Divine Revelations It was the ‘Great night of Shiva’. The 8th of March 1940, when in a remote town a little lad swooned, fainted and fell—‘stung’ by a ‘scorpion.’ Nothing was ever the same!!! Maha Shivaratri has always been an enigmatic and electric night. A time when the mysterious God chooses to move in more mysterious ways, His wonders to perform – when His manifestations baffle your perceptions and leave you gasping and gaping. Take a walk down the memory lane or leaf through the ‘pages of the past’. You will realize it. Bandipur forest, 1974 They had driven down from Ooty. They camped in a clearing in the forest for the night. A student asked His permission to photograph Him with a new Polaroid camera. He said, “I will show you My true form. Proceed.” They all waited with bated breath for the photograph to come out. He spoke that night on the significance of the festival and its relation to the moon. He also said, “The scientists who have been up there think that there is no water on the moon. As always, they don’t know the truth.” He waved His palm casually and materialized a lucent disk, which just about happened to be… the moon. He smiled, while everybody gaped. Showing the thin streaks on the disk to the starry eyed audience the Master said, “This is the water on the moon, which tragically has been eluding the scientists.” The effects of the miracles, His visiting cards as He calls them, are felt not only in the physical presence of the Lord, but all over the Cosmos. Every act He performs has a universal significance. In material science it is said, “You cannot move your fingers without moving the stars.” If this were for man, what then for God? Paata Mandir—The early years “Dig right here,” Bala Sai told one of His more able-bodied devotees. The task was carried out and from that spot was unearthed a number of Peethams (bases of the Lingams). The devotees asked, “The pedestals are here but where are the Lingams?” “In my stomach,” said Sai. They laughed. Some scratched their heads perplexed. Time passed and then came Shivaratri. The bhajans were on. Young Sai was seated on the chair, tinkling the cymbals. Suddenly He stopped, clutched His stomach in uneasiness. There was a frown on His serene face. He was in pain. It appeared as though spasms of pain had gripped Him. Subbamma immediately got some water. He sipped it. But the pain was still there. It appeared to increase with every passing moment, moving upward. The chest, the gullet, the muscles of His throat tensed and then heaved. His mouth opened and suddenly from within came a “brilliant ball of light.” Nay, it was a kind of smooth crystal. He smiled. The relief was obvious as the tense contours of the sweet countenance relaxed into the very familiar smile. He rose and held it up for all to see. For years the holy night has witnessed the Lingodbhavam and a plethora of Lingams emerging from the Lord’s person. Sometimes only one Lingam is formed, the material being apparently ‘sphatika’, silver, jade, or even gold (last year). Often numerous—three, five, seven, or nine! Once the number of Lingams was a surprisingly high number of 11. They come in different sizes, but the same shape—ellipsoid. At times the benevolent Lord has created them even with the Peethams, and with Vibuthi smeared on the Lingam. The night has witnessed even more. Himachal Pradesh, April 1999 His Father had asked him to seek the blessings of their family guru, Bhagavan Maharaj. So he drove down to the ashram. The Bhagavan Maharaj saw him smiled and said, “So, you’ve come from Puttaparthi? How was the Shivaratri? Did Baba not perform the Lingodbhavam this year?” “I was lucky Bhagavanji. This year it was the Hiranyagarbha.”  “The world is lucky, beta (son). Tell me, what happened after that?”  “Baba then gave a discourse where He spoke about the Lingam.” “Hey!!! You are missing something.”  “What?”  “Did Baba not throw that Lingam on to the ground?”  “Oh! Yes! I remember. He said that this gold is like love—invincible and invulnerable. And He threw it…”  “Thrice…”  “Yes, But how do you know it?”  “Beta, Baba does not do anything without a reason. You know, when He threw the Lingam thrice on to the ground, He saved the world from three devastating earthquakes. The Lingam annulled their effects. He saved the world ages ago when He drank the Haalahala. He saved it once again on that day. For, is it not His nature to sustain His creation?”  Poorna Chandra Auditorium We were seated that afternoon in the Poorna Chandra hall. The winter vacations were on and we children were in our ‘home’, watching a movie with our mother. It was a Telugu film on Lord Dattatreya—the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Ishwara in one. With our eyes riveted on the screen, we watched Kartaveerya, the Arjuna, enter the hermitage of his to-be Guru, Dattatreya. After years of search, he finally found Him. The One, whom, his parents said, would be his guru, his God. And as he took the thorny track that lead to the guru’s ashram, he was tired, but thrilled. With every subsequent step, he felt the peace within swell. Aye, he had reached the end of his journey. Actually, the journey had just begun… “Good God!!! Is HE supposed to be my guru?”  He was sure that he had come to the wrong place, in search of the wrong person. The entire ashram reeked of liquor and putrid flesh. The guru himself emanated the very same aroma from his being. Surrounded by a horde of women, he spoke, not the holy Vedas but the lowly language of cobblers! Was he the great Dattatreya that his mother had spoken so highly about? Definitely not. But the drunken attendant serving his equally drunk Master said that he was Dattatreya. Kartaveerya approached Dattatreya with folded palms. He got up with difficulty, more mental than physical, from the puddle of water where the attendants of Dattatreya had thrown him. Stunned, he squeezed his dhoti dry. The humiliation was too much to bear. The guru whom he approached for Brahmajnana [sacred knowledge] had thrown him out of the ashram! What kind of a guru was this fellow? A true guru, the

His Divine Concern Ashwin Venkateshwaran, alumnus of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and currently a senior manager in Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences in Whitefield shares how concerned our Divine Lord is about each and every one. It was around 6:00 p.m. The bhajans [devotional songs] had come to a close, Bhagavan had retired to His room, and most of the boys had left. There was silence all around. The sun was slowly setting in the west. Dark clouds hovered above the earth’s surface. The merry voice of the thrush turned to the plaintive cry of a crow for solace. Everything was dull. It had poured heavily and now the rain had ceased but had left traces of its presence around the area. Crickets chirped in the green mossy undergrowth. The pigeons above were grooming themselves with their beaks, as their feathers had gotten disheveled in the downpour. A young boy sat silently in the midst of nature’s abundance of beauty and stared at God’s wonderful creation. The synchronization and bountiful coordination of nature filled his mind with awe. The symphony of nature, with its beautiful sounds of love and light, gave place to nothing else in his mind. He was wonderstruck and silent. The person who made the world so beautiful with its wonderful exhibits took care to see that even the lowliest of the snails had a shell to protect itself from the cruel side of its life. He took care to see that even a young squirrel would have enough hair to keep itself warm during the frosty winter in the depths of its cozy home. He looked at the entire universe that He had created with so much love that it bloomed into activity. His broad vision gave place to the most insignificant of things, and He made sure that even they were happy and were given a comfortable place in His creation. What a wonderful person God must be. The boy then took back his words. The very same God about whom he was thinking was amidst all of them just a few moments ago, talking with them, joking, consoling and loving them all as His own. Oh! What a wonderful person God is! The Sports Meet in Prasanthi Nilayam [Baba’s residence] was proceeding with great pomp and ceremony. Bhagavan had inaugurated the program and everything was going on well. Bhagavan was on the dais and the students were displaying their talents in the form of various feats of bravery, artistic endeavor, and extreme caliber. Suddenly across the dais flew two white pigeons, one behind the other, as though in a chase. Bhagavan’s eyes darted toward this sight and pointing toward them, Bhagavan said, “The poor little things find it difficult to adjust themselves with the outside world, they were with us for such a long time.” Yes, indeed. They were the very same pigeons that Bhagavan had taken in His hand and released into the sky during the inaugural ceremony. He cares for the smallest amongst the small and also for the biggest amongst the big. There exist no two [separate] entities for Him all are part of Him. As Bhagavan has said, “I separated Myself from Myself to love Myself. My dear ones, you are My very own self.” His love is far more pervasive and powerful. It is 100 percent pure and selfless. There are many who say that Bhagavan’s love can be compared to that of 1000 mothers. Why only 1000? Could all the mothers in this world match the love given to us by the one Sai-Maa? It was a few years ago that some solar heaters had arrived in Prasanthi Nilayam. Bhagavan, out of His immense love for His children, felt that it would be very cold in the morning and so the boys could make use of hot water to have a nice bath. Bhagavan decided to install the hot water system in the primary school and in due course of time in the hostel as well. So the principal was informed and the solar heating system was installed within a short period. They were anticipating Bhagavan’s arrival so that Bhagavan Himself would inaugurate the hot water system. Everything was kept ready and responding to their sincere prayers, Bhagavan obliged. The day was fixed and Bhagavan arrived as usual on time. A tap was connected by a long pipe to the solar heater. All that Bhagavan had to do was to open the tap. A bucket was placed underneath to collect the hot water. Unfortunately, that tap was a faulty contraption that would throw water in all directions except the direction the water was supposed to flow. When Swami opened the tap, to the horror of all the people standing around, the water splashed all over Bhagavan’s face and robe. Boiling hot water drenched Bhagavan’s robe. There was a stunned silence. No one knew what to do. The principal stood horrified, not knowing what to say. Bhagavan then slowly gave a big beautiful smile and said, “See, I had the first bath.” The atmosphere was filled with a burst of laughter and all tension disappeared. The small boy came out of his reverie and looked back at nature. It was still extremely beautiful. What a magnanimous personality our Lord has! How beautiful He is! How humble He is! The boy got up and proceeded back to the hostel. The personality of our Lord is far too great for us to comprehend. Still we have occupied the place as Swami’s students and are kept at such a close proximity to our beloved Bhagavan. All we can pray is to be forever at His lotus feet and be the perfect instruments in His hands. ~Ashwin VenkateshwaranSource: Sai Nandana 1995 (70th Birthday Issue)

Singing for Sri Sathya Sai Balaramchandran T. S. was a student at the Department of Management Studies at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam Campus, from 1997-1999. Currently he is the Regional Training Manager at HDFC Bank Ltd., in Chennai, India. Antaranga Sai—Sai, the indweller—are the opening words of a bhajan [spiritual song] that has always been so close to my heart. Thinking about it my mind goes back to the days when I joined the Brindavan Campus of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning for the B.Com program. To give you a snapshot of what I was then… a boy from a small town in Kerala, born in a joint family amidst loving grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, and friends. I grew up within the four walls of a local school—a haven of safety—where I did my entire schooling right from my kindergarten to the 12th grade. From this protected world, where I was a little prince in my own right, I had moved to the new world of ‘Brindavan’, the Lord’s play ground or should I say the training ground; where He imparted the highest of lessons in the simplest of ways that He alone can. The pampered little boy that I was, I missed the warmth that I used to experience while at home with my large family and friends, in spite of the fact that my teachers, senior brothers, and classmates were showering sincere love on me. When I left my home for the new world at ‘Brindavan’, my loving mother, who knew I would miss her dearly, had told me, “Dear child, l know you will miss me while you are in the hostel. But remember that you are going to Swami who is the epitome of love. He will bathe you in the love of a thousand mothers!” And thus I landed in ‘Brindavan’ with a heart pining to receive from the Mother of mothers all the love and warmth that I had left behind at home. Those were the days when to me, the meaning of the word love was restricted to its physical expressions like: a smile, a pat, a loving glance, a few kind words… I expected that Swami, the embodiment of love, would talk individually to all students every day! But soon I realized that physical attention from Swami and that, too, on a daily basis was too much to ask for! I felt lost, to say the least. On one side I had come away from home and all the people who loved me so dearly, and on the other, the source of love in search of whom I had come seemed so near yet so far. With the passage of days I grew wiser and realized that it was unreasonable to demand Swami ‘s constant physical attention when there were millions flocking to Him hoping to receive a glance from Him. But while the head was convinced, the heart was not. Day and night I would hope against hopes that someday I would receive His undivided attention, that He would speak to me, smile at me…the wish list was endless. On many an evening, I would sit alone in the open terrace of the hostel shedding profuse tears for I missed my parents dearly, and the Lord too ‘seemed’ to be in no mood to take notice of my misery. I was bent upon having some physical interaction with Bhagavan, and a chance came by pretty soon. I had to seek Swami’s permission to lead the bhajans in the mandir [temple]. One evening, I was sitting in the darshan [sight of a holy person] line awaiting His arrival, hoping with a heart that went pit-a-pat that He would give an ear to my prayer. As he walked toward me that day, I rose nervously and managed to utter my prayer to Him when he was within hearing distance, “Swami, can I lead the bhajans in the mandir?” His response was a smile… I was thrilled… But my joy was short-lived. He pretended that He had not heard me clearly and asked, “You want an interview?” Then addressing the boy seated next to me He said, “This boy wants an interview, give him one!” The entire row of boys seated around me broke into laughter as He walked away, the smile still lingering on His face. I was disappointed and even angry for a fleeting moment. How could He have ignored my desperate prayer? I had failed to recognize the invaluable gift that He had silently bestowed on me. The Lord who has come for the rejuvenation of the cosmos had taken time out of His all-important Avataric career to speak to me—however insignificant the message might have ‘appeared’ to be. And I had failed to recognize the great significance of the moment. It took me quite a while before I started relishing the sweetness of such gifts that He bestowed on me. One evening we were sitting in Trayee Brindavan, the abode of the Lord, listening to His words of wisdom. “Oh mind, do not ask,” He said through a sweet Telugu poem, “if you ask, it will be ignored, and if you cease asking it will be granted. So, Oh mind, do not ask.” The message was clear and I knew as clear as daylight that it was meant for me. I said to myself, “Let me stop asking Swami for physical attention or for a chance to sing in His presence and then let me see if the unasked prayers will be answered.” Barely a day or two had passed by and Swami told the Warden of the hostel that He wanted to listen to the ‘new boys’ who could sing. Very soon I was given an opportunity to sing in His presence in Trayee Brindavan as He sat on the jhoola [swing] listening in rapt attention. His smile greeted me when I had completed my bhajan. “Where do you come from?” He asked. “From Trichur Swami” I said. He smiled again and I was delighted. This was

Golden Moments at Sri Sathya Sai Institute Vivek was a student from 1992-1994 in the Department of Management & Commerce at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. Currently, he is faculty at PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore. Much has been written about Prasanthi Nilayam and its activities. So I would like to recollect some of the wonderful moments that we as students had during our student life at the wonderful educational institution created there. I would like to focus on the Institution. That it has Swami’s invisible and visible backing is too well known. My journey as a student started when I missed the deadline for applying to the Institute. Now the Puranas say that when all else is lost, only Narayana can save us. I wrote a prayer in a letter to Swami who was at Kodaikanal and enclosed my application form. I then forgot about my admission and went for darshan [the sight of the Lord] at Kodaikanal three to four times. To my surprise, my prayer was heard and the benevolent Lord had responded. I was called for the test, group discussion, and interview. The entrance test was one of the most difficult that I have written in my life. The group discussion was on ‘IMF [International Monetary Fund] Forcing Indian Reforms’ and the interview had a panel of the most distinguished people from academics and the industry that anyone could imagine. I struggled to answer most of the questions on various subjects, as the depth of questioning was incredible worthy of an IIM [Indian Institutes of Management]. I decided to cool off from the Himalayan effort for a few days at Prasanthi Nilayam. Two days later, when the merit list was announced I got the delightful news that I was selected. I had made it past the most difficult selection test in my life. Now many years later, I still draw inspiration from the incident and have overcome many such situations. We were given only five days to join for the summer course at Brindavan on May 20th. I rushed back, completed all my course completion formalities and packed my bags for Brindavan. There we got the first taste of the student’s life to come. The schedule started at 4 a.m. in the morning and ended at 10 p.m. From morning to evening we had a line of distinguished speakers talking to us on various spiritual matters and on how to lead a healthy and moral life. The star attraction of course was Swami’s discourse every afternoon. For the first few days, we struggled to get up and shave at 4 a.m. We wondered why managers needed this sort of regimen. Today, after seeing daily schedules of most corporate executives, I feel that it was more than justified, a good training for the life to come. I still fondly quote the schedule at Parthi, when someone asks me about why I enjoy working long hours at office. After ten days at Brindavan, we got down to serious business—the MBA [Masters of Business Administration] course. This was a 100 credit course. Every semester, we had seven subjects followed by a comprehensive Viva Voce, [oral examination] which tested our in-depth knowledge in every subject. This was because Swami wanted all of us to be General Managers and not mere marketing or finance managers. We struggled past the barrage of highly specific questions from every conceivable corner of the specified books on management. Our life in the hostel too was in no way easy. We had to share a room with eleven other students. We had to sleep on the floor. We had to eat sitting on the floor. We were called on to serve the food also. All these were in addition to the strenuous assignments, tests, and case presentations that we had to do. Added to this were the extensive cultural celebrations during every festival, the scale of which was unbelievable! We had to organize a number of items for each function, including Vedic chanting, brass band, drama, and many other activities, all connected with the festivals. All the while, our deadline for assignments was never extended, no excuse ever entertained, no test ever postponed, and no presentation ever missed! It was so perfect a training for a manager. Most of today’s educational institutions talk of 75% and 80% attendance. I remember that in the two years of my MBA program, I had missed one or two classes at the most and that too, because I was very sick, unable to even walk. Otherwise, our average attendance percentage must have been around 99.9%. Not one of us ever missed a test or failed to submit an assignment.. It was a down to earth, no-nonsense approach to getting the job done, that I still retain when dealing with my students and others in my life. The crowning glory of any experience at the SSSIHL is to be selected for the Kodaikanal trip by Swami. That 1-month probably added tons and tons of knowledge to each selected person in every conceivable field. Every day was filled with unbelievable, remarkable, and wonderful experiences. Everyone genuinely enjoyed the trip. One notable remark made by one of my professors was about one of Swami’s statements, “A good management program aims to teach only three topics: Common Sense, General Knowledge, and Human Values”. I still proudly quote this to my students. Our stay was of course, embedded with innumerable parables and teachings from Swami. Even a big book will not be enough to document all these. Most importantly, before leaving, we were asked to serve India in every way possible. Such patriotism is rarely taught in any business school. When I joined the Institute, I received remarks that this was not a very well-known MBA program and a few even asked me where Puttaparthi existed on the map of India! But recently, when I spoke to a few of my classmates, I proudly discovered that all of them were in the senior management positions in their respective

Living with God is True Education Sanjay Sahni was a student (1982-1987) and faculty member (1987 onward) in the Department of Commerce; Director of the Brindavan Campus (2002-2015); and is currently Controller of Examinations, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. Coming to Prasanthi Nilayam in 1982 was like a homecoming. I remember the first day of my joining the hostel. It was after the evening bhajans [sacred hymns]. I was shifting some luggage from West Prasanthi 5 to the Hotel. Those days there were no rickshaws plying on the roads as we have today. Being new to the place, I was unaware that porters were available. With great difficulty, I somehow managed to carry my holder to the bus stand. There I rested to recover my breath. Suddenly, two small boys came up to me and asked, ‘Brother are you going to the hostel.’ When I affirmed, they pleaded, ‘Can we help you to carry your luggage to the hostel?’ I was astonished. The two students did not come up to even half my height. For a few seconds, I hesitated for they were strangers to me. But then my need got the better of me and I opted for this God-sent assistance. I caught one end of the holder and the two boys its other end and together we proceeded to the Institute gates. There two intermediate school students met us and took over the holder from the small boys saying that the bag was too heavy for them. In this way, we reached the hostel but the incident touched me deeply and left an indelible imprint on my mind. Love is the foremost teaching of Bhagavan in this love-starved world. I have loved you and you must love each other the same way. My education at His lotus feet had already begun. Vidya or education should inculcate in the students the quality of vinaya or humility. Bhagavan’s own life is His message. Once some of us students were sitting around Bhagavan along with a few devotees. The whole atmosphere was vibrant with joy as Bhagavan was enjoying materializing various things. One such creation, I vividly remember, was a unique wristwatch powered by some divine force. The only human adjustment the watch would ever need was for correcting the time that was achieved by inserting a small pin into a hole on the sides. None of us had even imagined that such a watch could exist and were gaping at it wonder-struck. Bhagavan gave the watch to a lady teacher sitting there, and she was so overwhelmed that she kept repeating, ‘Thank you, Swami.’ Bhagavan unassumingly replied, ‘No mention,’ sending all of us into raptures over this unexpected human courtesy. I have myself seen any number of people being thanked for favors given and saying in return, ‘Most welcome’ or ‘please do not mention.’ Here, was Bhagavan giving undisputed proof of His Divinity and yet not betraying even the least trace of ego in His actions. On another occasion, Bhagavan was speaking on the evils of samsara [the worls — a continuous cycle of life and death]. A devotee who was present, perhaps unable to bear the dismal picture that Bhagavan painted, interjected saying, ‘Swami, if samsara is so bad, then why did you create it in the first place and put all of us into difficulty?’ We were a little taken aback by the tone of the question. After a moment’s silence, Bhagavan explained, ‘samsara is your weakness. God does not create it. What is samsara? Samsara is nothing but desires. You desire for this and that and get bound by them. Give up desire and be free. Life plus desire is man. Life minus desire is God.’ God’s is the state of desirelessness. Even the Sri Sathya Sai Organization to which Bhagavan has lent His name is not for any benefit to Himself but for the devotees to uplift themselves. Bhagavan does not need the Organization to spread His message. It is our privilege to be His worthy instruments and thereby sanctify our lives. Life is basically a choice. Bhagavan once said, ‘I have given a long rope to each one. With this you can either tie yourself to the lotus feet (and save yourself ) or hang yourself, (i.e. condemn yourself to another sentence of life-imprisonment).’ One is born to learn how not to be born again. This alone is real education. Such an education cannot be bartered for money in any school or college. It is available to the spiritual aspirant whose sole yearning is the Divine and nothing else. Our own good actions in the past have secured for us this wonderful opportunity to join Bhagavan’s college. The worldly knowledge is the bait with which He has attracted us. But His main intention is to nourish us with the soul-saving spiritual wisdom. A few days ago, Bhagavan was telling some students, ‘Spirituality is very easy, but you are not able to give up body consciousness.’ Bhagavan exhorts us to consider the body as the moving temple of God. Amrutasya Putrah declare the scriptures. ‘You are the children of immortality.’ “Removal of immorality leads to immortality.” When the body is unpolluted by such evils as anger, lust, greed, jealousy, etc., it verily becomes the temple of God. One of the good evidences that God is within each one of us is to hear His voice in the inner recesses of our hearts. Let me narrate a thrilling experience of a devotee by name Prithviraj. Prithviraj was travelling to Bombay and alighted in Bombay V.T. [Victoria Terminus] in broad daylight. As he was proceeding to the exit, to his utter astonishment, Prithviraj observed a young lad surrounded by a gang of ruffians with knives and revolvers in the railway station. A crowd had collected at a distance but none dared to intervene. The gangsters were trying to persuade the boy to do something. It seemed that the boy refused and did not give in. Seeing the boy’s plight, Prithviraj felt a desire to save the boy and was about to rush

Life with Sai, for Sai Sai Chittaranjan was a student (from 2005-2012) in the Department of  Management and Commerce at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. Currently, he is a Doctoral Research Scholar at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. The greatest good fortune of a ‘Sai student’ is to live with Sai and for Sai. I was born into a family of devotees. My mother had been blessed to serve as a faculty member of the Anantapur Campus of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. As a young boy, I knew that Swami was God simply because my mother had told me so. I am deeply indebted to my mother, for she showed me God and told me to always hold on to Him with unquestioning belief. As the years rolled by, this belief has been strengthened with numerous experiences and miracles that happened in my life and in the lives of others around me. Miracles of creation, miracles of medical impossibilities, and miracles of transformation—all of them are miracles of love. Swami blessed my elder brother and me very early in our lives by performing the traditional ceremonies of Namakaranam, Annaprasanam, Mundanam, Aksharabhyasam, and Upanayanam (naming, feeding the first morsel, the first haircut, initiating into learning the alphabet, and initiating into spiritual life). My elder brother had joined the Sri Sathya Sai Primary School and I was very eager to follow him. The selection process included an entrance examination. More importantly, it required the grace of Swami. I had a simple prayer to Swami. I only wanted Him to bless me with a seat in His school. Before I learned how to write, I would ask my mother to write my prayers, and after I learned to write, I would write the same simple prayer, and during darshan [holy blessing] I would offer the letter to Swami. During one darshan session, Swami passed me without accepting my letter. In my innocence, I believed that Swami hadn’t noticed me and therefore He did not accept my prayer. I immediately got up, called out to Swami, and rushed to Him. Even as the Seva Dal [service group] members came forward to control me, Swami turned, walked toward me, and smilingly accepted my letter. And in a few years, my simple prayer was answered. I joined the Sri Sathya Sai Primary School and started my journey toward becoming a ‘Sai student’. The path to being a ‘Sai student’ is not necessarily easy. It has its due share of tests and trials. We derive the courage and strength to face them from Swami’s reassurances and grace. Swami has always emphasized cleanliness. This particular incident happened when I was in the third standard. As students of the Primary School, those of us who shared our birthday would go as one group to receive Swami’s blessings during that day’s darshan [holy sighting]. The senior most student amongst us would carry a tray of akshatas [rice for blessing] and chocolates. Swami blessed all the birthday boys with the akshatas and threw the chocolates to all the other students. The rest of the birthday boys carried photographs of Swami that He lovingly autographed for us as His birthday gift to us. On that day, Swami finished the first round of darshan and went into the interview room. After a while, I became restless and began to draw on my palms using the marker pens we had brought for Swami to use for autographing the photographs. Even as I completed drawing on both my palms Swami came out of the interview room and walked toward us. We knelt down with the photographs resting on hardbound books. Swami came straight to me and took the book from my hand. He then asked me to show Him my palms. I sheepishly stretched out my palms that were blackened with the drawings. He looked into my eyes, and smilingly told me “Why are you dirtying your palms? Look at My palms. How clean they are!” So saying, Swami stretched out His palms and continued, “Your palms should always be clean. Do not write anything on them.” Then Swami blessed us and autographed the photographs. The Lord who teaches us the highest nuances of spirituality taught me a small lesson in cleanliness. On another occasion, when I was in the fourth standard, our teacher asked us to sit silently in the classroom and study. She appointed a monitor with strict instructions that we were not to leave the classroom and left us some work. After a few minutes, there was commotion in the corridors and we heard students shouting that Swami had come to the Hill View stadium. All the students were rushing out to get a brief darshan of Swami. Many of us were certainly tempted to rush out for the darshan. But the rest of the class was sitting silently and the monitor was giving us a hard stare. Soon the commotion turned into a thundering of footsteps and shouts that Swami was coming into the Primary School building; still the entire class was seated as per the teacher’s instructions. Suddenly the building burst into a chorus of bhajans [sacred hymns] and we realized that Swami had entered the lobby of the school building. I could hold out no more. Some of us dashed out of the classroom and were met by a happy surprise. At the end of the long empty corridor was Swami! The warden and a couple of senior devotees closely followed Him. Swami was walking toward our classrooms and we were the only ones around. There are 8 classrooms in the wing. As Swami walked toward a classroom, we rushed inside before Him and took the liberty of explaining the charts displayed in the classroom. We also showed Swami the altar and a small chair that was kept for Him in each class. And as Swami turned to leave the room, we rushed out before Him and ran into the next classroom waiting to ‘welcome’ Him. Swami visited all the 8 classrooms and we were blessed with the opportunity of ‘showing’ Him around

“How Many Friends Do You Have?” Before joining the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning by the grace of our Lord, I had received a few chances of experiencing minute drops of His divine leela [play]. Here I wish to share with you one such drop that had a profound impact on me. The event took place this year when Swami was in Madras [Chennai]. Swami went straight to a young boy and asked him, “How many brothers have you?” The boy said, “Swami, I do not have brothers and I am the only son.” Immediately, Swami pointed to the persons who were there and asked the boy, “Are they not your brothers?” Swami went and asked another boy the same question, and the reply Swami got was the same. The innate imitativeness in me made me think that if Swami comes and asks me I should say that all are my brothers. The next day the Lord came near me. His nearness made me completely forget myself, and I was inches above the ground. The omniscient Lord in His sweet voice asked, “Where is your brother studying?” “He is studying in Swami’s college,” I said. Then Swami asked, “How many brothers do you have?” Quick came the reply, “One, Swami.” With a mischievous smile Swami asked, “Are the people who are standing here not your brothers?” Completely flabbergasted, I had nothing to say except nodding my head. To prick my imitative bubble a little more, Swami went a few steps, then turned back and asked, “How many friends do you have?” My foolish mind equated at lightning speed that if all are to be my brothers why not all be my friends, and I blurted out, “Swami, all are my friends.” The Lord looked directly into my eyes inquiringly and asked, “What! All are your friends?” Before I could answer Swami continued, “What do your so-called friends do when you are in trouble? They will be with you until they see money in your pockets. The moment they come to know that you are penniless, they quietly vanish, like the frogs going away from a dried up pond. But Sai is not like that. Whatever may be the trouble, Sai will not forsake you. He is always for you, with you and in you. Your one and only friend must be Sai.” Overwhelmed completely, I could do nothing but watch the Lord moving slowly far away from me. Let us ponder for a while. What a revelation! Arjuna had Krishna as his one and only friend. The Lord Himself asks us to keep Him as our one and only friend. But what a pity that we, out of ignorance, add on to the unending list of friends, leaving the Lord all alone without any friends. ~C.N. KshetrajnaSource: Sai Nandana 1985 (60th Birthday Issue)

The Zephyrs of Experience S. V. Guru Prasad, Student (1984-1989), Department of Biosciences Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam. Bhagavan often says, “Education is for Life and not for a living.” Then what is life and what is this education? Life essentially involves living—or so we think and this is where we stumble; the essence of life is ‘leaving’ not living. Leaving meaning nurturing gradually, but surely [with] a sense of supreme detachment—moving from kama [desire] to Rama; from trishna [craving] to Krishna; from bhrama (delusion) to Brahman (reality). Self-realization, the scriptures say, is beyond beauty and joy—verily it is ananda (even the word bliss does no justice). The experiences that we have, are but small peeps into eternity that Bhagavan chooses for us to have—”His subtlest of nuance to fill eternity in a glance and shower His love so sweet and pure, that even tears cry out for more.” It is these experiences that express Bhagavan’s all-embracing compassion, mercy, and love. It was in the summer vacation that followed the 12th class examination, and one boy was preparing for his entrance exam [to study] in Parthi. He reached Parthi a few days before the examination. Bhagavan was in Brindavan. And Parthi without Him seemed lack-luster. The seemingly endless wait for the date of the examination gnawed into his nerves. He felt fairly jittery and restless. And then it happened. It was the evening before the examination—as usual he sat in the bhajan Hall for the bhajan. It might have been during the second or third bhajanthat he felt very rested—a sort of strange calmness descended upon him as manna from heaven! It was then that he had a most exquisite vision of Bhagavan smiling and swaying gently to the rhythm of the bhajan. He then raised His right hand and closed it as a fist. He then released a finger on which was rotating a globe. It stayed for a moment, and the vision vanished. He felt strangely soothed. ‘He’ had reassured him (the boy) with the authority of one who governed the heavens. It was as if He was saying, “When I am sustaining the whole world, why do you fear?” This eternal whisper of Bhagavan should reverberate within our hearts for all times to come. The cornerstone of our relation with Bhagavan is faith. Faith is not a blind belief, but trust without reservation. The first step toward strengthening our faith is believing [in Him]. Believe what—one may ask, belief in yourself? One should never demean oneself, however conservative one’s estimate be of oneself. Think positively and most of all think nobly. Even the Rig Veda [the scripture] declares, “Let noble thoughts come from every side.” Belief in oneself will ultimately lead to belief in self that is bereft of ‘one’ or ‘aham’. Know that ‘God is’ and that is all there is to know. Here I shall recount an amazing incident that occurred in 1943. There lived a devout couple who believed in Lord Subramanya (Muruga). It so happened that the wife was suffering from cancer and was in the terminal stages. Doctors had left all hope. She prayed and reconciled to her position, and pleaded for a peaceful death. On one such day, the Lord Subramanya appeared to her in all His splendor, took her up a hill, and told her to take namaskar [salutation]. He then asked her if she wanted to be with Him or with her husband. Hesitating for a moment, she chose the latter. The Lord asked her to walk down and assured her of His care and protection. But she was non-plussed, the hill was steep—how could she climb down? She looked helplessly at the Lord, who smiled and touched the ground with his ‘Shoolam [trident]’. Lo and behold—steps appeared! She started walking down and the next thing she was in her bed. She told this to her husband and they decided to keep it a secret. Till 1963, they had not heard of Bhagavan. They came to Parthi. Bhagavan called them for an interview and after some casual talk remarked significantly that He had been taking care of them for the last 20 years! This puzzled the couple. They were in speechless amazement when Bhagavan recounted this very special darshan He had given them 20 years ago. As if to convince them beyond all doubts, He led them up and told them to look at the floor—what did they see? They saw the very steps that Lord had materialized for His child. That day Bhagavan proved without any shadow of doubt, proved that ‘Prasanthi Nilayam’ was heaven itself. Bhagavan repeatedly stresses the importance of prasanthi [highest peace]. Each one of us must carry a Prasanthi Nilayam in our hearts for the Lord to reside. When He says, “My life is My message“, we can appreciate this gem of wisdom in two aspects, both sthulam (gross) and sukshmam (subtle). In the gross aspect, we observe Bhagavan and learn to assimilate what He practices and how He follows the rigorous self-discipline He imposes on Himself. Within the realms of subtleties, we begin to understand and appreciate His actions better. The Omkaram and Suprabhatamthat is chanted every morning is like switching on the mains of our conscience and consciousness. It makes us feel refreshed and draws us into the sublime ocean of ‘Divine awareness’. It broadens our heart and strengthens it to accept things as they come—relatively stable and unruffled. Bhagavan gives darshan to one and all. In other words, He surveys His creation. What a wonderful lesson it is for all of us. Through His darshan, He subtly conveys the message of ‘introspection.’ ‘Look within—look at your thoughts, words, and deeds. Is there even a semblance of unity among these three? He often asks. It is this unity that one observes in His grandeur that is His creation, which is most delicately but firmly poised on the razor edge of His ‘sankalpa [commitment]‘. The journey from the gross to the subtle takes one through the physical to the metaphysical and even beyond. All this is encompassed in the one word ‘belief.’ Belief strengthens faith. Faith is inherent and natural in every human

When Sri Sathya Sai Gave the Krishna Mantra  Dr. Prabai Mall was a student and Research Scholar (1979-1987) in the Department of Biosciences at the Sri Sathya Sai institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam Campus. Currently, he is a Learning Mentor in Chennai. It was a cool day with mild sunshine. The young lad of about sixteen was sitting alone in front of the cottage in Lidderwat near the Kolahoi Glacier in the Kashmir Valley. He was doing just nothing. His wandering eyes stopped near the peak of jagged rocky face just behind the cottage, which was the mountain. On the way he crossed the fast but shallow river. On reaching the base of the mountain he checked his climbing gear and started the climb. The climb was uneventful and after a few hours he was near the peak when a small cave caught his attention. He slowly neared the cave. He found the cave to be one of the most beautiful and serene ones he had ever come across. The entire floor of the cave was covered with a thick layer of green moss—a natural carpet. In one corner was a small spring with a continuous supply of crystal clear water that was flowing in a small groove on the side of the cave. In other words, the cave had everything necessary for survival. But there was no sign of any being. The boy felt a strange aroma permeating the cave. After the strenuous climb he was too tired to think about anything, so he sat down cross-legged. And then it all started. The moment he closed his eyes, there was total darkness and then an image started focusing like the zooming-in of a camera lens. He saw a large lake with blue water merging in the distant azure sky. On either side there was lush green vegetation and strangely the lake had golden yellow sand around it. The scene was coming closer and closer. There was a large crowd on the sands. Mostly they were all youngsters and then there were plenty of cows and calves charging around. It appeared that the center of attraction of the entire gathering was a young lad of curious complexion. He was very young and attractive. Many games were going on but all were around the young boy. Now he was here, now there, and everywhere. The only drawback about this picture was that there was no sound. The young lad made all the cowherds tired and finally signaled them to sit in a large circle. Everybody opened his lunch and the boy went round inspecting each and every item. He then spread a sheet on every item of food that was placed there and with his small hands he started mixing everything. This tasty mixture was doled out to everybody by the small one. After the meal, most of the cowherds were looking expectantly at the young boy who was busy in his own childish pranks. Suddenly he became serious and started collecting the sand around him into the form of a mound. He flattened the top of the mound and made it smooth. Slowly he put his right hand inside the mound and with his left gesticulated at the youngsters as if asking them to guess what was in the mound, but none could. Finally, with a mischievous smile on his bluish face, the boy took out his hand with a large shining object. The young blue boy raised the shiny object, which turned out to be a statue and showed it to everybody around, but they were not surprised. The boy in the cave, who was seeing this drama with his closed eyes, was awestruck because the golden statue was that of his Lord Sai. The young blue boy sat down with the statue in his lap. He pointed a finger at himself, then at the statue and told something to those gathered around him, but all this was inaudible to the boy in the cave. What he could guess was that the blue boy, now who he was sure and none other than Krishna, was trying to tell the cowherds around him that he will incarnate later and the form of that future incarnation was the golden statue. At this juncture, the entire silent picture started fading and shortly the boy in the cave found himself alone, but strangely relaxed. This incident left an indelible impression on the mind of the young boy who since his childhood was fascinated by the tales of Sri Krishna. Years rolled by, and by the grace of Lord Sai he joined the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning at Prasanthi Nilayam. He completed his graduation and while doing his post-graduate course once he had the opportunity by the divine grace to be close to Lord Sai. He had a sudden urge and he asked something which he had never even dreamt of asking. He asked the Lord for a mantra [formula to repeat], which would always help him. He repeated his prayer. And then with a beaming smile, the Lord said, chant ‘Sai Krishna’. The boy was struck as if by a bolt. Was this not the name he had given to his Lord? The Lord only confirmed it and also the experience he had in that lonely cave. And now the same boy, who has completed his education, has the unique privilege to offer this flower at the Lotus Feet of his Lord on His 65th year of advent. ~Dr. Prabai MallSource: Sai Vandana, 1990 (65th Birthday Offering)Sathya Sai with Students

Moments Made Special by Sri Sathya Sai Tanmay Das was a student from 2009-2014 in the Faculty of Management and Commerce at the Sri Sathya Sai institute of Higher Learning. Currently he is a specialist at the Standard Chartered [bank] GDS Pvt. Ltd., Chennai. Being with Swami has always been very special for me, not only because He is God. For me, He is more of a loving mother, a caring father and an adorable sister! The five years in the Institute have been like five days—as if we came just yesterday and today, our academic association with the Institute is over. When I joined for my undergraduate course in 2009, it was for the first time that I came to know about Bhagavan. My mother had been an ardent devotee of Shirdi Baba right from her childhood days, but our family was not aware of Sri Sathya Sai Baba or about Prasanthi Nilayam [Abode of Peace, Swami’s ashram], apart from knowing the fact that there exists a Super Specialty Hospital that treats people free of cost. When one of my friends came to know about this Institute, through his father, he immediately brought me the prospectus of the Institute. He asked me if I was interested in applying for the undergraduate course there. I immediately told him, “No”, thinking the Institute may not be well recognized like Hans Raj College or Symbiosis. But the events that took place subsequently were all part of His divine leela [play] to bring me closer to Him. The last date for applying for the Institute was February 28, 2009. I was one of the few students left in my batch, who hadn’t applied for any college until then, so I was a bit apprehensive and uncertain what to do next. I called the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus Office of the Institute and inquired if I could still apply for the undergraduate course in the Brindavan Campus. To my dismay, I was informed that the last date for applying for any course was over. My brother-in-law had come to know that I was applying for this Institute. He called me up immediately and asked if I was serious about joining the Institute. Something inside told me that I should say yes to him. What followed was like a chain reaction. Suddenly, I received the application form from the administrative block of the Institute in the mail, which I was asked to fill out and send in the same day i.e. 8th March, 2009. By the end of April 2009, I was called to appear for the entrance examination. I did not do well in the written examination and I was sure that I was not going to make it. On the next morning when I saw my name in the list of selected candidates, I was shocked! Everything followed as usual and I was selected for the B.Com. (Hons.) course at the Brindavan Campus. My second experience with Swami was on the eve of Krishna Janmastami [birthday] 2009, when the Brindavan boys had come to Prasanthi Nilayam. The boys who were in charge of card making had made a beautiful card to show to Swami. I was sitting in the third block and for a long time and I wanted to see what the card room boys had made. So when Swami came and the boys were showing the card to Him I made a desperate attempt to see the card. Swami had blessed the card and moved on to complete His usual round of darshan without my having seen it. Later when the photos of the festival were printed, one of the seniors came and informed me that I was photographed with Swami in several of the photos. So those were my first photographs with Swami. In the same year, during Guru Poornima [the festival dedicated to spiritual and academic teachers]celebrations in Prasanthi Nilayam, some boys were called to distribute prasadam [a devotional offering made to a god, typically consisting of food that is later shared among devotees]inside Poornachandra auditorium, where devotees were eagerly waiting for a glimpse of Swami. I took a box containing prasadam and went inside the auditorium where we were asked to wait. I waited there for a while and then ran back to Sai Kulwant Hall where Swami had already arrived. I got a chance to distribute prasadam for the first time inside Sai Kulwant Hall. Once the distribution was over and Swami was returning to His residence, I remembered that I had left my sitting mat and fan inside the auditorium. I rushed to the auditorium to get them, thinking that the Seva Dal might bring down the shutters. But when I reached near the auditorium, I was amazed by the pin drop silence inside the auditorium. As I entered the auditorium, I heard all the devotees chanting ‘Sai Gayatri’ in unison. One of my classmates present there told me that Swami was coming there. My joy knew no bounds as I was sure that Swami would give us individual attention since only a few of the boys distributing prasadam were present there. Uncertain as His ways are, He entered the main stage and sat for a while. He then called a few of the boys to bless the prasadam. I missed that opportunity as I was not wearing a full sleeve shirt. Another brother next to me grabbed that chance and ran to the stage. Nevertheless I was happy that Swami had come there, blessed each one of us and gave us His beautiful smile, assuring that He was very happy. A task by chance was converted into a chance to be cherished for a lifetime. The Annual Sports and Cultural Meet drama presented by the boys from the Brindavan Campus had been a major attraction over the years. With successful dramas like ‘Bhakta Potana’, ‘Sant Kabir’, etc. it was time for ‘Bhakta Tukaram’ to be staged during the Annual Sports and Cultural Meet, 2009-10. By then I had come to know from our teachers, that no role, be it big or small, goes unnoticed by Swami. I got a