Sri Sathya Sai: The Divine Destination – By Dinesh Bhatija

Dinesh Bhatija with Sri Sathya Sai in the Sai Kuulwant Hall

Even before one ventures into trying and conveying to the reader his thoughts, and feelings about the Lord of contemporary times, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the writer is assured of one thing, that the author is a total and complete failure. Hence the reader is requested not to blame the author either for inadequacy of his literary skills or for his limited perception and understanding of the Lord. I pay my humble and loving salutations to the Lord who is beyond the strongest and smartest brains, bigger than the biggest, lighter than the lightest. 

However on deep examination we find that our Swami’s creation i.e. the universe is completely symmetrical .There is bad and there is good. There is heat and there is cold. Similarly our incomprehensible Lord can be conquered in full by tapping on his weakness- a heartfelt prayer. The Lord is always hungry for a little bit of love. Yes, a little bit of pure love and is helplessly conquered. 

 The devotee now says, “Lord your time is up. You are now mine.” The Lord with open arms, beaming smile and with a twinkle in his eyes says, ”Oh! how long I have waited for this moment. Come take me.” There are tears in the eyes of the Lord and the devotee as well. There is peace. There is joy and continuous overflow of tears in the embrace which follows, for the desperate one has now reached the Divine destination. 

Bhagavan embraced our family when my aunt who was a six year old girl then, was born as a victim of  the deadly disease, polio. The best of the doctors employed their every bit of medical knowledge but, her body wouldn’t respond to any kind of treatment and the mortal medical experts gave the verdict that she would remain a dwarf for life. She was given polio boots and had to frequently change them so as to be able to walk. Her life was in utter shambles. 

In the desert of utter hopelessness there appeared the oasis of hope. A ray of light shone in the dungeon of darkness when my grandparents came to know about Him, Sai Baba of Puttaparthi. A series of dramatic events followed. In those days there used to be a handful of people who used to come to Prashanti Nilayam for Darshan. The Lord arrived in all His splendour and majesty. When my grandmother mentioned about the little girl’s disease, He just waved His hand, materialized Vibhuti and asked the girl to mix the Vibhuti with oil and apply it on her legs, and she would be alright. 

The many trophies and cups which she won for standing first in various running race competitions and sprints conducted in the school bore testimony to the gracious cure effected by the Lord. The disability had disappeared. She was cured in a matter of days!

The Divine glory of the Lord is unstoppable. Similarly my pen is unstoppable when I wish to write about another of His “Visiting Cards”. 

Sri Sathya Sai blessing Dinesh with a ring

My uncle a workaholic man had gone out for work at six am in the morning. He was riding the bike at top speed. He collided against a boulder. His tongue was completely severed except for a small portion that hung to the corner of his mouth. 

The doctors stitched the tongue back to shape but said that they were uncertain about his power to speak ever again in his life. However one person seemed certain that he would speak, my grandmother, as she had deep rooted faith in Bhagavan. 

The family came rushing to Mother Sai who again as a solution said,”Chinta Kyon Karta Hai, Hum Hai Na” (why do you worry. I am there for you).  It was Vaikuntha Ekadashi day and Bhagavan was distributing nectar which he had materialized for the masses who had gathered at Brindavan. He gave little bit of the sweet nectar to my grandmother also. It is our duty to win the grace of the Lord for, the Lord is most compassionate. My Uncle who could not take in a morsel of food due to his damaged tongue at that time now continuously extols the glory of the Lord who granted him a new life. 

Even something as mundane as a financial problem was taken care of by the Lord. When my grandfather who was heavily in debt approached the Lord for guidance, the Lord asked him to open a manufacturing concern and even christened it as Sai Baba Industries and said, “I will take care”. Thanks to Bhagavan’s blessings, the debt ridden old man with little source of income and five children to feed owned a factory which manufactured all sorts of electrical goods ranging from ceiling fans to emergency lamps.

I would like to conclude my article by narrating an incident which testifies to the compassion and omniscience of our Bhagavan. My grandfather was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. He used to worship with utmost devotion a Shiva Lingam and would eat only after worshipping the Lingam. 

When my grandfather once knelt down at the feet of Bhagavan, the Lord said,”How can I ever forsake you who worships me every day without fail.” Bhagavan is Lord Eshwara Himself. Bhagavan entered into our family at a time when we were desperately in need of Him. He was like the wish fulfilling tree who bounteously bestowed his blessings and gave us hope and succour. But for him our family would have been lost in the labyrinth of time. He showed us the way from we to Him, the Divine Destination. 

- Dinesh Bhatija 

Student (2008-2010), Department of Management Studies

Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

Prasanthi Nilayam Campus

Currently, Financial Analyst (Treasury), Ford Motor Company, Chennai

Source: Sai Nandana 2010 (85th Birthday Offering)