Sai—Our Redeemer
C. Phalguna hails from Chennai. His family has been associated with Bhagavan for more than five decades. He is currently studying in the second year B.Com. (Hons.) class.
Why does God descend on earth? God’s descent is for the ascent of man. The purpose of life is to learn how not to be born again. The advent of an Avatar acts as a great catalyst in turning souls to the godward path of wisdom and devotion and also guiding them to attain the final consummation. He bestows on us not only life but also a way of life that propels us toward our redemption.
I was blessed to be born in a god-loving family that had endeared itself to our Lord and had been a recipient of His bountiful grace and love. Swami is always with us, in pleasure and in pain, in life and beyond. This incident concerns my grandfather, Sri. G. Venkatamuni. In May 1966, Bhagavan had come to Madras and was staying at our house. Swami had decided to take my grandfather and my father to Kodaikanal along with Him. The entire group had a blissful stay in the hills of Kodaikanal with Swami. Later, Bhagavan decided to return to Madras via Madurai. They traveled from Kodaikanal to Madurai by car and arranged for an overnight stay in Madurai.
On June 13, 1966, after dinner, we were all assembled on the terrace along with Swami. Suddenly, my grandfather got up and told Swami that he was not feeling well. Swami told my grandfather to sit on the bed and He also sat alongside him. Swami told him to lie down and keep his head on His lap. My grandfather hesitated, but Swami pressed my grandfather’s head on to His lap and assured him, “Do not worry.” My grandfather placed his head on Bhagavan’s lap and breathed his last, thereby merging with the Lord. It is said that one’s entire life is a preparation for the moment of death; how we are born is not as important as how we die. My grandfather had the greatest good fortune of dying on the lap of the Lord of the universe. Even King Dashratha, the father of Lord Rama, did not get this blessing. Only a chosen few get such an end.
That same night, Swami left for Madras, along with my grandfather’s body. My father was just 13 years old at that time. Swami sat next to my father in the car so that he would not feel mentally depressed. The next day they reached Madras. For the next 12 days Swami stayed with our family and left only after the funeral ceremonies were over. Such is the love of our compassionate Lord for His devotees. I feel grateful that God had allowed me to take birth in such a noble family steeped in devotion to Him. After my grandfather’s death Swami commented, “Such a death was not granted to anybody in the past nor will it be given to anybody in the future.” My grandfather had the greatest of ‘anaayasa maranam’ i.e. blissful death leading to sayujya, merger with the Divine.
“Why fear when I am here,” declares Bhagavan. This is not an empty assurance. It is being proved time and again by the experience of thousands of Swami’s devotees all over the world. In the early 1970’s, when one day my father was going to college by scooter, a car collided with his scooter and he was thrown off onto the pavement. My father did not remember exactly what had happened after the collision. He just found himself sprawled on the pavement with only some minor injuries. My father was convinced that it was only due to the invisible protective hand of Bhagavan, that he did not suffer any major injuries.
The very next day, unexpectedly we received a communication in the form of a letter from Bhagavan conveying His blessings and reassuring us of His divine proximity. In those days a letter from Prasanthi Nilayam used to take a minimum of four to five days to reach Madras. However, Bhagavan’s letter reached us in just one day. This miracle reminded us that our divine mother Sai is always there with us, in us, around us, and ever protecting us.
Swami is our protector at the time of calamities. He is ever ready to take upon Himself the pains of His devotees and save them from calamities. My uncle had gone to Brindavan to have Bhagavan’s darshan [sight of a holy person]. While talking to him, Swami asked him to touch His hand. My uncle was alarmed to find that Bhagavan’s hand was burning hot. Bhagavan in His mercy revealed to my uncle that He had just then saved the life of his mother.
Later my uncle contacted my grandmother and inquired about the incident. My grandmother was performing her daily puja [worship] when her sari came in contact with the lighted lamp and instantly caught fire. Her frantic efforts to put out the fire were in vain, but suddenly, to her surprise, the fire was extinguished. This is what Swami had meant when He had spoken to my uncle! The ever helping ‘abhaya hasta’ [blessing to remove fear] of Bhagavan had performed the miracle of saving her.
To earn Bhagavan’s grace we must have firm and unconditional faith in Him and also cultivate pure love toward Him. Swami is like our own family member and without Him our life will come to a standstill. Our life has no meaning without Bhagavan’s presence. ‘Without Swami, life is a hopeless end. With Swami life is endless hope.’ Come what may, we must hold on to Swami and love Him from the bottom of our hearts. Only by following His teachings and by our good conduct can we offer our gratitude to Him.
~C. Phalguna
Source: Hridaya Brindavan 2005
