'Chittachora' - The stealer of Hearts

[Guest guest]

Every adult needs a child to teach, it's the way adults learn -

Frank A.Clark

 

Our beloved Bhagawan is indeed 'Chittachora'..

 

Sairam!

 

A CHILD AMONG CHILDREN

 

It is said that in the innocent and innocuous face of a child you

can see the face of God. And how true it is! Even the reverse of

this is so true. If you look at the face of God, you can see the

clean and crystalline countenance of a small child. And why will it

not be? For, there is so much likeness between the two.

 

Let's just think, why are kids so lovable? Hmm ...Because they are

so innocent. Because they are so pure. Because they have no grudge

against anybody. Because they are so simple. Because they know no

manipulation. Because they know no fear. Because they do not know

what is ego. Because they love everybody. Because they play and

frolic with anybody, showing no distinction. Because they know no

hatred or greed. Because they only know to receive love and return

love. Their mind is guileless and their heart, stainless. They can

only spread happiness and joy all around.

 

And if you ponder for a while, you will agree that it is the same

with God too. His love is as universal as the child's. His heart is

as pristine, His looks as serene, His nature as gentle, His words as

simple and His smile, as exciting and as thrilling!

 

Just think of Swami. How unconditional is His love! Is it not His

childlike simplicity that gave us such clear and candid

dictums "Love all, Serve all", "Help ever, Hurt never"? There is so

much serenity and innate beauty in His face that you never get tired

of looking at Him, gazing at Him for hours, day after day. You feel

like forsaking a million years in heaven for just one look and a

sweet smile from Him.

 

It is said, there are three things that a child is specialized in,

which it can demonstrate at any time and which are worthy of

emulation by the adults and the aged. What are these three great

things?

 

First, to be happy for no reason. How true it is with Swami! You can

never see a worried Swami or an unhappy Swami. He is always

blissful. He needs no reason to be happy, just like a happy go lucky

child. On His birthdays when devotees wish Him, "Happy Birthday",

often Swami has remarked, "I am always happy. I do not need an

occasion to be happy. All these occasions are purely for your

happiness and joy".

 

Second, to always be busy with something. Swami knows no rest. He is

always active. Always busy working for His devotees, sometimes

apparent, sometimes not, just like the sun, the moon and the rivers.

Never doing a thing for Himself. When someone asked, "Swami, why

don't you take some rest?" Swami said, "If I wanted rest, then why

would I have come down taking this human form?"

 

And the third thing that a child can teach us, is to know how to

demand with all his right that which he desires. What Swami desires,

He demands it. But the only thing He has ever asked from anybody, is

Love. And He asks for it with all His right. For He says, "Love is

not your property. It is something which you have acquired from Me.

And you must return it to Me". And He knows how to get it from

anyone he desires. He knows how to change the direction of Love of

someone from world-ward to God-ward.

 

If you ever have been fortunate to observe Swami at close quarters

or be with Him for sometime, then you probably would have

experienced the `child' in Him. And if you have not, then read on.

You will know when God comes down in human form how childlike He can

be!

 

When a kid sees a new object or something fascinating, what would he

do? He would go round showing it to everybody and talking about it

to everyone he meets until he is tired or he finds something else

which is more interesting. Same with our Sweet Swami.

 

Once, an elderly member of the Sai family got a brochure to Swami

which portrayed Swami's plans of building primary schools for the

poor children in and around Puttaparthi. Inside the brochure there

was a particular picture which showed a little girl, who was sitting

in the corner of a dark and decrepit room. But the room was not

totally dark, for there was a beam of light coming from the ceiling

and falling on the little girl making her bright and resplendent.

The picture graphically sought to convey the message that the

Educare programme of Swami is going to drive away the ignorance and

neglect of the little children of Puttaparthi and the near by areas

and provide them with quality education and love to brighten and

lighten their lives. Swami, on seeing this picture, was so

fascinated that He admiringly kept looking at it again and again,

and then got up taking the picture in His hand. He went around

showing and describing the picture, giving full explanation of the

inner import of the picture again and again to each one present

there, in an enthusiasm that was so childlike.

 

Once, when a large group of children from England visited Him in

1978 taking with them seven sacks of `presents' for Swami (to be

given to the needy), Swami took out and examined all the gifts –

teddy bears, toy trains, cars, toys, even clothes-pegs and a packet

of weetabix breakfast cereal! – and as He was taking them out, He

kept on saying in wonder, "And is this for me, too?" to the

childrens' great delight. And it did not stop at that, He later took

all the children to the garden and for their amusement made a

beautiful tiny shiny rabbit sit on the crown of His hair! "When

among children, I am a child," Swami has declared and how wholly and

solely He became one with them on that occasion.

 

And what to say about His childlike playful nature? Which to narrate

and which to exclude? Each one is so charming, so enchanting! Shall

we talk about how He used to throw snowballs at other members of the

group who had the privilege of visiting the Himalayas with Him in

the sixties. Or, the incident in which He entered Prof. Kasturi's

house from the back door and suddenly came from behind him and

covered his eyes with His hands saying, "Guess who?" Or, the

occasion when He avoided the students on His arrival to Brindavan in

the end of March one year and made them do lot of `soul searching',

only to mischievously smile and say the next day "April Fool!" Shall

we talk about the incident when He asked Prof. Kasturi to come for

a `very important' photograph, and after Prof. Kasturi stood posing

towards the camera in his best attire with a big toothful grin, how

Swami clicked the button only for Prof. Kasturi to screech in horror

and shock as a cotton mouse jumped from the camera and bounced on

his neck! Or, the occurrence in Ooty, where, in the midst of school

boys, He took an empty tetrapack, blew it to the full and quite

nonchalantly placed it on the ground and stamped on it zestfully for

a glorious `thud'! Or, the incident when He came to the college

grounds one evening to watch the college band rehearsal and asked

them to play a number when suddenly the drummer found his stick

missing and ran helter-skelter searching for the stick, Swami

patiently waiting till He returned. And when he returned empty-

handed and crestfallen, Swami gave him a sweet reprimand and then

with a mischievous smile gave him the stick which He had been

holding all the while keeping his hand behind!

 

Or, Shall we go back to His younger days? How He used to suddenly

disappear on the way to the river Chitravathi and after everybody

gave up searching in sheer fatigue, how suddenly He would come out

of a near-by bush crying "Boo!" to everyone's wonder and utter

disbelief! How, when Sakamma forced Him to take a tablet one day,

He, like a good boy swallowed it and after Sakamma went with a

triumphant smile, How He tucked at His robe a few times and the

tablet rolled down to the floor sending everyone there into peals of

laughter! Or, how He used to go near a couple chatting in whispers

and from behind tie the end of the man's dhoti with the hem of the

woman's saree to their shocking embarassment! Or, slip out of His

room in the afternoons to the Chitravathi sands much against the

wishes of Sakamma placing two pillows in the middle of the cot and

spreading a blanket on it for it to look from a distance as if

somebody was sleeping. Or,.…well, there is no end to the childhood

plays and pranks of our Lord. We had read about a few pranks of

Krishna in the Bhagavatham, but the plays and antics of this Sweet

Sai Krishna are countless. One can go on and on.

 

There is no better testimony of Swami's childlike innocence than if

you ever have seen His face, when He is handling a new gadget or

device. That innocence and helplessness pouring out of the

charismatic eyes! The master of all creation bewildered at a petty

so-called creation of man! He is truly the master of creation and

master of illusion at the same time.

 

But this childlike nature of Swami, is always accompanied by great

wisdom and startling revelations.

 

In 1983, there was a small exhibition organised by the students in

Brindavan. After looking through the various displays, Swami then

came to the last item, which was a burgler alarm. There was a beam

of light and when it was interrupted, the alarm went off. So one of

the students said, "Swami, please put your hand across the beam".

Swami did that. But nothing happened. The boy thought that something

must have gone wrong with the equipment and just to check, put his

own hand.The alarm rang. Perplexed, he requested Swami to put His

hand again and Swami lovingly obliged. But the alarm did not ring !

The boy was dumbfounded. The students there looked at each other.

Everybody was clueless and helpless. Swami then smiled sweetly and

said to the boy, "I am not that kind of a thief. I am `Chittachora' –

the stealer of Hearts." What a way to reveal Himself!

 

Similarly, once a devotee had got a new car for Swami. Swami went

round the car, looking at it, examining it, showing it to people

around Him just like a child who had found a new toy. The devotee

who was watching Swami's enthusiasm got a little carried away.

Feeling proud, he said," Swami, this car is one of a kind in this

world." And can you guess what was Swami's reply? Swami looked at

the gentleman and said, "This Sai Baba is also one of a kind in this

whole world". Now a child,now a God. Now so innocent. Now so

scholarly. That is God in Human form.

 

When we see a child, what do we do? We watch it, love it and admire

it. We want to be pure and innocent like it, we want to caress it,

we want to be with it, we cherish our moments with it.

 

It's exactly the same way we must do with our dearest Swami who is

so sweet and so childlike. Let us watch Him and enjoy. Let us

cherish every moment we spend with Him. Let us aspire to be like

Him. Let us simply love Him.

 

Our life will then be a child's play!

 

Source:

Volume - 2 Issue – 15

Radiosai Journal - PSN 2004