Sai Nandana: 75th Birthday

Foreword

When Dr. Shashank Shah asked me to write the Foreword to the e-books of Sai Chandana magazines (60th, 65th, 70th, 75th, 80th and 85th Birthday issues) I started re-reading these magazines. This itself became an experience for me as I started listening to the heartbeats of hundreds of students who passed out of the portals of the Sri Sathya Sai Junior and Senior Boys’ Hostels, leaving their footprints in the form of these articles which bear testimony to the love these boys bear in their hearts for their Beloved Sai.

I sat in mute enchantment, feeling the love pulsating in the printed words in which they unfolded the sweet, sublime and tender love that welled from their hearts. I sat marvelling at the range and immensity of the experiences granted to these boys who nourished intense love in the inner recesses of their hearts to the very embodiment of Supreme and Divine Love. A few tears trickled down my eyes when I remembered the love of thousands of students whose hearts Bhagavan touched in myriad ways. The song, ‘I keep feeling your love in me, over and over again. And it’s sweeter and sweeter as the days go by. Oh! What a love between my Sai and I’ reverberated in my heart as I imagined the sublime connection between Sai and His students.

I remember how I joined the Sri Sathya Sai Junior Boys’ Hostel in 1984 as a young teacher at the command of Bhagavan. From the day I started living in the hostel, living became sharing, caring and learning. The great Vedic prayer, ‘Sahana Vavatu Sahanau Bhunaktu Sahaveeryam Karava Vahai; Tejasvina Vadhitamastu Ma Vidvishavahai’ (Let us live together, grow together, become stronger together shining in resplendent effulgence) became a living reality, not a mere mechanical utterance.

I remember how the first issue of the Chandana magazine was born on the 23rd of November 1984, 30 years ago! The dedicatory page which contained the following words was a sheer expression of gratitude. The Dedication ran thus:

"Sweetest Lord!

We have obtained You in this life as the Master of our life and destiny. Having obtained You in this life, we would endeavour hard to cling to You in storm and stress, for we know that You are the highest, for whose vision the truest of Rishis strove for aeons. We feel immensely fortunate that we are born at a time when You have chosen to walk on this earth, sanctifying it by Your every step and purifying it by Your every word and deed. We know that You are beyond birth and death, but for our sake, You have taken birth; You have assumed this human guise and are playing the human role. The earth is richer and holier due to Your birth. It has occurred to us to celebrate the grand event of Your advent by placing at Your lotus feet this little magazine and the series of magazines that which follow, to You, with all our love and reverence. You are the theme of this magazine, its source and inspiration. We look to You, Oh Lord, for its sustenance, for what is sustained by You is well-sustained and forever!"

Bhagavan has sustained this magazine for 30 years, as a series of magazines flowed endlessly without break from that day till date, bearing testimony to the truth, ‘What is sustained by Bhagavan is well-sustained.’ We lift our hands and hearts in love, reverence and gratitude to Bhagavan for this gesture of immense compassion.

It is a moving and soul-stirring experience, going through these magazines. We feel enthralled and enchanted reading the feelings and experiences of students whose hearts Bhagavan touched with the magic wand of Love. The magazines were brought out on festive occasions five times a year. The best of these articles written for a period of five years were brought out in the form of a printed book on the 60th, 65th, 70th, 75th, 80th, and 85th birthdays and made available through the book stall of the Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust and in other places as well.

The contributors of the articles to Sai Chandana range from eighth class students to senior teachers who guide these young students, living in the same hostel and sharing the same kind of food served to them. I stand thrilled at the immensity and variety of experiences granted to the students by the compassionate Sai. Status and stature never matters to Sai. What matters to Him is pure, selfless and sincere Love.

I am thrilled when I think of the magnificence of the experiences and wisdom imparted to the students in the most casual manner by Bhagavan. For example, the author of the article, ‘Revelation’ recounts a conversation which ensued between him and Bhagavan. Swami asked him the question, "Who are your friends?" The author replied, "All are my friends". Then Bhagavan exclaimed, What! Are all your friends? What do your so-called friends do when you are in trouble? They will be with you until they see money in your pocket. The moment they come to know that you are penniless; they quietly vanish like the frogs going away from the dried-up pond. But Sai is not like that. Whatever may be the trouble, Sai will not forsake you. He is always for you, with you and in you. Your one and only one friend must be Sai. Let us read the experience of D. S. Sarma in the article, ‘Some experiences of His Divinity’. Bhagavan called him for an interview, in which he recalled how Sai had saved him from trouble 3,000 miles away from Prasanthi Nilayam in far-off Manipur. Bhagavan said to him, I am you and you are Me, the essence of all wisdom, the only truth of the universe, the relation between the creator and the creation which all the scriptures of the world speak of.

How amazing is the experience of Bharat Dutt as narrated in the article, ‘Believe it or not’! When Bhagavan revealed to him all that had transpired between him and his friend, Sarabjit Singh and the amount of Rs. 10 he spent on buying samosas and eating in the cinema hall! After reading the experiences of students, we realise that there is nothing that Swami does not know; there is no place where He is not present; and there is no wisdom higher than the wisdom He possesses. He is indeed the Incredible Sai!

Equally stunning are the experiences unfolded by the students in the 70th Birthday issue of Sai Nandana. Arun Selvanathan in his article ‘It is never too late’ shares how Bhagavan had come to the rescue of his family at Sri Lanka when some hooligans ganged up to burn their house. When the family was trapped in the house, his father entered the prayer hall and surrendered himself at Swami’s lotus feet. All of a sudden, something happened which nobody thought in the wildest of their dreams. It started raining, though it had not rained for five months! When about 40 Sinhalese who sympathized with the family mustered in front of their house, the hooligans disappeared into the night. The author writes A minute, an hour, a day, a week, a month and even a year can be late enough to make a fatal difference for humans, but for God, it is never too late. Time and space do not impose any limit on Him.

Let us listen to Sudhakar Panth’s article ‘Glory across the Mountains’. The incident occurred in Nepal. When the author and his family went to meet their relatives in Mizoram, a poor tribal lady from a remote village in mountains came to sell some milk products. On seeing Baba’s photo hung on the wall, she exclaimed that she had seen that person in the photo staring at her in her cow shed in her village located in faraway mountains! His Glory pervades the hills and dales!

A quick perusal of the 75th Birthday issue of Sai Nandana which flood lights different Divine dimensions of Bhagavan is an enlightening experience. One cannot but be filled with awe and wonder at the revelations experienced by students. We are filled with Divine delight while reading the experience of Rameswar Prusty in his article ‘I walked with Him’. The little idol of Ganesha in front of Sri Sathya Sai Hostel for Senior Students would come to life, and Ganesha and Prusty would walk to the Institute side-by-side and would return together after the classes were over in the afternoon, as well as in the evening. When Prusty requested Ganesha to take lunch, Ganesha said to him, "I do not need any food, nor do I eat any food. Your Vidya and Jnana are My food. If you study well, My hunger is satisfied."

I am reminded of the experience of Narayan Rao of Class XI of the Higher Secondary School Hostel. The boy joined the band of Pujaris, who worship Ganesha. He once wondered whether Ganesha was interested in the celebrations of the Ganesha festival. Lo and behold! Ganesha appeared in the dream of the doubting student. Ganesha was in full command of decoration arrangements of the prayer hall of the Higher Secondary School Hostel where the student was an inmate. The student was astounded to see Ganesha giving instructions and moving briskly in the prayer hall overseeing the decoration arrangements for the Ganesha festival!

Ashwin Kumar records an illuminating experience with Bhagavan, showing the students His message on the occasion of the New Year. He asked them on the previous day, Do you know My message for the new year? When the boys replied in the negative, Bhagavan waved His hand and materialized a tiny card which contained the following message: The only wealth you can carry with you after your death is the Love of the Lord. You should strive to earn that Love during your life. Dr. Anil Kumar, the author of the article ‘Sai: The Embodiment of Sweetness’ shares an awesome revelation made by Bhagavan. Once when he was sincerely singing Bhajans in the Mandir Bhajan Hall, he visualized Bhagavan in his mind’s eye. Bhagavan came and stood before him in the very pose he visualised and said to him, The inside Bhagavan and the outside Bhagavan are one and the same.

T. S. Ramakrishnan in his article recounts a thrilling experience of Bhagavan. Once the elderly gentleman who walked behind Swami noticed Him materializing Vibhuti for a student suffering from chicken pox. As the gentleman was a medical practitioner, he told Bhagavan that the boy was suffering from chicken pox and it was contagious. But quick came the reply from Swami, Contagious for you but not for My Love.

Going through the 80th Birthday issue of Sai Nandana is an amazing experience. G. S. Srirangarajan in his article reveals to us the greatest miracle after sharing with us the wonderful cure his father experienced when he suffered from brain haemorrhage. Prof. N. Kasturi said to Bhagavan that transformation of the hearts is the greatest miracle. To this Bhagavan made a scintillating statement, You are My greatest miracle, for transformation can only take place after the creation of the heart.

It is very heartening to learn from the articles of our own students how they are keen on learning the lessons imparted by Bhagavan. Amrit Thapa in his article reveals that sacrifice is the greatest lesson he has learnt from Bhagavan. Divij Desai in his article unfolds what to ask when Bhagavan accosts you with the question, "What do you want? He replied, Swami I want your love". Bhagavan affirmed, Yes, that is what you should ask for. Deepak Venkateswaran’s ‘The Story of the Leaf and the Tree trunk’ drives an important message that we should anchor ourselves to Bhagavan as the leaf anchors itself to the trunk. When a devotee mustered enough courage to ask Bhagavan the question, "Bhagavan, you seem to be eating little, then how do you sustain yourself? Do you draw the sustenance from the five elements?" What Bhagavan replied is an eternal truth, No, I don’t draw My sustenance from them. Rather they draw their sustenance from Me.

Equally important is the lesson driven home by Sivaramakrishnan in his article ‘Response to His letter’. Man’s wisdom lies in his capacity to see the invisible hand of God at work! In life, we sweat and fret to see God’s invisible hand at work. How often have we been at the brink of drowning, and how often Sai has rescued us? It is said that man can never make as many mistakes as God cannot forgive. One cannot but appreciate the experience of Ranganatha Raju when Bhagavan complimented him, "You sweep very nicely" placing Vibhuti in his hands when his wing teacher of Class XI had scolded him for his bad sweeping.

The 85th Birthday issue of Sai Chandana is redolent with resplendent messages and experiences. B. Aravind’s article highlights a very important lesson that he learnt – the unconditional love of God. He observes in his article, I realized that the single set of footprints in times of crisis is indeed His. Those are the times when He taught me how to walk by carrying Him in my heart always. Beautiful indeed! Sai Giridhar leaves a seminal message when he concludes his article with what Bhagavan said to him. He asked, "Swami, can I love You selflessly?" Swami replied to him, You don’t have to do anything; every moment is Love, every breath is Love and every act is Love. All are nothing but Love, Love, Love! Just stop trying, and be and experience Love that you are.

Sai Charan from Class XI narrates in his article, how Naxalites have started respecting Bhagavan and His Mission, and Prafulla Chandra from the M.Sc. class records the thrilling story of unbelievable transformation effected in him by one single look of Bhagavan. Rohit Chawla of Class expresses his deep debt of gratitude to Bhagavan for extending his mother’s life.

The articles by the senior teachers of the Hostel and equally inspiring. Sri Janardhanan unfolded the secret of earning of Sai’s grace with hard work and exertion. Dr. Siva Sankara Sai highlights the supreme value of how Bhagavan fosters our love with His Love. Sri Venkateswaralu shares with us the wonderful miracles of Sai Glory enacted in distant countries. The magnificence of these experiences make us gasp in wonder and our whole being tingles with thrill when we hear about the Medicine Man in Chile who gets the confirmation that it was Sri Sathya Sai Baba who was curing the incurable diseases through Him. Equally amazing is the experience of a lady from Dominican Republic who was mysteriously cured by Sai Baba. Very thrilling indeed is the experience of Rajan Salviterra from Bolivia, whom Bhagavan visited every night and assured him that everything would be alright, when he lost the hope of recovery as he was suffering from Cisteriocozis, a disease that defied any cure. To his utter amazement, it dawned on him that it was Sai Baba who had come in the form of a doctor, when he saw the doctor’s photo on the cover of a book about Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

The last concluding article in 85th Birthday issue of Sai Chandana ends with a message to the students and devotees of Baba:

"Your mission has begun. Each of you has a unique part to play in this life time. My mission has reached that point in time when each one of you has work to do. This planet has a purpose in the great galaxy in which it is held. The purpose is unfolding before your eyes. To successfully perform your part, be always centered upon Me. You are My instruments from whom My love will pour. Be always aware the moment you let your ego descends upon you, My work ceases. When you have overcome your negative mindfulness; you will again become My source. The multiplication of My love will be felt throughout the world. I have prepared for this work for over many incarnations and I have drawn you to Me. As each one of you perform your silent work, I will embrace you to My Heart and henceforth your souls shall be lifted up and your eyes will reveal My Presence within. Your example will be that of angels. Your Joy is My Joy."

Let us remember this message and make our lives His Message.

The greatest thing that happened to us is our coming in to the Sai fold. Blessed indeed are those who contacted the Divine magnet when they were young. One cannot but remember the memorable words of William Wordsworth who said:

Bliss was in that Dawn to be alive, to be young was very heaven!

Bhagavan drew all of us to His lotus feet quite early in life, and gave Himself to us and voiced His true feelings when He uttered, "You are Me, I am you". Having been so uniquely and so bounteously blessed, let us all reflect on the responsibility fastened on all of us: If not we, who? If not now, then when!

M. Rama Mohan Rao,

Founding Chief Editor, Sai Chandana

Faculty Member, Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School

Prasanthi Nilayam

Editor’s Note

It is impossible to pen the life of Bhagavan. Its subtleties are beyond our ken. He often exhorts us, ‘Don’t try to analyse Me, experience Me instead; dive deep into My life, and therein you will find pearls of supreme wisdom which you can use in your daily life.’

This was one endeavour which was a regular feature at the Sri Sathya Sai Hostel, Prasanthi Nilayam – writing our experiences with Bhagavan and sharing through them the lessons for life that we have learnt. Through these writings by the students and staff, emerged facets of His personality, which have struck us the most, and transformed our lives forever – His love, grace, grandeur, charisma, message and mission.

The ‘Sai Chandana’ magazine started in 1984. Named by Bhagavan Himself, it is an in-house Hostel Magazine offered by the Hostel students and staff to Him, every quarter. It typically consists of the experiences of students and staff (in English, Hindi, Telugu and Sanskrit), in the form of articles and poems, and even colourful sketches of Bhagavan and other deities of the Sanathana Dharma. The best of these articles were selected and published in a book form every five years titled ‘Sai Nandana’.

Till date, five such volumes have been published by the Hostel (1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010) and offered to Bhagavan on the occasion of His ‘five-yearly’ Birthday celebrations, as an offering of love and gratitude for all that He has done for us, for sharing with Him and expressing to Him all that He means to us. In Hindi it is said, ‘Tera Tujhko Arpan’. He gave us, and we offered it back to Him. And He accepted it too! For example when the 70th Birthday issue was taken to Bhagavan for Blessings by Dr. Siva Sankara Sai (then Warden) and Sri Ram Mohan Rao, Founding Editor of Sai Chandana, He blessed them to have tiffin (snacks) with Him in the Poornachandra residence and spent over an hour going through each and every article, recollecting the student author, his class and his association with Him. Thus, each of the articles of all the issues was sanctified by Him, year after year – the Naivedyam had been accepted, it was now Prasadam for all to partake…

Each of these issues was a limited copy edition. By and large, the students whose articles were published in the issue would receive a gift copy from the Hostel as a prize for their writing skills. The devotees, who would throng to Prasanthi Nilayam on the occasion, would be lucky enough to get a copy for themselves from the Mandir book shop, for students’ experiences with Swami are something that everyone wants to read. Luckily, a copy was given to the libraries of each of the Hostels and even to the Central Library of the Institute at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus.

Those of us, who joined the Institute in recent years, were unaware of these early issues. Recently, we happened to come across some of these old copies in the Central Library at the Prasanthi Nilayam Campus of the Institute. When we opened the issues, we found articles by many illustrious alumni names, who are today in prominent positions in eminent organisations across the globe. When they were students, they had shared their experiences with Bhagavan in the Sai Nandana issues. And in all the articles, we found that the same Love Story between the Lord and His Children continuing year after year, batch after batch, decade after decade – the silent story of inner transformation of students through His Darshan, Sparshan, Sambhashan, Anugraham and Aashirwadam.

We, at Sai Publications, thought that it was the right time to bring forth all these issues into the public domain, and once again, make it available for all the alumni, students and staff of Bhagavan’s Institutions, and to the large Sai family of devotees across the continents, to read and reminisce the golden days which the students spent with Swami during their stay in this hallowed Institution. Undoubtedly, this would be the Bhagavatam of our times, where each Gopala had the opportunity of sharing his own story with their Krishna. A single Vyasa would not be burdened with the Himalayan task of compiling all of them together in one book!

Since e-books are the most preferred format in contemporary times, we bring these Sai Nandana books in various e-formats, which are compatible with different software provided by Apple, Google, Kindle and Adobe. This would give the readers an opportunity to read an experience a day, while they are travelling to office or returning therefrom, waiting for a meal or winding up after a long day’s work, and help them get soaked in the joy of those moments of a bygone and glorious era! The issues have also been made colourful by including photos of Bhagavan relevant to the experience shared in each article.

Through this endeavour we bring before the readers all the issues of Sai Nandana, compiled between 1985 and 2010, and consisting of over 450 experiences of students and staff over the last quarter century – indeed, a treasure house of Divine Grace and proximity between the Divine Chancellor and His students…

One teacher has been incessantly spearheading the Sai Chandana magazine in the Hostel for the past three decades, consistently and persistently, motivating the students to share their experiences in the form of articles, so that the posterity can benefit from this rare collection of personal experiences. That teacher is Sri Rama Mohan Rao – English Teacher at the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, Prasanthi Nilayam. The credit of selecting, compiling and editing the articles for all these issues of Sai Nandana goes to him and his dedicated group of students from different batches right from the early 1980s to 2010. On behalf of all the students, staff and devotees of Bhagavan, we take this opportunity to express our gratitude to him and his team for taking up this act of selfless service for the benefit of the current and future generations. We are sure that as we bring forth these e-versions of the Sai Nandana issues, all their hard work in preserving the experiences and presenting them to the future generations have borne fruit.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank a number of individuals who have made the release of these e-books possible. Firstly, we would like to thank Dr. S. Siva Sankara Sai, Chairman, Sri Sathya Sai Students and Staff Welfare Society, Prasanthi Nilayam; and Former Warden, Sri Sathya Sai Hostel for Senior Students for his support and encouragement. Of the last three decades of its existence, he was the Warden for 17 long years and enjoyed Bhagavan’s confidence and guidance in all Hostel and students’ matters. He has been a pillar of strength for the Sai Chandana teams since their inception, and has personally prayed to Bhagavan to bless the students and the issues of the Sai Chandana magazine, whenever they were released. He has always encouraged this endeavour, and has contributed an article for each of the Nandana issues. We would also like to thank Dr. Pallav Kumar Baruah, Warden, Sri Sathya Sai Hostel for Senior Students, Prasanthi Nilayam, for the permission in bringing out the Sai Nandana issues as e-books. We are immensely grateful to all the 450 contributors – administrators, faculty members, doctoral research scholars and students (past and present) who have enriched these books through their wonderful writings. The students of the Institute working in the Sai Publications Division of the Senior Hostel have spared no effort in the proof reading, formatting and designing of this book. We take this opportunity to thank each of them for the enormous efforts put in as a labour of Love for our Most Beloved Mother Sai. A special note of appreciation is due to Brothers Harish Arjun (II MBA) and Vishal Pathak (I MBA) for the aesthetically designed cover and offering pages. Aditya Seshamani (I MBA) has spent many months identifying the most relevant photos for each of the articles to make this book very colourful and absorbing for the readers. We express our heartfelt appreciation for his commitment and enthusiasm towards this effort of reviving this series of books in the e-version and for his meticulous formatting and proof-reading. We also thank Sri Nitin Acharya and his team from the Publications Division of the Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust for converting this series of books into e-version(s) format(s) compatible with multiple devices.

Above all, we are eternally beholden to Bhagavan for giving us these opportunities – the opportunity of being His contemporaries during His earthly sojourn; the opportunity of being chosen by Him to know Him and be close to Him; and above all, the opportunity of being called by Him as ‘My Only Property’. There is no doubt that in the aeons ahead, in our journey unto Him, in as many births as we may have to take, these opportunities would be the most cherished, envied even by the Devas of the highest heavens…

Thank you Swami for everything that You have done for us. Words are insufficient to express our gratitude to You, for investing Your time, Your energy, Your resources in us, and above all giving Yourself to us, so that we may lead nobler and more purposeful lives. We pray that You continue to shower Your boundless love and bounteous grace on all of us, and enable us to be Your effective instruments in this glorious mission of universal transformation.

Rohit Chhabra

Coordinator, Sai Publications Division

&

Dr. Shashank Shah

Joint Secretary and Treasurer

Sri Sathya Sai Students & Staff Welfare Society

Prasanthi Nilayam

Arpana

Sweet Lord,

We, Your students fold our palms in reverence and thankfulness on this day of days, on which you are completing seventy-five years of your glorious life. You have packed so much in these seventy-five years that no human pen can ever sum up even one millionth of your splendour.

We have obtained You in this life as the Master of our life and destiny. We do not know what we did to deserve this greatest good fortune that is ours today. Having obtained You in this life, we would endeavour hard to cling to You in storm and stress, for we know that You are the highest, for whose vision the rishis strove for aeons.

Forsaking the heavenly delight, You have chosen to come to earth to lend a helping hand to all those who are helplessly fighting their lone battles of life. Despite Your Divine station, You condescend to walk among us, so that we may walk along with You in dignity and humility, for man and God are partners in life’s adventures. You have given us the hope that You are there to help us at every faltering step. Walking with God is the highest privilege and the coveted fortune that has ever fallen to our lot, the humans. You have drawn us to Your feet, through your unflinching Will, across oceans and continents, to touch the hem of Your robe.

Having drawn us to Your feet, You have bounteously showered on us infinite gifts of love and affection, which no one could ever bestow. As thought that were not enough, You have given Yourself to us and for this act of love and self-giving, there are no parallels in human history.

Humans as we are, we err, blunder and often stray away. But the loving Shepherd that You are, You put us in the pen so that we may be safe from the wolf.

You have given us a chance to live with you, the Avatar, a chance that comes once in millennia. This is the rarest of chances, for such a chance comes to one amongst millions.

On this auspicious day, we, the children of Your Hostels offer our thankfulness and place at Your Divine feet, this little garland, which Your boys, ranging from eight standard to post graduation and doctoral study, have woven out of their hearts with Sai experience as the theme. In Your infinite mercy, You have blessed even the smallest of your students thereby inspiring them to share the glory of Sai experience with others.

We pray to You to give wisdom to know more and more of Your glory, to enjoy more and more of Your Divine life, and to lose ourselves deeper and deeper in the infinite depths of Your Divinity.

Your