Prema Vahini

Addressing a mammoth gathering at Gudur some years ago, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba said, “You will not be wrong to call Me Premaswarupa (Embodiment of Love).” In fact, Baba showers love (prema), seeks love, and establishes love in the heart of the individual, the fabric of society, and the complex of nations. Humanity, which has lost its way and is shivering in terror, unable to control the evil that it has generated by its insane pranks, needs Baba’s grace and love to allay its neurosis and bring it back to the light. Baba said twenty-two years ago that He would inaugurate His task of recreating and reforming man on the true basis of dharma when He had completed thirty-two years of stay here upon the Earth. In 1958, when He reached that moment, He blessed the venture of a monthly magazine, and he named it Sanathana Sarathi, a name full of the fragrance of the Gita and the Lord’s role as the charioteer of whoever selects Him as the guide. It is significant that the very first series of articles that Baba wrote for the Sanathana Sarathi was Prema Vahini (Stream of Divine Love). These discourses are collected in this book as they were first presented, in English translation. Truth (sathya), dharma, peace (santhi), and love are the four pillars of the new world of the Sai era, and under Baba’s guidance, humanity has to discover peace through love. For that task, this book will be of great help, for while reading it, you are in touch with the very source of love; while translating its message into action, you are visibly led on by the grace of the Lord Himself; while enjoying the thrill of spiritual practice (sadhana) prescribed here, you are responding to the majesty of the very Ocean of Mercy. N. Kasturi Editor, Sanathana Sarathi

Addressing a mammoth gathering at Gudur some years ago, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba said, “You will not be wrong, if you call Me Prema-Swaroopa.” In fact, Baba showers Prema (Love), seeks Prema, and establishes Prema in the heart of the individual, the fabric of society, and the complex of nations. Humanity, which has lost its way and is shivering in terror, unable to control the evil that it has generated by its insane pranks, needs Baba’s Grace and Prema, to allay its neurosis and bring it back to the Light. Baba had said twenty-two years ago that He would inaugurate His Task of recreating and reforming Man on the true basis of Dharma, when He should have completed thirty-two years of stay here upon the Earth. In 1958, when He reached that moment, He blessed the venture of a monthly magazine and He named it Sanathana Sarathi, a name full of the fragrance of the Gita and the Lord’s Role as the Charioteer of whoever selects Him as the Guide. It is significant that the very first series of articles that Baba wrote for the Sanathana Sarathi was Prema Vahini. These discourses are collected in this book, as they were first presented, in English translation. Sathya (truth), Dharma (righteousness, code of duties, essential nature of a being or thing), Shanti (peace), and Prema (Love) are the Four Pillars of the new World of the Sai Era and under Baba’s guidance, humanity has to discover Shanti, through Prema. For that task, this book will be of great help. While reading it, you are in touch with the very source of Prema. While translating its message into action, you are visibly led on by the Grace of the Lord Himself and while enjoying the thrill of Sadhana (spiritual practice) prescribed here, you are responding to the majesty of the very Ocean of Mercy.

Bhagawan has announced Himself as the Divine Teacher of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. By precept and example, through His writings and discourses, letters and conversations, He has been instilling the supreme wisdom and instructing all mankind to translate it into righteous living, inner peace, and universal love. When the Ramakatha Rasavahini, the uniquely authentic, nectarine stream of the Rama’s story, was serialised in full in the Sanathana Sarathi, Bhagawan blessed readers with a new series, which He named Bharatiya Paramartha Vahini (The Stream of Indian Spiritual Values). While these precious essays, on the basic truths that foster and feed Indian culture since ages before history began, were being published, Bhagawan decided to continue the flow of illumination and instruction under a more comprehensive and meaningful name, Sathya Sai Vahini - the Ganga from the Lotus Feet of the Lord - “The Flow of Divine Sai Grace”. This book, therefore, contains the two Vahinis that have merged in one master stream. Inaugurating these series, Bhagawan wrote for publication in the Sanathana Sarathi, “Moved by the urge to cool the heat of conflict and to quench the agonising thirst for ‘knowledge about yourself’ that you are afflicted with, see, here it comes, the Sathya Sai Vahini, wave behind wave, with the Sanathana Sarathi as the medium between you and Me.” With infinite compassion, this Sathya Sai incarnation of the Omniwill is giving millions of persons in all lands freedom from disease, distress, and despair, narcotics, narcissism, and nihilism. He is encouraging those, who suffer gloom through wilful blindness, to light the Lamp of Love in order to see the world and the Lamp of Wisdom to see themselves. “This is a tantalising, true-false world. Its apparent diversity is an illusion. It is One, but is cognised by the maimed, multiple vision of humans as Many,” says Bhagawan. This book is the twin Lamp He has devised for us.

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba wrote a series of articles under the Vahini series, for Sanathana Sarathi, a monthly magazine being published by Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust, Publications Division, Prasanthi Nilayam. These precious articles are brought out now, under the title “Geeta Vahini”, in this book, for the benefit of readers. This is not a commentary or summary of the divine message that was given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna. It conveys the same message in a simpler form to us, in order to remove our delusion and confer faith and strength on us, so that we may realise our own reality. Bhagawan says, “Drawing on the Divine that is inherent in us is the lesson of Geeta… Arjuna is the jiva and Krishna is the Deva. When both are in contact, impregnable might results… Krishna had to work in and through Arjuna, so that the reign of Dharma (righteousness) is re-established. Arjuna means white, pure, unblemished. Hence, he is the proper instrument.” We too can become proper instruments in restoring Dharma, if we follow the lessons that Bhagawan teaches through this book.