Capt Purushottam Sharma (Retd)
“Of all good dees, The best is Sewa, intelligent and loving service to those in need. The body is the temple of God. He besides therein; the intellect, the mind and the senses which constitute the temple are his, not ours to be handled as our whims dictate. They are his instruments. To be used by him, for him’’.
Baba
Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Avtar of this Age, was born on 23rd November, 1926, in Ratnakar family that inhabited a tiny village of Puttaparthi in Anantpur District of Andhra Pradesh. In late sixties, a foreigner called this village of hundred souls “ten minutes past the stone age’’. Today it is a model modern township of magnificence humming with spiritual activities, both Heaven and Haven for His devotees.
It is believed that Sage Bhardwaja was granted a boon by Lord Shiva that He will incarnate in Kaliyuga thrice. The first Incarnation was Sai Baba of Shirdhi born to Maa Devgiriamma and Ganga Bhavida in village Patri near Manmad in Maharashtra, the second was Sri Sathya Sai Baba and the third incarnation will be Prema Sai in Mandya District (Karnataka).
Sathya or Raju had chosen pious douls Smt Easwaramma and Pedda Venkama Raju as parents of His physical body. He was the darling child of the village who possessed infinte wisdom and was known as Biddal guru (child teacher) and Brahminani. Even in his childhood, he composed ‘bhajans’ and led Bhajan groups of children. He was exceptionally proficient in music, dance, drama and poetry. He made revelation of His Avtarhood on 23rd May 1940 declaring “ I am Sai Baba’’. It was the glorious day of 20th October 1940 on which, the Master of the Universe, on return from His school, put away His satchel and took to his Divine Mission of transformation of mankind. He made His Divine Mission known on 25th May 1947 in a letter to His elder brother declaring that He had incarnated to ensure blissful lives to all mankind, to save and lead into goodness to those who stray from the straight path, to ameliorate the sufferings of the down trodden and fulfill their needs and never give up those who take refuge in Him. To accomplish His Mission, the compassionate Lord being called Swami or Baba by His Devotees had been incessantly working through the medium of Sai Philosophy founded on five pillars of Saithya, Dharama, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa. His message of manifestation of these human values is working wonders in the transformation of the world. Although He has shed His mortal coils, His presence is still felt throughout the world wherever and whenever He is remembered. He reaches instantaneously on the call of His devotees both on the occasions of rejoicings and pains, blesses them in dreams, guards, guides and lightens them from the burdens of worries and woes. He cures from deadly diseases, averts fatal accidents and air crashes. Five elements of nature obey Him and growling wild animals reverentially submit to Him. He visits thousans of His devotees all over the world at any one point of time revealing His presence through Vibhuti, honey and dry fruits which appear before his images and photographs. Use of Vibhuti is the remedy for all maladies.
Swami says “Love is my Form, truth is breath. Bliess is my food’’ “The world cannot exist without love, God resides as love in the hearts of all’’. The word SAI has inner significance. S stands for Service (seva or Karma), A for Adoration (Prema) or Bhakti and I for illumination (Viveka). It also means transformation at Spiritual, Association and Individual levels. He is bonding the world into a family and ushering in a Golden Age. Devottees from all over the world gather at Puttaparthi to celebrate festivals of spiritual rejoicings and they live, eat, jostle, sing and meditate together. Serenity, sanguinity and sanctity abound the world’s spiritual centre Puttaparthi.
Bhagwan Baba says “ I consider students as My very life’’. Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning is a Deemed University which has its campuses at Bangaluru and Anantpur also. The temples of learning include kindergartens to post graduation. His social welfare projects speak volumes on service to humanity. The Super Speciality Hospitals at Puttaparthi and Bangaluru are unmatched in excellence. These temples of healing provide medical treatment to millions of people free of any charge. Education is also free and excels in academic excellence and character excellence. Baba’s massive Drinking Water projects have quenched the thrists of millions of people. He has built roads, bridges and houses for the poor and undertaken many social welfare activities of job-generating nature for the benefit of the poor and destitute.
Sri Sathya Seva Organisation has three Wings, namely, Service Wing, Spiritual Wing and Educational Wing throughout the world Sri Sathya Sai Baba Samitis directing the activities. Swami has Army of volunteer devotees who work as Seva Dal and perform various duties in the Ashram with love and enthusiasm.
In His Ten Commandments Swami says, be patriotic, respect all religions, treat all as brothers, keep houses and surroundings clean, discourage begging but strive to provide livelihood for the needy, do not have any difference of caste, creed or religion, do not give or take bribes, learn to do own work and not to depend on others, have fear of sin and love God and honor the law of the land.
The Vahini series written by Bhagwan Himself, Sathyam Sai Speaks series containing His discourses, athyam Shivam, Sundaram series, Summer Shower series, children’s books on human values and hundreds of other books and publications are available with Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publication Trust at Prashanti Nilayam.
Swami left his physical body on 24th of April, 2011, but He is found in spiritual form every moment by His devotees from all over the world who still throng His magnificient abode Prashanthi Nilayam (the eternal peace conferring place) to receive their loving Lord’s blessings and eternal happiness.
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