I wanted you to come not for the sake of the book-the book is publicity; I do not need publicity; I need you, you!” That is the measure of His Grace.

Those who believe in only things that they can see with their limited and perverted vision or experience with their prejudiced minds or infer as true on the basis of their perverted, polluted logic, are denied the joy and elevation of spirit that all can win by contact with Baba. They do not know that syllogisms cannot contain the Incredible, that laboratories cannot compress the Inexplicable into a formula and that science deals only with the tangible, the measurable, and the calculable. But, there are worlds, and worlds of emotions, ambitions, yearnings, exultations, adorations and a host of emanations from beyond the region of the senses and the intellect, which we ignore at our peril.

Baba is engaged in the fundamental task of discovering and defusing the germs of anxiety, restlessness, fear, doubt and distress that injure the individual and, through Him, society and ultimately, entire mankind. He has been busy with the Avataric Schedule from His very childhood; and on the fiftieth anniversary of His Advent, millions are offering Him the homage of gratitude. Millions are awaiting the healing touch, the kindling smile, the illumining word and the Divine vibration that His Presence arouses.

If I am asked to summarise what I have known and felt, during the 28-year-long road through which He has led me, I can only follow Arthur Osborne and Dr. Bhagavantam and reply in two words “The Inscrutable.”

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One afternoon, when I was standing, not alone but in active conversation with myself, on the verandah of the Press, a gentleman who was passing by stopped to ask me, “Are there any books on Swami available here?” I said, “No, we print only a monthly magazine”. He walked on, rather disappointed. The verandah could be seen from the first floor of the Mandir. Baba had noticed the dialogue. He sent for me and I hurried to the Presence. “What did that person ask you?” “He asked whether there are any books on Swami” I answered. “And what did you tell him?” was the next question. “I told him there were no books,” I replied. “That is not the right answer; you should have told him that this Swami cannot be understood through books,” He said and permitted me to leave. I came down the steps, wiser as a result of the glimpse He gave me of His inscrutability and sadder, at the prospect of no book being published on Swami, not even the one by me. Baba was looking down on me when I slowly wended my way back to the Press. When I was half-way through, I looked up through the wet film. I then knew that He had read my mind, for, He waved the reassuring palm to calm the surging sadness.

Consolation was conferred pretty soon. Baba was among devotees at Madras and Venkatagiri for a few days. At Puttaparthi we were hoping He would return by the weekend. But, His car negotiated a newly-laid macadam road and pulled up, quite surprisingly on Thursday itself. He sent for me. My heart went pit-a-pat. What was I in for? Had I done anything reprehensible? Talking ill of others or even thinking ill? My mother who realised that I was summoned into the Presence started praying that I may be pardoned for any blunder into which I had stumbled. I presented myself before Him. He smiled at my situation, eyed me from head to foot and said, “At Madras and Venkatagiri, people are asking, “Any literature on Swami?”, and you are sitting quiet here.”

Eleven years after that first meeting at Bangalore, Baba had decided that the time was ripe, the world had developed the appetite, and that the book can be served to the hungry. When the typescript was nearly ready, I struggled long to discover a title worthy of the Avatar. Baba had the letter S S S repeated on the parapet on the first floor of Prasanthi Nilayam. He referred to Himself as S S S often, in such statements as, “Unless I say S S S, how could it come through?” or “Sai Ki Sarvamoo yes yes yes” (For Sai, always, it is S S S). I decided therefore that the “Life” must have three words in its title each beginning with an S. It must also be redolent with Divine Vibrations and convey the glory of God whose Leela the book was presuming to narrate. I roamed over Vedic, Upanishadic and Epic pastures but could not hit on any better phrase than ‘Sathyam Jnanam Anantham’ expressive of God or Brahman. S S S is Sri Sathya Sai, Sathyam has to be in the title, but, what are the other two S’s to be? Santham, Sundaram, Sivam, Santhosham, Sukham? I posed my problem before many. At last one night while waiting for a train on the platform at far-off Davangere, I decided that “Sathyam Sivam Sundaram” sounded appropriate and authentic.

Baba blessed it the instant I consulted Him at Nandanavanam, Whitefield. He went into the room behind and brought out an album of photographs. He showed me three photographs of Himself when seated on the same chair at Nandanavanam taken within a few moments of each other by Matthews (now Saidas), saying, “You can have these three together, side by side on the cover. See! This is a little serious Sathyam. Here you find me with the bud of a smile, as Sivam, and this is a full smile, Sundaram. Sathyam, Sivam Sundaram is good”, He said with a pat on my shoulder.

“Sathyam Sivam Sudaram” has a distinctly Upanishadic touch, although the source is not readily traceable said K.Guru Dutt, when he heard the title. The words mean “Truth, Goodness and Beauty’ and since Baba is the most harmonious synthesis of all three, it has made readers and devotees gladly acquiesce in its propriety. Two years after the biography was published, on Maha Sivarathri Day, Baba blessed me and Brahmasri Doopaali Thirumalachari (whose rendering of the Book into Telugu was offered to Bhagawan that day). He placed round our shoulders, shawls with brocade borders. He told the huge assembly of devotees that day, “Some of you might have wondered why I liked the publication of this Book on My life! Well! I responded to the prayers of devotees and allowed them to write it. ‘Ramayathi ithi Rama’. (He who pleases is Rama). The joy of the devotee gives joy to the Lord, the joy of the Lord is the reward for the devotee.”

“The title given to the Book is full of meaning” said Baba. “It speaks of Me, as immanent in every one of you! Remember Sathyam is the basic Reality of you all. That is the reason why you resent being called a liar. The real ‘you’ is innocent of falsehood. The real ‘you’ will not accept the imputation. The real ‘You’ is Goodness, Joy, Happiness, Auspiciousness, Sivam. It is not Savam (a dead despicable thing). It is Subham, Nithyam, Anandam. How then can you tolerate being proclaimed as ‘Bad’ instead of being acclaimed as ‘Good?’ The real ‘You’ is Beauty, Sundaram. You resent being denigrated as ugly. You are the Atma and you resent when the deformities and defects of the physical vehicle are attributed to you.” So, it was Baba who directed me to the decision, which I dared claim as my own; Dr. S. Bhagawantham drew my attention a few years ago to a Telugu Book of translations of Swami Vivekananda’s Talks on Bhakti Yoga delivered in America. The translator had used the words “Sathyam Sivam and Sundaram’ in that order. I sought the original English talk and lo! Vivekananda was talking about the arrival of the Avatar of the “Lord of Truth” (Sathya Sai). The Swami had announced that ‘He’ would reveal the most wonderful things regarding Truth, Goodness and Beauty! So, the title, I felt, was transmitted to me by Guru Maharaj through Vivekananda.

A few months ago, another fact came to my notice which deflated the last vestige of ego and assured me beyond doubt that when I clinched the S S S combination it was He who revealed to me the title of the biography. When my eyes fell recently on the opening of Rama-CharithaManasa of Goswami Tulsi Das, (Gita Press, Gorakhpur). I saw the self-same three words at the very top of the facing page. Sathyam Shivam Sundaram! The ‘Nivedam’ made clear why those words were there. There was, it seems a controversy among the pandits of Banaras about the reverence due to a version of the holy Ramayana in the vernacular. They decided at last to place the manuscript in the inner shrine of the famous Siva-Temple before the Visweswara Lingam, with a prayer that He, the foremost devotee of the “Rama Principle”, in His infinite Wisdom, evaluate the work and write on it His verdict on its acceptability. The shrine door was locked and the pundits withdrew, hoping that it would be condemned as the spurious, sacrilegious work of a commoner. When morning broke and the bundle of palm leaves was brought out of the altar, they found to their astonishment, the words, ‘Sathyam Sivam Sundaram’ written with His hand (apne Haath se, as the Nivedam says) and a Lingam drawn underneath as the Divine Signature. What a miraculous coincidence this! That my search for three words, each starting with S, should have led me to the commendatory title with which Lord Siva had welcomed the immortal biography of another Avatar of God, baffle me with the magnitude of Divine Benediction.

The title of the book was accepted by Baba as a Name by which He too can be recognised. When He rose to address a vast gathering of people standing in pouring rain, under a canopy of umbrellas on the crest and sides of a hill named Sri Sailam, (by Rabindranath Tagore, when he stayed there) in Kerala after laying the foundation stone for a Sathya Sai Vidyapeeth on that eminence, Baba willed to reveal to the thousands yearning to glimpse the mystery. Therefore, a Sankrit verse
emerged as a four-forked lightning flash.

Sarva Naama Dharam, Saantham
Sarva Roopa Dharam, Sivam
Satchindaanada Roopam Adwaitham
Sathyam Sivam Sundaram

I assume all Names, the Peace;
I assume all forms, the Good;
I Being, Awareness, Bliss, the One;
Truth, Goodness, Beauty.

In the Book, I elaborated the ‘Three words’, delving into their implications with the help of occasional glimpses afforded by Baba. He is the Substratum, the Substance, the Separate and the Sum, the Sath, the Being the Sathyam. He is the Awareness, the Activity, the Consciousness, the Feeling, the Willing and the Doing – the Chith, the Sivam. He is the Light, the Splendour, the Harmony, the Bliss, the Melody—the Ananda, the Sundaram”.

II Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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