Origin

 

The Sri Sathya Sai Sathya Narayana Katha was graciously blessed on Thursday, 7th February, 2002 by our Beloved Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba personally in the Interview Room at Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi through Dr. H.S. Bhat.

 

Dr. H.S. Bhat was selected by Bhagawan to establish the Department of Urology at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences - Prasanthigram, where he served for over twenty years. He is widely considered the Father of Urology in India.

 

On Thursday, 22nd October, 2009, Bhagawan blessed this Katha a second time in the Interview Room at Prasanthi Nilayam through Sri M.N. Mohan Kumar.

 

Sri M.N. Mohan Kumar has been in Sai's fold since the 1960s. He hails from a business community and is a Partner of SLN Jewellers, Bangalore. His family has been blessed to be near and dear to Swami for four generations.

 

Bhagawan was impressed by the sacred Katha and ordered 5,000 books which He personally distributed to the fortunate devotees in Sai Kulwant Hall on an auspicious day. Subsequently, in November, 2009 the books were brought to Prasanthi Nilayam and, as instructed by Bhagawan, stored in the Interview Room. On a Thursday later that month, Swami indicated to His boys to distribute the books to all the VIPs seated on the Veranda and also all the students. Some blessed books were sent to the Author, who wishes to remain anonymous.

 

Katha Pooja - July 2010 - Prasanthi Nilayam

 

In 2010, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was approached by devotees

from Bangalore with a sincere request to organise a mass Pooja

centered around the Sri Sathya Sai Sathya Narayana Katha. Over

a period of several months, Bhagawan lovingly guided each and

every aspect of the Pooja, including who should be invited, how they

should be seated, what items should be used for the worship, and

the dates on which the prayers would be held.

 

On 18th July, 2010, the Sri Sathya Sai Sathya Narayana Vratha Pooja

was held in Sai Kulwant Hall at Prasanthi Nilayam. 1008 couples were

in attendance. The prayers began with Vedam chanting and all the

rituals were performed by priests, as per Vedic rites.

 

Bhagawan Baba arrived after the completion of the ritual worship

and assumed His place on the dais. A Sai youth approached the

podium and read aloud the entire story of the Sri Sathya Sai Sathya

Narayana Katha (in English) as Bhagawan listened patiently.

 

After the reading of all five chapters of the sacred Katha, Bhagawan

signaled for Aarathi. He raised His hands in blessing several times

before retiring to His residence at Yajur Mandir.

 

The Katha Pooja was summarised in the Radio Sai bulletin as follows:

 

The final celebration on the final session was Sri Sathya Sai Sathya Narayana Vratham attended by a whopping 1108 couple. The Vratham is normally conducted for all-round family prosperity. Elaborate arrangements were done in organizing the whole of the affair to make it a grand success. And in the Sai Kulwant hall seating arrangements were done so meticulously that each couple was allotted special blocks with defined numbers.

 

The function began at 1600 hrs. with Vidwan Nidumamidi Srikanta Rao,

master of ceremonies, explaining step by step instructions, in Telugu

and English, for the couples to follow. First part of the function, main

rituals, lasted for 55 minutes upon which Sai Gayathri chanting went on,

invoking Bhagawan. After the final rituals reading of the Sri Sathya Sai

Sathya Narayana Katha followed, wherein, the first four chapters of

Bhagawan's Life Story were narrated in English, lasting for almost

half-an-hour.

 

Sumptuous prasadam, Tamarind Rice, Sweet Pongal, Kesari Baath and

Bobbattu were distributed to the entire assemblage including all the

participants.

 

Significance

 

The sacred Katha is very powerful. As written on the first page of this Holy Book:

 

Whosoever reads or listens to the sacred, wish-fulfilling Katha with full faith and reverence, showers of grace & blessings will fall upon them, and their prayers will be answered.

 

The miraculous experiences of many devotees is given on the Experience page.