Easwaramma - Mother Divine

[Guest guest]

" Easwaramma was the chosen one. I chose her to be My mother. That is

the intimate relationship between Mother Easwaramma and Myself. "

 

That was the emphatic declaration of Bhagavan on the most auspicious

Easwaramma Day, the 6th of May, 2001. In no uncertain terms Swami

communicated how lofty, grand and glorious is the stature of Mother

Easwaramma. The thronging crowd in Sai Ramesh Hall exploded into

loud applause that evening as they heard these Divine words from

Bhagavan.

 

Easwaramma - Mother Divine

 

Mother Easwaramma, truly, was a divine effulgence which graced

mother Earth with a sacred mission and purpose by the inscrutable

will of the Divine just like Kaushalya, (Mother of Sri Rama), Devaki

(Mother of Sri Krishna) or Mary (Christ's Mother). She underwent

similar agonies and ecstasies, fears and dilemmas, trials and

triumphs, and ultimately bliss and beatitude that the Divine Mothers

of yore passed through.

 

Like Krishna, Swami was the eighth child of Mother Easwaramma and

the turbulent times she went through before he took birth were akin

to what Devaki experienced before Krishna graced her lap. None of

Mother Devaki's previous seven children could escape from the

heinous designs of the demon Kamsa. Easwaramma too suffered at the

hands of cruel fate. She had four miscarriages in a row before the

Light of the World descended as her Son.

 

The Mother performs Padapuja to The Lord " Easwaramma " € ¦'¶ The

Name Said It All

 

It was not as if it was totally unannounced, for Kondama Raju,

father-in-law of Easwaramma, had dreams of the family preceptor

Venka Avadhootha instructing him to be prepared, though for what he

was not told. As Swami explained:

 

Kondama Raju, the grandfather of this physical body, being a jnani

(one of wisdom), was blessed with a vision of the future. One day he

called his son, Pedda Venkama Raju, and told him to change his

wife's name to Easwaramma. He told this because he felt the divine

vibrations originating from within. His intention was to convey that

she was the mother of Easwara, God Himself. But Pedda Venkama Raju

was not aware of the inner meaning of this name. He implicitly

obeyed the command of his father and changed the name of his wife to

Easwaramma. Easwaramma was first christened as Namagiriamma at the

time of birth.

 

So long before Swami was born, Namagiriamma became Easwaramma,

meaning the Mother of Easwara, or God, and in his own inimitable way

the Divine Lord announced his coming advent.

 

The precursor to the Divine Descent Many years later, a Pundit well

versed in the Puranas asked Swami, " Was your Incarnation a Pravesa

(an Entrance) or a Prasava (Enceinte)? " Turning to Easwaramma

seated in front, he said, " Tell what happened that day near the well

after your mother-in-law had warned you. "

 

The Mother said: She had dreamt of Sathyanarayana Deva and she

cautioned me that I should not be frightened if something happens to

me through the will of God. That morning when I was at the well

drawing water, a big ball of blue light came rolling towards me and

I fainted and fell. I felt it glide into me.

 

" There you have the answer! " Swami said, " I was not begotten. It was

Pravesa, not Prasava. "

 

The First Miracle

 

So it was the Divine had decided to descend and had chosen the womb

of Mother Easwarammba as his temporary abode. When the sacred moment

arrived in the early hours of the morning on that holy Monday, the

day dedicated to Lord Shiva, on the 23rd of November 1926, the

Chosen Mother had just consumed prasad (consecrated food) given to

her by her mother-in-law after the hour-long Sathyanarayana Puja.

 

She accepted and relished the sanctified food and before the sun had

spread its morning light on the Rathnakaram home the house was

bright with jubilation, joy and gaiety € ¦'¶ the long awaited son

was born. Those present were blessed to witness the first miracle of

the Divine Personality, described by Prof. N. Kasturi, Baba's

biographer: A mat covered with a thick bedspread had been placed in

a corner of the room, when the labor had begun, and now the baby was

placed on it by the grandmother. Suddenly they found the bedspread

rising up and falling down on either side of the baby. She grasped

the child and held it close. A serpent was coiled beneath! Of

course, snakes there were in plenty at Puttaparthi, creeping through

crevices, crawling along the walls, and hiding in holes. But a

serpent in the lying-in room pretending to be a bed € ¦'¶ it was the

role of Adisesha for the Vishnu who rested on its coils. This was

the Incarnation's first miracle. When Easwaramma was asked about

this epic event, she confessed she had been so filled with joy at

the birth of a son she had never even noticed the agitation all

around.

 

 

Seshashailavasa Narayana...

 

...Sathya's Attitude Baffles Easwaramma

 

Yes, the " Rathnakaram " family, meaning " a treasure chest of gems, "

now had its most precious jewel and the home was a hive of activity.

With his bewitching looks and captivating smiles, little Sathya

(Swami's childhood name) instantly become the cynosure of the

village. Later, his prodigious talents in music, dance and poetry,

and his divine leelas enacted right from early childhood on would

bring joy to many. As for Easwaramma, she was the one who fretted

over Swami every moment and suffered the most from his indifferent-

to-this-world attitude. In her own words:

 

" I Do Not Need Anything " - Sathya

 

He [sathya] never asked for any particular food or clothes. A bundle

of clothes would be brought from Hindupur or Anantapur and one of

the grownups, father or grandfather, would call the boys in the

family asking each one to choose for himself. But Sathya always sat

aloof until the others had made their choice and then he would take

whatever was left behind, rejected by the others. He never seemed to

have any desire or wish of his own, but his face would light up with

a beam when he saw the other children happy. When we asked him what

he wanted, a smile was the only reply. I would hug him close and try

to get him to confide his wish to me.

 

`Sathya, tell me what you want. I will give it to you,' I would

say. `I do not need anything' was his only answer. `Whatever you

give me, I will accept. That is enough for me. I will not choose.'

 

 

Sathya used to play with other children and sing bhajans for hours

on end. Her daughters reported that he performed a very intricate

dance a child artiste demonstrated during a drama in Bukkapatnam

even better than the original. But Sathya's solemnity inside the

house disturbed his mother beyond measure. Years later Easwaramma

would recount:

 

This was something I could not understand. How were we different?

What made him so deeply sober and serious? I began at last to wonder

whether the label Brahmajnan [a realized soul] the village elders

had stuck on him and which I had thought a mockery was indeed a

tribute after all.

 

Then Yashoda,.......Now Easwarammba

 

Like Yashoda, Sri Krishna's foster Mother, Easwarammba would often

pray for Divine intervention for Sathya to turn into a normal

Puttaparthi boy. Still, Easwaramma could see in him the potentials

of a poet, a singer, a dancer, a playwright and a director and she

hoped he would blossom in these fields. In fact, such were Sathya's

theatrical skills and such was Easwaramma's simplicity that whenever

she saw him being " tortured " in a drama he acted in, she wept aloud

and even tried to protect her Sathya!

 

And again like Mother Yashoda, who was troubled and torn by

instances of demons vying for the life of her sweet darling child,

Mother Easwaramma too faced agonizing and abnormal experiences.

After every display of Sathya's supernatural powers her worries only

increased. Here is what she experienced told in Swami's own words:

When Swami was staying in the Old Mandir, one day there was an

unusual crowd. Sensing danger, Easwaramma came to Me and said,

`Swami, these people seem to be having some ulterior motive. I am

afraid they may try to harm You. I am unable to sleep peacefully.' I

infused courage in her, saying, `Be fearless. The body is bound to

perish one day or the other. So, give up body attachment.'

 

Those days I used to sleep all alone in a thatched hut. That night,

as Easwarammba feared, some evil-minded people set the hut on fire

from all four sides. There were raging flames all around. Seeing

this, Subbamma and Easwaramma came running. When they reached the

spot, they found to their utter amazement there was a heavy downpour

on the hut. However, there was absolutely no rain in the surrounding

area. When I came out of the hut, both of them were overjoyed to see

Me safe and sound.

 

Similarly, on another occasion Swami shared: One day, somebody

invited Me to their house for food. Actually their intention was to

poison Me. They were feeling jealous of My growing popularity and

prosperity. In those days I used to relish vadas made of Alasanda

grains. Hence, they mixed poison in vadas and offered them to Me.

Before going there, I had told Easwarammba and Subbamma not to be

afraid if any untoward incident was to happen. When I returned from

there, My entire body turned blue and My mouth started frothing. I

told Easwaramma to wave her hand in a circle. She did accordingly,

and to her utter amazement there appeared vibhuti in her hand. She

mixed it in water and gave it to Me. Instantly, I became normal. She

wondered, `Swami can create vibhuti with a wave of his hand. But how

is it that vibhuti appeared in My hand?' In fact, I had given her

that power for that moment.

 

Easwarammba's darling Sathya

 

Easwarammba went through many trying times mothering the " infinite

power " incarnated in her humble home, though of course there were

also mystical and profound experiences. When Sathya was just nine

months old, one singular episode baffled her beyond her limits.

 

I can remember the whole incident fresh and clear. I had just bathed

and dressed him and applied on his eyes cooling collyrium. I applied

vibhuthi from the Shiva temple and a dot of kumkum from the

Sathyamma temple on his brow. I put him in the cradle, gave it a

swing and turned to the hearth where the milk had come to a boil.

Suddenly I heard him cry. I was surprised for, believe me, he had

never cried since birth for any reason, hunger, or pain, or

discomfort. I picked him up and placed him on my lap and he stopped

the wail. I saw a halo of brilliant light all around him, a circle

of radiance surrounding him. But the light did not hurt me, it was

so cool though so bright and near. I sat still, lost in delight. It

was there a long time, before it faded slowly away. I closed my eyes

and probably lost awareness of everything around until my mother-in-

law came to me and I awoke. The child was apparently asleep. She

asked me what had happened and I told her about the halo that I

could see even then in clear outline. She put her finger on her lips

and said, `Don't tell anyone of this. They wouldn't understand. They

would spread all kinds of tales.'

 

Easwarammba would be blessed with countless such experiences and

every one increased her love for the beloved son she had been gifted

with after so much prayer and penitence.

 

The Mother's Heart Bleeds

 

Sathya was so bright that denying him further education seemed a

sacrilege, so as there was no high school within a radius of twenty

miles he went to live with his brother so he could attend school at

Uravakonda. Easwarammba had to sigh and cry alone, and it must be

added, now and then to exult and enthuse, for stories seeped through

the intervening miles of the marvels Sathya had authored, the cures

he had effected, the problems he had solved, as well as of the

hardships he had to undergo.

 

Love without duty is Divine

 

During a visit to Puttaparthi from Uravakonda, Easwaramma gave

Sathya an invigorating " oil bath " and observed on his left shoulder

a broad length of blackened thickened skin. Sathya did not complain

of pain when the patch was touched or pressed and laughed it off

when she asked how he had acquired that mark. But when Easwaramma

insisted, he told her that the skin was rendered so as the result of

carrying water pots hung on both ends of a pole borne on his

shoulder for the household where he stayed. There was only one well

at Uravakonda for drinking water which was nearly a kilometer away,

so he walked to and fro about six times daily, thrice in the morning

and thrice in the evening.

 

Easwarammba was alarmed. " You must come away from there. They are

exploiting your goodness and your desire to serve. Why should they

depend on you for water? " But Sathya responded, " I felt it as my

duty, Amma. How long can the children survive on the brackish

poison? I carry the water of life from that distance gladly, Mother.

I have come to do this service. " Mother was in tears and could

hardly speak. Immediately, Sathya was back home in Puttaparthi.

 

 

The Mother's Greatest Anxiety Swami's Food Habits

 

If Swami was away from her for some time and a visitor came from

that place, Easwarammba would invariably ask, " How is Swami? Is he

keeping well? Does he eat anything at all? "

 

Swami's eating habits were always a subject of concern for the

Mother. Every now and then Easwarammba would go into the Mandir, for

there were no regular hours for her or anyone else, and she would

note the new arrivals, talk to them and then move quietly towards

the women who were mothering her son. " Serve him and nurse him with

care, " she would plead. " Look at him; one can count the ribs, they

are coming through so clear. He won't listen to what we say. He

insists on his own ways, all the while telling us how to behave. And

somehow he justifies everything he does as good for himself. "

 

Noon and night, lunchtime and dinnertime, whenever she thought about

it Easwarammba was confronted by a conundrum. How could the Ananda

of others be Ahara [food] for him? He ate so meagerly. He relished

so little. He set aside so much. He had no obvious preference, no

visible appetite, no taste to satisfy, no hunger to appease, and no

time to spare. How could he derive sustenance from this Anandaless

atmosphere? She prayed for him to eat but it was all in vain. Swami

would take a mouthful just to satisfy her and then stand and walk

away.

 

It took Easwarammba a long time to reconcile herself to this

Avataric trait. Whenever she was around she personally supervised

the

preparation of the menu for Swami by going into the host's kitchen.

She believed that Swami would eat a few more spoonfuls if the

cuisine

was Telugu, or better still, if it was genuine Rayalaseema, the

region to which Puttaparthi belonged. When Swami was at Jamnagar

with

the Rajmatha of Nawanagar (in Gujarat), Easwaramma feared that the

Gujarati dishes might not be acceptable to her son. She smuggled

herself into the palace kitchen and sought permission to prepare a

little chaar € ¦'¶ a soup based on boiled pulses € ¦'¶ so Swami

would have

some food of familiar taste.

 

This mother's concern never left her alone. Her eyes were on his

plate to discover how much he tasted of what and how his health

reacted to the restraints he imposed on himself. When Bhagavan was

forty-four-years-old, Easwarammba was heard to say, " He does not

like

their cooking. He used to eat well as a boy when I cooked his food.

But he does not care for my cooking now. He says I must have rest

and

quiet and not to worry about such things. "

 

.....so that we may learn to serve

 

When Swami was a child, Easwaramma would have to spend an hour to

persuade him to swallow a mouthful. The thinnest of excuses € ¦'¶ a

crow

cawing for a morsel, a mendicant voice from afar, a child crying

next

door € ¦'¶ sufficed for him to run away from the plate before him.

 

On one occasion Swami took to drinking only a cup of buttermilk per

day€ ¦'¥for thirty-six days! One can imagine the heart-rending pain

Easwaramma went through, struggling to hold back tears which

threatened to well up throughout the day. When at last Swami said in

response to the devotees' prayers he would resume his normal

schedule

of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Easwaramma was happy beyond words

and asked him to never tease them with such tactics again. Even

years

later, whenever she recalled those thirty-six days, it was with a

sigh and expression of resignation.

 

Her Childlike Simplicity

 

Mother's concern for Swami extended to every detail of his life.

Apart from his spartan food habits, another subject which troubled

her was Swami's travels. She was always apprehensive of him leaving

Puttaparthi even if it was for only a day to a nearby city or town.

So imagine her distress when she heard about the planned trip to

East

Africa in 1968. She was extremely nervous, to say the least.

 

Simplicity personified

 

Not much was known about Africa in those days, and the popular

impression was that it was a dark continent full of wild animals,

savages, and cannibals.

 

Easwarammba had heard this folklore and feared Swami would be in

danger if he went there. She resolved to have the trip cancelled and

expressed her reservations to someone involved with the expedition.

The person replied, " Mother, do not worry. Swami will be visiting

only big cities where he will be absolutely safe € ¦'¶ no threats

from

animals or savages there! "

 

Easwarammba was dissatisfied with the reply and felt hurt that the

person was making light of a serious matter. She approached someone

else and told him, " Listen, all of you are merrily planning a jaunt

to Africa without being conscious of the risk to Swami. It is not

too

late yet, and you must do everything possible to dissuade him from

undertaking this trip. " The person she spoke to gave a patient

hearing and then replied, " Amma, have no fear. Swami will have very

high security protection. "

 

Easwarammba felt frustrated that no one was taking her misgivings

seriously. She sought out a senior devotee and conveyed her worst

fears to him. This devotee said, " Mother, it is true that there are

many dangers in Africa. But how can they affect Swami? He is God, is

he not? " Hearing this Mother Easwarammba became furious and shouted

back, " You fool! I know Swami is God and you know he is God. But do

those savages and wild animals in Africa know he is God? "

 

That was the Mother's childlike concern and simplicity. Though she

had realised her son's divinity, motherly anxieties often

overwhelmed

her. Sri Jayalakshmi Gopinath, who was fortunate to interact with

the

Mother and observe her at close quarters, recalls:

 

I knew the Divine Mother Easwarammba so well. It was mutual love

between us. I loved her because on her face there was such

brilliance

that you could not find anywhere in the whole world on any

sophisticated face. Whatever one would put on the face it could not

match the glow on her face. I have seen it myself. She was as simple

as a child.

 

Easwarammba's Travels With Swami

 

Ask any of those old timers who knew the Mother and they will

say, " She was so humble, so lovable, so simple. " Swami, who was

filled with compassion at Easwarammba's rustic upbringing, believed

that travel was the surest way to broaden her views. Swami persuaded

her to come with him and the devotees to Bangalore. Fast cars sped

them along macadamized highways, through stretches of brown

barrenness, and then carpets of cool green, jowar, paddy and ragi,

sweet sugarcane and cotton. At Madras she saw the sea for the first

time. Swami had described the ocean to her in epic terms, for these

were the waters that Rama and his monkey hordes had crossed in the

Tretha Yuga on their way to Lanka. A few drops sprinkled on the head

purifies a person to perfection, he said, for into it flows the holy

rivers Ganga, Jumna, Kaveri and Godavari.

 

Easwarammba was touched to the depths of her being as she gazed in

awe at her first vision of the ocean, boundless in its immensity,

eternal in its rhythm of surge and swell, forever changing yet ever

the same, an endless expanse with the horizon as its limits, the sky

as its roof, and the subtle colors of space € ¦'¶ blue, deep gray-

green,

cloudy-white. She burst into an exclamation of wonder that this was

the very Mirror of God reflecting the majesty of his many moods.

 

For the first time Easwarammba knew the hurry and scurry of cities,

the noise of bazaars. She greeted lions and tigers, pythons and

peacocks, and those most strange creatures, the giraffe and the

kangaroo, at the Mysore Zoo.

 

She enjoyed the cool comfort of Bangalore and weathered the biting

cold of Ootacamund on the Nilgiris and the Blue Mountains of Tamil

Nadu. She visited the fabled temples and sacred rivers of India,

while Swami showered his constant attention upon her. This was his

special grace, she knew, for she had not yet completely severed her

maternal attachments and soared into the blissful freedom of supreme

trust and devotion.

 

Easwarammba would often be a part of the troupe accompanying Baba to

remote spots in Andhra Pradesh and other parts of India and would

ride in the car following Bhagavan's.

 

During the summer months these excursions could become unbearably

hot

and Swami would ask her to relax in his car to be cooled in the air

conditioning but she always politely declined the offer. Easwaramma

never hankered for physical comfort and was satisfied with the way

things were.

 

Sai travels the length and breadth of India

 

When Swami and his devotees left Lucknow for Benares, the Secretary

to the Governor drew up the order of precedence according to

protocol

for the entourage of cars: the pilot car with Swami and the

Governor,

the Police car, the Rolls Royce with the parents, the Secretary's

car, the car with the Editor of the Sanathana Sarathi, and so on.

Easwaramma, however, preferred to ride in the van with her sister

devotees whom she could regale with her colorful anecdotes to the

lonely luxury of the Rolls Royce.

 

Her Innermost Fears

 

The treasure chest of all wisdom

 

In 1956, a sanyasi and learned scholar, Swami Amrithananda, came

from

Thiruvanamallai for Swami's Darshan. He had lived with the great

master Ramana Maharshi for a long time and Swami invited him to stay

for several months in Puttaparthi. As it was Dasara, Swami was

blessing the devotees with discourses every day. During one such

discourse, Easwaramma asked Swami Amrithananda in Telugu, " Ememo

cheputhu unnade, sariga cheputhada? " meaning, " He is telling so many

things. Are they all correct? " That was the motherly concern of

Easwaramma for Swami. Though she had seen many instances of Swami

doing the impossible, yet her heart was always anxious and her lips

silently praying for her son's welfare.

 

Then there were the village rumors: " This is not going to last

long, " " Sai Baba's powers will soon be drained away, " etc. Whenever

such gossip assailed her ears she would pull out from the private

treasure trove of her memory remembrances of the incredible events

she had witnessed bearing testimony to the authenticity of the

Avathar that was now before her. On that occasion when Swami

Amrithananda replied, " Amma, he is Parabramha. He knows everything.

He is my Guru and God, " it was yet further confirmation to her of

Baba's divinity.

 

When Swami made plans to visit the holy sites of the Himalayas,

Easwarammba became alarmed that her son might fall victim to black

magic motivated by religious rivalry from the yogis and monks of

that

area. She confided her reservations to Professor Kasturi and he

calmed them by promising to recite the Gayatri mantra and invoke its

protective powers.

 

 

" Easwarammba Was Like Yashoda " € ¦'¶ Baba

 

These accounts remind one of Mother Yashoda, who likewise often

looked upon Krishna as her son and found herself forgetful of his

true status. Perhaps God had willed it so, otherwise how could she

have experienced the bliss of mothering the master of all creation?

Comparing her to Yashoda, on Easwarammba Day 2001, Swami said:

 

....The following week, I went to see Kondama Raju again after

visiting Subbamma's house. He came to know that I was coming to his

house. Immediately he called Easwarammba and told her, `I am not

going to live any longer. Having known that my end has approached,

God is coming to shower his grace on me.' She responded in an

innocent way saying, `Where is God? How do you know that he is

coming?'

 

Then Kondama Raju said, `O mad woman, still you are deluded by the

feeling of a mother toward her son! Look there, God is coming.' So

saying, he pointed at Me as I was entering his house. She too was

aware of My Divinity but she used to get carried away by her

motherly

affection toward Me. Similar was the case with Yashoda. Though she

had seen all the fourteen worlds in Krishna's mouth, she thought it

was a dream or an illusion.

 

The Mother's Distress As Sathya Becomes Sai Baba

 

Yes, there were many occasions when she vacillated between being a

mother and devotee. The transition from doting mother to adoring

devotee was a long and tortuous path as her son was revealed as the

Source of divine light shining his benediction on humanity. Just

picture this scene as the anxious parents had rushed to Uravakonda

to

visit Swami, who was then still a mere lad. They were confronted

with

a large crowd of devotees who cheered them as, " Matha Pitha ki jai, "

(Victory to the Parents!) close on the heels of each full-

throated " Sai Baba ki jai " (Victory to Sai!). Sathya was seated on a

chair with flower garlands piling up on his right as he accepted

each

one that was offered and added it to the mound. But when pressed to

identify his parents, Sathya said concisely, " They are Maya "

[illusion].

 

" Maya! " exclaimed Easwarammba, and fell in a faint. When she came

back to her senses she sat by Sathya's side, tears coursing down her

face, for her son was but a shadow of his former self though only

three months had elapsed since she last saw him. " Sathya, speak to

your mother! " she begged. A few minutes of silence ensued.

 

Then, " Who belongs to whom? " asked Sathya, remote and cold. It was

not a question but a pronouncement. Baba continued with her

lesson. " It is all Maya, it is all Maya. "

 

Her only consolation was when Sathya agreed to eat some lunch. She

finished serving and nervously signaled that her offerings be

accepted. With a swift movement Sathya swept all the food into one

mass and rolled it into three balls. " Maya! Maya! " he kept

repeating.

 

Someone told the stupefied mother that Sathya was bidding her come

near and she moved a few feet forward. He put one of the balls of

food in her right palm and kept his palm before her to receive it.

As

she gave it back, Sathya ate, whispering, " Maya is gone, Maya has

left. "

 

This scene is unique in the annals of human experience, for who can

fathom what Easwarammba must have felt in her heart € ¦'¶ nothing

could

have prepared her for the jolt as her little Sathya became Sai Baba,

Guru to the whole world. She alone bore the brunt of this

metamorphosis of her dearest Sathya to a discreet and distant Sai

Baba.

 

" Maya is gone, Maya has left " - Sathya

 

Prashanthi Nilayam Is Born But The Mother Is

Worried

 

As the years went by Easwarammba had to adjust to many other changes

that followed the ever-growing glory of her son. She strained to

retain whatever contact she could as Swami's time became taken up by

the needs of the devotees.

 

In fact, she was the one most aggrieved at what she considered

Swami's determination to keep Puttaparthi at arm's length. The

existing Mandir was already at the fringe of the village and the new

site was a half kilometer further away. Gathering all the arguments

she could drum up against the project, Easwarammba went rushing into

the hall where Baba sat among a group of devotees from Kuppam and

cried out:

 

" Swami, what is this I hear? They say you are going to build a new

Mandir on that hill. How can you go to a spot that is so far from

the

village, a place that is surrounded by jungle and filled with snakes

and scorpions? How will people who are old and sick and mothers with

tiny children get to you? Aren't you going to bother hereafter with

their troubles? Are you going to deny them your Darshan? What of the

fate of those who come to you in the future? You have the mark of

the

wheel [the chakra] under your foot and you will never stay in one

place! " she went on agitatedly, " You must always be climbing a hill

or crossing a river to find a place to sit singing bhajans. Which

godforsaken place have you found now? Don't you know that you must

consult astrologers before you think of moving anywhere? And, listen

to me, " she warned, " this Mandir is enough for you. It is better to

have a small place that is filled with people than a huge building

half empty! "

 

There was no interruption to this torrent of protest. Swami sat in

patient silence letting her have her say and merely smiled at the

end

of it all. " Speak to me! Tell me something in reply! " she exclaimed

at last in vexation.

 

Swami softened. " Why do you bother with people's talk? " he gently

asked and assured her, " There will be no jungle and no snakes when I

go there. There will be hundreds of pilgrims pouring in every day €

¦'¶

and that place will become a Shirdi, a Tirupati, and a Kasi. "

 

Stumped by this ringing pronouncement, Easwarammba fell back on her

eldest son as her Court of Last Resort. Swami must be persuaded to

contain himself within the Puttaparthi Mandir, she pleaded. Seshama

Raju wrote to Swami voicing their protests, but the letter he

received in reply rendered them even more breathless. Such

immeasurable audacity from a mere sixteen-year-old! He was not to be

considered a " son " any longer, Sathya wrote. It was the result of

his

own will that he had come as man among men in order to liberate all,

both the good and the bad from misery. He went on to claim that

millions from the four quarters of the world will come seeking him

and soon those standing at the far edge of the crowd would consider

themselves lucky if they could but get Darshan of an orange speck in

the distance.

 

" Millions will come? Here? Where would they stay or stand? "

 

Easwarammba wondered as she sent up frantic supplications to the

gods

to solve this conundrum of strange events that threatened to

overwhelm them all.

 

The Prasanthi Mandir in the 1950s

 

Though she witnessed Swami's miracles in the company of others, her

response was typically more anxiety rather than awe. She calculated

that one miracle would lead to another, for those attracted would

clamor for it again and again. She feared that every miracle would

drain Swami's spiritual power. A few townsfolk had whispered in her

ear that his power would not last long for he was using it up at a

fast pace. She had dared to warn Swami once or twice about this

prospect but had received in reply only a loud, " Bah! I must make

everyone happy. I have come for this, to lead the poor and the

miserable into Ananda. Their Ananda [bliss] is the food that

sustains

me. "

 

Sai shines in Prasanthi

 

Still, Easwarammba was apprehensive of the growing number of

devotees

and losing her Sathya. On the eve of His ceremonial move to the new

Prashanthi Mandir in 1950, she seized the opportunity and secured a

boon from Swami that he would have his dining room on the east side

of the upper floor even though he had chosen the rooms at the other

end in which to live.

 

Swami was very strict in enforcing the rule that men and women must

keep apart, so while the men used the staircase at the west end,

Easwarammba and her daughters climbed up the one at the east side

and

spoke to him there. They were no longer allowed free entry into his

apartment.

 

They would be waiting and waiting anxiously in the dining room and

only when they were almost desperate would he come, sauntering along

the veranda. He came to give Darshan and not really to eat. Sitting

at the small table he would finger one or two of the carefully

prepared and nervously offered items, utter a few replies to their

questions and rise, humming a tune, to return to the quarters now

inaccessible to them. Swami, like Shirdi Baba, allowed devotees to

place offerings on the table, but the hope that he would eat

something from these was a vain one on most days.

 

The easy familiar days at the old Mandir were gone forever. But

Swami, in his compassion, granted Easwaramma a few minutes of access

to him whenever she needed the healing touch of his vibhuthi or

relief from routine.

 

 

Easwarammba, like many of her sisters and brothers, was pestered by

follies and fears when worldly desires clashed in conflict. Swami

guided her into the realm of happiness, goodness, and wisdom. He

raised her whom he had chosen as the Mother to the status of his

foremost pupil and led her from perplexity to preeminent faith in

the

Divinity that deludes us as diversity yet stands ready to help

pierce

the veil of Maya and realize the Eternal Truth behind the game of

life he so enjoys playing.

 

The Lord Resides In Puttaparthi€ ¦'¥Thanks To The Divine Mother

 

There was another boon the Mother secured from Lord Sai that

literally shaped the mission of Sai and made Puttaparthi what it is

today. Four years ago Swami recounted this incident during the

Dasara

celebrations. He said:

 

Maharani of Mysore, coffee planter Sakamma, and Desaraj Arasu, the

maternal uncle of Mysore Maharaja, were among those who used to come

here [in the 1940s]. One day they prayed, " It is difficult for us to

come here often. Hence, please come and settle in Mysore. We shall

build a big mansion for You. " I told, " I don't want palatial

buildings. I want to be here. "

 

That night, Mother Easwarammba came to Me with tears in her eyes and

said, " Swami, people want to take You here and there for their

selfish purposes. If you leave Puttaparthi I will give up my life.

Please promise me that You will remain in Puttaparthi forever. " I

gave her My word that I would never leave Puttaparthi. This is why I

have constructed many buildings in the Ashram for the comfort and

convenience of devotees.

 

" You will remain in Puttaparthi forever " - Easwarammba

 

So it is the Mother to whom mankind owes Swami's allegiance to his

birthplace and his gift to us of a beautiful and sublime ashram and

temple which have now become a spiritual lighthouse for the entire

world. In fact, as time passed, Mother herself found it increasingly

irksome to live in her village home. She could not endure the

pettiness of caste-bred conflicts and began to sense more and more

pollution in the village sky. Scandal, slander, eavesdropping,

trickery, and teasing were the sport of the disbelievers. Mother

found the atmosphere suffocating and with Swami's permission stayed

within the premises of Prashanthi Mandir. Swami arranged for her to

reside in a small cozy room on the ground floor of the Mandir itself

and she felt very comfortable in the company of women devotees,

guiding, encouraging, consoling and caring for them.

 

All roads lead to Prasanthi - the Eternal Abode of Sai

 

Women's Well-Being And Welfare € ¦'¶ Her Passion

 

Easwarammba had a soft heart especially towards women who were

widowed by fate and ostracized by society as if their misfortune was

infectious. She also sought out young women deserted by their

husbands and left alone and helpless. Many such women were brought

by

their parents or kinsmen so that they might recover from the shock

and renew their lives. She discovered that a large number of women

who were brought to Puttaparthi were afflicted by " ghosts " and these

victims of dark spirits were amenable to the softness and sweetness

that emanated from her heart.

 

A boon for womanhood

 

The love with which she treated these women blossomed as she watched

Swami healing the stricken. He showered compassion on them and

applied vibhuthi on their brows. When they were restored to normalcy

and returned home, Swami used to narrate the reasons why their

thoughts went awry and their words were soaked in spite. Listening

to

Him, Easwaramma decided that she would not condemn or ridicule any

woman on the basis of her apparent faults or failings for they were

only, she knew, the results of persecution and poverty. The Mother

thus became more than their own mother to a growing number of

sisters

in distress.

 

Mother possessed a rich spring of native wisdom (medha) with which

she quenched the thirst of the desolate and deprived. She not only

knew the simple folk remedies for physical illnesses but also

many " psychotherapeutic strategies " (to use an aristocratic word)

that could demolish depression and remove fear from the minds of

those who came to her. They often confided to her what they would

not

tell their own mothers. Her sympathy in listening unlocked the

chambers of their hearts wherein their agony was interned. She

tolerated the long narrations, never evincing impatience, boredom,

or

judgment, and the teardrops that shone in her eyes were sufficient

to

drown their distress.

 

She was happy beyond words that Swami accorded such an honored

status

to motherhood. During the Nine Days of Dasara celebrations in

Puttaparthi women gathered in the Prayer Hall every morning and

evening to worship the Cosmic Feminine as Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi,

and Saraswathi. Mother was also pleased that women were permitted

and

encouraged to recite the mystic syllable OM.

 

 

In truth, the taboo was so inculcated in womenfolk that they had

never dared to challenge it. Mother felt that women should not be

denied access to the presence of God, and if OM is the purest sound

and symbol of the Impersonal, women also had a right to invoke

it.She

told Swami how happy she was at this, his singular Blessing to women

of all castes and races.

 

Serving The Needy Gladdened Her Heart

 

There was another event that was planned and consummated at

Puttaparthi by Swami early in 1968 which touched her motherly heart

and brought her immense satisfaction € ¦'¶ the Optical Diseases

Diagnosis

and Treatment Camp which lasted ten days. Four thousand patients

were

examined and more than a thousand operations were performed to

restore vision to those blinded by cataracts, glaucoma, etc. Groups

of old men and women led by their children and grandchildren came

hobbling along the village roads to the Nilayam. Easwaramma had

never

realised how many there were in need of the help Swami offered.

There

was great enthusiasm among the devotees, men and women, to serve

them. More than a hundred women devotees volunteered to nurse the

female patients and Easwaramma was with them, elated at the promise

that awaited the sightless multitude. The Mother was at ease and

full

of joy as thousands of indigent and ailing villagers were fed and

clothed, repaired and rehabilitated.

 

Swami encouraged her to share in the service activities and

commissioned her to hand out saris to the women. Easwaramma was

delighted at the chance and by the gleam of gratitude in their eyes

as the women took the saris in their hands. She had learnt the art

of

enthusiastic giving from Swami, as he in turn placed dhotis and

towels in the palsied hands of the sons of toil. She experienced the

thrill of sister meeting sister when the sari brought them together.

Earlier, when Easwaramma walked through the long rows of women with

bandaged eyes who groped for her touch, they had sensed the presence

of the Mother beside each of them

 

" Easwaramma € ¦'¶ An Embodiment Of Sacrifice " € ¦'¶ Baba

 

Recalling her virtues as an ideal for our modern society, during his

discourse on Eswaraamma Day 2000, Swami remarked:

 

Easwarammba was born in such a poor family that she did not even

have

proper food to eat. All that she had to eat was ragi sankati (gruel

prepared from a coarse grain). Easwarammba was illiterate. When I

see

the egoistic attitude, perverted mentality and ostentatious behavior

of the present day educated people, I feel it was better that

Easwaramma did not have any schooling.

 

When I was seven and a half years old, I used to teach Pandhari

bhajans to small children in our village. Easwaramma and Subbamma

used to feel ecstatic watching Me sing Pandhari bhajans and dance to

their rhythm. Sometimes her husband Pedda Venkama Raju would give

Easwaramma some money for the household expenditure. Once two annas

were remaining with her out of this money. One could buy two bags of

puffed rice for two annas in those days. So Easwaramma bought two

bags of puffed rice with the two annas and distributed it to the

children. She always used to give away whatever she had with her.

She

was the embodiment of sacrifice. She would talk lovingly to all

those

who came to her. When devotees would feel sad that Swami was

ignoring

them, she would console them saying, " Whatever Swami does is for

your

own good. "

 

Divine virtues concealed in her diminutive frame

 

She Was Always There For The Devotees

 

There are any number of instances when Easwaramma was unable to bear

the suffering of a devotee and went straight to Swami and pleaded on

their behalf. If ever she took any liberty of her accessibility to

Swami, it was for the sake of some distressed and disconsolate soul.

In one instance there was a couple from West Godavari who had come

with a terribly sick child and had waited in Puttaparthi for a week.

Due to financial constraints they were not in a position to extend

their stay and were about to leave crestfallen. As a last resort

they

met Easwaramma, and when the Mother heard their plight she took the

boy by his hand and immediately led him upstairs to Swami's room and

pleaded with him to cure the child. Swami gave her a patient hearing

and then calmly said, " Chustanu " meaning, " I will see. " But no, she

was not satisfied and insisted that Swami show mercy to the poor

family now€ ¦'¥and Swami finally gave in to her prayers and healed

the

child. As is said, a mother's prayers never go unfulfilled.

 

After the Prashanthi Nilayam Mandir was constructed, the Mother who

did not want to miss an opportunity to be beside her son chose to

live in the Prashanthi temple itself. This was a boon for the

devotees for they benefitted immensely from her comforting advice,

caring counsel, and ever-ready-to-help attitude. She was accessible

to all and devotees found in her someone genuinely interested in

their welfare.

 

Easwaramma and Eshwara

 

In those days entire families would come to Puttaparthi and as the

Mother interacted freely with everyone, they would confide in her

their problems and worries to such an extent that she brought twenty

members for an interview. Swami had graciously permitted the family

to perform Padapuja (worshipping the feet of the Lord with

rosewater,

flowers, etc.) to him.

 

As they did the ceremonial rites, they beseeched him to grant them

the opportunity to perform Puja to Mother Easwaramma, who was seated

beside him. Swami initially refused saying, " No. Do not call her as

she will start recommending, " but the devotees persisted until Swami

gave in and Mother Easwaramma reluctantly acceded to their request.

All the while the Puja was going on, Mother was intently watching

the

members of this family from West Godavari and as predicted by Swami,

she started " recommending " saying, " Swami, that boy does not study.

Please give him vibhuti so that he gets good marks, " and " Swami,

look

at that poor girl. She has been suffering so long. You must cure

her, " and so on.

 

 

That was the beauty of her goodness. Easwaramma met untold numbers

of

devotees who would cry out their heart to her and pour forth their

sorrows. She would listen patiently and not only remember their

problems in detail but bring them to Swami's notice whenever she

found an opportunity.

 

On Ladies Day in 2002, Swami acknowledged this noble trait of

Easwarammba.

 

Griham Ammayi, the mother of this body, used to speak to all with

love. She could never withstand the suffering of others. She would

come upstairs and plead with Me, saying, " Swami, they are in a

sorrowful state. Please call them and talk to them. " Her heart was

filled with compassion. That is why her fame has spread so much. In

order to attain a good name you have to utter sacred words and help

others.

 

Whenever Mother Easwarammba came to Me with such a plea, I used to

pretend to be angry and chide her, saying, " Why are you coming here

with recommendations? I don't want to listen to them. " But she would

persist and continue to plead, " Swami, please take pity on them.

They

are in dire need of Your help. Please talk to them once. " I used to

be happy thinking, " How compassionate and kindhearted she is. "

 

Truly, she had a heart of gold. Never was there even the slightest

trace of ego in her that she was " The Divine Mother. " She mingled

unselfconsciously with everyone like any other simple village lady

and shunned special recognition, undue attention or publicity.

 

A Loving Mother For All

 

In the late 1960s there were a few brick houses situated around the

Mandir. One morning, a lady who lived alone in one of these

structures was burning charcoal for cooking when the smoke

overwhelmed her and she fainted and fell unconscious to the floor.

When she did not come out by 10:00, some people sensed something

amiss and broke open the door to find her lying unconscious.

 

When this information reached Swami, he was far from pleased and

told

the devotees, " It is one's duty to know the well-being of one's

neighbours. The least one can do is inquire how they are, what they

need and the state of their well-being. Every day when you get up,

find out how your neighbours are. This is a pleasant thing to do in

the morning. " These words of Bhagavan touched Mother Easwaramma's

heart. From that day onwards she took it upon herself to go to each

and every house in the morning and personally find out whether all

were comfortable.

 

Once it happened that the Mother was on her daily rounds, checking

from house to house as to whether everything was fine, when she

tripped over a pile of bricks and sprained her leg. She was in acute

pain and unable to even stand. Immediately some devotees took her to

the nearest house and the message was relayed to Swami, who rushed

to

her and jovially asked, " Why do you have to move like this to every

house unnecessarily? " She replied, " Swami, nothing is impossible for

you. You can get all the work done without going anywhere. But such

a

thing is not possible for me. " Swami merely smiled, created vibhuti

and said the pain would soon stop. The next day she was fine.

 

The genuine love that Mother Easwaramma had for devotees was

something very laudable.She spoke sweetly at all times, her speech

emanating patience and forbearance and fully free from pretense with

no sharp edges to hurt the hearer. During the time Swami was still

at

the village Mandir, there were many women apparently " possessed " by

spirits who were brought to his presence by distraught relatives.

 

The unfortunates screamed, sulked, moaned, and ran helter-skelter.

Sometimes their condition had been aggravated by quacks who had

treated them with the rod. Easwaramma offered the soothing balm of

sympathy to the victims and a few minutes with her was an effective

tranquillizer which calmed their explosive emotions. Whenever people

called her Mother, it was with quivering lips and tears glistening

in

their eyes.

 

Universal Mother

 

Three Selfless Desires € ¦'¶ Three Models for Mankind

 

There is perhaps one legend that will always dance around her

hallowed name, and that is her direct inspiration for the mammoth

social service projects which make the name Sathya Sai shine

throughout the world. On several occasions Swami has recalled this

endearing facet of her life.

 

Once she told Me, " Swami, our Puttaparthi is a small village. Since

there is no school in this village, the children are forced to walk

long distances to attend schools in the neighboring villages. I know

that You are the ocean of compassion. Please construct a small

school

in this village. " I asked where she wanted the school to be built.

She said she had a piece of land behind her house. She wanted the

school to be constructed there. As desired by her, I got the school

constructed. Though it was a small school, the inaugural function

was

a grand affair attended by many devotees.

 

The inspiration behind the Sai Mission

 

The next day Easwaramma expressed her happiness over the inaugural

function and said that she had one more desire. She wanted a

hospital

also to be built in the village. She said, " Swami, I don't want to

put You to trouble. If You are troubled, the whole world will be in

trouble and if You are happy the whole world will be happy. So if it

gives You happiness, please construct a small hospital. " As per her

wish, I got the hospital constructed. Bejawada Gopal Reddy, a highly

reputed person in those days, was invited to inaugurate the

hospital.

The inauguration was attended by thousands of people from the

neighboring villages. Easwaramma did not imagine that this would be

such a grand affair.

 

Next day, she came up to Me and said, " Swami, it does not matter

even

if I die now. I have no more worries, you have fulfilled my desires

and mitigated the suffering of the villagers to a great extent. " I

said, " If you have any more desires, ask Me now. " She replied

hesitantly that she had yet another small desire. " You know that the

river Chithravathi is in spate during the rainy season. But in

summer

it dries to a trickle and people do not have drinking water. So,

please see that some wells are dug in this village. " I told her that

I would not stop with these small wells and that I would provide

drinking water to the entire Rayalaseema region. Easwaramma said, " I

don't know what Rayalaseema is. I am satisfied if our village is

provided with drinking water. "

 

Thus it is that Easwarammba's vision and compassion lit up the lives

of countless numbers who are benefiting from her unselfish wishes.

This was not merely an ideal she encouraged her son to make real but

one she expressed actively through her love for all

 

 

23rd Nov 1954 - Swami inaugurates the General Hospital

 

The General Hospital € ¦'¶ A Dream Come True For Her The Mother

was

perhaps the person most gratified when Swami announced that a twelve-

bed hospital would be raised on the hill to the south of the Mandir.

For her part, while Swami was at the village Mandir and even later,

she could avail herself of the expert medical advice of Dr. Lakshmi,

the famous physician and gynecologist from Nellore who stayed for

weeks in the presence of Swami.

 

Whenever she, her daughters, or others of the Ratnakaram family

received the kind attention of that doctor, Easwaramma prayed to her

to examine, diagnose, and prescribe medicines for other village

women

too. She longed for a lady doctor who could stay at the Mandir year

in and year out and help women in times of dire need. So when the

news of the hospital came to her, she was overjoyed.

 

Easwarammba joined the women devotees hauling sand, stone, bricks,

and cement from the road up to the construction site and lifted

bricks herself, brushing aside protests from the women. When the

wards were ready, she sought out women patients, brought them to the

doctor, pleaded that they be admitted, and looked after them until

they could move about and take their normal share in the work at

home

and in the fields.

 

Dr. Jayalakshmi, who served in the Sathya Sai Hospital, related that

Easwaramma was a pioneer in serving pregnant women and babies. She

advised against magical rites and the offering of fowls and lambs to

Maariamma and lesser deities to drive diseases away. She sat with

the

patients while they were questioned, waited for the diagnosis, and

held them firm as the dreaded needle was administered. When ladies

were admitted as patients, she climbed the hill to the hospital to

make sure they know there was a Mother interested in their recovery.

 

 

The General Hospital during the early 1980s

 

Easwaramma € ¦'¶ A Living Goddess For The Devotee

 

Pedda Bottu, who knew her well, was warm in her admiration.

" She had no trace of envy and she never relished scandal. Her speech

was sweet with affection and compassion. Her complexion of gold-

brown, the eyes collyrium bordered, the magnum dot of kumkum

shimmering on her broad brow, they all reminded us of the popular

image of the Goddess Lakshmi. "

 

Devotees prostrated whenever they chanced to meet her and sought to

earn her maternal blessings. Her wide eyes gleamed and her toothless

mouth was half-open as she smiled in recognition, satisfaction or

appreciation. They spoke to her in various languages and received

her

reply in the one tongue available to all on such occasions € ¦'¶ the

language of the heart.

 

The devotees discovered in the Mother a never failing source of

strength and wisdom. They sought her out more and more often and

honored her as the Mother, assigning her distinct roles during

festivals and holy days. Easwaramma did not yield as soon as the

women surrounded her and pleaded that she should guide them or bless

them, but how long could she keep them at bay?

 

 

All yearned for her blessings...

 

On days dedicated to the worship of Varalakshmi (the Goddess of

Wealth ready to grant boons) or Gowri (the fair Consort of Shiva,

mother of Ganesh), she had to accept the first offering of homage

from every woman who needed her. During the nine days of Navarathri,

the Festival of the Mother, she was honored for the first three days

as Durga, the next three days as Lakshmi, and on the last three as

Saraswathi.

 

During The Festival Of Nine Nights€ ¦'¥

 

During these days Swami directed the women devotees to assemble at

the Prayer Hall of the Nilayam every morning and evening to worship

the Mother Goddess reciting the 1008 Names which attempt to capture

a

glimpse of her Glory. Easwaramma vehemently declined to be installed

on this occasion as the visible symbol of the Divine Mother.

 

She even wriggled out of participation since the women insisted

that she must at least be seated at the head of the row. She

preferred to enter unannounced, sit through the ritual unnoticed,

and

slip away quietly. Such was her humility.

 

But on the Jhoola evening she had to yield to their wishes.

Swami's

darshan while on a floral swing was the valedictory event in

Navarathri. Women devotees offered fruits, flowers, and sweets and

arranged lamps in attractive patterns before him. Arati would be

offered when he came off the swing, so when Swami indicated he

intended to leave and the camphor flame should be readied, a series

of lamps were waved before him by women singing traditional lilts.

 

Easwaramma was then sought out and brought to the Nilayam to wave

the first Arati lamp, despite her protestations that the privilege

must be granted to someone else who was more devoted and deserving

than she was.

 

 

Festivals fascinated the Mother...During The Lord's Birthday€ ¦'¥

 

Every Hindu child has his " birthday " celebrated at home as a

festival

with extra prayers and special offerings of sweets to the family

deity. The child is seated facing East on a sanctified plank. The

mother pours a few drops of oil on the head and others follow her.

The child is given a ceremonial bath and dressed in new clothes. He

has to touch the feet of elders and sit in the shrine while prayers

are offered by the parents for his long life, health, progress, and

prosperity.

 

Prashanthi Nilayam was inaugurated on Swami's Birthday in 1950.

Previous to that year, the Birthday had been rather informal. Swami

delighted the Mother and the Father and their sons and daughters by

visiting their home and going through the ritual of lunch in their

company. After the parents had placed a few drops of oil on his

cluster of hair, the ceremonial bath was administered and Swami

fulfilled the longing of one devotee by accepting the robe and dhoti

he placed at his feet. All those present then touched his feet

praying for boons and blessings.

 

Annointing the Almighty

 

The new Prashanthi Nilayam, however, challenged the devotees to

inaugurate a more impressive though still intimate celebration of

the

birth of their Lord Sai. Elderly women gathered at the Nilayam in

the

early hours of the 23rd of November. Each one had a plate with piles

of flowers, fruits, sweets, coconuts, turmeric, kumkum, rice grains,

betel leaves and areca, sandal paste, blocks of jaggery, glass

bangles, and other auspicious materials.

 

Shining pots filled with consecrated water were carried on their

hips. One of the group bore a silver plate with a silk sari upon it.

A few elderly men joined them with a silk dhoti for the Father and

they proceeded to Puttaparthi village preceded by pipers and

drummers. When they reached the Ratnakaram home, they announced to

the parents that it was the Birthday of Bhagavan and invited them to

Prashanthi Nilayam. One could sense their awkwardness for both of

them would rather be left alone than placed before the floodlights

on

the center of the stage.

 

Nevertheless, the Mother and Pedda Venkama Raju satisfied the wishes

of the thousands present and were themselves filled with gratitude

for the opportunity given to them by Swami. As soon as they stood

before him they lost all sense of time and space. Easwaramma placed

flowers on Swami's feet and stood up to dip a rose in oil.

 

 

When she lifted her palm to drop the oil on the son's hair, he bent

low so that the head would be within easy reach.The father, too, did

the same and as both of them descended from the dais, the devotees

hailed the occasion, expressing their joy in loud acclaim. It was

only then that Easwaramma became aware of the hall and the crowd,

the

Nilayam, and the village. It was an embarrassing moment for her but

she was soon relieved, for she found another wedded couple climbing

the steps to place flowers at Swami's feet and apply oil on his

hair.

Swami used to select about eight others from different linguistic

and

geographical regions to share in the joyous ceremony who were

invariably old in age and rooted in faith. Easwaramma shunned

publicity and prominence and preferred to lose her identity in a

group of devotees, but on the Birthday she had to submit to what she

dreaded most € ¦'¶ a public and preeminent role. Humility was her

very

nature and publicity anathema to her.

 

The Ideal Hindu Wife

 

Easwaramma's humility was no empty pose. She was very shy before the

camera and argued persistently against being photographed. This was

not the false humility that parades itself to draw attention to the

possessor of that virtue. Many are proud that they are not proud and

protest against praise but are secretly sad if it is denied. But

Easwaramma was temperamentally allergic to the limelight. She was

raised in a cloistered hamlet and stuck to the boundary stones her

forefathers set up to demarcate the fields of feminine activity.

 

Fate brought women from all the corners of the world, speaking a

hundred languages, as well as from all castes, classes, and creeds

to

her door. She let them come and speak what they wished but seldom

sought to know what their words meant, for as she confessed, " Why

bother yourself with wishes you cannot fulfill and problems you

cannot solve? " She had no desire to mislead visitors that she had

special access to Sathya Sai and could extract his grace for them.

She was aware that there were millions who deserved his grace and

that she was only another candidate seeking to qualify.

 

Easwaramma possessed the age-old reverence for the husband which

prescribed mutual distance and silence and proscribed joint

appearances on the same seat or even the same room. She retreated

into the inner apartments whenever Pedda Venkama Raju was around and

avoided all chances of a dialogue. But as an obligatory duty, on

Swami's Birthday they submitted to the demands of the devotees and

allowed themselves to be honored as the Parents and to be taken in

procession to the Nilayam. When she traveled to Badrinath and

Benares

with Swami, in accordance with the ancient injunctions, the sacred

idols had to be offered worship by the husband and wife together. In

fact, the absence of the wife might even annul the fruits of the

worship. Every gift made by the man has to be endorsed by the woman.

He holds the coins in his hand and waits for the wife to pour some

water on them before they are handed over. On these and all other

occasions, Easwaramma was the model Hindu wife.

 

The piousness and politeness of Easwaramma apart from her devotion

to

the Lord won the love and respect from the women of the village and

those who cultivated the lands of the Rathnakaram family. Every

Saturday, she visited the Hanuman temple along with the other women

of her age. The idol of Hanuman had been installed centuries ago as

the guardian of the fort that enclosed the village. On Mondays, the

day dedicated to Shiva, she offered worship at the Shiva temple and

whenever possible, visited the Venugopalaswamy temple too.

 

 

The most blessed couple - A Rare Blessing € ¦'¶ Amazing Divine

Experiences

 

Easwarammba would never boast about her status as the mother of Sri

Sai. Swami has oft said her simplicity and humility are an example

for all of humankind to emulate. Like the other devotees, she

addressed Bhagavan as Swami and was full of reverence for him. It

was

these virtues, along with her golden heart, that made Easwaramma so

very special. And Swami too rewarded her with many beautiful

experiences.

 

Speaking during her Samadhi anniversary celebration in 1999, Swami

said:

 

From that day onward, [after Kondama Raju's demise] Easwaramma never

stayed at home and started staying in Prasanthi Nilayam. Every day,

in the morning and evening she used to come upstairs and talk with

Swami. She also understood My Divinity very well. When I appeared in

the form of Lord Shiva to her, she would ask, " What Swami? Why are

you adorning the snakes around your neck? " I would act

innocent, " Well, I don't have snakes on Me. " She would move away

saying, " Look, there are some snakes inside. " But later, on not

finding any snake inside, she would ask for forgiveness. Like this

on

many occasions she had the experience of My Divinity.

 

 

That Ramachandra has come again

 

But one of her greatest blessings was a vision she had a few days

prior to passing away which she confided to another elderly lady. We

know of this directly from Pedda Bottu:

 

`Pedda Bottu,' Easwaramma said to me, `I want to tell you something

that happened to me. But tell no one else.' I sat closer and

said, `What is it, tell me.' `Our Swami is God!' she whispered. I

laughed. `Why do you laugh?' she asked. `No, no, I was not laughing

at you. I am only happy you have realized it now. Well, tell me, how

did you come to know?' I asked. `You know I have been having high

fever for four days. Swami came to me then.'

 

`In a dream?' I asked, `No,' she said, `He really did come to me

when

I was rolling restlessly in bed. 'Ammayi, how do you feel?' He

asked. `My whole body is aching,' I replied, looking up at him. Then

what can I tell you? It was not he that you and I know. It was

Ramachandra with Kireetam and Kodandam (Crown and Bow)! I raised my

folded hands and struggled to sit up and get out of bed. But in a

few

moments he became Swami again, gave me Vibhuthi Prasadam and

said, `The fever will go,' and went. "

 

`You are indeed blessed. What a rare piece of luck!' I exclaimed.

`No

one of us has had a vision of Sai Rama as Ramachandramurthy while

fully awake and alert.'

 

 

The Flame And The Fire Become One

 

This vision and revelation was surely the fittest prelude to the

mergence of that sacred ray in the Paramjyoti, the Supreme Flame,

from which it had emerged. Swami, the embodiment of that Paramjyoti,

himself disclosed the events and incidents of Easwaramma's last day,

May 6, 1972, during one of his discourses on the 6th of May, the day

dedicated to her memory. He said:

 

It was the day before her passing away and I suddenly asked her, in

the midst of casual conversation, " Tell me, is there anything else

you desire? " She said, " I have finished my pilgrimages to all the

temples. I have seen the biggest temple of all and the God that

resides there. I have no desire for anything more. " But I knew that

a

small wish still lurked in a corner of her mind € ¦'¶ she wished to

give

a gift to a granddaughter on her birthday. So I insisted that she

should accept Rs. 500, go to the bazaar and buy whatever she wished.

I sent her along with a companion and she returned happy with what

she had bought.

 

On the 6th of May, 1983, Swami continued the narrative, speaking in

greater detail of Easwaramma's Day of Deliverance:

 

Today 06th May 2006 is Easwarammba Day. The significance of the day

is that it is celebrated as Children's Day, a day when little

children are to be reminded of the ideal, a day when she presented

an

ideal. No one can escape death, but the aim of everyone should be to

remind oneself at the time of death of the divine or have some holy

or sacred thoughts. The importance of this day is known to many.

There is a saying in Telugu: " The proof of the good is the way they

die. " Genuine devotion is evidenced during the last moments. I shall

point out a small incident concerning the goodness of Easwaramma.

 

The summer classes were on at Bangalore. In the morning at 7:00

breakfast had to be served to the students. They went round with

Nagara Sankeertan and returned at 6:00. I gave them Darshan at its

close. Then I went for my bath. Meanwhile, Easwaramma had finished

her bath. She drank her coffee as usual quite happily and took her

seat on the inner veranda. All of a sudden proceeding to the

bathroom, she cried out, " Swami, Swami, Swami! " At this, I

responded, " Coming, coming. " Within that period she breathed her

last. What greater sign of goodness is needed? She had no need to be

served and nursed. Swami will come to the memory at that time only

for a very few. The mind will usually seek and stay on some object

or

the other, some jewelry or valuables.

 

The 'call' and the 'coming'

The Samadhi Mandir in Puttaparthi

 

From the ground floor she called, " Swami! Swami! " I

replied, " Coming,

coming, " and she was gone. It was like the elephant's calling

(Gajendra of Indian mythology) and the Lord proceeding to bless it €

¦'¶

the two wires achieving connection, the release happening

instantaneously.

 

This is the authentic consummation that life must strive for. Beside

her at the time she had her daughter Venkamma and her granddaughter

Sailaja but she called out only for Swami. Getting this yearning at

the final moment is the fruit of holy purity. It is the sign of an

ideal, adorable life. Such attitude must emerge of its own accord

and

not by means of some external force. Here is an example to learn

from.

 

Every Child - A Darling Sathya

 

Truly, the whole life of Easwaramma is a shining example and ideal

for Sai devotees to emulate. " Amazing love for Swami and constantly

seeking happiness and welfare of others " € ¦'¶ this is the summary

of her

life. She had a special love for children because in every child she

saw Sathya hiding, inviting her to seek and succeed. Naturally, they

cuddled in flocks around her. They watched with delight the twinkle

in her eyes and the wrinkles on her cheeks and chin as she joked and

laughed. They were amused and their attention was aroused when her

gold and glass bangles jingled as she gesticulated, while stressing

a

point or underlining a caution. When she found a child chubby, she

squeezed and pulled its cheeks to see the patch of pink, the thrill

the impact lent to the angel face.

 

She could be easily inveigled into the narration of hair-raising or

heart-warming tales in order to keep the children wrapped in

excitement. Her pleasing pliant voice reproduced the screams of the

kidnapped heroine, the wail of the wounded demon, the plaint of the

frightened son, the roar of the victorious warrior, and the crooning

of the child cast on the jungle track. In fact she was quick in

adding to her repertory stories about Sai Baba of Shirdi and Swami.

 

The children watched the pictures she so realistically designed and

described € ¦'¶ the white umbrella with tassels of gold held over a

pair

of sandals, the emergence of the lion-faced God from the marble

pillar of the royal audience hall, the dance of the child on the

hood

of an angry serpent. Easwaramma forgot her physical ailments, the

deeper deprivations, and the assaults on her inner peace when

engaged

in storytelling. Invariably she rounded up the tales with emphatic

words on humility and honesty, love and loyalty. These lessons were

lapped up by the children for they were soaked in the syrup of her

affection.

 

She appreciated the earnestness and enthusiasm of the young. Her

grandsons were a bright lot and she insisted that they join higher

classes and educate themselves to the utmost. She loved to encourage

the sons and grandsons of others, too. She prevailed upon Swami to

agree with her choice and send money to them to meet their tuition

fees and the cost of books and boarding. She felt pained whenever

she

discovered that the dispatch had suffered delay. " The boys cannot

study well now, " she used to say, " they will be too worried to read

in peace. " When she found that a name had been dropped because the

boy had left school, she tried to persuade the parents to keep him

enrolled. To immortalize this warm love and moving concern she had

for children, Swami established the Easwaramma High School within

two

months of her passing away in Puttaparthi. Every year hundreds of

village children graduate from this school confident and

conscientious to pursue higher studies and make their parents proud.

 

 

Lovable to all

 

Every Easwarammba Day Is A Children's Day

 

May 6th is also celebrated as Children's Day in all Sai

Organizations

throughout the country. Bal Vikas groups in every Sai Center perform

songs, dances, and value games glorifying God and expressing their

gratitude to the blessed Mother for having gifted them with the most

precious possession of their lives, their Swami. In the divine

presence too every year small children perform various plays and

Swami lovingly showers them with gifts and love after their

presentation.

 

 

Swami with the Bal Vikas children during Easwaramma Day celebrations

in Brindavan

 

Lessons To Emulate

 

On almost every Easwaramma Day, Swami gives a discourse and lauds

the

devotion and love she held for him and the compassion and concern

she

showed towards others. In these discourses Swami has shared events

which provided deeper insights into her noble life and character.

For

instance, on Easwaramma Day in 1999, Swami revealed:

 

The eternal inspiration Once, on Shivaratri day, after I had

completed My discourse and the Lingas were ready to emerge from My

mouth, I sat on the chair and was in severe pain. Seeing Me

suffering, Easwaramma got up from the gathering, came up to Me and

said, " Swami, why do You suffer like this? Come inside, come

inside. "

I said I would not come inside and rather than watch My suffering,

she went inside. As soon as she left, Hiranyagarbha Linga emerged.

All the devotees burst into thunderous applause. Hearing this, she

came back, but by then the Linga had already emerged and I was

showing it to the devotees. All the people got up to have a glimpse

of the Linga. As a result, Easwaramma could not see it.

 

Next day she pleaded with Me to show the Linga to her. I said I had

given it to somebody. But she said, " Swami, I have not seen. I want

to see. " I told her that she would see in the future anyway. She

said, " I do not want to put You to inconvenience, " and went away.

She

never had put Me to trouble any time. Whenever she asked Me for

something she would come back and ask if she had given any trouble.

To all the devotees who came she used to entreat not to cause any

inconvenience to Swami. She used to be very much worried whenever

any

minister came to have My darshan. The situation in those days was

such that even a policeman with a red cap was enough to frighten the

villagers. Easwaramma used to be very much afraid of the ministers,

thinking that they might cause some problem to Me. This was only the

result of her sacred love for Me.

 

The Eternal Bond Of Love

 

They say great and noble souls never die but continue to inspire

after death. Easwaramma was one such being who unceasingly is

concerned about Swami even after her death. During a discourse on

May

6, 2001, to the utter amazement of the audience Swami disclosed:

 

You may be aware or not, but even after thirty years of her passing

away, Mother Easwaramma continues to express her love for Swami in a

number of ways. Even to this day, she moves around in her physical

body. At times she comes to Me and expresses her motherly concern

for

My well-being.

 

Once she cautioned Me not to accept a handkerchief from everybody. I

told her that I had to accept when people offered it with devotion.

She said, " Swami, no doubt there are crores of such noble persons.

But there are also a few evil-minded persons who may smear poison on

the handkerchief and offer it to You. This can prove dangerous when

You use it to wipe your lips. " I promised her that I would follow

her

advice.

 

Even to this day she makes her appearance in My room. The boys who

sleep in My room have witnessed this.

 

Whenever she comes and talks to Me, they sit up on their beds and

listen. One day I asked the boys for a belt to keep the silk dhoti

tight around My waist. The belt they gave Me had a shiny buckle and

could be seen through the robe I wear. I did not want to use it lest

people should think that Sai Baba wears a gold belt. After this, one

day Easwaramma came to My room early in the morning and started

talking to Me. Then Sathyajith, Sainath and Srinivas woke up and

wanted to know with whom I was conversing. They wondered how anyone

could enter My room since the lift was locked and the key was with

them. Then I told that Griham Ammayi [Mother Easwaramma] had come. I

showed them the belt that she gave me. It had no buckle. There are

many such noble mothers in this world but Easwaramma was the chosen

one. I chose her to be My mother [cheers]. That is the intimate

relationship between Mother Easwaramma and Myself.

 

The Mother is alive today

 

Truly€ ¦'¥The Crown Of Motherhood

 

So that is how intimate is the bond between Swami and Easwaramma. No

doubt the crown of motherhood was acquired by Easwaramma as a reward

for her accumulated goodness but in this life too she rose to those

heights which made a laudable example of a great devotee of the

Lord.

Her love for him was unparalleled and as well as being an ideal

wife,

sister, mother, and grandmother, she was a constant source of

support, inspiration and love for the village folk and the ever-

expanding Sai family. The Lord chose her as his Mother not only as a

reward for her past deeds but also, as Prof. Kasturi noted, " in

appreciation of what she was capable of in this life. " And with the

Supreme Teacher to guide her, she learned every lesson Swami gave

her

with his glance, a word, a question, or a smile, and became a living

saint radiating love and purity. Ultimately, the great soul we know

as Easwaramma reached a state where she took every event and

emotion,

every thought and activity as a gem set doorway through which she

could cognize the One.

 

Most of the content for this cover story is taken from Prof.

Kasturi's book Easwaramma - The Chosen Mother. We have also

interacted with several long time devotees of Bhagawan and

integrated

their experiences into the story.

 

Courtesy: http://media.radiosai.org

 

Jai Sai Ram