That Memorable Janmashtami
During the celebrations of Krishna’s birthday in 1988, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba revealed that He is Lord Krishna come again amidst us.
It was 5 a. m. on September 1, 1977:
“Swami, Swami, please come back soon.” It was the Brindavan boys ple-ading with Sai Krishna. With Krishna Janmashtami [Lord Krishna’s birthday] just round the corner (four days ahead), this [Sai] Krishna was giving them the slip.
“Certainly, certainly,” the Lord assured them. One small boy pleaded, “Swami, please come for Krishna Janmashtami.” The Lord smiled intriguingly. “Bangaru [meaning gold—Swami’s way of addressing a devotee endearingly], how can I come? It is ashtami [eighth day after the new moon considered inauspicious]. I don’t travel on an ashtami day!” Tears rolled down the cheeks of one and all as it became clear that the Lord Sai was about to leave the premises. Swami’s [Mercedes] Benz car glided through the avenue carpeted by Gulmohur [trees in Brindavan] flowers.
Come 5th September it was Krishna Janmashtami day. The colorful procession of cows wended its way to the Sai Ram shed [the enclosure in Brindavan where devotees gather to see Sathya Sai Baba]. It was difficult, as always, to pinpoint who was leading whom—the boys, the cows, or vice-a-versa!! All of us returned to our rooms with heavy hearts after the procession ended with arati [concluding prayer with waving of the flame].
I sought solace at my desk even as I tried to hide my tears. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my back. It was the assistant warden of our college. “Ravi Kumar, I want you to speak about Krishna leela [Divine sport] in the dining hall today.” There was hardly an hour left. But as he insisted, I had no option except to comply.
Meanwhile, the dining room at the hostel, which also served as the place where devotional singing was conducted, had been beautifully decorated. As was the tradition, all the lights except the colored bulbs decorating the jhoola [swing on which Sai Baba would sit on special occasions] were switched off. A lovely picture of Swami graced the tastefully decorated jhoola.
The warden cautioned me from exceeding the ten minutes allotted to my speech. As I narrated the leelas of Krishna, I lost count of time. Indeed, I had spoken for 45 minutes! I ended with some words that surprised even me. Looking back, I for one have no doubt that it was Swami’s sport.
I ended thus: “Even during those days, whenever Krishna felt that the gopis [the cowherd maidens who enjoyed the proximity to Krishna] were becoming egoistic, He would disappear from their midst. They would then repent and pray from the bottom of their hearts. Lord Krishna, after teasing them, would suddenly appear in their midst and immerse them in bliss. Oh! How wonderful it would be if Swami suddenly appeared and sat on this jhoola!”
The thought that Swami was not with us saddened everyone. However, the won-derful bhajans that followed seemed to have purified our hearts.
Soon it was time for the festive dinner. The elongated function had in fact pushed the usual dinner to almost 9 p.m. As we listlessly chewed on our food, we heard the booming voice of Mr. Rama-brahmam, the lead caretaker of Sai Baba’s ashram in Brindavan. “Boys! We have just received a phone call from Ban-galore. Swami has just returned to Ban-galore from Ooty [a hill station in South India]. Swami has asked me to tell all of you to keep awake. He will give darshan [sight of a holy being].”
In no time, we rushed through our dinner and ran over to Swami’s bungalow—which was not a temple for God but the abode of our dearest Lord. Swami came at 10.05 p.m. and smiled at us. As He accepted the arati and went up, He said, “Tomorrow, we will cele-brate Krishnashtami!”
It was 9:00 a.m. on 6th September, 1977:
We stood eagerly awaiting Swami’s darshan. Swami came down and smiled at us. “Come on, boys,” He said, and as He led the way, we followed. He entered the hostel and walked straight to the dining hall and sat on the jhoola. He then assured us that though physically away, he had been present with us. He mentioned all that had happened the previous day to the minutest detail, -including escapades of a cow with a particular boy in tow. Swami had come it appeared, with the sole purpose of conferring boons. He granted all our prayers. It did not feel like God talking to His devotees, but Krishna talking to His cowherd friends, as He allowed everyone to speak and listened and answered. After a blissful namaskar [salutation], we went back to our college with hearts full of joy.
When we arrived for lunch that day, we were in for more wonderful news. Swami had spent the whole morning in the dining hall, personally supervising the arrangements, deco-rations, etc.—and even drew up the menu! Even as Swami was directing where each photo was to be placed, He called a boy and said, “Madurai Chettiar has brought something for me; go and get it.” The boy ran to the gate and even as the security guard was assuring him that ‘Chettiar sir’ had not come, the honk of a car horn made them turn back and there they were—Mr. Chettiar and his family. The boy told Mr. Chettiar that Swami had asked him to collect what he had brought for Him. The latter plead-ed ignorance, but then it dawned on him that he had brought a sandalwood statue of Krishna for Swami. Quickly opening his suitcase, he handed over the idol.
Swami took the idol and placed it in the center of the altar.
In the evening, as Swami came to the hostel, He was received and led to the dining hall by students who recited prayers from the Vedas [the Hindu scriptures]. Swami then asked the warden to say a few words.
When Swami got up to speak, we sen-sed that there was something wonder-ful in the atmosphere. His face was radiant. His eyes were showering grace. He gave a wonderful discourse. During that memorable discourse, He created the ‘Kaustubham’ [a precious gem worn by Krishna] that Krishna’s grand-mother had given Him at His naming ceremony. Swami Himself went around showing all of us the green emerald encircled by four rings of glittering diamonds. He, then, put it around the neck of the statue of Krishna!
In the midst of His discourse, Swami suddenly turned toward a boy and asked for a towel nobody knew for what purpose. A small towel was brought, but Swami sent it back. When a bigger towel arrived, Swami said, “Though the pictures show Krishna wearing a crown, Krishna actual-ly wore peacock feathers stuck on a single towel like this, …Krishna never as-pired for or wore a crown.” And He tied the towel around His hair as Krishna used to.
After that we had a wonderful dinner. I have only to add that Swami Himself served all of us sweet dishes. What a day that Krishna Janmashtami was!
~T. Ravi Kumar, Research Scholar, Prasanthi Nilayam
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, Oct. 1988
