Sathyam Sivam Sundaram - Part I

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the story of the Lord, come in human form. He was born at sunrise on November

23, 1926, in a quiet little village called Puttaparthi in Southern India.

Puttaparthi has carved a niche for itself in the hearts of the people of the

area because of the inspiring legends that sanctify its memory and surround its

name. Putta is the native word for "an anthill in which a snake has taken up its

abode," and Parthi means "multiplier." These words are part of an exciting

legend that explains the origin of this place-name. Long, long ago the village

was known as Gollapalli or "Home of the Cowherds," a designation reminiscent of

the playful boyhood of Krishna, the Cowherd Lord. Gollapalli was a place

redolent with

the music of the flute and the laughter of the cowherdesses. It was the abode of

prosperous cowherds, for, the cattle of this place where sleek and strong. The

cows yielded copious quantities of milk, thick and sweet beyond compare; every

home was rich in butter and ghee. However, one day a cowherd noticed that his

favorite cow had no milk in her udder when she returned from the grazing

grounds on the hills. He became determined to find the solution to this mystery

by watching the cow's movements. Later, hiding himself from view, the cowherd

observed the following astonishing behavior. The cow, leaving her calf to

wander about with her sisters, walked out of the shed and proceeded in a

beeline to an anthill on the outskirts of the village. The cowherd followed her

to this rendezvous, only to witness an even more astounding spectacle. A cobra

issued forth from the mound, raised itself on its tail, applied its lips gently

to the cow's teats, and gleefully drank all the milk! The

cowherd, enraged at the loss to which he was subjected by this wily trick,

lifted a large stone over his head and, taking good aim, heaved it directly on

the cobra. Writhing in pain, the serpent threw an angry curse on all the

cowherds of the village; the cobra's last words foretold that the place would

be full of anthills which would multiply endlessly and become the homes of

snakes. And so indeed it happened! The cattle declined in health and in

numbers; they could no longer be raised successfully at Gollapalli. Anthills

spread all over the place and the name was soon changed to Valmikipura, meaning

"anthill city" in Sanskrit. This gave some satisfaction to the elders of the

village since

Valmiki is none other than the immortal poet and saint who wrote and sang the

great epic poem of Sri Rama and showed mankind the Path to Perfection. The

"anthill city" is called Puttaparthi in common parlance. The villagers still

show, as proof of this tragic legend, the very stone, thick and round, with a

slight jam on one side, which the enraged cowherd aimed at the wonder-snake.

The stone has a long reddish streak which is pointed out as the mark of the

cobra's blood. This stone became an object of worship, probably in an effort to

avert the curse and help the cattle to prosper. It is looked upon as a symbol of

the Lord of the Cowherds, Krishna. The village chieftains built a temple where

this stone is installed, and generations of men and women have reverentially

bowed before it.

Style'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> Strangely enough, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai

Baba revealed a feature of the stone some years ago. He directed some people to

wash the stone and to smear sandal paste on the jammed side. When this was done,

they could discern the clear outline of a sculptured picture of Krishna leaning

on a cow, with the captivating flute at his lips. Local rustics swear that they

can hear the melody of Krishna's Breath passing through the straight and hollow

reed in the sculpture. From that day the curse lost its evil power and cattle

began to thrive once more at Puttaparthi! The bastion of the old Fort, which

still raises its hoary head in the eastern part of the village, is evidence of

Puttaparthi's mastery over the surrounding area and the power and majesty of

the

chieftains of the place. "With the Chitravathi River descending the gorges and

flowing as a moat on one side, set like a green gem in a ring of hills, with

temple bells pealing on all the eminences around, enriched by the reservoir

built by King Chikkaraya, adjacent to the town that bears the name of Bukka

(the far-famed Emperor of the City of Vijayanagara), Puttaparthi is the abode

of the Goddess of Fortune and the Goddess of Eloquence." Such is the eulogy

showered on this place by an anonymous poet of the past. Puttaparthi was the

cradle of poets and scholars as well as heroes and philanthropists.

'Bookman Old Style'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> The Raju family to which

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba belongs was noted for its piety since the days of

the renowned sage Venkavadhootha. Not only did the Rajus build and endow

Gopalaswami Temple, but the devout Sri Ratnakaram Kondama Raju, grandfather of

Sathya Sai Baba, dedicated a temple to Satyabhama, a consort of Lord Krishna.

This homage is seldom offered in any part of India to such a deity. Kondama

Raju used to say in explanation of this unusual tribute to Satyabhama, that he

was inspired to erect the temple because of the events that occurred during a

strange dream. Tears of joy would run down the wrinkled cheeks of this

centenarian, Sri Kondama Raju, whenever he recollected that enthralling dream

experience. In his dream Kondama Raju saw "Satyabhama alone, expectant, and

forlorn, waiting anxiously for her Lord who had gone on an errand to bring to

her from Paradise the much coveted Parijatha flowers. The minutes increased to

hours and the hours to days, but still there was no sign of Krishna! Satyabhama

broke into tears. There ensued a raging storm bringing thunder, lightning, and a

heavy downpour of rain. Fortunately her eyes fell on Kondama Raju who was

passing near the place where she stood. She asked him to provide some shelter."

This dream led to his determination to build a temple for the Consort of the

Lord. (The Wonderment of Sai Baba To be Continued...) SaiRam