SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM - I

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Sai Baba [both incarnations – Sri Sai Satcharita and Sathyam Sivam Sundaram]

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Om Sri Sai Ram

SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM

The Life Stories of the Two Avatars of the Age - I

PRAYER

SHREE GANESH VANDANA SHASHI VARNAM CHATURBHUJAM

PRASANNA VADANAM DHYAYETH SARVA VIGHNOPA SHANTAYE

AGAJANANA PADMASANAM GAJANANA MAHIRSHAM

ANEKA DANTAM EKA DANTAM UPASMAYEM BHAKTANAM

Mushikavaahana Modaka Hastha,

Chaamara Karna Vilambitha Sutra,

Vaamana Rupa Maheshwara Putra,

Vighna Vianayaka Paada Namasthe

GANESHA GAYATHRI

Thath Purushaya Vidhmahe

Vakrathundaaya Dheemahee

Danno Ganesha Prachothayad

Sainatha Sainatha Sainatha Sadgurum

Yogiraja Yugapurusha Bhaktakoti Vanditham

Kripanidhim Tapodhanim Sainatha Pahimaam

Divyateja Bhavyamoorthi Punyacharita Poojitam

Total Surrender

Baba has carved a golden path to blessedness for humanity; a sublime culture

which is a sure path to blessedness. He has planted the banner of Truth, the

banner of Divine Peace and Universal Love, the banner of Righteousness and True

Dharma.

When mind and body are offered at the Lotus Feet of the beloved Sadguru Sai they

are purified. With body attired in His identity, in His proud uniform and with

mind rolling at His Holy Feet, the Divine controls both mind and body. The mind

remains dyed with the Nectar of the Divine Name and the body performs only pure

and heroic deeds.

This in itself is indicative of a total surrender, a total sacrifice as the

first and the foremost essential prerequisite for earning and attaining His

Grace Eternal. We have to offer our head at His Holy Feet. Thereafter, with

headless (egoless) existence, having died while living, be blessed with Nectar

of Immortality from the Holy Hands of our beloved Divine Sadguru, Father and

Mother Sai.

OUR BELOVED LORD,

Hands that reach to touch Your Feet, You turn them toward work for the world;

Eyes that gaze and yearn to simply soak up for Your Darshan, You turn them

toward files filled with ways of serving others;

Ears that want only to listen to You sing, You fill them with instructions on

how to complete the projects for the poor;

Mouths that want only to say, "We love You", You give us mantras to chant

ceaselessly, endlessly, only God’s name;

Minds that want only to think about You, You fill them to overflow with lists

and tasks and jobs to benefit others;

Hearts filled with nothing other than love for You, "Let it beat only for God," You say;

Wallets that want to empty themselves into Your hands, You turn them away, accepting nothing;

Bodies which want nothing more than to serve You day and night, You put them to

use in the service of the poor, the sick and the children;

Lives that want to lay themselves down at Your Holy Feet, "Use it in the service

of the world," You say.

What is there then for us to give You?

The birds sing a new song, written freshly just for You each morning.

The flowers open their petals at first glimpse of Your Darshan,

Unveiling their splendor first unto You.

The sun shines through the trees, dancing off the leaves, landing gently on Your face.

All Holy rivers on earth flow to wash Your feet…closer and closer they moves to where You stand.

The knowledge of the universe is stored in a treasure chest; the key rests softly in Your hands.

The ocean of wisdom is but a pool for You to swim in.

The world is unfolding as a drama, written by You, for You, known only to You.

What is there then for us to give You?

FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS, WE THANK YOU FOR TAKING BIRTH AND BLESSING US

WITH YOUR DIVINE PRESENCE

MAY WE BE FOREVER BLESSED WITH THE SHELTER OF YOUR HOLY FEET

PLEASE ACCEPT DEEPEST PRANAMS FROM ALL OF US AROUND THE GLOBE

*****

ELEVEN DECLARATIONS OF SAI BABA

1. Whoever puts his feet on Shirdi soil, his sufferings would come to an end.

2. The wretched and miserable would rise into plenty of joy and happiness, as

soon as they climb the steps of my Samadhi.

3. I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.

4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees.

5. I shall be active and vigorous even from the tomb.

6. My mortal remains would speak from the tomb.

7. I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me

and who seek refuge in me.

8. If you look to me, I look to you.

9. If you cast your burden on me, I shall surely bear it.

10. If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at once.

11. There shall be no want in the house of my devotees.

SHRI SAI SATCHARITA

By Hemadpant

CHAPTER I

Salutations -- The Story of Grinding Wheat and Its Philosophical Significance

According to the ancient and revered custom, Hemadpant begins the work, Sai

Satcharita, with various salutations.

First, he makes obeisance to the God Ganesha to remove all obstacles and make

the work a success and says that Shri Sai is the God Ganesha.

Then, to the Goddess Saraswathi to inspire him to write out the work and says

that Shri Sai is one with this Goddess and that He is Himself singing His own

life.

Then, to the Gods; Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar - the Creating, Preserving and

Destroying Deities respectively; and says that Sainath is one with them and He

as the great Teacher, will carry us across the River of Worldly Existence.

Then, to his tutelary Deity Narayan Adinath who manifested himself in Konkan -

the land reclaimed by Parashurama, (Rama in the Hindi version) from the sea;

and to the Adi (Original) Purusha of the family.

Then, to the Bharadwaja Muni, into whose gotra (clan) he was born and also to

various Rishis, Yagyavalakya, Bhrigu, Parashara, Narad, Veda Vyasa, Sanak,

Sanandan, Sanatkumar, Shuka, Shounak, Vishwamitra, Vasistha, Valmiki, Vamadeva,

Jaimini, Vaishampayan, Nava Yogindra etc, and also modern Saints such as

Nivritti, Jnanadev, Sopan, Muktabai, Janardan, Ekanath, Namdev, Tukaram, Kanha,

and Narahari etc.

Then, to his grandfather Sadashiv, father Raghunath, his mother, who left him in

his infancy, to his paternal aunt, who brought him up, and to his loving elder

brother.

Then, to the readers and prays them to give their whole and undivided attention to his work.

And lastly, to his Guru Shri Sainath - an Incarnation of Shri Dattatreya, Who is

his sole Refuge and Who will make him realize that Brahman is the Reality and

the world an illusion; and incidentally, to all the Beings in whom the Lord God

dwells.

After describing in brief the various modes of devotion according to Parashara,

Vyasa and Shandilya etc., the author goes on to relate the following story:

"It was sometime after 1910 AD that I went, one fine morning, to the Masjid in

Shirdi for getting a Darshan of Sai Baba. I was wonder-struck to see the

following phenomenon. After washing His mouth and face, Sai Baba began to make

preparations for grinding wheat. He spread a sack on the floor; and thereon set

a hand-mill. He took some quantity of wheat in a winnowing fan, and then drawing

up the sleeves of His Kafni (robe); and taking hold of the peg of the hand-mill,

started grinding the wheat by putting a few handfuls of wheat in the upper

opening of the mill and rotated it. I thought ‘What business Baba had with the

grinding of wheat, when He possessed nothing and stored nothing, and as He

lived on alms!’ Some people who had come there thought likewise, but none had

the courage to ask Baba what He was doing. Immediately, this news of

Baba's grinding wheat spread into the village, and at once men and women ran to

the Masjid and flocked there to see Baba's act. Four bold women, from the

crowd, forced their way up and pushing Baba aside, took forcibly the peg or

handle into their hands, and, singing Baba's Leelas, started grinding. At first

Baba was enraged, but on seeing the women's love and devotion, He was much

pleased and began to smile. While they were grinding, they began to think that

Baba had no house, no property, no children, none to look after, and He lived

on alms, He did not require any wheat-flour for making bread or roti, what will

He do with this big quantity of flour? Perhaps as Baba is very kind, He will

distribute the flour amongst us. Thinking in this way while singing, they

finished the grinding and after putting the hand-mill aside, they divided the

flour into four portions and began to remove them one per head. Baba, Who was

calm and quiet up till now, got wild and started abusing them

saying, "Ladies, are you gone mad? Whose father's property are you looting away?

Have I borrowed any wheat from you, so that you can safely take the flour? Now

please do this. Take the flour and throw it on the village border limits." On

hearing this, the women felt abashed and whispering amongst themselves, went

away to the outskirts of the village and spread the flour as directed by Baba.

I asked the Shirdi people - "What was this that Baba did?" They replied that as

the Cholera Epidemic was spreading in the village and this was Baba's remedy

against the same; it was not wheat that was ground but the Cholera itself was

ground to pieces and pushed out of the village. From this time onward, the

Cholera Epidemic subsided and the people of the village were happy. I was much

pleased to know all this; but at the same time my curiosity was also aroused. I

began to ask myself - What earthly connection was there between wheat flour and

Cholera? What was the casual relation between the two and how to reconcile

them? The incident seems to be inexplicable. I should write something on this

and sing to my heart's content Baba's sweet Leelas. Thinking in this way about

this Leela, my heart was filled with joy and I was thus inspired to

write Baba's Life - The Satcharita.

And as we know, with Baba's grace and blessing this work was successfully accomplished.

Philosophical Significance of Grinding

Apart from the meaning which the people of Shirdi put on this incident of

grinding wheat, there is, we think, a philosophical significance too. Sai Baba

lived in Shirdi for about sixty years and during this long period, He did the

business of grinding almost every day - not, however, the wheat alone; but the

sins, the mental and physical afflictions and the miseries of His innumerable

devotees. The two stones of His mill consisted of Karma and Bhakti, the former

being the lower and the latter the upper one. The handle with which Baba worked

the mill consisted of Jnana. It was the firm conviction of Baba that Knowledge

or Self-realization is not possible, unless there is the prior act of grinding

of all our impulses, desires, sins; and of the three gunas, viz. Sattva, Raja

and Tama; and the Ahamkara, which is so subtle and therefore so

difficult to be got rid of.

This reminds us of a similar story of Kabir who seeing a woman grinding corn

said to his Guru, Nipathiranjana, "I am weeping because I feel the agony of

being crushed in this wheel of worldly existence like the corn in the

hand-mill." Nipathiranjana replied, "Do not be afraid; hold fast to the handle

of knowledge of this mill, as I do, and do not wander far away from the same

but turn inward to the Centre, and you are sure to be saved."

Bow to Shri Sai -- Peace be to all

*****

SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM - Part I

The Life of the Divine Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai BabaWritten by N. Kasturi M.A., B.L.

He is the sub-stratum, the substance; the separate and the sum, the Sath; the

SATHYAMHe is the awareness, the activity, the consciousness, feeling, the

willing and the doing, the Chith; the SIVAMHe is the light, the splendor, the

harmony, the melody, the Ananda; the SUNDARAM

Words of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba taken from this Biography

"MY MISSION is to grant you Courage and Joy, to drive away Weakness and Fear. Do

not condemn yourselves as sinners; sin is a misnomer for what are really errors,

provided you repent sincerely and resolve not to follow Evil again. Pray to the

Lord to give you the strength to overcome the habits which had enticed you when

you were ignorant."

"Worry, greed and needless agitation and anxiety, these cause even bodily

disease. Mental weakness is the biggest cause of disease. Dis-ease is a want of

ease; the contented mind is the best drug."

"Be good, be joyful, be bold, be honest, be temperate, be patient. These are the

rules of good health."

"I refuse to call anyone an atheist or an unbeliever, for all is the Creations

of the Lord and repositories of the Grace. In everyone's heart there is a

spring of Love, a rock of Truth. That Love is God, that Truth is God. Divinity

is there in the depths of everyone's Inner Being."

"The Lord is above and beyond all limits of caste and color, of wealth and

poverty; it is foolish to believe that the Lord asks for this gift or is angry

when it is not offered."

"I have come to guide and bless those who undergo the discipline and practice

leading to Divine union. I am neither man nor woman, old or young, I am all

these."

"Do not praise Me. I like you to approach Me without fear, as a right. You do

not extol your father. You ask for something from him, as a right, is that not

so?"

"You may be seeing Me today for the first time, but you are all old

acquaintances for Me. I know you through and through. My task is the spiritual

regeneration of Humanity through Truth and Love. If you approach one step

nearer to Me, I shall advance three steps towards you."

"I am happiest when a person carrying a heavy load of misery comes to Me, for he

is most in need of what I have."

"It is not mentioned anywhere that the Grace of God is available only for

certain classes or races or grades of people. From the smallest to the biggest

all are entitled to it. The Lord is everywhere, everything."

"The world can achieve prosperity and peace only through such persons whose

hearts are pure and whose minds are free of prejudice and passion, lust and

greed, anger and envy."

"I have not started the work for which I have come for I am still in the stage

of preliminary reconnaissance. When I start my campaign the whole world will

know of it and benefit by it."

"Whensoever there is the fading of the Dharma and the uprising of

unrighteousness, then I loose myself forth into birth. For the deliverance of

the good, for the destruction of the evil-doers, for the enthroning of the

Right, I am born from age to age."

The Gita - Fourth Chapter (Verses 7&8)

These verses in the Bhagavad Gita of Order, Sanskrit, word for word and translation:

yadâ yadâ hi dharmasyaglânir bhavati bhârata abhyutthânam adharmasya tadâtmânam srjâmy aham

yadâ yadâ -- whenever and wherever;

hi -- certainly;

dharmasya -- of religion;

glânih -- discrepancies;

bhavati -- become manifested;

bhârata -- O descendant of Bharata;

abhyutthânam -- predominance;

adharmasya -- of irreligion;

tadâ -- at that time;

âtmânam -- self;

srjâmi -- manifest;

aham -- I.

Meaning: Whenever and wherever it is sure that one weakens in righteousness and

a predominance of injustice does manifest, o descendant of Bharata, at that

time I do manifest Myself.

paritrânâya sâdhûnâm

vinâsâya ca duskrtâm

dharma-samsthâpanârthâya sambhavâmi yuge yuge

paritrânâya -- for the deliverance;

sâdhûnâm -- of the devotees;

vinâsâya -- for the annihilation;

ca -- and;

duskrtâm -- of the miscreants;

dharma -- principles of religion;

samsthâpana-arthâya -- to reestablish;

sambhavâmi -- I do appear; yuge -- millennium;

yuge -- after millennium.

 

Meaning: To liberate the seekers of truth, to take the power away from the

wicked ones and to reestablish the way of the human principles I do appear age

after age.

The Author Writes

I was born in an obscure village in North Travancore when the nineteenth century

had still three years and a few days to run. I had my schooling in the Cochin

State under a great Headmaster who had met Swami Vivekananda and who lit in our

little lamps the flame of prayer and contrition. I attended College at

Trivandrum and, after finishing my M.A. and B.L., I secured a job as Lecturer

in History at a college in Mysore.

The country boat, in which I, my wife and my mother journeyed along the canals

and backwaters of the West Coast on the first lap of the trip to catch the

train at Ernakulam, was halted past midnight in the middle of a dark backwater

by a Coast Guard, who shouted orders from the shore. He called out in the black

night, "Where are you going?" and waited for an answer. My boatman had a fine

sense of humor. He shouted back, "We are going to Mysore!" (We all knew

10pt">Mysore was inland!) The Coast Guard did not reprimand him for his

impertinence, for he, too, was in a humorous mood. He laughed and asked, "Why

do you say Mysore? Don't you know a place beyond Mysore?"

Little did we know then, that there was a place beyond Mysore, a couple of

hundred miles to the north of that City, a place called Puttaparthy which was

to provide us harborage from the turbulent storms of the sea. There I was to

get the Teacher I wanted, when my career as a university teacher and principal

was about to come to a close.

Yogi Suddhananda Bharathi, the famous mystic poet of Tamilnadu, said, in April

1959 when addressing a religious conference at Venkatagiri Town over which Sri

Sathya Sai Baba presided, "I have practiced Yoga for over 50 years; I once

observed the vow of silence continuously for over 20 years; I have come in

contact with Sri Shirdi Baba, Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Meher

Baba and others; now, as a result of all this discipline, I have met Sri Sathya

Sai Baba."

I served as the Secretary of the Sri Ramakrishna Mission at Mysore for over

seventeen years; I came in contact with Sri Siddharooda Swami, Sri Ramana

Maharshi, Sri Meher Baba and Sri Narayana Guru; I was initiated into Japam, the

recitation of the Name of the Lord, by Mahapurushji, the direct disciple of Sri

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, and President of the Mission; and I am now convinced

that, as a result of all this, I sat at the Feet of Sri Sathya Sai Baba in

1948.

After I retired from the service of the University of Mysore, I have since

rejoiced in Baba's Presence, except for a short period when I worked with All

India Radio as a producer. I have had the good fortune of mingling with many of

His devotees who have had longer and closer associations with Him. I have

availed myself of every opportunity of witnessing events illustrating His

Divine Power and listening to His discourses. I trust this book will reveal to

the reader some of the reasons for the extraordinarily intimate loyalty that

binds me and others to Him. Baba is an open book, with no mystery or pomp or

abstruseness about Him. Everyone can approach Him and secure His Grace.

I have great sympathy for those who are unaware of Baba's stature, for I, too,

demurred, doubted, and disbelieved Baba's validity with all the sarcasm and

satire found in the novels, dramas, and essays which I wrote and published on

various subjects. For many years I, too, in my stupid pride, did not make any

effort to meet Him. I invite everyone now, to come and share His Grace and

Mercy and stand witness to the Divine Power that He personifies.

N. Kasturi

THE WONDERMENT OF SAI BABA

This is the story of the Lord, come in human form. He was born at sunrise on November 23, 1926

mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">, in a quiet little

village called Puttaparthy in Southern India. Puttaparthy

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 cowherds. 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 Puttaparthy 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.

Strangely enough, Bhagawan 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

green; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">'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 Puttaparthy! The bastion of the old Fort, which still

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

Puttaparthy'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), Puttaparthy 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. Puttaparthy was the cradle of poets and scholars as

well as heroes and philanthropists.

The Raju family to which Bhagawan 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 Sathyabhama, 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 Sathyabhama, 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 "Sathyabhama 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! Sathyabhama 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.

Kondama Raju lived out his hundred and ten years of earthly existence in the

contemplation of the Lord. He was a master of music and the histrionic art. He

knew by heart the Lepakshi version of the entire Ramayana, the Great Epic poem

in Sanskrit about Rama. This version was a series of songs composed by a poet

from the City of Lepakshi. They depicted the incidents in dramatic imagery and

artistic luxuriance. Kondama Raju played the role of Lakshmana; the devoted

brother of Rama, in all the Ramayana plays enacted at Puttaparthy and other

villages.

Requests for him to play this role were received even from far-off places. His

depiction of the steadfast devotion and unquestioning dedication of Lakshmana

touched the hearts of all who witnessed his performance. He appeared hundreds

of times on many stages until age prevented him from further repetition of the

role. He was a strict vegetarian, prone to observe the holy vows of the Hindu

calendar. His cottage, a short distance from his sons and grandchildren, was a

veritable abode of holy homage. He took delight in gathering around his cot the

children of his sons and relating to them the tales of Gods and God-men. The

children loved to be with him, for he made every character and adventure live

before their eager eyes through the enchantment of song and drama.

We can be certain that among those children it was his grandson Sathyanarayana

(the birth name of Sathya Sai Baba) who was his favorite, for the little boy

could sing in a charming musical voice and could give even the venerable old

gentleman a lesson or two in the art of drama!

There was another reason why Kondama Raju exhibited special affection for

Sathyanarayana. The little boy disliked non-vegetarian food and would not stay

even in the neighborhood when such dishes were being prepared. At the tender

age of seven, he was also a remarkably good cook! He was so intelligent and

resourceful that he was able to prepare the tastiest dishes from the meager

larder of his grandfather's cottage. All this he did most willingly and very

quickly! (Sai Baba says that He would go into the kitchen of the old man and

complete the cooking - rice, curries, chutney and all - in much less time than

was needed by the mother, even when she had her daughters helping her to finish

her cooking assignment at her own place!)

In his later days Sri Kondama Raju was visited by all the devotees who came to

seek the blessings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, and when the revered old man

struggled to stand erect to accept their homage, one could see a twinkle of

joyful gratitude in his eyes that the Lord had taken birth in his family. He

lived until 1950 and passed away peacefully singing to himself aloud stanzas

from the Ramayana. Truly a life worthy to be recorded in the annals of saints.

Sri Kondama Raju's wife, Sri Lakshamma, had died about twenty years earlier. Her

life was regulated by the religious calendar with its rotation of Holy Fasts,

Vows, and Vigils. She observed these very punctiliously, despite the worry,

expense, and inconvenience. Her aim was only to become worthy of the blessings

of the Divine Forces which the scriptures promised in return for the regimen.

Sri Kondama Raju had two sons named after the sage Venkavadhootha. They were

called Pedda Venkapa Raju and Chinna Venkapa Raju. They inherited their

father's musical, literary, and dramatic capabilities, as well as his piety and

simplicity. Of the two brothers, the younger was gifted with a greater variety

of skills, which covered the fields of literary composition and the preparation

of drugs and talismans with the aid of traditional formulas.

His parents took once Pedda Venkapa Raju to a village named Kolimigundla, in the

Kurnool District, where they had some lands, which had been given on long lease.

While enroute, and as they were entering the Parlepalli Forest, some good men

warned them to take a strong protective escort, because two days prior a family

of six had been murdered in the forest by robbers and assassins.

The visit was primarily intended to acquaint Pedda Venkapa with the area and the

tenants, but his father had a second aim in mind. He desired to bring his

distant relatives, Subba Raju and family, nearer to Puttaparthy where they

would be safe from the danger they faced daily as they went to earn their

living near the forest. In order to persuade Subba Raju to move to a village on

the bank of the river Chitravathi, opposite Puttaparthy, it was necessary for

Kondama Raju to offer him a substantial "bribe!" This was nothing less than the

"acceptance" of Subba Raju's daughter, Easwaramma, as bride for Kondama Raju's

elder son, Pedda Venkapa. Thus came about the auspicious marriage of Pedda

Venkapa to Easwaramma.

This divinely inspired union was blessed with a son, Seshama Raju, and two

daughters, Venkamma and Parvatamma. Some years passed and Easwaramma longed for

another son. She prayed to the village gods and observed Satyanarayana Puja, a

special vow to win the favor of the Lord, in the Name and Form of

Satyanarayana, and she faithfully kept a number of other rigorous vows which

required vigil and abstentions from food.

CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

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