The atmosphere is charged with expectation. The silence is distinctly audible and there are millions gathered under one roof to create this silence. It is Darshan time. A million hearts praying in unison for succour, relief and fulfillment, in a million different ways - but to the same Lord Sai. The greatest event of the millennium is unfolding and that miracle of miracles is the transformation of hearts by the Divine Darshan.
The music starts wafting in the air and there is an excited hush - the final touches to preparations for Darshan are quickly given. Then a pillar of fire appears and a million hands fold in love and reverence. A million eyes thirst to meet that pair of Lotus eyes and a million heads stretch to offer a letter or to touch those covered pair of feet that never seem to touch the ground. Like music He also comes wafting in the air - closer and closer, engulfing each and everyone with His aura of love and peace.
A million souls are satisfied to the very core. The Shiva-Shakti Avatar reveals His divinity so subtly. One hand, delicately holding the robe, like Parvati and the other, controlling a million galaxies, by merely waving it in the air. He walks clouded in an aura of mystery but then revelations are frequent. A mere wave of hand and the secret of creation - The Will of the Creator manifests in the form of sacred ash, in the form of precious gifts of various kinds. Darshan is going on.
He stops and turns to a particular side - the hands raise above the heads to gather the rays of grace that are emanating. A creation for a needy and deserving devotee. The claps and cheers pound like mighty waves of a sea in fury. All the faces are smiling, a few with tears, but smiling. The agitations of the mind are calmed, the diseases of the body are cured and the yearning of the soul answered - the aura of His love engulfs, soothes and cures.
Dr. Frank J. Baranowski an expert in Kirlian photography said, “The most rare pink aura signifying selfless love extends thirty to forty feet around Bhagavan Baba. There is no greater miracle ever seen on Earth than this miracle of one man giving so much Love to so many people.” He saw that the love energy of Bhagavan soothes and calms the bodily and mental agitations of people represented by red auras around them. Seeing this phenomena, he added, “I have given over six thousand lectures in front of the most well known men on this Earth - but today as I stand before Bhagavan Baba, my feet tremble.” Do we realise the great value of this most precious gift of Darshan?
Let me elucidate and elaborate to a small extent why it is called a gift. You might say that this chance of having His Darshans has come your way due to the merits of good deeds done in this and past lives, but be assured that Bhagavan has said - “All your good deeds and their merits in any number of previous lives give you the opportunity to have only the first Darshan of Mine. Every next Darshan is My gift of grace to you.” All those who have had more than one Darshan of the Lord should be grateful to Bhagavan for this most precious gift.
And how many miracles take place during the course of Darshan, we can never estimate. Of all the miracles the greatest is the miracle of the transformation of the heart. Let me narrate a small incident.
Bhagavan had visited Delhi and was giving Darshan at Golf links. One of our teachers, now teaching in Brindavan, wanted to have Bhagavan’s Darshan and the means of commuting was a three-wheeler. These three-wheeler drivers are known for their habit of overcharging and arguing and thus troubling commuters. This teacher had to just say ‘Golf links’ and this auto driver started talking as if he knows everything about Bhagavan. “He is God sir, I can tell you. You are lucky to be going to His Darshans. Yesterday I had gone there to leave a passenger and had His Darshan from a distance. My heart moved in seeing His Divine form and in my heart I confessed that I cheated innumerable clients and seeking forgiveness, vowed not only to stop cheating but also give up smoking which is a bad habit.” This is the transformation that one Darshan of Bhagavan brings about.
We, the students of Bhagavan, are the recipients of sumptuous spiritual feasts during Darshans. A look, a loving pat, Padanamaskar or ‘Prasadam’, form the menu of this feast every day and sometimes a feigned enquiry is the excuse for Him to fill us with Divine energy. We, the sunflowers, are the blooms of the Divine garden watered with love and growing in the sunshine of His grace. We are the torch bearers to bring about a transformation of society with the energy that is given to us, nay, fed to us by Bhagavan Himself through His Darshan, Sparshan and Sambhashan - the nectarine juice of spirituality fed by Divine hands. Let me quote a small example.
Many times the Lord parts the veil of ‘Maya’ and reveals His divinity during ‘Darshan’. I recall a small incident. One day during Darshan, the Lord came close to us and said to the boy sitting next to me, “Yesterday I went into your mother’s dream. I know she is not well. I asked her not to take too many sweets.” We all were staring with wonder and delight at Bhagavan’s face. The boy immediately after Darshan went and called up home. Yes, the Lord had appeared and said the words He said He did! Many are the marvellous revelations we observe during His Darshan.
The Darshan of the Lord is not confined to Prasanthi Nilayam alone. Bhagavan is giving Darshan to many all over the world and I have had the fortune of listening to many such instances in the very presence of Bhagavan. Once, before I had joined this wonderful and unique Institute of Bhagavan, I was taking rest on a cold Sunday morning in the balcony of my house. As I leaned against the wall, I fell asleep. My elder sister called my name and ordered me to fetch a pillow for her from inside. Lazily I went inside and was about to pick up the pillow, when I was awakened by the very odour of Vibhuti signifying Bhagavan’s presence. “Bhagavan is here”, I said to myself. As my eyes spread wide I saw the pillow and bed sprinkled with Vibhuti. At that moment, in a flash I recalled the dream, which I was having during the short nap outside - Bhagavan was lying down on the bed with His head on the pillow and resting as if in His own house. Of course, the whole Universe is His mansion. This was one ‘Darshan’ I would always remember. Such Darshans of Bhagavan are at times more real that the physical Darshans. Let me give an example I have been an eyewitness to.
My aunt, who lost her young son in America, was inconsolable. By Bhagavan’s grace, she agreed to our request to come and have Bhagavan’s Darshan. She wanted Bhagavan to bless her by keeping His hand above her head and granting Padanamaskar. It did not happen while she was physically here, though by a mere look for a fraction of a second Bhagavan filled her with bliss and joy. The day she landed back in America, Bhagavan often came into her dreams granting her the Padanamaskar and keeping His hand on her head the way she desired. Her family members laughed and said, “You think of something - it happens in your dream. This is not spiritual but a psychological phenomenon.” The same day the Lord appeared in her dream and said, “What you see with open eyes is a dream, but My giving you Darshan in your dream is unquestionable reality.” Darshan can thus be in dreams as well as the three stages of waking, sleeping and deep sleep that are mere playgrounds of the Lord. Let us realise the value of His Darshan and get maximum benefit from it and become able instruments in His Divine hands.
Source: Sai Nandana 2000 (75th Birthday Issue)
The music starts wafting in the air and there is an excited hush - the final touches to preparations for Darshan are quickly given. Then a pillar of fire appears and a million hands fold in love and reverence. A million eyes thirst to meet that pair of Lotus eyes and a million heads stretch to offer a letter or to touch those covered pair of feet that never seem to touch the ground. Like music He also comes wafting in the air - closer and closer, engulfing each and everyone with His aura of love and peace.
A million souls are satisfied to the very core. The Shiva-Shakti Avatar reveals His divinity so subtly. One hand, delicately holding the robe, like Parvati and the other, controlling a million galaxies, by merely waving it in the air. He walks clouded in an aura of mystery but then revelations are frequent. A mere wave of hand and the secret of creation - The Will of the Creator manifests in the form of sacred ash, in the form of precious gifts of various kinds. Darshan is going on.
Dr. Frank J. Baranowski an expert in Kirlian photography said, “The most rare pink aura signifying selfless love extends thirty to forty feet around Bhagavan Baba. There is no greater miracle ever seen on Earth than this miracle of one man giving so much Love to so many people.” He saw that the love energy of Bhagavan soothes and calms the bodily and mental agitations of people represented by red auras around them. Seeing this phenomena, he added, “I have given over six thousand lectures in front of the most well known men on this Earth - but today as I stand before Bhagavan Baba, my feet tremble.” Do we realise the great value of this most precious gift of Darshan?
Let me elucidate and elaborate to a small extent why it is called a gift. You might say that this chance of having His Darshans has come your way due to the merits of good deeds done in this and past lives, but be assured that Bhagavan has said - “All your good deeds and their merits in any number of previous lives give you the opportunity to have only the first Darshan of Mine. Every next Darshan is My gift of grace to you.” All those who have had more than one Darshan of the Lord should be grateful to Bhagavan for this most precious gift.
And how many miracles take place during the course of Darshan, we can never estimate. Of all the miracles the greatest is the miracle of the transformation of the heart. Let me narrate a small incident.
Bhagavan had visited Delhi and was giving Darshan at Golf links. One of our teachers, now teaching in Brindavan, wanted to have Bhagavan’s Darshan and the means of commuting was a three-wheeler. These three-wheeler drivers are known for their habit of overcharging and arguing and thus troubling commuters. This teacher had to just say ‘Golf links’ and this auto driver started talking as if he knows everything about Bhagavan. “He is God sir, I can tell you. You are lucky to be going to His Darshans. Yesterday I had gone there to leave a passenger and had His Darshan from a distance. My heart moved in seeing His Divine form and in my heart I confessed that I cheated innumerable clients and seeking forgiveness, vowed not only to stop cheating but also give up smoking which is a bad habit.” This is the transformation that one Darshan of Bhagavan brings about.
We, the students of Bhagavan, are the recipients of sumptuous spiritual feasts during Darshans. A look, a loving pat, Padanamaskar or ‘Prasadam’, form the menu of this feast every day and sometimes a feigned enquiry is the excuse for Him to fill us with Divine energy. We, the sunflowers, are the blooms of the Divine garden watered with love and growing in the sunshine of His grace. We are the torch bearers to bring about a transformation of society with the energy that is given to us, nay, fed to us by Bhagavan Himself through His Darshan, Sparshan and Sambhashan - the nectarine juice of spirituality fed by Divine hands. Let me quote a small example.
Dr. Deepak Anand with Sri Sathya Sai in Kodaikanal (2005)
One day some students and I had the opportunity to sit at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan and in some context Bhagavan made a certain revelation that I believe is the quintessence of all spirituality - the direct flight to the heights of divinity. The Lord said, “Believe Me or not, I am always happy for I see Myself in everybody. You are God. You are God. You are God. If you also see God in everything and everyone, you also will be Blissful.” The greatest lesson taught in the simplest of words!Many times the Lord parts the veil of ‘Maya’ and reveals His divinity during ‘Darshan’. I recall a small incident. One day during Darshan, the Lord came close to us and said to the boy sitting next to me, “Yesterday I went into your mother’s dream. I know she is not well. I asked her not to take too many sweets.” We all were staring with wonder and delight at Bhagavan’s face. The boy immediately after Darshan went and called up home. Yes, the Lord had appeared and said the words He said He did! Many are the marvellous revelations we observe during His Darshan.
My aunt, who lost her young son in America, was inconsolable. By Bhagavan’s grace, she agreed to our request to come and have Bhagavan’s Darshan. She wanted Bhagavan to bless her by keeping His hand above her head and granting Padanamaskar. It did not happen while she was physically here, though by a mere look for a fraction of a second Bhagavan filled her with bliss and joy. The day she landed back in America, Bhagavan often came into her dreams granting her the Padanamaskar and keeping His hand on her head the way she desired. Her family members laughed and said, “You think of something - it happens in your dream. This is not spiritual but a psychological phenomenon.” The same day the Lord appeared in her dream and said, “What you see with open eyes is a dream, but My giving you Darshan in your dream is unquestionable reality.” Darshan can thus be in dreams as well as the three stages of waking, sleeping and deep sleep that are mere playgrounds of the Lord. Let us realise the value of His Darshan and get maximum benefit from it and become able instruments in His Divine hands.
- Dr. Deepak Anand
Student and Research Scholar (1997-2004); Currently, Assistant Professor
Department of Management Studies
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning
Prasanthi Nilayam Campus
Sairam,Sir u r really a good SPIRITUAL ORATOR. HEARD U IN 2008,in LECTURE HALL, NEXT TO BOOK STALL,@ASHRAM,WAS TOO PLEASED. THE WAY U INTERACTED WITH THE YOUTHS OF OUR STATE,IN A VERY CONVINCING MANNER,EVEN I HAVE UR VIDEO-COVERING THE LIVE SESSION OF PARTHY YATRA, VIDEO SHOOTING DONE BY ME.HOPING TO LISTEN MORE FROM U IN FUTURE.EVEN DONT MISS U TO HEAR U ON RADIOSAI
ReplyDeleteHello Sairam Deepak
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful to read the experiences. Your talk at our Sai Sahara Samithi, Chennai is still in our memories and anxiously looking for your visit,
In Sai Seva,
Ravikumar, Convener, Sai Sahara Samithi
+919789096310
Sairam,
ReplyDeleteWe have heard you on Radiosai. It is a pleasure to hear you, always. Very nicely written here too....you bring Swami closer to us, and that is the role Swami has given all of you.
Sai ram. Good one. I also did a blog on the divine darshan after the Mahasamathi and it can be read at http://chapter18.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/the-joy-of-resurrection/
ReplyDelete