Did you try this combo?

I love singing to Him. That's the best thing I can think of doing at anytime. And when I sing, I want to know that He hears me.

From past one week, I have been staying in a friend's room. The room did not have any pic of Baba. But then, I felt like singing. And I started singing one of my favorite songs from Sri Sathya Sai Geetamulu. It goes like, "Chenthacherchavelanamma Shiva thaayi, Naa chintha dheerchavelanamma Shiva thaayi". It means,

Take me near, Shiva thaayi
Why don't You make me happy?

This song is composed by an old devotee of Swami called Sri Rama Sharma. He was neither a poet nor a musician, but became both when Baba touched him. When Rama Sharma used to struggle to get an idea for his song, the Supreme Poet Baba would come and write the first two lines for him and then say, "Continue from here..." and then a beautiful song used to flow from his pen.

And when he sang it, it used to fall into a mellifluous Raga, though Rama Sharma had no classical music knowledge at all. Does the CD player need to know music to play the CD placed in it?

This song is one of those which had a heart-touching tune and words. I started singing and looked around for Swami's presence. Now this room is not mine, but still I was searching for His traces. And...lo and behold, this pic was there right in the cupboard :)



Let me explain the beauty in His response. The song aptly addresses Swami as "Shiva Thaayi". Thaayi means Mother. So, Shiva thaayi means calling Swami as an embodiment of both Shiva and Shakthi! And that He is anyway. The beautiful thing here is, He appeared to me exactly in the same way I addressed Him - as Shiva and Shakti OR Shiva Thaayi. Not in His usual Manamohana red robed Form!

Yadbhaavam Tadbhavathi.

In 11th century, Annamayya sang,

Thalathuru mimu saivulu - thagina bhakthulunoo shivudanuchu
Sarinennuduru shaaktheyulu shakti roopu neevanuchu

Those Shaivaites and devotees alike, think of You as Shiva
And the worshippers of Shakti, say You are the embodiment of Shakti
Whatever...You take that Form, which they love to see You in!

After a gap of 9 centuries, I verified this statement, but with a slight variety. I tried a combintation of both the choices (Shiva, Shakti). And so He appeared. :)