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| Jagadish with Sri Sathya Sai - Kodaikanal, May 2003 |
God calling His devotees unto Him is a fascinating and fantastic story. He calls His devotees from far-flung corners of the world in myriad mysterious ways. I would like to share how God called me and our family to His proximity. My grandfather used to pray daily for around two minutes. One Thursday morning, my grandfather observed a peculiar thing. He saw a heap of dust-like substance accumulating on a small photo of Shirdi Sai Baba kept in the altar. My grandfather asked my grandmother to clean it. My grandmother cleaned it. Next week on Thursday morning, my grandfather observed the same phenomena again. This time he was very clear this was not a usual occurrence. He told all the members of the family in the house. Soon, the word spread amongst the neighbours about this Divine miracle. One of my father’s friends had heard about such manifestations on the photos of Sai Baba.
Since then, my father started going for Bhajans to a nearby place where Bhajans were held regularly on Mondays and Thursdays. Here Vibhuti used to appear on the photos of different deities. One of the devotees there presented my father a small photo of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Very soon, Vibhuti started appearing on the photos of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba and Sri Sathya Sai Baba at our home. From then on my father began visiting Shirdi often. It was a common observation by all the members of the family that all our problems were getting solved gradually.
Now the family slowly and steadily started developing faith in Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. In the very first interview which my father got with Bhagavan, He told my father that He had seen my grandfather and mentioned that he had a very thin physique. Bhagavan further told him that one of his lungs was weak. My father had met Swami for the first time and here was Swami revealing to him the very intimate personal details of our family. A small group of people was seated inside the Interview Room. Swami created visiting cards and started giving it to all. The cards were neither more nor less, but just the exact number of the members of the group. One of the members offered almonds and cashew nuts in a bowl to Swami. Swami mixed it and started giving it to each one of them, in a ratio of two cashew nuts and one almond. At the end they all realised that the nuts in the bowl were sufficient without any left over. All of them were astounded by this miraculous happening.
Life is not as easy to live, as it appears to be. But people tend to take it very lightly. Swami has His own ways to make us realise that life is not a matter of ordinary importance but a gift given by God. Human birth is rare and unique. Swami says, “Even as birth is related to Karma, Karma to Dharma and Dharma to Brahma, so also the mother, the father, the Guru, and God are related to the individual. The mother shows the father. The father leads one to the Guru (preceptor). The Guru shows the way to realise God. All the four are fundamental to one’s life”.
Since then, my father started going for Bhajans to a nearby place where Bhajans were held regularly on Mondays and Thursdays. Here Vibhuti used to appear on the photos of different deities. One of the devotees there presented my father a small photo of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Very soon, Vibhuti started appearing on the photos of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba and Sri Sathya Sai Baba at our home. From then on my father began visiting Shirdi often. It was a common observation by all the members of the family that all our problems were getting solved gradually.
Now the family slowly and steadily started developing faith in Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. In the very first interview which my father got with Bhagavan, He told my father that He had seen my grandfather and mentioned that he had a very thin physique. Bhagavan further told him that one of his lungs was weak. My father had met Swami for the first time and here was Swami revealing to him the very intimate personal details of our family. A small group of people was seated inside the Interview Room. Swami created visiting cards and started giving it to all. The cards were neither more nor less, but just the exact number of the members of the group. One of the members offered almonds and cashew nuts in a bowl to Swami. Swami mixed it and started giving it to each one of them, in a ratio of two cashew nuts and one almond. At the end they all realised that the nuts in the bowl were sufficient without any left over. All of them were astounded by this miraculous happening.
Life is not as easy to live, as it appears to be. But people tend to take it very lightly. Swami has His own ways to make us realise that life is not a matter of ordinary importance but a gift given by God. Human birth is rare and unique. Swami says, “Even as birth is related to Karma, Karma to Dharma and Dharma to Brahma, so also the mother, the father, the Guru, and God are related to the individual. The mother shows the father. The father leads one to the Guru (preceptor). The Guru shows the way to realise God. All the four are fundamental to one’s life”.
My father used to force me to come with him to attend Bhajans. I was a child at that time. I had a tendency to sleep during Bhajans. I told my father the same and expressed to him that I did not want to go for Bhajans. He then convinced me to come with him for Bhajans and sleep on his lap. My exposure to Bhajans and music at a tender age benefited me a lot and in the ripeness of time, it enabled me to become a teacher of Tabla in Bhagavan’s Mirpuri College of Music. I had the great fortune to be with Swami as His student and become a teacher in His Music College.
Being with Swami, we learn many new things as each day unfolds. His love and concern for each one of us gives us complete nourishment to grow into a wholesome being in life. Several times, He asked me my name and enquired about my hometown to bless me with a chance of interacting with Him. Swami answered my prayers to reveal His Divinity. His every Darshan was a new learning experience for me. Having joined as a student in the Hostel for the first time, I used to ask Swami every small matter, as to what should be done and how it should be done. Once, Swami beautifully answered my prayers. During my initial days at the Music College, I used to see all students performing Pradakshina to Ganesha installed at the entrance of the Hostel and then proceed to College. I had a question in my mind whether I should do Namaskar or perform Pradakshina to Lord Ganesha. This dilemma was going on in my mind. Within a few days, Swami happened to come to the Hostel. His car entered through the Hostel gate and His car made a circumambulation of Ganesha and went back. I got my answer! This incident revealed to me that Bhagavan responds to our sincere prayers.
Being with Swami, we learn many new things as each day unfolds. His love and concern for each one of us gives us complete nourishment to grow into a wholesome being in life. Several times, He asked me my name and enquired about my hometown to bless me with a chance of interacting with Him. Swami answered my prayers to reveal His Divinity. His every Darshan was a new learning experience for me. Having joined as a student in the Hostel for the first time, I used to ask Swami every small matter, as to what should be done and how it should be done. Once, Swami beautifully answered my prayers. During my initial days at the Music College, I used to see all students performing Pradakshina to Ganesha installed at the entrance of the Hostel and then proceed to College. I had a question in my mind whether I should do Namaskar or perform Pradakshina to Lord Ganesha. This dilemma was going on in my mind. Within a few days, Swami happened to come to the Hostel. His car entered through the Hostel gate and His car made a circumambulation of Ganesha and went back. I got my answer! This incident revealed to me that Bhagavan responds to our sincere prayers.
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Jagadish Kanadia
Student (2002-2005) Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of Music
Currently, Faculty, Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of Music
Prasanthi Nilayam
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