93 April 2005

Embodiments of Love!

O ONE SEEMS TO HAVE MADE ANeffort to know the inner meaning andsignificance of Sivarathri. In fact, the

meaning is contained in the wordSivarathri itself. “Siva” meansauspicious and “rathri” means night.

Thus, Sivarathri means auspicious night.This auspiciousness is present everywhere.Then the question arises, “Who is Siva?” Sivais the divine consciousness which pervadesall living beings. This Sivatwa (divine

consciousness) permeates not only humanbeings, but birds, beasts and animalsas well. In fact, every moment in ourlife can be considered as Sivarathri.

SIVA CONSCIOUSNESS ISALL-PERVADING

The Lord of Kailasa has manifested his Divine form with the crescent moonadorning his head, the cool water of the Ganga flowing between the mattedlocks, with his radiant eye in the middle of the forehead and the purple neckgleaming like the sheen of a blackberry. He wears serpent bracelets and asnake belt, his entire body is smeared with Vibhuti, his forehead is adornedwith a Kumkum dot, his ruddy lips glow with the juice of the betel, diamond-studded gold earrings dangle from his ears and his whole swarthy body glowswith divine effulgence.

(Telugu Poem)

AVATAR VANI SIVARATHRI DISCOURSE - I

NWorship God in any form you like.There can be no objection to that.

But the underlying unity between thedifferent names and forms should

never be forgotten. It is amisconception to think that Rama

may be angry if you worship Krishnaand vice versa. Such differences are

there in the devotees, but not inRama and Krishna. It is man who

harbours differences and negativefeelings, not God.

April 2005 94

We need not wait for Sivarathri on aparticular day in a year.Divinity is Indescribable andImmeasurableEmbodiments of Love!

Siva consciousness is all-pervading.It is unbounded and unlimited.Sarvatah Panipadam Tat SarvathokshiSiromukham, Sarvatah SruthimallokeSarvamavruthya Tishthati (with hands, feet,eyes, head, mouth and ears pervadingeverything, Divinity permeates the entireuniverse). If we analyse carefully, it will beobvious that all that we witness around isSiva consciousness, and nothing else. Sivadoes not mean a particular form with mattedhair, donning a tiger skin. Wherever we lookand whichever form we come across, it isresplendent with Siva consciousness,whether it is the form of a child, an elderlyperson, a woman or a man. How canyou describe this all-pervading Sivaconsciousness or limit it to a particular timeand place? Some children perform aparticular dance to portray Siva Tandava(cosmic dance of Siva) symbolically. But,how can one describe the transcendentalSiva principle which words fail to describeand the mind cannot comprehend? Siva isdescribed as Mukkanti (the Lord with threeeyes). All of us have only two eyes. But Sivahas a third eye as well. We are aware ofonly the past and the present. We cannotvisualise the future. Siva, who can visualisethe future with his third eye, is thereforereferred to as Mukkanti.

People attribute different forms to Godand describe Him in many different ways.Each one describes Him according tohis imagination, ascribing a particularname and form to Him. But no

description can fully reveal Divinity.Nameless, formless God is omnipresent andall-pervading. He is Avangmanasagochara(neither words can describe nor the mindcan comprehend Him) and Aprameya(immeasurable). Who can describe suchDivinity? Divinity signifies only one thing, thatis, consciousness. This consciousnessassumes the form that it enters – it may bethe form of a dog, a crow, a crane or ahuman being. Easwaratwa (Divinity),therefore, connotes consciousness. Thisconsciousness is present in all humanbeings, nay, even in insects, birds, beastsand animals. One of its names is Sivatwa(Siva consciousness).God Assumes all Names and Forms

Some people limit Sivatwa to theform of Siva but it is not correct.Sivatwa is present in the entire

AVATAR VANI

People today are creating differencesamong human beings by attributing

different names and forms tonameless, formless and attributeless

God. This is a serious mistake.Divinity is being divided by

devotees. Devotees who divide Godare evil-minded. God is one. Never

create divisions in the name of God.When we do not realise the onenessof God, we engage ourselves in futilearguments and counter arguments.Whether it is Rama, Krishna, Siva orVishnu, all these are only different

names ascribed by devotees to God.But God is one.

95 April 2005

cosmos. In fact, all the devotees sitting inthis Hall are embodiments of Siva. SarvamSivamayam (all that you witness in thisobjective world is the manifestation of Siva).It pervades all the three worlds. It exists inall the three periods of time – the past,present and future. It is indescribable. Anylength of time is insufficient to describe it.Sivatwa therefore cannot be described asthis or that. No one can say that it is presenthere and not there. It is present everywhere.People worship it by attributing differentnames and forms to it.

Just as consciousness is the same in all,divine love does not observe any differencebetween living beings. Your love for yourfather, mother, brother, sister, etc., is basedon your earthly relationships with them. Butdivine love is the same for all. In fact, everyliving being is the embodiment of divinity.God assumes all names and forms. Hence,you are also the form of God. Once Parvatiasked Siva, “Oh Lord! You are presenteverywhere. But how can people recogniseyour omnipresence?” Easwara replied, “Theconsciousness that is immanent in mepervades all living beings. It permeatesevery cell of their body. One cannot explainit; one has only to experience it.” Theprinciple of consciousness pervades all livingbeings. People worship Siva and sing hisglories. Sivatwa is the divine consciousnessthat is present everywhere and permeatesevery object of the universe.

Siva does not care to tend his hair. Hekeeps his hair in its natural state as mattedlocks. He keeps his body also in anatural state without any refinementswhatsoever. His ash-smeared body

appears in different colours to differentpeople. Who can describe the colour andeffulgence of Siva’s body? Once therestarted an argument between Lakshmi andParvati about the physical appearance ofSiva and Vishnu. Lakshmi asked Parvati,“Parvati! What made you choose Siva as yourhusband who always keeps his bodysmeared with ash?” Parvati then askedLakshmi, “Amma! The colour of yourhusband’s body is blue. Why don’t youchange it?” When they were arguing thus,Saraswati entered the scene. She is theembodiment of equanimity. She said to bothof them, “There may be some differences intheir physical appearance. But I do not findany real difference between them. The samedivine consciousness permeates both theseforms of Siva and Vishnu. I realise it. Sinceyou are not realising it, you are entering intoargumentation. Hence, forget all outwarddifferences.”

Saraswati symbolises the transcendentalprinciple which is beyond all the three Gunas(attributes). As mentioned in the Puranas(ancient texts), it is this principle practisedby Saraswati which imparts peace andserenity to the world. Differences lie in theminds of people but God is beyond alldifferences. It is they who ascribe differentnames, forms and attributes to attributeless,formless God. As are the feelings, so is theform. As is the form, so are the attributes.Based on our imagination, we picturiseGod in different forms. But it is a mistake tobe carried away by our imagination.

People describe God as Rudra as wellas Santhaswarupa (embodimentof peace). But God is always

AVATAR VANI

April 2005 96

Santhaswarupa only. He is always pleasantand smiling. To consider such anembodiment of peace in a different form isonly the imagination of the devotees. Alldifferences are the result of man’simagination.

Realise the Oneness of God

Man should gob e y o n d t h e s ed i f f e r e n c e s a n du n d e r s t a n d t h eo n e n e s s o f G o d .Understanding of unity isdivine. Man forgets theDivine because he isdeluded by the deepwine of worldliness. Godis one and He is presentwherever you see, be ita city or a village, skyor forest, mountain topor deep sea. Youcan realise God bycultivating love for God.It is only love that bindsGod. It is this divinelove that will help youto understand onenessof God. God is onewithout a second.Ekam, Nityam, Vimalam,Achalam, SarvadheeS a k s h i b h u t a m ,B h a v a t e e t a mTrigunarahitam (Godis one without asecond, eternal, pure, unchanging,witness to all functions of the intellect,beyond one’s imagination, beyond

AVATAR VANI

the three Gunas of Sattwa, Rajas andThamas). Love for God makes us realise ourunity with divinity. When we have fusion withGod, there will be no scope for confusion.Artists like Ravi Varma have portrayed Godin different forms, giving expression to theirimaginative skills. Whatever be the differentforms of portrayal by poets and artists, God

is only one. Evil company, bad conductand wrong food habits are responsible

Some people limit Sivatwa to the form of Siva but it isnot correct. Sivatwa is present in the entire cosmos.

In fact, all the devotees sitting in this Hall areembodiments of Siva. Sarvam Sivamayam (all that

you witness in this objective world is themanifestation of Siva). It pervades all the three

worlds. It exists in all the three periods of time – thepast, present and future.

Continued on page 99 ...

HE holy festival of Sivarathri wascelebrated at Prasanthi Nilayamwith great piety and solemnity on 8th

March 2005 in the Divine Presence ofBhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. On thisoccasion, mammoth crowds from all partsof the world thronged Prasanthi Nilayam tocelebrate this sacred festival in theDivine proximity ofBhagavan.

On 8th March2005, every inch ofspace in Sai KulwantH a l l a n d i t ssurrounding areaswas fil led sinceearly morning withdevotees eagerlyw a i t i n g f o r t h eDivine Darshan oft h e i r B e l o v e dBhagavan on thisa u s p i c i o us d a y .Bhagavan came toSai Kulwant Hallat 7.15 a.m. amidstchanting of Vedich y m n s b y t h eInstitute students.A s s o o n a sBhagavan enteredthe Hall, a wave ofbliss ran through the entire congregation.A group of students of the Institutewelcomed Bhagavan with blowing of conchand playing of Panchavadyam music. Aftershowering His blessings on the devotees inSai Kulwant Hall, Bhagavan came to thedais and blessed three speakers toaddress the gathering before HisDivine Discourse.

Describing Bhagavan as the incarnationof the combined form of Siva and Parvati,the first speaker, Sri Anil Kumar, a facultymember of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of HigherLearning, narrated how Bhagavan graciouslygranted him the experience of HisArdhanareeswara (androgynous) form inKodaikanal when he witnessed the mark

of anklet on His leftfoot. On enquiry,B h a g a v a nr e m i n d e d h i mthat He was theincarnation of Sivaan d Parva t i . Thesecond speaker wasDr. NarendranathReddy, Member ofPrasanthi Council.Dr. Reddy explainedthe teach ings o fBhagavan containedin His famous saying:Follow the Master,Face the Devil, Fightto the End, Finish theGame. He concludedthat man should winthe game of life byrealising his divinity.The last speakerwas Sri G.K. Raman,

Chairman, Sri Sathya Sai Trust, Tamil Nadu.Sri Raman observed that self-realisation waspossible only by following the path of honesty,integrity and purity in life, and by totalsurrender to God.

After these speeches, Bhagavangave His first Sivarathri Discourse (fulltext given elsewhere). After the Divine

T

97 April 2005

SHOWERS OF BLISS ON SIVARATHRISHOWERS OF BLISS ON SIVARATHRI

Divine Darshan on the holy day of Sivarathri.

Discourse of Bhagavan, the Institutestudents recited Stotras in praise of Sivaw h i c h i n c l u d e d L i n g a s h t a k a m ,Bilvashtakam, etc. The morning programmecame to a close with Arati to Bhagavan at9.45 a.m. Prasadam was distributed to allthe devotees in the end.

In the afternoon, Bhagavan came to SaiKulwant Hall at 3.30 p.m. amidst Vedicchants, Panchavadyam music and blowingof conch by the Institute students. Before theDivine Discourse of Bhagavan, two speakersaddressed the gathering. Sri S.V. Giri, formerVice Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai Institute ofHigher Learning, was the first speaker. SriGiri observed that the festival of Sivarathrisignified control of mind which was the keyto man’s liberation. The second speaker wasSri Anil Vinayak Gokak, Vice Chancellor, SriSathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. Atthe outset, Sri Gokak narrated certainpersonal incidents and expressed deepgratitude to Bhagavan for His protection andblessings. Bhagavan, he said, is theembodiment of all forms and gods, and allthe people of the world professing differentreligions are His children since according toBhagavan, there is only one religion, thereligion of humanity.

After these brief speeches, Bhagavangave His second Sivarathri Discourse (givenelsewhere in this issue), and brought it to aclose at 5.15 p.m. with the Bhajan, “PremaMudita Manase Kaho …” which the entiremultitude of devotees followed with deepdevotional fervour. Night-long SivarathriAkhanda Bhajans started with this Bhajan ofBhagavan as the boys and girlsstudents of Sri Sathya Sai Instituteof Higher Learning led Bhajans

alternately thereafter. Before leaving for Hisabode in Poornachandra, Bhagavanexhorted the devotees and students to singBhajans with feelings and devotion.

Sivarathri Akhanda Bhajan thus startedby Bhagavan continued throughout thenight. Besides the students of the Institute,many groups of staff of the Ashram andgroups of Indian and overseas devotees ledthe Bhajans by turns. This filled the entiremilieu with spiritual vibrations throughout theSivarathri night. Many devotees observednight-long vigil and participated in Bhajanswith devotion and enthusiasm.

Every heart was filled with bliss whenBhagavan came to Sai Kulwant Hall to showerHis blessings on the devotees and studentson the morning of 9th March 2005. Aftertaking a full round of the Hall, Bhagavancame to the dais and occupied His chair,listening to the Bhajans led by the Institutestudents and followed by the devotees inchorus. With Bhagavan’s profound blessingsand in His Divine Presence, the SivarathriAkhanda Bhajan came to a happy andblissful conclusion with offer of Arati toBhagavan at 6.55 a.m. At the conclusion ofthe Sivarathri celebrations, Prasadam wasdistributed to all the devotees.

In His unbounded love for devotees,Bhagavan gave another Discourse onthe afternoon of 9th March 2005. BeforeBhagavan’s Divine Discourse, twospeakers addressed the gathering. The firstspeaker was Sri Ajit Popat, an ardentdevotee of Bhagavan from the U.K.Dwelling on the significance of Bhakti

(devotion), Sri Popat said that weshould make our Bhakti so intensethat it becomes our great Shakti

SHOWERS OF BLISS ON SIVARATHRI

April 2005 98

SHOWERS OF BLISS ON SIVARATHRI

99 April 2005

... Continued from page 96

(spiritual power). The next speaker wasDr. G. Venkataraman, former ViceChancellor, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of HigherLearning. Quoting from Bhagavan’s recentSivarathri Discourse, Dr. Venkataraman saidthat Siva signified divine consciousnesswhich pervaded every atom of the universeas also every cell of human body.

After these speeches, Bhagavandelivered His nectarine Discourse, narratingthe incidents of His childhood days to thejoy of all devotees. Sivarathri celebrationsat Prasanthi Nilayam came to a happyconclusion at 6.35 p.m. with offer of Arati toBhagavan and distribution of Prasadam toall the devotees.

for the delusion which makes us see diversityin unity. Once we get rid of them, we will seeunity and divinity everywhere. God is presenthere, there and everywhere. It is foolishnessto search for Him. His is the form whichknows no limits and boundaries. Vinayakaappears as only one, wherever you see. Hehas no attributes whatsoever. He is beyondall Gunas (attributes). He is Ganapati. Hehas no leader above him. That is why he iscalled Vinayaka. Since he has no leaderabove him, even Brahma, Vishnu andMaheswara worship him.

Embodiments of Love!

People today are creating differencesamong human beings by attributing differentnames and forms to nameless, formless andattributeless God. This is a serious mistake.Divinity is being divided by devotees.Devotees who divide God are evil-minded.God is one. Never create divisions in thename of God. When we do not realise theoneness of God, we engage ourselves infutile arguments and counter arguments.Whether it is Rama, Krishna, Siva or Vishnu,all these are only different namesascribed by devotees to God. But Godis one. We ascribe these names to

God only for our own satisfaction. Divinity,however, has no difference at all. Thenoblest path is to realise the oneness of Godand worship Him. Do not be confused bythe different pictures of God painted bypainters and artists. Worship God in any formyou like. There can be no objection to that.But the underlying unity between thedifferent names and forms should never beforgotten. It is a misconception to think thatRama may be angry if you worship Krishnaand vice versa. Such differences are therein the devotees, but not in Rama andKrishna. It is man who harbours differencesand negative feelings, not God. God isalways positive. There is no chance fornegativity to enter Him.

Dear Students!

Do not ascribe any differences or negativefeelings to God. You observe negativity inGod because of your own negative feelings.God is one; contemplate on Him, worshipHim. See divinity and unity everywhere.Never entertain negativity.

– From Bhagavan’s first SivarathriDiscourse in Sai Kulwant Hall,

Prasanthi Nilayam on the morningof 8th March 2005.

Embodiments of Love!

O ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO FULLYrealise the uniqueness, greatnessand sanctity of this holy land of

Bharat. The culture of Bharat is one of theholiest and noblest cultures of the world.It encompasses equally all humanendeavours, from the smallest to the biggest.Unfortunately, the Bharatiyas have forgottenthis great culture and are practising alienculture.

Glory of Bharatiya Culture

Today Sathya (truth) and Dharma(righteousness) have declined. However,they cannot be rooted out completely. Thereis nothing more sacred than truth andrighteousness. They ensure peace. They arelike the two eyes of man. Man is losing thevision of these two eyes and therebybecoming blind.

This is the country in which truth is heldhigh, but this principle has been forgotten.Though modern students pursuehigher education and acquiredegrees, they are losing sight of truth

and righteousness. Instead of fostering sucha sacred and noble culture and leading their

lives in accordance with the principleslaid down in it, people are wasting

Forbearance is the real beauty in this sacred land of Bharat. Of all therituals, adherence to truth is the greatest penance. The nectarine feelingin this country is the feeling of love towards one’s mother. Character isvalued far higher than the very life itself. People have forgotten the basicprinciples of this great culture and are imitating Western culture. Alas!The Bharatiyas are not aware of the greatness of their cultural heritagejust as a mighty elephant is not aware of its own strength.

YOU ARE THE CHILDREN OFIMMORTALITY

AVATAR VANI SIVARATHRI DISCOURSE - II

(Telugu Poem)

NToday is the holy day of Sivarathri.

Siva means auspicious. Wherethere is Siva, there cannot be

Shava (death). This holy day ofSivarathri must be spent in the

constant contemplation of God,chanting the holy name of Sivaright from early in the morning.

Siva is also called Neelakantha. Ashe swallowed poison, his throat

turned blue. The nameNeelakantha is highly sacred. God

has many other names likeAchintya (beyond thoughts) andAprameya (immeasurable). Every

name of God has a deepinner meaning.

April 2005 100

Today we have lost the human values ofSathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema which

formed the core of Bharatiya culture.Modern man does not know what Sathyaand Dharma stand for. Dharma is taken to

be duty. This interpretation is notcorrect. This is only an Englishtranslation, rather inadequately

expressed! The real interpretation ofDharma is Dharayati iti Dharma (that

which sustains is Dharma). It sustainshuman life.

their time in vain pursuits. It is onlythe practice of the great humanvalues of Sathya (truth), Dharma(righteousness), Santhi (peace) andPrema (love) that made Bharat thegreat spiritual leader of the entire world.Sathya and Dharma are essential forSanthi (peace). Even more essentialthan anything else today is Thyaga(sacrifice). Thyaga does not meangiving up all worldly possessions. RealThyaga (sacrifice) lies in putting thesehuman values into practice in our day-to-day life. It is our misfortune that wehave forgotten these great principlesof Sathya and Dharma. We shouldnever lose sight of these divineprinciples in our life. It is only when wefoster these human values, we areentitled to be called Bharatiyas in thereal sense. Losing sight of even one ofthese values will not entitle us to thisgreat appellation. Our life must be acontinuous journey from Sathya (truth)to Prema (love) in the order of Sathya,Dharma, Santhi and Prema. Thesevalues must enter the core of our heartand permeate every cell of our body.

The creation emerges from truth andmerges into truth,Is there a place in the cosmos wheretruth does not exist?Visualise this pure and unsullied truth.

(Telugu Poem)A human being is sustained by the

values of truth and righteousness rightfrom his birth. In spite of many difficulties,the women of Bharat have alwaysfostered these values in childrenalongside performing their household

duties and domestic chores. Swami knowsquite well how much suffering theparents undergo in bringing up theirchildren. The students today aspire

AVATAR VANI

101 April 2005

merely to acquire high education and bigdegrees. They should rather aspire to graspthe essence of truth and righteousness.

First of all, one should understand theinner meaning of Sathya and Dharma. Theword “Sathya” consists of three letters “Sa”,“Tha” and “Ya”. The letter “Sa” signifiesSattwa (piety), “Tha”, Thyaga (sacrifice) and“Ya”, Yama and Niyama (observances forsense control and rules for inner purity).These are the qualities which connoteSathya. You can now estimate thevastness and depth of the meaning ofSathya. It emerges from the heart of man.Unfortunately, today we have lost thehuman values of Sathya, Dharma, Santhiand Prema which formed the core ofBharatiya culture. Modern man does notknow what Sathya and Dharma stand for.Dharma is taken to be duty. Thisinterpretation is not correct. This is only anEnglish translation, rather inadequatelyexpressed! The real interpretation ofDharma is Dharayati iti Dharma (that whichsustains is Dharma). It sustains human life.When one adheres to Sathya and Dharma,one’s life will be sanctified. We sufferhardships and humiliations in life becausewe do not follow Dharma. The Pandavasalong with Draupadi led a noble life byfollowing Sathya and Dharma. It was, in fact,Draupadi who explained the inner meaningof Sathya. Man should always be guided bythe principles of Sathya, Dharma, Santhi andPrema in his journey of life.

Earn the Grace of GodMarkandeya is another example of the

life of virtue. He was born out of aboon granted by Easwara to hisparents. Easwara asked his parents

whether they wanted a virtuous son with ashort life-span or a son not so virtuous butwho would live long. The parents opted fora virtuous son. Accordingly, Markandeya wasborn but he was granted a life-span of sixteenyears. Nevertheless, the parents werejoyous as they had been blessed witha virtuous son. Years rolled by andMarkandeya entered his sixteenth year.Remembering the words of Easwara, hisparents became grief-stricken. On enquiryby Markandeya, they revealed that his deathwas very near. Markandeya did not want towaste any more time. He went to the templeof Easwara and started chanting the sacredPanchakshari Mantra, Om Namah Sivaya,with all sincerity and devotion. He lost himselfin the contemplation of Easwara. As he had

not returned home, his parents wentto the temple and sat at the entrance.They were shedding tears thinking of

AVATAR VANI

It is only God who can save the lifeof a human being. Some doctors

claim that they can give goodmedicines or perform surgery to save

the life of a person. They makeseveral promises but fail to fulfilthem. Except God, none else can

save or prolong the life of a person.With God’s grace, one can achieve

anything in this world. Dearstudents! You must strive to earn the

grace of God right from yourchildhood. When you start praying

thus from an early age, you willsurely earn His grace and protection.

April 2005 102

the impending end of Markandeya’s life.Immensely pleased with the sincere devotionof Markandeya, Siva appeared there and

saved him from the noose of Yama (God ofdeath), and granted him the boon of longlife to the joy of his parents.

It is only God who can save the life of ahuman being. Some doctors claim that theycan give good medicines or perform surgeryto save the life of a person. They makeseveral promises but fail to fulfil them. ExceptGod, none else can save or prolong thelife of a person (loud applause). WithGod’s grace, one can achieveanything in this world. Dear students!

You must strive to earn the grace of Godright from your childhood. When you startpraying thus from an early age, you will

surely earn His grace andprotection.Understand the RealImport of God’s NamesEmbodiments of Love!

Today is the holy dayof Sivarathri. Siva meansauspicious. Where there isSiva, there cannot be Shava(death). This holy day ofSivarathri must be spent in theconstant contemplation ofGod, chanting the holyname of Siva right fromearly in the morning. Siva isalso called Neelakantha. Ashe swallowed poison, histhroat turned blue. Thename Neelakantha is highlysacred. God has many othernames like Achintya (beyondthoughts) and Aprameya(immeasurable). Every nameof God has a deep innermeaning. You can understandthe real meaning of these

names by God’s grace only. Divinity iseternal. It cannot be attained so easily.Nobody can define it. One of the namesattributed to Lord Siva is Mrityunjaya, whichmeans one who has conquered death.People usually consider it only an ordinaryword. But this divine name of God has a deepinner meaning.

Parents sometimes have a differenceof opinion between them about namingtheir children. But the real name ofman is Amrutaputra (son of

AVATAR VANI

This is the country in which truth is held high, butthis principle has been forgotten. Though modern

students pursue higher education and acquiredegrees, they are losing sight of truth and

righteousness. Instead of fostering such a sacredand noble culture and leading their lives in

accordance with the principles laid down in it,people are wasting their time in vain pursuits.

103 April 2005

AVATAR VANI

immortality). Every human being isAmrutaputra. The Upanishads also declarehim to be so. The Upanishads reveal the trueidentity of a human being by addressing himas Srunvantu Viswe Amrutasya Putrah (Oh,the children of immortality! Listen).

Dear Devotees and Students!

You are all Amrutaputras, notAnrutaputras (sons of immortality, notfalsehood). One who is an Amrutaputra isnot affected by change and death. You areverily the embodiments of the changeless,eternal principle of divinity. Once Parvatirequested Siva to give a name to their son.Siva gave the name Amrutaputra. One dayParvati was putting the child to sleep. Shewas rocking the cradle and singing a lullaby,“Oh Amrutaputra! Sleep my dear! Sleep. Ifyou are awake, the whole world will beawake.” Watching the scene, Lakshmi, theconsort of Vishnu, came there and enquiredabout the name of the child. Parvati told herthat his name was Amrutaputra. Lakshmifurther enquired where she got that namefrom. Parvati replied that it was Lord Sivawho gave that name to the child. Since he isthe son of Easwara, he is Amrutaputra, shesaid.

Study of Scriptures Deepens one’sUnderstanding

Embodiments of Love!

In fact, you are all Amrutaputras. But youcannot understand the full import of thisappellation unless you read the ancientsacred texts which contain the true meaningof such terms. You should strive to liveup to that great name. The namesgiven to children by elders in ourcountry have a lot of significance

and meaning. They are not given justcasually or for fun. Study of ancientscriptures is necessary to understand theunderlying meaning and sanctity of thesenames. But, unfortunately, we attach littleimportance to the study of the scriptures. Weare not trying to understand the eternalprinciples of Sathya and Dharma, and areruining our lives by taking to wrong path.We are simply repeating the words Sathya,Dharma, Santhi and Prema without makingany effort to understand them and put theminto practice in our life.

Dear Students – Boys and Girls!People call Easwara as Kailasavasi (the

Lord who resides in Kailasa). Where isKailasa? It is in the depth of your heart.When you contemplate on him in theinnermost recesses of your heart in totalsilence, then you can visualise him.Therefore, one should practise Mouna(silence). Mouna implies total stillness ofthought and speech.

Embodiments of Love!You are all Amrutaputras. Hence,

constantly remain in that awareness.Proclaim yourself to be Amrutaputras.Whatever name has been already given toyou, prefix “Amrutaputra” to that name. It willbe a big mistake if you consider yourselfAnrutaputra. Hence, realise your true natureand call yourself Amrutaputra.

(Bhagavan concluded His Discourse withthe Bhajan, “Prema Mudita ManaseKaho…”)

– F r o m B h a g a v a n ’ s s e c o n dSivarathri Discourse in Sai KulwantHall, Prasanthi Nilayam on theafternoon of 8th March 2005.

April 2005 104

A Joyous Ceremony

“THIS INSTITUTE will attain great heightsand will become the leader for the wholecountry,” declared Bhagavan Sri Sathya SaiBaba, the Chancellor of Sri Sathya SaiInstitute of Higher Learning on the occasionof the joyous ceremony held in the InstituteAuditorium on 24th February 2005 when SriAnil Vinayak Gokak took charge as ViceChancellor of the Institute from Sri S.V. Giri.

Bhagavan was offered a traditionalwelcome with Poorna Kumbham amidstchanting of Vedic hymns when He came tothe Institute at 8.00 a.m. At the outset, SriS.V. Giri welcomed Bhagavan andintroduced the incoming Vice Chancellor SriAnil Vinayak Gokak, an IAS of Maharashtracadre and the son of the first Vice Chancellorof the Institute, Dr. Vinayak Krishna Gokak.Sri Giri emphasised the unique spiritualambience of the Institute and said that thegoals of the Institute were socialmanifestations of Bhagavan’s DivineMission. He expressed gratitude tothe Revered Chancellor for His grace

throughout his tenure as Vice Chancellor ofthe Institute. Thereafter, Sri Sanjay

Mahalingam, a Ph.D. student in theFaculty of Management, highlighted

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

The Chancellor of the Institute, Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba, Sri S.V. Giri and Sri Anil

Vinayak Gokak in the Institute Auditorium.

105 April 2005

ACHIEVING GREAT HEIGHTS

the achievements of the Institute during thetenure of Sri S.V. Giri. Sri Giri blended pristinevalues with modernity and the Instituteacquired total connectivity with state-of-the-art infrastructure and video-conferencingamong the Campuses, said Sri Mahalingam.He added that many new courses werestarted during Sri Giri’s tenure and the BioSciences Department received the ‘SpecialAssistance Project’ from the UGC.

Sri Anil Vinayak Gokak, the new ViceChancellor, described the Institute as anisland of hope amidst chaos and a spirituallighthouse for the whole world. “Whatdistinguishes this great institution is theemphasis on Educare: enabling the studentsto realise the divine potential within”, saidSri Gokak. He concluded his talk with prayerto Bhagavan for His guidance.

The Revered Chancellor then deliveredHis Benedictory Discourse. In the end,Bhagavan blessed Sri Giri by adorning hiswrist with a gold bracelet, saying, “Idi PremaKankanam” (this is a bracelet of love). Healso blessed his wife with a bracelet and anecklace. Prasadam was then distributed toall the students, staff and guests. As the Araticoncluded, Bhagavan said that we shouldnever forget chanting Loka SamastaSukhino Bhavantu (May all the people of theworld be happy!). How could there beindividual welfare without universal welfare?World peace alone would lead toindividual peace. That note was a wonderfulconclusion to a unique ceremony.Glorious Performance of InstituteStudents

As many as 20 students of Sri SathyaSai Institute of Higher Learningpassed the GATE (Graduate AptitudeTest in Engineering) 2005 with high

ranks, while one of them secured the firstrank in this all-India examination.

To celebrate this landmark achievementof the Institute students, a felicitation functionwas held in Sai Kulwant Hall, PrasanthiNilayam on the afternoon of 11th March2005. The Chancellor of the Institute,Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, gracedthe occasion by His Divine Presence.Congratulating the students on their glorioussuccess, the Vice Chancellor of the Institute,Sri Anil Vinayak Gokak said that theextraordinary performance of the Institute

students had brought glory to the Institute.This, he said, was the result of theintegral system of education of theInstitute and the grace of Bhagavan

Bhagavan blessing a GATE ranker with ashawl during the felicitation ceremony.

April 2005 106

ACHIEVING GREAT HEIGHTS

who had blessed them to appear in thisexamination.

After his speech, Sri Gokak announcedthe names of the successful students whocame one by one and received the blessingsof Bhagavan. The first to come was SriNaresh Kumar who had secured first rank inIndia in the examination. Bhagavan lovinglyblessed him with a shawl and gave him abeautiful watch. Thereafter, Bhagavanmaterialised a gold bracelet for him and tiedit on his wrist with His Divine Hands amidsta thunderous applause of students anddevotees. All the 20 students were thusblessed by Bhagavan and were given ashawl and a watch each while the applauseof the students and devotees continued.

After the felicitation ceremony, two of thesuccessful students made a brief speech.The first was Sri Naresh Kumar whoexpressed his gratitude to Bhagavan forproviding him excellent education in Hiseducational institutions which, he said, wereunique in the world since God Himself wasthe teacher in them. The next student SriD.V. Hemant said that the students of theInstitute had the unique opportunity toinculcate values under Bhagavan’s lovingcare and guidance.

Before the Divine Discourse of Bhagavan,Sri S.V. Giri, former Vice Chancellor of theInstitute addressed the gathering. Theextraordinary success of the students wasnothing but Divine grace, said Sri Giri. Heexhorted the students to imbibe the qualitiesof Sraddha, Bhakti and Vinaya (steadfastfaith, devotion and humility) to achievesuccess in life. He advised them tocherish the continuous blessings ofBhagavan.

In His Discourse, Bhagavan said that Hisstudents were His property. They werehighly virtuous and were endowed with purityof heart. Bhagavan brought His Discourseto a close at 5.35 p.m. with the Bhajan, “HariBhajan Bina …” At the conclusion of thefunction, Arati was offered to Bhagavan.Prasadam was distributed to all on thisoccasion.

A Unique Poets Meet

The students of the Institute do not merelyexcel in studies, they get grooming in theInstitute for the blossoming of their talentsin many fields of learning. This was seen on25th March 2005 when a poets meet washeld in Sai Kulwant Hall, in which 18 studentsof the Institute took part. The ReveredChancellor of the Institute, Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba graced the occasion by HisDivine Presence.

The programme started at 4.00 p.m. andthe young budding poets took their turns torecite poems to express their feelings in asmany as 12 languages, which includedTamil, Telugu, English, Oriya, Nepalese,Assamese, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali,Marathi, Kannada, Tulu and Lithuanian.What made this literary meet unique was notmerely the number of languages but thevariety and subtlety of subjects chosen andthe depth and profundity of the feelings also.This excellent poets meet concluded at 4.45p.m. At the end of this programme, all theyoung poets offered their obeisance toBhagavan and received blessings and

also gifts from His Divine Hands.Bhagavan also gave them the covetedopportunity of group photos with Him.

107 April 2005

HE First National Conference ofEditors and Publishers of all regionaleditions of “Sanathana Sarathi” was

held on 7th March 2005 in the premises ofSri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust,Prasanthi Nilayam. More than 50 delegatesassociated with regional languages editions,namely, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam,Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali,Nepalese, Assamese, Sindhi and Oriyaparticipated in this Conference. The mainobjective of the Conference was tohave uniform high standard ofpublication of all editions of

“Sanathana Sarathi”. The deliberations of theConference were conducted in threesessions.

ProceedingsThe first session started at 10.00 a.m. with

chanting of Vedic Mantras by the staffmembers of Sri Sathya Sai Books andPublications Trust. Sri V. Srinivasan, All IndiaPresident, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisationsinaugurated the Conference and deliveredthe inaugural address. It was significant, Sri

Srinivasan observed, that the FirstConference of “Sanathana Sarathi”editors and publishers was being held

T

April 2005 108

Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust building, the idyllic venue of the Conference.

in the 80th year of the Advent of the AvatarBhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He pointedout that nobody in human history had doneso much for humanity as Bhagavan. The roleof the editors of “Sanathana Sarathi” was tocreate awareness about this and also aboutthe Divine Mission of Bhagavan to redeemmankind, said the learned speaker.

After this inaugural address of SriSrinivasan, four speakers addressed thegathering. The first speaker was Sri K.S.Rajan, Convener, Sri Sathya Sai Books andPublications Trust. Sri Rajan traced thehistory of “Sanathana Sarathi” since itsinception in 1958 and observed that“Sanathana Sarathi” was a sacred magazineand the devotees considered its arrival as ablessing from Bhagavan. It was thereforenecessary, he said, that Bhagavan’smessage should form the main part of themagazine. The next speaker, Sri B.N.Narasimha Murthy, Warden, BrindavanCampus of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of HigherLearning, said that “Sanathana Sarathi” gaveto its readers the experience of Bhagavan’sDivine love which they were hungering forand which could relieve them of the tyrannyof flesh and slavery of the mind. Heemphasised that the quality of “SanathanaSarathi” should be compatible with theimportance of the message it conveyed. Thenext speaker, Sri Anil Kumar, a facultymember of the Institute, gave a detailedoutline of the tasks which all the editionsof “Sanathana Sarathi” should undertaketo enhance the quality, variety and richnessof their contents. The last speaker ofthis session, Sri G.L. Anand, Editor,“Sanathana Sarathi” (English),

observed that “Sanathana Sarathi” was oneof the most widely read magazines as itssubscribers were spread over 118 countriesof the world, and it was being brought out in12 Indian and 10 foreign languages, besidesEnglish. He outlined the factors which couldhelp in the improvement of the quality of thecontents as well as physical get-up of alleditions of “Sanathana Sarathi”.

After the first session, the delegates weredivided into three groups for groupdiscussion on specific issues to bring all theeditions of “Sanathana Sarathi” to the highlevel of perfection. These groups deliberatedon the issues of their concern from 3.30to 4.30 p.m. and formulated theirrecommendations. The group leaders ofthese three groups, Sri Gangadhara Bhat,Editor, “Sanathana Sarathi” (Kannada), SriN. Ramani, Editor, “Sanathana Sarathi”(Tamil) and Sri C.P. Malhotra, Publisher,“Sanathana Sarathi” (Hindi), presented theserecommendations in the valedictory session(6.30 to 7.30 p.m.) presided over byDr. Jagdish Narain, Trustee, Sri Sathya SaiBooks and Publications Trust. Besides otherparticipants, Dr. Michael Goldstein,Chairman, Prasanthi Council and Dr.Narendranath Reddy, Member, PrasanthiCouncil also took part in this session. In hisspeech on this occasion, Dr. Goldsteinemphasised the need for spreadingBhagavan’s Divine Message of love andpeace to all parts of the world to usher in anera of peace and harmony in the world.Before the conclusion of the Conference, Sri

V.N. Prahlad, Trustee, Sri Sathya Sai

FIRST NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SANATHANA SARATHI EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS

109 April 2005

Continued on page 117 ...

Embodiments of Love!

NE MAY UNDERTAKE PENANCEfor a long time, one may master allthe scriptures, one may visit any

number of places of pilgrimage, one mayundertake acts of benevolence and charity,

but one cannot cross the ocean ofworldliness without serving the noble souls.

Learning without Practice is UselessYou may be knowing that Ravana

was a great scholar. He mastered thefour Vedas and six Sastras. In spite

of this knowledge of scriptures, was thereany transformation in him? No. Instead ofdeveloping Daivatwa (divine qualities), hedeveloped Danavatwa (demonic qualities).The ten heads of Ravana symbolise fourVedas and six Sastras. Rama severedRavana’s ten heads since he did not put into

practice the knowledge he had acquired.Mere learning of sacred texts and chantingof Vedas will not bring about any

transformation. By cutting the heads ofRavana, Rama propagated this truthin the world. Ravana did not have tenheads in a literal sense. In fact, four

AVATAR VANI SRI KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI DISCOURSE - II

PROTECT THE HONOUR ANDDIGNITY OF WOMEN

(Sanskrit Sloka)

Consider women as embodimentsof truth. Even if some minor faultsare noticed in them, do not give

importance to them. Respect andrevere them. Do not use even a

single word that would hurt them. Ifthey really wish, they can achieve

any great task. You should beprepared to lay down even your life

for the sake of protecting andhelping women. At least from today,

all of you should come forward toprotect the honour and dignity of

women in the world.

O

April 2005 110

Neither by penance nor by pilgrimage nor by study of scriptures nor by Japacan one cross the ocean of life. One can achieve it only by serving the pious.

Vedas and six Sastras represented his tenheads. The message that Rama conveyedwas that mere acquisition of knowledge is oflittle value. All that God teaches is for thebenefit and welfare of humanity. It is enoughif one puts into practice at least one of theteachings of the Vedas. All your knowledgeis useless if you do not put it into practice.Ravana learnt this lesson when he was ondeathbed. Only then did he realise hismistake and repented for it. By sincererepentance he attained purity andsacredness.

You find that even the Primary Schoolchildren join the senior students in Vedachanting at Prasanthi Nilayam. They knowall the Vedic Mantras, but they do not havethe required capability to put them intopractice. They are however aware that mererecitation of the Vedas is of little use.

Only God exists. The world is but anillusion. This sacred teaching of the Vedasshould be publicised and should be impartedto everyone. You find many Sadhakas(spiritual aspirants) chanting and teachingthe Vedas. It would be fruitless if one doesnot practise what one preaches. It is like agramophone record which plays the songbut does not experience its melody. So, oneshould recognise, understand and practisethe sacred teachings of the Vedas. LordKrishna practised what He preached. Histeachings are meant to be put into practice.You read in the Mahabharata about manygreat scholars and persons of greateminence who acquired the knowledge ofthe Vedas, but they failed to put thisGod-given knowledge into practice.God has no preferences or dislikes

whatsoever. He observes no differences. Allare equal for Him. But He watches how mucha person puts His teachings into practice.Many people undertake penance, study thescriptures, visit places of pilgrimage and doJapa (repetition of God’s Name), but what isthe use? Many ask Me for a Japamala(rosary). Is it to adorn your neck for publicityor is it for spiritual experience? Onehand is enough if one wants to practisethis Sadhana. (At this point, Swamidemonstrated with His hand as to how oneshould do Japa.) The five fingers of the handcan be used as the rosary of one hundredand eight beads. You can thus chant theName ‘Rama Rama’ one hundred and eighttimes. This Sadhana requires neither aJapamala nor a fixed place. It can be done

while walking or even while lying downtill you go to sleep. When there aresuch easy and sacred paths, why

AVATAR VANI

Men should lead a life of truth andrighteousness. Only then can they

protect the country and becomeworthy of being called real men.

Otherwise, how can they considerthemselves worthy of the status of

human beings? Several people go totemples. When they visit a temple,

they must make a vow that theywould respect and protect women.

Only then will they be protected. It isonly when the women are safe, the

whole world will be happy.

111 April 2005

should one go for strenuous Sadhanasforegoing sleep?

Unparalleled Idealism of Draupadi

What is Papa (sin)? Hurting, abusing andkilling others is sin. What is Punya (merit)?Helping others is merit. Therefore, oneshould not retaliate to an evil act with an evilact. Instead, one should be magnanimousin forgiving the offender. There are manysuch sacred teachings in the Mahabharata.Draupadi is known for her chastity. Sheprotected her husbands in many ways. Afterthe gruesome massacre of the youngPandava children, Arjuna tracked downAswatthama, the perpetrator of the atrocity,and dragged him before Draupadi. Insteadof cursing the evildoer and pronouncingpunishment on him, she fell at the feet ofAswatthama, the son of her husbands’ mostrevered Guru, and said:

It is at the feet of your father, Dronacharyathat my husbands learnt all that theyknow. Being the son of Dronacharya, wasit proper for you to kill my children? Howcould you have the heart to kill them whowere unarmed, young, quietly asleep,were not having any grudge against you,and were not contemplating any harm toyou? You are a scholar and not a demon.Then how did you perpetrate such aheinous act? (Telugu Poem)

When Arjuna was about to killAswatthama, Draupadi fell at his feet andreasoned with him thus: “Arjuna! Will mysons be revived by killing Aswatthama? Hismother too would experience the samekind of sorrow that I am undergoingat the loss of my sons. Havingstudied the Vedas and Sastras, how

is it that you are not able to maintain yourtranquillity?”

The body is made up of five elements andis bound to perish sooner or later, but theindweller has neither birth nor death. Theindweller has no attachment whatsoeverand is the eternal witness. Truly speaking,the indweller who is in the form of the Atmais verily God Himself. (Telugu Poem)

When Draupadi was praying like this,Bhima could not bear to see this. Explodingwith anger, Bhima roared:

This Draupadi is a stupid woman, for shepleads for this wretch’s freedom. She feelsno anger against this murderer of hersons. (Telugu Poem)

He clenched his fist and proceededtowards Aswatthama to kill him. In that

uncontrollable rage, he argued withDraupadi, “Are you mad? Why areyou trying to save this man who

AVATAR VANI

When you protect Sathya andDharma, God will, in turn, protectnot only you and your country,but the whole world. Considertruth as your life-breath and

righteousness your armour. If youhave these two, you will haveeverything. You don’t need to

fight with anybody in the world.The world has not done any harmto you. There is nothing great in

attacking those who have done noharm to you.

April 2005 112

mercilessly slit the throat of your five sons?I will break the head of this child-killer intopieces with my fist. Do not come in my way.”At that moment Draupadi fell at the feet ofBhima and pleaded with him to spare thelife of Aswatthama. She prayed to him forregaining his composure. People around,who were witnessing this scene, werewonderstruck. They were wondering whetherDraupadi was really mad! In fact, the worldwill be better if everyone is afflicted with suchmadness. Thus, when Draupadi pleaded withher husbands for saving the life ofAswatthama, he fell at her feet. Draupadiwas happy at the change of heart inAswatthama and told him, “Do not fall at myfeet. Instead, fall at the feet of your mother.Never make her sad as you made me. Nevercause her anguish; take good care of her.”Even the loss of five sons did not makeDraupadi shed tears of sorrow. Draupadiprayed for the safety and happiness of notonly her husbands but everybody. Sheexercised full control over her grief. Let usthink to what extent we follow the exampleof Draupadi.

Thus, Draupadi pleaded with Arjuna andBhima to forgive Aswatthama for his heinousact. “To kill others is a great sin. Do notcommit this sin,” she argued with Arjuna.Arjuna replied, “You are preventing me fromkeeping up my vow.” To this Draupadi said,“Tonsuring his head and removing the crownjewel from his head is equivalent to killinghim.” Arjuna accepted Draupadi’s adviceand as a token punishment shavedAswatthama’s head, took his crownjewel and sent him away.

There are many such noble women likeDraupadi. She stands as an ideal for allwomen. Why are we forgetting the teachingsof such great women? Today women aretreated as mere puppets. But they are full ofcourage, valour, sacrifice, determination andtruth. Men do not possess the great qualitiesthat women have. It is because of such greatwomen that the Bharatiya culture attainedhigh esteem. Otherwise, it would havedeclined long ago. Do you ever recognisethe fact that women are endowed with suchgreat qualities as courage, valour,determination and righteousness? Thesequalities are not to be easily found in men.Why? Most of them are afflicted with thedisease of anger which is ruining them.

One with anger will not be successful inany of his endeavours. He will commit sinsand will be derided by one and all.

(Telugu Poem)

It is possible that women may alsosuccumb to anger and indulge in sinfuldeeds, now and then. Such women shouldbe pardoned and encouraged to makeamends; they should not be denounced andcondemned. The quality of patience andperseverance in women is great. In fact, it isthe quality of equanimity in times of difficultythat was characteristic of Draupadi, whichsaved the Pandavas. There are severalsuch women in present times also. The badqualities of anger, passion, jealousy, envyand pride are more prominent in men.Women are able to control such evil qualitiesfrom overtaking them. In view of this, is it

not our duty to encourage and honoursuch women who preserve andpromote peace and harmony? On the

AVATAR VANI

113 April 2005

contrary, women are belittled andslighted. No, no, this should nothappen. Such women with noblequalities deserve to be encouragedand respected.

A few days ago, you witnesseda function in this Hall, wherethe glory of womanhood washighlighted. A playlet was put upin this Hall by Chethana, in whichthe greatness of Sita as the idealwoman, was presented. Sita andDraupadi were great Pathivratas(women of chastity). Such effortsto highlight the greatness ofwomen need to be encouraged.

Only Sathya and Dharma canProtect the World

The spirit of peace andf o r g i v e n e s s d e m o n s t r a t e db y D r a u p a d i s h o u l d b epropagated and violence shouldbe condemned. The lesson ofpeace and non-violence is veryessential for Bharat. Sathya andDharma (truth and righteousness)are the main characteristics ofIndian culture. If these two areprotected, the country can beprotected. If you want to protectyour country, you need not join thearmy and fight a battle. If youprotect truth and righteousness,they will in turn protect the country.It is not great to kill the enemies in a war.First and foremost, protect truth andrighteousness.The country willautomatically be protected. Indian

culture exhorts Sathyam Vada (speak truth)and Dharmam Chara (practiserighteousness). When you do this withperseverance, you will become brave,

AVATAR VANI

Only God exists. The world is but anillusion. This sacred teaching of the Vedas

should be publicised and should beimparted to everyone. You find many

Sadhakas (spiritual aspirants) chanting andteaching the Vedas. It would be fruitless if

one does not practise what one preaches. Itis like a gramophone record which plays the

song but does not experience its melody.So, one should recognise, understand andpractise the sacred teachings of the Vedas.

April 2005 114

courageous and powerful. When youprotect Sathya and Dharma, God will, inturn, protect not only you and your country,but the whole world. Consider truth as yourlife-breath and righteousness your armour.If you have these two, you will haveeverything. You don’t need to fight withanybody in the world. The world has notdone any harm to you. There is nothinggreat in attacking those who have doneno harm to you.

Dear Students!

Protect truth, foster righteousness. Thatis enough. Truth and righteousness areinseparable. One cannot exist without theother. There cannot be Sathya withoutDharma. Similarly, there cannot be Dharmawithout Sathya. Consider these two as yourvery life-breath. This was the teaching ofDraupadi.

Sathya Dharmamu Santhi Premalatho Nee Nitya Jivana Yatra Saginchu.

(Oh man! Carry on your life’s journey withthe help of truth, righteousness, peace, andlove). You must hold on to these principles,come what may. Never give up these in anysituation. God will surely protect you. Historyis replete with examples wherein people heldsteadfastly to the principles of Sathya andDharma, and were constantly protected byGod. One such example is that of thePandavas. They faced insurmountabledifficulties. But they were always savedbecause they followed Sathya and Dharmaand their chaste wife Draupadi alwaysheld fast to these principles. It wasthis adherence to Sathya and

Dharma that made Draupadi one of thegreatest among women. She symbolisedSathya and Dharma. If you hold on to thesetwo principles, they will remain with you tillthe end. You may argue, “Where are Sathyaand Dharma in the present-day world?Whom are they protecting?” This is a totallywrong argument. In fact, Sathya and Dharmaare present in women even today. They willnever give them up. If you protect Sathyaand Dharma, they will, in turn, stand beforeyou and protect you. They are themanifestation of divinity. Unfortunately, todayinstead of Sathyam Vada (speak truth) andDharmam Chara (practise righteousness),people are following the distorted versionSathyam Vadha (kill truth) and DharmamChera (imprison righteousness). This is utterperversion. You should lead your livesbased on Sathya and Dharma andconsider them as more important than yourvery life.

Several women come to Me with a heavyheart and tell Me “Swami! My husband hasdied. This has caused me deep sorrow.”Then I would respond saying, “Very happy.”They feel very unhappy with My attitude andquestion Me, “What is this, Swami? Are Youhappy on hearing the news of my husband’sdeath?” What am I to say? I am alwayshappy. I do not know what sorrow is. I alwaysdischarge My duty.

It is God who protects everybody.Therefore, pray to God always. ForgettingGod and depending on the mercy of human

beings! What madness! You mustdepend on God for everything in yourlife. That is real Tapas (penance).

AVATAR VANI

115 April 2005

P r o t e c t i o n o f W o m e n i s t h eResponsibility of Men

It is the women of Bharat who haveprotected and sustained this country sinceancient times. They are, in fact, the very lifeof Bharat. They are the very embodimentsof truth and righteousness. And truth andrighteousness have, in turn, protected Bharatalways. How much respect and reverencewe must show towards women! On thecontrary, there are several people today whoput them to untold suffering. Due to badhabits and bad company, people lose theirsense of discrimination and ill-treat women.No woman should be put to any suffering.They must be revered and respected andprotected in all ways. Women in Bharat havealways been held in high esteem. There aremany chaste and noble women in Bharat.Stil l the Bharatiyas are undergoingdifficulties. What is the reason? Whose faultis this? It is only because the Bharatiyas arenot giving proper respect and place towomen in society. The fault lies squarely withmen.

The truthful character of the women isreally their Tapas (penance). Therefore,such noble women must be encouraged andhonoured. If you can put this one greatprinciple into practice, your life will besanctified. Those who ill-treat their wives cannever be happy and prosperous. If mencannot protect their wives who are preparedto sacrifice even their lives for the sake oftheir husbands, what for is their existence?Women are really the presiding deities oftheir homes. Our primary duty is toprotect them. Never let your wife shedtears. Where women shed tears,those homes will be ruined in no time.

AVATAR VANI

Women set ideals to society. They are theepitome of idealism. Never cause themdistress.

Men should lead a life of truth andrighteousness. Only then can they protectthe country and become worthy of beingcalled real men. Otherwise, how can theyconsider themselves worthy of the status ofhuman beings? Several people go totemples. When they visit a temple, they mustmake a vow that they would respect andprotect women. Only then will they beprotected. It is only when the women aresafe, the whole world will be happy.Therefore, if you wish to protect Dharma inthe world, you must first protect your Dharmatowards women.

Embodiments of Love!

Imagine a situation wherein you are in therole of a woman and some men torture you.How miserable and helpless you would feel!Women are prepared to sacrifice everythingfor the sake of their husbands. But men donot have such spirit of sacrifice. You shouldalso cultivate such a spirit of sacrifice likewomen. Only then will you be fit to be calledmen. Otherwise, you will be men only in form,but lacking in masculinity. You considerwomen as Abala (weak). But the truth is theyare the embodiments of Shakti (power). OnlyI know the plight of women who have losttheir husbands. It is our duty to protect suchwomen. If you can discharge this dutyproperly, you will be happy throughout yourlife.

Embodiments of Love!

You must follow Sathya (truth) evenin small matters. King Janaka, a greatrenunciant king, used to propagate

April 2005 116

AVATAR VANI

truth and righteousness to his subjects byhis own example. His daughter Sita alsoled a pious life based on truth andrighteousness. Instead of reading cheapnovels, you should study the life story of suchideal women. You should study the ancienthistory of Bharat, which is so sacred. Thecharacter and morality of women in Bharatare worthy of great respect. You will becomeworthy of being called men only when youundertake to protect such great women. Willyou become men by merely sporting amoustache or growing a beard? Moustacheand beard are not the real signs ofmasculinity. You must protect women anduphold the dignity of the family. Only thencan you be called brave, courageous andvalorous.

Embodiments of Love!

Consider women as embodiments oftruth. Even if some minor faults are noticedin them, do not give importance to them.Respect and revere them. Do not use evena single word that would hurt them. If theyreally wish, they can achieve any great task.You should be prepared to lay down even

your life for the sake of protecting andhelping women. At least from today, all ofyou should come forward to protect thehonour and dignity of women in the world.Women also should consider their husbandas God and adhere to Sati Dharma (dutyof a chaste wife). As regards men, they areduty bound to protect women. Similarly, it isthe duty of a woman to take care of thefamily. Her duty is to foster and maintain theentire family as a unit. If women areprotected, they in turn will protect the entireworld. Love and respect them. Never belittlethem and never treat them as mereplaythings. I hope, all of you men will, at leastin future, undertake to protect the dignity andhonour of women and thereby protect yourown dignity and honour. I conclude MyDiscourse blessing you all.

(Bhagavan concluded His Discoursewith the Bhajan, “Rama Rama RamaSita …”)

– From Bhagavan’s second SriKrishna Janmashtami Discourse in SaiKulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on theevening of 6th September 2004.

117 April 2005

Books and Publications Trust offered a voteof thanks to all the participants and the staffof the Book Trust who made this Conferencea grand success. The proceedings of theConference concluded with Arati.

Recommendations

The Conference recommended that allefforts should be made to bring alleditions of “Sanathana Sarathi” to thehighest level of perfection from all

... Continued from page 109

aspects. It was recommended thatspecial attention should be given to improvethe quality of the contents. The physicalget-up should be improved to enhancethe readability of the magazines. TheConference also recommended that aCoordination Committee should be set up

to coordinate and monitor the working ofall regional editions of “SanathanaSarathi”.

Excellent Tribal Dances

Devotees from far and near have beenoffering their homage to Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba by organising a variety ofprogrammes as part of His 80th Birthdaycelebrations. In a unique programme heldin Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on

3rd March 2005, the tribals of Nilgiri Hills,Tamil Nadu expressed their love andreverence for Bhagavan by performing tribaldances depicting their rich cultural heritage.These dancers represented three tribalcommunities, namely, the Todas, the Kotasand the Badgas.

The programme began after the DivineDarshan of Bhagavan in Sai Kulwant Hall onthe afternoon of 3rd March 2005. The firstto present their tribal dance were the Todas.Wearing their traditional Toda shawl madeof thick white cloth embellished with red andblue strips of embroidery, the dancersdanced in a circle with the accompanimentof tribal songs and clapping of hands.Although no musical instruments wereused, sheer simplicity and rhythmicmovements of the dancers delightedone and all.

Next to present their dances were thevillage elders of the Kota community, withthe accompaniment of music from theirtraditional tribal musical instruments calledkob, kolu, pur and thabak. Joyous soundsof their songs and graceful movement of theirfeet to the rhythm of simple music lent beauty

and charm to their dance.

The last group to perform was theBadgas. Wearing a white Dhoti and afull sleeve shirt, they wrapped theirbody with a white shawl and wore awhite turban on their head. Theirmusical instruments were moremodern but the sweetness of theirmusic had its own traditional charm.They also danced in a circle to theaccompaniment of their songs andmusic.

To add further joy to the occasion, somestudents of the Institute also presentedexcellent dance items. This was followed byBhajans. The programme came to a closewith Arati to Bhagavan.

Holy Holi Festival 2005

It was a unique Holi celebration atPrasanthi Nilayam when the Bal Vikasstudents of Bihar and Jharkhand presenteda colourful musical programme fil ledwith beautiful colours of devotion andsacredness on 26th March 2005 in SaiKulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam.

The programme in the morning began at8.00 a.m. after the Divine Darshan ofBhagavan in Sai Kulwant Hall. Starting with

a dance and song of invocation toBhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, theprogramme comprised as many as

Tribals of Nilgiri Hills express their love forBhagavan by their tribal dance.

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six Holi songs rendered with piety and gaietyreminiscent of the Holi of Brij where Krishnaplayed Holi with Radha and the Gopikas,merging the body, mind and soul in thefestivity of Holi. Sweet music, colourfuldresses and rhythmic dance movements ofthe students made it a very sweet andbeautiful presentation. The programmewhich started at 8.00 a.m. in the DivinePresence of Bhagavan came to a happyconclusion at 9.00 a.m. with a veryinspiring song in praise of Bhagavanwhose grace destroys delusion andillumines the hearts of people with divineawareness. Bhajans which started afterthis programme were led by the devoteesof Bihar and Jharkhand. The morningprogramme came to a close with Arati toBhagavan at 9.25 a.m. Prasadam wasdistributed to all in the end.

Pavitra Holi – A DramaThis excellent drama was enacted

by the Sai Youth of Bihar andJharkhand on the afternoon of 26th

CELEBRATIONS AT PRASANTHI NILAYAM

March 2005 in Sai Kulwant Hall tohighlight the inner meaning, glory andimportance of the holy festival of Holi.

As the play opens, some youth playHoli. But they encounter objections fromsome people of other religions. Similaris the quarrel between the two groups ofvillagers. Through their prayer to theLord, the youth meet a learned man inthe guise of a Vidushika (jester) and alsoSeva Dal members of Sai Organisationwho tell everybody that Holi is the festivalof love, joy, friendship and amity betweenman and man. Past enmity, hatred,prejudices, anger and desires should beburnt in the fire of Holi and a newbeginning should be made in life to

strengthen the bond of love between manand man.

These sacred lessons of Holi weredepicted through this excellent drama.Bhagavan graced the occasion by His

Divine Presence and blessed the cast at theend of the play. After this play, Bhajans werealso led by the devotees of Bihar and

Jharkhand. The programme came toa close at 5.15 p.m. with Arati toBhagavan.

The Holi festival celebrated in Brij during the time ofLord Krishna was brought alive in Sai Kulwant Hallby the Bal Vikas students of Bihar and Jharkhand.

A scene from the drama –“Pavitra Holi”.

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disaster. Assisted by three translators fromthe Vavuniya Sathya Sai Centre, the teamorganised relief work. A camp clinic was setup and 450 patients were seen with a rangeof conditions including skin lesions, woundsand respiratory tract infections. A well babyclinic was also conducted where over 150children ages 0-3 were seen. Griefcounselling was another crucial areaaddressed by the Sai team. The counsellorsestablished heart-to-heart communicationand trust with individuals and families. Theywere an exemplary conduit of Bhagavan’slove that poured forth unceasingly and leftan indelible mark on the lives of those whogave and those who received. Adopting theSathya Sai Education in Human Valuesapproach, efforts were made to instil in the

children a sense of confidence, prideand responsibility. On the last day, aceremony was held at the seashore

1. Medical Camps

Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Sathya SaiOrganisation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, incooperation with the citizens’ association UGRoma, organised a medical camp on 19thFebruary 2005 to provide free medical careto the residents of Ciljuge, Bare and otherhousing regions in the Zivinice Municipalityand Kiseljak. 35 medical volunteers from theBosnian International Medical Associationand the public health centre JU ‘Domzdravlja’ including doctors, laboratorytechnicians, pharmacists, nurses andmedical students offered their services atthis camp held at the Second PrimarySchool. Nearly 650 consultations wereprovided at the camp in various specialitiessuch as pulmonology, gynaecology,epidemiology, paediatrics, dental extractions,cardiology, ultrasound, stomatology,neurology and blood tests. Nearly 800 kg offood items such as sugar, cooking oil, pasta,juices, coffee, sandwich, jam, sour creamand bread were distributed during the courseof the medical camp.

Sri Lanka: On 10th February 2005, a 10-member team of Sai devotees departed forone of the most devastated areas of tsunami-hit Sri Lanka. The team comprised individualsfrom Canada, U.S.A. and Argentina. Withcoordination and help from the Sathya SaiOrganisation of Sri Lanka, the team wentto Aliyavalai in the northeast coast ofSri Lanka. This village was one of theworst-hit areas in the aftermath of the

Sai Organisation of Sri Lanka distributingmeals and school materials to students.

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to pray for the departed souls and for thewelfare of those who were affected. Formany of the children, this was the first timethey had returned to the beach after thedisaster, signalling a new beginning – withoutfear and full of hope. Cooking pots weredistributed to every family within the camp.At the school, over 250 packets of mealswere given to the children on a daily basis.Door-to-door Grama Seva was alsoperformed and people were visibly gratefulfor Swami’s Love. All children at the schoolreceived books, school bags and a numberof age appropriate toys. Special monitorbooks were given to the older children. Forextra-curricular activities, sports equipmentwas provided to the school including cricketgear and soccer balls. Medical supplies andmedications were supplied to the hospital.There were eleven nurses in the clinic whohad much difficulty coming to work. As theroads were destroyed, it would take themhours to walk to the clinic. So each nursewas given a new bicycle to help themcommute. As one member of the team wrote,“In the end, the measure of impact is not inthe numbers. It is in the ineffable love andsmile on the faces of our new friends andthe spiritual change in each of us.”

2. Community Service Programmes

U.S.A.: On 23rd December 2004 and 20thJanuary 2005, devotees from the Arcadiaand Glendale Sai Centres in SouthernCalifornia distributed 500 blankets to thehomeless. After the weekly Bhajans onThursday night, the group set out todowntown Los Angeles to deliver theseblankets to the needy who weresleeping on the sidewalks, under

shop-awnings and in vacant plots, inside tinyshelters made out of cardboard boxes andon the hard concrete sidewalk. As thedevotees lovingly covered their shivering

brethren with blankets, the grateful look andbeaming smiles on their faces was yetanother reminder from Bhagavan of Hisbenign omnipresence.

El Salvador: For over 8 years, devotees atSai Centre in Sensuntepeque have beenconducting a study circle within the federalprison in their town. About 60 inmates attendthis weekly meeting. The change in theparticipating prisoners has been so notablethat the Prison Director was inspired to takethe Sathya Sai human values diploma courseoffered by the Sathya Sai Institute of HumanValues, despite this requiring him to travelfour hours every Friday and Saturday forthree months. He is now able to evaluatethe progress of prisoners who attendSai study circle and give recommendationsto the judges for shorter sentences. With

the help of Sai devotees, light meditationis being introduced for all theprisoners. Bhagavan’s miraclesserve as constant reminders of His

Sai devotees distributing blankets to theneedy people in Los Angeles.

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Sai EHV into an asylum for the mentally ill –using Sai Educare as both philosophy andmethod in the daily activities of the asylum –with astonishing and life-transformingresults. Another speaker illustrated how heand his team were implementing Saieducation techniques in the running of aprestigious music and dance festival in thecity of Granada, Spain.

United States of America: On 29th January2005, the members of the Sathya Sai BabaOrganisation of Northern California andNevada joined together in Livermore to beginthe celebrations of the 80th Year of theAdvent of Bhagavan. As the 275 guestssettled into their seats for the afternoonprogramme, some of the region’s musicaltalent played traditional folk songs. Followingthis introduction, 20 minutes of devotionalsinging ensued with songs stressing the unityof all faiths in a variety of languagesincluding Hebrew and Zulu. The Master ofCeremonies, with reference to the letter fromthe Prasanthi Council, introduced a pledgeand commitment that the region would havean opportunity to sign:

“We pledge to Sri Sathya Sai Baba whois the inner resident in our hearts, that wewill live by the principle of ‘unconditional love’to our fellow human beings and consciouslypractise ‘selfless service’ in our daily lives,for the benefit of all. We shall strive for unityin thought, word and deed and purity ofintent, so that we may realise the divinity inus, and in all beings. We shall make thispossible by seeing Sai in all and all in Sai.”

The Regional President outlinedhow ‘Unity, Purity and Divinity’ wouldbe implemented in the Region duringthe upcoming year. Guest speaker

ever-present grace. One of the inmates wasafflicted with severe diabetes and wasunable to walk; nor could he consume anyrefreshments offered by the devotees. In adream, Swami told him that he could takethe refreshments. At the next meeting, hetook some cookies and fruit punch, andtoday he is walking without pain.

3. Public Meetings

Denmark: On Saturday, 5th March 2005, apublic meeting was held at the UnitarianChurch in Copenhagen on the life, teachingsand humanitarian works of Bhagavan SriSathya Sai Baba. Over 80 guests were inattendance. The programme started with thewelcome remarks by Poul Moeller, DanishNational Coordinator, who also introducedthe two guest speakers – Dr. ThorbjörnMeyer, Zonal Chairman and JoergenTrygved, CEO and President RussianCarbon Fund. The film “His Work”, depictingthe many projects initiated and inspired byBhagavan Baba, was screened, followed bya question-and-answer session. Themeeting concluded with uplifting devotionalmusic by the “Danish Divine Light” group.

Spain: A seminar on ‘Practical Values in theWorkplace’ was held in Valencia on the 19thand 20th of February 2005 with a view toexplore different aspects of the Sathya SaiEHV programme. Nine speakers gavepresentations on a broad range of topics suchas ‘What is Educare?’, ‘How to Integrate EHVinto Extra-curricular Activities?’ and ‘The Roleof the Teacher’. The speakers shared theirinspiring experiences about human valuesin action. One speaker, for instance,talked about how he and hiscolleagues had integrated Sathya

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Dr. John Goldthwaite spoke of hisexperiences of ‘Purifying the Heart’. Heshared valuable insights to knowing the trueSelf. Following his inspiring words, he ledthe audience through a series of exercisesthat stressed the need for inner reflection.He also emphasised that spiritual seekersshould not judge others. The afternoonsession closed with devotional singing andcollection of food for distribution to the needy.

– Prasanthi Council

Andhra Pradesh: Srikakulam districtconducted a mega medical camp in Pollatribal village on 13th February 2005, treated1800 patients for different ailments and gavethem medicines sufficient for one month. Thisdistrict also gave Amruta Kalasam (eachconsisting of 10 kg rice, 2 kg Ragi flour, 1 kgwheat flour, 1 kg oil, 1 kg sugar, 1 soap, 100gm coconut oil packet, one steel plate andone glass and one salt packet, total cost ofall these items being Rs. 450) to 120 selectedpoor Girijan families. It also distributed food,bread and clothes to 1800 needy people.During Ratha Sapthami on 14th February2005, this district organised a big Seva campat Sri Suryanarayana Temple situated inArasavelli Kshetram and provided bathingfacilities to 2000 pilgrims, accommodationto 1200 pilgrims, footwear care to 6000pilgrims, cloak room facility to 1500 pilgrims,Narayana Seva to 7000 pilgrims, drinkingwater and buttermilk supply to thousand ofpilgrims and carried out sanitation work inthe temple premises.

West Godavari district conductedSri Sathya Sai Koti Namarchana atNarsapur on 13th February 2005 in

which 1000 couples took part. This districtconducted free Upanayanam for 45 boys on17th February 2005 in Gargapuram village,opened a newly-built Bhajan Mandiram inPerupalem village on 19th February 2005,and took part in the Bhumi Puja for Sri SathyaSai Drinking Water Project at Polavaram on11th February 2005. This district conducteda mega medical camp in Tekur, a remotetribal village, treating 1500 patients ofdifferent ailments and distributed medicinesworth one lakh rupees.

Assam, Manipur and N.E. States: As partof three year action plan (2003-05), thedevotees of Sarpara-Uparhali in Kamrupdistrict assembled on 23rd January 2005 ina remote village, Bholapara and listened tothe different speakers who highlighted theprinciples of Sai Seva and Sai Mission.People coming from different walks of lifeincluding devotees were briefed about theDivine Mission of Sai Avatar and the role ofSri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation. Whileparticipating, the youth speakers highlightedthe Bharatiya tradition of Avatarhood withreference to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba– the Avatar of Love.

Haryana and Chandigarh: Variouscompetitions at school and college level inthe districts of Ambala, Yamunanagar, Sirsa,Gurgaon, Jind and Chandigarh were held,wherein 277 competitors took part and 1826students, teachers and others participated.Spiritual talks on the glory and significanceof Indian Culture were conducted in 10schools in Hissar district, wherein 2000students and teachers participated.

To beat the severe cold wave inthe State, a Vastra Seva (distributionof clothes) was conducted at

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Chandigarh, Ambala, Gurgaon and Rewari,distributing 436 new woollen blankets, 213sweaters, 200 woollen shawls, 123 Saris and21 school uniforms benefiting 1200 needypeople.

Tamil Nadu: The Anniversary of Sundaram,the abode of Bhagavan Sri Sathya SaiBaba in Chennai, was celebrated on 19thand 20th January 2005. Significantly, thisis its silver jubilee year as this grandedifice was inaugurated by Bhagavanon 19th January 1981. The programmebegan at 5.00 a.m. on 19th January

2005 with Nagar Sankirtan, in whichhundreds of devotees took part. Otherprogrammes included Abhishekam of SriShirdi Sai Baba, Sahasranama Archana,Narayana Seva and distribution of uniformsand school material to tsunami affectedchildren. In the evening, there wereprogrammes of vocal music, instrumentalmusic, Veda chanting and Bhajans. In theend, an audio and visual presentationwas made on tsunami relief workdone by Sri Sathya Sai SevaOrganisation. The programmes on

20th January 2005 included band musicby Bal Vikas children from ChennaiMetro, devotional music and Bhajansby ladies devotees followed by Veda-parayanam. The programme concluded withArati to Bhagavan. Prasadam was distributedin the end.

Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal: Sri SathyaSai Seva Organisations of Uttar Pradesh andUttaranchal organised a seminar on “LegalProfession and Human Values” on 2ndDecember 2004 at Allahabad. An exhibitionon the Life and Mission of Bhagavan was

also organised which was highlyappreciated by media and was wellattended by devotees, general publicand members of the Bar Association.

Justice Shivaraj Patil of SupemeCourt of India delivered the keynoteaddress wherein he explained to theaugust gathering of 600 eminentjudges, advocates and devotees thata man from an ordinary backgroundcould reach great heights in hiscareer if he had the strength of the

prayer of poor people who were helped byhim sometimes by following Bhagavan’saxiom of “Love All, Serve All”. Justice A.P.Mishra, retired judge of Supreme Court ofIndia and Chairman of Human RightsCommission and Sri V.B. Upadhyaya, formerAdvocate General, U.P., laid great emphasison practising human values in legalprofession. They observed that suchprogrammes were the need of the hour. A

cultural programme based on humanvalues was presented by the Bal Vikaschildren on this occasion.

NEWS FROM SAI CENTRES

The Divine abode in Chennai.