Hadshi Prayed And The Lord Responded… How could the Lord stay away from His devotees’ repeated calling? How could He not respond to their persistent yearning? How much longer could He stay away…? Mr Shivajirao Jadhav’s invitation was worded with care, and decorated with the colours of love. It reached the Divine hands and got acquiescence. On the occasion of the sixth anniversary of Bhagawan’s Hadshi visit, let’s recap those blissful days of Bhagawan’s Pune-Hadshi visit… writes Sri Jullie Chaudhuri from Pune. When word of this acceptance reached Pune, joy knew no bounds. Every heart beat faster, every cell reverberated with joyous expectancy! Happiness seeped through the city’s soil. It seemed everyday as though the sun set quicker than usual so as to usher in the dawn of Oct 28 that everyone and everything was so impatiently waiting for. Even the tarmac at the Pune airport tingled with excitement. It was as though each particle in the air there was whispering to the other and passing it on to the leaves, the trees, the flowers, the ground, the birds and the rays of the sun that the Lord’s arrival was imminent! The Divine Chariot landed at around 9.40 am, and every heart skipped a beat. Everyone sighed with delight to see the aircraft slowly coming to a final halt at the parking bay. The Highlift, after having been dressed up with pretty floral curtains, a red carpet and sprigs of red and yellow carnations,  aligned itself, waiting for the Lord’s charan sparsh. Swami’s chair was carefully wheeled through, and in that fraction of a second before He got into the highlift, He looked down at the devotees from the open space, and smiled a smile of unparalleled love… As the Highlift slowly descended to ground level, and His chair touched the tarmac, tears of joyful welcome welled up in everyone’s eyes. The CM of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan especially flew down to Pune to receive Bhagawan, and to acquire His blessings as it was also his birthday. Bhagawan’s car was ready and waiting for Him to be seated, as though saying ‘Asseyez-vous, s’il vous plait’. It had been a while since Bhagawan had travelled in it as it had come all the way from Parthi to be the Lord’s special chariot for the Maharashtra visit. In seconds, the convoy sped out of the airport, and travelled through the city’ lanes and by-lanes to Mr Jadhav’s home where a right royal traditional welcome awaited Him. Thereafter, the convoy made its way to the outskirts of Pune through winding roads, a brilliant landscape and milling devotees towards Sri Sathya Sai Panduranga Kshetra. If Pune was a blushing bride, then what was Hadshi? A bride in all her beauty and splendour, which she got just by thinking of her Lord… Everyday the Lord blessed and enchanted the thousands gathered there for His darshan. Nor sun nor cloud could keep a single soul away from the blessed Kshetra. During the day, devotees sat four hours on end in the hot sun but they didn’t look upon it as difficulty, instead for them, it was a penance for this was no ordinary visit – It was a visit of the Creator Himself… It was a boon and blessing that the Avatar in His physical form had chosen to be amongst them and shower His choicest blessings! Bhagawan was dressed in His simple, elegant orange robes, while His sons wore gleaming white shirts, kurtas and trousers, and His daughters were dressed in the most vibrant hues. Everyone had done their bit to welcome the Lord, their Father, to His home in Maharashtra. There were bhajans by Swami’s students and devotees, and musical programmes by Kavita Krishnamurthy, Nitin Mukesh, Sapna Mukherjee and the Little Champs of Marathi Sa Re Ga Ma. They delighted one and all by their renditions, and touched the Lord’s heart by their humility and devotion. Bhagawan gave a discourse on the second day, and again, He stressed on the importance of love being the basis for your interaction with humans and other living beings. Birds stopped singing and waited to hear His ever sweet voice. His message of Love All Serve All and Help Ever, Hurt Never echoed in every heart and reverberated throughout the Kshetra, as dusk slowly set in and cast its evening spell on the surrounding hills… Flowers vied to make it the bouquets offered to Beloved Swami, the leaves rustled and fell from their trees hoping they would be tread on by His Divine Lotus Feet, and insects, snakes and animals remained calm and were thrilled to hear a reference made to them by the Lord Himself as He said in His discourse that snakes and scorpions bite only when they are threatened by man… On Oct 31, when Bhagawan’s convoy wound its way downhill, out of the gates of Pandurangaa Kshetra towards the arms of waiting Mumbai, He blessed everyone – rustic villagers – who needed no seva dals to control them, so disciplined were they. There was only one message that rang out from every heart to His – ‘Come back soon, Mother Sai…We need You, we long for You, we await You…’ If there are memories to cherish, nothing can excel this, and there is a hope that these celebrations would not end here, but would continue in the lives of all by way of selfless service and sacrifice. For that is when, our lives become His message… II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Woman – The Pillar Of A Value Based Society As a precursor to the celebration of the Sacred Day of Advent, in honour of and to recognise the contribution of women, Beloved Mother Sai declared 19th November to be respectfully and joyfully observed as Ladies Day. The above lines are a tribute to all feminine beings in creation…winged, finned, four and two legged. May they know in some unique way that their presence and essence is being appreciated and applauded. A reflective article by Sri Jullie Chaudhuri. Made in the image of Shakti,So empowered instinctively and energised dynamically,To fulfil her supreme purpose –To establish and sustain all around harmony…Born to remove any and every kind of woe,Woman is a symbol of all things human……personifying Grace and Quality –Woman is the true pillar of a value based society! Women are the makers of the home, the nation and the world. – Baba Creation and Creativity.  Man and Woman are so created to complement each other. In alignment, each has their function to perform and while doing so rhythmically, in resonance with the Divine Plan, together they form a whole. To build something one needs a sturdy foundation. Then on, to support any structure one requires powerful pillars.That foundation…that support…that power of creation and creativity has been bestowed upon every woman! She embodies infinity, she characterises eternal qualities and exuding all this positively, she quite compellingly impacts eternity. There is nothing in this world that women cannot achieve. – Baba A society is made up of innumerable individuals, families, people from different walks of life…an intermingling of colours and flavours…strata and status…faiths, views, beliefs, cultures and economics ever so diverse. Doesn’t it all need a binding thread? And much more significantly, don’t these individuals have their origin in the womb of a woman?Ethics is what makes a society thrive…and a woman of quality who believes in equality has it in her to uphold and make these ethics come alive. Only if the women come up in society, the whole world will turn sacred. – Baba A woman is born to play myriad roles: a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife…integrating acts which continue on even after marriage while cementing new associations…and even as she plays out these roles she constantly exudes the highest undertaking – that of a Mother. Whether she goes on to have a child or not, every woman is a born mother, her mission intrinsically is that of a mother…a tender caregiver. She is blessed with many hidden facets along with a natural flair for compassion, care, concern, nursing, making amends, giving, forgiving, bringing together, blending, and harmonizing. She simply needs to be mindful, centred and receptive and tune in as she experiences this adventurous expedition called – Life. As a daughter she puts her parents on a pedestal, reveres them, yet, gives gentle guidance whenever necessary. As a sister, friend, colleague, teacher she will not hesitate to step in, once again channelizing righteousness.However, what about her role as a Mother? Upon the female of any species, whether amongst the animal, winged and aquatic or humankind, lies the singular onus of rearing the newly born. Most often, especially in all other species, she patiently rears the young ones all on her own – protecting, nourishing, nurturing, freeing. Freeing subtly, gently, firmly refers to demonstrating, drilling, inculcating ‘Life Skills’.In the animal kingdom, in their natural wild habitat, these skills take on a different meaning altogether from what it denotes in the more complex kingdom of man.Deep is the innate responsibility of the woman, of the human mother, to inculcate moral codes, basic principles and behavioural conducts. Children are not only the future citizens of the globe, but they are the inheritors of all the natural resources, the vast mineral wealth, the magnificent hills and lush plains, the grand glaciers, refreshing rivers and gushing streams, the surging seas and mysterious oceans, the dense forests, the exotic flora and wondrous fauna…and as such they grow up to become the custodians of all the abundance, the keepers of Mother Earth. Intuitively keeping in focus this salient truth, women as mothers, aunts, grandmothers not only do all they can to promote the physical wellbeing of their children but they foster the mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual progress too, equipping them with ethics that will regulate the flow of their conscience, consciousness and overall growth. Women embody the aspect of Mother Nature and the ancient sages found solutions to problems in life by recognising this truth. – Baba Woman and Poise. When there is accord between the heart and the mind there is an inner harmony. The world is raging with unrest for the poise within is lost. Desires and greed are drawing, dragging, and clasping humans and humanity into the dark fathomless maelstrom of no return. It is imperative that a balance be restored and a vital equilibrium maintained. The world needs beautiful minds. The inherent feminine qualities need to come to the rescue. Outer beauty is of no worth if not accompanied by a beautiful mind ensuring not only positive thoughts, words and deeds but a synchronicity between them. Women are the heirs of our ancient culture. Culture means refinement.Women are the torch-bearers of refinement and they are toiling for the emancipation of the nation.  – Baba Woman and Love. Temperatures are soaring, rivers are going dry leaving the soil ever so arid…for there is no love left in the human heart.  Women are naturally conditioned to love unconditionally for that is their inborn motherly instinct. They excel at it. As mothers, they are the first guru, guide and teacher of their children assisting them to consciously be aware, beware of unfavourable influences, trust the inner voice and evolve. This process of learning all things wise and wonderful, of loving and being exposed to the human values of Sathya, Dharma, Prema, Shanti, Ahimsa…of loving selflessly begins in the womb itself. Women have satvaguna in ample measure. They are by nature helpful, tender, compassionate, humble and trustful. – Baba Woman and Values.

Singing Unto Infinity… An atmosphere soaked in music, a heart swelled with sorrow: this was the mood that Playback Singer K.S. Chitra owned while visiting Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba every time. Each visit was the result of salvation from previous births… and each song led to the Ocean of Milk – Sai Love!!! (K.S.Chitra, popularly known as the “Nightingale of South India”, lends her voice in the South Indian Film Industry, whose foray into the field of playback singing earned her a distinct name in the Indian Music Industry. She has the rare distinction of highest number of national awards awarded to any female playback singer in India. She has also been conferred the prestigious “Padma Shri” by the Government of India in 2005, apart from winning several other state and national level awards) This article that was originally published in Dec 2009 is being republished now. It was from my mother that I first began to hear about Swami. Her narrations of Sai Charitham and accounts about what she had heard about Swami brought me close to Swami very long ago. But a darshan was possible only years later. That was when Swami had come to Chennai. At that time, for the function, Susheelamma (P. Susheela) asked me if I could sing a bhajan. It was the first time Susheelamma asked anything out of me and that itself was a happy incidence. I agreed immediately. Besides me there were Mano, Shailaja, Sunanda and many other singers as well. A special and close darshan was not possible that time but since the singers were allowed padanamaskaram I was fortunate to get it. That was my first darshan. During that visit Swami stayed in ‘Nandanam’—a house next to famous Tamil heroine Anjalidevi Amma’s residence. Since Susheelamma had got permission for us singers alone to have one more darshan, the next day we waited for Swami. As we waited in that pin drop silence of expectation Swami walked in. And He spoke to everyone! He even joked! The next darshan I got of Swami was during His birthday celebrations at Puttaparthi. It was a function where many artistes were participating in the name of national integration. M.S. Subbalakshmi, Pundit Jasraj, Kavitha Krishna Murthy and Parveen Sulthana were there. It was during this visit that an unforgettable incident took place. I had started for Parthi without completing the recording of a song. The theme of the song was that of a woman angrily crying out to the gods who were going to take back the life of her husband. Hence, the ending of the song required exerted emotion where I had to sing very high. I was afraid that if I sang at that top note I would find it difficult to sing in front of Swami. So, I told the music director that I would sing the rest of the song after I returned. That day, at Parthi, I sang for about 45 minutes. After singing, I bowed reverentially at Him and received the silk He gave me joyfully. “Why are you afraid to sing high?” He asked and surprised me by telling me to sing without any fear. Eminent personalities like M.S. Subbalakshmi were also present there. Afterwards, I got an opportunity to sing Sai devotional songs for a Telugu album. It was with this album’s music director and producer that I got a chance to visit Parthi again. I sang before Him during this visit too. During that trip my mother’s memories weighed heavily upon me. My mother had wanted to join me on my first trip to Parthi. But as she was suffering from heart disease the doctors refused to grant permission. Still, she was insistent, saying that if she was to die she was happy that it would be in Parthi. Yet, taking into account her health I did not let her accompany me. Then, when this next opportunity came to meet Swami she was no more. She would never accompany me again… pain gnawed me throughout the journey. The next morning I was fortunate to have Swami’s darshan. The orchestra members who accompanied me were also there. He said, “Sad that you have lost everyone? Everything is for the good…” I felt peace enveloping, as if guilt was getting null. He continued, “You have something to tell me…” I did not answer. He repeated the question. Yes, there was a deep desire within me—to have a child. But how was I to ask for it there? My mind did not allow it. And then, as if reading my mind, Swami called the women alone to the inner room. Here, He repeated the question. “I don’t have a child,” I said hesitantly. A hearty laugh was Swami’s immediate answer and then He said, “Want a child… the next time you come to see me you will bring your child also.” Then He materialized a chain from the atmosphere and presented it to me—a gold chain with a locket on which the word Om was written with white stones. He then blessed me: “Like the word Om let your sound fill the world…” After that, somehow, it took very long for me to see Swami again. Usually, when Swami came to Chennai P. Leela (Chechi) used to inform me. But once I came to know of His visit only after He left. It was when my husband read from the newspaper and told me about it that I knew about the visit. Years later, when I knew I was to become a mother I still could not meet Him. After I had a child too I sent letters and faxes. There was no reply. Yet, I was happy. My mind was in bliss. Then, once when Swami came to Chennai I saw Him from far. Swami looked from far, but I did not get close darshan. Finally, it was for this year’s Onam that I went to Parthi and got Swami’s darshan. I sang 9 songs. Throughout, Swami was on stage. After singing He blessed me. He then called me and gave permission for Padanamaskar. He called

The You Inside Of You Is Waiting For You… 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 God. All necks craned to view this most adored form. Awe, exultation and deep reverence did exude forth embracing the ever loving and living God. This exhibition of ‘The Beauty Beyond Compare’ is chronicled as ‘The Ultimate Darshan – Thus Far”. Commemorating the momentous moment that has no parallel, as one more 25th March approaches, Sri Jullie Chaudhuri takes her devotional imagination recapitulating the ‘The Incomparable Beauty Of The Beauty Beyond Compare. Friday, 25th March 2011.7.15 pm. As the Lord’s Divine Chariot was gently manoeuvred through the hushed spellbound host of devotees…none were aware as regards the heartrending sequence of events that the Beloved One had decided to determine determinedly. Certainly this crucial decision would have a stunning impact and lead to shattering tremors…heartrending for those who adored Him to the exclusion of all else. No one in that congregation or those tuning in from elsewhere the globe over, had even a tiny, wee bit inkling, not even an iota of an iota of an inkling that this was to be the last public darshan hitherto. None were given a peek into the script of the Supreme Script Writer and Director…for His Cosmic Leela was and is based on the shimmering waves of trust, faith, patience and surrender…and those who yearned to be a part of it needed to sift, wrench and pull apart any lacklustre, un-required, unnecessary, ‘excess-baggage’ habits, characteristics, biases and attitude. What He ultimately chose to inflict upon His Divine Frame……for the ultimate benefit and upliftment of the human race……is completely beyond any mortal mind to understand……or even try to appreciate, gauge, interpret or unravel,For sure,…even if one tries to do so…it will remain as mere conjecture. Of the Universe He is the Cause…He dictates the Decrees and the Codes of the Cosmos…and the Flawless One is beyond any laws…thus, there is none in the created world to decipher His Pause. Sovereign, Indomitable, Almighty is His Resolve and Will. Still, not getting darshans of the enchanting Physical Form always remains an inexplicable tug, a gnawing unignorable soreness…an incalculable loss that nothing or no one can recompense…which even time does respect…feeling helpless it cannot help heal…it then attempts to help us deal…depending upon our prayerful implore…bringing along many a sweet caress of the Precious One’s omnipresent largesse…opening up episodes, events that wondrously connects and bequeaths an everlasting endorse. When we begin to see Bhagawan in everything around us…the visible, the invisible; the sentient, the insentient…when we bless ourselves to feel Him in that soothing wisp of the breeze…or the playful whisper of rustling leaves upon the trees; the dazzling sun rays or the reflection of playful moonbeams upon the ocean waves; the tinkle of some far off temple bells or the mystical sea sound in conch shells; in that wonderful dawn, the soft hues of a sunrise or the spectacular sunsets where each one is a distinct surprise; in those that doubt or those devout; those versatile or those that never smile…in the vulnerable cry of a newborn whether in the humankind or the wild…when awareness arises that in every being…winged, finned, two legged or four…it is Mother Sai Who revels at each one’s core…we commence to manifest the ‘You inside of you…the Me inside of me…the Us inside of us…the Sai beyond the i…’ and thus we comprehend that darshans never end… It is that moment now…to rise, arise…to the You within…the Truth within…for the You inside of you is brimming and waiting…for you…to then spill into everything around you. Come, dear ones…sweet children of Mother Sai…through the intensification of ‘Samastha Lokaah Sukhino Bhavantu…Samastha Jeeva Sukhino Bhavantu…’…through the review and the re-evaluated view of harmonious kindred oneness, let us expressly manifest darshans anew…surge on…soar high with Beloved Sai…revel in a timeless avenue…eternally in a sublime rendezvous. Let us manifest that miracle…let us manifest darshans anew. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu… On the 31st August, 2008, in the bhajan hall in Prasanthi Nilayam, in presence of a small congregation of former students, it was an easy transition for the Supreme Lord Of The Universe, transmuting an already established Vedic Universal Mantra into a new one… and in that epochal moment birthed the revised Universal Maha Mantra, “Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu“…meaning “May All The Beings In All The Worlds Be Happy And Peaceful”. Why ‘Samastha Lokah?‘ and what is Its added significance?? …and why this transition from ‘Lokah Samastha…‘ into ‘Samastha Lokah…’??? What, Why and many a question can be raised by the minds that dwell in doubts and resort to arguments, about this new inception, but the very fact that the Maha Mantra was borne of The Lord Supreme, in His natural flow sans any pretence, negates all arguments, simply surrendering to His Will Supreme. Does not The Mother know the need of Her child? Intoning the Maha Mantra, Bhagawan averred…,  At the end of the bhajans, you are chanting “Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu”.  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. If the Maha Mantra was introduced by Bhagawan with the Divine Sankalpa of Cosmic, all- embracing expansion, Samastha Lokah… does cover anything and everything, most unconditionally, rightfully endorsing the legacy of Sri Sathya Sai, that being Love… All-Embracing Love…Unconditional Love… Love That Conquers. Upon subtle introspection, one will understand that every single living beat in the Cosmic Creation  is aimed at one common thing, right from the microcosm to the macrocosm, and this common ‘factor’ is ‘Sukham’, meaning happiness. This ‘Sukham’, that is being incessantly sought after by every living and even inanimate being, most of the time quite unknowingly, has its meaning and definition at all levels of existence and consciousness, from the Ultimate Expansive Scenario of Para Brahmam to every single lower level of existence…. If, for an ordinary mortal, with an average level of vision and consciousness, it means rightful living with societal well-being, for the supra-expansive being of Love and Compassion galore, Sukham connotes nothing short of the Ultimate Union with The Supreme Divine, Kaivalyam. “Samastha Lokah…” is undoubtedly the One Off Universal Maha Mantra that claims credit to Its being from Bhagawan in His physical form. Most of the other Mantras claim their origin from the Vedic time, perceived internally by great and elevated souls. …And such a Maha Mantra that claims its origin from the Divine Sankalpa Of the SupremeMost Avatar,  One Who Is hailed as The Sarvadevataateetha Swarupa, must definitely be power-packed with Intention Of That WholeSome Divinity – The Supreme Resolve. What could be this power-packed intention from a human perception? The Supreme Lord, from Whose Resolve sprang out this vast creation that include human beings, made humans, the highest of beings with reference to conscious expansion, in His own image…and thus, does want humans to raise to His level of vastness…expansion… becoming That…His True Self. This is clear from His own words, wherein He spelt out God’s single desire in no uncertain terms…. Concluding His Dasara Divine discourse in 2009, Bhagawan spoke thus: God illumines the entire universe as the Atma Tatwa immanent in all the living beings and objects. Even though God may appear to be involved in so many activities in the world, it is verily for the pleasure of His devotees. He has no desire of His own. He has only one desire – Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu! This Mantra stands as the Mantra beyond all other Mantras.. as it is completely selfless and cosmically vast… Pointing to His physical body, He said once that, He Is ‘top-to-toe’ selfless. Indeed, it can be rightly perceived that, this Supreme Lord, Who created man in His own image, does ‘desire’ man to be unmade and remade as…His own… reflecting The Truth beyond all truths, The Essential Sai Para Brahmam. At a time when Kali is raging to its peak, The Supreme Godhood introduced this Maha Mantra 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 him to use it effectively. Anyone who tries with this Mantra with that innate feeling of Love from the inner depth is sure to experience EXPANSION soon… and thus becoming One With Sai… The Ultimate Divine!!! Bhagawan Who has always been professing about Service being the vital chord for Human – Divine Oneness, presented this Ultimate Of All Mantras for man to practise… and thus help the Entire Srishti, Creation to liberate… to dissipate into ParaBrahma Sai. Is man ready and vigilant to pay heed to His words…??? The Lord Supreme has delivered His’ and now it is man’s turn to reciprocate, delivering… as he has been endowed with the most powerful of His ‘weapons’ – Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu!!! II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

OneNess – The Mantra Of True Truth Aspirants… Ekoham Bahusyami – the most authentic Indian scriptural declaration about the process of creation indicates that in the ‘beginningless’ beginning The One chose to become many. The Big Bang theory of the western philosophy also points towards the same truth, of The One multiplying into many. The term ‘Oneness’ points towards The One without any second, call it Totality or The Absolute. Isn’t it the beginning of the ‘beginningless’ beginning? If one subtly observes the created world around, the answer becomes quite clear that, there is no second thing, except The One. To understand this man has to exercise a reverse engineering process, turning himself inward, instead of being focused on the illusory, hallucinatory world around. With a ‘bit of inner perception’ one will be able to understand that every single act happening in Sri Sathya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam serves a pointer towards this unity, harmony, oneness. Umpteen times Bhagawan has personally asserted about Unity, Harmony, Cooperation, crowning it all with His Teachings on Love and Peace to all of creation. He has time and again exhorted that ‘Love’ is the undercurrent of everything, be it human or other forms of existence. The Lord Who has ever spoken in the most easily understandable language – the language of the heart, always referred to everyone as Divyatma Swarupulara, Premaswarupulara, meaning ‘Embodiments of Divine Atma’, ‘Embodiments of Love’, certainly serving an indicator towards man’s exalted position of Godhood. The theory of Ekoham Bahusyami has an interesting ‘tale’ wherein the Supreme Godhood, The One and Only Param Atma, Who, while manifesting HimSelf into many, creating countless ‘jeevatmas’, had given the promise to man that he is made in His Own Image with the same Essence, the essence being that of Oneness and the image being all the virtuous attributes, of Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love, Compassion, etc. Every single act endorsed by Bhagawan, be it in His ever alluring Physical Presence or now in His most astounding subtle omnipresence, is pointing towards this supreme truth of Oneness. He is preparing His loved ones towards this ‘Truth Beyond Truth’, enticing them in His most inimitable way to become ‘True Truth Aspirants’. Be it the everyday spiritual sadhana of Prasanthi Nilayam that includes Prasanthi’s own Sai Bhajans to the multifarious activities running through the calendar year, namely, the Dasara Jnana Saptaha Yajna, various functions and festivities, the Summer Course for students – the tailor-made educational curriculum of Sri Sathya Sai Institutions with its steadfast stress on human values, every single enterprise summits towards this goal of Oneness, script-writer being The Timeless Supreme Lord called Sri Sathya Sai. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai’s famous revelation on His creation is recorded thus: “There was no one to know Who I Am until I created the world at My Pleasure, with one word. Immediately mountains rose up, oceans, seas, lands and water shades, sun, moon and desert sands sprang out of nowhere to prove My Existence. Then came all forms of beings, men, beasts and birds, speaking, hearing, flying, all powers were bestowed upon them under My Orders. The first place was granted to mankind, and My Knowledge was placed in man’s mind.” The famous dictum of Bhagawan on Life, which begins with ‘Life is a Game Play It…’ and ends with ‘Life Is Awareness…’ indicates this subtle truth of Sri Sathya Sai that, He, Who has created this world as His past-time has definitely meant it to be a game. The same could be accepted with the spirit of challenge, so as to realise the dream, while blending it with love unsullied, finally to manifest the true truth that Life is an Awareness, that of Oneness. The epochal Divine discourse after Sri Sathya Sai ‘healed’ HimSelf of a paralytic stroke way back in 1963 has a subtle, yet profound pointer. This was the discourse wherein Bhagawan revealed to the world of believers the ‘Bharadwaja’ story involving Lord Shiva, revealing HimSelf as “Shiva-Shakthi’ Avatar. Shiva here stands for the Eternal Purusha, and Shakthi refers to Adi Parashakthi, moulding into One as Para Brahma Sri Sathya Sai, the Supreme Resolve. The subtle indicator here is, on 6th July 1963, while delivering His Divine discourse, His Voice had turned ‘feeble’, barely audible to the anxious, devout assemblage. He asked, again and again, over and over again, “Vinipisthundhaa?” meaning ‘do you hear Me?’ He, Who Is the Cosmic Canvas, keeps sending us gentle reminders, gentle taps from His Greater Heaven, reminding His dear ones of The True Truth Behind Truth. But, is man ready? It has to be accepted that He is loud and clear, loud enough to hear, but He can act ‘helpless’ if man turns a deaf ear, drooping in darkness, only to teach him a better lesson. Prasanthi Nilayam is a ‘workshop’ with a unique curriculum, teaching ‘Sai Yoga’ or the ‘Sai Path’, which is a fine blend of all the paths described in the scriptures, be it the Karma Yoga, the Bhakti Yoga or the Jnana Yoga. Every action here leads to ‘That Oneness’, be it the various service activities that come under the ‘Karma Yoga’ or the everyday bhajans that can be exemplarily classified as a mode of the ‘Bhakti Yoga’, every single activity here leads on to the Jnana Yoga of Oneness. The One Who has embodied as Sri Sathya Sai has His definite agenda, antidote for the world in Him, and His game is on… The Karma and Bhakti modes of worship promoted by Prasanthi Nilayam will definitely help man to expand, by practising to behold the Beloved One in every bit and being around him, and thus to expand to Infinity. When He becomes The Supreme Resolve, every single religion, every single scripture, every single master and teaching becomes His, belonging to Him, and thus this final quote credited to Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, one of the illustrious masters of India, an eternal beacon radiating the supreme reality of Oneness. “I Prostrate To MySelf Who Am Within All Beings, The Ever Free Self-Abiding As Inner Consciousness.” II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Do You Watch TV??? A devotee class apart, standing tall, mentoring, inspiring and guiding the student fraternity, Prof. HJ Bhagia from Prasanthi Nilayam has many a tale to tell… of His Classic Touch Of Grace. After leaving his corporate assignments in Mumbai long ago, Prof. Bhagia ‘came into His fold’ never to turn back, pitching in firmly, plunging deep into the Mighty Ocean Of Sri Sathya Sai,  growing in faith, sheer faith with absolute surrender.  A beautiful piece of incident from the revered professor’s life, as chronicled in the souvenir published during the occasion of Cheti Chand, ‘Anmol Yaadgiriun’. (edited to suit the page) 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

Sri Sathya Sai Darshana Mahotsavam ‘Sweeter and sweeter as the days go by’ is perhaps the right expression to describe the Beauty Beyond Compare Divine Darshan in Prasanthi Nilayam. At a time when Darshan sessions are becoming shorter and shorter, one can find an increasing awareness among the devotees, of the greater importance of Divine Darshan! …thus goes our Darshan Update for the 4th day in the month of March of the fateful year 2011. A Darshan meditation with the SamPoorna Avatar in sacrosanct Prasanthi Nilayam. 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

Love That Conquers… His Is verily The Form Most Adorable, entrancingly charming, filled with Truth, Goodness and Beauty, all the virtues that human minds can attribute, yet way beyond all attributes, transmuting everything unto verily His own!… one may simply call Him… Love!!… Love That Conquers!!! This matchless ultimate Avatar of all times, Who is verily Formless Attribute-less Para Brahman, Who Is beyond any comprehension and description, Who Is way beyond the vagaries of human mind, Who cannot be contained by even the Vedas, Upanishads and all the scriptures, can be best described and named aptly as Prema Swaroopa, Love Embodied God. 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