What best should I…, Oh Lord!

Offer Thee, Oh my Beloved?

Seeking an urgent reprieve,

When at a time the humanity is tottering,

Caught up in a pandemic pandemonium,

With an unseen guest playing global havoc,

Our newfound guest on planet earth,

Acting and enacting as a great leveller,

What best should I, my Lord?

What best should I?

Is it any Mantra with Yantra following any Tantra?

Or,

Is it an act of charity helping the needy?

Citing ‘Love-All – Serve-All’?

Should I jump in the fray seeking nothing?

Holding aloft the Sai banner, ‘Help-Ever – Hurt-Never’?

What should I do! O! my Lord?

Serving my planet, serving my fellow men?

Quelling this SOS cries that,

Turns  louder and louder, louder as time pass by?

Should I chant the Rudram aloud?

Loud and clear,

To catch the devil by its neck?

To squeeze ‘him’ out of life?

Or,

Should I sit and sing,

Loud and aloud,

Thy Love Elixir,

Elixir of Sai bhajans?

Singing paeans at Beloved Thee!

Serenading my Lord Supreme!

What if my Lord! If I lock myself down?

Locking my inner foes,

The Arishadvargas,

Six-packed inner foe of,

Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya,

Only to smart pick up,

Picking up in ‘practice diligent’,

Practising Thy precept,

Following Thy dictum,

Loving All, Serving All,

Helping Ever, Hurting Never.

Praying from deep within,

Seeking nothing, but,

Goodness for all!

Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu!

Peace n’ Harmony for Worlds-Many, Worlds-All?

What should I, my Lord!?!

To win an urgent reprieve!?!

Who is this newfound guest, My Lord!

Is she a demoness?

Or,

A great leveller?

An instrument at Thy Hand?

Here to lead the humans,

The human, back to his roots?

Reinstating righteousness,

Righteousness on a firm footing!?!

With my anguished rhyming ruling the roost,

With my wits almost come to its dead end,

Do I hear an answer?

A Whisper from my deep within?

A Whispering Voice sans any noise,

Calling me, inviting me,

To dive deep, dive within,

Seeking The Source n’ The Force Within,

‘Sarva Karana Karanam’

Seeking The True Truth!

In silence, In SaiLence!

For,

There is no greater healing,

Whispers The Voice,

Than Knowing The True Truth!

The Truth Of Quintessential Sai!

The Truth Of Quintessential Sai Within!

The Truth Of Existence!!

The Truth Of Oneness!!!

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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When…

Millions upon Millions and Gazillions

Of

Truthful

Hearts

Engaged In

Righteous, Soulful Sadhana…

Then Came The Most…

Endearing and Enchanting…

Absolutely Humble…

Simple To The Core…

Worshipful…

Adorable…

Reverential…

Angelic…

Magical Mother…

Mother Divine, Who Is Verily…

AmmA! AmmA!! EaswarAmmA!!!

Yes, Mother Easwaramma was The Chosen Mother Who was destined, who was ordained to bring the Divine Bundle Of Supreme Joy called Sri Sathya Sai upon planet Earth, over 95 winters ago, on the most auspicious 23rd November 1926 in the most blessed hamlet of Puttaparthi, The Land That Did ‘excruciating’ Penance.

‘I resolved on My Birth; I decided who should be My Mother” said Bhagawan once in answer to a heap of curious questions by the editor of a Bombay Daily. He went on to add: ‘Mere humans only choose the one who is to be the husband or wife. But the Mother was chosen by the Son in the Rama and Krishna incarnations…”

One can go on writing fantastic tales of such a blessed mother, Whom the world of God’s call ‘The Chosen Mother’, but none of these human descriptions can ever be matching, coming anywhere near the above emphatic statement by The Supreme Divine, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai, Who, summed up the tale declaring that When He Resolved On His Advent, He Decided On His Mother Too.

Avataric folklore of Bharat is replete with stories of such magical mothers, beginning with the Sathya Yuga tale of Mother Anasuya, the blessed Mother Of Lord Dattatreya, Mother Kausalya from the Treta Yuga along with the most ‘sacrificial’ Mother Kaikeyi’ and Mother Sumitra (as Lord Rama’s incarnation is complete with the presence of His siblings who were borne by these sacred mothers), Mother Devaki and Yasoda from the Dwapara Yuga, Mother Sumati, hailed as the Mother of SriPada SriVallabha, the first of the triune Dattatreya incarnations happened over 700 years ago in Pitapuram, Andhra Pradesh, to Mother Devagiramma, the chosen one for the Advent of Bhagawan at Shirdi, leading to the grand finale, our most endearing Mother Easwaramma.

These Mothers by their infinite virtues have earned the eternal privilege and blessing to host the Advent of The Divine in repeated Yugas (different ages) bringing unto Earth the most sacred and ‘Joyous Bundle Of Pack Of Gods’, ensuring blessings infinite.

Discoursing on The Chosen Mother and the greater glory of virtuous mothers Bhagawan has once sung in chaste Telugu, before continuing to explain Who Mother Easwaramma Is?

Rama’s Divinity blossomed under Kausalya’s loving care,

 Lava and Kusa could become powerful and famous

 due to their noble and virtuous Mother Sita,

 The love and care of Jijabai made Shivaji a great warrior,

 Fostered with the love of his Mother Putlibai, Gandhi became a Mahatma.

 For all the beings in the world, there is nobody greater than Mother,  

 Who gives them birth and brings them up with love and care.

Who is Easwaramma? Bhagawan paused this question to the public in one of His Divine discourses, HimSelf answering the same most aptly. She is the Mother of Easwara, revealed Swami then, reiterating the tellingly infinite significance of The Chosen Mother.

As we are commemorating the Mother Easwaramma Day ‘today’, let’s remember what Bhagawan has spoken of the glory of Mother in the above-illustrated poem. Bhagawan said:

For all the beings in the world there is nobody greater than Mother who gives them birth and brings them up with love and care.

Bhagawan’s life has been the most significant practical message of the absolute power of the practice of love and reverence for one’s ‘own’ Mother. Bhagawan in all His actions did epitomise, did characterise His physical Mother as the most reverential one, sending out the Message of His Life, to treat one’s Mother with utmost love and reverence. He did not stop there, but went on giving credit to His Mother for the development of Puttaparthi, by initiating the triple boons of Medicare, Educare and Sociocare, granting full credit to Mother Easwaramma.

On this holy occasion of Mother Easwaramma Day, let’s have this take away message to follow this as practised by Bhagawan HimSelf, worshipping every single Mother with utmost reverence. …And let’s affirm in our collective voice of gratitude, singing unto Her, Mother Easwaramma…

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Oh! Easwaramma…through the ages that was…

 …through the present times…

 …and the epochs yet to come…

 …your Sai Is…and will remain…

 …the most loving, benevolent and compassionate Cosmic Czar…

 He will be consistently acclaimed, applauded…

 …admired, adored and appreciated…

 …as The Sampoorna Avatar!

 Oh! EaswarAmma…Tera Sai Iss Yug Ka Avatar…

 Oh! EaswarAmma…Tera Sai Yug Yug Ka Avatar…

Oh! EaswarAmma…Tera Sai Sampoorna Avatar!

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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Amid changing scenarios and apparent threatening developments of global magnitude, he, one who is His true devotee is sure to follow Him with love and gratitude, knowing and understanding everything as His Divine Sport. With this inner awareness, he stands focused, knowing and seeing Him and His Hands in everything around. Here, every looming threat that seems to endanger His creation becomes His own blind-fold game, a reminder from Him to His own images and reflections, you and me and everyone.

On that infinitely fateful day of 31st August 2008, Beloved Bhagawan, addressing a selected congregation of His White Army in Prasanthi Nilayam spoke of the Cosmic MahaMantra, ‘Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu’ introducing the same, rephrasing the already existing one from the Vedic lore. 

Addressing His folk of White Army,

A group of men of cadre and character,

Thus Spake Sai on 31st August 2008,

Inside the sacrosanct bhajan hall,

In The Cosmic Hub at Prasanthi Nilayam,

At Puttaparthi in the south of India.

He spoke on the greater need to pray for the many existing worlds…

Focusing on the intensified feeling of goodness for all…

Stressing on OneNess He intoned…

Birthing a new MahaMantra…

Rephrasing the existing one from the Vedic lore…

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai, The Cosmic Monarch of time and beyond,

The Master Supreme averred then…

“Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu”

Blessings the worlds many with Peace n‘ Happiness.

Before it slips away, let’s reaffirm in ‘BOLD CAPITALS’ that we are duty-bound to follow our Beloved Master Supreme as our True Truth, as The Love behind our very existence, beingness. Let’s remember Him in The Now with absolute love and gratitude, for, He Alone Is…Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai!!!

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The Divine Whisper

A lady retired Professor who would frequently interact with one of her bright students had once sent some interesting literary, spiritual stuff to her student, ending the same aptly with ‘Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu’. The student, in turn, noticed the ‘error’ while returning the message. He wrote, “Madam, there is a mistake in your message that, you wrongly said, ‘Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu’ instead of ‘Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu’.

Upon receiving the text, she smiled inward before replying. In response, she wrote: ‘My dear child, it was consciously and intentionally done, and thus was not a mistake, as the Mantra has originated from Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.’ She further added: ‘Anything that comes from Bhagawan has to be true and He, Bhagawan, is beyond any correction or judgement. He cannot be corrected.’

Narrating the incident, the professor said that, when the new Mantra was born out of Bhagawan in August 2008, there were many an argument in her circle about the same and one specific person, a so-called scholar, even went to the extent of saying, ‘actually there is no real difference between the two, the original one and the rephrased one.’

Why argue? A difference or no difference, nothing comes out of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai without reason. The Cosmic Creator, The Supreme Commander Of All of Creation, known and unknown worlds many, while delivering the Mantra averred thus:

“At the end of the bhajans, you are chanting ‘Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu’. It is great and expansive.  As you chant this, you are thinking of only this world, in which you are living in, implying an individual feeling. This is not correct. It is ‘Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu’, which is an expansive, all-encompassing feeling, covering all the worlds.”

At a time when an invisible virus is virtually locking the entire globe down, with humanity staring at one of the worst of the crisis in the recent history, can man move a step forward envisioning a Silver Lining at the end of the tunnel, something every positivist can do with trust and faith in his Self, Godhood. For the Sai fraternity, the Silver Lining is ‘Sai…Sai…Sai’, or should we say ‘SaiRam… SaiRam… SaiRam’ and His promises, that He would always tell us, ‘Why Fear When I Am Here’. If alone we believe in His Supreme Godhood, to the extent of our faith and belief, He will reciprocate. Here, let’s remind ourselves, The Supreme Creator, intoning the MahaMantra by HimSelf, has already put His Sankalpa (resolve) of ‘Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu’ for His creation at large.

At the most crucial time when Kali is raging to its peak, The Supreme Godhood introduced this MahaMantra as the panacea for all universal and cosmic maladies. Bhagawan, Who Is verily The Pulse of time, delivered it to the humans at the right time, for the man to use it most effectively.

The onus is on us, you and me… to follow His FootSteps, diligently.

Can we hear The Divine Whisper: “Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu”!!!

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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On the 27th of April 2011, after what was called the most disheartening episode, having watched the physical frame being interned in the Sanctum Sanctorum in Prasanthi Nilayam, we had a report published on this very website that read as below:

Puttaparthi—the sacred birthland of the Avatar of Infinity—that sang lullabies to infant Sathya—that fondled and nurtured Little Sathya to Sri Sathya Sai and that received the abundance of His love and care over and over again during the past eight-and-a-half decades—finally earned a day to grieve, though the day would be marked in the annals of Divine History as the most significant one when the Supreme Avatar of all time, all yugas, was ‘laid to rest. ‘ … This is definitely not of ‘her’ (Puttaparthi) choice, but as fate would have it, a grieving Puttaparthi had to accept this ‘present’ as well, as she has been over the past eight-and-a-half decades in abundance, receiving His Love Infinite.  

It was a Divine script that was written by Him alone and executed in His own inimitable fashion. For all the glory, happiness, and bliss that she has received over and over again, when the final moment arrived to bid farewell to the Soul of entire creation and beyond, she grieved, and so did millions upon millions around the world. Bhagawan, who had ‘left’ His mortal coil on the 24th of April 2011 was ‘laid to rest’ in Sai Kulwant Hall this morning in the presence of a massive assemblage of devotees, also attended by a host of political luminaries. (end of the report)

Back on the same day, 24th April, after nine long years, today, the world of the Sai fraternity is commemorating ‘Sathya Sai Aradhana Mahotsavam’ in a different fashion. Amid an almost worldwide lockdown owing to the pandemic coronavirus, today when the fraternity of Sai devotees is focusing on the Antaranga Sai, the Inner Sai, it is wise to give a thought on the most mysterious, yet most profound, of the Divine dramas staged by Bhagawan during March-April 2011. By staging this drama of hospitalisation and subsequent physical exit, Bhagawan had then demonstrated to the world around Him the most selfless lesson of ‘transcending from the finite to the infinite,’ attaching nothing to the temporal physical frame. From the finite to the Infinite, from akara to sakara to nirakara… Bhagawan had it in a practical demonstration, telling the world around in full and unambiguous terms of the True Truth of His ‘Avataric’ existence. Did He really stop there… then, did His voice stop forever from then for the world of devotees? No… No… Never! He was as vocal as He was, as active as He was… for He Is… ever in the Now, Nithyanoothanam!!! Ever Fresh In The Now!!!

Devotees around the world have been experiencing His Presence in myriad fashion, helping them in conscious evolution. Today, back to the same day of 24th April, what do we have to offer for our Aradhya Sai? Every single devotee has his or her level of conscious evolution and thus the choicest path. Bhagawan had once mentioned to a devotee that He is so close to the devotee that there is no room or place for a path in between. What does it indicate? It shows a pointer to the True Truth that He is—Beingness, Consciousness, and Existence of each one of us.

Knowing this Truth in essence, today in the Now, while feasting ourselves in a commemorative mood celebrating the Aradhana Within, Soulful Aradhana To Araadhya Sai, let us give Him our ultimate pledge, the pledge that leaves no trace of our egotistic existence. Let’s today offer our twin demons of our egotistic existence, Ahamkaram and Mamakaram, the two devils of ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ offering unto him our 13 vices or inner foes as mentioned in the ancient scriptures, along with the last traces of three virtues of Iccha, Bhakti, and Shraddha to nullify our complete existence, leaving ourselves completely unto Him, in total, absolute surrender.

Did He not remind us time and again that He is the Indweller in each one of us? If it is so, then where is the question of our ‘mundane’ existence, the existence of the devilish, demonic ego, when He is the very base of our existence?

Two thousand years after the proclaimed Son Of The Lord, Lord Jesus The Christ, today, let’s affirm with complete dedication and surrender to Him that “i  am not, You Alone Sai, SadhGuru Sai Alone!”

This act of surrender is the best act of gratitude, gratitude for the Supreme Master, who had 95 years ago descended only to help lift each one of us to the same status, unto Him, Him Alone!

Let this be the intense affirmation on this day, for our Beloved Sai as the ChidagniKunda, The Infinite Power-Packed Consciousness Within, as He Is ever waiting with arms wide open, for that infinitely priceless Eternal Embrace, the Embrace of Oneness Unto SadhGuru Sri Sathya Sai!

Are we ready? Are we ready to shun our egotistic existence with this best act of gratitude? This should be the question we should introspectively ask ourselves on this very day. 

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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25th March 2011, the Divine Chariot cruised along on a carpet of adoration that distinctly flowed from every heart that had gathered in Sai Kulwant Hall that evening, for a glimpse of The Lord Supreme. All necks craned to view this Most Adored Form. Awe, exultation and deep reverence did exude forth embracing the ever-loving and living Godhood in human frame.

Oh! Lord, The thoughts that flit through the mind upon viewing Your Beloved Form, makes me realize that You Are that vital shade that soothes and refreshes even as life represents scorching rays of the Sun…Yet, when no longer visible, can we fathom or acknowledge what have we lost or comprehend/assess what have we received or gained…?”

The time that was to follow, the unfolding of His Divine plan and what necessitated it, was and is known only to the Beloved One…the unreserved shock, utter anguish and deep pain felt as He chose to hitherto withdraw the Cherished Form, could be overcome only by the downpour and surge of love His very Name brings forth.

As Beloved Bhagawan gave that most loving, lingering, everlasting, decisive and significant erstwhile Darshan as yet, He made all know – You are never alone but God’s very own… In fact, He silently whispers to the collective ear of humanity, that He Is The EverLasting OneNess!

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Come, join us in as Prasanthi Nilayam reminisces and recalls that ultimate public Darshan of The Beloved Supreme, thus far.

Prasanthi scripted a beautiful Darshan story this evening with Bhagawan emerging at 1915 hrs, coming for two full rounds of Darshan.

Completing the usual first round, Bhagawan soon moved into the ladies’ block again, continuing with a bonus round of Darshan. With Bhagawan stopping at the ‘primary school block’, the tiny tots had a wonderful time, feasting the ‘All-Loving…All-Encompassing Beauty’ gliding past.  The little ones literally swarmed around Bhagawan’s car holding aloft greetings vying for His attention.  One after one, each one of them sought blessings from Bhagawan before He moved into the ladies’ side, granting the bonus round of Darshan. A group from Alike, Muddenahalli institutions also received Bhagawan’s special attention during the round.

Coming on stage at 1930 hrs, Bhagawan sat for the next half-an-hour and bhajans turned intense. With Bhagawan joining, giving finger beats in between, the session turned out to be a delectable treat for the august assembly in the twilight.

Just two minutes short of 2000 hrs, Bhagawan asked for Mangala Arathi. Even as the Arathi was coming to an end, Bhagawan turned into a blessing mood, blessing the assembly profusely with double hand abhayahastha. Post the Arathi, before leaving the dais, once again His blessing right Palm went up, blessing the assembly again with Abhayahastha.

Soon Bhagawan left for Yajur Mandiram at 2005 hrs, retiring for the day.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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Creation has emerged from God, Who Is free from desire. It is a spontaneous unfolding, beyond human understanding. No one can unravel the Divine Mystery. Human activity, however spontaneous it may seem, can be explained to originate from some patent or latent wish or other. But, God’s activity can never yield an answer to human enquiry about its why or whence or wherefore.

God is omniscient. He Is the source of supreme delight, of extreme ecstasy. The joy flashes as sport, as prank and purposeless play, leela.

God needs neither helper nor material for the process of Creation. His serene, stable, sovereign Fullness can become movement, rotation and vibration, when He Wills. And, all the living and non-living entities God projects are led towards acquisition of the very Ecstasy Whose overflow they are. God is the paramount principle of Bliss that is not affected by time or materiality, for He Is the basis for the material world of time and matter. His Bliss pervades all Creation. That is the way His leela works.

But, created beings are diverse and entangled in duality. If they emerge from the Bliss of the One, how could some be so fearful and anxious and some calm and peaceful? An inference such as this is very wrong; it is unwarranted and unjustified. The Rain God showers His gift on all things on earth, edible crops as well as thorny weeds. The seeds of both sprout and grow in accordance with their different natures. Likewise, the Divine Bliss, Love and Light are the sustenance for all nature. The qualities of head and heart, either virtuous or vicious, decide whether life is happy or miserable, praiseworthy or blameworthy. Good deeds mould men into saints; bad deeds shape them as sinners. God initiates men into innocent, tender, loveable and loving childhood. But men relish envy, greed and hatred and cast off the gift of softness and sweetness. They cultivate instead the thorny weeds. Men seek joy in this Cause Consequence duo.

God has no gain to achieve, no need to project the Cosmos. He has everything; He Is everything. He plays motiveless and unattached out of sheer elan.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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Aiding this priceless gift of human life in the right and most-befitting way, man must go back to his root, knowing and acknowledging Bhagawan as The Sanathana Sarathi. And here lies the supreme significance of the journal launched by Him reflecting His infinitely infinite ‘cosmic designation.’ Here is a beautiful tale orchestrated by Bhagawan ‘HimSelf’ on the incomparable beauty and significance of ‘Sanathana Sarathi.’ 

This story dates back to a decade and a half approximately, as the protagonist here does not keep a well-judged track of time anymore, being in the fag end of the eighties. The story happened in Northern Kerala, precisely in Thalassery, a municipal township. The protagonist was a staunch disciple of famed Avadhoota Siddha Bhagawan Nithyananda of Ganeshpuri, who shed His mortal frame on 8 August 1961 at Ganeshpuri in Maharashtra. Before settling in, he, who was into a diligent ‘soul-searching,’ had landed in Ganeshpuri at a ‘tender’ age of 14/15, more than seven decades ago, seeking one single thing… G-O-D!!!

He had an incredible stint with Bhagawan Nithyananda at the Ashram, serving the Master for over two-and-a-half years along with another youngster, who went on to become the famed Swami Muktananda later. As advised and blessed by Bhagawan Nithyananda, the protagonist then sought out a specified preceptor in Kerala, following the path of Brahma Vidya. At the end of a successful course, the guru had advised him to get into grihastha ashram, the householder’s life, to clear off many a karmic knot.

Life was never a bed of roses for him, with many knots waiting to be released, yet he was always immersed in his ‘swadharma’, while delivering every single ‘earthly’ duty with utmost diligence. During his official stint in Mumbai, then Bombay, decades ago, he had the rarest blessing of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai’s Darshan, twice. All that he knew then about Bhagawan was that his elder brother was an ardent devotee of Him, who would frequent Prasanthi Nilayam only to earn incredible personal attention.

It was one beautiful morning at his Thalassery home, post his retirement from service. He was resting in his room, on a cot, blissfully immersed in ‘sudhdha bodham’, (a state of pure consciousness). All of a sudden he jerked himself out witnessing a magical experience, a ‘Visiting Card’ from ‘The Most Unknown Guest!’ He was face-to-Face with the ‘unknown’ guest, Who appeared there in a trice as if manifested out of thin air.

He was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of an Orange Robed Radiant Persona with a crown of hallowed hair, sitting right next to him, exuding an indefinably radiant smile – Pure Love!!!. With that cosmically enchanting smile, He slowly leaned over to the other side of the cot, crossing over the lying man, settling ‘his’ right palm on the other edge of the cot. Bending forward, looking deep into his eyes, the ‘stranger’ then asked in a nectarous mellifluous tone… “Do You Get Sanathana Sarathi?” The first person here was in a kind of ‘cosmic-trance’, where he could feel only LOVE…LOVE…LOVE only! ‘The Eye’ with the eye and ‘The Soul’ with the soul!!! …and time almost stood still, allowing LOVE to operate!!!

The ‘visitor’ continued with His course: “Get it and read it; share it with others and help them to ‘consciously’ evolve.” …And lo! The moment next, the ‘magic figure’ was gone, vanished in a trice, back into thin air!!!

Sanathana Sarathi…? ‘Divine’ visitation…? …he could not immediately connect the right dots, and thus allowed it to be slipped, allowing the ‘right’ time to ripe, unveiling the ‘real’ story.

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Day-2, same time, same place. As he was lying down on the same cot, the same ‘crown-haired-hallowed-orange-robed-persona’ appeared there, before him, and averred the same sentence, ditto, as if delivering a ‘carbon copy!’ “Do You Get Sanathana Sarathi?” “Get it and read it; share it with others and help them to ‘consciously’ evolve.” …And ‘He’ was gone!

He turned more curious now but still found himself wanting, lacking clarity and thus slipped back, allowing the ‘right time’ to tell the story.

Day-3, same time, same place, and yet another encore of the same incident, repeating the message in a slightly different tone. “Will you read Sanathana Sarathi? Get it and read it and share it with others and help them to ‘consciously’ evolve.” …and again the vanishing act!

Three times in a row, the same incident about an unheard-of ‘Sanathana Sarathi’ and he was wide awake now, a conscious thrust from within. He thought for a moment, …three times, …the same message, …from the same persona, with that infinitely mesmerizing effect! Never had it struck him then about the ‘Sathya Sai Darshanam’ he had had long back, back in Mumbai, during his ‘Bombay-days.’

The same evening he set himself out to a nearby junction to do some errands. As is his wont, he went to a nearby studio, Prabha Studio, owned by an acquaintance, who has had a ‘heartfelt’ transformation after listening to his advice. As he went in, his attention was impulsively drawn to a beautiful photograph of a figure resplendent, a ‘familiar’ photo frame hungover there. Curious enough, he turned and asked the studio owner as to who ‘he’ was? Pat came his reply, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi. He was the ‘radiant persona with the hallowed crown of hair’ who frequented him last three days on the trot, giving him the ‘dosage’ of Sanathana Sarathi.

Hardly this conversation was over, he heard chatter from behind, conversing about something like, as he could make it, ‘Sanathana Sarathi’. He turned back and found another acquaintance in the middle of a conversation, speaking on Sanathana Sarathi and subscriptions. Curiously curious, he asked him as to what this ‘Sanathana Sarathi’ was all about. The person, a devotee of Bhagawan, explained it in one line… Sanathana Sarathi is the monthly spiritual journal from Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi, the Divine Abode of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Adept only in one language, vernacular Malayalam, apart from the ‘language’ of Brahma Vidya, he lost no time in ensuring his subscription for the priceless journal, in his only readable language.

Later, when he had a short stint of three months’ stay in Puttaparthi, he would often read out Sanathana Sarathi messages to a selected few, explaining the purport of the beauty of His words from an elevated level of understanding. He would often remind us, ‘Sanathana Sarathi should be read with diligent attention and loving reverence, paying complete attention, knowing that you are reading Bhagawan HimSelf.’

About his personal experience with Sanathana Sarathi, he later confessed, after he started reading the holy messages, many of his psychic knots (grandhis) got cleared off. The sacred Sri Lalita Sahasranamam describes various grandhis, glorifying The Supreme Mother… as ‘Manipurantharuditha Vishnu Grandhi Vibhedini…’, ‘Ajna Chakrantharalastha Rudra Grandhi Vibhedini…’, that help one in conscious evolution, step by step, stage by stage.

I was sitting with this revered persona, my earthly preceptor, a month ago, in the same room, next to the same cot, when he was lying down awaiting the final call. I had a request to him then, for an encore of the narration, recalling the same story once again. He obliged instantly, even in his trying times of physical ill-health. Narrating the story, he blessed me to share the ‘Story Of Glory Of Sanathana Sarathi’, a mandate given by The Lord Supreme Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai, Who had advised him then… Read and spread the message to help others in ‘conscious’ evolution.

…And about Beloved Mother Sai, Who appeared before him three times on the trot, he had his beautiful words full of love and gratitude. He said, ‘with Bhagawan looking deep into my eyes, I had that experience of LOVE, which I had had never before.’ Referring to that ‘Eye-to-eye’ Divine Romance, he said, “Never In My Life, I Have Experienced Such Beautiful Of Love!!!” Indeed, Bhagawan looked deep into his eyes, and through those eyes, deep into the ‘Soul-Within’!

To those who were around him, and into the fold of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai, he would always serve one reminder, “The Seat That You Are Blessed To Be Devoted, The Feet That You Are Holding On Is The Highest In All The Worlds in the entire creation. Hold On To Him Ever and EverAfter. Human minds fail to describe or define Him. The only way it can express Him is that neither One Can Add Anything Unto Him, Nor Can Delete. He Is Paripoornam, Sampoornam!!!”

Hail The Lord Supreme, Sri Sathya Sai, The Eternal Charioteer, Sanathana Sarathi!!!

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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As Bhagawan HimSelf has said many a time, if at all you want to call Me by some name, call Me Prema Swaroopa. Sai’s Love, the Absolute Purest form of Love that can ever be, is so perfect and blemish-less that with His Love and Love alone that He conquers the hearts of all. Every preceding Avatar has come with one weapon or insignia of Their own. For instance, Lord Sri Ramachandra had brought with Him the Kodanda, the Divine bow and arrow; Bhagawan Sri Krishna His Chakra, the Divine discus. In that accord, what weapon has Lord Sai Rama, this Sathya Sai Avatar come with? His Supreme, all-conquering Love is His only Divine weapon. Sri Sathya Sai’s Love conquers the unconquerable inner foes, which otherwise cannot be conquered so effectively and easily.

The Love that flows unceasingly, like the celestial Ganga, the Sai Prema Ganga flows uninterrupted towards one and all sans any discrimination, filling all the gaps and embracing all, no matter who or what we are. Mother Sai, with His Absolute flawless unsullied Love, accepts anyone as he or she is, with all limitations and shortcomings, as Mother Sai Is verily The Universal Mother Supreme.

The Supreme Divine Love of Sai inspires, motivates and encourages one and all, to transform oneself and become a better person by all means. Swami has forever been giving and forgiving. His Love is so purifying and reassuring that we are so enthused and inspired to become verily Sai ourselves. Once touched by the Divine Supreme Love of The Cosmic Mother Sai, it is impossible for anyone to resist that Love…All-encompassing. After having said ‘Yes’ to Mother Sai and Her Love That Conquers, we become powerless to resort to our old habits and practices that do not fit the new us. We pleasantly undergo the entire process of unmaking and remaking in the Divine Hands of Sai. The life experiences of every Sai devotee across the globe is a classic testimony to this Truth.

Does the physical absence of Sai make any difference at all when it comes to experiencing His Love? No doubt we miss our Beloved Bhagawan’s most beatific form and the utmost enthralling blissful experience of ‘The Beauty Beyond Compare’ – His Divine Darshans, what can be best termed as Sri Sathya Sai Darshana Mahotsavam!!! Nevertheless, we have been immensely blessed by our Beloved Bhagawan with His priceless legacy of His Pure Love. With the greatest treasure of boundless Sai Love, we have absolutely no reason to fear or worry about being lost in this temporary, transient world of dualities, for our Ever-Living, OmniScient, OmniPotent and OmniPresent Sai Is ever around us, ready to wrap us within His orbit of Supreme Love. So long as we hold on to The Divine Lotus Feet, cherishing Sai in every single thought, dedicating every microsecond to our Beloved Mother Sai and being fully functional in the Name of Sai, offering every single thought word and deed to Him, thereby transforming mundane Karma into Karma Yoga, we can breeze through this purification process without any difficulty.

It is the Love of Sai that burns, that purifies, breaks our Ego Empire brick by brick, in the meantime unmaking us completely, just to be remade all anew in the likes of Sai. We gain so much fortitude, forbearance, courage and self-confidence that illusion and disillusionment become a thing of the past. With the Supreme Ultimate Wisdom of Oneness, gained in the Light of Love of Sai, we begin to see this Creation through the Sai Lens. So all and everything appears clearly as the mirror reflection of The Absolute One, Para Brahman – Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai. There is no more duality and distraction of me and others. All that exists is the Absolute One.

The flame of Love burning within our hearts and souls help us and all around us to tread the path of perfection, embracing The Oneness, which essentially is Liberation. As Swami becomes our sole, soul motto, there are no more petty desires and dualities. The one and only desire is to continue to experience the self-same Oneness all through and become one with the Very Source of Ever Shining Brilliant Light and All-Abiding Love, Prema Swaroopa Sai and eventually transmute into That, The Eternal Para Brahma Sai, from Whom Is our origin and unto Whom do we return.

His Was The Love That Ever Was… The Love That Ever Is… And The Love That Ever Will Be… Love That Conquers!!!

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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March 4, 2011: Emerging at 1120 hrs, Bhagawan went for a round of Prasanthi Township this forenoon. The Divine caravan moved along the road, passing Yenumanappali cross leading to the Super Speciality Hospital. Taking a detour from the petrol bunk on the way, Bhagawan returned to the Ashram at 12 noon, via the Culvert gate at the western end of the Ashram. Hundreds were lined up en route inside the Ashram, for a precious glimpse of The Lord. Bhagawan, in His outpouring love and compassion, went on blessing the devotees with Abhayahastha.

‘Sweeter and sweeter as the days go by’ is perhaps the right expression to describe Divine Darshan in Prasanthi Nilayam. At a time when Darshan sessions are becoming shorter and shorter, one can find an increasing awareness among the public of the greater importance of Divine Darshan! …And with this increasing awareness, thousands upon thousands are flocking into this Valley Of Peace every day, to catch a precious glimpse of The Lord!

In the evening Bhagawan arrived at 1945 hrs in His car, coming for usual round of Darshan. Completing the round, He He spent awhile with the ‘Alike Team’ of teachers and students. Alighting at the verandah, Bhagawan then came on stage to preside over the session for the next fifteen minutes.

Detached was His demenour all through, yet He was at His amusing best! As some prasadam boys came in with laddu prasadam seeking blessings before distribution, Bhagawan grabbed a few from the box only to toss them next unto a selected lucky few. Accepting a letter from one of the boys, Bhagawan read through the same after blessing the boy with Padanamaskar. Bhajans turned into a higher gear as boys opened up with greater devotional fervour; with the devout pubic responding, erupting with booming chorus.

10 minutes past 20:00 hrs, it was time to recede. At 2010 hrs Bhagawan indicated for Mangala Arathi and soon He left the dais, not before blessing the concourse with a priceless Abhayahastha.

Bhagawan retired to Yajur Mandiram at 2015 hrs, leaving yet another Beauty Beyond Compare Sri Sathya Sai Darshana Mahotsavam!!!

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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During one of the Trayee sessions in Brindavan, one evening, Swami appeared to be displeased with people watching too many TV shows. He said that television is actually “TELEVISHAM” (visham means poison). Suddenly, He turned towards (I was seated very close to His jhoola (swing) and asked me (the whole conversation took place in Hindi)…

Swami: “Do you watch TV?”

I: “No Swami.”

Swami: “Aye…tell Me the truth.”

I: “No Swami, I don’t watch TV.”

Swami: “Look into My eyes and then tell Me the truth.”

I kept looking into His eyes and kept wondering in my mind that the Lord is omniscient and He knows that I do not watch TV, then why is Swami continuing to ask me this question. At the same time, I knew Swami’s utterances are full of significance, so there must be something He wants to teach me.

In a flash, my memory took me to an incident when I was 7 or 8 years old, when my uncle had taken me to a cinema hall for late night movie show. We returned home well past midnight and my grandfather had to wake up to open the door for us. He was very upset with my uncle and scolded him for being a bad influence on me.

The next evening I accompanied my grandfather for his usual visit to the temple. On our way, he lovingly explained to me that I should not waste any time by going to cinema shows. He said: “See… the whole world is like a ‘NAATAK’, meaning a drama, and is a source of continuous and frivolous entertainment. You, however, need to be careful for you know what is the meaning of NAATAK? It means ‘NAA + ATAK’, ‘Naa’ means ‘NO’ and ‘Atak’ means ‘Get Caught’, that is, you should not get entangled in the world’s drama.” The cobwebs of doubts that were lurking in my mind were now removed or at least that’s what I thought. I refocused my attention to Bhagawan Who was sitting right infront of me… and I resumed the interaction with Him thinking that I was smarter with this new understanding of what He meant by asking me ‘If I watch TV shows”.

I gathered some courage and said: “Yes Swami, I do watch TV?

Swami: (addressing the other members in the hall), “See… now he agrees…”

Swami: (back to me) “What do you watch in TV?”

I: “Swami, whole world is a continous TV show.”

Swami: (raising His voice) “Why do you switch it on?”

I: “It goes on itself Swami… (in my mind I told Him “Dear Lord, the switch is under Your control”)

Swami: “No. When you show an interest in anything, it means you have switched on a particular channel for yourself and you have thereby got yourself entangled into it. Isn’t it?”

I: “Yes Swami… Now I understand what You really mean by this question… “Do you watch TV?”

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

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