Bhagavatha Vahini Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
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Bhagavatha Vahini Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Index Of Discourses Dear Reader .................................................................................................................. 3 1. The Bhagavatha ....................................................................................................... 5 2. The Birth Of A God-loving Person ...................................................................... 13 3. Child Parikshith And The Prophecy .................................................................... 18 4. The Penitential Sacrifice ....................................................................................... 24 5. Sacrifices And Penance Of Elders ........................................................................ 30 6. Vidura’s Renunciation .......................................................................................... 35 7. Vidura The Counsellor .......................................................................................... 39 8. Dhritharashtra Transformed ................................................................................ 45 9. The Ascent Of Krishna .......................................................................................... 49 10. The Krishna Mystery ............................................................................................. 54 11. The Pandavas’ Grief ............................................................................................. 62 12. The Kali Age Dawns .............................................................................................. 66 13. The Coronation Of Parikshith .............................................................................. 71 14. The Exit Of The Pandavas .................................................................................... 75 15. The Reign Of Emperor Parikshith ....................................................................... 81 16. Reverence For Krishna ......................................................................................... 86 17. Recalling The Bygone Days ................................................................................... 89 18. The Escape Of Takshaka ...................................................................................... 97 19. Pandavas – An Example For The Kali Age ....................................................... 102 20. Krishna Graces Droupadi ................................................................................... 107 21. The Durvasa Episode ........................................................................................... 112 22. Arjuna’s Fight With Gods .................................................................................. 118 23. Guardian On The Battlefield .............................................................................. 124 24. Parikshith Is Cursed ............................................................................................ 128 25. The Sage’s Compassion ...................................................................................... 133 26. Curse Or Godsend ............................................................................................... 138 27. Enter Sage Suka ................................................................................................... 143 28. The Enchanting Story: Divine Incarnations ..................................................... 148 29. The Dialogue Begins ............................................................................................ 152 30. The Bhagavatha Path .......................................................................................... 159 31. Doubts And Questions ......................................................................................... 166 32. Puranas And Incarnations .................................................................................. 172 33. Rama Avatar ........................................................................................................ 183 34. Krishna Avatar .................................................................................................... 187 35. Gopala, Gopas, And Gopis .................................................................................. 197 36. Comrade And King .............................................................................................. 202 Index https://sathyasai.us/devotion/discourses 1 Bhagavatha Vahini Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba 37. The Fate Of Demons ............................................................................................ 207 38. Serpent Kaliya Humbled ..................................................................................... 212 39. The Omniscient As Student ................................................................................ 217 40. From Death To Immortality ............................................................................... 225 41. The Message About Krishna’s Advent .............................................................. 232 42. Consummation In Nanda-nandana .................................................................... 238 Index https://sathyasai.us/devotion/discourses 2 Bhagavatha Vahini, Dear Reader Dear Reader This Bhagavatha is a dialogue between a person under the sentence of death and a great saint, who prepared him to meet it. We're all under a sentence of death; our hearts, like muffled drums, are beating funeral marches to the grave. Some reach it late, some soon. We require the counsel of a great saint to prepare us, too, for meeting Death and witness the horizon beyond. The Bhagavatha is a Ganga, emerging from the Lord and merging in Him after a long journey through geographic descriptions, historic annals, philosophic disquisitions, hagiological narratives, epistemological enquiries, and after fertilising the vast valleys of human minds with the pure pellucid waters of Krishna episodes. Bhagavan has come again as Sathya Sai for the revival of dharma among men. One important aspect of that revival is the reestablishment of reverence for the ancient spiritual texts, like the Bible, the Koran, the Zend Avestha, the Tripitaka, the Vedas, and the Bhagavatha. Reverence can spring at the present time only when the inner meanings of the statements and stories are explained in clear, simple, charming style, by the very Person who inspired the original scripture. Here, in this book, we have His version of that voluminous textbook of devotion (bhakthi) that Vyasa composed at the suggestion of the sage Narada, so that he could win peace and equanimity. This is not just a book, dear reader. It is a balm, a key, a mantra - to soften, solve, and save, to loosen the bonds, to liberate from grief and pain, thirst, and tutelage. Open it with humility, read it with diligence, revere it with devotion, observe its lessons with steadfastness, and reach the Goal that Vyasa reached and Narada attained, that Suka taught and Parikshith learned. What greater recompense can man hope for? Index https://sathyasai.us/devotion/discourses 3 Bhagavatha Vahini, Dear Reader - N. Kasturi Prasanthi Nilayam Guru Pournami 18 July 1970 Index https://sathyasai.us/devotion/discourses 4 Bhagavatha Vahini, Discourse 1 - The Bhagavatha 1. The Bhagavatha The name Bhagavatha can be applied to every account of the experiences of those who have contacted God and the Godly (Bhagavan and bhaktha). God assumes many forms and enacts many activities. The name Bhagavatha is given to the descriptions of the experiences of those who have realised Him in those forms and of those who have been blessed by His grace and chosen as His instruments. The great work known by that name is honoured by all masters of the Vedas. It is a panacea that cures physical, mental and spiritual illnesses. The Bhagavatha is saturated with the sweetness of nectar, and it shines with the splendour of God. The principle of descent (Avatara) of God on Earth, the incarnation of the Formless with form for the uplift of beings - this basic fact makes the Bhagavatha authentic. By Bhagavatha we also mean those with attachment to God, those who seek the companionship of God. For such, the book Bhagavatha is most precious; it is the breath of their life. Being in the midst of such Bhagavathas fosters one's own devotion. Unless you have a taste for God-ward thoughts, you will not derive joy therefrom. To create that taste, the Bhagavatha tells stories to the earnest inquirer that relate to incarnations. Then, one develops the yearning to experience the thrill of God, through all the levels of consciousness. He who has this intense yearning can be a true Bhagavatha. God incarnates to fulfill the yearning of devotees People believe that incarnations of God happen for only two reasons: the punishment of the wicked and the protection of the righteous. But these represent only one aspect of the task. The granting of peace and joy, of a sense of fulfillment, to seekers who have striven long - this too is the task. Index https://sathyasai.us/devotion/discourses 5 Bhagavatha Vahini, Discourse 1 - The Bhagavatha The Avatar, or form incarnate, is only the concretisation of the yearning of the seekers. It is the solidified sweetness of the devotion of godly aspirants. The Formless assumes the form for the sake of these aspirants and seekers. They are the prime cause. The cow secretes milk for the sustenance of the calf. That is the chief beneficiary. But, as we see, others also benefit from that