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karthika
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« on: May 13, 2011, 10:22:46 PM » |
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 By Karthika Nair~~~The never ending queue. Thousands had already arrived, adding to the thousands that had already been there. All waiting patiently. Amazingly the atmosphere was not that of gloom or distress. Swami’s ‘presence’ apparently was touching everyone in Prashanti Nilayam.
The staff, students, devotees, alike, were dealing with this HUGE blow rather well. In fact some were as cheerful as ever and others were even seen cracking jokes. Evidently Bhagawan was charging the atmosphere, so, that His loved ones would not feel the grief. He was/is very much there, as He is everywhere, as Supreme Consciousness- that we better know as God.
The Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and his wife had also reached, to pay homage to the greatest God that had ever walked the Earth. It was Sachin’s birthday. He seemed hugely moved and visibly distraught.
As I stood in line, waiting to see Bhagawan, still not accepting that He had actually gone, this time, not to come back, remembered the incident, before, my first visit to Parthi.
I was 14.The summer holidays had begun. We were in Faridabad then. I wanted to spend my vacation, or at least a part of it, at Puttaparthi. Asked Mother if I could go. Without batting an eyelid, she replied with a very firm “no” “why not?” I shot back.”How will you go alone? Dad won’t get leave now. Wait until Bhaiya (my elder Brother who had by then joined the IAF), comes home on leave. Maybe you could request him to take you. This was getting stickier and stickier. Sulked, until Dad got home from work, in the evening, to take my chances with him. No luck. If Amma had seemed difficult, Dad appeared impossible.
I was misreble.I just could not understand why I was not allowed to visit GOD. Cried myself to sleep. The next day dawned. Dad as soon as I surfaced, in the morning, asked me, when I would like to go to Puttaparthi. I stared at him, wondering if I had heard him right.
Amma had, had a dream, the previous night, as I lay in the other room, crying my heart out. Swami had come and said to her “she wants to come to me. Let her. I will take care of her” (Swami had come to our dreams several times and had even cured Mother of her cancer. More on that later.)Oh! THAT explained the sudden change! I ran to my “personal” picture of Swami’s, in my room, (I always had a feeling He listened to me more when I spoke to Him “there” than the ones at the Altar), got on my knees and wept, as I said thank-you to HIM. Little did I know then, what all was in store for me, there on. My journey with Sai, in this lifetime, independent, of the influence of my parents had begun.
The untiring seval dal ladies shook me out of my reverie…”jaldi chalo jaldi chalo”(move fast move fast),they ushered the devotees..I had some five hundred ladies ahead of me and twice that many queuing up behind me, in a matter of minutes.
All my favorite bhajans were playing and tears threatened over and over again, to let me down. And then a beautiful bhajan ‘Brahmanda Nayaka Baba, Parthi Pureeshwara Baba’ rang out and I could hold back no longer. My daughter, Karuna, took on the role of counselor. She did it quite well. I managed to check myself. Swami had not gone, I reminded myself. He would do something really big. We just had to be patient. Finally we reached near where Swami was placed, in a coffin. In my vaguest, wildest of dreams I had not imagined I would EVER see my Beloved Bhagawan like that. Golf cart- yes, car- yes, wheelchair -yes…but coffin??
The face that had shone like a thousand suns, had turned dark and lusterless, lifeless.He looked far from 86, though (or 96, actually, as per the lunar calendar) and closer to 46 or even younger, maybe. Couldn’t bear to see HIM like that and broke down, big time. A very kind young girl, a seva dal, gently took me aside and allowed me to be there till I regained my composure and was able to see Him better. I did finally make it. Determined, that Swami was only testing us, walked out of Sai Kulwanth Hall. The next day, Prime Minister, Mr. Manmohan Singh and Mrs,Sonia Gandhi would arrive.
Courtesy: http://www.indianewspost.com/lifestyle/47883-beyond_miracles.htmlJai Sai Ram
Karthika Nair is a freelance journalist and columnist. Spiritualism is her favourite subject. Besides, she writes on parenting and travel & tourism. Karthika has been an ardent devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba almost all her life and is actively into Sathya Sai activities, including being a Bal Vikas Guru to hundreds of children. She is also a reiki healer. She can be contacted at nairkarthika@hotmail.com |
Friendship is the expression of unshakable LOVE, LOVE that is noble, pure, free from desire or egoism.....Sairam  |
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