Today, the Birthday of Krishna is being celebrated all over India. The Birth of Krishna took place in Mathura so many years ago; we know about it only from legends, stories, images, songs and books. None of us has experienced in this life the presence of Sri Krishna. Although He still lives in the heart of every devotee, the distance of ages makes much difference. Even in India, the sophisticated and the educated class, when you tell about Sri Krishna, will be quiet when you relate many stories of Krishna's life, like His being at many places at the same time. They will not accept that it can take place now. They will believe what has happened in the distant past; but, they will scorn at what is happening now. The things they accept happened so long ago that no one can actually prove them. We know that those things happen here and now. To me, personally, and to many of you, Sri Krishna was born on the 23rd November 1926, at Puttaparthi. Sathya Sai is the Krishna we have and know. What we have seen with our own eyes, we cannot but believe and proclaim. The impossible is becoming possible, in this twentieth century, by this Krishna.

Listen to this passage from a book: "He is the Lord Omnipotent; the Lord of all beings, the controller of all; yet, He permits Himself to be controlled by those who love Him. Not by penance; nor by austerities, nor by study is He to be attained; but, those who love Him, with whole-souled devotion find. Him easily, for, they are His; Chosen—they who have pure love in their hearts: Infinite though He is, He may be realised through Love."

When I tread this little paragraph, I thought, just as many of you now thought, that it was about Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. No, it is about Krishna. We need not change any expression in this paragraph when we try to describe Bhagawan. The greatness and glory of both are identical.

In His previous appearance, Bhagaawn came to Shirdi, no one knew from where. He never announced His place of birth or even His name. But, Bhagawan, in this birth, has selected this holy place Puttaparthi where he was born as His place of residence. Sri Krishna moved from Mathura to Brindavan and then to Dwaraka. But, Bhagawan has chosen this place itself, when any city in India, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Bombay or any place in America or any other country will place all they have at His Feet if He bestows His Grace on it. I shall be personally happy if Prasanthi Nilayam can be in America or rather, I should have said; if America can be made a Prasanthi Nilayam by Bhagawan's Blessings.