Category Archives: Parthi Sai

1 Reply

A student in Baba’s university was on his way to appear for an extremely important exam. It was the day of his finals and he had done his very best to prepare for the questions. Little did he know that when he was on the way to the test center, God had arranged for an even tougher exam for him — the test of humanity!

As he was on the way that day, he noticed a man in need of urgent medical attention. The slightest delay in providing emergency medical care would have meant sure death for the person. What was he to do? If he did not reach the exam on time, he would lose one full year for no fault of his own. On the other hand, if he left the man unattended, an innocent life would be lost.

After much internal debate, he decided to follow Baba’s teachings. “Love All, Serve All,” is what Baba has repeatedly taught during His entire avatar. The young boy decided to stake his career to honor Swami’s words and took the man to the hospital. After ensuring the man’s safety, he rushed toward the test center.

Upon reaching the test center, he realized that nearly half of the exam was over and he was late. Despite the setback, the young boy decided to give his best attempt and attended to as many questions as he possibly could. Upon completing the exam, he visited Baba.

In the crowd of thousands of devotees Baba approached this young boy and said, “Child, you passed God’s test today. Don’t worry about your exam. I have attended to the remaining questions Myself. You are sure to pass.” True to Baba’s words, he passed with flying colors, and in fact secured a first class on his exam.

In our daily lives, we always get a set of choices. “Me” versus “We” is often the theme of these choices.

Nothing Is Impossible For God

1 Reply

By The Sai Sandesh Team, Om Sai Mandir

Intent on testing the devotion and faith of God’s devotees, Sage Narada left his celestial realm to visit devotees on earth. At first he approached the house of a well-known priest. As soon as he entered the priest’s house, he was greeted with great pomp and splendor. The priest fell at the sage’s feet, washed them, and offered several fruits and delicacies to appease his divine guest. When Narada had settled, the priest asked, “O Divine Sage, you have access to all the celestial planes and know many facts that are unknown to ordinary human beings. Could you tell me what God is doing right now?”

Narada is witty by nature and he responded to the priest’s request as follows: “Holy Sir, God plays many sports and performs countless deeds. He is trying to pass an elephant through a needle’s eye right now.”

On hearing this response, the priest burst into a thunderous laughter. He mocked his divine guest and said, “How foolish of you. How can an elephant pass through a needle’s eye?”The sage remained silent.

Narada left the place shortly thereafter and visited the houses of several devotees. At every devotee’s place, Narada would say the same thing: “God is passing an elephant through a needle’s eye.” Unfortunately, he would receive the same mockery and laughter wherever he went.

Finally, Narada visited a poor, illiterate cobbler. The cobbler had no learning and was simply performing his work while chanting God’s name constantly. As soon as the cobbler saw Narada, he was overwhelmed and fell at the sage’s feet. He worshipped the sage in the most humble manner and asked the same question as others: “Divine Sage, what is God doing right now?”

Narada gave the same response but this time he was in for a surprise. The cobbler danced in ecstacy and said, “Ah, what is impossible for God. Why an elephant? God can pass the entire creation through a needle’s eye. Nothing is impossible for God! Nothing!” Narada’s eyes were filled with tears. He was touched by this outpour of loving devotion and faith from this simple man.

Truly, nothing is impossible for God. Nothing! All God needs is our faith and love.

You Never Know When God Will Bless

1 Reply

There was once an ardent devotee of God. He chanted God’s name millions of times but could not win a vision of the Divine. Having pushed his efforts to the extreme, he felt very frustrated and dejected due to the lack of progress in his spiritual efforts.

Finally, one day he just decided to just give up. He packed his belongings and proceeded to leave the temple where we had been practicing penance for so many years. Just as he was about to take his first step, Kaal Bhairav, a deity, manifested in front of him and said, “My child, where are you leaving? One must complete a good undertaking and avoid giving room to doubts and frustrations.” The devotee was pleased to see the vision but that was not the deity he was trying to appease. His goal was to secure of vision of God in the form of the Divine Mother. The devotee expressed this desire to Kaal Bhairav and questioned why he had been unable to achieve success in his endeavors.

Kaal Bhairav smiled and said, “Child, as a result of all the prayers you did so far you were able to burn all your past karma. It was because your karma has been nullified that you could win my vision. If you make the slightest effort now, the Divine Mother will manifest her presence and grace you.”

The devotee was extremely delighted and encouraged at this emphatic statement and decided to pursue his prayers with an even greater zeal. No sooner did he start, the Holy Mother granted Her vision and blessed the devotee profusely.

The line between failure and success is very thin. The last bit of effort might just be the one that could lead you to your goal. Sai Ram!

Hold On To Baba’s Feet — He Will Surely Save You!

3 Replies

A devotee of Baba, Das Ganu, wanted to visit Prayag, a sacred place where holy rivers meet. When Ganu visited Baba to seek His permission and blessings, Baba explained that all holy spots were at His feet and that there was no need to go elsewhere. No sooner had Sai said this, streams of holy water started emanating miraculously from Baba’s lotus feet. Ganu was astounded to see this miracle, but was convinced that resorting to Sai’s feet was equivalent to bathing in the holiest of rivers.

Resorting to His feet removes countless sins

In an earlier age, to rescue earth from the rule of demonic forces, God assumed the form of a saintly lad, Vamana, and accosted the king of demons, Bali. On seeing a tender lad at his doorstep, Bali asked the boy to seek a boon. Vamana asked for land that could be measured by His three steps. Seeing the small physical frame of the lad, Bali humored the child for asking such a trivial boon from a great king, but promised to fulfill his desire nevertheless.

Almost immediately, Vamana started growing in size. He grew to such gigantic proportions that with one foot he covered the entire earth and with the other, the heavens and nether regions.

When God’s foot reached heavenly regions, Lord Brahma, the creator, rushed to worship the divine foot with holy water. It was this water that later descended to earth in the form of the river Ganges. The reason the holy river is able to purify millions of sinners is because it had come in contact with God’s foot.

Contact with God’s feet is transformational

When Lord Rama was in the forests, He happened to visit a hermitage where Ahalya had been cursed to assume the form of a stone for 10,000 years. While at the ashram, Rama placed His foot on the stone and, lo, it was miraculously transformed into the divine mother Ahalya.

She was not only rescued from her inert condition, she was granted liberation from the cycle of birth and death–all for a moment’s contact with God’s feet. If a stone can be transformed into a woman by contacting God’s feet, imagine what could happen to humans. Is it any surprise that the
Goddess of Wealth, Mother Lakshmi, is always serving God’s feet?

His feet can fulfill desires and remove miseries

When Saptanekar, a devotee who was dejected due to the death of his son, held Baba’s feet very firmly, Sai compassionately uttered the following words: “These feet are old and holy, you are carefree now. Place faith in me and you will soon get your object.” On saying this Baba placed the
departed soul back into the very womb (of Saptanekar’s wife) from which it had died. Saptanekar was overjoyed to have his son back.

The Satcharita describes a wonderful dream that Anandrao had:

“I was standing in waist-deep water. There I saw Sai Baba all of a sudden. He was sitting on a beautiful throne studded with diamonds. His feet were in water. I was most pleased and satisfied with the form of Baba. The vision was so realistic that I never thought it was a dream. Curiously enough Madhavrao was also standing there. He said to me feelingly, “Anandrao, fall at His feet.” I rejoined, “I also wish to do so, but His feet are in water, how can I place my head on them? I am helpless.” Hearing this he said to Baba “Oh Deva, take out your feet which are under water.” Then Baba immediately took out His feet. I caught them without delay and bowed to them. On seeing this Baba blessed me saying, “Go now you will attain your welfare, there is no cause for fear or anxiety.”

Why worship the feet

The act of reverently worshipping God’s feet is an ancient practice. It is said that the feet hold the entire weight of man’s body and help him progress from one place to another. Further, circulation of blood reaches from the feet to the heart and the feet are thus said to be connected to the heart in a very special way.

Bowing to someone’s feet is also considered an act of humility, reverence, and surrender. In the case of God, He carries the burden of the entire universe on his divine body and since God’s cosmic body rests on His feet, they are the holiest. Surrendering to His feet is the surest and easiest way to reach His heart and secure divine blessings.

The Devotion Of A Little Child

Balloon Miracle Happened Yet Again, Today, At Om Sai Mandir

2 Replies

Those who visit Om Sai Mandir regularly are familiar with the miracles that Baba often performs at the mandir out of His sheer compassion. Many have witnessed the balloon miracle in the past and are familiar with the manner in which Baba has demonstrated His leelas. Today was an encore.

This afternoon, during the Rudram prayers, Baba manifested His presence yet again. Baba, as we all know is omnipresent — not only everywhere, but in everything — and to prove this, He often shows us how He controls every single atom of this vast cosmos. For the benefit of devotees, we are narrating the events that occurred today:

It is not unusual for balloons to float in the air but when they start behaving like a live human being, one can see God’s hand at play. As the prayers were going on this afternoon, a balloon floated and first touched Baba’s feet on the upper floor of the mandir. We did not pay much attention to it but then suddenly the balloon started moving toward the door on the second floor and then took a right turn and directed itself toward the steps leading to the first floor.

Under normal circumstances, a balloon would just float in the air, but this one started WALKING DOWN the steps, mimicking the steps taken by a live human being. It would rise, come down, touch a step, then rise again again and touch the lower step … until it reached the first floor in a hopping fashion, as if someone was walking down the stairs. Balloons float, they don’t hop or walk. We still did not take it seriously.

Then soon thereafter, the balloon took a U-turn (almost as if someone was driving it) and approached the very place where the prayers were being chanted. It then came and stood there (see picture) — still and motionless.

The way it was standing reminded us of how Baba used to stand while inspecting devotees’ prayers. The strangest thing was that the balloon stood right there until 1008 chants of Maha Mrityunjaya Mantram were completed. It did not move for almost thirty minutes.

Those who have seen Baba walk would instantly recognize His characteristic swaying motions and graceful, floating walk. When one witnesses Baba walking, it gives the impression that He is gliding on thin air, almost floating.

As soon as the chants were finished, the balloon moved toward the devotees who were participating in the chant, as if it was Baba’s gesture of blessing the devotees. Then we performed Baba’s afternoon arati. Until then the balloon was steady but as soon as the prayers were completed, it moved away from the area IMMEDIATELY — in a snap.

Just as a background these balloons have been at the mandir since almost two months but they never behaved in this fashion. What’s more wonderful is that this nearly deflated balloon had suddenly regained shape.

The fact that it first touched Baba’s feet, moved down the steps like a human, made right turns and U-turns, stood motionlessly at the same spot until the prayers were being performed, moved away the moment prayers were over … all of this adds up to just one fact: Baba was orchestrating the whole show.

The excitement did not end there, though. In the afternoon, when devotees were praying in front of Baba, the balloon started approaching each devotee individually and would stand still in front of the devotee. Then it would move to the next devotee and stand in front of that devotee … only at the spots where prayers were being performed, nowhere else.

Last year, Baba performed many similar miracles. During one such instance, a bunch of balloons moved across the room, touched Baba’s feet, and went to the lamp in front of Baba, after catching fire from the lamp, the balloon bunch circulated around the table in front of Baba and finally burnt some papers that were there. Thereafter, the fire extinguished on its own before we could do anything.

On every occasion, the balloons ALWAYS touch Baba’s feet first before moving in any direction. Once it could be a coincidence, but if every time Baba’s feet is touched first it cannot be a coincidence.

To give devotees a visual map, we have provided arrows indicating how it all happened. The steps can be seen in the background as well.

Baba Seals Hole In The Heart Instantly

1 Reply

The mother of an infant girl experienced Baba’s grace in a strange manner. Her daughter was diagnosed with a heart condition needing immediate surgery. She visited Puttaparthi and wrote her daughter’s condition in the most pitiful manner possible. Her daughter was scheduled to undergo surgery at the hospital in Puttaparthi but there was a significant chance that she could lose her life due to the delicate nature of the operation. She was anxious to the extreme and nervously awaited Swami’s darshan.

As she sat in the darshan line, the merciful Lord approached her and quickly took the letter that the helpless mother held out to Him. She was thrilled, no doubt, but her joy was soon transformed into extreme anxiety as Swami took the letter, crumpled it, and threw it out instantly.

She burst into tears inconsolably as helpless onlookers attempted to console her. She lost all hope but had to be by her daughter’s bedside on the day of the surgery. She summoned as much courage as she could and went to the hospital to help her daughter with diagnostic tests that were scheduled on the eve of surgery.

The doctors came rushing to her after the scans. Seeing their rush, her heart almost shut down but the smile on the doctors’ faces prevented her from collapsing. The doctors were extremely excited and revealed to her that her daughter’s heart condition had DISSAPPEARED miraculously. She could not understand what had happened but then realized why Swami had thrown away the letter.

Swami’s destruction of the letter did not symbolize a bad omen (contrary to what she feared) but was rather a proclamation by the Almighty that no surgery was needed. The overjoyed mother-daughter duo visited Swami the following day and thanked Him from the bottom of their hearts. They are live testimonies to the proclamation that Baba has made on innumerable occasions: “I bear the love of a thousand mothers.”

Baba is a Divine Doctor who is capable of sealing not just physical holes, but ones at many levels — spiritual, emotional, personal, and more. All He asks for is a heartfelt plea and sincere adherence to His teachings. We may not be able to understand Baba’s actions in the short run, but in the long term everything will fall in place and Baba will make us understand that whatever He does is always for our own good.

The Power Of Baba’s Words

1 Reply

Nature is nothing but the manifestation of a minute fraction of God’s infinite glory, and billions of ever-expanding universes are mere atoms when compared to the all-powerful Lord. When such a powerful Lord commands His creation on a course of action, it cannot but fulfill that order with all humility and reverence.

The might and majesty of an avatar cannot be comprehended by human intelligence; it can only be experienced. During their physical incarnation, avatars perform countless deeds that are considered miracles in the mortal realm, but in reality they are visible manifestations of divine sankalpa (will). This will is so powerful it can alter even the writ of providence and, when necessary, overrule otherwise unalterable cosmic laws. The warmth of sincere devotion can melt God’s butter-soft heart in an instant, and in response to a devotee’s plea the Lord becomes like a servitor, willing to extend any service possible. When the call is sincere, He will alter even destiny and rescue devotees from sorrow. This has been the experience of innumerable devotees.

Once, a mother-in-law was fortunate enough to experience this grace. She was a pious lady who had a big family with many sons and daughter-in-laws. Despite experiencing all forms of happiness, she was not at peace, for none of her children were able to become parents. She visited Puttaparthi with utmost reverence and placed her sorrow at the feet of the Lord of Parthi. He heard her request with compassion but explained that none of her family members were destined to become parents-that was their fate. She was disheartened but she firmly held Sai’s feet and with tear-filled eyes begged Him to intercede. Swami was moved and asked if she believed in Him. She calmly said that His will was supreme and that He could alter destiny itself, if He so willed. Swami was touched by her faith and blessed her. The following year, she came with beautiful grand children.

During the Shirdi Sai Avatar, a devotee brought several seeds to Shirdi. It was his intense desire to plant trees near Dwarakamai. Baba was reluctant, however, and refused to accede. As time passed, the seeds dried and became incapable of germinating. The devotee was unable to bear his beloved Sai’s refusal. Day and night, he was suffering in anguish. Sainath was unable to see His devotee suffer in this manner and called him to His presence. Baba asked him to quit worrying and also ordered him to plant the dried seeds with faith. He declared that even though the seeds had dried, they would germinate into beautiful plants-and they did.

During another instance, Baba’s devotee, Shama, was bitten by a snake. Frightened by the imminent danger, Shama immediately rushed to His beloved Sai who uttered the following words: “Oh vile bhaturdya (priest), do not climb up. Beware if you do so. Go get away, come down.” Shama was disheartened to think that the words were uttered at him, but in reality they were Sai’s antidote to the poison. It was a direct command ordering the poison to stop rising. Shama recovered completely. On another occasion, Shirdi witnessed a terrifying storm that threatened to devour the entire village. All its inhabitants rushed to their beloved Lord Sai, who in His utmost mercy came to their rescue. His simple words, “Oh, stop; calm your fury,” were sufficient to quell the furious storm in moments.

God is so merciful, He cannot but run for His devotees. He is like the hard-working mother who is always busy performing routine household-in His case, cosmic-duties. Despite her burdens, the mother always provides for the children’s needs and keeps a watchful eye on them. The children may not know or realize this. When they are safe or at play, she continues performing her chores, but if a child starts crying inconsolably, she will leave everything and run to console her darling. Similarly, God, who bears the love of a thousand mothers, rushes to respond to His children’s calls. His simple words will allay all fears and fulfill devotees’ wishes.