Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has been extremely kind and loving in giving me the chance of being a student in His Institute (and hopefully for life too). I would like to share personal experiences with Swami and thoughts that He has inspired via many episodes through this blog.
Everyone faces criticism. Even the Gods themselves are not spared of criticism. But then, how one faces the criticism determines what one becomes.That’s what the popular story of a donkey that fell in the well tells us. When the donkey fell in the well, it brayed out loud. To ‘bury’ the irritating sound, everyone came and threw mud into the well. The donkey however kept shrugging off the dirt from its body and did not allow itself to get buried under it. Finally, it made use of the mound of mud which had collected in the well to actually get out of the well! Criticism can be used constructively! In fact, ‘constructive criticism’ actually depends on the attitude of the one being criticised and not on the attitude of the one criticising.
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Swami as He is reverentially and endearingly called) says,
“Let us say somebody has criticized you. You get angry/upset. When you get angry/upset, do not react immediately. Think to yourself,
‘Do I have in me the defects that have been pointed out by them? If in case, those defects are there in me, then, is it not my mistake to get angry/upset with them? However, if the blemishes pointed out by them are not present in me, then why should I get angry/upset with them?’
If you thus give an opportunity for such an enquiry and spend time in introspection, your anger will subside.” (From public discourse on 24th May 1992)
Swami, in that same discourse, gives a personal example to make it clear.
“When people call Me Buttatala Sai Baba (Sai Baba with a basket-like head), it may seem insulting. But, I do have a basket-like head! Therefore, I must accept this is true. But if they call Me Pattatala Sai Baba (Sai Baba with a bald head), then this is not true; so why I should I accept it? Therefore, if blemishes that are not there in me are mentioned right in front of me, even then I will not accept it. That is the right kind of determination. You must have self-confidence.”
Extrapolating the same logic, if the criticism is only partially true, one can accept (and correct if necessary) that part alone, letting go of the rest.
In a public discourse during the annual Summer Course in Indian Culture and Spirituality held at Bangalore in 1990, Swami said,
“Saint Tukaram had good feelings and so, he gave a favourable interpretation to even the rude and negative behaviour of his wife. His senses did not stand in the way of his spiritual progress and equanimity, despite trying circumstances in his family. Likewise, Sant Kabir was always engaged in remembrance of God. So his wife’s behaviour was harmonious and conducive to his spiritual advancement, Einstein, too, had the quality of equanimity in him and was therefore not at all upset by the boisterous behaviour of his wife. From all these instances, it is evident that what you need to do is to harmonise your own thoughts and feelings through proper sadhana (spiritual discipline), rather than blame the environment or other persons for your shortcomings.”
Well, that sums it all up and highlights the truth that whether criticism is constructive or destructive depends on the attitude and sadhana of the one facing criticism.
A special case: Criticism of one’s Guru
For many Sai-devotees (and I presume it is the case for devotees/followers of other Gurus/Masters as well), there is one criticism that is hard to overcome - the criticism of one’s Master/Guru/God/Religion. I remember how my blood has boiled whenever I have read heavily concocted and hastily written articles on my Swami by half-baked journalists whose sole goal seems to be capturing eyeballs at any cost. There are also some people on the internet (I will not name them and pollute my blog or the readers’ minds) who make ad-money and build a reputation for themselves by specifically targeting Swami using hook or crook (mostly crook). They doctor images, quote media out of context and spit venom camouflaging it as scientific journalism. And I get angry and upset. I can possibly learn to stand criticism when it concerns me but when a being that I have personally experienced for two decades to be an epitome of love, sacrifice and selflessness is unfairly criticised, righteous anger wells up within. It is almost like I am unable to bear it if someone unfairly abuses my father or mother! What should I do then?
Prof. Nanjundaiah’s experience with Swami regarding this is very enlightening and liberating.
Fluctuating fortunes It was the summer of 2002. Like some of the special summers before that, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba had decided to conduct the Summer Course in Indian Culture and Spirituality. The venue, as in most cases, was the Whitefield Ashram in Bangalore. It turned out to be a most unforgettable one for me because of an experience it gifted me. Swami used that period to teach me a powerful lesson about Karma and the way Guru/God deals with it.
For those that are unaware of what a Summer Course with Sri Sathya Sai Baba is, here is a brief description. It had started off as a study of the Indian scriptures and value systems for a period of 15-20 days for the youth from various parts of India. Swami would take active interest in it and would address the students on a daily basis. The students were also blessed to hear talks by many scholars and erudite speakers. As years passed by, attending a Summer Course was made a special privilege of only the students studying in the various educational institutions started by Swami. The format and schedule remained the same.
It was the 26th of May, 2002 to be precise. The Buddha Poornima celebrations overlapped with the concluding days of the Summer Course that year. The programme was by devotees from Nepal who had filled the Brindavan Ashram.I was part of the audio team that controls and takes care of the sound system during the programmes in Sai Ramesh Hall. As part of my duty, I was seated right in the front of the hall, walkie-talkie in hand, with the bhajan group. I had to give real-time updates and feedback about the microphone volumes to the team. I also was assigned another job. This was a time when Swami had suffered a fall and had difficulty walking up the stairs. As a result, two lifts had been erected - one on the ladies’ side and one on the gents’ side - for Swami to move up and down.
Those were the days when Swami, at times, would come for Darshan in the golf-car and return by walk...Some days, He chose to walk both ways...
I was told that if Swami used the lift on the gents’ side of the hall to go up the stage, I should send the ladies’ side lift also up, so that both lifts are available for Swami in case He wishes to descend. It had to be done manually as this synchronicity of the lifts had not yet been automated. Swami, on that day, completed His darshan rounds and moved up the lift from the ladies’ side. The lift on the gents’ side stayed down. Over the walkie-talkie I got an instruction, “Move to the gents’ side and raise the lift up.”
I was in a dilemma because, as Swami sat on the dais, I was right in front of Him. I also had my Nikon SLR camera in hand. Would it not be conspicuous if I got up and went over to the lift? Would not Swami get upset at my ‘indiscipline’ of moving about during a programme?
Even as I was lost in thoughts, I got another message, “The warden is here. He says that you better go and raise the lift up. Otherwise, in case Swami wants to go down the gents’ side, He will be made to wait.” Now, the warden of our hostel in Brindavan also happened to be sort of an administrative head of the Brindavan Ashram. He was considered as Swami’s ‘right hand’ to execute various activities. If he was saying, I better do it, I thought. (That is a fatal mistake. To allow anyone, however high or powerful he might be, to come between you and your Guru/God). So, I just got up and walked to the lift. I pressed the green button that took the lift up.
Immediately, I felt a hand pull me down. It was a teacher and he seemed upset. He said, “You fool! Why did you get up and move? Swami was going on seeing you. He does not like such indiscipline. Now, just sit here and don’t do anything foolish.” I sat down at the lift, a little scared about facing Swami’s ‘irritation’. But my attention was on my Nikon 801s camera that was on the floor, right in front of Swami. The bhajans were on and everyone were singing out loud. The Buddhist devotees sitting there were lost in the ecstasy of devotion and I was worried. One swipe of an excited limb and my camera would be history! I sat with bated breath, waiting for the programme to conclude.
One of the few pictures I took before I went over to the lift on the gents' side of Sai Ramesh Hall.
About half an hour later, Swami gently rose and received Aarthi. Then, He again moved towards the lift on the ladies’ side. As He moved down, in accordance to the policy, I lowered the lift on the gents’ side also. Swami began to walk in the opposite direction towards the ladies’ side exit of the hall. At this time, I got up and rushed back to my placein order to safeguard the camera. And then, it happened...
Padmanabhan driving a unique vehicle during darshan. This epitomises his life with Swami. Though he was His driver, it was always Swami in the front seat and him in the backseat.
Wedded for life
Swami had brought up the topic of Padmanabhan’s wedding in June 1994. October had already arrived but Swami had not yet given a date for the wedding. The months of grappling with uncertainty had given way to a kind of resigned serenity in Padmanabhan. He had stopped fretting and was accepting Swami’s ‘vagaries’ as they came about. That is when he made an interesting discovery. When he was amenable to Swami’s ‘vagaries’, those very same vagaries seemed to fade away!
In fact, Swami had told him with complete confirmation to hold the wedding in Kerala. Now, as his mother and brother pestered him for a date, he told them that he would inform them as soon as Swami gave one to him. Just a few days before the wedding, Swami gave him a date - the 24th of October. Padmanabhan accepted it with humility and conveyed it home. A new debate cropped up,
“Wouldn’t it be better to have the wedding on 23rd October?”
“Swami said that it should be 24th October”, Padmanabhan replied.
“23rd is advantageous on two counts. It is an auspicious day based on the Panchangam. It is also a Sunday which makes it easier for all friends and relatives to attend the wedding...”
Padmanabhan, who was totally in sync with Swami’s words, replied,
“If it is inauspicious, I am the one affected right. I have no problem with it. And if people are unable to come, I still don’t bother. What matters is that we follow what Swami says.”
His was the final word and the wedding was fixed for 24th October. Padmanabhan informed Swami that he would be leaving for Kerala as per His command. Swami called him in and blessed him. He gave him enough money to cover most of the expenses of the wedding. He also blessed him with the jewellery and Mangalsutra which he would have to gift his wife. Padmanabhan was in tears. Swami had told him that he would take care of everything, of course. But here, He was taking care of him more than a parent; more than a close friend; more than what he would himself do for him! With gratitude oozing from the heart, Padmanabhan left for Kerala.
A gentle rainfall in India is considered auspicious. What happened in Kerala on 23rd October was something drastic. Possibly it was an ‘over-auspicious’ day and the fury with which the rains lashed out was unbelievable. Everyone was thankful that the wedding had not been fixed for that day because it would have meant a severe ‘washing away’ of many well-laid plans. In
It took about 4 hours for Padmanabhan to drive from Bangalore to Puttaparthi through the narrow winding roads which meandered through many villages along the way. Who would have thought that a tar road would be connecting Bangalore with a tiny hamlet in Andhra Pradesh?
“Today, the Asian Highway 43, the National Highway 7 and a State Highway form the series of roads connecting these two places. I never thought it would become like this then!” says Padmanabhan with a smile of amazement.
The client had a day’s work to accomplish in Puttaparthi and Padmanabhan spent the night in the car itself. The next morning, even as he was going for his ablutions, the client rushed to him,
“We need to get back to Whitefield as soon as possible. I wish to be there in time for darshan!”
In a hurry, Padmanabhan got the car started and began th journey back towards Whitefield. It was literally ‘godspeed’ for them because they were speeding to be in time to see God!
{This is the second part of Padmanabhan's story. In case you have arrived directly here, it is recommended that you read the first part first! That is at the link below:
The car neared the Brindavan ashram and all the signs outside indicated that Bhagawan Baba had come out to grant darshan.
“Yes! Stop right here”, said the client as he got off from the car and rushed in to have darshan. Padmanabhan too was desirous of having darshan but he had not bathed and washed for nearly 24 hours. He thought for a moment and decided that the ablutions could wait. He parked the car nearby and rushed under the welcoming shade of the Sai Ram shed. Even as he sat in the last line, possibly the tenth one, in the gents’ section, Swami had neared the gents’ side of the tree having completed the ladies’ side. He seemed to hurry towards where Padmanabhan was seated and began to look at him from a distance of more than 20 feet. Padmanabhan could feel a tingling sensation inside him. He just sat down when Swami raised His finger and told him,
“Go”.
Padmanabhan feels that his spiritual growth has been complete in Swami's presence, though not in the way he thought. Every delay and even denial from Swami only got him closer to Swami and helped him evolve spiritually.
23rd March 1992 is a day embedded in Padmanabhan’s memory for ever because it is possibly the only day he had gone for darshan without any of his ablutions in day-old clothes and Swami picked him straight for an interview! The joy was heightened because this gift was totally unexpected. Expectation is such a terrible thing - it makes you morose if not fulfilled and feels normal if fulfilled. On the other hand, living each moment with no expectation is divine - it never makes you morose but adds extra joy when you are gifted something! Padmanabhan walked towards the interview room with a spring in his step.
It is no mean achievement to be the Sarathi to the Sanathana Sarathi!
Duty is God; Work is Worship
A man walking briskly with purposeful steps, dressed in a white shirt and a white pant, is not such a rare sight in Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi. Most of the men here are dressed in whites and all the people here have come here on a purpose! (Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, our dear Swami, emphasizes that unless it is willed by Him, one cannot come to Prasanthi Nilayam.)
Imagine you walk up to one such man dressed in whites and greet him,
“Hello”
And he replies with,
“Sairam, yes.?”
“Could you help me find the Sathya Sai Bhakta Nivas accommodation hall?”
“Sure! I am headed to work and the hall comes along the way. I can guide you there. Do you need help to carry your bags?”
“I am fine with the bags. Thank you for showing me to the hall.”
And you both walk along.
“Actually, there are two battery-operated vehicle service, named ‘Sai Sevak’, to transport devotees with luggage from the gate to the accommodation hall...”
“Oh I see,” you are surprised, “that is a nice development.
You reach your destination and the man begins to retrace his steps.
“Excuse me, can I know where you work?”
Pointing to a big shed nearby, he says,
“Over there - at the Tractor Shed.”
“Tractor shed? You...”
“I am a driver.”
The general response to such a revelation is not something out-of-the-world. I mean, the response will lack the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ that a revelation of him being an active scientist in the country’s missile program would evoke. It will also lack the admiration and possible envy that a revelation of him being the CEO of some firm would elicit. A driver is not someone you admire, envy or look up to in awe! But imagine that you ask him,
“Who are you? And what car do you drive?”
His answer will blow your mind away.
“I am Padmanabhan. I drove Swami’s cars for 18 years. I now maintain all of them!”
Now imagine your response! Most probably, your hands would fold in salutation and you would exclaim,
“Sai Ram!! The Lord’s driver!! OMG! How lucky I am to meet you...”
That exclamation is what happens when one does one’s work for God! It is the difference between spirituality as we understand it and actual spirituality which is doing one’s duty and daily work as a service to God. And the life of Sri.P.V.Padmanabhan has been one long saga of transforming work into worship. The story of how he came to Swami, how he became Swami’s chauffeur and how he learned what is truly meant by Spirituality, is indeed a nectarous one, another leaf in the gigantic banyan tree of the Sai Bhagawatham.
Introduction to Sri Sathya Sai
Padmanabhan obtained a Diploma in Automobile Engineering which, in combination with some support from his uncle, got him a job as vehicle mechanic in the Indian Air Force base at Assam (there were more than 300 jeeps and other vehicles to maintain). The teenager worked hard and in all sincerity, expanding his skill-set and knowledge base. His hard work paid off when, as a 20-year old, he got a contract job in Baghdad. For more than two years from 1981 to 1983, Padmanabhan maintained his clients’ cars as a well-paid auto mechanic. Reports of his good work reached the neighbouring Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and he won a contract there to manage and maintain several cars. Thus, the 3 years from 1983 to 1986 were spent in the strictly Islamic country.
“Hey! Just a minute. What was the need to mention ‘strictly Islamic country’? Please keep religion out of your narratives.”
Someone might be tempted to tell me thus.
Well, the reason I mention that term is because it was in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that Padmanabhan came to know of Swami! Imagine that - getting to know of God in human form in a country where it is a sin (punishable by incarceration and possibly even death) to indulge in any kind of idolatry! It happened via his friend Venugopal with whom Padmanabhan spent many hours chatting as he was also a Malyali like him. (Padmanabhan hails from Kuttiyady in Calicut.)
The students in the final year postgraduate class in the Prasanthi Nilayam campus of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) were an excited lot. The day was going to be a very special and memorable one for them. The 16th of March in 2009 had been chosen by destiny for them to express their feelings towards their Chancellor and their Swami, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The ‘Gratitude Programme’ had become an annual opportunity wherein every batch which was passing out (School students from Grade 12, 3rd year Undergraduates and 2nd year Postgraduates) would, via skits, songs and speaking, convey their gratitude to Swami. On His part, Swami would often make this into the most memorable session for all the students. It was therefore natural that Siddhartha’s heart was bursting at the seams with excitement.
However, mixed with that excitement was also a tinge of nervousness regarding his participation in this programme. Every year, the students try to get increasingly innovative in the portrayal of their gratitude to Swami and Siddhartha (aka Sid), with a few of his classmates, had evolved a novel idea. The plan was to play a game of pass-the-parcel in its classic version in Swami’s presence where a ‘punishment’ lay hidden within each layer of wrapping over a ‘gift’. Each of these punishments would be something interesting which Swami enjoyed seeing. For instance, one of the participants in the game was a mimicry artist and he was ‘fixed’ as the second boy to get ‘punished’ with the task of performing mimicry. Sid had got this idea while seeing an old tape of Swami’s visit to Kodaikanal where Baba had thoroughly enjoyed the game which the students played. But this was not the cause of Sid’s nervousness.
An evening when Swami gave great joy to Sid and Sid gave great joy to Swami...
A particular punishment had been fixed for Sid - to sing the verse which Swami composed as a teenager to market a wonder medicine called Bala Bhaskara. The rationale behind the punishment was twofold - that Sid was a good singer and that the verse seemed very dear to Swami’s heart. To add Swami’s involvement in this, Sid was to act as if he had forgotten a few lines of the verse hoping that Swami would ‘help’ him with the lines. It was a nice and sweet plot to involve Swami but the warden had his own worries,
“See, the plan can backfire if Swami chooses to remain stoic. So, don’t overact. In case you do not get any reaction within a few moments, act as if you have suddenly remembered and complete the verse...”
Sid had agreed to it But secretly, he actually memorised only the first two lines of the verse:
The Indian summer in 2003 was coming to an end and giving way to a cool spring. But that made no difference to the sultry climate in the city of Chennai in South India. With the sea breeze plucking the beads of perspiration off his face, Vijaya Sunder ran towards his home. His calf muscles ached from the strain of running and his lungs huffed and puffed with exertion. But he had a broad smile plastered on his face. The results of the state level (Tamil Nadu) grade XII exam had been declared and Vijay had performed exceedingly well. In fact, he had obtained the perfect result, a centum, in his favourite subjects - Physics and Chemistry. He was convinced that he had moved a step closer towards achieving his dream of becoming an engineer.
“Mom! Dad! Look. I am the state-topper in Chemistry and Physics...” screamed Vijay as he entered the home.
“Ah! Praise be to the Lord”, exclaimed the mother as she rushed out from her morning worship to hug her son.
“C’mon Mom! I wrote the exams and you give credit to your God!” Vijay couldn’t suppress the smile as he said that.
“Whatever you may say. Everything happens because of God.”
Yet another story of divine romance between the Lord and Vijaya Sunder.
Vijay did not say anything to his mother. She was firmly entrenched in her devotion to god. In spite of the tough life she had lead so far, she found things to thank god for. But Vijay was not interested or bothered about god. He just didn’t want to be bothered by him or her or it - whatever God was. His philosophy was very simple - hard work fetches its rewards while the lack of it results in disappointment. He had worked really hard for his academic excellence and it was only natural that his results reflected that.
Vijay now showed the results to his father who did not say a thing. The tears in his eyes said everything - he was proud, happy and grateful. Vijay’s chest swelled in pride.
“Dad! I want to study in the best of engineering colleges and my marks will ensure a ‘merit’ seat for me.” “Yes my son!” agreed the father and embraced Vijay. He would get ready now to withdraw the special savings he had made for precisely this purpose.
Like anywhere else in the world, to get into the top notch colleges, one either had to be rich in the intelligence department or had to be the child of a parent rich in the finance department. Finances had always been hard to come by for Vijay’s family. Vijay had been a late-born and his father had retired as a cartoonist at the Indian Express when he was barely 11 years old. On retirement, he had got about 4 lakh rupees (about $10,000 then) as his lifetime savings from the Provident Fund. That had been invested into two separate Chit funds, which are basically microfinance organizations. The interest amount was being used to pay Vijay’s fees and the father hoped to use th principal amount to pay for Vijay’s higher studies. The fees for the 4 years of engineering would be as low as ₹1.8 lakhs now since Vijay had secured a ‘merit’ seat. (A seat by ‘Management quota’ had to be bought for about ₹7 lakhs!) This was better than what Vijay’s father had bargained for.
A God-shattering experience
It was Vijay’s father who received the shock first. Chit funds operate in different ways, and there are also many fraudulent tactics practiced by private firms. The basic necessity of conducting a 'Chitty' is a group needy people called subscribers. The foreman—the company or person conducting the chitty—brings these people together and conducts the chitty. He is also the one who has the ‘power’ to commit fraud.
I vividly remember a discussion during the “Awareness” class of my MSc days at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. The teacher present was Prof.G.Venkataraman, a highly reputed and accomplished man of science in India. The professor had his unique style of conducting awareness classes. He would force us to think deeply to arrive at answers to profound question. He would stitch together deep spirituality with the practical problems the world faces. He always looked forward to questions because he believed that life is not about getting the correct answers but about asking the right questions. (In fact, I remembered his inspiring presence in the classroom with excitement when my Master, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba told me to join Radiosai as my place of work. GV as he is popularly called was the director under whom I had to report.)
The discussion in class that day was about the omnipresence of God. It started with a question from the professor.
“What is God?” he asked the whole class.
Among the plethora of answers that came was one which said,
“God is the omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient one.”
“Okay”, challenged GV sir, “what do you mean by omnipresent? How is it that God is omnipresent?”
There were no satisfactory answers in the beginning but soon, one boy stood up and answered,
“Sir. God is energy. Energy is God. Since every atom is a storehouse of energy, God is everywhere.”
“Very good”, GV sir was happy, “that is something that everyone recognizes - energy in all matter. In fact, the great Albert Einstein even equated mass with energy with his famous equation. And since everything in the universe has some mass, everything has energy. But that is only one level of God’s omnipresence. He is present in a subtler plane as well. What is that?”
Again, a lot of discussion and thought resulted in the next answer,
“God is life. Life is God. Life is subtler than energy and that is probably why nobody has been able to define what exactly life is. But everyone recognizes life - and when it leaves.”
“Beautiful!” exclaimed the professor, “That is precisely why a son or daughter kneels before the body of the father crying - Father! Why did you leave me? - The body is still there and yet the child knows that the father is gone. Life is sacred. Life is God. Good. But then, there is the subtlest way in which God is present. Do you know that?”
Since there was a muted silence now, the professor threw a hint.
“Everything in the universe is made up of atoms and thus contains energy. However, plants and animals are considered special because they have ‘life’ which the other things of the universe don’t have. Man is considered even more special because he exhibits God present in yet another level. What is that?”
There were no answers and GV sir answered,
“God is present in man as the conscience. No doubt God is present in us as the life force or praana but that alone too would not help to develop awareness; if that was the case, then donkeys and camels would have turned spiritual long ago. Humans alone have that ability because God is present in humans at a third and higher level, as the conscience or the divine voice in our spiritual heart. However, though each human is gifted with the conscience, it is so subtle that one can often get disconnected from it. It is the birthplace of all goodness and nobility in man. Just ensure that you experience God’s omnipresence at all these three levels and you are good to go. That is true awareness - to recognise God’s omnipresence at all these three levels.”
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.
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