Sathyam Sivam Sundaram - Part III
The Life of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Written by N. Kasturi M.A., B.L.

Publisher's Note
Dear Reader
The Ascending Sun
Attention: World at Prayer
The Awakening Continent
Example and Precept
"Sign and Signature"
The Festival of Light
White Man's Burden
The Shirdi Feet
Delta of Delight
The All, In All
Unearthing the Light
Filling the Emptiness
So Kind! So Kind!
Miraculous Appendix
Live in Love
Beacon of Bliss
The Names We Know & 
One Word More

Publisher's Note

Sathyam Sivam Sundaram is a continuation of the life story of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the Absolute Divinity wearing the robes of humanity in order to inspire and goad humanity towards Divinity. His image will vividly gleam in the pure hearts of seekers of truth till eternity. The view of wisdom is always available to the lovers of wisdom. It is, however, fashionable to disbelieve anything which is beyond the scope of verification of the physical sciences which deal with the external aspects of creation. Although the Unmanifested, like the Manifested, is verifiable by methods which transcend science; and for this very reason the spiritual means and ends are considered worthless by the sceptics for practical purposes. Divinity, however, can be indirectly (intellectually) comprehended and also can be directly apprehended (experienced) by those who wish to uncover the Real from the smoke-screen of Maya which either veils the Real or projects upon the unreal an appearance of the Real. A conclusive proof, if it be needed, pertaining to the validity of the philosophy of Vedanta, is found in the glistening and golden history of the present Incarnation. In order to experience His Divinity all you are called upon to do is to surrender, not your belongings, but your ego. Implement His directions implicitly to experience Bliss explicitly.

The tyranny of the body-mind complex revolves man around the world of relativity. The highest pinnacle of achievement can be reached either by merging individuality in universality or by burning the ego-sense in the fire of illumination. The imagined i is in fact nothing apart from the real I. Therefore when the imagined i is not imagined: then what remains is a witness witnessing the witness - the pure consciousness - Light unto Light.

Publisher's note.
(A direct reprinting of the text as written and printed in India)

Dear Reader

"From where the words of men return, foiled in their urge to fathom; which even Imagination finds unattainable," whom the Upanishads denote only by negations and denials - that is Baba, the subject of this book. He declares that He is in each of us and that we are all in Him. He proclaims that it is futile to gauge His Reality.

"I am neither man, nor god, nor archangel nor angel. I am not to be known by the name of any of the four castes or of the four stages of human life. Know me as the Teacher of Truth, Sathyam Sivam Sundaram", said Baba once. The picture in its first stage is in the negative; when it is 'developed' it becomes clear and true.

Baba has made it clear and true. He says He is Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram. These are the three manifestations of the Prema that He is, the Love which He embodies. Love as thought is Truth; Love as Action is Goodness; Love as Feeling is Beauty.

How can the amazing story of the multifaceted, transforming and indelible impact of Baba be delineated by any pen, however pious and profound?

But the authentic ecstasy one is immersed in, when one is blessed by the slightest or shortest contact with Baba's Love, presses upon the feeblest pen to call on all, to come and share it, however illegible the call.

Baba has come in answer to mankind. He says, "Good men and their own inefficiencies, sighed for a Savior to guide them and lead them; and I have responded."

Therefore, it is the right of all men everywhere to listen to a narrative - however halting and hazy - of the Divine Play of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, of His Guidance and Leadership.

The first part of this Book appeared in 1960; the second was placed in your hands in 1968; the third, is now most humbly offered for your deep, delightful perusal; I am grateful that Baba blessed my hand that it may string the records of His Leelas and Mahimas into a Garland to be placed at His Feet.

N. Kasturi

Brindavan, Bangalore.
16 March 1972

The Ascending Sun

Sathyanarayana Raju, aged 14, student, fourth form, Uravakonda High School, threw off his bag of books one evening, saying, "My followers are calling me; I have My work to do. I do not belong to you any more," [see: The Serpent Hill] and walking out of his brother's home, he sat under a Banyan tree and sang a song he wanted the gathering to sing with him: "Those who desire to liberate themselves from the chain of birth, struggle, success, failure, ease and disease, and death, Come! Adore the Feet of the Master!" That was the announcement of the amazing advent.

The good news spread: "The Sai Baba of Shirdi in Maharashtra has come again as promised." Streams of pilgrims bound for Shirdi turned to Puttaparthi where He was born and spent His boyhood in song and dance, music and mystery. The maimed, the ill, the distressed, the distracted - they came in hundreds from far and near. Baba consoled, and cured; He revealed their past which shaped the present, and the present that would determine the future of those who sought His guidance. He showered love beyond measure on the unhappy, rich and poor alike; He manifested suprahuman Power transcending the Laws of Nature: His wisdom surpassed that of the greatest of sages. Those who came to examine remained to extol; those who extolled desired that others too should share the thrill; thus the triumph of the Master spread from region to region. That was the Ploughing of the Field, the Preparation.

Fresh from His beneficent tour of India from Kanyakumari to Kilanmarg, Baba, in His 32nd year, resolved to further His Dharmasthapana, the revival and re-establishment of the moral order in human affairs, in a wider and more persistent manner. He inaugurated the Sanathana Sarathi, the monthly magazine in eleven languages, Telugu, English, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarathi, Bengali, Hindi, Assamese and Nepali: the clarion for His call, the conch that awakens and arouses, the banner for humanity's campaign against its inner foes, lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hate. Baba also exhorted people to sing in chorus the glory of God and encourage each other to march towards Him. He himself moved over the land like a rain-cloud, [see also: The Raincloud] showering courage and conviction on hearts parched by the cruel rays of doubt, disappointment, disputation and dilemma. This was the sowing of the seeds, seeds of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, and Prema, seeds reinforced with the authority of the ageless Vedas and the indisputable experience of the sages and seers of all lands. Many were touched by the Light of Love and many were aroused into spurts of Sadhana and tenacious efforts to serve, through His discourses that inspired them to search within for the reality instead of seeking without for its shadow. And many were helped to tap the springs of ecstatic communion with the Divine through the discipline of Bhajan. These were called into the Presence [see also: The Constant Presence], at Madras, for the First All India Conference of Sathya Sai Seva Groups, where everyone was armed with a new vision and a new vitality to render social service and win self-realization. The seeds, thus, sprouted fast, fed by the warming rays of the Sai Sun.

The first two volumes of this book "Sathyam Sivam Sundaram" have chronicled these events. Let me now resume the Bhagavatha, the story of the Lord, bringing Heaven into human hearts and liberating man from the prison he has sentenced himself into!

Attention: World at Prayer

On 12th May, 1968, the 'Dharmakshetra,' an architectural jewel built on an elevated spot commanding a panoramic view of the environs of Bombay as the International Center of the Sai Family, was inaugurated by Him. This Palace of God is also intended to serve as the residence of Bhagavan while at Bombay.

'Dharmakshetra' is the first word in the first Sloka of the Bhagavad Gîtâ; it is used there as an adjective to describe the battlefield where the Kaurava might was pulverized by the Lord and His Grace showered on the Pandava 'righteousness'. The field was known as Kurukshetra, but, the intervention of God to succor the cause of Truth, Justice, Peace and Love transmuted it into Dharmakshetra. The word summaries the history of the two clans who were in mortal combat on that field: it symbolizes the beginningless conflict between good and bad in the human heart, a conflict that ends in the triumph of the good when, as the Pandava did, we accept and install in our heart God as the charioteer; and, now, it elaborates the role of Baba in human history one step further, for, He had already declared Himself as Sanathana Sarathi, the Person at the Wheel of Life (since Time began and Space rolled out) for every Being that Became!

We see before our mind's eye Sri Krishna holding the reins, while Arjuna listens and learns. We see the Lord, as Baba is seen by us today, guiding and guarding, assuaging and asserting, reminding and reprimanding, revealing and reviving the wayward and the wavering! Dharmakshetra evokes in our memories a surging gratitude for all those who discovered and delved into the pellucid streams of Dharma, for all who adored Dharma by living it and demonstrating how it can confer joy and peace, and for all those who sacrificed their all for it in all lands, in all ages.

Baba named that building so, not just arbitrarily; He declares that no word of His is devoid of spiritual potency; it is a call, an intimate invitation to you, to give ear to the Gita; He whispers from your own heart to cure you of your brand of delusion, to sublimate your inner battlefield into a playground of spiritual endeavor; it is a spell, a benediction, a blessing; it is an Announcement that the Lord has come, that His mission has begun. His charioteering is available for all who seek, now and here, on this sad stupid struggling earth which He has adopted as His Dharmakshetra, for, this is the place where Dharma can be learned, and practiced and harvested. "Engage in Karma as regulated by Dharma. Practice Dharma with the awareness that all is Brahman. March along the path of Karma to Dharmakshetra, where Brahman-realization awaits," Baba says.

Thousands from all parts of India and even overseas witnessed the Inauguration. From far-flung lands they came, wafted by winds of grace. More than fifty thousand eager souls gathered that evening at the Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan Campus at Versova, Bombay, to express their joy at the momentous occasion. The magnificent structure was completed in 108 days after the first trowel of concrete was laid, the number 9 being the theme of the holy structure, of the 18 petals of the lotus which encloses the apartments where Bhagavan would stay, of the pillars, steps and trellis squares, all in multiples of 9, the Brahman Number.

Sri P. K. Sawant reminded the audience that Baba blessed Maharashtra while in His previous body at Shirdi and it is Maharashtra's good fortune again that His Dharmakshetra is established here itself. Baba said that everyone is living, moving, acting and accumulating merit or demerit as a consequence, in Kurukshetra, for, 'Kuru' means 'to do'. In this process, if the current of Dharma illumines every moment of life, then the Kurukshetra becomes Dharmakshetra. This, He said, is the lesson that Dharmakshetra will radiate round the world.

Baba took up residence at Sathya Deep, the big rotunda with the lotus and a moat filled with water all around; the place immediately became a hive of spiritual activity, a prolific purveyor of sweetness and light. There, children brought together in Sathya Sai Bala Vihars, boys and girls of the Seva Dal, adult workers in the Bhajan Mandalis and Seva Samithis, all receive Love and learn reverence. Baba speaks to seekers and social workers who gather in the Prayer Hall; and they return with a deeper understanding and a wider outlook.

Meanwhile, scores of omnibuses spilling over with the Sai devotees sped into Bombay from distant towns, the occupants singing Bhajans at the top of their voices, making the pedestrians believe that Prasanthi Nilayam was passing by! Every train that drew up at the Victoria Terminus, Bombay Central or Dadar brought special coaches from Madras, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Vijayawada, Nagpur, Navasari, Delhi, Calcutta, Lucknow and Dehra Dun and the villages around, coaches packed with men, women and children happy beyond measure, racing against time to have Darshan of the Bhagavan they adore. The journey was strenuous and irksome, but the tedium vanished as the vitamin 'G' released by the Bhajans acted fast on both body and mind. And not just by land! The sea and air too helped in transporting the joyous lot who came into Bombay by ship and plane from Ceylon, Singapore, Djakarta, Manila, Kuwait, Dubai, Casablanca, Mombasa, Nairobi, Kampala, Arusha and Malta, from Hongkong, Fiji, Teheran and Tokyo, the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of America, the islands of the West Indies, Peru and Brazil.

For, the First World Conference of those who chose to accept Baba as their Master and Preceptor was to be inaugurated on 16th May, at Bombay, in the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Campus. Baba declared that this was the first time in the history of the world that a World Conference of the devotees of an Avatar was being held, in the immediate physical presence and under the direct supervision and observation of the Avatar Himself! No wonder they flew India-wards in flocks, like birds on the ocean's open roof, winging towards the sheltering mast!

As the delegates streamed into the Hall that day at sunrise, they found a friendly fragrance beyond all memory, a warmth of welcome seldom known before. Behind the dais, on the wall, were two murals, one depicting Chaitanya lost in the ecstasy of Sankirtan, and the other, Thyagaraja, the saint who sang from the depth of his heart of the Compassion, the Majesty and the Might of the Rama Form of God he had ever before his eyes! Behind the chair that Baba was to grace was a mural of the Lamp: the Flame of Light and Love, straight and bright, which no wind could shake or dim! At 9 a.m. Baba came in, showering the fresh petals of His gracious smile on all present. The sight of Him emitting Light and Love thrilled and delighted every one of them. Soon, the heavenly echoes of Vedic chants tingled in the ear; then, after certain preliminaries, Baba called upon the delegates from each State to speak on the organizational aspect of Sadhana in their respective regions. In response, judges, vice-chancellors, scientists, doctors, poets, administrators and businessmen rose and presented reports of the activities of the Seva Samithis, Study Circles and Bhajan Groups engaged in Sadhana prompted by devotion in their States.

Howard Murphet from Australia said, "Australia needs Your Love, Your Light." Tideman Johanessan from Norway confessed, "Your Teachings, Your guidance are urgently needed in Scandinavia, where dogma has very nearly suppressed genuine spiritual yearning." Dr. Nallainathan from Ceylon pleaded, "We are children groping in the dark. Make us see!" Dr. C.G. Patel from Kampala prayed, "Africa needs You most." Indira Devi from Tecate, Mexico, said, "When I speak about Bhagavan to the students of Santa Barbara, Berkeley, Chicago, and other Colleges, they refuse to disperse after the talk unless I promise that I would bring Baba to America; they are hungry for Him." Charles Penn from Los Angeles asserted, "We look to India for spiritual guidance; we pray that Baba will come to us. When He is with us, He will be with everyone else too!"

The Public Meeting at the Campus held later in the evening was attended by over a hundred thousand, and Sai could be seen seated firmly in the hearts of every one of them. The Deputy Prime Minister of India, Sri Morarji Desai, the most puritan of the lieutenants of Mahatma Gandhi, presided over the meeting. He had earlier met Baba at Dharmakshetra and sensed His Divine Compassion for world struggling in the deepening bog of hate and greed. He was visibly moved when he saw before him, squares upon squares of thickly packed aspirants, women on the right and men on the left, silent, expectant, full of ardour and adoration, from all over the world, from the steps of the temple, the mosque and the church, the Gurudwaras and other shrines, feasting their eyes on the charming face of Baba. Sri Morarji Desai said that the best teacher of man was the Gita, since it exhorted him to work for the betterment of the world to his utmost capacity, and at the same time to be unconcerned with success or failure, for God, to whom all work is dedicated, knows best how it should be rewarded.

Baba began His address in Sanskrit! He had directed me to translate His speech into English and I stood behind a mike at the other end of the dais. But, as 'the language of the Gods' flowed so mellifluously from those Divine Lips, I was almost struck dumb with admiration and apprehension. How, I wondered, am I to canalize this surging Ganga into the Thames? Soon, Baba continued in Telugu: "The body is the shrine in which the 'I' is installed; the country is the temple of the 'We,' the collective will; the world is the temple of the 'He,' the sum total of the 'I' and 'We'.

"This is a gathering of people of all faiths and so it is fitting that I assert here that every faith is but an endeavor to cleanse the impulses and emotions, as part of the process of discovering the Truth, both seen and unseen. The search is for the same Treasure; The Summit is one; only, the tracks are many. The guides too are many, clamoring and competing for pelf and prestige," Baba said.

"Even those who swear that they did not find any trace of God in the depths of space, or who aver that God is dead, or that even if alive, He has outlived His use for man, that He has ever been a handicap and a costly nuisance for man, these too have to admit that there is something inscrutable beyond the reach of reason, something which pervades the world and reveals itself in Love, Renunciation and Service. That something is God," Baba declared, in the course of a rousing discourse on the Divinity inherent in the Universe.

Appreciating the efforts of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to resuscitate the ideals and practices of Sanathana Dharma, Baba said, "This Conference is the Confluence of three holy streams - the Atmavidya which the delegates and visitors held primal for successful living, the Satsang provided by the aspirants from all races and religions, and the basic principles of Bharathiya Culture which the Bhavan helped them to remember."

Seven Subcommittees, which were discussing the topics allotted to them, presented their recommendations and suggestions to the Open Conference at noon on the 17th. They dealt with:

1. Bhajan, Namasmaran and Nagarasankirthana,
2. Vedic and Sanskrit Education,
3. Moral Instruction in Schools and Colleges,
4. Enrollment and Training in Seva Dals,
5. Establishment and Working of Mahila Vibhags,
6. Coordination of the Units of the Organizations at all levels, and
7. Relations between the Indian and Overseas units of the Sathya Sai Organization.

Dr. V. K. Gokak [see also: Cities Aflame, for a song by Dr. Gokak and Facets of Truth] then addressed the gathering on the Avatarhood of Baba. "We have met here with the common purpose of affirming the supremacy of consciousness over matter, subject over object, seer over the seen, charioteer over the chariot, and the transcendental over the trivial; so, we will not be baffled, as others are bound to be, by the phenomenon of the Human Form which the Formless Absolute has donned," he explained.

As He Himself announced the previous evening, Baba spoke on the grandeur and glory of the Name of God, be it any name, and the steady influence for good its repetition generates in the individual. 

"In this age of materialism," Baba said, "the constant repetition of the name of God is the one hope which man has, to rise up to him or to bring Him near. Repeating the Name brings down Grace; Meera quaffed the cup of poison with the name on her tongue; it turned into nectar. Sanctify every minute of your day and night with the unbroken recollection of the Name. I do not want you to think that I desire this Name and this Form to be publicized. I have not come to set afoot a new cult. Know that this Sai Form is the Form of all the various Names that man has used, and uses now, to identify and adore the One Divine. So, I teach that no distinction should be made between the Name - Rama, Krishna, Iswara, Sai - for, they are, all of them, My Names. Of what avail is it if you worship My Name and Form without attempting to cultivate My Samathva (Equal love for all), My Santhi (Unruffled equanimity), My Prema (Love), My Sahana (Forbearance), and My Ananda (Perpetual state of supreme bliss)? Many of you plead for a Message from Me! Well, My Life is My Message. You will be adhering to My Message if you so live that your lives become evidences of dispassion, courage and confidence, revealing eagerness to serve those who are in distress."

As Bhagavan cast His Grace-filled eyes on the thirsty faces before Him eager to drink in the Truth He was vouchsafing to pour into their hearts, suddenly His eyes softened in compassion. His voice rose, the speed of His words doubled and trebled. Everyone present sensed, almost, instinctively, that a great moment in their life had come; in ecstatic thrill they prepared themselves to listen to a great Revelation, to a Benediction that the world can hope to receive but rarely in its history. He said, 

"Gathered here today are people who have devotion, people from all sections of society; I must tell you about My Reality because ninety nine out of every hundred among you do not know. You have come here drawn by diverse needs or interests, by a taste for spiritual matters, by eagerness to develop the institution to which you are attached, by admiration or affection, by love or reverence or loyalty, or just in a spurt of enthusiasm to join others in their exultation or to share with them your own."

"In truth, you cannot understand the nature of My Reality, either today or even after thousands of years of steady austerity or ardent inquiry, even if all mankind were to join in that effort. But, shortly, you will become cognizant of the Bliss showered by the Divine Principle which has taken upon itself this sacred Body and this sacred Name. Your good fortune in having this chance is greater than what was available to the anchorites, monks, sages, and saints and even to personalities, that embodied facets of the Divine Glory!"

"Since I move with you, eat like you, and talk to you, you are deluded into the belief that this is but a human phenomenon. Be warned against this mistake. I am also deluding you by singing and playing with you and engaging Myself in activities with you. But, any moment My Divinity may be revealed to you; you have to be ready, prepared for that moment. Since Divinity is enveloped by humanness, you must endeavor to overcome the Maya (delusion) that hides it from your eyes."

"This Human Form is one in which every Divine Entity, every Divine Principle, that is to say, all the Names and Forms ascribed by man to God, are manifest. (The statement in Telugu was: Sarvadaivathwaswaroopalanu Dharinchina Manavaakarame Ee Aakaramu. Do not allow doubt to distract you. If you only install in the altar of your heart steady faith in My Divinity, you can win a vision of My Reality. Instead, if you swing like the pendulum of a clock, one moment of faith, another of doubt, you can never succeed in comprehending My Truth and win that Bliss. Fortunate are you, that now, in this very life, you have a chance to experience the Bliss of the Sarvadaivathwa Swaroopam (the Form of God in all Forms)."

"Let me also draw your attention to another fact. In the past, on the occasions when God incarnated on earth, the Bliss of recognizing Him in the Incarnation was vouchsafed only after the physical embodiment had left the world, despite plenteous evidences of His Grace. Moreover, the loyalty and devotion which those Incarnations commanded while in the physical embodiment, arose through fear or awe at their superhuman powers and skills or at their imperial and penal authority. But ponder for a moment on this Sathya Sai Manifestation. In this age of rampant materialism, aggressive disbelief and irreverence, what is it that brings to It the adoration of millions from all over the world? You will be convinced that the basic reason for this is the fact that this is Divinity in Human Form."

"Again, how fortunate you are that you can witness all the countries of the world paying homage to Bharat; that you can hear, even while this body is existing, adoration to the Name of Sathya Sai reverberating from even the nooks and corners of the world, when this Form is amidst you, with you, before you!"

This thrilling declaration stunned the delegates; and as they left the hall and reached their rooms, each one found inches added to his height, for each felt blessed with a Unique Vision. Often had Baba spoken of His being the Incarnation of God, of being God Himself in human form, but this time, He had emphatically identified Himself with all Names and all Forms of God that man ever moulded in his mind in the course of his history on earth!

The next day, in the morning hours, the reports of the subcommittees were considered by a meeting of all the delegates, and a few more delegates addressed the gathering. Baba summarized the conclusions, and spoke on the basic approach to service through the Sai Organization. In these days when the world is safe only for hypocrisy, Baba's directives had to be straight and sharp. 

"It is wrong," He clarified, "to believe that all have equal rights and duties and obligations and responsibilities. You cannot say that all cows are equal and purchase them by the dozen. Some may be dry, some may clamor for more feed, some yield less milk, some are young, some decrepit, some tame and some wild. Nor are all men equal. The code of conduct, for each and towards each, is decided by changing factors, like age, profession, status, authority, scholarship and sex, and considerations as to whether the person is a teacher or pupil, master or servant, father or son, sick or healthy, etc. As far as I am concerned, there is only one rule that binds Me: Love. That Love will quieten you, it will comfort you, it will inspire you to merge with Me."

When the Conference met for the evening session, speeches in Sanskrit were delivered by four Pundits of the All India Prasanthi Vidwanmahasabha founded by Baba. Mrs. Osborne addressed the gathering in English. She was introduced as the wife of the author of the book 'Incredible Sai Baba' written about the previous incarnation of the Inexplicable Sai Baba now with us!

Baba offered to sum up the suggestions for spiritual uplift that emerged from the deliberations among the delegates, as also the gist of His talks with representatives from the various States. He spoke about Bhajans, Dhyana Sittings, Study Circles, and particularly about Nagarsankirtan which received attention as a very important activity of the Units. "This was how", Baba said, "Jeyadeva, Gouranga, Tukaram, Kabir and Purandara Das led God into every heart. Gather together in the hours before dawn, and walk slowly along the streets, singing Bhajans glorifying God. Carry the Name to every doorstep. Wake up the sleeping. Purify the air polluted by day-long angry shouts of hate and greed, faction and fear. What greater service can you render than this - beginning the day with the Name of God and helping others to remember Him?"

The Valedictory Meeting of the Conference was held at 10 a.m. on the 19th. Baba wanted that all those who had come from far and near be informed of the major decisions of the Conference, which were rare directives aimed at the spiritual upliftment of the common man. Dr. Gokak in his address found himself saying, "Sai is the gateway to all the greatness, all the effulgence of the spirit," for, he was too overwhelmed to be silent. "Sai is no blinding word; Sai is no binding word; Sai is no limiting word," he said. "It is a word that contains the meaning of every other word. In the beginning was the Word! That word is He." Mr. Bharde, Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly said that Baba was fast transforming Bombay from a Bhoganagari into a Yoganagari (from the City Sensuous, to the City Divine). It could well be said that this process of transmutation is on, not just in Bombay, but the world over! Baba too spoke of the urgent need for man to be aware of his immortality and to draw courage there from as Arjuna did, when overcome by despondency.

Dharmakshetra, where Baba stayed during the Conference, was the venue every day, for a number of gatherings where Baba was busy explaining, elaborating, elucidating and emphasizing the fundamentals of spiritual discipline and wisdom, regardless of time and unmindful of the exhaustion His physical body was likely to get. Besides this, Baba was guiding there a Prasanthi Youth Camp of over 65 University alumni. There was held a special gathering of the Lions of Bombay City who sought from Him guidance regarding the basic attitudes that will help their activities and the philosophy that can sustain them. It was noticed that Baba granted audience to the overseas delegates more often. It was because they had fewer chances of personal contact with Him, and they were eager to be as near Him for as long as He permitted.

Among those whom Baba drew to Himself during the Conference was the veteran Gandhian, the scholarly statesman, the patriotic writer, the practical administrator, the devoted student of Bharathiya Culture, Kulapathi Dr. K.M. Munshi. He had realized, more than most of the doughty warriors led by Gandhiji in the struggle for Swaraj, that India had to be independent so that she can gain self-respect and adore her own culture and thereby make her invaluable contribution to the progress of humanity through her adherence to the ideals embedded in that culture. The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is the institution through which Munshi sought to achieve the revival of Indian culture, and so implant in the hearts of the Indian Youth a genuine appetite for living their lives as true sons of Bharatha Mata, as legitimate inheritors of the peerless wisdom gathered by the sages of this land. Baba agreed to have the Conference in the Bhavan Campus, a fertile field wherefrom a rich harvest of Vedic and Upanishadic culture was to be reaped in the near future. This fact Baba mentioned with appreciation. So Dr. Munshi visited Dharmakshetra as well as the Conference Hall, and he said, "All my life I have taken a keen interest in personalities to whom supernatural powers are attributed; I have tried to understand their ways how they project their personality and release streams of faith and transform their followers into dedicated persons."

When Dr. Munshi met Baba for the first time in Dharmakshetra, hope met fulfilment; aspiration met achievement and prayer met the boon desired; for, Baba has come. Come, He has, to install Bharathiya Vidya, that is to say, Atma Vidya, on the throne of Science, to reinstate India as the Guru of humanity, to help Indians to win the fruits of India's independence, teaching them the way to master the self, and through Indians, the rest of the world.

Baba observed that Dr. Munshi's right hand was trembling slightly on account of chronic Parkinson's disease. Then, in Dr. Munshi's words, "Baba rose from His seat, took my fingers and covered them with His own, and rubbed them with sacred ashes which came out of His hand. Then He waved with a sweeping gesture and caught a ring He had materialized; He slipped it on the little finger of my right hand. I immediately perceived the stiffness of my fingers almost gone; so had the trembling in the right arm and leg." It needs to be mentioned here that the cure was permanent and not a passing phase, for as the science of medicine says, Parkinson's disease (Paralysis Agitans) is one of the least tractable of maladies, even as regards the relief from its symptoms!

More than this miraculous relief from a physical handicap which he was stoically tolerating, Baba removed the handicaps which stood in the way of the septuagenarian savant accepting Baba as the Guru he was seeking. Baba visited Munshi's home, and all the members of the family found themselves confiding in Him. He assured them that He was with them through all the turbid years of torture and sacrifice, martyrdom and power, disillusionment and determination, revival and recuperation. He told Munshi's son that He was with him, years ago, when he had to take refuge with a wayside station master while traveling by train! He took upon Himself the burden of bringing health and happiness upon his kith and kin, for, none is there beyond the pale of His Love. Dr. Munshi writes, "He has the capacity to plant seeds of faith in men - seeds, which, when they sprout, will liberate them from greed, hate and fear."

No wonder, then, that all the mental reservations, with which Munshi approached Baba, whom he had taken to be just another in the array of Babas he had encountered during his chequered career, disappeared the moment he recognized the Reality, and he did not hesitate to declare this in the pages of the Bhavan's Journal, one of the leading Indian Periodicals commanding a circulation of 50.000 copies. Describing his campaign in Britain, Julius Caesar said in a historic phrase, "Veni Vedi Vici," "I came, I saw, I conquered"; here, "I went, I saw, I was conquered!" This is the experience not only of Dr. Munshi. Every one who goes to Baba and sees Him through eyes that are clear and keen, wins the same experience.

On the 18th, at the special request of Indra Devi who had planned a "Crusade for Light in Darkness" aimed at illumining the hate-ridden hell within the human heart, Baba lit a Perpetual Lamp at Dharmakshetra. That Lamp and other lamps lit from that scared flame, will serve to shed the Light of Love on all who meditate on them.

The rising of the Sai Sun made certain vested interests feel ill at ease. Bewildered at the millions milling towards wherever Baba was, calculating practitioners who traded in religion feared that the traditional tithes and offerings would soon dry up, threatening their very sustenance. Little did they know that Baba has come to water every plant in the Garden of Faith, that He was no sower of schism but the Great Harmonizer, the Mountain Peak that appeared to some as Siva, to some others as Vishnu, to some as Christ, to some others as Allah, or as Buddha, according to the angle from which they viewed. The yellow section of the Press yielded to the temptation of blasphemy and scandal mongering; the more responsible periodicals tried to probe and understand. They requested that their representatives meet Baba and try to measure the depth of the rare Phenomenon in their midst. About 30 special correspondents representing leading English and Indian Language Newspapers came to Dharmakshetra on 21st May. The questions they asked were naturally prompted by curiosity; they wanted to know the purpose and modus operandi of the "miracles" performed by Baba. In reply Baba declared that these were evidences rather than demonstrations of the Divine. "It is Love that prompts Me to give and when I want to give, the thing is ready," He said. "I can, by My Sankalpa, change the earth into sky and the sky into earth, but that is not the only sign of Divine Might. It is the Love, the Compassion, the supreme Patience to deal with all this frailty and fanaticism, it is the Resolve to cure them all - that is the Unique Sign," Baba explained.

Those who came to probe were prompted to sit and learn. He advised the newspapers to stress the unity of Indian culture, to emphasize the values of the Indian way of Life, instead of playing up the differences and defects. He wanted them to indulge neither in flattery nor in mudslinging; He asked them not to inflame or burn incense, but portray and highlight all examples of service and sacrifice.

On the 24th, Baba left by car towards Gujarat, where a large number of Study Circles and Bhajan Mandalis, and the miracles emanating from His will, had soaked the people in Sai Devotion. He visited Navasari and Surat on His way to Baroda where he spent a day, meeting devotees from the area around, like Nadiad, etc. Baba then returned to Bombay and left for Poona. The Andhra Association of Poona welcomed Baba at the premises of their Association (but it was not owing to any linguistic or regional label, for, which geographic region can claim to contain Him more than another? He belongs to all humanity). Baba spoke of the problems that afflict mankind, and of the valid and valuable solutions thereto, discovered by sages millennia ago. The people of Poona felt blessed at the chance to have the Darshan and imbibe the nectar of His Discourse. On His way to Hyderabad, Baba halted at Sholapur, where He urged the people to investigate into their own inner resources and learn to develop them. "Develop unshakeable faith in yourself, in your capacity to live well and long, in your capability to be of use to others," He exhorted. At Hyderabad, too, His message was a tonic to the wayward and the vacillating: 

"Be cheerful and sprightly. Cultivate faith in God, keep virtuous company, nourish discipline and cherish lofty ideals of service. Control the senses; avoid seeing evil, hearing evil, relishing evil thoughts and sights, words and news. Go straight, not along a crooked path. Do not read trash, or see foul films. Discipline the wavering mind by means of Bhajan, Nagarasankirtana and Namasmarana," Baba directed. 

On the 10th of June, Baba returned to Prasanthi Nilayam.

This chapter may well be closed with an extract from a letter from Charles Penn, on his return to America, after being exhilarated by his first physical Darshan of Baba, having his faith and devotion enriched by the experiences at Dharmakshetra and the World Conference at Bombay - especially Baba's Revelation of His being the One Divine Principle come in Human Form.

Baba appeared before him at his US residence and said, 

"You, Charles, saw at Bombay the tens of thousands of seekers of Liberation, striving to catch at least a glimpse of Me. These numbers are but a drop in the ocean, compared to the countless unseen souls who try to reach Me from beyond mortal bounds. To all I give My Light and Love, and help each forward, towards Liberation."

"All who come to me in their concrete form have fortunately reached the stage when they are beginning to 'see' the reality. Those who cry for the chance to see Me in the concrete form have their prayers answered; to each I give every opportunity for Darshan, for they deserve and receive My Love."

"Then, Charles, there are those who may never see Me in the concrete form. They have, all the same, reached Me through a friend, a book or a photograph. To each of these, if they yearn deeply, I give My Darshan inwardly. These too I love as deeply for they have begun to see themselves, as being beyond their body, as Divine Souls. This is true advancement towards self-realization. Liberation and Peace can be theirs through loving the Lord in meditation. All who meditate upon Me as the One with many Names and Forms will have Santhi."

The Awakening Continent

"I have resolved to enfold the people of the world in the fostering care of Universal Love as laid down in the Vedas. For the world is My mansion and the Continents are the halls therein. I have come to inscribe a golden chapter in the history of humanity, wherein falsehood will fail, truth will triumph, and virtue will reign. Character will confer power then, not knowledge or inventive skill or wealth. Wisdom will be enthroned in the Councils of Nations."

"Do not be misled. It is not my purpose to strike men dumb by the display of miraculous might! I have come to confer the boon of blessedness, the benediction of bliss, as the reward for genuine spiritual endeavor, and to lead mankind into Liberty, Light and Love."

With those words, Baba concluded His revelation of Himself and His Mission on Earth, which thrilled the 1700 delegates privileged to listen to Him.

On the last day of June, barely fifty days after this announcement, Baba emplaned the Boeing leaving for East Africa from Bombay. This was His first voyage beyond the confines of India, that is to say, accomplished physically, announced in advance, and undertaken with members of His entourage.

He was going to the infant Republics of a continent that was just emerging into the dawn. He was to confer courage and consolation, to knit hearts and quicken the circulation of Love! Baba always rushes to where aspiration calls, or anxiety gasps.

The citizens of Bombay at a mammoth public meeting convened at Dharmakshetra bade Him farewell on the 29th of June. Later, at the airport, crowds spilled over the terrace, pushed through to the tarmac area in thousands and used every atom of enthusiasm to cheer Him as the plane took off!

Flying at 590 miles an hour at altitudes of over 35.000 feet, Baba was busy in the Boeing, granting the passengers, (many of whom had boarded the flight on purpose) signs of Grace, such as autographing a book or photograph, materializing a handful of curative ash, or furnishing illuminating answers to solve personal problems of every kind.

Bob Raymer of Los Angeles, a member of the party, saw Baba keep both His feet pressed on the slanting back of the empty seat just ahead of Him; he did not miss the chance; he clicked twice and got two pictures of the Lotus Feet, which millions adore. At this Baba pulled out one of the cards from the pocket behind His seat and wrote an affectionate admonition, sending it to "Bob, Boeing 707!" Bob responded with apology cum adoration, through another picture card; "The sky is blue, the ocean too; our wish has come true, we are flying with You!"

In fact, the sky was not always blue. It was mostly murky, what with the huge concourse of slow-moving monsoon clouds on their way to India. The sea mirrored the sky; there was an occasional zigzag of silver ripple upon its surface. One felt as if the plane hung in mid-air, while sea and land were pulled away from underneath by an unseen hand. Soon, gleaming streaks of rocks and boulders and blotches of greenery were visible as far as the eye could see. But fluffs of cloud soon hid the ground. Mount Kenya was announced! We saw only its jagged crown of blue, over the sea of milk.

In a moment, that sea was over us! Below us, scintillating in, and reflecting the sun, was a quilt of red and brown roofs, Nairobi! The clock showed four minutes to twelve, while our watches insisted it was already 2.24 p.m.

Baba at the door was greeted - "Nandalala! Yadu Nandalala!" spontaneously from the yearning hearts of thousands perched on all available vantage points. While we of the party waded past the counters and through the corridors, filling forms, and having certificates stamped and signed, climbing over the routine hurdles, Baba was whisked away in floral automobile by Dr. C. G. Patel into the gathering from which the welcoming Bhajan had emanated. 

"It was a feast for the eye and ear - the scene where they showered flowers, and waved lights, when they sang melodiously and from the depths of their hearts," Baba said, "I was reminded of the days when Jayadeva and Gouranga sang the Glory," He wrote.

We had to proceed to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda - the State known as the 'Pearl of Africa.' The road was 407 miles long. The cars sped on, encouraged by the fine unbending road through miles of delightful scenery.

The motto of the State of Kenya (through which we passed until night enveloped us), is 'Marambee': "Let's pull together," and this spirit was evidenced all along the route in wheat-fields, cattle plantations and groups of village-folk on the way side, brimming with vitality. They were merrily dancing along with leafy boughs in their grasp, which they shook vigorously at the sky.

The tedium of dreary hours of travel was made less monotonous by the beautiful avenues of trees through which we passed. Their restful green together with the coolness of air as we climbed higher and higher, was comforting. The rains that come upon this land all the months of the year have mothered a succession of gurgling streams and fresh water lakes.

We had a glimpse of the Rift Valley about which I had read when teaching Anthropology in my college at Mysore. Two thousand feet below us it gaped, with sheer escarpments for its banks! We saw the soda lake, Nakuru, and the town bearing its name. A sizeable gathering of eager Africans and Indians awaited Baba there; they were rewarded with Darsan. Baba moved among them, and discovering a few who needed Vibhuti, He created it and blessed them.

From Malaba, on the border of Uganda, an impressive pilot car preceded the car of Baba, as a sign and symbol of His being welcomed by the rulers of that State. The cars drove on to Jinja, where the Nile emerges out of the womb of Lake Victoria, and, channeled through turbines, flows on the North to fulfill its vow of a 3500-mile pilgrimage to the Mediterranean Sea.

Kampala was reached at 1-30 a.m., hardly the hour for a hearty welcome by a cheering throng. But Baba is a category by Himself. Wildly waving banners of silken welcome stretched across the streets; every few yards a floral arch (someone of the party counted exactly 108) beamed with lights as Baba passed through. Outside Dr. Patel's bungalow, 2000 people continued their Bhajan, singing with unabated ardor in the hope that Baba would give them the coveted Darsan. And Baba did not disappoint them. Alighting, He walked slowly amidst them, feasting the eye and delighting the heart. Their restraint and reverence were exemplary.

Never had Kampala yearned so excruciatingly for daybreak as on that night! For the city knew that Baba had arrived and would be granting Darsan when the sun rose. Baba came out early next morning; He stood facing the unprecedented massive gathering. He moved, lithe and lovely, along the passage between the barricaded blocks of people, showering upon everyone His supreme compassion.

When He saw a sad face, or heard a groan of distress, He stood for a moment, waved His hand gently, and created for the person the Divine Cure. He went up to the lines of standing Africans on the margins of the assembly; He held many by the hand and brought them Himself into the shade among the others so that they may sit in comfort, listening to the community singing of the Bhajans. We felt that those were the devotees who prevailed upon Baba to fly across the sea and give health and happiness by personal ministration.

"I have no need to see places. I am everywhere, always!" Baba told us. "You may drive around. I have my work, work for which I have come." But Dr. Patel persuaded Him to visit the Hindu temple, the Bahai House of Worship and the television tower hill. While driving down, He summoned the six-foot police constable acting as motorcycle escort, and created for him a charming locket with the picture of Christ, to be worn around the neck. He knew the man was a Christian.

Baba has come to fulfill, not to destroy or to disturb, man's faith in God. His love brooks no barriers, no boundaries, no walls separating 'ism from ism.' During the Bhajans, He selected the sick and the disabled, the deaf and the dumb, the blind and the maimed, and, taking them into the bungalow, He spoke to each one with love and tenderness. He spoke in Swahili, in English or Hindi, and gave each some token of Grace - holy ash, talismans, lockets with His own portrait or the picture of Christ or some sacred design. Everyone who came out of the room had a smile on the face, a twinkle in the eye, a ray of sunshine in the heart, and firmness in the step. A person who was stone deaf when he went in, came out wonder-struck at the amazing world of sound. A polio-affected boy came prancing outside; a patient who was wheeled into the 'Room of Hope' walked out, his hands on the shoulders of his companions, while a volunteer pushed the empty chair out of the gate.

The third day of July was a memorable one. First, the flight to Ngorongoro Crater. It is the largest concentration of wild life in Africa. Reaching the Entebbe International Airport by car, Baba, with some members of the party boarded a twin-engined aircraft at 9 a.m., while three of us having full faith in Him, brushed aside the fear aroused by overzealous friends who warned that a single engine plane was not the craft that one would choose to fly over a jungle, teeming with wild life!

We followed Baba in that frail super-wagon, piloted by a veteran Britisher who oozed confidence all the time. For an hour and a half we flew over the immense inland sea of fresh water - Lake Victoria - which the Nile attempts in vain to drain. We could see hundreds of gazelles, zebras, and wild beasts while our vehicle flew slowly over the Serengeti National Park. The Crater is a huge circular plain, over 127 square miles of grassland, bush and forest, sheltering large masses of wild life. A few Masai Manyattas, stock full of fat cattle were to be found in this fantastic milieu.

As we drove from the airstrip, to the Crater Lodge, a family of wild elephants received us with the gentle flapping of broad ears and an array of ivory tusks gleaming in the pre-noon sun. Landrovers took us into thick shoals of wild buffaloes, zebras and gnus. Soon we entered the haunts of the Simba (lion). From within the safety of the cars we admired a heavyweight male yawning on a mound, and very nearly ran over a pair of fat females having their siesta amidst the grass! We came upon more such families, and soon they endeared themselves to us. Baba had come to bless them, we felt. Rising up almost from nowhere, a stately dowager lioness walked majestically towards a group of sleek giraffes. This onset of danger was communicated to the long-necked fraternity by some birds, and they, in their turn, alerted the buffalo, zebra and gnu! In a few seconds, they disappeared into the distance and the distinguished lady stood, sniffing the empty air!

Baba drew our attention to this demonstration of mutual service. He said man is highlighting the advantages of competition and the struggle for survival, but the beast is teaching him cooperation and service as the ideal means for survival.

We took off from the Crater at four o'clock in the afternoon, and when we neared Lake Natron, the planes flew perilously over a newly formed volcano, emitting incense to the God of Fire! Our 'mini' wagon hovered a while, awaiting a signal from the airport over the Nairobi National Park giving us a bird's eye-view of giraffes and ostriches, before landing at Embakasi.

Baba's car crawled through the crowded roads of Nairobi to the park where He was to address His first public meeting in Africa. The rush of listeners was without parallel in the annals of Kenya, for no visitor until now had such universal appeal. People loyal to a single faith, or to all faiths, skeptics and Sadhaks, scientists and spiritualists, men, and women from all walks of life were there, filled with eagerness to see Him and hear Him, and if possible, to be accepted by Him. Baba builds His shrine in every heart with the brick of Truth and the mortar of Love.

His discourse stressed that each human being, in fact each being, was "a spark of the Divine Effulgence, a wave of the Divine Glory." He advised all to see beneath the skin, within the physical, mental, and even intellectual encasements. "This habitation of flesh and bone, of fear and feeling, of doubt and desire, is the residence of the One Indivisible, All-pervading God." Baba knows that this vision is the strongest basis and the surest means for ensuring racial and regional harmony.

Baba returned to His residence and blessed the enormous gathering that surged around it. Later, He sat before the television set which some members of His Party were seeing for the first time. The programme that was then on led to a discourse by Baba on the evil sown by that medium. Baba said that it blunted the higher impulses and activated the lower. "The aim of the sponsors is to bring more and more people before the receivers; so standards get more and more vulgarized and this valuable instrument of education is reduced into televisham (tele-poison!)," He said. Baba is a relentless opponent of films, comic strips, and horror serials that sow the seeds of sensualism, anarchy, greed and bloodthirstiness in virgin minds.

Nairobi is the only City in the world which has a suburb owned and inhabited by Lions! It awakens every day to the full and free roar of these regal cats. On the 5th of July, early in the day, we went into the National Park and proceeded to the Hippo Pool. There was a busy school of these monsters, and also a few crocodiles basking quite near. This led Baba to point out to us how the beast is wiser than man in the art of living. "We slaughter our own kind, for the greater glory of ourselves!" He said.

While driving back from the pool, we saw two magnificently maned lions, and three well-groomed lionesses basking indolently in the sun. They did not wince at all when a dozen cameras clicked. Instead, they preened themselves like stars surrounded by fans! We also watched many ostriches, and giraffes hurrying in uncouth haste to some mysterious rendezvous.

After lunch, Dr. Patel took Baba and the party in cars to Nanyuki, 6400 feet above sea level - a town where, if you have the poetry in you, you can experience the thrill of having one foot in the Southern Hemisphere, and the other in the Northern, for the Equator passes through the place! In fact, a hotel here boasts that the Line passes through its veranda.

The road to Nanyuki showed us coffee and sisal plantations; thatched huts of the Kikuyu peeped furtively at our cars. In Secret Valley, we stayed at 'Tree Tops,' built on high stilts, from where at night, under an artificial moon, we could see leopards mauling meat, bisons licking salt, and elephants, gazelles and other beasts showing themselves off and generally enjoying themselves.

It was Thursday; so, Baba turned us away from elephantine fantasies, and the antics of animals. He took us, instead, into the jungle of our own minds and described how the wild beasts sheltering there could be trapped. He told us about the discipline that can quieten and domesticate them. Suddenly, with a circular gesture, He created a jewel with the imprint of His portrait, and placed it in the hands of the person sitting by His side. Here! Wear it! For many years you have longed for this. Then turning to us He said, "Oh, each of you wants something, don't you?" And the hand waved again. There was a golden vessel in His Hand now. When He unscrewed the lid, it was full to the brim - Divine Ambrosia! Fragrant beyond imagination - thick, sweet liquid Grace!

Next morning, on the road back to Nairobi, Baba alighted at Nanyuki and many other towns and villages, where crowds were waiting for Him. He wondered, "Who has informed these people that I would be passing this way?" They must have sensed it through His compassion; that was the only explanation we could offer. About noon, Baba and others boarded the waiting aircraft, and flying over the Rift Valley, the famous Kenya Highlands, and the inland Port of Kisumu on Lake Victoria, reached Entebbe.

Baba's Presence at Kampala was utilized by many for receiving blessings and counsel. The High Commissioner of India, Shri K.P.R. Singh, the Chief of Staff of the Uganda Army, General Idi Amin, the Minister of Defense, Mr. Onama, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mr. Ojira, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Bataringaya, the Inspector of Police, Mr. Oryema, and other African leaders met Him at Dr. Patel's residence and obtained a glimpse of the Glory of Baba. During His stay He addressed gatherings of lions and rotarians, doctors, businessmen, and members and workers of service organizations. He replied with His natural gentleness, sweetness and sense of humor, even intimate personal questions from those who participated. Towards the close of each of the meetings, He moved among the participants creating and distributing to those around Him portraits in enamel or gold, of Christ for the Christians, Guru Nanak for the Sikhs, Zarathustra for the Parsis, and of Himself for those who yearned for them. He spoke lovingly and for long to a group of students from Makrere University and stood amidst them, when they wanted a photograph with Him.

During the group meetings, a variety of questions were asked. "If there is a God, why cannot we see Him?" Baba replied, "Why should you seek to see God? You are God. There is nothing that is not He. Experience Him that way." "How can we be happy always?" Baba said, "Derive joy from within. You are the Atma, the eternal spring of Ananda. Love all; no one will then hate you or envy you." He said to the doctors: "Jealousy is the professional disease of doctors and lawyers! Be glad when another doctor earns a good reputation or remuneration; honor the affirmations you made at the Convocation where you took your degree."

On the 7th, Baba addressed the first public meeting at Kampala. He told the multiracial, multi-credal gathering, "Just as the same bloodstream circulates in all the limbs of the one body, the One Divine Principle activates the entire Universe. Do not get too involved in the turmoil of living and ignore the kinship in God that you have with all beings around you. Do not overemphasize individual variations, but fix your attention on the universal kinship. Ignore the beads, contemplate upon the unifying eternal ever-present thread." This was a heartening message, and it was received with enthusiastic approval by Muslims, Christians, Bahais, Hindus and Parsis alike.

On the 8th of July, Baba addressed another vast gathering at Kampala. He said, "Here in Kampala, I shall pinpoint the basic requisites for a good, contented and happy life." He elaborated the discipline essential for it, like Dhyana and Prema, meditation and love. "Love is Power; Love is Bliss; Love is Light; Love is God," Baba said.

These discourses bound Baba close to the hearts of the Africans. People recognized in Him a friend, a guide, a leader and a light. But word had spread that Baba was leaving on the 10th for India, since that was the day of Guru Poornima. So that evening when Baba moved among the thousands, seated in the Pandal, rows of Africans knelt, handing notes and letters to Him, some with tearful pleas. Looking through a window of Dr. Patel's bungalow at the faces filled with adoration, I could not suppress my tears. I was overcome by a delightful sense of gratitude for the opportunity Baba gave me to witness this spontaneous surge of devotion in a new continent. I was awakened from my reverie a by light tap on my back from Baba who enquired, "Why the tears?" The notes and letters were filled with sorrow, for the Africans had learnt that Baba planned to leave for Bombay on the 10th. "Father, do not leave us so soon!" was the plaint in every prayer.

India was informed by cable that the return was postponed.

The full moon day, when spiritual aspirants dedicate themselves anew at the Feet of the Master, was on the 10th. Baba had told Bombay that He would reach that city by plane at 9-45 p.m. leaving Kampala at 11 a.m., so that both Africa and Asia would have the thrill of His Darsan on the same day! But, yielding to the yearning of the Africans, He decided to spend the whole day at Kampala, granting devotees in other continents other evidences of His Omnipresence.

More than 25,000 persons gathered that morning for the Bhajan. The Africans joined the chorus led by a Tanzanian, Mr. Zoodoo. For over two hours, Baba walked slowly among the lines of lonely, love-seeking eager hearts, giving each person a handful of sweets and a packet of Vibhuti. To the amazement of the recipients, most of them discovered inside the packet, lying ensconced in the midst of the holy ash, enamel or metal portraits of Christ, the Cross, Krishna or Sai Baba Himself. The "Uganda Argus" published an article, announcing that Baba had brought the message of Unity and Service, to the peoples of that continent. Baba's discourses as well as activities were also televised and broadcast, so that the entire population could share the inspiration of the Gospel.

On the evening of the tenth day of July, Baba talked to about 200 young men and women, who served as volunteers at the Bhajan gatherings and at public meetings. The constables on duty as well as the chauffeur of the pilot car were also rewarded by His Grace. Baba appreciated the spirit of service and the intelligence of the youth of Kampala. He spoke about them later at Bombay on His return. "They had no previous experience in controlling and guiding such vast congregations; they had no training; they were their own guides, but they behaved with exemplary patience and alertness. They worked tirelessly, round the clock, with smart team work," He said.

On the 11th, besides the Bhajan sessions, for which, as days passed, more and more people from far and near flowed into the capital, Baba met groups of Sadhakas and active workers in service organizations, from the far flung States of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Later, Baba visited Dr. Patel's clinic and also the residences of many ardent devotees. Wherever he went, throngs of people, eager to win one more glimpse of the Radiance, rushed in and stood at the gates or on the pavements for hours.

On the 12th, Baba proceeded to the Murchison Falls National Park, one of the most beautiful and fauna-stocked regions of East Africa. The straight road, leaping over the shoulders of a series of hills, tempted the person who was at the wheel of our car to race and overtake every car that moved in front. We were catapulting so fast, that a sudden turn of the road found the car rolling madly over and over, finally coming to rest on its jammed wheels in agonized silence.

Baba's car had gone on beyond Masindi which was some 30 miles distant. He said to the people in His car, "The second car has trouble. They will resume their journey in a taxi!"

We four were thrown against roof and floor, receiving knocks, bumps, hits and cuts, we did not know where! The man at the wheel fell out; the friend on his left struggled to open the stuck door with his uninjured left arm. The cushion from the back seat was on my head, wedged between it and the caved-in top! I found myself sitting astride on the chest of my companion, with blood trickling on his shirt from a long gash upon my forehead, caused by my glasses getting broken there when I knocked myself against I do not know what!

The third car came up in utter bewilderment, and friends gently pulled us out. There was a hospital right where the car had presented us with this surprise item - "Kasturi Falls" - not included in the original programme! I went in there on my own, despite the bleeding gash, the black eye, the cut on the left leg, the huge lump on the right! I was the man who was worst hit, thank Baba! The entry, as made by the African doctor on the hospital O. P. Form (which I still have, though it is clearly printed thereon 'This Form is the property of the Hospital') is dated 12-7-1968. Name: Kasturi. O.P. No. 11112/68. Diagnosis: Minor cuts. (Baba's Grace!) Treatment: Surgical Toilet. Inj. Anti-Toxoid 1500."

I lived to laugh at myself for so helplessly bouncing inside a speed-intoxicated car, and landing on my neighbor's chest! Speed goeth before a fall! Baba always advises, "Start early; drive slowly; reach safely!"

The fatal corner in front of that hospital I shall remember until memory lapses. The name of the place is as potent as a charm; its charisma is remarkable. Repeating that name might avert future automobile misadventures for me. Nakkasongola! That is the word for the place. It is a thaumaturgical polysyllable! I wish some day to plant a stone on that spot inscribed - "Here four men called out Sairam! They were saved."

We packed ourselves thick in the third car and reached Masindi. From there, we hired a taxi and moved on towards Baba. When we neared the Park, we saw the welcome poster: "Elephants have the right of way!" It meant that we could see some herds during the day.

We found a pair of gigantic bisons eyeing us rather wickedly, munching roadside grass. Our cars were ferried across the wide green Nile, and passing between two live Tembos (Swahili, for elephant) with sharp white tusks about five feet long, we rushed into Pra Safari Lodge; Baba came forward to pat us and pet us, while listening to our description of the accident of which He already knew.

Oh! it was worth all the panic and pandemonium inside the car! No mortal mother could have been more compassionate towards her injured child. The curative Vibhuti was ready. He applied it Himself on the cuts. He used His own handkerchief as a bandage for my eyes. He created ointments and tablets out of nowhere. He pressed, or rubbed the spots of pain gently. He drew us near with affectionate consolation. He gave us the strength to dismiss the picture from our minds. I thanked Nakkasongola and the person who drove our car, for this unique gift of Divine Tenderness.

Within minutes we went for a motorboat ride up the Nile, for over fifteen miles, towards the Murchison Falls, and back. The boat passed through 'schools' of hippos lying close together, showing just their eyes, ear tips and occasionally their noses, above the water! Some of them were on land, with red, barrel-like hippolets behind them peeping through the thick papyrus reeds. There were crocodiles too, with open jaws, but the vicious tail and voracious jaw did not frighten the juicy Hippos in the least.

We saw crocodiles in the water and hundreds on the shore, perhaps even thousands, for the shore seemed alive with crocodiles from one end to the other. Winston Churchill, who had plodded, through these jungles and boated along this stretch of the Nile in his youth, fired a shot from his gun at one of the sleeping saurians. "At the sound of the shot," wrote Churchill, "the whole of the bank of the river, which before was a long brown line of mud, rushed madly into the Nile. At least a thousand of these crocodiles had been awakened and astonished by that single shot." Baba noticed many plovers hopping about the crocodile area, a few daring even to perch inside the horrible teethy traps! He said, "Look at the mutual service that bird and beast are rendering to each other!" Yes, the plovers are the only species of the birds that are tolerated and even welcomed by the crocodiles; they eat the parasites off their scales and pick the decaying bits of food from between those deadly teeth!

Returning to Pra Safari, and re-crossing the Nile, our cars took us through elephant-land to the Nile above the falls. Herds of thirty or forty elephants looked from a distance like flocks of sheep grazing on the downs, but when we neared them, the sight filled us with awe and amazement. A bull stood a few yards away from the car wherein Baba was, and to give him a good Darsan, Baba stood on the footboard! It appeared as if he was highly grateful, for, he stood there gazing a few minutes, filling his little eyes with the loveliness, then turning back, quickly joined the herd.

We could hear the loud incessant hum of the falls at many a turn of the road; as we neared, it became a thunderous roar, and suddenly - there were the falls! Small groups of Africans were dancing on the river bank in wild ecstasy. The Africans are seldom still. They trip it as they go to the tune of some lilt.

The Murchison Falls are furious and fascinating. The Nile comes foaming and rapid, down a continuous stairway until the bed contracts suddenly into a gap in the rock, barely six yards wide; through this strangling portal the tremendous river is shot in one single jet, down a depth of 160 feet, into a chasm of terror and beauty. Baba was happy that we could see the sublime scene. Bob Raymer got a series of lovely pictures of Baba before these waters. Returning to Masindi through a road rendered slushy with a thick shower of rain, we had to slacken speed to avoid skidding. Elephants crossing the highway were another cause of delay.

From Masindi we proceeded to Kikondo, 80 miles away, where a Bhajan Mandir, in authentic Afro-architectural style built by a devotee, was to be inaugurated. It was a large estate, growing paddy, sugarcane and bananas. The Mandir was full of squatting African laborers, who venerated Baba as the God-man from the East. Baba sat on the special seat arranged for Him, but soon He was among the Kisans, creating and distributing sweets and curatives.

He told the gathering of Africans and Indians that man alone among the animals had strayed from his allotted tasks; the rest struck to their Dharma, whatever the obstacle. The tiger will never stop to eating grass; the elephant can never be tempted to have a meal of fish or flesh. But man, the crown of creation, is groveling in the mire of bestiality and, withal, proud of it.

Kampala was reached at 1 p.m. The lateness of the hour only whetted the appetite for Darsan of the thousands who were waiting there, busy with Bhajans, Baba gave them the much coveted gift, walking among them and standing on the decorated dais long enough to satisfy them.

The 13th of July was a day of growing gloom, though everyone had the chance of Darsan, Sparsan, Sambhashana (seeing, touching the holy feet, and listening). From Mwaza, Daressalam, Mombasa and Eldoret people came to persuade Baba to visit their places. The Mayor of Kampala pleaded for a short extension of the stay. Baba is always everywhere. He reveals His Presence to all who call on Him, or even to many who are unaware that God is amidst them for their sake. So, for Baba there is no going or coming, no arriving or leaving. Still, the physical presence wins such indelible loyalty that one feels an orphan without it.

On the 14th, hours before dawn, half of Kampala was at Dr. Patel's door. Streams of cars and planes, brought people from Jinja, Mbale, Kakira, Kabale, Ikaye, and Kapila where Sathya Sai Seva Samithis and Bhajan Mandalis were active. "I have no desire to stun or shock people into submission or adulation; I have come to install Truth and Love in human hearts," Baba declared. Therefore, thousands prayed that He should stay on, or if that was not possible, at least come again very soon.

When He got into the car, even the hefty constables on duty, keeping back the surging rows of citizens, wiped the tears streaming from their eyes! Baba patted their backs, but that only sharpened the pang! The road to Entebbe was choked with cars, trucks, scooters and cycles. The East African Airways Plane which was to take Baba to Nairobi (where the Air India International Boeing was waiting) developed a small trouble while moving on the runway; so Kampala got a bonus of two more hours with Baba on its soil! The motto of the State of Uganda is "For God, and my country." And Baba blessed the people who bore it.

Nairobi was reached at 2.30 p.m. and the thousands who acclaimed the plane were rewarded by a quick Darsan, since the delay prompted the airport officers to set the Boeing on its way immediately. We flew over Ethiopia and Somaliland, ferried across the Red Sea at a height of over two miles and a half, and landed at Aden at 5.15 p.m. Bombay was 1910 miles away and two hours and forty minutes ahead!

Though Baba did not disembark and though the date of the flight had been postponed while at Kampala, we were surprised to find a long line of devotees and admirers (Indians and Arabs) filing into the aircraft and touching the Lotus Feet. Baba spoke to them with sweet affection; He created holy healing Ash for their sake.

At 12.45 a.m., Indian Standard Time, the plane, which had the unique good fortune of carrying the most precious cargo that the world offers in this age, touched ground at Santa Cruz, starting off a chorus of Jais from over ten thousand quickly pounding hearts.

On the 15th, Baba addressed a mammoth gathering at Dharmakshetra which was presided over by Dr. K.M. Munshi. Dr. Munshi could not suppress his tears of joy and gratitude, when he said, "I was pained to see around me the quick decline of faith in God and earnestness in religion, and I was on the brink of despair when I contemplated the future of this ancient land. But, as I look upon Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and witness the transformation He is effecting in the hearts of millions, I am heartened and happy." Baba declared that racial conflicts and animosities spring from sheer ignorance of the basic brotherhood of man.

He related the heart-rending story of Karna,  the eldest of the Pandavas. His mother cast her first-born into the Ganges; it floated downstream and was rescued by a charioteer who fostered the child as his own. He took him to the court of the Kaurava cousins, who had vowed eternal vengeance on the Pandavas. Karna grew up as the very right hand of the Kaurava group. The Pandavas hated him and fought him, determined to destroy him, no matter what the cost. They succeeded at last. It was only then that they learnt that Karna was their eldest brother born of the same womb! O how they lamented, repented and cursed themselves!

All men are brothers; they owe love, service and reverence to one another; but they are not aware of this Truth, and so they hate, they fight, they kill, they poison themselves by revenge. "Triumph over another is only another name for self-humiliation," Baba said.

"It was this Truth, this Unity, often misunderstood as diversity when seen through ego glasses, that was propagated by Me in East Africa," declared Baba. "The people whom I met there and those who listened to my discourses and talks had a glimpse of the Reality upon which the waves of joy and grief, of gain and loss, of travail and triumph, alternately rise and fall."

"Many of them told me that the vision of the Indian Sages alone can save them and fill the heart with Peace. The splendor of the genuine culture of India will spread in this manner from continent to continent, from country to country, from community to community, continuously in the days to come. That is my Task. That is my Will," He said.

Months later, a Muganda teacher wrote from Africa, "Baba! redeem me, deliver me from grief! One of my best friends was fortunate to touch the hem of your robe, while you walked near him. He directed me to pray to You and to save myself from sorrow." An aspirant from Mukono wrote, "O Lord! Give me the strength to forgive those who harm me; make me forget the injury I receive from them." A Roman Catholic from Sierra Leone writes, "Many of His sayings I have inscribed in a little notebook and I often refer to it when I am in need of consolation or guidance. Some day, if it is His will, I may have the good fortune to come to Prasanthi Nilayam. Or perhaps it may never be - but I shall continue, in my own way to try to cultivate an ever-increasing awareness of God."

These are intimations of the wonderful transmutation of urges, the sublimation of impulses, inclinations and attitudes, the touch of His Robe, or the touching of His Feet - a chance perusal of a book by Him, or about Him - a word or two from Him, or the grateful acceptance of a glance from His Eye can bring about in man.

May the Light of His Love illumine our hearts too, and may the whole world shine in that eternal effulgence.

Example and Precept

Baba hurried from East Africa to Bombay and from Bombay to Anantapur, en route to Bangalore, since a great step in the campaign of Dharmasthapana for which He has come, had to be initiated on the 22nd of June 1968. Baba was establishing a college for Women at Anantapur!

Aurobindo has said, "A new center of thought implies a new center of education." This avatar has no destructive weapon in His possession, like the Kodanda (bow) of Rama, or the Chakra (discus) of Krishna. He relies on education, rather than elimination; instruction rather than destruction. The good are encouraged to become better, the better to enter the region of the best and the blest. The bad are encouraged to shed the coil of cowardice, which keeps them in fear and induces them to cause fear in self-defense.

Baba is therefore the premier educator of the age. Every word of His is a Mantra, every speech an Upanishad, every exhortation a Geeta, every song that He sings a pilgrimage into the holiest core of one's being; a revelation of one's destiny and Divine glory. Baba instructs the incorrigible, the intransigent, the infidel and the infant in spiritual Sadhana. He takes all into His fold. In His presence one cannot say, "The hungry sheep look up and are not fed." They may be sheep or goats; they may not look up at all; they may not realize that they are hungry; they may not recognize good food from bad; they may not be aware of where food is available in plenty! But Baba fondles them and feeds them with food that ensures health and happiness beyond measure, beyond the ravages of time and the erosion of doubt!

Baba often writes letters to those whom He wants to correct or console, or to conduct into the fortunate group of the illumined. He showers love, guides with sweet companionship, warns sternly and leads Sadhakas by the hand. The books He has written - Prema Vahini (The Stream of Divine Love), Jnana Vahini (The Stream of Eternal Wisdom), Prasanthi Vahini (The Bliss of Supreme Peace), Dhyana Vahini (Practice of Meditation), Dharma Vahini (The Path of Virtue), Sandeha Nivarini (Clearance of Spiritual Doubts), the Gita Vahini (The Divine Gospel) and the Bhagavatha Vahini (The Story of God and His Devotees) - are treasures that shed light on intricate problems of spiritual discipline. Passing down the corridor of time, the epics and Puranas have accumulated interpolations from imaginative enthusiasts, which mar the grandeur of the originals and disgust seekers of Divine Nectar. Baba has edited the Bhagavatha and the Ramayana (The Rama story, Stream of Sacred Sweetness) in a manner which makes them invaluable guides for aspirants to liberation. Baba's discourses which attract gathering of tens of thousands even in the most secluded village, herald a new era in the lives of all who hear them, even if they do not understand the language which He uses; for, as Baba says, when heart communicates with heart in Love, language is an impediment, rather than an instrument!

Baba as Educator does not spare even the hours of sleep of those whom he intends to teach. When He struck Swami Abhedananda on the heart while He was lying in bed at Sri Ramanasram in Thiruvannamalai, the aged Swami sat up, and wondered who, what and why! Baba gave him the Darsan of the late Sri Ramana Maharshi and of Himself, separately and as an upsurge of light in which both merged. This was to reveal to him that He and his Guru were the same. Then, he spoke to him in Telugu about the ways in which he had to modify his meditation, to enable him to get rid of the doubts and deviations that haunted him.

Baba appears to some Sadhakas during what can only be described as 'dreams' and favors them with timely advice, such as, "Concentrate on the Visuddhi Chakra." The Sadhaka who received this advice asked me what and where the said Chakra is situated. It was found that this Chakra is the Center of nourishment for the body, which at the time was just the problem confronting the Sadhaka. Or, "Read the Mahanyasa also." He advised another Sannyasi who was ceremonially reading the Devi Bhagavatham. Baba also teaches during Dhyana (meditation), as He does with Mr. Penn in California, whenever the latter has a spiritual dilemma or knot to unravel. I shall give here two extracts of what He once said to a Sadhaka in a dream, which the Sadhaka recorded in his notebook as soon as he awoke.

"You must have freedom not only from fear, but freedom from hope and expectation. Trust in My wisdom: I do not make mistakes. Love my uncertainty! For it is not a mistake. It is My Intent and Will. Remember, nothing happens without My Will. Be still. Do not want to understand; do not ask to understand. Relinquish understanding. Relinquish the imperative that demands understanding."

"Meditate upon the feeling between waking and sleeping, know how immediate, how close, how deeply compatible it is. There is the feeling of really giving up; the body is limp. Awareness too is limp. Let the feeling of God overcome you like sleep."

Appearing to devotees in dreams, Baba has taught them new Bhajan songs, sitting in front of them as music teachers do, with instructions to sing them during the Dasara festival at Puttaparthi. Later, when they arrived at Puttaparthi they were prompted by him to sing them! A devotee was once so involved in civil suits at court that he was nearly bankrupt. Appearing to him while he was asleep Baba told him plainly, "Properties, my dear fellow, are not proper ties!" Baba as an educator and as the incarnation that has come in order to educate, is engaged in that task, all over the world at all times.

His opening words at every discourse are "Divyatma Swarupulara!" Embodiments of the Divine Atma! That is the sum and substance of all His teachings. Man has to realize that he is the Atma, unconquerable, indestructible, unlimited, the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss-wave of the ocean that is God. The awareness of this truth is Bhakti, 'Swaswaropa-anusandhanam-Bhakthirithi-abhidheyathe' says Sankara.

Baba insists upon every one being told this truth about himself, every one being given a glimpse of himself in the mirror so that he may live in strength, faith, courage and peace. He says that the tree of life, the Asvattha (a banyan tree), has its roots in the Atma. If that faith is absent we dry up and are wafted hither and thither by every wind of fortune - wayward whiffs of transience! The trunk and the branches, the leaves and twigs of the tree of life are the ramifications of our contacts and commitments with the outer world, the kith and kin, the I and mine, the plus and minus into which life proliferates. The flowers of the tree are words, thoughts and deeds of Love; and the Ananda derived is the fruit. But, Baba says the sweetness in the fruit is Virtue, Seela, good godly character. Without Seela which makes the fruit worthwhile, and the Atmic root which sustains the tree, life is a mere ploughing of sands, the body is but fuel, fodder for vermin.

In order to imprint upon man the truth of this Atmic core, Baba has a continuous chain of organizations which are supervised and managed by devotees soaked in His teachings and guided by Him. Toddlers are gathered by affectionate arms into Bal Vikas classes; they were called Bal Vihars, but the name has been made more purposive and significant. They are taught Bhajans, they enact plays on themes selected from the Upanishads, Epics, Puranas and the lives of Saints, many of them written by Baba Himself.

They are trained to revere parents and elders, to observe the rules of the road, to draw and make models of scenes and shrines reminiscent of the higher values of life. They greet each other reverentially with "Om," which is as it should be. In short the Bal Vikas child discards the A for apple and adopts the A for Arjuna stage. It does not repeat "Baa Baa Black Sheep, Have you any Wool?" or talk of Robin Redbreast and Santa Claus. It repeats 'Raghupate Raghava Raja Ram' or 'Subrahmanyam, Subrahmanyam, Shanmukhanatha Subrahmanyam'!

Then the boys and girls enter the Junior Seva Dal, where they learn selected verses from the Bhagavad Gita, and songs sung by Saints in adoration of God. They attend first aid classes, practice meditation, develop artistic talents through plays, paintings and floral decoration and speak before gatherings on Baba and His Teachings, reproducing the illustrative stories and parables that Baba uses.

When they reach the age of eighteen, they are inducted into the regular Seva Dals and given a sound spiritual training to withstand the hard realities of Seva. They organize Bhajans in Jails, Remand Homes, Leprosoria Hospitals, Slums, Schools and Hostels. They help in keeping their town or village clean and healthy, donate blood to the blood-banks, study the scriptures and enact moral plays. Every opportunity is used by them to develop skills and place themselves at the disposal of the distressed and the deprived.

The older people have the Seva Samithis, which organize Bhajan Mandalis, Nagarasankirtan, study circles and the celebration of holy days to commemorate the greatness of saints and sages. The Mahila Vibhags of these Samithis extend Seva among women and conduct Bal Vikas classes guiding the children, along the path to truth. Thus, under Baba's continuous and consistent inspiration and guidance, a fertilizing flood of higher education and spiritual transmutation is sweeping over the earth.

Baba has declared that He has come to establish truth, uproot untruth and revitalize the moral ideal in the affairs of mankind. The Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization has become the new center of education for the new center of Sai thought, in this Sai Era. Baba says, "This organization is intended to broaden service. It has not been devised to parade devotion, or collect devotees or canvass support for some newfangled creed. It is dedicated to the great task of progressively aiding people to realize their reality and merge in it."

"Vidya dadathi vinayam," Education must endow man with humility. The wise are humble that they know no more; the fool is proud that he knows so much. Humility and reverence are the genuine fruits of education. Instead, reverence is the first casualty in schools and colleges today. Baba repeats a Geeta dictum: Pandithah Samadarsinah, Scholars visualise Unity. They do not promote factions, they do not encourage hatred. They seek the One; if known, all else in known! They seek harmony and not conflict. But nowadays, scholars have envy, malice and conflict as their professional malady. Baba finds that the task of Dharmasthapana, the re-establishment of morality and righteousness, has to be undertaken in the educational institutions also, for every year they pump into the stream of national life the perfidious poison of irreverence, indiscipline, inefficiency and rootless culture.

Jesus said: 'The scripture says, Man cannot live on bread alone, but needs every word that God speaks'.
Baba says: 'Man does not live by bread alone. He lives by the Atma. Devotion and surrender - and not greed and deceit - should form the basis for man's life and lead to the blossoming of spiritual wisdom in his heart'.

The Upanishadic student was advised by the Guru before every lesson that education was a shared experience, and that the slightest tinge of anger and misunderstanding between the teacher and the taught contaminates the gift, the giver and the receiver - all three. Students of today terrorize the teacher; teachers calculate their monetary rewards and evade their fundamental duty to teach. They do not examine their right to claim reverence. The Upanishadic Guru sent the student home, after he had completed his studies, with the exhortation: Sathyam vada, dharmam chara, mathr devo bhava, pithr devo bhava, and acharya devo bhava! Utter Truth. Walk in the path of righteousness. Revere the mother as God, revere the Teacher as God! But, parents are now treated as obstructions, troubling the young from the other bank of the generation gap. The mother is a bundle of old-world superstitions and the teacher is a person who can be bribed or frightened into granting certificates and marks to pass examination and get degrees!

Therefore, Baba felt that youth has to be quickly led back onto the road they have missed. They must be warned of the calamity that awaits them, and through them, the country, not only in India but in all lands. The student unrest that is spreading over the world is but the external rumbling of an internal maladjustment. The atmosphere in which they grow up, and the roles which they are being prepared for by parents, elders and rulers, are reeking with hypocrisy and pettiness, triviality and titillation.

Example is better than precept, the saying goes; but the example that the older generation is holding forth before the young now is more pernicious than their precept! Baba has laid the blame squarely on the shoulders of parents, teachers and society, for bringing up the rising generation in dull, drab, dismal schools, with God kept out and idealism negated. Baba holds that there is no authority which has laid down that an Avatar can do this or cannot do this. Krishna planned to drive a chariot, for this was the best and speediest way for the task which He had come to accomplish. Rama went hunting a golden deer though He knew that it was only a clever decoy, for, it was necessary that He should be away so that Ravana could kidnap Sita by a stratagem, a fell crime for which death was the legitimate reward! So Baba asked, "What prevents me from starting colleges? No one can prevent a flower from imparting its fragrance to the air! It is my Nature to educate, to draw forth into the light the Divinity that is inherent in man. I use all means for that consummation. You have been praying - Thamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya - lead us from darkness into Light! This is one of the answers."

Baba thought of correcting the education of women, in the first instance, for, as He has written in "Dharma Vahini" - "No nation can be built strong and stable, except on the spiritual culture of its women. This generation is full of unrighteousness and injustice, malevolence and greed, falsehood and cruelty, because the mothers who brought it up were not vigilant enough or intelligent enough, or because they were not trusted enough by men with the responsibility of chastening and fostering their children. What is past is past. To save at least the next generation, women have to be educated in a well-planned manner and endowed with the wisdom, fortitude and faith that can equip them for the great responsibility that rests upon them."

In June 1996, Baba was at Anantapur, the biggest town of the District and its official capital, 60 miles from Prasanthi Nilayam, at the invitation of the High School for Girls. The plight of the girls who had to go to distant places for higher education and also the kind of education for which they were spending much time and money, affected Him. He resolved upon another step in His task of Dharmasthapana; for women have been the custodians of Dharma since millennia; the cradle is the first school for the children of man. He announced that there would be a Women's College at Anantapur soon. He resolved upon making Anantapur the focal point of the Educational Revolution that will consummate the Revival of Sanathana Dharma, for the lasting benefit of the human family.

The Women's College was inaugurated on the 22nd of July, 1968. Very few colleges are inaugurated under such distinguished auspices or with the promise of such triumphant careers for the alumni. Few have on the opening day itself such an imposing array of equipment, furniture, books and above all, a band of teachers with such enthusiasm and academic efficiency.

The Minister in charge of Education in the Government of Andhra Pradesh who presided over the Public Meeting said that what was being inaugurated was not just one college among so many, but a New Chapter in the History of Women's Education itself. He knew that the College was to be the precursor of many more such colleges all over the country, for Baba announced that He was planning a college or two in every State of India, all to be knit together later into a University, as an instrument forged for His Task.

Baba said, "The prompting behind this College is not the search for reputation or the desire to propagate a cult, or the hope of monetary profit. Fame is a fickle figment! Reputation rots quite soon. Profit, when it is calculated in terms of cash, defiles. I have allowed this College to rise because it will install in the minds of the students, the ideals of Sathya (truth), Dharma (righteousness), Santhi (peace) and Prema (love) - ideals delineated in the Vedas, described in the Sastras, illustrated in the Epics, practiced by countless generations and confirmed by experience, as best suited for individual and social progress. Every child born in Bharat has the right to know and benefit by this precious heritage.

"Agriculture is for living; Atma-culture is for success in life. An educational system that keeps children away from God - the only refuge, the only kinsman, the only guide and guard - is a system where the blind are engaged in blinding those who long for light."

"Women are the bulwarks of spiritual culture, But, as is evident from the attitude and behavior of educated women today, they are fast succumbing to the flimsy attractions of froth and frippery, cheap and shoddy literature and sensual films."

"Every child has five mothers, and owes its loyalty to these five; they fill its life with meaning and purpose:
* the Dehamatha - the mother who gave birth to its body, 
* the Gomatha - the cow that gives it milk and the bullock that is the partner in growing its food throughout life, 
* the Bhoomatha - land, that in return for seeds offers grain a hundred-fold, 
* the Desa-Matha - the region inhabited by the society it is born into that stamps on it its way of living, lines of thinking and ideals and goals, and
* Vedamatha - the heritage of spiritual treasure. 
The first Mother has to reveal to the child the glories of all the other four and so, her status is crucial, her responsibility is pivotal. That is the reason why I have resolved to start a women's college in the first instance, in order to preserve and promote Dharma - the Universal Sanathana Dharma I have come to vitalize and lead to victory."

"Atmavidya (Self-knowledge) alone can fix the mind in Dharma," Baba declared. The Sathya Sai Vedasastra Pathashala at Prasanthi Nilayam is preparing a number of young men, acquainted with the terrain of the spirit as explored by the adventurous pioneers of ancient India. They also imbibe the message of Prasanthi Nilayam, practicing the discipline of silence (not the negative silence when the temptation to speak aloud and to express emotion and passion are resisted) but the positive silence that springs from freedom, holiness and awareness of the Omnipresence of Baba.

There is also the All India Prasanthi Vidwan Maha-Sabha with its galaxy of Vedic Pandits and Sanskrit Savants, who have been commissioned by Baba to share their scholarship and their wealth of Prasanthi (unruffled mental peace) with the uninitiated and the struggling, so that they too may get a glimpse of the Glory and move forward. But, Baba says, Atmavidya should no longer be the monopoly of Pathashalas and Pundits; it is the right of every human being, endowed with Viveka, Vairagya, and Vichakshana: (Discrimination, Detachment and Reason), whether they are aware of it or not, to imbibe, and earn joy and peace.

Water is cheaper than milk. Water is essential for the process of living. Milk is essential for health and strength, to resist the onslaught of disease. Now, secular education (water) which teaches skills and transmits information is being supplied in schools and colleges. Atmavidya (milk) is stored by Pathashalas and Ashrams. Water becomes costly and a high price is paid for it, when mixed with milk. Then, it too becomes nourishing! Therefore, Atmavidya has to be communicated to youth in the colleges along with skill and information, so that they can boldly face the dilemmas of life.

Baba says, "We have heard of the seven year's war, the thirty year's war, the hundred year's war. The war between man and mind, between the Jivi and Maya, the individual and the objective world, is coterminous (same as) with Time. The earliest men were entangled in it; the last man will have to fight it. Unless, like Arjuna, you choose the Lord as your Charioteer and surrender the senses, the mind, the intellect, the desires, the means and the ends to Him, the war shall not end in your victory. That is the lesson that Atmavidya teaches; that is the lesson that the children of men have the right to imbibe."

Apart from the curriculum and the attention paid to its demands, the College insists upon the students attending prayer sessions, and meditation classes. A course of lectures on the cultural heritage of India is given during the year. The importance of Yoga and mental poise for physical well-being is emphasized and practical lessons arranged. Students are trained to keep away from the contaminating influence of films and horror comics. They are encouraged to be simple in dress and avoid elaborate hairstyles which attract attention by their outlandishness. They are advised to emulate the great women of ancient India, celebrated in the epics and the Upanishads, as well as in history.

The atmosphere of the College charged with the blessings of Baba, is itself conducive to the development of Sathwic qualities. Baba visits the College often and advises the students Himself. Occasionally, He brings with Him eminent educationalists filled with Sai inspiration to speak to them. Above all, Baba knows every one of the staff and students. He is immediately aware of whatever happens in each one's mind and so, all are ever alert that the limits set by Him for conduct are not infringed. Dr. Gokak has said that many others have emphasized the ideals of Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema. But it is only Baba who has shown them in practice so clearly and so uncompromisingly. "If you yearn for Santhi, learn it from Baba. If you aspire to find Prema, approach Baba and be inspired by Him. But, there is one more superb excellence - an excellence that is unique, in Baba, and that is Power. He has the power to change circumstances, to shape the course of events, to redirect help forward, transmute and terminate whatever He feels needs such treatment. So, when He starts a College and dedicates it for a purpose, it is bound to move along the lines He has laid down. He has the Power. Its students have the fortune of being forged as instruments for transforming the world into the Heaven He has planned it to become."

"Make Me your Charioteer!" Baba tells us. "Take hold of the unique chance. Ask Me about the Sadhana which can grant you Liberation. For later, it will be difficult for you to approach Me. Flood streams of people are coming to Me from all quarters. This Divine Phenomenon is bound to grow into a Viswa Vriksha (a World-tree that provides shade and shelter for all humanity). This has come down in this Form for that very purpose. It knows no hesitation, no halting. My Name is Sathya (Truth); My Teaching is Truth; My Path is Truth; I am Truth."

Baba, luckily, is the Charioteer of the College, and so the students will grow into straight, brave, honest, pilgrims. They will grow into good daughters, efficient citizens, faithful wives, affectionate mothers and expert teachers. The mother brings up the child; she also teaches the child to revere the father. She has to do it because nature does not bind the father to the child as intimately as it binds the mother.

"Baba has come to teach!", declares Charles Penn. "Let us all avail ourselves of Him. Know that we have been drawn to Him, to learn! We must not only bathe in the momentary bliss of His being, but learn to carry this security, this inner Peace with us to our homes. When we arrive home, we must remember that distance has no power to prevent Baba's teachings to flow to us. We must remember to ask Him to solve each of our problems and then, be constantly aware of each succeeding moment for His guiding answer. The answer will be clear and correct, and the interpretation will be easy, if only we pray." Every student of Baba's college is privileged to have such a Teacher! This is indeed a great good fortune!

Baba has a sense of urgency when He speaks educational reconstruction, for the consequences of starving the spirit at a time when boys and girls are preparing for the battle of life, are serious. So the Anantapur College was started in borrowed rooms and halls and hurriedly erected sheds, so as to avoid any further delay while the buildings came up, according to the plans He had drawn and designed. So, too, when He resolved upon a boy's College at Bangalore, He graciously allowed the College to encroach into the garden at Brindavan itself, so that temporary structures could be erected there in order to commence the college instantly. "Colleges are not composed of brick or mortar; nor are they to be evaluated by the magnitude of the buildings which house the classes. They are to be evaluated by the character and usefulness of the students who fill the classrooms, their behavior in the playgrounds and outside, their attitudes towards their parents, elders and teachers, and the ideals they follow in their later lives." Baba says.

Baba Himself supervised at every stage the erection of the buildings for the laboratories, the library and the classes. He guided the fulfillment of all the contingent requirements and so on the Inauguration Day, the college looked spick and span - a rare example of a college completely equipped and furnished on the very day when it began receiving the first batch of pupils!

On the 9th of June 1969, the College was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Mysore State, Sri Veerendra Patil. He said, "Baba has come to resuscitate Dharma, which is the foundation for the welfare of humanity. Dharma insists on the supremacy of ethical and spiritual values, and a College fostered by Baba is bound to promote these values among the youth." Dr. V.K. Gokak, the Vice-chancellor of the University of Bangalore, to which the College is affiliated, welcomed the new addition as a "gem in the jewel crown of the Bangalore University." "It will set the pattern for the College education, not only in the academic field, but also in the ethical and spiritual fields. This is a college conceived, devised and completed by Baba's Love, Grace and Wisdom. Brick by brick, plank by plank, He attended to every detail. It is a lesson for all who seek to do sincere loving service. Here teachers and students have the unique chance of learning the art of achieving harmony and gaining peace, apart from the intellectual attainments which the curriculum enjoins."

Baba drew the attention of the large gathering of rural folk who had evinced enormous enthusiasm that a College had been established in their village. He said that villagers still preserve and promote traces of mutual cooperation and brotherly love, faith in God and reverence to elders. He exhorted them to uphold those ideals, so that their children might grow into happy citizens, unaffected by the damaging distractions of city life.

"This College will pay attention to providing for its alumni a complete education, namely Karmamarga, Dharmamarga, and Brahmamarga, all the three - the principles of right action, right social behavior and spiritual advancement," He said.

Addressing the students He said, "You may continue in this college or leave and join some other one, returning home after completing your studies, but wherever you are, I desire that you should shine forth as recipients of the special attention we bestow upon you. Do not enter the fray of political controversies. Politics at present, and perhaps always, is a sordid game, where passions run high, power is sought through devious ways and prejudices are fanned into hatred. You must become a new type of leader. Shaped in the crucible of Seva, march into the future with the Light of the past, as one who appreciates the wisdom that has been garnered through the ages."

In a message, Baba gave to be printed in the Prospectus of the College, He stated, "This is a divine and blessed land. The tradition of this land is spiritual, but ninety-nine percent of the people are either ignorant or scornful of anything that bears the label of spirituality. The people have themselves devalued their culture. Correct your own faults and do not search for faults in others. Be respectful and loving to your near and dear ones, and to your fellow beings; serve the country and pray for the welfare of the world."

The College emblem selected by Him is eloquent about the ideals that are being translated into action in the College. It has a five-petalled lotus within a circle. The petals represent the five major religions of the world. Om standing for Sanathana Dharma, the Cross for Christianity, the Chakra for Buddhism, the Crescent for Islam and Flames of Fire for Zoroastrianism. The Lotus is the ancient Aryan symbol, untouched by the mud where it is born, and unsoiled by the water through which it emerges and upon which it floats. It is a symbol of beauty, peace, and auspiciousness. Inside the Lotus is the Flame of Illumination, without which knowledge is a burden and life an arid encounter with the flimsy urges of the senses. Overarching the circular emblem, is a semicircular border along which is printed the College motto, 'Dharmo rakshathi rakshithah; Sathya annasti paradharmah,' embodying the very core of Vedic Teaching. Dharma, it says, guards those who adhere to it, and there is no Dharma higher than Truth. When Dharma ceases to inspire and transform individuals, the world will inevitably be afflicted by agony and fear.

Among the rules for students that are given in the Prospectus, we find this sentence: "Now that you have earned the privilege of being students of this College, under the direct guidance and fostering care of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, make up your minds to be worthy students, remembering Baba's exhortation, "Education without character is a great danger." No. 10A of the Rules reads: "Students are particularly advised to cultivate courtesy, helpfulness and tolerance. Baba's fivefold message of conduct - Sathya, Dharma, Santhi, Prema and Ahimsa (Truth, Right conduct, Peace, Love and Nonviolence) , should inspire every one working and learning in this College." No. 11 reads: "The College attaches great importance to studies." Weekly and monthly tests, quarterly examinations etc. are laid down, and progress reports are sent to the parents periodically.

Here too, Bhajan, meditation, and prayer at the beginning of the day's work, for which students and members of the staff have to be present, are insisted upon. Above all, Baba evinces maternal affection upon every student, however large the number in the College. He loves the boys so much that they obey Him implicitly. They are so afraid of His neglecting them or ignoring them even for a minute if they misbehave or break any of the taboos, that they are ever vigilant in discipline.

Baba always advises them to avoid five delinquencies: The eyes should not wander towards sights that inflame the senses, or arouse ideas conflicting with morality or the duty towards parents, elders and the culture of our country. Words that emanate from the mouth should not hurt the self-respect of others, or utter lies simply because they are pleasant; they should not smack of scandal or spite. The hand should not be raised in anger against anyone, nor should it be used to wreak vengeance, or steal another's property. The ears should not exult in salacious stories, scandal or deleterious lilts. The mind should not be fouled by attachment to bad habits, bad impulses and plans to achieve the conspiracies of the senses. These five 'Doshas' are anathema [devoted to evil] in the opinion of Baba, and every student is made to remember this by constant warnings from Him.

There is no activity of the College in which Baba does not evince interest, for He knows that it is the atmosphere in which education is imparted and imbibed that really counts. Since the College and Hostel are situated within the compound, Baba walks in during the prayer session, presides over the moral instruction lectures and Himself supplements the instructor. He writes and directs plays for the College Dramatic Society. Often He pats a good student on the back, pulls up a lecturer who saunters into the lecture hall a few minutes after the bell, inquires from a sluggard the percentage of marks he secured at the monthly test, creates a fountain pen or a watch for some diligent well-behaved boy about whom the principal gives a report that confirms His own opinion, advises the librarian about classification, peeps into the dissection room of the budding zoologists and generally moves about as the Guardian Deity of the Institution.

As a result, the students of the Colleges established by Baba reveal qualities of goodness, levels of sympathy, depths of learning and veins of golden devotion that few would believe they have.

"Sign and Signature"

When Baba called, "Roll up your bed and follow Me", very few realized that the call was for Nagarasankirtan! At the World Conference, Baba advised His devotees to wake up at 4 or 4.30 in the morning (the Brahmamuhurta as it is called), and move along the streets singing the Glory of God, awakening people into the awareness of the Divine. Sankirtan of this type was a common feature of village life in the past, but due to apathy and ridicule, the habit is fast disappearing. After Baba's command, people who had never seen the sunrise, since they arose from their beds only when it was high up in the heavens, have started moving out into the cool, refreshing air to join their brothers and sisters in rendering the new day a happy event to themselves and to others. When Baba said, "Follow Me", it was clear that He meant He, in any one of the Infinite Forms that God assumes, and with any one of the Infinite Names that God can be remembered. As a matter of fact, Baba has announced that hymns on a variety of these Forms and Names have to be sung, and that no portrait of either Himself or of any other Forms of Divinity be carried when the Bhajan party moves on. "Follow God", that is His call.

The intricate mysteries of metaphysics are beyond the ken of the common man; even those who can delve into them, do it for the pleasure of disputation or dialectic gymnastics; they do not intend to practice even an iota of the principles of life underlying them. The abstruse labyrinth of rituals, with its armoury of do's and don'ts, create only apprehension in him. Mere Jnana, (knowledge) can make you a good logician or a debater capable of indulging in hair-splitting sophistry. But if it is lived through, or in other words, implemented, then you become a Jnani (a wise man). Sadhana or practice helps you to achieve the goal of life. Baba has restored faith in the Name and the efficacy of the Name "Call on Me in your distress; it is your right to invoke My Grace."

Dr. D.J. Gadhia, of the H.H. Agha Khan Dispensary, Arusha, Tanzania, writes: "In May 1971, Mr. Jamnadas M. Patel became seriously ill. When this poor soul was called to attend on him, there was no breathing; the heart-sounds had completely stopped. The pulse could not be felt. The heart was massaged with sacred Vibhuti, with sincere prayers. He recovered miraculously. When Mr. Jamnadas visited Puttaparthi, Baba told him, "I gave you new life, as your doctor called Me at the right time." Devotees of Baba know the unfailing power of the Name to bring forth the Grace of Baba. They need no elaborate argument to convince them that Sankirtan is the shortest and the sweetest means of winning His Grace.

But, there were some who had their fears! Will people get up so early? What about the rich, the officers who wield authority over the area? Will the neighbours permit singing in the early dawn? Will the police keep quiet? What about dogs, will they not bark us out or even inflict a bite? Many who felt they should not be seen singing in the streets, but who wanted to observe Baba's command, started at 3 a.m. when the streets were empty and all were sleeping soundly, and came home quickly before they could be discovered! But soon the