It was a bright sunny morning. We had all just settled on the portico for Swami’s Darshan. The rustle of His rob and a sweet scent announced His Divine Presence. To my delight I was called for an interview with my parents. Before continuing this incredible course of events I would like to give a sort of personal background.
I was a very spoilt boy indulging in drinking, movie going, and all other ‘modern’ behavioural attitudes. In terse notes, I would like to say that the entire family believed in Swami except me. When we came to Prasanthi Nilayam in 1980, my brother got admission in the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and we began to get Swami’s physical grace for the first time. As usual Swami poured His love on us. Even then I did not realise the value of His Divine grace. All my natural instincts turned lovingly towards the enchanting person but all my weaknesses and worldly habits turned me away from Him. I still lacked the moral fibre to transform myself. My not believing was indirectly untrue as I was always scared that He would reveal my nefarious doings. In fact, I both loved and dreaded Swami’s interview, the former as I enjoyed His grace and the latter due to my guilt. In fact I wanted to get away from Puttaparthi and I wanted to avoid joining Swami’s School. But Swami’s infinite mercy and grace did not abandon me to the jaws of the world. At this juncture I would like to continue the narration.
We all went inside with bated breath and beating hearts. As usual groups of devotees were taken by Bhagavan, into the inner interview room. Our chance also got over and Swami moved to distribute Vibhuti packets. Suddenly He halted and the expression on His countenance changed from motherly love to fatherly sternness. He beckoned me back into the inner interview room alone! My hands could not stop shaking and my heart beat raced beyond the range of my E.C.G. scale (Electronic Cardiogram). He was already seated and commanded me to sit at His Lotus Feet and do His Padaseva. I did His bidding, sweating profusely. My heart beat enough to rival any machine gun anywhere in the world. Then He asked me a question, “Do you believe in Swami or not?”(By now it had become a choice between wanting to believe in Swami or not). He then gave me an undeniable and incredible proof of His omnipresence, of which even my own mother did not know. He told me how, utilising my pocket money, I had gone to Hindi movie show, instead of attending school. He even told me the name of the film I had gone to, the name of the friend with whom I had gone, Sarabjit Singh, and even the amount of money I spent on ‘Samosa’ during the interval which was incidentally Rs.10/-. This revelation jolted me into the realization of my aimless derogatory living and opened new vistas of a happy, joyful life, in which I have made and making sincere effort to transform myself.
At the end I would like to pay my obeisance to our creator Swami, who takes so much pain to transform us, the one who do not realize His value and who are blind to His repeated eye-opening experiences. Let us all pray to our Mother Sai to shower Her love and grace on us and to our Father Sai to keep us in the path of His ideals.
- Bharat Dutt
Alumnus and Former Faculty Member,
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning
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