dedicated at the lotus feet of our beloved lord.
by the scottish sai youth.
Contents
Editorial
The Last Word: Sai Baba speaks
on God, Love and Avatarhood
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
to contribute articles for the next issue, due at the end of
October, please contact Sharan Soni,
Editor at shazer40@hotmail.com
Sai
Ram All
It has been a busy month
with several house bhajans and centre activities. The
Next month, we will
feature the school, with any latest developments. Keep reading!
With regards to future articles or any feedback or
comments, please write to shazer40@hotmail.com.
Jai Sai Ram
Sharan
Soni
Karva Chauth
Once
again it is the month of Kartik, and it has brought
forth the festival of Karva Chauth.
Karva Chauth is celebrated in
It
is a day of celebration and decoration. On the eve of this festival, the
markets are full of women preparing for it. Mehndi
stalls are set up in every corner of the market. Bindis,
red bangles and different types of cosmetics are sold everywhere.
Mother-in-laws buy 'sargi' for their
daughter-in-laws (after all they are going to be praying for their son's long
and healthy life!) This 'sargi' consists of
various types of sweetmeats, and sometime clothes. All these items are supposed
to bring good luck to the women.
There
is great festivity on this day. Early in the morning, before sunrise, the women
bathe and gather to eat the sweetmeats. They pray to Shiva and Parvati, hoping that their married life would be as
successful as theirs.
In
the afternoon, mothers of newly wed girls give 'Baya'
to the parents of their son-in-law. This Baya
contains few Mathris, Almonds, and some
gifts. In every neighbourhood women gather together to perform a puja and to recite the story of 'Karva
Chauth'. Most women are dressed
in beautiful red or pink clothes and in traditional Jewellery.
A
small pooja to Gaura
Ma or goddess Parvati is performed.
Married women sit around Gaura ma and pray to
her for the well being and long life of their husbands. A small pitcher or Karva with some water is placed in the
centre. While the story is being narrated, ladies circulate their Baya thalis. After
the puja, this thali is
given to the eldest member of the family who blesses the woman with all the
happiness in life.
Moonrise is eagerly
awaited and everyone in the family keeps a lookout for it. Once the moon is
sighted, women gather on the terrace and offer prayers to the moon 7 times.
They pray for their husband's and family's welfare. Then they have a sip of
water and in this way the fast comes to an end.
In Uttar
Pradesh, women decorate the entrance walls of their home with drawings of Gauri Ma, the moon and the sun. The evening puja is done with diyas and a 'karva' made of mud. Before looking at the moon, the women
pray to the figurines at their doorstep.
In Rajasthan,
the women make 'Karvas' with mud containers,
filled with rice and wheat. Most women wear their wedding day 'chunris' on this occasion. In
In all
these states the first 'Karva Chauth'
of any new bride is a very important festival. New clothes, new Jewellery and
gifts from both mother and mother-in-law are received. The wedding day outfits
are worn once again, mehndi is applied
and the family gathers to celebrate it with them.
Dussera
The festival of Dussera, also known as Vijayadashmi,
is one of the many fascinating festivals of
The story of the creation of this goddess is also very interesting. The
gods in heaven decided to create an all-powerful being to kill the demon king Mahishasur who was ready to attack them. At that very
moment a stream of lightning dazzled forth from the mouths of Brahma, Vishnu
and Mahesh and it turned into a beautiful, magnificent woman with ten hands.
Then all the gods furnished her with their special weapons. Those weapons and
armour are very artistically carved in the ancient sculptures of this goddess in
Java. The image of Durga, the Eternal Mother
destroying the demon, Mahishasur on Chamundi Hills near
Dussera festival is also known as Durgotsav and
during the ten days, the splendid goddess Durga is
worshipped differently in one of her many forms in different regions. With
religious rituals and chantings of mantras followed
by "KATHA" or story-telling told by Pandits
who by reading passages from religious texts, awaken religious fervour in the
minds of the listeners.
In Bengal and the neighbouring states of Assam and Orissa
Durga devi
is worshipped by name of Kali as a symbol of Shakti
before whom animal sacrifices were made. Her dance of conquest is famous in our
ancient texts. As per the orthodox Hindu conceptions, the personality of one
deity cannot be entirely separated from that of another. As such in some
regions all the three principal goddesses - Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are
worshipped during this festival, each for 3 days of the Navaratri.
As per our great epic Mahabharat, Pandavas after
wandering in the forest for 12 years, hung their
weapons on a Shami tree before entering the court of
king Virat to spend the last one year in disguise.
After the completion of that year on Vijayadashmi the
day of Dussera they brought down the weapons from the
Shami tree and declared their true identity. Since
that day the exchange of Shami leaves on Dussera day became symbols of goodwill and victory. The
founder of the Hindu Swarajya, Chatrapati
Shivaji always invoked the blessings of Durga in the form of his goddess Bhawani
before any military expedition. The Sikh guru, Gobind
Singh introduced the worship of Durga into his cult
of the sword.
This festival has immense mythological significance. As per Ramayan,
Ram did "chandi-puja and invoked the blessings
of Durga to kill Ravana,
the ten-headed king of Lanka who had abducted Seeta
and had charmed life. Durga divulged the secret of
killing Ravana to Ram. Then after vanquishing him,
Ram with Seeta and Laxman
returned victorious to his
During the pre-British period, the powerful Hindu rulers used to celebrate Dussera in right royal fashion and start military
expeditions on this Dussera day against their enemies
or recalcitrant vassals. With the arrival of the British, Hindu rulers could
not indulge in military activities yet Dussera was
celebrated with the old pomp and pageant of full military parades of all arms
in the capitals of Hindu states when the Rajas and Maharajas personally took
the salute, Trumpets blared militant notes, war drums
sounded their loudest and soldiers looked martial. The procession of Dussera taken out in
With independence and the disappearance
of princely states these ancient pageants are dying out and Dussera
is becoming more democratic than regal.
Dussera day is considered a most
auspicious day. It is a time-honoured belief that if any new venture is started
on this day, it is bound to be successful. Hence, all the undertakings: be it
the laying-in of foundation of a new building, opening of a new commercial
establishment or even initiating a child into the world of learning- are
started on this day. Also on this day implements of agriculture, manufacturer's
machines, intellectuals pens, household articles and
children's school books are placed before the idol of Durga
and worshipped.
The revolutionaries who followed the
"CULT OF THE BOMB" to free their motherland from the slavery of the
British imperialism looked up to Durgadevi for
success in their mission. Even to-day in free
Empowering the vulnerable
By Dr David Lingiah (counselling psychologist, Glasgow)
The Acts of the Apostles chapter 3
verses 3—11 describe the first apostolic miracle. It is about a lame man
from birth who used to be brought by his close connections daily to sit at the
beautiful gate of the temple to beg. Once as James and John were making their
way to the temple this invalid turned beggar put his hand out asking for alms.
Instead of an alms the beggar received more than he bargained for:
a command to rise up and walk following an instruction to “Look on us”; that
is, he had to change his posture, lift his head up, actually see the person who
was addressing him and pay attention to the words or instruction of the
speaker. Prior to this, the crippled beggar was content to sit in such a way as
to attraction attention to his sorry plight, looking down and miserable so that
he could receive the sympathy of the churchgoers who would be prepared to give
him a coin or a morsel of bread. These would satisfy him and his friends who
usually carried him to that same spot everyday. This worked to their advantage
too. The lame man possibly did not realise he was being abused or taken unfair
advantage of; or possibly, he was quite happy, given his visible physical
handicap, to play the victim’s role. Psychologically, this is not good for
anyone at any time. There are a lot of people today who are prepared to play
the crippled role, not willing to make the change necessary to benefit
themselves let alone others.
The lame man was happy to sit there daily outside the gate of
the temple while others went in to pray, to worship together in holy communion, to hear divine discourses that would inspire
their lives and act as a healing balm. These are active, positive steps for
self-empowerment. The lame man could do with some of these to be whole again.
But he did not receive the right kind of assistance; he relied on his friends
to carry him daily to sit outside the temple simply to beg; there was no desire
for him to pray or anything else except to accept whatever he could collect by
way of alms from temple-goers. There was no assistance to see life from a
different perspective. He did not know the joy of worship, of singing together
the glories of the Lord, of being a psychologically and emotionally whole and
healthy being.
However, he was in the right place on that particular day when
he was given the appropriate assistance from Peter who “took him by the
right hand and lifted him up”; yes, that psychological boost was all that
was needed. The crippled man looked up with full attention to Peter who,
helping him up on his feet, directed his own loving undivided concentration
towards this vulnerable person. “Immediately his feet and ankle bones
received strength”.
Dr. NVN Murthy in The Greatest Adventure wrote with
respect to this situation: “The primary essential is to turn towards Him; once
we do that, He will rush towards us. In this age of half-baked rationality,
courage and conviction is needed to turn the mind towards an awareness of God.
When we plant our feet on that path, everything else will be added unto us. You
have to put the right foot forward when you enter the region of
realization”.
He was no longer a lame or crippled soul; the strength he had
received was sufficient to enable him to stand and walk, and even “leap and
praise God”. What a transformation!
The once lame man joined Peter and John into the temple to
worship inside the temple to the amazement of to everyone, even his close
friends who carried him daily to sit outside the gate. He was no longer dependent
on them; he was now able to make his own way like any other worshipper to go
inside the temple and be part of the congregation. This is the beginning of a
new life for him; he has all the opportunities now to accomplish any goal he
set for himself.
The message is: do not stay out; do not exclude yourself; do not
limit your potential; but take the necessary steps to make the desirable change
to your life and achieve your dreams. Do not allow physical disabilities to
curtail your possibilities; rise above them; be psychologically free and
emotionally whole. Like the lame man, be prepared to be lifted up in order to
develop inner strength that will set you free from bondage, no longer a mind in
shackles, and eternally vulnerable.
The Last Word: Sai Baba Speaks on God, Love
and Avatarhood
Swami talks about God, the religion of
Love, and His Avatar-hood. He
explains why he materializes rings, etc., and gives them to people, and He also
explains what "Sai Baba" means
(From Sathya Sai Speaks IX,
88-92, 9 June 1974)
God
is inscrutable. He cannot be realized in the outer objective world; He is in
the very heart of every being. Gemstones have to be sought deep underground;
they do not float in mid air. Seek God in the depths of your self, not in tantalizing,
kaleidoscopic nature. The body is granted to you for this high purpose; but,
you are now misusing it, like the person who cooked his daily food in the
gem-studded gold vase that came into his hands as an heirloom.
Man
extols God as omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent, but, he ignores his
Presence in himself! Of course, many venture to describe the attributes of God
and proclaim Him to be such and such; but, these are but their own guesses and
the reflections of their own predilections and preferences.
Who
can affirm that God is this or thus? Who can affirm that God is not of this
form or with this attribute? Each one can acquire from the vast expanse of the
ocean only as much as can be contained in the vessel he carries to its shore.
From that quantity, they can grasp but little of that immensity.
Each
religion defines God within the limits it demarcates and then claims to have
grasped Him. Like the seven blind men who spoke of the elephant as a pillar, a
fan, a rope or a wall, because they contacted but a part and could not
comprehend the entire animal, so too, religions speak of a part and assert that
its vision is full and total.
Each
religion forgets that God is all forms and all names, all attributes and all assertions.
The religion of humanity is the sum and substance of all these partial faiths;
for there is only one religion and that is the religion of Love. The various
limbs of the elephant that seemed separate and distinct to the eye-less seekers
of its truth were all fostered and activated by one single stream of blood; the
various religions and faiths that feel separate and distinct are all fostered
by a single stream of love.
The
optical sense cannot visualize the truth. It gives only false and fogged information.
For example, there are many who observe my actions and start declaring that my
nature is such and such. They are unable to gauge the sanctity, the majesty,
and the eternal reality that is me. The power of Sai
is limitless; It manifests for ever. All forms of
'power' are resident in this Sai palm.
But
those who profess to have understood me, the scholars, the yogis, the pundits, the jnanis, all of them are aware only
of the least important, the casual external manifestation of an infinitesimal
part of that power, namely, the "miracles"! They have not desired to
contact the source of all power and all wisdom that is available here at Brindavan. They are satisfied when they secure a chance to
exhibit their book-learning and parade their scholarship in vedic
lore, not realizing that the person from whom the Vedas emanated is in the midst, for their
sake. They even ask, in their pride, for a few more chances!
This
has been the case in all ages. People may be very near (physically) to the Avathar, but
they live out their lives unaware of their fortune; they exaggerate the role of
miracles, which are as trivial, when compared to my glory and majesty, as a
mosquito is in size and strength to the elephant upon which it squats.
Therefore, when you speak about these 'miracles,' I laugh within myself out of
pity that you allow yourself so easily to lose the precious awareness of my
reality.
My
power is immeasurable; My truth is inexplicable,
unfathomable. I am announcing this about me, for the need has arisen. But what
I am doing now is only the gift of a 'visiting card!' Let me tell you that
emphatic declarations of the truth by Avathars
were made so clearly and so unmistakably only by Krishna. In spite of the declaration, you will
notice in the career of the same
Now,
I must tell you that, during this Sai Avathar, there is no place for even such 'drama'
with scenes of failures and defeats! What I will, must take place; what I plan
must succeed. I am Truth; and Truth has no need to hesitate, or fear, or bend.
'Willing'
is superfluous for me. For my grace is ever available to devotees who have
steady love and faith. Since I move freely among them, talking and singing,
even intellectuals are unable to grasp my truth, my power, my glory, or my real
task as Avathar. I can solve any problem
however knotty. I am beyond the reach of the most intensive enquiry and the
most meticulous measurement. Only those who have recognized my love and
experienced that love can assert that they have glimpsed my reality. For the path of Love is the royal road that leads mankind to me.
Do
not attempt to know me through the external eyes. When you go to a temple and
stand before the image of God, you pray with closed eyes, don't you? Why?
Because you feel that the inner eye of wisdom alone can reveal Him to you.
Therefore, do not crave from me trivial material objects; but, crave for me,
and you will be rewarded. Not that you should not receive whatever objects I give
as sign of grace out of the fullness of Love.
I
shall tell you why I give these rings, talismans, rosaries etc. It is to
signalize the bond between me and those to whom they are given. When calamity
befalls them, the article comes to me in a flash and returns in a flash taking
from me the remedial grace of protection. That Grace is available to all who
call on me in any name or form, not merely to those who wear these gifts. Love
is the bond that wins grace.
Consider
the meaning of the name Sai Baba. Sa
means 'Divine'; ai or ayi
means 'mother', and Baba means 'father'. The name indicates the divine
mother and father, just as Sambasiva, which
also means the divine mother and father. Your physical parents exhibit Love
with a dose of selfishness; but, this Sai
"mother and father" showers affection or reprimands only to lead you
toward victory in the struggle for self-realization.
For
this Sai has come in order to achieve the supreme
task of uniting the entire mankind, as one family through the bond of brotherhood,
of affirming and illumining the Atmic reality of each being in
order to reveal the Divine thatis the basis on which
the entire cosmos rests, and of instructing all to recognize the common divine
heritage that binds man to man, so that man can rid himself of the animal, and
rise into the Divine, which is his goal.
I
am the embodiment of divine love; love is my instrument. There is no creature
without love; the lowest loves itself, at least. And
its self is God. So there are no atheists, though some might dislike Him
or refuse Him, as malarial patients dislike sweets or diabetic patients refuse
to have anything to do with sweets! Those who preen themselves as atheists will
one day, when their illness is gone, relish God and revere Him.
I had to tell
you so much about my truth, for I desire that you should contemplate on this
and derive joy therefrom, so that you may be inspired
to observe the disciplines laid down by me and progress toward the goal of
self-realization, the realization of the Sai that
shines in your heart.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
editor sharan soni
team divya soni, parag agarwal