His Story - 18 (Concluding Part)

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devotion and surrender, with their ritual worship and prayers have been

continuously moulding the character and personality of their children, so that

they blossom into great men and women in this country. They may not possess

high education and academic degrees. But, their character and nobility is their

strength. In fact, this village of Puttaparthi has acquired great name and fame

only because of the noble qualities of Easwaramma, who did not have any formal

education. Unfortunately, today people are extolling the son of Easwaramma,

forgetting Easwaramma herself. From where did this great Avathar come, without

Easwaramma? Hence, one should appreciate the role of the mother and protect the

honour and glory of the mother. One should respect the Mother. The glory of

Sathya Sai has spread

everywhere, in this fashion. Very high officials used to come to Me, even in

those days. The Griham Ammayi used to fear very much if someone with a police

uniform appeared. Immediately she used to come home and request Subbamma

“Subbamma! The police people might cause some inconvenience to Swami. Please do

not allow them to come near Swami!” Subbamma used to allay her fears saying

“They are also devotees. Everyone will come to Swami for His blessings. You

need not fear them.” Still Easwaramma was not to be convinced. She used to say

“It is only because Swami is residing in your house, all the police people are

coming.” Once, the Inspector General of Police, Ranganaikulu came to take Me to

Madras. Then,

Griham Ammayi started cying inconsolably! That was the first time I was going to

Madras. In those days, the people of Puttaparthi used to believe that Madras was

a distant foreign country! Easwaramma heard the villagers talking among

themselves; “They are taking Swami to some distant foreign country.” She

decided, “I will not allow them to take Swami alongwith them. I will obstruct

them.” She also cried before Me saying “Swami! you should not go, you should

not go.” Such was her motherly love and affection towards Swami. She was always

under the apprehension that people may take Swami to some distant foreign lands.

Gradually, people from distant

places like Bangalore used to come to Puttaparthi and pray that Swami may visit

their places. Devotees like Coffe Powder Sakamma, the Maharani of Mysore and

the maternal uncle of the Maharaja of Mysore used to come here in their cars.

In those days, people coming to Puttaparthi by car had to park their cars in

Karnata Nagepalli, a village on the eastern bank of the river Chitravathi, and

come by walk wading through knee – deep water. Once they prayed “Swami! It is

becoming very difficult for us to come to this remote village and get back. You

please come and stay in Mysore. We will give you a lot of land there. We will

also build an Ashram for you. But, I firmly refused their offer saying “I don’t

need your lands or Ashrams. This land of Puttparthi is my land. Did you not hear

the saying ‘Janani Janmabhumischa Swargadapi Gariyasi’ (The mother and mother

land are greater than even heaven). This village appears to be a tiny and

remote village to you, at this juncture. But, in due course of time, you will

yourself observe, how much this village will develop.” On another day, a

devotee by name Sakamma prayed “Swami! It is becoming very difficult for us to

come to this village and again get back to our places. There is no proper road

even for our cars to come here. It is very difficult to come to this village

even by a bullock cart. Please, therefore come away to Bangalore. We will build

a palatial building there for you to stay.” I told her “I don’t need such big

buildings. This small room here is enough for Me”. Thus, she used to pressurize

Me, inspite of My turning down her requests. Easwaramma came to Me that night

with great tension and anxiety and requested “Swami! I am observing that a

number of people from far-off places are coming here and requesting you to come

to that place and this place. Their efforts are meant to take you away from

here, for their selfish ends. I will not survive, if you leave Puttaparthi.

Take for example, the case of a plant. It is only when a sapling is nourished

and nurtured in the place in which sprouted originally, it will grow into a

huge tree. If you keep that plant in one place today and remove it and

transplant it in a different place after sometime, how can it grow? Hence, you

please stay permanently in the village in which you are born. You may

go anywhere, but never leave Puttaparthi. You promise me that you will reside

here only.” Then, I gave a promise to her that I will never leave Puttaparthi,

under any circumstances. I told her “I will never leave Puttaparthi under any

circumstances. I will stay here only. I will just visit My devotees and come

back.” Later on, a Mandir was built here, for which Easwaramma alone was

responsible. Since I made a promise to Easwaramma that day, I did not leave

Puttaparthi till today. Whoever he may be, one has to come to this place only.

The question of My staying elsewhere does not arise at all! Today, several

people are leaving their native places. One should never leave his native

place. That is the motto of this Avathar. If a

tree that is grown in this place is uprooted and transplanted in a different

place, how can it survive? This gigantic tree called ‘Sai Baba’ must grow in

the same place where it was born. Since, I did not leave Puttaparthi and

continued to stay here, this village has grown into a great spiritual centre

for the entire world. In fact, there is a strange history behind this village

acquiring the name of Puttaparthi. There uses to be a small snake-mound in the

place where the Venugopala Swamy Temple is now situated. A snake used to live

in that mound. The cow-herds of this village used to take their cows to the

outskirts

everyday for grazing. But, one of the cows used to somehow escape and go near

the snake-mound. The snake in the mound used to come out and drink the milk

direct from the udder of the cow without causing any harm to it. One day, some

of the cowherd boys observed this strange scene and tried to kill the snake.

They picked up a big stone and threw it on the snake, while it was drinking

milk from the udder of the cow. Then the snake cursed the villagers saying

“Neither the cowherds nor the cows can survive in this village.” It died soon

after. That is the reason why the cowherds of Puttarparthi left their village

and settled in a place a little away, called Gokulam. From that day onwards,

the cowherds never used to sleep in the village of Puttaparthi. By evening,

they used to return to Gokulam. The same stone which was thrown upon the snake

killed it that day is now being

worshipped in the Venugopala Swami Temple. I narrated all this story with a

view to tell you the reason for spread of the glory of Sai Baba to the entire

world today as also the reason behind this village acquiring the name of

Puttaparthi. This Puttaparthi has a great story behind it. This is not a name

given to it just for fun’s sake. Several great personalities and spiritual

aspirants visited this place. Several noble souls resided in this village and

strove to uphold the name and fame of Puttaparthi. The Maharaja of Mysore used

to visit Puttaparthi, in those days. His mother was a noble and orthodox lady.

She used to alight from her car at Karnata

Nagepalli and walk all the way to reach this place. Thus, this village of

Puttaparthi was venerated and held in high esteem by several great men and

women. The population of Puttaparthi in those days was a mere 150 people.

Today, lakhs and lakhs of people are visiting this place. If you just have a

look at it, you can observe how several sky-rise buildings have come up in this

small village. All the people in this village have prospered. A big University,

a Super-specialty Hospital and an Aerodrome that can not be found even in big

cities have come up in this once remote village of Puttaparthi.

0in 0in 0pt"> “The Lord of Puttaparthi will protect you always, He is the

embodiment of Compassion; He will hold your hand and take you across the ocean

of Samsara, He will never forsake

you under any circumstances.” (Telugu poem) What great things have been

achieved by this Prasanthi Nilayam during the last fifty years are not possible

even in five hundred years, normally. Even though a number of Avathars had come

earlier, such great changes have not been achieved in a mere fifty years’ time.

All these works have been achieved single-handed. A big University has been

started. A Planetarium has been built. An Aerodrome has come up in this small

remote village of Puttaparthi. The glory of Prasanthi Nilayam has spread to the

entire world. In fact, the entire world is now in Prasanthi Nilayam only. People

of all the countries in the world are coming to Prasanthi Nilayam. Prasanthi

Nilayam has become a ‘mini world’. You will witness the glory of Puttaparthi

further, in the years to come. We are not inviting anyone to come here. We are

not undertaking any propaganda about Prasanthi Nilayam. Will people come by

invitation? In fact, I am telling people “don’t come here, don’t come here.”

Still, they are coming from all over the world in large numbers. It is only

Divinity that will have such power of attraction. When a flower blossoms, its

fragrance spreads everywhere. Does the flower invite the bumble – bee to come

and such its honey. No,

No. It is only the bees that come running from a long distance, rest on the

flower and suck the honey contained in the flower. It is only because there is

honey in the flowers that the bees come and rest on the flowers. Otherwise, do

they perch on a plastic flower? Embodiments of Love! You are really blessed

souls. You are very fortunate. You have been able to spend time happily moving

with Swami and singing and playing with him. You are with Sai and Sai is with

you. That is why I have been telling you always “I and you are one.” No one can

describe the power of Divinity. He is omnipotent. His power is infinite. Hence,

I would advise you to cultivate faith in God. “Encircling which town the

sacred river of chitravathi flows in all its pristine beauty; Around which town

there are beautiful mango groves symbolizing auspiciousness; Standing gurard on

the four sides of which town are the deities of Parvathi and Parameswara;

Firmly installed in the midst of which town is the effulgent Lord Vishnu

in all His splendour; That world-famous town is Puttapuram or Puttaparthi with

its fresh water tank built by Chikkavadiyar; Standing as an ever lasting

monument to the glory of Bukkaraya.” (Telugu poem) --- From

the book “His Story: As told by Himself” (A Compilation from the divine

discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba) --- Please find the

attached word file which has the complete collection of His Story.

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