For the past two days, chandan has been appearing in streaks on Swami’s pictures. The fragrance of chandan also came during the yagna that we performed.
Swami asked me to speak about chandan in satsang…
“Chandan is an auspicious pooja article along with kumkum and turmeric. A piece of chandan lends fragrance to those hands that extract the paste. This is the lesson we should learn from the chandan; we should only do good, even to those who may trouble us. A stick of sandalwood loses its form and becomes fine dust when it is powdered. In the same way, we must live for God and help others sacrificing our ego.
A man who does not know the value of sandalwood would use it as fuel for fire.
Another, who knows its worth, uses it in the yagna and makes it a sacred offering to the gods.
In the same way, this birth is not for worldly living; it is for attaining God. Each and every one should make their life a yagna, an act of self-sacrifice. We should make ourselves empty of all desires.
If we do this, we will become like the chandan which Swami will take and apply on His body.
The life and heart of such a soul will be cool and fragrant like chandan.
In weddings, chandan plays an important role. After the engagement, the bride’s father and the groom’s father apply sandal on each others arms. The inner meaning for this is that both families will be together in pain or pleasure. They say, ‘in times of sorrow we will be together, cooling and soothing like chandan, in times of joy we will share our happiness and spread the fragrance like chandan’.
The moon and the chandan are cooling in nature. Both kindle pangs of separation in separated lovers and enhance their joy when they meet.
Last year, during Purattasi Poornima my body burned due to pangs of separation. Chandan was applied to my body.
This year at the same time, Swami said that He is suffering and chandan appeared on His picture. I told the ashramites, “There is no one to apply chandan on Swami; He has had to apply it on Himself!”
Sri Vasantha Sai Amma
Om Sri Sai Vasantha Saiesaiya Namaha
