"Baba is Himself an open book, with no mystery or pomp or abstruseness about Him and everyone can approach Him and secure His grace,” says Sri N. Kasturi, author of this series, Sathyam Shivam Sundaram. In this series, which is divided into four parts, the author brings out the life history of the Divine Avatar from His birth in 1926 to 1979. Sri Kasturi, who had the extreme fortune of being close to Baba, shares His Mahimas and Leelas with the readers. The first Part of this book was placed in the hands of the readers in 1961. The need for the revised and enlarged edition was felt by the publisher for more comfortable reading, especially by the elderly readers. As a result, these Volumes are brought out in larger format, with computerised typesetting, using larger typeface, better line spacing, and with a number of photographs. With these changes, it is hoped that all spiritual seekers will benefit and enjoy reading these series. Convener Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust Prasanthi Nilayam June, 2001
This second volume of “Sathyam Sivam Sundaram” narrates the life history of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, covering the period 1962 to 1968, when He was at the age of 36 to 42 years, in Prof. N. Kasturi’s inimitable, poetic style. Prof. N. Kasturi is the chosen biographer of Bhagawan, who lived with Swami and experienced the Divine Leelas, during these years and it is most appropriate to get this first-hand information from his writings for our benefit. Bhagawan’s historic letter dated 25.05.1947, in His own handwriting declaring His task, vow, and mission is included in this volume. Many incidents and miracles that happened during this period with Bhagawan’s grace are brought out in this volume most interestingly, along with many, appropriate photographs, which will form a garland for the living and loving Divinity, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Prof. Kasturi gives a clarion call to all: “Come! Give me your hand. We shall go along, page after page, sharing the wonder and the wisdom, the awe and the mystery, the truth and the testimony, the glory and the grandeur, and the abundance of the peace.”
Started in 1958, Sanathana Sarathi is a monthly magazine devoted to Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanti (Peace) and Prema (Love) - the four cardinal principles of Bhagawan Baba's philosophy. It is published from Prasanthi Nilayam (the Abode of Highest Peace) and acts as a mouthpiece of Baba's Ashram as it speaks of the important events that take place in His sacred Abode, besides carrying Divine Messages conveyed through Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The word meaning of Sanathana Sarathi is the 'Eternal Charioteer'. It signifies the presence of the Lord in every being as the atma guiding their lives like a charioteer. It implies that he who places his life, the body being likened to a chariot, in an attitude of surrender in the hands of the Lord, will be taken care of by the Lord even as a charioteer would take the occupant of his chariot safely to its destination. The magazine is an instrument to disseminate spiritual knowledge for the moral, physical and mental uplift of humanity without any discrimination as the subject matter discussed therein is always of common interest and of universal appeal. The fifteen Vahinis - streams of sacredness - known as the Vahini Series comprising annotation and interpretation of the Upanishads and other scriptures, Itihasas like the Ramayana, the Bhagavatha and the Mahabharata, and authentic explanations on Dhyana, Dharma, Prema, etc., have been serially published in this magazine as and when they emanated from the Divine pen of Bhagawan Baba. This magazine is published in almost all Indian languages, English and Telugu from Prasanthi Nilayam and others from respective regions. Every year Sanathana Sarathi comes out with a special issue in November commemorating the Divine Birthday. The English and Telugu magazines are posted on the 10th and 23rd respectively, of every month, from Prasanthi Nilayam. This magazine has wide, ever increasing circulation in India as well as abroad, as the study of it brings the reader closer to the philosophy of the Avatar in simple understandable language THUS SPAKE SAI... Discoursing during the launch of Sanathana Sarathi... From this day, our Sanathana Sarathi will lead to victory the cohorts of truth - the Vedas, the Sastras and similar scriptures of all faiths, against the forces of the ego such as injustice, falsehood, immorality and cruelty. This is the reason why it has emerged. This Sarathi will fight in order to establish world prosperity. It is bound to sound the paean of triumph when universal Ananda is achieved.
Started in 1958, Sanathana Sarathi is a monthly magazine devoted to Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanti (Peace) and Prema (Love) - the four cardinal principles of Bhagawan Baba's philosophy. It is published from Prasanthi Nilayam (the Abode of Highest Peace) and acts as a mouthpiece of Baba's Ashram as it speaks of the important events that take place in His sacred Abode, besides carrying Divine Messages conveyed through Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The word meaning of Sanathana Sarathi is the 'Eternal Charioteer'. It signifies the presence of the Lord in every being as the atma guiding their lives like a charioteer. It implies that he who places his life, the body being likened to a chariot, in an attitude of surrender in the hands of the Lord, will be taken care of by the Lord even as a charioteer would take the occupant of his chariot safely to its destination. The magazine is an instrument to disseminate spiritual knowledge for the moral, physical and mental uplift of humanity without any discrimination as the subject matter discussed therein is always of common interest and of universal appeal. The fifteen Vahinis - streams of sacredness - known as the Vahini Series comprising annotation and interpretation of the Upanishads and other scriptures, Itihasas like the Ramayana, the Bhagavatha and the Mahabharata, and authentic explanations on Dhyana, Dharma, Prema, etc., have been serially published in this magazine as and when they emanated from the Divine pen of Bhagawan Baba. This magazine is published in almost all Indian languages, English and Telugu from Prasanthi Nilayam and others from respective regions. Every year Sanathana Sarathi comes out with a special issue in November commemorating the Divine Birthday. The English and Telugu magazines are posted on the 10th and 23rd respectively, of every month, from Prasanthi Nilayam. This magazine has wide, ever increasing circulation in India as well as abroad, as the study of it brings the reader closer to the philosophy of the Avatar in simple understandable language THUS SPAKE SAI... Discoursing during the launch of Sanathana Sarathi... From this day, our Sanathana Sarathi will lead to victory the cohorts of truth - the Vedas, the Sastras and similar scriptures of all faiths, against the forces of the ego such as injustice, falsehood, immorality and cruelty. This is the reason why it has emerged. This Sarathi will fight in order to establish world prosperity. It is bound to sound the paean of triumph when universal Ananda is achieved.
The auspicious day of Vijaya Dasami, in 1953, opened a golden chapter in the history of mankind, for that was the day chosen by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for His first ever divine discourse in public. The flow of divine discourses, which started on that auspicious day out of His immense compassion for the well-being and harmony of humanity, has continued unabated even after five decades. During this period, Bhagawan has delivered hundreds of discourses in various places, to a variety of audiences. His benevolent acts for the humanity at large are also unparalleled. His noble mother made three requests to Him, namely to provide drinking water, a school, and a hospital for the village of Puttaparthi. Bhagawan has commissioned mammoth drinking water projects, benefitting hundreds of villages, towns, and even the city of Chennai. He has also built schools, colleges, super specialty hospitals, and even an outstanding university, and constructed thousands of houses to cyclone-hit people. This priceless inaugural volume in Sathya Sai Speaks contains thirty three divine discourses, of which five are for the students and authorities, giving invaluable guidance. There are also five discourses addressed to the residents of different villages, advising them on the value of unity and brotherhood.
“Baba is Himself an open book, with no mystery or pomp or abstruseness about Him and every one can approach Him and secure His grace,” says Prof. N. Kasturi, author of this series, Sathyam Sivam Sundaram. In this series, which is divided into four parts, the author brings out the life history of the Divine Avatar from His birth in 1926 to 1979. Prof. Kasturi, who had the extreme fortune of being close to Baba, shares His mahimas and leelas with the readers. The first Part of this book was placed in the hands of the readers in 1961. The need for the revised and enlarged edition was felt by the publisher for more comfortable reading, especially by the elderly readers. As a result, these Volumes are brought out in larger format, with computerised typesetting, using larger typeface, better line spacing, and with a number of photographs. With these changes, it is hoped that all spiritual seekers will benefit and enjoy reading these series. Convener, Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, June, 2001
Swami says, “When a mother is feeding her child, you can see her inducing the child to eat by means of harsh words, a smile, a joke, a threat, or a story, diverting its attention, showing the child a dog, a flower, or the moon. I have also to adopt the same tactics to make you listen and assimilate the valuable food that is so necessary for your growth. That is the reason why I relate stories, sing, recite poems, etc. in My discourses!” With this inspiration, Bhagawan’s teachings and related moral stories are compiled in the form of this book from His Divine Discourses, for better understanding of His teachings. This book should help us in getting inspired, to put His teachings into practice in our daily lives and grow spiritually better and better, with each day.
The Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1974 are no showers, but a flood. Bhagawan in His compassion and boundless love covered the whole gamut of truths, esoteric and explicit, contained in the Vedas in His discourses. While unfolding the esoteric content and explaining the technical terms, He dispelled many misconceptions in the minds of students and pundits, particularly about the term ‘Brahman’, which He established by drawing from scriptural texts, as also His own testimony as Eternal and Universal. He explained the term Bharath as embracing the whole world and not confined to the geographic entity now called ‘India’. Bhagawan has made a loving and passionate appeal to all students to take His teachings to heart and practice Dharma all the while. In fact, it can be, without exaggeration, renamed ‘The Sathya Sai Gita’.
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba wrote a series of articles under the Vahini series, for Sanathana Sarathi, a monthly magazine being published by Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust, Publications Division, Prasanthi Nilayam. These precious articles are brought out now, under the title “Geeta Vahini”, in this book, for the benefit of readers. This is not a commentary or summary of the divine message that was given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna. It conveys the same message in a simpler form to us, in order to remove our delusion and confer faith and strength on us, so that we may realise our own reality. Bhagawan says, “Drawing on the Divine that is inherent in us is the lesson of Geeta… Arjuna is the jiva and Krishna is the Deva. When both are in contact, impregnable might results… Krishna had to work in and through Arjuna, so that the reign of Dharma (righteousness) is re-established. Arjuna means white, pure, unblemished. Hence, he is the proper instrument.” We too can become proper instruments in restoring Dharma, if we follow the lessons that Bhagawan teaches through this book.