Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions – By Dr. S. Jagadish Chandra

During the ‘Samudra Manthan’ (churning of the Ocean of Milk), the Devas and the Asuras struggled hard. Lord Narayana presided over the whole proceeding. His main aim was the emancipation of all the worlds, which was possible by obtaining nectar as a result of the churning of the ocean. In the modern world when man is suffering because of so many factors, which have been caused due to the effect of the Kali age, Lord Narayana has once again incarnated on earth as Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. This time too, for ‘Samudra Manthan’, which will result in the emancipation of all the worlds. But this time, the heart of each human being is the Samudra and Lord is using love as the Mandara Mountain to churn the heart so that the innate good qualities in the form of nectar may come out and help mankind. 

Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions

In the Kali Yuga what the confused man needs most is knowledge, but the modern man has made it a rare commodity by fixing a price tag on it. Seeing all this Bhagavan said, “Just as the sunlight is same for everyone, in the same way the light of knowledge should also be same for everyone.” Saying this, Bhagavan established a heaven on earth that is a dream for every student, not only in India but also all over the world. That heaven is ‘Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning’. Students from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Kutch to Bengal and Nepal come here and receive education at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan. Let it be a child from the K.G. or a Ph.D research scholar, each one is given education totally free of cost. 

The life of every student here has three facets. Firstly the college, secondly the hostel and the third and the most important – Mandir, where each one learns the most important lessons of life at the Lotus Feet of the Lord Himself. The Lord teaches these lessons in various ways. Bhagavan once said: 

“Believe that I am always walking around you, to motivate you and to inspire you, to awaken the Me within you, and when I see you responding, I put all the knowledge of the world in front of you and Myself teach you in a language that is for Me and you.” 

Once in the Higher Secondary School Hostel, one of the boys suffered an accident due to which the vision of one of his eyes started deteriorating. Days passed, examinations were approaching and the boy was not even able to read a book. But he had the faith that Swami would definitely cure him. He did not tell about his accident to anyone. Finally his faith paid dividends. One day Bhagavan approached him and said, “I know that you are not able to see with your eyes clearly.” Swami materialised Vibhuti and applied it to his eyes. The very next moment the boy could go back to his place and started reading the books! This is the way the Lord instils faith and inspires each and every one of us. If we talk of inspiration, the heart of each patient at the Super Specialty Hospital, every leaf of the lush green Rayalseema area, every drop of water of the Sri Sathya Sai Water Supply Project, speaks of nothing but His inspiration! 

One of the students, who was newly admitted in the hostel was feeling homesick as he had been staying with his parents for many years. He did not know whom he should approach for consolation. He slept that night crying in front of Swami’s photograph. Bhagavan appeared in his dream and took him for an excursion tour around the hostel. First, He showed him the hot water tap. Then showed him the bathroom, the kitchen, the dining hall and every important place in the hostel. As if all this was not enough, Bhagavan took him to His car and told the boy, “See My new car. Isn’t it wonderful?” The dream ended there. The next day, the boy was all smiles for the hostel was no more strange to him. For some reason all the boys assembled in the Institute Auditorium for some programme. They came to know that Bhagavan was coming to the auditorium. The moment Bhagavan’s car approached the auditorium this boy too went near the car and found him in the same position as in the dream. This time too Bhagavan said, “Isn’t My new car wonderful?”  Tears trickled down the eyes of the student. 

Where can we find such a loving God who comes to your rescue when you shed even one tear for Him? This is the same way in which the Lord is so intimate to each and every devotee of His. 

Describing the childhood of Lord Krishna, Sri Raskhan describes, “The one whom all the Gods adore, the one whose glory cannot be sung even by sages like Narada and Vyasa, that Lord was made to dance for a handful of butter by the Gopikas of Brindavan.” The Lord decided to shower His love on those innocent Gopikas. Similarly, the very same Lord for whose Darshan the Gods of the highest heaven keep waiting, that Lord is amidst us and is continuously showering His love on each and every one of us. Truly said, if on earth there is heaven, it is very much here, at the Lotus Feet of our Beloved Bhagavan. 

– Dr. S. Jagadish Chandra

Student and Doctoral Research Scholar (2003-2010), Department of Physics

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

Currently, Associate Specialist – Systems, KLA-Tencor, Bengaluru

-Devotional India