Q & A with Bhagavan Archive

Hislop: What is meant when Swami says to a departing devotee that, ‘Swami will be with you wherever you are; Swami is in your heart’? Sai: The situation can be compared to a man

Question:  Swami, Krishna was surrounded by eight consorts and is stated to have been associated with 16,000 gopis [cowherdesses]. It is very disturbing and embarrassing to hear of Lord Krishna’s many wives. Kindly enlighten

Question: Swami, today Sai devotees are spread all over the world. They range from heads of governments to ordinary citizens. As your devotees, they enjoy special respect and esteem in society. What is the

Question: Swami, when we say ‘men and women are equal’, then why do we find differences and discrimination between the two sexes? Bhagavan: Physically men and women are different. But spiritually, i.e., from the

Question: Swami, today Sai devotees are spread all over the world. They range from heads of governments to ordinary citizens. As your devotees, they enjoy special respect and esteem in society. What is the

Question: Swami, although Manthara [Kakeyi’s personal maid] and Surpanakha [Ravan’s sister] are two minor woman characters in the Ramayana, both of them appear crucial in leading to major developments. What lessons should we learn

Question: Bhagavan, should we follow any discipline or regulation in our food habits? Is it necessary for our spiritual pursuit? Sai devotees all over the world are vegetarians because of your teachings. This is

Question: Swami, in your organization or your institutions, workers, students, teachers, devotees, and doctors always dress in white. Why? Bhagavan: White symbolizes purity and cleanliness. A pure white cloth may be compared to a

Question: Swami, in Your organization or Your institutions, workers, students, teachers, devotees, and doctors always dress in white. Why? Bhagavan: White symbolizes purity and cleanliness. A pure white cloth may be compared to a

Question: Swami, Krishna made Dharmaja utter the lie: “asvatthama hatah,”—Ashwatthama [Dronacharya’s son] is killed, while muttering under his breath, “kunjarah”—the elephant. This led to the death of Dronacharya. Was it proper on the part of

Question:  Swami, Vibhishana was a rakshasa [with demonic qualities]; yet he was a devotee of Rama. Kindly tell us about Vibhishana. Bhagavan: Vibhishana’s case is one of unique devotion to Rama. God is unconcerned

Question: Swami, we hear that [in the epic Mahabharata] Arjuna was the only one capable of breaking through and emerging victorious from the Padmavyuha—the lotus-like military formation or maneuver—set up as a death trap.