Uniting India through Love

The name Bharat is made by conjoining  the syllables Bha+ra+t. These syllables denote Bhava, Raga and Tala. Bharat is a land where everything we do, say or even think, has a bhava or emotion underlying it. Because Bharat is not just a piece of land; we address it as ‘Bharat Mata’. It is a living entity that we revere as our mother.

Indians are Bhava-Pradhan; they are basically people who think through their hearts. They value emotions. They recognise the Bhavas of Bhakti, Prema, Shanti, etc. When people share bhava (feelings/emotions) about anything personal, spiritual, religious or work related, it brings them together. Bhava of any genre is a great unifier.

Besides Bhava, here are some ‘bh’ words that also act as unifiers. They are bhojan, bhaya, bhasha, bhusha, bhraman, bhaichara, bhakti, bhajan, etc. Eating Bhojan (food) of the same kind, creates a bonhomie. Having bhaya (fear) of the same thing, results in people huddling together. Conversing in the same bhasha (language) creates bonding. Wearing similar bhusha (attire) creates a connect. Bhraman (travel) together, is a great unifying factor too. Bhaichara refers to brotherhood of man. Bhakti (devotion) brings people together like glue. And Bhajan (singing the glory of the Lord) together as a family or a community, is surely the greatest thing to create bonding.

Devotional group prayers are a well-recognised and potent method of invoking the blessings of the Lord. Group prayers are conducted by perhaps all religions of the world. Just like when it rains, the droplets of water that fall on land, get absorbed by the soil; those that fall into the rivers, join the flowing water and eventually merge into the ocean … they reach home. In the same way when people sing together with devotion and yearning, the energy created, benefits everyone. The power of collective prayer is such that it is strong enough to reach the Lord. And it even pulls along those that are lagging behind!

Bhajan singing and Vedam chanting are essential components of the nine-point code of conduct laid down for the devotees of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The 100th birthday of Bhagawan Baba was celebrated on 23 November, 2025. For those who could not visit Prasanthi Nilayam, the Janmabhoomi and Karma Bhoomi of Baba, a unique initiative was undertaken by the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust to bring Bhagawan to the doorstep of the devotees.

As a part of the sacred birth centenary celebrations, five custom made trucks, called Raths carrying the picture and Charan Padukas of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba set out from Prashanti Nilayam, Puttaparthi on Bhagawan Baba’s Aradhna Day, 24 April, 2025. They were sent in different directions to cover the length and breadth of Bharat, to spread Bhagawan Baba’s eternal message of love and service. The Raths are traversing the soil of Bharat and shall return to Prashanthi Nilayam on 23 November, 2026, the 101^st birthday of Bhagawan Baba. One of these trucks, while touring North India was in Chandigarh a few days back. We were fortunate to host the Rath at our home for half a day.

While the Rath was at our home, I was privy to the power of collective prayer, as many devotees sang bhajans and prayed together. Many times during the bhajans, my eyes welled up and I noticed that many others too were immersed in the Bhakti-Bhava. The collective love and devotion of people’s prayers perhaps moved the Lord and divine Amrit flood from Baba’s picture in the Rath! It was there for all to see and each one present was overwhelmed that the Lord's love was flowing for us all, just as ours was flowing for him. It was overwhelming to see the zeal and fervour with which not only devotees, but others too came to offer pranaams and take the divine darshan of Bhagawan Baba’s Charan Paduka.

Baba was love personified. The Sri Sathya Sai Prema Pravahini Rath embodies the endless flow of His divine love. The Rath is a divine messenger of love and unity. It carries not just an image and the Charan Padukas of Baba, but is the living carrier of His boundless Love, Unity and Compassion. It seeks to awaken unconditional love in our hearts. It is spreading the message of the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. It is uniting people through the spirit of love and service.

The Prema Pravahini’s premise is not merely to journey across the length and breadth of Bharat. Its purpose is to re-kindle the divinity immanent within each of us. It goads and guides us to rise above barriers of caste, creed, religion and language and stand together as one Divine family. This truly furthers the age old maxim of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world is one family.

In the present state of the society, it is sad that people feel divided on the basis of caste, for e.g. Brahmins, Jains, Khatris, Pandits etc. but at the end of the day, we are all the progeny of Sanatana. Sanatana is what is eternal and it is what has brought about our very existence. Baba says, “There is only one caste, the caste of humanity.” In religious or spiritual gatherings people come together in the spirit/Bhava of devotion. When people congregate with Prema-bhava or Bhakti-bhava, it is love that flows and overflows. And when human love overflows for divinity, divine love too flows. Just as the devotee is in search of God, God too is in search of a true devotee. Human existence warrants that we go about our daily work in pursuance of our education, career, home, family and other responsibilities. But if we can do everything in the awareness of God then we can experience the omnipresence of divinity.

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s most potent teachings are ‘Love all, Serve all’ and ‘Help ever, Hurt never’. The Prema Pravahini Rath’s purpose is to spread these teachings to all. Because Love transcends all boundaries and unites humanity in its purest form. If each one can imbibe these teachings and become righteous, we can hope for a better future for humankind.

Baba says, “If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in character. If there is beauty in character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.” And that is the need of the hour!

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This piece is published in The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/2025/12/12/e-paper-today-chandigarh-13-december-2025/