The Lord Is Here When thou art happy, little one, Then Sai is thy companion gay Laughing with glee, roaring with mirth, Willing to join in thy innocent fun­— When thou art happy, little one. When thou art perplexed, dear child, Sai then assumes the role of thy teacher Dispelling shadows, bringing light Showing thee the right path, like a guide— When thou art perplexed, dear child! When thou art unhappy, my friend, Sai is thy tender loving mother Nursing thy wounds, thy grief to end, Ready and willing Her love to spend­— When thou art unhappy, my friend! When thou dost stoop to wrong, rash youth, Remember thy father Sai is at hand To advise, admonish and help thee find The ways of virtue, with the lamp of truth— When thou dost stoop to wrong, rash youth! This Sai as a mother gives thee love and care As a friend, He is willing thy joys to share As a teacher, He helps thee in thy search for truth As a father, He swerves thee from ways uncouth. What cause now, for sorrow and grief? What cause for thee to wail and cry? What room for tears when our Lord is here? Just surrender thyself to Sathya Sai. —S. UdyavarSource: Sanathana Sarathi, Dec. 1967

The Golden Touch of His Feet (“In sorrow after sorrow, it is His steps that press upon my heart, and it is the golden touch of His feet that makes my joy to shine” ~Tagore) I am the pilgrim and I am the goal.I pray that every breath I take and step I walkwill lead me that much closer. Yet I know that it is not my feet that make progress.I know that the pilgrimage even, is not real For, Thy feet touched by my heart ,are the means I have for reaching;attention placed on the image of Thy soleto my soul, the means to realize Realize what?That the shrine is love without limits Let me welcome Your play, not shun itbe self‑effacive, not Self evasive Let me appreciate, enjoy, your plannot shirk it. Let me be more appropriate Expansive is the way, the way to freedom.Appropriate me Make me shake off the worries,the fears, the cringing, the shrinking Cure me of the sickness of half-heartednesshesitation, petty reluctance Open me, use me, wear me out doing Your worktill there is no me and as a leaf fallsand merges with the earth, let my ego decomposethat I may become one with Your solidunsullied substance invisible Wherever I may wander I am always at Thy feetThy lotus feet are my refreshment, my shelterfrom the storms, my journey’s meaning, my goal May I ever feel within my heartsweetly dancing, Thy lotus feet Impression after impressionof pressing engagementsof leisure and tensionbear down on my mind, but trackless is Thineinfinite heart, and Thy feet danceall colors away. When You throw me for a loop of seemingloss‑of‑center, let me know that You’re withinme, let me find Your shelter feet —Bill JacksonSource: Sanathana Sarathi, June 1978

Ananda! O Ananda! Ananda! O Ananda!With beauty comes new Ananda!With Ananda, new loveliness!Ananda! O Ananda! Premavahini poured Ananda;First it came from Baba’s hand!Dhyanavahini, He gave us next!And then to give our restless selvesThe key to peace, He wrote for usPrashantivahini, from His graceAnanda! O Ananda! Saivahini—It then took formAs Jnanavahini, the wisdom stream,To light the thorny parts of doubtIn mental realms of you and me;He sat by us and held our handAnd led us into Truth!Ananda! O Ananda! The fifth! It is here, it flows from now,The holy Dharmavahini,To steer the lives of scholars and of simple folkTo teach, fulfill His purpose grand,To tell us how to spend our span of yearsTrue to the Truth He has built us on!Ananda! O Ananda! Tremors in griha and terror in grahaThey melt like fog before Anu-graha!The Lord of grahas! He is our Lord, too!We are both housed in Mansion sameSo our might is just the same as theirs.Ananda! O Ananda! The Grahas won’t harm, elements rebel—They all obey His will, His plan!The load of births, the burden of the pastHis Will destroys; He shapes anew.Ananda! O Ananda! Dharmavahini, it has sprung today!Slaking inquiry, teaching the waySaving and solving, strengthening resolve,Come, let us read, reflect and act!Ananda! O Ananda!                  Source: Sanathana Sarathi, March 1962

In the Garden In the garden of my soulHis Light walks, amongthe dark and troubled valleys,He soothes the stormywinds of anger, of anxiety,with the very whisper of His Being. Oh! that one day I might come,to ever have His nameupon my lips; His Calmto fill my every second. Baba, Baba, Help me perfectmyself so that I mayhelp the ones I love;Baba, Baba, through my lovefor you, may I teachthers of Your constantGifts of Joy and Peaceso that they, too, may seeYour Light, feel Your Being. ~Elaine Scott, Phoenix, Arizona, USASource: Sanathana Sarathi, Oct. 1972

Sanathana Sarathi Salutations and Worship! O Sanathana Sarathi!Abide in Thee, Peace and Tranquility!Nobly from the Pranava didst Thou cast a Universe as of fun;Ambitious, Thine enemies knew not that Thou bestowed them their might!Truth (alack for them), remained mightier, that was rightHarnessing Vedas, Your Steeds, with valor uncommon!Allaying the fears of Arjuna, Thou didst reveal, “All” in Thee are “One”Neither the Sun can change the course ordained by Thee, nor the Moon.Almighty! Infuse courage in us to Thy knowledge soon!Saddle this vagrant horse—the wandering mischievous mind.Alas! This chariot totters, under the brunt of time! Be kind!Round the rugged path of Samsara, the wheels of Dharma and Truth give way!All the spokes of virtue trailing! The axel of Faith, too, bent away!Tired…… hope of goal receded……. I pray to Thee, Sri Sathya Sai!Herald of Redemption! Thou hast come! My all…I give Thee!In Thy Grace, help me steer to my End…. In Thee! ~B. V. RamanSource: Sanathana Sarathi, May 1960.

The Diadem Dark, Divine The Crown of Glory,The matted monarch curl,The mighty multi-millioned strand,This ever-static eternal emblem of this God;This Sign of Him, who dancesOn the cold snow of congealed hearts;This Charm of Him, who drives the herd,Bordered gold with sunset dust;The hair that sprinkles Grace, like April rain;This triumphal arch of majestyFor this solar super orb;The hair that is softest for the sight(So heavy it looks you often doubtCan this little frame carry all this weight?)This foil for the fairest face on earth,This umbra for the ultimate universal Light,Umbrella that shades stricken hearts,This flag, this mark, this hairy heraldry,That my Lord has chosen as the unique signFor His mystery and His mastery;This splendor, supreme, supernal,This spiraled sublimity,This awe-inspiring headgear grand,This heavenly halo,This coiled composite carefree coiffure;He twists and turns around, aroundThe wisps of wayward hair;He rolls it on His rollicking finger fast(He cannot but; His joy it overleaps)In cascades and in curves;The hair of the Lord is a mile an inch-This bushy beneficent bliss,This jungle of jangled joy;It is thick as the thirsts that torment the mindFor, He has to bear them all.“Bring all your griefs, your loss and pain-This mass of hair shall bear them all,” He says.“This is a ‘for-rest’ for your rest.”Each hair can bear a nation’s woe;The cluster can carry the Universe, or even worse.If you but peer into the curlsYou can see the silver crescent, casting opal glowAmidst the tangled silk;The hair hallucinates and holds the eyeIn sinuous snaky bonds;The Ganga gleams in shimmering wavesMidst those cavernous depths;The peacock plume, you can discern,Fluttering proud in Jumna breeze.The locks, the mats, the convolutes,That humble man has pictured on the head of GodThe serpent crested jewel that He adornsThe Divine Head designed by Him, for His own joy-Are all upon this wondrous bunchOf sable sovereignty.And O, the charm that dawns,The glory that it helps reveal,The healing shade it casts,The hope of harvest,This cluster of rain heavy clouds does bringTo parched breasts of grief!This Night of Rest, Repose,For tired eyes and hands and hearts;The crown of hair;(The tamas)Above this face of Grace,(The satwic splendor)The crimson gown,(The Rajas charm)O, may this picture of the Diadem DivineBe ever ever imprintedOn the cleanliness of our heats.                           ~N. Kasturi                          [Read in the Divine Presence: 10-10-67]                        Source: Sanathana Sarathi, Nov. 1967

Admonition My dearest SELF! Bear all; and Do nothing!Hear all; and Say nothing!Give all; and Take nothing!Serve all; and Be nothing.                           —Everyman Baba on Himself  IN THE NAME BABA, B         MEANS BEING: SATHA         MEANS AWARENESS: CHITHB         MEANS BLISS: ANANDAA         MEANS THE SOUL: ATMA The Name Means         I am the Sat-Chit‑Ananda Swarupa Atman—The Omnipresent, Omniscient, All‑Blissful, of which you, too, are Expressions. Source: Sanathana Sarathi, April 1971 Sai Krishna We are the instrumentsThe Flutes on whichthe Great One plays His melodiesSometimes it is the pompous march of a Statesman ……… Again, the wailing of a beggar …..Perhaps the heavy sound of a Dictator…Or the lilting melody of a Dancer…Artist, Poet……The minor tones of refugee agony—orDepicting war…Pestilence …Karma’s grief…And, yet, the Master‑Hand may playthe notes of Saint, Prophet …Savior…Permeating the air with Peaceand Fullness of Pure Being… ALL THESE, GOD PLAYS ON US in perfect Harmony, if we are but tunedin EVER READINESSNo matter what the melodywhether stately march—or little tinkling notes…of housewife’s song— Each must be in tuneTo make the perfect whole!No one greater …nor lesserThan the next; forALL make upTHE ONE, GREAT SYMPHONYOF LIFE.                    ~Hilda Charlton, New York                  Source: Sanathana Sarathi, April 1971

The Puttaparthi Countryside Thus it is:When sitting stillOn the side. of a mountain—An ancient, arenaOf rugged reptile rockCarefully carvedBy the soothing strokeOf nurturing Nature.The Glory of People’s ToilPasses by, on compassionate Earth,Under ancestor treesOf greens and ageing leaves.Man miraculously movesWith the tremor of termites­—A permanent, pulsating procession.Like walking templeHe carries the heightOf hewn steadfastnessFrom life…………to death,To……………….life,To……………… live, forever!                                        ~Anthony, MaltaSource: Sanathana Sarathi, April 1971

At the Feet of Sai AL‑ZAHIRO: THE MANIFESTRed Rose of Persian bards;Heart‑throb of Upanishadic seersWho heard Your footstepsIn the recesses of their souls,And saw the universe sustainedBy the harmony of Your gentle breath.What veils, My Lord, have you lifted from my mind! — Is this the shadow of Your Orange RobeThat makes the evening so lovely,The landscape quiet in its russet mood?The dawn so enchantingly fresh?The earth is sacred now for it bearsThe prints of Your tiny Feet.Your smile is in the flowers;In the brilliance of dazzling sunlight;In the crystal purity of water.The vast stretches of space reflectThe silky depths of Your eyes­— Half‑closed in Divine Ecstasy;And the whole world is vibrantWith echoes of Your unspoken Love. —Zeba Bashiruddin. In Islamic mysticism God is remembered by His 99 attributes. Al‑Zahiro refers to the manifested aspect of God. To the Persian Sufis, Rose, especially red rose, was the symbol of God as the beloved, while the nightingale represented the human soul yearning for the Rose. Source: Sanathana Sarathi, July 1982

The Secret Silence is the Secret of God-realization:Nothing can approach to its perfection.Silence, Silence, is true and sincere;Silence alone can overcome all fear. God is silent; but He talks from within;One can hear Him if one is serene,And silent: Oh!  How I enjoy His Presence,Together with His sweet vocal essence! Silence is golden, perfect and pure;There’s nothing on earth which can cureMan’s mental illness except SilenceWhich is God’s native brilliance.                                 ~K. VaidyanathanSource: Sanathana Sarathi, Nov. 1962