From Shirdi To Parthi… To the one who sought His grace with purity of heart and selfless devotion, Baba conferred His grace abundantly. Mataji Krishna Priya of Nagpur was one such devotee. Living in Nagpur, she would worship Krishna and considered Shirdi Baba as another form of Krishna and often frequented to Shirdi to be closer to the Divine in physical form. Read on a thrilling instance from her life featuring Sai Baba of Shirdi, Who heard the cry of a grieving soul, full of love and devotion for Him, and thus decided to reappear after His physical passing on…recounting the story as narrated by Bhagawan on the occasion of Shirdi Sai ‘Birth Anniversary’… Once Mataji Krishna Priya went to Simla. She was offering worship with unstinted devotion to Krishna considering Him as Baba. She came to know that Baba had left his mortal coil at 2.30 p.m. on Vijayadashami day in 1918. Immediately after this Ekadasi followed. Baba had told his close devotee, Kakaji, in the year 1916, that Dada would be shedding his mortal coil in 1918. Kakaji thought that Baba was mentioning only about Dada Sahib, another devotee, and never thought the reference was to Baba himself. On September 28, 1918, Baba developed high temperature. Two days earlier he had collected food by seeking alms in some houses. He took that food and at noon, He expressed His wish to his devotees that he should be taken from the choultry to Bootywada. He hoped to have a quiet time there. In that ward, a Muralidhar temple had been built by a devotee by name Booty. He wanted Baba to install the idol of Krishna in the temple. But Baba was putting off the installation on one pretext or other. Booty did not want to install the idol without the blessings of Baba. Till His end Baba did not say anything about installation of the idol. He directed Booty and Kakaji to go and take their lunch. Feeling that Baba was better, they went out. Baba had nine rupee coins under His pillow. He took them out and gave them to Lakshmibai. Then Baba summoned Shyam to come near Him. Shyam sat close to Baba. Baba reclined on Shyam’s shoulders and passed away. Krishna Priya came to know of this and felt very sad the whole day. The next day she closed all the doors and windows in her house because of the severe cold in Simla. While she was resting in the house, a tall and well-built monk arrived at the next door, and enquired about Mataji’s house. He made enquiry not because He did not know where Mataji lived, but only to make others know that He was physically present in Simla. The neighbour sent a servant with an umbrella as it was snowing, to show the stranger Mataji’s house. He knocked at the door. Mataji opened the door and could not believe the evidence of her eyes. She wondered how Baba, who had passed away the previous day, could come to Simla. She asked: “How did You manage to come so soon. It takes at least three days to come from Shirdi to Simla.” Baba said: “Beti (dear daughter), I Am everywhere. You have worshipped Me in the form of Krishna. Is this all that you know about Me? I Am feeling the cold, first get Me hot tea.” She prepared tea and offered it to Baba. After taking the tea, Baba said that He was hungry after his long journey. Krishna Priya brought Him chapatis and brinjal curry which Baba used to like very much. After taking the food Baba washed His hands and wiped them in a towel. He then told her: “The purpose for which I came is over and I am going away.” In those days nobody dared to exchange words with Baba. If anybody opposed or said anything to the contrary, Baba would wield the stick against them. He never brooked any contradiction. Hence Krishna Priya could not tell Him anything. He gave her a jasmine garland.

Sathya Sai About Shirdi Sai… How Bhagawan Shirdi Sai, Who would often repeat ‘Dattatreya Malik’ and ‘Allah Malik’ once ‘proved’ that He is verily Lord Dattatreya and on another occasion demonstrated the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man, settling a dispute between Hindu and Muslim devotees, was narrated by Bhagawan in one of His Divine discourses… One day, the birth anniversary of Dattatreya was to be celebrated (in the month of Margasirsha on Panchami day). Several devotees had assembled in Shirdi. Among them was a wealthy man, a great scholar called Kaijack. He is not to be confused with Hijack! His name was Balwant Kaijack. As he was approaching the Masjid, Baba took His stick and waved it at the devotees, asking them to get away. He even beat some of them, shouting, “Saitan! Saitan!” No one could understand why Baba was behaving like this. “I am suffering from labour pains. Get away, all of you!” He shouted. In those days, Baba not only used to shout at people, but also wield the stick on them on occasions. He used even to throw the stick at fleeing persons. Every one used to be afraid of Him. They all fled from the place. Some time later, He called all of them to come. “Balwant Kaijack, come!” He said. When Balwant came, Baba went inside the Masjid. Balwant went in and found that Baba was not there. He found a three-headed baby on the floor. Baba had declared that He was suffering from labour pains and there was a baby there. The three-headed child appeared to represent Dattatreya. It was a small ‘baby’ with a number of hands. Balwant recognised the ‘child’ as Dattatreya and called other devotees to come inside. They went in and on seeing the ‘child’ closed their eyes. At that instant Baba reappeared there. From that time onwards, people started looking upon Baba as the incarnation of Dattatreya. Baba’s lesson to MuslimsA controversy arose among the local people as to whether Baba was a Muslim or a Hindu. At one time He used to say: “Allah Malik! Allah Malik!” At other limes, He would say” “Dattatreya Malik!” Whenever He shouted “Allah Malik!” Muslims used to come to HIm in the Masjid. His appearance was very much like that of a Muslim. Hence, many Muslims used to come to Him. Hindus also used to come and offer incense to Him. The Muslims did not approve of what the Hindus were doing. The Hindus did not like the way Muslims revered Baba. Consequently, bitterness developed between the two communities. One day, Mhalaspathi was sitting near Baba and doing some service to Him. Mhalaspathi was the priest in the Kandoba temple. The Muslims who were opposed to the presence of a Hindu priest near Baba, came with sticks and beat up Mhalaspathi. At every stroke, Mhalaspathi cried out “Baba!” “Baba!” Each time he shouted, the Name of Baba, the blow was borne by Baba. Mhalaspathi fell to the ground. Baba came out. Muslims had great reverence for Baba. Baba roared at the Muslim crowd: “Saitan! On the one side you worship Me and on the other you beat Me. Is this your devotion?” Baba was bleeding all over the body. The Muslims saw it and asked Baba who had beaten Him. “Did you not beat Me? Did you not beat Me?” said Baba pointing to several men in the crowd. They said: “We did not come near You at all. We only beat Mhalaspathi.” “Who is in Mhalaspathi? I Am in him,” declared Baba. “He has surrendered to Me and hence all his troubles are Mine.” On hearing this, the Muslims fell at Baba’s Feet and craved for His forgiveness. Baba then summoned the Hindus and Muslims and told them: “Dear Children: You are all the progeny of one Mother.” Thereby Baba demonstrated the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man.    He wanted all differences of caste and creed to be eschewed. What mattered for mankind was the heart. One who is only concerned about his creed (matham) will never discover the Divine (Madhava). You must seek the Divine within you. Baba pointed out that all caste and creed distinctions related only to the body. Therefore, you should seek the Supreme in your inner consciousness.

Grace Mid-Air… There are lessons galore for man if only he is tuned to His Inner Self, connecting every single happening around, surrendering to God’s Will. “I have learnt it is not when He saves your life that He saves you; it is when He fills your heart with love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance that He really saves you…” writes Sri Jullie Chaudhuri, narrating a ‘life-saving’ incident airborne, attributing the same to the Unceasing Grace of Beloved Mother Sai… an account from the book of poems by Sri Jullie Chaudhuri, “Mother Sai”. What I am about to relate has a bearing on Shirdi Sai ‘Samadhi’ Day. Around 5 pm on 15th October, 2006, we took off from Mumbai for Jeddah via Hyderabad in an Airbus 310. There was a ground halt at Hyderabad for an hour. While the aircraft was being serviced, I stepped out into the jetty and made a call to someone very dear to remind her to dedicate that evening’s bhajans to Shirdi Sai and to reminisce about His glories. My mind too seemed to fly to Shirdi, as I stepped back into the plane to check on the cleaning before welcoming passengers on board. The flight was not too full and the take-off was smooth and on time. It being Ramzan time, we decided to serve dinner immediately on leveling off, as most of our passengers had been fasting. After clearing the cabin, and seeing to passenger comfort, I sat down in the crew rest area – the last row of seats on the right hand side – to eat my meal. My colleague was sitting near the window and I was on the aisle seat. As she chatted, my mind sped off to Dwarkamai, the dhuni, the boulder that Baba sat on, His Samadhi, and so on… My dinner and mental pilgrimage over, I excused myself and stood up with the dinner tray in my hand. And that was it. The aircraft shook sideways vigorously and then kept losing height rapidly. The tray went flying out of my hands and I lost all sense of gravity and was flung about like a rag doll or perhaps like a tiny leaf in a mighty storm – completely weightless. As I was being tossed about, my head hitting the bins on top and my body against the seat handles, I recollect my first thoughts being: “This is no ordinary turbulence, it can’t be happening.” Then, instinctively, I started chanting ‘SaiRam’ slowly and loudly. Just a simple ‘SaiRam’. Each ‘SaiRam’ was elongated. I tried clutching the handles of the seats on either side but I could not, though the aisle was narrow. I kept being flung about. By the 9th or the 10th ‘SaiRam’ or so it seemed, the aircraft somewhat stabilised and I got into the seat on my left but I was gasping and could not breathe or speak for a few seconds and my right ribs hurt. I would later learn that two right ribs were fractured in that incident, but at that time, my thoughts were on the passengers and as soon as I could breathe properly, I shouted out to all in the cabin to remain seated and keep their seat belts on. One of my colleagues had gone to the front of the cabin just prior to this incident and so she had slipped into an empty seat and was saved. But much later, after we had given first aid to all the passengers, she almost collapsed and had to be revived. A kind of a delayed shock perhaps! The colleague, who had sat by my side, hit her head on the side lights on the ceiling several times and fractured her right knee too. Besides being jolted around, nothing much happened to the crew in the forward section as the rear of the aircraft always takes the brunt. As I was loudly instructing the passengers, since many do not leave their seat belts on, a passenger, who was flung about in the toilet through this time and was bleeding profusely as he had a cut in his mouth, came into the cabin. Looking absolutely shocked and aghast, he was wondering what to do. I made him sit next to me and reached out to the beverage cart, which was fortunately within reach, got some ice, wrapped it in a headrest cover and put it on his mouth to stem the bleeding. This tall, young boy later told me that he was tossed about like a football in the toilet! It was time for action now as many passengers were hurt and wounded. There was this young passenger who had annoyed the crew by continuously using his cell phone even as we taxied out, knowing it interferes with the aircraft navigation and communication systems. It was this same youngster who came to our rescue as he turned out to be a dental surgeon!

The Lesson ‘Dakshinamurthi’ teaches… Bhagawan’s unique way of story-telling often brings lore from ancient lives, texts and even from realms unknown to man, known only to God … here comes a beautiful recountal from Bhagawan, Who narrates a story involving The Supreme Teacher, Dakshinamurthi, from Whom it is believed that all the knowledge, sacred wisdom, emanated. Once, Dakshinamurthi wanted to teach the people the real spirit of God and also He wanted to enjoy Himself. He took a tree as His guru; He took a river as His guru, so also He took a stone as His guru. He took nature as His preceptor and began to travel with joy. After some time, He reached the shore of an ocean. He sat on the shore and was contemplating. At that time a little dirt had fallen in the ocean. The ocean became very furious and sent wave after wave to repel that dirt to the shore. Dakshinamurthi got angry with the sea. He said, “What is this? This dirt is a very small thing and the ocean is a very expansive one. Can it not contain this small piece of dirt in itself? How selfish is this ocean?” Then He reflected that because the ocean is to be respected, He should find out whether it wished to give Him some message. He felt he should not get angry with the ocean and prayerfully asked that He be given the reason for its action and thus make His heart and mind peaceful. Then the ocean spoke thus: “I am very expansive and very large and in me are born many, many animals and creatures. Therefore, I always wish that my form should be very clean. If I give place to dirt, though it be very small, tomorrow it will make all my form unclean. Therefore, I did not want to give place to that little dirt and wanted to throw it back to the shore.” This, Dakshinamurthi compared to samsara or family. If, in the family, we give place to a mean idea or a mean quality, it will certainly grow and will cover up and enmesh the whole family. Therefore, people leading a family life should try to see that not even a small, mean quality enters it. Samsara does not refer to family life alone. Our life itself is a samsara. So in this life, we should never give place to things that will mislead us or that will make us unclean.

Now And Forever Easter Day 2011 the world received some excruciatingly devastating news.  Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba had chosen to aloof Himself from the Physical. Easter was on 24th April that year. This year Easter Day just passed us by on 27th March. Incidentally, 28th March, was the day The Lord selected to admit Himself into the SSSIHMS. Then on, each day every devoted heart experienced tremendous soreness and awaited any bit of news, each moment of the day about their Beloved Swami – their Centre of Adoration. The fervour for Bhagawan surpassed limits. And anxious thoughts flooded each cell of the being.What all has He taken upon Himself? What can we do to ‘ease’ things?  Are we not responsible in some way for all that was happening? How can we share in howsoever a minute manner the colossal expanse, the unimaginable magnitude, the almighty contamination the Almighty had thrust upon His most adorable Form? Bhagawan is beyond pain, yet, each heart was writhing, burning in agony. And still is.Prayers rented the ether…prayers to Him…for Him. On this day, on 28th March 2011, a pacemaker was fitted into the heart of the One Who is the Heart of the Universe…Who sets the pace of every atom in creation! Is there anyone Who can fathom the leelas, the sportive play, the mystical pronunciations, the transcendental acts of Bhagawan? The human mind is fixed in limitations, confined in conditions. Conversely, God is beyond conditions, beyond logic, beyond any and every limitation. There are no laws binding upon the One Who makes the Laws…for, even as the energy structure is being altered, transformed and amended as each person and the environment evolves…classifying a dynamic process…His Will too refines, redefines and decides the Cosmic Script and the laws that harmonise and fit the script. No one can comprehend the ways of God. They are beyond description. – Baba Avatars do not manifest to please or convince any mortal. The descent of God in the Physical is for the resuscitation of Dharma, for reviving Shanti, for escalating pristine Prema, for establishing Ahimsa, for the protection of the meek and downtrodden, to bless the helpless, fundamentally the Divine Being appears so as to facilitate the wellbeing of each being. The welfare of all beings attracts a Divine Incarnation. Consequently, the life, breath, message and mission of the Sathya Sai Avatar, the Source of Creation, the eternal spring of Compassion is essentially Samastha Lokaah Sukhino Bhavantu. Moreover, the essence of Samastha Lokaah was planted in each individual soul as it birthed itself from the Cosmic Womb…the womb of Mother Sai. Quite essentially and unknowingly all are silently exuding this Mantra. It is time enough to arise, awaken and be aware of this truth, this Dharma of our existence especially during this period of Sai Lent. Then on may it blend with every heartbeat, each inhalation that destiny has bestowed upon us. Isn’t this what pleases the ever blissful Supreme Father and Mother of Creation? Isn’t this the bliss of our Precious Lord? Come, let us dwell upon the sublime living exemplified by Sai…may Sathya Sai Bhagavatam continuously absorb our soul, may Samastha Lokaah/Jeeva Sukhino Bhavantu propel our thoughts, words and deeds. May His compassion be our everyday mission. Together let us offer allegiance to the breath of Sai. Every dawn guide us, Oh! Beloved Master,How may we reach out to all incessantly?How may we live to please only Thee?May the shimmering pink-gold Light of Thy Prema,Embrace our heart space,Help us to be kind to ourselves too,Strengthen our personal sadhana,Intensify our Aradhana,That we may  sychronise the five senses with each human value,In thoughts, words and deeds as they flow through,Deepen our understanding of Samastha Lokaah/Jeeva Sukhino Bhavantu,Whereby,We remain ensconced in the sphere of Sathya Sai,Enhance our link and association with You,You are Now, You are Forever,May we ever bask in the realm of forever with You.Now and Forever.

Poisoned Arrows Or Scented Blossoms…Sorrow or Celebration? She lit the evening lamp,Watching the rays of the Sun bid adieu and disappear,Dusk pirouetted to the fore from the rear,Deep was her contemplation on the events of the past year,A colossal ‘why’ and many, many , many ‘why nots’,In the mind did churn and appear…With open eyes she saw that Effulgent Form,The mist lifted even as the heart did mourn,With delight she looked upon Him,Moist eyes in which teardrops did brim,Upon a closer look she couldn’t stifle a loud gasp,She ran over and the Beloved One’s hand she did clasp,Agony stabbed her aching heart,Her voice was a hoarse and painful rasp –‘My Lord, Beloved Mother, Oh! Baba, Baba…’Was all she could muster,Mind reeling, senses not at par,As grief did her nerves scar,And the flow of words completely debar…Up close,She saw that His frame was entirely covered with arrows…Slowly the meaning did unfold. Every thought, word and deed which was not in sync, that was negative, harmful in intent, thoughtless, uncaring, acutely insensitive, horrifyingly arrogant, cruel and abusive to any living being or the minutest part of creation, was indeed an arrow; each thought and word wrongly intended brought on a torrent of chain reaction in rapid succession. Every lackadaisical attitude, each action that reeked of kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and matsarya was an arrow, a dart, a shaft, a missile, embedded in the lotus like frame of Beloved Bhagawan. Each arrow had a name on it. Countless arrows  pierced His gentle frame through the flaming orange robe. Arrows that came from all over the globe. Each and everyone was responsible for having pierced with toxic arrows and shafts, the Benevolent, Magnificent and Supreme Frame of God. Let us read excerpts from ‘Prasnottara Vahini’ by Beloved Bhagawan to get a clearer picture about these venomous and destructive weapons which lie either subtly, overtly or downright blatantly in every human persona. Q – Swami! What are the traits of character that we have to avoid, that is to say, which are the obstacles in the path of one who seeks liberation from the cycle of Birth and Death? Ans – The six, the Ari-shadvarga: Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya; these are to be avoided. Q – What exactly is Kama? Ans – Desire for riches, property, honour, status, fame, children; why list the lot? Attachment to all things of this sensory world – this false, temporary, impure world. Q – Krodha? Ans – Yearning to harm others and cause ruin to them. Q – And Lobha? Ans – Determination that no one else should partake of even a small fraction of what one has earned or what one has; also, that even in times of distress, one’s possessions should not be diminished by use. Q – What is the meaning of Moha? Ans – The delusion that some people are nearer to one than others and the desire to please them more than others, leading to exertions for earning and accumulating for their sake. Q – Mada? Ans – Mada means the swagger that develops when one feels that he has either scholarship or strength or riches or fame, more than others. Even when one has not got these, Mada makes men move about without reverence for elders and consideration for others’ feelings and craving only for one’s own comfort and security. Mada is extreme egoism. Q – The last that You mentioned is Matsarya. What does that mean, Swami? Ans – When others are as happy as yourself, Matsarya makes one miserable; one cannot tolerate it. Such lucid explanations about the excess baggage that we carry, weapons of self as well as social destruction in the psyche of each individual. Yet, we point fingers at disgruntled neighbours, street fights, terrorists and warring nations. Each arrow that falls off due to virtuous, ethical behavior continuously gets replaced when the worst in us gets the better of us.But these attempts at self transformation needs a Cosmic Boost, intense endeavour and an absolute one-pointed focus. The arrows on that Cherished Form have to be removed. They have to fall off, disintegrate, vanish, crumble. Since those arrows belong to us all, the remedy too lies with us. We need to replace those arrows cautiously, skillfully, carefully, being ever dexterous and vigilant so that they do not surface ever. These poisonous arrows need to be wiped out, their repeated recurrence barred.  And for this we need ‘zoomed in’ determination, a soul centered obsession with the Ultimate Goal, a burning passion for purification, a supreme will and complete absorption in the gigantic task at hand – unfurling and manifesting our inherent, latent divinity. If these words have touched your hearts, dear brothers and sisters, if they have created ripples of impression upon a mind ever ready to please the Beloved One, if they have evoked feelings of harmony and linked our thoughts…then we must not remain sanguine, nor must we procrastinate. Nothing else matters, no other call is more urgent, no trivial distraction need attract our attention.

Parthi Prays… The lines that you are about to peruse through had its initial debut in the brook of soulful sentiments that caressed the cherished Lotus Feet of Beloved Bhagawan through the booklet – Eternal Sanctity, being a special edition of the Pune Youth Wing Newsletter in June 2011. Memories of those days linger on as intense now as it was then. Let us ceaselessly unite in profound prayer…in deep reverence for Him…for His magnificent Advent…for His Love…His Mission…for each of His Word!  We will be publishing these reports in sequnce, as and when they were originally written in April 2011. May we lovingly ask you to join us as each sigh eternally echoes absolute yearning for Mother Sai. This is how Parthi stepped up its individual and collective Sadhana as The Divine Frame chose to take upon Itself, perils that threatened humanity… Oblivious to malicious talk and unperturbed by vicious pens, Parthi continued its Sadhana in a calm vein. In temples and individual homes, chants and  bhajans rang out. The village geared up for akhanda bhajan and night long vigil, so no procession on the streets of Parthi…but the inner procession continues non-stop as it should. The world over, the feeling is thus – Where the mind is without I, and the heart is full of Sai, into that heaven of freedom, Oh Lord let my soul awake… …each drum beat, each ring of the cymbals is pleading with the Lord and praying to Him for Him…and why shouldn’t they…? For all that He takes upon Himself, saving humanity from disastrous effects of natural calamities which threatens the existence of millions, it is on their part but a humble act of  acknowledgement and gratitude, isn’t it….? …gratitude to the Beloved for all that we know He does and all that we don’t know…to the Universe for all its abundance, for the country we live in…do we wish to be in any other place than the one the Lord chose…?…to our parents for giving us life and for introducing us to life i.e. the Beloved; also, it’s important to have gratitude towards the physical casing of the atma, the vehicle for the soul, to each and every organ for functioning well, to the eyes for seeing His form, to the ears for having heard Him, to the feet for having walked His way, to the mind for its focus on Him…and to the heart for being the shrine where He does dwell. 8th April..…Collective Harmony in the heart of Parthi…beyond caste, colour, religion – a rare example of unity… When the cherished One allows Himself to be admitted to the ICU of SSSIHMS, the Cosmos watches with bated breath as to what He has written next in the Divine play, for only He knows the script and He is the Director Supreme in this Cosmic drama. What is known to us is that devotees the world over – in every village, city, home and heart are praying to Him…for Him. For a change, there is a selfless prayer in every heart, mind and soul, an ardent appeal, a passionate plea, in all humility, with pure love replete…that goes beyond any personal benefit or selfish need…a prayer that asks Beloved Bhagawan to cure Himself…as He has done with millions over the last eight decades of this Avatarhood. What is perhaps not known to us is that every being in the Universe also has a prayer in its heart, concern in its mind, tears in its eyes and hope in its very being. From the plain to the deserts, to the mighty Himalayas…from the lay person to heads of state, to saints and Himalayan masters…all souls are joined in prayer to the One for the One. Faith is the sole factor for each soul. A collective appeal from the individual soul to the Super Soul to heal whatever It has deemed fit to take upon Itself, for the higher good of the Cosmos. And Puttaparthi, the village which received the ultimate benediction when the Lord willed Himself to be born and continue the scenes of His Divine mission here…is awake, alive, alert and aware with fervent prayers and deep devotion. Every hearth, home and heart is imploring its dearest Bhagawan to heal Himself and return to Prasanthi Nilayam without further delay. All temples are holding prayer meetings which include bhajans, yagnas and various chants for the speedy recovery of their Beloved Lord. Come evening and there are groups of devotees converging from different lanes and by lanes, with adoration in their hearts, devotional songs on their lips and candles in their hands. They are like little streams and rivulets, gushing forth from myriad directions, bobbing up and down with diyas, merging together at the Feet of the Loving Ocean of extreme benevolence, represented by the deity of Sathyamma at the temple dedicated to Her Sathyabhama, the precious consort of Krishna.

Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamayaa… Browsing through His ‘most mystifying’ Story from April 2011, we see a united Puttaparthi that stood united for a Cosmic Cause, her very own SOUL… HeartBeat, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai, Whom she ‘fondled’ with great care, right from the day-1 of His Story. With Bhagawan’s most mysterious Divine Leela on in the summer month of April, Puttaparthi  turned abuzz, with collective hearts beating for Him…for Him…for Him Alone… Recapping Parthi’s mood during the trial days, here is a report from the 13th and 14th days of April 2011, extracted from the book ‘Eternal Sanctity’ by the Pune Youth Wing. 13th April Millions flock to Him…they love Him for what He is, all that He is, for all that He has done and keeps doing for the individual, the society, the nation, the world and the universe too. For them that is proof enough of His divinity. They have experienced His magnanimity, His presence, His little and great acts of supreme grace, the miracle of His unconditional love and so are now expressing it in a befitting manner. For them, He deserves the best and they are bent upon offering their best. Unshakeable is their faith, heartfelt their gratitude, unmatched is their fervor, dedication, devotion and tenacity of purpose – to have their Lord amidst them at the earliest. This is how it is in Puttaparthi right now. This little township is alive with plentiful pageants that carry lifesize photographs of the Lord of Parthi, while singing devotional songs through the lanes and by lanes, the crisscrossing of various such groups charging the environment with piety. More than 200 women had a ‘coloured light’ procession of their own. A parade that glowed with the hues of adoration. Carrying plates of worship, that contained candles, flowers, coconut, turmeric, vermillion, betel nuts and betel leaves – phalam, pushpam, patram toyam – upon their heads and singing aloud hymns in worship of their Lord, these ladies carried out a special act of devotion past every temple of this holy village. Large groups of children too have taken to the streets, themselves pulling the huge chariot carrying garlanded pictures of Bhagawan – a Rath Yatra, even as they sing aloud in their tender voices, bhajans pure in their intent. Candle lights – that rekindled hope and faith. TamasoMaa Jyotir Gamayaa – leading away from the darkness arising out of the absence of their dear Lord to the radiance of His coveted darshan. It seemed the onus is on humanity to woo Beloved Bhagawan. Clearly devotion has swept into the sands of Parthi and the hearts of its inhabitants … “Parthipurishwar Jaya Mana Mohana”. 14th April Thursday was reserved for the men folk of Parthi to express their devotion. Hundreds gathered outside Ganesh gate with candles in their hands, a prayer in their hearts and hymns in praise of their Lord on their lips. Chants of ‘Om Sri Sai Ram’ rang out aloud and echoed in the ether. Accompanying this devoted gathering was a floral float drawn by a tractor. Colorful bouquets and flowers bedecked the gigantic photo frame of Beloved Bhagawan. They passed on their ‘candles of love, hope, faith and worship’, as an offering, which was collected by seva dal and devotees from inside the Ganesh gate and made to adorn the parapet surrounding the deities under the canopy of the peepal tree opposite Ganesha. A myriad candles glowed bright with unified prayers and collective harmony. Further down the main street of Puttaparthi, children sang and danced in circular formations, even as the elders of the village played the drums and cymbals with synchronized rhythm. The residents of the village, each one of them were leaving no stone unturned to coax and cajole their Beloved Lord to be amidst them again. Indeed a sustained spectacular effort with amazing dedication.

For Samastha Lokas… How many of us know the value of the revised cosmic intonation of Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu??? It is time for the Maha Mantra to evolve from customary chanting to incessant, akhanda chanting…for global, cosmic Oneness… Supporting the cause of the Samastha Lokah… campaign here we have upcoming young talent, playback singer from Kerala, Kum Abhirami Ajai speaking on the absolute importance of the Maha Mantra… today, for a brighter tomorrow. Given below is the transcription of Abhirami’s short video on the Maha Mantra. The very purpose of the Sai Avatar is to grant happiness, joy and bliss to all beings in all worlds at all times. Bhagawan’s one of the immortal statements is “Love lives by giving and forgiving; Self lives by  getting and forgetting.” Throughout Bhagawan’s life He urged us to make our lives also an experience by loving, giving and forgiving. More specifically the period from 28 March to 27 April is indeed a boon granted  by Bhagawan to us to  turn inwards, move nearer and dearer to our Antharyami Sai. In this process Bhagawan gives us the energy to transcend our limitations and spread Sai Love and Sai Care to all around us. In 2008, when Bhagawan made the profound revelation of the Universal Mantra ‘Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu’, Bhagawan transformed the act of prayer from a personal sadhana to collective one where one doesn’t pray for the fulfilment of one’s transient desires but for the wellbeing of all beings even in the worlds, we mortals  aren’t aware of. We are indeed the blessed ones, the ones enjoying the fruits of our past karmas (actions) to be living as Sai’s children and thereby chant this powerful and Universal peace prayer that has been taught and glorified by the Lord of the Cosmos HimSelf.  While chanting this lets imagine the Sai within us growing and expanding beyond territorial boundaries and time, enveloping and embracing the whole universe in the warmth of His ultimate love and compassion. And here exists nothing but Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema, Ahimsa……

Never Forget… In July 1977 Bhagawan was in Brindavan and when the festival of Guru Poornima was just a few days away, He wrote a letter to Sri YV Kutumba Rao, the then Secretary of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam. The letter serves as a ‘Sailent’ reminder to all the ashramites at Prasanthi Nilayam… and direct directive from the Supreme One. Kutumba Rao, accept My blessings. Gurupoornima festival will be celebrated here at Brindavan. My Presence is required here for the college. You may celebrate the festival there too. Convey My blessings to everyone there. Tell the residents of the Ashram that they should never forget the objectives for which they have come here, and that they should strive to achieve their goal. They should sincerely follow all the disciplines of the Ashram and should not involve themselves needlessly in the affairs of others. Stress the point that having come to the Ashram after giving up all relatives and friends for the sake of God, if they now give up God and develop new relationships and friendships, it contradicts the basic principles of an Ashramic life. The important principle of living in an ashram is that one has taken shelter at the Feet Of God forsaking the anxieties and worries of a worldly life. One has to develop virtues like peace, patience, humility and obedience, and eschew anger, jealousy and ego. One should behave in the same way in the physical absence of Swami as one would do in His Presence; otherwise it is self-betrayal and self-deceit. Tell everyone that they should practise these principles always and derive bliss, and also set ideals for others. Only when there is such model behaviour and transformation, can they deserve the grace of Sai. Convey to them  that indulging in unnecessary talk or involving in others’ affairs is not good, and that slandering others out of jealousy is a heinous sin. My blessings to one and all there – Baba”