Divine Inspiration – By Katta Bhaskar

It has been many years since I left the portals of my Alma Mater; but to my mind it seems as if it was just yesterday. The wonderful times spent at the Lotus Feet come flooding by. I was a student of the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School from the 8th standard. During those days of innocence and ignorance, I knew neither the significance of His Touch nor the glory of His Love. But each day unveiled beautifully His Grandeur and as I eventually passed out of the Institute, I knew that I had seen God and even touched and spoken to Him. 

Today as I stand amidst the chaos and the competition, His words emanating from the enchanting edifices of my memory, show me the path towards peace and satisfaction. Each incident in my corporate life revealed His Omnipresence. Each project proved the power of prayer. During every extra hour that I spent toiling in those abandoned office floors, I knew He was gazing at me. During those heated discussions in the board rooms, I knew He was gazing at me. During those unending hours of anguish and anxiety in the battle of survival, I knew He was gazing at me. His gaze showed the light when I thought I was engulfed by the cruel darkness of hopelessness. His bosom held me safe when I was crashing into the abyss of compromised corporate principles. 

We, a group of 4 students from the 1993 batch of the MBA joined a multinational organisation. We wanted to climb the ladder of corporate hierarchy. But our experience mocked our dreams and provoked us to shatter the aspirations. It was then that He spoke through the silent postures of His photographs. He gave us the inspiration through those fallen flowers and blessed us in the silence of the dream world. In return we exhibited Him in our simplicity, sincerity and willingness to put in additional effort. We spoke of His Love through our patience and understanding. We spoke of His Compassion through our silent Seva activities. Time passed agonizingly. But as life at Puttaparthi taught us, we stopped aspiring for the flirting corporate glory and focused more on the assignments at hand. Results were immaterial and all that we cared for was His Smile and the acknowledging nod in our dreams. Needless to add, the accolades came tumbling down and elevated us to coveted positions in the company. 

During those initial days, our softness and empathy awarded us sympathized looks and mocking smiles. In deep contrast, the aggression of my colleagues was admired and rewarded. The long run had a different story to tell. People realised the power of our simplicity and the strength of compassion. Superiors and peers were touched by our concern and we turned out as the glowing examples worthy of emulation. It was then that I realised that our MBA provided the impetus for this human face of Management. Humility, which once seemed to be a sign of weakness emerged to be the hallmark of greatness. 

I know that every sign of appreciation, every word of praise and every pat that I receive today is because of an Entity that knows more about me than I know about my own self. He took me into His care and embellished my existence with His Love. From ignorance He chiselled light, from the bounded He created boundlessness and from transience He created eternity. All that I can do today is to be a channel of the Divine Love that He yearns to share with everyone in this creation. 

Lord I seek neither name nor any credit; I seek only a loving glance,

Lord I seek neither reward nor any record, all I seek is your smile.

Let me be a grain of sand as You step and pass by,

Let me be a tear drop that You see and melt,

Let me be a flower that is worthy of Your Feet,

Let me be nothing that You touch and create everything from… 

- Katta Bhaskar

Student (1983-1993), Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

Currently, Regional COO, ANZ Bank, Singapore 

Source: Fragrance 2005