The Flood of Love
This is a transcription of the talk delivered in the Divine presence of Bhagavan Baba by Sri Hemant Kumar, a student of Swami’s Institute
Bhagavan narrated this experience, which happened 30 years ago. A devotee from East Godavari had come to Bhagavan and prayed to Him to come for a house warming ceremony—the graha pravesham.
Swami consented to the devotee’s prayer and fixed a date when He would be there. He even said, “I will be there on that day at 9:00 a.m.” Given this divine assurance, the devotee made all the accustomed preparations for Bhagavan to visit his home in East Godavari [Southern India]. As usual, the yearly rains came and played havoc with the lives of the people. And that year, too, a cyclone hit East Godavari. As the Godavari River began to swell, so, too did the hearts of the devotees with prayer. But God had given them His word and assured them that He would be there; and they had belief in that.
Swami says, “There may be people who suffer because they do not have faith, but there is no one who will be let down if he has faith.” Based on this assurance, they made ready to receive Bhagavan in East Godavari.
With all this going on, unmindful of what transpired between God and His devotees, nature continued to pour down relentlessly on East Godavari. The only connection East Godavari had with the rest of the world was the old bridge at Rajahumdry. For obvious reasons, the district officials closed the bridge and no transportation was now possible across the river.
But Bhagavan had said He would go. And so, on the due date, He set forth with a few dignitaries to East Godavari. When they approached the river, it was in full spate. The district officials tried to dissuade the party from attempting to cross the bridge.
They insisted that Swami had to give a declaration that He is taking the journey at His own risk. Consider the irony of the situation where God had to assure them of what He does.
Bhagavan wrote there: “Nothing will happen to anyone who is with Me!” Who can give this assurance except the Lord of the universe? A small boat was arranged to ferry Bhagavan across to the other side, and it was in such a position that it had to go under the bridge to reach the far shore.
The devotees gathered on either side of the river to see what would happen. By now the water level had risen so high that when the boat reached the bridge it was lashing the roof and there was absolutely no space for the boat to pass beneath it. The people waited eagerly and anxiously, wondering what would happen.
Bhagavan instructed the people in the boat, “Close your eyes. Do not watch what will happen.” Then, in a fraction of a second, the boat suddenly disappeared and appeared on the other side!
Imagine the roar of the devotees on both sides drowning out the roar of the river. The joy that surged through their hearts was greater even than the flood arising from the Godavari River. And as promised, Bhagavan reached the home at exactly 9:00 a.m. During a public meeting He said, “When I came as Rama, the ocean gave way; it had to give! When I came as Krishna, [river] Yamuna gave way! When I came as Sai, what is [river] Godavari?”
This Lord of Puttaparthi will never give you up—He will never forsake you. This ocean of mercy will take you by His hand and guide you across. You will never be abandoned. Bhagavan speaks of faith as a fire. Small fires are easily put out by the slightest wind; so are small faiths by the slightest winds of doubt. Our faith should be like that of a forest fire. Oh Lord, let this faith that You instill in us light the lamps of love in our hearts so that it dispels darkness, ignorance, and slothfulness.
~Sri Hemanth Kumar
Source: Heart to Heart, May 2006
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