Sreejith Narayan

A Sai devotee (wishes to be anonymous) who has received numerous dreams and visions on Swami's return wrote to me a few weeks ago about her dream which prompted me to draw similarities with the dream of another prominent devotee. Whenever she writes to me about her visions or dreams, I pay close attention. One reason is that Swami's presence is always felt in her house in the form of many miracles. Another reason is that her dreams are very well detailed out. Now to the dream:

"Swami has returned...I saw a huge crowd spread across green slopes of a hill...so big a crowd that Swami was not to be seen...I was searching for Swami amidst the crowd...Suddenly in the middle of nowhere where I didn’t expect, I saw Him sitting on a chair surrounded by people. I was behind Swami and He turned and looked deep into my eyes, then again He could not be seen. There were night long celebrations...Bhajans and Vedam chanting by the students echoed everywhere...all of us were singing and chanting Vedam all the time. Then I saw some kind of a hanging bridge in Parthi...Parthi was extended to the other side of the Chitravathi river...There were food counters on the other side of the river...lots and lots of varieties of food was being served...the water was crystal clear. I reached the mandir but it looked different from Kulwanth Hall...Arathi had just begun – Swami’s chair was empty and Arathi was happening...Then I noticed some more Swami’s chairs were being brought in and kept out in the mandir – I counted there were 10 beautiful chairs and I was wondering the significance of this. Then I heard Swami’s voice loudly telling me, “When I come there will be [many] Swamis – if you keep only one chair where will the other Swamis sit?” And the dream ended.

As I read through the above dream, the first thing that came to my mind was a similar dream of Dr.K.Hanumanthappa about the future of Puttaparthi. Late Dr.K.Hanumanthappa, former vice-chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai University was a distinguished scholar and has had so many wonderful experiences with Swami. In his book "Sri Sathya Sai Baba A Yugavatar”, he has explained how Swami guided him through dreams in various instances of his life. In fact, the book also mentions how Swami Himself has confirmed the authenticity of those dreams. It is also interesting to note that this book was released by Swami Himself on March 7, 2008 - Mahashivarathri day. In the chapter "Future Vision of Puttaparthi",  the author details a particular dream where Swami shows him the future of Puttaparthi (pages 165-167):

One day, in my dream, Swami started explaining how Puttaparthi will be in future. He took me to an elevated place, and from there He started showing one by one, the most important developments. Among many significant things that I saw were Swami having shifted His stay from the present Prashanthi Mandir to a palatial building on the Hill opposite to Chitravathi River. A big compound wall was being built surrounding the Hill [...] The entire compound is protected by the military with arms.

Some relevant points from the dream:

• Devotees from different countries have built colonies around Puttaparthi.
• Swami would come down the hill and cross a bridge built over the Chitravathi river to give Darshan.
• He would split Himself into multiple forms and would go simultaneously to different places for giving Darshan.
• Puttaparthi has grown to a very vibrant and flourishing city with ultra modern facilities.
• Only few selected devotees have access to meet Swami.
• Even to have a glimpse of Swami would become very difficult for devotees in the future.

Readers can easily identify the similarities between both dreams. When I wrote to the said devotee about Dr.Hanumanthappa's dream, she replied to me that she has not read his book. The future expansion of Puttaparthi is clearly evident in both dreams. There is mention of a new mandir and also about a bridge built over the river Chitravathi. In the event of Swami's return, we can imagine the crowd in Parthi; even an expanded city may not be able to hold the millions flocking into.

The time will soon come when this huge building or even vaster ones will be too small for the gatherings of those who are called to this place. The sky itself will have to be the roof of the Auditorium of the future. - Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.2 Ch.18

You will see the day when the Chithravati sands alone can accommodate the gatherings that assemble here from all parts of the world; when the sky alone can provide a roof for them all.- Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.5 Ch.11

The time is fast coming when the whole world will gather here, and you will have to struggle from miles afar to get even my Darshan. - Sathya Sai Speaks Vol.8 Ch.1

Interestingly, in both dreams we also read about Swami splitting Himself into many forms to give simultaneous Darshans. We know Swami manifests Himself in many places at the same time to individual devotees, but here we are talking about public appearances! How does that stand up to Swami's own words?

How these sound waves and these electrical waves and Jyotir power will find you in future. When Swami is just talking in the auditorium, Swami may be seen in mandir, and when Swami is in the auditorium, He may be seen in the classroom actually through His Jyotir power. - Ootacamund Summer Course, June 1976

In the years to come, you will experience me in many different manifestations of my form.  - Sanathana Sarathi, October 1996, back cover

I quote from a recent discourse. “Many events are going to take place very soon.  Many mega projects are going to come up.  The time is not far off when people will see me at different places at the same time.  I may be travelling in a car, but at the same time I shall be giving darshan at Sai Kulwant hall and at the same time I shall be speaking at the Hillview Stadium.” (David Jevons to an audience of Sai Baba devotees who were attending a Sai Summer Picnic held in Langley, British Columbia, Canada on Sunday July 9th 2000. From http://www.ramalacentre.com/newsletter09_00_01.htm)

Now on the future and importance of Puttaparthi:

Let alone America, Puttaparthi is going to be a name to be reckoned with in every major developed country in the world such as Japan, Germany, Italy, France etc. Everywhere world maps are going to mark Puttaparthi as an important location.- Divine Discourse, Prasanthi Nilayam, October 19, 1999

In the Book of Revelation of the Holy Bible there is a description of a resplendent vision of St.John in which he sees a beautiful new city descending from heaven that becomes the center of a peaceful world.

And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. - Revelation 21:2-4

St.John sees this new city from heaven where God who has descended as man would dwell in along with His people. St.John calls this city “The New Jerusalem”. The name “Jerusalem” in Hebrew literally translates as “dwelling of peace” (Ref:Wikipedia). Isn’t that the same meaning as “Prasanthi Nilayam” too? Was St.John’s vision a glimpse to the future of Prasanthi Nilayam, the abode of supreme peace? The city which Swami says the whole world will be obliged to come to? 

In the days ahead, the whole world will be obliged to come to Prasanthi Nilayam. - Sanathana Sarathi, December 1991

You will witness Puttaparthi becoming a Madhura Nagara (birth place of Krishna). No one can stop this development or delay it. - Divine Discourse, Prasanthi Nilayam, October 21, 1961

Believe me, this Puttaparthi is soon to become a Tirupathi [...] The reestablishment of Sanathana Dharma will emanate from here.- Sathyam Shivam Sundaram Part 1 Chapter 16

Interestingly, according to Hindu prophecies, Lord Kalki is expected to come in a city called “Shambala” which literally translates as "place of peace, tranquility and happiness” (Ref:Wikipedia). Let us all wait for that defining moment in the history of mankind when the heavenly city of Prasanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi where the Lord Himself is to reside would become the epicenter of a major spiritual upheaval, proclaiming the dawning of the Sathya Sai Golden Age.