Sathya
Said Baba has often said that He had
tried hard to postpone announcing that
He was Avatar, until at last the call
became irresistible in his 14th year.
Even during His childhood, His divine
powers broke through and astounded all
who experienced them. He could see into
the future and the past.
He could
read people’s mind, And He could create
anything out of nothing. Above all,
words of profound wisdom---the authentic
voice itself---fell from those lips when
He cared to advise or admonish anyone.
Nothing
more clearly illustrates this aspect of
the Avatar than the advice He gave to
renunciates at two different times---One
while He was 15 and the other 16 years
later. Strangely enough, the advice He
gave them both identical. These two
instances reveal that only an Avatar can
penetrate so deeply into personality,
admonish with such love and compassion,
and grant boons with such assurance and
authority.
In the
summer of 1951, the town of Bukkapatnam,
which is adjacent to Puttaparthi was all
agog with celebrations in connection
with the visit of a renuciate called
Digambara swami. He had lost the use of
his legs, and the more devoted among his
followers were carrying him about in
kind of cradle.
But he
had a great reputation for scholarship
and spirituality. His Bukkapatnam
admirers were eager to pit him against
our young Baba at Puttaparthi and watch
the reaction. Of the sweet little divine
child and the hefty hero who would not
talk.
So, one
evening they carried him into
Puttaparthi village and seated him in
the house where Baba was. Baba gave
Digambara swami a teaching and a towel!!
“If you have cut off all relationships
with society and social decencies—and I
do not say it is wrong, then your place
is in some forest or mountain cave,”
said Baba to naked ascetic. “On the
other hand, if you crave the comforts of
social life, do not make this show of
non-attachment. The teenaged boy
continued.
I know
your problems, you are afraid you won’t
get food regularly if you retire from
the company of men. Is not that so? And
mark these words. Well, I assure you
that I shall give you food regularly
wherever you are, in the Himalayas or in
Dandakaranya a forest!” That was the
authentic voice. Only an Avatar could
have declared so.
Sixteen
years later, Baba had occasion to meet
another renunciation. He was profound
scholar in Eastern and Western
philosophy and noted practitioner of
raja-yoga, the path of union between
devotion and action. At more than
seventy years old, this renunciation was
engaged in establishing and fostering
centers of certain religious
organization. After his interview with
Baba, he spoke about it at a meeting in
Puttaparthi.
At that
time, the renunciation said, “It was
wonderful Baba told me about rare and
elevating yogic experience I had had
years before He Baba was born! He
rebuked me midly for running about with
delusion that I was doing great good for
the world by my activities. He said that
if only I continued my yogic practices
from the stage that early experience had
elevated me to, I would , from whatever
retreat I was in, do more good for the
world than by my present efforts.”
This
was advice no one so far had blessed me
with, and it struck me as most correct
and timely for my spiritual development.
Then, turning to me while I was leaving
His presence. He BABA said, “Wherever
you are, do not worry, I shall look
after you and give you sustenance..
These were the selfsame words He had
spoken 16 years before!… That was the
authentic voice.
Who but
an Avatar could give such an assurance
and honor it, as Sathya Said Baba does?
-N.
Kasturi
From
Sanathana Sarathi, July 1958.
Source:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saibabanews/message/23445
