Chennai: Felicitation of Sri Satya Sai Baba.
It was during the auspicious days when Sri Satya Sai Baba landed in Chennai for his felicitation on the event of bringing waters to Chennai – the completion of the Telugu Ganga Project. In the Chola period they would have built a temple town and called it Gangaikondacholapuram and given food to the poor, these days they give speeches and ask for more money and more water.
The esteemed podium was honored with the presence of the Chief Minister and his battalion of loyalists each giving speeches honoring the Great Man and hoping he would do more for society or give them his money so that they can try and do it with least effect!
This was a shower of speeches rather tongue in cheek making the audience smile on and off over each ones witty statements on how today's government is run. In the middle of all this sat one man, a milkman from the north who had done very well for himself I should say.
This man, originally a possible milkman, subsequently chief minister of one of the most ancient rich lands of the sub continent and now Railway Minister has done more than his fair share to puzzle the world. Speaking in broken English and even more polished Bhojpuri, he is probably the only not so well educated man who stormed into an audience of IIM graduates (paradise mind you) to give a discourse on his success story, leaving a world of superior intellects speechless.
The same man walks up the dias, shared equally by Tamil intellects to give his speech on Sri Satya Sai Baba...
Starting his speech in broken English and subsequently rolling off in Bhojpuri to a Tamilian audience (he couldn't care less) he claimed to have been an atheist all his life. But something has moved him about this Great Man and today he feels deep in his heart that there is a supreme being somewhere and Baba seems to have shown him the way. Today he believes in him strongly and has been moved by this Great Man's presence in his life. Having said all this in a very elaborate animated way, Laloo walks up to the Great Man and touches his feet with reverence. The Tamil folk on the dias just look on...
Now for the other side of the story. They say this man was not invited (well he was not part of this project); he came because he wanted to meet the Great Man. He came like a common man, equally happy should the organizers have given him a seat with the common folk playing audience. He was invited to the dias since he held a high post in politics. He walked about the stage, pranced around like it was his living room not caring for the speeches reeling out in the background. He hit the restroom when he wished and walked around with an air of simplicity. His purpose was fulfilled. Having bundled his ego up for a short while, he came visiting Chennai because he wanted to meet Baba and not because he wanted to make his presence felt in Tamil Nadu politics.
I tell you, I like him, when I see him in new light this guy is simply cool.
Photo courtesy: The Hindu Online.
23 comments:
Yes Kavitha, It is perhaps Laloo’s Natkhat or mischievous-Krishna-like ‘Yaduvanshi’ genes/ the ancient Hindu belief of “Satyameva Jayate” that is “Truth ever prevails” - the ‘cream-like essence of milk’ as the ‘essence of truths’ passed on through billions of years of ‘apparent time’ for humans/ ‘zero’ time for the Creator of universe - that is perhaps responsible for the believable drama in human life, as per the ‘wise’ ancients, even in the apparent ‘present’…
With the average ‘mindset’, like the driver we too were irritated to come across unemployed youths who stopped the vehicle numbers of time, kilometers before we could reach the parking lot in Fatehpur Sikri, and then wondered why the Government doesn’t do something to gainfully utilise the services of the apparently idle human resource readily available in millions in India!
Maybe, we have reached the “no technical solution possible stage” and hence the ‘cool attitude’/ or 'surrender in Krishna' (advised in the Gita) of the concerned…
Well, Well, Well, Am i in the right blog here. I see a post of Lalloo prasad and Shri Sathya Sai baba. I guess this post was written to give the much needed deviation to your readers(I Guess).
It' very well written indeed. I really enjoyed the part on Lallo Prasad.
Note: I once again re-iterate my point, it's nice to see a post on HUMANS in this blog where I more often used to read about Temples, Idols, Scriptures and Lord Shiva.
Great going indeed! :-)
Kavitha, I agree that some people find it difficult to reconcile with the Hindu Philosophy of human body considered as a model of the universe, or as a ‘temple of living God’, and man therefore as omniscient, that is, having the faculty of knowing everything - knowledge unbounded or infinite that believably is an attribute of God who is omnipotent and omnipresent! And, man in other words also considered as 'an image of God'...
‘Maya’ that is illusion related with immortal ‘Kal’ or its reflection in animal/ human life as ‘eternal apparent time’ was considered by the ‘wise’ ancient ‘Hindus’ - as part of a grand design - to be responsible for the inability of an average man or ‘Apsmara Purush’ to recall the ‘Absolute Truth’ as also communicated symbolically through the idol of Nataraja Shiva as one of the innumerable representations of the Formless Creator that is Bhootnath Shiva…
Kavitha, you have stated how Laloo Yadav apparently wasn’t even invited and yet how he felt at ease on the dias, and so on…
It perhaps reflects the natkhat or mischievous nature of Krishna and simple nature of Bholenath Shiva, as His supreme form, in the ‘present’ through communications hidden in names even, which can perhaps be appreciated by a ‘Hindu by thought' only...
For, by agreement among the riparian States, Telugu-Ganga Project brings the ‘Krishna waters’, 500 km away from Chennai, from Srisailam on Krishna River - through an open canal - to Somasila reservoir in the Pennar valley, and further through a 45 km long canal for increasing water supply in Chennai by 12 thousand metric cubic metres (TCM) of water – like Bhagirath had taken River Ganga eastwards for the revival of 60,000 sons of king Sagar! And, Sri Satya Sai baba’s presence is perhaps explained by River Ganga’s name being associated both with the name of the Project and ‘Satya’ that is Shiva!
Kavitha, the 'powerful' Laloo also conveys ‘Red’, the colour that is - as per the astronomers - associated with the final stage of a star before it gets transformed into a Black Hole if it is sufficiently massive, i.e., if it is more than five times that of our Sun (represented by the king or the Administrative Head, the PM); and with Goddess Kali (meaning ‘black’ in Hindi) by the ancient Hindus. She is symbolically depicted by them as a black bodied goddess - having a garland of human skulls around her neck - with one of her legs placed on the chest of Shiva who is depicted lying on His back and, therefore, her red tongue protruded out of her mouth as reflection of regard for Shiva. For, she is believed to ‘reside in His heart’!
And, in the photo, Shri 'Shiv' Raj Patil, as the representative of the Centre, is also seen seated in the dais, close to Satya Sai Baba!
Perhaps it is too much for it to be a mere coincidence!
Continuing with the further thoughts generated by the word ‘Red’, Shiva the Bhootnath according to the wise ancients was Ardhanarishwar or an androgenous god in the beginning, with Sati (associated with ‘sacred fire’ that is an erupting volcano representing energy as one of the ‘five ghosts’ or Panchabhoota) as His better half.
And later, after Her death, He reportedly wedded Parvati the daughter of the Himalayas and yet another form of Sati Herself, thus the stories indirectly associate Parvati with Moon in physical form, [which is even today believed to have evolved from earth itself and because of earth’s higher gravity became its satellite such that, (as if) by design, it always displays only one of its face to us the terrestrials, as was reportedly seen by Lakshamana also in Tretayuga!], as reflection of Sati/ Kali as Her energy form!
In short Ma Kali’s image is a symbolic representation - by the ‘wise’ Hindus - of the destructive force centred at the core of earth (believably perfect or immortal Formless Shiva in the beginning) in the form of the fiery red molten magma (Kali or Sati) that - when a volcano erupts - overflows over the mouth of the crater, the red hot lava appearing like a tongue, destroying in its wake all plant and animal life, and itself turning black after contact with the ground and air/ water...
And, Krishna also means black, in Sanskrit, and He (in the Gita, during Dwaperyuga, that is the second stage of evolution) claims Himself to be the agent of death and also indirectly hints Earth, that is Shiva the Destroyer - related with Satyuga or the fourth stage of evolution - to be His Supreme Form!
The name ‘Kali’ perhaps therefore reflects the present era, the believable Kaliyuga or the time duration from the start of evolution of our Galaxy from ‘zero’ or pure energy form till it achieved some reasonably evolved physical form at the end of Kaliyuga - believably of duration of 0.432 million years in one cycle out of over 1000 in Brahma’s one day of over 4 billion years being reviewed by Bhootnath the Lord of the Past!
In view of the above, it is perhaps evident that the ancient Hindus had ‘scientifically’ realised centre of our planet earth or Nadbindu as the centre of the balloon-like expanding or the unending universe and immortal Earth/ mortal human even as its perfect model although displaying hierarchy in 'Nature' for the sake of drama! And, the apparent 'present day scientists' perhaps have still lot to know before they could reach the 'Absolute Truth'!
Kavitha, as we have seen earlier elsewhere also while discussing ‘rasas’ or essences, it is ‘Adbhuta Rasa’ or curiosity that drives man to unending thoughts.
Even a child gets attracted to the colours as essences after division of white light (in reality emitted by our Sun that is an average star) in ‘Nature’ that is apparently seen in the rainbow when there are clouds in the sky thanks to the characteristic property of water...
It is curiosity that also leads ‘scientists’ to more in-depth studies and find many forms of energy, such as Infra-red and Ultra-violet rays etc. that also find entry into earth’s atmosphere - to a certain extent - besides only the visible part of the seven colours that constitute the apparent illusion, due to the inherent limitation in human vision, of a bow [which perhaps led to the earlier form of a weapon that apparently got associated wth ‘expert archers’, viz., Rama, Arjuna, Eiklavya, and so on – but all directly or even indirectly trained by Sages that is Yogis or all rounders as reflections of ‘Krishna the Yogiraj’ – as per our mythological stories and as a game played even today by the tribals, say, in the State of Meghalaya the ‘House of Clouds’ in India to International Games in Olympics… It also inspired ‘Architects’ and ‘Engineers’ for use in bridges/ buildings, and so on]...
And, out of the visible rays one always finds (as the ‘truth’) the colours Red and Blue at the extremeties of the spectrum (and a poet expressed it in the song, “Roses are red my love/ Violets are blue…”)
And Red, the universally accepted sign of danger, is used as a ‘STOP’ sign in the traffic light while GREEN, the colour that is in the middle of the spectrum is used as a ‘GO’ sign (and Buddha also advised one to follow the ‘midddle path’!). And, the colour blue is related with the colour of the sky/ water, as a representation of the infinite…and the ancients said, “Hari ananta/ Hari katha ananta,” indicating possibility of words (symbols used for sound energy) continuing indefinitely when one is expanding or ‘moving outwards’. However, one was advised to be conscious of Vishnu that is ‘Vish’ plus ‘Anu’, literally meaning ‘Poison’ plus ‘Atom’, however conveying Lord Vishnu as the Formless Dot or Nadbindu within whose head the whole physical universe is believably resting! And Shiva, opposite of Visha that is poison, that is our immortal Earth as His finite model that is neither zero nor infinite in size and is following the ‘middle path’. He is thus ‘Yudhister’ the Dharmaraja, or the one who is unmoved even during a battle, i.e., a true follower of the advice given by Krishna to remain unmoved under all circumstances!
However, although RED is accepted as a danger sign or a destructive force, the Hindu Philosophy through the story of Ma or Mother Kali conveys how the red-hot lava that flows down the sides of the volcanoes - to initially destroy all life forms in the affected region - after turning black in contact with the ground/ air/ water helps in enriching the top-soil, (also when floods in rivers result in deposition of rich soil on the banks), to result in greener vegetable growth thereafter. And, thanks to the forgetful nature of man - and it being virtually impossible to keep long term record of all volcanoes and analyse the data, if any available, to arrive at the likely frequency of eruption of volcanoes - it attracts humans at large to resettle in that very location, and perhaps in larger numbers, maybe to get trapped perhaps umpteenth time when the apparently dormant volcano becomes active again – and yet again...
It is interesting to observe how the yogis, apparently similarly, suggested one to activate the ‘kundalini’ or the dormant energy and associated information therewith that believably normally otherwise remains dormant in the ‘mooladhar chakra’ or the point located at the location of the tip of the tail-bone in human form!
Maybe, like eruption of volcanoes believably is a ‘natural’ phenomenon, perhaps ‘activation of kundalini’ also is natural, although because of ‘Maya’ that is illusion and therefore lack of overall knowledge one might be seen performing Yogic exercises, and any so-called achievement might apparently be attributed to faith or belief, although it could be a part of the believable drama or a grand design’ of the mischievous Formless Creator!
The ancient ‘wise’ Hindus believed that without Gods will, not even a leaf can flutter!
As is evident even in the ‘present’, symbols, such as, in words ‘Zero’ and ‘One’, i.e., ‘0 and ‘1’ in numerals of the binary system, are used today in the IT for almost instantaneous transfer of a variety of data in human life through electronic computers, the ‘wise’ among the ancient Hindus, i.e., Yogis or the then ‘scientists’, had come to realize earth/ human form in the drama to be composed of essences of selected eight numbers of the members of our solar system, or ‘grahas’ [Heavenly Bodies, which can hold or absorb (and also release) infinite energy or associated information – as symbolically communicated in the mythological story related with two powerful animals, ‘gaja and graha’, that is an elephant (known for its relatively higher capacity to recall the ‘past’ - besides its powerful trunk - and whose head believably was grafted in lieu of Parvati’s son Ganesha’s human head that he was originally born with, or maybe he was a powerful and yet a born genius – the characteristic that is at all times found in humans even today, although rarely!) held by a crocodile (both cited as two of the innumerable forms of Krishna - as referred in the Gita too) and only Lord Vishnu (whose re-incarnation Krishna was in Dwaperyuga, believably holds the key to unlock the ‘jaw’ or any and all of the ‘Bandhas’, that is ‘lock’, believably located within the human body at different locations along the spinal column each related with one of the selected planets!
Yogiraj Krishna, in the Gita therefore advises one to ‘surrender in Him’ for reaching His supreme Form/ Supreme Knowledge (the believable purpose of human life) as He believably resides within all humans - as the controller at the ‘Ajna Bandha or Chakra’ the ‘third eye of Shiva’ or the house of the essence of planet earth and also symbolically represented by River Saraswati, the godes of knowledge, that believably disappeared at some stage by going underground, represented by ‘Susumna Nadi’ or the central nervous system while Rivers Ganga and Yamuna are believably represented by Ida Nadi and Pingla Nadi, i.e., the ‘sympathetic nervous systems’ available within each human form!
In the Hindu Mythology, the symbols 0 & 1 are associated with physical Vishnu and Brahma or Aditi/ Aditya that is the original Sun ‘seated on the lotus flower that grew out of the navel of Vishnu’, that is the Centre of our Galaxy, which contains a Black Hole of Super Gravity with zero or near zero volume as the believable re-incarnation or model of Nadbindu the Formless Vishnu; and the original Star as the source of white light that predominanatly contains Hydrogen gas that has Atomic Number one, respectively!
The story of Black & White energy forms, however, indicates suspense in the drama with Brahma, initially comfortably seated on the lotus, noticing at some stage two demons also grow out of the ears of Vishnu, in the beginning generating fear in him due to concern for his safety and therefore prayer to Lord Vishnu, that later turned into panic when the demons continued to grow bigger and bigger and thus getting closer and closer to him! He continued to pray to Lord Vishnu, who however, believably is ever in ‘Yoganidra’, i.e., in reality in a state of super consciousness although appearing to be asleep, and therefore came to Brahma’s rescue by grabbing the demons in His hands only at the nick of time to his ultimate relief!
Similarly, wise ancients in the Gita depict Yogiraj Yaduvanshi Krishna also say that He never fails His true devotee!
Also, one similarly notices reporting in the story of Karna born of the ear of Mother Kunti the mother of the Pandavas with Arjuna as the Lord Rama-like archer as a model of the Sun!
In each human body also eight points believably indicated as 'Chakras' (wheels) or 'Bandhas' (locks) at differnt levels from tail-bone end to the head and resultant 64 'Yoginis' or smaller forms or 'Yogi' due to permutations and combinations of interaction between the energy forms at all levels, thus possibility of an individual reflecting 64 different roles in the drama during one life-term...
The symbolic representation of Human form on earth, with essence of earth as the true model or reflection of the inert or detached Formless Creator that is Nadbindu represented by green colour at ‘Ajna Bandha’ as the controller, and seven other reflections or different forms of Brahma, i.e., different colours and energy associated with them in the life-giving Sunlight that reaches the earth, or the essences of total eight numbers members of our solar sysem appear to have been realized by the yogis that believably go into the structure of human form…
In this representation, the essence of planet Mars associated with Orange colour (Red of Ma Kali at the core of earth mixed with yellow or Golden colour of Ma Parvati that is moon - as Ganesha was believed to have access to both Black & White forms of energy) is believed to be housed at the ‘Mooladhar Bandha’ or the basic powerful lock at the tip of the tail-bone of the spinal column formed by different vertebrae, and the balance of that of satellite of earth, or Moon, at the head or ‘Sahasrara Bandha’ depending on the concerned Yuga, 100% maximum only in Satyuga and near 0% the minimum in Kaliyuga.
The mention of (a small sized) mouse as the vehicle of (bulky) Lord Ganesha suggests the small percentage of balance of red colour, with a large percentage of it having gone into the creation of Orange colour for the planet Mars, to be associated with the Asteroids that exist between earth and Mars housed perhaps at the ‘rejuvenation point’ - indicated by Acupuncturists - below the navel…
Coming to white colour of our Sun, i.e., the life-giving source of energy on planet earth - as the universally accepted name suggests - Solar Plexus, above the navel in the belly in human body, is obviously understood associated with it, as a symbol of Suryavanshi Kings or Chief Political Administrators at all times.
The story of Tretayuga related to association of King Rama (model of Sun) with his brother Bharata (who ruled by proxy over Ayodhya during Rama’s exile in Tretayuga ‘with his slippers on the throne’, indicating him as the model of Centre of our Galaxy) and the one related with Kauravas/ Pandavas in Dwaperyuga (depicting Arjuna, the model of Sun, associated similarly with Krishna as his ‘chariot driver’), both, also show the rulers having two Gurus or Advisors – one for day-to-day- material life and another for long term spiritual functions.
The two powerful Advisors, with reference to white light, perhaps point to the Infra-red rays and the Ultra-violet rays, (also in acupuncture, the English translation from Chinese of ring finger on human hand that is related with Sun is “Triple Warmer”).
Also, the ancients have perhaps referred to the planet Saturn - that has beautiful rings - as a model of Vishnu, the ‘sudershan chakradhari’ or ‘the holder of beautiful wheel’. And, in the ‘Navgrahas’, or ‘nine Heavenly Bodies’, Sun to Saturn (Mahashiva, with our earth as Gangadhara Shiva and other physical forms as His reflections or images), representing in essence the universe with earth shown inthe middle, a bigger shivalinga is shown in the middle as ‘non-playing-Captain-like’ or an inert one (to take care of the upward and downward directions), and one each equal one in the eight directions – all nine shivalingas to cover all the main ten directions of 360 degrees of space.
Also, Brihaspati that is planet Jupiter, the heavier of the two Gurus is depicted as the Advisor of the demi-gods, which apparently indicates planet Jupiter, the big sized three-in-one planet with a large percentage of liquid Hydrogen (like our Sun has it in gaseous form); also Saturn-like, having smaller rings; and an earth-like satellite, named Io, suggests Jupiter’s association with pure heat energy or Infra-red rays at the navel level (‘Swadhisthan Bandha’ or the house where ‘He Himself is seated’) and therefore planet Mercury – that ‘runs with fire in its mouth’, being closest to the sun, at chest level (Anahat Bandha) and associated with Ultra-violet rays as the essence.
And, we have already elsewhere seen how essence of planet Venus or ‘Shukra’ the Guru of Rakshashas that is demons/ ‘Adam’s apple’ received from ‘satan’ is located, and is related with ‘Neelkantha Shiva’/ Neelamber Krishna/ (blue) Peacock as Kartikeya’s vehicle, that is Blue colour because of poison held there by Shiva (that is also related with planet Venus)...the colour is also related with metal steel and nerves in the human body as the main line of communication. Surgeons also indicate how the central nervous system in human body, in appearance, look like telephone cables!
Kavitha, I am sorry the yet to be accepted comment might appear too long to some of your visitors, but as Shivaratri approaches (16th February) I thought there would be time enough to think over the ancient Hindu belief to the effect, "I am Shiva/ and so you too are!"
In short, the Yogis realized the order of essences of selected members of the Solar system/ colours or energy associated with those within every HUMAN being as a Yoga or addition of eight essences - obtained by division of the energy contained within Nadbindu the Formless Creator: Sun at the solar plexus/ white; planet Mercury at the chest level/ Ultra-violet (Rahu); planet Venus at throat level/ Blue; Earth at ‘third eye’ level/ Green; Moon at the head level/ Yellow; Mars at tip of tail-bone level/ Orange, Asteroid below the nevel level/ Red; and Jupiter at navel level/ Infra-red (Ketu).
The apparent hierarchy between different human beings was believed by the Yogis to have been created naturally through the control planet, determined from the time of birth of the different individuals, and permutations and combinations of the energies related with other seven essences, each generating eight forms of energies as a result of reflection of self and also interactions with other seven essences with the passage of apparent time...
The horoscope drawn for each individual, in reality, showed the locations of the members of the solar system in the sky at the time of birth of the concerned individual…
Similar to the astrologers, the palmists also attempted to read the palm of an individual - each digit on the palm and also the gaps between two adjascent ones denoting a definite member of the solar system - to perhaps show human life events also to be natural, the drama having some defined logic behind it and not mere accident or coincidence…
The Hindu belief of 'Maya' that is illusion created by the Formless Creator is seen in the Gita with Krishna saying to the effect that it is only because of Maya that everyone sees Him within the self, however, in reality the whole creation lies within Him (within the head of Nadbindu the Formless dot-like source of primordial sound energy 'OM')!
Yogis appear to have advised at different times every individual to seek the ‘Truth’ within the self, for as per their experience, after continued meditation that is practicing to reach zero thought in the isolation of the Himalayas, say, or pursuing their targeted goal relentlessly, some rare personalities at different times appear to achieve something unbelievable, which other average persons believed impossible to achieve with the apparent poor background of their birth and education etc. at a given time (as per Yogiraj Krishna in the Gita, due to lack of overall knowledge, related mainly with the Yuga concerned), just as Kavitha has cited the example of Laloo Yadav, or say the example of Mahatma Gandhi, Birla, Dhirubhai Ambani and many more such examples.
They believed it as the the result of cause and effect or their Karmas through life after life of forms, which the concerned soul passes from the beginning of Brahma’s day after having remained frozen during His previous night, to start from the stage where it had last left. Thus hierarchy is believed to be continued throughout Brahma’s day with the soul either moving to a superior/ inferior level based on the Karmas during one life-time in a particular form.
On the other hand, it is believed that the soul is obliged to pass through 8.4 million forms before it attains human form. And, it is believably only in the human form that on account of the more evolved nature of human brain, as the superior most form among all animals, that one can get rid of the birth-death cycle, or attain ‘moksha’, only if one could reach Supreme Knowledge or the Creator.
In the Gita also, the only purpose of man reportedly is to attain knowledge of the Formless God and the gods with forms. However, man has right only to perform actions in either of the three broad categories – Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattvic, but not to the fruit or the desired positive or ‘good’ reaction, as this believably is not in his control, or rather it is in Krishna’s hand!
And, it’s also a fact that thoughts are not in man’s control and, therefore, before any action, like one chooses a card from the pack in the hand of a magician, similarly, one is required to choose one out of some choices, if any available to him - that one might need to consider the pros and cons of in his head in the case under consideration - before he performs any action. And, perhaps in most of the major decisive cases in life, one might find later that his decision wasn’t right – had he chosen some other option then available to one, after some years one could have been ‘materially’ better of, perhaps like many other 'Laloos'!
Seen thus with a detached view, that is finding the phenomenon occurring with almost all ‘unlucky ones’, barring ‘a few luck ones’ like Laloo 'the present Union Minister', one could like a ‘scientist’ conclude life generally to be a gamble, having exceptions as every scientific phenomenon too apparently has!
And, perhaps then only one could appreciate why the ancients called Yudhister (meaning the one who remains unmoved during the battle), the eldest Pandava brother, as "Dharmraja", or perfect role model, despite his putting all his material possession on stake and thus losing all his property, one by one, including the shared wives of the five Pandavas, in gamble to the greedy Kaurava cousin, Duryodhana (meaning, 'a bad soldier'), assisted by his deceitful maternal uncle Shakuni (meaning, 'symbol of good luck!')!
In view of the above, maybe, gambling associated, say, with the present day “match fixing” in the game of Cricket could then also be understood as “natural” and also come to understand why Krishna was called ‘Natkhat’ that is mischievous, for He has apparently been taking humans for “red herring” chase for all times!
Kavitha, in continuation of the comment that is yet to be accepted, I would like to add the following comment also.
Personally speaking, I went with some colleagues to Talkatora Gardens in New Delhi to see Shri Satya Sai Baba - for the first time - sometimes in the late 60s, or early 70s. I didn’t see him perform any miracles for which he is famous. Only peculiar thing I noticed was that each of his devotees carried a cloth bag in his hands, which one used for keeping one’s footwears and holding it in one’s lap when one wanted to be seated on the sheet spread over the grass in front of the dais! I found it a nice way to solve the problem of storage and safety of the footwears when there is a large gathering as at the entry to the ‘holy’ places…which otherwise generally distracts the attention of the worshipper from concentrating on the deity!
The other peculiar thing I noticed was his collecting envelops from some of the devotees only. I was told that those contain requests for help in relief from some problem/ ailment etc...
In so far as performance of miracles by him is concerned, once while visiting a relative in the first-floor of a Government Colony in South Delhi, when I approached it I was shocked to see a huge crowd gathered in front of the Ground-floor house.
My relative then told me that the gentleman was a devotee of the Baba, and from the hairs (that in appearance resembles a beehive to some extent) in Baba's framed photograph hung from the wall, honey was oozing out and dropping on to the floor! And because of the news appearing in some newspapers, the crowd had gathered to collect that as the 'prasad'…
And also, of course, I have heard from some of my friends and relatives how their problems disappeared thanks to his blessings. And in one incident how perhaps because of his disbelief in miracles and yet going to the Baba because his father had insisted, the 'bhabhoot' or ash given to him created some sensation - in his fractured leg that wasn't healing up for long - for a few seconds only, ad thus obliging him to continue to use a crutch...
Of course, in the Gita, Krishna says, to the effect that as all physical forms are His Own reflections one can get what one desires through another medium, however, one wouldn’t be able to reach Him, that is Supreme Knowledge!
Kavitha, In order to offer brief comments on Satya Sai Baba also, I had posted earlier the following, which has remained unaccepted, maybe because of some 'technical reason' and hence I am to post it again.
Personally speaking, I went with some colleagues to Talkatora Gardens in New Delhi to see Shri Satya Sai Baba - for the first time - sometimes in the late 60s, or early 70s. I didn’t see him perform any miracles for which he is famous. Only peculiar thing I noticed was that each of his devotees carried a cloth bag in his hands, which one used for keeping one’s footwears and holding it in one’s lap when one wanted to be seated on the sheet spread over the grass in front of the dais! I found it a nice way to solve the problem of storage and safety of the footwears when there is a large gathering as at the entry to the ‘holy’ places…which otherwise generally distracts the attention of the worshipper from concentrating on the deity!
The other peculiar thing I noticed was his collecting envelops from some of the devotees only. I was told that those contain requests for help in relief from some problem/ ailment etc...
In so far as performance of miracles by him is concerned, once while visiting a relative in the first-floor of a Government Colony in South Delhi, when I approached it I was shocked to see a huge crowd gathered in front of the Ground-floor house.
My relative then told me that the gentleman was a devotee of the Baba, and from the hairs (that in appearance resembles a beehive to some extent) in Baba's framed photograph hung from the wall, honey was oozing out and dropping on to the floor! And because of the news appearing in some newspapers, the crowd had gathered to collect that as the 'prasad'…
And also, of course, I have heard from some of my friends and relatives how their problems disappeared thanks to his blessings. And in one incident how perhaps because of his disbelief in miracles and yet going to the Baba because his father had insisted, the 'bhabhoot' or ash given to him created some sensation - in his fractured leg that wasn't healing up for long - for a few seconds only, and thus obliging him to continue to use a crutch...
Of course, in the Gita, Krishna says, to the effect that as all physical forms are His Own reflections one can get what one desires through another medium, however, one wouldn’t be able to reach Him, that is Supreme Knowledge!
While traveling to Delhi from Madras (now Chennai) by train in the year ’95 after my niece’s marriage, I overheard a senior Army officer tell another co-traveler, both seated on berths inside a cabin while I was seated on the outer berth (and didn’t participate in the conversation in order to learn more about the Baba from the mouth of a disciplined armyman), how he was a devotee of the Baba, and how to serve him he visited Puttaparthi during every annual leave.
According to him the Baba gave ash or rings etc only to those who went there to see him perform miracles – to others, like him, he didn’t offer any material gifts.
He said that like many others he participated in voluntary works that were continuously being performed in the premises of the Ashram. According to him it was a matter of surprise how the Baba knew what equipment or surgical instruments to obtain and from where – the hospital there was equipped with the latest instruments, and the best surgeons in the country visited voluntarily on their own to perform operations. And, that there was always a long waiting list of patients, who would normally be asked to come after 4 months or so.
Another typical feature according to him was that the Baba had no personal attachment with any of his assistants, although they might have been working with him for long.
He believed that the Baba was waiting for the right time to arrive.
Kavitha, as we had seen earlier elsewhere also, apparent time came into being with the coming into existence of our Sun, the source of light and life-giving energy on earth, maybe therefore Brahma the Creator of forms in the Hindu Mythology.
The North-South movement of sun is marked by the boundaries between Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. And, the mythological stories indicate Varanasi that was Kashi (83 degree East Longitude) as the original abode of Shiva the destroyer, and Mount Kailash (82 degree East Longitude) as His abode after marriage with Parvati. And, call it a coincidence if you like, the Indian Standard Time corresponds to 82.5 degrees East Longitude while Ayodhya, the believable birth place of Lord Rama - who is associated with River Ganga, which is also related with Shiva - also happens to be located at 82.14 degrees East longitude!
Now, if you consider the the Tropic of Cancer and Longitude 82.5 degrees East that passes through or close to the ‘Holy region’ near the ‘Sangam’, you would find the state of Bihar generally, and its capital Patna particularly (popularly associated with Laloo in the ‘present’), in the North-East direction of their meeting point - the direction, which believably lies under the control of planet Mars, related with Parvati’ son Ganesha as well as Hanuman the ardent devotee of Lord Rama/ Ma Sita! And, the general direction of monsoon winds that are responsible for the water cycle over the Indian sub-continent is Southwest - Northeast!
In view of the abovesaid, the Hindus, perhaps therefore, gave credit to the “Panchatatva” that is the ‘five elements’ that believably go into the formation of physical forms, or “panchabhootas” that is ‘five ghosts’ (‘Nabha’ or Sky; ‘Mahi’ or Gangadhara Earth; ‘Shikhi’ or Fire; ‘Vayu’ or Air; ‘Yamuna’ or Water) with Shiva or ‘OM’ as the Formless Creator that is Bhootnath or ‘Lord of the Ghosts’ for the life or physical form’s cycle! And, hence the ‘Truth’ or essence communicated in just three words - Om Namah Shivaya! And, in the present, Sai Baba inspired by the ancient thoughts has also three mandirs or tample in the country, named “Sathyam”, “Shivam” and “Sunderam”!
The ‘wise’ ancients believed the West direction responsible for ‘Maya’ that is illusion, with ‘sudershan chakradhari Vishnu’ or planet Saturn at some stage believably getting related with blue colour and iron or steel in place of planet Venus that is Shukra with ‘Shukracharya’ believably originally considered as the Guru of the ‘mayavi’ Rakshashas or Demons as responsible for illusion! And, also, mischievous ‘sudershanchakradhari’ Krishna (Black), a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu in Dwaperyuga of human efficiency ranging between 50-25 % of the potential in Satyuga, was believed to be related with all the primary colours – Peetamber (yellow dress); Neelamber (blue dress, and also blue peacock feather in his cap); in the female form of Goddess Kali (black), Her red-tongue!
‘Modern' Historians/ Scientists, however, would like us to believe that scientific advancement has happened only during the ‘Christian Era’! Perhaps the majority of us fail - despite hearing discourses from so many present day Gurus - to see the hand of ‘Natkhat Nandlal’ and fail to note that the ancients ascribed this to ‘Shmashan Vairag’ or detachement in the masses only generated in the cremation ground at any time other than Satyuga!
- JC
The ancients attributed the tendency to ‘look outwards’ (appearances and also into the ‘future’) - like astronomers today are apparently looking only at the sky, and like the proverbial horse runs incessantly after the (red) carrot, forward and still forward, they are least bothered about the ‘past’, i.e., to pause and “look inwards” to reach at the ‘Truth’ as advised by the ‘wise’ ancients – perhaps indicated by the proverbial Ostrich who believably puts its head inside a hole in the ground (perhaps to detach itself from the outward appearances, although cited today as an example of not seeing the apparent truth, perhaps indicating the mischievuosness of the Creator)!
Shri Laloo Yadav and Shrimati Rabri Devi (Rabri meaning a sweet preparation from cream), interestingly, in their big team, mostly of daughters, have a son too who takes keen interest in the game of Cricket, whose original ‘5-day’ (‘Five elements’ like) version is played with a hard ‘Red’ ball by 22 players in white (Sunrays like)! And, we have already earlier also seen how the game could be a representative model of our Milky White Galaxy in whose centre there believably is ‘Krishna’ (the milkman/ cowboy) or a Black Hole!
And, in the One-Day version, players of a particular team in different coloured clothes (picked from the rainbow), i.e., generally yellow for Australia, dark blue for England, light blue for India, and so on, play with a white ball!
Perhaps, one might see the phenomena indicating the association of colours in the visible spectrum with different ‘grahas’ or members of the solar system as believed by the ‘wise’ ancients as representation of the essences that go into the formation of the universe!
Hari Ananta, Hari Katha Anaanta!
Through the ‘ancient western (or perhaps Euro Aryans’) eyes’, however, red colour as a sign of danger finds representation through the ‘forbidden fruit’, the apple in the ‘Eden Garden’!
And, as we have seen elsewhere earlier also, perhaps in reality it indicates the all round ‘sphere of knowledge’ that was given to Adam, (as a model of Earth that is ‘Ardhanarishwar or androgynous Shiva’ of Hindu Mythology - at the beginning of Satyuga - who later married Parvati or another form of Sati as His original consort’s death, perhaps as the model of moon), by Satan in the form of a serpent (‘Vishadhara’ or holder of poison – like Shiva) through Eve, another part of Adam (Parvati-like or model of moon that believably evolved from earth itself)…The concept of deterioration of human efficiency in humans with passage of time is however indicated through Adam eating the apple that has remained stuck in human throat even in the 'present'!
And, the ancient Hindus represented the apparent physical universe with EARTH as its centre, with the belief of it being the ‘Truth’, or the model of the ‘Absolute Truth’ that is the lne Formless Creator, and all other apparent physical forms as its innumerable illusory reflections or ‘images’ (as in ‘magical mirrors’, perhaps – to appear different from one another to create the apparent hierarchy)!
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