The Glory of Shirdi Sai Eighth Year of Publication - Published as Bi-Weekly www.saidarbarusa.org ~ an affiliate of www.saidarbar.org
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गुरुब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णु: गुरुर्दे वो महे श्वर: |
गुरु: शाऺात परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः:||
सबुरी
CONTENT Satsangs of SaiBaNisaji Time Machine Navavidha Bhakti Shri Sainath Stavan Manjari The Dreams Train Devotees Corner Children Section Spiritual Gems From Sai Satcharita Quintessence JAI SAI RAM
FROM THE SATSANGS OF SAIBANISA JI One day at a time........... Shri Sai always emphasises the necessity to lead the life enjoying every day that we pass and live through. To realize the value of one year, ask a child who failed a grade. To realize the value of a month, ask a parent who had a premature baby. To realize the value of a week, ask the accountant of a business company. To realize the value of one hour, ask the friends who are waiting to meet after years. To realize the value of one minute, ask a traveler who missed the train. To realize the value of one second, ask a person who just avoided an accident. Treasure every day we live and have it filled with happiness with the blessing of Shri Sai.It is His compassionate grace that we breathe. He is everywhere, and is the cause and protector of everything. He also knows what is best for each one of us. Do not run through your life fast, that you forget not only where you've been, but also where your're going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way. And for this journey we definitely need to depend on Shri Sai and don't forget to thank Him for everything, and every day. Our lives are comprised of millions of moments, but there is no greater moment when we find that life with all its joys and sorrows, is meant to be lived one day at a time. On this Thursday with the guidance of our Sadguru Sai let's cherish everyday of our life and lead it with immense pleasure and purpose. Let us pray Him every minute possible......Remember Him and meditate on Him at every opportunity we can make.
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THE DREAMS TRAIN (Dreams Of Saibanisa after Undergoing Bypass Surgery on 17-5-1996) Compiled by Saibandhu Raghu Raman Satulury
30-12-1996:
Mere appearance of wordly joy is not happiness.
~Baba
Sai appeared as my uncle Somayyajulu garu and spoke words that made a huge impact in discharging my duties properly. He said: 1. The water from the river Godavari passing through your village borders is sacred. It is irrigating thousands and thousands of acres and feeding many mouths. 2. Earning money is equally important to win over the love of your near and dear ones. The day earnings stop problems crop up one after another. As long as one is in into „Gruhasthasrama‟ money has to be earned. 3. It would be wiser to remain in „Gruhasthasrama‟ and reach God rather than running away from the responsibilities and opting for renunciation. The battle of life has to be fought like a warrior.
DEVOTEES CORNER DEVOTEES EXPERIENCE Sai Baba for me is supreme. My father was a very staunch devotee of Baba. He dedicated his life to Baba by spreading his message across in best possible ways. He was a trustee of a Sai Temple trust in Bangalore that has built a beautiful Sai temple in Bangalore. Baba in fact took him into his abode on a Thursday (Baba's day). I am here to share an unforgettable experience.
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Long ago, one Sunday morning, my father and I were going on our scooter on some work. We live in Bangalore. We were on our scooter to Yeshwantpur. I am not sure for what reason had we stopped our scooter. Was it due to traffic signal or something else? It was a two way busy road. All of a sudden, from nowhere a man appeared and came to my father. He took some tilak out of my father's forehead and applied for himself. He uttered these words in Marathi "Bara hai ka (Are you doing well?)" and he left. To my utter disbelief, he just vanished when I turned back. The miracle here is that he spoke in Marathi which is our mother tongue and appeared for a brief moment and disappeared. This incident shocked me for a long time. This was Baba's miracle, a way to enquire the well being of his devotees. Even to this day I think of my experience. Though my father has reached the sacred feet of Lord Sainath, I will be ever grateful to Lord Sainath for all his blessings till
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the last moment of my life. Shath koti pranams to my beloved Sainath and my beloved father Sri.K.Ranga Rao Barde. In the lotus feet of Baba. He is supreme. May his blessings be showered on all Sai Bandhus and Bhaginis. Lord Sainath, at your lotus feet. Rrajesh Barde, Bangalore **************** I was experiencing difficult situation without job during second half of 2009. Visited many temples and prayed many Gods to give me a job. That time a friend of mine met me and advised me to pray Lord Sai Baba. Then I read Sai Leelaamrutham (written By Dr. E. Bharadwaja) and then Sri Guru Charitra. A day before I finish reading Guru Charitra, I attended an interview and miraculously I succeeded in their written test and interview. I know there is no hard work from my side to succeeding in that interview and I believe it's 100% a miracle or bless showering of Baba. The very next day when I finish reading Guru Charitra, I got a dream... A yogi who is flying on top of a building where I'm standing came in-front of me and shown his ABHAYA HASTAM (protecting hand) to me and said "Om Sairam". I wake-up from the sleep and prayed Lord Sai baba that since he blessed me and shown who is my Sadguru (it is baba only). Baba is the Master of this universe and we are all part of him. It is our duty to know his kindness and greatness and keep praying. ~Sai Devotee - Sri ji (courtesy: http://www.shirdisaibabaexperiences.org) सत्सङ्गत्वे ननस्स्ङ्गत्वं ननस्सङ्गत्वे ननमोहत्वम ् | ननमोहत्वे ननश्चलतत्त्वं ननश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मक्ु तः ||
For all SaiDarbarUSA Satsang information in Greater Philadelphia, please visit www.saidarbarusa.org. Sai Temple, Downingtown, PA. (http://www.saitemplepa.com/.) Temple is open on Thursdays and Sundays after 2:00 pm. Please contact Mr. Raj Singh at 610-656-1396 or Sai Temple at 610-269-1112 for more details about the temple activities. For more event info please visit www.saitemplepa.com. UDI Prasaad From Shirdi Now Available in Canada for Distribution : Devotees of Greater Toronto Area can visit Sai Darbar and receive UDI from Baba with His Blessings Darbar is open for DARSHAN between 10:30am to 4pm every Thursday. (visits after 4pm please call to confirm). Devotees in the OTHER PARTS OF CANADA can receive UDI PRASAAD by submitting their request by email at saileela99@gmail.com orSubmit your willingness by visiting www.shirdisainath.org giving your full family name - Phone number postal and email address.
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ARTICLES FROM DEVOTEES BABA'S MIRACLE - 13 ~ (A RECORD OF THRILLING EXPERIENCES OF (LATE) DR.P.S.RAMASWAMI ~ (AN ARDENT DEVOTEE OF SHRI SHIRDI SAI BABA)
HOW BABA GRANTS ANTICIPATORY BAIL TO HIS DEVOTEES IN DIRE NEED? The following occurrence took place in the Winter of '57 or '58, It concerns a friend of mine, Shri A.K. Kumthekar by name, aged about 40 at that time and employed as an Asst. Foreman in the Inspectorate of Armaments in the ordinance Factory at Khamaria, Jabalpur. He was a highly principled brahmin hailing from Pune greatly devoted to his parents. His first concern in life was about his aged and bedridden father and he could not think in terms of living away from the old gentleman leaving him to be looked after by others. It was in these circumstances that one fine morning his boss, a hard-boiled Lt. Col. notified him to be ready to go and attend an 18 week Senior Armament Examiner's Course at Kirkee, Pune. The above order acted as a bomb-shell on Shri Kumthekar and he found himself in a quandary. For one thing, the passing of the Course was in the nature of a qualification for promotion and no option was allowed. For another, it would mean being away from his father for the stipulated period or shifting him to and from which would jeopardies his health. So, he put up his request to be exempted from the Course, or alternatively to be transferred to Kirkee on compassionate grounds. He then rushed to me for solace and advice. He was on the verge of tears. He had heard from me many an account of the incredible miracles Worked by Sri Sai Baba in my life and how he came to be the sheet anchor of my existence. I instinctively felt that "Baba's sanction was there in his coming to me and His intercession and protection to enable him to fulfil his filial obligation could be taken for granted. I told him accordingly beseeching him to rest assured that no power on earth could come in the way of Baba's children discharging their duty conscientiously. Only from that moment, he should without question put his faith in Baba knowing Him to be but the incarnation of Datta worshipped by them in their family. These words had the desired effect on him and cleared the gloom of despair away. Personally I had no qualms about Shri. Kumthekar being enabled to surmount the seemingly insurmountable obstacle in his way for, this was not the first time that I had been impelled, sub-consciously or super-consciously as the case might be, by Baba to hold out similar guarantees in cases of illness considered to be hopeless but by His infinite Mercy happily ending in complete recovery in due course. Hardly a week had passed when my friend came to me, with crest, fallen countenance with the Lt. Col.'s reply summarily rejecting his request and peremptorily telling him to obey the order. He was given a week's time to collect the TA and leave the station. He understandably felt that Baba was not acting in his behalf as expected. I, however, was not at all perturbed knowing Baba's inscrutable Wisdom and Methods. I therefore encouraged him to be hopeful. I assured him that not unoften Baba acts in the last split second when all hope disappears. This had some effect and he left. In the next two weeks I was so completely occupied with the work on hand that I cleanly forgot about the affair. Then one afternoon I rang up my friend's office to know the situation. To my pleasant surprise Shri Kumthekar answered the call. Murmuring some apology, he said he was coming straight to meet me. And so he did. He was sorry he could not see me earlier due to an urgent time-bound assignment, he said. It seems that submitting to the inevitable, he collected his TA and was planning to travel with the whole family to Kirkee by the end of the stipulated week when to his astonishment, on the evening prior to the day intended for the journey, a letter from his boss was delivered to him cancelling the original order. It left him speechless and overwhelmed at the incredibly wonderful manner in which Baba had acted. The really thrilling part of the whole affair followed the next morning, about 11 AM. As Shri Kumthakar was about to start his meal, a fakir dressed like Baba came and stood at the door. When some coins were offered to him in the usual way, he declined saying he wanted food which was readily given. Accepting it, he gave a small packet of Udhi to Shri Kumthekar asking him to keep it before Datta's portrait, offer 'aarti' and then open it. Accordingly, it was done. When the packet was opened, instead of the Udhi there were five miniature conch shells. Shri Kumthekar hastend back to the door only to find the fakir gone. Only then did it dawn upon his mind that the fakir was none other than Baba himself. The conches were kept as objects of worship.
Glory be to Shri Shirdi Sai - Grace be to all
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SAI’S NEWS FROM TIME MACHINE 1909 - Sai threw a garment on Balasaheb bhate, Mamlatdar of Kopargoan, and an atheist on his very first visit and Balasahen completely lost interest in worldly matters. He retired from service and settled down at Shirdi permanently. 1916 - Nephew of Dr.Mulky from Nasik District suffering from tubercular bone abcess, was fully cured by Baba's Udi and loving glance. The doctor later visited Shirdi and became a staunch devotee of Sai.
NAVAVIDHA BHAKTI (Source: Sai Leela Magazine July-Aug 2004)
Eighth Step – Sakhya Bhakti Bade Baba How important Bade Baba was ! His usual seat was on the right hand (of Baba). Baba smoked the chillum only after Bade Baba had partaken of it. Bade Baba was that person without whom Baba did not take a step. If he did not eat anything, Baba did not partake of food. Bayjabai Kote Patil Tatya Kote‟s mother, whose name was Bayjabai, would put some bhakaris in a basket and carry it on her head and go into the woods in the afternoon. She would walk for miles, searching in the woods for the mad Fakir, trampling upon the thick foliage and bow down to His feet on finding Him. How can one describe the strength of her devotion ? Dry or curried vegetables andbhakari she fed Baba with her hands, in the woods, in the noon or late afternoon. This austere devotion of hers was also not forgotten by Baba during His lifetime. Keeping the past in mind He blessed her son with good fortune. Both the husband and wife had great faith in the Fakir indeed. The Fakir only was their God; God lives in the faith of the devotee, doesn‟t He ? Khushalchandshet Marwadi One afternoon Baba told Dixit : “Take a tongaand go to Rahata and bring back Khushalbhau.” “Tell him that it has been a long time since I met him, so I have a desire to see him. Tell him that Baba is calling you to meet Him.” Will be continued…
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The Self realized one is always without ego.
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SHRI SAI NATH STAVAN MANJARI (A Humble Tribute of praise by Dasganu Maharaj)
(Translated from the marathi by Smt.Zarine Taraporevala and edited by Dr. Smt.Indira Kher, Ex.Executive Editor, Shri Sai Leela Magazine)
A HUMBLE TRIBUTE OF PRAISE TO SHRI SAINATH And, since the Spirit Truly encompasses the whole world, Then, the "you and me" the duality concept, How can it possibly be entertained? Water latent in the clouds Is all the same; But when it descends upon the earth, It assumes different forms4 4.Examples brooks river springs, lakes etc.
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That which falls in the Godavari bed Is known as the (sacred) River Godavari; That which falls into a well Does not have the same worthliness of prestige.
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Saints are the river Godavari, And, you are the water in it We are the puddles , wells and lakes; That is the difference between us.
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For the fulfillments of our lives We must surrender to you, Always, with folded hands, Because you are the embodiments of piety.
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It is due to its water -bed That the waters of Godavari have become holy; Considered merly as water, I's the same everywhere everywhere.
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The bed of Godavari That is considered as truly sacred, Owes all its sanctity To the quality of the land through which it flows
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Will be continued......
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Learn and Participate
Story for this Week: “ Two Goats” A very very narrow bridge was improvised connecting two high mountain tops. The bridge was like a narrow wooden plank slung across the two mountain tops and had neither railings nor even ropes for protection. From the bridge, looking below, long way down, ran the treacherous rapids of a mighty river meandering through giant boulders. One day, a mountain goat came along and wanted to go across the bridge to the other side of the mountain. The goat started walking over the narrow bridge. Mountain goats are surefooted animals and are fearless mountain climbers. At about the same time, another goat started crossing the bridge from the other end. The two goats came face to face in the middle of the bridge. The bridge being very narrow, the two goats could not go past one another. And there was no way the goats could make about turns. There was absolutely no possibility that the goats could turn back. The second goat spoke arrogantly to the first goat: "You are obstructing my path. Get out of my way, you silly goat! I am in a hurry to go to the other side." The first goat replied: "I was first to step on to the bridge and therefore I have the right to cross the bridge first." The second goat retorted angrily: "I am the strongest goat around. I have never lost a fight with other goats. Look at my great big horns and think again. Either you quickly get out of my way or else…!" The two goats started fighting. Their horns locked and it was indeed, a strange sight to behold. High up above on a narrow bridge two goats could not come to terms with each other. They threw caution overboard and as a result there ensued a battle between two fools. Both goats lost their balance and fell to their certain deaths. After one week, by a strange co-incidence, two other goats started crossing the bridge from the opposite ends. One goat from this end of the bridge and the other goat from the other end. And the two goats met in the middle of the bridge. The first goat spoke most politely: "I beg your pardon sir! It was too late when I realised that you were also crossing the bridge from the other end. Anyway, I am much younger than you are. I have been taught by my parents and by my teachers that I must respect my elders and that we should be gentle and kind to all creatures. Furthermore, I remember the advice that when confronted with any problem, first offer a THE
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prayer to the Lord and seek His guidance. Problems and solutions always go together. Think of a bath-towel. If one end of the towel is where problems like to reside then the other end of the towel is where solutions reside. Both ends go together wherever the towel goes. Problems and solutions are inseparable. One has to merely search for the solution. I must first think about a clever solution." The second goat said: "And what might that (solution) be?" The first goat said: "Let me sit on this bridge with my head turned to one side so that you can slowly and carefully step over my back and cross over. I will then get up and be on my way." Thus the two goats crossed the bridge safely.
"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
QUIZ
Who freed Ahalya,wife of sage Gautama from her curse? Question for you ‌.
What makes you proud to be a Hindu ? share your thoughts with your other friends Send it to editor@saidarbarusa.org With a subject line: Children Section
Lord Krishna. Lord Rama. Lord Brahma. Lord Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, who killed seven of her children by drowning them in the river? Goddess Ganga. Kunti. Gandhari. Kaikeyi.
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SPIRITUAL GEMS FROM SATCHARITA ~ CHAPTER 40 Continuted from last issue‌..
Contributed by: swamy@saimail.com
Hemadpant's Shimga Dinner After this, preparations for the dinner went on and it was quite ready at noon. The Holikaworship was gone through and the leaves (dishes) were spread and arranged with 'Rangoli' marks around them. Two rows were put up with a central seat between them for the guest. All the members of the family - sons, grandsons, daughters and sons-in-law etc., came and occupied their proper seats and the serving of the various articles commenced. While this was being done, everybody was watching for the guest, but none turned up though it was past noon. Then the door was closed and chained; the anna-shuddhi (ghee) was served. This was a signal to start eating. Formal offering to the Vaishwadeva (Fire), and Naivedya to Shri Krishna were also over and the members were about to begin, when foot-steps in the staircase were distinctly heard. Hemadpant went immediately and opened the door and saw two men there: (1) Ali Mohamed and (2) Moulana Ismu Mujavar. These two persons, seeing that meals were ready and all the members were about to begin eating, apologized to Hemadpant and requested him to excuse their interference. They said - "You left your seat and came running to us, others are waiting for you, so please take this your Thing and I shall relate all the wonderful tale about it later on at your convenience." So saying one of them took out from his arm-pit a packet wrapped in an old newspaper cover and placed it on the table. Hemadpant uncovered the packet and saw, to his great wonder and surprise, a big nice picture of Sai Baba. Seeing it, he was much moved, tears ran from his eyes and hair stood on end all over his body, and he bent and placed his head on the feet of Baba in the picture. He thought that Baba had blessed him by this miracle or Leela. Out of curiosity he asked Ali Mahomed whence he got this picture. He said that he bought it from a shop and that he would give all the details about it some time afterwards and wished that as all the members were waiting for him, he should go and join them. Hemadpant thanked him, bade them good-bye and returned to the dinning-hall. The picture was placed on the central seat reserved for the guest and after the due offering of the Naivedya, the whole party commenced eating and finished it in proper time. Seeing the beautiful form in the picture everybody was extremely pleased and wondered how all this happened. This is how Sai Baba kept up and fulfilled His words uttered by Him in the dream of Hemadpant. The story of the picture with all its details, viz., how Ali Mahomed got it, why he bought it and gave it to Hemadpant, is reserved for the next chapter. Sai Ram. Here too, Baba came as Trio, He and two others (Ali Mahomed and Moulana Ismu Mujawar) but since He did not tell in the dream that He would come with two others for lunch, Hemadpant did not think of inviting them into the house for lunch! Otherwise, Hemadpant, would have probably invited them since he was well versed with Atithi dharma and Sri Guru Gita. Another spiritual gem that comes up is that for all his Guru Bhakti, Hemadpant was fairly orthodox and Baba allowed all His devotees to maintain their social customs at the same time encouraging them to look beyond those social boundaries when needed. It would have been difficult to Hemadpant to maintain his Atithi Dharma in this particular situation and
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Serve me with Love and Devotion and you will get eternal happiness. ~ Baba
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Sai, the wire-puller knew every thing and spared all concerned any embarrassment.
In other chapters of Sri Sai Satcharitra, we come across stories of Baba going ahead of Shama in the form of His portrait to Gaya and how He affirmed His identity with His photograph by assuring another devotee that He knew him from 4 years though it was that mans's first visit to Shirdi! Later, on recollecting, that person realised that he bowed to a photograph of Sai Baba in the streets of Mumbai 4 years earlier! Through many other stories, Baba showed that He was beyond all the limitations of space and time! Sai Ram. Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all Will be continued….
Quintessence from Shri Sai Baba’s Philosophy (By Late Sri Bharam UmamaheswaraRao) ~ Contribution by "Shashank"crazydiode@gmail.com, Mrs and Mr Anand
Chapter 35: The Wheel of Time and the Pangs of sorrow and Death Continued from last issue... Pujya Radhakrishna Swamiji says: God‟s law is that whatsoever a man thinks at the time of death, he gets the same body. Thus according to God‟s law, a man remembering God at the time of death may attain Him. It is full mercy because you can attain God merely by thinking of Him at the time of death. Thus either you can attain Him or get the body out of 84 lakhs of forms of lives by thinking of it. Thus by this merciful law of God, you can attain God and be free from the shackles of life and death”. Death does not solve problems of life, but it creates intricacies for the next birth. Death sends one to another state, so that one may not feel the continuity of trouble. There must be sometime between this life and the next life to come. Death is of no value for ordinary persons but for the same it is an unrevealed object. So we should not be afraid of death. We must fact death cheerfully. Human being has passed thru many births already. Therefore, human being is called Aneka-Janma Sama Siddha. After death we will enjoy the fruit of our virtuous deeds. After being purified from all sins, we will be born as human beings out of so many other living beings in the Universe. God has bestowed on us this human birth to achieve Supreme Bliss. Sukha is not different from Ananda. Sukha is a subjective experience of Ananda. Ananda is that which manifests outwardly. The source of Ananda is none else than Supreme God, who is present within every person in the form of Self, just as fire contains heat. Supreme God contains Ananda. The best of invoking Self is by contemplating meditation. Till a person develops the ability to meditate, he must live in this Jagat (world) itself by meticulously performing the duty allocated to him. Whenever a person sincerely performs his duty, he will derive happiness. Thus happiness comes in the form of material wealth, thus acquires, for obtaining spiritual knowledge, but not from material pleasures. Human life is precious.
Will be continued….
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Disclaimer: The editor does not accept any responsibility for the views expressed in the articles published. This e-magazine is intended for private circulation only. Information contained in this email is about Sri Shirdi Sai Literature and Sanatana Dharma. You have received this magazine because you are either subscribed to this directly or through one of the email groups receiving "The Glory of Shirdi Sai". To Subscribe: You or your interested friends and family members can subscribe for THE GLORY OF SHIRDI SAI by sending an email with the subject line ‘Subscribe’ to members@saidarbarusa.org. To Un-subscribe: If you are a direct member and do not wish to receive this e-magazine in future, please email to members@saidarbarusa.org with the subject line ‘Unsubscribe’. Please send your feedback to feedback@saidarbarusa.org . From the Editor’s Desk “I bow to the Primal Guru. I bow to the Guru of the ages. I bow to the True Guru. I bow to the Great, Divine Guru. Meditate, meditate, meditate in remembrance of Him, and find peace. Worry and anguish shall be dispelled from your body. Remember in praise the One who pervades the whole Universe. His Name is chanted by countless people, in so many ways. The Vedas, the Puranas and the Smritis, the purest of utterances, were created from the One Word of the Name of the Lord. That one, in whose soul the One Lord dwells - the praises of his glory cannot be recounted. Those who yearn only for the blessing of Your Darshan - Dear Sai; save me along with them”. Sai devotees may continue to write about their Sai-related activities, essays, articles or poetry and send to the email id editor@saidarbarusa.org. We shall put in our best efforts to include them in the upcoming newsletter. Unless the author of the articles explicitly instructs not to publish his/her email id, we will publish them as a matter of routine practice.
JAI SAI RAM
Publisher and Editor: Badri Narasimhan Editorial Team: Radhika Nistala, Kanchana Kumar, Sumathi VijayBhaskaran, Sneha Narasimhan Email: editor@saidarbarusa.org
BOW TO SHRI SAI ~ PEACE BE TO ALL