Subject:Thapovanam - The Sacred Life Story of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
PROCEDURE OF PARAYANAM
In Sanskrit, 'Par' meands 'end'. Parayanam comprises devotional reading of a sacred book from beginning to end. The contents of the book are so ordered that it can be read through, in daily stages, in seven consecutive days. The reading may be commenced on a Thursday and concluded on the following Wednesday. Every event and incident described here will take the devout reader closer to spiritual realization. Completion of the reading with devotion and dedication makes one's heart shine pure, bright and crystal clear.
At the commencement, the devotee is to have a bath and wear clean clothes. With a picture or photo or image of Sri Sathya Sai placed in front of him, the devotee should seat himself and humbly pray to the Lord in a relaxed and serene frame of mind, expressing gratitude to Him for having been granted another day of life. He should visualize in mind the scene at Prashanti Nilayam when Baba moves slowly and graciously among the gathered devotees, nears the decorated throne and takes His seat with befitting dignity. That throne should be deemed by the devotee as the throne of his/her own heart. It is useful to recall, for some moments, the immense benefits conferred on humanity by Bhagavan Sri Sai. This process will render the devotee's heart tender and receptive.
The moment that one's heart is thus prepared is the most suitable time for commencing the parayanam. The image or representation or replicas of Bhagavan's Lotus Feet (Padukas) may be worshipped according to the procedure given in the following pages (including the Ashrothara Satha Namavali, i.e., the 108 Sacred Names). After completing the reading in seven daily stages from Thursday to Wednesday, worship of Sri Sathya Sai on the following day (Thursday) brings the parayanam programme to its conclusion.
Parayanam of this Sathcharithra will earn the grace of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai and also bring about a noticeable elevation in our inner being. That would be the fruit of this spiritual effort. The ritual and disciplined process of reading this book induces in us a glimpse of the inner self and contemplation of the self, which eventually leads us to self-realization. Simultaneously, we should consciously make up our mind to discard our evil qualities and, at the same time, to add one or two good traits to whatever little stock we already possess. Service to the needy, sacrifice, compassion, patience, love, honesty and sincerity - these are the qualities that deserve to be inculcated assiduously. That, indeed is the worthy offering we could place at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan. Our aim should be to reach a stage when we can unreservedly surrender ourselves to Baba. That is the final culmination of human life, the spiritual goal, and the ultimate fulfillment. Nothing else excels it; it is the very essence of all the exhortations of the Vedas and Upanishads.
A SUBMISSION
The cosmos is full of Sai; this is the Sai Era. This Age (Kali Yuga) belongs to Sai. Sri Sathya Sai Baba is undoubtedly the God incarnate. The Glory of this personification of Love (Prema) originated in Puttaparthi. Gradually, it reached 'Dharmavaram' (Dharma means righteousness) , then on to 'Ananthapuram' (Anantha means boundless), and spread onwards over hills and valleys, fields, rivers and deserts. In no time, it crossed the seas and oceans and engulfed the entire world. As a consequence, the tiny and inconspicuous village of Puttaparthi, hidden amongst hills all around, has acquired great name and fame, and transformed itself into the abode of divinity and place of pilgrimage.
Apart from India, the ancient land of Yoga and spirituality, several foreign countries and continents, namely, Sri Lanka, Africa, Australia, USA, South America, Greece, New Zealand, Iceland, Russia, France, Japan, Switzerland, Iran and China, bask in the splendid effulgence of Sri Sathya Sai's divinity (Divine Sakthi). Bhagavan Sai's soothing touch is personally experienced by every devotee calling on Him - wherever the call comes from, whatever be the name by which the devotee addresses Him, and even if the devotee is too severely distressed to call on Him in spoken words. Just as little children run to their mother's warm embrace, people eagerly flock to have a glimpse of the Universal Mother at Puttaparthi.
Baba is the personification of Supreme Divinity. When people are fortunate enough to reach His presence, they find Him in the image of their favourite deity - to some, He appears as Lord Sri Rama, to others as Lord Sri Krishna (Syama Sundara), as Lord Sri Maha Vishnu, as Lord Ganapathi, as Sri Subrahmanya Swamy, as Lord Parama Siva, as Goddess Durga Bhavani, as Sri Sai of Shirdi, as Sri Dattatreya, as the Buddha, as Jesus Christ, and so on. Every one experiences the divine touch according to one's own personal preference. In this manner, Baba demonstrates that He transcends the entire pantheon of divine forms.
It is well known among Baba's devotees that the universal cycle of Srishti (creation), Sthithi (maintenance) and Layam (ultimate merger) lies entirely within His control. He once told a devotee : 'Bha' stands for Srishti, 'Ga' for Sthithi and 'Va' for Layam. He who holds these three ultimate powers (Sakthis) is Bhagavan. This indeed is the subtle reality of My person."
Sathya Sai is truly Bhagavan embodying His boundless powers and encompassing the entire universe. He has incarnated Himself in human form amongst us. We can never comprehend Swami's divinity except by taking recourse to the paths of devotion (Bhakthi), devout action (Karma) and spiritual comprehension (Jnan). To facilitate individual progress on these spiritual paths, Swami Himself has been openly explaining the elements of His divinity. On one such occasion, Baba said, "It is not for My sake but for your sake that I am moving amidst you, speaking to you, eating with you and behaving so as to be within your comprehension. I am freely mixing with you just like any one of you, so that I gain your confidence and trust, love and willing obedience, so as to lead you towards divinity. My objective is to infuse in you the virtue of spiritual inquisitiveness. To begin with, try to understand the inner reality of your being; thereafter advance to the stage of realization of the Supreme Truth. I am the underlying force of the entire cosmos. I am the supreme cause of everything. I am the realized (Jnani), I am also the realization (Jnan) and I am the realizable (Jneya)."
Baba has descended on the earth to lead humanity towards spiritualism through love. All His efforts are directed to this mission. He is immensely patient, forbearing and compassionate. He declared : "No other incarnation ever before behaved as I do. Never before had any avathar gone and moved among the common folk of the remotest village, awakened people immersed in deep slumber, inspired the inactive into energetic activity, succoured the afflicted, blessed millions of people, and led them to the glorious avenue of Sathya (truth), Dharma (righteousness) , Santhi (peace) and Prema (love). I am the ocean; you are the rivers and waves. You, in essence, are I; and I am you! You will be able to realize this truth when you finally attain the ultimate goal."
"How long would you remain trapped in this mire? Develop wings and soar", exhorts Baba. One wing is, constantly remembering and repeatedly chanting God's Name (nama smaran); the other is, serving the afflicted. By these means, one can shed the burden of retribution for the sins of previous lives and attain absolute purity untouched by dross and taint. That is Baba's assurance.
"I am aware of every hardship and happiness of each one of you for the simple reason that I reside in each one of you. This Sai Sakthi (energy) is flowing through each individual being, just like electricity in every bulb. In every heart, I shine. I am the life force in every heart," declared Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in the presence of hundreds of thousands of devotees gathered in the Vallabh Bhai Patel Stadium in Mumbai. To those who totally repose faith in Him, Baba responds in full measure; He extends protection by His constant presence in their homes, behind them, by their side, and within sight all the time.
This book is the life story of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. It recounts some of the glorious events of His divine life. It is a sacred book that reflects in a small way, the immense and boundless spirituality of Bhagavan. I request every devotee to utilize this book for devotional reading (parayanam) and thereby earn the grace and love of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai.
It was Bhagavan Himself who blessed me with inspiration to write this book. It was He who made me write it, it was He who gave shape to it. I was only incidental, a mere instrument in His divine hands. In this manner, Swami graciously enabled me to successfully accomplish the profound task of unveiling and spreading the glory of the Sai Baba Avathar. I consider that I am exceptionally fortunate in being granted this privilege.
Every single incident described in these pages is powerful enough to light the lamp of love and to drive away the darkness of ignorance. Accordingly, I sincerely believe that this book will go a long way in helping devotees to achieve self-realization. I humbly pray at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan to bless and protect all humanity.
(To be continued)
(To be continued)
(From : 'Thapovanam' Sri Sathya Sai Sathcharithra by "Santisri" Jandhyala Venkateswara Sastry)
Copyright reserved by Author (1928-2003)
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