SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM [31-32]

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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 – [31-32]

SHRI SAI SATCHARITA

The Life of the Divine Avatar Sai Baba of Shirdi

By Hemadpant

CHAPTER XXXI

The Passing Away In Baba's Presence of - (1) Sanyasi Vijayanand - (2) Balaram

Mankar - (3) Noolkar - (4) Megha - and (5) The Tiger

In this Chapter Hemadpant describes the passing away of certain persons and a

tiger in Baba's presence.

PRELIMINARY

The last wish or thought that a man has at the hour of death, determines his

future course. Shri Krishna has said in Gita (VIII-5-6) that "he who remembers

Me in his last moments, comes verily to Me, and he that meditates otherwise at

that time goes to what he looks for." We cannot be certain that we can

entertain a particular good thought at our last moment, for, more often than

not, we are more likely to be frightened and terrified by many causes. Hence

constant practice is necessary for enabling us to fix our mind on any desired

good thought at any or the last moment. All Saints, therefore, recommended us

to always remember God and chant His name always, so that we may not be puzzled

when the time for departure comes. The devotees on their part surrender

themselves completely to the

Saints, fully believing that the all-knowing Saints would guide and help them in

their last moments. A few such cases will be noted here.

(1) VIJAYANAND

A Madrasi Sanyasi named Vijayanand started on a pilgrimage to Manasa-Sarovar. En

route, hearing Baba's fame, he halted at Shirdi. There he met one Somadevaji

Swami of Hardwar and enquired of him about the particulars of the

Manasa-Sarovar trip. The Swami told him that the Sarovar was 500 miles above

the Gangotri and described to him the difficulties of the journey, viz. plenty

of snow and the change of dialect every 50 koss and the suspicious nature of

the people of Bhutan who give a lost of trouble to the pilgrims on the way.

Hearing this, the Sanyasi was

dejected and cancelled the trip. Then when he went to Baba and prostrated

himself before Him, Baba got enraged and said, "Drive out this useless Sanyasi,

his company is of no use". The Sanyasi did not know Baba's nature. He felt

discomforted, but sat there watching things that were going on. It was the

morning Darbar and the Masjid was overcrowded. Baba was being worshipped in

various ways. Some were washing His Feet, some taking the Tirth (holy water)

from His toe and drinking it heartily and some touching their eyes with it,

some were applying sandal-paste, and some scents to His body. And all were

doing these things forgetting the distinction of caste and creed. Though Baba

got enraged with him, he was filled with affection for Baba and he did not like

to leave the place.

He stayed in Shirdi for two days when he got a letter from Madras stating that

his mother was very ill. He felt very dejected and wanted to be by his mother's

side; but he could not leave without Baba's permission. So he saw Baba with the

letter in hand and asked for His permission to return home. The omniscient Baba

knowing the future said to him - "If you so loved your mother, why did you take

Sannayasa? Fondness or attachment ill becomes an ochre garb. Go and sit quiet

at your lodging, wait with patience for a few days. In the Wada there are many

robbers,

bolt your doors, be very vigilant, the thieves will carry everything. Wealth and

prosperity are transient and the body is subject to decay and death. Knowing

this, do your duty, leaving all attachment to the things of this world and

next. He who does this and surrenders himself to the Feet of Hari (Lord) will

get free from all troubles and attain bliss. The Lord runs and helps him who

remembers and meditates on Him with love and affection. Your store of past

merits is considerable, so you have come here. Now attend to what I say and

realise the end of your life. Being desireless, begin from tomorrow the study

of Bhagwat. Do three 'saptahas' i.e. three reading during three weeks,

conscientiously. The Lord will be pleased with you and destroy your sorrows,

your illusions will vanish and you will get peace." Seeing that his end was

approaching, Baba prescribed that remedy and made him read 'Ramavijaya' which

pleases the God of death. Next morning after bathing and other purifying rites

he commenced to read Bhagwat in a secluded part in the Lendi garden. He

completed two readings and thereafter felt much exhausted. He returned to the

Wada and stayed in his lodging for two days and on the third day he breathed

his last on Fakir (Bade) Baba's lap. Baba asked the people to preserve the body

for a day for a good reason. The police afterwards came and on making proper

enquiries gave permission for the disposal of the body. It was buried in a

proper place with due rites. In this way Baba helped the Sanyasi and ensured

him Sadgati (salvation).

(2) BALARAM MANKAR

There was a house-holder devotee of Baba by name Balaram Mankar. When his wife

passed away, he got dejected and entrusting his household to his son, left his

home and came to Shirdi and lived with Baba. Being pleased with his devotion,

Baba wanted to give a good turn to his life and He did this in this wise. He

gave him Rs. 12/- and asked him to go and live in Macchindragad (District

Satara). Mankar was first unwilling to go and stay away from Baba, but Baba

convinced him that he was giving the best course for him and asked him to

practice mediation thrice a day on the Gad. Believing in Baba's words, Mankar

came to the Gad. He was much pleased with the lovely sight, pure water, healthy

air and the surroundings of the place, and began to practice assiduously the

meditations as recommended

by Baba. After some days he got a revelation. Generally Bhaktas get revelation

in their Samadhi or trance states, but in Mankar's case he got it, when he came

down to his ordinary consciousness from his trance. Baba appeared to him in

person. Not only that Mankar saw Him, but he also asked Him why he was sent

there. Baba replied - "In Shirdi many thoughts and ideas began to rise in your

mind and I sent you here to rest your unsteady mind. You thought that I was in

Shirdi with a body composed of the five elements and three and a half cubits in

length, and not outside of it. Now you see and determine for yourself whether

the person you see here now is the same you saw at Shirdi. It is for this

reason that I sent you here." Then after the period was over, Mankar left the

Gada and proceeded to his native place Bandra. He wanted to travel by rail from

 

10pt">Poona to Dadar, but when he went to the booking office to get a ticket, he

found it very much crowded. He could not get his ticket soon, when, a villager

with a langoti (piece of cloth) on his waist and kambali on his shoulder turned

up and said - "Where is your going?To Dadar." replied Mankar. Then he said -

"Please take this Dadar ticket of mine; as I have some urgent business here, I

have cancelled my Dadar trip." Mankar was very glad to receive the ticket and

was just taking out money from his pocket, when the rustic disappeared in the

crowd. Mankar tried to find him out in the crowd, but it was in vain. He waited

for him till the train left the station but found no trace of him. This was the

second revelation Mankar got in a strange form. Then Mankar after visiting his

home, again returned to Shirdi and remained there at Baba's feet, always

following His

biddings and advice. In the end, he was very fortunate to leave this world in

the presence, and with the blessings of Baba.

(3) TATYASAHEB NOOLKAR

Hemadpant gives no particulars regarding Tatyasaheb Noolkar, except the bare

mention of the fact that he up his ghost in Shirdi. A brief summary of his

account that appeared in the Sai Leela magazine is given here.

Tatyasaheb was a Sub-Judge at Pandharpur in 1909, when Nanasaheb Chandorkar was

Mamalatdar there. Both met often and exchanged talks. Tatyasaheb did not

believe in saints, while Nanasaheb loved them. Nanasaheb often told him the

Leelas of Sai Baba and pressed him to go to Shirdi and see Baba. He finally

agreed to go to Shirdi on two conditions:- (1) he must get a Brahmin cook, and

(2) must get good Nagpur oranges for the presentation. Both these conditions

were providentially fulfilled. A Brahmin came to Nanasaheb for service and he

was sent to Tatyasaheb and a fruit parcel containing 100 beautiful oranges was

received by Tatyasaheb, the consigner being not known. As the conditions were

fulfilled, Tatyasaheb had to go to Shirdi. At first Baba was much enraged with

him. But by and by Tatyasaheb got such experiences that he was convinced that

Baba was God incarnate. So he was enamoured of Baba and stayed there till his

death. As his end was approaching, sacred literature was read out to him and at

the last hour Baba's Pada-tirth was brought and given to him for drinking. Baba

on hearing of his death, said, "Oh, Tatya went ahead of us, he won't be

reborn."

(4) MEGHA

The story of Megha has been already described in Chapter 28. When Megha died,

all the villagers followed the funeral procession. Baba also accompanied them

and showered flowers on Megha's body. After the obsequies were performed, tears

flowed from Baba's eyes and like an ordinary mortal, Baba showed Himself

overcome with grief and sorrow. Then covering the body with flowers and crying

like a near relation, Baba returned to the Masjid.

Many Saints have been seen giving Sadgati to men, but Baba's greatness is

unique. Even a cruel animal like a tiger came to Baba's feet for being saved.

It is this story which will be narrated now.

(5) TIGER

Seven days before Baba passed away, a wonderful incident occurred at Shirdi.

There came a country-cart and stopped in front of the Masjid. A tiger was on

the cart, fastened with iron chains, with its fierce face turned to the rear.

It was suffering from some pain or agony. Its keepers - three Derveshis - were

taking it from place to place and making money by exhibiting it. It was the

means of their subsistence. They tried all sorts of remedies to cure it from

the malady it was suffering from, but all was in vain. Then they heard of

Baba's fame and came to Him with the animal. They got it down the chains in

their hands and made it stand at the door. It was naturally fierce, besides,

disease ridden. So it was restless. The people began to look at it with fear

and amazement. The Derveshies

went in, told Baba everything about the animal and with His consent, brought it

before Him. As it approached the steps, it was taken aback on account of the

lustre of Baba and hung its head down. When both saw each other, it got on the

step and looked at Baba with affection. Immediately it moved the tuft of its

tail and dashed it thrice against the ground and then fell down senseless. On

seeing it dead the Derveshis were first much dejected and full of sorrow, but

on mature thought they came to their senses. They considered that as the animal

was diseased and nearing its end, it was very meritorious on its part that it

should meet its death at the feet and in the presence of Baba. It was their

debtor, and when the debt was paid off it was free and met its end at Sai's

Feet. When any creatures bow down their heads at saints' feet and meet death,

they are saved; and unless they have got a good store of merit on their

account, How could they get such a happy end?

BOW TO SHRI SAI - PEACE BE TO ALL

CHAPTER XXXII

In Quest of Guru and God - Fasting Disapproved

In this Chapter Hemadpant describes two things:- (1) How Baba met His Guru in

the woods, and through him God; and (2) How Baba made one Mrs. Ghokhale, who

had made up her mind to fast for three days, eat Puran-Polis.

PRELIMINARY

In the beginning, Hemadpant describes the samsara (visible world) by the

allegory of Ashvattha (Banyan) tree which has, in the phraseology of the Geeta,

roots above and branches below. Its branches are spread downwards and upwards

and are nourished by the Gunas (qualities), and its sprouts are the objects of

the senses. Its roots, leading to actions, are extended downwards to this world

of men. Its form cannot be known in this world, or its end, its beginning or its

support. Cutting this Ashvattha tree of strong roots with the sharp weapon of

non-attachment; one should seek the path beyond, treading which there is no

return.

For traversing this path, the help of a good guide (Guru) is absolutely

necessary. However learned a man may be, or however deep his study of Vedas and

Vedangas (sacred literature) may be, he cannot go to his destination safely. If

the guide be there to help him and show him the right way, he would avoid the

pitfalls and the wild beasts on the journey, and everything will be

smooth-sailing.

Baba's experience in this matter, the story which He gave out Himself, is really

wonderful, which, when attended to, will give you faith, devotion and salvation.

 

THE QUEST

Once four of us were studying religious scriptures and other books and, being

thus enlightened, we began to discuss the nature of the Brahman. One of us said

that we should raise the self by the Self and not depend on others. To this the

second replied that he who controls his mind is blessed; we should be free from

thoughts and ideas and there is nothing in the world without us. The third said

that the world (phenomenon) is always changing, the formless is eternal; so we

should discriminate between the Unreal and the Real. And the fourth (Baba

Himself) urged that bookish knowledge is worthless and added, "Let us do our

prescribed duty and surrender our body, mind and five pranas (life) to the

Guru's feet. Guru is God, all pervading. To get this conviction, strong

unbounded faith is

necessary."

Discussing in this wise, we four learned men began to ramble through the woods

in the quest of God. The three wanted to make the quest with their free and

unaided intellect. On the way a Vanjari (a man who trades in certain things,

such as grain etc. by carrying them on bullock) met us and asked us, "It is hot

now, where and how far are you going?” "To search the woods", we replied. He

enquired, "On what quest are you bound?" We gave him an ambiguous and evasive

reply. Seeing us rambling aimlessly, he was moved and said, "Without knowing

the woods fully, you should not wander at random. If you want to walk through

forests and jungles, you should take a guide with you. Why do you exert

yourselves unnecessarily at this sultry noon-time? You may not give out to me

your secret quest; still

you can sit down, eat bread, drink water, take rest and then go. Be always

patient at heart." Though he spoke so tenderly, we discarded his request and

marched on. We thought that we were self-contained men and needed nobody's

help. The woods were vast and trackless; the trees therein grew so close and

tall, that the sun's rays could not penetrate through them; so we lost our way

and wandered here and there for a long time. Ultimately through sheer good

luck, we came back to the place from were we started. The Vanjari met us again

and said, "Relying on your own cleverness you missed your way; a guide is

always necessary to show us the right way in small or great matters; and no

quest can be successfully carried out on an empty stomach. Unless God wills it,

no one meets us on the way. Do not discard offers of food; served dish should

not be thrust away. Offers of bread and food should be regarded as auspicious

signs of success." Saying this he again offered us food and asked us to be

calm and patient. Again we did not like this good hospitality and discarded his

offer and went away. Without doing any quest and without taking any food, the

three began to move out. So obstinate were they. I was hungry and thirsty and I

was moved with the Vanjari's extraordinary love; we thought ourselves very

learned but were quite strangers to pity and kindness. The Vanjari was a quite

illiterate and unqualified fellow and belonged to a low caste. Still he had

love in his heart and asked us to eat the bread. In this way he who loves

others disinterestedly is really enlightened and I thought acceptance of his

hospitality was the best beginning of getting knowledge. So very respectfully I

accepted the loaf of bread offered, ate it and drank water.

Then to! The Guru at once came and stood before us, "What was the dispute

about?" He asked and I told him everything that had happened. Then he said,

"Would you like to come with me? I will show you what you want; but he alone,

who believes in what I say, will be successful." The others did not agree to

what he said and left him; but I bowed to him reverently and accepted his

dictum. Then he took me to a well, tied my feet with a rope and hung me - head

downwards and feet up - from a tree near the well. I was suspended three feet

above the water, which I could not reach with My hands, nor which could go into

my mouth. Suspending me in this manner he went away, no one knew where. After 10

or 12 ghatakas (4 or 5 hours) he returned and taking me out quickly asked me how

I fared. "In Bliss

supreme, I was. How can a fool like me describe the joy I experienced?" I

replied. On hearing my answer the Guru was much pleased with me, drew me near

him and stroking my body with his hand kept me with him. He took care of me as

tenderly as a mother-bird does of her young ones. He put me into his school;

how beautiful it was! There I forgot my parents, all my attachment was snapped

and I was liberated easily. I thought that I should embrace his neck and remain

staring at him always. If his image were not fixed in my pupils, I would like

better to be blind. Such was the school! No one, who entered it once, could

return empty-handed. My Guru became my all-in-all, my home and property, mother

and father, everything. All my senses left their places and concentrated

themselves in my eyes, and my sight was centred on him. Thus was my Guru, the

sole object of my meditation and I was conscious of none else. While meditating

on him my mind and intellect were stunned and I had thus to keep

quiet and bow to him in silence.

There are other schools where you see an altogether different spectacle. The

disciples go there to seek knowledge and spend their money, time and labour;

but ultimately they have to repent. The Guru there boasts of his secret

knowledge and his straight-forwardness. He makes a show of his sacredness and

holiness, but he is not tender at heart. He speaks a lot and sings his own

glory; but his own words do not touch the disciples' hearts and they are not

convinced. So far as Self-realization is concerned, he has none. How can such

schools be of any use to the disciples and how can they be benefited? The

master (Guru) mentioned above was of different type. By his grace, realization

flashed upon me of itself, without effort or study. I had not to seek anything,

but everything became clear to

me as broad day-light. The Guru alone knows how the topsy-turvy Suspension,

'with head down and feet up' can give happiness!

Among the four, one was a Karmatha (Ritualistic) who only knew how to observe,

and abstain from, certain rites; the second was a Jnani, who was puffed up with

pride of knowledge and the third was a Bhakta who surrendered himself completely

to God, believing that he was the sole Doer. When they were discussing and

arguing, the question of God turned up, and they, depending on their unaided

knowledge, went in search of Him. Sai, who was Discrimination and Dispassion

incarnate, was one of the four. Being Himself Brahman Incarnate, some may ask,

"Why did He mix with them and act foolishly?" He did this for attaining the

good of the public, and setting them an example to follow. Though an

incarnation Himself, He respected a low Vanjari, by accepting his food with the

firm belief that "Food is

Brahman" and showed how those who rejected Vanjari's hospitable offer suffered

and how it was impossible to get Jnana without a Guru. The Shruti (Taittiriya

Upanishad) exhorts us to honour and worship mother, father and preceptor, and

to study (learn and teach) the sacred scriptures. These are the means of

purifying our minds and unless this purification is effected, self-realization

is not possible. Neither the senses, nor the mind and intellect reach the Self.

Modes of proof, such as Perception and Inference will not help us in the matter.

It is the grace of the Guru that counts. The objects of our life such as Dharma,

Artha and Kama are attainable with our effort, but the fourth object, Moksha

(liberation) can only he had with the help of the Guru.

In the Darbar of Shri Sai, many personalities appear and play their part;

astrologers come and give out their predictions; princes, noblemen, ordinary

and poor men, Sanyasis, Yogis songsters and others come for Darshan. Even a

mahar comes and, making a Johar (his salutation), says this Sai is the Mai-Baap

(True parents), Who will do away with our rounds of births and deaths. So many

others such as Jugglers, Gondhalis, the blind and the lame, Nath-panthis,

dancers and other players come and are given suitable reception. Biding his own

time, the Vanjari also appeared, and played the part assigned to him. Let us now

revert to the other story.

FASTING AND MRS. GOKHALE

Baba never fasted Himself, nor did He allow others to do so. The mind of the

faster is never at ease, then how could he attain his Paramartha (goal of

life)? God is not attained on an empty stomach; first the soul has to be

appeased. If there is no moisture of food in the stomach and nutrition, with

what eyes should we see God, with what tongue should we describe His greatness

and with what ears should we hear the same? In short, when all our organs get

their proper nutrition and are sound, we can practice devotion and other

Sadhana to attain God. Therefore, neither fasting nor overeating is good.

Moderation in diet is really wholesome both to the body and mind.

One Mrs. Gokhale came to Shirdi with an introductory letter from Mrs. Kashibai

Kanitkar (a devotee of Baba) to Dada Kelkar. She came to Baba with a

determination to sit at Baba's Feet observing a three days fast. The day

previous, Baba said to Dada Kelkar, that He would not allow his children to

starve during the Shimga, i.e., Holi holidays, and that if they had to starve,

why was He there? Next day when the woman went with Dada Kelkar and sat at

Baba's Feet, Baba at once said to her, "Where is the necessity of fasting? Go

to Dadabhat's house, prepare the dish of Puran POlis (wheat rotis with

gram-flour and jaggery), feed his children and yourself too." Shimga holidays

were on. Mrs. Kelkar was then in her menses and there was nobody to cook in

Dadabhat's house. So Baba's advice was very

timely. Then Mrs. Gokhale had to go to Dadabhat's house and prepare the dish as

directed. She cooked that day, fed others and herself. What a good story and

how beautiful its import!

BABA'S SIRCAR

Baba gave a story of his boyhood as follows:- "When I was a youngster, I was in

search of bread and went to Beedgaum. There I got embroidery work. I worked

hard, sparing no pains. The employer was very much pleased with Me. Three other

boys worked before Me. The first got Rs. 50/- the second Rs. 100/- and the third

Rs. 150/-. And I was given twice the whole of this amount, viz. Rs. 600/-. After

seeing my cleverness, the employer loved me, praised me and honoured me with a

full dress, a turban for the head and a shell a for the body, etc. I kept this

dress intact without using it. I thought that what a man might give does not

last long and it is always imperfect. But what My Sircar (God) gives, lasts to

the end of time. No other gift from any man can be compared to His. My Sircar

says

"Take, take," but everybody comes to me and says 'Give, give.' Nobody attends

carefully to the meaning of what I say. My Sircar's treasury (spiritual wealth)

is full, it is overflowing. I say, "Dig out and take away this wealth in

cartloads, the blessed son of a true mother should fill himself with this

wealth. The skill of my Fakir, the Leela of my Bhagawan, the aptitude of my

Sircar is quite unique. What about Me? Body (earth) will mix with earth, breath

with air. This time won't come again. I go somewhere, sit somewhere; the hard

Maya troubles Me much, still I feel always anxiety for My men. He who does

anything (spiritual endeavor) will reap its fruit and he who remembers these

words of Mine will get invaluable happiness."

BOW TO SHRI SAI - PEACE BE TO ALL

*****

SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM - Part II

The Life of the Divine Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

By N. Kasturi, M.A., B.L.

FACETS OF TRUTH

Baba has, as the main plank of His Mission among men, the revival of Dharma, by

which He means the Sanathana Dharma, which is universal and eternal. Baba has

come to fuse, not to refuse or confuse! Sanathana Dharma belongs to the whole

world; that is why Baba is worshipped by His devotees with the Name, "Sarva

Mathasammathaya Namah", "Prostrations to Him to whom all religions are equally

acceptable".

When I approached Him for directions about a cover design for the 1967

Shivarathri Special Number of the Sanathana Sarathi Magazine, Baba seized His

pen and drew on a piece of paper a five disked design, with petals in between,

enclosing a circle, inside which I could print His own portrait. On the disks,

He Himself drew the symbols of the major religions of mankind: The Pranava or

Om to indicate the Hindu faith; the Wheel to symbolize the religion taught by

the Buddha; A sheaf of flames, the Sacred Fire, which the Zoroastrians worship;

the Crescent and the Star, as a reminder of Islam, and the Cross as the symbol

of Christianity! He said, "All faiths are facets of the same Truth, which can

be spelt as Love or as Purity or as Charity or as Sacrifice or as Surrender of

the Will. Even those who deny God

or decry morality love some one or some thing; they speak the truth so that they

may be believed; they have to be pure so that they may satisfy their consciences

and the conventions of society. They seek peace and joy. That truth, that love,

that peace, that joy is God" Baba says. His Grace is so vast and limitless that

He claims the whole world to be His mansion, every state being but a hall within

it.

This is the reason also for the emergence of the 'Linga' from Him at

Shivarathri. For, the Linga is the most universal symbol of God, the simplest,

the most easy to comprehend and transcend. It is the Form emanating from the

Formless. The Linga creates itself in Him; He creates Himself in the Linga!

That is the miracle at Kothnaghatta, a tiny little Puttaparthy, nestling behind

the colossal monolithic image of Gomateswara on Indragiri at Sravanabelagola,

in Mysore. Two boys of this village heard of Baba and braved the long journey

with borrowed funds. Baba spoke lovingly to them and filled them with cheer.

But, He told them, "I am always in your village; you can have Darshan there

itself; why should you come here?" The boys went back with sad hearts,

saturated with the devotional songs sung during Bhajans at the Nilayam. They

collected a few ryots of the village and

sang the songs at the village temple.

That temple had a Linga installed in it, a marble one, brought by a villager of

the place who had gone to Kasi, a hundred years ago. He had brought two such

from the Narmada river and built temples for them, one in his own village and

another at Kantharajapura, nearby. He endowed them with lands, had rest houses

and wells constructed for the use of pilgrims and annuities for the priests.

The Linga at Kothnaghatta stands about 12 inches high, over the pedestal. Daily

worship is offered on Sastraic lines since the Inauguration, a century ago. When

the boys sang, the elders sat on the fringe and

wondered who this Sai Baba was. The boys told them about the Sai of Shirdi and

the Sai of Puttaparthy and about the peace that one can bring in plenty from

Prashanthi Nilayam! Very soon, the priest noticed something inside the image,

some new lines and colours, some outline being filled up day by day and the

boys wondered what it was to be. Within a week, they saw two pictures, clearly

within the marble Linga - we too can see them now - a picture of Sathya Sai

Baba, (half-body facing us, with a garland round the neck) and a picture of Sai

Baba of Shirdi (side view, sitting at Dwarakamayi, with black beard, and cloth

tied round the head)! It is over a year since the transformation came; we can

see them both in that marble home.

Baba has granted many gem-set rings with the blessing, "You can see Me inside

this stone" and, one can take Darshan of Him in those gifts. But, this

manifestation is in a public temple where all can see and strive, know and

need, the twice-embodied Almighty, forever and ever! Baba himself has directed

many people to go to Kothnaghatta and have Darshan. The villagers in grateful

grandeur celebrate his Birthday there. To stand before that shrine of Sai-Linga

is to be confirmed in the Sai Faith; it is a baptism of Bhakti, for the wavering

and the willfully blind. Baba is in every Linga, in every idol that is

worshipped by man; all Lingams, all idols worshipped by man are in Him - that

is the message that the birds on the temple tower chirp to the pilgrims at

Kothnaghatta.

Shivarathri, 1967, was on the 9th March. Baba said that morning to the huge

gathering, "The Ganga is a holy river, every inch of its flow, from Gangotri to

the sea; but, some spots along its bank, like Hardwar, Prayag,

10pt">Varanasi and Dakshineswar are held to be specially holy, on account of

association with historical incidents, or installed temples. So too, though

every day is holy in this Prashanthi Nilayam (and in the Prashanthi established

by you in your own hearts and homes), the Shivarathri is specially so, on

account of the emergence of the Linga from the Living Siva". That night, when

the hour of emergence was announced by the first sings of cough, 30.000 hearts

pounded quicker; they prayed to Siva more intensely, as they watched Baba on

the Shanthi Vedika. A deep pink oval Linga, four inches in length, the Viswa

Linga, with the orbits of planets luminous inside it, and a few minutes later,

a smaller one the Jyotirlingas, emerged from the mouth of Baba. [see also:

Cities aflame] The celebrations connected with the Festival continued till the

12th, and on the 13th, 14th

and 15th, Baba was engaged in healing and attending on the sick, the infirm and

the old among the pilgrims who had come. "Endeavor every moment to see good,

hear good, speak good and do good", He exhorted. "Practice some

Sadhana-Dhyanam, Japam, Bhajan, Namasmarana. Take but one step forward, I shall

take ten towards you. Shed but one tear in penitence, I shall wipe hundreds from

your eyes".

The Sathya Sai Seva Samithi, Bombay and the Maharashtra Branch of the Prashanthi

Vidwanmahasabha entreated Baba to spend a few days at Bombay

FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> and Baba graciously agreed. He reached Bombay on the 16th

March, by car. The students of the Sathya Sai Vedasastra Patasala, Prashanthi

Nilayam, about 60 little boys, also left in an omnibus. Baba took the same

route as the bus, in order to be present wherever the boys halted for food on

the way; He caressed them lovingly like a mother and attended to the demands of

their curiosity and wonder about the areas through which they passed. They saw

the famous ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi, scene of Baba's own

boyhood miracles, and the temple of Viruupaaksha (where Baba had given Darshan

to his brother and others as Viruupaaksha Himself) and the mammoth monolithic

images of Ganesha and Narasimha [see also: The Rhythm of His Feet]

- all under the guidance of Baba Himself. The boys staged two musical plays at

Bombay, plays written by Baba specially for them, full of His own strengthening

message of courage, based on the inherent divinity of man.

Radhabhakthi is an elevating play, full of popular lilts and folk dances, which

delineate the pure devotion of the simple cowherds towards Krishna who had

captured their hearts to the exclusion of everything else. It rescues the

reputation of Radha from the absurd erotic calumny to which low tastes have

subjected her. The play centers round the Festival organized at Brindavan to

celebrate the raising of the Govardhana

normal"> Peak by Krishna in His boyhood. Krishna accepts the invitation of the

cowherds who yearn to see Him and pay homage to Him. Nanda and Yasoda, His

foster-parents are also happy that they can feast their eyes on Him.

Preparations are made by the cowherds to receive

Krishna, who brings the noble Rukmini with Him, but, not the other Queen,

Sathyabhama. She is too jealous of the attachment that Radha has for her own

Lord. At Brindavan Radha is forced to remain indoors, for she was a wild

sprite, running hither and thither in search of a treasure she has lost! But,

Krishna halts before her door and, when she is brought before Him, He

elucidates the true nature of Divine Love, of which she was the purest

representative.

Baba does the task of Dharma-sthapana through many channels: direct teaching,

writing, discoursing, exhorting, explaining, strengthening props of Dharma

(like temples, holy places and pundits) cleansing the ancient texts which have

been tarnished by the slush of time and by the touch of slimy pens. Radha

Bhakti is an instance of this expurgation. The Bhagavatha Vahini He is writing

in the Sanathana Sarathi, gives the pellucid curative stream, which the

Bhagavatha originally was, before it received the contaminating inflow of

interpolations.

The play on Sakku Bai, which the boys enacted at Bombay, was also a pleasant

surprise, for, Baba has depicted in it, through dance drama and song, the

message of 'grief being the kindest Guru'. The scene where the 'idols' of

Panduranga and Rukumayi come alive and converse on the plight of Sakku and the

implications of her sufferings is a fine lesson in the Philosophy of Grace. His

Excellency the Governor of Maharashtra said, while congratulating the little

boys on their creditable performance, "You are the emissaries of the great

culture of this land".

Baba addressed mammoth gatherings at King's Circle and at the Vallabhabhai Patel

Stadium, and, lit in the hearts of all who heard Him, the lamp of Jnana. "Fire

and Water, in conjunction, produce steam, which can haul heavy wagons along.

Karma and Upasana, likewise, produce Jnana, which can haul you, with the heavy

load of the consequences of the thoughts, deeds, and words of many previous

careers on earth, to the Lord within."

Students predominated at the Stadium on the 21st March and Baba gave them good

advice. "Like the tiger which refuses grass, however hungry it may be, man must

refuse to descend to the low levels of scandal, cruelty, and miserliness. The

greed and selfishness that are infecting this country are tragedies for

humanity, for, India has the role of guiding and leading mankind to the goal of

Self-realization. Youth in

10pt">India is growing up in the hothouse of faction and passion, not as in the

past, in the cool bowers of reverence and humility. Elders indulge in

fratricidal fights, vengeful litigation, corrupt means of earning money and

cut-throat competition; their low behavior in the home, in the village, in the

clubs, in the civic bodies, in the legislatures, in all walks of life sets the

standard for youth! Indian culture, which is really international in its

outlook, has to be taught and lived in the schools and colleges of India, so

that India and the world can be happy and content", Baba said.

Baba takes special interest in youth, for, on them rests the burden of upholding

dharma. Keeping them close to Him, He moulds them into instruments of service

and images of Sadhana. He grants them Grace and wins their loyalty. Then, He

tells them, out of His unbounded Love, "You are all My limbs, nourished by Me.

You constitute the Sai Body. Sai will send you sustenance, wherever you are,

whatever your function, provided you give Sai the things Sai considers

desirable, like virtue, faith, discipline, humility, reverence." It is

difficult to resist this call.

Baba has planned study circles in schools and colleges for the study of the

scriptures and sacred texts, in the context of present aspirations and

handicaps; He has advised the recruitment and training of groups of young men

and women in the disciplines of Japam and Dhyanam as well as the technique of

tending and nourishing the sick and the distressed. "Members of this Sathya Sai

Sevadal must be saturated with devotion to God and service to Man, the

'Terminus' and the 'Starting point' of the pilgrimage called life. The Dal must

be eager to serve, and able to serve intelligently, sincerely and gladly", He

advised. Baba encourages devotees to arrange for religious and moral

instruction classes in schools, on the wide bases of Sanathana Dharma; He

recommends the establishment of hostels where students can

imbibe the disciplines of Yoga and Sadhana, while prosecuting their studies in

an atmosphere of silence and serenity.

At King's Circle, the Stadium, and at the Bungalow where He stayed at Andheri,

Baba ceaselessly carried on His Mission of Mercy, showering His Grace on the

sick, the old, the mentally deranged, the social outcast, the froth and the

dregs of this civilized age. He stepped down from the decorated dais and the

silver chair and moved slowly along the passages, in between the seated men and

women, seeking out those who needed His attention and acknowledging by the

Abhayahastha, the homage of the people. He also found time to solve the

spiritual problems and even personal tangles of persons who approached Him for

guidance and blessings. He graciously responded and sanctified the homes of

devotees; the homes were often on the upper floors of liftless chawls

[tenement] or mansions but, He climbed up and

descended many stairs a day, with the alacrity springing out of unbounded Love.

Entering the home, Baba joked and laughed, appreciated and warned, fondled and

gave gifts to every member of the family, for He is friend and father, teacher

and mother, guardian and God for the households that seek Him.

On the 27th March, Baba left by plane for Jamnagar, Saurashtra. This was a

welcome chance to the airport staff at Bombay and Jamnagar

green; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> to touch the Feet, which millions covet to hold. On the

flight, Baba drew the attention of persons who were with Him, to the charming

scenes on sea and land, painted by the Master-artist for His own delectation.

Saurashtra is studded with Sathya Sai Study Circles and Bhajan Mandalis; Baba

had showered His Grace on that land even when He was at Shirdi, and now that He

has come again, He had drawn the people in cities and villages so close to Him,

by concrete evidence of His Presence and Benevolence, that it was fast changing

into Sairashtra. When I asked some one at Jamnagar the reason for the

unprecedented streams of men and women that flooded the area where the Public

Meeting was to be held, he answered, "In every village,

here-abouts, Baba has announced His Presence and Grace by indisputable signs,

like the spontaneous appearance of Vibuthi showers in the shrines where He is

worshipped!"

Baba stayed at the Amar Vilas Palace Guest House and was welcomed there by the

Raja Matha of Jamnagar. He came out on to the porch many times until long after

midnight in order to give Darshan to hundreds who surged around. At Jamnagar,

Baba opened a spacious building which will serve as the headquarters of the

Sathya Sai Seva Samithi; He then moved into the vast pandal which was filled to

overflowing, devotees spilling on to the fields for furlongs on all sides.

Noticing some sick children, Baba created the Vibhuthi Panacea for them and

thrilled the assembly by this evidence of His Mercy and Power. He returned to

the dais and sang a few Namavalis,

which the people repeated after Him. He spoke to them about the need to feed the

spirit, as they feed the body; the food of the spirit is 'Japam, Dhyanam,

Namasmarana', He said. After the meeting, Baba met the members of the Seva

Samithi, and directed them to work in unison, without any sense of ego. "No man

can claim to have achieved this or that, for all are but instruments in the

hands of the Lord," He said.

At dawn on the 28th, Baba left Jamnagar by car for Bhavnagar, stopping at Rajkot

on the way, to give Darshan to

thousands who had assembled there. He sang a few Bhajans and spotting some sick

people, Mercy induced Him to give them Vibhuthi, created on the spot. The

dailis Jai Hind and Phul Chhab had taken the news of Baba's journey to all the

wayside villages before the sun rose that day and so Baba had to halt every few

miles to enable the villagers to feast their eyes on the Lord they adored.

Baba's hand was waving Abhayam all the way from start to finish.

Baba reached the outskirts of Bhavnagar at about 11 A.M. The citizens had

planned to take Him in procession in a floral car through streets bedecked with

floral arches and flanked by school children and eager multitudes. But, since

the town was already too full of visitors, Baba saw that a procession would add

to the traffic problems of the

organizers. He announced that Darshan would be given in an additional place,

namely at the Town Hall. We have often seen Baba taking charge of such

situations during His tours, when the organizers are too overwhelmed by the

magnitude of the gathering to think calmly of the next step. Baba stayed in the

bungalow of Abdulla Noor Mahomed at Takheswar. Baba gave Darshan to the

multitudes from the roof of the bungalow. He came among them at 5 P.M., and

addressed them for over an hour. "Do not fall in love with the world so much

that you bring yourself again and again into this delusive amalgam of grief and

joy" He said. You take up a newspaper and read it; you find that the world is

mad and foolish, full of crooks and cranks; it is being made every day safe

only, only for hypocrisy; heroism is futile and fame is momentary; you throw it

away, in disgust. So too, you must deal with life. Realize that it is all a

fantasy, a play, a pantomime. Use the world as an instrument, as a training

ground for service, sacrifice and winning liberation. Stand a little apart and

watch both the play and the Director who produces it." Later, Baba laid the

foundation for the Sai Mandir of Bhavnagar City. On the 29th, Baba left by

plane for Bombay, to return again by car to Navsari, in Gujarat, on the 30th

March.

Navsari had four times her population concentrated at the place of the meeting!

There was scarce standing room for the masses, anxious to secure Darshan and

hear the Discourse of Baba. Baba moved along the furlong long alleys between

the thick crowds to give them Darshan, but, devotion could not keep the people

in their compartments; they moved forward to the dais, in order to have nearer

Darshan and could not be quietened into the silence, needed for Bhajan.

So, Baba proceeded to Baroda, to save the people from the consequences of the

stampede, which they were about to create. Twenty miles away, when His car

drove along, Baba heard Bhajan songs from about 4000 people sitting in an open

space adjoining the road. The devotees of Ubel had taken a vow that they would

be engaged in continuous Bhajan for 12 hours, and they prayed that Baba should

come amidst them, of His own unsolicited Grace. And, the vow yielded fruit.

Baba was pleased at their exemplary discipline; He alighted from the car, moved

among them and gave Vibhuthi to a

few; He ascended the dais, sat for about twenty minutes, and sang a few

Namavalis for them to repeat after Him; and, then, He walked back to the car,

unhampered by anyone trying to fall at His Feet, and drove away. The gathering

until the determined hour continued the Bhajan!

Baba spent the night at Baroda. On the 31st March, He met the members of the

Baroda Sathya Sai Seva Samithi and of the study circles of Jambusar and other

nearby villages. About 200 people had His Darsan and quite a few, His gracious

Gift-Vibhuthi-created on the spot.

Back on the Bombay road the next day, the cars passed Navsari and towards early

afternoon, members of the party were scanning the precincts of the road for a

mango tope, or a cluster of other trees, where lunch could be spread and taken.

Baba seemed uninterested. He was signing to the cars to move forward, until they

came to a school building, when Baba stopped and wanted inquiries to be made,

whether the school was working. It was not; it had a hostel where some students

who had taken Agriculture as their special subject, lived. Baba had the cars

turned into the hostel gates and He showered His Grace upon the boarders. He

gave to each of them His photograph, Vibhuthi, and enough money for a new set

of clothes; meanwhile, students, members of the staff, and villagers from miles

around gathered there

and Baba spoke to them for about half an hour. They all had the unique pleasure

of Darshan, Sparshan and Sambashan! Baba later said, that He knew there was a

school, where He could give joy to many. Baba says, no word of His is without

significance; no act of His is without benefit.

On the second day of April, Baba was at Poona, where He addressed a gathering of

20.000 on the grounds of the M.E.S. College

FONT-SIZE: 10pt">. On the 3rd, Bhajan was held at the riverside bungalow (of Mr.

Banatwala) where He granted interviews to many officers of the Armed Forces; the

Andhra Association welcomed Him in the evening, gave a Discourse in their

premises. He disclosed there, what had transpired earlier. "I had a talk with

the headmasters of Poona, about moral and spiritual training for boys and

girls. An institution will soon come up in Poona, where parents, teachers and

student leaders will be trained to guide children along the right lines through

the teaching of the fundamental principles of religion and morality; students

too will be trained there in yoga and Dhyana so that they will grow strong and

straight."

Baba left Poona on the 4th April and reached Prashanthi Nilayam on the 7th,

after a short stay at Hyderabad. On the 10th April addressing the devotees

gathered to receive His new year message and blessings, Baba declared that the

tour of Maharashtra and Saurashtra saw an unprecedented flow of spiritual

delight.

On the 20th and 21st days of April an All India Conference of the office bearers

of all organizations bearing Baba's name was held at Abbotsbury, Madras, in the

immediate presence of Baba. This was a historic event, pregnant with tremendous

potentiality for the uplift of Dharma. Nearly a thousand delegates from all the

states of India, (and many countries overseas) gladly took part in the

conference. Basking for two days in the sun of Baba's Glory they returned home

charged with a new enthusiasm and a strange thrill. Representatives from each

state came before the gathering, at the request of Dr. B. Ramakrishna Rao

(President, All India Prashanthi Vidwanmahasabha and formerly Governor of

Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh), who presided, and gave their reports revealing the

varied ways in which devotion to Baba and His teachings was being expressed, to

suit the needs and solve the problems of the people. Group meetings to sing in

chorus the glory of God was a common feature; there were study circles to learn

about Baba's message and teachings, and attempts

to bring Indian culture and Sanathana Dharma to the doors of the common man by

means of discourses by pundits; there was a traveling pictorial exhibition

depicting the illustrative parables and metaphors which Baba uses to clarify

knotty problems in philosophy or Sadhana, also three-day seminars on the

'winning of Prashanthi in the context of the modern world', which was held in

more than five towns in Mysore State.

Baba directed that delegates from overseas also express their views. The

delegate from Hong Kong said that the group attending Bhajan and study sittings

there, was a miniature U.N.O. (United Nations Organization) and that he had

found great enthusiasm for Yoga and Sadhana as well as Nama Japa in Japan. He

said that the yearning for God is still dormant and powerful in the Chinese

Republic

normal"> and pressed for the translation of books by Baba and on Baba into

Chinese and Japanese. The delegate from East Africa described how the groups

there had both congregational prayer in the Prashanthi Nilayam style and the

study of Baba's works, as part of their Sadhana. The delegate from Ceylon gave

instances of Baba's gracious presence in Ceylon, as evidenced by indisputable

experiences of devotees and delighted the gathering by declaring that Baba was

in Ceylon as much as anywhere else. The delegate from Norway described the

plight of people who have lost faith in God and not acquired faith in man; he

spoke of his own hesitation to accept various dogmas and of his study of Indian

yoga and philosophy. "On 25th February, 1965, when I was sitting in front of the

Samadhi at Shirdi, a strange man in a blue shirt approached me with the

question, "Have you seen Sathya Sai Baba? If there is God on earth, it is He.

He is coming to Bombay on the 14th March. You must see Him. This is Vibuthi

from His Hand. This is His Picture." That was how Baba called me towards Him,

for, as I knew later, on February 25th, the date of Baba's reaching Bombay was

known only to Him!"

"When I sent in a letter to Baba on the 14th March, when He was in Gwalior

Palace, Bombay, Mr. L.C. Java took the letter quick and fast, saying, "Baba

told me an hour ago that a foreigner will come with a letter which I should

take to Him, without delay!" 'We are all blessed', he said, 'for we have been

selected to spread the news of His advent and His message allover the world'."

Dr. Ramakrishna Rao said that the rapid advance in science and technology with

no corresponding advance in moral strength (in fact, with a rapid decline in

morality and virtue), is posing a crucial problem before mankind - the problem

of survival. The intelligentsia of India are unaware of the roots of their

culture and are apologetic when confronted by ardent inquires or purblind

slanderers. Baba's insistence on Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi and Prema is the only

cure for the ailing world. Those who have heard and understood His call have

formed in their own

neighborhoods, associations and societies, institutes and institutions to bring

together kindred minds for mutual inspiration. But, this has happened in a

haphazard manner and so, Baba has brought us all together, so that we do not

stray away from the path of Sadhana; we have to follow certain basic principles

of efficient and exemplary organization. Baba declared that the most efficient

publicity for the Advent is done by the man who practices His teachings and

proves by his thoughts, words and deeds that he is experiencing peace and joy

thereby. Just as the banks regulate the waters of a raging river, the

enthusiasm of devotion has to be regulated by certain accepted principles. But,

in the framing of rules and regulations, Baba said, people should not ignore the

raison d'etre of Sathya Sai Organizations - making everyone aware of the joy,

peace and wisdom, that he truly has and is!

A Sathya Sai Organization is only the reflection in the members of the One Sai

whom all adore. The more clearly He is reflected, the greater the service one

can do. The conference appointed committees, listened to the summaries of their

deliberations, and decided to follow certain general guidelines - but these were

not its chief gains. The chief gain was - Baba. He persuaded, convinced,

counseled, conversed and, like a close comrade, conferred; He sat among the

delegates during breakfast, lunch and dinner; He met them as district groups;

He had a solution ready for every difficulty; His smile was coveted by all and

was awarded to all. He sat with them for photographs. He entered into the heart

of each. The universality and innate validity of His teaching won enthusiastic

welcome.

"You must serve others, because you can have no peace so long as another is

denied peace; you have to make every heart, including yours, into a Prashanthi

Nilayam; work without despondency or pride; cooperate with all who are good and

selfless. Keep in touch with all persons who trudge along the pilgrim road to

God, whatever the Name by which they know Him, whatever the Form which they

attribute to Him, until they reach Him, and know that He is all Names and

Forms!" Baba exhorted them. The delegates departed with the Blessings of Baba

reverberating in their ears, "March forward as one united courageous band,

searching for the God who resides in every being and worshipping Him by devoted

service."

On 22, 23, and 24 April, tens of thousands of people heard Baba and a few

scholars spoke at the Prashanthi Vidwanmahasabha Sessions held in Madras. Dr.

V.K. Gokak, D. Litt., addressed Baba as a 'world redeemer' and as a 'savior

whose mercy beckons every son of earth to God.' "The world has ignored the

unity of spirit and matter, it believes that nothing matters, more than matter.

Real progress can come only when man seeks, not information, but,

transformation, and discovers his own reality lying under thick layers of error

and illusion." On the 24th, Dr. S. Bhagavantham,

D. Sc., Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence, Government of India,

spoke. He said, "It is a rare privilege that anyone can get, to be invited in

whatever capacity to be on the same platform as Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Baba has put me into many tribulations, even in the province of science. Years

ago, in one of my first confrontations with Him, Baba said, 'Scientists have no

faith in God, is it not? You, in particular, have you any respect for the

ancient texts of this country? The Bhagavad Gita, for example'? It hurt my

pride. To establish the bona fides of our tribe, I told Him of Oppenheimer and

his exclamation when the first experimental atom bomb was exploded, "Divisurya

sahasrasya...", which he had learnt from the

Bhagavad Gita. The truly learned among the scientists, I said, are aware of the

wisdom of the ancient texts, the Upanishads and the Gita". "Do you like to have

one?” He asked me and took with His fingers some particles of sand from the bed

of the Chitravathi river, where we were seated around Him; the sand turned into

a text of the Bhagavad Gita, which He placed in my hands. I examined it later to

discover the name of the press, where it was printed; needless to say, there was

no name on it. This was an utter denunciation of the laws of physics for which I

stand. He performed a surgical operation before me, creating knife, needle,

bandage - all that was needed. I was a fairly lost person at that time"!

Dr. Gokak said yesterday that Baba 'defied' the laws of physics and chemistry!

"He does not defy the laws; He 'transcends' them. He is transcendental. He is a

Phenomenon. He is Divine. This is the right way, the safe way for me to get out

of the dilemma. We scientists are a very humble lot; every time we have added a

little to what we already know, we have known that there are more things that we

have yet to know. Adding to knowledge is but another name for adding to the area

of ignorance. As I am speaking, a man-made contraption is digging into the moon,

90 million miles away, a trench 18" long and 9" deep! We know that only

knowledge can be acquired, but wisdom? That has to be got from Baba! Bhagawan

is our nearest kith and kin; turn to Him for the eternal message. That alone

will save

us".

During the discourses that He gave on the three evenings, Baba emphasized the

importance of dedication, so that activity may become meaningful and conducive

of happiness. He said that man must be reminding himself of his essential

Divinity, so that he may not slide into the beast which terrifies and gets

terror-stricken. Fear is something that can never afflict the man who knows he

is a spark of the Divine, He said.

>From Madras, Baba proceeded to the Nilgiri Hills, and after a short visit to

Calicut on the Arabian Sea Coast, He proceeded to the Annamalai Hills, the home

of coffee and tea plantations, to inaugurate a High School there, and reached

Prashanthi Nilayam for the Guru Poornima festival, which after the

unforgettable Siva-Shakti miracle, has acquired an epochal charisma! A week

later, Baba left for Whitefield and from there, He went up the Horsley Hills,

with a few devotees, to spend some time in that quiet Hill Station, 4000 feet

above the sea level. It did not take long for the people of the valleys all

around to know that Baba was shedding His luster in their midst; they went up

to Him in large numbers, during the fourteen days of His stay and they were

amply rewarded at the Bhajan Sessions with

Vibhuthi from His hand. The small group of aspirants that Baba brought with Him

could get from Him, elucidation for the many Gordian problems of Sadhana, which

they placed before Him.

"You call them miracles, but, for Me, they are just My way; you cannot solve the

mystery; for Me, they are no mystery, they are part of My essential

Miraculousness", Baba says. Devotees at Horsley Hills had many chances of

experiencing the Divine Mystery. While walking along a footpath among the

trees, Baba saw a jasmine creeper, and plucking a flower, He breathed on it,

became a diamond of exceeding brilliance!

Another day, He gave a piece of granite, picked from the ground to a devotee at

hand; but, it was not the stone that he received! The stone had turned into

sugar candy! Another day He created rosaries and other sacred articles and

gifted them to the Sadhaks. He materialized a 'silver' vessel full of the

precious nectar, that He alone knows how and when to 'prepare' and gave each

one a few drops of that Grace. Howard Murphet of the Theosophical Society with

Mrs. Murphet was with Baba at the Hills. He writes, "I was not a cynic when I

came to India. I

know that I was a skeptic, but, not an incurable one. My approach has always

been the cautious scientific one. I needed to see and touch for myself, in

order to believe. Through a strange network of circumstances, (which, I can

only say, was due to the Grace of Baba), I met Sai Baba! Baba was kind to me. I

saw and touched miraculous incredible things; I have established to the

satisfaction of my critical self, that miracles do take place. Actions speak

louder than words. The Word is powerful but, in the 'Word made Flesh, we see

its power dramatically. Then it becomes a strong buttress for our tottering

faith."

While exhorting the devotees one day, as Murphet writes:

To reach beyond the portals,

To where the Part is Whole,

Beyond all thought, all feeling,

Beyond the stars and sun,

Beyond the Cosmic Zero

To where all things are One.

Baba created a picture, which He gave to one devotee, of the Cosmic Purusha, the

Universe as a Person (the Virat Swarupa) incorporating all gods and demons, all

stars and skies, all beings and becomings, including Himself and the Previous

Shirdi Body!

Murphet writes, "In all these, we must not lose sight of the greatest miracle of

all! This is the miracle of His Prema - His Divine Love. While Universal (going

out to all men) it is at the same time Individual. You feel it, beamed directly

and blissfully on You. As one of his Bhaktas put it, 'Every person thinks that

Baba loves him most'. Yes. This pure love-universal, yet individualized - is

the central miracle, from which all others come, as by-products. The main

end-product of this stream of Prema is to raise us to knowledge of our true

spiritual Selves, to a realization of our oneness with all life, with the

Author of all life. How few there have been, through whom has flowed this

miraculous river of pure egoless love, with its attendant whirls and eddies of

lesser miracles!

How lucky, how blessed we are, to have known such a one on earth and to be with Him still!"

Baba says that the world is not an empty, meaningless dream; it is a purposeful

play, with the plots within plot. God plays the roles and so, be on the watch!

Recognize Him when you see majesty, beauty, order, harmony, and melody on the

stage. He wears many masks to hide Himself. He says that His is also a role now

and that He plays it of His own free Will!

Baba reached Prashanthi Nilayam from Brindavan, Whitefield, on the third day of

July; the Murphets accompanied Him thither, drawn by the Love that He showered

on them. Howard Murphet spoke on Baba at the Prashanthi Nilayam on the 21st and

on the 23rd. Dr. Judith (Jyothi- priya) Tybarg of the East-West Cultural Center,

Los Angeles addressed the residents; she had a long talk with Baba, during which

she asked Baba, whether movie films of His miracles can be taken and shown, to

convince people of their authenticity. Baba replied that doubts would still

persist. It is only by strengthening one's own faith, by clearing the doubts in

one's own mind, that one can convince others. "Faith travels from one mind to

another." Baba then created some sweets for the group, demonstrating that He

had nothing in His

hand or up His sleeve. They came, through His "Sankalpa, Resolve". They were not

in the hand, but, "in the head", He said. He revealed Himself thus to Dr.

Judith, for, she was an earnest Sadhak, soaked in devotion and scholarship. Her

arthritis had been miraculously mitigated by Baba, who sent a few packets of

Vibuthi for her use through a person who returned to the U.S.A. from His

Presence. He told her, "I am in all hearts. I am one with all. But, yet I never

share their pain or their joy. I never experience sorrow or anger. I am

Anandaswarupa (embodiment of bliss) and Premaswarupa (embodiment of Love)". No

wonder that Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, the chief proponent of transcendental

meditation, the holy man who has cast a powerful spell

over the youth of the West, ("We who are tired of dead and decayed Western

Culture will follow His Holiness, our Master, to the grave," say, the hippies

to him) wanted that Baba should bless the leaders of the youth of the world who

are training themselves at Sankaracharya Nagar, Rishikesh, to become the guides

of Youth!

On 30th July, Baba visited the College of Engineering at Anantapur, about 60

miles distant from the Nilayam. Baba pointed out to the vast gathering of

students and teachers that education has degenerated into a course of training

for mere living, not for reaching the goal of life. It teaches skills, confers

scholarship, but, it does not concern

itself with the resources, latent in the deeper levels of consciousness, the

springs of sympathy, service and renunciation, the urge to return to the haven

of joy from which one has come away. Baba said that man is being influenced by

mass hysteria in all countries, so that he is becoming hard in heart, wooden in

intelligence, and mechanical in mind. Students must be taught the disciplines

which will enable them to encounter the stress of life and struggle with the

inner adversaries of lust, greed, malice and hate. Baba stayed on for three

more days at Anantapur, presiding over the Sessions of the Prashanthi

Vidwanmahasabha.

The fifth day of August 1967, is a note worthy date in the history of Prashanthi

Nilayam, for, that day, it was formally constituted into a separate township

with the Chairman and Members of a Committee which will manage its civic

administration. Speaking about the village of Puttaparthy from which the

Township area was separated that day, Baba said that there will never be any

trace of 'apartness' in the mind, so far as He or the devotees were concerned.

"Brindavan belongs to all; Govinda is everybody's God", He said. He exhorted

the chairman and members to serve the residents, as well as the other members

of the Sai family who come to the place, with love and care.

Baba went to Mandya (known as Sugar Town) at the invitation of the Minister of

Education of the State of Mysore,

on 20th August. There were at least a hundred thousand villagers gathered in the

vast open spaces in and round the stadium. The Minister said that he was happy

that "so many of my fellow-countrymen are enthusiastic to have the Darshan of

Bhagawan and to listen to His message. It augurs well for the future of this

nation". "You are legitimately proud of the great temples in your district

built by great architects and sculptors and master craftsman. But, you must

remember that these heights of artistic excellence were reached by men in

music, sculpture, painting, poetry, drama, architecture etc. only when skill

was dedicated to the God in man", Baba told them, in reply to their welcome

address.

During the first week of September, Baba was so moved by Prema that He drove 400

miles by car to the bedside of Dr. Ramakrishna Rao at Hyderabad, to confer on

him, during his critical illness, the inestimable boons of Darshan, Sparshan

and Sambashan. The last function Ramakrishna Rao attended at the Prashanthi

Nilayam (where his heart always was) was the inauguration of the Township. He

was nominated by Baba as the President of the All

10pt">India Prashanthi Vidwanmahasabha, for he was a scholar and poet in many

languages, and an ardent devotee. While Governor of Kerala, he had the honour

of receiving Baba in that state more than once; as Governor of Uttar Pradesh,

he was happy to accompany Baba to Ayodhya, Kasi, Prayag, and Badrinath. He used

to translate Baba's Telugu discourses quickly and correctly into Hindi.

Baba granted him supreme contentment and joy, during the last phase of his life.

"I have got what I yearned for", he repeated, when Baba came away from his

bedside. On 14th September, after midnight, a few minutes before the end, he

assured the members of his family, "Baba will guard you, as He has done so

long". Then he uttered from the depths of his heart, the sacred mantra, "Sriman

Narayana Charanou Saranam Prapadye (I take refuge in the Feet of the Lord)", and

attained peace and liberation! Truly, a great Karmayogi, who as the Gita teaches

had through Upasana attained

Kaivalya (Liberation) by the Jnana he earned!

It will be a thrilling chapter, if one could collect and compile the events of

the last days of the devotees of Baba, who have merged in Him. They die in

silent serenity, in prayerful surrender, or in the midst of the Bhajan they

share, or during the recitation of Pranava; they get Amrita from nowhere and

sip it as they die; they see Baba before them with their departing sight and

leave, after prostrating to Him; they have Vibhuthi emanating from their heads,

in token of His blessings! O, it is amazingly sweet and heartening - the way in

which Baba showers His grace, when His devotees bid farewell, to the bodies

wherein they dwelt!

"I had read of the great miracle-workers and teachers of India's past; I hoped

that some might still exist today; Yet, hardly dared to hope, that I might even

meet one. For, underneath, like all men, I longed for the 'many- splendoured

thing' that Francis Thompson says; the "estranged faces miss", says Murphet".

Among the many who came to India

normal"> from foreign lands on this search were the Raymers, husband and wife,

who heard of Baba and came to the Nilayam and stayed there continuously for

over six months engaged in Sadhana. When they went back, persons who had

already come under the influence of Indian yoga and thought, through the

teachings and inspiration of Maharshi Ramana, Aurobindo, Yoganandaji, and

Ramakrishna-Vivekananda gathered at their place or drew inspiration from their

example, to study Baba's work and do Sadhana according to His directions. A

large number of people have come into his Sathya Sai Satsang; a few have come

over to India to have Baba's Darshan and Blessings. Charles Penn is singularly

fortunate,

because though he has not yet come, he is able to feel the constant Presence of

Baba, whether up in the sky searching for fallen aircraft or down on the sea

shore collecting shells, or in his prayer room picturing His Form in his heart!

Baba sits before him, converses with him, teaches him, answers his questions, as

clearly as if He is concretely present, across the seven seas! The lessons are

so characteristic of Baba that their authenticity is clear to all who know how

Baba elucidates. Moreover, when Penn sends the typescripts to me for perusal or

publication, I have often asked Baba for further clarification and never once

has He disavowed His authorship; in fact, He has justified certain new examples

and parables that He has told Penn at Los Angeles, on the score that He had to

explain things that way, since the background of Penn differs from that of His

Indian listeners. "I give him the example of daffodils, because there is a bed

of daffodils outside the shrine there", He

said once. "I tell him about strong breezes and sails and ships because he knows

about them, not you", He said to me.

Indra Devi, a Russian-born American citizen living in Mexico with an Indian

name, was directed to Baba by a clairvoyant and later, more directly, by the

Murphets. She had learnt yoga in Mysore, from Yogi Krishnamacharya; later she

has lived in Shanghai and given demonstrations of yoga in Moscow; she has a

yoga foundation at Tecate, Mexico. She was to be introduced to President

Kennedy at Dallas, Texas, so that she could present her books on yoga to him and

tell him about a few Asanas and deep-breathing exercises, which would make him

physically, fit for the strain of the extraordinarily heavy presidential

schedule. But, she was shocked, along with the entire world, when he was shot

dead, a few hours before the engagement! In order to exorcise hatred from the

human heart, she devised that day a "Meditation crusade for light in darkness",

and came to India, where she had learnt the elements of yoga and meditation. She

met the Murphets in April, 1966 and they sent her to Prashanthi Nilayam! Baba

gave her, as she says, "more than kindness, more than goodness, more than

grace: Refuge: Abhaya,Call Me whenever you need Me; I shall be with you". "I

felt a stream of brilliant light pouring on me, giving me a tremendous sense of

joy and happiness, which filled my entire being". 'Thank you, Baba', I

whispered, in gratitude. Carrying this radiant light, I returned to Los Angeles

and Tecate", she

wrote.

She was back again in February 1967, full of enthusiasm and devotion for yoga,

as a cure for the frustrations of the world. Baba encouraged her to train men

and women residents of the Nilayam, as well as the boys of the Vedasastra

Patasala in the Asanas of yoga and the technique of meditation. He was Himself

present on the two days, ready to elaborate the reasons she gave for choosing

the Flame as the focus of meditation and to elucidate other points, which she

felt essential for the course. Contemplation on the Flame is the ancient Vedic

prescription, where the Lord is described as a "straight streak of lightning

brilliance, in the center of the heart"; Baba has the Param-jyothi or the

Supreme Light, as the crest and crown of the yoga-danda on the Prashanthi Flag.

In the Nilayam, during the pre-dawn

hours of meditation, a lamp, with its steady flame, clear and bright, is used

for concentration. In the Dhyana Vahini written by Baba, He describes the Atma

as, "the Sun of Suns, the Effulgence of Effulgences; it is the Supreme Light,

the Swayamjyothi, the Self-effulgent". Therefore, Baba appreciated the crusade

of Indra Devi and blessed it. He told her of its implications and possibilities

in the context of the ancient Vedic prayer, "Thamaso Ma Jyothir Gamaya; from

darkness, lead me to light". In the book, Prashanthi Vahini, written by Him

years ago, He had explained it thus: "O Lord, when the objects of the world

attract me, remove the darkness which hides from me the all-pervading all

constituting Atma, which every object really is."

Dasara, 1967 began with the dawn of October 4th. Dr. K. Bhaskaran Nair, D.Sc.,

writes, "Life in India today is like a lotus flower at night. It is downcast

with the burden of dew and the petals are closed in suffering. It droops with

pain and privation, and waits in agony for the dawn. Will the dawn ever

come?... Let us not despair. The crimson rays have broken the veil of night.

Very soon, it will be day! This is the hope Puttaparthy holds out to us." After

the dawn, Baba gave Darshan to the thousands waiting for it and hoisted the flag

of peace on the

hearts of all, making each heart a Prashanthi Nilayam. The Lotus bloomed. In His

discourse during the Hospital Day celebrations, Baba said that concern about the

future, contrition about the past, and castles planned to be constructed in the

future, cause most mental illnesses; "men are not brave enough to forget the

past, to look the present boldly in the face and to plan sensibly for the

future", He said. On the 6th, about 10.000 hungry people were fed sumptuously;

people whom Baba would refuse to call 'poor', for, many of them as He says are

"rich" in spirit. He also gave thousands of saris and dhotis, with the

affection and care that no parent evinces towards his children. The

Veda-purusha-sapthahayajna, which has become an annual feature, highlighting

Baba's Mission

FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> of Vedic Revival, started on the 7th. That evening, when the

4th Anniversary Celebrations of the Prashanthi Vidwanmahasabha were

inaugurated, everyone became aware of the vacuum left behind by Dr. Ramakrishna

Rao.

Dasara is above all the worship of the Mother, as the Goddess of Learning, of

Wealth, of Food, of Beauty, of Art. So, Baba admits into the program music

recitals, musical discourses, dramas, folk plays, recitations, and readings

from their poems by poets, etc, as offerings at the feet of the Mother. The

Yajna was successfully accomplished on Vijayadasami Day (the Day of Victory).

Baba gave Darshan that day wearing the resplendent robe of goldthread woven by

a devotee who had himself woven the mantra, Sairam, 1008 times into it,

reciting it throughout the process of weaving. When Baba came that morning

wearing that unique robe, devotees felt a thrill that wakened all levels of

their consciousness in bliss, as if the Lord extolled in the Vedas had

presented Himself before them in His full Glory! They

remembered the song that Baba had sung, during the Inaugural Discourse of Dasara:

When man is bogged in wrong and hate,

lost in error, afar from era's mores,

to lead him right, in love ...

When world does writhe in agony,

at thirst of blood and loot,

to cleanse the heart, of hate,

when trampled under heavy hoof.

The good, as orphans, grieve,

to fondle, foster, free ...

When the Word of God is twisted,

by petty putrid tongues,

to reveal, unfold, proclaim ...

To lighten burden of the earth,

to keep the troth He plighted.

God has come, as man midst men!

Can call be clarioned, clearer?

Drawn in and tossed on the waves of birth and death,

you sigh and groan in pain, O Man!

Be steady a moment; watch, catch, within reach,

the life-boat floats: Sathya Sai!

The confidence which that assurance gave, the joy imparted by those tidings,

devotees desired to share with the people of their towns and villages, as early

as possible.

Baba too left for Hyderabad, so as to be there on Deepavali, the Festival of

Lights, commemorating the victory of the uplifting faculties of man over his

down dragging tendencies. While driving along the trunk road, Baba granted

shepherd boys, men behind the plough, women with babies in arms trudging home

in the hot sun and boys watching buffaloes wallowing in the pools, gifts of

fruit, sweets and cash, ensuring for each of them a Happy Deepavali! One

fortunate woman received a bagful of sweets, a jar of pickles, a tin of

biscuits, and enough money for a fine Sari;

besides, Baba asked the old lady, "Do you know who I am?" She confessed she did

not! Baba asked her whether she had heard of Sai Baba. She had! She said, the

Karnam of her village had gone on pilgrimage to a place called Puttaparthy and

seen Him. Baba, embodiment of Prema that He is, stood before her and said,

"See! I am that Sai Baba". The lady fell at His feet. "Go, have a happy holy

day," He said.

On November 2, Baba was at Bombay! Next day, Baba drove to the outskirts of

Andheri along the Mahakali Caves Road, and reached the site where 30.000 ardent

Bhaktas were singing paeans of praise for the glory of God, awaiting the

precious moment when He was to consecrate the spot where "Dharmakshetra" was to

be built. Baba went up to the topmost terrace on the hill; the ceremonial rites

were nearing completion, the trench in which the first row of stones was to

rest was ready. Baba waved His Hand and, a 'silver' plate, with the mystic

symbols of the presiding deities of the

Nine Planets of Vedic Science emanated from it, in full view of all. Baba

directed that it be placed underneath the first stone, and Himself laid the

mortar with a trowel; then, He hoisted the Prashanthi flag and unveiled the

copper plaque, announcing the Inauguration of "Dharmakshetra".

Addressing the vast gathering of devotees Baba said that the name Dharmakshetra

was used for the battlefield, wherein the Gita was taught. Though its real name

was 'Kurukshetra', it was referred to as Dharmakshetra, in the Gita, for, it was

the field where Dharma won over A-dharma, where Right prevailed over Wrong. This

place, this Dharmakshetra too will see that victory will ensure, through the

teaching and learning of a Celestial Song, that victory! Indeed, the body of

man is the genuine Dharmakshetra, the battlefield where right fights with wrong

for victory. Ksha means that which suffers kshaya, or decay through vice; thra

means that which recovers by means of virtue. So, the body which flourishes and

perishes through virtue and vice is the kshethra; it has to be made into a

Dharma-kshethra, by the

discovery of the dweller within the body, the Kshethra-jna, the Atma, the

Antharyamin." Hon'ble Sri P.K. Savant, who presided, said that the

Dharmakshetra which will rise on that site will be a Prashanthi Nilayam, Home

of Highest Peace, and that its radiant rays will scatter and destroy A-santhi

from the hearts of men. Baba then met the devotees who have won the privilege

of building kuteerams or 'spiritual retreats' for themselves at the

Dharmakshetra site. He exhorted them to intensify their yearning and to deepen

their faith so that they may be examples to those who doubt or deny the value

of spiritual endeavor.

In the evening, Baba inaugurated the Sathya Sai Sevadal, an organization of

young Sadhaks who strengthen and supplement their Sadhana by efficient and

earnest service rendered to the weak, the disabled and the distressed. Baba

Himself is, to us, the supreme exemplar of service through love. On 4, 5, and 6

November, Baba gave Darshan at the Dharmakshetra site during Bhajan in the

morning; His eyes picked out from the thickly packed masses, sick children,

diseased adults and deformed or defective unfortunates; He blessed them with

Vibhuthi, created to assuage and assure.

Baba reached Prashanthi Nilayam on the 14th November, in time for the Birthday

Celebrations. "Each year, My Birthday is celebrated in grand style. Thousands

come to have My Darshan, the Darshan I brought you too to enjoy, to the

Nilayam, on My wings"!, said Baba to Charles Penn in Los Angeles, during one of

His supra-corporal visits to him! "But", He cautioned Penn, "but, do not think

that it is My Birthday that is celebrated! No. I am a part of each of you;

after years of onward movement, you merge in the estuary of My stream". That

was what He told Penn! Listen to what He told the thousands who had come on

23rd November to Prashanthi Nilayam: "This is not My Birthday; I have no birth

or birthday; I am ageless, eternal. You must celebrate your birthday, when you

are born into knowledge, not into

bondage. Adore Me, on the day that you are I, on the day when you derive

unbounded bliss there from, on the day when you can be full of joy that you are

born"!

During the celebrations, on the 26th November, to be exact, Baba called upon the

President of the Sathya Sai Seva Samithi, Bombay to announce to the vast

concourse of devotees, that a World Conference of Sevaks and Sadhaks of the

Sathya Sai Units will be held at "Dharmakshetra", in May, 1968, an announcement

that was welcomed with acclamation and unbounded joy.

The prospect of sharing with kindred spirits from all over the world the thrill

of Baba's Darshan, Sparshan and Sambashan filled organizations and units in

every state, with ardent hope; hence, Baba resolved to hold preliminary

conferences of office-bearers of Sathya Sai Organizations in the States of

India, to 'confirm and consolidate, collate and coordinate, activities and

programs'. The conference was held at Ernakulam in Kerala

10pt">State on 20th December, at Madras on 24th December, at Brindavan in Mysore State on

normal">30th December 1967 and at Prashanthi Nilayam, Andhra State on 23rd February 1968.

Besides emphasizing once again the basic principles of Sadhana-based service to

the community, irrespective of the creeds or faiths of the beneficiaries, Baba

directed that they should not get enmeshed in organizational entanglements, and

the competitive search for donors and financial supporters. Baba had a President

chosen for each State and He gave them the task of coordinating and supervising,

guiding and counseling, the various groups of Bhaktas who have formed units in

His Name. He chose also District Presidents. Unhampered by committees, these

presidents will work as a team, under the State President to promote and

strengthen the Sevak and Sadhaks groups allover the country. Baba advised the

workers to start 'group-singing of Bhajans along the streets of the village and

town, in the early hours

of the day', so that people may waken to the name of God and the atmosphere

filled with the fragrance of the Glory of the Lord! He wanted also that the

message of Atmic strength and Atmic unity should be sown in the hearts of

students. Women devotees were directed to form Samithis to serve their sisters.

Thus, the Ganga of Grace flows from the Prashanthi Nilayam, which is Baba. It is

restoring health, reviving the drooping, sanctifying every service, fertilizing

every noble impulse, clearing the vision and revealing the Godward Path.

Bhagavad Gita of Order, Chapter 11, verse 12:

The Yoga of the Universal Form; on the confrontation with the complete of His reality

divi sûrya-sahasrasya

bhaved yugapad utthitâ

yadi bhâh sadrsî sâ syâd

bhâsas tasya mahâtmanah

Word for Word

divi -- in the sky;

sûrya -- of suns;

sahasrasya -- of many thousands;

bhavet -- there were;

yugapat -- simultaneously;

utthitâ -- present;

yadi -- if;

bhâh -- light;

sadrsî -- like that;

sâ -- that;

syât -- might be;

bhâsah -- effulgence;

tasya -- of Him;

mahâtmanah -- the great Lord.

Translation: If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky,

their radiance might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that

universal form.

CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

/

 

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