S.S.E. Student Offerings to the Divine Mother 2013
May 6th of each year is observed as Mother’s Day. For this occasion, our children submitted poems, drawings, and other creations for publication in Sai Sarathi. These following submissions on the theme of “mother” are from the Sai Spiritual Educational [SSE] classes of the Sai Centers in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the USA.
Amma
My mother whom we call “amma” is a kind person who helps me with my home work. Amma does many things in her life like cooking, cleaning, helps us with the home work, taking us to our classes, and many more. She is very busy still she will spend a lot of time with me and my sister Jayanee. She correct my mistakes and teach me good things.She is a sweet, kind and beautiful person. She is also very clever
I love my mother.
~Mayura Kugapalan
Amma
Amma helps with my home work and school projects. She takes care of me when I am sick. She is sweet and loving. She goes to college.
Her favorite color is purple.
Her favorite food is rice and curry.
Her favorite thing is reading books.
Her favorite person is me (Jayanee)
I love amma.
~Jayanee Kugapalan
Mother
Just like a sailor who follows the
North Star without hesitation
to reach his or her destination
We the sailors sail through
The Sea of Life
As our mother’s; the North Star
Who guides us
Without her the world would be
full of darkness-nowhere to be
With the light of the North Star totally gone
With her the light mysteriously appears on
Without her we wouldn’t survive with the monstrous, horrendous, cruel waves
crushing us into juice
with our mothers she would protect us—keep us safe
That is why our mothers are a great work of art that comes straight from Swami’s heart.
Thank you and Sairam,
~Prachi Soni
Mother, Mother
Mother, Mother bitter-sweet,
Like healthy foods I don’t like to eat,
You are my shoulder to cry on,
You are my friend to laugh along,
My bravery when I am scared,
Day and night you’ve always cared,
Mother, Mother I know your heart,
Has always been an ocean of love from the start.
~Brundha Akkupalli, Group 3
Fairfax Sai Center
MOTHER
Mother you are my best friend
I know you will be with me ‘till the end
Mother you are the best teacher
From the day you taught me abc
To the day you taught me what person to be
Mother you are so very caring
Because of all the love you’ve been sharing
Mother you are my god
In my heart, footsteps you have trod.
Mother I love you so
More than you know
Without you I am lost
Scanning the world for your warmth
Even when I’m close to you
Your love finds me at every door
I found your warmth always in my Heart
As the Sun is to life
You are to me
Mother you are everything I aspire to be
When I look into a mirror you are what I hope to see
You are always singing while you tirelessly toil
For me and dad, both of us you really spoil
I see you always doing the right thing
Into our household divinity you bring
You love and support me drying every tear
I am so thankful to have you here
Mother you are always helping me through the toughest of times
I know because you are constantly showing me the right signs
Mother you are forever there for me and dad
Even when I occasionally tend to get mad
Mother you always seem to care
Regardless of the burdens you have to bear
Mother I’m so happy you’re always with me
Because without you, I don’t know where I will be
Mother, you’re the purest embodiment of love.
Surely, God has sent you from above
As a blessing, as a gift.
For you guide me through this large world.
For you are not just a mother, but a friend.
Mother,
You are everlasting.
You are everywhere.
[Poem dedicated to ‘mother’ by all Group 4 Girls at South Bethesda Center.]
Mom
I disobey you but you still love me,
I get mad at you but you still love me,
I yell at you but you still love me,
No matter what I do you love me,
This unconditional love you have for me
is greater than anything else in the world,
It makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world….
~Sandeep Kanchiraju, Group 3
Fairfax Sai Center
Mother
A mother is someone who gives you light after months of darkness
in her womb,
A mother teaches you what’s right of all the mistakes you have made,
A mother gives you joy when you are really sad,
A mother gives you hope when you are really bad,
A mother bears all the pain even if you are a burden,
A mother is a gift that you get but don’t know its value until she’s dead.
~Rahul Karnam, Group 4
Fairfax Sai Center
Eashwaramma—A Loving Mother
Eashwaramma [Sai Baba’s mother] grew up in a village 10 miles from Puttaparthi called Kolimikuntla. Eashwaramma and Pedda Venkappa Raju, Swami’s father, were distant relatives. Eashwaramma was wedded at the age of 14, which was not rare at the time. Eashwaramma was a kind-hearted housewife, who had given birth to seven children before our dear Swami was born to her.
Her house was filled with laughter and little children learning how to walk and talk. When Swami was born to her, she was proud to have a divine child. She was bound to give birth to Bhagavan, and so it happened. One morning, she was at the well drawing water, when a blue light arose from the well. It pressed itself inside her and she fainted. She was soon to be the mother of Swami.
Our beloved Swami was born on November 23rd, 1926. His family was proud to have such a child in their family, but there was one person who was prouder than anyone else. That proud person was Swami’s own mother, Eashwaramma. As Swami continued His childhood in His home in Puttaparthi, along the banks of the Chitravati River, Eashwaramma enjoyed her motherhood as the mother of the Avatar.
After many years, Eashwaramma felt that Puttaparthi needed improved facilities. Eashwaramma expressed her desire to Swami, and He was ready for the task. Swami promised Eashwaramma that He would help the villagers of Puttaparthi. He worked very hard, but there was much to do. When people saw what Baba was doing, they poured in to help. When Swami was older, He instructed the Sathya Sai Trust to build a hospital, a school, and started several water supply projects. She was very proud of Him, but she was the one who encouraged Him.
We should all look up to her as an example, and that is why the Eashwaramma High School in Parthi was built in her honor. Swami had the utmost respect for His mother. Humanity is so grateful to Mother Eashwaramma for giving the world the physical form of Sri Sathya Sai Avatar.
Every Avatar selects a holy mother. For Lord Rama it was Mother Kaushalya, for Lord Krishna it was Mother Yashoda, for Lord Jesus it was Mother Mary, and for Bhagavan it was Mother Eashwaramma. As promised to Mother Eashwaramma, Swami has made Puttaparthi the center for His divine mission to help humanity.
In the early days of Swami’s childhood, He used to tell Mother Eashwaramma that in the near future devotees from all over the world would gather in Puttaparthi in large groups. This fascinated Mother Eashwaramma, since in the early days it was mostly bullock carts that occupied the road winding up to the village of Puttaparthi. By the end of the year 2010, there was a fully operational airport, a super specialty hospital, an institute for higher learning, a sports stadium, an indoor sports arena, and a shopping complex.
Easwaramma had accomplished her task as Swami’s mother. All this had happened due to a mother’s wish, and the wish had been fulfilled. Easwaramma was the mother who inspired and encouraged Swami. We are thankful to Mother Easwaramma for giving us the lord who would give us His love, grace, and much more.
Prayer to Easwaramma
Oh Easwaramma, mother of my Lord, you were the mother who loved and cared for Swami as He grew up. Through you came the Lord, who has given us so much including his love, grace, and five values. You are the one who encouraged and inspired Swami to transform Puttaparthi into the place it is now. Please give me confidence to stand up to what I believe in, like you did. You are the embodiment of a loving mother. You faced many difficulties in your life, but you pulled yourself through them with a smiling face. Please guide me through the difficulties in life, and give me humility during the good times in life. Your humility is something that human beings should definitely emulate. You were the divine mother chosen by Swami. All the avatars of the Lord selected their mother. Lord Rama chose Mother Kowshalya, Lord Krishna chose Mother Devaki and Mother Yashoda, and Lord Jesus chose Mother Mary. How fortunate are we, that the mother chosen by Bhagavan is you, oh Mother Easwaramma. Please guide us and bless us all.
~Dhanya
Mother Nature
All mothers help us in one way or another. In times of need, they will come to our rescue. This article is about the mother around us, Mother Nature.
Our dependence & obligation to nature
Nature gives us almost everything we need: water, paper, food, gas, etc. We depend on nature to survive. Even though we might overlook it, without nature, we wouldn’t be alive. So we need to protect nature if we want to live, as well as if we want to have luxuries. For example: chocolate. Chocolate cannot be produced without cacao from cacao trees. And toys. They are made with plastics from the Earth. We need the world, and yet, we misuse it. We are thoroughly in debt to Mother Nature, and the least we can do is take care of the Earth.
Misuse of nature & the consequences
Everyone, good or bad, wants the world. Either to help it or take it over, the world is something that you cannot double. But everyone, knowingly or unknowingly, misuses it. The effect of one person doesn’t matter, but the world population’s pollution added up can be devastating. People littering, cars with low energy efficiency, anything harming the world is considered pollution. Even refrigerators can harm the Earth. If humans continue this, global warming will turn the world into a Venus, our water supply will become contaminated with unpleasant chemicals and toxins, and even the ozone layer will vanish, letting our skin get constantly sunburned. Nobody likes that! We must start NOW if we want to leave a happy, clean world for the next generation. We must avoid using all inefficient appliances and manufactured products and save paper and plastic by recycling. We must also pray to Swami to prevent the world from becoming an overheated wasteland. He can help us halt environmental cleanliness collapse.
Our responsibility to nature & how to help
We are responsible toward the environment. The world cannot repair itself, so we need to. If we don’t, the world will become a sad place full of trash heaps and compost piles. There are many ways that we can help. First of all, use the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Reduce the amount of disposable products you use by buying a lunch box instead of a paper bag. Reuse as many disposable products as you can. A simple cardboard box can turn into an indoor recycling bin. And finally, recycle. Throw away plastic water bottles in recycling bins, so they can be made into new ones. Besides the three R’s, you can develop the habit of drawing or painting on the back of any used paper instead of getting new sheets. You can also prevent pollution by buying eco-friendly cars, or save electricity by getting electronics with the Energy-Star® label on them (most televisions and DVD players come with this certification.)
In all, you should try your best to help the environment. Encourage your family and friends to follow you to save the environment. Swami will always be pleased if everyone makes an effort to help. You will be happy with your work when the world becomes a better place.
