By Sri B N Narasimha Murthy

I offer my humble salutations at Swami’s Divine Lotus Feet. It has been a fulfilling trip down the memory lane. I hope you all are enjoying it as much as I am.

Two words – love and compassion – are the closest that words come to describe our Lord. When the work for installing the solar power project was underway in Muddenahalli, Bhagawan went out to see what was happening. I recollect an incident that touched me. I was sitting with Him in His car. A couple brought their eleven-day old baby for His blessings. Swami stopped the car, lowered the window pane and fondled the child. The child’s father gently prayed to Swami as to what name the child should have. Swami said, “I have given you this child and he was born because of the power of the sun; and now there is a Sathya Sai solar power project. Call him Adithya Sai.” A 11-day old baby on the 89th birthday of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was named by Him on the road! What love and compassion! But it did not stop there. Swami beckoned the mother of the child. As she came forward, Swami gave her a ring and said, “This is My child. Bring him up for my sake. That is why I am giving you this ring.”

Reams have been written about Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. I have also written a few volumes of His biography. But even today, if someone asked me what do you know about Sri Sathya Sai Baba and my reply would be nothing! I know Him only as love and compassion and nothing beyond.

I am reminded of another incident that provoked my thoughts. After inaugurating the Sri Sathya Sai Solar project, Swami said that this was the future energy of the world. “Transmitting conventional electric power over long distances leads to dissipation of energy. It is better to produce solar power in villages. Sun is so gracious that it gives us abundant energy to produce and feed a village.” Swami was extremely happy with the work done by those who worked in this project and said, “This is your first project and in every one of My campuses I am going to setup this solar power project.”

Even from a materialistic perspective, look at how Swami has always been a visionary and has always planned ahead for the future while living in the present. It is possible because He is ever living in the moment and thinks about things that are always eternal.