Many widows like Subbamma and Narasamma have been recipients of Baba’s grace. To the list of such who were entwined with Baba both in life and death must be added the name of N. Kasturi’s mother – Janaki Amma.
The very fact that a Brahmin widow like Janaki Amma, steeped in the orthodox traditions, reposed intrinsic faith in Bhagawan at a time when He was still not widely ‘accepted’ is itself a proof of her open-mindedness and receptivity. For, though Baba does not condemn any of the time-honoured orthodox conventions, He does not comment their observance either.
Baba gave expression to His affection for Janaki Amma in myriad ways. That old lady would take Baba’s Hands in her and plead, “Swami, when I close my eyes for ever, You must give me the holy water with these tender hands and reach me to salvation.”
“Oh yes! It will be so” Swami would say.
Swami, Who used to visit every house in Prasanthi Nilayam to enquire of the welfare of inmates, would deliberately by-pass Kasturi’s house, teasing the lady with the twitch of His slanted eyes.
The old lady would come running and remonstrate: “Swami, You pass by without coming to our house!”
The little Bhagawan would reply with His mischievous innocence, “I’ll come to your house only if you offer Me two aratis instead of one,” as if the arati was of any consequence to Him!
“Oh yes! I shall give you a double arati, Swami,” the lady would respond and lead the lad lovingly.
He would wander into the kitchen and open up all the food that has been cooked, “Amma” – He would say – (the Sai Mother exudes the
babe-like beauty when He calls His lady-bhaktaks as Amma-‘mother’), ‘there is so little food here. Why have you not prepared any vegetables? Eat well, Amma, eat well. I Am providing your son abundantly.” The babes’ remark used to full of parental affection.
One morning a messenger came running to Kasturi who was at the bhajan mandir at Prasanthi Nilayam. Janaki Amma had vomited once and collapsed in his house within the Nilayam precincts. At that time, Swami was in Bangalore.
All agitated, Kasturi ran to his mother. Tha Saviour Is not here, from Whose hands mother had prayed for the sacred water that would seal the cycle of births once for all.
How can He not be there? From His picture hung on the wall beside Janaki Amma, there began to pour out the gurgling Ganga.
The blessed woman cupped her palms and took the holy water in, three times. Swami took her in.
At Bangalore, Swami was humorously remarking to those around: “See! Kasturi himself in an old man. He is weeping like a child, because he has lost his mother.”
On returning to Puttaparthi, Baba started telling Kasturi, “In the bhajan hall, the vomitting…” Kasturi was about to hasten to the hall under the impression that Swami was drawing his attention to somebody vomitting in the bhajan hall just then. Baba explained, ‘Nobody is vomitting now. I only wanted to refer to the vomitting by your mother that day when you were in the bhajan hall”, and continued, ‘I wanted to give the holy water prasadam only after she had been totally cleansed, and so, I made her vomit first.”
