Discoursing during the launch of Sanathana Sarathi...
From this day, our Sanathana Sarathi will lead to victory the cohorts of truth - the Vedas, the Sastras and similar scriptures of all faiths, against the forces of the ego such as injustice, falsehood, immorality and cruelty. This is the reason why it has emerged. This Sarathi will fight in order to establish world prosperity. It is bound to sound the paean of triumph when universal Ananda is achieved.

Started in 1958, Sanathana Sarathi is a monthly magazine devoted to Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanti (Peace) and Prema (Love) - the four cardinal principles of Bhagawan Baba's philosophy. It is published from Prasanthi Nilayam (the Abode of Highest Peace) and acts as a mouthpiece of Baba's Ashram as it speaks of the important events that take place in His sacred Abode, besides carrying Divine Messages conveyed through Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

The word meaning of Sanathana Sarathi is the 'Eternal Charioteer'. It signifies the presence of the Lord in every being as the atma guiding their lives like a charioteer. It implies that he who places his life, the body being likened to a chariot, in an attitude of surrender in the hands of the Lord, will be taken care of by the Lord even as a charioteer would take the occupant of his chariot safely to its destination.

The magazine is an instrument to disseminate spiritual knowledge for the moral, physical and mental uplift of humanity without any discrimination as the subject matter discussed therein is always of common interest and of universal appeal. The fifteen Vahinis - streams of sacredness - known as the Vahini Series comprising annotation and interpretation of the Upanishads and other scriptures, Itihasas like the Ramayana, the Bhagavatha and the Mahabharata, and authentic explanations on Dhyana, Dharma, Prema, etc., have been serially published in this magazine as and when they emanated from the Divine pen of Bhagawan Baba. This magazine is published in almost all Indian languages, English and Telugu from Prasanthi Nilayam and others from respective regions. Every year Sanathana Sarathi comes out with a special issue in November commemorating the Divine Birthday. The English and Telugu magazines are posted on the 10th and 23rd respectively, of every month, from Prasanthi Nilayam. This magazine has wide, ever increasing circulation in India as well as abroad, as the study of it brings the reader closer to the philosophy of the Avatar in simple understandable language.


Prof. N. Kasturi was the Editor of Sanathana Sarathi from its inception in 1958 till he attained the Divine Lotus Feet in the year 1987. The Professor whose genius had many pens in his pocket had written on the genesis of Sanathana Sarathi in his illustious autobiography, LOVING GOD.

I got the good news pretty quick; Baba had come to Bangalore. He was staying in Sri Vittal Rao's house on the 9th Cross Road, Wilson Gardens, only five minutes away from my residence, "Ashoka" on the 12th cross. Knowing that there was a possibility of His coming to His place, I had tipped the dry cleaner, who attended to the washing and ironing of his door and window curtains, to inform me as soon as he delivered the wash to Vittal Rao. I had noticed that he had the curtains washed and ironed as part of house cleaning, preliminary to Baba's visit. When the news leaked at last, I posted the little daughter of my domestic help on a slab of stone facing his house, with directions to keep watch for a big car and an orange robe. So within ten minutes of Baba's stepping into his house, Vittal Rao was amazed to find me on his verandah! "Wait! Wait! He pleaded. But Baba spotted and came towards me with His palm ready to fall on my shoulder. "Now, you have work at Puttaparthi", he said. "A monthly magazine will start soon. Guess! How is it named?" He asked. I confessed I could not delve into His will. Yet He drew out from my reluctance a few names. "The Godward Path", "Karma Dharma", "Prema Yoga". He waved aside the titles I suggested and announced that he had decided to designate it as "Sanathana Sarathi".

 

 

That name is a clarion call. It is the conch of Vishnu, awakening the sleeping. It is the drum of Siva challenging the unruly to shed their waywardness. 'Sarathi' means 'he who holds the reins', 'Sanathana' means 'Eternal'. So, that title would announce to the world that Baba is the Omniwill, which is moulding and manipulating, since Times began, the wills of living beings from the amoeba to the astronaut. "Recognise God as the Sarathi, yield wholeheartedly to His direction, reach your Destination in good shape", was the message Baba was conveying through that Name. I was elated, elevated.

"This is the 32nd year of the Avataric Career and it is time He stood forth as the world Teacher," I said to myself, recalling His first public discourse during Dasara, 1953. It was while the Lord was the Sarathi for Arjuna that the Bhagavad Gita was conferred on mankind through him. The Lord is therefore known as Partha (Arjuna) Sarathi. Baba is now standing forth as Sanathana Sarathi the Sarathi for every one, everywhere.

A few days prior to the release of the first number of the magazine, Baba declared before a gathering on the Chithravathi sands, "The Bhagavad Gita is a guidebook, a map for the aspirant to peace and liberation. The Lord has installed Himself in every heart as the charioteer. Ask Him for the proper direction and He will answer and lead. You can hear a Gita specially designed for you, if you call upon the Lord". The "Sanathana Sarathi" was therefore intended as the "Bhagawan Uvacha" (Thus saith the Lord) for a world that has jumped the rails and is in fatal jeopardy.