The Legend Of Vamana Kerala’s ‘legendary’ Onam festivity comes with the paramount spiritual message of absolute surrender to the Supreme One, citing the ideal of Emperor Mahabali.  The festival that had celebrated its ‘golden jubilee’ in Prasanthi Nilayam last year always relished the most incomparable Physical Presence of Bhagawan, Who invariably delivered Divine discourses every single Onam occasion. Read on the beautiful Divine narration of the legend of Lord Vamana. (Onam Divine discourse on 16-9-1994) Good and bad always co-exist.  Without pain one cannot have the enjoyment of pleasure. Without darkness one cannot feel the value of light. Man should learn to enjoy the dualities of good and bad, pain and pleasure, in moderation. Food consumed in excess causes indigestion. If it is inadequate it results in starvation. Man can even have ego in a limited measure.  If he balances his feelings he can have peace and happiness. Kashyapa and his two wives, Dithi and Adithi, were the parents of devas (demigods) and asuras (demons). Indra, the king of devas, went to fight with the king of the asuras, as it was common practice in those days for one king to invade the kingdom of another to acquire additional territory. Mahabali  vanquished  Indra  in  the  war  and  proceeded  to  annexe  the territory of Indra and occupied his capital Amaravati. Kashyapa had gone to the Himalayas to do penance. Lamenting over the defeat of her son, Indra, Aditi was in great grief. When she was wailing, Kashyapa came to her. Instantly, he was able to recognise the cause of her grief by divine insight, which he had acquired as a result of his penance. He consoled his wife Aditi saying that nothing happens in the world without God’s will and people should go on doing their duties. He asked her to pray to Lord Narayana and taught her a vrata (ritual) to be followed strictly, known as Payovrata (milk ritual).  It has to be observed from the twelfth day of the bright half of Karthika (suklapaksha dwadasi). She observed the vrata as prescribed. A devotee’s sincere prayer will never go waste. Since she carried out the vrata with a pious heart, Narayana appeared before her and informed her that He would Himself take birth in her womb and help Indra. Aditi was very happy and true to the word of the Lord, she gave birth to a son of uncommon effulgence on the twelfth day of the bright half of the month of Bhadrapada. That child was Vamana Murthi. Even as a child He demonstrated His Divine power by doing marvelous deeds. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Follow The Inner Voice Where The Supreme Godhead remains as ‘Sarvadhee Sakshibhuutam’, the Eternal Witness, it is time for man to understand that his life on planet earth is nothing but, a mix of reaction, reflection and resound. Bhagawan here stressed on the absolute necessity to follow one’s conscience, that is the Inner Voice Divine! There is reaction, reflection and resound for everything in the world. Only when you develop the quality of hatred in yourself will you see hatred in others. Even when no one causes any harm to you, you try to hurt others. Whatever you do to others, surely you will experience the result of that action. Whatever you hear, whatever you experience, it is all due to the reaction, reflection, and resound of your own actions and feelings. Others are not responsible for it. You forget this simple truth and lament, “So and so is accusing me; so and so is causing pain to me; so and so is hurting me”, etc. No one is responsible for either your good or your bad. Neither is it God’s creation; for, God is attributeless, unsullied, the final abode, eternal, pure, enlightened, free, and the embodiment of sacredness (God is nirgunam, niranjanam, sanatana niketanam, nitya, suddha, buddha, mukta, nirmala swarupinam). You go on fighting with others and try to hurt them. Then you are not a human being at all! Always help others; do not hurt anyone. “Help Ever, Hurt Never.” It is said, “One attains merit by serving others and commits sin by hurting them (Paropakara punyaya, papaya parapeedanam).” “Whoever you salute, it reaches God (Sarva jiva namaskaram Kesavam pratigachchati).” “Whoever you criticise, it reaches God (Sarva jiva tiraskaram Kesavam pratigachchati).” You think you are accusing someone or making fun of someone. It is all your illusion. In fact, you are accusing yourself and making fun of yourself in the process. Everything has reaction, reflection, and resound. You yourself are responsible for either good or bad. If you wish to enjoy good things in life, do good to others in the first instance. Today’s education is information-oriented. It is bookish knowledge. It is not real education. It is not the type of education that you should pursue. You have to pursue ‘educare’. Educare manifests in one’s own heart. Education relates to gathering information by reading several books and storing them in your brain. Whatever you remember out of that knowledge, you will reproduce in your examinations and acquire degrees. You call that education. That is not real education. You have to follow your inner voice. That is real education. In the recent sports day, you played many games; you displayed beautiful gymnastic skills; you sang several songs. These are all activities relating to the body, which is the result of your past actions (karmas). However, do not repose absolute confidence in the physical body. The body is given to you for discharging your duty as a human being. Do not misuse your body. It is the responsibility of teachers, headmistresses, principals, vice chancellors, and chancellors to teach the students the value and purpose of human birth. Your duty is to follow your conscience. Your conscience helps you manifest noble qualities. But you do not pay heed to the voice of your conscience and go against the human values. Hence, you should never ignore your conscience. Your conscience is your most valuable property. You do not have to repeat the Name of the Lord, mediate, do yoga, etc. You will achieve a lot of progress in your spiritual exercises if you only listen to your Inner Voice. Whatever comes from the depth of your heart will do good for you. Whatever goes against the dictates of your conscience is worldly, whereas inner voice or conscience is spiritual. “Help Ever; Hurt Never,” is the cardinal principle of spirituality. Whoever follows the Inner Voice will always be safe. Never go against that Inner Voice. That is true spirituality.

‘Mine’ is death; ‘not mine’ is Immortality As far you are attached, so far you have to traverse until you negate it practically. If life on this planet is to attain the Highest Goal, the Highest Goal is nothing but negating one’s own ‘individual’ existence. Such heroism is extolled, not by the mean worldly, but by The Supreme One HimSelf! Yes, Sri Sathya Sai – The Supreme did speak on such heroes, not once, but time and again in sacrosanct Prasanthi Nilayam. Bharat has gained wide renown through many sons and daughters who have sacrificed their all for the common good. The seed has to renounce its identity and become one with the soil so that the tree might emerge. So too, the ego has to sacrifice itself so that man’s Divine nature can manifest itself.  Mama ithi mrithyu – ‘mine’ is death; ‘not mine’ is immortality. Thyagah shanthih anantaram – Renunciation results in peace. The golden key of non-attachment opens the lock which keeps the door to heaven shut. “Give up; I shall fill the gap,” says Jesus. Today, renunciation has become a means for success and fame!  It has become a bargaining point.  Renouncing animal and even human feelings and earning the awareness of the Divine which is the core, is the most valuable sadhana. Consider the heroes of renunciation in the past; they  were  mostly  rulers  and  the  rich,  who  could  afford  power  and  plenty – Emperor  Sibi, Emperor  Mahabali,  King  Karna. Consider also later heroes – Tanhaji and Bhagat Singh. These two sacrificed their lives for the sake of the nation and the world. Mahabali, the asura (demon) ruler, renounced everything for the sake of God. His father and grandfather were also very famous for the same reason. The great grand-father, Hiranyakashipu, did not tolerate the very mention of the name Hari. For he swore that he was himself God! He was a fanatical rationalist. And, he had a son named Prahlada who was devoted to Hari and whose dedication and surrender to God was complete, without any reservation. He came out triumphantly through travails and tortures. The name Hari, was the armour that saved him from the shafts of angry hatred aimed by his father. The persons who tortured him in obedience to his father’s  command  were  struck  at  the  calm  heroism  and  the  utmost  peace  he  enjoyed  as  a consequence of his steady repetition of the Lord’s Name. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

‘Hri’ + ‘Daya’ = ‘Hridaya’, Heart Full Of Compassion Discoursing on ‘compassion’ a famous Indian spiritual teacher commented that, Compassion Is A Godly Quality. In another instance, a well-guided spiritual aspirant recently heard admitting that, all these years he has been talking about compassion as a verbal ritual sans any substantial experience, but lately, he started experiencing the same, with his heart bleeding love and compassion. Yes, compassion is a surging inner feeling of selfless love sans any judgement and reservations, something which is Absolutely Godly! Read on Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai speaking on Compassion. Many lights are glowing in this hall. Some people are listening, some are dozing. The light is unaffected by all these. It is a witness. Similarly, in the broad day light, some do good, and some do bad. The Sun remains unaffected by your deeds. Your bad actions can never harm God. Your good actions will never make Him happy either. Be it good or bad, you will have to reap the fruits of your actions. God is ‘Jyothirmayudu’ (Embodiment of Light). So He has nothing to do with your good or bad. He is just a witness. He is present in everybody as conscience. That is why I keep telling, “Follow the Master, Face the devil, Fight to the end and Finish the game. Who is your Master? Here, Conscience is your Master. So, follow your Conscience till the end of your life. Never give up in the middle. Once you have Love in your heart you can accomplish anything. You should not have hatred towards anybody. We should love even those who hate us. As a result, there will be transformation in their ‘Hridaya ‘. ‘Hri’ +’Daya’ = ‘Hridaya which means the heart should be full of compassion. Humanity is also called ‘Mankind’. So man should have compassion in his heart. But, today there is no compassion, only fashion exists. So long as fashion is there, compassion does not find a place, because ‘Hridaya’ is a single chair; not a double sofa, nor a musical chair. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

The Mighty Mahavakyas How profound are the statements of the yore, of the Vedas, Scriptures and that of Avataric Voices of God Incarnated time after time! Yet, man is caught in the whirlpool of Maya, not recognising the great grand opportunity. To remind himself, man must time and again focus on such beautiful teachings, teachings of highest wisdom, as he should not take his life for granted at any point in time. Read on Sri Sathya Sai… In these days, when the black clouds of hatred are spreading from state to state and poisoning the relations between man and man, spiritual discipline and spiritual illumination alone can serve as a beacon light. People feel helpless before the flood of falsehood, injustice and violence. They can be saved only by the four-fold refuge of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi and Prema. They are infused in man by the religious scriptures and by the stories of the saints and sages in the Puranas which depict their search after God. The enthusiasm which is aroused by the study of these books should not fade away, like the boiling over of milk on the stove. After a few minutes of bubbling over, the milk starts cooling off. When one reaches home, after listening to a discourse, the fervour derived from the message fades into nothingness and one slides back into the fateful routine. This is called purana-vairagya–the gust of renunciation that one gets when he hears a religious discourse, which soon passes off into the realm of neglect. The sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) must crave for deeper impression; the Mahavakyas (Vedic Statements of Truth) he hears, the visual experiences he gains, have to be imprinted on the heart. There are no two entities but only One, Brahman. All the manifold rules, regulations, limitations, directions, do’s and don’ts, have just this aim: to merge the soul with the OverSoul – the jeevathma with the Paramathma. The shastras prescribe yama (various forms of abstention from evil-doing), niyama (disciplined observances), asana (physical posture), pranayama (control of breath), prathyahara (withdrawal of the mind from sense objects), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (super-conscious state of absorption in the Atman), etc., as limbs of Yoga; besides japam (repetition of Lord’s Name or mystic formulae), shravanam (listening to God’s glory), mananam (recapitulation of what was heard), nidhidhhyasanam (constant musing on God’s glory), etc.- all with this one end in view— of merging the jeevatma with Paramatma. Spiritual Sadhana is like a duel with a tiger, maya; it is like playing with fire, maya. By means of the hammer strokes of joy and grief, the iron piece is shaped into a hollow vessel, so that it may not sink in the sea of maya (world illusion). Mix honey and sea water; the concoction will be undrinkable. In the same way, do not mix the nectarine Grace of the Lord with the greed for sensual pleasures. Develop Prajnana – the pure, unsullied vision of the Reality; then you can visualise the One that is appearing as this many. Prajnanam Brahma, says the Veda; “the constant integrated awareness is Brahman.” It is that by which the intelligence integrates, that by which the senses co-operate in bringing about workable conclusions. The physical body and the Prajnana are related through the senses and the intelligence. When man and God operate together, like the positive and the negative, Prajnana, the current, is generated. It is this Prajnanam that establishes in you the conviction, Aham Brahmasmi, I am Brahman; not that there are two entities, Aham and Brahman, but, as in syrup, where water and sugar have merged, Aham has merged in Brahman and there is only one entity, Brahman. The Sama Veda has the great statement, Thath Thwam Asi (That Thou Art), meaning ‘That which is beyond Rupa and Nama (name and form) is you, who now pitiably differentiate yourself and feel distinct, by means of name and form, two transient changing insignia of individuality.” Contemplation on these grand expressions of the Truth fills one with inexplicable joy. Not being aware of these and their sweetness, man misses the great opportunity. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

Hindu Or Muslim, You Are All Progeny Of One Mother! How Bhagawan Shirdi Sai, Who would often repeat ‘Dattatreya Malik’ and ‘Allah Malik’ once ‘exhibited’ His oneness with Lord Dattatreya and on another occasion demonstrated the Brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God, 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 wielded 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. Sometime 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. A 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.”

Divine Pastime When God Supreme is credited with the creation of the very visible and all invisible realms of existence, He and He alone can authentically speak of His mysterious creation. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai has often made profound revelations about His projected creation and His role as the Master Creator. God initiates man into innocent, tender, loveable and loving childhood, and what does he do in turn… Read on Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai… 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

Sai Vani Is Sathya Vani…Sathya Vani Is Sai Vani… Love Is My Form, Truth Is My Breath…thus pronounced Bhagawan defining HimSelf long ago. When Sathya becomes the Sustaining Force for the Form, and Sai becomes His Name, Sathya Sai truly stands for The True Truth, the Ultimate Source of all wisdom. Unfathomable Divinity He Is that human kind can never successfully perceive His True Truth, but can only to follow the path to Become & Be! How often we speak about Him, extolling His ‘Beauty Beyond Compare’ True Truth at a level of human understanding?!? Truly, all that He speaks become Truth, for He Is verily Truth in human form… Who can fathom the mysterious mystery of The Master Supreme, Who plays His cards at an all-encompassing… supra-conscious level, far…far…way far…beyond any human imagination??? For an earnest seeker, every single moment with Him is a revealing moment… revealing His endless mystery… that is often done in His most inimitable style. A flashback into a beautiful December evening in 1995, with Swami and His students, wherein the last but one batch of Masters in English Literature students at SSSIHL, Prasanthi Nilayam, had this profound Sai-tale of experience. “Name the book, SAI VANI”, Swami told the students on 28th of December, 1995. But that is not the complete story. The students had assembled in the Mandir that evening with a photograph of Bhagawan and the list of contents of the book. They had sent a letter to Swami that afternoon regarding the book. On seeing the boys carrying the paraphernalia in a tray, Bhagawan gave a curious and mischievous smile. The occasional glances and smiles continued till some of the boys started wondering if Swami would come near them at all. At last, Swami came, asking, “What is that?” The students told about the book and pleaded Swami to suggest a name. “Peru Enduku?” (Why Name?) Then Swami asked, “Did you think of any name?” “No, Swami”, the boys replied in a chorus, “You have to give the name” Graciously, Swami said, “Sai Vani Pettandi” (Name it Sai Vani). “Please write it with Your Own Hands Swami”, pleaded the students. “No, No” said Bhagawan and moved away. He would have gone a few steps before He paused. Sensing that Swami may agree to bless the book by writing down the name, a few students went up to Swami and gave Him the photograph and the list of contents. Swami gently wrote: “Sathya Vani”, and after a moment’s pause, He said, “Oh I have written ‘Sathya Vani’ instead of ‘Sai Vani’. Well, Sai Vani is better. Name the book Sai Vani”…. and thus the christening of the book left a mirthful impression on the students assembled there. II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II