Bhavabhaya haranam

Sri Satya Sai Smaranam

Bhagwan Satya Sai Baba’s life is his message. His attention to the two crucial  areas, Education and Health speaks volumes of his compassionate concern for  the welfare of humanity, writes T. Padma on the occasion of 73rd birthday of Satya Sai.

As a student of the Higher Elementary school at Bukkapatnam he used to  regale his classmates with devotional songs. He would mysteriously produce from his school bag whatever his friends  needed whether it is a pencil, an eraser, a herbal medicine for stomach ache, sweet meats or fruits.

Once in a while Satya Sai visited the houses of devotees and some of the miracles he used to perform  were in the nature of pranks like making clocks move backward or transfixing  people to the chairs.

While he was about to board the plane to Chicago, an announcement was made that owing to a lightning strike by  Pilots  the Chicago bound Plane is now re-routed  via California and that passengers will be taken to Chicago after one day’s half at California. Thus Divine rescheduling of flights by Baba the judge’s wish to meet his friend was fulfilled.

India is  blessed in that it never lacked spiritual teachers, veritable beacons to dispel misery-causing ignorance or to lovingly light up the pathway to Man’s evolutionary goal—self -realisation. Godmen encapsulate the eternal truths of Sanatana Dharma in a form palatable to people living in varied historical, political and social milieu and as such requiring era-specific guidance and illumination. It is well known that Sri Buddha Bhagawan, Adi Guru Sri Sankaracharya, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi Sri Shirdi Sai, Sri Yogananda, Sri Aurobindo, Master C.V.V and Mataji Jillellamudi Amma, to mention a few had all been not just expounders of  new metaphysical approaches to existential  problems, but, gigantic spiritual Transformers recharging aspirants with dynamism and dedication undiverted by the  chimeras of materialistic pursuit. Bhagawan Satya Sai Baba is the most illustrious of living saints. Apart from performing incredible miracles witnessed by multitudes of eminent intellectuals and devotees from every walk of life from every corner of the world, Sri Satya Sai has, by his clarion call for the synthesis of noble ideas from all the religions of the world, effectively paved the way to abiding universal harmony.

Swami Vivekananda’s declaration, “Truth stands on its own evidences, it does not require any other testimony to prove it true, it is self effulgent” best describes the success of Sri Satya Sai’s mission of love. Baba’s message that for a harmonious lifewhat is required is not a change in the outer world but a change in our own outlook and his affirmation that a sea-change in outlook  can be effected through linking life to the cardinal principles of Satya (Truth) Dharma (Right conduct) Santhi (Peace) and Prema(love) have clarified the vexed question of the individual’s role in a predetermined cosmic design.

Bhagwan Satya Sai Baba’s life is his message. His attention to the two crucial  areas, Education and Health speaks volumes of his compassionate concern for  the welfare of humanity. His reforms towards restoring to Educational institutions their forgotten roles as transmitters of “values” and moulders of character, and his inauguration of a superspeciality hospital providing the best medical aid to the poor, utterly free of cost,  underscore the objective of true spiritual striving to be to work for a better life for everyone, here and now.

Baba’s divinity has manifested itself through several “Siddhis” or occult powers. He uses these powers only to draw people towards the Godward path. Steering clear of theological sophistry, he exhorts people to be constantly aware of their own divine heritage and  to assiduously strive to see God in every created being. This ‘Sadhana’ will put an end to the friend - foe dichotomy, pre-empt holocausts and promote universal brotherhood. His parables explain how to transcend the snare of the senses and dissolve all yearnings in the sincere and intense yearning for God.

In some Godmen external factors act as catalysts ushering in awakened consciousness, while in others spiritual supremacy is evident right from birth. The latter is true of Bhagawan Satya Sai. Even while he was in the womb of his mother, Eswaramma, many strange incidents occurred presaging the Divine nature of the baby to be born. In the middle of the night sweet music used to pour out of the Tambura’ in the hall though none could see the hand twanging the strings. On the day Sri Satya Sai was born, (23rd November 1926 in Puttaparti, a remote hamlet in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, India), the midwife was stunned to see a cobra unfurling its  hood like an umbrella over the head of the infant sleeping in swaddling clothes. As a young boy Baba showed remarkable kindness  to animals, birds and insects. Many times he willingly skipped his meagre vegetarian diet to feed starving beggars. Sometimes he used to go without food for days on end, and to set at rest his mother’s anxious concern for his well-being,  he once confided to her that an old man had been feeding him delicious porridge made of milk, sugar and rice. The mother neversaw this old man but she knew her boy was telling the truth as she could get a whiff of the kheer from his hands. As a student of the Higher Elementary school at Bukkapatnam he used to  regale his classmates with devotional songs. He would mysteriously produce from his school bag whatever his friends  needed whether it is a pencil, an eraser, a herbal medicine for stomach ache, sweet meats or fruits. He was lovingly addressed as Guru and even after he joined the High school in Uravakonda  he continued to be the favourite of teachers and  students alike.

In his thirteenth year Sri Satya Sai went into a trance-like state. It was first thought to be the toxic effect of a scorpion bite but when he began reciting verses from Sanskrit and quoting  lengthy passages from Scriptures and delivering discourses on Vedanta, his elder brother, his parents, medical practitioners and exorcists tried in vain to bring him back to normalcy. In a bid to drive away “the demon” from Baba’s body, a witch doctor subjected him to a series of tortures including beating, dousing with cold water and applying “kalikam” to the eyes. Nothing seemed to work and to his father, Peda Raju’s angry query “who are you? A  ghost or a God or a mad cap?” Young Satya Sai calmly replied “I am Sai Baba”. Devotees revere Bhagawan Satya Sai, as the reincarnation of Sri Shirdi Sai,  the saint at whose shrine worship is offered by  both Hindus and Muslims even to this day.

From his fourteenth year Baba gave “darshan” to devotees in the house of an elderly lady, Subbamma, and whenever Subbamma was worried that the food in her house might not be enough to feed the huge gathering, Baba used to break two coconuts striking one against the other and sprinkle the coconut water on the vessels. To the surprise of Subbamma the vessels then continued to have enough food for everyone present.

In those days, sitting under a tamarind tree on the banks of Chitravati, Baba  used to  give religious discourses. After the residingdiscourse, disciples were asked to name their favourite fruit  and with a wave of his hand Baba used to make all those fruits appear as the branches of the tamarind  tree. Soon that  tree began to be referred to as Kalpa  Vrikshaa or wish-fulfilling tree. Once in a while Satya Sai used to visit the houses of devotees and some of the miracles he used to perform  were in the nature of pranks like making clocks move backward or transfixing  people to the chairs. Sometimes, may be as a mark of Satya Sai Baba’s divine grace, vibhuti and honey used to emanate out of the portraits of Baba kept in the shrine rooms of devotees. Once Baba showed a piece of granite to Mr. Rao, a leading geology professor from Osmania  University, Hyderabad, and asked him to explain its chemical  composition. After listening to his answer Baba asked him to take a closer look at the granite rock and see what was beneath the atoms and the molecules. Even as the geologist was intently gazing, there  appeared on the surface of the rock outlines of the figure of Lord Krishna playing on a flute. Next, with a wave of his hand Baba transformed the rock into a piece of candy and asked the geologist   to take a bite of it. As the etched figure of Lord Krishna was clearly discernible both on the rock and the candy the geologist   realised that Baba was trying to tell him that God is the immanent reality in every thing in creation and that cohesion of atoms is an expression of the binding force of Divine love.

The experience of a devout couple Mr. Venkata Ramani and his wife is proof that Baba’s will can transcend all territorial and temporal limitations. While going on a world tour the  couple lost their travellers’ cheques. They had only a few francs with them. Not knowing what else to do they used the money to send a wire from Paris to Baba explaining their plight and imploring his help. Next morning they were amazed to discover the travellers cheques in Mrs. Venkata Ramani’s hand bag, a hand bag which was thoroughly  searched by both of them before going to bed the previous night.

Similar is the case of a retired judge who had an air ticket  to Chicago but wishing very much to visit an old friend, an active worker in the Satya Sai organisationat  California, he prayed to Baba. While he was about to board the plane to Chicago, an announcement was made that owing to a lightning strike by  pilots  the Chicago bound plane is now re-routed  via California and that passengers will be taken to Chicago after one day’s halt in California. The Divine rescheduling of flights by Baba was fulfilled the judge’s wish to meet his friend.

The most striking evidence of Baba’s occult power is to be found in his myriad miraculous “cures” such as restoration of sight to the blind, movement of limbs to the paralysed and the many surgeries he performed with instruments materialising out  of thin  air. With tears in their eyes hundreds of devotees recall how even terminally ill patients from their families were cured by the Vibhuti or lockets given to them by Baba. Ample recorded evidence exists of Baba’s bringing back to life devotees pronounced dead by doctors.

Among the fortunate people resurrected from death by Baba mention may be made of Mr. Radhakrishna  and Mr. Walter Cowan The karmic chain of events responsible fore bestowal of such grace is beyond human comprehension. Thorough documentation is available, of scores of cases where Satya Sai Baba, out of compassion took upon himself the physical suffering of devotees.

Any attempt at analysing the Divine Avatar of Sri Satya Sai Baba or of quantifying his attributes would be as foolish and futile as counting the waves in the sea or the stars in the sky. To have seen him and to have rejoiced in the nectarine sweetness of his discourses are in themselves culminations of  merit accrued from many past lives. It is enough to go through life with his assurance of “abhaya” ringing in our ears: “Why fear when I am here?” and his message of infinite kindness  strengthening our striving: “If you approach one step nearer to me, I shall advance three steps towards you”.

Believe in yourself

Education is now sought after, more for securing a means of livelihood.

The attempt of many parents and their children is to learn some skill which will give them a good job, in a factory or business establishment or bank, on a decent salary.

Of course, man must live and live comfortably.  So, it is necessary that some useful skill is mastered.  But, man needs things much more satisfying, much more essential, than comfort.

He must have faith in himself, so that he may respect himself.  This Aathmavishwaas (trust in the Self) lies at the very root of joy.

--- Sri Sathya Sai Baba