57. THE TRUTH OF TRUTH!

 

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has said, "This body of Mine is named Truth (SATHYA):, the principle that is in this body is also Truth. Truth enclosed in Truth has been rendered the Truth of Truth (SATHYASYA SATHYAM). This form has been assumed, in order to lead mankind from untruth to truth. . .. My plan is to trans­mute you into seekers of Truth (SATHYANVESH­AKS). I am present everywhere at all times; My will must prevail over every obstacle:, I am aware of the past, present and future of your innermost thought and carefully guarded secrets. I am SARVANTHARYAMI, SARVA SAKTHA and SARVAJNA. Nevertheless, I do not manifest these powers in any capricious manner, or merely for display. For, I am an example and an inspir­ation, whatever I do or omit to do. My life is a commentary on My message. I shall not change My course even by a hairs breadth, as a result of what people may say about ME. I am not afraid of anyone or thing. Truth has no

fear:, untruth shivers at every shadow. . . '

 

In the DwaparaYuga, Lord Krishna played the 'flute' which reverberated His Divine Message. The ' melody' that issued forth was symbolic of what the Divinity is giving to us in the form of upadesh a today.

 

The Divine discourses of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba are the echo of what is contained in the Eternal Wisdom and the Perennial Philoso­phy. Each word that He utters is the TRUTH and nothing but the TRUTH. We quote here a few paragraphs from Sri Sathya Sai's Divine Discourses. Readers may please appreciate that such authentic sayings about one's previous avatarhood, can only be possible by a reincarnation of the SAME Divine Principle.

 

Bhagavan graciously spoke on 23rd October, 1961, after Vijayadashmi, "When this Mahasakthi decided to leave the previous body in 1918, I had said: "I will come again af ter eight years". Kaka Saheb Dikshit has written it down, as if I said, 'I will appear as an eight year old'" That is a mistake. It was recorded so, because Kaka Saheb relied on his memory and wrote it down only much later. Having cast off that body on the Vijayadashmi Day, 1918, I granted actual concrete Darshan off and on to various Bhaktas, during about six years. Once, I appeared before Abdul Baba and told him, ' The body has been disposed off:, but, who can dispose Me off ':, I had revealed to Abdul Baba the news of the coming Advent and informed him that in 7 years this will appear in Madras State. Three months after the Samadhi, appearing before a house at Kirkee, the declaration was made in answer to a query that the body had passed away. 'The body has gone, but I will appear again. It was said six months after the Samadhi, when there svas an appearance at Dwarkamayee with the familiar tin can. Word was sent to Das Ganu and Mahalsapathi. The figure 7 came true, for this body incarnated in 1926, after spending ten months in the womb. So, even the statement of 8 years made to Kaka Saheb is true".

 

On 6th September, 1963, Baba said at Prasan­thi Nilayam, "The Lord is all Prema. He has no anger or Dwesha in Him, Once at Shirdi, a certain Dr. Pillai came with much suffering, and he prayed that he might be given ten births with the chance of dividing the pain into ten parts, so that he could suffer a little each time and to pay off his Karmic debt, without being hard put t to it having to pay it all off in one' He was informed through Kaka Saheb that He should fall at the feet of Baba and as he did so, Baba got the pain transferred to Himself. For ten minutes, Baba suffered, at the rate of one minute for each Janma, and thus He rid Dr. Pillai of his obligation. Baba was quite normal, as soon as the 10 minutes were over".

 

On 8th October, 1964, Sri Sathya Sai Hospital Day, Baba said at Prasanthi Nilayam , "Minister (P.K.) Sawant said that faith in Sai Baba is keeping him fit, in mind and body, all these years. He was the Chairman of Shirdi Samasthan for many years. His devotion and attachment to that Deha and this Deha, are known only to him and Me. So, when he says that Baba has been keeping him healthy and strong, I know that it is true and that his faith is deep and sincere. If you have sincere devotion, you will fix the responsibility for your health on Him and He will also accept that responsibilits. Your mind will be so full of happiness that your body will be a fit instrument for Sadhana".     Baba said on His 36th Birthday, "This day, the 23rd November, 1961, is significant in more senses than one, it is not only the day which marks the date of birth of this Avatar:, the previous Sai Avatar was also inaugurated on a Thursday, and on the day after the 'Karthika Deepam' or 'Karthika Purnami'. Today also it is the day after the Kartika Deepam and a Thursday"'

 

On 6th July, 1963, GURU POURNIMA DAY at Prasanthi Nilayam, Baba said, "Even in the previous Sariram at Shirdi, I had this responsibility of ‘Bhakthasamrakshana', taking on the illness of persons, when I wanted to save". He went on to say, "When I save a person, I save him completely. I do not wait until he gets the disease and I do not leave in him a fraction of the disease, so that he may be identified later. Even in Shirdi, Dada Saheb, Nandaram, Balawanth all were saved by these means. Balawanth was destined to get plague, but the bubo was taken over and the boy saved".

 

Speaking on the theme, 'The Guru is the Guide', Baba said at Prasanthi Nilayam on 6th September, 1963, "When I was in the previous body at Shirdi, there was a woman named Radhabai who yearned to get a Manthraopadesam from Me. That day was also Vyasa Pournami. She was so anxious to get a Namam that she refused to take even food until she got it Three days passed like this, but Baba did not yield. At last, Shama who was with the previous body spoke about her and pleaded for her and feared that she might even die of hunger. He said that if she a died, it would be a poor reflection on the broad-mindedness for which Baba was known. Radhabai was brought to the place in a weak condition. Baba asked her to go to some Guru and get initiated into the name:, she asked, 'I know of no other'. Baba asked her the meaning of the sloka "Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Mahesh­warah, Gurushakshath Parambraman Tasmai Sri Gurave Namah". He asked her, "Why not take the Guru's name, then? Why demand another name from the Guru?" "If the Guru is God, obeying His orders, walking in the path He has shown, these are as effective as the japam of the Name."

 

"Once you have secured a Guru, leave every­thing to Him, even the desire to achieve liberation. He knows you more than you yourself ever can. He will direct you as best as is good for you. Your duty is only to obey and to smother the tendency to drift away from Him". You may ask, how are we to earn our food, if we attach ourselves to a Guru, like this? Be convinced that the Lord will not let you starve:, He will give you not merely Annam but even Amritham, not only food but immortality".

 

Blessing the gathering at Prasanthi Nilayam, Baba said on 15th October, 1964, "When I was in the previous Sarira, Das Ganu, who was a Police Officer, came to Shirdi on account of his good luck. That visit transformed him. Moreover, Baba accosted him as Das Ganu, as soon as He saw him, and this stunned him. He asked Baba that some parties that were opposed to him might be put down and that he might get promotion in his official career. Baba invited him to remain in Shirdi itself and escape all bother. He told hi m, "Do not wonder why I am suggesting this, when you craved for something else". Later, when pro­motions came, he ignored Baba and his promise to come away, as soon as his honour was vindi­cated by official promotion. So, Baba had to bring about circumstances which compelled him to come at last, as per Baba's Plan. He composed a number of songs and stotras:, he began perform­ing Hari Kathas on Baba everywhere and he was lnstrumental, in bringing the news of the advent of Baba, to thousands in the land. His life was spent in and through the Lord.

 

Upasini Baba was also a similar personality. He was born in 1869, and was known as Kasinath. He married thrice:, practised as a doctor:, earned much money and lost all:, and after hard penance, chanced into Shirdi:, where Baba accosted hi m, 'Hello, Kashinath!" He directed him to do Upasana and guided his Sadhana and so he was called Upasini Baba. He too was a part of Baba's Plan".

 

While delivering His Divine discourse on I 19th May, 1962, in whitefield, Baba said, "Children have unselfish Love, they are innocent onlookers:, they observe the action of the elders and they learn their lessons from the home much earlier than from school. So, parents have to be very careful in their behaviour with the children and between themselves. There was a Judge who used to come to Shirdi:, he asked his wife and child to stay with Baba and left for home for a few days. He said to the boy when he took leave, "This is God Himself". After some days the mother left for Manmad with the boy. There, they fell in with a Kathak who was reciting musically some Puranic story. Within a few minutes, they heard him revile Sai Baba as a madman and a cheat; the child could not stand it any longer. He tugged at the sari of his mother and forced her to return to Baba.

 

Next morning, they approached Baba for His blessings and He asked them, why they had returned. The incident of the Kathak was duly reported. The boy heard everyone addressing Baba as the Lord. Remembering the harsh words of the Kathak, the boy wept, but Baba pacified him humorously, "I am only a Man. What the Kathak said is true:, I am mad and I am cheating people of what they consider very valuable, but what I feel is useless". Then, even as they were talking, one Shri Patel came there and related how Baba had saved his child from a serious accident. Baba told him, "Yes, I held him when he fell, with My Four Hands". Patel shed tears of thankfulness, but the boy cried out, "Ah, I told you, you are God:, You have four hands like Vishnu". Baba laughed, He took the boy inside and gave him a vision of Himself, as having Four Hands.

 

That boy stayed on in Shirdi for 26 years after this and left it only after Baba 'left'. He then took sanyas and became a great sage". In His morning discourse on His 37th Birthday (23-11-1962) Bhagavan said, "Let me tell you an incident which happened while in the previous body at Shirdi. There was a lady from Pahalgam, a simple, illiterate devotee. She stored water in her kitchen in three clean, brightly polished brass pots from three separate wells and she had named the pots-Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. She always referred to them by those names Whenever any thirsty wayfarer called at her door, she mixed water from all three and offered it to the person as Triveni Tritha Neighbours used to laugh at her faith, but her belief that the three wells were  connected underground with the three rivers that joined at Prayag, was unshakeable.     

 

Her husband started on a pilgrimage to Kasi. His mother while blessing him on his departure, put on his finger her own gold ring and directed him to take good care of it, for it would be a talisman for him. When he was talking the ceremonial bath at the Manikarnika Ghat, the ring slipped into the waters and could not be retrieved. When he returned and related this story, he said, "Ganga wanted it:, she took it ,' just to console his mother. When the wife heard this,she said, "No, no' Mother Ganga will not hanker after the property of a poor old lady. She will accept only what is offered out of love. She will give us back the ring, I am sure. I shall ask Ganga:, she is in our kitchen". So saying, she went in and with folded hands, she prayed before the parti­cular pot named by her as Ganga. Putting her hand in, she searched the bottom. . . . sure enough, she got the ring back ' She had come to Dwarkamayi with her husband and mother-in-law. It is faith that matters:, the form and the name on which it is fixed do not matter. For all names are His:, all forms are His".

 

On another occasion Bhagavan Baba said, "I was the Sai Baba of Shirdi:, I had declared I would appear eight years after the Shirdi mani­festation merges in Brahman:, I am incarnating again, after finishing, the task I have laid upon Myself".