Smt. Easwaramma: The Chosen Mother of Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Smt. Easwaramma: The Chosen Mother

This body’s mother had only one desire that was to be with Swami, wherever He was. She could not live away from Me. I teach the children “Mother is God.” And so mother’s wish has to be satisfied. I went to Badri and I took her along with Me. In the same way, I took her to Haridwar, Rishikesh and all pilgrimages. I took her to Kodaikanal and cautioned her, “It’s too cold there and you cannot bear it." She replied, “I can bear anything if I am with You. If I cannot bear, I will keep sitting by the fireplace." I even showed her places like Madurai Meenakshi.

Burugula Ramakrishna Rao’s wife and others planned to visit Amarnath. They invited her to accompany them. She replied that she had no need to go anywhere. She said that everything was with Swami only. I brought her to Brindavan for summer classes. I was talking upstairs. From down, she called, “Swami, Swami…Come! Come!” and breathed her last. As long as she was alive, I satisfied all her needs.

Mother Easwaramma’s Three Noble Desires

Smt. Easwaramma with Swami

On one occasion she asked Swami, “Many devotees are coming from overseas to see You. You are doing lots of miracles, I heard. But, I am not interested in these things. In our Puttaparthi village, kindly build a small hospital. This is my desire.” Swami got a hospital built as per her desire. Swami made her to see the hospital on that day itself. On another occasion she told Swami, “Swami, the children of our village have to walk all the way to Bukkapatnam for their schooling and when the Bukkapatnam tank overflows, the children cannot even go to school. So build a small school in our village for the children”, she said. Swami built a school and named it ‘Easwaramma High School’. She also told Swami that “There is some poison in the water coming to our village. The people develop curved limbs and bone diseases. So, kindly dig a well that will supply clean drinking water.” She did not know that that the poison she was referring to was fluorine. Swami fulfilled her desire by providing clean drinking water for the entire Anantapur district! If the desire is good, then the result will grow very big. Good desires are God’s desires. A little desire will transform into a big desire. She asked for a small school and Swami built a University. Swami started a general hospital and today, it has become a Super Speciality hospital. She asked for a bore well for the Puttaparthi village, but Swami provided water for the entire Anantapur district. So, good desires should emerge in man.

Source: The Chosen Ones, Discourse 15, My Dear Students Volume 3; and Progress from Greatness to Goodness, Discourse 6, My Dear Students Volume 5

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Note: Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao (1899–1967) was the first elected Chief Minister of the erstwhile Hyderabad State who led the struggle against the Nizam in the princely State. Subsequently, he became the Governor of Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.