Exquisite Flowers at the Lotus Feet

Excerpts from “Sri Sathya Sai Divya Kripasraya’

ANNA (Sri Madiyal Narayan Bhat, founder of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust, Alike and Muddenahalli) stands out in my life as my guide and mentor; I lived and worked under his benign guidance for twelve years, which shaped my life to a great extent during that period. But the greatest good fortune of my life has been my meeting Swami in my late teens and having His divine guidance there­after. Also, by His grace and by virtue of living in His proximity both at Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan for a number of years, I have met a great number of good people and a good number of great people from all walks of life. Also, I had the opportunity to live and work with a few of them.

Among others from whom I have derived inspiration to walk on the Godward path, two good and great persons are prominent. One is the grandsire of Sri Sathya Sai literature and a shining star of Kannada literature in the sphere of humour, Sri N. Kasturi. The other is a giant in Kannada literature and has a special place in the galaxy of Indian English writers; he is Dr. Vinayak Krishna Gokak. Both were great and inspiring teachers and educational philosophers. Also, both were wonderful orators. Once they met Swami, they surrendered themselves to Him and led their lives as per His guidance till the end. Both were gifted with child-like innocence, which blossomed into sage-like wisdom.

Sri Kasturi was an ardent devotee of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa before he came to Swami and Dr. Gokak was a staunch follower of Sri Aurobindo. To put it figuratively, Sri Kasturi and Dr. Gokak were two flowers offered at the altar of Swami by Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Aurobindo respectively. Dr. Gokak wrote in his book Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba: The Man and the Avatar: “What overawes one is the catholicity of Baba. It does not matter for Him what master a disciple comes from. All are one. He becomes to each disciple the master he has accepted.” Both Sri Kasturi and Dr. Gokak visited Sathya Sai Grama a number of times when I was there. My relation with , them grew more intimate after I went to Prasanthi Nilayam in August 1983. I feel fortunate to have enjoyed their love and affection and to have received their valuable guidance at a very important phase of my life after Anna had departed from this world.

Sri Kasturi’s relation was unique. He came to Swami for the first time in 1948. Swami was twenty-two years old at that time and Sri Kasturi was fifty-one years old. When Sri Kasturi passed away in 1987 at the ripe old age of ninety, Swami was sixty-one. In the first interview itself, Swami told Sri Kasturi that he would have the good fortune of writing His biography! For nearly forty years, Sri Kasturi had the opportunity to be in the divine proximity of Swami. He also had the rare privilege to observe from close quarters the blossoming of the Avatar’s life and speak and write about its important milestones.

Sri Kasturi was a Karma Yogi who found fulfilment in the selfless service of spreading joy and inspiring all those, who came into his contact, through his words and writings. He did all his work as an offering to Swami. When Sri Kasturi retired from service in Mysore University in 1954, he was offered the post of Director of All India Radio Station at Bangalore by the government. (It may be of interest for readers to know that the phrase Akasha Vani was coined by Sri Kasturi. ) But he wanted to settle down at Prasanthi Nilayam and serve Swami. When he approached Swami to get His approval for refusing this offer of the government, Swami told him to take up the assignment in Bangalore. Sri Kasturi pleaded with Swami saying, “Swami, I long to serve You; I want to do Your work!” Swami asked him, “Kasturi, do you think All India Radio’s work is not My work?” Then it occurred to Sri Kasturi that everything in the world belonged to God and that all work had to be done as God’s work. That was the essence of Karma Yoga. Only after completing his assignment in All India Radio Station at Bangalore, Swami permitted him to settle down at Prasanthi Nilayam where he played multiple roles in running the Ashram. At one point of time, he was simultaneously the postmaster, manager of the printing press and editor of “Sanathana Sarathi”, the monthly magazine started in 1958! But his labour of love was speaking and writing about Swami and His teachings.

Exquisite Flowers at the Lotus Feet – A Divine Offering Of Love And Devotion

Exquisite Flowers at the Lotus Feet is a beautiful spiritual thought that reflects devotion, surrender, purity, and love for the Divine. In devotional life, flowers are not only objects of beauty. They become symbols of the heart when offered with sincerity. A flower may be small, delicate, and silent, yet when it is placed at the lotus feet of the Lord, it carries the fragrance of faith and the softness of surrender.

A true offering is never measured by its outer value. God does not need expensive gifts, grand decorations, or public display. The Divine looks at the feeling behind the offering. A simple flower offered with a pure heart is greater than a rich gift offered with ego. This is why devotees place flowers at the feet of the Lord with humility, remembering that everything belongs to Him.

Exquisite Flowers at the Lotus Feet reminds us that the human heart must also become like a flower. A flower gives fragrance without asking for reward. It spreads beauty without pride. It does not choose who should enjoy its sweetness. In the same way, a devotee should live with love, kindness, humility, and selfless service. When the heart blossoms with good qualities, life itself becomes an offering.

The lotus feet of the Divine represent protection, guidance, and spiritual refuge. Devotees bow at the lotus feet because they feel safe there. In moments of joy, they offer gratitude. In moments of sorrow, they seek strength. In moments of confusion, they pray for clarity. Surrender at the divine feet gives peace because the devotee no longer feels alone in the journey of life.

Exquisite Flowers at the Lotus Feet also teaches the importance of purity. Before offering flowers, devotees often choose fresh, clean, and beautiful blossoms. This outer purity reminds us of inner purity. If the mind is filled with anger, jealousy, pride, and selfishness, then even a beautiful offering remains incomplete. The best flower we can offer to God is a pure thought, a kind word, and a selfless action.

In many spiritual traditions, different flowers carry different meanings. Some represent love, some devotion, some peace, and some wisdom. But the deepest meaning depends on the devotee’s heart. A flower offered with tears of love, silent prayer, and sincere surrender becomes sacred. The Divine accepts not the flower alone, but the devotion that comes with it.

Exquisite Flowers at the Lotus Feet inspires us to understand that devotion should not remain limited to rituals. Placing flowers before God is beautiful, but we must also offer the flowers of our character. The flower of truth, the flower of compassion, the flower of patience, the flower of forgiveness, and the flower of humility are even more precious. These inner flowers never fade when they are nourished by faith.

A devotee’s life becomes meaningful when every action is offered to God. Cooking, working, studying, serving, speaking, and caring for others can all become worship when done with love. The flower placed at the altar is a reminder that our whole life should be placed at the Divine feet. When we offer our actions without ego, ordinary duties become sacred.

Exquisite Flowers at the Lotus Feet also reminds us of gratitude. Every flower comes from nature, and nature itself is a gift from God. The soil, water, sunlight, air, and time all work together to create beauty. When we offer flowers, we are actually returning a small part of God’s creation back to Him. This teaches humility and thankfulness. Nothing is truly ours; everything is received through grace.

The act of offering flowers can calm the mind. When a devotee stands before the Divine with folded hands and a peaceful heart, worldly worries become lighter. The fragrance of devotion replaces the noise of the mind. Even a few moments of prayer can bring courage and inner balance. This is the power of sincere worship.

Exquisite Flowers at the Lotus Feet teaches that beauty becomes divine when it is joined with devotion. A flower in the world may decorate a room, but a flower offered to God decorates the soul. It reminds us to live gently, speak sweetly, and serve lovingly. The fragrance of devotion should not remain only in the prayer room; it should spread through our behavior.

In daily life, we meet many people who need kindness. A smile can be a flower. A helpful hand can be a flower. A forgiving heart can be a flower. A prayer for someone’s happiness can be a flower. When we offer goodness to others, we are also offering it to God, because the Divine lives in every heart.

In the end, Exquisite Flowers at the Lotus Feet is a call to make life fragrant with devotion. The Lord accepts every sincere offering, whether it is a flower, a tear, a song, a prayer, or a selfless act. What matters most is purity of heart. When love blossoms within and ego fades away, the devotee becomes the offering, the heart becomes the flower, and life becomes worship at the lotus feet of the Divine.

Experience Swami’s Teaching at the Summer lectures on June, 2004