Sai Pearls of Wisdom 47-C “TRANCE, MAYA, ADORATION”, (With Subtitles).
Channel: Sai Pearls of Wisdom - Prof. Anil Kumar Kamaraju
Date: 2023-09-30

We know Baba used to go into a trance more often in those days and Swami getting into a trance happened in the later years also. 

This is a description of Bhagavan going into a trance in the earlier period. Frequently, Baba used to go into a trance. Often this would be in the middle of a conversation. There would be no predictable time or situation for this. If any devotee suffered from (a) severe ailment or pain, anxiety or incurable disease, (or) any handicap whatsoever, Baba would apparently leave His body and go to that place where there was suffering. 

Even while coming down the stairs or while walking, He would often fall down. Sometimes, He would lean back or forward. While in bhajans, His body would become stiff like a statue. At once, men would make Him lie down. Nobody touched His body. Baba Himself had instructed so! He would never recognize others during that period. He would pull on His hair and draw it into His mouth as if it were all flower petals! 

If there were a box of betel leaves, nuts and edible limestone for making a paan, He would exhaust the betel leaves. He would laugh like a madman. He would talk to Himself, which no one could understand. Sometimes, Vibuthi would come out of His mouth in puffs. 

He would talk in other languages. His hands and face would shrink and there were indications that He was subject to intense suffering. At times, His face would gather brilliance. If He caught anything in His grip, it would be difficult to pry it open. 

The only thing the devotees could do was just to watch Him helplessly and pray silently. Whenever He would even come out of such a trance, He might report that He had been to save a devotee. Invariably such occurrences would be verified some days later when the devotee would come to express his gratitude to Baba. 

Such trances started happening in Uravakonda in 1943 and continued until after His shift to Puttaparthi in the late 1950s. In the 1960s, the frequency of the trance reduced. 

In 1969 on Shivaratri day, Baba went into a trance for more than half an hour after bringing out a lingam from His body. This was the trance of a long-time duration that was in public. And so, these are the situations or the narration relating to Baba going into a trance. 

Now, Indian spirituality tends to discourage numerous debates on scholarly details relating to time and space, for it is concerned with a realm which is beyond time and space. Sri Sathya Sai Baba also disapproves of such debates. This may be so to discourage the foolish human mind from straying away into such winding mazes.

On some occasions, He apparently confuses people with His utterances with seemingly different and conflicting dates and names. This may be His way of discouraging such futile pursuits. 

In this light, it is not quite so mystifying that right from the middle of the 1950s, biographies have accepted 1940 as the year of (His) declaration. Many important evidences were not readily accessible to researchers at that time, hence the difference! The year of grand declaration is officially taken as 1940. 

Raju’s following increased! Those who had been His classmates the day before, came and hesitantly stood at the door looking at their Raju with a sense of longing. He called them near and had them sing the bhajans that He had taught them before. He materialized prasadam for them. Three days passed thus! 

News of this sudden turn of events reached Puttaparthi. Raju’s relatives heard that Raju had returned from Hampi with an even larger number of adorers drawn by miraculous happenings at Hampi and Hospet. 

And on returning, He repudiated worldly concerns, casting off books and schoolmates, declaring that earth and home would not hold Him in bondage any more! Even more bizarre were the rumours that started floating around. News flew by word of mouth from Uravakonda to Anantapur, then to Dharmavaram and Bukkapatnam, and finally, heavy with distortions, reached Puttaparthi. How rumours float, especially when associated with the out-of-the-ordinary people! 
 
People believe what they want to believe and not the truth! Formulae are made, patterns of behaviour are structured, and categorization of people and events are made on the basis of some individual’s human experience, however limited that might be! Fantasy adds a tantalizing touch to the supernatural, often missed in this world of harsh reality. 

Those who returned to Puttaparthi from weekly markets at Bukkapatnam that Monday, freely aired rumours: “Sathyam has escaped to Puttaparthi! Sathyam has become a Bala Yogi! Sathyam has gone underground! Sathyam entered a chariot which rose beyond the sight where Sathyam stood, and only a handful of jasmines was seen! Sathyam is no more!” That was the trend of the rumours then........ 

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