An unforgettable incident

By Swamynathan S 

In exactly 45 more minutes, the clock will tick 12:00 AM and welcome our SWAMI's birthday. I had a long day, yet could not retire to sleep. Somehow, my heart was little heavy and my thoughts are kind of rolling back towards one of the greatest and moving incident that I had heard from my mother directly. The story dates back before approximately 25 years (not really sure about the exact time). My father was a government official and my mother was clerk in bank. I was in my primary school. We belonged to a Brahmin family and we respected the rituals and the 'Anitya' karmas that a family is recommended to perform. My father had never missed any of the ancestral worship that he had to do on every new moon day and a priest with name Ganapathy (Name changed for the article purpose) used to help my father with the rituals.

Nectarine Love Divine

Arun Krishnamurthy

“To Know God is to Love God”, I was taught when I was a child. For a very long time the meaning of this seemingly simple yet very profound statement kept eluding me.

Perhaps just to discover the inner meaning of this statement I was given the wondrous opportunity to study in Swami’s institution. I joined the MBA course in Prasanthi Nilayam in the year 2005. The first grace of Swami was shown to us when after a hiatus of few years he called upon the new joining MBA students to Brindavan, Whitefield. It made the feeling absolutely special for us new comers. I was totally overawed by the occasion and i saw other  students were touching Swami’s feet, holding hands and Swami was responding to all of them with such sweet smiles and talking to a few of the students. I mustered just enough courage to go and touch Swami’s hands with my two fingers and then waited to see if there was any reaction. Swami just smiled.

The Perfect Intro

By L. Abirami
(Abirami joined as a student of Swami in Class 4 in 1995 and has been fortunate to graduate with her B.Sc. in Home Science and her M. Sc. in Food Science and Technology under Swami’s direct guidance. She also has a specialization in dietetics and food service management. She combines a loving heart and genuine care for patients in her current role as dietitian in the Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital. In this article Abirami shares her experience of seeing Swami for the first time and how the Lord left an indelible mark in her life).

How did the universal lord walk in to your life??
I hear this question being posed to many people out there and each has a unique and gratifying experience to narrate. A loving glance, an electrifying look, a word of assurance, gentle touch, all perfect examples for love at first sight.

Going down my memory lane, I still remember the horror when we set out for Puttaparthi. I was barely 5 years old when one October morning my mother said we are going to see God. My heart skipped a beat, for me God was nothing but the one who watches all that we do and punishes us by burning us in big cauldrons of boiling oil. All my pranks of stealing chocolates, gooseberries and disobeying came flooding to my mind, I knew my end was near. I made a “master plan” and decided I will not show my face to God, then He will never know who I am (foolish me!)

The day arrived; we were seated on sand awaiting His arrival. There was a hush, the dharshan had begun. I behaved like a perfect ostrich dug my head down, just wanted to hide completely from Him. Within few minutes I could see an orange form standing right in front of me. I knew at that moment I was caught for the oil bath, and then I heard Him In a voice so sweet He asked why I sat with my father? Yes I knew this was the trick to see my face, stubborn me, did not lift my head in spite of everyone nudging me. After about a couple of minutes He moved away. I was in ecstasy, my master plan worked. My joy was momentary. He suddenly came back, and once again stopped, tears began to trickle down my face. I still hung my head down. All I could feel was a shower of akshatas (yellow rice grains), falling on my head and people were enthralled. Automatically I looked up; there He stood in complete splendor with the most benevolent and an enchanting smile. My joy knew no bounds. All I could think was He is a good God.

That day He made the best entry in to my life, a perfect intro, a smile and a loving look that could wash away all my fears. I recollect a poem-

“We met as strangers
Though we knew each other.
Now that I am with you,
Let your house be my Home,
Where we can share our joy forever.

Enrolling in to his prestigious institutions, studying and growing right under His canopy of love and care, each day spent has been a wonderful experience.
As a mother, ensuring that all her children was fed well. Checking on our health time and again, for the mother all that mattered was her dear ones were safe and happy.
As a friend giving small and big surprises of distributing chocolates, ice creams, torches, watches, dolls, pens, saris, it’s a never ending list of gifts with love as price tags.
As a father admonishing about low marks, to study seriously, to work hard and come up to His expectations.
As a philosopher explaining simple facts and truths about life with beautiful anecdotes. He was the perfect gift all of us could get from our parents.
We came, we saw and He conquered us.
His love fosters life, it’s the noblest gift which was and is so pure, selfless, sublime and all pervasive.
Life will have its own ups and downs; it may take a U turn or do a somersault. Whatever the situation may be with each problem we face, our faith in Him should grow stronger and stronger. Precious Swami I pray...

Oh, lord

Lead kindly light amidst the encircling gloom,
Lead thou me on;
The night is dark and I am far from home…lead me on.
Keep thou my feet. I do not ask to see, the distance scene one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou shouldst lead me on.
I loved to choose and see my path;
But now thou lead me on.
I loved the garish day, and spite fears,
Pride ruled my will; remember not past years
So long thy power hath blesseth me; Sure it will still lead me on

Rendezvous With The Divine

By Mangala Shankar

Mangala Shankar has completed her Masters in Chemistry from the Madras University in 1997 and moved to United States since 1998. She has worked in an International Organization in Quality Control for several years. Mangala Shankar has keen interest in Music and Vedam and she plays veena.  She is also a lead Bhajan singer and teaches kids with bhajans and is also an SSE Teacher.

My first darshan of Swami

This incident proves how Swami‘s omniscience and how He selects His future devotees. In May 1989, when I was in 14 years old, to spend our summer holiday we had been to Kodaikanal for a very short vacation along with my parents and my younger brother. During the course of our visit we stayed at Kodai International Hotel. We went for sight seeing the following morning. When we passed through the lake, the boatman suggested that we can have Dharshan of Swami who is visiting Kodaikanal. We thought it was good idea and then entered Sai Sruthi which is Swami’s abode at Kodai. Huge gathering of about 7000 people were then seated at Sai Sruthi to have dharshan of Swami. I was one among the audience in the crowd. I waited with much anticipation for first time, to have first glimpse of Swami. Then Swami while giving dharshan walked through the audience in the line and then Swami came near me and my mom. He was throwing chocolates all around us. In my mind, I was thinking that I should be getting the chocolate. But the chocolate fell down on the lady next to me. I felt disappointed as I did not get one. However to my surprise, the lady prompted by Swami’s will, offered her chocolate. She did not even have a bite and gave the whole chocolate to me and asked me to share with my family. This was very special incident in my life. I was blessed to receive prasadam from Divine Hands from the first visit and first darshan of Swami and Swami reading my mind. At that time I was not a Swami’s Devotee and Swami was preparing me for coming into His Fold. After 8 years of this incident, I was chosen to marry Swami’s student by Swami Himself. Swami created Vibuthi and showered His Grace and blessed my marriage. It completely transformed me to be His ardent Devotee.

 Always Being Aware of Swami’s Omniscience

Swami’s presence is not to be felt only at Parthi. I found how Swami acts remotely to show his presence. Once on our way to vacation in Durango, Colorado, we stopped at a restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, US. To our surprise, we saw Swami's picture on the wall and we felt Swami welcoming us in an unknown place it was as if He was saying, “I am here.”  We later found out that the owners were great devotees. Then we proceeded to Durango without giving much thought to Swami’s picture.

After local sight-seeing at Durango, we took a rental car and drove to Mesa Verdi, a famous archeological site. It was very scenic, high in the mountains, and a difficult terrain. We got our admission tickets and off we drove to the first site. We parked the car and my husband tried to remove the keys from the car. The ignition would not turn off. We were so tense because there were no mechanic or car shops for the next thirty miles, and we had to drive down the mountain. The panic showed on our faces.  When we sought help from the tourists, they tried in vain to help, and told us to call the rental car company.  However, there was no phone service in the mountains. We then sought help from a nearby State trooper.  He was also not able to help, but seeing that our car could move, he recommended us to drive slowly down the mountain and then seek help. With Swami’s name on our lips, we drove all the way down the mountain and then went to the rental company, but they refused to take the car because it was rented in the main airport. Finally, one tech-support person told us to drive to the hotel where he instructed us on how to remove a computer chip to turn off the car.  The car-rental company sent a replacement car from Denver the next morning.

Lesson Learnt

Well the lesson here was Swami’s word that He will take care of his devotees and will show us the path once we trust and have faith in Him. Now we remembered the picture of Swami welcoming us in that restaurant and realized that it was He who guided and protected us all the way through this ordeal and just saved our lives from the impending disaster. Swami protects us and guides us all through our life in each and every incident.