Showing posts with label time machine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label time machine. Show all posts

Tuesday 30 December 2014

"Who am I" - A time travel to the least understood period of Sri Sathya Sai's life_Part 3

Living in the present

“The past is history; the future is mystery. The present is a gift. That is why it is called ‘present’.”
This quote is oft used while guiding one on how to live life. However, when the history in question is His-Story, then matters become different. When the timeless One decides to encapsulate in a form within the boundaries of time, the concept of past and future dissolves because the lifetime of the Avatar is no ordinary ‘present’. It is the Omnipresent!

Buzzing away as a little fly in the longest-ever time travel so far, I began to feel weak. I had been in Puttaparthi of the the early 1940’s for almost 3 weeks now and I realized that my lifespan was nearing an end. A normal housefly lives for only about 30 days. It was the 23rd of May and I knew that I had just about a week longer before I would have to return. It was also my sister’s birthday! Oh my God! I would not be able to wish her... But then, I realized, she was probably in her previous life now.

I still had not got the answer to the question, “Who is He?” That was the question in the minds of everyone in Puttaparthi too, I realized.

{This is the final and concluding part of an exciting journey back into time. It is recommended that the reader goes ahead having completed the first two parts at:



Ever since the erudite lawyer, P.T.Krishnamachari, had left Puttaparthi, shocked and possibly wiser, the family seemed to be at its wits’ end. Swami seemed to have lost the violent streak. Thus, He had been freed from His solitary isolation. He had been brought back home and now, He was having alternating ‘bouts’ of trance and poetry recitation. I just wished that my Telugu comprehension was better so I could understand what He was saying. I resolved to return to this time-period for a second time after mastering Telugu!  

Photo Credit: The book Love is My Form

The climactic moment took place in an unexpected manner. It happened when Swami was ‘acting normal’ on the aforesaid 23rd of May. He had just walked out of the house. He stopped a passer-by and said,
“Don’t worry about your wife’s health. She will get better.”

Friday 26 December 2014

"Who am I" - A time travel to the least understood period of Sri Sathya Sai's life_Part 2

A different Sathyam


A new day dawned in Puttaparthi and everyone of the Raju household hoped that it would mark a new chapter in their Sathyam’s life. Their hopes were certainly about to get fulfilled but not in a manner that they expected. I had barely opened my eyes and begun my buzzing when there was a bigger buzz outside. I flew out to see that some person had arrived from the neighbouring Bukkapatnam. I gathered from the conversation that he was Mantra Lakshmana, an occultist who had been summoned to try cure Sathyam in a more civilized and humane manner. This person looked like an angel in comparison to the huge Appayyaswamy. He also had a more cheerful demeanour.

I flew back to my Swami who was sitting in a corner of the house. His eyes were closed and He seemed to be in a trance. The occultist entered the house without the slightest idea of what was in store for him. Swami flew into a rage on seeing him and, picking up a vessel, hurled it at Lakshmana. The missile was not discharged to hit and so it missed him by more than a foot. However, it chipped off a small part of the dilapidated wall. I had never seen Swami like this.
“So you have come to treat me? How is it that you have not got anything with you then?” Swami thundered.
Happy that his treatment had not been completely opposed, Lakshmana quickly handed out a list of items to be procured to the family members.

A photo of Swami adorning the shrine of a devotee at Anatapur in 1944. 
Instantly, Swami began to rattle out a few Telugu words. My tiny fly-senses could not comprehend what He was saying but they were apparently items missing from the list that the occultist had given!
“What sort of a doctor are you? You do not know your own lists?”

The occultist slunk away silently and Swami went back to His corner. I wondered why He had treated the gentlemanly occultist with such fury when He had been so patient and sweet with the gruesome ogre who had tortured Him? There was no answer forthcoming and I decided to just accept this uncertainty of my Lord with faith.

{This is actually the second part of an ongoing time-travel. If you wish to enjoy it completely, please come here after reading the first part at:



The next few days became even more difficult! Swami suddenly had become so much more violent which was very uncharacteristic of His nature. I found it very hard to believe that God could be like this! How was I to accept such intense uncertainty? Even as I pondered thus, Swami turned and looked at me. His eyes were bloodshot and my wings trembled in terror. Instantly, He seemed to melt and spoke to Himself,
“Love my uncertainty.”
He then got up and walked out of the house.

Tuesday 23 December 2014

"Who am I" - A time travel to the least understood period of Sri Sathya Sai's life_Part 1

The reason behind visiting a painful past

The beautiful and handsome - Bala Sai. (Both adjectives are apt for, after all,
is He not the Shiva-Shakti?) 
I have always loved the concept of travelling back in time. The reason for that, I feel, is that we are able to look back at events that have happened with the wisdom that we have retrospectively gained in the present! What might have seemed like a great tragedy in the past has great lessons for us in the future. At the same time, what seemed like a great blessing in the past, could turn out to be a tragedy in the future. That is why, visiting the past with retrospective wisdom is indeed a wonderful thing.


Today, if someone were to ask me as to which point in time in the 20th century I would like to travel back to, I would choose that point in time during which the second world war happened. It might seem like a crazy thing. But, the second world war can be considered as a watershed of sorts in the history of mankind. The second World War in general, and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in particular, made the world and realise the futility and grave danger that a world war posed to entire humanity. That is what led to the formation of the United Nations organisation and lead to a strong resolve among the leaders of all countries that they would never indulge in a war like that again. More then five decades after that world war, humanity seems to have forgotten the lessons of that war. Little pockets of violence and war have erupted all around the globe. That is why, do a painful, it would be a good idea to travel back in time to witness the Second World War. When the wisdom of the past pain is forgotten, one might have to revisit that pain in order to gain the lost wisdom. Witnessing that war again, the wisdom about the futility of war and the importance of peace is sure to dawn upon all of us.

Often the wisdom of peace is actually gifted by the horrors of a war
When it comes to the life of my Lord, my master, my best friend, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba too, I make use of the same logic. If given the choice of turning the dials on the Time Machine to revisit his story, I would choose the same years as those of the second world war- the early 1940s. These were probably the most painful times of the avatar's life. A little reminder here-when I say painful, it is not necessarily painful for the avatar, but it is definitely painful for the devotee. However, it becomes necessary to revisit that painful period, because as devotees we seem to have forgotten the great lessons and insights that our Swami give us through that episode. With that warning I now turn the dials of my time machine as I transform myself into a little fly at Puttaparthi. I have chosen to be a fly in keeping with the fly-on-the-wall approach that I would wish to adopt in narrating the happenings that I witness in the past.The dial shows the March of 1943 and here I go.


Whirrrrr...... Swooooooooshhhhhh...... Blip...


Decision to meet a miracle-worker


Having witnessed the fascinating sequence of events at Uravakonda, (if you have come here directly, you should read that part here:

I was eager to see how much longer will the world remain blind to the reality of my Lord. It was late in the evening and, at a distance, I saw a bullock cart trudging it's way back to the village. The occupants of the cart seemed very concerned and sad. I buzzed up to the cart and, in an instant, I knew the cause for their sorrow. Surrounded by the peering faces was the serene and absolutely still frame of little Sathyam, my dear Swami. Oh my god! Had He still not ‘recovered’?

Thursday 3 April 2014

Time-travel to the days of declaration of Avatarhood of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba - Part 6

The rock in the garden in Anjaneyulu's house compound in Uravakonda which today has got immortalized in His-Story
Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam


Into the bungalow He entered like an emperor walking into his palace. He went straight to the newly born baby girl at home. Anjaneyulu and his wife came rushing to Swami. Swami picked up the baby and, looking at her, said,
“You too fell in the Maya Sai Prabha!” (I got to know later that the girl had been born on the 21st of September, 1943 and the naming ceremony had not yet been performed.)

Sai Prabha as a 55-year old. She was probably the first child to be named by Swami. 
courtesy: Love is My Form

Then, He looked at the lady of the house and asked,
“Where is the boy?”
“Sathyam, Dasu has not yet come from school...”
Obviously, she was speaking of Narasimha Dass with whom Swami had left for school in the morning.
“No! Where is your boy?”
I shared the lady’s bewildered look.
“What is the matter dear child Sathyam?” It was Anjaneyulu this time.
“I am not your Sathyam. I am Baba. I have come for Vishwa Shanti (World peace/welfare).”
He then walked out of the house, into the garden.


The rock on which Swami sat to deliver His first message to mankind has today been made into a shrine
with a marble idol of little Sathyam and Shirdi Baba. 
I stopped dead in my flight (remember, I have travelled to the past as a fly!). The immense meaning of the declaration had not hit me but still I felt a thrill travel down my wings. I was sure that something magnificent was about to happen now. Those vibes were unmistakable. It was akin to the moment just before Moses heard the ten commandments and Mohammed got the first revelation; just before Buddha received enlightenment and when Arjuna received the Bhagwad Gita.  All this while, it was only me, a fly having travelled in a time machine, who was buzzing around. Soon, the whole compound would be bustling with people and buzzing with excitement. Swami actions would ensure that the excitement was kept at a crescendo.


(The story so far has been absorbing because it has allowed us to witness those episodes in Swami’s childhood life, that very few are aware of and those which led up to this epochal moment. It is thus suggested that the reader move on to this sixth and final part, having read the previous five parts. However, if pressed for time, reading this last part alone too will suffice to generate the thrill and eagerness to read the previous parts!




He walked out of the house and into the garden. Anjaneyulu, who had definitely felt the same vibes, came running out. He went to his rock shrine on which was the clay idol of Shirdi Baba. He intuitively cleared it and spread a leopard-skin carpet over it. Swami went and sat on the rock, amidst the trees. Ah! How divine and majestic He looked! Did I see a halo around His head? He had definitely chosen this moment to reveal Himself and all of a sudden, there seemed to be a never-ending stream of people in the garden. In front of the crowd, Sri Sathyanarayana Raju erupted into a song.


Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam
Dusthara Bhava Sagara Tharanam.


(Meditate in thy mind on the Feet of the Guru. This can take you across the difficult sea of existence, birth after birth.)

A recording of Swami singing Manasa Bhajare


I wholeheartedly joined in the bhajan singing. The Parama Guhyam (greatest secret) thought to be accessible only to a select few was being doled out with love and compassion to anyone who was ready to lend even a curious ear! People started coming up to the rock with incense and camphor. They brought flowers in great abundance and offered it to Him. But He had come to collect grander flowers, the Hrudaya Pushpam (flower of the heart).


(In the Bhagwadgitha, Krishna has referred to "Pathram, Phalam, Pushpam, Thoyam" that is, leaf, fruit, flower or water that can be offered to God. I am pleased with any of these, provided it is offered with sincere devotion. What is 'pathram'? It is not the 'leaf' that you see around you. The inner meaning is that your body itself is the leaf. Flower is not the one in the plants but it is the flower of your heart, "Hridhaya Pushpam". 'Phalam' is not the ordinary fruit but 'Manophalam' (the fruit of your mind). 'Thoyam' means water but what is referred to here is not the water from the river or tap. It refers to the tears of joy welling up within you from a sincere and prayerful heart.


Soon, I saw Seshama arriving on the scene. He had a half-thrilled and half-shocked expression. He left in a hurry presumably to send a message to the parents to arrive to Uravakonda as soon as possible.


“Beep.... Beep... Beep....”


Oh my God! That must be the time machine beckoning to me. My time was over! But how? I remember that I had set the batteries on full charge to last at least a week. How could they have drained out so fast? The reason and realization slowly dawned on me. So lost had I been in the grand event of the Declaration that I had spent 3 full days in bhajans and worship in the ‘rock-garden’ at Anjaneyulu’s house! I looked at my Swami. He showed no signs of fatigue or hunger. From where did He get such strength and stamina without eating even a morsel? Did He derive energy directly from the elements?


Sri V.V.Ramulu, the photographer.
“You fool”, my heart corrected me, “it is not He who derived strength from the elements but the elements that derive their power from Him!”


As if to give proof of this, I saw a miracle of transmutation of elements right before my eyes before returning from the time travel. The instrument through whom the miracle occurred was a photographer, V.V.Ramulu. He had come to document the occasion that would give him a place in the His-Story books! He wanted to take a picture of the Guru and requested Swami to strike a pose. In His infinite love, Swami looked lovingly at the camera. There was an ugly stone that had somehow made its way in front of Swami. Ramulu asked Swami to push away that crude stone.
Swami smiled and told him to go ahead with taking the picture. I was not present to see Ramulu developing and processing the negatives but the Sathyam Shivam Sundaram (the official biography) records that when the picture was made, the crude stone had transformed into an idol of Shirdi Baba!


The photo taken by Ramulu. The 'crude stone' was transformed into an idol of Shirdi Baba when the negative
was developed. 
My life is my message


As I returned to my day and age, I realized with tears in my eyes that Swami had declared His mission in such a profound manner - to show humanity that God exists in everything, even a crude stone! That was the underlying message in everything that He did those 3 days in the garden. I had witnessed amazing scenes. His classmates wept when they heard that Sathya would no longer attend school, that He was much beyond their reach, that His company was hereafter only for those upon whom He showered His Grace. Many came to the garden with incense and camphor to worship Him. Some came to sympathize with the family, some to congratulate them. Some came to learn, and some, alas, even to laugh! But Swami’s message had been the same - to inspire mankind to see the common thread of divinity that runs through all. And that remains His message throughout. Even in the final act of benediction, the Namaskar through which He saluted all seated in Sai Kulwant Hall, He seemed to exude the same message - Divinity pervades everyone and everything.





And today, as I sat at that rock, I had goosebumps erupting on my being. Some unknown rock in the garden of a person living in far-flung Uravakonda has today become a shrine!


Just sitting in this temple, at the rock is such an elevating experiences. We sang that memorable and unforgettable bhajan, Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam, and it felt so very special.  I had tears flow down my eyes as I narrated this beautiful story of how Swami declared the Avatarhood to my family. It was then and there that I decided to narrate this story to my extended family across the globe too so that they too would enjoy the bliss that I was enjoying.


I was unable to stop the flow of my tears.
“This was where it all began... the rock which deserves my gratitude because I would not be what I am today in any sense had it not been for that Beginning.”
I placed my forehead on that rock. I could feel a surge of strength and love course through my entire being. I recollected how Mother Easwaramma had come running to Uravakonda at the end of those three days of prayer and bhajans. Swami had said
“Here comes Maya”, on seeing her. She told Swami,


“We are in Maya. We are Maya. But you are free from Maya. And we will not interfere, we will not argue. You can be whatever you are... but... not in the Himalayas, not in the caves and hills, far away from us. Give me your word that you will remain at Puttaparthi. Let your devotees come there. We will welcome them, gladly, and treat them kindly.”


Swami had agreed. He said,
“I have chosen Puttaparthi as my kshetra (field of action). The boon is granted not to you, but to the village, nay the world itself. I shall leave this place and come to Puttaparthi on Thursday.”


As I returned to Puttaparthi in the space-vehicles, the two cars, I was filled with memories and thoughts galore.


A special experience of reliving History at the historic boulder at Uravakonda.
The power of Kshetra


Water is available anywhere on the face of the earth for those that dig deep. However, it is always easy to obtain the same from a lake or river nearby. That is my take on the magnificence and thrill of visiting these holy spots or Kshetras. The inspiration that one derives by actually being in these His-Storical spots has to be experienced. The effect is magical because, all said and done, though we are all embodiments of Divinity, I still cling on to my ‘human’ self. And my human self is heavily influenced by my mind and senses. So, when I actually see, touch, smell, feel and perceive that grand Rock, the influence on my self is mesmerising.


With one hand on the rock and the other on my heart, I prayed,
“Swami, just like you transformed this rock into your throne, make my rock-like heart also your throne. Be seated there always and teach me the ultimate message of Surrender. And as you said, let me achieve that by fixing my mind on the lotus feet of my Guru!”


I then bent low and embraced the rock close to my heart. Copious tears of joy welled down my cheeks. I was lost in thoughts of Swami and Swami alone. My heart was pounding in love for Him. That is when I realized, that without the slightest effort, I had actually offered all the four - Phalam, Pushpam, Patram and Toyam - to Him.

Ah! That is the power of the Kshetra, the place sanctified by the Avatar. What otherwise seems very difficult to achieve becomes easy by His grace that pours from the Kshetra. If you don’t believe me, make a visit to the place and see for yourselves. After all, it is just a 2-hours drive from Puttaparthi!


"Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam, Dusthara Bhava Sagara Tharanam"
The serene sanctum is a tremendous source of inspiration.

For all readers:



(If you enjoyed this and wish to subscribe to this blog, please go to the right hand side and choose the last 'box' which says subscribe. Also explore the 50-odd 'previous articles' listed month-wise on the top right here. Another blog which I maintain with more than 230 articles on it is at http://aravindb1982.hubpages.com. If you wish to be added to my mailing list, please email me via this page with the subject "ADD ME TO MAILING LIST".

Monday 17 March 2014

Time-travel to the days of declaration of Avatarhood of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba - Part 2

The renovated Sun-temple and Shiva-temple complex at Budagavi as it stands in 2014. The Shiva lingam in the sanctum
is presented as the inset. One can reach this place within 5 minutes of travelling along the Uravakonda-Bellary
road. This is where Sathya was on Shivarathri in 1943. 

Sathya looked up to His sister but did not speak anything. He just was clenching His teeth and clutching His foot.
“Oh my God! A scorpion stung you?” she exclaimed, rushing to help Him.
Again, He spoke nothing and slowly limped out of the bathroom. If a scorpion had stung Him, it must be pretty painful I thought.

(What you are reading now is the second part of this memorable time-travel series. If you have not read part 1, please do that first. The first part is located at the link below.

Time-travel to the days of declaration of Avatarhood of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba - Part 1)


It was a known fact that the Uravakonda region abounded in poisonous creatures - mainly scorpions and snakes. The place had actually been called Uragakonda. Uraga means snake while Konda means hill. Apart from being a home to snakes and scorpions, Uravakonda also had a huge hill right in the middle of the town. The hill is shaped like the hood of a cobra ready to strike. No wonder that the town was called Uragakonda due to these two reasons. Later, the name was modified to Uravakonda. The picture of the snake-hood hill has come to represent Uravakonda today. I am a decently big and powerful fly and yet, I found it hard to go around this hill! You can only imagine the proportions of this hill.


The magnificent hill at Uravakonda as seen from the grounds of the Karibasavaswami District Board
High School 
Coming back to the story, right now, I was keen to locate the scorpion that had stung my Lord. Maybe I could knock some sense into him/her about foolishly harming his/her creator. But to my surprise, there was no scorpion there at all! Then what had happened? As I was buzzing out of the bathroom, I saw Venkamma rushing in with a lantern. She too wanted to find the scorpion.
“There is nothing in there”, I screamed but my buzz fell on deaf ears.


Sathya was seated on the floor mat. Even in the darkness, there was a kind of serenity exuding from His face. Soon, Venkamma came to Him and asked,
“Is it painful? Are you experiencing a burning sensation in your leg?”
“I am absolutely fine. You please go to sleep and don’t worry.”
With that, Sathya calmed down His sister and all went to sleep. Everything seemed to return to normal and the ‘scorpion bite’ seemed like a minor aberration in an otherwise peaceful and well-spent Shivarathri day.

The next morning however, was one that would change history forever. Venkamma was the first to observe that Sathya’s lips and hands were quivering oddly. Something was definitely wrong and it was not be long before Seshamma Raju observed it when he gave Him the list of vegetables to be bought. But, Swami, as was His routine, took the bags and left to fetch vegetables from the market nearby after fetching water for the house. The vegetable shopping was His weekly schedule unlike the water-fetching which He did on a daily basis visiting the Gilakala Bhavi to get usage-water and the Bungalow Bhavi (3 km away) to get drinking-water.
When Sathya returned, He had in his bag a lot of brinjals (aubergines) and sweet potatoes. Apparently, these two were vegetables He relished I thought. ( A time travel into the future would reveal that He often called the humble brinjal as one that will ‘bring joy to all’! )


The elder brother, Seshamma, had chosen to ignore anything that he had seen in the morning. He had some work. Before leaving, he advised his sister Venkamma,
“Let Sathyam (that was how Sathya was referred to) have only some rice and rasam (South Indian soup).”
I saw the sister nod in strict obedience. I also saw her secretly keep aside some of the brinjal dish for the little brother who loved that vegetable. However, Sathya told her that He would be going to the nearby Sunkulamma (village deity) shrine. I saw that there were a few drops of the brinjal dish that had fallen on the floor. I could not resist going there and tasting it myself. I wondered what it was that my Lord saw in this humble vegetable. I buzzed now, escaping the swatting hand of Venkamma, to the tasty drops.


Swami's house as it stands today (March 2014). Bike parked in front of it to give an estimate of size.
The first signs


Soon, I had my fill. I knew that Sathya had gone to the Sunkulamma shrine but I did not know where the shrine was located. It must have been very far I thought because my Swami did not return home till late in the evening. I could see that the sister was quite worried because Sathya had not eaten anything the whole day. So, when He returned, she rushed to Him to see if all was well. She arranged a wooden plank for Him to sit on and served the food in a plate. However, Swami seemed so lost and different. I ventured as close to Him as possible. Even though I buzzed near His ear, He did not make the slightest movement.


Seeing that He was not partaking food, Venkamma sat beside Him. She physically took His right hand, put it in the plate and asked Him to eat. There was still no response. Now, she caught His hand, raising it to His mouth and said,
“Eat Sathyam! Please eat something...”
And then, it happened! It was so sudden and quick.


Swami just fell to the floor with a dull thud! The scream that Venkamma let out almost tore my wings apart. Seshamma Raju came running to the outer room. He immediately sent for a doctor. In the meanwhile, the neighbors had started streaming into the house. Things were happening very fast and I was in a state of utter shock. Some people splashed cold water on His face while a few others burnt an old newspaper and held the smoke to His nose. All their efforts to revive Him were in vain! Presently, a doctor arrived on the scene. This man, Seshamma Raju, was quite influential I felt to have summoned a doctor so quick.


(Above) Seshamma Raju's house in Uravakonda in the 1980s. (Below) The same house as it
stands today. The roof is completely gone. The 3 rooms can be seen from the separating walls.
The house is literally like 3 small bogies of a train. 
The doctor checked and rechecked but could find nothing wrong with the boy. He gave several injections, four to be precise, in the hope of reviving Him but nothing happened. A revered elder whom everyone referred to as Murthy garu (From later conversations I gathered that his name was Kasibatla Sriram Murthy), rose and suggested that my Swami be taken to a hospital. Seshamma Raju said nothing doing and sent summons to the parents in Puttaparthi.


I suddenly noticed Swami’s eyelids were stirring. My heart leapt in joy and I buzzed hard around people’s ears with the hope that they would notice. They had already noticed and were shaking Him up! Within a few moments however, without saying a word, their Sathya relapsed into unconsciousness. After this, He seemed to wake up a few more times but he went back to unconsciousness soon after. It was almost night now and someone suggested a remedy based on faith.
“Let us make an offering to our goddess Sunkulamma to revive Sathya.”
“Good idea”, everyone agreed and a group of people left with a coconut.


By now, I had flown to a crevice in the floor close to my Swami. I wanted to be by His side in this apparent time of crisis. A few minutes later, He stirred, opened His eyes and said,
“The coconut has broken into three.”
I wondered what that was all about but understood it in a minute as the group that had gone to the Sunkulamma shrine returned. They reported that ‘surprisingly’, when they broke the coconut in offering to the goddess, it had broken into three pieces.


I looked up at the supine Swami with awe and amazement. So, this was another of His many leelas. He may appear ill, unconscious, comatose or even gone but He is ever-aware in all periods of time. It would be sheer ignorance to think otherwise.


The Sunkulamma shrine has also been modified and renovated today. However, the deity within remains
the same. Legend is that the deity is a Swayambhu (formed naturally). 

Stage 2 towards declaration


I don’t know when I dozed off. It was late in the night when I was awakened by another awe-inspiring episode. As Kasibatla Sriram Murthy garu sat beside the comatose Sathya and kept praying for His welfare, Sathya stirred. He turned and held Murthy’s wrist. He was startled as the little boy said,
“Don’t worry! Sai Baba will take care.”
So the ‘Sai Baba’ name had been unleashed already. Murthy did not understand anything but was convinced for sure that his neighbor boy was no ordinary one.


The next day morning would witness new developments. My Swami apparently had decided to cast away His ‘unconsciousness’ episodes. He ‘woke’ up and sat up. Without a warning, He began to recite Telugu poems of great literary excellence. Seshamma Raju, being a Telugu teacher himself, was probably the most qualified person there to judge the quality of Sathya’s poetry. I saw that he had an absolutely stupefied look on his face. Though some of the poems were from highly regarded, well-known texts, many of them were original creations and Seshamma seemed to wonder when and where did the little boy acquire such knowledge? Ah! Does the fountain of all wisdom and knowledge in the universe need to ‘learn’ any time?


He decided to summon a few of his students to personally rush to Puttaparthi and fetch the parents. He had already sent two telegrams but he felt that more action was necessary. I decided that come what may, I would stay with my Swami. I was sure that all this was just another leela and did not want to miss a moment of it. My Swami ‘summoned’ Seshamma Raju.This was surprising apparently because till that day, Sathya had been highly respectful of his elder brother. Now, He was treating him as an equal.


Ah! The beauty of the Divine actions! He always treats everyone as an ‘equal’ for that is the only ‘mission’ of His earthly sojourn - to teach each one that he/she is no different from God. I don’t think Seshamma Raju understood this that day. However, he could not ignore the ‘summons’. Swami said,
“There is no need to send anyone. Grihamammayi (the girl of the house) and Grihamabbayi (the boy of the house) are already here, at the bus station. They do not know the way to this house. Go there and fetch them.”
Was I thrilled to hear this!


Sister Venkamma's diary notes - "When in Uravakonda, he was bitten by a scorpion and he fell unconscious. My brother sent two telegrams to our parents. They had not come. So, my brother called two students. explained the route to them and decided to send them to Puttaparthi..."
Seshamma could not not help but obey his ‘little brother’. By now, many people began to gather again at the house. Suddenly, a loud beeping sound was heard. I was startled and flew out my crevice. Nobody else seemed to be hearing this and I wondered whether I, a fly, had an antenna better than the human ear. I realized that it was my time-machine beeping. I soon would have to return to my ‘time zone’. The beeper was an indicator that I had one hour left. Oh! How time flies even for flies when with God?

Final episode witnessed before take-off


I settled back into the crevice. Seshamma Raju arrived home with the parents. The mother, Easwaramma, rushed into the house and hugged her baby boy. Swami just smiled and greeted her with an outpouring of what I got to know later as Vedantic philosophy. He went on this way for a while and then just collapsed to the ground exhausted.


The mother’s heart could not bear this. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she began to cry without any inhibitions. This was a new emotion that had been introduced to the room which had been filled with surprise, shock, fear, awe and wonder. Soon, several others too began lamenting what had been happening. I too could not help crying. A fly has no tear glands but it sure has feelings. At least I had. I felt very sad suddenly. The foolish thought that ‘something has happened to Sathya’ filled me too.


Amidst these tears, Sathya suddenly got up. He said aloud,
“Call that Narayan Shastri. He is misinterpreting the Bhagawatham.”
The tears dried up and sorrow was once again replaced by shock. There were murmurs all around. I gathered that this ‘Narayan Shastri’ was some well-known figure here. Curiosity overcame me and for the first time, I flew out along with Pedda Venkamma Raju, the father who exited the house towards Narayan Shastri’s house. I buzzed by his side. The house lay between Seshamma’s house and the Subramanya temple.


The house of Sri Narayana Shastri still stands at Uravakonda. 


Narayan Shastri, possibly the first scholar
to recognize Sathya as Swami. 
Turns out that Narayan Shastri is indeed a scholar and he is actually discoursing on a part of the Bhagawatham, the 11th canto named Hamsa Gita (also called Uddhava Gita). The father was almost shivering in fear as he conveyed what his son had told him to. Narayan Shastri flwe in a rage at being rudely interrupted at the whim of a chit of a boy.
“What on earth does he know of the Hamsa Gita?” he roared.
“FYI, He is the one who narrated it and gifted it to mankind”, I screamed but nobody heard my buzz.
“Please sir. I am also confused”, the father said with folded hands, “and I would be grateful if you come along and knock some sense into his head.”
“Definitely! That arrogant urchin needs to be taught a lesson.”


I had to buzz back in double the speed to keep up with the Shastri. He entered the house and at the very sight of the ‘scholar’, Swami began to expound complex verses, dilating on them with simple and lucid explanations. Apparently, they were all from the Hamsa Gita because Narayan Shastri was down on his knees now. He then bent and prostrated to Sathya as everyone watched in bated breath. He said,
“You are not an ordinary soul. You are a Great One and it is my privilege to have been summoned to your presence.”


This was beyond the understanding of the people all around.
“Not only is Sathya out of his mind, he seems to be infecting those that come close to him as well!”
“The scorpion bit has caused not only physical damage but also mental and psychological damages.”
“We need a doctor... a healer to help Sathya.”


These were the voices going around the house and I felt so bad for Swami. Could the people not realize that Swami was in no need of a doctor? He was, in fact, the Divine Doctor who had descended to the level of man to heal man of worldly diseases and ensure that he ascended to the level of God! And this was because man, in his greed, selfishness and ego had totally lost his mind and was infecting anyone and everyone who comes into his ambit.


But what a mere fly could understand, man couldn’t. Is it any surprise that Swami exhorts that man is becoming worse than an animal?


The general consensus in the room was to ‘cure’ Sathya. I knew that this would be a very painful period. And that is why I did not mind when the beeper indicating my return to my time-zone became persistent.


Whirrrrr...... Swooooooooshhhhhh...... Blip...


I looked at the humble dwelling that had witnessed so much of His-story. I bowed and applied the holy dust to my forehead. I vowed that I would come here again and again to derive inspiration and become a part of His story. After all, the house is just a 3-hour drive from Puttaparthi! With that, I turned to the greatest wonder that Uravakonda had to offer - the Sai Baba Gundu or the Sai Baba Rock. This was the rock that my Swami chose as His first throne when He guided man back on to the eternal highway to God, singing the bhajan - Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam.

For that, I shall use my time machine again.... very soon...


continued in a new article whose link is given below: Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's life episodes at Uravakonda - a time travel Part 1


For all readers:


(If you enjoyed this and wish to subscribe to this blog, please go to the right hand side and choose the last 'box' which says subscribe. Also explore the 40-odd 'previous articles' listed month-wise on the top right here. Another blog which I maintain with more than 225 articles on it is at http://aravindb1982.hubpages.com. If you wish to be added to my mailing list, please email me via this page with the subject "ADD ME TO MAILING LIST".

Who Is Sathya Sai Baba?

"Who is Mr.Swami?" An interesting thing happened some years ago. As I was furiously plodding away at the keyboard, reliving my bea...