SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM [35]

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SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM

The Life Stories of the Two Avatars of the Age – [35]

SHRI SAI SATCHARITA

The Life of the Divine Avatar Sai Baba of Shirdi

By Hemadpant

CHAPTER - XXXV

Tested and Never Found Wanting - Kaka Mahajani's Friend and Master - Bandra

Insomnia Case - Bala Patil Newaskar

This Chapter also continues the subject of the importance of the Udi; it also

gives two cases in which Baba was tested and not found wanting. These cases

will be taken up first.

PRELIMINARY

In spiritual matters or endeavors, sectarianism is the greatest bar to our

progress. Those, who believe the God is without form, are heard saying that to

believe the God is with the form is an illusion and that the Saints are only

human beings. Then why should they bend their heads before them and offer

Dakshina? Persons belonging to other sects will also raise objections and say,

"Why should they bow and offer allegiance to other Saints, leaving their

Sadgurus?" Similar objections regarding Sai Baba were heard before and are

heard even now. Some said that when they went to Shirdi, Baba asked for

Dakshina from them. Is it good that Saints should collect money in this

fashion? If they do so, where is their Sainthood? But there are many instances

where men went to Shirdi to scoff; but

remained there to pray. Two such instances are given below.

KAKA MAHAJANI'S FRIEND

A friend of Kaka Mahajani was a worshipper of God without form and was averse to

idolatry. Out of curiosity he agreed to go to Shirdi with Kaka Mahajani on two

conditions, viz., (1) that he would neither bow to Baba, (2) nor pay Him any

Dakshina. Kaka agreed to these conditions and they both left Bombay on a

Saturday night and reached Shirdi the next morning. As soon as they put their

feet on the steps of the Masjid, Baba, looking at the friend from a little

distance, addressed him in sweet words as follows, "Oh, welcome sir". The tone

that uttered these words

was a very peculiar one. It exactly resembled the tone of the friend's father.

It reminded him of his departed father and sent a thrill of joy through his

body. What an enchanting power the tone had! Being surprised the friend said,

"This is no doubt the voice of my father". Then he at once up and, forgetting

his resolution, placed his head upon Baba's Feet.

Then Baba asked for Dakshina twice, once in the morning and again at noon at the

time of their taking leave; but He asked it from Kaka only and not from the

friend. The latter whispered to Kaka, "Baba asked for Dakshina from you twice.

I am with you, why does He omit me?" You ask Baba Himself" was Kaka's reply.

Baba asked Kaka what his friend was whispering, then the friend asked Baba

himself whether he should pay any Dakshina. Baba replied, "You had no mind to

pay, so you were not asked; but if you want to pay now you may." Then the

friend paid Rs.17 as

Dakshina, the same amount that Kaka paid. Baba then addressed him a few words of

advice, "You do away, destroy the Teli's wall (sense of difference) between us,

so that we can see and meet each other face to face". Then Baba allowed them to

depart. Thought the weather was cloudy and threatening, Baba assured them of

their safe journey and both of them reached Bombay safely. When he reached home

and opened the door and windows of his house, he found two sparrows fallen dead

on the ground and one just flying out through a window. He thought that if he

had left the windows open, two sparrows would have been saved, but thought

again, that they had met their lot and that Baba had sent him back soon just to

save the third sparrow.

KAKA MAHAJANI'S MASTER

Kaka was the Manager in the firm of Thakkar Dharmasey Jethabhai, a solicitor of

Bombay. Both the Master and the Manager were on intimate terms. Mr. Thakkar

knew that Kaka was often going to Shirdi, staying there for some days and

returning, when Baba permitted him. Out of curiosity and just to test Baba, Mr.

Thakkar decided to go to Shirdi with Kaka during Shimga holidays. As Kaka's

return was uncertain, he took another man with him as an associate. The three

started together and Kaka bought two seers of raisins (dried grapes with seed)

on the way for

presentation to Baba. They reached Shirdi in due time, and went to the Masjid

for darshan. Then Babasaheb Tarkhad was there, Mr. Thakkar asked him why he

came there. "For darshan", Tarkhad replied. Mr. Thakkar asked if miracles took

place there. Tarkhad replied that it (to see miracles) was not his attitude,

but the earnest intentions of the Bhaktas were satisfied here. Then Kaka

prostrated himself before Baba and offered the raisins to Him. Baba ordered

them to be distributed. Mr. Thakkar got a few of them. He did not like the

raisins and he was advised by his doctor not to eat them without washing and

cleaning them. So he was in a fix. He did not like to eat them, nor could he

reject them. To keep up formalities, he put them into his mouth, but did not

know what to do with the seeds. He could not spit them out on the floor of the

Masjid, so he pocketed them against his wish. He then said in his mind that if

Baba was a Saint, how could He be ignorant of his dislike for the raisins

and could He force them on him. When this thought arose in his mind Baba again

gave him some more raisins. He could not eat them, but held them in his hand.

Then Baba asked him to eat them up. He obeyed and found, to his surprise, that

they were all seedless. He wanted to see miracles and here was one. He knew

that Baba read his thought; and as per his wish converted raisins (with seeds)

into seedless grapes. What a wonderful power! Again to test further he asked

Tarkhad, who was sitting by and who also got some raisins, "What kind of grapes

you got?" He replied "They variety with seeds." Mr. Thakkar was still more

surprised to hear this. Then to confirm his growing faith Thakkar thought in

his mind that if Baba was a real Saint, the raisins should be now given to Kaka

first. Reading this thought also, Baba ordered that distribution should be

commenced from Kaka. These proofs were sufficient for Thakkar.

Then Shama introduced Mr. Thakkar as the master of Kaka, upon which Baba said,

"How could he be his master? He has got a different Master altogether". Kaka

appreciated this reply. Forgetting his resolve, Thakkar saluted Baba and

returned to the Wada.

After the noon-Arati was over, they all went to the Masjid for taking Baba's

leave for their departure. Sharma spoke for them. Baba then spoke as follows.

"There was a fickle-minded gentleman. He had health and wealth and was free from

both physical and mental afflictions, but he took on him needless anxieties and

burdens and wandered hither and thither, thus losing his peace of mind.

Sometimes he dropped the burdens and at other times carried them again. His

mind knew no steadiness. Seeing his state, I took pity on him and said, "Now

please keep your faith on any one place (point) you like, why roams like this?

Stick quietly to one place.

Thakkar at once came to know that, that was an exact description of himself. He

wished that Kaka should also return with him but no one expected that Kaka

would be allowed to leave Shirdi so soon. Baba read also this thought to his

and permitted Kaka to return with his master. Thakkar got one more proof of

Baba's capacity to read another's mind.

Then Baba asked Kaka for Rs. 15/- as Dakshina and received it. To Kaka He said,

"If I take one rupee as Dakshina from anybody I have to return it tenfold to

him. I never take anything gratis. I never ask any one indiscriminately. I only

ask and take from him whom the Fakir (My Guru) points out. If any one is

indebted formerly to the Fakir money is received from him. The donor gives,

i.e. sows his seeds, only to reap a rich harvest in future. Wealth should be

the means to work out Dharma. If it is used for personal enjoyment, it is

wasted. Unless you have given it before, you do not get it now. So the best way

to receive is to give. The giving of Dakshina advances Vairagya (Non-attachment)

and thereby Bhakti and Jnana. Give one and receive tenfold".

On hearing these words Mr. Thakkar himself gave Rs.15/- in Baba's hand,

forgetting his resolve not to do so. He thought he did well in coming to Shirdi

as all his doubts were solved and he learnt so much.

Baba's skill in handling such cases was unique. Though He did all those things

He was totally non-attached to them. Whether anybody saluted Him or not or

whether anybody gave Him Dakshina or not, it was the same to Him. None He

disrespected. He felt no pleasure because He was worshipped and no pain because

He was disregarded. He transcended the pairs of opposites, viz. pleasure and

pain, etc.

INSOMNIA CASE

A Kayastha Prabhu gentleman of Bandra suffered from Insomnia for long. As soon

as he laid himself down for sleep, his departed father appeared to him in his

dream, and abused and scolded him severely. This broke his sleep and made him

restless the whole night. Every night this went on and the man did not know

what to do. One day he consulted a devotee of Baba in this respect. He

recommended the Udi as the only infallible remedy he knew. He gave him some Udi

and asked him to apply a little of it to his forehead before going to bed and

keep the Udi-packet under the pillow. He tried this remedy and found, to his

great surprise and joy, that he got sound sleep and that there was no

disturbance of any kind. He continued the remedy and always remembered Sai.

Then he got a picture of Sai Baba

which he hung on the wall near his pillow and started worshipping it daily and

on Thursdays, offering garland, naivedya etc. Then he got on well and forgot

altogether his past trouble.

BALAJI PATIL NEWASKAR

This man was a great devotee of Baba. He rendered most excellent and

disinterested service. Every day he swept and kept clean all the passages and

streets in Shirdi through which Baba passed in His daily routine. This work

was, after him, equally well-done by another female devotee named

Rahda-Krishna-Mai, and after her by Abdoola. When Balaji reaped his corn every

year, he brought the whole quantity and presented it to Baba. He returned with

what Baba gave him and maintained himself and his family with it. This course

was followed by him for many years and after him by his son.

POWER AND EFFICACY OF UDI

Once it happened that at Balaji's death anniversary day, a certain number of

guests were invited and the dinner was prepared for them. But at the

dinner-time it was found that thrice the number of people invited had turned

up. Mrs. Newaskar was in a fix. She thought that the food would not suffice for

the people assembled and that if it fell short, the honour of the family would

be at stake. Her mother-in-law comforted her by saying, "Don't be afraid, it is

not ours, but Sai's food; cover every vessel with cloth, putting some Udi in it,

and serve from the same without opening it : Sai will save us from ignominy."

She did as she was advised and it was found to their surprise and joy that not

only did the food suffice for all, but plenty of it remained after serving. "As

one feels intently,

so he realizes accordingly" was proved in this case.

SAI APPEARING AS SERPENT

Once Raghu Patil of Shirdi went to Balaji Patil at Newase. That evening he found

that a serpent entered the cowshed hissing. All the cattle were afraid and began

to move. The immates of the house were frightened, but Balaji thought that it

was Sai Who appreared in his house as a serpent. Without being afraid in the

least he brought a cup of milk and placing it before the serpent said, "Baba,

why do you miss and make noise? Do you want to frighten us? Take this cup of

milk and drink it with a calm mind". Saying this, he sat close by unperturbed.

The other members were frightened and did not know what to do. In a short time

the serpent disappeared. Nobody knew where it went. It was not found though a

search was made in the cowshed.

Balaji had two wives and some children. They sometimes went to Shirdi from

Newase for taking Baba's darshana. Then Baba bought saris and other clothes

which were given to them with His blessings.

BOW TO SHRI SAI - PEACE BE TO ALL

*****

SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM - PART III [1]

The Life of the Divine Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba - [1969-1972]

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

Sathyam Sivam Sundaram – Part III is a continuation of the life story of

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the Absolute Divinity wearing the robes of

humanity in order to inspire and goad humanity towards Divinity. His image will

vividly gleam in the pure hearts of seekers of truth till eternity. The view of

wisdom is always available to the lovers of wisdom. It is, however, fashionable

to disbelieve anything, which is beyond the scope of verification of the

physical sciences, which deal with the external aspects of creation. Although

the Unmanifested, like the Manifested, is verifiable by methods, which

transcend science; and for this very reason the spiritual means and ends are

considered worthless by the skeptics for practical purposes. Divinity, however,

can be indirectly (intellectually) comprehended

and also can be directly apprehended (experienced) by those who wish to uncover

the Real from the smoke screen of Maya, which either veils the Real, or

projects upon the unreal an appearance of the Real. A conclusive proof, if it

be needed, pertaining to the validity of the philosophy of Vedanta, is found in

the glistening and golden history of the present Incarnation. In order to

experience His Divinity all you are called upon to do is to surrender, not your

belongings, but your ego. Implement His directions implicitly to experience

Bliss explicitly.

The tyranny of the body-mind complex revolves man around the world of

relativity. The highest pinnacle of achievement can be reached either by

merging individuality in universality or by burning the ego-sense in the fire

of illumination. The imagined i is in fact nothing apart from the real I.

Therefore when the imagined i is not imagined: then what remains is a witness

witnessing the witness - the pure consciousness - Light unto Light.

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

Dear Reader

"From where the words of men return, foiled in their urge to fathom; which even

Imagination finds unattainable," whom the Upanishads denote only by negations

and denials - that is Baba, the subject of this book. He declares that He is in

each of us and that we are all in Him. He proclaims that it is futile to gauge

His Reality.

"I am neither man, nor god, nor archangel nor angel. I am not to be known by the

name of any of the four castes or of the four stages of human life. Know me as

the Teacher of Truth, Sathyam Sivam Sundaram", said Baba once. The picture in

its first stage is in the negative; when it is 'developed' it becomes clear and

true.

Baba has made it clear and true. He says He is Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram. These

are the three manifestations of the Prema that He is, the Love which He

embodies. Love as thought is Truth; Love as Action is Goodness; Love as Feeling

is Beauty.

How can the amazing story of the multifaceted, transforming and indelible impact

of Baba be delineated by any pen, however pious and profound?

But the authentic ecstasy one is immersed in, when one is blessed by the

slightest or shortest contact with Baba's Love, presses upon the feeblest pen

to call on all, to come and share it, however illegible the call.

Baba has come in answer to mankind. He says, "Good men and their own

inefficiencies, sighed for a Savior to guide them and lead them; and I have

responded."

Therefore, it is the right of all men everywhere to listen to a narrative -

however halting and hazy - of the Divine Play of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba,

of His Guidance and Leadership.

The first part of this Book appeared in 1960; the second was placed in your

hands in 1968; the third, is now most humbly offered for your deep, delightful

perusal; I am grateful that Baba blessed my hand that it may string the records

of His Leelas and Mahimas into a Garland to be placed at His Feet.

AARTI IN SANSKRIT

Om Jai Jagadisha Hare Swami Sathya Sai HareBhakta Jana Samrakshaka (2 ×)Parthi

Maheshvara Om Jai Jagadisha Hare

Shashi Vadana ShrikaraSarva Prana Pate Swami Sarva Prana PateAshrita Kalpalatika

(2 ×)Apad Bandhava Om Jai Jagadisha Hare

Mata Pita Guru DevamuMari Antayu Nive Swami Mari Antayu NiveNadabrahma

Jagannatha (2 ×)Nagendrashayana Om Jai Jagadisha Hare

Omkararupa OjasviOm Sai Mahadeva Sathya Sai MahadevaMangala Arati Anduko (2

×)Mandaragiridhari Om Jai Jagadisha Hare

[This couplet (3 ×)] Narayana Narayana OmSathya Narayana Narayana Narayana

OmNarayana Narayana OmSathya Narayana Narayana OmSathya Narayana Narayana OmOm

Jai Sadguru Deva

OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI

JAI BOLO BHAGAVAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA - JI KI! - JAI!

Aarti in English

1. All praise to You, Lord of the WorldsSwami Sathya Sai, our

LordYou protect devotees who cling to YouShow Your mercy to us who sing to

YouKnowing You are God in human formAll praise to You, Lord of the Worlds

2. With captivating grace and lovelinessYou do everything to

bring us happinessYou're aware of all through infinite consciousnessYou are

master of every living thingFor devotees You're wish-fulfillingHelping us when

we are in distressAll praise to You, Lord of the Worlds

3. Mother, Father, Teacher and LordYou remind us there is only

one, not twoSwami, there is truly no one else but YouMaster of creation, You are

adoredPeople of all nations are striving towardRealization of our true rewardOur

unity with You, Lord of the Worlds

4. You are the Word of God, pure and brightThe embodiment of

all true and rightSathya Sai, fill our hearts with pure delightDo accept our

prayer and heed usFrom darkness we can't bear please lead usWith Your might You

make our burdens lightAll praise to You, Lord of the Worlds

5. Narayana Narayana Om, SathyaNarayana Narayana Narayana

OmNarayana Narayana Om, SathyaNarayana Narayana Om, SathyaNarayana Narayana

OmAll praise to our Teacher Divine

6. Narayana Narayana Om, SathyaNarayana Narayana Narayana

OmNarayana Narayana Om, SathyaNarayana Narayana Om, SathyaNarayana Narayana

OmAll praise to our Teacher Divine

7. Narayana Narayana Om, SathyaNarayana Narayana Narayana OmNarayana

Narayana Om, SathyaNarayana Narayana Om, SathyaNarayana Narayana Om(slower)All

praise to our Teacher Divine

roman">Om, Peace Peace Peace.

N. Kasturi

Brindavan, Bangalore. 16 March 1972

THE ASCENDING SUN

Sathyanarayana Raju, aged 14, student, fourth form, Uravakonda High School,

threw off his bag of books one evening, saying, "My followers are calling me; I

have My work to do. I do not belong to you any more," and walking out of his

brother's home, he sat under a Banyan tree and sang a song he wanted the

gathering to sing with him: "Those who desire to liberate themselves from the

chain of birth, struggle, success, failure, ease and disease, and death, Come!

Adore the Feet of the Master!" That was the announcement of the amazing advent.

 

THE FIRST BHAJAN SWAMI TAUGHT

Maanasa Bhajarey Guru Charanam

Dusthara Bhava Saagara Tharanam

Guru Maharaaj Guru Jai Jai

Sai Naathha Sadguru Jai Jai

Om Namah Shivaaya, Om Nama Shivaaya,

Om Namah Shivaaya, Shivaaya Namah Om

Arunaachala Shiva, Arunaachala Shiva,

Arunaachala Shiva Aruna Shiv Om

Omkaaram Baba, Omkaaram Baba,

Omkaaram Baba Om Namo Baba

(O mind, worship the Lotus Feet of your God and Supreme Teacher, Sai Baba. That

will take you safely across the ocean of life and death. Victory to our Lord

and supreme Teacher, Sai Nath! Mind, also chant and worship the divine names of

Lord Shiva who dwells on the Arunachala mountain and Sai Baba whose form is OM.)

The good news spread: "The Sai Baba of Shirdi in Maharashtra has come again as

promised." Streams of pilgrims bound for Shirdi turned to Puttaparthy where He

was born and spent His boyhood in song and dance, music and mystery. The

maimed, the ill, the distressed, the distracted - they came in hundreds from

far and near. Baba consoled, and cured; He revealed their past which shaped the

present, and the present that would determine the future of those who sought His

guidance. He showered love beyond measure on the unhappy, rich and poor alike;

He manifested superhuman Power transcending the Laws

of Nature: His wisdom surpassed that of the greatest of sages. Those who came to

examine remained to extol; those who extolled desired that others too should

share the thrill; thus the triumph of the Master spread from region to region.

That was the Ploughing of the Field, the Preparation.

Fresh from His beneficent tour of India from Kanyakumari to Kilanmarg, Baba, in

His 32nd year, resolved to further His Dharmasthapana, the revival and

re-establishment of the moral order in human affairs, in a wider and more

persistent manner. He inaugurated the Sanathana Sarathi, the monthly magazine

in eleven languages, Telugu, English, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi,

Gujarathi, Bengali, Hindi, Assamese and Nepali: the clarion for His call, the

conch that awakens and arouses, the banner for humanity's campaign against its

inner foes, lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hate. Baba also exhorted

people to sing in chorus the glory of God and encourage each other to march

towards Him. He himself moved over the land like a rain-cloud, howering courage

and conviction on hearts parched by the

cruel rays of doubt, disappointment, disputation and dilemma. This was the

sowing of the seeds, seeds of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, and Prema, seeds

reinforced with the authority of the ageless Vedas and the indisputable

experience of the sages and seers of all lands. Many were touched by the Light

of Love and many were aroused into spurts of Sadhana and tenacious efforts to

serve, through His discourses that inspired them to search within for the

reality instead of seeking without for its shadow. And many were helped to tap

the springs of ecstatic communion with the Divine through the discipline of

Bhajan. These were called into the Presence, at Madras, for the First All

normal">India Conference of Sathya Sai Seva Groups, where everyone was armed

with a new vision and a new vitality to render social service and win

self-realization. The seeds, thus, sprouted fast, fed by the warming rays of

the Sai Sun.

The first two volumes of this book "Sathyam Sivam Sundaram" [sSS] have

chronicled these events. Let me now resume the Bhagavatham, the story of the

Lord, bringing Heaven into human hearts and liberating man from the prison he

has sentenced himself into!

ATTENTION - WORLD AT PRAYER

"Engage in Karma, under the shade of Dharma; practice Dharma with the awareness

of Brahma.March along the path of Karma and reach Dharmakshetra where

Brahma-realization awaits."

On 12th May 1968, the 'Dharmakshetra,' an architectural jewel built on an

elevated spot commanding a panoramic view of the environs of Bombay as the

International Center of the Sai Family, was inaugurated by Him. This Palace of

God is also intended to serve as the residence of Bhagawan while at Bombay.

'Dharmakshetra' is the first word in the first Sloka of the Bhagavad Gita; it is

used there as an adjective to describe the battlefield where the Kauravas might

was pulverized by the Lord and His Grace showered on the Pandava

'righteousness'. The field was known as Kurukshetra, but, the intervention of

God to succor the cause of Truth, Justice, Peace and Love transmuted it into

Dharmakshetra. The word summaries the history of the two clans who were in

mortal combat on that field: it symbolizes the beginningless conflict between

good and bad in the human heart, a conflict that ends in the triumph of the

good when, as the Pandava did, we accept and install in our heart God as the

charioteer; and, now, it elaborates the role of Baba in human history one step

further, for, He had already declared Himself

as Sanathana Sarathi, the Person at the Wheel of Life (since Time began and

Space rolled out) for every Being that Became!

We see before our mind's eye Sri Krishna holding the reins, while Arjuna listens

and learns. We see the Lord, as we today; guiding and guarding, assuaging and

asserting, reminding and reprimanding, revealing and reviving the wayward and

the wavering see Baba! Dharmakshetra evokes in our memories a surging gratitude

for all those who discovered and delved into the pellucid streams of Dharma, for

all who adored Dharma by living it and demonstrating how it can confer joy and

peace, and for all those who sacrificed their all for it in all lands, in all

ages.

Baba named that building so, not just arbitrarily; He declares that no word of

His is devoid of spiritual potency; it is a call, an intimate invitation to

you, to give ear to the Gita; He whispers from your own heart to cure you of

your brand of delusion, to sublimate your inner battlefield into a playground

of spiritual endeavor; it is a spell, a benediction, a blessing; it is an

Announcement that the Lord has come, that His mission has begun. His

charioteering is available for all who seek, now and here, on this sad stupid

struggling earth, which He has adopted as His Dharmakshetra, for, this is the

place where Dharma can be learned, and practiced and harvested. "Engage in

Karma as regulated by Dharma. Practice Dharma with the awareness that all is

Brahman. March along the path of Karma to

Dharmakshetra, where Brahman-realization awaits," Baba says.

Thousands from all parts of India and even overseas witnessed the Inauguration.

>From far-flung lands they came, wafted by winds of grace. More than fifty

thousand eager souls gathered that evening at the Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan

Campus at Versova, Bombay, to express their joy at the momentous occasion. The

magnificent

structure was completed in 108 days after the first trowel of concrete was laid,

the number 9 being the theme of the holy structure, of the 18 petals of the

lotus which encloses the apartments where Bhagawan would stay, of the pillars,

steps and trellis squares, all in multiples of 9, the Brahman Number.

'DHARMAKSHETRA' - BOMBAY

Sri P. K. Sawant reminded the audience that Baba blessed Maharashtra while in

His previous body at Shirdi and it is Maharashtra's good fortune again that His

Dharmakshetra is established here itself. Baba said that everyone is living,

moving, acting and accumulating merit or demerit as a consequence, in

Kurukshetra, for, 'Kuru' means 'to do'. In this process, if the current of

Dharma illumines every moment of life, then the Kurukshetra becomes

Dharmakshetra. This, He said, is the lesson that Dharmakshetra will radiate

round the world.

Baba took up residence at Sathya Deep, the big rotunda with the lotus and a moat

filled with water all around; the place immediately became a hive of spiritual

activity, a prolific purveyor of sweetness and light. There, children brought

together in Sathya Sai Bala Vihars, boys and girls of the Seva Dal, adult

workers in the Bhajan Mandalis and Seva Samithis, all receive Love and learn

reverence. Baba speaks to seekers and social workers who gather in the Prayer

Hall; and they return with a deeper understanding and a wider outlook.

Meanwhile, scores of omnibuses spilling over with the Sai devotees sped into

Bombay from distant towns, the occupants singing Bhajans at the top of their

voices, making the pedestrians believe that Prashanthi Nilayam was passing by!

Every train that drew up at the Victoria Terminus, Bombay Central or Dadar

brought special coaches from Madras, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Vijayawada, Nagpur,

Navasari, Delhi, Calcutta, Lucknow and Dehra Dun and the villages around,

coaches packed with men, women and children happy beyond measure, racing

against time to have Darshan of the Bhagawan

they adore. The journey was strenuous and irksome, but the tedium vanished as

the vitamin 'G' released by the Bhajans acted fast on both body and mind. And

not just by land! The sea and air too helped in transporting the joyous lot who

came into Bombay by ship and plane from Ceylon, Singapore, Djakarta, Manila,

Kuwait, Dubai, Casablanca, Mombasa, Nairobi, Kampala, Arusha and Malta, from

Hong Kong, Fiji, Teheran and Tokyo, the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of America,

the islands of the West Indies, Peru and Brazil.

For, the First World Conference of those who chose to accept Baba as their

Master and Preceptor was to be inaugurated on 16th May, at Bombay, in the

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Campus. Baba declared that this was the first time in

the history of the

world that a World Conference of the devotees of an Avatar was being held, in

the immediate physical presence and under the direct supervision and

observation of the Avatar Himself! No wonder they flew India-wards in flocks,

like birds on the ocean's open roof, winging towards the sheltering mast!

As the delegates streamed into the Hall that day at sunrise, they found a

friendly fragrance beyond all memory, warmth of welcome seldom known before.

Behind the dais, on the wall, were two murals, one depicting Chaitanya lost in

the ecstasy of Sankirtan, and the other, Thyagaraja, the saint who sang from

the depth of his heart of the Compassion, the Majesty and the Might of the Rama

Form of God he had ever before his eyes! Behind the chair that Baba was to grace

was a mural of the Lamp: the Flame of Light and Love, straight and bright, which

no wind could shake or dim! At 9 a.m.

10pt"> Baba came in, showering the fresh petals of His gracious smile on all

present. The sight of Him emitting Light and Love thrilled and delighted every

one of them. Soon, the heavenly echoes of Vedic chants tingled in the ear;

then, after certain preliminaries, Baba called upon the delegates from each

State to speak on the organizational aspect of Sadhana in their respective

regions. In response, judges, vice-chancellors, scientists, doctors, poets,

administrators and businessmen rose and presented reports of the activities of

the Seva Samithis, Study Circles and Bhajan Groups engaged in Sadhana prompted

by devotion in their States.

Howard Murphet from Australia said, "Australia needs Your Love, Your Light."

Tideman Johanessan from Norway confessed, "Your Teachings, Your guidance are

urgently needed in Scandinavia, where dogma has very nearly suppressed genuine

spiritual yearning." Dr. Nallainathan from Ceylon pleaded, "We are children

groping in the dark. Make us see!" Dr. C.G. Patel from Kampala

normal"> prayed, "Africa needs You most." Indira Devi from Tecate, Mexico, said,

"When I speak about Bhagawan to the students of Santa Barbara, Berkeley,

Chicago, and other Colleges, they refuse to disperse after the talk unless I

promise that I would bring Baba to America; they are hungry for Him." Charles

Penn from Los Angeles asserted, "We look to

10pt">India for spiritual guidance; we pray that Baba will come to us. When He

is with us, He will be with everyone else too!"

The Public Meeting at the Campus held later in the evening was attended by over

a hundred thousand, and Sai could be seen seated firmly in the hearts of every

one of them. The Deputy Prime Minister of India, Sri Morarji Desai, the most

puritan of the lieutenants of Mahatma Gandhi, presided over the meeting. He had

earlier met Baba at Dharmakshetra and sensed His Divine Compassion for world

struggling in the deepening bog of hate and greed. He was visibly moved when he

saw before him, squares upon squares of thickly packed aspirants, women on the

right

and men on the left, silent, expectant, full of ardour and adoration, from all

over the world, from the steps of the temple, the mosque and the church, the

Gurudwaras and other shrines, feasting their eyes on the charming face of Baba.

Sri Morarji Desai said that the best teacher of man was the Gita, since it

exhorted him to work for the betterment of the world to his utmost capacity,

and at the same time to be unconcerned with success or failure, for God, to

whom all work is dedicated, knows best how it should be rewarded.

Baba began His address in Sanskrit! He had directed me to translate His speech

into English and I stood behind a mike at the other end of the dais. But, as

'the language of the Gods' flowed so mellifluously from those Divine Lips, I

was almost struck dumb with admiration and apprehension. How, I wondered, am I

to canalize this surging Ganga into the Thames? Soon, Baba continued in Telugu:

"The body is the shrine in which the 'I' is installed; the country is the temple

of the 'We,' the collective will; the world is the temple of the 'He,' the sum

total of the 'I' and 'We'.

"This is a gathering of people of all faiths and so it is fitting that I assert

here that every faith is but an endeavor to cleanse the impulses and emotions,

as part of the process of discovering the Truth, both seen and unseen. The

search is for the same Treasure; The Summit is one; only, the tracks are many.

The guides too are many, clamoring and competing for pelf and prestige," Baba

said.

"Even those who swear that they did not find any trace of God in the depths of

space, or who aver that God is dead, or that even if alive, He has outlived His

use for man, that He has ever been a handicap and a costly nuisance for man,

these too have to admit that there is something inscrutable beyond the reach of

reason, something which pervades the world and reveals itself in Love,

Renunciation and Service. That something is God," Baba declared, in the course

of a rousing discourse on the Divinity inherent in the Universe.

Appreciating the efforts of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to resuscitate the ideals

and practices of Sanathana Dharma, Baba said, "This Conference is the Confluence

of three holy streams - the Atma vidya which the delegates and visitors held

primal for successful living, the Satsang provided by the aspirants from all

races and religions, and the basic principles of Bharathiya Culture which the

Bhavan helped them to remember."

Seven Subcommittees, which were discussing the topics allotted to them,

presented their recommendations and suggestions to the Open Conference at noon

on the 17th. They dealt with:

1. Bhajan, Namasmarana and Nagarsankeerthan, 2. Vedic and Sanskrit Education,3.

Moral Instruction in Schools and Colleges,4. Enrollment and Training in

Sevadal,5. Establishment and Working of Mahila Vibhags,6. Coordination of the

Units of the Organizations at all levels, and7. Relations between the Indian

and Overseas units of the Sathya Sai Organization.

Dr. V. K. Gokak then addressed the gathering on the Avatarhood of Baba. "We have

met here with the common purpose of affirming the supremacy of consciousness

over matter, subject over object, seer over the seen, charioteer over the

chariot, and the transcendental over the trivial; so, we will not be baffled,

as others are bound to be, by the phenomenon of the Human Form which the

Formless Absolute has donned," he explained.

As He Himself announced the previous evening, Baba spoke on the grandeur and

glory of the Name of God, be it any name, and the steady influence for good its

repetition generates in the individual.

"In this age of materialism," Baba said, "the constant repetition of the name of

God is the one hope which man has, to rise up to him or to bring Him near.

Repeating the Name brings down Grace; Meera quaffed the cup of poison with the

name on her tongue; it turned into nectar. Sanctify every minute of your day

and night with the unbroken recollection of the Name. I do not want you to

think that I desire this Name and this Form to be publicized. I have not come

to set afoot a new cult. Know that this Sai Form is the Form of all the various

Names that man has used, and uses now, to identify and adore the One Divine. So,

I teach that no distinction should be made between the Name - Rama, Krishna,

Iswara, Sai

- for, they are, all of them, My Names. Of what avail is it if you worship My

Name and Form without attempting to cultivate My Samathva (Equal love for all),

My Shanthi (Unruffled equanimity), My Prema (Love), My Sahana (Forbearance), and

My Ananda (Perpetual state of supreme bliss)? Many of you plead for a Message

from Me! Well, My Life is My Message. You will be adhering to My Message if you

so live that your lives become evidences of dispassion, courage and confidence,

revealing eagerness to serve those who are in distress."

As Bhagawan cast His Grace-filled eyes on the thirsty faces before Him eager to

drink in the Truth He was vouchsafing to pour into their hearts, suddenly His

eyes softened in compassion. His voice rose, the speed of His words doubled and

trebled. Everyone present sensed, almost, instinctively, that a great moment in

their life had come; in ecstatic thrill they prepared themselves to listen to a

great Revelation, to a Benediction that the world can hope to receive but rarely

in its history. He said,

"Gathered here today are people who have devotion, people from all sections of

society; I must tell you about My Reality because ninety nine out of every

hundred among you do not know. You have come here drawn by diverse needs or

interests, by a taste for spiritual matters, by eagerness to develop the

institution to which you are attached, by admiration or affection, by love or

reverence or loyalty, or just in a spurt of enthusiasm to join others in their

exultation or to share with them your own."

"In truth, you cannot understand the nature of My Reality, either today or even

after thousands of years of steady austerity or ardent inquiry, even if all

mankind were to join in that effort. But, shortly, you will become cognizant of

the Bliss showered by the Divine Principle, which has taken upon itself this

sacred Body and this sacred Name. Your good fortune in having this chance is

greater than what was available to the anchorites, monks, sages, and saints and

even to personalities that embodied facets of the Divine Glory!"

"Since I move with you, eat like you, and talk to you, you are deluded into the

belief that this is but a human phenomenon. Be warned against this mistake. I

am also deluding you by singing and playing with you and engaging Myself in

activities with you. But, any moment My Divinity may be revealed to you; you

have to be ready, prepared for that moment. Since Divinity is enveloped by

humanness, you must endeavor to overcome the Maya (delusion) that hides it from

your eyes."

"This Human Form is one in which every Divine Entity, every Divine Principle,

that is to say, all the Names and Forms ascribed by man to God, are manifest.

(The statement in Telugu was: Sarvadaivathwaswaroopalanu Dharinchina

Manavaakarame Ee Aakaramu. Do not allow doubt to distract you. If you only

install in the altar of your heart steady faith in My Divinity, you can win a

vision of My Reality. Instead, if you swing like the pendulum of a clock, one

moment of faith, another of doubt, you can never succeed in comprehending My

Truth and win that Bliss. Fortunate are you, that now, in this very life, you

have a chance to experience the Bliss of the Sarvadaivathwa Swaroopam (the Form

of God in all Forms)."

"Let me also draw your attention to another fact. In the past, on the occasions

when God incarnated on earth, the Bliss of recognizing Him in the Incarnation

was vouchsafed only after the physical embodiment had left the world, despite

plenteous evidences of His Grace. Moreover, the loyalty and devotion, which

those Incarnations commanded while in the physical embodiment, arose through

fear or awe at their superhuman powers and skills or at their imperial and

penal authority. But ponder for a moment on this Sathya Sai Manifestation. In

this age of rampant materialism, aggressive disbelief and irreverence, what is

it that brings to It the adoration of millions from all over the world? You

will be convinced that the basic reason for this is the fact that this is

Divinity in Human Form."

"Again, how fortunate you are that you can witness all the countries of the

world paying homage to Bharat; that you can hear, even while this body is

existing, adoration to the Name of Sathya Sai reverberating from even the nooks

and corners of the world, when this Form is amidst you, with you, before you!"

This thrilling declaration stunned the delegates; and as they left the hall and

reached their rooms, each one found inches added to his height, for each felt

blessed with a Unique Vision. Often had Baba spoken of His being the

Incarnation of God, of being God Himself in human form, but this time, He had

emphatically identified Himself with all Names and all Forms of God that man

ever molded in his mind in the course of his history on earth!

The next day, in the morning hours, the reports of the subcommittees were

considered by a meeting of all the delegates, and a few more delegates

addressed the gathering. Baba summarized the conclusions, and spoke on the

basic approach to service through the Sai Organization. In these days when the

world is safe only for hypocrisy, Baba's directives had to be straight and

sharp.

"It is wrong," He clarified, "to believe that all have equal rights and duties

and obligations and responsibilities. You cannot say that all cows are equal

and purchase them by the dozen. Some may be dry, some may clamor for more feed,

some yield less milk, some are young, some decrepit, some tame and some wild.

Nor are all men equal. The code of conduct, for each and towards each, is

decided by changing factors, like age, profession, status, authority,

scholarship and sex, and considerations as to whether the person is a teacher

or pupil, master or servant, father or son, sick or healthy, etc. As far as I

am concerned, there is only one rule that binds Me: Love. That Love will

quieten you, it will comfort you, it will inspire you to merge with Me."

When the Conference met for the evening session, speeches in Sanskrit were

delivered by four Pundits of the All India Prashanthi Vidwanmahasabha founded

by Baba. Mrs. Osborne addressed the gathering in English. She was introduced as

the wife of the author of the book 'Incredible Sai Baba' written about the

previous incarnation of the Inexplicable Sai Baba now with us!

Baba offered to sum up the suggestions for spiritual uplift that emerged from

the deliberations among the delegates, as also the gist of His talks with

representatives from the various States. He spoke about Bhajans, Dhyana

Sittings, Study Circles, and particularly about Nagarsankirtan, which received

attention as a very important activity of the Units. "This was how", Baba said,

"Jeyadeva, Gouranga, Tukaram, Kabir and Purandara Das led God into every heart.

Gather together in the hours before dawn, and walk slowly along the streets,

singing Bhajans glorifying God. Carry the Name to every doorstep. Wake up the

sleeping. Purify the air polluted by day-long angry shouts of hate and greed,

faction and fear. What greater service can you render than this - beginning the

day with the Name of God and helping

others to remember Him?"

The Valedictory Meeting of the Conference was held at 10 a.m. on the 19th. Baba

wanted that all those who had come from far and near be informed of the major

decisions of the Conference, which were rare directives aimed at the spiritual

upliftment of the common man. Dr. Gokak in his address found himself saying,

"Sai is the gateway to all the greatness, all the effulgence of the spirit,"

for, he was too overwhelmed to be silent. "Sai is no blinding word; Sai is no

binding word; Sai is no limiting word," he said. "It is a word that contains

the meaning of every other word. In

the beginning was the Word! That word is He." Mr. Bharde, Speaker of the

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly said that Baba was fast transforming Bombay

from a Bhoganagari into a Yoganagari (from the City Sensuous, to the City

Divine). It could well be said that this process of transmutation is on, not

just in Bombay,

but the world over! Baba too spoke of the urgent need for man to be aware of his

immortality and to draw courage there from as Arjuna did, when overcome by

despondency.

Dharmakshetra, where Baba stayed during the Conference, was the venue every day,

for a number of gatherings where Baba was busy explaining, elaborating,

elucidating and emphasizing the fundamentals of spiritual discipline and

wisdom, regardless of time and unmindful of the exhaustion His physical body

was likely to get. Besides this, Baba was guiding there a Prashanthi Youth Camp

of over 65 University alumni. There was held a special gathering of the Lions of

Bombay

10pt">City who sought from Him guidance regarding the basic attitudes that will

help their activities and the philosophy that can sustain them. It was noticed

that Baba granted audience to the overseas delegates more often. It was because

they had fewer chances of personal contact with Him, and they were eager to be

as near Him for as long as He permitted.

Among those whom Baba drew to Himself during the Conference was the veteran

Gandhian, the scholarly statesman, the patriotic writer, the practical

administrator, the devoted student of Bharathiya Culture, Kulapathi Dr. K.M.

Munshi. He had realized, more than most of the doughty warriors led by Gandhiji

in the struggle for Swaraj, that India had to be independent so that she can

gain self-respect and adore her own culture and thereby make her invaluable

contribution to the progress of humanity through her adherence to the ideals

embedded in that culture. The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is the institution through

which Munshi sought to achieve the revival of Indian culture, and so implant in

the hearts of the Indian Youth a genuine appetite for living their lives as

true sons of Bharatha Mata, as legitimate

inheritors of the peerless wisdom gathered by the sages of this land. Baba

agreed to have the Conference in the Bhavan Campus, a fertile field wherefrom a

rich harvest of Vedic and Upanishadic culture was to be reaped in the near

future. This fact Baba mentioned with appreciation. So Dr. Munshi visited

Dharmakshetra as well as the Conference Hall, and he said, "All my life I have

taken a keen interest in personalities to whom supernatural powers are

attributed; I have tried to understand their ways how they project their

personality and release streams of faith and transform their followers into

dedicated persons."

When Dr. Munshi met Baba for the first time in Dharmakshetra, hope met

fulfillment; aspiration met achievement and prayer met the boon desired; for,

Baba has come. Come, He has, to install Bharathiya Vidya, that is to say, Atma

Vidya, on the throne of Science, to reinstate India as the Guru of humanity, to

help Indians to win the fruits of India's independence, teaching them the way to

master the self, and through Indians, the rest of the world.

Baba observed that Dr. Munshi's right hand was trembling slightly on account of

chronic Parkinson's disease. Then, in Dr. Munshi's words, "Baba rose from His

seat, took my fingers and covered them with His own, and rubbed them with

sacred ashes which came out of His hand. Then He waved with a sweeping gesture

and caught a ring He had materialized; He slipped it on the little finger of my

right hand. I immediately perceived the stiffness of my fingers almost gone; so

had the trembling in the right arm and leg." It needs to be mentioned here that

the cure was permanent and not a passing phase, for as the science of medicine

says, Parkinson's disease (Paralysis Agitans) is one of the least tractable of

maladies, even as regards the relief from its symptoms!

More than this miraculous relief from a physical handicap, which he was

stoically tolerating, Baba removed the handicaps, which stood in the way of the

septuagenarian savant accepting Baba as the Guru he was seeking. Baba visited

Munshi's home, and all the members of the family found themselves confiding in

Him. He assured them that He was with them through all the turbid years of

torture and sacrifice, martyrdom and power, disillusionment and determination,

revival and recuperation. He told Munshi's son that He was with him, years ago,

when he had to take refuge with a wayside station master while traveling by

train! He took upon Himself the burden of bringing health and happiness upon

his kith and kin, for; none is there beyond the pale of His Love. Dr. Munshi

writes, "He has the capacity to plant

seeds of faith in men - seeds, which, when they sprout, will liberate them from

greed, hate and fear."

No wonder, then, that all the mental reservations, with which Munshi approached

Baba, whom he had taken to be just another in the array of Babas he had

encountered during his chequered career, disappeared the moment he recognized

the Reality, and he did not hesitate to declare this in the pages of the

Bhavan's Journal, one of the leading Indian Periodicals commanding a

circulation of 50.000 copies. Describing his campaign in Britain, Julius Caesar

said in a historic phrase,

normal">"Veni Vedi Vici,I came, I saw, I conquered"; here, "I went, I saw, I

was conquered!" This is the experience not only of Dr. Munshi. Every one who

goes to Baba and sees Him through eyes that are clear and keen, wins the same

experience.

On the 18th, at the special request of Indra Devi who had planned a "Crusade for

Light in Darkness" aimed at illumining the hate-ridden hell within the human

heart, Baba lit a Perpetual Lamp at Dharmakshetra. That Lamp and other lamps

lit from that scared flame, will serve to shed the Light of Love on all who

meditate on them.

The rising of the Sai Sun made certain vested interests feel ill at ease.

Bewildered at the millions milling towards wherever Baba was, calculating

practitioners who traded in religion feared that the traditional tithes and

offerings would soon dry up, threatening their very sustenance. Little did they

know that Baba has come to water every plant in the Garden of Faith, that He was

no shower of schism but the Great Harmonizer, the Mountain Peak that appeared to

some as Siva, to some others as Vishnu, to some as Christ, to some others as

Allah, or as Buddha, according to the angle from which they viewed. The yellow

section of the Press yielded to the temptation of blasphemy and scandal

mongering; the more responsible periodicals tried to probe and understand. They

requested that their representatives

meet Baba and try to measure the depth of the rare Phenomenon in their midst.

About 30 special correspondents representing leading English and Indian

Language Newspapers came to Dharmakshetra on 21st May. The questions they asked

were naturally prompted by curiosity; they wanted to know the purpose and modus

operandi of the "miracles" performed by Baba. In reply Baba declared that these

were evidences rather than demonstrations of the Divine. "It is Love that

prompts Me to give and when I want to give, the thing is ready," He said. "I

can, by My Sankalpa, change the earth into sky and the sky into earth, but that

is not the only sign of Divine Might. It is the Love, the Compassion, the

supreme Patience to deal with all this frailty and fanaticism, it is the

Resolve to cure them all - that is the Unique Sign," Baba explained.

Those who came to probe were prompted to sit and learn. He advised the

newspapers to stress the unity of Indian culture, to emphasize the values of

the Indian way of Life, instead of playing up the differences and defects. He

wanted them to indulge neither in flattery nor in mudslinging; He asked them

not to inflame or burn incense, but portray and highlight all examples of

service and sacrifice.

On the 24th, Baba left by car towards Gujarat, where a large number of Study

Circles and Bhajan Mandalis, and the miracles emanating from His will, had

soaked the people in Sai Devotion. He visited Navasari and Surat on His way to

Baroda where he spent a day, meeting devotees from the area around, like

Nadiad, etc. Baba then returned to

Bombay and left for Poona. The Andhra Association of Poona welcomed Baba at the

premises of their Association (but it was not owing to any linguistic or

regional label, for, which geographic region can claim to contain Him more than

another? He belongs to all humanity). Baba spoke of the

problems that afflict mankind, and of the valid and valuable solutions thereto,

discovered by sages millennia ago. The people of Poona felt blessed at the

chance to have the Darshan and imbibe the nectar of His Discourse. On His way

to Hyderabad, Baba halted at Sholapur, where He urged the

people to investigate into their own inner resources and learn to develop them.

"Develop unshakeable faith in yourself, in your capacity to live well and long,

in your capability to be of use to others," He exhorted. At Hyderabad, too, His

message was a tonic to the wayward and the vacillating:

"Be cheerful and sprightly. Cultivate faith in God, keep virtuous company,

nourish discipline and cherish lofty ideals of service. Control the senses;

avoid seeing evil, hearing evil, relishing evil thoughts and sights, words and

news. Go straight, not along a crooked path. Do not read trash, or see foul

films. Discipline the wavering mind by means of Bhajan, Nagarsankeerthan and

Namasmarana," Baba directed.

On the 10th of June, Baba returned to Prashanthi Nilayam.

This chapter may well be closed with an extract from a letter from Charles Penn,

on his return to America, after being exhilarated by his first physical Darshan

of Baba, having his faith and devotion enriched by the experiences at

Dharmakshetra and the World Conference at Bombay - especially Baba's Revelation

of His being the One Divine Principle come in Human Form.

Baba appeared before him at his US residence and said,

"You, Charles, saw at Bombay the tens of thousands of seekers of Liberation,

striving to catch at least a glimpse of Me. These numbers are but a drop in the

ocean, compared to the countless unseen souls who try to reach Me from beyond

mortal bounds. To all I give My Light and Love, and help each forward, towards

Liberation."

"All who come to me in their concrete form have fortunately reached the stage

when they are beginning to 'see' the reality. Those who cry for the chance to

see Me in the concrete form have their prayers answered; to each I give every

opportunity for Darshan, for they deserve and receive My Love."

"Then, Charles, there are those who may never see Me in the concrete form. They

have, all the same, reached Me through a friend, a book or a photograph. To

each of these, if they yearn deeply, I give My Darshan inwardly. These too I

love as deeply for they have begun to see themselves, as being beyond their

body, as Divine Souls. This is true advancement towards self-realization.

Liberation and Peace can be theirs through loving the Lord in meditation. All

who meditate upon Me as the One with many Names and Forms will have Shanthi."

CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

/

 

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