Amma's Dance As Creation And Grace For Today's Devotees

Avatars have Their own speciality that cannot be changed according to the whims and fancies of the individual human being. Nor do they reveal their presence according to the dictates of the individual. Avatars are not answerable to individuals. Once the Avatars descend, everything goes the way They Will it. In all ages, saints and devotees have danced on the streets in ecstasy, forgetting themselves in their Oneness with the Lord. Such devotion is not an imaginary feeling of the mind. It is the essence of Advaitha (Absolute Monism - absolute Oneness of God, Soul, and Universe). The celestial beings eternally dance in the bliss of Sat Chit Ananda. In Kailash, when Shiva dances the Tandava, Shakti accompanies Him in the Divine Dance. Dance is a divine form, through which bliss is poured forth. In fact, even the human emotions are nothing but the Navarasas – the nine emotive expressions of dance.

The word “bliss” is not related to the body. It is God’s own form. Forgetting oneself when one becomes One with bliss, one thereby dances and the individual soul is said to be One with Universal Soul. Though this appears as mere “dance” to the outer world, to the devotees of God it is the gift of divine bliss. Dance is the reason behind the descent of the Shiva/Shakti Avatars in this Kali Age. Music and dance adorn Goddess Rajarajeshwari like ornaments. When such a Divine form assumes a human body, music and dance come naturally to Her.

On every Monday evening at 6:15 PM, Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari, as directed by Her Lord Sai Baba, has graced the devotees assembled for satsang at Her abode in Mysore with the wonderful sight of Her Divine Dance. Just as Sai Baba’s taking on of the ailment in 1963 was a corrective response to the insult of Sage Bharadwaja, so too is the Divine Dance of Rajarajeshwari also a corrective response to the incident on Mt. Kailash with Sage Bharadwaja. When asked about Her Dance, Amma pointed to Herself and said, “This human body is like a flute in the hands of Bhagavan. He plays with it as He pleases. Like this, everyone must become a hollow flute in God’s hands. Then He will Himself fill the flute with His breath. When His breath fills your being and you hear His sound, you will dance like a peacock to His tune.” Since She Herself is Devi, She represents dance and music, and Lord Shiva (Nataraj) is the Master of Dance. Blessed are the devotees who have seen and enjoyed this unique leela of the Divine Mother. This dance has been intermittently suspended since mid-2003, the reasons for which will become clear as this testimony unfolds.

It is customary for dancers to prostrate before Lord Nataraja – the Lord of Dance – before they commence their dance. Parvathi, being the other half of Shiva, is of His own form and is witness to the Shiva Tandava. When such a Devi essence and form is present on Earth, She brings about changes in creation through the means of mudras – the gestures of dance. We recall here our earlier mention of this in referring to the Divine Dance of Shiva/Shakti and the use of mudras, or poses, as an aspect of the stresses that birthed creation from within the Para-Bindu! In fact, in this final phase of the Kali Age, dance is the means of Amma’s (Devi’s) action. Amma’s dance is not a stage performance. It is the dance of Prakruthi and Purusha. It encompasses creation, sustenance, and destruction within itself. This Truth has been confirmed by Amma, for She has given visions to a number of Her devotees, during the Divine Dance, of natural disasters which have subsequently occurred in the world.

It is perhaps appropriate to recall here that Amma is the living embodiment of Goddess Rajarajeshwari, whose formless state of Parabrahman is preceded by the absorption of the Sri Chakra into the void. As we have learned already, the Sri Chakra is an intricate weaving of dynamic light, pure shakti. Every movement of Amma, every mudra, shifts the currents of creation, for it is equivalent to a burst of light from one of the Devatas within the cosmic wheel – the Sri Chakra. Accordingly, in the first enclosure of the Sri Chakra, known as the Trailokyamohana, there are ten Mudra Devatas. Surrender and an attitude of devotion by the aspirant towards deity are insufficient in worship. The temple of the Lord, the human body, must participate in worship and sadhana. Therefore, gestures by aspirants as they use their fingers and hands in worshipful dance affirm the intention of their hearts and minds. Mudras are the language by which the aspirants’ bodies speak to the Deity. Furthermore, they replicate the creative acts brought forth by the Goddess of Dance Herself – Rajarajeshwari. Every move, although not carrying the creative power of the Divine Mother, is charged with the intent of replicating worship to the Mudra Devata and therefore to the Supreme. Whenever Rajarajeshwari dances, She is Maha Mudra Devi, and Her hand and finger movements are literally creative acts of the Will of the Shiva/Shakti Avatara. Each is a command and force for the direction of the Devatas to follow.

External eyes cannot grasp the entire grandeur and significance of Amma’s Divine Dance. Dance is, in fact, the distinctive feature and speciality of this Avatar of Goddess Rajarajeshwari. Only celestial beings can accompany Amma in Her Divine Dance. This Truth has likewise been revealed to devotees during their visits to various sacred places with Amma. Several have seen the celestial beings rise before Her and dance in Her presence, offering obeisance. Through dance, the rays of Divine Bliss pervade all. Known or unknown to us, the Divine Dance of Rajarajeshwari affects the entire Universe.

The Birth Of Lord Krishna

Our second story which further reveals the Truth of the Avatarship of this Kali Yuga as Bhagavan Sai Baba and Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari illustrates the very strong connection between Lord Krishna, the eighth Purna Avatar, and the joint Avatarship of Rajarajeshwari/Sai Baba. Two events to highlight this can be briefly recorded here. In order to usher in the Kali Yuga, Lord Krishna stepped forth in time. Krishna is regarded as Narayana – an Avatar of Lord Vishnu. Vishnu (from the Sanskrit root “vish,” meaning to pervade) is the second god of the Hindu triad and, as the preserver of the universe, He represents mercy and goodness. He is said to be the Cosmic Ocean Nara (meaning water) which was the only thing in existence before the creation of the universe. For this reason, he is also known as Narayana, or “one who moves on the waters.” Vishnu is also worshipped as Sathyanarayana, a name frequently applied to Lord Sai Baba. It will help us on our journey to understand a little of the historical precedent of speaking of the One as Narayana when we refer to Vishnu and Shiva. According to the epics, the primeval God from whom the Universe emanated through the creative Will is Narayana, a term signifying, according to sacred texts, the Divine Being who reposes on the universal waters of the primordial condition of the Universe, or One who is the goal, ideal, and destination of all individuals.

There are references which tell us that Narayana is prior to the division of the phases of God into Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, though, later on, Narayana became slowly identified with Vishnu. It is this identification which has been the source of disagreement among the Vaishnavas and Saivas as to the nomenclature of the One God; the one group asserting that the One is Vishnu and the other affirming that the One is Shiva. It does not appear that the scripture was originally intended to give rise to a contention between the devotees of Vishnu and Shiva. This difference in belief seems to be an evolved travesty born of an initially great religious urge to name the original God (Parabrahman). As we have noticed earlier, the Upanishads, at least the older ones, do not designate God by any name that would create a sense of partiality in the minds of the followers of religion. As it was found that the popular mind could not grasp the too lofty concept of the Upanishads, the epics attempted to make God’s relation to man more personal so that the human heart may yearn for Him through its own limited feelings for the Creator.

Though the word “Brahman” is retained both in the epics and the Puranas as an epithet of the Supreme Being and the super mental glory of God is still sung in the spirit and tone of the Upanishads, the need for making religion a practical affair of day-to-day life was a greater concern of these later scriptures than merely an enunciation of Truth as it is. In addition to the term Brahman, God is now addressed and referred to as “Paramatman,” “Purusha,” “Iswara,” “Bhagavan,” and the like. The name “Narayana,” therefore, as applied to God, was not meant to be in opposition to the possibility of God being called “Shiva.” The name Narayana may be safely taken to be an impartial reference to the Supreme Creator, as larger than and prior to the manifestations of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and not affiliated with the specialised Vaishnava doctrine in any way. This non-dogmatic attitude is substantiated by the descriptions of God in the Srimad-Bhagavata. God may equally be called Paramashiva, in the terminology of some of the Puranas. The Supreme Being, for the sake of sustenance of the world, appears as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva; Brahma creating, Vishnu preserving, and Shiva, as Rudra, destroying everything in the end. It is this Supreme Narayana who is hymned in the Purusha-Sukta and the Narayana-Sukta of the Veda. It is the Supreme Narayana who is Shiva/Shakti and Lord Sai Baba. Narayana is the Divine Mother.

Kamsa, Narada And Devaki Play Their Roles

As we engage in the following story, we are again reminded how beautifully the Divine orchestrates the fulfilment of His Play, with each role played to perfection within the veil of maya. At the time of Krishna’s pending birth His father to be, Vasudevan, married as he was to Devaki, the sister of a demon king named Kamsa, was undergoing great trials. Kamsa, a demon in his prior birth by the name of Kalanemi, had met his end at the hands of Lord Vishnu. On the day of the marriage of Vasudeva and Devaki, Kamsa heard a voice from the heavens which warned him of his pending death at the hands of the eighth child to be born to his sister Devaki. Initially seeking to kill her, Kamsa was calmed by Vasudevan, who vowed that if Kamsa allowed Devaki to live he and his wife would present each newborn child before Kamsa for his will to be carried out.

The sage Narada, who was anxious to hasten the arrival of Lord Krishna, appeared before Kamsa and warned him that Krishna would indeed come, and that He may not necessarily be the eighth child of Devaki. Kamsa had already released the first child born to Devaki back to the parents, feeling no threat and holding to the warning that the killer would be the “eighth child.” Responding to the new warning from Narada, Kamsa had Devaki and Vasudeva imprisoned. After this, every child born to the couple was presented to Kamsa and terminated. At the time the seventh child was conceived, Parabrahman (Shiva/Shakti) intervened to ensure that His birth as Lord Krishna would come forth according to Divine Plan. Krishna directed His plenary extension to appear within the womb of Devaki. This extension of Lord Krishna was known as Ananta, which, apart from meaning “infinite,” or “endless,” is also a name given to the Divine Serpent and Mahamaya, or Parvathi. Krishna also called upon the Divine Mother to assist Him, by arranging for the transfer of Ananta from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini, another of the wives of Vasudeva who was residing in Brindavan.

With this switch in place, Krishna arranged to appear in the womb of Devaki with His full potencies. This, therefore, enabled Lord Krishna to appear as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva and enabled His extension to be born as Bala Rama to Rohini. Having asked for Her assistance in ensuring His Divinely planned arrival and incarnation, Krishna also promised Mahamaya that She too would be born at this time as His Sister, and He thus directed Her to presence Herself in the womb of Queen Yasoda, who also resided in the settlement of Brindavan. He directed that She, within Yasoda, take all of Her potencies as Iswari. Upon the birth of Krishna to Devaki, Vasudeva took Krishna, through the help of Mahamaya - who veiled the events with Her maya, out of the prison cell in which He was born and into the cow herding settlement of Brindavan. Vasudevan approached Yasoda, who was asleep, and exchanged the newborn Krishna for the newborn Iswari, thereby returning - with a daughter - to Devaki in the cell. Upon re-entering the cell, he locked the doors and chained himself once more, giving the appearance that he had never left the cell and that the female child was born naturally to them.

The transfer of the newborns at both ends was assisted by the effects of a trance which fell upon all present, except Vasudeva. This was the work of Mahamaya, who was now living in the house of Her other half, Lord Krishna, hence fulfilling the promise of Krishna that She would be His Sister. Since it appeared that Devaki had birthed a daughter, the very help and actions of Mahamaya had enabled the birth of Krishna to come to pass and allowed His mission to restore righteousness to the planet to begin! The key point to note here is that Krishna, in gaining the assistance of the Divine Mother, Mahamaya, to take birth Himself, made an additional promise to Her. That promise was very clear. He stipulated to Her that when She took form in the Kali Yuga as Devi, He would help Her join Lord Shiva. This was because She protected Him in the Dwaparayuga and allowed the events illustrated above to transpire in perfect accordance with Divine Will.

Today, Sri Sathya Sai Baba is the Avatar of the Kali Yuga, and as the Purna Avatar He is the full embodiment of Divinity as Shiva/Shakti. As such, He embodies Lord Krishna and has stepped forth once again. Even though, as an Avatar, Lord Sai is by nature Lord Vishnu, this is subsumed in potency by the overriding potency of Shiva/Shakti which He embodies here, at this time, to bring forth a return to dharma. The association with Lord Krishna and His promise made at the time of Lord Krishna have come full circle today in this Kali Yuga. Revealed to us now is the exact manner in which Lord Krishna – Lord Sai – has propitiated the fulfilment of His promise to assist Devi in joining Lord Shiva. The declaration of the phases of the fulfilment of the promise of Lord Krishna is clearly stated in the first Naadi Granthas reading of Amma - Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari. The sacred writings reveal that Lord Krishna would help announce Her presence in the Kali Yuga. This promise was already known to Amma. In Her second reading, it was revealed that one way in which Krishna would help bring awareness of Amma’s presence to the greater populace would be to reveal Himself through a temple that would rise from beneath the waters nearby Her spiritual centre in Karekura. It has indeed come to pass that due to very poor rains and extremely bad drought in and around the Mysore region, the Cauvery River has dropped considerably in level, revealing none other than a Krishna Temple exactly in the place where Krishna had promised it would be.

Further support of this revealed Truth came when my wife Regina and I, as the instruments through which this work is being brought forth, were privy to partake of a Naadi Granthas reading for ourselves. We arrived at the Brahmin reader’s home as two strangers, for he possessed no knowledge of our connection to Amma. He then proceeded to reveal to us that the Naadi states that we had been assigned the task of bringing forth the announcement of the presence of Shiva/Shakti as Baba/Amma. In particular, it specified that due to an event occurring at the time of Amma’s presence as Nalayani, we had both been cursed to be born in the Kali Yuga and help spread the word of the Divine Mother. The curse had been issued in response to an error of disrespect on our behalf which required correction and therefore balancing. The second reading of the Naadi on our behalf revealed yet another action we had taken which crossed the lines of Divine propriety and which resulted in a direct relationship with Lord Krishna Himself. This act brought us before Krishna, whereby He cursed that we should both be reborn again and again. However, with this curse there came a blessing. Krishna also issued the boon that our souls would be blessed with Krishna Prajana. It was further stated that due to the pursuit of this knowledge we would roam the continents and later, due to the Divine Mother’s blessing, regain the knowledge (jnana yoga). The reading also told that after a specific period of time we would come again to Mysore, and with the blessings of Sai Baba (Shiva) we would attain knowledge and be relieved of all curses. In this way, through His instruments, Lord Sai (Lord Shiva) as Lord Krishna directed us to write this book for Him and Amma. In so doing, we are fulfilling our own debt to creation and part of the debt that Lord Krishna has to the Divine Mother.

We have now had revealed to us the above stories of the curse of the sage and the birth of Lord Krishna and we are today witnessing their consequences in this Kali Yuga. The Avatar of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has chosen the most Divinely auspicious timing in His revealing of these events. His timing, and no one else’s, is behind the awareness that is now flowing throughout the world of spirit as to the true nature of these events. However, they do not stand alone, for the revelation that is to follow, in and of itself, provides fertile ground for intense humility on behalf of those who have announced themselves as Rajarajeshwari’s detractors. Amma has been subjected to the intense fire of ferocious criticism throughout Her Avatarship. Those behind such behaviour may now be given a chance to either feed their hearts with compassion, understanding, and forgiveness, or they may choose to stir the pot of their egotistical traits and, in so doing, miss the most profound opportunity for cosmic healing ever gifted to humanity. The choice resides in the present moment and is gifted to us by the Eternal Witness, Lord Shiva. How we reflect upon this, and how we act with the power we have to humble our egos and seek forgiveness, is the key to our enlightenment or our pain. Maha Kundalini awaits our decision.