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.

Deivanqrafam

DIVINE GRACE

Nothing can happen in this 'life without His divine grace. Whenever something good happens, we appreciate our past merits, and when difficulties confront us, we blame it on our fate. Both these aspects rise from us alone. I shall mention a few incidents of Swami's divine grace.

In those days, when there were very few people, on many occasions I would be the only person remaining close to Swami. If my family members could stay at Puttaparthi for about three months, I had the fortune of staying there for nine months in service of Swami. As per His command, I used to visit Puttaparthi regularly. He was my very life, and everything else in this world was only secondary. There was no question of over-ruling His command or have any second thoughts. Once, Swami's parents, grandfather, sister Smt. Venkammakka, and few other family members visited Him. I was ever anxious to some 'unheard before’·old events. On that day, Swami was talking about Shiridi Sai Baba. In those days, travel to far of places was not very easy for an ordinary person. So, people who returned from the long treacherous journey to Kashi (Varanasi) far away in the North, they were treated as sacred for their great accomplishment. They would be welcome by washing their feet, to derive some of their sacredness. But I was fortunate and had no need to face so many hardships to visit such a sacred place. Puttaparthi was as holy as Kashi for me. The nectar of words that flowed out of Swami was my sacred Ganges, and the events witnessed by me were verily the vision Of Kashi Viswanatha.

Swami's grandfather had a good sense of humour and could sing very well in a loud voice, even at his advanced age. He was reputed for his roles in many village dramas. I was gifted to listen to his songs and also about a few incidents. On one occasion, it seems he broke a coconut during worship. As usual, it broke into two halves; but on that occasion, Swami said that there were three and not two. People started laughing, but when they had a closer look, of course they saw three halves, instead of two! Swami would give many such surprises regularly, said His grandfather.

When young Sathyam declared that He was the incarnation of Shiridi Sai Baba many people looked at Him with fear, Swami's grandfather revealed. They thought that He was talking out of His mind and did not take His words seriously. Though Swami's grandfather fully believed in Him, he asked Him to prove His declaration. It seems young Sathyam said with a smile, ‘That is all you want! Look at that wall'! Just like a movie or a cinema, they could actually see Shiridi, scene by scene. Some also saw Swami at Shiridi. In minutes, they had the delight to have had glimpses. of Shiridi, right form where they were at Puttaparthi. This happened when young Sathyam was just about seven years old! How any one so young could perform such a miracle at such a young age became their big issue, and they could not digest this. I had the pleasure of listening about this Shiridi Sai Darshan, while having Parthi Sai Darshan. In this way, at times, God Himself makes an effort to show His glory and prove that He is God. Such incidents made the village people revere Him and respect His words, but many people still remained sceptical.

MISSING BABY

To be blessed with divine grace, specific timing or some auspicious day does not play any important role. If God wills to give, He just gives. The small village Puttaparthi was surrounded by hills, hillocks, small grove-like forests, and tiny hamlets. There were many tribes and other groups making their livelihood by using the forest wealth. One such tribe was called 'Sugali'. They had certain specific skills. They were hard working and never knew what was cheating. They would go into the forests, collect wood, take it to the villages and exchange it for grain and other requirements. They were comfortable with this age-old barter system. They would also rear cattle and supply milk, and milk products to the villages and the devotees who visited Puttaparthi. They would also arrange for supply of some items when ordered. Their services were very essential for such remote villages, especially for milk and curds. They were very disciplined in their own way and had a helpful nature. They had a great liking for Bala Sai. Many people came to Puttaparthi pretending to be devotees, but there were no pretenders among the tribes. They would do their best to supply good items to the devotees. I could very well remember one woman of the Sugali tribe who came to Puttaparthi on Thursdays. She would bow to Swami, speak of something, and return after the singing session and worship.

When people of so many tribes came to the Old Mandir and serve Swami, I observed that He gave particular care to her. This aroused in me my usual inquisitive nature. I wondered what special incident could have taken place and when? Sometimes Swami would arrange for her food. Even when she insisted that she had food, He would force her into the Ashram and feed her with something. On one occasion while serving food to her, I thought I could start. some. conversation with her. Once, I directly asked Swami in this regard and with a smile He said, "You Dunnapotha! Why ask Me; ask her"! That put me on to the race, and with all my efforts, there were no results. Swami did permit me, but the right occasion evaded. Without accepting defeat, I was always on the prowl for the right time. Well, finally on one day she came to the Old Mandir when Swami was not there, and I accosted her. While waiting for the singing session to start, with freedom given by Swami, I started asking her simple questions. She smiled, to inform me that it was a long story and she was prepared to talk about it, because I was close to Swami. This was good news to my eager ears. It seems that she used to collect wood from the forest, and supply to the nearby villages. After one such errand, she crossed Chitravathi to return back to her home and found one small baby. She was carried away by its looks beyond limits. She wondered who could desert such a baby. On one was visible, and her heart melted. As she had no children, she presumed this as God's gift, picked up the baby and reached her home. She was really happy and arranged everything for the baby's needs secretly, without revealing this to anyone. She continued with her daily routine and reached Puttaparthi, as usual. She saw a big commotion, which was unusual for this village, and came to know that they were in search of a missing baby. Their description suited the baby picked up by her. She wasted no time in going back to her home, picked-up the baby and returned to Parthi, to place it on the lap of the rightful owner. Looking at their happiness her joy knew no bounds, and it submersed the sorrow of loosing the presumed God given gift.

The disappointment of loosing the baby was short lived, she explained. Though she had not conceived for years, and had decided that she was a barren, she did conceive and delivered a chubby baby, in due course. From then on, she could not stop from coming to the Old Mandir, in gratitude for the unexpected child of her own. I was little confused, wondering what Swami had to do with an this. When asked, she told me that Baba Sai was the missing baby!! I was shocked, as this hit me like a rod from the blue! In spite of my long stay there, I had never got an inkling of such an incident. At last, my anxiousness did subside, for having come to know of such a rare incident not known to many or revealed to many. When I asked Swami's family members about His disappearances, they shrugged helplessly, as they had lost count. I realised that Swami's affection was so strong, so deep and beyond the perception of any ordinary human being. It was known that Swami had disappeared many a time, but very little was known for whose sake, for what reason, for what reason, to which destination, how far away, for the fulfilment of which purpose, etc; the reasons were only known to Him! Such a Compassionate Lord was He, right form those days to this day. As she was concluding Swami entered form nowhere and said, "Why for all these useless words”? To fulfill our desires what-all dramas He would enact is every ones guess. This was something difficult to be understood by all! In those days, singing session at the Old Mandir was not like the Bhajan session of these days, for half hour or one hour.

Once everyone was seated, each session would continue for three to four hours, non-stop. Each day there might have been two to three such sessions. Once seated, it would be very difficult for you to get up for any reason. Sometimes Swami would signal to a few to go and complete the unfinished tasks. My task was to keep a continuous supply of betel leaves, lime, betel-nuts all the while to Swami. I also had to keep the storeroom properly arranged, and handover all the essential items for cooking, and take care of other small tasks as commanded by Swami. With all this everyone should be vigilant for Swami's call and listen to His command.

Once Swami explained, "Praptham, the merit of past births, and Deivanugraham, the divine grace, are entirely different; but ordinary people may not realise this. Praptam isall your un-fulfilled desires in the previous birth that takes shape in the present birth, due to accrued merit. To really get this benefit, divine grace is essential, and without this it cannot be encashed. The great demon-king Ravana could make Lord Shiva grant him the Atma Linga, by ardent penance. When the very embodiment of Atma, became the property of Ravana, the crores of Deities decided that Lord Shiva would be lost forever. The ever-compassionate Lord Shiva could never say NO to His true devotee. Such great devotees do exist! When such imbalances occur in any of the three worlds or in any heaven, Saint Narada would play the most important role for stabilisation. He had the courage to warn Ravana, 'at any cost or due for any reason, till you reach your capital Lanka, do not keep this Lingam on the ground. If this happens, there shall be a big danger'. To resolve this issue, Lord Ganapathy also participated. Very efficiently, with all His skills, He succeeded to stop Ravana from taking theLingam with him to Lanka. The way He succeeded in this task, the acts of His, and the play enacted by Him, are knownto the whole world through the Indian culture. In a similar fashion, the great demon Basamaswara was destroyed by Lord Vishnu in the form of the damsel Mohini, making him put his own hand on his head". That great dance, those beautiful movements, those enticing looks, and that captivating form, as explained by Swami, could never be forgotten. Till this day my eyes would pop out, recollecting those vivid descriptions. "This looks like simple divine play for all! This is enough for today", Swami concluded. Having won over the Lord's grace fully, what was the point in asking Him for something that was beyond our capacity?

What other better work I had the next day? I slowly started the supply of pan to Swami and prompted Him to bless us the remaining part of the story, thinking that His most cherished pan should work wonders! He lovingly knuckled on my head and said, "You do not seem to have any work"? My hopes sustained when some new devotees made their entry. At least, for their sake, Bala Sai had to talk about something?

To our pleasure Swami continued, "When people succeed in something that was beyond their reach, they consider it as divine grace. After having accomplished such a great thing, they presume that there would be no barriers to accomplish much more. Affection is a link among people, but God alone can bestow grace. This is the link between God and devotee. The highest form of affection is the love between the mother and her children, the love that is born out of the blood relation. The mother pours out her affection, and her children enjoy it. The child need not ask the mother for everything, and the mother need not tell what she is going to do for them. Thus, the bound of love between them is very strong and of the highest order. Those who enjoy this relation are the gifted ones. But for the Lord's love, there are no reasons, and is not bound by any blood relation". We should completely surrender to His love, because it is pure, sacred, and selfless. Such love could never be found anywhere else in the world. Sometimes He just might not talk to you, not even a few words. Padanamaskar may become really scarce, even if you were close to Him. Even His glance towards you may disappear. Even during such times, His love for you shall remain ever fresh, but difficult to perceive. I have no capacity to describe this in depth; how can I ever succeed? In this way, I drifted into the stream of Bala Sai's nectarine Leelas and stories.

PRINCE IN DANGER

The next day, Swami started with a story, "There lived devoted royal couple in a kingdom. They had sufficient wealth, pomp and power, but did not have the opportunity to fondle their own children, as they were childless. Due to the grace of divine souls, after many years they were blessed with a child. Their happiness knew no bounds. When the Pundits went through the Prince's horoscope they were perturbed. The reason was that the Prince did not have a long life. As he started . growing up, their worries also grew immensely. Many rituals and worships were conducted, praying for his long life. They did not have any more methods to follow for his survival and depended on the divine grace of the Lord. When they came to know about one renowned Siddapurusha, they approached him for some possible advice. He studied the horoscope deeply and mentioned that the calamity was inevitable for the Prince, only. He stopped his observation there and would not talk any further. Whenever they forced him to elaborate, he repeated the same thing''.

"Unable to think of any other means, they continued to pray. In the mean time the Prince reached the marriageable age. Because of the flaw in his horoscope, no royal brides came forward to marry him. This caused. much pain to his parents. One ordinary girl, belonging to a simple family, came to know of this and opted to marry him. They admired her courage to marry the Prince, who. may die shortly, but still wished to know all about her intentions The Ministers who reviewed her confirmed that though she came from a simple family, she was virtuous and fully believed in destiny. Theirmarriage was performed, and they had anxious moments, wondering when the inevitable would happen. The Prince went into the forest with his friends and by chance stepped over a poisonous thorn and fainted. All the doctors of the King's court, failed to revive him. The whole kingdom was in gloom. During that time, a great Saint entered the kingdom, after a long journey to many other kingdoms. Coming to know of what had happened, he accepted to cure the Prince, if he was given the whole kingdom as alms. He gave them very little time to think it over. They took a fast decision and donated the  kingdom to the Saint, as they did not have any better alternative. As promised by him, the Prince was cured, and all were delighted. Claiming that he had to go on an important pilgrimage, he left the kingdom in safe hands and left. He returned back after sometime and observed that all was well with the kingdom. Then, he cleverly mentioned that he was getting old and, in the interest of the kingdom, he would accept the Prince as his son. In this manner he cleverly saved the life of the Prince because he understood that his life was in danger, only if he remained as a Prince. Latter, he gave back the kingdom to the Prince and left. This is the knowledge of the wise. The divine will, enabled an ordinary girl to marry the Prince and live happily. The divine timing brought this Saint there at the right time, and the divine grace saved the Prince. To receive all this, determination and devotion were necessary”. This was one of the first stories I heard from Swami. The vivid description that flowed out of His mouth fell like pearls, but full justice could not be done by me to put it in the same way.

BETEL LEAVES GRANNY

From the young days Bala Sai had a great liking for chewing pan and would forget about thirst and hunger. To arrange for these tender betel leaves was Smt. Konamma's pleasure. One day, for some unknown reason, she ran out of stock, and further stock was not expected to reach Puttaparthi till the next day. I was assigned the job of going to Bukkapatnam, approach an old lady near the bus-stand there and collect the tender leaves immediately. Once I inform her that those are for the Ashram, she would do the needful, I was told. I took the short-cut to reach there, in about half an hour, found her in a hurry and asked for the leaves. I declined her offer of the over-ripe leaves given by her, saying that the Ashram people would get angry. Once she came to know that it was meant for Bala Sai, she grabbed the leaves from my hand and disappeared, asking me to wait. To start with, I thought that she had no affection for Bala Sai, like many others, but I was proved wrong. She returned back to give such tender leaves that she had carefully preserved for Him. She proudly revealed that she always kept such good leaves for Swami I referred to her as 'Avva, granny and asked her how much I should pay? This form of address impressed her very much and she delightfully said that young Raju (Swami) used to call her Like this! Well, in those days, if our Bala Sai called her granny, there should be a long relationship! My inquisitive mind became hungry to explore the facts. Due to lack of time, I turned back without any further talk. Swami was waiting for my return and, with anger said, "Why cannot you return soon after the work is over? Stories can get you stuck anywhere"! Was there anything not known to the all-pervading, omnipresent Lord? After a good serving of pan, He enquired, "What did the granny say""? I expressed that He was always in her thoughts and she was anxious to see Him. Swami said, "It is alright, tell her to come". Like this, a big story was waiting round the corner, I thought, with delight. Suddenly, Swami left to Bangalore on a short visit, leaving me behind at Puttaparthi. Taking advantage of this situation, I completed all my tasks as fast as possible, ran to Bakkapatnam and addressed her as granny. Delighted by such a call she expressed, "Who is there to call me like this now? Is Swami comfortable?" She thought that I had come for more leaves, but she was not aware that I had landed there for the long-awaited story. Observing that I was in no hurry, she started talking, "I knew Raju' s family for many years. I was the chief supplier of tender betel-leaves. Raju was also called as 'Sathyam' then and now; 'Baba'. He would go to Bukkapatnam from Puttaparthi to attend school. On His return, He would carry some small requirements for the family and would never cross, without seeing me; Once, He called on me in the very early hour, as I was getting ready to sit for my business. When He picked up two betel leaves, I got angry, because no sale had taken place. In spite of this, He remained calm, and as a matter of fact, I had never seen Him get angry. He patted me cheerfully and said that His very arrival was roaring business for me. To sell one basket of betel leaves, it took two to three days for me, but on that day some marriage party bought all my stocks. Besides these, they ordered for more and did pick it up latter. I never had such sales before, and this made me go haywire. As usual, that evening I waited for Raju, but He did not appear. Unable to thank Him for this grand sale, I was in despair."

"On the next day, though Raju was crossing over, He did not look at me, but I used all my force and brought Him to my shop. I offered Him two tender leaves, as usual and He left". Is this not the proof of His saying, 'You take one step towards me and I shall take ten towards you!' Now, anyone may wonder as to why He would accept two leaves only? Even I took a long time to come to know that He had one leaf and offered one to His friend. We may forget something at times, but will He ever forget anything, at anytime? Without any doubt, that friend of His must have been the fortunate one, in those days. After that, she started giving Him two leaves, some lime, few betel-nut pieces, for Him and His friend. In this way, Swami was used to pan from His young days. How would have one leaf per day, could have satisfied Him in all those years, she repented with tears? But the truth behind this was that even a small offering to Him, with love, was a great feast to Him. Needless to say, she always had sufficient-business to sustain herself happily.

For quite some time I was engrossed in this story, but was not blessed to witness the affection between them. One day, she responded to Swami's call and visited the Old Mandir. The way He looked at her with love, she instantly melted away like butter. She held both His hands with equal love, looking at His divine grown-up form. The pure-hearted granny touched His cheeks, as if He was still a child. Her gratitude for having been granted with such a smooth-flowing life was clearly visible. Then, it was His turn to console her like a child and bid farewell. I can never describe the way He loved the old devotees. It was not necessary fox Him to open His mouth or even talk to them! The magnet-like eyes could communicate so much, beyond any imagination. Though there are so many devotees now, to witness such an incident is very rare. Very few are distained to receive such divine love. Yes! Really very few! If these were not instances of His divine grace, what else could these be? He nominates and uses only a selected few to propagate His glory and love to the whole world. Even the great saints could not have been so fortunate. This is what I meant when I stated that if the Lord wills to shower His divine grace, He would not wait for any auspicious time. He shall even snatch something from you against your will, and shower you with His boons! Such rare events that touched my heart shall be placed before you.

SWAMI'S SCHOOL TEACHER

Young Raju (Swami), after studying at Bukkapatnam, joined another school at the nearby village Uravakonda. There was one teacher by name Sri Thammaraju. Sometimes he would visit the Old Mandir and stay there for a few days. Such stay of his was fully utilized by us. Once, when all of us assembled in the hall, as usual I was at Swami's feet supplying pan. As already mentioned, the presence of old devotees made His love flow in a special way. Who can we keep away from knowing about the Leelas of His school days that were little known to the world then! When I saw Swami smiling happily, I summoned courage to ask Sri Thammaraju to speak about Swami's boyhood days, as witnessed by him. Swami, the thief of our heart, was equally interested in recollecting old memories, for the pleasure of the devotees. When some delighted incidents came out, He would laugh happily and fully enjoy it One should have hundreds of eyes to enjoy this sight!

Sri Thammaraju started·like this, "In those days, our Swami would not easily mingle with anyone closely. At such a young age, He was very compassionate. If any of the students, though not close to Him, needed pencils or rubbers, He would give these to them from His bag. When we asked Him from where these came, He would humbly say, 'From My store'”.

''Once, for no fault of Raju, his: teacher made Him stand on the bench. Though the class was 0vert the teacher could not get up fron1 his chair, as he was struck to it Without knowing what to do, he remained, helpless. The next teacher was surprised to see Raju standing. on the bench and realized what was happening. He made the other teacher request Raju to sit, and, instantly he was relieved from the chair. Like this, He would. conduct many strange 'things that were difficult to understand. God’s Leelas cannot be understood easily. How true! Only much later do we understand the true meaning of His deeds. Though many knew about this, it was a pleasure to hear it from the one who had actually seen this, especially when Swami was seated there! We just forgot ourselves in those Moments. This was nothing but, divine grace - to select him from many others, to sit there among us, and talk about His boyhood Leelas - right in front of Him.

In those days, many a time I did not see Bala·Sai as God, because of His naughty acts, child-like play, singing and jumping all the time, just like one among us. He was more a family member to us. In the beginning, He never stressed that He was God. All that He did was pour out His affection, shower His love, exhibit plenty of mischief, etc. Much more was in store for us was realised only at a later stage.

The Government-aided Elementary School at Bukkapatnam

Thammaraju Manchiraju - Sathya Math Teacher

MIDNIGHT DOSAS

 If I narrate what happened on one night, you will not believe it. The divine director was suddenly hungry. He woke me up and expressed His desire to eat, at the dead of the night. What could l do but obey, His command? Could we ever advise or guide, Him? As commanded, by Him, I woke up, my mother Radhamma and sister Kumaramma, and all of us entered the kitchen. There was only dough to make dosa[1] unlike many other days. Swami said that dosas should be made, but it should not make any sizzling noise on the pan, otherwise people there would come to know, of this midnight meal. My mother expressed that she shall obey His orders, and all other issues, He should take care of. She spread the dough on the hot pan; surprisingly it made no sizzling noise, and Swami ate well. This may have looked strange and exciting, but how much music we had to face letter; please, note!

The next morning when all were seated for breakfast, Swami held His stomach and Iooked at us with a naughty smile. He announced that He would not have breakfast! It came like a rod from the blue sky. Hearing to this Smt Sakamma started Shivering, as she just could not bear Swami in any type of discomfort. She tried to coax Him, “Swami, how can You forget breakfast?” Swami, holding, His stomach said, “Sakamma, last night, though l declined, this ‘Kuppum family’ forced Me to eat dosas”. All hell broke Ioose, and now she was shivering with anger, joined, by others. “This Kuppam family is always lake this. Every time, they come, they create some problem or the other for Sami,” she fumed Ioudly. She targeted my mother, “Weve you out of your mind? Do not you have a sense of timing? Your games may look good to you, but·cannot you see how much suffering you have caused to Swami”. Little did she know that we were the ones with a problem and nor the naughty Lord? How could she ever understand this or how could we explain this to her? In fact, not only her, but also the whole world would never understand this! Even the old devotees started scorning us. We did not know where to hide ourselves from onslaught. We could never tell them that all this was His play, and even if we did, would they believe? Why would He indulge in such mischief was not know to us also. His Leelas are known to Him alone! We lost count of how many times we were put into such tight comers. We were like rats caught in a trap and this seemed to be a great pleasure for Him. Thus, Bala Sai's nectarine plays are very exciting. This is also divine grace that comes crashing into you at any time and makes you participate in His divine game.

[1]Dosa – a South Indian pancake made out of wet dough of boiled rice and black-gram dhal.

SERVING FOOD TO SWAMI

During our visits to the Old Mandir, it was Smt. Sakamma (1880–1950) who took charge of Swami's food and Swami's sister, Smt. Venkamma[1] (1918-1993), would also join. It was nothing but His divine grace that she was granted this opportunity for so many years. Now you know what would happen if we prepared something for Him once in a while! For some months, the devotees were demanding that they should also be granted with the opportunity to cook something for Swami. This small demand grew in to a storm. Swami's play, at such times, and the way he would take up the sides, was a delight to observe. One evening, Smt. Sakamma and Swami's sister Smt. Venkamma discussed about this issue, and concluded they alone shall manage Swami's food. If all were allowed, it would surely affect Swami's health, they decided. Swami always liked my mother Radhamma's cooking, and this new development hurt her and the other old devotees. I tried my best to console her by telling that it was all His game, but she remained off-colour. That night when I was serving Swami, "How is this play? Would these women listen to anyone? Whichever side I may take, if I agree or disagree, there would be disheartened people. At such times you have to remain silent and watch the game". He not only escaped, but also did not hurt anyone on both the sides. Slowly, this storm subsided, due to some joint decisions. Latter, many were allowed to place their items and it was left to Swami to choose from these.

You may think that Swami would be getting tons of such offerings from the devotees. Will He ever accept all that is offered to Him? Who could ever offer anything to the Universal Master, Who feeds the whole world? Even if He was forced to accept, will He yield to pressure? For that very form of love, Loving Sai, love was the most important thing for Him. He would select only a few items, and the remaining would be taken away. He would eat only a part of it, and what was left in His plate would be mixed together and distributed as Prasad, holy food. For most of the days, this was our breakfast and lunch. We never felt the pangs of hunger though we had very little food. This was His grace only, otherwise we would have fainted in a few days. This was how He embroiled us in his games, drowned us in Maya, illusion, and pricked us at the right place. to give us the right wisdom. All such acts of His were par excellence! In the beginning, my brother Amba also stayed there in service of Swami.

BANANA DELIGHT

One day, the offerings of banana fruits by a devotee were kept in Swami's room, instead of the storeroom, as ordered by Swami. Though this was a surprise to us, as nothing was kept in His room, we obeyed His command, and we did not know what was in store for us. As informed above, we never had a full meal on many a day, but only little Prasad from what was left in Swami's plate. Usually, we did not feel the pangs of hunger, by His grace, but the monkey mind did play its role that night. When Amba and I entered the room, the pleasant fragrance of the ripe bananas pierced through our nostrils and made our stomachs dance to their tunes. Right then, Swami entered the room, and, with a compassionate smile, asked us to eat the bananas. We never had felt so much hunger before. When we had Swami's permission, why should we feel shy? We ate nicely to our heart's content and doused the fire of hunger. As we were about to discard the peels, Swami intervened, "Not now! Someone may see; discard it in the morning". So we safely put these under Swami's cot, and had a good sleep, with stomachs full up to the brim. How silently. Swami crossed where we were sleeping and went out of the room the next morning, we just did not know.

The first visitor was Smt. Konnamma. Her angry looks burnt us alive, because we' were. Still sleeping, though Swami had already gone out of the room. We sprang on our feet and jumped out of the room, to observe the grand reception that awaited us. We had the Darshan of Swami, and behind Him were my mother Radhamma, Smt. Sakamma my sister, Kumaramma, and many other inmates of the Ashram. They invited us with angry looks. Only now did we realise that a big calamity had fallen on our heads. Swami started the show, “Dunnapothulu! How can you both sleep like this? Don't you both have work to do?” The sharp eyes of Smt Konamma fell on the banana peels under the cot, and she brought the whole thing out for everyone to have a good look at, it Swamt said., as if not knowing anything, “If such crap accumulates in the room, even snakes would. come to reside”! His sly, chiding looks towards us, no one could observe. Everyone's imagination sped fast to assess· the dozens of banana fruits we should have consumed? How could they realise the truth? How could they understand His drama and mischief? My mother, unable to tolerate it anymore, blessed us with a few slaps. Swami dragged Smt. Sakamma into tire ring, “You should have observed all this and stopped them. Poor children what do they know? If the room were to·be cleaned daily, such. wrong things would not have happened!” After such a sound play, could we ever succeed in making any of them realise the truth? After some time naughty Sai Krishna sumnioned my fuming mother. “I made them eat all these; why you get angry''? Now it was her turn to get shocked! Within moments, the whole atmosphere, changed completely, immersing everyone in laughter.

As already said, Swami would not do anything without a reason. He started the day with shock treatment on us and ensured that we never slept heavily like this thereafter. He followed it with humour, and even after sixty years, our children, their children, and we, have a. hearty laugh, whenever this incident is thought of. Besides us, the readers can enjoy and get to know the other side of His charm. One important thing I have to tell you. From that day, as soon as we came out of Swami's room, a cleaning brigade would take charge. Not just simple sweeping as was done by us, but scrubbing and washing with clean water was done. Every effort was made to make the tiny room sparkle. If it were not for this play of His, who would have cleaned the room with scented solution? Without His direct command, everything neatly fell in place. Then the most important lesson: anyone may offer something heart-fully, but how could one gulp it up without any limit? For this lapse on our part, we had to get punished. We were debarred form entering His room for four days, in full view of all the inmates. He alone could impart discipline in such a strange manner. With the culmination of four days of insult, we ended up with forty years of wisdom. Such punishment was for the welfare of the devotees only and for their own good. Having been gifted with such teachings of discipline, we learned a lot and surrendered all our faults to Swami.

[1]Venkamma (1918-1993), Sathya's doting elder sister who was among the few to recognize His divinity and thus maintain a diary about the daily happenings of His life.

Doddamane Sakamma (1880–1950), also known as "Coffee Pudi Sakamma," was a pioneering businesswoman and an ardent devotee of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, often called the "third mother" of the ashram.

Smt. Venkamma (1918-1993), Sathya's doting elder sister who was among the few to recognize His divinity and thus maintain a diary about the daily happenings of His life.

CAMPHOUR CLOUDS

There was no scarcity or limits for Swami's grace. His grace was much more than all our feelings put together. After lunch, Swami would retire into His room for some time. On one such occasion, one devotee of Madras, and me were resting outside. Though it was evening, Swami did not come out, so I took His evening coffee into His room. He happily informed, "Today I shall show a great event. Tell everyone to get ready to reach Kalpavriksha. Tell them also to carry camphor and other Harathi[1] items". With much excitement, we all reached under the tree by 6 PM and started singing. After one hour of singing, Swami said, "Today's Prasad is not for the tongue, but for the eyes"! No one could understand, because whatever He did was a feast for the eyes. Swami stood up and asked everyone to light the camphor. As all of them were ready, within no time all were lit, and it looked wonderful. Some people started wondering if this was the great event that was assured by Swami? Their disappointment was short-lived. The flames started becoming blackish. There was so much smoke we could not see Swami standing right in front of us. In this thick cloud-like smoke, not only Swami, but we could also not see those standing next to us. Few seconds back we had the pleasure of seeing Jyothies, and now we were engulfed by some strange fear.

Though Swami could not be seen, from somewhere in the thick clouds we could hear the sound of 'Omkar'. As the sound of Omkar started increasing, the dark clouds started turning into white. It became whiter and whiter, to snow-white. It looked as if it had spread all over the place and reached the sky. In a few moments, the white clouds started converging to take the form of Swami. A huge form, that was so big, it could not be explained by me in any number of words. In that huge form, His mass of hair looked so huge, beyond any imagination. The whole place was a cloud of whiteness, and Swami's face could be seen clearly. I could see a radiant moon-like smile on His face. Except for this, I could not assimilate anything else. This huge form made me imagine that His feet must have been deep into the earth. We were fortunate to have such a divine vision, such a 'Viswaroopa Darshan', that was not seen even by the Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. Though all this happened in a short while, it seemed much longer, and no one could guess the correct length of time, immersed in wonder. The huge silver-like white clouds disappeared in the same way they were, formed. That was Ammavasya, dark moon night. Though the whole place was in darkness, Swami created silvery white clouds and dipped all of us in Maya, illusion. Such wonderful vision was gifted to only a few devotees of those days. Maybe in the Bhagawatham, only Arjuna was granted such a vision by Lord Krishna! But in this era of Kali, Lord Sai showed this to all of us, and we were as fortunate as Arjuna. Bala Sai's nectarine Leelas were unbelievably wonderful. This is how divine grace could be granted to all without exception.

[1]Harathi: lighted camphor offered to Deities (to remove the evil eye).

THE DIAMOND MERCHANT

"It would not be necessary to be a devotee to become the recipient of the Divine Grace. Just by visiting temples and giving alms shall not grant this grace. My dear ones, even if you could not do any good, it does not matter but just do not do any harm. To harm someone who believes in you shall be the biggest sin". These teachings of Bala Sai were entrenched in me, due to certain incidents directly experienced by me, at such a young age.

On one occasion, a family from Bombay visited Puttaparthi. The eldest member of the family seemed to be very perturbed. Though they had stayed for three days, Swami had not talked to them, and they lost all hopes of an interview. They were told that Swami would part with lots of money to save those in real trouble. This· was the reason that made them land at Puttaparthi. Would it be easy to accomplish what one thought? Because they could not succeed in talking to Swami, even after three days, they sought His permission to return to Bombay. With a smile, our greatest thief pocketed them; "Let us go to Chitravathi in the evening. I shall solve your problems''. As usual all were assembled on the banks of Chitravathi. Swami started to speak, "This day everyone shall resolve their own issues. Just think of your desire and close your palm", He instructed, and everyone followed His command, The head of the Bombay family did not believe in what Swami said; he picked up one stone that was there near him and held it in his closed fist. As assured by Swami, everyone got what they wished for, including the head. The stone in his palm had turned into a precious gem. All our eyes got glued onto the gem in his hand. He expressed that he was a diamond merchant and an expert in gems. What he had in his hand was mind-boggling and beyond estimate.

The next day, when all were seated in the hall, Swami asked the head to bring that most precious gem, and he obediently gave it to Swami. To his surprise, it had become the same stone he had picked up the previous evening. What surprised all of us, was that he was not least perturbed about the change and the lost opportunity. His wife begged Swami to resolve their miseries, and He asked her to reveal the reason for their worries, as if He knew nothing.

She consoled herself and said, “My husband, with his friend, started diamond business. My husband was an expert in valuation of precious gems. The business was good, and both the families lived happily till such time one big deal was struck. They purchased a fortune for a small amount, and my husband cleverly cheated his partner and kept all the huge profit for himself. Unable to bear this deceit from his good friend, he died, leaving his family in deep trouble. Unable to survive in Bombay; the family shifted to an undisclosed destination. After this, my husband suffered losses and had to sell away all our properties. We ended up with difficulty to even fill our stomachs”. The great devotee of Lord Rama, Sri Ramadas made so many ornaments for his Lord with public money that was in his custody. Though his intentions were good, he had to suffer the wrath of the King, for he was not authorised to use that money. Ultimately Rama and Lakshamana saved him by clearing his debt, because he was pure hearted. God's ruling was also bound by Dharma, and so was the case with our Bala Sai. In this case, He gave a simple solution, “Because your husband cheated his partner, that family was facing great trouble. Now to resolve this issue, find them and offer them some protection. If you fail, your family shall face even more dire consequences”.

This is the divine play that made the Bombay family come to Him for advice, and by the divine grace, the partner's family that did not come to Him was benefited. The one who cheated came, to this source in search of a solution to this source, and the one who got cheated, and thought that there was no possible support, was gifted by this source. That, too, through the same family that cheated them! For those who do not have any support and lost all means of support, God becomes the greatest form of support, even without any specific request. If our services are not compensated with money, it is all right, but when the same had been done with a pure heart, the results are bound to follow, without even asking for it.

BLIND BELIEFS

Let us now see how Swami would set right someone who assumes to be very clever and knowledgeable. Once, an elderly man came to the Old Mandir, and he observed the rituals of worship, decorations, and arrangements. Elderly widows Smt. Savitramma and Smt. Konamma were lighting lamps, arranging all items for Pooja, worship, and singing sessions. He softly told Smt. Savitramma that it would have been nice if some young ladies carried out these tasks? The pure-hearted lady thought that he was concerned about the work she had been doing at such an age, and she did not give him any reply. What he actually meant was that such auspicious tasks should not be done by widows. Certain customs were strictly followed in those days, blindly. Widows were not even allowed to participate in auspicious ceremonies and young unmarried women or Sumangalies, married women with living husbands, only were allowed to participate in such tasks. How and when Swami took note of this. would be anyone's guess! Though He would be moving round the Mandir casually, no one could guess what He was up to. There was nothing that would go unobserved by His sharp eyes, and there would be nothing not known to Him.

That evening, Swami narrated the story of a wealthy family. They had a son who was brought up with much love and good discipline. They admitted him to a Gurukul, headed by learned Guru. After he succeeded in all his studies and was about to leave, his Guru advised him to speak the truth always. He adhered to his Guru's words strictly. His marriage was fixed, and everyone got busy with the arrangements. Many rituals had to- be followed during the marriage. One such ritual was the invocation of the Aranduthi star. The pundits, after reciting the relevant Mantras, asked the groom to have a vision of that star. Then they chanted more mantras and asked him if he had understood. Then the pundits asked him to get the blessings of Mutaidulu, married women with living husbands, which was considered as auspidous. Surprisingly, he broke down and started crying. Parents thought that he was disappointed with the way the marriage was being conducted. The in-laws thought that he was not satisfied with what was offered to him. The bride thought that he might have been forced into the marriage against his will. Each one who had come there had different conclusions. At last, one elderly man was able to make him talk, "From my young days I always spoke the truth. The pundits here forced me to speak lies for every small thing, They forced me to see Aranduti star in the brought daylight. Though I do not understand the Mantras, they forced me to agree that I had understood them. Now they are forcing me to get blessed by inexperienced young women when there are so many prudent wise widows present in the function. For such small silly things, how can I end up with lies?", the groom wept. The gentleman had a good laugh, but with all his efforts could not console the bridegroom with proper answers. In his final effort, the gentleman said, "These are all old customs that are being followed for ages. When we had not understood, why should you worry"?

Suddenly Swami turned towards the elderly man who had advised Smt. Savitramma and said, “Do you agree that these are our customs that are being followed blindly"? Poor man, with all his profound knowledge put together, he could not come out with any answer. Swami with compassion explained, In the night you can see the stars, but when they are not visible in the daylight, can you conclude that stars are not there? For God, all women are equally blessed, thus none of them, including the widows, have any faults in them to be considered as inauspicious”.This opened the eyes of the elderly man, who considered himself very wise. He begged for Swami's pardon and accepted that his knowledge of the Shastras was futile, without the realisation of the inner meaning.

Smt. Savitramma, after observing all this, beckoned me and enquired what was this all about? She must have thought that Swami may have said something to me. Even after all this, she was not aware that all this started, due to the comments of, the elderly man. She was under the canopy of divine grace and was least bothered about any adverse comments! When I explained to her, she was surprised. Swami's ways can pierce a person without the others coming to know of it Without hurting anyone's feelings, in the right manner, Bala Sai would have taught good lessons. Even by mistake, He had not insulted the elderly man in front of everyone or alone! This was His greatness.

ROWDY MENACE

It is already mentioned that our Kuppam family went to Puttaparthi during 1945 to stay' for three days, but it turned out to be three months. This was the case with our other visits also. My case was different, because after the family returned to Kuppam, within a few days I used to receive Swami's can come back to Puttaparthi. I used to dash back to Puttaparthi, and on every such trip, some items were compulsory. A flower garland, made by my mother, then the most important handpicked custard apples from the nearby forests, and few other items packed in a separate basket. Swami would happily accept all these, as soon as I reached Puttaparthi. On one such journey, carrying all these items, I reached Penugonda in the morning. As usual, there would be a long wait for the bus, which never came on time. I sat in a nearby teashop, which was. my usual waiting room, waiting for the bus. This place was infested with trouble-some rowdies. Especially, people travelling to Puttaparthi became their targets, They took much delight in irritating these travelers. Some rowdies surrounded me and started pocking fun at me. Usually, no outsider would confront them. They demanded that I should offer tea, and I silently obliged. Usually, I do not lose my cool, but when something went beyond limits, I would not mind getting into any big fight and even risk my life. When all their efforts failed to provoke me, one of them tried to tamper with the basket meant for Swami. This irritated me, and I got into a fight with the leader of the gang. Having succeeded in getting free tea from me, they had taken me for granted. I picked up one kitchen knife that was there, and both of us started rolling on the ground. By the time the police came to separate us, my clothes were torn at many places and blood marks could be seen.

The people there informed the inspector that I was a regular traveler to Puttaparthi and belonging to a good family; I never. caused trouble. This made him arrest the gang leader and allow me to proceed with my journey. As he was being taken away, I expressed that I was least interested in fighting and always interested to make friends and love all. In the meantime, the bus arrived and I boarded. This news spread like fire and reached Puttaparthi before me. But it was badly twisted in the process, saying, 'Murthy killed a rowdy!' As I was moving towards the Old Mandir, with torn clothes and blood stains, everyone started questioning me. When I saw Swami near the entrance I dashed forward and fell at His feet with a lot of tears. He lovingly enquired if I was all right. The way He poured out His love made me cry even more. That was the effect of Divine Mother's love! I had the pleasure of opening the basket and garland Swami as usual and keep the custard apples before Him. As mentioned earlier, He always accepted my mother's offerings. Swami took me into His room and enquired about the episode, as if He knew nothing about it. The divine actor played His part to console me.

The next day, in the morning we saw the Police Inspector, with a few of his men, coming towards the Old Mandir with the gang leader. As soon as he saw me, he dashed towards me and the onlookers thought he would harm me. But he held my hands in humility and apologised for confronting me unnecessarily. This surprised everyone over there. As we walked into the Mandir, Swami jokingly asked him, if he was still a harmful person? He fell at Swami's feet and assured, "It was my entire fault! From now on, I shall not trouble your devotees. This is my promise"! The compassionate Lord, Sai Prabhu, gave them some snacks and treated them at par with the devotees. Ultimately, the gang leader became a very helpful person, served the devotees and would visit Puttaparthi once in a while.

God does not accomplish all tasks directly. He shall involve and engage someone to accomplish His task. For that purpose, he would have chosen the right person, before the approach of the right time. But why do we not understand His divine will? That firm belief gets decimated by the lack of patience, would be the main reason for this. But our Trikalagyani, the knower of the past, present, and future, knows everything. Lord Krishna would have stopped the great war of Mahabharath in no time, but it was essential for Him to establish His divine glory, preach Geetha, and establish Dharrna for the welfare of the world. Without that war, this great Epic would not have materialised. Every Avatar faced opposition and disbelief in some way or the other. It was for the sake of these people the Avatar descended. All this was nothing but His divine play.

RICH FOUR-CAR FAMILY

I wish to narrate one more incident. One rich family arrived at Puttaparthi in four cars. When the sight of one car was rare, vow, four cars was a sight for the people! They were aware of the lack of facilities and had brought their own tents, etc. Does not Swami know about their arrival and timing'? He had His coffee and for some odd reason retired into His room. The visitors got ready and waited for Swami in the Mandir, but He did not come out for the most part of the day. After a long wait, our cunning Lord suddenly appeared and looked at them in surprise. They immediately placed fruits and other offerings in the Mandir. Swami started the singing session, and all joined. If Swami did not wish to speak, the way He would avoid them was really unimaginable. He concluded the session before the usual time, distributed what-all they had kept there as Prasad, and disappeared. Again, the visitors waited for a long time and collapsed in one corner of the Mandir. Where Swami went to, no one knew! At about 10 PM He majestically entered His room, without speaking to anyone.

The next day started as usual. The visitors tried to talk to Swami, but He made them sit down and started like this, “People who are bound by principles shall not have difficulty to discriminate between the good and the bad. Even if they were sitting over heaps of losses, they would do the right thing. Thinking about what fools shall comment, worrying about what others would say, should not be a hindrance to reach the goal and to take the right decisions. Giving full weight age to the Dharma of nature, using wisdom fully, you should tread the right path with confidence. Choosing between the right and the wrong, you should fully rely on what transpires out of your deep contemplation. You should not be influenced by others' thoughts, opinions, and wishes. But if you were caught in the clutches of the greedy mind, ruled by the senses, and the 'blind beliefs, you should make all efforts to turn down your mind”.

"Mind and discriminate mind are two different things. Mind is carried away by the desires and emotions, whereas the discriminate mind leads you to the truth. Usually, based on the way you are brought up, the atmosphere that prevailed around you, the way you were taught, makes you frame some conclusions, and slowly you presume that these are correct and adhere to them. The good deeds of the wise may face many hurdles, but they would face these courageously, stick firmly to their ground, use their discrimination to give the tight answers to' all the questions, and make their side win by crushing the evil successfully. You should not blindly conclude that what was all done by you as correct. You should be able to analyse your actions, weather great or small, with an open mind. If a big task had been. achieved, due to the play of the wicked mind, on the surface it may look great, but it would be nothing in the long run. Your life and your strength are impermanent, so all by yourself you cannot accomplish all tasks. You should try to accomplish the task that is within your reach. Instead of building a huge strong body, it is much better to build a good heart. Keeping all these firmly in your mind, you should proceed with your work. If people who possess wise knowledge do not impart this to the needy, they shall be at par with demons”,Swami concluded. Now you would know that Swami would not have touched this topic without any specific reason.

After hearing to all these, the eldest of the family fell on Swami's feet and said, “Swami! I was wondering how my problems could be solved? I never even dreamt that You would resolve it in such an easy and nice manner!” Swami said with a smile, "There is nothing I have done. What I felt I told you". Pretending that He had not done anything for them, He blessed them and said, “The one who takes decisions in a big family,should have full confidence in himself. Instead of this, if he was influenced by others' directions and thoughts, let alone victory, only misunderstandings, and dishearted people shall remain. This world is not permanent, and one should know how to go about it, changing with times”.This was not true only for them but to the whole world. However huge the problem might have, been, however big the leader, Swami was an expert in settling things right away. This was difficult for all to realise.

During the great war, of Mahabharath, Bhagawan Krishna accomplished many tasks by playing tricks. People, who did not go deep, blindly commented that it was against Dharma. But every act of Krishna was· bound by Dharma. Without having God with. you, no Dharma could ever be won. Whatever was said must have been, heard with patience. To become· great people, patience would be. very essential, besides prudent identification of one's own faults. The great conclusion of the Mahabharatha war was the realisation of one's own power. Both Arjuna and Duryodhana sought Krishna's help. The divine director Krishna was fully aware of their arrival and pretended to sleep. When He got up, He first saw Dharma in the form of Arjuna, only thereafter He saw, the Adharma in the form of Duryodhana. 'That' Krishna is 'this' SaiPrabhu and He is in no way less than Lord Krishna! Only people who had experienced His Leelas would know this. People had to realize that Bala Krishna of Brindavan was in the form of Bala Sai of Puttaparthi. People who came to Puttaparthi with good hearts realised this, and those bound by their own adamant views were not fortunate. To unwind the knotted thread, it should be flexible. If it was hard and rigid, no one would succeed. In the same way, it is very essential in life to be flexible, give and take with an open mind.

FAR SIGHTED

Usually, the preachings of the great Saint Vashista was very much respected by everyone. His blessings were considered as, most auspicious as he would very rarely bless anyone-by pronouncing something out of his mouth. If the words of that great saint, were considered very rare, then what should be the value of the words spoken by our Bala Sai, the Ahnighty, verily God! Though our proximity towards that great Saint Vashista was not felt, we were fortunate to be close to our Lord, Sai Bhagawan. Yet our God, whenever He spoke, ordinary people around Him, would not take it seriously, would also ridicule. Though His words were 'Great Pointers' for us to tread the right path in this world, such great preaching of His were realised by only a handful of people. Let me now tell you one incident of my life that would authenticate the above statement of mine.

That remote village of Puttaparthi was surrounded by hills and hillocks. There was no dearth of small stones that would pierce your feet when you walked. Let alone good roads, we were confronted with big black scorpions that crept across our path. We had never in our life seen such big scorpions, and they were so poisonous. If bitten, life would be in danger. On one occasion, one person bitten by a king scorpion came to the Old Mandir. Though he was in acute pain, Swami pretended to be very busy and was talking to some people. After some time, Swami signaled to me to make a paste out of the Tulasi and lime, kept on a plate in the Mandir and tied it around the place was bitten by the scorpion. I obeyed His command only to this extent and in no time the person was relieved of pain, and was fully cured. He bowed in gratitude to Swami and left the OldMandir.

I was very surprised to hear Swami comment that an ignorant, illiterate fool like me would become a doctor in future. The people, who heard this, thought that Swami was joking, and had hearty laugh. Even I could not understand what Swami meant by this. The truth of His words and its magnitude could never be understood by anyone easily. His words were as true as the words of Brahma and could never fail. Though Swami, had made me do this during 1945, it was only during only 1999 that I could take note of its value. His words should be taken seriously to the core, and if ignored there would be much to Jose. Though this life of ours is not within our hold, we should make every effort to put it to proper use as long as we live. Such prophecies of Swami did have immediate effect on many who could perceive, but was fortunate to realise what he meant only after many decades when I started my practice as a doctor.

THE FORTUNE OF SERVICE

As 'the days passed by, the grace of Bala Sai continued to shower on me. Due to this, I had many opportunities to serve His lotus feet There was no dearth for His affection. In the beginning, I never realised the greatness of·His love and affection, and I had never experienced such magnitude of love. It was only due to the discipline taught to me by my parents that I could learn to swim in the ocean of this life. Discipline can be considered as most essential for life, but, the great discipline that was taught to me by Bala Sai was much more than what was imparted to the by my parents. It was not an easy task to put me in the path of discipline, but our Bala Sai could put anyone on the right path.

Even if millionaires and billionaires would come forward to serve the Lord with all their wealth, it would be difficult for them to succeed. If Lord Shiva Himself would ask for arms and verily that dweller of Kailasha stood 'before us in the form of humble Bala Sai, serving the people, then what were we? In spite of all this, I was fortunate to serve such a divine Lord at the Old Mandir and stay with Him in His room. This opportunity granted to me made me serve His feet and also rest His feet. The magnificence of such divine proximity can never be explained by me! If many great beings, in the form of fragrant colourful flowers in a garland offered to the Lord, were sanctified, I, like the thread that held the flowers, also got sanctified. I was also swept up in the same bliss that swept those great beings and remained in that ocean of bliss, and, I am sure that this bliss would last forever. It was only His grace of being in such close proximity to Bala Sai that made me learn a lot of things in this life.

Even to this day, right in front of the Old Mandir stands the temple of Sathyamma, the ruling deity of Puttaparthi. Swami had said, due to her grace, all would be well for the people there. During His younger days, He had spent a lot of time in this temple. He had conducted many courts and given His ruling. At such a young age, how did He get this expertise? Who can ever answer this question with confidence? During those days, Smt. Subbamma of the Karam family was so found of Swami that she can be considered as His second mother. He was also having so much love for her. She was bestowed with this rare fortune by His blessings. By the time our Kuppam family went to Puttaparthi, she was no more. Though we had not witnessed this link of love between them, we had the pleasure of hearing about this from Swami himself, and we felt as if we had witnessed it with our own eyes. It was due to her efforts, the Old Mandir was built, and many devotees benefited a lot. We also had the benefit of seeing this Old Mandir. Though the Old Mandir was quite small, the happenings that took place were fabulous. Only a handful of people had the pleasure of witnessing the divine Leelas and we were among them.

We had heard that Swami, during His younger days, was very attractive and beautiful. People who had witnessed His effulgence, like that of a silvery cool moon, were really fortunate, beyond any doubt. We were also fortunate, because when we saw Him, He was shinning like pure white pearls lit by cool moon rays. Now, He is shinning like the splendour of a million gems.

FIRST SERVICE OPPURTUNITY

Swami was very found of chewing pan made of tender beetle leaves, small. pieces of areca nuts and some lime. This would please Him to a great extent, and we could not imagine Him spending time without pan. The devotees of those days would have always seen Him with red lips, due to chewing of pan. I was very fortunate, because I had the pleasure of supplying Him with His most cherished pan. This was the first service opportunity gifted to me by Swami that kept me close to Him foremost of the time. At such a hot place like Puttaparthi, it was very difficult to get tender beetle leaves. The devotees, who knew about this liking of His, would bring tender leaves with them, and I used to take much care to wrap them up with moist cloth, in an effort to preserve. There was no electricity or a fridge in those days. It was my duty to fill up a small silver box with-this tender leaves, and other items, once in a while. The number of times I would fill this box with the ingredients of pan, was beyond all count. It was due to this constant chewing, His lips were always red like a Biona fruit or like a lady with much lipstick. It looked as if, to test the redness of His lips, He would always use pure white handkerchiefs. Within on time the handkerchiefs would bear red marks all over. Any negligence to keep up with the supply of pan or the handkerchiefs would bring down His wrath, beyond any imagination; and, in short, all hell would fall apart. You may feel that this should have been a simple task, but to be ever ready with the supplies, at any point of time, was never too easy!

During this period, I was stuck to Swami like Hanuman was stuck to Lord Rama. At one point of time Hanuman was blessed with the service of snapping his fingers whenever Rama would yawn. This may have looked very simple, at the outset. But to accomplish it, was really mind-boggling. When such a task was gifted to Hanuman, all those who were there had a hearty laugh, ridiculing this as a very simple task. That night, when Rama retired into His room, Seetha, who returned back from her work, was surprised to see the presence of Hanuman in their private chamber. She assured Him that she shall take charge and that he can leave the room. But this monkey servant did not move from there. When she questioned him, he explained that he can never deride His duty, having accepted it. How could he know when Rama would yawn? So, how could he leave from that place? All those who had the laugh at the acceptance of this simple task by Hanuman, were shocked to hear about this. Seetha had the liberty to distance herself from Rama for a while, but Hanuman could never! This great opportunity of service was only due to the grace of Rama. The all-knowing Lord should be kind enough to grant such a service.

When Swami gifted this opportunity of serving pan to me, He joked by knuckling on my head, “Now this fellow has become like a tail to Me”. Swami would grant the desires of His devotees, and He granted my desire to stay close to His feet, way back in those days. As the days passed by, many changes took place. When the number of devotees started swelling, the distance increased and the closeness slowly decreased. I do not know in which other birth I shall get such a fortune again! But I am sure that such fortune can never culminate, that at any cost, He would make me, to come close to Him, birth after birth.

SILVER BOX

There was a story behind the small silver box that was used to store the pan. When I was busy in sorting the items in the store room, and found one small blackish box. Actually it was the silver box that had become black over the years. When I showed this box to Smt. Sakamma, she told me to clean it up nicely. Once cleaned, the box shined beautifully and looked very cute. Though it was not known who had done the intricate design on the box, it was simply wonderful. When I showed this box to Swami the next day, He was very much delighted, and He literally grabbed that box from my hand. He seemed to be very happy, like having recovered a long lost treasure. When He asked me where I found this box, Smt. Sakamma replied, "Murthi found it in the store room when he was sorting the items there". Listening to this, Swami joked at me, “Did youtake anything more from the store?” This made my inquisitive mind to explore for more in the store room. I decided to start the search when the right opportunity approached. While serving Swami in the night, I asked Him about the silver box, and he casually enquired why I was in such a hurry. I realised that the story behind it would unfold shortly.

After a few days, one devotee landed at the Old Mandir, and Swami had gone to Bangalore for a day or two. He decided to stay there, till Swami returned from Bangalore. With leisure, he started talking about Swami's school days, and I was very excited to know that he had studied with Swami. In the school days, they were used to calling Him as 'Sathyam' or 'Sathya'. After so many years he had come to see Swami, and it was my pleasure to receive him. He expressed that he belonged to a poor family and had to go far away leaving his studies, to earn something. He could never forget his friend Sathyam, though he had to sacrifice his studies, due to poverty. He worked with much love and dedication, so the family he was working for too much care of him. He could not see Sathyam for a long time, when he was working in a faraway place. Due to some occasion in the family, they had arranged to exchange their old silverware, by some new items. For this, a jeweler was summoned, and all the old silverware was placed before him. His eyes fell on a small silver box, and he was very much impressed by its cute look and the fine workmanship. The lady of the house observed this and asked him if he was interested in that item? Unable to constrain his thought, he revealed that he wanted to gift that box to his friend Sathyam. She was very impressed by his thoughts and agreed to gift it to Him. But when he insisted that he would pay for it from his earnings, she got very angry with him, "Are you so big to pay for it"? He humbly expressed to her that a gift to such a special friend of his, should come out of his earnings and thus his ardent request was accepted by her. His love for the old friend of his, impressed the family very much.

He came to see Sathyam at Puttaparthi after many years, the then Sathyam, had become Sai Baba, and His residence had shifted from the thatched house to the Old Mandir. He was sceptical wondering if Sathyam would recognise him after so many years, but he was proved wrong. When Swami saw him, He called him in the same way as He used to call him in the bygone school days. That same call took him by surprise! Though he had brought the small silver box with him, he did not present it to Him, thinking that it was far too. small a gift. Well, would the Lord leave anything that was meant for Him? Somehow He made him talk about this box and got the secret out of him. Once the cat was out of the bag, there was no need for hesitation. The small silver box landing on Swami's lap, he expressed.

Like this, when he talked about a small box, I went into Swami's room and brought the silver box, used for his pan. The sight of the box made him turn inside out, as it was the same box that was gifted by him. Touching it to his eyes, he was in tears of delight Such a small gift was still retained by Swami, would make anybody become dumb. Whenever I had asked Swami about that box He had told me that the right time would come for it. Then, I did not realise His words, but now the riddle had been solved. When Swami returned from Bangalore, He talked so lovingly to his friend and bid him farewell. On that evening, when I was serving Bala Sai, He said, "Are your doubts cleared? Patience is very important''. Such divine revelations get permanently moulded in the heart, in concrete form. Besides seeing these divine games, He also made me taste of that divine love of His.

Kuppam family