Rare Spiritual Treasure: "Divine Games of Bala Sai" by V.R. Krishna Kumar

Excerpts shared for educational and spiritual purposes with reverence to the author. This project is a non-profit initiative, offered as a labor of love and selfless service.

Anubhandam

AFFECTIONATE RELATIONSHIP

BABA TO SWAMI

This was an incident that happened in the Old Mandir, when we first met Bala Sai during 1945. Then, Bhayammagaru and some other devotees were there. Though the inmates believed in Bala Sai as God, they addressed Him as 'Baba'. Agitated about this, our family discussed this topic, and my mother, Radhamma, gave a serious thought to this. It did not look good for a devotee to call the cherished Lord by His name, and it was not respectful. Our whole family was lost in these thoughts and decided that great beings should not be called by their name. It would be suitable, to call Him as 'Swami', instead of 'Baba', we decided. As this was our first visit, we were hesitant to introduce anything new like this. But, summoning enough courage, we decided to address Him as 'Swami'! Though we liked this form of addressing Him, we were not sure if the other inmates of the Old Mandir would like it! Without much thought, we came to a conclusion not to hurt anyone's feelings. All these fears of ours were proved unnecessary and false. When Bala Sai heard us call Him as Swami, I cannot tell you how happy He was. Not only Him, but the other inmates were also happy about this. This was very suitable, they expressed and immediately adapted it, to our relief and pleasure.

On that night, while at His service, He ridiculed, “Do you people think that I am so old, with a big beard, to be called as Swami? How did you get these thoughts?” When we expressed that our hearts did not permit to call Him by name, He was very impressed and happily accepted our request. It our great fortune and we should fully understand that these thoughts were provoked by Him only, and it was He Who made us call Him as 'Swami'. Such fortune would be granted only to those who understood this inner aspect and never would feel proud of having done such a thing. When this was His divine will, who can ever escape from it. It was our fortune that He had selected us to play such a role for Him, many a time. In those days, only a few people were there at the Old Mandir, and even the old devotees who would regularly visit Him, were less. Only a handful of these were selected to take care of His needs and other services. He took much interest to guide, them in the right path and make them to become the right examples to the others. He would take care of them like a shadow, and we were also the recipients of His love and affection. The way He cared for these few could never be described in words!

TREATMENT FOR POISION

My ailing father, Radhakrishnayya, could not be correctly diagnosed by the. best of the doctors, and they did not know what medicines to prescribe, even. Once, Swami revealed to my father that he was not having any decease, but was poisoned by his own relatives. He assured him that it was due to this that he was suffering. He took my father into His room and started pressing him hard, with His fingers, from the bottom and moved towards the head. The pressure was so hard, my father wriggled in pain. Ultimately, some white paste-like stuff came from the top of his head. He came back to normal, only after some time. Swami arranged for some hot coffee and mixed some Vibhuthi into it. He Himself made my father drink this coffee. From that day, his ailments reduced substantially, as the poison was removed. Though Swami was so young, His Leelas were very great. The Nectarine Leelas of Bala Sai were most delightful!

DAILY MISCHIEF

No one could ever decline that the more the love, the closer the relation. To get away from this web of relation would be difficult. But having been caught in this web, it would be necessary to undergo His 'Test' that would make you weep. Swami was an expert in this art, and we had read with much interest the way Lord Krishna made the Gopikas cry for Him. Our Swami, the Master of Leelas, was no less than the dark-hued Krishna! Smt. Nagamanimma was one of the old devotees of that period, and there was no end for her humour. Smt. Konamma was a humble and innocent lady. Smt. Savitramma was very able and efficient. Smt. Sakamma was authoritative and very possessive of Swami. Seshagri tata was completely immersed in the service to Swami. In spite of so many elderly devotees around Him, He allowed me to serve Him in those days. Though I was very much younger than all of them, it was only due to Swami that I got along well with them. So many different people at one place, under one shade, were well managed by Swami, the Master of this Kali era. It was customary for Swami, the lover of mischief, to create misunderstandings among these people. This was not some sort of punishment imposed by Him, but in fact the right lesson, for the right person, that stood like a moral for everyone. This had nothing to do with hatred, but was done out of love. These few people were really fortunate. Though the door keepers of Lord Vishnu, Jaya and Vijaya were born as demons hating the Lord, much love was showered on them by Vishnu. This was the. secret of the divine. Shall we now taste some of Bala Sai'smysterious games and Leelas?

When all were seated in the hall of the Old Mandir, Swami asked me to call Nagamanimma in a hurry. I went in to call her and addressed her as 'Mother'. She got very irritated, yelled at me, and dragged me into Swami's presence. She complained to Swami that how dare I call her 'Mother', and what right I had to address her like this? This made everyone burst into laughter. When Swami asked her in which way I should have addressed her, she said 'Atta', (Aunty, but in Telugu it would also mean mother-in-law). This made everyone laugh even more. Now it was Swami's turn to inform her that I had no authority to call 'Atta' as I was not her son-in-law. When she fell silent, Swami also had. a good laugh. Like this there were numerous occasions every day that brought laughter to everyone. In this way Bala Sai's Nectarine Leelas flowed like honey.

FORTUNATE COUPLE

An elderly Brahmin couple came to the Old Mandir. They had come after visiting many hermitages and spiritual institutions. They were highly impressed by the functioning of the Mandir. They had always imagined a great saint, with a big beard and a lot of followers, in orange robes. But nothing like this was seen by them here. The way the place was filled with love and the synchronization flabbergasted them. In those days, though Swami was 19 years old, He looked like a boy of 12 years. He would usually wear clothes that were as white as jasmine flowers that flowed down to His feet, like a cascade of foaming water, a basket of curly hair, moon-like face having an imposing nose, and naughty eyes. In short, He looked like Mohini, the enchanting damsel of the heavens. That captivating walk, penetrating look, never made them believe that He was the Guru and the leader! They were immersed in His beauty and wondered, which mother had delivered such an enchanting boy? Swami came towards them and threw one of His smiles. That was that! They were swept away in its force and became numb with this dose of aesthesia. The elderly man asked Him when the Guru would come into the Ashram. Swami said. with a smile, that they had to wait for some time and went into the village. Little did they know that He· was the Lord of Parthi! Such childish play was common for us, and not known to them. After some time, when Swami returned and enquired about their welfare, only then they realised that this young boy was the head of the Ashram, and they were in absolute surprise. Before they could come out of this, our great dramatist enacted His drama and solved all their issues. When at play He was a simple boy like us, and when He had to handle important issues, He looked like a mighty Lord, beyond imagination. I can definitely say that they were very fortunate to experience all this, in such a short time. But all were not bestowed with such fortune. Love does not distinguish between the old and the new! But, many a time, even the old devotees would wait for days to have a word with Him. Though the reason for this could never be evaluated by any, it was evident that anyone would become slaves to His love! If you imagine that He does not love you, just because He had not talked to you, it would only prove your ignorance. Our Bala Sai, the embodiment of love, was the tastiest of all the things on the earth.

BALA YOGI

From my boyhood days, I was adventurous and mischievous. I was so much different when compared to my calm and enduring parents. To keep me on hold they decided to put me in a hostel My father had good contacts with the Annie Besant Society of Madras and they, were running a boarding school. My parents joined me in that school, so that I could learn some discipline. That did bring about much change in me. My Principal was a foreigner and, surprisingly, he was a great devotee of Lord Rama. He always used to sing the glory of Rama, very nicely. In the very early stages itself. I could get into his good books.

A boy by name Bala Yogi visited Madras. He was hardly 16 years old, and by God's grace he was so through with Shiva Puranam, the Holy Text of Lord Shiva. He had a simple of a dothi and one upper doth, bald head, and Rudraksha beads around his neck. One day his speech was arranged at the Anne Besant Society which was very congenial for such purposes. It had a beautiful big ground that could accommodate nearly 5000 people at a time, with a huge Banyan tree in the centre. The atmosphere was very calm and delightful. Preparations were made to accommodate Bala Yogi in our school premises. I was entrusted with the task of taking care of all his needs. This was. my real fortune, due to the accumulation of merit in many past births, no doubt. The school also declared holiday for the students to participate in the functions.

Bala Yogi used to get up by 4 AM, have cold water bath sit in meditation for more than an hour. I was at his service for five days. He blessed me for the service and left Maybe it was due to such blessings; I had more opportunities to serve great beings.

DIVINE VISION OF LINGAM

After many years, that same Bala Yogi came to Puttaparthi. At that time, I was serving Bala Bai at the Old Mandir. I could recognise him, even after so many years, but he did not recognise me. As soon as Swami appeared, he fell at His feet, uttering the name of Shiva repeatedly. Compassionate Sai Prabhu lifted him and blessed him with Vibhuthi. I could not realise the mystery behind this. The favourite saint of my younger days, had now been blessed, I thought. He suddenly recognised me and gave me a big hug, saying that I was very fortunate to stay close to God Himself. Looking at this, Swami chided me by saying, “Is he your friend?”, and went off into the village.

Taking this as a hint, and as I had no work on hand I started a conversation with Bala Yogi, who had impressed me very much by his daily routine when at the Anne Besant School. I was very happy to know that he· had been granted the vision of Lord Shiva in the form of a Lingam, within moments of his arrival at Puttaparthi. He left the place engulfed in bliss. I assumed that for having served him at Madras, I was rewarded to be with Swami at such a young age. If such divine beings were great, then how are we to praise the Supreme Being, Bala Sai? Within no time, Swami granted him the divine vision of Shiva in Linga form and made him very fortunate to receive such grace! How could I express about such great souls? Compassionate Lord Sai had blessed me to be at His service night arid day. In how many ways He taught me was beyond description. The number of divine incidents and miracles showed by Him are beyond count. I fully drank the nectar of Bala Sai's Leelas! If He was not the divine Avatar in the human form, what else He could be? What else we can say? Though this fortune was granted to me, only for a few years, it became my greatest treasure, and did not repent for not having received more. The more we surrender in His service and please Him, the more affection He would shower on us, and protect us at all times.

THE FORM OF LOVE

In the Puranas they mentioned that in the- ten Avatars of the Lord, love of Lord Krishna was the greatest. But now, in this period of Kali, we are able to witness with our own eyes that there is nothing bigger than the 'Love of Lord Sai'! It can be said, Sai is Love, Baba is Purnavatar, that which is complete, and Sathyam is Everything. Thus Sathya Sai Baba is the 'Whole Complete Avatar of Love'. This is beyond any doubt and Swami proves that every word is true.

Now many things have changed when compared to the Kingdom of Bala Sai of the Old Mandir days. That Old Ashram, a small Guru, Who was mischievous, and that tiny group of humble devotees, could not be found any more. In those days, there was no specific Divine Discourse from a platform, or specific speeches, but it was fun and frolic most of the time. With just simple play and song. Swami built a Spiritual Family with a variety of people. Everyone was immersed in love. With love, Swami narrated simple stories to inculcate virtue in everyone, big and small. Those stories were no ordinary stories to pass time, and there should be a specific reason for this. Though it seemed simple, it was filled with the essence of the Puranas, the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Holy Texts. The beauty of all this was of a different category. You may hear about all these for days together, without any limits, never get bored. Especially during the arrival of new devotees, pundits, and renowned people, Swami would reciprocate, depending on their feelings and levels of ego. Without any definite reason Swami would not hurt anyone's feelings and emotions. He never spoke rudely and only one in a million would have witnessed all this. Though some of them could not clear all their doubts with the right answers, they surely did benefit from their visit to the Old Mandir. If great souls like Bala Yogi could visit such a remote place and have the vision of the Lord, then how can anyone have even an iota of doubt about His divinity?

In those days there were no specific interviews in private, and everything happened in the open view of the public. It was due to this that we could see so many divine incidents that could never be described fully. There was no need to say anything to the all-knowing Omnipresent Lord. Once we start the journey in the name of Bhagawan Sai, He shall take charge and be with us like a shadow, to protect us at all times. The love for His devotees was. beyond imagination. The people who saw the way Swami welcomed us when we first visited Puttaparthi in 1945, were dazzled and astonished. This was the love He poured on this simple 'Kuppam Family', as named by Him. Nobody knew about our arrival and at what time we would reach Puttaparthi, as letters or even telegrams would not reach on time. Under such circumstances, as we were crossing the Chitravathi River in spate, Swami was already waving His white handkerchief at us. Surely this astonished everyone over there. It was a divine boon to the old devotees of those days, to receive such divine love of Prema Sai. What we heard on one day from Swami was never repeated and could never be forgotten. What He said would suit everyone, and I shall write about a few things only. I hope you shall derive the same pleasure and wait for more! Every day, all of us used to assemble in the hall of the Old Mandir. We would not know much about the newcomers, as we never used to talk too much. lf at all we talked to them, without Bala Sai's permission, we would only ask for His fury. All details would be known to Swami. He would not talk the same way he started, but would include some proverbs, stories, humour, and in between converse with the devotees and make them also participate. There was no question of monotony at any point of time. Sometimes He would stop somewhere in-between, when there was some urgent work to be done. We used to make a note of where He had stopped and on the very next occasion, coax Him to start from there.

LADDU COUNT

One day some devotees brought some laddus, sweets   that looked like small balls. After distributing some of these, He made me keep the remaining in the storeroom. Usually, He never used to keep anything aside for the next day. Our usual assumption was that He would not take notice of small things! The laddus were so good, I preserved these in a container and forgot about it. Suddenly on a Sunday, many school children came to the Mandir. I was told to distribute the laddus to them when they were about to leave. This reminded me of the laddus I had forgotten about. I laughed to myself, thinking that the few laddus in the small container would not be sufficient for so many children. This thought entered my- head, in spite of all my experience, close to Swami. But why should I worry about this! I obeyed His command and started distributing laddus. The laddus just kept coming out, and in the end, some were left. The story does not end here. The remaining was kept back in the store room. When he could make five into fifty and fifty into five hundred, why would He keep count of anything, I thought! This was my first experience.

That night, when I was serving Him, He enquired, “Was it sufficient for all?”I nodded my head. When He asked how many were left in the container, my heart skipped a beat. My mind stopped functioning, and no words came out of the mouth. I wondered why He should worry about the laddu count. “Six laddus must be there”, Swami said. Healing this I fell at His feet and begged for pardon. I had not told you about one thing that happened in the storeroom. As stated by Swami, six laddus were there and when I was about to close the lid, the sweet aroma took over my senses, and I had swallowed one, leaving behind five. When he can make fifty into five hundred, why would He bother about one?, I had thought. He scolded me that I should have informed Him about this earlier. I repented very much for what I had done, and tears of shame kept pouring out. For an ignorant fool who thought, "What is just one for Him?", a big lesson had been taught. Like this, He made me open my eyes fully. My humble prayer to Him was that I should never make such a mistake in my life again. When I begged Him not to distance me from Him, His mother-like heart melted. It was natural to make such mistakes, at a young age, but not for me. This remained as a big lesson for life. This was how He made the doer come out with his mistake, all by himself! If you boast of having become a good disciple, He would immediately slice you up and prove that there was much more to be learnt. One should be always bound by the truth. For those who loved Sathya Sai, He was the life-giver and sustainer. Immersed in His service I got into His heart, and safely retained Him in my heart. Where ever you may be, when you think of Him, He shall always protect you. This was also proved in my case. This was His principle, and He would not break it, at all times. Is it not true that Bala Sai's Leelas are really great!?

If Lord Rama ate the same fruit that was first tasted by His devotee Shabari, it was all due to her love and devotion towards Rama. Our Bala Sai was an ideal example for this, because without love there would be no devotion. In the same way, the Gopikas were caught in the web of love towards Lord Krishna, and they had caught Him also in their web of love. When a Gopika served Krishna with banana peels, instead of the fruit, that thief of hearts forgot what was being served and ate the peels with delight! We people may get angry with her, for what she had done! But will the. Lord agree to this as a mistake? Never! Whatever she did out of love He had accepted by Him fully! There was no question of mistake from any side! Because the whole thing was based on love, the Lord wholly accepted it, Swami had explained. The love of Bala Sai was no less than the love of Krishna! It was due to this love that He pardoned me, and this was proof for me that He was like Krishna in so many ways. He was also equally mischievous, like Krishna, and dipped us in Anandain every play of His!

Whenever there were a Jot of devotees; He would be so busy that He never felt hunger or thirst. All the efforts of the inmates to make Him eat something would fail. At such times Sakammagaru, Nagamaniamma, Savitramma, Seshagritata, and others would try their best to corner Him or attract His attention, but Swami had His own style of looking through them. On such occasions, I used to take courage and draw Him towards some food and also be prepared to receive His slaps. If He was adamant at such times, I would also become adamant and try to draw His attention by intervening with some pretext or the other. I did succeed, many a time; otherwise, none of us would also eat.

If anyone would engage Him in some small talk while He was eating; He would eat well! But this was no easy task! On such occasions, Nagamaniamma was good in pulling Him into some witty conversation. Some of His Leelas were so different and difficult to understand, but it was equally auspicious and also delightful to be a part of it.