The
Wonderment of Sai Baba.
This is the
story of the Lord, come in human form. He was
born at sunrise on November 23, 1926, in a quiet
little village called Puttaparthi in Southern
India. Puttaparthi has carved a niche for itself
in the hearts of the people of the area because
of the inspiring legends that sanctify its
memory and surround its name.
Putta
is the native word for "an anthill in which a
snake has taken up its abode," and
Parthi
means "multiplier." These words are part of an
exciting legend that explains the origin of this
place-name.
Long, long ago
the village was known as Gollapalli or "Home of
the Cowherds," a designation reminiscent of the
playful boyhood of Krishna,
the Cowherd Lord. Gollapalli was a place
redolent with the music of the flute and the
laughter of the cowherdesses. It was the abode
of prosperous cowherds, for, the cattle of this
place where sleek and strong. The cows yielded
copious quantities of milk, thick and sweet
beyond compare; every home was rich in butter
and ghee. However, one day a cowherd noticed
that his favorite cow had no milk in her udder
when she returned from the grazing grounds on
the hills. He became determined to find the
solution to this mystery by watching the cow's
movements. Later, hiding himself from view, the
cowherd observed the following astonishing
behavior. The cow, leaving her calf to wander
about with her sisters, walked out of the shed
and proceeded in a beeline to an anthill on the
outskirts of the village. The cowherd followed
her to this rendezvous, only to witness an even
more astounding spectacle. A cobra issued forth
from the mound, raised itself on its tail,
applied its lips gently to the cow's teats, and
gleefully drank all the milk! The cowherd,
enraged at the loss to which he was subjected by
this wily trick, lifted a large stone over his
head and, taking good aim, heaved it directly on
the cobra. Writhing in pain, the serpent threw
an angry curse on all the cowherds of the
village; the cobra's last words foretold that
the place would be full of anthills which would
multiply endlessly and become the homes of
snakes.
And so indeed
it happened! The cattle declined in health and
in numbers; they could no longer be raised
successfully at Gollapalli. Anthills spread all
over the place and the name was soon changed to
Valmikipura, meaning "anthill city" in Sanskrit.
This gave some satisfaction to the elders of the
village since Valmiki is none other than the
immortal poet and saint who wrote and sang the
great epic poem of Sri
Rama
and showed mankind the Path to Perfection.
The "anthill city" is called Puttaparthi in
common parlance. The villagers still show, as
proof of this tragic legend, the very stone,
thick and round, with a slight jam on one side,
which the enraged cowherd aimed at the
wonder-snake. The stone has a long reddish
streak which is pointed out as the mark of the
cobra's blood. This stone became an object of
worship, probably in an effort to avert the
curse and help the cattle to prosper. It is
looked upon as a symbol of the Lord of the
Cowherds, Krishna.
The village chieftains built a temple where this
stone is installed, and generations of men and
women have reverentially bowed before
it.
Strangely
enough, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba revealed a
feature of the stone some years ago. He directed
some people to wash the stone and to smear
sandal paste on the jammed side. When this was
done, they could discern the clear outline of a
sculptured picture of Krishna leaning on a cow,
with the captivating flute at his lips. Local
rustics swear that they can hear the melody of
Krishna's
Breath passing through the straight and hollow
reed in the sculpture. From that day the curse
lost its evil power and cattle began to thrive
once more at Puttaparthi! The bastion of the old
Fort, which still raises its hoary head in the
eastern part of the village, is evidence of
Puttaparthi's mastery over the surrounding area
and the power and majesty of the chieftains of
the place.
"With the
Chitravathi River descending the gorges and
flowing as a moat on one side, set like a green
gem in a ring of hills, with temple bells
pealing on all the eminences around, enriched by
the reservoir built by King Chikkaraya, adjacent
to the town that bears the name of Bukka (the
far-famed Emperor of the City of Vijayanagara),
Puttaparthi is the abode of the Goddess of
Fortune and the Goddess of Eloquence." Such is
the eulogy showered on this place by an
anonymous poet of the past. Puttaparthi was the
cradle of poets and scholars as well as heroes
and philanthropists.
The Raju
family to which Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
belongs was noted for its piety since the days
of the renowned sage Venkavadhootha. Not only
did the Rajus build and endow Gopalaswami
Temple, but the devout Sri Ratnakaram Kondama
Raju, grandfather of Sathya Sai Baba, dedicated
a temple to Satyabhama, a consort of
Lord
Krishna.
This homage is seldom offered in any part of
India to such a deity. Kondama Raju used to say
in explanation of this unusual tribute to
Satyabhama, that he was inspired to erect the
temple because of the events that occurred
during a strange dream. Tears of joy would run
down the wrinkled cheeks of this centenarian,
Sri Kondama Raju, whenever he recollected that
enthralling dream experience.
In his dream
Kondama Raju saw "Satyabhama alone, expectant,
and forlorn, waiting anxiously for her Lord who
had gone on an errand to bring to her from
Paradise the much coveted
Parijatha
flowers. The minutes increased to hours and the
hours to days, but still there was no sign of
Krishna!
Satyabhama broke into tears. There ensued a
raging storm bringing thunder, lightning, and a
heavy downpour of rain. Fortunately her eyes
fell on Kondama Raju who was passing near the
place where she stood. She asked him to provide
some shelter." This dream led to his
determination to build a temple for the Consort
of the Lord.
Kondama Raju
lived out his hundred and ten years of earthly
existence in the contemplation of the Lord. He
was a master of music and the histrionic art. He
knew by heart the Lepakshi version of the entire
Ramayana,
the Great Epic poem in Sanskrit about
Rama.
This version was a series of songs composed by a
poet from the City of Lepakshi. They depicted
the incidents in dramatic imagery and artistic
luxuriance. Kondama Raju played the role of
Lakshmana, the devoted brother of Rama, in all
the Ramayana plays enacted at Puttaparthi and
other villages. Requests for him to play this
role were received even from far-off places. His
depiction of the steadfast devotion and
unquestioning dedication of Lakshmana touched
the hearts of all who witnessed his performance.
He appeared hundreds of times on many stages
until age prevented him from further repetition
of the role. He was a strict vegetarian, prone
to observe the holy vows of the Hindu calendar.
His cottage, a short distance from his sons and
grandchildren, was a veritable abode of holy
homage. He took delight in gathering around his
cot the children of his sons and relating to
them the tales of Gods and God-men. The children
loved to be with him, for he made every
character and adventure live before their eager
eyes through the enchantment of song and
drama.
We can be
certain that among those children it was his
grandson Satyanarayana (the birth name of Sathya
Sai Baba) who was his favorite, for the little
boy could sing in a charming musical voice and
could give even the venerable old gentleman a
lesson or two in the art of drama!
There was
another reason why Kondama Raju exhibited
special affection for Satyanarayana. The little
boy disliked non-vegetarian food and would not
stay even in the neighborhood when such dishes
were being prepared. At the tender age of seven,
he was also a remarkably good cook! He was so
intelligent and resourceful that he was able to
prepare the most tasty dishes from the meager
larder of his grandfather's cottage. All this he
did most willingly and very quickly! (Sai Baba
says that He would go into the kitchen of the
old man and complete the cooking - rice,
curries, chutney and all - in much less time
than was needed by the mother, even when she had
her daughters helping her to finish her cooking
assignment at her own place!)
In his later
days Sri Kondama Raju was visited by all the
devotees who came to seek the blessings of Sri
Sathya Sai Baba, and when the revered old man
struggled to stand erect to accept their homage,
one could see a twinkle of joyful gratitude in
his eyes that the Lord had taken birth in his
family. He lived until 1950 and passed away
peacefully singing to himself aloud stanzas from
the Ramayana.
Truly a life worthy to be recorded in the annals
of saints.
Sri Kondama
Raju's wife, Sri Lakshamma, had died about
twenty years earlier. Her life was regulated by
the religious calendar with its rotation of Holy
Fasts, Vows, and Vigils. She observed these very
punctiliously, despite the worry, expense, and
inconvenience. Her aim was only to become worthy
of the blessings of the Divine Forces which the
scriptures promised in return for the
regimen.
Sri Kondama
Raju had two sons named after the sage
Venkavadhootha. They were called Pedda Venkapa
Raju and Chinna Venkapa Raju. They inherited
their father's musical, literary, and dramatic
capabilities, as well as his piety and
simplicity. Of the two brothers, the younger was
gifted with a greater variety of skills which
covered the fields of literary composition and
the preparation of drugs and talismans with the
aid of traditional formulas.
Once Pedda
Venkapa Raju was taken by his parents to a
village named Kolimigundla, in the Kurnool
District, where they had some lands which had
been given on long lease. While enroute, and as
they were entering the Parlepalli Forest, some
good men warned them to take a strong protective
escort, because two days prior a family of six
had been murdered in the forest by robbers and
assassins.
The visit was
primarily intended to acquaint Pedda Venkapa
with the area and the tenants, but his father
had a second aim in mind. He desired to bring
his distant relatives, Subba Raju and family,
nearer to Puttaparthi where they would be safe
from the danger they faced daily as they went to
earn their living near the forest. In order to
persuade Subba Raju to move to a village on the
bank of the river Chitravathi, opposite
Puttaparthi, it was necessary for Kondama Raju
to offer him a substantial "bribe!" This was
nothing less than the "acceptance" of Subba
Raju's daughter, Easwaramma, as bride for
Kondama Raju's elder son, Pedda Venkapa. Thus
came about the auspicious marriage of Pedda
Venkapa to Easwaramma.
This divinely
inspired union was blessed with a son, Seshama
Raju, and two daughters, Venkamma and
Parvathamma. Some years passed and Easwaramma
longed for another son. She prayed to the
village gods and observed
Satyanarayana
Puja,
a special vow to win the favor of the Lord, in
the Name and Form of
Satyanarayana,
and she faithfully kept a number of other
rigorous vows which required vigil and
abstentions from food.
Baba's
Parents: Pedda Venkapa and
Easwaramma
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