May 2k5.pmd - Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publication Trust

AVATAR VANIUGADI DISCOURSELOVE IS YOUR ETERNAL WEALTHThe creation emerges from truth and merges into truth,Is there a place in the cosmos where truth does not exist?Visualise this pure and unsullied truth.(Telugu Poem)The body is made up of five elements and is bound to perish sooner or laterbut the indweller has neither birth nor death. The indweller has no attachmentwhatsoever and is the eternal witness.(Telugu Poem)Embodiments of Love!THIS MORNING YOU ENJOYEDlistening to the melodious devotionalsongs and Bhajans presented bythe devotees from Hyderabad. This musicalpresentation was not merely a joy for theears but a feast for the soul also.Make Proper Use of your IntelligenceWherever you see, you cannot findanything more powerful and more valuablethan love. There is nothing beyond love. Alldescriptions to estimate its greatness will beinadequate. In this vast world, there is nohuman being or living being without love.Saint Thyagaraja sang:Oh Rama! In Your pure and unsullied formof love, You indwell all beings from an antto Brahma as also in Siva and Kesava.Please be my protector too. (Telugu Song)What is the form of an ant and what isthe form of Brahma? Brahma is infinite. Onthe other hand, ant is a tiny creature. Therecan be no comparison between them. Butone can learn many lessons from this tinyant also.Once a hungry bear went to ananthill and said to an ant, “I am veryhungry. Please give me some food.”The ant smiled at the request of the bearand said, “How big is your form and how smallWhen the fragrance of the sacrednessof the Ramayana spreads in thecountry, the country will prosper andits inhabitants will experience love,peace and bliss. Not only that, in afew years time, nay, very shortly, thewhole world will realise thesacredness and greatness of theRamayana and follow its ideals. Infact, Rama Tattwa (principle of Rama)is present in all in the form of theAtma. Today we find many nations,religions and castes in the world. No.No. Within a short period of time, thewhole world will have one race, onecaste and one religion.am I? Yet you ask food from me! However,let me see what I can do for you.” It is naturalfor ants to store food for six months intheir anthills. The ant went inside andwith the help of other ants brought outMay 2005 124

AVATAR VANIsome of the food they had stored for future.The bear wondered, “How could a tinycreature like an ant store so much food!” Ifone has the desire and puts in the necessaryeffort, one can do anything; it does not matterwhether one is big or small.It is said, Jantunam Nara JanmaDurlabham (out of all living beings, humanbirth is the rarest). Ants, though tiny in form,are able to acquire food, share it with otherEverything is at their disposal. But they lackthe discrimination to make proper use of theresources available. In spite of havingeverything in plenty, they are not able to giveup their pettiness. There are many lessonsto be learnt even from ants. When an antbites you, you feel the irritation andimmediately try to kill it. But you do not makeefforts to kill the evil qualities within yourself.Deep-rooted selfishness and self-interest aremaking man’s intelligence perverted andleading him astray. When you give upIt may be easy to give lectures onlove, but it is difficult to understandit. Make every effort to comprehendit. If you understand the nature ofyour love, you will understand thelove of others. Love is in you, withyou and around you. Once youunderstand love, you will become thevery embodiment of love. If you justtalk about love withoutunderstanding it, then you cannotbecome the embodiment of love. Themore you understand the principle oflove, the nobler you become.ants and also store for future. It is surprisingthat human beings are unable to providefood for themselves in spite of all theirintelligence. In fact, there is no being superiorto man in intelligence in this world. But heis unable to make proper use of hisintelligence. He conducts himself in anunworthy manner because of hisselfishness and self-interest. Humansdo not lack anything in their life.selfishness, then your power andintelligence will become manifold. Man isendowed with immense power of intelligencebut he is not trying to make its proper use.Man, in fact, is misusing his intelligence dueto his ignorance.Use God-given Body for others’ WelfareEmbodiments of Love!Students today read all sorts ofbooks and fill their heads with uselessinformation. There is little use in125 May 2005

AVATAR VANIstudying a Pustaka (book) if the Mastaka(head) is filled with rubbish. Students shouldacquire the knowledge which will help themto lead a noble life and save them from thecycle of birth and death. They should acquirethat knowledge which will make themimmortal. Modern students have becomeproficient in bookish knowledge. They havethe intelligence to answer any question fromtextbooks. But they are not making effortsto translate their bookish knowledge intopractical knowledge.One may acquire a high academicqualification such as M.A. or B.A. andattain exalted position,One may amass wealth, perform acts ofcharity and attain name and fame,One may have physical strength andenjoy a long and healthy life,One may be a great scholar studying andpreaching the Vedas,But none can equal a true devotee ofthe Lord. (Telugu Poem)The knowledge one acquires should beutilised for the benefit of society. You shouldutilise your wealth and knowledge not forselfish purposes, but for the welfare ofothers. God has given you the human bodynot merely to eat, sleep and enjoy worldlypleasures. Paropakarartham Idam Sariram(human body is meant to do good to others).The body is given to you to serve others. Ofwhat use is your education and intelligenceif society is not benefited from them?Presently, man is making new discoveriesand inventions but till this day he has notreally understood the purpose ofhuman birth. What is the meaning ofthe word Manava? ‘Ma’ meansAjnana (ignorance), ‘Na’ means without, ‘Va’means to conduct oneself. Hence, Manavais one who conducts himself withoutignorance. It is only by the grace of God thatman acquires intelligence, knowledge andwealth. Man should understand this and leada sacred and divine life. He should use hisGod-given gifts for the welfare of others. Butman is acting contrary to it and therebyruining himself. Animals like bulls andbuffaloes render service to man in a numberof ways. It is unfortunate that man is not ableto understand even such a simple thing.Instead of developing Manavatwa(humanness), man is acquiring Danavatwa(demonic nature), and thus courting Dinatwa(miserable way of life). Vyashti (individual)signifies humanness and Samashti (society)symbolises divinity. Hence, one can attaindivinity only by serving society.Educare Manifests Man’s LatentDivinityEmbodiments of Love!Despite our high education andintelligence, there is a great scope forlearning valuable lessons which Natureteaches us. One can learn even from smallcreatures like ants, birds and animals. Theselessons of life cannot be taught in theclassroom. Even teachers are not makingefforts to understand the principle of divinitywithin. Education is not meant to merely ekeout a livelihood. You have to share yourknowledge with others, give joy to one andall and thereby rise to the level of divinity.Samatwa (equal-mindedness) is thehallmark of a true human being.Manavatwa without Samatwa is oflittle worth. Hence, develop SamatwaMay 2005 126

AVATAR VANIin the first instance. It is only throughSamatwa that you can attain Divyatwa(divinity). Divinity is latent in every humanbeing. But man is becoming weak as he isunable to realise his latent divinity. In orderto realise one’s divinity, one should cultivatesacred feelings.Manavatwa has not come into existencein the recent past; it has been there sinceages. Human being is born from the wombof the mother, but humanness originatedfrom divinity and has been present at alltimes. There is divinity in every human being.As he is unable to recognise his innatedivinity, man is forgetting his humannessitself. What is the use of being human onlyin form but not in practice? Human birth willfind fulfilment only when man practiseshuman qualities. All the sacred texts suchas Upanishads and Sastras are meant toshow mankind the path of redemption. Whatis the use of studying sacred texts if theirteachings are not put into practice? Manshould manifest his latent divinity by followingtheir teachings. The sacred texts will bringout the hidden treasures of divinity fromwithin. That is why I have introducededucare programme in the educationalinstitutions. Education is related to worldlyknowledge. It can be acquired by goingthrough books, whereas educare is meantto manifest the latent divinity in man.Education has temporary benefits, whereaseducare bestows everlasting happiness.One cannot become great by mereacquisition of education. One should practiseeducare and manifest one’s latent qualities.Educare is the need of the hour.Only through educare can you realisedivinity which is present in every atomand every cell of your body. In fact, you areseeing divinity every moment but are unableto recognise this truth. You can call yourselfeducated only when you recognise divinitywhich is all-pervasive. Education is relatedto secular knowledge which can be acquiredfrom books. However, little benefit accruesby gathering information from books. Whatis required is transformation and it is possibleonly through educare. Acquisition ofinformation which cannot lead totransformation is a mere waste of time. Butman has developed a taste for suchinformation. Man’s intelligence, knowledgeand power are all the gifts of God. They haveto be nourished and made proper use ofthrough educare.Love Unites AllTruly, God has endowed man withimmense potential. That is love. It is beyondall description and measure. There is nogreater power than this. But man is fritteringaway this power without realising its value.He is under the mistaken notion that lovemeans physical and worldly relationship. No,no. This is not true love. True love is thatwhich unites you with one and all. Peopleutter this word repeatedly without actuallyknowing its meaning. Love does not hurtanybody. It always helps. Hence, considerlove as your true property. There is noproperty more valuable than love in thisworld. You are misusing the God-given giftof love by diverting it to worldly matters andsensual pleasures. Your foremost duty is tomake proper use of love by followingthe dictum, Help ever, Hurt never.There is no greater Dharma than this.127 May 2005

AVATAR VANIEmbodiments of Love!Love is your only true and eternal wealth.But you are misdirecting it towards mean andworldly pursuits. It should be treasured inyour heart and utilised for sacred purposes.You may share it with any number of people,it will never diminish. But man today isunable to understand and experience thetrue spirit of love. Love is the life-breath ofevery being. In order to understand love, youhave to dive deep into the ocean of love.Love cannot be understood from asuperficial level; you have to immerseyourself completely in it. Worldly love is suchthat you can just taste it and give it up. Butdivine love is not like that; once you taste it,you will never leave it. Love is God’s property.Safeguard and protect this property withutmost care. Love is God, God is love.Hence, you cannot separate love from God.Live in love. That is the only way you canunderstand love and experience God.Ramayana Expounds the Principle ofthe AtmaEmbodiments of Love!It may be easy to give lectures on love,but it is difficult to understand it. Make everyeffort to comprehend it. If you understandthe nature of your love, you will understandthe love of others. Love is in you, with youand around you. Once you understandlove, you will become the very embodimentof love. If you just talk about love withoutunderstanding it, then you cannot becomethe embodiment of love. The more youunderstand the principle of love, thenobler you become. Once youunderstand the principle of love andput it into practice, others will also tryto emulate you. In the Ramayana, the fourbrothers Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata andSatrughna set an ideal to the world how loveshould be put into practice in life. Their wivesalso demonstrated this great ideal to theworld. Many people extol only the virtues ofRama and ignore the model conduct of othercharacters of the Ramayana. In fact, eachof them was as great as Rama.Take, for example, Sumitra, the motherof Lakshmana and Satrughna. People donot attach much importance to her role inthe Ramayana. In fact, her name does notfigure prominently in the epic. But the fact isthat she was a paragon of virtues. Her name‘Su-mitra’ itself signifies that she was a goodfriend to one and all. She shared herhappiness with others. Kausalya and Kaikeyihad one son each, whereas Sumitra had twosons. When we enquire into the reason, wecan understand the mystery behind it. Afterthe performance of the Putrakameshti Yajna,Dasaratha distributed the sacred puddingequally between his three wives. Kausalyaand Kaikeyi took their share of the puddingto their respective Puja rooms. Each of themwas happy thinking that her son would bethe future king of Ayodhya. But Sumitra hadno such thoughts. She carried her bowl ofpudding to the terrace and placed it on theparapet wall while drying her hair in the sun.Suddenly, an eagle swooped down andcarried away the bowl of sacred pudding.She immediately ran down and informedKausalya and Kaikeyi about what hadhappened. Kausalya and Kaikeyi came tothe rescue of Sumitra and shared theirpudding with her. Kaikeyi gave half ofher share to Sumitra. Kausalya didMay 2005 128

AVATAR VANIthe same. In due course, Kausalya gave birthto Rama, Kaikeyi to Bharata, and Sumitra toLakshmana and Satrughna. The sons ofKausalya and Kaikeyi were happily playingin their cradles whereas Sumitra’s sons werecrying all the time, and were not taking milk.Sumitra went to Sage Vasishtha and told himabout her predicament. Sage Vasishthaclosed his eyes. His yogic vision enabled himto know the truth. He said to Sumitra, “Asyou partook of the sacred pudding given byKausalya, you gave birth to Lakshmana whois an Amsa (part) of Rama. Similarly,Satrughna is born out of the share ofpudding given to you by Kaikeyi. So, he is apart of Bharata. Put Lakshmana by the sideof Rama and Satrughna by the side ofBharata. Then they will rest peacefully.”Sumitra did as instructed by Vasishtha. BothLakshmana and Satrughna stopped cryingand started playing blissfully in their cradles.This was the basis of the intimate relationshipbetween Rama and Lakshmana, Bharataand Satrughna.Sumitra experienced great bliss to seeher two sons Lakshmana and Satrughnaalways in the company of Rama andBharata. No one can know why and howGod ordains certain events to happen. Asthe four sons of King Dasaratha grewup, Lakshmana always followed Ramaand Satrughna followed Bharata. BothLakshmana and Satrughna were very braveand valorous. Without them, there could beno Ramayana. Lakshmana loved to be inthe company of Rama. Similarly,Satrughna followed Bharata. Thus,the four brothers Rama, Lakshmana,Bharata and Satrughna grew uptogether in an environment of love, unity andamity. The four brothers were virtuallyinseparable and manifested their divinity inequal measure. There was no discordbetween them. The unity between the fourbrothers is, in fact, the sum and substanceof the story of Ramayana. Similarly, theirblessed mothers Kausalya, Sumitra andKaikeyi were the models of unity and amity.None can describe in full the glory of theRamayana. Many writers have describedthe glory of the Ramayana in their ownunique style. Thus, there are numerousbooks which describe the story of theRamayana. But it is not possible for anyoneto fathom the mysteries of the Ramayana.Once when Kausalya was engaged insome work, Bharata came running, sat onher lap and started crying. Kausalya was abit surprised and enquired as to what madehim cry. Bharata replied, “We were playinga ball game and each time Rama wasdeliberately losing the game so that I couldwin.” The bond of unity and love betweenthe brothers was such that they always triedto please each other. They experiencedsupreme bliss in the company of each other.The eternal Rama principle is transcendentaland beyond all description. It was onlyLakshmana who could understand Rama.Similarly, it was Satrughna who could fullyunderstand the nature of Bharata.When Rama was going to the forest tofulfil the command of his father, KingDasaratha, Lakshmana followed Him. Heexperienced great joy in accompanying hiselder brother Rama to the forest. Similarly,Satrughna also experienced great joyin the company of Bharata andaccompanied him wherever he went.129 May 2005

AVATAR VANIWhat does the name ‘Satrughna’imply? It means the one whodestroys Satrus (enemies).Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata andSatrughna were ideal brothers. Itis not enough if we merely extoltheir ideals, we must also try toexperience that great bond of lovein our day-to-day lives and shareit with others. The Ramayana isnot a mere story. It explains andexpounds the principle of theAtma. The Ramayana Tattwa hasto be understood properly andtranslated into our life. Therefore,one should study the Ramayanawith devotion and sacredness andexperience the principle of theAtma.Ramayana Teaches thePrinciple of UnityEmbodiments of Love!The Ramayana is not merely aGrantha (sacred text); it is fullof the Gandha (fragrance) ofsacredness which it spreadseverywhere. When the fragranceof its sacredness spreads in thecountry, the country will prosperand its inhabitants will experiencelove, peace and bliss. Not onlythat, in a few years time, nay, veryshortly, the whole world will realisethe sacredness and greatness ofthe Ramayana and follow its ideals (loudapplause). In fact, Rama Tattwa (principleof Rama) is present in all in the formof the Atma. Today we find manynations, religions and castes in theLove is the life-breath of every being. In orderto understand love, you have to dive deepinto the ocean of love. Love cannot beunderstood from a superficial level; you haveto immerse yourself completely in it. Worldlylove is such that you can just taste it and giveit up. But divine love is not like that; once youtaste it, you will never leave it. Love is God’sproperty. Safeguard and protect this propertywith utmost care. Love is God, God is love.Hence, you cannot separate love from God.Live in love. That is the only way you canunderstand love and experience God.world. No. No. Within a short period of time,the whole world will have one race, onecaste and one religion.The greatest truth propounded bythe Ramayana is the unity of mankind.May 2005 130

AVATAR VANIWhen there is such unity, then people willattain purity of heart. The purity of heart willbring the people close to each other. Whenthere is amity among people, the whole worldwill experience bliss. Thus, the Ramayanacan give bliss to one and all. Hence,everybody should chant the Divine Name,“Rama! Rama! Rama!”The female characters of the Ramayanaalso set an ideal to the world. Sumitra gladlysent Lakshmana to follow and serve Ramawhen He went into exile for 14 years at thecommand of His father Dasaratha. Evenwhen she heard the news that Lakshmanahad fallen unconscious during the war withthe Rakshasas (demons) in Lanka, Sumitrawas not perturbed. She was always confidentthat no danger would ever befall Lakshmanasince he was in the service of Lord Rama.Thus, during the entire period of 14 years ofRama’s exile to the forest, all the brothersand their wives were always thinking andwishing the well-being of Rama; so weretheir mothers. Such was the nobility of theirhearts.Similarly, Lakshmana’s wife Urmila didnot feel sad even for a moment when herhusband accompanied Rama to the forest.She was, in fact, painting a picture of Rama’scoronation when Lakshmana came to informher of his decision to accompany Rama tothe forest. When Lakshmana suddenlyentered her room, she wanted to get up andlook who the visitor was. In the confusion,the paint got spilled over the unfinishedpainting. “How come this painting got spoiledwhen actually I wanted to portray thebeauty and majesty of Sri Rama onthe occasion of His coronation andshow it to the world”, she thought.Urmila had a very compassionate heart. Shealways entertained noble thoughts. She wasalways contemplating on Rama during Hisexile to the forest. Not only she, the wives ofBharata and Satrughna, Mandavi andSrutakeerthi were also engaged in constantcontemplation of Rama. Contemplation onRama helped them to understand unity indivinity. Considering the ideal of unitybetween the brothers, their wives and othercharacters of the Ramayana, it becomesapparent that the main emphasis of theRamayana is on the principle of unity.Embodiments of Love!Any amount of narration of the greatnessand nobility of the characters of theRamayana will be found inadequate. Everyincident, every character, every episode ofthe Ramayana is full of bliss and divinemystery.The story of Lord Rama is amazing,It purifies the lives of the people in all thethree worlds,It is like the sickle that cuts the creepersof worldly bondage,It is like a good friend who helps you intimes of need,It is like a shelter for the sages and seersdoing penance in the forest. (Telugu Poem)The story of Rama is most wonderful andendless. It is essential for every human beingto put the ideals set by Rama into practicein his day-to-day life.(Bhagavan concluded His Discourse withthe Bhajan, “Rama Rama Rama Sita …”)– From Bhagavan’s UgadiDiscourse in Sai Kulwant Hall,Prasanthi Nilayam on 9th April2005.131 May 2005

Joyous Ugadi CelebrationsThe festival of Ugadi marking the adventof the new year for the people of AndhraPradesh and Karnataka was celebrated atPrasanthi Nilayam on 9th April 2005 withgreat devotional fervour. Besides the DivineDiscourse of Bhagavan, the programmeincluded devotional music and PanchangaSravanam (almanac listening). Sai KulwantHall, the venue of celebrations, wasbeautifully decorated for this occasion.Special decorations were made on the daiswith fresh coconuts and flowers.Amidst sweet notes of Panchavadyammusic and chanting of Vedic Mantras,Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba cameto Sai Kulwant Hall at 7.40 a.m. toshower His blessings on the devoteeson this auspicious day. At the outset, formerVice Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai Institute ofHigher Learning, Sri S.V. Giri addressed thegathering. Quoting from Shikshavalli ofTaittiriya Upanishad, the learned speakerexplained the factors which contributed tothe harmonious relations between a teacherand his students, and added that this wasbeing put into practice in Sri Sathya SaiInstitute of Higher Learning where BhagavanHimself is the Universal Teacher. Thereafter,the programme of Panchanga Sravanam,a traditional practice of Ugadi celebrations,started at 8.35 a.m. The Pandit who readthe Panchanga (almanac) said that the nameof the new year was Parthiva; he prayedthat it should become the year ofParthiswara (Lord of Puttaparthi) andbring about peace and prosperity asMay 2005 132

CELEBRATIONS AT PRASANTHI NILAYAMDivine Darshan on the holy day of Ugadi.it was falling in the 80th year of the Adventof Bhagavan. He then read out the positionsof stars and planets and explained theirsignificance. He concluded with prayer toBhagavan whose Anugraha (grace) couldundo the impact of all Grahas (planets).Panchanga Sravanam was followed by ascintillating music programme presented bythe Sai Youth of Hyderabad. Beautifuldevotional songs set to sweet music alongwith appropriate commentary were a delightfor the ears and a feast for the soul. Startingwith Sai Vandana (prayer to Sai) at 8.50a.m., the programme concluded at 9.45 a.m.The singers earned the appreciation of oneand all and blessings of Bhagavan who gavethem the coveted opportunity of group photowith Him at the end of the programme. Themorning programme came to a happyconclusion with Arati to Bhagavan at9.50 a.m. Prasadam was distributedto all in the end.The programme in theafternoon started with the arrivalof Bhagavan in Sai KulwantHall at 3.20 p.m. Before theDivine Discourse of Bhagavan,Sri Sanjay Sahni, Principal,Brindavan Campus of the Institute,addressed the devotees. Referringto the Vedic saying describingGod as the embodiment andmaster of time, Sri Sahni observedthat the best way to adore theembodiment of time was to makethe best use of time and follow thepath of goodness as taught byBhagavan by His own example.After the speech of Sri Sahni,Bhagavan gave His Divine Ugadi Message(full text given elsewhere) and brought it toa close at 5.20 p.m. with the Bhajan, “RamaRama Rama Sita …” After the Discourse ofBhagavan, there was another excellentmusical presentation of devotional songswhich concluded at 6.10 p.m. Ugadicelebrations at Prasanthi Nilayam came toa happy conclusion with this musicprogramme. In the end, Arati was offered toBhagavan and Prasadam was distributedto all.Sri Rama Navami at Prasanthi NilayamThe holy festival of Sri Rama Navami wascelebrated at Prasanthi Nilayam on 18th April2005. Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babashowered His benedictions on the devoteesin Sai Kulwant Hall and gave a nectarineDiscourse on this occasion.The programme started at 8.00 a.m.with Veda chanting. Before the DivineDiscourse of Bhagavan, Sri S.V. Giri,133 May 2005

CELEBRATIONS AT PRASANTHI NILAYAMformer Vice Chancellor of Sri Sathya SaiInstitute of Higher Learning gave a brief talkon the values propounded in the epicRamayana. Quoting from the dialoguebetween Sage Narada and Valmiki, theauthor of the Ramayana, Sri Giri observedthat Lord Rama was the embodiment of allvirtues, and model for the entire mankind.Bhagavan giving Discourse on Sri Rama Navami day.After the talk of Sri Giri, Bhagavan gaveHis Sri Rama Navami Message. Narratingsome episodes of the Ramayana in Hisinimitable style, Bhagavan exhorted thedevotees to follow the ideals set by the noblecharacters like Urmila, Sumitra, andthe four brothers Rama, Lakshmana,Bharata and Satrughna. After Bhagavan’sDivine Discourse, the devotees tastedthe sweet melody of Bhajans in praise of LordRama which were led by the Institutestudents. The programme came to a closeat 9.45 a.m. with Arati to Bhagavan.Prasadam was distributed to all in the end.Bhagavan Leaves for KodaikanalBhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was givena hearty send off in Sai KulwantHall, Prasanthi Nilayam on themorning of 19th April 2005 whenHe left for Kodaikanal, a summerresort in Tamil Nadu. All along theroute of Bhagavan from PrasanthiNilayam to Sri Sathya Sai Airport,Puttaparthi, people in largenumbers were gathered to haveHis Divine Darshan and to offertheir salutations to Him. Some ofthem offered flowers, some wavedArati and some broke coconuts.They hailed “Bhagavan Sri SathyaSai Babaji Ki Jai” as soon as theygot a glimpse of their BelovedBhagavan. At the airport also a large numberof students and devotees had gathered tooffer their Pranams to Bhagavan and wishHim a happy journey. Here, Bhagavan alongwith a group of students and a few seniordevotees boarded the Indian Airlines planewhich left at 12.30 p.m. for Madurai fromwhere Bhagavan travelled by car andreached Kodaikanal in the evening.Seva is twice blessed. It blesses both, the one who does and the one whoreceives. Its blessings are twofold. It eradicates ego and confers Ananda (bliss).- BabaMay 2005 134

AVATAR VANIDIVINE DISCOURSE:SADHANA CAMP FOR KERALA YOUTHUNDERSTANDTHE MEANING OF SERVICEKarma is responsible for the birth, existence and death of man. It holds swayover all stages of his life as the very deity of human existence. It is responsiblefor the joy and sorrow of man.(Telugu Poem)Embodiments of Love!HAPPINESS CANNOT EXISTwithout sorrow and sorrow cannotbe separated from happiness. It issaid, Jantunam Nara Janma Durlabham (outof all living beings, human birth is the rarest).Man is the crest jewel of the entire creation.forgotten his humanness. Since he callshimself a human being, it is his duty to realisethe greatness of humanness.Immense Divine Power of ManA person cannot call himself a humanbeing merely on the basis of his birth andWhile performing service activities,never consider yourself as thedoer. Always think that whateverservice activities you areundertaking are for your ownupliftment. These service activitiesmust be undertaken to developself-confidence which will lead toself-satisfaction, self-sacrifice andultimately to self-realisation. Thus,service is meant to realise yourtrue Self. It should never beconsidered as help for others.He is the main cause behind thephenomenal progress of the world. But mantoday is unable to realise hishumanness. Because of identifyinghimself with his physical form, he haseducational qualifications. Actually,real humanness cannot be found inacademic degrees. Even birds and135 May 2005

AVATAR VANIbeasts can be taught certain skills to performwonderful feats imitating human beings.Man, in fact, has a special status in the entirecreation. But he does not try to realise histrue nature. It does no credit to a humanbeing to derive satisfaction from studyingscriptures and talking about them. Real meritlies in practising the ideals of humanness inone’s life and setting an example to others.Man has no authority to teach ideals toothers without putting them into practicehimself first. In fact, he is gifted with humanbirth to be an ideal in the entire creation.There is immense divine power in man.He is not simply a Dehadhari (one withbody). He is endowed with Vijnana (wisdom),Prajnana (constant integrated awareness)and Sujnana (discrimination). He shouldchannelise these powers in the rightdirection. First and foremost, one has tounderstand the true meaning of Jnana.Some people think that knowledge acquiredby reading numerous books is Jnana. No,this is not correct. Real Jnana is theknowledge that emerges from within oneself.This should be experienced, put into practiceand then shared with others. In the ultimateanalysis, this would enable one to be greatlybenefited and enlightened. One can becalled a human only when one has humanquality. One should therefore understand thereal meaning of the term, human quality first.Human quality emerges from one’s own Self.It cannot be acquired by reading books,listening to others or talking about it.Acquire Practical KnowledgeEmbodiments of Love!You have come all the way fromKerala to acquire Jnana. You shouldalso know the real meaning of the termsPrajnana, Vijnana, Sujnana. Mere textualknowledge without practical knowledgebecomes ‘allergy’. On the other hand, whenbookish knowledge is transformed intopractical knowledge, it becomes ‘energy’.Practical knowledge is the real knowledge.One has to acquire practical knowledge bywhich one can gain experience. Thisexperience can be shared with others. Suchpractical knowledge and experience givestrength to a person. However, this strengthshould not to be considered as mere physicalstrength.Just as there is electrical energy in a livewire, similarly, there is latent energy in thehuman body which manifests in differentways. It can be harnessed for differentpurposes like reading, writing, walking,talking, etc. It has, however, no form.Nevertheless, it travels throughout the bodyof a human being from head to toe. Bytapping this energy, an Ajnani (ignorantperson) can become Jnani (one of wisdom).Energy is most important for all theprogress and advancement of man. It canbe acquired only by practice.Embodiments of Love!All that we teach to others must besupported by practice. Everything isreaction, reflection and resound of one’s owninner being. Every word we utter is theresound of the inner being. Reflection is thatwhich is contemplated upon, experiencedand put into practice. Reaction is, however,very important. Reaction comes outof action. Hence our actions mustalways be pure and sacred. Reaction,May 2005 136

AVATAR VANIreflection and resound occupy an importantplace in the life of a human being. All theworldly knowledge man acquires is theproduct of resound. Resound comes out ofreaction and reaction transforms itself intoreflection. The unity of these threeconstitutes humanness. Man should notwaste his time in empty rhetoric. Every wordhe utters must be the product of his deepcontemplation and knowledge of its innermeaning. It is only after that he should try toteach others. Unfortunately, these days merebookish knowledge is considered as trueknowledge and a lot of time is spent inacquiring it. Real knowledge is in the Mastaka(head) and not in the Pustaka (book). Oneshould, therefore, cleanse one’s Mastaka ofall impurities.Oh man! Do not exult over your erudition.All your learning is just a burden on yourhead without humble prayer and devotionto God.(Telugu Poem)Depend upon the Power of the SelfEmbodiments of Love!It may be necessary for you to adaptyourself to modern techniques and newpractices from time to time. The world todayis undergoing phenomenal changes. Allthose changes may not be important for you.Nevertheless, you are required to studyseveral branches of knowledge in moderntimes to cope up with these rapid changestaking place all over the world. However, thisstudy does not constitute Vidya (realknowledge). Hence, there is no greatnessin pursuing secular education. Avidyabreeds Avidya. One has to makeefforts to distinguish between Vidyaand Avidya. Vidya is that which helps you tounderstand, recognise and realise theprinciple of the Self. It enables you torecognise your true nature and realise thetruth. On the other hand, Avidya constitutesindiscriminate use of words and vainargumentation.Embodiments of Love!You are all students. Continue to be astudent all your life. It is a mistake to thinkthat you have completed your education andare now engaged in service activities. Youare not servants working under somebody.In fact, you are leaders. While performingservice activities, never consider yourself asthe doer. Always think that whatever serviceactivities you are undertaking are for yourown upliftment. These service activities mustbe undertaken to develop self-confidencewhich will lead to self-satisfaction, selfsacrificeand ultimately to self-realisation.Thus, service is meant to realise your trueSelf. It should never be considered as helpfor others. You may be thinking that you arehelping others by joining the Sathya Sai SevaOrganisation and undertaking serviceactivities. This is not correct. In fact, you areyourself the beneficiary of all your serviceactivities and not others. Also, you need notseek the help of others in these serviceactivities. You can depend upon your owninnate strength and energy. The power ofyour Self will help you in all your endeavours.Your Self will protect you from within in allyour endeavours; you do not need theprotection of anybody else from outside.Members of the Seva Dal!You may be thinking that you havecome here for undertaking service.137 May 2005

AVATAR VANIThis service is not for others but for yourself.Just as you eat food to satiate your hunger,every service activity undertaken by you isfor your own satisfaction. There are manythings which you have to learn during thenext three days. This being the first day, Ispoke to you in detail so that you wouldbeauty and fragrance of the flowers will givejoy to one and all. There are several petalsin a flower. The flower appears beautiful aslong as there are petals in it. Once the petalsfade and fall down, the flower ceases toexist. Hence, all of you should form yourselfReal Jnana is the knowledge thatemerges from within oneself. Thisshould be experienced, put intopractice and then shared withothers. In the ultimate analysis,this would enable one to be greatlybenefited and enlightened. Onecan be called a human only whenone has human quality. Oneshould therefore understand thereal meaning of the term, humanquality first. Human qualityemerges from one’s own Self. Itcannot be acquired by readingbooks, listening to others ortalking about it.understand the meaning of service. Whatis Seva Dal? Each member of the Seva Dalis like a Dal (petal) of a beautiful flower.Petals have a pattern of their own whichlends beauty to the flower. If you sow a seed,it will grow into a plant in due course of timeand yield beautiful flowers. However, theseed by itself is not attractive. When theplant grows and yields flowers, theinto a beautiful flower. Let everyoneexperience and enjoy its beauty andfragrance.– From Bhagavan’s InauguralDiscourse on the occasion of thirdSadhana Camp for Kerala youth in SaiKulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayamon 11th April 2005.May 2005 138

ON the eve of Vishu, a four-daySadhana Camp was held atPrasanthi Nilayam from 11th to14th April 2005 in which 1300 youth fromKerala took part. The theme of the SadhanaCamp was “Able and Noble Instruments ofBhagavan”. During the course of theSadhana Camp, Bhagavan Sri Sathya SaiBaba gave two nectarine Discourses.Besides, there were illuminating talks byeminent educationists, and cultural andmusic programmes.Divine Discourses of BhagavanOn the morning of 11th April 2005,Bhagavan blessed the participants with HisInaugural Discourse. The programmestarted after the arrival of Bhagavan in SaiKulwant Hall at 7.40 a.m. Before the DivineDiscourse of Bhagavan, Prof. E. Mukundan,State President, Sri Sathya Sai SevaOrganisations, Kerala gave an introductoryspeech. Stating the theme of the SadhanaCamp, Prof. Mukundan reminded the youththat there were three most importantfeatures of a good instrument of Bhagavan.First, he/she should be soft, strong andstraight. Secondly, he/she should rememberABC – Avoid Bad Company. Thirdly, he/sheshould keep in mind DEFG – Don’t EverForget God.In His Inaugural Discourse, Bhagavanexplained the meaning of educare and Sevaand exhorted the youth to acquire theknowledge which would enable them torealise their Self. (Full text of Bhagavan’sDiscourse has been given elsewhere inthis issue.) Bhagavan concluded HisDiscourse at 8.50 a.m., after whichBhajans started. The programme inSai Kulwant Hall came to a close at 9.30 a.m.with Arati to Bhagavan. Bhagavan blessedthe participants with another inspiringDiscourse on the morning of 13th April 2005prompting them to develop Ekatma Prema(non-dual love). Citing the examples ofJayadeva, Gauranga, Eknath, Mira andSakkubai, Bhagavan counselled the youthto experience divinity with single-mindeddevotion to God and achieve the goal of life.Proceedings of the Sadhana CampAfter the inaugural session in Sai KulwantHall, the participants of the Sadhana Campassembled in the Conference Hall on thefirst floor of the North Indian Canteen, thevenue of the Sadhana Camp, where theproceedings were conducted on all the fourdays of the Camp from 11th to 14th April2005.The proceedings on 11th April 2005started after Veda chanting by Sai Youth.Sri B.N. Narasimha Murthy, Warden,Brindavan Campus of Sri Sathya Sai Instituteof Higher Learning was the first speaker. Inhis inspiring talk, Sri Narasimha Murthyexplained the significance of the SadhanaCamp and exhorted the youth to developDaiva Bhakti (devotion to God) and JivaKarunyam (compassion for living beings)which formed the basis of a happy life. Agalaxy of erudite speakers including Sri V.Srinivasan, All India President, Sri SathyaSai Seva Organisations, Sri Sanjay Sahni,Principal, Brindavan Campus of the Instituteand Sri Anil Kumar from Prasanthi NilayamCampus addressed the participants on allthe four days of the Camp. Otherspeakers who provided valuableinsights to the participants included139 May 2005

SADHANA CAMP FOR KERALA YOUTHDr. T. Ravikumar, Sri Ruchir Desai and Dr.Shiv Kumar from the Brindavan Campus,Prof. Sudhir Bhaskar and Sri SrinivasSrirangarajan from the Prasanthi NilayamCampus. Some research scholars andstudents also addressed the participants.They were: Sri Shashank Shah, Sri SanjayMahalingam, Sri Bharat Kumar and Dr.Deepak Anand.Group discussions were held on allthe days after the sessions in whichthe participants discussed each day’sproceedings with their respective groupleaders and observers. Besides these groupdiscussions, a few of the youth got the rareopportunity of sharing their thoughts with theaudience in Sai Kulwant Hall in the DivinePresence of Bhagavan. Four speakers, twoboys and two girls, spoke on the morning of12th April 2005 and an equal number spokeon the morning of 13th April 2005. Bhagavanshowered His blessings on all and alsomaterialised a ring and a chain for two ofthem. On the concluding day also, Sri B.N.Narasimha Murthy spoke to the participantsand exhorted them to put into practice theinsights they had gained in this SadhanaCamp.Uttishtha Jagrata: A DramaThis very inspiring drama was enactedby the Sai Youth of Kerala on the afternoonof 12th April 2005 in Sai Kulwant Hall in theDivine Presence of Bhagavan Sri Sathya SaiBaba. Based on the life story of SwamiVivekananda, the drama portrayed selectedincidents from his life which provideda clarion call to the youth to sanctifytheir life by following the pathshown by Swami Vivekananda. InA scene from the drama “Uttishtha Jagrata”.conclusion, it conveyed that Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba is inspiring the youth to taketo the path of service and sacredness anddevelop their character. The drama earnedthe appreciation of the viewers and blessingsof Bhagavan who gave the cast theopportunity of group photo with Him. Hegraciously materialised a gold ring for oneof the actors also.Excellent Musical PresentationsDevotional music was seen at its bestwhen some renowned musicians of Keralaand Sundaram Bhajan Group of Chennaimade their musical offerings at the LotusFeet of Bhagavan during this Sadhana Campand also as part of Vishu and Tamil NewYear celebrations. While Sundaram BhajanGroup delighted the devotees with theirBhajans and devotional songs on themorning and afternoon of 14th April 2005,Kerala musicians enthralled them onall the four days from 11th to 14thApril 2005. The Kerala singers whoMay 2005 140

SADHANA CAMP FOR KERALA YOUTHmade these excellent musical presentationswere: Smt. Radhika Tilak, Ms. GayatriAshokan, Sri T.S. Radhakrishnan, SriGanesh Sundaram, Sri Biju Narayan, SriKavalam Sreekumar and Sri Padma Kumar.Not only were their presentations of excellentquality, their treasure of songs was also verilyinexhaustible, which included ThyagarajaKritis, light devotional songs, Malayalamsongs, and Bhajans sung in Carnatic style.The singers displayed both devotion andtalent and earned the appreciation of oneand all and the profound blessings ofBhagavan. Bhagavan materialised a goldchain for one of the Kerala musicians whogave a soul-stirring presentation on theafternoon of 12th April 2005.Tamil New Year and Vishu CelebrationsA unique feature of this year’s Tamil Newyear and Vishu celebrations wasthat both fell on the same day, andwere celebrated at PrasanthiNilayam in a combined functionheld on 14th April 2005 in theDivine Presence of Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba. Soul-stirringdevotional music programmes bythe devotees of Tamil Nadu andKerala enthralled the devotees inSai Kulwant Hall on this occasion.Sai Kulwant Hall, the venue ofthe celebrations, was aestheticallydecorated with beautiful festoons,colourful umbrellas and manybanners with Bhagavan’s sayings.The devotees of Kerala also arrangedthe celebrated Vishukkani, thecustomary symbol of prosperity infront of the dais, besides other Kerala styledecorations. On the morning of 14th April2005, Bhagavan came to Sai Kulwant Hallat 7.30 a.m. and showered His blessings onthe devotees on this blessed day. Along withusual Veda chanting by the Institutestudents, Bhagavan was welcomed into theHall with sweet notes of Panchavadyam andNadaswaram music.The programme began with a scintillatingmusical presentation of devotional songs bythe singers from Kerala. Thereafter, theSundaram Bhajan Group of Tamil Naduenthralled the devotees with their choicestBhajans. After these musical presentations,two speakers from Tamil Nadu and one fromKerala addressed the gathering. The firstspeaker was Sri G.K. Raman, Convener, SriSathya Sai Trust, Tamil Nadu. Sri RamanThe traditional Vishukkani as arrangedin Sai Kulwant Hall.conveyed to Bhagavan the gratitude ofthe people of Chennai where waterwas now available even during141 May 2005

SADHANA CAMP FOR KERALA YOUTHsummer due to Sathya SaiGanga Canal. Addressing theKerala youth, Sri Ramancounselled them to adhere totruth, integrity and honestywhich made one a good humanbeing. The second speaker,Sri Ram Subramanian, SeniorAdvocate, Madras High Courtunderlined the value of surrenderto God and gave the exampleof Hanuman who was the perfectmodel of total surrender toLord Rama. The last speakerwas Prof. E. Mukundan whodeclared that the youth who hadparticipated in the SadhanaCamp had resolved to performGrama Seva in each and everyvillage of Kerala after their returnfrom this camp. After this, theSundaram Bhajan Group startedBhajans which were followed by devoteeswith great devotional fervour surcharging theentire milieu with spiritual vibrations. Themorning programme came to a close at 9.00a.m. with Arati to Bhagavan.The afternoon of 14th April 2005 was alsodevoted to the singing of glories of the Lord.It was the Sundaram Bhajan Group againwhich kept the audience spellbound with theirbrilliant presentation of devotional songs inHindi, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi. The ladiessingers also gave an excellent presentationDevotional music presentation in Sai Kulwant Hall onTamil New Year day and Vishu.during this period. The music programmewhich started after the arrival of Bhagavanat 3.00 p.m. came to a happy conclusion at4.40 p.m. The Sundaram Bhajan Groupsingers received Bhagavan’s blessings inthe end and also had the rare opportunity ofgroup photos with Him. Arati was performedat 4.45 p.m. As Bhagavan moved towardsHis residence, once again Nadaswaram andPanchavadyam music filled the Hall, this timemarking the close of the New Yearcelebrations.Sathya Sai Prabhu (Lord) and Sathya Sai Sevaks are inseparably bound bylove and loyalty. Sai exists for you and you exist for Sai. We cannot be apartfrom each other.- BabaMay 2005 142

AVATAR VANIDIVINE DISCOURSE:9TH MARCH 2005I AM THE TEACHER OF TRUTHEveryone has to face the consequences of his actions. Who has made thebats to hang from the branches of a tree with their heads downwards? It istheir fate. Likewise, nobody can escape from the consequences of Karma.(Telugu Poem)IT IS NATURAL FOR ALL LIVINGbeings to bear the consequences oftheir actions, good or bad. None canescape from them. Human beings in thisworld, however, think that they areundergoing suffering without having donekeeps doubting whether it is a naturalconsequence of his actions or it is due toany unknown reason. Man has been tryingto know the truth about this phenomenonwhich he experiences in his life withoutknowing its real cause. Not only humanbeings, even insects, birds and animals haveto experience the consequences of theirMy parents loved Me verymuch. They did not want Meto leave Puttaparthi. I gavethem this promise. Right fromchildhood all loved Me.Sathya Sai is the only onewho is loved by everybody.Making Puttaparthi as Myheadquarters, I am continuingMy Mission as SathyaBodhaka (Teacher of Truth).anything wrong. But the fact is otherwise.Whatever pleasure or pain one undergoes,it is certainly the outcome of one’s actions.Every human being performsactions and experiences their fruitsas a consequence. Nevertheless, heKarmas (actions). For example, bats hangfrom the branches of a tree with headsdownwards. It is their destiny. That is howthey are born to live.Sathya Sai always Keeps His PromiseIt is this inevitable law of Karmawhich guides the destiny of all livingbeings; it is the cause of their endless143 May 2005

AVATAR VANIcycle of birth and death. Good Karmas dobear good results and vice versa. I willexplain this subject today with someexamples. There used to be a great devoteeby name Karanam Subbamma inPuttaparthi. She was very rich. She had nochildren. Whatever she had, she used to givein charity to one and all with the feeling, “Iam only sharing my God-given wealth withmy fellow human beings.” With such feelingsof equanimity, she led a pious and noble life.She had, however, one desire. She used topray, “Swami! At the time of my departurefrom this earthly sojourn, please pour a fewdrops of water into my mouth with Your DivineHands.” I promised her that I would do so.Six years after I gave that promise to her, Ihad to go to Chennai. That was the time ofSecond World War. Once in every hour,there used to be an air raid siren and thestreets would become deserted in no time.After staying there for a few days, I startedMy return journey straight to Bukkapatnamfrom Chennai in a car. Meanwhile,Subbamma fell seriously ill and was takento her parental home in Bukkapatnam fromPuttaparthi. There she died. Subbamma’sbrothers and relatives made allarrangements for taking her body forcremation. In those days, it was not easy toget firewood to cremate a dead body,especially in the villages. However, theyprocured some firewood and kepteverything ready.While passing by the house ofSubbamma, I noticed many people gatheredthere. I enquired, “Who is going to becremated?” Washerman Subbannawas there. He replied, “Swami!Subbamma is dead.” I went into thehouse where her body was kept. Herrelatives were about to take her body out forcremation. All of them were crying. They toldMe, “Swami! She is gone, thinking of You tillher last moment.” Then I asked, “Where hasshe gone?” pretending as if I did not knowanything. They said, “The doctor came andtold that there is no life in her body.” I smiledat their answer. I had not forgotten thepromise given to her. I removed the cloththat covered her face. Ants were crawlingall over her body. I gently called her name,“Subbamma!” She opened her eyes andlooked at Me (loud applause). She held Myhands with eyes full of tears and enquired,“When did You come, Swami?” I replied, “Ihave come just now.” I wiped her tears gentlywith a towel and said, “Subbamma! Lookhere.” She smiled and asked, “Swami! DoYou still remember the promise You gaveme? How compassionate You are!” I createdVibhuti and smeared it on her forehead. Ithen poured a few drops of sacred water intoher mouth and said, “You were worried thatSwami was not by your side at the lastmoment. Now you have seen Swami, talkedto Swami and held Swami’s hand. Now closeyour eyes peacefully.” Subbamma drankwater from My hands and breathed her last.Thus, I kept My promise to Subbamma.Sathya Sai always keeps His promise (loudapplause). His name is Sathya. WhateverHe says is truth.Subbamma Comes Back to LifeWhile this strange phenomenon wasgoing on, all her relatives and the doctorswho attended on her were watching thehappenings with wonder. They couldnot believe their eyes. They wereMay 2005 144

AVATAR VANIsaying, “How come! Subbamma was dead.There was no breath in her body. How is itthat she opened her eyes and startedspeaking? Perhaps it is due to the divinepower of Sai Baba.”The dead body of Subbamma was thencremated by her relatives as per their familycustom. From Bukkapatnam, I had to go toPuttaparthi. A bullock cart was kept readyfor Me. The brother of Griham Ammayi(Easwaramma) also sat in the bullock cartwith Me when we were returning toPuttaparthi. His name was Chandramouli.We saw smoke emanating from thecremation ground where Subbamma’smortal remains were being consigned toflames. Chandramouli said, “Swami! Youwere with Subbamma till her last breath. Nowher body is being cremated. You could havewaited for some more time.” I told him,“Chandramouli! I gave word to Subbammathat I would be present by her side duringher last moments and pour water into hermouth. That I did. She departed verypeacefully. Now I am going to Puttaparthiafter fulfilling My promise.” Chandramouli feltvery happy. In fact, Subbamma was held inhigh esteem by the entire village. She wasthe head of the village, being the wife of theKaranam. Entire property of the village wasin her name. However, since she cameinto Swami’s fold, she had no other interestin life except Swami. Right from earlymorning till she went to bed, she wasconstantly engaged in Swami’s work only.On certain occasions, I would go out inthe hills without informing her. Poorlady! She used to go round the hillsin search of Me. She would packUpma, Dosa, Vada, Idli, etc., in a tiffin carrierand come in search of Me. At last, when shecould find Me, I used to enquire teasingly,“Subbamma! What have you brought forMe?” She would reply, “Swami! I havebrought the items of Your taste.” Then Iwould tell her, “Give Me Dosa.” She wouldthen serve Dosa in a plate. Then I would tellher playfully, “Subbamma! I don’t like thisDosa. Give Me Idli.” Later, I would ask forUpma, Vada, etc. Poor Subbamma! Sheused to serve Me all those items. Frommorning till evening, she would prepare anumber of items because she was not surewhat I would ask for at a particular time.Ultimately, I told her “Subbamma! You neednot worry. I don’t need anything. I ask forthis and that only to make your devotion andsurrender known to the world.” Subbammathen requested Me, “Swami! I am happy thatI have been able to serve You food and Youhave accepted these items with love andaffection towards me.” She then requestedMe to put a small quantity of this food in hermouth. I took a small piece of Idli from theplate and put it in her mouth with a littleChutney. She felt extremely happy. Thus,Subbamma experienced great bliss in thedivine proximity of Swami till her last breath.Chandramouli, who was a witness to Myshowering love and grace on Subbamma ona number of occasions, observed, “Swami!How compassionate You are towardsthe devotees! We don’t have words toexpress Your love and compassion towardsdevotees, especially Subbamma.” True!Words fail to describe Swami’s loveand compassion towards Subbamma.Subbamma’s devotion towardsSwami was also unparalleled. In fact,145 May 2005

AVATAR VANIthe devotion of Subbamma surpasses eventhat of Prahlada.The news of Subbamma’s coming backto life spread very fast. This incident becamethe talk of the entire village. People said inone voice, “Sai Baba has kept His promise;Subbamma has attained liberation.” Soonthis news spread far and wide. Many peoplecame in their cars from Bangalore tofor it. One day, he requested Me, “Swami!You are born in our family, in our lineage.You have brought honour and glory to ourentire clan. I pray that You sanctify my birthin this family and pour water into my mouthat the time of my death.” I assured him thatI would certainly fulfil his wish. He felt veryI have also constructed a home fororphan children near Puttaparthi.They have been provided food,clothing and education so that theyare able to lead a life of honour anddignity. Those who could not passeven Class 1 have now passed 10thClass. They learnt all subjects likeTelugu, English from scratch. Theyare learning music too. I have alsobuilt houses for these boys so thatthey may stay there comfortably.Thus, there are so many serviceactivities that I have undertakenright from My childhood.Puttaparthi to have Darshan of Swami.Thereafter, many elderly persons wouldcome to Me with the request, “Swami! Pleasepromise that You will pour water into mymouth with Your Divine Hands at the time ofmy departure from this world.” I used to tellthem, “My dear ones! All cannot get this. Ifyou have deservedness, I will come onMy own at the appropriate time.”Kondama Raju also had a yearninghappy, for he knew that once Swami gaveHis word, He would certainly stick to it. Hewas 112 years old then. Every morning, hewould walk from the village to the NewMandir to have My Darshan. One day Iasked him, “Why do you walk all theway from the village to the Mandir andback. There may be cattle on the wayMay 2005 146

AVATAR VANIand if they attack you, you will fall down andget injured.” He would say very boldly,“Swami! When You are protecting me andconstantly standing by my side, which animalcould attack me?” One day, he toldEaswaramma to prepare Obbattu (a sweetdish like pancake). Meanwhile, he lay downon his bed. At that time, I went there to fulfilMy promise. Easwaramma put it in a plateand placed it before Me. Bit by bit, I fed alittle to Kondama Raju. He relished it muchand said to Easwaramma, “This Obbattu isexcellent. You never prepared such adelicious one earlier.” She said, “You arerelishing it much because Swami is feedingyou.” After this, I poured water into hismouth. Kondama Raju closed his eyes andpassed away peacefully. With this incidentof Kondama Raju, it was once again revealedto the whole world that Sathya Sai Babaalways keeps His promise, come what may!True to My Name, I always adhere to Sathya(truth). Kondama Raju always called Me bythe name Sathya. Easwaramma, however,called Me Sathyam. Others called Me byother names like Sathyanarayana, Raju, etc.The lives of Subbamma and Kondama Rajuwere thus redeemed. I manifest My Leelas(divine play) in many ways to fulfil My word.I go to any extent to fulfil My promise.However, many people make promises anddo not fulfil them. When I say to somedevotee, “I am with you”, then I am alwayswith him. He may forget this with the passageof time, but I never forget it.My Days at KamalapuramThe elder brother of this body,Seshama Raju, wanted Me to acquirehigher education. So, he took Mealong with him to Kamalapuram andadmitted Me in a school. In Kamalapuram,there was a businessman by name KotteSubbanna. He brought a new medicine tohis shop. Having come to know of My poetictalent, Kotte Subbanna requested Me tocompose a poem to advertise this newmedicine. I agreed to his request, but askedfor some more information about themedicine. Then, I composed a song aboutthe efficacy of the medicine and trained afew small children to sing it. They went roundthe streets with placards in their hands andsang the song composed by Me. The songran thus:There it is! There it is! Oh, children! come,come!There is the medicine Bala Bhaskara;Be it an upset stomach or a swollen leg;Be it a joint pain or flatulence;Be it any ailment, known or unknown;Take this Bala Bhaskara for an instantcure!If you wish to know where it is available:There is the shop of Kotte Subbanna;It is in that shop that you can pick it up.Come here boys! come here!It is an excellent tonicPrepared by the famous physicianGopalacharya himself,Come here boys! come here!(Telugu Song)By the time the task of advertising themedicine was completed, all its stock inSubbanna’s shop had been sold out. He feltvery happy. Then he called Me andoffered a pair of knickers and a shirtto Me. But I flatly refused saying,147 May 2005

AVATAR VANI“Subbanna! I did not compose that song forthe sake of new clothes. I don’t need them. Iwon’t touch them. Please take them back. Ifyou thus offer some money or articles inreturn for My services, I will not even stepinto your shop.” He realised My sincerity andstrong feelings. After this, Kotte Subbannanever made such a request. He said to Me,“It is enough if I get Your love.”I never complain against anybody nor doI criticise anyone. True to My name, Sathya,I always adhere to truth. It so happened thatI went to Pushpagiri to attend a scout camp.A big fair was held there. I was away fromthe house for a few days and there wasnobody to fetch water from a distant well forhousehold purposes. Hence, the wife ofSeshama Raju had to shoulder thatresponsibility. By the time I returned fromthe scout camp, Seshama Raju had alsocome back to Kamalapuram. He was angrythat there was nobody in the house to helphis wife. No doubt, he loved Me but thisincident made him very angry. He was thendrawing lines in a notebook with the help ofa wooden ruler. As soon as he saw Me, heshouted at Me, “Hey! Come here. There wasno one in the house to fetch water for thelast few days. Your sister-in-law had to attendto that job also, besides her normal domesticchores.” So saying, he beat Me hard withthe ruler. The ruler broke into three pieces.My hand was swollen and it was giving Me alot of pain. I did not give a reply nor did Ireveal this incident to anybody. I tied abandage on My hand with a wet cloth. Thenext day, Seshama Raju’s son died. Hegave a telegram to Pedda VenkamaRaju (Swami’s father). Venkama Rajuimmediately rushed to Kamalapuram.He started from Puttaparthi, reachedBukkapatnam and from there came toKamalapuram. The Griham Abbayi (Swami’sfather) enquired from Me, why I was havinga bandage on My hand. I tried to explainaway very casually as if nothing hadhappened. I told him there was a slight paindue to a blister on the palm and therefore Iput a bandage on it.There was a lady belonging to the Vaisyacommunity in the neighbouring house, whoused to make her living by selling Dosas.She tried to reason with Griham Abbayi,saying, “What! Venkama Raju Garu! Can’tyou take care of your son? Why should youput Him to so much suffering by keeping Himunder the care of His elder brother at such adistant place? The poor boy has to fetchwater from a long distance carrying two bigpitchers in a Kavadi (a bamboo stick withpitchers on either side) on His youngshoulders daily.” Thus, she narrated severalincidents which revealed the suffering I wasundergoing there. Griham Abbayi wasdeeply moved on hearing My plight. In theevening, he took Me outside the village onsome pretext and said, “My dear son! I havecome to know that the injury on Your handwas due to Your elder brother’s beating. Imyself never beat You till date. You areundergoing so much suffering here. Come!Let us go back to Puttaparthi.” But I told himthat I would come later. At the time whenthis incident happened, Griham Abbayi madea comment which rings in My ears eventoday: “Sathyam! If one is alive, one canmake a living even by selling salt. I canno longer put You to such an ordeal.Can I not provide for Your living withMay 2005 148

AVATAR VANImy meagre income?” So saying, he shedtears.Puttaparthi is My HeadquartersMy parents loved Me very much. Theydid not want Me to leave Puttaparthi. I gavethem this promise. Right from childhood allloved Me. Sathya Sai is the only one who isloved by everybody. (loud prolongedapplause) Making Puttaparthi as Myheadquarters, I am continuing My Missionas Sathya Bodhaka (Teacher of Truth).Subbamma’s devotion cannot bedescribed in words. She was an orthodoxBrahmin and would not allow anyone toenter her house. I was the only one who waspermitted to move about in her house. Allother Brahmins of the village faulted her forthis breach of rules. I built a residential colonyin commemoration of the great love anddevotion Subbamma had towards Me andnamed it Karanam Subbamma Nagar, whichis next to Gokulam. I also purchased somecows and engaged some people to lookafter them. Some of these people wereaccommodated in a few of those houses inKaranam Subbamma Nagar. Thus, I madeefforts to see that the name of Subbammais remembered forever by devotees. I havealways attached high value to the name ofSubbamma.I have also constructed a home for orphanchildren near Puttaparthi. They have beenprovided food, clothing and education so thatthey are able to lead a life of honour anddignity. Those who could not pass evenClass 1 have now passed 10th Class. Theylearnt all subjects like Telugu, English fromscratch. They are learning music too. I havealso built houses for these boys so that theymay stay there comfortably. Thus, there areso many service activities that I haveundertaken right from My childhood. If theyare all to be narrated now, it can go on forhours together.Dear Students!I have great love for you. I wish that all ofyou should come up well in life and earn agood name. I love such boys who earn agood name. I will give you whatever youwant. In fact, I give Myself to such boys.– From Bhagavan’s Divine Discoursein Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on9th March 2005.Love without Desire is SupremeThe supreme secret is that man must live in the world where he is born like the lotusleaf, which though born in water floats upon it without being affected or wetted by it.Of course, it is good to love and adore God with a view to gain some valuable fruiteither here or hereafter; but, since there is no fruit or object more valuable than God ormore worthwhile than God, the Vedas advise us to love God, with no touch of desirein our minds. Love, since you must love for love’s sake; love God, since whatever Hecan give is less than He Himself; love Him alone, with no other wish or demand.- Baba149 May 2005

NEWS FROM SAI CENTRES1. Medical CampsSri Lanka: From 11th to 25th March 2005,152 Sai volunteers from the United Kingdomand Australia in collaboration with Sri SathyaSai Organisation of Sri Lanka served thepeople in the tsunami affected areas in SriLanka. Dr. Upadhyaya, Member of SriSathya Sai International Medical Committee,headed this massive relief mission thatcomprised eye and ENT specialists,neurosurgeons, general physicians, dentalsurgeons, paediatricians, gynaecologists,pharmacists, optometrists, nurses and otherskilled individuals from various disciplines.They brought with them six tonnes of generaland medical supplies that includedmedicines, antibiotics, vitamins, medicalequipment, as also stationery, toys andclothes for children. The medical equipmentincluded phaco-emulsification machines thatare used for cataract surgery, slit lamps,optical microscopes, orthopaedic andneurosurgical equipment.These 152 volunteers worked as seventeams in different locations throughout theirrelief mission. The logistics of the reliefoperation were well planned and coordinatedbetween the UK, Australia and Sri Lanka SaiOrganisations and demanded a lot ofdedication, patience and perseverance. Thisstupendous task of taking surgical andgeneral medical equipment to sixlocations simultaneously wouldnot have been possible withoutBhagavan’s grace.The teams in the North, East and Southof Sri Lanka provided the following medicalservices: eye examination, cataract surgery,neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, healthcheck for school children, grief counselling,A view of the medical camp in Sri Lankaorganised by Sri Sathya Sai InternationalMedical Committee.classes on dental hygiene for children,psychological support, provision of medicalequipment and supplies to the hospitals.They performed about 800 cataractsurgeries and 200 dental surgeries. 22,000consultations in various specialities,2000 dental consultations, and severalhundreds of orthopaedic procedures wereaccomplished. They disbursed around 7000pairs of eyeglasses. The doctors screenedseveral thousand school children from 58schools and updated their health reportcards. The seven teams worked togetherand there was no distinction between the UK,Australian and Sri Lankan teams. On thecompletion of their relief mission,medical supplies including medicines,two phaco-machines, medicalMay 2005 150

NEWS FROM SAI CENTRESequipment worth thousands of dollars weredonated to the hospitals where the teamshad worked. It was evident throughout therelief mission that Bhagavan’s grace wasabound everywhere and His love manifestedboth in the hearts of those who were servedand also in the hearts of those who served.In the year of unity, the UK, Australian andSri Lankan relief teams have spreadBhagavan’s message of love in all thetsunami affected areas of Sri Lanka.USA: A medical camp was conducted on12th March 2005 in the First Baptist Churchin San Augustine, Texas. 120 volunteerstravelled from all over Texas and from theneighbouring State of Arkansas to serve inthe camp. The place was filled with smilingfaces, and the greetings of “Sai Ram”echoed everywhere. Several of thevolunteers reached the campsite one daybefore the camp, set up the booths andorganised the area for the medical camp.The camp commenced after prayer byRev. David Burcham, the Pastor of theChurch. The brief inaugural ceremonyconsisted of remarks by the Hon. Mayor ofSan Augustine, Camp Directors Drs. Prasadand Chintapalli. Hon. Mayor Pat Fussellwelcomed the volunteers and appreciatedtheir efforts. He underlined the fact thatseveral people in the country did not havemedical insurance and had not seen a doctorfor many years.The team included 19 doctors, 5registered nurses, 4 laboratory technicians,3 social workers, 3 nutritionists, 5translators and 79 volunteers. Thedoctors, specialised in internalmedicine, paediatrics, familypractice, nephrology, orthopaedics,anaesthesia, pathology, radiology anddentistry offered their services with greatdevotion and love. Blood screening servicesfor diabetes, high cholesterol, high bloodpressure and obesity were provided.Specially trained paediatricians discussedthe emotional and developmental problemswith the families. Screening for vision,hearing, foot and dental problems were done.Women volunteers did breast examinationsand patients who needed further evaluationby Mammograms were referred to the localarea Health Network personnel who wereon site. Osteoporosis (bone density)screening services and free blood sugar testkits were provided to the patients withdiabetes or over 50 years. To prevent adultonset of diabetes mellitus, health educationabout diet, meals plans and physicalexercises were discussed. The doctors alsoexplained to the patients the benefits ofpreventive health care, meditation andprayer. The State Health Departmentprovided immunisations for those who hadnot completed their immunisation schedules.30 children, 78 men and 136 women wereseen in consultation at the camp. Theresidents of the city with tears in their eyesthanked all the volunteers and requested theteam to come again. Volunteers and patientsexperienced the pure love of Bhagavan.2. Community Service ProgrammesGreece: On 5th March 2005, despite theheavy rain,17 dedicated Sai devotees fromAthens cooked and distributed 80portions of hot food, sandwiches andsweets for 70 needy people nearKoumoundourou Square. They gave151 May 2005

NEWS FROM SAI CENTRESout 18 bags of raw food, two big boxes ofconcentrated milk, one litre oilcans andsugar packets to 12 families. In addition, theyalso provided clothing and shoes to all thepeople.On 12th March 2005, seven Sai devoteesdistributed 26 bags of raw food to the needyfamilies in the courtyard of St. ParaskeviChurch in Perama district of the city ofPiraeus. Some bags were delivered at thehomes of these families who were living at adistance from the church. Large boxes ofnearly new clothes and shoes were also givento the low-income families.Sri Sathya Sai School in Peru, South Americainaugurated on 23rd March 2005.South America: A Sri Sathya Sai School witha free medical clinic was inaugurated on 23rdMarch 2005 in a poor rural area on theoutskirts of Ariquipa, Peru in the presenceof the Hon. Mayor of Ariquipa, the DeputyMayor of Ariquipa, and office bearers of SriSathya Sai Organisation. On 8th March2005, flyers were circulated in the area,and the first student was registered.On 10th March 2005, the rest of the35 students were inscribed and awaiting list was also started. On 21st March2005, first meeting with parents and studentswas held to explain the objectives ofeducation in human values, to requireparents to participate in learning certainskills and to have a deeper understandingof the programme. On 30th March 2005,classes were started. The school isfortunate to have three well-trained teacherswho have already been working with theSathya Sai Human Values programme.3. Public MeetingsAustralia: On 20th February 2005, a publicmeeting was held in Melbourne’s Town Hall,located in the heart of the city. The venuefits the grand occasion of spreadingBhagavan’s message of love to more peopleand thereby to realise the Fatherhood of Godand the Brotherhood of Man. The meetingwas attended by approximately 700 people.After the Australian National Anthem, SriAlbert Barelds, Deputy Central Coordinatorof Sai Organisation of Australia, brieflydescribed the occasion and introduced thespeakers: Dr. Pal Dhall, Zonal Chairman, SriNeville Fredericks, Central Coordinator ofAustralia and Smt. Sandra Cranage-Dzanovic who represents the Sai youngadults. Dr. Pal Dhall gave an overview of theteachings of Bhagavan that unite humanityand accept all faiths. He elaborated on theeducational and medical implications ofBhagavan’s message of love and the impactthis has had around the globe. Sri NevilleFredericks spoke about the five humanvalues in everyday life. He described howeven the simple values Sathya (truth),Dharma (righteousness), Santhi(peace), Prema (love) and AhimsaMay 2005 152

NEWS FROM SAI CENTRESA view of the public meeting held inMelbourne’s Town Hall, Australia.(non-violence) could be used to run a bigcorporation or business successfully. In ashort but moving address, Smt. SandraCranage-Dzanovic inspired the augustassembly by narrating how the teachings ofBhagavan influenced her, firstly as a younggirl, then as a Sai Youth and now as a mother.The film “His Work”, depicting the manyprojects initiated and inspired by Bhagavanwas screened. The meeting ended with thereading of a message from Bhagavan.USA: On 22nd January 2005, a publicmeeting was held in a Town Hall in Seattle,Washington. Around 240 persons attendedthe meeting. The meeting began with briefremarks by Sri Ashok Kumar, RegionalPresident of Sai Organisation. He spokeabout Bhagavan and Sai Organisation, andintroduced the speakers: Dr. MichaelGoldstein, Chairman, Prasanthi Council andDr. Narendranath Reddy, Member, PrasanthiCouncil. Dr. Goldstein delivered a powerfuland uplifting talk on Swami’s Divinity, Hislove and His mission. He exhortedeveryone to follow Swami’s teachingsand realise the Self, which is thepurpose of life. Dr. Narendranath Reddyurged everyone to follow the 4 F formula ofSwami, i.e., “Follow the Master, Face theDevil, Fight to the End and Finish the Game.”He also emphasised how practical andsimple Bhagavan’s teachings were tounderstand and practise. Finally, the meetingconcluded with the screening of the film “HisWork”.B H A R A T– Prasanthi CouncilAndhra Pradesh: The Guntur DistrictOrganisation distributed clothes andblankets to all inmates of 250 houses on 13thMarch 2005 in Pallepalem, a seashorevillage affected by the tsunami and fed allthe villagers sumptuously. This districtconducted a medical camp treating 263patients, planted 200 shady trees, startedBhajans and Bal Vikas classes, and cleaneddrains in that village. This district started adrinking water distribution centre in the localN.R.T. Centre on 8th March 2005. Itdistributed coloured rice, butter milk andwater to 8000 pilgrims at Kotappa Kondapilgrim centre from 6th to 8th March 2005.The Srikakulam District Organisation aspart of Sri Sathya Sai Sahasra Grama SevaMaha Yajnam, conducted medical camps in14 villages treating 4503 patients in March2005. It gave new clothes to 36 children in ahome for the mentally retarded in Srikakulamon the occasion of Ugadi festival. This districtcarried out Grama Seva in 89 new villages.The Grama Seva consisted of SriSathya Sai Vratams, Nagar Sankirtan,honouring the aged, food provisions153 May 2005

NEWS FROM SAI CENTRESto selected poor, sanitation works in thevillages and service to poor pregnant women.Assam, Manipur and N.E. States: The longcherished dream of the devotees of theDibrugarh Samithi saw fulfilment when themain building of Prasanthi Divine ValleySchool was inaugurated on 20th January2005 in Hatimura village near Dibrugarh. Inthe public meeting held on this occasion,ideals of Sai education were expounded. Thehighlight was the inspiring talk delivered bythe Member of Parliament, Sri SarbanandaSonowal. The cultural performance of BalVikas students was highly appreciated by thelarge number of people who attended thisfunction. The whole area could feel a newfervour as the youth and Seva Dal membersof the Samithi created a new atmosphereon different aspects of human values in thevillage surroundings.Himachal Pradesh: Six general medicalcamps and three eye camps were organisedin different parts of Himachal Pradesh in themonths of February and March 2005. Thevillages covered were Sehra Thana,Khundia, Ghumarvi, Bathri, Dhama, Jablooand Goodwin. Many of these villages are inthe remote areas of the State. Ten thousandneedy people of the State were benefitedby these medical camps. 180 eye operationswere successfully conducted by eyesurgeons. Every patient was provided freemedicine as per the prescription of thedoctor. Follow-up action was undertaken bythe active workers of Sri Sathya Sai SevaOrganisation. All the patients feltgrateful to Bhagavan Baba for thepositive and speedy recovery.An exhibition on the Life and Message ofBhagavan Baba was held at Mandi duringthe Maha Sivarathri Festival from 8th Marchto 14th March 2005. Thousands of peoplefrom the State and other regions of theneighbouring States came to see theexhibition and to understand the teachingsof Bhagavan Baba. The exhibition wasdisplayed at another place known asSujanpur Tihra from 23rd March to 25thMarch 2005 during Holi festival. Thousandsof people came from nearby villages towitness the glory of Bhagavan Baba andwent back in ecstasy. On 26th March 2005,the exhibition was displayed within thecampus of Government College, Ghumarviin district Bilaspur. Thousands of youngmembers of the student community, bothfrom schools and colleges, were motivatedand are now participating in Bhajans andother activities of Sri Sathya Sai SevaOrganisation.Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal: TheCancer Patients’ Ward in the PaediatricsDepartment of KG Medical University,Lucknow has been adopted by the SaiOrganisation. Our Seva Dal membersthoroughly cleaned the ward rooms,especially their toilets. Damaged valvesand drain-pipes were replaced. Thechemotherapy room attached with thewards, being very vital was given completeface-lift by putting fresh decorated tileson the floor and side walls. The walls, doorsand windows were painted. New curtainswere put up. The old damaged electricwiring and plumbing were replacedcompletely. A much-needed newair conditioner was installed toMay 2005 154

NEWS FROM SAI CENTRESmaintain proper temperature. Bhagavan’sphotographs were put up to adorn all therooms.Before formally handing over this humbleoffering to the hospital authorities on 3rdApril 2005, Bhajan was arranged in whichthe hospital authorities and the patients ofall religions participated enthusiastically.Bhagavan’s presence was experiencedthroughout the session. Seva Dal membersvisit this ward every Sunday. They providefood for one week, fruit and medicines topoor families. Blood for the deservingpatients is arranged from the quota of blooddonated by our Seva Dal Youth in bloodbank in previous Blood Donation Camps.Mahila Wing of the Lucknow Samithi hasbeen visiting the Women Model Jail inLucknow and arranging Bhajans, moraland ethical teachings for the inmates of thejail and their children. Now even theinmates lead the Bhajans. There has beenremarkable change in their behaviour. Theyeagerly await the visit by our Mahila group.They have developed faith in BhagavanBaba and His teachings. Every time,Prasadam in the form of Vibhuti, fruit andother edibles is distributed to all present. OurOrganisation is arranging for the school feesof the children of the inmates so that theycan turn out to be good citizens of ourcountry.On the auspicious occasion of Holi thisyear, a cultural programme was presentedby the inmates and their children. Eightwomen who completed their jail term weregiven sewing machines to enable them tolead an independent life.This tree shall not be transplanted; itwill grow where it first arose fromthe earth. This Avatar has no affinityor attachment with members of thefamily wherein He appeared. Unlikeappearances of Rama, Krishna, etc.,where life was around the family, thisAvatar is for the Bhaktas,the aspirants, the Sadhus and theSadhakas only.- Baba155 May 2005

Sai Sruthi, the abode of Bhagavan at Kodaikanal.THE anniversary of TrayeeBrindavan was celebrated on 26thApril 2005. On this auspicious day,“Sai Sruthi” – the divine abode of ourBeloved Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba atKodaikanal, Tamil Nadu wore a festive look.It was exquisitely decorated with flowersof jasmine and Kanakambaram. Thebenign blessings of Bhagavan on thisauspicious occasion.The joy and ecstasy of the devotees knewno bounds when Beloved Bhagavanappeared to grant His Divine Darshan tothe accompaniment of Bhajans by studentsof Sri Sathya Sai institutions. Bhagavan inHis immense grace and love bestowed Hisblessings on all the devotees. NarayanaSeva and Vastra Danam was performed to430 beneficiaries both gents and ladies inthe Divine Presence. After the divineNarayana Seva and Vastra Danam wasperformed as part of anniversary celebrationsof Trayee Brindavan in the Divine Presence.decoration was unique in all its aspects,depicting the traditional floral decorationof Tamil Nadu. The devotees in thousands,unmindful of inhospitable chilly weatherstarted forming up the queue infront of Sai Sruthi main gate as early as5 a.m. to have Divine Darshan andSwami blessing the devotees on theanniversary of Trayee Brindavanat Kodaikanal.blessings of Bhagavan, Prasadam wasdistributed to all the devotees. In the eveningalso Bhagavan blessed the devotees withHis Divine Darshan followed by soul-stirringdevotional music by students. The day’sprogramme concluded with Maha MangalaArati offered to Bhagavan.May 2005 156

SRI SATHYA SAI BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS TRUSTPRASANTHI NILAYAMPIN 515134, ANANTAPUR DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIAIMPORTER / EXPORTER CODE NO. 0990001032RESERVE BANK OF INDIA EXPORTER CODE NO. HS-2001198PriceRs.THE VAHINI SERIES: (BOOKS WRITTEN BY BHAGAVANSRI SATHYA SAI BABA.)Bhagavatha Vahini ..................................................... 39.00 490(The story of the Glory of the Lord)Dharma Vahini (Stream of Righteousness) ................. 19.00 230Dhyana Vahini (Stream of Meditation) ....................... 17.00 210Geetha Vahini (The Divine Gospel) ........................... 32.00 415Jnana Vahini (The Stream of Eternal Wisdom) ......... 15.00 165Leela Kaivalya Vahini (The Cosmic Play of God) ...... 8.00 75Prasanthi Vahini (The Supreme Bliss of Divine) ........ 14.00 140Prasnottara Vahini (Answers to Spiritual Questions) .. 15.00 95Prema Vahini (The Stream of Divine Love) ............... 20.00 125Ramakatha Rasavahini Part-I ..................................... 48.00 705(The Sweet Story of Rama’s Glory)Ramakatha Rasavahini Part-II .................................... 36.00 460(The Sweet Story of Rama’s Glory)Sandeha Nivarini (Clearance of Spiritual Doubts) ....... 18.00 230Sathya Sai Vahini (Spiritual Message of Sri Sathya Sai)34.00 406Sutra Vahini (Stream of Aphorisms on Brahman) .........19.00 110Upanishad Vahini (Essence of Vedic Knowledge) ....... 17.00 225Vidya Vahini (Flow of Spiritual Education) ............... 15.00 210SATHYA SAI SPEAKS SERIES : (DISCOURSES BY BHAGAVANSRI SATHYA SAI BABA) (REVISED & ENLARGED EDITIONS)Wt. in Gms.approx.Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. I (Years 1953 to 1960) .......... 31.00 390Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. II ( Years 1961 to 1962) ........ 40.00 490Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. III ( Year 1963) ..................... 38.00 420Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. IV (Year 1964) ...................... 35.00 510Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. V (Year 1965) ....................... 43.00 535Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. VI ( Year 1966) .................... 40.00 405Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. VII (Year 1967) .................... 40.00 410Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. VIII ( Year 1968 ) ................... 39.00 425Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. IX (Year 1969) ...................... 30.00 345Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. X (Year 1970) ....................... 35.00 450Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XI (Years 1971 to 1972) ...... 45.00 565Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XII (Years 1973 to 1974) ...... 42.00 535Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XIII (Years 1975 to 1977) .... 30.00 445Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XIV (Years 1978 to 1980) .... 40.00 625Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XV (Year 1981 - 1982) ......... 40.00 550Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XVI (Year 1983) ................... 30.00 330Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XVII (Year 1984) ................. 31.00 360Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XVIII (Year 1985) ................ 25.00 365Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XIX (Year 1986)................... 30.00 405Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XX (Year 1987) ................... 30.00 460Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXI (Year 1988) ................... 35.00 455Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXII(Year 1989) ................... 35.00 475Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXIII (Year 1990 ) ................. 35.00 510Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXIV(Year 1991) .................. 40.00 540Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXV (Year 1992) ................. 40.00 645Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXVI (Year 1993) ............... 50.00 655Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXVII (Year 1994) ............... 35.00 510Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXVIII (Year 1995) .............. 43.00 620Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXIX (Year 1996) ................. 43.00 635Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXX (Year 1997) ................. 35.00 490Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXXI (Year 1998) ................. 53.00 730Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXXII(1999)-Part I .............. 27.00 370Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXXII(1999)-Part II ............. 27.00 370Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXXIII (2000) ...................... .39.00 495Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXXIV (2001) ...................... 38.00 462Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. XXXV (2002) ......................... 40.00 525PriceRs.Wt. in Gms.approx.SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM SERIES:(LIFE STORY OF BHAGAVAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA)Sathyam Sivam Sundaram Part I (Birth to 1961) ........ 37.00 500Sathyam Sivam Sundaram Part II (1962 to 1968) ......... 38.00 410Sathyam Sivam Sundaram Part III (1969 to 1972) ........ 45.00 425Sathyam Sivam Sundaram Part IV (1973 to 1979) ........ 39.00 375Sathyam Sivam Sundaram Part I to IV(Deluxe Edition) ...................................................... 245.00 3 kgSUMMER SHOWER SERIES: (Discourses on Indian Cultureand Spirituality by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)Summer Showers in Brindavan 1972 ........................... 15.50 230Summer Showers in Brindavan 1973 ........................... 15.50 195Summer Showers in Brindavan 1974 Part - I ............... 36.00 360Summer Showers in Brindavan 1974 Part - II .............. 38.00 380Summer Roses on the BlueMountains-Ooty 1976 .................................................. 37.00 360Summer Showers in Brindavan 1977 ........................... 17.50 175Summer Showers in Brindavan 1978 ........................... 46.00 510Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979 ........................... 34.00 –Summer Showers in Brindavan 1990 ........................... 20.00 275Summer Showers in Brindavan 1991 ........................... 22.00 285Summer Showers in Brindavan 1993 ........................... 23.00 200Summer Showers in Brindavan 1995 ........................... 19.00 280Summer Showers in Brindavan 1996 ........................... 19.00 205Summer Showers in Brindavan 2000 ........................... 34.00 460Summer Showers in Brindavan 2002 ........................... 25.00 300CHILDREN’S BOOKS:Chinna Katha-Part I ..................................................... 25.00 350Chinna Katha-Part II .................................................... 42.00 385Chinna Katha Illustrated .............................................. 17.00 80My Life is My Message ............................................... 17.00 115Stories for Children: Part I ........................................... 13.00 190Stories for Children: Part II .......................................... 25.00 325Divine Stories Vol 1 (Human Value Stories) ................ 37.00 –Divine Stories Vol 2 (Human Value Stories) ................ 32.00 –OUR OTHER PUBLICATIONS:Baba - The Breath of Sai by Grace J. Mc Martin ......... 46.00 485Bhagavad Gita Part - (I and II) ..................................... 64.00 820Bharath ........................................................................ 30.00 280Birthday Blessings of Bhagavan .................................. 25.00 325Truth ........................................................................... 30.00 295Grama Seva is Rama Seva ........................................... 27.00 255Conversation with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Bababy Dr. John S. Hislop .................................................. 29.00 375Finding God by Charles Penn ..................................... 50.00 705Fundamental of Sri Sathya Sai Educare Vol. I -Compiled by Ranvir Singh .......................................... 52.00 –Fundamental of Sri Sathya Sai Educare Vol. II -Compiled by Ranvir Singh .......................................... 50.00 –Fundamental of Sri Sathya Sai Educare Vol. III -Compiled by Ranvir Singh .......................................... 49.00 –Fundamental of Sri Sathya Sai Educare Vol. IV -Compiled by Ranvir Singh .......................................... 62.00 –Gems of Wisdom ......................................................... 50.00 690Guidelines to Active workers of Sri Sathya Sai SevaOrganisations from Bhagavan Baba .............................. 17.00 195A Recapitulation of Baba’s Divine Teachingsby Grace J. Mc Martin ................................................. 35.00 485A pioneering attempt at child labour elimination-A tribute to Sai Baba, The Ultimate Motivator ............ 35.00 335Seva: A flower At His Lotus Feet-Grace J.Mc Martin ..... 25.00 325

Price Wt. in Gms.Rs. approx.Spirituality and Health - Dr. (Mrs) Charanjit Ghooi ..... 70.00 725Bhakthi and Health - Dr. (Mrs) Charanjit Ghooi .......... 40.00 270Benedictory Addresses (21 Convocation Discourses byBhagavan as Chancellor from beginning up to 2002) ..... 26.00 350Easwaramma The chosen mother (Enlarged edition) .... 24.00 –End of the Endless Search by P.P. Arya ........................ 28.00 265Sathya Sai Education in Human Values ....................... 21.00 280Garland of 108 Precious Gem(108 Holy Names of Bhagavan) .................................... 20.00 170Journey to God - Part I - J. Jagadeesan ....................... 52.00 395Journey to God - Part II - J. Jagadeesan ....................... 86.00 645Loving God - by N. Kasturi ......................................... 52.00 725Love of Conscience ...................................................... 26.00 305Life is a Game Play It - Joy Thomas .......................... 40.00 465Life is a Challenge Meet It - Joy Thomas ................... 26.00 330Life is Love Enjoy It - Joy Thomas ............................ 28.00 345Life is a Dream Realise It - Joy Thomas .................... 32.00 335My Baba and I - Dr. John S. Hislop ............................ 32.00 455My Beloved - Charles Penn ......................................... 35.00 395Nama Mahima ............................................................. 13.00 160Namasmarana ............................................................... b8.00 x55Ocean of Love ........................................................... 500. 00 1865One Single Stream of Love .......................................... 41.00 210Pathway to Peace Prasanthi .......................................... 21.00 235Purifying the Heart - John Goldthwait, Ph.D ............... 16.00 215Sadhana - The Inward Path .......................................... 43.00 475Sai Baba-The Ultimate Experience-Phyllis Krystal ........ 32.00 435Sairam - Faith & Charles Penn .................................... 31.00 345Sai Baba - The Holy Man and Psychiatristby Dr.Samuel H. Sandweiss ......................................... 58.00 440Spirit and the Mind - Dr.Samuel H. Sandweiss ........... 46.00 545Sai Bhajanamala .......................................................... 45.00 570Sai Baba’s Mahavakya on Leadership .......................... 42.00 460(Hard Bound) - Lieut Gen (Retd) Dr.M.L.ChibberSai Study Circle Manual .............................................. 20.00 –Sri Sathya Sai Gita – All about Spirituality inQs & As - P.P. Arya ..................................................... 42.00 –The Glory of Womanhood ........................................... 17.00 205To my Father - Justice Padma Khastgir ....................... 24.00 165Sai Echoes from Kodai Hills ........................................ 20.00 235Quiz on Bhagavatam .................................................... 10.00 50Quiz on Mahabharata ................................................... 10.00 x50Quiz on Ramayana ....................................................... 10.00 x 50Quiz on Bhagavad Gita ................................................ x7.00 x35Quiz on Divine Life ofBhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba .................................... v6.00 x65Sai Baba and You - Practical Spirituality .................... 25.00 295- Mark and Barbara GardnerSeeking Divinity - Dr. John S. Hislop ......................... 27.00 385Thought for the Day .................................................... 26.00 215Divine Discourses on Easwaramma Day ...................... 22.00 225Divine Memories - Diana Baskin ................................. 38.00 485Universal and Practical Teachings of Bhagavan ............ 21.00 305- Prof.K.Anil KumarAura of the Divine ........................................................ 40.00 435Sree Gurucharanam ..................................................... 11.00 145(A Compilation of Guru Poornima Discourses )Prema Dhaara .............................................................. 18.00 130(Letters Written by Bhagavan to His Students)The Light of Love .................................................... 18.00 225The Wish-Fulfilling Tree ............................................ 38.00 545Truth is Only One ...................................................... 32.00 370Prasanthi Nilayam Information Booklet ....................... 10.00 110The Dharmic Challenge .............................................. 24.00 335The Direct Flight to Divinity ...................................... 22.00 230Dasara Discourses 1997 (Senses forSelfless Service) ........................................................... 15.00 160Dasara Discourses 1998 .............................................. 19.00 200Dasara Discourses 1999 & 2000 .................................. 26.00 280Dasara Discourses 2001 ............................................... 18.00 220Dasara Discourses 2002 ............................................... 13.00 160Message of the Lord ................................................ 185.00 1575Sathya Sai Parenting - Rita Bruce .......................... v30.00 390Sri Sathya Sai Anandadayi- Karunamba Ramamurthy ...................................... 48.00 550Siva Sakthi Swarupa ................................................ 13.00 130FOR SALE ONLY IN INDIAPriceRs.Wt. in Gms.approx.Transformation of the Heart - Judy Warner ............... 23.00 285Reconnecting the Love Energy ................................. 25.00 265- Phyllis KrystalTaming our Monkey Mind - Phyllis Krystal ............ 25.00 340Suggestions for Study Groups and Individualsuse of the Ceiling on Desires Programme ................. v6.00 75A Catholic Priest Meets Sai Baba ............................ 34.00 490- Don Mario MazzoleniPathways to God- Jonathan Roof ........................... 26.00 360Rates indicated are the prevailing rates. Theyare liable to change.INLAND/OVERSEAS BOOK ORDERS & SUBSCRIPTIONFOR MONTHLY MAGAZINE SANATHANA SARATHIBooks are despatched by Regd. Book Post only subject to availability.Indents and remittences within India should be received by MoneyOrder/Indian Postal Order/Account Payee Cheques/Bank Drafts.REMITTANCESRemittances from Overseas towards Book Orders/Sanathana SarathiSubscriptions (English & Telugu) can be sent by A/C payee Bankcheque/ Demand Draft/ International Money Order inFOREIGNCURRENCY ONLY AND NOT IN INDIAN RUPEES.Sending Cash Currency is liable to be confiscated by Government.All remittences should be in favour of THECONVENER, SRI SATHYA SAI BOOKSAND PUBLICATIONS TRUST, PRASANTHI NILAYAM,ANANTAPUR DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA, PINCODE - 515134, payable at State Bank of India, Prasanthi Nilayam(Branch Code No.2786) mentioning full address in capitals with AreaPin Code, Zip Code No., where the books are to be despatched.Theapproximate postage + packing + forwarding charges forOverseas Sea Mail and Inland per packet are indicated below:Wt. of Packets Overseas InlandAPPU Countries OthersUp to 500 gms. Rs. 78/- Rs. 82/- Rs.37/-Above 500 gms.– Below 1kg. Rs. 93/- Rs.100/- Rs.42/-Above 1kg.–– Below 2 kg. Rs.109/- Rs.118/- Rs.52/-Above 2kg.– Below 3 kg. Rs.135/- Rs.150/- Rs.72/-Above 3 kg.– Below 4 kg. Rs.162/- Rs.180/- Rs.82/-Above 4 kg– Below 5 kg. Rs.188/- Rs.212/- Rs.92/-N.B. Maximum weight allowed per packet is 5 kgs. Weightof packing materials per packet to be added to the weight ofbooks — Overseas – 300 gms.Inland up to 2 kgs – 100 gms. Above 2 kgs and up to 5 kgs –300 gms.APPU Countries: Afghanistan, Australia, Brunei, Cambodia,China (Peoples' Republic), Fiji, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea(Rep.), Laos (Rep.) Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Naura,Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Island, Sri Lanka,Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Singapore.