JULY 2008 - Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publication Trust

JULY 2008

S a n a t h a n a S a r a t h iDevoted to the Moral and Spiritual Uplift of Humanity throughSATHYA DHARMA SANTHI PREMA AHIMSAVol: 51 Issue No. 7 Date of Publication: 10th July2 08© Sri Sathya SaiBooks and Publications Trust,Prasanthi NilayamPrinted and Published byK.S. RAJANon behalf of the owner,Sri Sathya SaiBooks and Publications Trust,Prasanthi Nilayam 515 134,Anantapur District (A.P.),Printed at M/s Rajhans Enterprises,JULY 0136, 4th Main Road, Industrial Town, RajajiNagar, Bangalore - 560 044, Karnataka.Published at Prasanthi Nilayam 515 134.E-mail: subscriptions@sssbpt.orgeditor@sssbpt.orgFor Audio Visual / Book Orders: orders@sssbpt.orgISD Code : 0091STD Code : 08555Telephone : 287375Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust Telefax : 287390General enquiry : 287164Sri Sathya Sai University -Administrative Office : 287191 / 287239Sri Sathya Sai HigherSecondary School : 287522Sri Sathya SaiPrimary School : 287237SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram,Puttaparthi : 287388SSSIHMS, Whitefield,Bangalore : 080 28411500Annual SubscriptionEnglish or TeluguAcceptable for 1, 2 or 3 years.Inland (India, Nepal and Bhutan):Rs 50/- (12 issues)Overseas: Rs 480/-or U.S. $11 or U.K. £7 or ¤ 9Note: Please do not send currency notesin postal covers. For the Attention of“Sanathana Sarathi” Subscribers.The month and year of expiry of yoursubscription is indicated next to thesubscription number on the mailingwrapper. Three asterisk marks (***)appearing after your subscription numberindicate that you should renew yoursubscription immediately. Please quoteyour present subscription numberwhile renewing the subscription. Allsubscriptions and other correspondenceshould be addressed to The Convener,Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust,Prasanthi Nilayam 515 134. Anantapurdistrict, Andhra Pradesh, India.EditorG.L. ANANDCover Page PhotographSri Sathya Sai International Centre for Sports“Lead your life, chanting within youconstantly the Name of God whois the embodiment of peace and love.When all individuals develop peacein them, then the entire country willbecome good and peaceful. Thosewho aspire for the welfare of thecountry should live always in love.”C O N T E N T SNamasmarana is the HighestSpiritual Practice ............................................. 198Divine Discourse: 24th May 2008Celebrations at Brindavan andPrasanthi Nilayam .......................................... 206A ReportRich Cultural Heritage of Bharat ................... 209Divine Discourse: 17th June 1996Who can Attain Liberation? ........................... 219Chinna KathaThe Ideal Disciple ........................................... 220From our ArchivesNews from Sai Centres .................................. 224Official Websites of Prasanthi NilayamSri Sathya Sai Central Trust: www.srisathyasai.org.inSri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust: www.sssbpt.orgRadio Sai Global Harmony: www.radiosai.org

AVATAR VANIDIVINE DISCOURSE :24TH MAY 2008NAMASMARANA IS THEHIGHEST SPIRITUAL PRACTICEFEmbodiments of Divine Atma!ROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, THEBharatiyas have been performingvarious spiritual practices likeYajnas, Japa, Tapa, Dhyana, etc., to attainGod. It has been their faith that one could attainGod by undertaking such spiritual practices.But nobody knows about the Sankalpa (Will)of God who is omnipresent.God is the Indweller of the Heart ofManSarvatah Panipadam Tat SarvathokshiSiromukham, Sarvatah SruthimallokeSarvamavruthya Tishthati (with hands, feet,eyes, head, mouth and ears pervadingeverything, God permeates the entireuniverse). God has innumerable mouths, ears,eyes, hands and feet. Wherever you see, GodThere is love in everyone of you. Butyou do not make proper use of it.Rather, you put your love to misuse.How far can a person go if he walks onhis head instead of his feet? God hasgiven you feet for walking. Similarly,God has given you tongue to speaktruth. Speaking untruth is like walkingon your head. How long can you golike this? God has given you head tomake proper use of it and think: “Whatis good and what is bad? What is truthand what is untruth?” While saying ordoing anything, first think whether whatyou are saying is true or untrue, andwhat you are doing is right or wrong.After due consideration, take only tothe path of truth.198 July 2008

is present there. Such a Cosmic Being cannotbe attained merely by undertaking spiritualpractices by man. Nobody can say that God isthis or that. Then, what is the nature of God?He is most subtle and universally present. Towhomsoever you salute or ridicule, it reachesGod. Ordinary mortals cannot understand sucha subtle divine principle because of their ownweakness. They seek satisfaction in earthlyand worldly pleasures and have no yearningfor ethical and spiritual attainments. All of them,from the most ordinary to the highly evolvedindividuals, undertake all types of rituals likeYajnas and Yagas merely for their satisfaction.But God can be attained only by ethical andspiritual endeavours. Desire to amass moreand more money is increasing in all fi elds, moreparticularly in politics today. But this is sheerignorance. So long as man is in the grip of thisignorance, he cannot understand the principleof divinity. As long as your heart is fi lled withthe feelings of pride of ‘I’ and attachment of‘mine’, you cannot realise God. Therefore,what is the fi rst and foremost requirement toknow God?Many people offer worship and performYajnas to have the direct vision of God. Butthis is not possible for anyone by such means.Then, how can it be possible? All the objectsin the entire creation are bound to perish oneday or the other. The mountains can sink inwater and rivers can dry up. Human body isalso perishable. Nothing in this creation ispermanent. Only God is eternal, immortal,infi nite and imperceptible. How is it possiblefor anyone to understand such a CosmicBeing? Some people imagine that they hadthe vision of God in meditation or in Yajna fi re.But this is merely their illusion; such a vision isnot everlasting. But where does Goddwell? He dwells in the heartIt is by the power of His Name that Ramacrossed the ocean and reached Lanka.Hence, we should cross the ocean ofour difficulties and troubles by using thepower of the Divine Name. Only Nameis enough to root out all our anxieties,troubles, sorrows, miseries, worriesand maladies. Lust, anger, jealousy,envy, hypocrisy are the qualities of thedemons who lived in Lanka. Do not giveroom to these demonic qualities in yourheart. If you allow the demon of angerto abide in you, this itself is enough toturn everything bad in your life. No workof an angry man becomes fruitful. Angerdistances even your relatives and friendsfrom you. Therefore, do not allow anger tocome near you.of all in the form of Atmic principle. He has tobe attained only by the principle of the Self. Itis not proper to attribute various names andforms to Him.Divine Name has Infinite PowerWhen Rama reached the seashore to go toLanka and bring Sita back after killing Ravana,many people felt that it was an impossible taskbecause they thought Ravana was very wicked,fi erce and powerful. Moreover, there was along sea to be crossed which was not possibleto do. Rama suggested that a bridge overthe sea might be built. Hanuman, Jambavanand other monkeys asserted that the bridgecould be constructed in no time. Agreeing totheir suggestion, Rama commanded them tostart constructing the bridge. Themonkeys then brought bigJuly 2008 199

oulders and parts of mountains from variousplaces and started putting them into the sea,but they all sank in sea water. How could thebridge be made in this way? It could not bemade unless the rocks and boulders settledat one place. So, what could be done to buildthe bridge? Perceiving the diffi cult situation,Lakshmana said to Rama, “Dear elder brother!Everything in this world is perishable andbound to sink. But there is one thing that doesnot perish or sink. And that is Your Name.Your Name is everlasting, ever true and everabiding. It is indestructible. The bridge shouldbe constructed on the foundation of YourName.” Rama commended Lakshmana bypatting his back and said, “Lakshmana! Youhave suggested the correct method.” Hearingthis, Hanuman said to Rama, “Swami! I can dothis work.”Now the monkeys started bringing therocks and Hanuman told them to write theword ‘Rama’ on each boulder. The boulderswith Name ‘Rama’ written on them did notsink in water but started drifting away. ThenHanuman told them that they should writethe letter ‘Ra’ on one boulder and ‘ma’ on theother. The monkeys did as commanded andthrew the two boulders together in the sea withdevotion and steadfast faith. The waves of theocean brought the two boulders together tomake the word ‘Rama’. In this way, the bridgewas constructed. No rock did ever sink andsuch a long bridge was constructed in a shorttime. What was the foundation of the rocksand boulders? It was Rama’s Name. Sinceall these bore the two letters ‘Ra’ and ‘ma’which constituted the Name Rama, all of themfl oated on water. As soon as the bridge wasconstructed, Rama, Lakshmana, Hanumanand the entire army crossed it andreached Lanka in no time.Vibhishana also said, “Oh Rama! Everythingcan be achieved by the power of Your Name.Your Name of just two letters has enabled themonkeys to build such a long bridge.” The warwith Ravana resulted in his death and releaseof Sita from his prison. Thus, it is the Name ofRama that is most powerful and eternal. Theform will sink at any time, at any place andunder all conditions. But the Name will not sinkand will save you wherever you are. In thisway, Rama taught that the Name is ever trueand eternal. None can ever damage or destroyit, nor can anyone take it away from you.War with Ravana could be won on the basisof the power of Name. It is, therefore, enoughif you chant Rama’s Name. Then you will bevictorious in all your endeavours. Like theName of Rama, the Names of Krishna, Siva,Hari and Hara are also constituted by twoletters. Make any Name of God as the basisof your life; then you can achieve everything.Name is eternal but form is ephemeral; theform has old age and death. Therefore, it isthe Name that is most important. This is whatRama taught to mankind. Therefore, chantthe Name of God constantly. Other spiritualpractices like charity, Yajnas, worship, etc.,are of little use if you do not chant the DivineName. The Bharatiyas have been practisingnine modes of worship of God: listening,singing, contemplating on Vishnu, servingHis Lotus Feet, salutation, worship, servitude,friendship and self-surrender.The last and highest step in these modesof worship of God is self-surrender. Surrenderdoes not mean offering your body to God.Real surrender is the chanting of the DivineName and making it the basis of your life. Itis for the same reason that Guru Nanak, thefi rst Guru of the Sikhs, startedcommunity singing. He told200 July 2008

his followers that they should seek fulfi lmentin life by chanting the Divine Name. Therefore,all Sikhs give highest priority to chanting theDivine Name in their life. In the Golden Templeat Amritsar, the holy place of the Sikhs, theDivine Name is chanted constantly. Therefore,consider the chanting of Name of God as themost important spiritual practice.You may spend any amount of money incharity and in doing acts of service but thesepractices will give you only temporary mentalsatisfaction if not associated with the chantingof the Divine Name. You see that people giveuseless advertisements in newspapers withthe desire to earn money. Money comes andgoes, morality comes and grows. Therefore,develop morality. This gives you the purity ofmind. You do Laksharchana or Kotyarchana(reciting one lakh or one crore Names ofGod), and wait for the fruit of this spiritualpractice. But this turns out to be a futile wait;you never get the expected fruit because youperform them as mere rituals. What you getis temporary satisfaction. There are many richpeople who spend any amount of money in theperformance of Yajnas and Yagas, but whena beggar comes to their door for alms, theywithdraw their hand. This is not correct. Godcannot be attained by money. It is God whohas given you all your money. Then why doyou give this back to Him? Utilise your moneyon your worldly and spiritual pursuits. Also useit to help poor people. But you can attain Meonly through Namasmarana. Therefore, chantthe Divine Name and attain the Divine. It isonly by chanting the Divine Name that you caneasily attain God. When Draupadi was beinghumiliated in the Kaurava court, she prayedto Krishna to protect her and called out Hismany names like Dwarakavasi,Brindavan Sanchari (dwellerTruth is eternal. It does not undergoany change in the three periods of time– past, present and future. SathyannastiParo Dharma (There is no Dharmagreater than adherence to truth). Dharmaoriginates from Sathya only. Where thereis truth, there is Dharma. Where thereis no truth, Dharma also does not abidethere. When there is Sathya in your heart,you would be endowed with Dharma.When you have Sathya and Dharma,peace will descend on you and you willexperience supreme peace. You say, youtry to attain peace and pray for it. Whereis peace available? Is it available in ashop or in a marketplace? No, no. It hasto come to you from you only.of Dwaraka, rambler of Brindavan). Krishnadid not come. Afterwards she called Himout describing His attributes like Dayamaya,Kripamaya (embodiment of kindness,embodiment of compassion), etc., still Krishnadid not come to her rescue. But when sheaddressed Him as Hridayavasi (dweller ofheart), He manifested before her that verymoment. Where does God live? He lives in yourheart. Therefore, there is no use calling Himout with the feeling that He dwells somewhereoutside.Form is Perishable but Name is EternalIt is possible for you to acquire any numberof worldly and material things but you are notable to attain God who is within you. See Godwho is immanent in you. Look inside, don’tlook outside. Close your eyes andpray to God who dwells inJuly 2008 201

God has given you hands to serve mankind.Similarly, God has given you tongue to chant theName of God. Do you know why has God givenyou feet? Not to roam around in all the countriesof the world, but to go round the temple of God.That is how you should sanctify the organs of thebody given to you by God. You say, you do Seva(service). But do you know the meaning of Seva?Is it to massage the feet of somebody with yourhands? No, no. When you serve anyone, developthe feeling, ‘I am serving Rama’, ‘I am servingKrishna’, ‘I am serving my deity’.you. Then only will God manifest before youand grant you everything. It is only by chantingthe Divine Name that you can receive God’sgrace and His direct vision. Nagar Sankirtanhas been devised to spread Namasmarana(chanting of Divine Name) among peoplemore and more. While chantingthe Name of God in NagarSankirtan, do not contemplateon the attributes of God. Thereis no use extolling the attributesof God any number of times.God is the embodiment of theAtma. The Atma is attributeless.The Names Krishna, Ramaand Sai Baba are the namesof the bodies of the Avatars.The Avatars were not born withthese names. Names were givento them by others. It is the bodythat has birth, not the Atma.Death can come to the body atany time. When you ask GodHis name, He will reply, “AhamBrahmasmi (I am Brahman).”He will not say, “I am this or thatform.” Aham (I) has no particularform; it connotes the Atma. Wegive many names to the Atmaand seek satisfaction in callingout these names. Not only that,we clamour so much for thistemporary satisfaction. Thissatisfaction is not permanent; itis ephemeral and lasts only fora short time. It is only the Atmathat is ever true, everlasting andeternal.Rama incarnated thousandsof years ago. But His Name liveseven today. Even now when weare faced with any diffi culty, wesay, “Ayyo Rama!” It is the Name that is eternaland not the form. Therefore, contemplate onthe Name of God, have His direct realisation,install Him in your heart and merge with Him.Many rivers like Cauveri, Ganga, Yamuna,Saraswati fl ow in India. Whenthere is an earthquake,202 July 2008

thousands of houses are destroyed. When therivers are in fl ood, several villages are washedaway and many lives are lost. Hence, formsare not permanent; forms are ephemeral andperishable. But formless Ganga and Yamunaare fl owing within you in the form of Sohum– ‘So’ in the right nerve channel and ‘Hum’ inthe left, both joining the central nerve channelSushumna. By activating this subtle channelSushumna, you should reach your spiritualheart. Many of you know, when people go toa temple, they close their eyes and offer theirsalutations to the idol of the deity installedthere. Don’t you go there to have the Darshanof the deity? Then, why do you close your eyeson reaching there? You do not see the idol ofthe deity in the temple, while you keep chanting‘Rama, Rama, Rama’ within you.Perform all Actions to Please GodSimilarly, when you go to Tirupati, youstand before the idol and chant ‘Venkateswara,Venkateswara, Venkateswara’. You pay a feeto enter the temple and have the Darshan ofthe deity. In spite of that, you close your eyeswhen you are in front of the idol. Develop thisinner vision if you want to have the grace ofGod. Do you know why has God given youeyes? Not to see anything and everything, butto see the Lord of Kailasa. Why has God givenyou hands? Has God given you hands onlyto put food into your mouth? No, no. God hasgiven you hands to serve mankind. Similarly,God has given you tongue to chant the Nameof God. Do you know why has God given youfeet? Not to roam around in all the countries ofthe world, but to go round the temple of God.That is how you should sanctify the organs ofthe body given to you by God. You say, youdo Seva (service). But do you knowthe meaning of Seva? Is itGod cannot be attained by money.It is God who has given you all yourmoney. Then why do you give thisback to Him? Utilise your money onyour worldly and spiritual pursuits.Also use it to help poor people.But you can attain Me only throughNamasmarana. Therefore, chant theDivine Name and attain the Divine. It isonly by chanting the Divine Name thatyou can easily attain God.to massage the feet of somebody with yourhands? No, no. When you serve anyone,develop the feeling: ‘I am serving Rama’, ‘Iam serving Krishna’, ‘I am serving my deity’.Develop such feelings in your heart more andmore. Whatever you eat, whatever you do,everything should be done with the feeling ofoffering it to God. Perform all tasks to pleaseGod. Whatever work you do, consider it as thework of God. When you develop this feelingwith total dedication, then God will manifestbefore you.Fill your mind with the Name of God. If youfi ll your mind with the Name of God, you willexperience immense bliss. Bhajans have beendevised to fi ll your mind with Divine Name.“Hari Bhajan Bina Sukha Santhi Nahin …”(There can be no happiness and peace withoutchanting the Name of God). It is enough if youadhere to Divine Name. Then you do not needto offer any other material like fl owers, food,etc., to God. God does not need your flowerswhich will dry up in the evening if you offerin the morning. You offer food to God. Youplace it before the deity and eat ityourself! Why do you do thisJuly 2008 203

drama of offering food to God? Instead, offeryour love to God. This is the food of God. It islove that is most important. Love has no form.Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsaare the gifts of God to man. Sathya has noform. The name Sathya has been given tothis body but Sathya (truth) is formless. Truthis eternal. It does not undergo any change inthe three periods of time – past, present andfuture. Sathyannasti Paro Dharma (There isno Dharma greater than adherence to truth).Dharma originates from Sathya only. Wherethere is truth, there is Dharma. Where thereis no truth, Dharma also does not abide there.When there is Sathya in your heart, you wouldbe endowed with Dharma. When you haveSathya and Dharma, peace will descend onyou and you will experience supreme peace.You say, you try to attain peace and pray forit. Where is peace available? Is it available ina shop or in a marketplace? No, no. It has tocome to you from you only. It is, in fact, presentin you. When you have peace, love will shinein you. The evil qualities of anger, hatred,jealousy, hypocrisy and ostentation cannoteven come near a person who is endowedwith love.Never Tell a LieLove has no form of its own. Whatever youdesire, you start loving it. Have love and givelove to all. Do not hate anyone. Where jealousyand hatred are not there, confl icts cannot existthere. The students sing the song: SathyaDharmamu, Santhi, Premalato Nee NithyaJivana Yatra Saginchu (perform the journey ofyour life with truth, righteousness, peace andlove as your companions). Therefore, fi rst andforemost, you should develop truth. You shouldspeak truth under all circumstances. Donot tell a lie to escape fromblame. You can escape from blame temporarilyby telling a lie, but your heart will be devoid ofpeace forever. When you do not have truth,how can you get righteousness? Thereforefi rst of all, protect truth. Truth is God. There areno two truths; truth is only one. God is truth.Therefore, always protect truth. Whateveryou do, tell it truthfully. If you give room to evilqualities like anger, hypocrisy, jealousy, etc.,then you are bound to ruin yourself. When yourheart is bereft of truth, you cannot do anythinggood. When you truthfully tell someone, “Ihave bought this article for three rupees andwill give you for fi ve rupees,” you earn a profi tof two rupees. But if you demand ten rupeesfor the same article by telling a lie just to earnmore profi t, you will be inviting many moreuntruths to abide in you. This is the mainreason why man today has become the victimof so many miseries. Do not tell lies. Do notburden yourself with the load of sins by tellinglies. Do not tell lies to earn more profi t. Youwill have to undergo so much suffering due tothis. Lead your life with love. To whomsoeveryou address, speak to him with love. Whenyou thus lead your life with love, you will attaineverything.Embodiments of Love!There is love in everyone of you. But youdo not make proper use of it. Rather, you putyour love to misuse. How far can a person go ifhe walks on his head instead of his feet? Godhas given you feet for walking. Similarly, Godhas given you tongue to speak truth. Speakinguntruth is like walking on your head. How longcan you go like this? God has given you headto make proper use of it and think: “What isgood and what is bad? What is truth and what isuntruth?” While saying or doing anything,fi rst think whether what you are204 July 2008

saying is true or untrue, and what you are doingis right or wrong. After due consideration, takeonly to the path of truth. Conduct yourself inaccordance with God’s command. Speak onlythat which is truthful. Truth is the other Nameof God. Constantly chant the Name of God.There is no use spending money aimlessly onrituals and worship. Instead, give food to thehungry and clothes to the needy. Do as muchas you can. But never do anything by forsakingthe Name of God. If you give alms to a beggar,chant the Name of Rama while giving alms.Chant silently in your mind; there is no needto chant loudly. Mind is the foundation of yourlife. Manah Eva Manushyanam KaranamBandhamokshayo (mind is the cause ofbondage and liberation of man). Whateveryour mind may forget, it should not forget theName of God.Give up all Demonic QualitiesIt is by the power of His Name that Ramacrossed the ocean and reached Lanka. Hence,we should cross the ocean of our diffi cultiesand troubles by using the power of the DivineName. Only Name is enough to root out all ouranxieties, troubles, sorrows, miseries, worriesand maladies. Lust, anger, jealousy, envy,hypocrisy are the qualities of the demonswho lived in Lanka. Do not give room to thesedemonic qualities in your heart. If you allow thedemon of anger to abide in you, this itself isenough to turn everything bad in your life. Nowork of an angry man becomes fruitful. Angerdistances even your relatives and friendsfrom you. Therefore, do not allow anger tocome near you. Lead your life, chanting withinyou constantly the Name of God who is theembodiment of peace and love. When allindividuals develop peace in them, then theentire country will become goodand peaceful. Those whoMake any Name of God as the basisof your life; then you can achieveeverything. Name is eternal but form isephemeral; the form has old age anddeath. Therefore, it is the Name thatis most important. This is what Ramataught to mankind. Therefore, chantthe Name of God constantly. Otherspiritual practices like charity, Yajnas,worship, etc., are of little use if you donot chant the Divine Name.aspire for the welfare of the country should livealways in love. Lead your life without causingany harm to anybody. We sing this prayerafter the conclusion of Bhajans: Loka SamastaSukhino Bhavantu (may all the people of theworld be happy!). Remember God with love.The entire world will be good by the powerof love. Devotees should never do away withlove. Even if others criticise, abuse and beatyou, you should lead your life with love. Livein love. Love lives by giving and forgiving, selflives by getting and forgetting (loud applause).Fill your life with love. Even if someone beatsyou, do not abuse him. Think that it is God onlywho has punished you like this. Everythinghappens according to what God Wills. It isGod who gives you troubles and joys; it is Hewho protects you and punishes you in manyways. Everything is God. Therefore, offereverything to Him. Whatever you get in yourlife, consider it as the gift of God. Do all actionsto please God. When you think like this, thenyou will attain great blessedness. One whocould make boulders to fl oat on water, canContinued on page 218 ...July 2008 205

IN RESPONSE TO THE PRAYERS OFthousands of devotees of Karnataka,Bhagavan paid two visits to Brindavan,Whitefi eld (Bangalore) during this summer– from 26th April to 2nd May 2008 and 21stMay to 8th June 2008. During His stay atBrindavan, Bhagavan showered His love onthe yearning devotees and blessed them withthree Discourses – on 1st May, 24th May and31st May 2008. Besides, some cultural andmusic programmes were held at Brindavan inthe Divine Presence of Bhagavan during thisperiod.Commemorating an Historic DivineDeclarationMore than 60 years ago, Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba made an historic declarationin the form of a letter written by Him on 25th May1947 to His elder brother which explained themain objectives for which He had incarnated onearth in human form. Referring to this letter asone of the most important mission statementsof Bhagavan, Dr. G. Venkataraman, formerVice Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai University,gave a very revealing and illuminating talk inSai Ramesh Krishan Hall on 25th May 2008.The learned speaker dwelt at length on thehumanitarian projects of Bhagavan and Hisdivine movement of morally and spirituallyuplifting man and spiritualising society whichbear witness to the accomplishment of thetasks stated by Bhagavan in that historic letter.Bhagavan, he added, has in fact fulfi lledevery word He had stated in thatletter.Devotional Music by the BrindavanBhajan Group, BangaloreBrindavan Bhajan Group, Bangalorepresented a soul-stirring programme ofdevotional music in Sai Ramesh Krishan Hallon Sunday, 1st June 2008. The programmestarted at 5.05 p.m. soon after the arrival ofBhagavan in the Hall and came to a conclusionat 5.55 p.m. with offer of Arati to Bhagavan. Theentire presentation from the beginning to theend consisting of nine devotional songs was afeast for the soul. Rendered in mellifl uous voiceof the singers and set to thrilling music, thesongs in many Indian languages and dedicatedto Bhagavan and various gods and goddessesdelighted one and all by their overall qualityand wide variety. At the end of the programme,the huge gathering of devotees expressedtheir delight by a loud applause and Bhagavanshowered His blessings on the singers.Nachiketa: A DramaOn 2nd June 2008, the children of SaiDarshan Mandir, Indira Nagar (Bangalore)and members of Sai Samithi of Indira Nagarpresented the drama entitled “Nachiketa” inSai Krishan Kalyana Mandapam, Brindavanin the Divine Presence of Bhagavan. TheGovernor of Karnataka, Sri RameshwarThakur, who had come to offer his salutationsto Bhagavan, also witnessed this beautifuldrama. The drama commenced at 6.15 p.m.after the arrival of Bhagavan in the KalyanaMandapam. Based on the story of Nachiketagiven in the Kathopanishad,the drama unfolded the206 July 2008

Nachiketa’s deep yearning for truth formedthe main theme of the drama “Nachiketa”performed by the children of Sai DarshanMandir, Indira Nagar in Sai Krishan KalyanaMandapam on 2nd June 2008.deep mysteries of birth and death and dweltat length on the nature of the Self throughvarious episodes of the story and an elevatingdialogue between Yama (God of death) andNachiketa whose yearning for truth formedthe main theme of the drama. The dramamainly refl ected the teachings of Bhagavanregarding duties of parents, respect for theenvironment and consequences of good andbad deeds. Masterly direction, excellent setsand costumes and superb acting of the childrenmade the drama an outstanding presentation.The handling of such a subtle theme, that toothrough the acting of children coming fromdisadvantaged sections of society, earnedthe appreciation of one and all. Bhagavanshowered His blessings on the children andposed for group photos with them at theconclusion of the drama. The programmecame to a close with Arati to Bhagavan at 6.55p.m.Bhagavan Visits Super Speciality HospitalOn 7th June 2008, Bhagavan paid avisit to Sri Sathya Sai Institute of HigherMedical Sciences, Whitefi eld, Bangalore andinaugurated the recently-built “SaiVeda Venkatarama Healthand Fitness Centre” located in the residentialarea of the hospital. Built in three wings, thebuilding of the Fitness Centre contains a fullyequippedgymnasium, indoor games includingtable tennis, and badminton court. Adjacent tothe building are tennis court and a crèche forthe children of residents. On His arrival at theFitness Centre from Brindavan at 10.45 a.m.,Bhagavan was offered traditional welcome withPoornakumbham amidst Veda chanting. Afterinaugurating the building, Bhagavan surveyedthe entire area and blessed the organiserswho helped in the construction of the FitnessCentre.Bhagavan then entered the hospital andarrived at the dome area of the hospital whereHe hosted lunch for all the hospital staff. Afterlunch, Bhagavan addressed the doctors andadvised them to speak to the patients with love.Stressing the need for awareness of spiritualdimension of human personality, Bhagavanreiterated that physical body, senses, intellectand mind get their energy from the soul. Hecounselled the staff to maintain good health inorder to serve the patients well. After blessingthe hospital staff and patients, Bhagavanreceived Arati at 1.00 p.m. and returned toBrindavan.Narayana Seva at BrindavanOn the eve of His return to PrasanthiNilayam on 8th June 2008, Bhagavanperformed Narayana Seva at Brindavan on6th June 2008. On the morning of 6th June,Bhajans started in Sai Ramesh Krishan Hall at9.30 a.m. While Bhajans continued in the Hall,Bhagavan went straight to the place outsidethe Hall where thousands of needy peoplehad been lined up in an orderly manner bythe Brindavan Seva Dal for Narayana Seva.Bhagavan showered His love on all ofthem by going into their rows andblessed the distribution ofJuly 2008 207

food and clothes to them. After this, Bhagavancame inside Sai Ramesh Krishan Hall andblessed the devotees who were participatingin Bhajans. The Bhajans concluded at 10.30a.m. Then Arati was offered to Bhagavanand Prasadam blessed by Bhagavan wasdistributed to all the devotees in the Hall.A Lively Bhangra DanceThe folk art of Punjab came alive at PrasanthiNilayam when the students of Sri Sathya SaiUniversity spiritedly performed Bhangra dancein Sai Kulwant Hall in the Divine Presence ofBhagavan on 15th June 2008. The programmestarted at 5.00 p.m. with the procession of GuruGranth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs,accompanied by Nagar Sankirtan. The studentsthen portrayed the scene of a Sikh Gurudwarato depict two cardinal values of Sikh religion,viz., Nama Sankirtan and Langar (chanting ofthe Divine Name and sharing of food withoutany distinction of caste, creed, etc.), comparingthem with Bhajan singing and Narayana Sevabeing promoted by Bhagavan Sri Sathya SaiBaba. What followed this was a lively Bhangradance which the students performed withvigour and vitality to the accompaniment of folksongs set to thrilling music. Their performanceearned the appreciation of the spectatorswho responded with a loud applause at theconclusion of the programme at 5.20 p.m. Inthe end, Bhagavan blessed the students andposed for group photos with them. Prasadamblessed by Bhagavan was then distributed tothe entire assembly of devotees in Sai KulwantHall.A programme of Talks on the RamayanaA programme of talks entitled “SrimadRamayana Sudha Pravachana Saptaha” onthe inner signifi cance of the Ramayana wasinaugurated by Bhagavan Sri Sathya SaiBaba on 22nd June 2008 in Sai Kulwant Hall,Prasanthi Nilayam. The inaugural ceremonywas preceded by a grand procession of theidols of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Hanumanin a palanquin which started from Yajur Mandirat 4.30 p.m. It was led by a Nadaswaram troupeThe idols of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita andHanuman being ceremoniously brought to SaiKulwant Hall in a procession on 22nd June2008, the inaugural day of the programme oftalks on the Ramayana.and followed by Veda chanting priests carryingPoornakumbham. The idols were then placedon an altar on the dais where the chief priestand other priests performed their worship.The programme of talks on the Ramayanabegan at 4.40 p.m. with the lighting of thesacred lamp by Bhagavan. The speaker of theday was Sri N. Srikanta Rao of Bangalore whogave a very scholarly introduction of the sevendayprogramme and highlighted the importanceof the Ramayana for modern man and society.The learned speaker also described in detailthe signifi cance of Balakanda (fi rst chapterdevoted to the childhood of Lord Rama) of theRamayana. This programme of talks on theRamayana continued up to 27th June 2008and culminated in Pattabhisheka Mahotsava(coronation ceremony) of Lord Rama on 28thJune 2008. (See detailed report in the nextissue.)208 July 2008

AMRITA DHARADIVINE DISCOURSE :17TH JUNE 1996RICH CULTURAL HERITAGEOF BHARAT....................................................................................................................................................In His immense compassion, Bhagavan gave daily Discourses for nearly two months in Sai....................................................................................................................................................Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam starting from 16th June 1996. These Discourses cover....................................................................................................................................................a vast variety of spiritual topics of practical utility for modern man and highlight the rich....................................................................................................................................................cultural heritage of Bharat which is rooted in the Vedas. As the readers themselves will....................................................................................................................................................see, this is a rich treasure of soul-elevating spiritual knowledge which can enrich, illumine....................................................................................................................................................and transform mankind. This issue carries Bhagavan’s second Discourse given on 17th....................................................................................................................................................June 1996. Sanathana Sarathi will publish these Discourses from time to time which are..............................................................................................appropriately named Amrita Dhara (ambrosial stream).xA foolish person is respected only in his house and a village headman is respected onlyin his village. Similarly, a king is respected in his kingdom only. But a learned man isrespected everywhere.(Sanskrit Sloka)HOWSOEVER FOOLISH Aperson may be, he will berespected in his house. Parentswill love their child even if he is foolish. Whatis the reason? Parents are bound by the bondof love and they cannot give up their feelingsof attachment for the child. A village headmanmay commit any number of foolish acts, stillthe villagers will give him respect. What isthe reason? The reason is that he holds theauthority in his hands. Since people giverespect to authority, they also give respect tothe person who possesses it. In this Kali Yuga,people give respect to wealth and power, andnot to virtues and character. Whatever type ofperson a king may be, his subjects will haveto give him respect. The reason is that hewields power. It is only the learned man who isrespected everywhere.Profundity of Indian CultureWhat sort of knowledge earns respect?Jnananam Jnanamuttamam (the noblestknowledge among the types of knowledge). Itis Atma Vidya (the knowledge of the Self). AtmaVidya is respected everywhere without anylimitations of place, time and circumstances.This is the knowledge of the Brahman whichhas its origin in the Vedas. It is this knowledgeJuly 2008 209

of the Vedas that the Vedic scholar Griffi th 1taught in many ways and declared, “Veda isthe fi rst word spoken by man.” Similarly, theSanskrit scholar Max Muller of Germany heldthe Vedas in high esteem. He translated theVedas into English and imparted the sublimeknowledge of the Vedas and Indian cultureto the students of Oxford University and tothe candidates of Indian Civil Service (ICS)in England. His book, “India – What Can itTeach us?” 2 describes the profound teachingsof the Vedas and pristine glory of Indianculture. What does India teach to the world?It teaches, Sathyam Vada, Dharmam Chara(speak truth, practise righteousness), MatruDevo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava (revere yourmother and father as God). He said, “Theseare the four main pillars of the edifi ce of theIndian culture.”All the codes of conduct that originatedfrom the Vedas are also a part of the Bharatiyaculture. Greatly infl uenced as he was bythe greatness of the Indian culture, Wilson 3described its pristine glory. He translatedinto English Vishnu Purana written by SageParasara and other Sanskrit scriptures. Duringthe course of his translations, he came acrossmany prophecies described in them includingthe prophecies about Sai Avatar in Kali Yugawhich stated that His name would be Truth(Sathya); He would be the biggest magnetand would attract the whole world. Manysimilar prophecies are mentioned in the Nadibooks written by Indian Rishis. Another greatSanskrit scholar William Jones 4 translatedemperor Manu’s “Manusmriti” into English,under the title “The Laws of Manu”. Bharatiyaculture attracts the entire world by its teachingspertaining to various fi elds of knowledge. It issaid, what is not there in Bharat cannot befound anywhere else. Bounty that is therein this country cannot be found elsewhere.Everything is there in Bharat. Unfortunately,the Bharatiyas themselves today are ignoringthe principles of such a great culture.Your Thoughts Make your DestinyWhatever fortune and misfortune that youexperience depends upon the type of thoughtsyou have. Yesterday, I talked about Adrishta.“A-drishta” means that which cannot be seenby the eyes. It also means destiny or fortune,both good and bad. When we sow a thought,we reap a Karma (action). When we sow aKarma, we reap a tendency. When we sow atendency, we reap character. When we sowcharacter, we reap destiny. Therefore, destiny1 Prof. Ralph T.H. Griffith (1826-1906), a great Sanskrit scholar, who became the Principal of Benares College.He translated the Vedas, the Ramayana and works of Kalidasa into English.2 “India – What Can it Teach us?” is a compilation of seven Cambridge lectures delivered by Prof. Max Mullerin 1882 to the candidates for Indian Civil Service. These lectures were brought out in book form in 1883. Prof.Max Muller (1823-1900) was a great Sanskrit scholar at Oxford University where he worked as Professor ofComparative Philology for many years. He translated Rig Veda and exposed the West to the Aryan culture andother ancient cultures of the East through a set of 50-volume series of scriptures entitled “Sacred Books of theEast.” which were translated into English and brought out under his direction.3 Prof. H. Hayman Wilson (1786-1860), Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford University. He was a great orientalistwho stayed in India from 1808-1832 in the service of East India Company. His best known works are Englishtranslations of Vishnu Purana and Rig Veda.4 Sir William Jones (1746-1794) translated “Manusmriti” into English under the title “The Laws of Manu” toacquaint the West with the “richness and splendour of Hindu religion.” He was the founder and first Presidentof the Asiatic Society of Bengal. He became judge of Supreme Court at Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1783.210 July 2008

depends upon character, characterdepends upon tendency, tendencydepends upon action and action dependsupon thoughts. Hence, good thoughtsare the fundamental basis of our goodfortune. What is the cause of misfortune?When we sow a bad thought, we reapa bad Karma. When we sow a badKarma, we reap a bad tendency. Whenwe sow a bad tendency, we reap badcharacter. When we sow bad character,we reap misfortune. Hence, both goodfortune and misfortune depend uponour thoughts only. Therefore, we shouldalways have noble thoughts.Here we have said that a foolish manis respected only in his house. But whois a foolish person? One who knowswhat is good, and is also made awareof it by many people but neglects whatis good and takes to the wrong path is afoolish person. In spite of being told whatis good repeatedly, he does not leavehis bad qualities even a bit. He doggedlysticks to his evil nature. He knows whatSathya is and what Dharma is. Still hedoes not follow them. Duryodhana andDussasana knew very well what wasDharma but they never put it into practice.They were also aware what was truth,yet they followed the path of untruth. Itis sheer foolishness to forget all that isdivine and follow all that is worldly. Thistype of foolishness is on the rise thesedays. Therefore, man today should developdivine feelings.A True Devotee Follows God’s CommandImplicitlyDivinity is beyond all attributes. What isGod? The love that is immanentin everyone is God. Love isEverything happens according to thefeelings of your heart. Good and badfeelings are the main cause of your goodfortune and misfortune. You shouldbecome fortunate. To become fortunate,you should cultivate good qualitieswhich build your character. When youcultivate good qualities, you develop goodtendencies. Only such a virtuous personwill undertake good deeds. How should oneperform actions? Sarva Karma BhagavadPreetyartham (do all actions to please God).Then whatever work he undertakes, hewill consider it as the work of God. Such aperson will have only good thoughts.God. It is present in everyone. The way Godgives His love to one and all, man shouldalso love everyone in the same manner. Lovedeserves highest worship. Ananto Vai Prema(Love is limitless and immeasurable). It shouldbe considered as divine. Nobody can buylove like a commodity, howsoeverwealthy, intelligent andJuly 2008 211

powerful he may be. It cannot be given or takenon rent or loan. It is present everywhere in itstotality. But today people are treating love asbusiness. We should attain love only throughlove. This is the primary goal of man. Todayman is acquiring many types of educationand power. He is occupying many positions ofauthority. But this is not important. We shouldattain the deservedness to earn this sacredlove. It is to teach this supreme principle oflove that the Vedas developed into manybranches and sub-branches. What is the formof the principle of love? It has no form. Yet,it can be experienced in all forms. It acquiresthe form to which it is projected. If someoneasks, what is the form of air, we can say it hasno form. But air exists. Without air we cannotlive. How can we determine its form? When itis pumped into a football, it acquires the formof the football. When you fi ll it in a balloon,it acquires the form of balloon. Similarly, loveacquires the form of the person in whom it isprojected.Similar is the case with water. It has noform of its own. It acquires the form of thecontainer in which it is put. Hence, love canbe manifested only through a form. Today mansees only the outer form and does not see theinner feelings. He follows only the PravrittiMarg (path of worldliness) and does notunderstand Nivritti Marg (path of spirituality) atall. What is the meaning of devotion? Peoplethink that doing Dhyana (meditation), Japa(recitation) and Namasmarana (chanting thename of God) is Bhakti. However, there arenine paths of devotion. Sravanam (listening),Kirtanam (singing), Vishnusmaranam(contemplating on Vishnu), Padasevanam(serving His Lotus Feet), Vandanam(salutation), Archanam (worship),Dasyam (servitude), Sneham (friendship),Atmanivedanam (self-surrender).By associating with bad company,a person becomes bad and bykeeping company with good people,he acquires virtues. Therefore, weshould have good company andgood things around us. You thinkthat Swami gives rings, watchesand talismans for the satisfaction ofyour worldly desires. This is a greatmistake. Do not think like that. Whenyou wear these sacred objects, youwill develop sacred feelings. Theseare the steps which lead you to nobleand virtuous life in future.What is that which comes beforeAtmanivedanam in these nine paths ofdevotion? That is Sneham (friendship). Totalsurrender comes only after friendship. Tillthen, total surrender is not possible. Whatis the meaning of surrender? It is not givingsomething. It is to offer oneself. First, we shoulddevelop friendship. What does friendshipmean? Is it merely to say ‘hello, hello’? No, no.In true friendship, bodies may be different butlife principle is one. There should be the samefeelings in both. Friendship is also termed as‘Maitri’ or ‘Mai – tri’. ‘Mai’ means I ; ‘tri’ meansthree, viz., body, mind and spirit. There shouldbe total unity of body, mind and spirit. That istrue friendship.The same is to be said about surrender.Total surrender means the surrender of body,mind and spirit. Then only can we attain divinity.So long as we maintain the difference of I andyou, we cannot attain divinity. That is whyLord Krishna said in the Gita, MamaivamshoJivaloke Jivabhuta Sanathana (the eternal212 July 2008

Atma in all beings is a part of My Being). Hedeclared, “Everyone is an aspect of My Divinity,and every being is a part of My Self.” Hence,you are not a separate entity. You consideryourself separate only due to your bodyattachment. We should follow the command ofGod in order to develop friendship with Him.The type of devotion the devotees have todayis such that their selfi shness is uppermost intheir mind. They do not follow the commandof God. Then, what is the meaning of yourBhakti? Why should God talk to you and givecommand? When you do not put into practicewhat God tells you to do, then where is yourdevotion? You should lead your life accordingto the command of God and follow it ineverything you do in life. This is the true path.That is why Purandaradasa said, “Oh God! I amborn again in this world because I forgot You.If only I had installed You in my heart, I wouldnot have been born again.” There is only onecause of all doubts, that is body attachment.Doubts do not leave you till you give up bodyattachment. Think for a while.Who provides food to sustain the tadpolein the crevices of a rock? Who waters agrowing plant on the top of a cliff? Whohas painted the several colours on theplumes of a peacock and who has madethe parrot look so attractive with its multihuedfeathers? (Kannada Poem)Trees grow on stones in mountainousregions. Who provides water and manure andlooks after their growth? It is God only who doesall this. Who has given such beautiful coloursto the peacock? Howsoever great painter onemay be, he cannot give such natural colours tohis paintings. What a great artist God is! Howbeautiful is the red beak of a green parrot! Whohas created it? Can scientists understand this?They think this is only some sortof natural phenomenon. Itis not so. You can understand this truth onlywhen you follow Nivritti Marg.Everything happens by the Will of God.Nothing happens without His Will in this world.We should develop such fi rm faith. Manypeople consider themselves poor and inferiorbut this is not true. That is why Purandaradasasaid, “Oh God! How can I be poor when Youare there? How can I be a stranger? No, no.You are the only doer. It is only You who impartknowledge to me, who show me the right path,who protect me and who punish me. There isnothing that is not there in Your hands. Youhave every right over me. Then how can I bean orphan? If I am an orphan, You will notexercise Your right on me. I am Yours. That iswhy You exercise Your right on me.”Fill your Heart with Divine FeelingsAll are the embodiments of God. Know thistruth and make efforts to attain God. Otherwise,what is the use of all types of education andhigh positions you acquire? You will haverespect so far as you hold the position. Oncethe position goes, who will give you respect?Only those who attain the proximity of God willbe respected wherever they may be.God is your sole refuge wherever you maybe,In a forest, in the sky, in a city or a village,on the top of a mountain or in the middle ofdeep sea.(Telugu Poem)If He fulfi ls all your desires, you considerHim as Daivamu (God). Otherwise, you callHim Dayyamu (demon). In fact, one whoconsiders God as demon is himself a demon.Do not make your heart the house ofDayyam (demon) of worldly desires; fi ll it withDaya (compassion). When you fi ll a tank withpure water, only pure water willfl ow from the taps connectedJuly 2008 213

to it. But when you fi ll it with dirty water, dirtywater will come out of the taps. Yad BhavamTad Bhavathi (as are the feelings, so is theresult). God manifests before you accordingto the feelings of your heart. The same thingis said in the Ramayana also. Who is Rama?Who is Yama (God of death)? In fact, Yama isRama, Rama is Yama. They are not differentfrom each other. Vibhishana who took refugeat the feet of Rama saw Him as God. But forRavana who took to evil path, He was Yama.Similarly, Prahlada who constantly chanted“Om Namo Narayanaya” saw Narayana asGod. But the same Narayana became Yamafor Hiranyakasipu who observed differenceson the basis of name and form. For Kamsawho harboured evil qualities and tortured hisown sister in a most heartless manner, Krishnaappeared as Yama. But Kamsa’s fatherUgrasena saw Krishna as God. Therefore,Rama and Yama are not different from eachother.Everything happens according to thefeelings of your heart. Good and bad feelingsare the main cause of your good fortune andmisfortune. You should become fortunate. Tobecome fortunate, you should cultivate goodqualities which build your character. Whenyou cultivate good qualities, you developgood tendencies. Only such a virtuous personwill undertake good deeds. How should oneperform actions? Sarva Karma BhagavadPreetyartham (do all actions to please God).Then whatever work man undertakes, he willconsider it as the work of God. Such a personwill have only good thoughts. Bad thoughtswill not come near him. We should performall our worldly duties with our heart fi lled withdivine feelings. The same type of lesson wastaught by Max Muller to all thosewho went to study ICS inWhen we sow a Karma, we reap atendency. When we sow a tendency,we reap character. When we sowcharacter, we reap destiny. Therefore,destiny depends upon character,character depends upon tendency,tendency depends upon action andaction depends upon thoughts. Hence,good thoughts are the fundamentalbasis of our good fortune.England. After completing his studies, an ICSoffi cer, went to meet Max Muller. At that timeMax Muller was translating the Vedas. Therewas no such great Sanskrit scholar like himeven in Bharat. He translated many Vedictexts into English. He aspired that if he was tobe born again, he should be born in Bharat! Heconsidered himself most fortunate if he couldput the dust of Bharat on his forehead. The ICSoffi cer went to see Max Muller who was fi lledwith such feelings of love and enthusiasm forBharat.The offi cer sent in his visiting card. At thattime, Max Muller was trying to understand themeaning of the Gita Sloka:Kavim PuranamanushasitaramAnoraniyansamanusmaredya,Sarvasya DhataramachintyarupamAdityavarnam Tamasa Parastat.(He who contemplates on the all-wise, agelessBeing, the ruler of all, subtler than the subtle,the universal sustainer, beyond humanconception of all forms, refulgent like the sunand far beyond the darkness of ignorance,he reaches verily that SupremeDivine Purusha or God.)214 July 2008

He was thinking as to what is the meaningof this verse. Then he saw the visiting card.What was written on the card? The name of theICS offi cer given on the card was, ChaturvediAmareswara Sastri. Seeing this, Max Mullerwas fi lled with happiness and asked his servantto prepare two cups of tea. He thought, “I dothat he had come from India. Then Max Mullersaid, “I am translating the Vedas. Since you areChaturvedi Sastri (master of the Vedas), kindlytell me the meaning of this Sloka.” Then the ICSoffi cer replied that he did not know anythingabout the Vedas and he considered them tobe of no use. Max Muller was shocked to hearMax Muller of Germany held theVedas in high esteem. He translatedthe Vedas into English and impartedthe sublime knowledge of the Vedasand Indian culture to the studentsof Oxford University and to thecandidates of Indian Civil Service(ICS) in England. His book, “India– What can it Teach us?” describesthe profound teachings of theVedas and pristine glory of Indianculture. What does India teach to theworld? It teaches, Sathyam Vada,Dharmam Chara (speak truth, practiserighteousness), Matru Devo Bhava,Pitru Devo Bhava (revere your motherand father as God). He said, “Theseare the four main pillars of the edificeof the Indian culture.”not know even one Veda properly. But here isChaturvedi Sastri, whose very name indicatesthat he is the master of four Vedas. Howfortunate I am to meet such a great person!”That very moment, Max Muller went out andescorted the ICS offi cer to his room, saying,“I am very fortunate to meet you.” He offeredhim a seat and served him tea. When MaxMuller asked where the offi cerhad come from, he repliedthis. “What is this? Having come from Bharatand bearing the name Chaturvedi Sastri, he iscriticising the Vedas. How unfortunate! It is mybad luck that I have met such a person.”Associate with Good People and KeepGood Things with youYou can see that the faith and sacredfeelings the overseas peoplehave are lacking in manyJuly 2008 215

Bharatiyas who drink Bharat’s sacred water, eatits food and breathe its air. From that day, MaxMuller thought to himself, “There is no need forme to go to Bharat. Now my mind is sacred,pure and steady. I do not know what will bethe condition of my mind when I associate withsuch people of Bharat.” Tell me your company,I shall tell you what you are. By associatingwith bad company, a person becomes badand by keeping company with good people heacquires virtues. Therefore, we should havegood company and good things around us.You think that Swami gives rings, watches andtalismans for the satisfaction of your worldlydesires. This is a great mistake. Do not thinklike that. When you wear these sacred objects,you will develop sacred feelings. These are thesteps which lead you to noble and virtuous lifein future. That is why Sita told Rama during theirsojourn in the forest, “Rama! You are dressedlike a hermit and are living in a forest aftergiving up all royal comforts and luxuries. Youhad every right to enjoy these royal comfortsbut You sacrifi ced them on Your own. Youhave come to the forest to lead a noble life.Then, why are You carrying bow and arrowswith You? If You keep them with You, You willdevelop a tendency to commit violence.”Whatever type of things we carry with us,our feelings also develop accordingly. Childrenknow it very well, if they have a pen in their handthey will start writing something or the othereither on their hand or on the wall. Writing likethis is their habit. If they have a knife in theirhand, they will start cutting their nails or pokeit into a wooden stick. They will do somethingor the other like that. This is the tendency oftheir previous life of a monkey. Hence, youshould never keep such things withyou. Sathyam KanthasyaBhushanam (truth is the true necklace). Weshould speak only the truth, which is the formof God. Hastasya Bhushanam Danam (charityis the ornament of the hand). In addition toperforming charity with your hand, you shouldalso wear the rings or other articles given toyou by God out of His grace. Many peoplethink that they need not wear them. Only thosewho do not know the reality think like that.There are many such sacred teachings in theBharatiya culture.You should know the real meaning of culture.Culture is that which brings about refi nement.How? When the paddy crop becomes ripe, dowe eat it along with the husk that covers it?No. First, we remove the paddy from grass,then we remove the husk and obtain ricewhich we cook. Then only it becomes our food.Refi nement includes separating paddy fromgrass, removing the husk that covers it, andcooking the rice on fi re. Refi nement consistsof removing all that is unnecessary andunwanted. The price of a bag of paddy maybe two hundred rupees. But a bag of rice afterrefi nement may be valued at one thousandrupees. With refi nement, the value of a thingalso increases manifold. Then, what is themeaning of refi nement? Refi nement meansto throw away all that is bad and cultivate allthat is good. This is what is called ‘way of life’.Without going through these processes ofrefi nement, paddy has little value. There aremany things like that. This is a silver plate. Ifthe silver remains silver, we cannot make anyuse of it. When it is burnt in fi re, beaten withhammer and moulded into a plate, it becomesuseful to us.This is a cloth. How has it acquired thisform of cloth? First we havecotton. From cotton, we216 July 2008

make threads and weave the threads to makecloth. Only then can we make use of it. This iswhat we call ‘way of life’. Refi nement meansconverting things from their raw form into usefulitems. For everything, refi nement is essential.When we come from outside, we wash our feetbefore entering the house. Why do we do it?While moving outside, many harmful bacteriamay stick to our feet. That is why we shouldwash our feet. Purifi cation is necessary foreverything. Before eating their food, Brahminsperform “Aaposhanam”. They take water intheir hand and sprinkle it around the plateof food while chanting, “Pranaya Namah,Apanaya Namah, Vyanaya Namah, UdanayaNamah, Samanaya Namah.” In this way, theyworship the fi ve life principles. Why do theysprinkle water all around their plate? This isalso a form of purifi cation. During the processof serving the food and eating it, ants and othersmall insects may try to enter the plate of food.When you put water around the plate, theycannot enter the plate. You can see, even forsuch small matters, the culture of Bharat hasappropriate solutions. You cannot fi nd even asingle meaningless word in this culture. Bharatis the birthplace of such a great culture. Onlythose who do not know the meaning of thesepractices consider them as useless.Students should Understand theGreatness of Indian CulturePeople who do not know do not acceptthat they do not know. They pose as if theyknow everything. That is sheer foolishness.One should make efforts to know what onedoes not know. All powers and potentialitiesare enshrined in the principle of divinity. TheVedic Mantras are also suffused with divinepowers. The entire world consists of Padartha(matter). For example, this is arose fl ower. The word ‘rose’denotes this particular fl ower. Similarly, theword ‘handkerchief’ denotes this particularcloth. In this way, all objects in this worlddenote the meaning of words. But there arewords which have another meaning behindtheir common meaning. Take, for example, theword ‘Akshara’. The word ‘Akshara’ containsin it a great spiritual principle. What is the realmeaning of the word ‘Akshara’? People thinkthat ‘Akshara’ means a letter of the alphabet.But in the language of the Vedanta, ‘Akshara’denotes that which is eternal. God is describedas ‘Akshara Swarupa’ (eternal divine principle).The word ‘Akshara’ contains two syllables– “A-Kshara”. ‘Kshara’ means that which isperishable, i.e., Jivatma (individual soul).‘Akshara’ means imperishable, i.e., Paramatma(God). The former is temporary entity whilethe latter is the eternal divine principle. Theword ‘Akshara’ denotes the union of Jivatmaand Paramatma. There is eternal principle inthe ephemeral and ephemeral entity in theeternal. There is an inner meaning in manysuch words of the Vedas. This is what we haveto understand from our culture.Students! There is so much for you to knowabout Indian culture. It gives you guidance inthe performance of all your functions. Everyword of the Vedas and Puranas (mythologicaltexts) has a charm and attraction of its own.Once Gajendra (king of elephants) wascaught by a crocodile and was unable to escapefrom its clutches. Then, it prayed loudly andprayed hard, “Oh Easwara! Oh bestower ofboons! Come and protect me.” God respondedto its prayer immediately and saved it. On thebasis of this incident, some people questioned,“How far is God?” Some foolish intellectualssaid, “God is as far away asHe can hear the cry of anJuly 2008 217

elephant.” What a great foolishness! God doesnot need to go from one place to another.Whatever form of God you pray to, Godassumes that very form. Some people pray toGod, “Oh God! Be with me and protect me.”They can only hear the steps of God behindthem. Those who pray, “Oh God! Can’t Yousee my diffi culties and my crying?”, they seeonly the eyes of God. Those who pray, “Can’tYou hear my cry and prayers?”, they can seeonly His ears, because God has His ears andeyes everywhere. A similar incident happenedin Shirdi.Once Shirdi Sai Baba told a devotee, “Ohmadcap! I am always with you and I am alwayspresent at your back.” After walking somedistance, that devotee turned back and sawbut he did not fi nd Baba there. Then he thoughtthat Baba had told him a lie, “He told me thathe will be behind my back. But he is not to beseen.” He went back to Baba and said, “OhBaba! You are such a great person. How couldyou tell a lie? You promised that you would beat my back. But when I looked behind me, I didnot fi nd you.” Baba replied, “Oh Saitan (devil)!Is this your intelligence? When you lookedbehind, you turned your back also. Hence, Ialso turned to be at your back.” See! Whenthe devotee looked behind, his back alsoturned. That is why he could not see Baba,who was at his back all the time. The wordsof God are mysterious, wonderful and have adeeper meaning. Not all can understand God.So, do not try to understand God. Follow Hiscommand. That is your duty.You have to know so much about God.Nobody can completely understand God.Outwardly, God may appear to be an ordinaryperson, but He can reveal His transcendentalpowers at any time, which is not possible forordinary mortals. Therefore, perform your duty.Offer your heart to God. That is your foremostduty. Then all your doubts will be removed.(Bhagavan brought His Divine Discourseto a close with the Bhajan, “Prema MuditaManase Kaho Rama Rama Ram ...”)– From Bhagavan’s Divine Discourse inSai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 17thJune 1996.... Continued from page 205He not make your mind fl oat in the ocean ofSamsara (worldliness)? Cross the ocean ofSamsara by changing the mind into a bridge.Use this bridge to cross this vast ocean andkill the demons of lust and anger. For this, youmust do Bhajan and sing the glories of God.Bhajan is very necessary to realise the gloryof the Divine Name. When so many people doBhajan together, the prayer from the heart ofat least one or two will reach God. Won’t evenone person among so many have a sacredheart? Hence, there is a great possibility ofyour melting the heart of God by communitysinging. Bhajan is very necessary to melt theheart of God. When you do Nagar Sankirtanearly in the morning, everybody will get upand hear the Divine Name. Hearing the Nameof God as soon as they wake up will fi ll themwith great bliss and enthusiasm. Therefore,constantly remember the Name of God; neverforget it. This is the most noble path. This istrue spiritual practice. When you do this, youwill be immensely blessed.– From Bhagavan’s Divine Discoursein Sai Ramesh Krishan Hall, Brindavan,Whitefield (Bangalore) on 24th May 2008.218 July 2008

Who can Attain Liberation?Who can Attain Liberation?CHINNA KATHAONCE A KING CALLED A BIGassembly of learned men, poets andscholars of mythology in his court.The learned men delivered very good lectureson the Vedas, mythology and history in thisassembly. Suddenly, the king put this questionto the learned men, “Oh revered scholars!There are so many great men among you inthis assembly. Who among you can reallyattain liberation?” The entire assembly wasstunned into silence by this question of the king.None among the learned men came forwardto answer this question. Then a very ordinaryperson came forward and said, “Oh king! NenuWhen learned men could not answer thequestion of the king, an ordinary man cameforward and made a simple statement to thesurprise of the king and the learned men.Pote Povachchu* (It can be attained when Igo).” All were surprised by this statement ofthis ordinary man. They also became jealousof him and started whispering to each other:“This man has no knowledge of the Vedas, theAll started whispering to each other howsuch an ordinary man could answer such aprofound question.Gita, the Brahma Sutras, the mythological textsor history. Yet he has the courage to give suchan answer to this profound question. What isthe inner meaning of his statement?”The king called him near and asked himin a serious tone, “On what basis have youmade this statement? Does it not amount todisrespect to so many learned men who arepresent in this court?” This ordinary man stoodup, joined his hands in all humility and said,“Please forgive me, oh king! Going of ‘I’ meansgiving up one’s ego. When ‘I’ is attached tothe body, it gives rise to ego. Man attainsdeservedness for liberation only when he givesup body attachment.” In this way, he explainedthe inner meaning of his statement.* “Nenu Pote Povachchu” also means, it can beattained when ‘I’ (ego) goes.July 2008 219

THE IDEAL DISCIPLE...................................................................................................................................................Gita will remove man’s Moha (delusion), destroy his Vishada (grief) and develop his...................................................................................................................................................Smriti (recognition of the Self) if he becomes the ideal disciple of the Lord like Arjuna,...................................................................................................................................................observed Bhagavan while delivering a Discourse on the Gita at Nainital (Uttarakhand)..........................................on 24th June 1961.SWAMI VIDYANANDA, IN THEHindi Address which he read justnow, welcomed Me to this Nainital,describing its beautiful scenery and praisingits climate. Well, that is taking Me to be anoutsider who has to be formally invited andwelcomed. I am in your Satsang (gathering),beauty of character and conduct which youare seeking to acquire by the constant studyof the Gita. I came to the Gita Satsang to seeall of you, because I bless all efforts by manto raise himself by study and Sadhana. MadThe Gita is the greatestharmoniser of all yogas. As amatter of fact, once you makeGita the guiding star of yourlife, the way you act will beKarma Yoga, the way you feelwill be Bhakti Yoga, the wayyou reason will be Jnana Yoga.It will become automatically so.What you do must be in linewith Dharma; what you feel mustfoster Prema; what you thinkmust reveal Sathya.for wherever the Gita is studied, I am, and willbe present. More than the externalbeauty of Nature, I value theBhakta Yatra Gayanti Tatra Tishtami Narada(wherever My devotees sing Myglory, I install Myself there)220 July 2008

is the declaration. In fact, the Lord is alwaysthere and everywhere whether you sing ofHim or not. Singing only makes Him manifestlike the radio receiver which catches the tunefrom ether when it is tuned to the correctwavelength. The current is flowing ever;when you fix the bulb, you will get the light.Complete Surrender will Get God’sResponseThe Bhagavadgita is a textbook forall mankind, giving the secrets of spiritualscience in clear and simple terms. But it willbe useful only when the reader has as muchdetachment as Arjuna had when Krishnastarted the discourse. If you surrender to theLord as Arjuna did, you have the deservednessto get the teaching of the Gita which willremove all your Vishada (grief). The Gita will acton the mental system when your detachmentand surrender are strong and complete. Whatbusiness have others with it? What profit canthey draw from it?Arjuna, the greatest bowman of thosedays, anxious since years to destroy thewicked Kauravas who had angered him bymerciless and systematic vendetta, suddenlygot disinterested in everything that he thoughtprecious until that moment! “Of what avail isvictory in the field of battle?” asked this hero ofa thousand encounters! “Nor do I see any goodfrom killing kinsmen in battle,” said the warriorwho had vowed to wipe out the Kauravas! “Ido not wish to kill them, though they may wishto kill me; I shall lay down my arms; I shalldie unresisting” wailed this foremost Kshatriya(warrior). “I would rather beg from door to doorand live on alms,” said this scion of the imperialline. In short, his mind had become ripe forthe illumination. He had the Lord Himself asGuru by his side and he knew it. Heasked Him: “I am gropingAn emperor, while sleeping,dreams that he is a beggar; hewears tattered clothes and criespiteously before other people’sdoors for a morsel of food; noone listens to his clamour; he canno longer contain his sorrow. Heweeps aloud which wakes up hismother. She comes and wakeshim up from that dream. Now, themother need not tell him, “Listento me, you are the emperor. Youare not a beggar.” He knows it assoon as he awakes. The recognitionof the Self is gained as soon as thedelusion goes, the delusion that thisdream-world is real!in ignorance; I am confused; I do not knowwhat is Dharma and what is Adharma.” Hesought disciplehood and laid himself at the feetof Krishna in self-surrender.Anyone anywhere who reaches that stageof spiritual surrender will get the responsefrom Krishna, and He will teach the Gita fromthe chariot driven by Him in the battlefi eld ofhis heart.End Delusion and Gain Recognition ofthe SelfThe purpose of the Gita is to remove Moha(delusion). It was Moha which overwhelmedArjuna and made him feel that he was the doer,whereas the truth is, he was but an instrument.So Krishna asks him at the end ofthe discourse, “Has yourJuly 2008 221

delusion born out of Ajnana (ignorance) beenfully destroyed?” For, like a good teacher,Krishna is evidently quite willing to resort tosome other means or to discourse a littlelonger in order to make the pupil understandthe teaching. But Arjuna is a good student.He declares, “Nashto Moha (my delusion isdestroyed). I have gained recognition.” NowAtma due to Maya (delusion). An emperor,while sleeping, dreams that he is a beggar;he wears tattered clothes and cries piteouslybefore other people’s doors for a morsel offood; no one listens to his clamour; he can nolonger contain his sorrow. He weeps aloudwhich wakes up his mother. She comes andwakes him up from that dream. Now, the motherneed not tell him, “Listen to me, you are theemperor. You are not a beggar.” He knows itas soon as he awakes. The recognition of theI came to the Gita Satsang to see allof you, because I bless all efforts byman to raise himself by study andSadhana. Mad Bhakta Yatra GayantiTatra Tishtami Narada (whereverMy devotees sing My glory, I installMyself there) is the declaration. Infact, the Lord is always there andeverywhere whether you sing ofHim or not. Singing only makesHim manifest, like the radio receiverwhich catches the tune from etherwhen it is tuned to the correctwavelength. The current is flowingever; when you fix the bulb, you willget the light.Self is gained as soon as the delusion goes, thedelusion that this dream-world is real!what is the recognition he has gained? Therecognition of the Self or Atma. He has seenhimself basically as t h e Atma, and he hasseen the world and all objects assuperimpositions on theA prince who falls into the hands of a foresttribe while yet a child, and behaves like one ofthem, does not thereby lose his princehood.Rescue him and he knows he is a prince. So,too, Arjuna says, “Smriti Labdha (I have gotback my memory), I have gainedrecognition. I know myself; I222 July 2008

am Thyself!” The study of the Gita must endin this result; your Satsang must have thisconsummation as your goal.Gita is the Greatest Harmoniser of allYogasDo not be enamoured of the skill exhibitedby some Pandit who can recite the Gita in recordtime or write the whole of it on a postcard orrepeat it upside down or reel off commentaries.A man walked on the beach, played with thewaves, and had a dip in the water; yet his feetwere not wet! No, there is no miracle in this.This is what happens to many scholars whowade in the sea of the Gita. In the DurbarHall, when the Maharana is arriving to seathimself on the throne, the couriers call out hispolysyllabic titles, but in daily conversation hisshort name is used; his principality is but atiny State. Similarly, the Pandit may havegreat pomp before others but to himself, inthe secrecy of his own conscience, he is asmall man indeed. Real greatness dependsupon the Sadhana (spiritual discipline) andthe success achieved in it, in Anushthana(practise of religious austerities) and in Nishtha(firm faith).It is said, “Uttishta, Jagrata, PrapyaVarannibodhata” (arise, awake, go to the noblemen and learn from them the secret of attainingdivinity). But the goal is not somewhere distant,towards which you need to march. It is notsome place where you have to go. It is just theopening of the eye, the removal of the veil,the waking from the dream, the lighting of theJnana Deepa (lamp of spiritual wisdom).To get the fruit of Gita Parayana(study of the Gita), Ekagrata (one- pointedconcentration) is essential. Krishna asksArjuna, “Has this been heard by you withan attentive mind? Have you heard it withoutdistraction?” For, the battlefi eld where theywere had plenty of distractions to disturbthe concentration of Arjuna’s mind fromthe invaluable lesson he was receiving fromKrishna. It is really admirable that Arjunaseated in the chariot between the two armiesmanaged to master his mind and rid it of allthe passions with which it was filled whenhe rode in for the fray! Truly, he is an idealdisciple. You should thank him for elicitingthe Bhagavadgita from Krishna for humanity.There are people who argue that the Gitateaches this yoga more than that. This showsonly their partisan nature. Once you begin topractise the Gita, such ideas as trying to exhibityour superior scholarship by propounding anew theory or meaning will vanish. The Gitais the greatest harmoniser of all yogas. As amatter of fact, once you make Gita the guidingstar of your life, the way you act will be KarmaYoga, the way you feel will be Bhakti Yoga,the way you reason will be Jnana Yoga. Itwill become automatically so. What you domust be in line with Dharma; what you feelmust foster Prema; what you think must revealSathya. Then this Satsang will be blessed withSanthi, even Prasanthi (supreme peace).– From Bhagavan’s Discourse at GitaSatsang, Nainital, 24th June 1961.Prayer is a forceful weapon, much more effective than any bomb. The word is aneffective instrument; it can move mountains. In these critical times, everyone ofyou should pray deeply and sincerely for the peace and prosperity of the world.– BabaJuly 2008 223

S O U T H A F R I C AAN ENTHUSIASTIC GATHERINGof 7,000 devotees assembled atChatsworth, Durban for a nationalrally of Sri Sathya Sai Organisation of SouthAfrica held on 22nd and 23rd March 2008. Thetwo-day event was spiritually uplifting in whichBhagavan’s life and message were sharedthrough drama and dance, music and prayer,talks and discussion. The programme beganwith a beautiful and inspiring dance entitled“Feathers on the Breath of God” by Sai Youthdepicting the life of Bhagavan. A signifi cantfeature of the weekend was a drama on thethree phases of the Avatar’s life: Leelas (divinesports), Mahimas (miracles), and Upadesh(message). Devotees of different ages andlocalities – many of them Sai Youth who havecompleted their Educare Diploma Coursefrom Sri Sathya Sai Institute of South Africa–worked tirelessly to create this art from theheart. Devotees were also treated to a fewvocal and instrumental musical programmes.Raviraj Nasery sang soulful songs in praise ofthe Lord. This musical programme transportedthe listeners to Prasanthi. This was followedby a Sitar recital that maintained the sanctifi edmood. Later, a local group of talented singersdelighted everyone with soul-elevatingBhajans. One signifi cant feature of this nationalrally was the honour shown to the elders of theSathya Sai Organisation of South Africa. Thefi rst speaker was Dr. Kamala Patel, a respectedelder of the Organisation. She won the heartsand minds of the audience with her simple yetengaging anecdotes and experiences withSwami over past 35 years. The second speakerwas Smt. S. A. Pather, aged 93, who inspiredlisteners with her experiences from the earliestdays of the Sathya Sai Organisation in SouthAfrica. On 23rd March (Easter Sunday), theproceedings started with an inspirational talkdelivered by Dr. Ramachandiran Cooppan, anendocrinologist from Harvard University, USA.Finally, a fi tting tribute was paid to the pioneersof the South African Sai Organisation with ashort DVD presentation about the history ofthe Sai Organisation in South Africa. All werehumbled and were grateful to Bhagavan forthe many years of grace He has bestowedupon the people of this nation.C A N A D AA two-day national rally of Sri Sathya SaiOrganisation of South Africa was held atChatsworth, Durban on 22nd and 23rd March2008 in which more than 7,000 devotees tookpart. Many spiritually uplifting programmesmarked the celebration of the event.On 30th March 2008, Sai volunteers inOttawa, Canada visited Sheppard’s of GoodHope homeless shelter to prepare a healthyvegetarian meal for the inmates. Twenty-sevenvolunteers sang Bhajans and cut vegetablesto prepare the full meal for the needy. This is224 July 2008

a monthly project that regularly serves 300 to350 needy people.Other community outreach activitiesincluded distribution of personal hygiene carekits to the needy and sandwich distribution. Inaddition, 61 packages of school supplies wereprepared for distribution to children in warravagedcountries during Christmas time.A workshop for training Sathya SaiEducation teachers was conducted in Ottawa,Canada from 12th to 13th January 2008 whichwas attended by 31 participants. The workshoprevitalised the teachers, and revealed practicalsteps to improve the quality of instruction inSSE classes while addressing the needs ofstudents of different ages. Much attentionwas also given to the subject of curriculumdevelopment and a course syllabus. Butperhaps the single most important lesson wasthat the life of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Babashould be studied as an ideal for everyone toemulate, students and teachers alike.B O L I V I AFrom 12th to 15th February 2008, the DoctorPercy Boland Municipal Hospital for Womenin Santa Cruz, Bolivia hosted Sri Sathya SaiHuman Values Seminar. The four-day seminarattended by 207 staff members was designedto help medical professionals infuse humanvalues into their work. Participants learned howthe fi ve human values, especially love, can beeven more important than medicine in bringingpatients back to good health. Feedback fromthe medical professionals who attendedthe seminar confi rmed that this was a veryinspiring event. Many doctors commented thatthe Human Values Seminar helped them to bemore effective in their professionalpractice. It also made themWith the help of Sri Sathya Sai Organisationof Bolivia, the Doctor Percy Boland MunicipalHospital for Women in Santa Cruz, Boliviahosted a Sri Sathya Sai Human ValuesSeminar from 12th to 15th February 2008in which 207 staff members of the hospitaltook part. The seminar was designed to helpmedical professionals to infuse human valuesinto their work.happier while doing their work. The hospitaladministration has agreed to follow-up theHuman Values Seminar by stipulating onehuman value to be practised by the staff everymonth, using materials supplied by Sri SathyaSai Organisation.S U L T A N A T E O F O M A NOn 28th March 2008, Sai devotees of Omancelebrated Al Mawlid Al Nabawi Al Sharif(Prophet Mohammad’s birthday) in Muscat atthe Al Ansari Recreation Hall. It was a grand,multi-faith celebration attended by about 130people, and began with the recitation of theQuran and 99 names of Allah, followed by Naatreading (Naat-e-Rasool-e-Maqbool). A Naat(Persian) is a poetry that specifi cally praisesthe Islamic Prophet Mohammad. It is theIslamic equivalent of hymn or Bhajan. Variousspeakers kept the audience captivated withthe artistic portrayal of the life and teachingsof Prophet Mohammad. Two beautifully sungBhajans added lustre to the divine atmosphere.But the one thread common inall parts of the programmeJuly 2008 225

Sai devotees of Oman organised a multi-faithfunction to celebrate Prophet Mohammad’sbirthday at the Al Ansari Recreation Hall on28th March 2008. The programme includedrecitation of the Quran, Bhajans and speechesof speakers from different faiths.binding them all together was Bhagavan’sMessage of Sarva Dharma – that the one Godhas many names and forms. At the conclusionof the two-hour programme, brothers andsisters of different faiths dispersed, radiatinguniversal love.M A U R I T I U SOn 6th April 2008, Sri Sathya SaiOrganisation of Mauritius was invited bythe Centre Islamique des Mourides DeL’Ocean Indien to participate and perform inthe celebration of Yaum Un Nabi at the LePrintemps Hall in Vacoas. This day cherishesthe birth of Prophet Mohammad. Over 300people of Muslim faith attended the event. Inan affi rmation of unity, Hindu Sai devoteeswere dressed in traditional Muslim attire.Several Sai devotees including Bal Vikaschildren sang Sarva Dharma Bhajans and SaiQawalis. One could feel the fl ow of divine lovebetween the audience and the performers.The previous President of Mauritius, CassamUteem, was the chief guest. In his speech, heappreciated the work being done bySri Sathya Sai OrganisationSai devotees and Bal Vikas children ofMauritius participated in the birthdaycelebrations of Prophet Mohammad inVacoas, Mauritius on 6th April 2008. Thepicture shows Bal Vikas children performinga Qawali on this occasion.in Mauritius. He drew parallels betweenBhagavan’s teachings on unity of faiths andthose of Prophet Mohammad and assuredcloser collaborative service activities withSri Sathya Sai Organisation. The Presidentof the Centre Islamique des Mourides DeL’Ocean Indien, Raffi ck Hattea, stated thathis community had heartily cherished theparticipation of Sai devotees. Furthermore, hehighlighted the role played by Sri Sathya SaiOrganisation in various service activities aswell as the preservation and protection of theenvironment while drawing parallels with thoseof Prophet Mohammad. This participation ofSai devotees in a national festival marked afi rst in activities of national unity and spiritualintegration.K A Z A K H S T A NFrom 11th to 13th April 2008, a medicalcum service camp was held in Bersuat villagelocated 100 kilometres from the capital city ofAstana in Kazakhstan. This was the seventhcamp in the country focusing on medicalservice, educare and NarayanaSeva. In the medical camp,226 July 2008

experienced Bhagavan’s Divine Love throughtheir loving service.Sri Sathya Sai World FoundationB H A R A TA medical cum service camp was held inBersuat village, Kazakhstan from 11th to13th April 2008 which focused on medicalservices, educare and Narayana Seva. Thepicture shows the deliberations of the educareprogramme on this occasion.450 patients were seen by a medical teamcomprising specialists in internal medicine,paediatrics, ENT, gerontology, dentistryand physical therapy. Fifty-three volunteersincluding 19 youth provided loving service. Inaddition, a team of eight teachers taught humanvalues-based lessons to local school children.A fi lm was shown depicting Bhagavan lovinglyconversing with His students. In this fi lm, theFirst Lady of Kazakhstan, Sara Nazarbayevaquoted Bhagavan and stated that it is importantto love everyone and to live in love. Serviceactivities consisted of the distribution of 20food packets and repair and maintenance workat a nearby school including its gymnasium,which needed repair for the past 20 years.The repair work, which was of a relativelylarge magnitude, was completed in a recordtime with divine grace. The event concludedwith a concert by the school students and Saivolunteers to an audience of about 200. Thepublic expressed their gratitude and hopedthat Sai volunteers would visit themagain. All the volunteersAndhra Pradesh: Vizianagaram district gaveAmruta Kalasams (food provisions) to 15selected families in Belagam village on 3rdMay 2008. The district came to the rescueof 410 fi re victim families in Jonnaguddi areaof Vizianagaram town by giving utensils andclothes. This district dug a drinking water wellin Kothur village.West Godavari district conducted a freemedical camp in Kummararevu village, treating250 patients. Cataract operations were donefor 5 selected eye patients. The district gaveAmruta Kalasams to 18 poor families inDadivalli village.Karimnagar district conducted AkhandaNamasmarana for 40 days in Bejjanki villagefrom 10th April 2008 to 20th May 2008 andcarried out Narayana Seva at its conclusion.The district conducted an eye check-up campin Bandalingapur village, examined 300patients and carried out cataract operations for36 people. The district came to the rescue of11 fi re victim families in Jaina Thanda villageby giving cooking vessels, new clothes andfood provisions.Vizag district distributed tricycles to 83physically challenged persons. It arrangedan exhibition “Science and Spirituality” inKancharapalem village from 4th May 2008 to7th May 2008.Gujarat: Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samithi, Anandorganised 21 free mass marriages at Chikhodaraon 20th April 2008. Themarriages were conductedJuly 2008 227

as per the rituals. Mangal Sutra (sacredthread worn by married women), clothes andall household articles were given to all thecouples.A free heart check-up camp was organisedby Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samithi, Valsad withthe cooperation of Rajkot Heart Hospital atAdarsh Hospital, Valsad on 20th April 2008.163 patients from more than 15 villageswere checked. Five patients were called foroperation during May at Rajkot Hospital and 30were advised angiography. Another free heartcheck-up camp was organised by Sri Sathya SaiSeva Samithi, Amalsad with the cooperation ofRajkot Heart Hospital at Andhkesvar Mahadev,Amalsad on 4th May 2008. 300 patients werechecked, 26 were called for operation duringMay at Rajkot Hospital and 40 were advisedangiography.On 4th May 2008, a blood donation campwas organised by the Maroli Seva Samithi,where 118 units of blood were collected.Another camp was organised at Manjalpore,Vadodara by the Vadodara Seva Samithi, inwhich 92 units of blood were collected.On Easwaramma Day, a cultural programmewas organised by Bal Vikas students. Onthis occasion, four tricycles were distributedto the needy by Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samithi,Valsad. Until now, the Samithi has distributed176 tricycles.Maharashtra: Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisationof Maharashtra and Goa launched 12 fullyequippedmobile medical vans to provide freehealthcare facilities to disadvantaged sectionsof society living in rural and slum areas attheir doorstep. In a function organised at theSachivalaya Gymkhana, Mumbai on 13thMay 2008, the Chief Minister ofMaharashtra, Sri VilasraoSri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation of Maharashtraand Goa launched 12 medical vans under SriSathya Sai Village Integrated Programme toprovide healthcare facilities to rural populationand city slums of 12 districts of Maharashtra on13th May 2008.Deshmukh inaugurated this laudable project ofthe Sai Organisation and handed over the keysof 12 vans to the offi ce bearers of 12 districtsof the Sai Organisation in the presence ofmany dignitaries including Sri Suresh Shetty,Minister for Health, Sri Ashok Chavan, Ministerfor Industries, Smt. Snehlata Deshmukh,former Vice Chancellor of Mumbai Universityand Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, a renownedmusician. On this occasion, the Chief Ministerand other speakers expressed gratitude toBhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for providingthis “Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Medicare Project”under the Village Integrated Programme of SriSathya Sai Organisation.Tamil Nadu: A summer camp for rural BalVikas children was organised by Sri SathyaSai Samithi, Neyveli from 30th April 2008 to2nd May 2008 as part of Easwaramma Daycelebrations. 150 rural Bal Vikas children fromthe villages adopted under Sri Sathya SaiVillage Integrated Programme, participatedin the programme comprising events likedrawing, rural games and sports, Bhajantraining, value-oriented games, Slokarecitation and Veda chanting. All the Bal Vikaschildren were provided with footwear andcaps to protect them from the sun and heatof the summer and each individualchild was given a briefi ng228 July 2008

Sri Sathya Sai Samithi, Neyveli organised asummer camp for rural Bal Vikas children from30th April to 2nd May 2008 in which 150 BalVikas children from the villages adopted by theSai Organisation took part.on personal hygiene, cleanliness and upkeepof their house and sanitation. 25 Sai Youth,15 Bal Vikas Gurus and 20 Sai Seva Dalvolunteers, both gents and ladies, participatedin the programme.Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand: The SaiOrganisation of Lucknow recently adoptedTehetna village under Sri Sathya Sai VillageIntegrated Programme. This village of 108families is situated on the bank of the RiverGomti. After carrying out a detailed house-tohousesurvey, the critical needs of the villagewere identifi ed – medical care, clothing,health and hygiene. No drainage system ortoilets existed in the village. A homoeopathicmedical camp was organised the very nextSunday wherein clothes and blankets werealso distributed. Within a short period oftwo months, the village now has a propercemented drainage system. 18 low-cost toiletshave so far been constructed with the helpof villagers who themselves dug the drainsand the soak-pits for the toilets. The buildingmaterial and the masons were provided by theSai Organisation. Regular Bal Vikas classes,educational coaching to students, physicaltraining for young boys are now being heldin the village. Recently, a vocational trainingprogramme was organised wherein the villageladies were taught how to make pickles, jamand articles of daily use. With Swami’s grace,this village now resounds with chants of “SaiRam” wherever the Seva Dal members go andhas pictures and sayings of Bhagavan at thevillage entrance and all over the village.NOTICEIn view of the increase in the cost of paper and printing, we are compelled to revise theannual subscription rates of English and Telugu editions of Sanathana Sarathi with effectfrom 1st September 2008 as detailed below:INLAND ENGLISH : Rs. 75/- per year (12 issues)INLAND TELUGU : Rs. 60/- per year (12 issues)OVERSEAS ENGLISH : BY AIR MAIL Rs. 600/- or ₤ 8 or US $ 15/- or€ 10/-, CAN $ 15, AUS $ 16OVERSEAS TELUGU : BY AIR MAIL Rs.550/- or ₤ 7 or US $ 14/- or€ 9/-, CAN $ 14, AUS $ 15Note : 1. Subscriptions can be made for a period of 1 or 2 or 3 years at a time.2. No additional amount need to be paid by the current subscribersfor the period already subscribed.- Convener

REGD. WITH REGISTRAR OF NEWSPAPERS R.NO.10774/58REGD.NO.Tech/HDP/M-E-2006-2008 (Inland) REGD.NO.Tech/HDP/M-E(F)-2006-2008 (Overseas)Licence number – Tech/HDP/RNP01/06-08. Licenced to post without prepayment.Surrender your EgoThe vision of the Virat (Cosmic Form)is given to those who surrendertheir ego, take refuge in the Lord (asArjuna did) and imbibe with care theGita sung by the Lord in the silence oftheir heart. God is omnipresent. He isthe inner motivator of every particleof the universe. To declare that He isamenable only to your style of worshipand that He will answer only the namethat you have learnt to use is to insultHis omniscience and His glory. See Himin all; serve Him in all; revere Him in all.Pray, “Let the whole world prosper; letall mankind be happy.”– BabaAnnual Subscription (Inland) Rs 50 (12 issues)Rs 480 or US $ 11 or UK £ 7 or ¤ 9 (Overseas)Acceptable for 1, 2 or 3 yearsPrinted and Published by K.S. RAJAN on behalf of the owner Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust,Prasanthi Nilayam 515 134, Anantapur District (A.P.) and printed at M/s Rajhans Enterprises, 136, 4th Main Road,Industrial Town, Rajaji Nagar, Bangalore - 560 044, Karnataka and published at Prasanthi Nilayam 515 134.Editor: G.L. ANAND