Volume 10 - Issue 08
August 2012
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Posted on : Aug 11, 2012

 


ENTICING AND ENLIGHTENING SAI

- a conversation with Mrs. Gayatri Gupta

Part 02


part 2 part 3




Swami Materializes Food from the Chitravathi Sands

I would like to share another incident that occurred on the banks of Chitravathi.

 
  Young Swami during one of His many visits to Kuppam


When the devotees were very tired and hungry they would ask, “Swami, we are hungry, give us something to eat.”

And He would say “Okay, okay. So quickly you all become tired. Come now, follow Me.”

Always, He used to have a group following Him, who always would abide to whatever Swami said. And He would make all the devotees sit and ask them, “What do you want?”, “What do you want?”, “What do you want?” pointing out to each one. And they put forth their demands, “Swami, I want laddoo”, “Swami, I want mysore pak”, “Swami, I want Jilebi” (laddo, mysore pak, jalebi are sweet preparations).

“Okay, all of you close your eyes.” He would put His lovely hands into the sands on the river bank and in a matter of a second, take out the requested items, one by one, hot and fresh, and distribute it to whoever had asked for it. It used to be delicious.

The Sai Leelas Inspired Song Compositions

The Kuppam family has been very good at singing. They would compose songs chronicling these beautiful miracles, for which Swami Himself would play the cymbals. And He used to play it so fast, even as He swayed His head from side to side. It was so lively! Let me sing this song.

RS: So, where did this song originate from? Something had happened that they chronicled it in a song and they made the lyrics?

GG: Yeah. This song was specially composed for Swami. I will explain in two lines.

Namasmaranaanandamu Sathya Sai Baba,
Namasmarananaandamu Sathya Sai Baba,
komalaanga kaamitaarthaa Ramana sharanu,
mannulona venna vanti tanivi laadu –


The last line meaning - This is how He was taking out the laadoos from the sands.

And then …

Pinanu bhaktula manasu ranjila gaanam chesi –
After you eat, you have to sing; that is the meaning of ‘gaanam chesi’

And then…

 
   

Motorlona petrol leka neeru posi,
Daari nadipina shouri neeve gauri ramana –


Well, Swami was traveling all the way from Puttaparthi to Kuppam to perform the marriage of my aunt Vijayamma. The car stopped on the way and they said, “Swami, petrol ledu (Swami, no petrol)”.

Dunnapotha, take that bottle of water and pour it into the petrol tank.”

Motorlona petrol leka neeru posi,
daari nadipina shouri neeve gauri ramana.

paamu paamani paamaru landaru Somaanaathaa –


Our Swami is very naughty and scared the devotees many times. When all were seated in a very organized way, Swami would suddenly say “Choodu choodu akkada choodu, Paam ostundi, and paam ostundi” meaning, “See over there, one big cobra is coming”.

“Swami, where Swami?” they asked in fear. Suddenly a big huge cobra came from nowhere and opening its hood, swayed and took the darshan of Swami. He used to call it, “Ra ra” meaning 'come come', as if calling a pet. Then He would say “Go go, elli po, elli po.” So, the snake would just disappear.

paamu paamani paamaru landaru Somaanaatha
paamu leevai Chitravatilo Swami vachchi


RS: So, when Bhagawan was traveling to your grandmother’s place in Kuppam and your uncles weren’t prepared with enough petrol or gas in the car, He actually gave them a bottle of water to use as petrol?

GG: Yes.

RS: Now, that’s something we have heard in other contexts but not in this case. And He was going there to perform your aunt’s wedding. That’s the aunt who wrote ‘Anyatha Sharanam Nasti’.

So yours was a very musically inclined family. Whenever the leelas happened, they derived joy out of it and converted it into a musical. Did Swami listen to them and enjoy?

GG: There are not less than 500 compositions of all the activities of Swami and they have sung it in front of Swami and He had enjoyed them. Swami has even taught them a few songs.

RS: Swami asked your family not too long ago to come back and perform, He asked for the Kuppam family and in recent years, all of you came back and performed in Bhagwan’s presence. Tell us about that.

The Kuppam family performing in the Sai Kulwant Hall in February 2008 (right). When Mrs. Gayatri went up to Swami (left),
He asked, "Weren't you a student of our University?"


GG: Yes. That was two years back in 2008, through the Chittoor Samithi; we had a chance to perform in front of Swami on February 4. The whole of Kuppam family came to Puttaparthi. The moment He saw my mother and aunt, there was so much happiness on Swami’s face, almost springing out. And then Swami asked us to sing, our Murali uncle was reading out all those memorable stories and glories of Swami. But He was becoming too emotional. So, after one song we brought it to an end. We had prepared 10 lovely songs.

Naming of Children of Kuppam Family

RS: I believe most of you in your family have been named by Bhagawan; all your weddings too were performed with His blessings, so all your babies were named by Him. Why don’t you share some names that Bhagawan has bestowed upon your fortunate family?

Swami on the terrace of the Kuppam family house; He is carrying in His arms Muralidhar, one of Gayatri Gupta's uncles.


GG: Not only the grandchildren were named by Swami, even the great-grandchildren were named by Him. I will tell you a few names. It starts from Radhika, Neeraja, Srilatha, Lavanya, Manohar, Kiran, Sumana, Sandesh, Supriya, Aparna, Pranav, Prashanti and the recent most, I think the 5th generation has started already. He was named ‘Aditya’ and then the current novel name, ‘Pavanashree’. Swami was in the car when He did her naming and said, “Like Hanuman, she too will fly high from mountain to mountain.”

RS: What great blessings to be born in the lineage of Radhakrishnan and Mrs. Radha of Kuppam, all the children are so deeply blessed.

Swami’s Blessings Made My Birth Possible in Kuppam Family

GG: I feel I was blessed even before I was born. You know why? Because my father who was obsessed with sons, wanted my mother to beget a son. I am the third daughter in the family of four girls. Radhika, Neeraja, Gayatri, and Srilatha. So, during her ninth month of pregnancy, my father took my mother to Swami. The moment Kuppam family comes, Swami would just rush out. He would run like a small child and would peep out from the verandah, “Oh, when did you come? Eppudu vochchaavu? Baagunnaavaa? Was the journey fine? Take rest. Come back for darshan.”

And when He saw my mother, who has come all the way from Salem during her ninth month, Swami said, “Endukkochchaavu?” First, He asked “Why did you come?”

 
Swami enquiring about Mrs. Gayatri while speaking to her mother in Whitefield, Bengaluru.  

“Swami, I want a son.”

RS: Wasn’t it a bit too late? Just weeks before the delivery.

GG: He’s a Man of Miracles! A mere will of His can change anything in an instant. But He said, “No. Go back, go back. Elli po.” I felt as if He was almost chasing me.

RS: How did you know you felt that? You’re not Abhimanyu who heard it.

GG: You know why? This incident was narrated by my mother to me. I said, “Oh god! Swami has chased me before even I was born.” But, He is such a lovable and adorable mother. And then when Swami gave her, a fruit, He said, “After you go back to Salem, have that fruit without fail.”

GG: It was an orange. So, mother thought “It is an orange, let me peel it fast and eat it.” So, she peeled the skin of the orange and ate it. There was another fruit, a white fruit. Within that, there was a red fruit. And since Swami had told her not to waste a bit, she swallowed even the skin of the fruit. So, it was taken by her completely. And then, I was born, after the intake of that fruit.

RS: I think it’s the citric acid in the fruit that made you so special, with a great sense of humor. You had some fun times with Bhagawan visiting your house in your childhood. Would you like to tell us about that?

Bhagwan’s Visit To Kuppam Home In 1967

 
  Bhagawan partaking food in the Samithi building in Salem, during its inauguration. Mrs Gayatri's mother and other members of the Kuppam family are seen serving Swami.

GG: Yes, I have always been very naughty. So, my father always had 10 commandments for me, a list of instructions. And let me tell you, my mother, Saralamma herself had been very mischievous; she was Swami’s pet devotee.

Now she had known a technique of projecting pictures on the wall using a torch light. Swami would call her aside and ask, “Why don’t you teach Me how you do it?” Swami immediately developed it so well. He drew the pictures of Shirdi Sai Baba, of Himself, Buddha, Krishna, Rama and using the same technique, would project them on wall and call out “Everybody, come on! All of you, come, come. I will show you a big cinema” and people used to gather around.

It was 1967, one day Swami told my mother in the darshan line “I’m coming to your house. I’m coming from Chennai.”

So, mother had made all the preparations, decorating the house and then, my father called me aside and instructed, “See, until Swami comes and goes back, you are not going to come in front of us. You have to be at the backyard.” I was four years old then. In a very humble way, I just nodded my head. But I had my own master plans. So, while all were standing near the entrance to receive Swami with Nadaswaram, the kumbham, garlands, etc. I stealthily entered Swami’s room, like how Satan entered Adam’s Garden of Eden. I sat behind the door posing like sage Vishwamitra pretending to be in deep meditation. Then Swami entered the room, He sat and looked at me but didn’t speak. So, at intervals, I would open my eyes and see whether Swami was still looking at me.

RS: God was sitting in front of you. And you were meditating. Very nice!

 
   

GG: Just to get attention. Then Swami suddenly got up, put His hands behind, and made His way walking from one end of the room to the other. I thought it was high time and I got up.

If Swami would come from one direction, I would go the other way. So, if He comes from right to left, I also put my head down; put my hands behind… I imitated Him. The scene is still there fresh in my memory. This went on six to seven times and finally He said “What are you doing? Emi chestunnaavu? Raa ikkada. Come, come here.”

I went to Him. Then Swami asked, “You want to follow My footsteps?” “Yes Swami, I am following”, I told blindly. Without knowing then the profound truth of that statement I said, “Swami, I am doing it. Chestu unnaanu.”

Swami's statement following the footsteps, has got a very symbolic meaning, which I’m doing now, in these years.

RS: And nobody in the family realized that the mischievous one had disappeared into the room and hidden before Swami entered it?

GG: No, my father had already started rolling his eyes and he said, “You would get it from me after Swami Leaves.” Anyway, the show was over!

RS: Looks like you survived whatever consequences you faced.

A Hilarious Incident During the Dance Performance on Swami’s Birthday

GG: Once we had to perform in front of Swami during the birthday celebrations. This is a very humorous incident which made everyone happy and Swami was the happiest. On such ocassions He would sit on His throne and then my mother used to make beautiful artistic paan beeda (Betel leaf and Betel nut) which Swami used to take. Each paan would be of folded differently - the betel leaf folded with sugar betel nut and little bit of what we call sunnamu (Calcium Hydroxide or Slaked Lime), which makes the tongue red. Swami used to love it.

Coming back to the performance, when we all came to perform, Swami Himself made the announcement: “Children from Salem, the four sisters are going to perform for my birthday. It’s going to be wonderful”. He introduced us Himself.

I had taken the part of Lord Shiva and my father had told me before the performance, “When you do the Shiva dance, you should do it in such a way that your third eye opens and you should really take the form of Shiva. I have kept a bomb inside; the moment the bomb explodes, the lingam will open and you have to jump out of the lingam and perform your dance steps”. And I have cracker-phobia, I’m very scared of these sounds.

RS: So you were hidden inside a lingam, a Shiva lingam? Along with the bomb?

GG: Yes, me, my shoola (trident) and the bomb. I was right behind the Shiva linga. I was literally shivering to such an extent the shoola started shaking.

RS: That was a very nervous Lord Shiva, with a shaking trident!

The children of the Kuppam family performed for Swami on many occasions. The above pictures were taken after one such performance. (Right) Swami gifting mementos to Radhika and Neeraja, Mrs. Gayatri Gupta's elder sisters.


GG: The God of Destruction Himself shivering – imagine! And in the audience, Sai Shiva, i.e. our Swami wouldn’t control His laughter. He kept on commenting about me to all the devotees. “Shiva is not only nervous. You see the moment the blast happens, I think a snake is going to come out.” Then when the bomb exploded, I just came out, and Swami was holding His stomach and laughing out seeing that sight.


RS: And you made Him laugh a lot. Even during your college days, you seemed to have your focus only on keeping Swami smiling or to bring a smile to his face or make Him laugh.

part 2 part 3



- Team Radio Sai

 
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