Monthly Archives: January 2013

Why Ask For Tinsels and Trash? The Whole Universe Is Ours

swami_holding_flowerBaba once narrated a beautiful example. A king held a big exhibition with a variety of art products. He had announced that all his subjects could take home anything. All rushed there and filled their hands with the choicest of products. One lady, however, came out empty handed. The king was surprised and questioned her. She expressed her disinterest in worldly things.

The king was adamant, however, and promised to grant her anything. After repeated assurances, she finally asked for the king himself. The king kept his word and along with him, the entire kingdom—including the exhibition, became the lady’s.

Sai compares this cosmos to a vast exhibition. All entering this exhibition are free to satisfy their desires with objects of their liking. Some seek wealth; some, jobs; some, children … and so on.

The wise, however, seek only God, for they know that all else is contained within Him.

God Liberates His Surrendered Devotees

One should not be overwhelmed by difficulties encountered in life; they are all transient. The source of enduring bliss is within us and we must not give way to weakness. Prapthi means total surrender, offering everything to the Divine and doing away with the sense of ego that separates the individual from God. In such a state, pleasure or pain are both cheerfully accepted as God’s blessings.

The bhakti marga (path of devotion) is truly the path of sharanaagathi (surrender), of which Lakshmana is a classic example. During His exile, Raama once asked Lakshmana to put up a hut on a site of Lakshmana’s choice. The latter grieved and pleaded with Raama: “Why do you ask me to select the site? Have I any individuality left? Can I choose? Will I select?

Don’t you know that I have no will of my own? You decide and I obey; you command and I carry out.” This is the essence of sharnaagathi. Krishna has assured us that if we surrender, He will liberate us.



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Baba Extends A Devotee’s Life By Eight Years

SathyasaibabaDr. K.V. Raghava Rao (Guruji) of Hyderabad was a highly evolved soul, nay, a saint who had completely surrendered to Sai. His relationship with Baba was very intimate, and the latter would often warn him about approaching dangers. Once, Sai cautioned him about an imminent stroke. Ordinary devotees would panic in such situations, but Guruji cheerfully accepted the disease as God’s blessings. Baba, on his part, surrendered Himself back to Guruji and would honor every prayer that emerged from his pure heart. Once, a sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) learnt about his nearing death. He was terrified and vehemently prayed to Shirdi Sai Baba. Baba appeared to him in meditation and said that He would not reverse the verdict as his allotted time on earth was over, but also added that there was one surrendered soul (Guruji) whose prayers could never be refused. The sadhaka immediately rushed to Dr. K.V. Raghava Rao, on whose request Baba prevented the demise and extended the sadhaka’s life by eight years.

It is Baba who saved the devotee but demonstrated the power of surrender through this act. It was Baba who guided the sadhaka and showed him the way to save his life.

Baba surrenders back to those who surrender to Him. God is pure compassion and love, nothing else.



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Hanumanji’s Face Appears Miraculously And With An Aura!

hanumanji_appearedOm Sai Mandir, the heavenly abode of Lord Sai, is fast becoming a divine destination where prayers are being uninterruptedly and ceaselessly chanted every single day. The latest in the series of prayer events is the chanting of 108 Hanuman Chalisas every Saturday (from 12.30 PM to 6.30 PM).

During one such occasion (Hanuman Jayanti 2009), a group of devotees were chanting Hanuman Chalisa 108 times when a picture of Hanumanji’s portrait was taken. Much to the surprise of devotees, when the picture was observed later, the real Divine Face of Lord Hanuman has appeared within the portrait—with a shining aura.

While the rest of the picture is a painting, the face appears real with eyes, nose, and facial features resembling a live being (and not a portrait).

Even more surprising is the fact (which can be observed on digitally enlarging the picture) that the face is that of a child Hanuman, while the entire body is one of a grown-up. Furthermore, seasoned photographers have attested to the fact that the aura is not the work of flash.

Click Here to view the miracle picture

Ja Ko Raakhe Saiya Maar Sake Na Koi!

sai_baba_umbrellaWhom the Lord protects, none can harm! The Pandavas are a shining example of this maxim. Their opponents, the land-hungry Kauravas, tried to harm them using various stratagems, but failed every single time. In fact, not only did their strategies fail, they actually led the Pandavas to unforeseen, beneficial outcomes.

As a child, Bhima, the middle of the Pandava brothers, was poisoned and thrown into the river. Much to the disappointment of his foes, however, he was rescued by the King of Serpents, who not only administered an antidote to the poison, but also administered a divine ambrosia that granted Bhima the strength of thousands of elephants.

As they grew younger, the Kaurava brothers arranged for the Pandavas to live in a palace of wax, which to all normal human appearances resembled a regular palace, but was actually made from wax. The same was set on fire, but the Lord arranged for an underground rescue at the last minute and saved the Pandavas’ lives.

As they escaped from the fire, they were mysteriously led to a forest where Bhima met Hidamba and fathered a divinely-powered son who rescued them

during a very serious situation in the war. Furthermore, in their travails they became relatives of
the powerful King Dhrupad who served to a very potent ally in the war against the Kauravas.

When the Pandavas demanded a share of their kingdom, the greedy king Dritrashtra granted them the barren land of Khandava Van (an uninhabited and barren forest). Due to the divine help of Krishna, however, the forest was transformed into a magical kingdom that later came to be known as Indraprastha (the abode of the heavenly king, Indra).

In this manner, Lord Krishna rescued them from every difficulty, every challenge that was thrown their way by their opponents and in the end all of them emerged victorious.

It was their adherence to the code of righteousness, their surrender to God, and God’s grace that enabled them to face all adversities and emerge victorious and safe.

Swami In The Storm

By H. Shivaramakrishna

dwarakamai_babaThank you for providing me with yet another opportunity to share my experience with Baba. It was last thursday, the stormiest day in new york city when the city came to a momentary halt and I was on my way back from work to Baba’s mandir for bhajans. It has been long time since I sang a bhajan for Baba and I was longing to sing one. But nature had its own plans. It was 6pm and I was still struck in traffic , long way from the mandir.

Later I realized that there was a disastrous tornado that struck in the city in close proximity to where I was. Time was passing by and it was 7..715…730.. and still no improvement in traffic flow. I was struck in the same place. And that was the time when I usually get a chance to sing a bhajan for Baba, and I sang it sitting inside the car. I was praying Baba to just let me see him and I was disappointed that I was not able to make it. I took it as a bad omen that Baba doesn’t want me to sing on that day.

Time flew and it was eventually 9pm, I made very little progress in the traffic towards home. And my stomach literally started crying to me for some food and I had no access to food in the middle of the street. I was still praying to Baba just to have his darshan. Suddenly I got a call from my wife who is in mandir all this while and was telling me that a regular devotee/volunteer (who lives a block away from mine) is also struck in the havoc traveling in public transit a few yards from me and was trying to find a way to reach home.

Then I further proceeded to pick him up and started the journey back home in the chaotic traffic. All of a sudden he removed a bag of food and started to share it with me. After eating it and quenching my starvation, I slowly asked him how he got that food in the middle of nowhere. And the answer just shook me as there was another Baba’s devoteee’s house closeby where I picked him up and they ran into each other to their surprise.

And the other devotee has actually given him the food which turned out to be Baba’s shej arati prashad. As he was unable to travel to the mandir because of the storm wreckage, he wanted to give it to Baba through the other devotee. All 3 of us were headed to the same Baba mandir but were not able to make it.

The moment I learned it was Baba’s shej arati prashad, all my hair stood up and I was totally in a baffled situation connecting the dots.

Then, all my doubts regarding my inability to have his darshan was gone and was firmly reinforced that Baba is protecting his children from all calamities at any time.

Nine Gems From Swami

By K. Chugh

1. Arise and awake to establish the Divine Attributes (Saisamrajya) based on the foundation of Truth, Right conduct, Peace and Love.

2. All is one; be alike to everyone. The world is one; be good to everyone.

3. Be good, see good and do good. That is the way to God.

4. Our life becomes one of fulfillment when we live in morality.

5. Money comes and goes; but morality comes and grows!

6. Time consumes everyone…..So do not waste time. Time wasted is life wasted.

7. The past is beyond recovery. We are not sure of the future. The given moment is the right time. Do not delay; do the right action.

8. Silence is the only language of the realized. It is only in the depth of silence that the voice of God can be heard. Silence stills the waves of one’s heart.

9. Life is lost in dreaming and being is lost in becoming.

It Is That Simple

By K. Chugh
My father lost his kidneys around the age to 40. It was devastating ordeal from him and my family, however my father’s firm faith in Swami was never compromised. My father decided to accept the situation and continue to peruse a happy life and undergo the appropriate treatment.

His real blood brothers refused to step forward to even be tested to see if they could be a potential match, again, my father remained strong and never lost hope in Swami.

After close to 6 years of prayers and treatment, that day came. A call from the Hospital at 10:00 pm advised my father to be admitted as soon as possible as they have found a potential match. It was a bit overwhelming, as there was no guaranteed that this would be a match, however my father knew in his heart that his prayers were answered.

That night, my father had to reach the hospital very quickly, as donor organs cannot be stored for long. We stayed an hour away from the hospital. We had no car, nor family members that had cars, and mass transit service was not running at full speed. Any delays could have resulted in canceling the surgery. However, in a matter or 15 minutes after the call from the hospital came in, two distant cousins from my father’s side showed up at our door step. They had not met in years or even spoken. There was no plans or any advanced notice of their visit. They wanted to surprise my parents by visiting them.

My parents explained the whole situation to them, and they decide to drive my father and mother to hospital right away, and make it in time. My father new this could only be Baba’s plan, as there was no logical motive from them to show up at our house at that exact moment.

Once we got to the hospital, my father was tested and a perfect match was determined for the donor kidneys. My father was rushed into surgery. My father’s cousins were extremely supportive and very helpful to my mother as she was falling apart and could not manage the whole ordeal.

Once the successful surgery was over, my father saw Baba and received his blessings in his unconscience state. He know that his distant cousins came in the form of Baba only to get him to the hospital in time. He lived 15 years on donor kidneys without any complications and was extremely healthy during that time.

When we surrender to Baba our problems and worries, he fixes them perfectly and flawlessly!! It is that simple.

Miracle In A Bottle

Swami1By N. Das

My mother has had glaucoma for many years now. She was fortunate to discover it in the early stages and so her ocular pressure is controlled by using daily eye drops in the morning and evening. She has two medications and they have to be ordered in advance. About two weeks ago, as usual, my mother asked me to place the eye drops in her eyes in the morning.

However, there was enough for only one eye. As I squeezed the bottle, only air and bubbles came out of it. Shaking the bottle made me realize that the medicine was finished and a new bottle would have to be opened. When my mother went to retrieve another bottle, she rushed back and told me that she had somehow forgotten to place an order for the next shipment. We quickly placed the order online, but were worried about what to do until the shipment arrived. At that point, we decided to try the old bottle again to see if we could salvage at least a single drop for my mother’s other eye.

I thought of Baba and took the bottle from my mother’s hand and shook it, just to give it a try. And lo and behold, to our amazement, we could hear and feel the liquid inside as we shook the bottle. Just minutes before, we had seen only air and bubbles come out of it.

We quickly placed a drop in my mother’s eye and thanked Baba. The shipment was placed on Dec. 16, and it arrived on Dec. 20, in the evening. Even though we thought that there wouldn’t even be enough for a single day, that bottle sufficed for four days following that incident, until the next shipment arrived. And the day after the shipment arrived, when we tried that same bottle, there was again no liquid inside of it!

We feel truly blessed to have experienced this miracle!

Baba’s Miraculous Healings and Resurrections

Baba’s unconditional love often finds its expression in the form of miraculous healings and resurrections that are experienced by countless devotees, practically every micro-second of the day—even today. While a small fraction of these healings have been documented in Sai literature and elsewhere, there are literally billions and billions of miracles that will forever remain silently enshrined in the hearts of those who experienced them.

Tumor vanishes

A devotee of Swami was once diagnosed with a serious tumor. Being Swami’s ardent devotee, it was his firm desire to undergo the surgery in Swami’s divine [physical] presence in Puttaparthi. When he visited Swami, he was granted the much sought-after interview. Before the devotee could plead his cause, the Omniscient Lord disclosed every minute detail of the disease and even shed light on the fact that the tumor was to affect the devotee during his younger years, but it was Sai’s grace that had postponed the condition until much later in his life. At this, the devotee firmly held Sai’s feet and sought His refuge. Swami, the naughty Krishna that He is, feigned helplessness and said He would speak to a certain surgeon in the hospital and have the surgery scheduled.

The devotee’s faith was firm, however, and he did not leave Swami’s feet, pleading the Lord to perform the surgery Himself. At his repeated requests, Swami’s butter-soft heart melted and He placed his abhaya hasta (the boon-bestowing hand that grants fearlessness) on the supplicant’s head. He also advised the devotee to avoid sitting on the floor for three consecutive days.

Continuing with his human drama, Baba called the hospital and asked the devotee to meet a doctor and undergo further diagnostic tests before the scheduled surgery. With firm faith in Baba, the devotee went fearlessly and met the doctor as directed by Swami. Much to his surprise, the doctor revealed that there was no trace of tumor in his body. The devotee was pleasantly surprised and when he discussed the case with the doctor, the latter shed light on the fact that when Swami placed His hand on the devotee’s head, the surgery was accomplished by the Divine Surgeon almost instantaneously. It was only then that the devotee realized the significance of Swami’s words—”Do not sit on the floor for three days!”

Hole in the heart sealed instantly

Another devotee, a mother of an infant girl, experienced a similar phenomenon. Her daughter was diagnosed with a heart condition needing immediate surgery. She visited Puttaparthi and wrote her daughter’s condition in the most pitiful manner possible. Her daughter was scheduled to undergo surgery at the hospital in Puttaparthi but there was a significant chance that she could lose her life due to the delicate nature of the operation. She was anxious to the extreme and nervously awaited Swami’s darshan. As she sat in the darshan line, the merciful Lord approached her and quickly took the letter that the helpless mother held out to Him. She was thrilled, no doubt, but her joy was soon transformed into extreme anxiety as Swami took the letter, crumpled it, and threw it out instantly.

She burst into tears inconsolably as helpless onlookers attempted to console her. She lost all hope but had to be by her daughter’s bedside on the day of the surgery. She summoned as much courage as she could and went to the hospital to help her daughter with diagnostic tests that were scheduled on the eve of surgery. The doctors came rushing to her after the scans. Seeing their rush, her heart almost shut down but the smile on the doctors’ faces prevented her from collapsing. The doctors were extremely excited and revealed to her that her daughter’s heart condition had DISSAPPEARED miraculously. She could not understand what had happened but then realized why Swami had thrown away the letter. Swami’s destruction of the letter did not symbolize a bad omen (contrary to what she feared) but was rather a proclamation by the Almighty that no surgery was needed. The overjoyed mother-daughter duo visited Swami the following day and thanked Him from the bottom of their hearts. They are live testimonies to the proclamation that Baba has made on innumerable occasions: “I bear the love of a thousand mothers.”

Cancer is cancelled

Sathyam Shivam Sundaram also has the story of a son-in-law who visited Swami to pray for his ailing mother-in-law. The latter was diagnosed with incurable cancer. Swami materialized a Shiv Lingam with capillaries and instructed him to perform abhishekam and offer the consecrated water to his mother-in-law. He also materialized vibhuti for her. Within a month, the mother-in-law’s cancer simply vanished and she was restored to complete normalcy—no trace of the disease, whatsoever. The healing was beyond human comprehension.

Blind girl’s vision restored

In Shirdi, too, Baba performed (and continues to perform) countless such cures. Just a few years back, a small blind girl visited Baba’s Samadhi and her vision was miraculously restored by the most compassionate Lord of Shirdi in almost one instant.

Epilepsy lapses

A small child was similarly diagnosed with severe epilepsy. The anxious parents brought the child in front of Shirdi Sai. As soon as he saw Baba, he feel unconscious and the parents felt even more concerned. Their fears were soon allayed by Baba who asked them to remain fearless and take the child to their lodgings. Within thirty minutes he came back to normal and remained disease-free ever since.

On other occasions, Baba applied His udi (holy ash) and cured diseases that medical professionals had proclaimed “incurable”.

Resurrections — return from beyond

Not only did Baba cure countless diseases, He also resurrected many devotees from death. In one instance, the devotee’s body had turned blue and was physically beyond recovery. In fact, the dead body had even started decomposing. It was at this point that Baba entered the devotee’s room and commanded him to wake up. Much to everyone’s surprise, he woke up and asked his wife for a cup of coffee.

Back from the grave

In another instance, an elderly lady was declared dead and as her body was being prepared for a burial, Baba appeared on the scene in His astral form and commanded her to wake up.

She literally woke up from her grave and rejuvenated to such an extent that she started spreading Baba’s word to the local folks. Within a few years, she herself achieved enlightenment and became a saint in her own right.

Baba resurrects His own body

Not only did Baba resurrect others, during the Shirdi Sai avatar, Baba resurrected His own body as well. In the late nineteenth century, Shirdi Sainath asked his devotee Mahlasapati to guard his body as he departed from His physical form. For three days the body lay in a lifeless form as devotees mercifully pleaded with the Lord to return.

Much to the surprise of everyone, Baba woke up and resumed His divine role. His disbelievers at the time were certain that Baba had departed but when they witnessed this miracle of miracles, they changed their evil ways and became ardent followers of Baba.

The love of a thousand mothers

Baba’s glory and might transcends the limited realms of science and the mind. What appears to be a miraculous healing or resurrection to us, is just an infinitesimally small fraction of Baba’s divine glory and might.

Our humble prostrations to this most mysterious, enigmatic, and [extremely] merciful Lord of Lords. We are indeed fortunate to be the children of a Divine Mother that bears the love of a thousand human mothers.