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Posted on: Nov 09, 2017
The Story of Sai – 9
And the lessons for you and me
Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 05 || Part 06 || Part 07 || Part 08
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His Story
Subbamma would sometimes gather all the toddlers on her open terrace in the evening. She would mix the usual dishes of the evening meal and then lovingly feed morsels from the great mix to all of them including Sathya. Like many Indian mothers do when feeding their children to coax them to eat an extra mouthful, she would say, “This morsel is for the cow, this one for the crow, this one for...”
There were other times when Subbamma would call Sathya to the terrace and secretly feed him with savouries like pakodas from her window – which overlooked the terrace of the Raju house. During one such 'secret' feeding, as she asked Sathya to open His mouth to pour water into it, Subbamma saw the magnificent spectacle of the entire creation: great celestial bodies revolving on their cosmic course, all amazingly contained inside the little mouth.
Subbamma had a fright and was lost in a state of ecstasy for days on end. This was the first time she had a glimpse of this extraordinary side of Sathya and she clung to little Sathya's feet and washed them with her tears.
Reflection
In June 1968, when Bhagawan was in Dharmakshetra, His abode in Mumbai, in a rare instance, He allowed the editor of a Gujarati Newspaper to ask Him questions.
"From when did You begin to give these signs of Divine Power?" the man asked.
“From childhood,” Bhagawan replied and continued, “At school, I used to create chocolates, marbles, and other articles for the children around Me."
The editor wanted a more precise answer.
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"At what age did You acquire this divine power?" He probed again.
"From My very Birth," Swami said instantly. Then He paused, and added with emphasis, "From even before that!"
The editor was dumbfounded. Struck with wonder, he exclaimed, “This is to say...?”
Bhagawan took it from there and continued, “This is to say, I resolved upon My birth who should be My mother. Mere humans can choose only who is to be their wife or husband. But in the Rama incarnation, the Mother was chosen by the Son. It was the same with the incarnation of Krishna. Then too the task for which the birth was decided upon was conferring love on all, and through that love foster righteous living.
“My acts are evidences of Divine Power, they are signs and signals of Divinity. I grant things out of My love. My love will never diminish. I have no desire of any kind. I talk of love, I guide you along the path of love, I am Love.”
Every time God descended as man, even before His arrival, He announced His coming through mysterious ways. If in Dwapara Yuga, the prison where Vasudeva and Devaki were lodged, was filled with light, in the current times the house where Easwaramma and Pedda Venkama Raju lived reverberated with sacred sounds.
If in Dwapara Yuga, though born to Devaki, He was fostered by Yashoda; in the Kali Yuga though born to Easwaramma, He was fostered by Subbamma.
Subbamma was always left stupefied and flustered with the antics of little Sathya, just like it was for Mother Yashoda.
Recalling the similar 'mouth-opening' experience of Mother Yashoda in a Janmashtami discourse Bhagawan said:
“Once Balarama complained to mother Yashoda that his brother Krishna was eating mud. Challenged by Yashoda to tell the truth, little Krishna made a startling statement, 'Oh mother dear! Am I an infant, or a foolish one, or a mad one to eat mud?'
“These words speak eloquently about the Divinity of Krishna, but poor Yashoda failed to fathom the depth of the revelation contained in Krishna’s words. On the other hand, she demanded that Krishna should open His mouth so she could check for herself whether Krishna had eaten mud.
“Little Krishna opened His mouth wide. To her utter shock and amazement, Yashoda saw heavenly spheres rolling in the mouth of Krishna. She exclaimed: 'Is this a dream or magic spell cast by a magician? Is all this true or false? Am I awake? Am I Yashoda?'
“At that instant, she realized that Krishna was verily God Himself.
“However, this realization did not last long. As soon as Krishna closed His mouth and stood in front of her with an innocent look, she hugged Him to herself and treated him as an ordinary child.”
Why does God perform these miracles? When and how does He do it?
In fact, this was what the editor asked Bhagawan, “Baba, what is the power that works these miracles?”
In reply, Bhagawan said, “It is wrong to call them miracles (or chamatkars) or to say that chamatkars are done in order to earn namaskars (adulation or name and fame).”
Swami clarified further: “These are only nidarshan (evidence) not pradarshan (exhibition). It is just like a play, a sport; it is My natural behaviour. It is a sign that helps each one to turn towards faith, devotion, inquiry and realization of their own Atma. As the intention or the will arises in the mind, the intention is manifested! The moment it is willed, the intention comes to hand or happens where I will it to happen.”
One such exceptional account of His nidarshan is recorded by Dr. John Hislop.
On the morning of Dec 8, 1973, Swami departed Prasanthi Nilayam for Brindavan. After an hour or so of driving, He directed the three accompanying cars to turn off the road to a clearing in an uninhabited area of forest. Everyone got out. Swami was in a delightful mood, moving about among the party and cracking jokes with the men.
On one side of the picnic area was a wood apple tree with a few large apples in view on the upper branches. One small apple, about an inch in diameter, fell to the ground and Bhagawan picked it up.
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Holding the small wood apple between thumb and forefinger against the morning sun, Swami said, “Here is the moon.” Then He closed the small apple in His hand for a moment and when His hand opened, the apple had disappeared and in its place was a most extraordinary object.
In Swami's hand was a translucent disk, thin at the edges and thicker at the centre. It reflected light in a brilliant way and throughout its body was a puzzling variety of modifications. There were dark areas of uneven shape and size, short and longer veins of luminous mineral-like materials of all shades of colour, and specks and dots of colour that reflected brightly in the sunlight. The total effect of the disk was one of great beauty.
Everyone gazed at the object with intense interest and wonderment. Holding the disk to the sun, Bhagawan said that it was the moon in miniature comprised of the moon's matter; it was indeed ‘a mirror of the moon'.
Nobody understood what He meant, and everyone started to ask questions at length. Eventually, they understood that the two-sided disk was an accurate replica in stone and minerals of the two sides of the moon.
It was as if one were to photograph the moon as seen from Earth, and then journey to the opposite side of the moon and take a picture of that side too, then put both these images together to form a circular disk.
The darker and unevenly shaped areas on the disk were the very large features of the moon's surface. The brightly reflecting specks and dots were individual mountains and smaller mountain ranges. The shorter and longer veins of brilliant and variously coloured minerals were additional features of the moon's landscape.
Indeed, the visual modifications to be seen in the disk were so complex that none could not readily understand it. Swami said the mineralized appearance of the luminous features of the disk was in fact moon minerals. He added that they could be seen in the disk because it was thin and therefore translucent.
The 'miniature moon' was exact and fully accurate. And if there was to be a photographic enlargement, scientists could at once recognize all the landscape features with which they were probably familiar.
Bhagawan gave the 'moon disk' to Dr Hislop. He placed it in his pocket as it was time for breakfast and Bhagawan was urging everyone to eat.
After he finished his breakfast, he returned the disk to Swami. Bhagawan now held it up to the sun to show a rich golden light all along the edge of the stone disk. Bhagawan smiled and said, “See, there is the sunrise!”
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After everyone admired the golden light, Bhagawan again closed His hand over the tiny moon and in a moment when He opened His hand, it was gone! In its place was the original small wood apple.
A handful of devotees were fortunate to witness this leela of the Lord and among them was Mrs. Ratanlal. After the passing of Mother Easwaramma in 1972, it was Mrs. Ratanlal who was blessed by Bhagawan to play that motherly role for His body till the end of His earthly sojourn.
It is really interesting how Bhagawan in different ways conferred this vision of His inscrutability to those who were to play historic roles in His mission so their faith deepened and their love for Him matured.
How it was for Yashoda, it was the same with Subbamma and then continued with Ratanlalamma.
- Radio Sai Team
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