Sai Pearls of Wisdom 45-C  “HARDSHIP, SPECULATION, ADMIRATION, SCORPION BITE” (With Subtitles).
Channel: Sai Pearls of Wisdom - Prof. Anil Kumar Kamaraju
Date: 2023-08-05

The another interesting chapter in the life of Swami’s boyhood opened in Uravakonda where He studied for some time. Admiration and speculation heralded His entry into the town; suddenly, agog the stories of the wonder boy! He was only a boy then, but the coming years were to reveal that Raju behaved in a manner much beyond His age!

And then we also will come to know how respectful He was to His elder brother Seshama Raju; and it’s quite funny enough to know that His parents wanted Him to be a normal child, an intelligent boy, to study in the school, come up in life, and that He would become one day an officer with a responsible position. But the design of Avatar is quite different, known best to Him only! 

He did not ultimately complete His studies, but left it mid-way in order to embark on His spiritual mission.  And here in Uravakonda, He spent relatively very short period of stay; but here the glory of Avatar cannot be hidden for a long time! It unfolds from time to time! 

The fame of Raju as an unusual student with mysterious powers had preceded Him from Puttaparthi to Kamalapuram and to Bukkapatnam, even the school at Uravakonda – something like a perfume that reaches to distances, something like sandal, the fragrance of which would be felt from long distance. 

Swami’s fame has already been there before He stepped into that Uravakonda. So the interesting highlight I would like to draw these points a bit, and then we will proceed to the other part of it. 

Uravakonda, where He studied, derives its name from a huge boulder – 100 feet high and shaped like a many-hooded snake. Urava means snake; konda means hill. As has been said here, the admiration and speculation heralded earlier. As I pointed out, He was highly respectful towards His brother so much that He would not even look up while speaking to him; unlike the present day, it is enough if they don’t pull their collar talking to them recklessly in an irresponsible way. But He was very humble, affectionate, quite obedient to His brother; and so His period of study was quite short there!

And Uravakonda is full of wells in so many places and so many temples! It is rather painful to note that Raju had to draw water for the family needs from the wells of old Uravakonda. Its so difficult to fetch water all along! 

All these things are very well known to His parents. Just with a desire to educate Him, they permitted Him to go to Uravakonda. Parents left Him there and returned to Puttaparthi, and of course with brother Seshama Raju along with Raju, His sister Venkama also stayed there in their residence. 

After all, the residences in those days, of course even today, the poorer sections of the people will have such kind of accommodation. All rooms will look like railway train bogies, very close to each other!

Baba recalls His olden days and says this way. These are all the public statements given by Baba, my friends! 

“Due to carrying water on My shoulders in big pots tied with ropes on either side of a bamboo stick, My shoulders became very hard. In spite of My doing such hard work, My aunt, meaning sister-in-law used to beat Me without any reason, without any reason!”

Now imagine what kind of torture that He underwent!

Further He had said – Baba says, “They never gave Me food on time!” 

Once Raju’s sister – sister-in-law meaning, Seshama Raju’s wife, slapped Raju so hard that His cheek became swollen, swollen! The hardship of carrying water had a telling effect on Raju. 

He was to remember the experience in later years when as Sai Baba, He has masterminded the Sri Sathya Sai Safe Drinking Water Project for various districts of Andhra Pradesh. He experienced and expressed His Divinity by introducing successfully, completing victoriously Sathya Sai Drinking Water Project. 

Well, while leaving the place – this place for Uravakonda, Raju took leave from His friends. One of His friends expressed His concern and he said, the friend said, “When will I be back? When will we meet again and talk together?’ 

Then that friend said, “You want education; we want cultivation! Your brother has written. You go and study!” 

That was the bond of love between Him and His friends. They could not be away from Him, nor Swami prepared to leave them either! It is at this stage, after a couple of days, a disquieting letter was received at Puttaparthi. 

https://www.saiwisdom.com/sai-pearls-of-wisdom-english.html