Journey Into Light

Swami always says, “I am in you, with you, above you, around you, below you.” Swami has been with us from time immemorial, for many lives, even though we don’t know. However, when He chooses to show His presence, He does it in the most inexplicable ways. We call them miracles, but our Lord calls them His visiting cards. Every one of us has many such experiences, which stand as a testimony to how much Swami loves us, and cares for us. The following are a few experiences that took place in my family, and I am grateful to Swami for all that He has done.

It was the year 1992. My mother was 28 weeks pregnant and went into premature labor. The doctors tried to avert the delivery for the fear that the fetus would die. Vibhuti [sacred ash] was applied, and the contractions stopped. Again, at 32 weeks she was hospitalized, and they decided to deliver the baby.

The doctors administered medicines to my mother, but the fetus reacted badly to the medicine and the heart stopped beating. The baby had to be delivered immediately. My grandfather had to administer the anesthetic and my father, a doctor, had to assist the delivery as no one else was around. After two minutes, I was delivered lifeless.

My grandfather had to attend to my mother first. By that time, 40 minutes had passed since my heart had stopped beating. I was small, bluish grey in color, not breathing and without any heartbeats. My grandfather rubbed my heart and pushed oxygen into my lungs to try and get my heart beating. He was praying to Swami for help. After five minutes, he heard an inner voice saying, “Let go! What are you trying to do, create a monster in the house?” He realized what it meant, you may get the heart beating, but you cannot give life to a dead brain. My grandfather managed to get the heart beating to half the normal rate. But my body color did not change. Everyone was chanting “Sai Ram” continuously. I was kept in an intensive care crib.

My father went home, prayed to Swami, and lit an incense stick in the prayer room. Swami showed His presence there. The ash from the burnt incense stick remained stiff, without falling, in the shape of letter ‘S’. At the hospital, they could smell whiffs of jasmine around the crib.

Overnight, some ‘mysterious hand’ had pulled out the feeding tube. When my grandfather came at 5 a.m., I had no limb movement. My grandfather did not re-insert the feeding tube but took me to my mother. Miraculously I began drinking milk and my limbs began to move.

I slowly improved and went home on the fifth day. For the next few months, the CD with Swami chanting the Gayatri Mantra was played round the clock. The following week my grandfather came to Prashanti Nilayam and thanked Swami. He asked Swami to name the child as He had given the life. Swami took my photo, which was clicked when I was a few days old, and wrote ‘Sai Aditya’ on its back.

From the time I was very young, I used to feel sad while leaving Prashanti Nilayam. I used to tell Swami about this and ask Him whether I could study in His school. He would say, “Not now”. The time was not ripe.

Then in October 2003, I came to Puttaparthi with my parents for about three weeks. The day came for us to leave. We were leaving at about 5 p.m., which meant we would have to get up just before the bhajan [sacred songs]. When Swami came in His golf cart in the verandah, He signaled to my father with His hand that He would come back and see him. My father was still seated when the bhajan started. I was wondering what was going on, because sitting on the side I did not know the happenings on the verandah.

After the Aarti [waving of the flame] Swami got into the golf cart and then saw my father and asked us to go for the interview. I got up and went inside. Swami asked me if I wanted to join the school in the sixth class. I replied in the affirmative. He told me to come in the last week of May and He would make me join the school.

In April 2004, I left my school in Australia and came to Prashanti Nilayam at the end of May. Two weeks went by, but Swami did not say anything. I became very sad. One day I broke down and cried for a long time. Within a few days, on 22 June, we received a phone call saying that Swami had asked me to join the school on Monday 24 June, as it was an auspicious day. Thus, on 24 June 2004, I entered the portals of His school.

When I was in the 7th class, Swami asked my father what I wanted to do when I grew up. My father thought for a while and then said that I wanted to do medicine. Swami became extremely happy and smiled. So, it was decided that I would be a doctor. It was possible for me to do math or biology after 10th class and then do medicine. I wanted to ask Swami for guidance.

During the Sahasra Poorna Chandra Darshana Mahotsavam, I dozed off during the study hours. In my dreams, I was sitting on the stage in the stadium during the proceedings. Swami got up from His chair and walked toward me. I got up and asked Swami whether to do math or biology. Swami was about to answer when my dream abruptly ended as the teacher had woken me up. I felt a little sad but soon forgot about it.

As the New Year dawned, I decided to ask Swami as soon as possible as to what subject to take in 11th class. On the night of January 2, I had a dream. I was sitting outside when someone informed me that Swami wanted to see me. I got up and ran inside a room where Swami was seated on a chair.

This room did not look like the interview room. I asked, “Swami, math or biology?” Swami replied, “Biology”. Then Swami said something in Telugu and I told Swami, “You know that I don’t know Telugu, Swami.” Then Swami said in English that I could get better marks. So, I decided to take biology in 11th class.

These few instances show how Swami guides us in our lives always. He knows what is best for us even if we may not think so. Swami is always there to guide and help us whether it is physically or through other means. He is our best friend, and we should learn to talk to Him in heart. If we do this, He will respond, and we will be uplifted. One must not waste this opportunity to be with God. One’s life should be made such that this will be the last and he will merge back into Him.

When I was very small, Swami created a chain for me. The pendant was a leaf with an image of Sai Krishna on it. I soon started to chew the pendant as I was still small, and it developed into a habit.

However much my parents tried to stop me, I would not. One day the pendant broke off the chain. It was then that I realized my mistake, but it was too late.

In the next few interviews we had, my mother would show Swami the pendant and ask Him to fix it. Finally, Swami told me to keep it at home and told me, “Krishna is in your heart.” This teaches us that God is inside us and we need not go searching for Him. He is always within us, guiding and guarding us. Once we realize this, we will be free from the cycle of birth and death.

~N. Sai Adithya, Alumnus, Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School Prasanthi Nilayam
Source: Sai Chandana 2010