Miracle of Love

"You are My treasure, even if you deny Me. I am your treasure, even if you say No. I shall be affectionate to you and attach Myself to you; I shall take all the trouble to keep My property safe in my custody! That is to say, in the custody of the Lord, by whichever name you may call upon Him. All the powers I have are for you: I am just the store, keeping them ready to be given to you, whenever you ask for them. I shall give Prema (love) even if you do not ask, for it is your right to share." SSSB 29/9/1960

Amma photo in Puttaparthy

Baba's vibhutti pours from Amma's photo

Amma in US 2005

Divine Dance - Divine Fire

Love of The Divine Mother

Amma, as Mahamaya, weaves Her presence through every atom of every atom of every atom of creation. Within the subtle vibrations of each wave of light in the stream of consciousness we call God, therin lies Amma's pulsating desire to elevate all of Her creation to Unity with Her Lord, Shiva. Constantly Amma chides those who come to Her, saying that they should not ask, or seek, or expect miracles from Her. This, She explains, is of no interest to Her. "All is God - All is Miracle." Yet those who have been graced with Amma's presence have also been graced with Her gentle prodding of the spirit, as She pulls apart the seams of the veil of Her own illusion to reveal Her love in expansion. Herein we share just a few of the countless miracles recorded by people who have had the blessing of Amma's direct intervention. Furthermore, there are some sharing’s in which one will see the magnificence of How Baba and Amma work as One.

Beyond The Medical Veil

“The sun shines on everything; it may be blocked from you by clouds or walls or some other obstacle, but it is shining, nevertheless. In the same way, Divine Love shines on everyone, though many hide behind the clouds and walls of their own mental conditioning and do not allow themselves to receive it. This Divine Love, coming through the Sai Avatars, is a positive force; in fact it is the great positive force of the universe. If it is able to reach to the negative pole of the sick person, there is a conjunction, a wholeness is created and a cure results. If, on the other hand, the positive force is blocked by the walls of the ego, by some emotional or mental obstruction, there is no conjunction and no cure. If the disease is a temporary one, Nature herself will cure it in her own way and time; but if it is chronic, karmic, persistent, only this opening to the positive force of Divine Love can remove it. That Love, fully received, will burn away lingering karma and karmic tendencies. It behoves you, then, for you are all sick in some way, to search within yourself for those walls of conditioning that insulate you from the rays of Divine Love. Just as the photographic negative receives the light, unresistingly, so you must open ourselves to the flow of Divine Light. Baba is the great Holy Lens through which the Light and Love shine. In the end, however, each will discover that his own true, Atmic, immortal Self is the Lens for healing Love to the little self - to the mortal mind and body. For, in this chrysalis called man, you are, each of you, two - the negative, temporary lower ego, mostly disharmonious and ill-at-ease, and the positive eternal Self.”

Dr. Subramanyam of Hyderbad has been blessed to experience Amma’s work as the “Divine Doctor”, revealing the efficacy of the words spoken above by Bhagavan Baba. In the following narrative, he illustrates the miracles which have transpired when the Divine Mother plays this role as part of Her drama for humanity in this age.

“Hippocrates, in whose name doctors take an oath at the time of medical graduation, declared, ‘I treat. He heals.’ Practicing as a doctor for the last thirty two years has taught me the relevance of this declaration time and again. It is the merciful God who heals the people through us, for God is the first physician.

“During the Dasara celebrations of the year 2000, the Divine Mother gave us a chance to do the puja on the Durgastami Day. Hardly five days before this date, one of my patients (who has been under my care for advanced malignancy) was seriously ill with very low white cell counts and, medically speaking, I thought that we were about to lose her. Going to Mysore to take part in the puja was thought to be impossible as the patient was in very serious condition, and I told the same to Mr. Venkatesh, her son. He sought my permission to talk to Srimad Rajarajeshwari, to which I readily agreed. He prayed to Her to save his mother’s life. She immediately told Venkatesh, ‘Don’t worry; your mother will be discharged in a day or two in good health. I give you permission to come to Mysore for the puja and to take blessings.’ Needless to say, most unexpectedly the old lady made a remarkable recovery and we all enjoyed the bountiful blessings of the Divine Mother at Mysore during the Dasara celebrations. At the Divine Mother’s insistence, Venkatesh’s mother continues to take a little kumkum with milk: This acts as a remarkable medicine.

Across Race, Creed and Culture

“In December 2000, I was to leave for Jaipur to deliver a Special Guest Lecture at our Annual Conference of Cancer Specialists (AROI). Around six hundred cancer specialists from all over the country attended this conference. The night before my proposed departure, December 1st, I saw three of my patients who were all in a very serious condition. Following their chemotherapy treatment a few days earlier, they came to me with a white blood cell count as low as 50, 300, and 400 per c.mm, respectively. I was in a great dilemma, as my trip to Jaipur could have invited very adverse comments about my professional ethics and yet not going to Jaipur could have reflected badly on my behaviour, for I was already committed to giving the guest lecture. I returned home around 10:00 PM in a very vexed state of mind. On hearing my problems, my wife suggested: ‘Why don’t you talk to Mother and seek Her guidance and blessings?’

“We are very fortunate in having a ‘Talking Goddess’ amidst us who is willing to listen, console, guide, and bless us, as well as give us confidence to face the tough life. I talked to Mother around 10:30 PM, and She told me, ‘Subramanyam, leave everything to Me if you have faith. I shall look after your patients till you return. Ask them to take kumkum twice a day with a little milk. Go and deliver your guest lecture.’ I told Her that one of the patients was a Hindu and thus it posed no problem to give kumkum and the instruction. The other two, however, were a devout Muslim who was observing Ramadan, and a Christian whom I felt may not accept kumkum. She finally said, ‘Tell them that they believe in you, and since you believe in Me, they should take it.’ The Hindu and the Christian patients accepted my instructions and the kumkum. The Muslim patient initially refused the instructions, but as his condition grew worse the next day he asked for the kumkum prasad from Mr.Venkatesh. Lo and behold! Upon making anxious enquiries from Jaipur, I learned that all three patients had improved miraculously.

“The morning after I returned to Hyderbad from Jaipur, I had a message waiting for me, telling me to call Mother. When I called Her, Mother told me, ‘One of your patients’ time on earth was over. I kept him alive for a few hours more as I promised to you I would look after them “Till your Return.” Find out and tell me about him.’ It was not necessary to find out, as Mother’s word need not be verified. The previous night, at about 1:40 AM, I was informed that the Hindu patient had had a heart attack. He left this world at about 2:20 AM, at which time he told his wife and children that Mother’s call had come and that he was going peacefully. He refused to be taken to a Hospital. Mother, who is far away from Hyderbad, knew about the departure of my patient from this world. What is impossible for the Divine Mother?”

Eyes of The Divine

Mr. Ganesh, who is an engineer, describes another of Amma’s “medical leelas” which occurred at his residence. He narrates the following story:

“Many of the people who are drawn to the ashram of Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari have come to know about the Divine powers vested with Her. Undoubtedly, they eventually become convinced that Amma Herself is Adishakti and that She is the ‘Doctor of Doctors.’ An incident that illustrates this fact transpired at my home. My mother, who is 85 years of age, had an operation on one of her eyes as the result of an infection some years ago. The operation failed in its objective and she lost the eye, leaving her to perform all of her duties with the use of just one eye. This remaining eye also posed problems due to a cataract. Naturally, my mother was afraid of having the cataract removed by operation since she had already lost one eye due to surgery. Therefore, she refused to meet with any doctors.

“I took my mother to Amma and informed Her of my mother’s problem, at which time Amma told my mother that she could be operated on for cataract by a good doctor. I then took my mother to Dr. Prabhu who concluded that the eye was getting infected and she would lose her sight if the cataract operation were not performed. On August 4th, 2000, my mother had her eye operated on by Dr. Prabhu. My family was very afraid, and unfortunately our fears manifested as the surgery proved to be another failure. Dr. Prabhu informed us that because of out-flowing blood and fluids, the lens could not be implanted. With this failure, he returned to us his fee and gave recommendation letters to other specialists. He expressed his regrets, indicating that one in a thousand cases would unfold like this. He also stated that some major eye surgery might be capable of bringing back my mother's sight. My mother was by now almost blind.

“As a family, we were distressed that we ourselves were responsible for this outcome, having pushed her to undergo the surgery, and we now felt that perhaps she could have managed somehow without it. At this juncture we went to see Amma at Her ashram. Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari was very kind towards us and placed Her blessing hand on my Mother’s head for a period of time while I explained in detail about her lost eyesight. Then Amma assured us, saying, ‘You need not worry. I am telling you that your mother will get back her sight. You wait for five days. Take this kumkum and place it below her head every day. I tell you even that has its power.’ I had full faith in Amma’s words, although I did not understand why She was asking us to wait for five days. After five days, we again went to Dr. Prabhu. He conducted several tests and told us that my mother had lost her eye, but that possibly a retina operation together with cleaning the eye and injecting fluids into it might render the case better. But he confessed that he did not have equipment for such an operation and asked us to meet another doctor. We were in despair.

“We decided that doctors could do no more and that only Amma could and should take care of our mother. When we returned home, my mother surprisingly said, ‘Why is this dog jumping like this?’ I could not believe for a while. I asked her whether she could see the white pomerananian dog perfectly well or not, to which she replied in the affirmative – Yes! She even recognised the colour of the clothing worn by my wife and myself. This reassured me that there was now some life in her eyes. I phoned Dr. Prabhu and told him about this. He was also surprised and asked us to bring my mother back to him soon. Due to my faith in Amma, I kept kumkum every day below my mother’s head, and day by day the situation improved. After a couple of days, when Dr. Prabhu examined my mother, he also experienced this pleasant surprise and came to accept the Divine power of Amma. Now my mother is far better, thanks to the grace of Devi Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari Amma. She can look at the clock, watch television, and attend to her work herself.” Ganesh hereby reveals that in the same way as Baba gives vibhutti to individuals with specific instructions and purpose, so too does Amma intervene with grace and kumkum to remove the karmas we have brought with us into this lifetime.

The Finest Hour Of My Life

Dr. Subramanyam tells of yet another incidence of the Mother’s Divine leela in which She took on the pain of a devotee in order to alleviate his suffering and prolong his life. The account of this miracle is related here, again in Subramanyam’s own words:

“Mysterious are the ways of the Divine. Once Amma told me, ‘When to give, how to give, whom to give to is My prerogative.’ I believe that the Divine Mother chose the date and time for my tryst with the Divinity. On or around May 12th 2000, I had a call from my younger sister Lalitha from Mysore. She informed me that Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari would be coming to Hyderbad on the 16th of that month and that she would be staying with Mr. Agarwal’s family. I was further advised that I should make use of this opportunity to seek Her blessings. At this point of time, I was aware neither of Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari nor of Her Divinity.

“On the 17th, at around 7:30 PM, I joined the group of selected people at the hall in Hyderbad to have a glimpse of the Mother. Lo and behold, the very sight of the Mother was so enchanting and blissful: I was attracted to Her like an iron filing to a powerful magnet. During the course of Her celestial dance, over a span of two hours, She threw some garlands at the devotees and two of them landed in my lap. Needless to say, I was thrilled. At the end of the Divine satsang, and after receiving fruit as prasad from the Mother, I walked over to meet my wife. She was all smiles and was holding a beautiful garland in her hands, also given by the Divine Mother. It was not just a coincidence, but by boundless Divine Love that She decided to bless a couple who were not even introduced to Her formally at that point.

“A thin, lanky, fair looking gentleman (whom I was later introduced to as Mr. Mohan Rao, an industrialist from Mysore) came running to me and introduced himself as a devotee of Divine Mother. He told me, ‘You are really blessed.’ It is extremely rare to receive two garlands from Mother. ‘You should not part with the garlands, as they offer protection against all evils.’ I felt that I should meet Her again and waited patiently for an hour, until the last of the devotees received Mother's blessings and departed.

“As soon as I approached Mother, with immense love and affection radiating from Her face, She said, ‘Hello Doctor! How are you? How is your heart now? I took care of you in January, as you are a good and a kind doctor and you have been good to My patients.’ This was something totally unexpected, and I cannot describe my feelings adequately in words. She continued, saying, ‘Whether, you follow Me or not, I shall not leave you. My blessings are always there for you.’ With those few simple words, She completely won me over.

Amma's Heart

“On January 25th, four months before my introduction to Amma, I had returned via Zurich to Hyderbad after a trip to New York where I had attended an international Medical Conference. The day after I arrived home, I went for my routine annual medical check-up, after a long morning walk and exercise. I have been going for ‘Preventive Maintenance’ health check-ups every year for the last fifteen years, though I had no problem. My doctor friend was satisfied with the physical examination, but as a formality I was asked to have an ECG. To his utter shock, the test showed that I had suffered a heart attack within the previous thirty-six hours. I had had no chest pain, cold sweats, or breathlessness, nor was I aware of anything being at all wrong with my health. I was promptly admitted to a heart care centre and made a full recovery without any muscle damage to the heart. I was told by the cardiologist that this sort of outcome was very rare. This could not have happened without the interference of the Divine. This tryst with Mother was the finest hour in my life.”

Dr. Subramanyam’s experience illustrates that even if we may not be aware of the presence of God - let alone the embodiment of the Shiva/Shakti as Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari - God is always mindful of our needs: In addition, according to our karmic “pluses” in this life and previous incarnations, we are granted Divine grace. Such grace is amplified when the soul who has received the blessing is fortunate enough to be drawn directly into the presence of the Divine Mother in Her Avataric form as Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari.

Mother Of All Elements

As we now know, Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari is, as the Divine Mother, also the Mother of all nature. In Her embodied Avataric form She has displayed this aspect of Truth in a variety of ways. All to whom She has displayed this Truth have responded with devotion to God, either through worship of the Mother, of Sai Baba, or of one of His/Her numerous forms found in the world’s many faiths followed today. To highlight this aspect of the Mother’s Truth, let us once again look to the Saundarya Lahari. Verse 35 states:

-35-

Manastvam Vyomatvam Marudasi Marutsarathi – Rasi;

Tvamapastvam Bhoomisthvayi Parinathayam Na Hi Param;

Tvameva Svathmanam Parinamayithum Vishva Vapusha;

Chidanandakaram Shivayuvathi – Bhavena Bibhrushe

“Thou art the mind, the Akasha, the fire, the water, and earth too. When Thou transforms Thyself through this manner into the form of the Universe, there is nothing beyond that is not included in Thee. It is such that this transformation of Thee into the Universe can take place that Thou taketh on this form of consciousness – bliss as Shiva’s consort – as Shiva’s Shakti.”

Amma and Mother Nature are One and the same. Amma and the five elements are One and the same. She is creation itself. She is the One who creates. Amma is the Maha Matha who reigns radiantly from the tiny atom to the Brahmananda. The One who should be installed in an idol has embodied a human form to participate in the leelas of the Universe which She orchestrates. She blesses the devotees and showers Her grace and compassion upon them.

When Amma came out of Shri Venu Gopalaswamy Temple at Chunchankatte, a number of women who had assembled there surrounded Her. Many were telling their tales of woe, spilling out their problems and difficulties before the Divine Mother. Amma listened to them and continued to bless them. One woman said, “Amma there is no rain here, so our crops are dying!” Amma replied confidently and assured them that She would see that it rained there. It was then the month of April and the sun shone brightly, causing the trees to droop, the earth to crack, and the ponds and tanks to dry up. Two hours after Amma made Her promise, dark clouds appeared in the clear sky. Amma stood on the threshold of the temple and gazed at the sky. Drop by drop the promised rain began to fall on the parched earth, as Amma stood by enjoying the unceasing downpour. Amma had responded to the suffering of the poor in that place.

As hailstones floated in the tiny rivulets of rainwater, Amma walked out into the open courtyard and stood in the rain until She was drenched. She refused to use an umbrella, but instead lifted Her hands towards the sky and performed many mudras of dance. She wandered all around the courtyard, laughing and enjoying the flow of Her grace on those who had faith in Her. Time stood still as the devotees watched, spellbound, from the shelter of the roof, with hands folded as witness to Amma’s wonderful leela. After some time, Amma slowly made Her way into the temple. A few days later, when She was asked why She had stood in the pouring rain, Amma told them that since Megharaj had obeyed Her command to shower rain upon this place, She had come out in the shower to bless him. Megharaja could express his joy only through thunder.

Let it Rain

Another story of Amma’s intervention as Mother Nature in the climatic conditions which impact Her devotees involves Her April 1997 trip to Delhi. The fortunate devotee who accompanied Her on this trip relates the following events.

“In the summer, Delhi becomes like a hot furnace. Many people had asked why we were going to Delhi during this season. I had staunch faith that Delhi would not be a hot furnace in Amma’s presence. Surely enough, She transformed the hot place into a cool one. We travelled to Delhi, Rishikesh, Hardwar, and Dehradoon, and as Amma reached these places, the atmosphere cooled due to rains. We were told that when Amma had left these places the sun again scorched the earth. If Amma visits one place and there is rain at that time, we may feel it is a matter of coincidence. But wherever Amma went on this trip, Indra showered rain and kept Her cool and comfortable. All the devotees who accompanied Her were blessed to enjoy the cool climate. They experienced a wee bit of Her greatness.”

It is very clear from these and other similar stories that the five elements pay their respects and obey the words of God when He/She descends on earth and takes human form. They have thus become an example for all humanity. We see that Amma commands the elements according to Her Will, but we must also realize that Her physical body represents the earth. Every mudra performed by Amma creates effects on earth – every single one!

The Dance, The Conch And Creation

We can also look again to the Saundarya Lahari for confirmation of Amma’s qualities as the Mother Earth. Verse 26 states:

-26-

Virinchihi Panchatvam Vrajathi Harirapnothi Virathim;

Vinasham Keenasho Bhajathi Dhanado Yathi Nidhanam;

Vithandree Maahendree Vithathirapi Sammeelithadrisha;

Mahasamharesmin Viharathi Sathi Tvathpathirasou

“Virinchi (Brahma) is reduced into elements; Hari (Vishnu) withdraws into a state of passivity; Kinasha (Yama the god of death) brings death upon himself; Kubera (the god of wealth) dies; and Indra, together with all those who follow him, closes his eyes in destruction. O Sati, most chaste consort of Shiva, when this is the state of all beings upon the occurrence of total dissolution of the entire Universe, only Sadashiva, Thy Husband, is sporting.”

This sloka implies that the indestructibility of Sadashiva is due to the Devi’s pathivrathya (whole hearted faithfulness to the husband).

The experience of a devotee, offered below, clearly illustrates that “only Sadashiva, after the dissolution of the entire world, is sporting.” Also illustrated is the fact that from the Tandava dance of Shiva all the letters originated, and that He alone is capable of balancing the earth, represented by the Goddess - who is none other than Parvathi. That which has always existed in this universe is the sound Om, from which the whole of creation started. Om is the vibration which maintains the balance on the earth. Any variance in this is a disturbance to Mother Nature. Such a disturbance has its ramifications on the delicate balance of creation, destruction, and preservation. Amma is Mother Nature, Mother Earth incarnate. As Adishakti, She is the Universal Mother. Logically, therefore, any disturbance to Mother Nature or Earth Herself is equally a disturbance to Amma.

Srinivasan Nagaraju had the opportunity to travel with Amma in a car between Bangalore and Mysore. Her purpose for the trip was to purchase some plants for the ashram. Shiva, who is beyond time and space, places Himself within the constraints of senses, time, and space and puts maya around Himself so as to be a part of creation and thereby illustrate, or establish, His omnipotence and omniscience. All these are predetermined as per His Will only. Being a part of the system, He will play a dual role of actor and director to establish Truth, Love, and Non-Violence. This is illustrated in the following story.

On the way to Bangalore and as they neared Ramnagar, the travellers observed a tree farm which sold plants as well as trees. Amma’s car entered the farm, but upon arrival they could not find anyone to speak with. In the distance, however, they noticed a spot with some construction upon it which was surrounded by trees. A worker finally came out and Amma asked him what was upon the site they had observed. He replied that it was Srichakra Vana. Amma instructed that the car be driven there, whereupon She got out and approached the Sri Chakra. Surprisingly, there was a three dimensional Sri Chakra constructed there, made of concrete. In the centre was a Shiva Lingam. Amma climbed the Sri Chakra and went around to the centre, touched Shiva lingam, and came back. She got back in the car and they started towards Bangalore.

Once they had fulfilled their duties in Bangalore they started back to Mysore. By the time they left it was 6:45 PM. Srinivasan enjoyed the privilege of sitting in the back of the car with Amma. As the car headed towards Mysore, a bhajan cassette was played as Amma conversed with the devotees on different subjects. During Her dialogue, She was constantly gazing through the windows. As they approached some temples, Amma’s facial expressions became very stern and extremely serious. Amma instructed the driver to visit the temples. This accomplished, the car again started to Mysore. By this time, Amma’s facial expression displayed anger, so much so in fact that Srinivasan became somewhat nervous and started fanning Amma intensely. Amma then went into trance for a period of time. When She returned, Her face became much brighter and more energetic than it had previously been.

Amma told those present that the sound in the world was not good and it needed rectification, otherwise it would cause danger to the earth. The devotees asked where the sound was coming from. Mother Earth Herself resonates to the sacred Sri Chakra, which itself resonates to the Omkar, which is Amma’s nature. Srinivasan, with permission from Amma, then played a cassette which he had just bought that same day. The cassette, which had not been heard before by any of them, was about the Maheshwara Sutras. In that cassette, a Damaru sound was recorded which was so vibrant and effective that it required one to have a strong heart in order to listen to it. Everyone was affected. The Damaru is the instrument through which Lord Shiva created the world during the Divine Dance of Shiva and Parvathi. Though we have touched upon this subject earlier, it will assist our greater understanding of Shiva/Shakti’s presence in this Kali Age if we now delve more deeply into the mysteries of Divine Dance and the Divine language of creation at this juncture.

After Shakti emanated forth from Parabrahman, Shiva and Shakti danced. This dance is the origin and essence of the first creation which eventually poured forth the Omkar, Para-Bindu, and Sri Chakra. The Para-Bindu is Shiva/Shakti, and, accordingly, Amma is inside Baba. This Divine Dance is a cosmic event, not a planetary event. It is this very dance of God with God, within God, that creates, sustains, and renders dissolute the cosmos and all within it. Shakti dances with Shiva and is the only Witness. During the outward creative flow and sustenance, Shakti is present as Rajarajeshwari, and during the dissolution, Shakti is present as Durga, thus allowing Rajarajeshwari Herself to go back into Sadashiva. Although appearing as two forms, Rajarajeshwari and Durga are actually the One Shakti Supreme.

It is stated that when Shiva put one foot forth, it was followed by a vibration. This dance of Shiva led to the creation of fourteen Sutras, each of which is composed of a group of letters. For each step or movement of the dance the following group of letters, or the Sutras, came forth. These fourteen groups of letters are described as Maheshwara Sutras. They are also the building blocks of the Sanskrit grammar which was prepared and gifted to the world by the great grammarian Panini.

This dance is of vital importance in our journey to understanding Shiva/Shakti and the origins of creation. It also leads us to recall the way in which Amma performed mudras that brought forth the rain. Verse 12 of the Saundarya Lahari assists us in exploring the Dance of Shiva and Parvathi:

-12-

Thwadeeyam Saundaryam Thuhinagirikanye Thulayithum;

Kaveendraha Kalpanthe Kathamapi Virinchi Prabhruthayaha;

Yadalokouthsukyath Amaralalana Yanthi Manasa;

Thapobhihi Dushprapamapi Girisha Sayujya Padaveem

“O daughter of the mountain of snow! In tirelessly attempting to portray with accuracy Thy beauty, the greatest of poets, like Brahma, have failed to find any comparable object against which they may describe Thee, for even the heavenly damsels accomplish, in their keenness to experience Thy beauty, only to an imaginative affinity of the state of Unity with Shiva, which is arduous to achieve even by way of rigorous austerities. Only Shiva, Thy eternal consort enjoys the privilege of absorption in Thy beauty and Unity with Him alone helps one experience it.”

Most people, during the span of their lives, would have witnessed a programme of staged performance. During the performance, the dancers display different postures (mudras) which are merely forms in a physical gesture. When Amma performs the Divine Dance, each and every movement of Her bodily parts has a corresponding effect on the earth, for the earth itself is the stage for Amma’s Dance. In India, the dancers have limited mudras for performing their dances, but Amma’s mudras are more than one hundred. Lord Nataraj is the Master of Dance. He is none other than Shiva Himself who danced, in the beginning of creation, that which is called Thandava. The Thandava was witnessed only by Goddess Rajarajeshwari. The Shiva/Shakti Dance is not a mere dance. It is a Cosmic Dance to which all devadidevas (all gods and sub gods) and all rishis are the witnesses. In the Divine Dance, all of Amma’s mudras and movements are made according to Bhagavan’s instructions. During the Dance, when Amma appears to hold Her hands in the air above nothing at all, She is actually blessing all of the deities and pujaris (priests) who are there in Spirit and all the heavenly dancers present in subtle form.

It is said that Shiva deluded the world by giving out sixty-four Tantras (scriptural teachings that lead one to understand magical and mystical matters.) Through these, He offered the means to divert a man from the true end of human life which is Moksha, or liberation from bondage. They enabled creation in all its glory to be explored by humanity but they did not endow humanity with the ultimate aim of life – Moksha. However, Adishakti insisted that Lord Shiva reveal Her own sacred scripture, or Tantra, to the world; an independent Tantra which by itself is capable of conferring Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha on all worthy aspirants. Hence, the Divine Mother, through Her mercy and grace, invoked a very specific pathway for the liberation of humanity. This offering of the Mother’s Tantra is said to be over and above the sixty-four offered by Shiva and the key to liberation. Why Shiva deluded humanity into believing the sixty-four alone would offer liberation is not certain, but it is consistent with the grand leela of the Divine that such a situation should arise from the Primordial Principle.

Through the cosmic Dance of Shiva which pre-empted the grace of the Mother’s Tantra came forth the fifty-one letters constituting the Sanskrit language, also called Devabhasha, or the language of Gods. (This Sanskrit language is also the base of all other languages which came after.) Only the Goddess was the witness of that Dance. This is recognised in Her name, Isha Tandava Sakshinyai Namaha, meaning, “I bow to the One who has witnessed the Tandava of Shiva, or Isha.”

The experience of Amma in the car reflects that in Her sthoola aspect She experienced the discomfort being felt by Her sookshma Principle. This Dance and Mudra is a continuous process which must never be misunderstood. Whenever Amma dances, She is accompanied by the subtle form of Sai Baba and creation continues. As Sai Baba is worshipped as Nadabrahma, Srimad Sai Rajarajeshwari is called as Nadaswaroopini. Goddess Rajarajeshwari Herself represents both dance and music. During aarthi which is performed at Amma’s abode after the Divine Dance, it is a customary that a conch is blown at the same time. This is done by the same devotee each week, as she sings the aarthi song, “Om Jai Jagadisha Hare.” One Monday, this particular devotee was absent and the service of blowing the conch was taken by another regular devotee. The devotees waited for Amma to receive the aarthi, but Amma never came out of Her room. Naturally, everybody wondered why Amma did not come out for aarthi. Later, Amma told all that the sound from the conch was not in tune and so She did not come. Amma Herself represents the pure creative principle of sound, and even a small disturbance caused in music disturbs Her and thereby disturbs the Earth and Mother Nature.

Because She is Mother Nature, it should not surprise us that all of creation – plants, animals of the land, sea and air, humanity, and celestial beings - seek to gain the grace and blessing of Adishakti. We close our sharing of Amma as Mother Nature and Mother Earth with the following two accounts from devotees. With this we open the vista for a deeper realization of Her unique Oneness with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

All Children Know Their Mother

Sri Balagangadharnath Swamiji invited Amma to his ashram at Kumbalgodu. Bhagavan Baba had previously sanctified the ashram by visiting and blessing the Swami on His fiftieth birthday. Amma accepted the invitation and made Her way to His abode. At one point, as if to attend to an urgent call, Amma walked rapidly along a path leading to the left side. Noticing Amma’s fast pace of walking, the devotees present realized that something unique was about to unfold before their very eyes. After walking nearly two furlongs, She lessened Her speed and approached an Ashwatha plant that was growing there. Amma then lost Her consciousness for about fifteen minutes before returning to Her usual state. By that time, many ashram people had gathered there.

“Amma asked for Akshata to be brought to Her and Her request was complied with immediately. She gave the Akshata, with grace and ashirvad, to a young sanyasi and She requested that he go around the Ashwatha plant and sprinkle the Akshata on it. Lovingly, Amma stroked the Ashwatha plant and came back. After some time, Amma informed the residents of ashram of the following: ‘That Ashwatha plant beseeched me in distress not to destroy it. I have assured it that I shall protect it. Please do not cut it off. Please protect it and build a platform around it.’ This shocked the ashram residents, since just that very morning they had talked among themselves about how the Ashwatha plant grew in an inappropriate place. It had grown among a row of teak plants and they felt this looked odd. They wanted to cut it down and remove it soon.

“This proved to be a very unique incident for the residents. The plant they had assumed could simply be uprooted and thrown away had listened to their talk. In fear, it beseeched and appealed to Amma who is Abhaya dayini! Amma naturally assured it protection. This was the first time that Amma had ever been to the ashram. She went there in full Divine Knowledge of the Divine Time appropriate for the advancement of all creation.

“In Her sthoola, however, Amma was not aware of the existence of various plants and trees at that ashram. She did not know what the ashram residents spoke of among themselves on that morning. So we wonder: Did Amma go to that place just to protect that plant? The answer is clear. This incident took place due to the Sankalpa (Will) of Devi, being omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent in Her sookshma. She acted in accord with Her Divine Will. This was certainly no coincidence. Adishakti has the capacity to watch and see the entire universe. She has ears to gather information from all over the world. So She is able to give Abhaya to the needy.”

Wings of Love

As the Shakti of Lord Sai, Amma is also the full embodiment of Divine Prema – Love. Love is, in the very end, that element which binds every object in this universe to God. Love finds no barrier and hence is expressed in many ways. Amma is the source of such True Love which She readily offers to all who come to Her. The following story illustrates this point perfectly and is reminiscent of the incident that took place between the Rama Avatar and the holy being, Jayatu. At the time of Sita’s abduction by Ravana, Jayatu (a son of Shyeni and Aruna) noticed the occurrence and intervened in an attempt to save Sita from Ravana’s clutches. He was mortally wounded in the battle and was found in that state by Rama during His search for His beloved wife. Realising who Jayatu was, a semi-divine eagle, Rama performed his funeral rites after which Jayatu ascended to the heavens meant for rishis.

“It was in May of 2000 and Amma had been to Srishylam, a holy place situated in the state of Andra Pradesh. At Srishylam is one of the twelve Jyothir lingams. The temple complex in Srishylam is very huge and houses many temples within it. Amma was received by the head priest and taken to all the shrines within the complex. Amma was offered a small and beautiful room close to the temple. After Amma’s arrival, a lovely little bird made its way into Amma’s room. The bird was not ready to fly out of the room, in spite of the Herculean efforts to send it out. The bird was so fearless with Amma that it readily flew to Her and positioned itself on Her hand. Amma fed the bird and took care of it for the next two days. When it was time for Amma to start for Mysore, She tried to make the bird fly away into the open air but it bluntly refused and stayed with Her. It had found the resting place from which it never wanted to fly again. Just a few minutes before Amma started for Mysore the bird exhaled for the last time and merged in Amma.

“Amma asked that the bird be buried in Her abode in Mysore, a gesture through which She displayed a blessing of Divine Love reminiscent of Rama’s blessing of Jatayu. A few present expressed their concern that the bird’s body would start to decay and that it would not be healthy to carry it all the way to Mysore. Amma gave the assistants the flowers which She had worn and informed them to surround the entire body of the bird with the same flowers and then carry it to Mysore. As Amma wished, the body of the bird was wrapped with the flowers and carried to Mysore where it was buried after a week. There was no sign of any decay in the bird and the body remained warm as if it still lived. Blessed was the bird which could release itself from the mortal coil in the hands of the Divine Mother. This incident justifies that Amma’s Motherly Love is for all beings.” The Dancing Goddess, the Shakti of Lord Sai Baba and the eternal Adishakti, Amma as Rajarajeshwari has established, for those who believe and those who doubt, Her own Truth of Her own originality. What now follows is the unfolding of how, as we approach the current times, Sai Baba has slowly but surely drawn Her closer and closer to the fulfilment of Her purpose in this Avataric form. As we progress on our journey, we now share some of the more intimate moments that only the Lord and His consort could bequeath to us knowledge and awareness of.

"Spread joy at all times. do not pour into others' ears your tales of woe and worry; carry a smile on your face so that everyone who sees you can catch that exhilaration. When you tell others of your success, your purpose is to create envy in them. You must not only love others, but you must be so good that others too may love you. Try to console, encourage, strengthen, and enlighten those who are miserable, downhearted, weak or ill-informed. Get yourselves equipped for this role." SSSB 3/9/1958