Kshethragnan - Baba

[Guest guest]

As we enter the Main Gate we have the Divine Darshan

of Lord Ganapathi in a White coloured temple. We see

many devotees, praying, and seeking the blessings of

Lord Vinayaka - many break coconuts and go round and

round of the temple. A very busy temple. I pray

to this Vinayaka, the diety of the first temple

inside Prasanthi Nilayam complex, and proceed with

this article.

 

Swami had once said, , "Your mission has begun.

Those are my words to you my Devotee - Each of you

has a unique and valuable part to play in this life

time. Only those whom I have called can serve Me".

 

Bhagavan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba would have

called many devotees. But in recent years we have

seen a particular devotee who had responded to this

Divine call, and played his valuable part in his

life time. He is none other than (Late) Sri

Subramaniam Chettiar, founder President of Sri Sai

Paduga Trust, Madurai, Mr. Chettiar radiated

devotion within, and the unseen power enveloped him

into Sai's orbit. He performed his part, imparting

purity in heart towards all, in absolute silence. He

always believed that he was only an instrument, and

experienced Divine love pouring unto him.

 

Swami had also declared, 'Be about my work, My

beloved devotees - your breath will carry the scent

of the blossoms of heaven. Your example will be that

of an angel. Your joy will My joy".

 

There is no doubt whatsoever in claiming late

Chettiar as such an Angel deriving joy and

experiencing Divine Bliss, earned by his dedicated

service to our Beloved Lord. Before we dwell into

his own mission let us go back to the old village of

Puttaparthi and see for ourselves some unique

earlier manifestations.

 

The Ratnakaram family's grand old man Sri Kondamma

Raju happened to be the grand father of Sri

Sathyanarayana Raju, our beloved Lord. He had built

a temple for "Sathya Bhama" divine consort of Lord

Krishna responding to a dream experience. This

temple is situated at the entrance point of Old

Puttaparthi village.

 

Then there is yet another small temple dedicated to

Lord Gopalkrishna. There is a legendary tale

attributed to this temple. An ancient large stone is

installed here as per directions of Babavaru. Swami

showed this stone to the villagers and asked them to

clean it. People could see the markings of Lord

Gopalkrishna there on. The legends depicts that this

stone had been used by a peasant who threw it on a

serpent which was drinking milk directly from the

udder of the cow. It was the curse of the dying

serpent, which made the village a place fully of ant

hills, and this caused the extinction of greenery

all over. Our beloved Lord during his childhood days

advised the villagers to worship this stone to get

redemption from the curse of the snake.

 

Then there is a third temple nearby, a temple for

Hanuman. It was in this temple Swami, as a little

boy, gathered the children of the village and

trained them to sing bhajans. In one of the

discourses during this year Navarathri festivals

Swami narrated an interesting episode. Little Sathya

Naryana Raju directed the boys to go around the

temple singing bhajans. The boys urged Swami too go

along with them; But Swami could not do so. Hanuman

had appeared there and was telling Swami that His

Master should not go around him ( pradakshnam ). The

children could not understand anything and make out

what this Raju was telling an old monkey, which was

in reality Hanuman Himself.

 

We were seeing the importance of few temples at

Puttaparthi,. Now it seemed that Late Sri Subramania

Chettiar had also a mission to build a few more

temples in Prashanti Nilayam and propogate the

importance of temple worship. Let us visit some such

installations.

 

Bhagavan Baba had once said " Likhitha Japam"

(writing of Swami's name) is an easy way to bring

about this union of the two hearts, the heart of

Sadhaka and the heart of Bhagavan. It helps one to

escape from the cycles of birth, i.e. the ocean of

this worldly life". Late Subramania Chettiar

believed firmly that Likhitha Japam is a way to

lakhs of Sai devotees to participate in this sacred

yagna. By the year 1995 truck loads of stationery

books written there in over 108 crores of Sai Namam

was placed at His Lotus Feet. Swami, arranged to

keep them in an underground vault built near the

Gopuram. Sri Chettiar had also offered a beautiful

Idol of Lord Hanuman, which was installed by Bhgavan

over the vault containing Rama Nama. This

installation of lord Hanuman was the first effort of

Chettiar, and this effort paved way for installation

of separate idols every year during the Padhuga

pooja festivals at Prashanthi Nilayam.

 

By the very next year 1996, Swami had constructed

and commissioned Super Speciality Hospital in

Prashanti Nilyam . Swami, Himself is a divine Doctor

Healer and the Divine source of Human Welfare.

Swami, is "DHWANWANTHARI", Himself, the Divine

Doctor. Sri Subramania Chettiar recognised this

Truth. He prayed and sought the Divine sanction from

Bhagavan Baba to install the Marble idol of

Dhanwanthiri. And what better place than the sacrd

premises of Super Speciality Hospital itself. In the centre

of one of the circular lawns, Bhagavan installed

Lord Dhanwanthiri during the Padhuga Pooja

celebration in the year 1996.

 

Padhuga Pooja celebrations has become an annual

event in Prashanti Nilyam. So is the installation of

divine diols to coincide these functions. The Divine

inspiration and promptings induced Chettiar to

install the idol of Lord Muruga (Kathikeya) in the

very next year celebrations of 1997. But Mr.

Chettiar came to know the significance of this

installation only later on, when he got a copy of

Viswamitra Naadi, wherein this event of installation

of Lord Muruga by Lord Himself, had been mentioned.

The Naadi further states that on that day of

installation Bhagavan Baba will Himself manifest as

Lord Muruga. This temple is seen near the temple of

Lord Vinayaga, very near to His Divine elder

brother.

 

The events move on, as per Divine will (Sankalpa).

It seemed that Bhagavan wanted a temple built for

Mother Gayathri and the prompting manifested through

Divine dreams and other incidents. Recitation of

Gayathri Mantra thrice a day, (during Morning, Noon

and Evening) is prescribed. This will serve to

reduce the effects of the wrong acts one does

everyday. It is like buying goods for cash, instead

of getting them on credit. There is no accumulation

of Karmic Debt, as each day's Karma is atoned that

day itself by reciting the Gayathri. Bhagavan Baba

installed the five-faced Idol of Gayathri Maatha

during 1998 Padhuga Pooja festivals in the gardens

opposite round Building No. 4 in Prashanthi Nilayam

complex. A group of Lady Devotees are carrying out

with daily poojas rituals, strictly as per vedic

traditions.

 

This year 1999 was something special. Mr. Subramania

Chettiar attained the Lotus' Feet of Bhagavan Baba

on 13th April, 99. But it was a cherished dream and

desire of Late Chettiar to install a temple for Lord

Rama Pattabhishekam. Swami had given his blessings

for this project, and Sri. Chettiar was not to live

that day and witness his great ambition coming true.

His illustrious and loving son, Sri Srinivasa

Chettiar, had taken over the mantle of the President

ship of the Padhya Trust. He strived very hard to

realise the dream of his demised father. It was

proposed to install the idols of Rama, Sita,

Lakshmana and Hanuman. Rama's idol was to be about 6

feet in height. But Swami felt that this will

necessitate a temple with very tall Gopurams and

hence advised to restrict the height of the idols to

about 4 ½ feet only.

 

The installation itself was shared with Divine

suspense till be end. "Know and enjoy my

uncertainty" is the dictum of Bhagavan Baba. True to

this, the suspense prolonged till about a week of

installation.

 

Swami had promised that He Himself will select a

suitable Sita for construction of the temple for

Lord Rama. The days and weeks passed on, and there

was no message from Swami on the selection of Site.

Bhagawan Baba directed Srinivasan Chettiar to go

back to Madurai to look after other arrangements.

Finally, though all arrangements had been completed,

it was realised that it was practically impossible

to build a temple within the available short timee. A

strong foundation, sturdy pillar, a concrete slab,

and then a Gopuram are all to be erected. It was

humanly impossible. Just about 10 days before the

proposed event of installation, Swami told Srinivasan

Chettiar that Swami had made a choise of place where

the idols are to be installed.

The choice of the site was a grand one, as is always

with Divine Sankalpa.

 

The newly extended area of the beautiful Sai Kulwant

hall had encompassed the place where the 108 crores

of Sri Rama had been inferred. Swami directed that a

large Mandap be built in this site, suitable enough

for the installation of Rama, Sita , Lakshmana and

Hanuman. During installation ceremony, Bhagavan Baba

created a small "Lingam" and directed Srinivasan

Chettiar to insert the same in the small pit wherein

the idol of Rama is to be installed. Swami mentioned

that it is 'Rama Lingam" which will attract devotees

and activate Vibration inside Prashanthi Nilayam

complex. The old Hanuman vighraham had also found a

place in the same Mandap.

 

Year 1999 is nearing end. The new Millennium of 2000

AD is to emerge soon after this year Birthday

celebrations. Next year will be Swami's 75th

birthday celebrations. Swami has given His Divine

permission to Srinivasan Chettiar to conduct Padhuga

Pooja in all overseas countries during the new

millennium year. But what about the installation yet

another diety and a new temple? Only SWAMI knows

about it, and Sri Sai Padhuga trust awaits the

divine command.

 

Article by Bombay Srinivasan