Sri Sathya Sai On: Shirdi Sai Baba (Advent In Shirdi)

At Shirdi, Mahalsapati, a priest in local temple saw Him entering the local temple. Looking at His appearance as a Muslim, Mahalsapati turned Him out of the temple. The boy went back and sat under a neem tree. He was only 16 years old at that time. No one knew then what His name was. If anyone asked His name, He would give no answer. He would sometimes retort saying, “Why do you want to know My name?” Because of this, nobody could find out His name. 

Mhalasapati welcomes Sai Baba

Some villagers from nearby places used to visit Him under the tree and get relief from their aliments. He would take out some leaves, crush them and give them to the ailing persons as a medicine. In this manner, He cured many a person of their illness. News of His healing powers spread all over the surrounding villages. As a result, a large number of people used to come to Him, receive the crushed leaves from Him and get cured of their ailments.

Suddenly, one morning He disappeared. A futile search was made in the nearby areas to trace Him. He had stayed in Shirdi for barely two months before setting about to wander from place to place. Later in 1858, He returned to Shirdi. There was a village called Dhoop in Aurangabad. A person by name Chandubhai Patel, belonging to a middle-class family, lived in Dhoop. As no other form of transport was available in those days, people used to go only on horseback.

Chandubhai went on his horse to Aurangabad on some urgent business. When he had finished his business there at the end of three days, he found that the horse was missing. Disappointed over the missing horse, Chandubhai was returning to Dhoop through dense forests on the way.

At one place, he saw a fakir sitting under a tree. The fakir appeared to be lost in His own thoughts. Suddenly, the fakir hailed Chandubhai with the words: “Hey, Patel! Come here”. The fakir liked to smoke Chilim (hookah). As there was no water nearby, the fakir hit the ground with a stick and water gushed forth from the place. He hit again another place with a stick and there was a fire. Using the water and the fire, He started smoking his hookah and offered it to Chandubhai also. Chandubhai declined the offer.

Shirdi Sai Baba with Chandubhai Patel (often referred to as Chandbhai Patil)

The fakir asked Chandubhai, “What is worrying you Patel?” Patel asked, “How did you know I am Patel?” “I know everything,” replied the fakir. “You are worried about your horse. You are keeping your eyes on the top of your head! You must lower them to trace the horse. Your horse is gazing under the tree there”. Chandubhai saw his horse there. He had a search conducted for the horse in the same place with the help of some workers, but could not find it. But, now he saw it under a tree close to him. Chandubhai was astonished that the fakir had produced water and fire out of the earth and had located his missing horse. He appealed to the fakir, “Swami! You have rendered great help to me. Please come with me and share my hospitality”. “All right, let us go,” the fakir replied. 

About this time, the marriage of Chandubhai’s niece, who was residing in Shirdi, was settled. Chandubhai had to go to Shirdi for the wedding. He requested the fakir to come along with them. They went in carts to Shirdi. Mahalsapati saw the fakir getting down from a cart, went to Him, and said, “Aayiye Baba! Aayiye Sai (Come Baba! Come Sai!)”. The name “Sai” was given by Mahalsapati. Till then, no one had conferred a name on Him.

Sometime later, Baba was accused in a criminal case. He had to give evidence in a case that related to the theft of some valuables from a rich man’s house by a gang of thieves. The police caught the thieves and questioned them about the stolen articles. The thieves said that the valuables had been given to them by a fakir. Searching for the fakir, they came to Baba. They asked Him, “Fakir, did you give these articles to them?” “Yes”, He said. “Where did you get them from?” was the next question. Baba replied, “They have come from the same place from which all things come”. Finally, they asked, “Who gave them to you?” “I gave them myself”. was His reply. 

Sai Baba in the Dwarkamai

Baba gave such intriguing answers, which the police could not understand. “I am the giver of everything. How can anyone get anything without My sanction?” declared Baba. Feeling that it was futile to question Him further, the police prepared a report. Baba received summons from the magistrate to give evidence in the case. Chandubhai Patel did not want Baba to go to the Magistrate and so he arranged for Baba being examined by a commission (in Shirdi itself.) During the examination by the commission, Baba was asked: “What is your father’s name?” He replied, “Baba”. (Baba means father and the reply meant that the father’s name was father). 

Q: “What is Your religion?” 

A: “The religion of God”. 

Q: “Where do You come from?” 

A: “I have come from the Atma”. 

Q: “What is Your caste?” 

A: “The caste of the Divine”. 

Baba answered all the questions in this manner. Earlier He had been hailed as ‘SAI’. In His examination, He had given His father’s name as Baba. By the combination of these two names, He was therefore called “SAI BABA”. No one knew when and where Sai Baba was born and who gave Him that name. Baba, who came to Shirdi with Chandubhai Patel in 1858, did not leave the place until His passing in 1918. Baba lived for 80 years.

- “The Shirdi Sai Saga”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 25, September 27, 1992, Prasanthi Nilayam

Many people used to have doubts about Baba’s transcendental powers. One day, the birth anniversary of Dattatreya was to be celebrated in the month of Margashirsha (ninth month of the Hindu calendar) on Panchami (fifth day of the lunar calendar). Several devotees had assembled in Shirdi. A great and wealthy scholar called Balwant Kaijack was among them. As he was approaching the Masjid, Baba took His stick and marked it at the devotees, asking them to get away. He even beat some of them, shouting, “Shaitan! Shaitan!” No one could understand why Baba was behaving like this. “I am suffering labour pains. Get away, all of you!” He shouted. In those days, Baba not only used to shout at people, but also wield the stick on them on occasions. He even used to throw the stick at fleeing persons. Everyone used to be afraid of Him. They all left the place.

Sometime later, He called all of them to come. “Balwant Kaijack, come!” He said. When Balwant came, Baba went inside the Masjid. Balmant went in and found that Baba was not there. He found a three-headed baby on the floor. Baba had declared that He was suffering from labour pains and there was a baby there. The three-headed child appeared to represent Dattatreya. It was a small baby with a number of hands. Balwant recognised the child as Dattatreya and called other devotees to come inside. They went in, and on seeing the child, closed their eyes. At that instant, Baba reappeared there. From that time onwards, people started looking upon Baba as the incarnation of Dattatreya. 

A controversy arose among the local people as to whether Baba was a Muslim or a Hindu. At one time, He used to say: “Allah Malik! Allah Malik!” At other times, He would say, “Dattatreya Malik!” Whenever He shouted “Allah Malik!” Muslims used to come to Him in the Masjid. His appearance was very much like that of a Muslim. Hence, many Muslims used to come to Him. Hindus also used to come and offer incense to Him. The Muslims did not approve of what the Hindus were doing. The Hindus did not like the way Muslims revered Baba. Consequently, bitterness developed between the two communities. 

One day, Mahalsapati was sitting near Baba and doing some service to Him. Mahalsapati was the priest in the Khandoba temple. The Muslims, who were opposed to the presence of a Hindu priest near Baba, came with sticks and beat up Mahalsapati. At every stroke, Mahalsapati cried out: “Baba! Baba!” Each time he shouted the name of Baba, the blow was borne by Baba. Mahalsapati fell to the ground. Baba came out. Muslims had great reverence for Baba. Baba roared at the Muslim crowd, “Shaitan! On one side, you worship Me and on the other, you beat Me. Is this your devotion?” Baba was bleeding all over the body. The Muslims saw it and asked Baba who had beaten Him? “Did you not beat Me?” said Baba pointing to several men in the crowd. They said, “We did not come near you at all. We only beat Mahalsapati”. “Who is in Mahalsapati? I am in him,” declared Baba. “He has surrendered to Me and hence all his troubles are Mine”. On hearing this, the Muslims fell at Baba’s feet and craved for His forgiveness. Baba then summoned the Hindus and Muslims and told them, “Dear children, you are all the progeny of one mother”. Thereby Baba demonstrated the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. He wanted all differences of caste and creed to be eschewed. What mattered for mankind was the heart.

You must seek the Divine within you. Baba pointed out that all caste and creed distinctions are related only to the body. Therefore, you should seek the Supreme in your inner consciousness.

Sai Baba at Shirdi

One day, a Pandit came to Baba and said that Baba’s biography should be written. His name was Hemadpant. He is the author of ‘Sai Satcharita’. He entreated Baba to disclose facts about the place of His birth, His parentage, His name and His early life. He could not get any information from anyone. Baba did not reveal anything to anyone. But, on one occasion, when He was alone with Mahalsapati, Baba disclosed His date of birth to him. Mahalsapati was no scholar. He had learnt only a few Mantras to conduct the Puja the temple. He noted down the date of birth on a piece of paper. This came into the hands of Hemadpant. With this, he began to write the life of Baba.

No one knows the real truth about Baba. The world knows some facts about His life only after His sixteenth year. He was born on September 28, 1835 and attained Samadhi on Vijaya Dashami day in 1918. During His lifetime, He taught many things to the people and performed many remarkable deeds. He was worshipped by many devotees. Dada, Nana, Shama, Abdul Baba, Mahalsapati, Chandorkar and Das Ganu were always with Him. Abdul Baba was active till recently. He was an ardent devotee of Baba. In his view, it did not matter to what religion one belonged. All were one in their devotion to God. Kaka Dixit was a judge whose son stayed in Brindavan (Whitefield) for twenty years. Kaka Dixit maintained a diary in which many facts about Baba have been recorded including His statement about when He would pass away. 

- “The Shirdi Sai Saga”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 25, September 27, 1992, Prasanthi Nilayam

Sri Sathya Sai at the Prasanthi Nilayam Bhajan Mandir

Source: Sai Vani: Avatar on Avatar Purushas

Sri Sathya Sai On: Shirdi Sai Baba (Parentage, Birth and Early Life)

The Avataric Journey: Sri Krishna, Shirdi Sai Baba and Sri Sathya Sai

Parentage and Birth 

In the former Nizam’s dominion, in Aurangabad district, there was a remote village called Pathri. In that village, there lived a couple by name Gangabhavadya and Devagiriamma. They were aggrieved because they did not have any children. In answer to their prayers, a son was born to Devagiriamma on September 28, 1835. That child was Sai Baba. 

On account of the passage of time and circumstances, no one knew the exact dates of Baba’s birth and passing. In this context, the mystery relating to Baba’s birth should be noted.

Gangabhavadya and Devagiriamma hailed from Pathri village, and they were ardent worshippers of Eshwara and Parvati. They had no offspring for a long time. They intensified their prayers. Gangabhavadya used to ply a boat near the village for living. One night, when it was raining heavily, Gangabhavadya left his house to take care of the boat, informing his wife that he would not return that night. After her husband had left, Devagiriamma had her food and went to bed early. At 9 p.m., there was a knock at the door. Devagiriamma opened the door expecting the likely return of her husband. Instead, a very elderly man entered the house. He pleaded, “It is very cold outside. Please permit me, mother, to stay inside”. Being a pious woman, Devagiriamma allowed him to stay in the veranda and went inside the house after bolting the inner door.

A little while later, there was a knock on the inner door. She opened the door. The old man said, “I am feeling hungry, give me some food”. Finding that there was no food, the woman mixed some flour with curds and gave it to him. There was again another knock after some time. When she opened the door, the old man said, “My legs are aching. Mother, will you massage them?” Devagiriamma went inside, sat in the prayer room and prayed, “Oh Mother! Why are you testing me like this? What should I do? Should I serve him or refuse?”

Going out of the house by the back-door she went in search of someone who could be engaged to render this service. No one was available. As she returned there was another knock from the old man. At the same time, a woman knocked at the backdoor. The woman asked, “It appears you came to my house and sought some feminine help. I was away at that time. Please let me know what service I should render”. Feeling happy that Goddess Parvati Herself had sent the woman in response to her prayers, Devagiriamma sent the newcomer to the veranda for serving the old man and closed the door. 

The old man and the new woman were none other than Parameshwara and Parvati the Divine couple. Parameshwara told Parvati, “Fulfil the cherished desire of this lady”. Parvati replied, “You are the Supreme one. Please shower Your grace on her Yourself”. Eshwara said, “I came to test her. You came in answer to her prayers. Hence You must bless her”. They knocked the door once again. This time Devagiriamma promptly opened the door, because the presence of another woman emboldened her. Parvati and Parameshwara appeared before her in their Divine forms. Unable to contain her joy, Devagiriamma fell at their feet. 

Blessings from Shiva and Shakti

Parvati then blessed her, “I grant you a son to maintain the lineage and a daughter for Kanyadana (a girl to be offered in marriage)”. Then Devagiriamma fell at the feet of Eshwara. Eshwara said, “I am immensely pleased with your devotion. I shall take birth as your third child”. When Devagiriamma got up, the Divine couple was not there. Feeling ecstatic over this experience, Devagiriamma eagerly awaited the return of her husband in the morning to relate to him the whole experience.

The husband returned in the morning. She related to him all that had happened the previous night. The husband said, “Devagiri! What is this entirely fanciful tale! It is all a dream. Parvati and Parameshwara appearing before you and giving Darshan! It is pure fantasy!” Gangabhavadya dismissed the whole episode as incredible and fanciful. 

But, as time passed, Devagiriamma became enceinte and a son was born. A year later a daughter was born. Gangabhavadya was convinced that the birth of the two children was the result of the blessings conferred by Parvati and Parameshwara He told his wife, “You had the good fortune of having the Darshan of Parvati and Parameshwara. I did not have that luck”. When Devagiriamma conceived again, Gangabhavadya began to feel an urge to give up hearth and home and go in search of the Divine Couple. He told his wife that he was leaving for the forest to do penance. Devoted wife that she was, Devagiriamma decided to follow him though she was in the ninth month of her pregnancy. After following her husband for some distance, she developed labour pains. She delivered a boy. Wrapping the baby in a piece of cloth, she left the child by the roadside and followed her husband. 

- “Revelations about the Sai Avatar”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 23, September 28, 1990, Prasanthi Nilayam

Early Life 

In that village there was a Patel whose wife had gone to her native village for a festival. This Patel was bringing back his wife in a horse coach. The Patel had a lot of money and therefore he got the horse coach. They also didn’t have children. When they reached that place she heard a baby cry. She saw that this boy was on a piece of Sari and the boy was playing and crying. Drops of honey were falling from the tree in the mouth of the child. She came and called her husband and said that the baby’s body was smeared with blood. They did not know as to who had left him there. They looked around and nobody was seen. Patel’s wife thought that God had himself presented her this boy. She took the boy home. No one asked them who the child was. They were very happy thinking that God had given this child to them. 

A Shaligrama venerated as
Embodiment of Lord Vishnu

The boy grew up. When Baba was a boy he used to play marbles. He was so good in the marble game that from a distance he could hit any marble. And all the boys who played with Baba would lose their game. And generally the people who lose get angry. These people insisted that Baba should play again as they wanted to win a game. But this boy did not have any marbles left. He went to the worship room. There, there was a Shaligrama (a venerable stone) worshipped by his mother every day. It also looks like a marble. He brought the marble and played with it. Baba thought, “Ah this very good, I would like to win it!” He hit the marble and won the marble. He took the marble. But the rich man’s son said, “You should give back this marble to me”. Baba swallowed it. The boy kept crying and fighting with Baba. The mother saw what was happening. She came down and asked why the two of them were fighting. She asked the boy, “Why are you fighting with that boy? What did He do?” The boy replied that Baba had swallowed his marble. The mother chastised the boy saying that she didn’t give him money and enquired how he got the marble. The boy replied, “I did not have any marbles so I went into the worship room and got the Shaligrama”. With great devotion she was worshipping this Shaligrama every day. When she went and saw the worship room, the Shaligrama had vanished from there. She was very angry. She prayed to Baba, “Boy, give me back the Shaligrama. I will give you how much ever money you want”. He said, “How much ever you plead; I am not going to give you”. She got very angry and slapped on both the cheeks of Baba. She then asked Him to open His mouth. Just as Yashoda had seen the 14 worlds in the mouth of Lord Krishna, this lady had the same vision. She was very blissful and touched the feet of Baba and cried. 

At the age of seven, the boy used to go to the Hindu temple and read the Quran, and in the mosque he used to chant Vedas. In those times the hatred between the Hindus and Muslims was too much. The Hindus and Muslims started complaining against this boy. The Muslims said, “You come to our mosque and chant Vedas!” The Hindus complained, “You come to our temple and read the Quran!” The Hindus and Muslims boycotted this boy from their places of worship. How much ever the boy was told, he still wouldn’t understand. Even the father tried but he still did not pay heed. The mother wanted to send the boy somewhere. She was thinking of that. Someone came and suggested that the boy should be sent to the Ashram of Venkusa.

She took the boy to that Ashram. Gopal Rao Deshmukh was called Venkusa by the people on account of his scholarship and wisdom. From inside Venkusdas came outside and said, “Boy, I have been waiting for you for the past 10 years”. He hugged this boy and took him to the Ashram. Then Venkusdas went to the mother and said, “Amma from now on he is my son. I will look after him properly. You can go home peacefully”. She was very happy thinking that this was the end of her troubles. She said, “Now and then I will come and see my boy”. Then Venkusdas answered, “If you want to see him now and then, it’s alright. If you want you can even stay here”. But she went away. From that day Venkusdas showed immense love for that boy. The boy stayed in Venkusa’s Ashram till 1851. Venkusa was extremely fond of the boy. In every matter, he used to give priority to this boy’s views. When he was eating food, he used to make this boy sit by his side and eat. He would make the boy sleep in his room. He taught him all the Vedas, Shastras (scriptures) and the epics. 

In the school, other children were jealous of this boy. This jealousy is a curse in this age of Kali. Generally, if someone is subject to showering of love, others will develop jealousy and feel that this boy has come only recently and why is he being given so much love. This is jealousy. This jealousy crossed all the limits. One day Venkusdas was taking this boy to the forest. He sat under a tree and was teaching the boy all Vedanta. Other jealous boys threw stones at this boy from a distance. One stone hit the boy’s forehead. It started bleeding. Venkusdas tore a piece of his a dhoti and tied a piece as a bandage on the boy’s head. That piece of cloth which was tied around His head was not removed by Sai Baba till the end. 

Venkusdas (also referred to as Venkusa) tied the cloth on Baba's head, which He retained for the rest of His physical sojourn

Thereafter, one night (in 1851), the boy left the Ashram. He reached Shirdi – a very small village at that time.

- “Then at Shirdi, now at Parthi”, My Dear Students Volume 03, March 16, 1998, Brindavan

Source: Sai Vani: Avatar on Avatar Purushas

Sri Sathya Sai On: True Significance of Yajna in Vedic Culture

The Poornahuti of the Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna on Vijaya Dashmi Day

The Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna, being celebrated every Dasara at Prasanthi Nilayam, is a rite that promotes the welfare and prosperity of the whole of mankind. But, it is difficult to convince doubters and disbelievers that this is the truth. Many feel that since such Vedic ceremonies can be performed in orthodox style, with all the Mantras uttered in correct style, only in India, their efficiency, if any, is confined to this land only, and so, they ask, how can this be beneficial in other regions where people have no faith in such rituals and hymns? 

Such doubters restrict the meaning of the word, Yajna. Yajna means, 'any activity dedicated to the glory of God,' not merely, this activity prescribed in the ancient scriptures. Activity dedicated to the glory of God is being done, and can be done in all climes, in all realms, by all races. The 'dedication' ensures success. Without it, there will inevitably arise anxiety, fear and faction. Every activity in the world is God-directed, God-ward moving, whether you know it or not. Only one has to be aware of it and share in the thrill of that knowledge. If God is not the inspirer and motivator, how can the Universe be moving in harmony, wheeling so smoothly? Else, there will be chaos, anarchy and an inferno of gamble.

Charity and self-control are integral parts of Yagna

Do not think that the Yajna is only this ceremony performed in this enclosure, marked out as especially holy, attended by readings and recitals from sacred texts and the chanting of Vedic hymns, and nothing other than this. No. Yajna is a continuous process; everyone who lives in the constant presence of God, and does all acts as dedicated to God is engaged in Yajna.

Three processes go together in spiritual discipline, as laid down by the sages: Yajna, Dana and Tapas (Sacrifice, Charity and Self-control). They cannot be partitioned and particularised thus. Charity and self-control are integral parts of yagna. That is why Yajna is translated as Sacrifice, for, the process of charity or Dana is essential in yajna. Also Tapas, that is to say, strict regulation of emotions and thought-processes, to ensure peace and faith.

There are various yajnas prescribed by the Vedas. This is the Veda Purusha Yajna, a sacrificial ceremony dedicated to the Purusha extolled in the Vedas, the Purusha mentioned in the Purusha Sukta as constituting the Universe and subsuming it wholly as the limbs of His Cosmic Body.

Every house-holder has the duty of performing for his own welfare and the welfare of the society in which he lives, five Yajnas like Pitru Yajna (Yajna by which the forefathers are worshipped), Rishi Yajna (Yajna by which the sages are honoured, that is to say, by the study and practice of their teaching), Bhoota Yajna (Yajna by which the animals and lower-beings are revered, that is to say, by provision of shelters, fodder, etc.) and Deva Yajna (worship of God).

Sri Sathya Sai presiding over the Yajna at Prasanthi Nilayam as Veda Purusha

The Veda Purusha is the Purushottama (the Supreme Person) for by His Will He manifested Himself as the cosmos and its components, out of Himself. There is nothing that is not He; so, how can you be different? In these matters, faith comes first; it has to. Believe that you are Divine; conduct yourselves in accordance with that sovereign status; then, you will be blessed with the Anubhuti – the experience, the vision, the realisation, the awareness, the bliss. And, as a result, you are merged in that everlasting Ananda.

The only one God can be reached by a thousand Names

Remember, you cannot have the Anubhava (experience) and the Ananda (Bliss) first. And, you cannot postpone faith, until you get them. You cannot bargain: "Give me the Ananda and then, I shall have faith." See the Purushottama in all purushas. Purusha means, he who lives in the Pura (port, city, or town). Each one of us is the resident and the sole resident of a distinct house of God. But, the Purushottama - the Supreme Resident in all the cities is God. You can recognise this Purushottama, if you educate yourselves properly.

Take this Yajna performed here. In this One Fire, offerings are made concurrently with the recitation of the names of God, enclosed in elaborate hymns. More than 3,560 offerings are made each day, for seven days. Each name describes God as having a special form. But this One Fire consumes all the offerings, and through its intermission every one of the offerings reaches the One God, the One that really IS.

Or, consider this: you perform worship with 1,008 Names, a rite called Sahasranaama Archana. You keep an idol or picture before you and offer one flower at a time at the feet of that symbol of God, repeating the names, one at a time. The one symbol of the One God is only One, though He can be reached by a thousand names.

Though you are acknowledging only One in all these rites, proclaiming the One Advaitic (non-dualistic) Divine, your sense and your intellect and your mind, its pack of desires, insist on running after the Many. This is the Maya (delusion) that casts its enchantment on weak and ignorant men. It urges man towards wild prolific greed of the many-faced senses.

When you take food, do it in a prayerful mode

To realise the One, the Universal Absolute, which personalises itself into God and Creation, there is no discipline more valuable and more effective than Seva. All the 1,008 Names of the Sahasranama Archana reach the One. All the 1,000 names of thousand-faced society connote only the One God that plays in those 1,000 roles. The One appears as if it is enshrined in the 1,000 bodies. This is the truth you have to realise and cherish as the most precious in life.

You have observed that the Vedic Pandits (priestly scholars) are pouring ghee into the Fire, every time the recitation of a hymn is over. Every day, when you take food, you are offering eatables to the Fire that God has lit in you to digest food. You have to eat in a prayerful mode, in profound gratitude. The Geeta says that the fire which cooked the meal is God, the meal is God, the eater is God, the purpose of eating is to carry on the work entrusted by God or pleasing to God, and that the fruit of that work is, progress towards God.

You must perform another Yajna too, every day. Pour the egoistic desires and emotions, passions, impulses and acts into the flames of dedication and devotion. In fact, that is real Yajna, of which these are reflections and prompters, guides and prototypes. This Yajna is only the concrete symbolic representation of the abstract underlying Truth. Just as a child is taught to pronounce the words, head, net, wave, garland, by making it associate the sounds and the letterforms with pictures of the objects so named, through this Kshara (temporary) symbol the Akshara Tattva (the Eternal Principle) is brought before the consciousness.

Make every thought a longing for God

The commencement of the Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana Yajna at Prasanthi Nilayam

This Puja, this Yajna, and this Homa, are arranged here every Dasara, in order to help you to learn that other, ever-lasting, abstract Yajna, which every one of you has to do, to save yourselves from fear, grief and anxiety. You must have noticed that the Pandits close each day's Yajna with a prayer that calls for World Peace, peace for all mankind, peace and happiness, for there can be no peace without happiness and no happiness without peace. Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu, they pray. "May all the world have happiness, and peace". 

Peace of mind cannot be gained by wealth or fame or scholarship or skill. For that, you have to clean the mind, purify the heart, yearn for service of the divine forms that move around you. Do every deed as an act of worship; make every thought a longing for Him; change every word that comes from your tongue into a hymn in His praise. This is the lesson that you have to learn from Prasanthi Nilayam, every Dasara, during the week the Yajna is celebrated.

Source: Divine Discourse during the Navaratri Festival – October 11, 1972, Prasanthi Nilayam.

The Story of Sathya Sai Students Literature - By Dr. Shashank Shah

The Sai Publications Division of the Sri Sathya Sai Hostel is not just a Self-Reliance Department. It is a Mission; an eternal mission of spreading the Message of the Master received by the Sathya Sai Students.

For aeons, it has been the most solicited opportunity for saints, seers, sages and scholars to compile and share the Message of the Avatars, Prophets and Masters. The word of the Guru is verily His form. To practice and preach it is indeed His veneration. The students at Sai Publications are indeed blessed that we had this opportunity of collating and publishing the Message of our Revered Founder Chancellor, especially the Message for His students and the world youth. We are doubly blessed as almost all the series of books that were initiated and published by us were personally blessed by Him. There couldn’t have been a more satisfying opportunity for the students while at the University.

The Evolution of Sai Publications

The journey of compiling His Story and Message began with the establishment of the Colleges at Brindavan and Prasanthi Nilayam. One of the first set of publications by the students were the series of books titled ‘Golden Age’. These were initiated by the Kingdom of Sathya Sai, the erstwhile alumni association of the students of the Sathya Sai Colleges at Brindavan and Prasanthi Nilayam. The first volume of Golden Age was released in 1979, and the second one in 1980. Both these volumes have articles by students, faculty and eminent Sai devotees. Swami personally released both these volumes, the latter being released in the Poornachandra Auditorium on the occasion of the 55th Birthday in November, 1980.

Sri Sathya Sai Releases 'Golden Age' on His 55th Birthday at the Poornachandra Auditorium (From an archival video footage)

The first compilation of experiences of students at our Hostel began in the year 1984. Sri Ram Mohan Rao, English Teacher at the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School was blessed with the onerous task of leading this initiative. During the Birthday season of 1984, Swami blessed the very first volume of Sai Chandana – our Hostel Magazine. Swami not only named it, but also became its chief patron. Season after season, on almost six occasions every year, students would compile the magazine with articles, paintings and sketches, both in English and regional languages and offer it to Swami. 

Swami would invariably bless it, seldom give His autograph on the issue, and on many occasions take the volume with Him so that He could physically go through the articles written by His students on their experiences with Him. Many students who have had the opportunity of serving Swami in His residence have been witness to the keen interest with which Swami would go through the Sai Chandana articles. He would keep it on the table, next to His chair where He would customarily sit and read devotees’ letters. No doubt, it is only because of His interest in this magazine that in 2015, we completed 40 years of Sai Chandana with a mind-boggling collection of over 4,000 articles of students’ experiences with Swami compiled over the years.

Given that we always look for opportunities to make new and innovative offerings to Swami, the students and teachers at the Hostel decided to prepare special compilations of students’ experiences with Swami on the occasion of His landmark birthdays. Thus began the journey of ‘Sai Nandana’, again named by Swami, and released for the first time on His 60th birthday in November 1985. And the journey has continued since. The Sai Nandana for the 90th Birthday was offered at the Mahasamadhi in November 2015. These seven volumes collectively have 525 articles written by Sai Students and Hostel teachers. Sai Publications has recently released in print limited edition volumes of the earlier Sai Nandana books so that those who were not even born during those years can benefit from reading about the joyous moments that students of that era were blessed to spend with Swami.

The Musical Journey Begins

Sri Sathya Sai reading the Vandana Book
at Kodaikanal - 2005

Around the year 1995, Swami made singing of group songs by students of His educational institutions a regular feature at most festivals celebrated at the Prasanthi Nilayam Mandir. Important among these festivals are Shivaratri, Guru Poornima, Krishna Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Devi Navaratri, Birthday Celebrations and Christmas. A mix of Stotrams and Group Songs in Hindi, English and Telugu were sung on these occasions. Many of these songs were Swami’s own compositions. Many others were compositions of students themselves, offered at His Lotus Feet to win His Grace and Blessings. It became necessary to have a book where all of these could be compiled and referred to by all students of Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions. Thus began the journey of Vandana (Students Prayer Book) and also of Sai Publications as a self-reliance department at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus Hostel.

The first edition of VANDANA was about 60 pages. In 2011, when we printed the seventh edition it had increased to 350 pages with nearly 350 songs! The number of compositions and the variety have expanded over six times, just as a river expands in volume as it takes along water from all rivulets through its journey to the final destination of mergence in its goal – the ocean. 

Dr. Sailesh Shrivastava from the Higher Secondary School has been instrumental in guiding the musical journey of the Hostels, especially mentoring students in their compositions and singing. He has penned the Foreword to the seventh edition of Vandana sharing his experiences with Swami and how Swami moulded the music group students to reach the levels of excellence that they now display so effortlessly.

Capturing Conversations of Swami and Students

Capturing the conversations between Sri Sathya Sai and His Students

In 1991, with the initiative of Sri M. Sainath (then research scholar and subsequently faculty member in the Department of Physics) began a new project. This was called ‘Thus Spake Sai’. Ever since the Institute started in 1982 and even before, Swami used to interact with students in the portico and verandah of the Prasanthi Nilayam Mandir for a couple of hours almost every day, covering varied aspects of His Message for students and the youth. However, since Swami would be casually conversing with select groups of students, those sitting at a distance could not hear Him. It was thought that none should miss His words of wisdom. To make this happen, the ‘Thus Spake Sai’ columns were compiled on a daily basis (from 1991), based on the interactions that students were blessed to have with Swami in the Mandir. Select students from Sai Publications had the opportunity to sit near Swami’s chair in the Prasanthi Nilayam Mandir portico. They would make running notes while He spoke. Later, they would cross verify the exact wordings that He had used while interacting with the concerned individuals – staff and students. Swami would interact with students, staff and senior devotees in various languages including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, English and Hindi. While compiling the notes, students would attempt to get the exact translation of His words so that nothing was missed out. Purely personal conversations were excluded from these compilations. These handwritten notes were typed, formatted and displayed on the Hostel notice board after senior Hostel teachers edited and proof-read the contents. This continued from 1991 to 1999. 

Around 2000, when Sri Deepak Anand became the Coordinator of Sai Publications, it was decided that these should be published as a book. Thus came the two volumes of ‘Heart to Heart’ covering the decade 1991 to 2001. Brother Sai Roopak, student of the MFM programme (2000-2002) played an important role in these compilations.

Dr. Deepak Anand with Sri Sathya Sai

Sathya Sai Message for Business Management

Another book that was published around the same time was Man Management. Right from 1986 when the Business School was established by Swami at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, He had addressed many batches of students on diverse topics relating to Business and its Management based on Indian Ethos and Values. The batch of students between 1996 and 2000 put in a lot of efforts to compile these Discourses from various audio and video recordings and put them together in the form of a book. Prof. Kumar Bhaskar of the Faculty of Management and Commerce guided this compilation. 

My Journey with Sai Publications

I joined the Hostel as an MBA student on May 30, 2002. Having been fascinated by Swami’s literature since Class XI and having read over 50 books on Swami’s life and message, I was very much interested in associating with the Sai Publications Division. Between 2002 and 2007, I was assisting Dr. Deepak Anand for some of the projects that came up during those years. Two of them are very vivid in my memory. 

One was the 80th Birthday issue of Sai Nandana. During the vacation season in 2005, we were all staying with Swami at the Brindavan Campus. That year, we returned from a coveted visit to Kodaikanal on the 7th of May. Sri Ram Mohan Rao was also there, and he suggested that I should assist him in the final editing and compilation of the Book. It was a God-given opportunity to sanctify my vacation. We were able to complete the project in time and offer it to Swami on the occasion of Guru Pournima in July.

The second project was the compilation of the book titled ‘Fragrance: A Tale of Love’. On August 22, 2005, Swami’s Business School was entering its 20th year. To commemorate this landmark event, the Business School had planned ‘Reconnect’, a grand alumni meet. Over 500 students from 19 batches had come to Prasanthi Nilayam along with their family members to receive Swami’s blessings. The event was a grand success and was, in some form, the beginning of the annual alumni meets that are now held on January 1st for alumni of all batches across campuses in Prasanthi Nilayam. For this occasion, it was felt that it would be an ideal offering to Swami if students of all the MBA batches from 1986 could share their experiences of how Swami’s Message on Business and Management helped them to practice the profession in its letter and spirit. To mark Swami’s 80th Birthday, 80 alumni penned their experiences. Sri G S Srirangarajan (currently Director of the Brindavan Campus) initiated this project. I had the opportunity of assisting him in the editing and compilation of the book which was released by Swami on this occasion. For the benefit of the world at large, the book is now also available as an e-book titled 'FRAGRANCE'. 

Dr. Deepak Anand completed his role as the Coordinator in 2007. In June 2008, Dr. Siva Sankara Sai, then Warden, guided me to lead the Division. Honestly, I had little experience in leading a self-reliance department until then. I was always associated with specific projects and not with day-to-day functioning. I was quite hesitant to take up the role as I was in the thick of my PhD work. However, thinking of it as an opportunity given by Swami Himself, I started my second innings at Sai Publications, albeit in a new role. 

One of the first things we did was to get a legal identity for the Division. Following a detailed procedure, Sai Publications was registered as a Publishing House by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

Being Coordinator: Opportunity of a Lifetime

The culmination of the Third World Youth Conference of the Sri Sathya Sai Organisations at Prashanti Nilayam in July 2007 highlighted the need for documentation of Swami’s Message for the world youth, especially His students. While Swami gave hundreds of Discourses to His students on innumerable occasions at Prasanthi Nilayam, Brindavan and Kodaikanal over the previous three decades, there was limited chronological or thematic documentation. The only Discourses available were those given during the 16 Summer Courses in Indian Culture and Spirituality held at Brindavan between 1972 and 2002. However, besides these, Swami had given several Discourses to Students at the Institute and Hostels at Prasanthi Nilayam and Brindavan, on special occasions at the Sai Kulwant Hall and Trayee Brindavan, and of course during the most coveted Kodaikanal visits. Majority of these Discourses were for an exclusive audience and were not documented in a book form. This is where the Journey of ‘My Dear Students’ began. The students of Sai Publications embarked on the onerous task of compiling these hitherto unreleased Discourses which contained a treasure chest of His Message to His students and the world youth at large. It was a collective decision to offer a compilation of 108 such Divine Discourses on the occasion of His 85th Birthday in November 2010. 

Sri Sathya Sai Releases My Dear Students Volume 1 on Children's Day - November 14, 2008 in the Sai Kulwant Hall

The very first volume was released by Swami on November 14, 2008 (Children’s Day) and the eve of Sahasra Poornachandra Darshan Mahotsavam. Given that thousands of devotees and hundreds of priests had gathered at Prasanthi Nilayam for this function, we thought that Swami would just place His Abhayahasta on the book thereby marking its release. But we were overwhelmed when He called us, blessed the book, went through the eight collages while we explained the choice of photos and He gave His ‘comments’. Finally, He showered Akshatas on all of us. And there began the journey of compiling the rest of the volumes. 

Volume 2 was offered on September 25, 2009. It was the Navaratri Festival. One evening during the Prasanthi Vidwan Mahasabha, we were sitting before Swami in the first block. We wanted Him to release the book during these auspicious days and so we took the ‘chance’ of being there in spite of His ‘busy schedule’. But to our joy, at the conclusion of the proceedings of the Sabha that day, He called us on the dais, pulled the ribbon marking the release of the book and even went through all the collages while we explained the contents of the book. At the end, He gave us the coveted Padnamaskar. 

Sri Sathya Sai releases My Dear Students Volume 2 during Navaratri 2009 and blesses students of the Sai Publications Division

On the eve of Guru Pournima in June 2010, Swami similarly released Volume 3 of the Book during Darshan time. Volume 4 has an interesting story. It was during the Navaratri season of 2010. We were sitting in the verandah along with the books for blessings on October 9, 2010. We thought – “What better time to have His blessings than during the days when Divinity is worshipped as Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati.” This volume had 18 Discourses, the last one being a Discourse given by Swami in January 1983 in the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus Auditorium on the four Mahavakyas from the four Vedas. We were thinking whether to include this Discourse as it was quite ‘heavy’ in terms of content and whether students would be able to relate to it. Finally, we decided to include it as the last one in this volume. When Swami called us in the verandah, He went through the table of contents of the book and straight went to the last discourse. As we opened the page, He put His finger on each of those four Mahavakyas while I repeated those four Divine aphorisms. As I look back, it was the Divine initiation on the highest path of Self-enquiry as prescribed in the Vedas, which He wants each of His students to commence while at the Institute. 

Sri Sathya Sai releases My Dear Students Volume 4 during Navaratri 2010 with students of the Sai Publications Division

The last volume of the My Dear Students series was ready for release on Ugadi Day – March 30, 2011. However, Swami had planned otherwise. Hence, we were not able to offer this volume to Him physically. It was released by Sri Nanjundaiah, Former Controller of Examinations at our Institute and the Translator of Swami’s Discourses into English, on the final day of the Summer Course in June 2011 in the Poornachandra Auditorium 

Thus, culminated the 36 month long journey – a very momentous and enjoyable one. The icing on the cake was that during the World Youth Conference held in Prasanthi Nilayam in July 2011, the full set of five volumes of My Dear Students was given as reading material to all the 500 delegates from across the world by the Sathya Sai International Organisation. We had come back a full circle. What started with the World Youth Conference in 2007 completed its journey on the same occasion in 2011. 

Sri Sathya Sai releasing Man Management on August 23, 2009; Also seen are Prof. U.S. Rao, Dean; and Prof. R. Kumar Bhaskar, Editor

Similar is the story of all other titles that were blessed by Swami. Whether it is the revised and enlarged edition of Man Management that Swami released on August 22, 2009, on the 23rd Anniversary of the Management Programme in the Sai Kulwant Hall; or the Book on the Sri Sathya Sai System of Integral Education that Swami released on the eve of a visit by the Team from NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) in September 2010. In fact, Swami spent full 20 minutes going through each and every page of the book inside Yajur Mandiram when the Vice-Chancellor formally presented the copy to the Revered Chancellor!

I would like to make a special mention of the Digvijayam books, a special and first of its kind compilation on His Life and Journeys between 1926 and 2005. This project was undertaken in collaboration with the Chaitanya Jyoti Museum and was scheduled to be released on His 85th Birthday. For this purpose, we worked over time and some of our students stayed back at the Hostel during the vacation to complete the project in time. This set of books has over 36 collages with over 400 rare photos of Swami and over 600 pages of written material. It was a lot of work and the time was very limited. On top of that, my PhD defence viva was scheduled within a fortnight! But by His grace we finished all of it in time. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, we could not offer the book to Swami on His 85th Birthday. The book then remained in ‘cold storage’ for a couple of months. Finally, an unexpected opportunity emerged on the eve of Maha Shivaratri. It was March 1, 2011 and the venue was the Bhajan Hall at Prasanthi Nilayam. We were sitting with great expectations that Swami should release the book this momentous day. And surely so, He came to the Bhajan Hall after the programme was over. He pulled the ribbons and glanced through the books and blessed the members of the team of students along with Col. Bose from Chaitanya Jyoti with Padnamaskar. Little did we know that it was the last time we would ever get an opportunity to go to Him physically to offer our books. That was the last book released by Him in His Avataric life. And what a message it was – the book was titled – Digvijayam – The Glorious Journey of the Sathya Sai Avatar. A perfect literary finale...

Sri Sathya Sai Releases Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam on March 1, 2011 in the Prasanthi Nilayam Mandir Bhajan Hall - Also seen are Col. Bose and Dr. Aman Jhaveri

In April 2011, when Swami was in the Hospital, I had a dream. I was sitting in Sai Kulwant Hall and editing one of our books. Without my notice, Swami came from behind and was observing what I was doing. As students sitting around started looking at me, I realised that someone is standing behind me. I turned around and was surprised to see Swami standing there with a sweet smile on His face. He looked in to my eyes and said – ‘You must ensure that every word of My Message is interpreted and understood correctly by those reading it.’ This was an important message for me that Swami wanted us to continue the Publications work even after He wound up His earthly sojourn. 

Thus, we continued our work at Sai Publications with renewed vigour. All the students now wanted to use this opportunity at Sai Publications (like all other Hostel Departments) to express their gratitude to Swami for all that He had done for them. And so we started a number of projects. The Heart to Heart series was revised and expanded as ‘Students with Sai: Conversations’ in three parts – 1991-2000, 2000-2001 and 2001-2004. Thus, some of the most valuable conversations between Swami and His Students have been compiled in 1,000 pages as a supremely useful compilation on the catalytic impact of Swami on the inner transformation of His Students. 

The erstwhile six part Sai Nandana series (from 1985 to 2010) which were out of print were also revived and now made available in print and e-versions. These together have 435 experiences of students from different batches over a quarter century. They stand a testimony to their gratitude to Him for providing them a life-transforming experience while studying in His Institutions. 

Sai Vani, a book named and released by Swami on 28th December 1995 was revised and enlarged into a two-part series: Sai Vani: Avatar on Avatar Purushas and Avatar on Mahapurushas. The former focused on Swami's Discourses on the Life and Message of 8 Avatars; the latter focused on Swami's Discourses on the Life and Message of 6 Prophets, 4 Acharyas and over 20 contemporary saints. These are meant for students of the Sathya Sai Educational Institutions, the Bal Vikas programme in India and the Sai Spiritual Education programme globally.

For the first time, and due to the enthusiasm of the Telugu Team at Sai Publications we offered three parts of My Dear Students in Telugu titled ‘Priyamaina Vidyaarthulaara’ on Mahashivaratri between 2012 and 2014. Late Prof. CLN Murthy, Faculty of Sanskrit and Dr. Jagadeeswara Rao, from the Department of Chemistry, helped the members of our Telugu Team for these projects. 

Volume 3 of Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam covering the years 2006 to 2011 of the Avataric life was offered to Swami on the Mahasamadhi Day in 2014. With that, we successfully documented 85 years of the Avataric sojourn with most published details available in a chronological format in nearly 1,000 pages. This compilation would be very useful for students of Sathya Sai Life and Mission in the decades to come.

The Sathya Sai with Students Blog

As technology and social media became the media of communication and information sharing across the globe, the Sai Publications Division embarked on the journey of setting up its own Blog - Sathya Sai with Students. On the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi - September 18, 2012, the Blog was launched by then Warden - Dr. Pallav Baruah. It aimed at sharing the Sathya Sai Message for Students and World Youth in 7 categories:
i. Discourses to Students
ii. Experiences of Students
iii. Conversations with Students
iv. Management Lessons
v. This Day That Age
vi. Songs for the Soul
vii. Videos

Over the next 5 years, over 1,200 articles are uploaded on the Blog in these categories. We are overwhelmed that in these years, the Blog has been visited nearly 25 lakh times (2.5 million visits) from readers across 5 continents. The top 10 countries include: India, USA, UK, Russia, UAE, Canada, Nepal, Australia, Malaysia and South Africa. This means that over the last 5 years, every minute, someone, somewhere in the world has accessed the Blog to benefit from the Sathya Sai Students Literature.

On the New Year Day 2013, Professor Vishwanath Pandit, former Vice Chancellor launched the Facebook page of Sathya Sai with Students in the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus Auditorium in the presence of hundreds of alumni. Since then, there have been nearly 30,000 followers on the Facebook page, with an average viewing of articles by nearly 3,000 to 5,000 social media buffs every single day.

The Journey Continues...

Every single day of this journey, we have experienced His Divine Grace working through each one of us. There was a time when we offered to Swami a book every month between June 2010 and March 2011 – 10 books in 10 months, and Swami personally released each of those books! How was it humanly possible to work on a book every month over and above our normal Institute, Hostel and Mandir schedules and academic commitments? This was possible only by His bounteous Blessings. 

A snapshot of some of the Sai Publications Books

I would be failing in my duty if I do not mention here the pivotal role played by our Former Warden, Professor Siva Sankara Sai, in nurturing this Department, and all others too, during his 17 year long tenure as the Warden. He was someone each one of us could go to for guidance, problem solving, and ideas. He was always available with a smile and words of appreciation all through this journey.  

We were also blessed with a fantastic team of students and colleagues at Sai Publications from whom I learnt a lot. They set a great example of working as a cohesive team in decision making and execution. Our team, which consisted of 15 students when I started in 2008, expanded to 45 students in 2011-12 when we were at the peak of our projects. Each of the students have done a fantastic job of channelizing their talents and skills in spreading Swami’s message through His Books. 

Learning at Sai Publications

The Dynamic Team at Sai Publications - 2012 Batch

For its team members, Sai Publications provides a wide breadth of activities to choose from. This ranges from designing cover pages, collages and greeting cards, to managing logistics and distribution for nearly 50,000 books; from editing and content management for nearly 30 books (both print and e-formats), to managing a blog and other social media interface for the Sai Students literature. 

But the unique facet of the Division is its culture, which like the River Saraswati, is an undercurrent, not very visible, but yet very palpable. Our Team was a family, where each worked with the other, and all worked for God. It was a rare combination of brotherly love and professional commitment, of fraternal warmth and performance orientation, of dignity of labour and respect for ideas. The virtues of teamwork, cooperation, time management, mutual respect, blend of authority and responsibility, and making personal priorities subservient to the larger organisational vision and mission, which are all so sought after in the corporate world today, were imbibed by the students associated with the Division. 

Above all, we learnt the joy of selfless service without the sense of doership. And this is true in case of all other Self-Reliance Departments of the Sathya Sai Hostels. The ideals of the ancient Gurukul System come alive through this model as practiced in the Sathya Sai Educational Institutions. 

To sum it up, Sai Publications has played three major roles in the lives of its Team Members: 
i. Developing personal competencies which stand them in good stead in life; 

ii. Contributing to society at large by publishing and disseminating noble and inspirational literature; and 

iii. Connecting with the Master by developing greater clarity of His Mission while working on His Message. 

With Prof. Siva Sankara Sai, Sri Sooryanarayana and Students of Sai Publications - 2013 Batch

To have had the opportunity of leading such a division for six long years has been one of the most fulfilling opportunities of my life. I remain ever grateful to Swami and to the elders of the Institution for giving me this noble opportunity to optimally sanctify my time and my stay at the Hostel. The memories of working with my Team members while at Sai Publications will remain the most cherished ones for a lifetime.

- Dr. Shashank Shah

Coordinator and Editor (2008-2014)

Sai Publications Division
Prasanthi Nilayam Campus Hostel
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

Source: Loving HIM