Today is the birthday of Sri Sathya Saibaba!
Sathya Saibaba during younger days!
Sathya Sai memories- Part I.
Sri Sathya Saibaba was born on 23 November 1926 in a very obscure village in Andhrapradesh in South India. His parents were innocent and honest but they lived on meager income from staging some village plays or drama. It is not known whether they possessed any cultivable land. We can construe that they were leading hand to mouth existence. Saibaba had two elder sisters and one elder brother. But his very birth has some ominous signs of the future of the boy. Even while he was in the womb of his mother Easwaramba, musical instruments hung from the walls started playing some heavenly music without any body playing in the midst of night.Of course, the parents were petrified due to the sounds of music in the nights. They consulted some pundit who was residing nearby. He assured them that the music is foretelling a holy event in the house. He inquired whether any lady is pregnant. When affirmed by the father, he said, the birth of the holy child is heralded by music. He will be a holy person guiding the people around towards good.
On the predawn time, the mother in law went to a nearby house to pray to God Sathyanarayana. Meanwhile, she was summoned several times, since her daughter in law may deliver at any time. But she stubbornly refused to break her prayer. Only after conclusion of the prayer, she took the flowers and eatables to her daughter in law and gave her the flower and eatable. Exactly at the very moment, a boy was born to Easwaramba who is going to be the guiding power for the entire humanity by his loving service and benign protection. When the child was placed over a Palmyra mat as per the custom, the baby started moving this way and that way. Fearing something amiss they lifted the mat. To their consternation, there was a snake below coiled and it was offering itself as the bed to the baby!
The baby grew quickly and it was the pet of all passers by. Mainly the ladies of the village vie with one another to sneak into the house to caress the baby! The baby insisted that it should be adored with holy ash and red kumkum on the forehead. Even as a child, it has charitable nature. If anybody clamor for alms, the child will call its mother and pester her to give alms to the beggars. Since the family is poor, they can not afford charity. Hence the mother reprimanded the child, if you want to give something to the beggar, you will remain hungry! Once the beggar is fed, the child refused to take any food since it has promised so even while it is a small child. This adherence of Truth earned him the name "Sathya"(Truth). Also, he was born after the prayers to family deity "Sathya Narayana". Hence he was aptly named as Sathya Narayana which later transformed to the name Sathya Saibaba, since he revealed his identity with Shirdi Saibaba!
He was the friend of all. He grew up to attend the elementary school(a thatched hut). Students used to assemble from very early morning since the teacher used to beat the latecomers mercilessly. At that time, he played the 'leader' to them. He will make them sit on the small verandah and taught them many names of God. He taught them melodious songs on godhead. When any child do not have a slate or pencil, he will take from an empty bag, all the needs of the children for their studies. The boys marveled at his capacity to bring anything from the empty bag. When inquired, he revealed that a spirit obeyed him and it brought all that is needed! The idea behind all these miracles are to encourage the boys to study diligently at any cost.
By his behavior, he earned the nickname "Guru" means preceptor. His memory was baffling. Without studying any books, he used to answer all the questions. He never took any notes and he was punished for his failure to take notes. He was asked once by the teacher to stand upon the bench. This happened when he was going to high school in Uravakonda, a place far away from Puttaparthi. His brother was staying there and he took Sathya with him for his future education. Sathya obeyed his teacher, stood over the bench. The bell rang for the next period. The English teacher promptly came and asked the other teacher to vacate the chair. Alas! the chair got glued to the posterior region of the teacher and he was unable to get up. He silently whispered to the English teacher, his inability to get up. The teacher saw that Sathya was undergoing punishment by standing on the bench. The English teacher told Sathya to get down. Immediately, the previous teacher was relieved from his chair. This was one miracle from the early boyhood. Sathya never wished to dishonor his teacher. It was to show to the world that he was not an ordinary boy who needed formal schooling!(to be continued in the next hub)
