The 75th birthday of Sri Sathya Sai Baba was celebrated on November 23 as a day of service and prayer, throughout the world. Hence it is an appropriate moment to dwell upon the religious savant's messages of love and duty. DR. KRISHNA RAMAN writes...

``THE PROPER study of Mankind is man''

``Hands that help are holier than the lips that pray''

- Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Standard cliches? These are eternal values (sanathana dharma) which are sorely needed today for all humanity. They need to be put into practice. There is no other personality that exemplifies this today than Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Throughout his life, Swami has only been giving and not receiving anything in return except our love. The village of Puttaparthi which was once an unknown hamlet, sports a full fledged university, a super speciality hospital, an airport and a railway station proximal to it. A second hospital is under construction in Bangalore.

The force behind this has been Sri Sathya Sai Baba. His contribution to humanity as a single person surpasses that which governments the world over have been unable to achieve. The force behind this is Love. Not love in the routinely accepted form of the word, but something really deep that radically transforms the human being.

Service to humanity has always been emphasised by Swami. This has to be spontaneous and without ego. Self-aggrandisement is to be abhorred. Swami often says that unless the ego is removed service is never sacred.

Spirituality is not separate from daily life. It is life itself, says Swami. But he also adds that there is no arrogance greater than spiritual arrogance. Swami often says that a spiritual person is a true example of mankind as compassion emanates from that being.

I had always been interested in the forces of Nature and the mysteries of life as a child. The prizes that I won in a Hindi competition when I was in school were books on Swami Vivekananda. They were very inspiring. But it was when I read Howard Murphet's book on ``Sai Baba, Man of Miracles'', that I remained spellbound and finished the book without a break.

I was really intrigued. How could a person do all this? Years later, I read his second book ``Sai Baba - Avatar''. The title was all the more intriguing. Nevertheless I was fascinated by the book and felt strongly that I had to visit Puttaparthi to see Him and if possible talk to Him.

Sure enough, I was able to make a trip and reached the place in the evening just as Swami was making his way to the men's line for darshan. I half expected to be spoken to or called for an interview. I was disappointed as this did not materialise. I stayed for a couple of days and left quite frustrated. I started making repeated trips hoping each time to be able to talk to Him. I once got a chance to give him a letter and was elated. But the frustration remained. How was I to make contact with him? Everyone said that without His will, an interview would be a far- fetched dream. This made me all the more frustrated.

This scenario carried on for years till I had the good fortune to be called for an interview along with my parents. Inside the interview room Swami was a totally different person. He knew everything about us! I am a very rational person, have read a lot on yoga and yogic powers, spirituality, the masters, etc., but this was a different experience. We got the feeling that Swami was part of our family and one of us. His knowledge of us was something natural and not like a person trying to make out another's thoughts.

The single and most important message I got out of all these trips however, was love.

Being a physician I am always acutely aware of the need for compassion and was able to feel the impact of Swami's message. I was initially drawn towards the miracles that he performs. I had seen materialisations, but was yet to see a ``major'' miracle.

This happened too. I saw a paraplegic on a wheel chair walking, after an interview with Swami. I was amazed. This was not just motivation working on a patient. This was something that defied rational medical explanation.

I got to know first hand account of students, their medical problems and miraculous cures thereof. There was the case of a lecturer who had an acid burn in his eyes twice. Even renowned ophthalmologists were of no help. Swami cured him completely. Such incidents are legion and one can endlessly discuss them.

The hospital at Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh, is unique in the world. Nowhere can one observe super-specialty care being offered free to one and all without credence to caste, creed, or economic status. Medical insurance is never a criterion here for patient care!

The messages are very clear when one observes Swami:

They are of love, duty and service to humanity that are beyond the man-made barriers of caste, creed, religion, sex, age, occupation and status in society.