Leela Kaivalya Vahini: Stream of Divine Cosmic Play

About the Author N. Kasturi in His Own Words : I WAS born in an obscure village in North Travancore, when the nineteenth century had still two years and a few days to run. I had my schooling in the Cochin State, under a great Headmaster, who had met Swami Vivekananda and who lit in our little lamps the flame of prayer and contrition. I attended College at Trivandrum and after finishing my M.A. and B.L., I secured a job as Lecturer in History, in a College in Mysore.

The country boat, in which I and my wife and my mother journeyed along the canals and backwaters of the West Coast, on the first hop of the journey to catch the train at Ernakulam, was halted past midnight in the middle of a dark blue backwater by a Chowkidar, who shouted his orders from the shore. He called out from the black night, “Where are you going?” and waited for the answer! My boatman had a fine sense of humour. He shouted back, “We are going to Mysore!” The Chowkidar was in no mood to reprimand him for impertinence, for he, too, did not lack in humour. He laughed and said, “Why do you say Mysore? Don’t you know of a place beyond Mysore?”

Little did we know then, that there was a place beyond even Mysore; a couple of hundred miles to the north of that city, a place called Puttaparthi, which was to provide us harbourage from the turbulent storms of the sea, where I was to get the Teacher I wanted, when my career as a University Teacher and Principal was about to come to a close. Yogi Sudhananda Bharathi, the famous mystic poet of Tamil Nadu, said in April, 1959, addressing an Adhyatmic Conference at Venkatagiri Town, over which Sri Sathya Sai Baba presided, “I have practised Yoga for over 50 years; I once observed the vow of silence continuously, for over 20 years; I have come in contact with Sri Shirdi Baba, Sri Ramana Maharishi, Sri

Aurobindo, Sri Mehar Baba, and others; now, as a result of all this Sadhana, I have met Sri Sathya Sai Baba.”... I served as the Secretary of the Sri Ramakrishna Mission at Mysore, for over seventeen years; I came in contact with Sri Siddarooda Swami, Sri Ramana Maharishi, Sri Mehar Baba, and Sri Narayana Guru; I was initiated into japam by mahapurushji, the direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and President of the Mission; and I am now convinced that as a result of all this, I sat at the Feet of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, in 1948.

After I retired from the service of the University of Mysore, I have rejoiced in Baba’s Presence, except for a short period, when I worked with All India Radio as a Producer. I have had the good fortune of mingling with many devotees of Baba, who have longer and closer associations with Him; I have availed myself of every opportunity of witnessing His Mahima (glory) and listening to His discourses.

This book has long been under preparation and I am happy that it is now placed in your hands. Baba always speaks of personal experience, not books, as the best way of knowing Him and this has been, in the main, responsible for the delay. But, however inadequate, this book might be useful in revealing to the reader the reasons for the extraordinarily intimate loyalty that binds me and others to Him. Baba is Himself an Open Book, with no mystery, or pomp, or abstruseness about Him and everyone can approach Him and secure His Grace.

Devotees of Baba might brush aside this book as superfluous, because they know most of it already and much more besides. Moreover, they might blame me for the rather cold tone of narration, which is inevitable when Baba is described in print. They might also notice that I have committed many understatements and omitted many mahimas, which, in their opinion, are more significant than the ones I have selected. I most humbly crave their indulgence. Those, who are unaware of Baba, might, on the other hand, condemn me as a crank or even worse. I have very great sympathy for such, for I, too, demurred, doubted, and disbelieved, with all the sarcasm and satire found in the Kannada novels, dramas, and essays, which I wrote and published. For many years, I, too, in my stupid pride, did not make any effort to meet Him. I invite everyone, now, to come and share with me His Grace and karuna and stand witness, like me, to the Divine Power that He personifies. May this book be a signpost for all humanity to the New Life!