Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born in a small village called Puttaparthi in the Andhra Region of South India. His father’s name was Sri Pedda Venkappa Raju and His Divine mother’s name was Easwaramma.

 

Mother Easwaramma was a very pious lady, always performing one or the other penance to please the Lord. Lord Narayana, being very pleased with her true Divine Love, decided to be born once again and to enact once more His Divine drama. He thereby chose dear Easwaramma as His mother and Pedda Venkappa Raju as His father.

It is believed, according to Mother Easwaramma’s own testimony, that when she was drawing water from the well, a sparkling Blue Light from the Heavens descended down and entered her womb. She fainted and fell. Easwaramma’s mother-in-law had warned her earlier that if something should happen to her, through the Will of God, she should not be frightened. This secret was not revealed to anyone. Bhagawan’s birth was not through conception but by Advent. Bhagawan Himself asked Mother Easwaramma to share her experiences near the well a few days before her maha-samadhi.
 

As Easwaramma was advancing in her pregnancy and as the ninth month drew closer, musical instruments in the house would play Divine notes all by themselves. The drums would beat, the veena would twang, the cymbals would clang and all the inmates of the house would be awakened by their Divine Melody and Fragrance.
 

At last, the 23rd of November, 1926 dawned. It was a Monday, the day of Lord Shiva. It was the Year of Bountiful and the Month of Lights. Easwaramma’s mother-in-law had just finished the Sathya Narayana Pooja and offered the Divine prasad to her daughter-in-law. Soon after Easwaramma ate the prasad, Sai Narayana was born. The Baby was extremely handsome. He was named Sathya Narayana.

 

One day, while Baby Sathya was sleeping in His cradle, the women nearby were surprised to see the clothes under the Baby moving. When they lifted Baby Sathya, they found a snake slithering away from the Lord, disappearing within a few yards. Well! The Lord Adishesha, having missed His Lord in Vaikuntha, must have come down to give Him company!

Sathya Narayana, as a child, would never touch non-vegetarian food, nor would He visit houses where it was prepared. There lived a Karnam Subbamma who was a very sathwik lady, and she was very fond of dear Sathya. He would spend most of His time in her house. Even in this Avathar, there had to be a Yashoda!

Any beggar who came to Sathya’s parent’s house would not be sent away empty handed. Sathya saw to it that the beggar would be fed sumptuously and sometimes, He would Himself forego food and His sister and mother would get irritated with His constant charity. Later, when they would call Him for lunch, Sathya would hold His tiny lotus palms under their noses and ask them to smell. They would discover the most delicious and mouth-watering smell from those Divine red palms. When they questioned Him as to where He had eaten, Sathya’s prompt reply was, “An old man fed me.”

Even as a child, Sathya started revealing His true nature: Love. He could never see His friends sad. He would often create fruits, candies, and pencils to make them happy. He would collect all the tiny tots and make a doll-house, installing small pictures of Gods inside, and teaching his friends bhajans.

After completing His primary schooling, Sathya was admitted in nearby Bukkapatnam village for elementary studies. Even there, Sathya became very popular amongst His schoolmates. One of His teachers, Mehaboob Khan was very fond of Sathya. One day, during class, another teacher found Sathya not taking down the notes he was dictating. The teacher’s ego was hurt.

 

He made Sathya stand on the bench as punishment. The teacher’s period was over. The bell rang, however, the teacher could not leave his chair! Sathya was still standing on the bench, when the next teacher, Mehaboob Khan entered the class.

Khan went near his colleague, who was now thoroughly embarrassed, and requested him to vacate the chair. The poor teacher was almost in tears. He said, “Saheb, the chair has stuck to me!” Khan looked around the class. As all the children had overheard their teacher’s conversation, they were giggling.

Khan saw to his utter dismay, dear Sathya standing on the bench and enjoying the whole drama. Khan was shocked and asked the teacher to bring Sathya down, as then only would the chair leave him. The teacher, who was already humiliated and very ashamed, requested Sathya to get down from the bench. As soon as He did so, the teacher’s chair also released him. In this way, Sathya began revealing Himself.
 

One day, a thanga (horse-carriage) driver lost his horse. He searched everywhere but to no avail. Someone told him that there was a Divine Boy studying in the school nearby and He would reveal to him the whereabouts of his horse. Just as in the Shirdi Avathar, Sathya beckoned to the man gently and told him that his horse was grazing outside the village, in a mango grove. The driver found, to his great joy, his horse, just as Sathya had described. From then on, all the thanga drivers would pray to Sathya to sit in their thangas, so they too would be blessed and have more business.

The first chapter of Sri Sathya Sai, Sathya Narayana Katha

ends with all auspiciousness.

Bow to Sri Sai. Peace be to all!