Untitled - Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publication Trust

AVATAR VANI UGADI MESSAGE: 1WORK UNITEDLY FOR THEDEVELOPMENT OF VILLAGESEmbodiments of Love!From Prabhava to Akshaya,there are 60 years in Telugu almanac.The other names of these years areVibhava, Sukla, Pramodutha, Prajotpatthi,Angirasa, Srimukha, Bhava, Yuva, Dhathu,Easwara, Bahudhanya, Pramadhi, Vikrama,etc … This cycle culminates in the 60th yearnamed Akshaya. This body was born in theyear Akshaya, and it has seen another Akshayayear after the passage of 60 years. This cyclewill repeat itself again with the passage of 120years.Cherish Noble DesiresThe present year which is named Sarvajit isvery significant for man to realise his divinity.Man has innumerable desires. The yearSarvajit is significant for the fulfilment of hisnoble desires and advancement in all fields– moral, physical, religious, scientific andspiritual. He will lack nothing if he cherishesnoble desires. Everybody is sure to bevictorious in life if he has noble desires. Manshould therefore develop noble desires and heshould hold on to these with firmness. Sarvajitis the year of victory for all noble endeavoursof man. In all the 60 years, this is the mostsignificant year. Its very name indicates victoryin all fields of human endeavour; ‘jit’ meansvictory and ‘sarvajit’ means all-round victory.So, if you want to attain growth and progressin life, you should develop only noble desires.There is none who cherished noble desires yetsuffered in life. Therefore, fill your heart withnoble desires and experience happiness andbliss in this Sarvajit year.It was Parvati who gave the name Sarvajit tothis year. Parvati performed intense penancefor many years without food and sleep to attainLord Easwara. Pleased with her penanceEaswara manifested before her and asked,“What are you performing this penance for?”“I am performing this penance to attain you,”From today onwards, you should allembark on the mission to bring abouttransformation in villages. It does notmean that the villages are to be changedinto towns and cities. This is not whatis desired. First and foremost, thevillages are to be kept clean. The townsand cities are thoroughly polluted.Outwardly, people may appear to bevery clean, wearing a beautiful pant,shirt and neck-tie. But thoughts andfeelings inside them are all dirty. Whenyou put on a clean white dress, youshould maintain purity and sacrednessof your thoughts and feelings also inthe same way.134 April 2007

Efforts should be made to develop the villages inall possible ways. We are launching this schemefrom today itself on the auspicious day of Ugadi.The elders and children, the poor and rich shouldall work unitedly to make this project successful.This Seva should unite one and all. The spirit ofunity should be developed, and both the villagesand towns should become united. We are startingthis work from this very day. This scheme wouldbecome a reality very soon. It is envisaged thatby next Ugadi all the villages would be coveredunder this scheme.replied Parvati. Then Easwara said, “Your wishhas fructified. You have attained me.”Before her wish fructified, many gods andgoddesses tried to dissuade Parvati frompursuing her noble desire to attain Easwara.This was the purport of their counsel:Oh! Gowri! You are very young andSambasiva is old;He has matted locks andwears a tiger skin;He rides a bull andis constantly on the move;He is adorned with snakes;How did you court him?Don’t you know all this?He has no house of his ownand sleeps in the cremationground. (Telugu Poem)“Why do you desire to attainthe one who is old and begs fromdoor to door?” they questionedher. Parvati said to them, “Yousee only his body; you do nottry to recognise the principle ofthe Self within him. I desire toattain this divine principle of theSelf which is not subject to anychange.” Parvati then followedEaswara and led a happy lifewith him. The Ugadi (New Year)day on which Parvati attainedher noble desire after achievingvictory over all difficulties wasthus named Sarvajit.Thus, it was Parvati who gavethe name Sarvajit to this year.After Sarvajit come the yearsnamed Sarvadhari, Virodhi andVikruthi. Vikruthi stands forall types of bad things. Afterthis come the years by name Nala, Pingala,Kalayukthi, Siddharthi, Roudri, Durmukhi,Dundubhi, Rudhirodgari, Raktakshi, Krodhana.One can attain Akshaya after crossing all these.God always incarnates in the year Akshayaonly. This body was also born in the Akshayayear at Brahmamuhurta (early morning)time. When we understand the innerApril 2007 135

meaning of all matters, then we will becomeaware of what is good and what is bad.Supply of Water to the People ofChennaiParvati is also responsible for providingwater to the entire world. She was granted thisboon by Easwara. The Ganga is embodimentof Parvati. That is why it is worshipped asGanga Devi. Some years ago, I went to Madras(Chennai) by car. There is a place called RedHills near Chennai where there is a hugereservoir for storing water. The entire supply ofwater to Chennai is made from this reservoir.But there was no water in the reservoir itselfat that time. Then what supply could be madefrom there? Some devotees told Me that therewas no water in it for the last ten years. Hereand there, we saw children drinking rain waterwhich got collected in puddles. This was verypolluted water. We were told that people wereusing this water for drinking as well as cooking.The devotees asked Me, “Swami, when willthis reservoir have water?” For accomplishinganything, proper combination of Kala, Karma,Karana and Kartavya (time, action, cause andduty) is necessary. I keep these in view whileundertaking any task. Then I said, “I will notstep into Chennai hereafter for ten years. I willcome here only when the whole of Chennaihas pure water for drinking for all its residents.Since then, ten years have passed. The otherday, I went there. There was plenty of watereverywhere; it was enough not only for drinkingbut also for growing crops.The Britishers resided in Madras (Chennai)for nearly 200 years. At that time, there wereno roads or cars. They went to many placesand climbed hills on horseback to search forwater. But the water problem could notbe solved even up to the time they leftthis country. Rich people requisitioned tankersand drank potable water. But what about thepoor people? Their condition was miserableas they had no money to buy water fromtankers. One day, I got down at Teynampet inChennai city. All people gathered around Meand prayed, “Swami! We have no water fordrinking.” Small children also came runningas there was holiday in the primary schoolthat day. Everybody came to Me and prayed,“Swami! We need water for drinking.” I toldthem, “You will surely get water for drinking.I will bring the water from the river Krishnafor you.” Now I have fulfilled My promiseand I have given Krishna water to them. TheBritishers promised that they would link therivers Krishna, Godavari and Ganga. But theydid not do anything. The water of Godavariis drained out in the sea without being mademuch use of. Only Krishna water could beharnessed. Even now, there is plenty of waterin this river. Several new barrages have beenconstructed on the river Krishna, and its wateris now being supplied for drinking as well asfor raising crops. Now the people of Chennaihappily drink pure water. We have incurredan expenditure of two hundred crore rupeesfor supplying drinking water to the people ofChennai.The other day, when I went to Teynampetagain, the people of this area happily informedMe, “Swami! Now we drink cool, sweet water.How can we express gratitude to You? Thereare no words which can express our gratitudeto You.” I told them, “Drink this water and behappy. That is enough for Me. I do not needanything else.” God can do anything. But due totheir ignorance, some people do not recogniseDivinity. Such foolish people need to be taughta good lesson. There are many wealthypeople with a lot of money. But they do136 April 2007

not give even a paise to a beggar. Then whatcan anybody expect from them? So, I told thedevotees of Teynampet, “You need not askanything from anyone. God, who is the creatorof the universe, can give you everything.You only pray to Him.” The people prayedwholeheartedly and their prayers have beengranted. Arrangements have now been madeto supply water to every house and even everyhut through water pipes. All have now sweetwater to drink. My heart itself is full of sweetnectar! My happiness lies in the happiness ofall. Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu (May allthe people of the world be happy!). Considerthe happiness of others as your happiness.This is the inner meaning of this prayer. All ofyou should pray in this manner.Sri Sathya Sai Water Project for Eastand West GodavariAfterwards, we started the water project ofEast and West Godavari districts. The DistrictPresident of West Godavari, Bhaskar Rao ispresent here. This was a very difficult project.It was very difficult to raise up the waterflowing at a lower level. I told those engagedin this project, “You do your work; I will takecare of the result.” I had sent Ramakrishna,former Vice President of Larsen and Toubroand Kondal Rao, former Chief Engineer ofAndhra Pradesh to manage the work of thisproject. Afterwards when they saw, they weresurprised and exclaimed, “How did watercome up! How did water come up!” This is nota subject which can be described in words; it isseeing and believing.The lifestyle of the people living in this hillyregion is not like that of others. They do notcome down to lowlands because of fear.They become fear-stricken to seeAll should take part in this villagedevelopment scheme unitedly. If allbecome united, then the entire worldwould become one in no time. Weshould take part in this task with firmdetermination. Never go to anybody forcollection of funds. I Myself will give youeverything. Whatever you need just askMe; I will provide. The service done toanyone reaches Me only as all the riversultimately merge in the ocean. Have nofear. Ask Me anything you need withoutany hesitation. I shall give everything.Both men and women should get ready toparticipate in this task.other people. They complained to Me, “Swami!We live right above Godavari, but we do notget even a drop of water of this river to drink.”Water has now been supplied to the residentsof upland areas through pipes, and they areimmensely happy to drink this water. In thisway, water has been provided to many villagesfor the satisfaction of the people residingin them. The people of these areas, mostlywomen, came to Prasanthi Nilayam the otherday. After seeing Prasanthi Nilayam and thedevotees residing here, they said, “People whoare residing at this holy land are very fortunate.But we are also very fortunate that we havesomehow been able to come in the proximityof Swami.” Composing songs to expressgratitude to Swami in their own languages, theysang and danced happily. The import of theirsongs was like this: “This is the water givenby Swami; not even a drop of it is to bewasted. This water sustains our life.”April 2007 137

They rendered these songs into appropriateRagas (musical modes) and sang in chorusalong with performing dance. They were veryhappy as their water problem had been solvedpermanently. They fill the water in big vesselsand carry it on Kavadis (bamboos with potson both ends). It gives one great happiness tosee this joyous scene. The people of cities andtowns have so much to learn from these peoplewho lead their life contentedly and experiencebliss. Yesterday, Ramakrishna and KondalRao came and requested Me, “Swami, pleasevisit the villages of East and West Godavari.People of these villages are praying earnestlyfor Swami’s visit.” I told them that I would gothere. Soon I will go to Rajahmundry. But it isnot possible to reach these villages by car fromRajahmundry; one has to go on foot. Earlier,the villagers pleaded, “We will not cause anystrain to Swami’s body. We will take Swamithere without making Him walk. If necessary,we will carry Swami on our shoulders.” Thevillagers are giving expression to their joy inthis manner.Bhagavan Launches a New VillageDevelopment SchemeOn this sacred day of Ugadi, we arelaunching a new scheme for village uplift. Everyhouse in every village should be made clean.Suitable programmes should be undertakento keep the houses neat and clean both frominside and outside. The children in the villageshave also to be groomed into clean and healthyindividuals. I want that this Seva should beperformed by going from village to village. This,of course, will involve an expenditure of croresof rupees. But we do not bother about money.Money comes and goes, but the help renderedto others remains for ever. Therefore,efforts should be made to develop thevillages in all possible ways. We are launchingthis scheme from today itself on the auspiciousday of Ugadi. The elders and children, the poorand rich should all work unitedly to make thisproject successful. This Seva should unite oneand all. The spirit of unity should be developed,and both the villages and towns should becomeunited. We are starting this work from this veryday. This scheme would become a reality verysoon. It is envisaged that by next Ugadi all thevillages would be covered under this scheme.All should join this Seva work including thestudents, considering this as service to God.Service to man is service to God.Today we limit ourselves at individual level.But we should develop the spirit of unity andmake the entire country united. In the meetingrecently held at Chennai, a large number ofUnion Ministers, Chief Ministers and Governorsof different States of India, a number of I.A.S.officers and a mammoth gathering of peopletook part. In keeping with the spirit of unity seenat Chennai, all should take part in this villagedevelopment scheme unitedly. If all becomeunited, then the entire world would becomeone in no time. We should take part in this taskwith firm determination. Never go to anybodyfor collection of funds. I Myself will give youeverything. Whatever you need just ask Me;I will provide. The service done to anyonereaches Me only as all the rivers ultimatelymerge in the ocean. Have no fear. Ask Meanything you need without any hesitation. Ishall give everything. Both men and womenshould get ready to participate in this task.The Whole of India should BecomeClean, Beautiful and UnitedThe other day, a group of devotees cameto Prasanthi Nilayam from Mumbai. Theyare all very rich. They proposed, “We138 April 2007

The present year which is named Sarvajit is verysignificant for man to realise his divinity. Manhas innumerable desires. The year Sarvajit issignificant for the fulfilment of his noble desiresand advancement in all fields – moral, physical,religious, scientific and spiritual. He will lacknothing if he cherishes noble desires. Everybody issure to be victorious in life if he has noble desires.know, water flows towards lowerlevel. Unless the drainage wateris pumped out, the city cannotbecome clean. The people ofMumbai can certainly do it. So,I firmly told them, “You do thiswork; I will surely come.” Whenthey all join hands, they canperform any task. Moreover, theyhave patience and perseverancerequired for it. I wish that theentire country of Bharat becomesclean and beautiful and all itspeople live in peace and bliss.Swami’s happiness lies in thehappiness of all. My happinessis not separate from that ofyours. If you all are happy, then Iam also happy. Your happinessis My happiness. So, whateverwork you undertake, you shoulddo it for the peace and happinessof all.want to erect a Stupa in the sea near Mumbai.It will be hundreds of feet high and will bear thewords ‘Sai Ram’. We will come to PrasanthiNilayam for Swami’s Darshan after completingthe project.” It will be illuminated at night soas to be visible from a long distance. It willinvolve an expenditure of crores of rupees.No doubt, the devotees of Mumbai are doing alot of work. Everything they are doing is good,but the city of Mumbai is very dirty. First andforemost, make the city pollution free. Earlieralso, efforts have been made in this regard bysome people, but without any success. Thereason is that at the time of high tide the seais at a higher level and some areas ofthe city at a lower level. As you allMore than anything else,man requires water. Water is thesustainer of life. You may live without food fora few days, but you cannot live without water.Hereafter, there will be plentiful rains. No onewill be put to hardship. In fact, I have come tosave the world from all calamities. I will surelyprovide you happiness by correcting yourfaults and forgiving your mistakes. You shouldall live in unity and love. We consider Prana,Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana as PanchaPranas (five life-breaths). But true PanchaPranas of man are Sathya (truth), Dharma(righteousness), Santhi (peace), Prema (love)and Ahimsa (non-violence). Where there istruth, righteousness will come there onits own. Peace is attained by followingApril 2007 139

the path of righteousness. From peace comeslove. Truth and love go together. A personhaving these two will have everything. Verysoon, the whole world will be united. Studentsshould make suitable efforts for world unity.Young boys and girls have strong limbs. Theyare endowed with great physical, mental andspiritual powers. They should make properuse of all their powers. Do not misuse yoursenses. Only then can you become capableof doing great service to the world. It is notenough if you simply go to a temple and dosome whitewashing to its walls. Every houseshould be made clean. Then only one can visitsuch houses.Visit to the House of a HarijanIn earlier days in Puttaparthi, the housesof Harijans were separate from the village. Iused to visit their houses also. A person byname Nagappa lived there. His son-in-lawRamulu was educated up to 3rd Form (8thClass). He knew somewhat about Swami. Oneday, he invited Me to have food in his house.When I told this to Subbamma, she tried todissuade Me, saying, “What Swami! Will Yougo to the house of a Harijan? Please do notgo.” I insisted on going. I also told her to comealong with Me. Subbamma belonged to theorthodox Brahmin community. Nevertheless,she decided to follow Me, saying, “I will doanything for the sake of Swami.” I was walkingahead and she was following Me. Ramulu wasleading the way. By the time we reached thehouse of Nagappa, the entire area was filledwith sweet fragrance. I asked the inmates ofthe house, “From where did you bring thisfragrance?” Ramulu replied, “Swami! We didnot bring it from anywhere. It is emanatingfrom You only.” I stepped into the house.Subbamma happily followed Me. Shewas then 62 years old. They served Mesome rice in an aluminium plate. In fact, thatis what they had. Stainless steel plates werenot in vogue then. Subbamma was servedfood in another aluminium plate. Subbammaused to have a feeling of superiority as highcaste Brahmin in the beginning. Later on, shechanged her attitude on the advice of Swami.She thought, “Fie on me! I should not entertainsuch differences of high and low.” She happilyate food in their house along with Swami.When we returned to the village, the peopleof the village joined together and startedsaying derisively, “Subbamma has become aMala (Harijan). No one in the village shouldtouch her.” Subbamma responded by saying,“That is exactly what I desire. Let no onetouch me. It is enough if Swami alone touchesme. I have no children. I have no daughtersto give in marriage to other families nor do Ineed bring their children into my house. It isenough if Swami is with me.” She used to cookfood for all devotees. Fortune favoured her forthis act of generosity and her fields yieldedrich harvest. She would have two to threecrops in a year. Such big yields of rice couldnot be stored in the house. Hence, the bagsof paddy used to be emptied into a speciallybuilt granary from above. Thus, Subbammasanctified her life in the service of Swami. Oneday, I asked her, “Subbamma! What do youwant?” She replied, “Swami! I have no worldlydesires. It would be enough if You pour somewater into my mouth from Your Divine Handsbefore I leave my mortal coil.” I promised herthat I would fulfil her wish.Redemption of SubbammaOnce I was returning from Chennai by car.Subbamma had died on the previous day.Her relatives were making arrangements140 April 2007

to bring her dead body from her house to thecremation ground in Bukkapatnam. As soon asthey saw Me, they came running towards Meand said, “Subbamma died yesterday.” I toldthem, “It is only your illusion. Subbamma didnot die. She won’t leave her mortal coil withoutseeing Me.” So saying, I reversed My car anddrove towards her house. Subbamma’s motherwas still alive then. She was grief-stricken andlamented, “Swami! She was rememberingYou all the while and was chanting ‘Sairam’,‘Sairam’, till last night. She kept enquiring,“Has Swami come? Has Swami come?” Thebody of Subbamma was covered with a cloth. Iremoved the cloth and called her, “Subbamma!Subbamma!” To everyone’s surprise, sheopened her eyes. When God gives a word, Hewill not forget it under any circumstances. I toldher, “You wanted Me to pour water into yourmouth with My hands. Isn’t it? Here it is; haveit.” So saying, I put a basil leaf in a tumbler ofwater and poured some water into her mouth.She then drank the water, held My both handstightly, put them reverentially on her eyes andsaid, “Swami! I have been waiting to take leaveof You. Now permit me to leave.” I gave herpermission and she merged in Me. I have builta housing colony in her memory and named itafter her.Subbamma was a great soul. She used togo up on the terrace of her house every nowand then and converse with Easwarammathrough the window. She used to tell her,“Easwaramma! You gave birth to Swami andI fostered Him. Hence you are Devaki and Iam Yashoda.” Easwaramma used to reply,“Subbamma! You served hundreds of Swami’sdevotees by giving food and shelter to themin your house. Won’t you deserve the fruitof that Seva? Surely you will.” BeforeSubbamma left her mortal coil, she came toEaswaramma and pleaded with her, “I amleaving. Look after Sathya well.” Both of themshed tears. The next day, Subbamma died.Keep your Thoughts and Feelings PureThe name of Subbamma’s husband wasNarayana Rao. He always used to sit near theTulasi Brindavan (basil plant) in front of hishouse. When he took to bad ways, I composedsome songs and trained a few children to singthose songs in front of his house in order tocorrect him. The children used to move ina group in front of his house, singing thosesongs, one of which runs as follows:Don’t seek the company of women of badcharacter;Surely you will suffer a fall.You will become an outcaste in your owncommunity;Your relatives will not entertain you and willdrive you out;Your friends will beat you with their slippersif they see you!(Telugu Song)When the children moved about in agroup singing this song, he felt very muchembarrassed. He called them inside andenquired, “Who has taught you this song?”The children replied, “Raju has taught us, Sir!”He thought, “Yes, it is true. Who else can knowabout my habits except Raju?” From then on,he gave up his evil ways and bad habits. Healso distributed mangoes to all the children,cartloads of which used to be brought into hishouse those days.Wrist watches had just arrived in those days.If anyone in the village wore a wrist watch, hewas considered to be a greatContinued on page 144 ...April 2007 141

JOYOUS UGADI CELEBRATIONSOn the auspicious occasionof Ugadi, Bhagavan Sri Sathya SaiBaba launched a new scheme forthe all-round development of the villages ofIndia and expressed His resolve to bring aboutunity in the nation through selfless service.Bhagavan made these profound declarationsin His Ugadi Discourse in Sai Kulwant Hall,Prasanthi Nilayam on the morning of 20thMarch 2007.Nadaswaram music and Vedic chantswelcomed Bhagavan to beautifully bedeckedSai Kulwant Hall when He came to bless thedevotees with His Divine Darshan on theauspicious day of Ugadi at 8.40 a.m. on 20thMarch 2007. Soon after Bhagavan occupiedHis seat on the dais, the Ugadi programmecommenced with the recitation of thrilling Telugupoems by Sri Anil Kumar, a faculty memberof Sri Sathya Sai University. Dwelling on theexalted theme of the relationship between Godand His devotee, the poems touched the heartof the listeners with the beauty and subtletyof expression as well as with their fine lyricalquality.Bhagavan’s Ugadi DiscourseBefore the Divine Discourse of Bhagavan,Dr. G. Venkataraman, former Vice Chancellorof Sri Sathya Sai University, addressed thegathering. Giving his impressions of his recentvisit to East and West Godavari districts ofAndhra Pradesh, Dr. Venkataraman narratedhow the people of this area were expressingtheir deep gratitude to Bhagavan for providingdrinking water to them. Referring to the divineinspiration and energy provided to the youth byBhagavan, Dr. Venkataraman observed thatthe problems of India and the world could besolved by channelising the youth power. Thisis what Bhagavan is doing, said the learnedspeaker.In His Divine Discourse that followed thetalk of Dr. Venkataraman, Bhagavan mademany profound declarations, expressing Hisresolve to start major movements for rural upliftBhagavan giving His Divine Message in SaiKulwant Hall on the auspicious occasion ofUgadi on 20th March 2007.and unity of the country and the world. (Fulltext of Bhagavan’s Discourse has been givenelsewhere in this issue.) At the conclusionof His Discourse, Bhagavan blessed thestudents and their teacher who organised theprogramme of Burra Katha on the life of Mother142 April 2007

Easwaramma on 18th March 2007. Bhagavanalso distributed clothes to them with His DivineHands. The morning programme came to aclose with Arati to Bhagavan at 11.15 a.m.Prasadam was distributed to all in the end.Bhagavan also offered a sumptuous feast toall the devotees in the South Indian Canteenon this auspicious occasion.Providing Means of Livelihood to NeedyPeopleThe holy festival of Ugadi assumed addedsacredness and auspiciousness at PrasanthiNilayam when on the afternoon of 20thMarch 2007, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babadistributed sewing machines, wet grinders,agricultural implements, presses for ironingclothes, push carts, looms for making Saris,etc., to provide means of livelihood to nearly140 needy men and women selected fromall parts of Anantapur district. Besides, eightbicycles were also distributed to deservingstudents and needy persons who had to cometo town for study or employment trudging aOne of the beneficiaries with the push cartthat was offered to him by Bhagavan in SaiKulwant Hall on 20th March 2007.long distance from their villages on foot. Theprogramme was organised by the Anantapurdistrict of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisationof Andhra Pradesh. The programme startedat 4.15 p.m. after the Divine Darshan ofBhagavan in Sai Kulwant Hall. Sri Anil Kumar,a faculty member of Sri Sathya Sai University,announced the names of the beneficiariesSome of the items which were distributed byBhagavan to needy persons for their selfemploymenton the auspicious day of Ugadion 20th March 2007.Bal Vikas children of Anantapur districtenthralled the devotees in Sai Kulwant Hallwith their excellent devotional songson the occasion of Ugadi.April 2007 143

who came before the dais one by one, offeredtheir salutations to Bhagavan and receivedthe items offered to them for their self-reliancewith gratitude.This was followed by a thrilling programmeof devotional songs by ladies and gentssingers and Bal Vikas students of Anantapurdistrict. The melody of the songs and theirfeelingful rendering by the Bal Vikas childrenhad a captivating effect on the audience whoexpressed their joy by many a loud applause. Inthe end, Bhagavan blessed the gathering withHis Divine Discourse in which He expressed Hisappreciation of this music programme and theservice activities undertaken by the Anantapurdevotees to better the lot of underprivilegedsections of society. He exhorted the devoteesto consider all as brothers and sisters sinceall were the children of God. The programmecame to a close at 6.25 p.m. with Arati toBhagavan. Prasadam was distributed to all inthe end.... Continued from page 141person. Not only that, gents in those days usedto keep a small moustache under their nose,as a fashion. I composed a song on thesefashions and taught it to the village children.People hang silver medallions from aleather strap on their left wrists – and callit fashion!Grotesque appearances are made thatcannot be seen by the eyes – and they callit fashion!Long moustaches are cut to tiny patchesunder the nose – and they call it fashion!(Telugu Song)In this manner, I used to compose songsand make the children sing those songs in thevillage so that people might give up their crazefor fashions and cultivate noble thoughts. Thus,I brought about transformation in one and all,right from children to elders by such methods.From today onwards, you should all embarkon the mission to bring about transformationin villages. It does not mean that the villagesare to be changed into towns and cities. Thisis not what is desired. First and foremost,the villages are to be kept clean. The townsand cities are thoroughly polluted. Outwardly,people may appear to be very clean, wearing abeautiful pant, shirt and neck-tie. But thoughtsand feelings inside them are all dirty. When youput on a clean white dress, you should maintainpurity and sacredness of your thoughts andfeelings also in the same way. First transformyourself and then work for the transformationof the world.Yesterday, three boys presented the lifestory of Easwaramma in Burra Katha. Theyrendered it very well. Their description aboutSubbamma was also very good. All that madeMe very happy. No one has written this storyin such a manner.(Swami called Sri Krishna Bhaskar whowrote the script and the three boys whorendered the Burra Katha to the dais andblessed them. He also distributed clothes tothem and posed for group photos with them).– From Bhagavan’s Ugadi Message inSai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on themorning of 20th March 2007.144 April 2007

AVATAR VANI DASARA DISCOURSE: 3DO NOT FORGET THE PURPOSEOF HUMAN BIRTHYoumay be anxious as to whyI am a little late in coming here. ButI do not remain in My house withoutany work. There were some devoteesEven eating of food and drinking of water are notfor My sake. I am giving Discourse after sipping alittle water only to wet My tongue. Even a new carcannot be run without petrol! Isn’t it so?Educare is the Process of Manifesting ourYou should combine modern education withancient wisdom. If you do that, you will getthe happiness you aspire for. When you attainthis happiness, your life will be redeemed.Acquire secular education for happinessin this world, and seek Brahma Vidya(knowledge of Brahman) for happiness in theother world. You have come to acquire theknowledge of Brahman, not merely seculareducation. Along with secular education,acquire spiritual education also. Consider bothof them equally important and lead your lifeaccordingly. Only then will your life becomemeaningful.waiting for Me there, and I had to gratify theirlonging for My Darshan. Each and every task thatI perform is for the sake of devotees only. There isno task which can be termed as Mine. I have notincarnated to spend time in eating and drinking.Innate QualitiesThe ways of the world today are becoming moreand more peculiar. Pollution has entered all fieldsof human life – physical, religious, worldly, moraland even spiritual. One is apt to laugh on the oneApril 2007 145

hand and feel sad on the other, seeing the strangeways of the world.Humanness is most sacred. There is no greaterpower than that of humanness. Man should develophumanness by pursuing both education andeducare. Education signifies the knowledge gainedthrough the study of books written by others. Buteducare is not like that. It comes from the heart. It isman’s latent power which should be made manifestthrough Sadhana. What is to be made manifest?Human values of Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Premaand Ahimsa are to be manifested, not the evilqualities that we hide within us.The first human value is Sathya. Wherehas Sathya come from? Who taught and wroteabout Sathya? None. Sathya lies in the harmonybetween thought, word and deed. ManasyekamVachasyekam, Karmanyekam Mahatmanam (Thosewhose thoughts, words and deeds are in perfectharmony are noble ones). This is the truth whichgreat and noble souls have been teaching. Sathyacomes from one’s own heart. The second humanquality is Dharma. Who created Dharma? Whatis Dharma and what is Adharma? Deep enquirymakes it clear that there is none who has createdDharma. Sathyannasti Paro Dharma (There is noDharma greater than adherence to truth). Dharmacomes from Sathya. The third is Santhi. Ask anymillionaire, “Sir, you have everything in life. Doyou have peace?” Pat comes the reply from him,“I have everything but no peace.” Who can giveyou Santhi? It is not something one can pass on toanother. It comes only from one’s heart. In the worldtoday, wherever you see, you find only ‘pieces’,not ‘peace’. The fourth value is Prema. Where hasPrema come from? Has your father, mother or anyfriend given it to you? Has somebody given it toyou as gift? No, nothing of the sort. Love manifestsfrom within you. It is your life-breath. Theworld cannot exist without love. The fifthSelfishness is very cunning; it troubles a manin many subtle ways. Therefore, man shouldnever allow selfishness to come near him.Selfishness cannot even touch a man who issuffused with love. Therefore, you shoulddevelop love. This only is your God. If youhave love, non-violence will come to you onits own. Where there is love, even the shadowof violence will not be seen there. In this way,when man attains Sathya, Dharma, Santhi,Prema and Ahimsa, he will follow the rightpath, and his intellect will be illumined.human quality is Ahimsa. Buddha taught, AhimsaParamo Dharma (Non-violence is the supremeDharma). But today wherever you see in the world,you find only violence. Like all other human values,Ahimsa also comes from one’s heart only.Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsaare not separate from each other; they flow fromone another. These five human values are thesacred gift of God to man. Man should try to makethese manifest and put them into practice. That iseducare.What is the foremost quality a man shouldpossess? His foremost quality should be to speakonly truth. Speaking untruth or talking in anirresponsible manner is not humanness. Since thetongue has no bone, you twist it the way you want.Then how can that be called truth? In fact, truthshould dance on your tongue. Before speakingsomething, you must enquire whether it is truthor not. Truth is one, not two. If there is duality,it cannot be truth. We should speak only thetruth which emerges from our heart. The146 April 2007

entire world is an aspect of truth. Truth is the basisof everything in this world.Control your ThoughtsThe Pancha Bhutas (five elements) are thenatural phenomena of creation. In fact, everythingin Nature is in its natural form. Similarly, the fivehuman values of Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Premaand Ahimsa are naturally present in the heart ofevery human being. Man should manifest them andlead a natural life. They should naturally flow fromthe ‘source’; they cannot be manifested by ‘force’.Truth is pure and unsullied. Love is selfless. Manshould lead a pure and selfless life. Truth and lovewill then flow from our heart in a natural way.Love does not expect anything in return; nor doesit reject anything. Selfishness is very cunning; ittroubles a man in many subtle ways. Therefore,man should never allow selfishness to come nearhim. Selfishness cannot even touch a man who issuffused with love. Therefore, you should developlove. This only is your God. If you have love, nonviolencewill come to you on its own. Where thereis love, even the shadow of violence will not beseen there. In this way, when man attains Sathya,Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsa, he will followthe right path, and his intellect will be illumined.The bats hang from the branches of trees withtheir heads downward and feet upward. They are thecreatures of darkness and lead their life in darkness.Has anybody hung their heads downward out ofmalice? None has done this. They are destined tolead their life in this manner as ordained by God.In the same way, man cannot escape from theconsequences of his actions.Everyone has to face the consequences ofhis Karma (actions). Who has made the batsto hang from the branches of trees with theirheads downward? Has anyone tied themupside down out of hatred? No, it is theirfate. Likewise, nobody can escapefrom the consequences of Karma.(Telugu Poem)However, some changes may occur during thecourse of experiencing the results of one’s actions.Sometimes, the results of one’s actions may appearto be rather strange. Karmas make a man danceto their tune in many ways. Birth and death makehim happy and sad respectively. Aren’t both birthand death the result of one’s Karma? Aren’t theymysterious divine phenomena? One should developfaith that everything happens as per the Will ofGod. However, when people have happiness, theyconsider it as the blessing of God. But when theyhave sorrows and difficulties, they blame others forthem. One should consider everything – happinessand sorrow, gain and loss, troubles and difficultiesas the blessings of God. They come and go likepassing clouds.Dear Students!The clouds moving in the sky sometimes coverthe sun. It is not possible to drive them away.They will go in the same way as they have come.Likewise, the clouds of thoughts move about in thesky of the heart, and cover the moon of mind and thesun of intellect. Chandrama Manaso Jatah (moon isborn out of the mind of the Supreme Being). Mindis of the nature of the moon; intellect is a reflectionof the sun. At certain periods of time, the cloudsof our thoughts become very thick. Particularly,it happens during the stage of youth. These darkclouds are saturated with the water of desires.When such dark clouds appear, then the sun and themoon disappear from our view. It is at the stage ofyouth that we get too many thoughts which enmeshus in numerous difficulties. When you are totallyoverpowered by these thoughts, you forget evenyour humanness. Therefore, you should get rid ofthese clouds of thoughts. Where did these cloudscome from? These are caused by our Sankalpasand Vikalpas (intentions and agitations). Themoment the clouds move away, the sunApril 2007 147

ecomes resplendently visible tous. In the same way, when the darkclouds of Sankalpas and Vikalpasare cleared from the sky of our heart,the truth will shine in it brilliantly.Therefore, first and foremost youshould control your thoughts. Thenboth your mind and intellect willshine brilliantly.Seek the Company of NobleSoulsHuman mind is a bundle ofthoughts. When you exercise controlover your thoughts, then your mindwill become clear. Narendra (SwamiVivekananda) tried hard to controlhis thoughts. His heart becamepure when he was able to controlhis thoughts. “I am so very proudof my birth as a Bharatiya. Howmuch pure and sacred is the countryof Bharat!” These feelings cameto him on their own. To whichevercountry he went, he proudly told thepeople of that country, “I have comefrom the sacred land of Bharat.” Hemade them aware of the greatnessof Bharat. When you think of thesacredness of Bharat, you get imbuedwith the feeling of its greatness.Therefore, we should reflect upon the greatnessof our country. Today the students do not read thestories of such great men as Swami Vivekanandaand Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. They readvulgar novels, considering them as great literature.You should keep away from such cheap types ofbooks.God is the indweller of all beings. He iseverywhere. Ekatma Sarva Bhutantaratma(one Atma dwells in all beings). You mayThe Pancha Bhutas (five elements) are the naturalphenomena of creation. In fact, everything in Nature is inits natural form. Similarly, the five human values of Sathya,Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsa are naturally present inthe heart of every human being. Man should manifest themand lead a natural life. They should naturally flow from the‘source’; they cannot be manifested by ‘force’. Truth is pureand unsullied. Love is selfless. Man should lead a pure andselfless life. Truth and love will then flow from our heart in anatural way.perhaps say, “If the same Atma is present in all, thenwhy should I not have friendship with such andsuch person?” If his feelings, conduct and thoughtsare not proper, you should not have friendship withhim. If you associate yourself with him, you willalso become like him. Tell me your company, I shalltell you what you are. Therefore, you should havethe company of good people. It is with reference tothis that Adi Sankara said:Satsangatwe Nissangatwam,148 April 2007

Nissangatwe Nirmohatwam,Nirmohatwe Nischalatattwam,Nischalatattwe Jivanmukti.(Sanskrit Sloka)(Good company leads to detachment; detachmentmakes one free from delusion; freedom fromdelusion leads to steadiness of mind; steadiness ofmind confers liberation.)Always seek the company of noble souls. Attainpurity of speech. See good, do good, think good.Then you will become good only. Do not readcheap and vulgar literature. Reading of bad booksamounts to associating with bad company. Today Ido not wish to speak to you about spirituality anddivinity. My only wish is that you should adopt thepath of truth in the affairs of your day-to-day life.Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsa arepresent in you like your Pancha Pranas (five lifebreaths).Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada andMatsarya (desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride andjealousy) come from outside. Keeping these evilqualities out, manifest your innate human values.Faith is Necessary to Cultivate Human ValuesWhat do we do to bring out water from a well?We tie a rope to a vessel and put the vessel in thewell. When we pull the rope up, the vessel full ofwater also comes up with the rope. Likewise, humanvalues are like pure water in the well of your heart.Acquire the rope of faith to bring out the water ofhuman values from the well of your heart. But todaypeople in this world have become virtually blind,having lost both their eyes of faith. We should notbecome blind. Our humanness will change intoeffulgent divinity when we strengthen our faith.All can give speeches. Mere listening to speechescannot give you satisfaction. You just listen to themand forget. Put into practice what you listen. Firstand foremost, cultivate faith conscientiously. Withthe help of the strong rope of faith, you canbring out the water of the human valuesof Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema andAhimsa. That is what is called educare. Educaresignifies manifesting our innate qualities. Buteducare cannot be acquired from outside; it cannotbe bought from the market. No teacher can imparteducare to you. You yourself have to develop it.Only then can you have self-realisation. To attainself-realisation, first of all you need to cultivateself-confidence. And to cultivate self-confidence,you should cultivate sacred qualities.Embodiments of Love!Secular education can help you to attain greaterintellectual acumen, but true happiness can beattained only by educare. In fact, educare is thefoundation of man’s life. Bookish knowledge is oflittle importance. Even if you attain a great name asa highly educated person after acquiring the degreesof B.A., M.A., etc., consider educare most important.Howsoever high education you may acquire, it is ofno use. You may acquire high degrees, but bereftof educare it cannot be considered real education.Whom does your education benefit? The aim of allyour education is just to fill your belly! There aremany highly educated persons in the world. Whatis it that they are doing? Are they promoting nonviolenceor protecting righteousness or contributingtowards peace in any manner, or at least havethey themselves attained peace? No. They do notvouchsafe their love for their children even. First,you yourself should develop love. Then you shouldshare it with all. Only then can you experience thetaste of love. You are the repositories of so manypowers. You are endowed with Pancha Bhutas (fiveelements), Panchendriyas (five senses) and PanchaKoshas (five life-sheaths). But due to misuseof these, you are becoming weak. What can youachieve if you make yourself weak in this manner?On the path of spirituality, steadfastness is verynecessary.Having resolved, what ought to be resolved,hold on to it till you have succeeded.Having desired what ought to beApril 2007 149

desired, hold on to it till your desire is fulfilled.Having asked what ought to be asked, do notleave the hold till you get it. Having thoughtwhat ought to be thought, hold on to it till youhave succeeded. With heart mellowed, theLord must yield to your wishes or forgettingyourself, you should ask Him with all yourheart. Persevere, be tenacious, and never giveup, for it is the quality of a devotee never toretreat, abandoning his resolve.(Telugu Poem)Acquire the Knowledge of Brahmanwill be redeemed. Acquire secular education forhappiness in this world, and seek Brahma Vidya(knowledge of Brahman) for happiness in the otherworld. You have come to acquire the knowledgeof Brahman, not merely secular education. Alongwith secular education, acquire spiritual educationalso. Consider both of them equally importantand lead your lifeYou should have a firm resolve to get goodmarks in your studies. But do not be satisfied withearning good marks only. You should see to it thatyou do not get any bad remarks. Only then can yourealise the true value of education. In a similar way,you should perform well in the test administered toyou by God.Dear Students!I am teaching you many things day in and dayout. But you are not reflecting on them even a little.You have forgotten the purpose for which you havecome here. First of all, try to understand that. Youhave come for one thing, and are pursuing somethingelse. You will not attain anything by conductingyourself like this. You want to eat Idli and Sambar(vegetarian dishes) but you go to a non-vegetarianhotel! You have come to make your heart pure andsacred. But you are doing everything which makesyour heart unsacred. What is the reason? Thereason is mental pollution. Do not allow your mindor thoughts to be polluted even a little.These are the teachings of our elders. Youbelong to modern age. You should combinemodern education with ancient wisdom. If youdo that, you will get the happiness you aspire for.When you attain this happiness, your lifeContinued on page 154 ...150 April 2007

Cultural Programme by the Children ofOrphanagesTaking inspiration from SriSathya Sai Deenajanodharana Pathakam,a project started by Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba for destitute children,Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, Andhra Pradeshhas set up orphanages in many of its districts. Howwell these children are being looked after waswitnessed when 93 of them from nine districts ofAndhra Pradesh presented an excellent music,dance and cultural programme in Sai Kulwant Hallat Prasanthi Nilayam on 3rd March 2007 in theDivine Presence of Bhagavan.The programme began after the Divine Darshanof Bhagavan in Sai Kulwant Hall at 4.30 p.m. The firstitem of the programme was Veda chanting. A groupof boys in ochre dress came to the dais and chantedVedic Mantras in perfect rhythm and intonation tothe delight of all. The next item of the programmewas a magnificent display of band music. Theband group made many formations and produced adelightful medley of tunes winning the heart of oneand all by their grand display. Thereafter, one smallboy made a fluent speech expressing gratitude toBhagavan for bringing hope and joy in the life of somany orphan children. Bhagavan blessed the child,materialised Vibhuti for him and lovingly appliedit on his forehead at the end of his speech. The nextitem of the programme was a dance by nine boysto the tune of a melodious Telugu devotional song,popularly known as Chekka Bhajan. Rhythmicmovement of the children to the tune of exhilaratingmusic earned them the appreciation of the entireChekka Bhajan being performed in Sai Kulwant Hallby the children of the orphanages set up by the SaiOrganisation of Andhra Pradesh.audience who expressed their joy by applaudingtheir performance.The last item of the programme was a musicaldance drama entitled “Jagruthi” (awakening). Thedrama depicted the story of a young promisingdancer whose rich father wanted to send him ona tour of America to accumulate money. But hewas brought back on the path of love and serviceby his friend who was helped and educated in anorphanage set up by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.Supported by episodes from the lives of saintsThe musical dance drama “Jagruthi” enacted in SaiKulwant Hall on 3rd March 2007 gave the message ofselfless service, sacrifice and devotion to the youth ofthe country.April 2007 151

like Pothana, Mirabai and Dokka Seethamma,the story helped in creating love for motherlandin young minds and showed them the path ofdevotion, selfless service and sacrifice as taught byBhagavan. Excellent direction, appropriate actingof the children and thrilling songs and dances madethe drama an outstanding presentation. Bhagavanblessed the children at the end of the drama,posed for photographs with them and distributedclothes to them with His Divine Hands. He alsomaterialised a ring for the boy who played the roleof the rich man’s son and another ring for one ofthe organisers. This excellent programme came to aclose with Arati to Bhagavan at 6.50 p.m. Prasadamwas distributed to all in the end.Holi - the Festival of Love and JoyThe sacred festival of Holi was celebrated atPrasanthi Nilayam on 4th March 2007 in the DivinePresence of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Theprogramme, comprising Holi songs and dances bychildren and a drama entitled “Mana Darpan”, wasorganised by Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations ofBihar and Jharkhand.On the morning of 4th March 2007, Bhagavancame to Sai Kulwant Hall at 8.55 a.m. amidstsacred Vedic chants by the students of Sri SathyaSai University. As soon as Bhagavan was seatedon the dais, the programme started with a song anddance in praise of Lord Ganesh. The programmeentitled “Ekoham Bahusyam” (One willed tobecome many) depicted the life and teachings ofBhagavan rendered through thrilling Holi songsand dances including a Qawali by the children ofBihar and Jharkhand, enthralling one and all fornearly one hour. The programme came to a closewith Arati to Bhagavan at 10.00 a.m. Prasadam wasdistributed to all in the end.An excellent drama entitled “Mana Darpan”was presented on the afternoon of 4th March2007. The drama depicted with aplombSri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations of Bihar andJharkhand presented thrilling Holi songs and dancesdepicting the life and teachings of Bhagavan on 4thMarch 2007.how mind could be harnessed to attain happinessin life by exercising control over senses, limitingdesires, performing selfless service and developinglove for God. Helped by sweet thematic songsand appropriate episodes from the Puranas(mythological texts), the presentation made alasting impact on the viewers and brought alive theteachings of Bhagavan who is the embodiment oflove and selfless service. At the end of the drama,Bhagavan blessed the cast and also materialised agold ring for the boy who played the role of mindThe drama “Mana Darpan” enacted by the children ofBihar and Jharkhand in Sai Kulwant Hall excellentlydepicted how human mind worked and how it could becontrolled.in the drama. Holi celebrations came to a happyconclusion with this excellent presentation. Theprogramme concluded with Arati to Bhagavan at6.30 p.m.Life Story of Mother Easwaramma in152 April 2007

Burra KathaThe students of Sri Sathya Sai Universitypresented the life story of Mother Easwaramma inBurra Katha, the famous folk art form of AndhraPradesh, on the afternoon of 18th March 2007 in SaiKulwant Hall in the Divine Presence of BhagavanSri Sathya Sai Baba. The programme started withan invocatory song in praise of Lord Ganesh. Whatfollowed this was a captivating presentation ofthe glorious life of Mother Easwaramma throughlively dialogues and thrilling songs highlightingher exemplary qualities of ideal motherhood andconcern for the welfare of others. The programmewhich started at 3.45 p.m. came to a close at 4.40p.m. Bhagavan sat through the entire programmeand blessed the students who narrated this story.The life story of Mother Easwaramma came alivewhen three students of Sri Sathya Sai Universitypresented it in Burra Katha in Sai Kulwant Hall on18th March 2007.Bhagavan expressed His appreciation of thispresentation in His Ugadi Discourse also on themorning of 20th March 2007.Sri Rama Navami CelebrationsOn the sacred occasion of Sri Rama Navami, thebirthday of Lord Rama, Bhagavan Sri Sathya SaiBaba blessed the devotees in Sai Kulwant Hall witha nectarine Discourse, revealing many subtle andprofound truths about Rama’s life. He observedthat the land of Bharat was sacred becausethe Divine Name of Rama was vibrant inevery village, house and even a hut of Bharat. Thatis why, Bhagavan said, God incarnates in the landof Bharat.The programme of Sri Rama Navami began at4.15 p.m. on the afternoon of 27th March 2007 in SaiKulwant Hall after Bhagavan’s blissful Darshan inthe Hall. Before the Divine Discourse of Bhagavan,two eminent speakers addressed the gathering. Dr.G. Venkataraman, former Vice Chancellor of SriSathya Sai University, was the first speaker. Dr.Venkataraman narrated a few incidents from thelife of Lord Rama to show how His entire life wasa shining ideal of Dharma in practice. The learnedspeaker exhorted the devotees to follow the idealsset by Rama and attain total purity of heart whichwas the only way to merge with God.The second speaker, Sri S.V. Giri, also a formerVice Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai University, quotedthe dialogue between Valmiki and Sage Naradafrom the Ramayana and recounted the rare qualitiespossessed by Rama. Referring to the declarationmade by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in His UgadiDiscourse regarding the launching of a scheme forthe all-round development of the villages of India,Sri Giri observed that Bhagavan’s all endeavoursfor the welfare of mankind were the steps towardsthe establishment of Rama Rajya. In conclusion,Sri Giri observed that Bhagavan was giving the rareopportunity to the devotees, especially the youth,to become a part of His Divine Mission as Ramahad provided it to the monkeys. After the talks ofthese two learned speakers, Bhagavan called oneof the students to speak. The student narrated howwhen he was a Primary School student, Bhagavanvisited the Primary School and all the studentssurrounded Him. Bhagavan, he said, then made avery profound statement, saying that they were allVanaras (monkeys) when He incarnated as Rama,and pointing to one boy, Bhagavan declaredthat he was Sugriva. Bhagavan blessed thestudent at the end of his speech and alsoApril 2007 153

created a gold chain for him.After this, Bhagavan gave a wonderfuldescription of the story of the Ramayana in HisDivine Discourse to the delight of the entiregathering. Bhagavan said that the land of Bharatwas sacred because the Divine Name of Rama wasbeing recited in the entire length and breadth ofBharat. Bhagavan brought His Discourse to a closewith the Bhajan, “Rama Kodanda Rama ...” whichthe devotees followed after Him in chorus withdeep devotion. After a brief session of Bhajans, thefunction came to a close with Arati to Bhagavan at6.15 p.m.Daivam Manusha Rupena: A DramaThe students of Sri Sathya Sai HigherSecondary School, Prasanthi Nilayam presentedthis drama depicting the life and Leelas (divineplay) of Shirdi Sai Baba in Sai Kulwant Hall on theafternoon of 29th March 2007. The drama not onlypresented some well-known miraculous cures andtransformations of people brought about by Himthrough relevant episodes from His life, but alsoshowed how He spent all His life for the welfare ofothers. The realistic story was adorned with sweetand melodious songs and a beautiful concludingdance. Bhagavan sat through the entire performancefrom 4.30 p.m. to 5.20 p.m. and blessed the studentsat the end of the drama. He also posed for groupphotos with them.A scene from the drama “Daivam Manusha Rupena”presented by the students of Sri Sathya Sai HigherSecondary School on29th March 2007.... Continued from page 150accordingly. Only then will your life becomemeaningful.(Bhagavan brought His Discourse to a closewith Bhajans “Govinda Krishna Jai,Gopala Krishna Jai …” and “Vaheguru VaheguruVaheguruji Bolo …” )– From Bhagavan’s Dasara Discourse in SaiKulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 29thSeptember 2006.154 April 2007

U. S. A.Afree veterinary clinic washeld in Carlsbad, California nearSan Diego on 9th December 2006.At the camp, 88 dogs and 35 cats were seenby veterinarians. Veterinary exams wereA free veterinary clinic was organised by theSathya Sai Organisation in Carlsbad, California,in which 88 dogs and 35 cats were examined byveterinarians and provided loving treatment on9th December 2006.conducted along with vaccinations, flea andparasite control, blood analysis and grooming.In addition, pet owner education was providedin pet nutrition, disease prevention, earlyintervention with flea and parasite infestation,proper grooming and dealing with pet’sbehavioural problems from a base of love andcompassion. All these services were offeredto the public completely free of charge bythe Sathya Sai Organisation. For follow-upcare, the pets were referred to local low-costclinics and charities. The event, whichtook place at a local Christian Church,began with a brief talk by Dr. Sam Sandweiss.Dr. Sandweiss focused on Swami’s teachingsof “Love All, Serve All” and exhorted all to treatthe patients, pets and each other with love andcompassion. All pets received food and pettoys and the owners received fruit juice andsnacks free of charge.During the same time as the veterinarycamp on 9th December 2006, a medicalcamp was held at the Pilgrim United Churchof Christ in Carlsbad. A team of 32 doctors,8 dentists, 27 nurses, psychologists, dietitiansand physical therapists provided freeconsultations in paediatrics, family practice,internal medicine, cardiology, endocrinology,dermatology, ophthalmology, orthopaedicsand dentistry. 157 patients were seen byprimary care doctors, 193 patients receiveddental screening and 316 laboratory tests wereperformed, all free of charge. In addition tothis, 282 persons were screened for diabetes,hyperlipidemia, hypertension, breast cancerand cervical cancer. Dr. Poniachik, an Interniston the staff at North County Health Services,kindly volunteered at our camp and madethis observation: “After having been involvedin numerous charitable medical activities, the(Sathya Sai) Carlsbad Free Medical HealthScreening was the most well-organisedcommunity clinic I have ever participatedin. Most importantly, all the patients wereextremely happy with the care they received.”C A N A D AThe Scarborough Sathya Sai School inToronto was one of 37 elementary schoolsto receive the top grade in an annualApril 2007 155

eternal Atma and not to be deluded by theimpermanent body/mind/personality complex.He also elaborated on Study Circle techniquesthat would increase spiritual awareness. Later,he talked to the SSE students about unity andthe importance of respecting elders. His visitwas very well received by all devotees fromCanada.I N D O N E S I AThe Sathya Sai School in Toronto, Canadawas one of 37 schools to receive top grade byan independent educational organisation for itsacademic excellence balanced with charactereducation and civic responsibility.report card released by the Fraser Institute on11th February 2007. This grade was awardedto the school for its academic excellencebalanced with character education and civicresponsibility. The ranking was done by theFraser Institute, an independent think-tankresearch and educational organisation, whichreviewed 2,812 schools. The Scarboroughnewspaper “The Mirror” reported, “The SathyaSai recipe for outstanding achievementincluded academic excellence balanced withcharacter, yoga exercises, meditation andcivic responsibilities.”From 27th October 2006 to 29th October2006, Sri Jonathan Roof, president of theSathya Sai Central Council of the U.S.A., visitedthe Sai Centres in Calgary, Saskatoon andEdmonton. During his visit to these Centres, hetalked about Swami’s message of love, selflessservice and his personal transformation. Thetalks were interspersed with several songson human values written by him, and heplayed these on an acoustic guitar. Heheld a workshop on how to see theThe province of Aceh in Indonesia haswitnessed several natural disasters that haveshocked the world and, at the same time,brought the world together in an unprecedentedThe Sathya Sai Organisation organised reliefoperations and distributed food to flood ravagedhouseholds in the province of Aceh, Indonesia.bond of compassion and solidarity. This NewYear brought unrelenting rain, floods anddevastation displacing over 87,000 inhabitantsand killing 23. The flooding caused widespreaddamage to crops, plantations, cattle, poultry,fish ponds, roads and bridges. Over 1,600houses were completely destroyed and morethan 15,000 houses were damaged. The SathyaSai Organisation sprung into action to provideimmediate relief. Evacuation camps were setup for the displaced and rescue operationswere mobilised immediately. On 14thJanuary 2007, service was rendered156 April 2007

to Bukit Tempurung village in a sub-district ofAceh Tamiang where food was distributed to1,065 households. It took 14 volunteers aboutfour hours to drive each way to deliver therations including food, medications, sanitationfacilities and potable water.V E N E Z U E L AIn the mountain city of Abejales, Venezuela,the Sathya Sai School was founded in 2002 andnamed as “Model Rural School” in 2004 by theGuatemala, Colombia and Brazil. The articledescribed the importance of inculcating humanvalues in the lives of people and incorporatingthem into school curriculum.M A L A Y S I AThe Sathya Sai School of Malaysia islocated adjacent to an orphanage run by thePure Life Society of Malaysia on a piece ofland which is leased to the school. The childrenfrom the orphanage are given free educationnot only on academic subjects but also onhuman values at the Sathya Sai School.This year, for the second consecutive time,The Sathya Sai School in Abejales, Venezueladeclared as “Model Rural School” by Ministryof Education in 2004 provides socially-neededcurriculum based on human values.Ministry of Education. In a recent article on 19thFebruary 2007, the newspaper “The NationDaily” wrote about the Sathya Sai School. Thenewspaper hailed it as a unique school witha socially-needed curriculum based on humanvalues. At present, 148 children are enrolledfrom kindergarten to grade 5. Next year anexpansion to grade 6 is planned. The schoolis staffed by 10 teachers who are all trained inEducation in Human Values. The newspaperreports praised the educational programmesof the Sathya Sai Baba Organisation all overthe world, especially in South America wherethere are Sathya Sai schools in Argentina,Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Mexico,The Sathya Sai School of Malaysia whichprovides free education integrated with humanvalues. The school scored higher than nationalaverage for the second consecutive year.students of the Sathya Sai School scored wellabove national average in the Upper PrimarySchool Examinations. This is especiallynotable because 30% of the candidates forthe examination came from the orphanage.As a result of their interaction at Sathya SaiSchool, the children of the orphanage havegained much confidence in setting highergoals while the school children have all grownin their ability to love and share with lessfortunate children.April 2007 157

R O M A N I AThe Sathya Sai Centre of Bucharest,Romania organised public programmes from6th to 8th October 2006 which began witha public meeting at the 130-year-old worldrenowned State Jewish Theatre. With Swami’sgrace, exactly 108 people attended the event.At the meeting, Dr. Thorbjorn Meyer, Director ofthe ESSE Institute, spoke about the five humanvalues and their importance in an individual’slife. This was followed by screening of thefilm ‘His Work’. The next speaker was Petravon Kalinovski who described Bhagavan’shumanitarian projects. She concluded bysaying that individual transformation formedthe foundation of global transformation. Duringthe day’s events, Romanian translations ofBhagavan’s “Gita Vahini” and Dr. Hislop’sbook “My Baba and I” were introduced tothe public. On 7th and 8th October, Dr. andSai Baba and how to practise His teachings.The interactive session included a questionand answer session. In addition to the initial108 people, another 150 people participatedin the programmes on the second and thirdday. During the same weekend, a course onEducation in Human Values for teachers washeld in Bucharest, which was attended by20 teachers and parents. The speakers forthis course were Petra von Kalinovski fromGermany, Vassiliki Stefanidis and GeorgeBebedelis from Greece.I T A L YThe city of Carrara located on the MediterraneanSea in Italy has a beautiful Sai Centre. About15 Sai Youth volunteers from various parts ofSai devotees spent time with twenty elderlyresidents of Regina Elena home in the city ofCarrara, Italy and shared their love with them.The Sathya Sai Centre of Bucharest, Romaniaorganised public programmes in Bucharestfrom 6th to 8th December 2006, which includeda public meeting and a seminar on “Spiritualityin Day-to-day Life.”Smt. Meyer held a seminar on “Spiritualityin Day-to-day Life”, describing theirpersonal experiences with Sri SathyaItaly along with the Carrara Sai Group visitedthe Regina Elena home for the disabled andelderly on 22nd and 23rd July 2006. Thegroup took the twenty elderly residents to amountain cabin for recreational activities. Thevolunteers had prepared a day full of eventsincluding games, music and supper in theevening. Some of the guests sang inthe karaoke while others danced. A158 April 2007

sumptuous vegetarian meal was preparedand served to all. The Sai Youth Group hadwrapped presents for all and distributed themto the residents who were filled with joy andappreciation for the loving time they were ableto spend with the group. Prior to this visit also,a group of Sai devotees from various citiesof Emilia Romagna visited the Regina Elenahome and lovingly served the residents.– Sri Sathya Sai World FoundationB H A R A TAndhra Pradesh: Srikakulam districtconducted a medical camp in Polla villageon 11th February 2007, in Khajipeta on 18thFebruary 2007 and in Peddaganagallapetaon 22nd February 2007, treating a total of700 patients. In Polla, 300 kg rice was alsodistributed to the deserving poor. This districtcame to the rescue of 50 fire victim familiesof Savaraddapanasa village by giving to eachfamily 10 kg rice and other provisions sufficientfor one month, 3 cooking utensils along withnew and old clothes to wear. The districtgave 40 blankets to the inmates of SaranyaAnadha Ashram, 29 Amrutha Kalasams (foodprovisions) to selected poor and started NityaNarayana Seva (daily meals) for 28 selectedpoor people.Ranga Reddy district conducted a freemedical camp treating 336 patients, organisedBal Vikas classes for 93 children and carriedout sanitation work as part of slum areaimprovement programme at Janda NagarWadder Basti on 4th February 2007. It alsoconducted medical camps, treating 607patients in Yavapeta and Aadalpur villages on11th February 2007 and 25th February 2007respectively.Prakasam district started Sri SathyaSai Annapoorna programme atMarkapur town on 4th February 2007, underwhich 27 boys and 13 girls coming fromnearby villages to high schools in the town willbe served midday meals. These students werealso provided with school uniforms. The districtdistributed 40 blankets to leprosy patients on30th January 2007. It also gave towels andfood packets to about 100 leprosy patients atKambam on 6th February 2007.A newly-built service centre, Sri Sathya SaiSamaj Seva Sadan, was started at Karampudi(Guntur district) on 1st February 2007. In theNarayana Seva done on this occasion, mealswere offered to nearly 1,500 people. Thedistrict carried out Narayana Seva for 1,000people in Tathavaripalem village and for 500people in Duggirala on 21st January 2007.Assam, Manipur and N.E. States: The roleof human values in shaping today’s educationsystem was discussed in a seminar on“Education in Human Values” organised underthe aegis of Sri Sathya Sai Organisation ofAssam, Manipur and N.E. States at CottonCollege auditorium, Guwahati on 28th January2007. In his keynote address, the StatePresident of the Sai Organisation elaboratedupon the theme of the seminar, viz., impartingethical and spiritual content to the educationof children. Referring to the integral systemof education being implemented in Sri SathyaSai University, he said that it integrated thefive basic values of truth, righteous conduct,peace, love and non-violence with studies.Speaking on this occasion, former ChiefSecretary of the State, Sri H.N. Das put forthhis analysis of role of education in differentancient civilisations. “The quintessence ofeducation was found in the Mesopotamianand Harappan civilisations, and the ancientIndian classics like the Bhagavadgita, theRamayana and the Mahabharata wereApril 2007 159

also based on educative values”, the learnedspeaker said.The speakers at the seminar coveredseveral aspects of education and humanvalues. Apart from the theme issue, they alsodwelt upon varied topics like the role of theteacher and the role of the mother in valuebasededucation. The seminar concluded withan overview on values presented by the TrustConvener of the Sai Organisation.Haryana and Chandigarh: A five-day wintercourse in Indian Culture and Spirituality wasconducted at Chandigarh wherein 75 ruralyouth from villages of various districts of theState participated. A two-day Rural Bal VikasGurus Training Camp was also conducted,wherein 25 new Bal Vikas Gurus from variousvillages undertook the Bal Vikas training.Multifaceted medical camps were conductedin various adopted villages, viz., Maloya(Chandigarh district), Nada and Maginand(Panchkula district), Rampur, Baleka-Nagla(Ambala district), Amin (Kurukshetra district),Hisar, Mohasatpur (Faridabad district). About3,000 patients were treated and given freemedicines in these camps. Four veterinarycamps were conducted in Hisar, wherein 320animals were treated by experts.During this winter, 819 blankets, 50 shawls,13 woollen jerseys and 150 sweaters weredistributed at Chandigarh, Panchkula, Ambalaand Faridabad to selected needy people. Foursewing machines were also given to needyladies in village Dohana Khera.At a function held at Amin (Kurukshetradistrict), 32 pedestal sewing machines werepresented to needy women to make them selfreliant.One rickshaw, two carts for teashops and one floor grinding machinewere presented to needy families to make themself-dependant. A cultural programme and adrama entitled “Nachiketa” was presented bythe Bal Vikas children of Amin village on thisoccasion. Nearly 1,300 villagers witnessedthis programme. All India President of SaiOrganisations addressed the gathering afterthe cultural programme. Nearly 2,000 villagerstook meals in the Narayana Seva done at theend of the programme.Kerala: A State-level meeting of unit inchargesof Sai Youth activities was conducted on 18thFebruary 2007 at Sai Centre, Alwaye forplanning and evaluation of youth programmes.It was attended by 147 participants.Under ‘Sai Neethi’, lawyers forum ofSai Organisation, a one-day seminar wasconducted for lawyers on legal aid at the HighCourt premises on 17th March 2007. JusticeBenjamin Koshy inaugurated the seminar.More than 150 selected advocates fromdifferent parts of Kerala participated.An awareness camp and medical checkupfor detection of cancer was conducted atTellicherry, Kannur district on 25th February2007.Calicut district organised a service camp atSrisailam on 18th February 2007, in which 300Seva Dal members participated.Sai Youth of Thiruvananthapuram districtstarted a new programme of regular studyof scriptures from January 2007. 43 schoolshave been adopted for educare activity in thisdistrict. Regular classes for children, teachersand parents are being conducted.Thousands of Sai devotees participated inthe Lalitha Sahasranama Japam (recitation of1000 names of Divine Mother) at Attukal DeviTemple, Thiruvananthapuram as a partof the temple festival. Sai Organisation160 April 2007

Attukal Devi Temple in Thiruvananthapuramwhere thousands of Sai devotees took part inreligious and service activities.organised medical clinics, distribution ofdrinking water, etc., during the one-day festival,in which 15 lakh devotees participated.Sai Organisation, with the assistance ofGrama Panchayat, arranged a three-dayprogramme in Puduppariyaram village on evilsof Pan Masala. 100 centres of this village werecovered by Seva Dal members. Shopkeepersvoluntarily came forward to burn Pan Masalapackets.Punjab: A Sarva Dharma Sammelan (interfaithmeet) was organised by Sri Sathya Sai SevaOrganisation, Punjab at Ferozepur on 26thNovember 2006. About 1,000 people from allcommunities, e.g., Sikh, Muslim, Christian andHindu, attended the programme. Speakersfrom all the communities delivered speechesbringing out similarities of the teachings of allfaiths. A community lunch was served at theend of the meeting. The programme came to aclose with Arati to Bhagavan.West Bengal: This was the 17th year of serviceat Ganga Sagar Mela by the Sai Youth of WestBengal. Like every year, a team of around150 youth including 16 ladies from allthe districts of the State set out on the morningof 10th January 2007 for the holy GangaSagar Mela (fair), which is held every yearat the confluence of the holy Ganga and theBay of Bengal. Several lakh pilgrims from allover the globe take a holy dip in the sea on theauspicious day of Makar Sankranti every year.In order to make the experience of the pilgrimsblissful, Sai Youth kept the sea beach cleanand uncluttered. This activity was carried outfrom 10th January 2007 to 15th January 2007.The work would start from around 3.00 a.m.and would go on till 6.00 p.m. everyday. Forthe pilgrims, the holy dip on the auspicious daySai Youth kept the entire area of Ganga SagarMela clean and hygienic to make the pilgrimageof devotees a blissful experience during theperiod of this famous fair in January 2007.of Makar Sankranti is of crucial significance butfor the youth who participated in this servicecamp, which is actually a Sadhana camp,the realisation about the significance of thispilgrimage came only by way of the work doneby them for the lakhs of pilgrims.A four-day residential camp was organisedby the youth of Birbhum district for renderingservice of varied types during the Joydeb Melawhich is held every year on the bank ofriver Ajoy. More than 5 lakh pilgrimsApril 2007 161

take a holy dip on the auspicious day of MakarSankranti in this river. Around 75 Sai Youthparticipated in the service camp. The youthtook the responsibility of cleaning the streets,removing the garbage and dumping it atappropriate places designated for the purpose.They kept the entire area clean and hygienic. Ateam of doctors also participated in the camp:both homoeopathic and allopathic medicineswere distributed to needy people. Drinkingwater was also distributed by the youth duringthe Mela on all the four days.Like every year, this year also the youth ofKolkata district set out at 12 o’clock at night onthe streets of the city with 81 blankets. ThreeSai Youth cover a pavement dweller with a warmblanket on a cold night in Kolkata.teams went into specific directions in threevehicles. The youth silently put the blanketson pavement dwellers shivering in the wintrynight, without even letting the persons knowabout this.A blood grouping camp was organised bythe youth of Cooch Behar district on the dayof Christmas, 25th December 2006 in MadhyaBairiguri village. Blood grouping of around 150persons was determined during this camp.A blood grouping camp organised by Sai Youthin progress in a village. These camps areorganised to help villagers to know their bloodgroup and to arrange blood among themselvesin case of any emergency.This would help the villagers in the event ofany emergency requirement of blood whichthey would be able to arrange from amongthemselves.This activity is, in fact, going on throughoutthe State as a youth project to create a “Groupof Direct Blood Donors” who will be ready todonate blood whenever necessary at 24 hoursnotice. This also includes creating “Rare BloodGroup Club” with the objective to familiarisethe members of this club among themselves,so that in case of any blood related emergency,the members will be able to contact eachother.A conference of office bearers of the StateOrganisation was held at Durgapur, Burdwandistrict on 27th and 28th January 2007. Activeyouth members from every district were alsoinvited to bring in new ideas for the betterment ofthe Organisation. The theme of the conferencewas “Inner Transformation”. This platform wasused to strengthen the Organisation at everylevel. Keeping this in mind, an action planfor coming years was formulated. Specialemphasis was laid on outreach programmes.162 April 2007

True RenunciationCHINNA KATHAThere lived in a village ahusband and his wife who were bothgreat spiritual aspirants. They wererepositories of discrimination andwisdom and had great faith in the pre-eminence ofrenunciation.Once they set out on a pilgrimage. On theirway, they passed through a forest. The husband waswalking ahead, and his wife was following closelybehind him. While walking on the way, the husbandsaw a precious jewel brilliantly shining in the dust.He covered it with a little more dust so that hisThe husband covered the jewel with dust so that hiswife might not get tempted by it.“Do you consider dust and jewel different fromeach other?” Questioned the wife when she saw herhusband covering the jewel with dust.wife might not get tempted by it on seeing it. Thewife understood the import of her husband’s actionand said to him, “Dear one! Do you consider dustand jewel different from each other? It means, thefeeling of disparity, considering one thing greaterthan the other, has not yet left you.” The husbandrealised his shortcoming, and understood that hiswife was a greater renunciant than him.For a true renunciant, both dust and jewel areequal.There is a tendency to confuse renunciation with totally giving up everything.Renunciation actually means attaining a state of perfect equanimity. People maycriticise you or they may praise you; take them both with a sense of equanimity.One may try to harm you while another may try to do you a good turn; treatboth situations with equanimity. In one business venture, a loss might be incurredwhile a profit might be made in another; treat them both alike.– BabaApril 2007 163

SRI SATHYA SAI BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS TRUSTP R A S A N T H I N I L A Y A M 515 134,ANANTAPUR DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIAWebsite: www.sssbpt.orgIMPORTER / EXPORTER CODE NO. 0990001032RESERVE BANK OF INDIA EXPORTER CODE NO. HS-2001198AUDIO (CASSETTE / CDs) (Rs. 20 / Rs. 49 each)Aum (continuous chant of Aum)Prayers for Daily ChantingBaba Sings - 1Baba Sings 2 & 3 (Telugu Songs)Sai Rama Sings on Sri Rama - 4Baba Teaches Shiva Panchakshari - 5Baba Teaches Gayathri Manthra - 6Veda - 1 & 2Vedic Chants from Veda Purusha Saptaha Jnana YajnaVeda Parayanam - 1 & 2Live Recording of Bhajans Sung in Divine PresencePrasanthi Mandir Bhajans - 1 to 6Prasanthi Mandir Bhajans - 7 (Lord Ganesha)Prasanthi Mandir Bhajans - 8 (Lord Shiva)Prasanthi Mandir Bhajans - 9 (Lord Rama)Prasanthi Mandir Bhajans - 10 (Divine Mother)Prasanthi Mandir Bhajans - 11 (Lord Krishna)Bhajans Sung by Alumni of SSSUA Bridge Across Time - 1 to 8A Bridge Across Time - 9 & 10Sathyam - 1 to 7 (Instrumental Bhajans)Sathyam - 8 (Instrumental Bhajans)Close to You (Instrumental Bhajans)Shivam - 1 (Thyagaraja Kritis, Instrumental)Shivam - 2 (Instrumental Bhajans)Sai Bhajans on Mandolin 1,2 & 3 (Instrumental Bhajans)Rama Bhakthi Samrajyam - twin cassette Rs. 30Thyagaraja Kritis sung by Students of Music CollegeSri Sathya Sai Geethamulu - 1 to 12Telugu devotionals composed by Bhagavan, sung by devoteesSai Undan ThirunamamTamil devotionals sung by devoteesDevotional Songs - 1 & 2Devotional Songs - 3,4 & 5Sai Surya Samaan (Songs by Anup Jalota & Sumeet Tappoo)English Devotional SongsGod Lives in India (Bailey Sisters)My Sweet Lord (Cass Smith)The Second Coming is Here (Cass Smith)I Keep Feeling Your Love in Me (Cass Smith)Love EternallyChristmas MusicStories for ChildrenChinna Katha 1 (Telugu)mp3 CD (Rs. 100 each)Summer Showers 1973 (7 Discourses on ‘Bhajagovindam’ )Summer Showers 2000 (14 Discourses)Dasara 2001 (7 Discourses)Dasara 2002 (6 Discourses & 2 Music Concerts)Sri Sathya Sai Educare (6 Discourses)Sri Sathya Sai Speaks 2001 (12 Discourses)Sri Sathya Sai Speaks 2002 (22 Discourses)Sri Sathya Sai Speaks 2003 (15 Discourses)Sri Sathya Sai Speaks 2004 (8 Discourses)Sri Sathya Sai Speaks 2005 (18 Discourses)Veda Pushpanjali - 1 & 2 (English Commentary)Veda Pushpanjali - 1 (Russian commentary)Veda Pushpanjali - 1 & 2 (Hindi commentary)SSSU- Sri Sathya Sai UniversityRecent Titles are shown in REDKrishna-Arjuna Dialogue (Gita for Young Adults)Transformation of the Heart - 1,2 ,3, 4 & 5(Experiences of Devotees)VIDEO CD (Rs. 75 each)Brahmanandam (Bhajans)Imagine (Bhajans)Spiritual Blossoms - 1, 2 & 3 (Bhajans)Pure Love (Peter Rae)Baba Talks To Westerners 1991 (Divine Discourse)English DocumentariesAura of Divinity (Richard Bock)His Life is His Message-The Message I Bring (Richard Bock)The Endless Stream (Richard Bock)Truth Is My Name (Richard Bock)The Universal Teacher (Richard Bock)Love in ActionSri Sathya Sai Ganga - Water for ChennaiThe Beauty of Truth (Cosby Powell)A Message of Love (Cosby Powell)The Avatar (Cosby Powell)60th Birthday Celebrations (Richard Bock)Advent of The Avatar (Richard Bock)LingodbhavamWith the Lord in The Mountains (Bhagavan’s Visitto Kodaikanal, April 2006)DramasAdikavi Valmiki, Brindavan Students 14 Jan.’ 06Bhakta Vidyapathi, Bihar & Jharkhand Bal Vikas, 15 March ‘06Holi, Bihar & Jharkhand Bal Vikas, 15 March ‘06Bhakta Sudama, Karnataka Bal Vikas, 6 May ‘06The Divine Commandment, Mumbai Bal Vikas, 7 July ‘06 Morn.The Ten Commandments, Maharashtra & Goa Bal Vikas,7 July ‘06 Even.Abhinayanjali, Prasanthi Nilayam Students, 10 July ‘06Be A Star in God’s Heaven, Indonesia, 12 July ‘06The Power of One, Canada, 13 July ‘06Deenajanoddharan Foundation Day, Deenajanoddharana Students,20 July ‘06Awakening The Inner Light, Japan, 20 July ‘06Bhakti and Vibhakti, Kerala, 3 Sep. ‘06Matrudevo Bhava Pitrudevo Bhava, Kerala, 4 Sep. ‘06Sai Tips to Fly High, Kerala, 5 Sep. ‘06Ananya Bhakti of Saku Bai, Kerala, 5 Sep. ‘06Love in Action is Seva & Divyananda, Gujarat 22 Oct. ‘06Life is a Pilgrimage Experience It, Rishikesh Students, 11 Dec. ‘06Dikir Barat, Malaysia, 20 Dec. ‘06Annamacharya, Brindavan StudentsSai Bhagavatham, Primary School StudentsGod the only Friend, Maharashtra & Goa Bal VikasKrishna-Uddhava, Maharashtra & Goa Bal VikasSwaarajya, Prasanthi Nilayam Students, SSSUSurdas, Students, Brindavan Students, SSSUSai Prema Dhaara, Primary School StudentsPrem Ki Jyothi, Prasanthi Nilayam Students, SSSUBhaktha Jayadeva, Brindavan Students, SSSUThe Supreme Verdict, Maharashtra & Goa Bal VikasGarib-un-Nawaz, Maharashtra & Goa Bal VikasFrom Independence to Swaarajya,Prasanthi Nilayam Students, SSSUGod’s Address, Maharashtra & Goa Bal VikasSant Namdev, Maharashtra & Goa Bal Vikas

Chal Re Man Apne Dhaam, Prasanthi Nilayam Students, SSSUTera Tujko Arpan, Prasanthi Nilayam Students, SSSUVande Mataram, Maharashtra & Goa Bal VikasSaa Vidya Yaa Vimukthaye, Prasanthi Nilayam Students, SSSUFestivals & FunctionsNew Year 2006 (Morn. & Eve.)Annual Sports and Cultural Meet 2006 Part 1&2 (Morn.) Rs. 100Annual Sports and Cultural Meet 2006 Part 3&4 (Eve.) Rs. 100Maha Shivarathri 2006Sri Rama Navami 2006Ugadi 2006Easwaramma Day 2006Buddha Purnima Part 1 & 2 - 13 May ‘06 Rs. 100Buddha Purnima Part 3 & 4 - 14 May ‘06 Rs. 100Ashadi Ekadashi 7 July ‘06 Morn.God Lives In India, Music (Bailey Sisters), 10 July ‘06Guru Purnima, 11 July ‘06Sai Symphony Orchestra 11 July ‘06Ati Rudra Maha Yajna, 9-20 August ‘06 (3 VCD’s+1 mp3) Rs. 100Ganesh Chaturthi, 27 & 28 August ‘06Dasara, 26 Sep. to 2 Oct. ‘06Ladies Day Part 1 & 2, 19 Nov. ‘06 Rs. 100XXV Convocation, SSSU, 22 Nov. ‘06Sri Sathya Sai International Centre for Sports, 22 Nov. ‘0681st Birthday Celebrations 23 Nov. ‘06Christmas 24 & 25 Dec. ‘06 Rs. 100New Year, 1 Jan. ‘07 Morn.New Year, Part 1 & 2, 1 Jan. ‘07 Even.Rs.100Special Offers:Festivals at Prasanthi Nilayam 2005 Part 1&2(sets of 7 VCDs each)Rs. 325 each(for overseas Rs. 1050 for part 1&2 incl. of airmail postage)Festivals at Prasanthi Nilayam 2004 Part 1&2(sets of 10 VCDs each)Rs. 450 each(for overseas Rs. 1400 for part 1&2 incl. of airmail postage)Prasanthi Mandir Bhajans(set of 10 ACDs) Rs. 350(for overseas order Rs. 705 inclusive of airmail postage)Interactive CD-ROMVeda Manjari - 1 (Vedam Tutor) Rs. 150Bhajanavali (Flip Album) Rs. 99DVD (Rs. 150 each)Pure Love (Peter Rae)Love in ActionMaha Shivarathri 2006 Rs. 15080th Birthday Celebrations 23 Nov. ‘05 Rs. 150Festivals at Prasanthi Nilayam 2005 Parts 1 & 2(7 hr each) Rs. 250 eachFestivals at Prasanthi Nilayam 2004 Parts 1,2 & 3(7 hr each) Rs. 250 eachWith The Lord in The Mountains (Bhagavan’s Visit toKodaikanal, April 2006) Rs. 150Ati Rudra Maha Yajna 9-20 August ‘06 (1 DVD+1 mp3) Rs. 20081st Birthday Celebrations 23 Nov. ‘06 Rs. 150Coming Soon...VIDEO CDAnnual Sports and Cultural Meet 2007 Part 1&2 (Morn.) Rs. 100Annual Sports and Cultural Meet 2007 Part 3&4 (Eve.) Rs. 100Bhakta Prahalada, Brindavan Students, SSSU, 14 Jan ‘07Sri Krishna Rayabaram, Prasanthi Nilayam Students, SSSU, 15 Jan. ‘07mp3 CDPrasanthi Mandir Bhajans Rs. 200The Bhagavad Gita 1 (Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s14 Discourses, 1984) Rs. 100The Bhagavad Gita (Jack Hawley) Rs. 100Highlights 2006 The Bhagavad Gita 1DVD Rs. 250Duration: 4 hrVCD(4 Discs) Rs. 200Annual Sports &Cultural Meet 20072 VCD: Rs. 1002 VCD: Rs. 100mp3 CD: Rs. 100Duration: 11 HrBhakta PrahladaA Drama in EnglishVCD: Rs. 75ORDERS: Orders should be sent to the Convener, SriSathya Sai Books and Publications Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam515 134, Andhra Pradesh, India, along with full address,pin / zip code, and country, in capital letters enclosing therequired remittance. Email address, if available, may alsobe furnished.REMITTANCE: Remittances must be in favour of theConvener, Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust,Prasanthi Nilayam. Personal cheques, Bank drafts, moneyorders, and Indian or British Postal Orders are acceptable.For overseas orders payment should come from abroad either(a) in convertible foreign exchange like $, £, Aus. $, Can. $,U.S. $ etc. (eg., US $ draft payable in New York, £ poundcheque payable in London) or (b) in Indian Rupee draftpayable in India, or (c) NRI cheques. Do not send currencynotes by post.M A I L I N G C A L C U L AValue slab Mailing ChargesRs.InlandOverseas (by Post)20 - 60 150 6161 - 150 290 92151 - 300 415 108301 - 500 570 128501 - 700 810 140701 - 1000 1170 1561001 - 1500 1735 2201501 - 2000 2240 2522001 - 2500 2960 3322501 - 3000 3410 483For further information,Kindly visit our Website www.sssbpt.orgOnline orders can be placed through this website.