THE DIVINE STORY OF SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI 1-5

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THE DIVINE STORY OF
SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI

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The Sai Avatar is a trilogy of three successive appearances of the Lord in three different human forms. The first appearance was as Shirdi Sai Baba. Shirdi Baba, as He is better known, was born in the nineteenth century and lived till the early part of the twentieth century. Currently, we are witness to the second Sai Incarnation which is as Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, more endearingly known as Swami. The finale would be the Lord coming as Prema Sai.

Till our Swami disclosed some of the details, very little was known about the early years of the Shirdi Avatar.

Whatever was known was from the recordings of devotees, most of whom came to Shirdi Baba relatively late. However, with the missing details being most kindly provided by Swami, one now has a better picture of the earlier Incarnation. Swami has also disclosed that while the Shirdi Avatar was the preamble, the current Avatar is the pinnacle, since the Lord is now here as a Poorna Avatar, as an Incarnation with the FULL complement of Divine Power, Divine Attributes, and Divine Qualities.

 

Like in the case of the Shirdi Avatar, a few attempts have been made by old-time devotees of Swami to record His Life Story. However, no attempt was made, till recently, to present the two histories in proper juxtaposition. The first such attempt was the TV serial, inspired by our Swami of course, entitled, The Divine Story of Shirdi Sai and Parthi Sai, produced by the noted film actress of South India, Anjali Devi, who is also a great devotee of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Presented here is that same story, the Divine Story of Shirdi Baba and Sri Sathya Sai Baba, in the form of a play. The script is based on the television serial.

For years, Anjali Devi wanted to produce a film on Swami but she did not get the clearance. After a long wait, she almost gave up the idea. Then suddenly one day, Bhagavan gave Anjali Devi the go-ahead for producing the film. For practical reasons, the film was produced as a TV serial. Swami did not stop with just the green signal. Most compassionately, He also gave all the story inputs [in numerous interviews], besides extending full facilities in Prashanti Nilayam for the shooting. On Gurupoornima Day, 1998, He personally inaugurated the filming and blessed the effort; exactly one year later, He blessed the release of serial. On that occasion, Swami materialised a gold chain for Anjali Devi, as a further sign of His Grace.

The original serial was produced in Telugu. The story as presented here is based on the English translation of the script. Mild editing has been done, and certain explanatory comments have been added for the benefit of the reader. Illustrations taken from the TV serial are also included to enhance the appeal. It is hoped that this volume would enable the reader to get a vibrant feeling of the story of Shirdi Sai and the early years of the current Sai Avatar.

More details concerning the later portion of Shirdi Baba’s Avatar may be obtained from the popular book Sai Satcharita. Likewise, a highly readable biography of Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba entitled Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram, has been written by N.Kasturi. It is in four volumes, and brings the reader up to about 1980.

THE STORY OF SHIRDI SAI

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ACT - I

Many years ago in the village of Pathri in Maharashtra, there lived an ideal couple. Ganga Bhavadyulu was the name of the man and the lady was known as Devagiri Amma. They ardently worshipped Lord Siva [also called Ishwara, Parameshwara, etc] and Goddess Parvathi for the gift of children. One day, … ...

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SCENE 1

House of Ganga Bhavadyulu

GANGA BHAVADYULU: Devagiri Amma …. Devagiri Amma! DEVAGIRI AMMA: Yes …coming! G.B: The water level in the river is rising fast. Our merchandise is being rushed across, and I have to supervise. By tomorrow morning the work will be over. I have to go now. DEVAGIRI AMMA: Yes, please do, and come back safely. Devagiri Amma bolts the door after her husband leaves. After some time, she hears a knock on the door. It is late at night, and Devagiri Amma is a bit worried as to who the caller is. Hesitantly, she opens the door.

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SCENE 2

An old man knocks on the door OLD MAN: O lady! DEVAGIRI AMMA: [from inside] Who is that? OLD MAN: I am a traveller. It has become dark. I am old and cannot see well. Besides, I am tired. Lady, if you permit, I would like to rest here outside on the porch for the night. I will leave in the morning. Devagiri Amma opens the door and takes a look at the caller. D. AMMA: You are an elderly person. To offer hospitality is our duty. My husband is away on work and therefore not able to receive you. Sir, in his place, I welcome you. Please take rest. OLD MAN: Thank you lady, I shall do so.

Goes inside and brings some water.

D.AMMA: Have some water please. ……Can I get you something to eat?

OLD MAN: No thank you, I don’t want food now. I have only one meal a day. At night, I just have some fruits – that’s all……..One has to be careful and eat according to one’s age!

D. AMMA: Please rest.

OLD MAN: I shall.

Devagiri Amma goes inside and fetches some fruits.

D.AMMA: Here are some bananas. …… I shall get you a mattress and a pillow.

OLD MAN: There is no better mattress than the floor, and no better pillow than the arm! You go inside and lock the door securely.

D.AMMA: I shall.

Devagiri Amma bolts the door and goes inside. After some time, she hears a knock on the door. Hesitantly she opens and peers outside.

OLD MAN: I have walked a long distance and my legs are aching. Can you oblige this old man by pressing my legs? Please can you do this service? D.AMMA: Kindly wait. I will be back in a minute.

Devagiri Amma is embarrassed by the request of the old man. How could she press the legs of a stranger when her husband was away? At the same time, how could she neglect the guest who came asking for help? Knowing not what to do, she prays to Lord Siva intensely.

At that time, she hears a knock on the door. She opens the door slightly and peeps out. She sees a young lady there. D.AMMA: Lady, who are you? YOUNG LADY: I am on my way to the neighbouring village. It has become dark. If you kindly permit, I will rest here for the night and leave in the morning. D.AMMA: It is night time now, and it is my duty to help. Please come inside. Once they both are inside, Devagiri Amma tells the young lady about the arrival of the old man who is resting in the front porch, and his request. She explains her dilemma….. D.AMMA: [after completing the narration] This is what happened.

YOUNG LADY: Is that all? Certainly I shall help. It is one’s duty to help others, and this body is meant just for that. Has it not been said that in times of distress, one need not distinguish between a man and a woman? Don’t worry! The young lady goes to the front porch and speaks to the old man. YOUNG LADY to OLD MAN: Sir, please come inside. OLD MAN: Yes I will.

Once the old man and the young lady enter the house, they change their forms and appear before Devagiri Amma as Siva and Parvathi.

SIVA & PARVATHI: Devagiri Amma! We are pleased with your devotion and constant worship. Your compassion, kindness, firm commitment to righteousness, and sense of duty to guests give us both much happiness. We bless you with a son and a daughter. SIVA: In addition, for the welfare of the world, I shall Myself be born to you as your third child. Later, this Son of yours will become famous and be worshipped in all the three worlds as the very Embodiment of Divinity. D.AMMA: Ishwara! Ishwara!……… My Lord!!

Devagiri Amma is overwhelmed by the vision of the Lord and His Consort and faints.

TO BE CONTINUED... ... 

THE DIVINE STORY OF SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI - Part II (continued from the previous issue) [ This page has lots of Graphics. Allow time for the images to download. ] SCENE 2 Devagiri Amma’s husband returns, enters the house, and sees his wife lying on the floor. She has swooned. He calls out to her . G.B: Devamma, …..Devamma. D.AMMA: Where are they? …….The Gods Parvathi and Parameshwara, Whom I worship everyday, appeared before me! G.B: What are you trying to say? Were you dreaming? D.AMMA: No, no; it is not a dream; it is true! Perhaps it is due to the merit gained in many previous births. Parvathi and Parameshwara gave me Darshan here, right here! G.B: What?! You mean to say that the very Lord and His Consort gave you Darshan? ……….It is all your imagination! D.AMMA: You call it imagination, a dream?! …. Please, why don’t you believe what I say? G.B: Some things can be believed. But if Saints and Rishis who did penance for years and years could not get a vision of the Lord, how am to I believe that you, an ordinary housewife, were fortunate to have His Darshan? D.AMMA: If you cannot believe that the Gods gave me Darshan, how then are you going to believe something else that I want to say? G.B: Something else? D.AMMA: Yes, something else. G.B: What is that? Are you going to tell me that God gave you the boon of progeny? D.AMMA: Yes indeed! Goddess Parvathi Herself blessed that we would have a son and a daughter. G.B: You are crazy! You are constantly praying that you be blessed with children, and that feeling has promoted this illusion! D.AMMA: No, no! This is really true! You have so far heard only about the boon that Parvathi granted. G.B: Oh I see! I suppose Lord Parameshwara also granted you a boon! D.AMMA: As a matter of fact, yes. …………… It is an unimaginable and incredible boon, almost impossible to get! G.B: What is that? D.AMMA: The Blessed Lord said that He will take birth in our house as our son! Later, this son of ours would be worshipped in all the three worlds as the very Embodiment of Divinity, and be adored by the whole of humanity -- this is the boon that the Lord granted! G.B: Devamma, is this true? I know you always speak the truth and that there is none so good and noble like you. Yet, I have a doubt about what you are now saying. Even great devotees of the Lord don’t get such a boon; how then can we ordinary persons enjoy such Grace? ………. The great devotee Ramdas struggled so hard to have the vision of Lord Rama. Are we better than Ramdas?…….. Saint Tyagaraja was ceaselessly chanting the name of Rama and contemplating about Him. But did Rama grant the Saint Darshan so easily? These people were immersed in single-pointed devotion, totally detached from the world…… Devamma, how am I to believe that you got so easily the Darshan that these people could not, in spite of so much effort? D.AMMA: I cannot answer your doubts. But I know one thing: I have become your wife on account of God’s will. If you accept that by Divine Grace we will soon have children, it is enough for me. I am not asking you to believe that I had God’s Darshan. I know what I have seen, and I know it to be true. Some truths are known only to those who have seen and experienced. That is all I can say. G.B: Well Devamma, if the words of Parvathi and Parameshwara come true and we are blessed with children, why should I complain?!

SCENE 3 Years pass. The couple already have a son and a  daughter. Once again, Devagiri Amma is in the  family way. One day, Devagiri Amma’s husband is  performing his daily worship. He is chanting hymns  addressed to Lord Siva. G.B: Om Kala Rudraya Namaha, Om Kalayah Namaha, ………………………….. Om Neelakantahya Namaha, Om Virupakshaya …… Suddenly he remembers what his wife had told him earlier, namely that they would blessed with the Lord Himself being born as their son. He then continues his chants - Om Virupakshaya Namaha, Om Sivayah Namaha, Om Maheshwaraya Namaha, Om Sambhuve Namaha, He hears voices from the adjacent room, where his son and daughter are having an argument. A brother is going to be born. No it is going to be a sister. No it is going to be a brother. I say it will be a brother. I say it will be a sister ………………….……. Let us ask mother. The boy and the girl go to their mother and start asking her questions. Son: Mother, are we going to have a brother or a sister? D.AMMA: A brother will be born. That is the boon granted by the Lord Himself. Son: Did you hear? Mother also says that a brother is going to be born. Devagiri Amma’s husband hears all this and  suddenly he leaves the house. The lady is  surprised and upset.

SCENE 4   D.AMMA: [to husband] Why have you suddenly stopped the worship? ……. What is all this? What has happened? Why are you looking agitated? …..…..Where are you going? G.B: It is true that Parvathi and Parameshwara granted you Darshan. It is also true that they granted you a boon. But you alone received the Grace of that Darshan. I did not believe you then, but I realise now that I am the one who was mistaken. I now want to see what you saw. I too want to have that Divine Darshan! Only then would my life be fulfilled. D.AMMA: Oh no! What is all this? Please calm down! ………… Why this grim determination? Why this adamant attitude and vehemence? Just because you go in search, do you believe you can get the Darshan of the Lord? Please think calmly! G.B: Devagiri Amma! My mind is made up. I AM going in search of God! D.AMMA: Please,……, please, …. For heaven’s sake please listen to me. God is going to be born in our house as a child. See that child and have the Darshan of Siva. HUSBAND: I am not interested in seeing Siva as a child. I want to see Him verily as Parameshwara, the Lord of the Universe. D.AMMA: Please, please, …….…..please calm down! HUSBAND: Om Namah Sivayah, Om Namah Sivayah, ………. The husband leaves home constantly chanting   the name of he Lord, without looking back even   once. He is determined to go to the forest,   meditate, have the Lord’s Darshan, and merge in   Him. The children are bewildered and start crying.  Devagiri Amma is confused and torn between two  minds. On the one hand she wants to follow her   husband. On the other hand she is drawn towards  her children. She decides that she will leave her children to the care of someone else and go behind her husband, despite the advanced stage of her pregnancy. She goes to the house of a neighbour and knocks on the door. TO BE CONTINUED... ...

THE DIVINE STORY OF SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI - Part III (Continued from the previous issue) [ This page has lots of Graphics. Allow time for the images to download. ] The husband leaves home, constantly chanting the Name of the Lord, without looking back even once. He is determined to go to the forest, meditate, have the Lord’s Darshan, and merge in Him. The children are bewildered and start crying. Devagiri Amma is confused and torn between two minds. On the one hand she wants to follow her husband. On the other hand she is drawn towards her children. She decides that she will leave her children to the care of someone else and go behind her husband, despite the advanced stage of her pregnancy. She goes to the house of a neighbour and knocks on her door. SCENE 5 D.AMMA: Radhabai, Radhabai, … [to children] you wait here. RADHABAI: Devagiri Amma! What happened? Have you quarrelled with your husband? Are you going to your mother’s place? D.AMMA: No. My husband is disappointed that he did not get the Darshan of Parvathi and Parameshwara. So he is going in search of God! My duty is to be by my husband’s side and serve him. I am therefore going with him. RADHABAI: Devagiri Amma, think carefully. It is not good for you to go in your present state. At least for the sake of these young children here, please change your decision. D.AMMA: God Himself has decided that I should go in this manner. No one can change His decision! Lady, help me please, and take my two children to my mother’s house. RADHABAI: Alright, I shall do so. D.AMMA: Please! Please do me this great favour! The children cry as Devagiri Amma leaves them and goes behind her husband. He keeps on chanting Om Namah Sivayah! He does not look back even once, though Devagiri Amma repeatedly calls out to him. He enters a forest and his wife continues to trail him; but she finds it more and more difficult. Meanwhile she develops labour pains. At this juncture a fierce storm breaks out. The lady takes shelter under a tree. There a baby boy is born. The storm abates. Devagiri Amma carefully wraps up the baby, places it in a safe dry spot and leaves, going in search of her husband. ACT II SCENE 1 A horse drawn cart is going through the forest and approaches the spot where Devagiri Amma has abandoned her new-born baby. In the cart are travelling a man and a lady, Mr. And Mrs Patel. They hear the baby crying. MRS PATEL: Please, let us stop for a moment. I hear a baby crying.   PATEL: [to the driver] Ismail, stop the cart. …….[to his wife] Yes, I also hear the crying. Come, let us go and see.   MRS PATEL: Somewhere here……….I heard the crying sound coming from somewhere here.

PATEL: Yes, me too. MRS PATEL: Over there! The sound seems to be coming from there! PATEL: Yes indeed! RS PATEL: Look! The baby is here! It is a new-born!! ……Strange! There is no one around. PATEL: Yes, no one seems to be around. Is it a boy or a girl? MRS PATEL: What does it matter? Either way, it is a mother’s child! PATEL: It is a boy! MRS PATEL: This is a new-born baby. It must have been born just a short while ago. How did the mother have the heart to leave the baby like this and go? PATEL: This baby is God’s gift to us, since we have no children of our own. MRS. PATEL: If we had not come, this baby would have been in great danger! …… Shall we take this baby and bring it up? PATEL: Yes. Our bad days are over; from today, this baby is our child. The Patels are overjoyed. They pick up the baby, and take it to their home. Most affectionately, they bring the boy up. This is the young Shirdi Sai. A few years pass. SCENE 2   Mrs. Patel is engaged in worship at home. She is looking for the lamp, as she wants to light it. MRS. PATEL: I had kept it here but don’t see it now. Where could it have gone? The lady sees that the boy has taken the lamp away and is trying to light it in some other place.   MRS. PATEL: Child, What are you trying to do? Is this the place to light the lamp? YOUNG SAI: Why not? MRS. PATEL: The lamp should be lit only in the altar, before God. You can’t do it where you want and when you want. YOUNG SAI: Mother, God is everywhere, and all the time! Both the lamp and light are God, are they not? Where there is light, there is GOD! MRS.PATEL: Child, how do you know all these things? YOUNG SAI: I know! You should not ask how!! PATEL: Did you hear? How nicely our son explains!! This is not just due to the merits of his earlier births; it is something much beyond. No one can explain in this manner at such a tender age! Come, …… come my dear! The lady continues with her worship. Meanwhile, Young Sai is distributing Prasaadam to his friends.

YOUNG SAI: You,…… you too, …….hold out your hand,…....OK, now pray and then eat. MRS.PATEL: Oh no! What is it that you are doing my child! Can one eat before offering to God? Is it not wrong? Will not God get angry? YOUNG SAI: No mother, God won’t be angry. God is above anger, sorrow, love, attachment, revenge and such petty feelings. He is just a Witness! MRS.PATEL: Great, you and your high-flown philosophy! YOUNG SAI: No mother, this is not high philosophy. It is the Truth. Don’t they say that God is everywhere? He IS everywhere! He is in us too. When we eat this Prasaadam or when some other being eats it, it is really God who eats! Mother, what I am doing is not wrong. MRS.PATEL (to husband): Did you hear what he said? PATEL: What he is saying are not just words but the very essence of the scriptures! Only the Wise can understand the meaning of those words. MRS PATEL: This boy baffles me. Shouldn’t one go by tradition, rituals, and culture? (Slips and is about to fall; but recovers, assisted by husband.) PATEL: What happened? MRS PATEL: God saved me! Otherwise, I would have been badly injured. YOUNG SAI: Mother, do you now follow? You said that God saved you. But it was father who held you and prevented you from falling down. That means God is in father also. That is why they say God is everywhere! MRS PATEL: Only now am I able to understand what you said. Tiny fingers may light the lamp but the lamp can illumine a whole mountain! How nicely a small one like you could explain a Truth as vast as the very ocean! Come on, have this; take this Prasaadam! All of you also have Prasaadam. When you eat, I shall take it that the Lord Himself has partaken of the offering ……….. Oh God, what else can I say?! TO BE CONTINUED... ...

THE DIVINE STORY OF SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI - Part 4 (continued from the previous issue) [ This page has lots of Graphics. Allow time for the images to download. ] MRS PATEL: Only now am I able to understand what you said. Tiny fingers may light the lamp but the lamp can illumine a whole mountain! How nicely a small one like you could explain a Truth as vast as the very ocean! Come on, have this; take this Prasaadam! All of you also have Prasaadam. When you eat, I shall take it that the Lord Himself has partaken of the offering ……….. Oh God, what else can I say?! SCENE 3 Young Sai is standing before a Mosque, surrounded by his friends. He is explaining the Hindu scriptures to them. YOUNG SAI: Parithraanaya Saadhunaam, Vinashaya Dushkrutam, Dharma Smapstaapanaarthaya Sambhavami Yuge Yuge. For the protection of the virtuous, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the re-establishment of Dharma, I incarnate from Age to Age. That is what the Bhagavad Gita says. MUSLIM BOY: That is OK. But do you know what the Quoran says? YOUNG SAI: Quoran, Gita, and the Bible - what difference does it make? They all say the same thing. ANOTHER MUSLIM BOY: You are saying all sorts of things. We don’t understand what they mean. YOUNG SAI: I shall explain. For establishing Dharma or Righteousness, God Almighty incarnates in every Age. You may call Him Ram or Rahim, Christ or Krishna, it does not matter. THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD FOR ALL! Meanwhile, worship goes on inside the Mosque. YOUNG SAI: God is the same for of all of us; we worship the same God. There are so many fruits like bananas, mangoes and so on. They have different shapes and colours, but are they not all sweet? In the same way, though people may follow different religions, they are all one. The worship over, the Muslims emerge from the Mosque. One of them shouts at Young Sai. ELDER/MUSLIM: Hey you! Stop! Children, if you listen to this fellow, you would all get spoilt. Come on, move and get going! ANOTHER ELDER: [to children gathered there] Go away! SCENE 4 Young Sai and His friends are now gathered before a Hindu Temple where worship is going on inside. Meanwhile, a young boy is looking at a paper spinning wheel that Sai is holding in His hand. YOUNG SAI: [to the boy] What is it that you are looking at? A BOY: At this spinning wheel. … Looks nice. YOUNG SAI: Do you know what this is? It is the Divine Wheel of Lord Vishnu. Do you know how it rotates?

BOY: No, please tell us. YOUNG SAI: Simple. When the wind blows, it rotates! When the wind blows, the leaves flutter, ripples are produced on the water in the lake, and this wheel also rotates. This power called wind has no feelings of difference; it does not care whether it is a leaf, or water or a wheel. It penetrates everywhere and produces motion. BOY: Why are you telling us all this? YOUNG SAI: Because you wanted to know how the wheel rotates – that is why! Wind power does not differentiate. In the same way, Divine Power penetrates everywhere. Allah, Christ, Krishna, - these are just different names for that same Divine Power that is in every one of us. We are all boys but we have different names; one is Rama, another is Rahim, and a third one is David. Religions also are like that. We all belong to the same caste, the caste of humanity. The blades in this wheel are like the religions. The force that moves them is God. And the one holding the wheel is the devotee of God! Meanwhile, an elderly Hindu comes there. AN ELDER: [to Sai] Enough of this discourse! (To others) Let’s go. By way of a reply, Young Sai begins chanting from the Quoran. This irritates the elder. ELDER: [Mockingly imitates the Quoran recitation.] You are reciting the Quoran. Do you know the meaning? YOUNG SAI: Yes, I know. The meaning is: God is only ONE! ANOTHER MAN: [to Sai] Oh, you have come again! We don’t need you discourses in this sacred temple. [to others near him] He is a small boy but tries to talk about big things!

YET ANOTHER ELDER: He should not be allowed to come to this temple. ANOTHER MAN: There is no use in all this tall talk. YOUNG SAI: [to the first elder who challenged Him] Whether you like it or not, whether you get angry or not, did I not make you recite the Quoran? God is the same for all! Everything is God! God is everywhere! MAN: Go home! Sai leaves chanting the Quoran. ANOTHER MAN: Give him some room, and he will go beyond limits! YET ANOTHER MAN: Yes! SCENE 5 Patel’s house. The father has heard reports about Young Sai talking philosophy near places of worship and causing annoyance to village elders. PATEL: [to Sai] Come here you fellow! …..You have become a big problem for me! Caste, religion, and culture cannot be changed by one person. It is not your job to talk about religion and such things. Everyone tells me you are mad. I care for you like my very eyes but you? You are acting too big for your age. You are a just small boy; yet, I am not able to drive sense into you. I don’t know who can do it. MRS.PATEL: Did you not say he is a small boy? Why then are you getting so upset? These people may be old in age but they are short on wisdom. Our boy is tender as a leaf; yet, he is doing what the elders ought to be. They should be ashamed of themselves, instead of objecting to what he is doing. PATEL: Mothers can never see the faults of their children. What may seem good to us may not appear so to others. If we get a bad name because of him, I cannot bear it. MRS. PATEL: Please listen. This child is a gift of God. Perhaps it is God’s will that one day in the future, this boy will do enormous good to the world. Therefore, as long as there are good people around us, no harm will come to our dear child. He won’t get us a bad name. PATEL: Let us see what he will do in the future. MRS. PATEL: Don’t worry, I’ll take care of that. (To son) Look my dear son. You should always listen to me and obey me. You should not bring a bad name to your father. YOUNG SAI: Mother, I did not do anything wrong. I merely said that all are equal in the eyes of God - that’s all! MRS. PATEL(to husband): Did you hear? This is the lesson that he taught! A crowd of villagers march to Patel’s house. They are all angry and upset by what Young Sai is doing. One of them knocks on the door of Patel’s house. MAN: Mr. Patel! PATEL: Who is that? [Opens the door.] PATEL: [Asks the crowd] Why have you all come? MAN (MUSLIM): Mr. Patel, this is not good. Your boy comes to the Masjid and chants Hindu Mantras. It is wrong and you must warn him. In the Masjid one must say Allah Ho Akbar, and not invoke the name of Rama. ANOTHER MAN (HINDU): Mr. Patel! Is it right to chant the Quoran in Rama’s temple? Where the Gita is to be recited, is it meaningful to discuss the Quoran? YET ANOTHER MAN (MUSLIM): Brother Patel, you are welcome to study your Bhagavad Gita. Likewise, we would like to study the Quoran in the Mosque. There is no need to take the Gita to the Mosque and the Quoran to the Temple! A PERSON IN THE GROUP: Everyone has his own beliefs and religion. This boy is small and yet to be educated. You should warn him not to talk about religious matters. It is neither good for him nor for you!

PATEL: Hold on! Let’s not get lost in debates about his preaching, talking big for his age and such matters. This boy is young, and does not know about caste and religion. For some unknown reason, he is overwhelmed by devotion for God in this tender age. He is making all our children chant the name of God. Can there be a greater good fortune? A MAN: Are you suggesting that your son’s so-called devotion is good? PATEL: Who can say it is bad? The question of devotion being good or bad does not arise. He is talking about God and saying that God is the same for all. Instead of condemning him, we should all be happy and proud that God has blessed this boy with such wisdom at such an early age. A MUSLIM: Mr. Patel, it is enough if you instruct you son not to chant Mantras in our Masjid; I will be satisfied with that. ANOTHER MAN: It is not proper for you to defend your son like this. A Hindu is a Hindu, and our tradition and culture are ours. PATEL: You should not look at all this purely from a worldly point of view. The mistake is ours, and not his. It is only with an inner view that we can understand the Truth that all religions are basically the same. Blades of grass should not criticise the mighty Banyan tree!   A MAN: Look Mr. Patel, we are not interested in your arguments. If your son recites once again the Quoran in our temple, we will ex-communicate you and your family. Take care! The villagers leave after giving the warning. Mrs. Patel now joins her husband. MRS. PATEL: [To Young Sai] Son, did you hear what they said? We don’t want the temple, or the Masjid or the Church. From now on, you should never go there again! PATEL: Did you see what happened? You described this boy as a gift of God. This boy’s knowledge and wisdom are not comprehensible to these people. The fault is not his but that of society……Son, did you hear what they said? Did you hear? …From now on, don’t go that side, don’t go that side, ….don’t go… (collapses). Mrs Patel is shocked. MRS. PATEL: Please, please sit down; take it easy! ….Son, hurry and get some water! ………..What happened to you?! Patel breathes his last. TO BE CONTINUED... ...

THE DIVINE STORY OF SHIRDI SAI PARTHI SAI - Part 5 (continued from the previous issue) [ This page has lots of Graphics. Allow time for the images to download. ] ACT III SCENE I After the death of Patel, his wife struggles hard to bring up her boy. Young Sai continues to be a ‘problem child’. One day, Sai and His friends are getting ready to play a game of marbles. They are choosing the order in which the boys would play. The game involves placing some marbles within a circle drawn on the ground and knocking this collection with another marble thrown from a distance, somewhat like in modern bowling. YOUNG SAI: I am the first striker. A BOY: I am second. ANOTHER BOY: I am third. YOUNG SAI: Hey Krishna! Each will play with five marbles; winner takes all! KRISHNA: O.K. The game begins. Young Sai is the first striker. YOUNG SAI: [Counts] One, two, three, four, five…..[throws His projectile; scores a hit and shouts] I have won all these marbles! I have won all these! A BOY: Hey Krishna, you strike next! Krishna throws and scores some success. KRISHNA: [counts the marbles he has won] One, two, ….. I have won these. ANOTHER BOY: Move over, I’ll try. After some time, the game is over. Young Sai has won everything, leaving the others empty handed. He is dancing with all His winning in His hand. YOUNG SAI: All these marbles are mine! SCENE 2 Altar room of a house in the village. The lady of the house is preparing for Puja or ritualistic Hindu worship. She is being assisted by her younger sister named Bhavani. LADY (to girl): Hey you! Don’t touch that!! That is a SALIGRAMAM [a Lingam]. It is very sacred. It must be cleaned only with sacred water. GIRL: When does one do that? LADY: Every Monday, Siva is worshipped by pouring water over the SALIGRAMAM. At that time the water becomes holy; that water is used for subsequent cleaning. Right now you can clean all these. After that, go and fetch fresh water from the well. Meanwhile, I shall get kumkum, sandal paste, and the various other things needed for the worship. SCENE 3

The scene of the earlier marble game. The boys are talking amongst themselves. Young Sai has moved off some distance away, to count His winnings. KRISHNA: That fellow [Young Sai] has taken away all our marbles. SECOND BOY: We now have no marbles at all to play with! THIRD BOY: Our pockets are all empty! KRISHNA: Let us ask him to return our marbles. BOY: Let’s go! BOY: Let’s go! Some distance away, Young Sai is seated, happily looking at His winnings. He is counting the number of marbles He has won earlier. YOUNG SAI: One, two, three, four, five …. KRISHNA: Hey you fellow! Give me back my marbles, and we will play again. YOUNG SAI: Really?! You must be joking! Who will return what has been won? These are all mine. KRISHNA: I agree you won but we played only for fun. Give those marbles back, we shall play again. Otherwise I’ll pelt marbles at you. YOUNG SAI: Oh yeah? I won’t be idle and just sitting while you are throwing things. If you really want to play, go get fresh marbles; then we can play. KRISHNA: So, you won’t give back what you took? YOUNG SAI: No I will not, will not, will not! KRISHNA: You fellow! I’ll tell you something. I shall bring a magic marble and win back all those you have. YOUNG SAI: Really? Go ahead! Can you get back the mango or the banana that has been eaten?! How is it possible? KRISHNA: He is mocking at us again. I’ll go this minute to my house, bring that magic marble, and fix him! YOUNG SAI: Go ahead and try! SCENE 4 Krishna is the son of the lady who was preparing for Puja earlier. He sneaks into the Puja room. No one is there, and Krishna looks for the sacred SALIGRAMAM, without realising that it is not a marble but a sacred object of worship. KRISHNA: [to himself] Where is it? Locates the white SALIGRAMAM. Picks it up with joy. KRISHNA: This marble is great! If I play with it, I’ll surely win!! KRISHNA: I’ll now fix him! Walks out of the house with the SALIGRAAMAM.

SCENE 5 The scene of the marble game again. No game is in progress, but everyone is waiting for Krishna to appear and challenge Young Sai again. BOY (to Young Sai): Do you think he will come? YOUNG SAI: He will certainly come; after all he lost all his marbles, didn’t he? KRISHNA: I’ve brought it; see! [shows the SALIGRAMAM] White marble!! YOUNG SAI: Great! Nice-looking marble. Shall we play with this one? KRISHNA: Not only will I play but also win back all the marbles I lost. YOUNG SAI: Don’t just talk; show it in action. KRISHNA: If you can’t strike this marble, you have to return all the ten marbles you took. YOUNG SAI: Yes, but in case I strike, this white marble becomes mine. KRISHNA: O.K. Place all the ten marbles. YOUNG SAI: Will do, but if after I strike the white marble you hem and haw and don’t give it to me, I shall swallow not only the marble but also you! KRISHNA: Bet now. YOUNG SAI: Done. KRISHNA: Place all your ten marbles. YOUNG SAI: You too, place that white marble. KRISHNA: This is no ordinary marble for you to swallow just like that. It is a magic marble! YOUNG SAI: Your Mantras and tricks won’t work with Me. But My Mantras can do wonders. KRISHNA: We shall see; play now. YOUNG SAI: Since you lost earlier, you strike first. KRISHNA: Now watch my aim Krishna throws and misses. KRISHNA: [to Young Sai] Now you play. YOUNG SAI: Yes, I’ll play now. Young Sai strikes and scores a bulls-eye. Dances with joy. YOUNG SAI: This white marble is mine! It is mine!!

TO BE CONTINUED... ...