Being of squirrel service to the Lord - Arun Kharidehal's experience

When Lord Rama removed His garb of Maya for a moment

Hanuman, the mighty, had returned from his adventure in Lanka and confirmed to his Lord Rama that Sita had indeed been kept prisoner in Ravana's island nation. It did not take much time for the Lord to decide on the next course of action. But, as always, He consults with his brother Lakshmana and with the chiefs of the vanara and bear forces, Sugriva and Jambavan respectively.

The collective decision is that a plea be made to the Ocean God so that He may give way for Rama's armies to get to Lanka from the tip of the Indian sub-continent.  And so, Rama prepares to worship and seek the blessings of the ocean. Really? Does Rama, the Lord incarnate, need to do that? He doesn’t but He too becomes an actor when He descends on the world stage. As an actor, He too puts on Maya.

Maya or delusion is inextricably intertwined with the world or creation. While it is not the subject of this article to delve on what Maya is, this much can certainly be stated that overcoming this Maya is what God-realization/nirvana/liberation/fulfilment of the soul is all about. Since Maya is the nature of the dual world, it is said that even God, when He/She descends to earth, comes wrapped in Maya. A practical meaning of Maya can be derived from a beautiful statement of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba,

"Man knows little but he acts as though he knows everything; God knows everything but He acts as though He knows little."

Maya is that which makes man behave all-wise and that which makes God behave all-ignorant. However there is a difference here - while Maya controls man, God controls Maya. God allows Maya to seem as if it is in control so that man can feel kinship with Him. That kinship then grows into devotion which finally leads to the realization of oneness with the Creator. Then, there is no more Maya because there is just One! And so, blessed are those moments in History when the devotee is humble and when the Lord is majestic because these are moments when the veil of Maya has been parted.

The Ocean God humbly submits to lord Rama

One such moment occurs when the ocean does not seem to relent. Rama picks up his bow and announces,

“With a single arrow, I shall dry up this entire ocean.”

The Rama that the monkey and bear hordes see now is a totally different one from what they had seen a few moments before. This is Rama, the supreme divinity, bearing the brilliance of the sun when the covering clouds have been blown away. All are in awe and are completely convinced that once the arrow leaves the Kodanda, Rama’s mighty bow, the ocean will be a thing of the past. It is precisely at this moment that the Ocean-God appears and prays to Rama,

“Oh Lord! Please do not get upset with me. I am just following the rules that you have assigned for my existence. Please cross over me by building a bridge. I shall help support that bridge to the best of my ability.”

Rama seems to calm down and He agrees that it is a good idea. But now, His army is charged up. They have got a glimpse of Rama’s capability and they are sure that with His grace, a bridge can easily be built! When God clears the veil of Maya, it is to enthuse the devotees and grant them faith by clearing doubts. That is precisely what Krishna did on the battlefield of Kurukshetra when He granted a doubting Arjuna the Vishwa Viraata Swaroopa.

Participating in the Maya with awareness

Living with God is true education it is said. That was the education that Arun Kharidehal was blessed with for several years of his life when he got the chance to serve his God, his Swami,  Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He would spend almost his entire day with Swami almost be among the privileged few who would almost live with Him in the name of security! During those few years, he had ample opportunities to witness both - Maya and it’s parting. The few moments when Swami decided to tear the veil and reveal His true identity were enough to keep Arun on his toes always. He kept reminding himself of the Being in whose presence he was spending each day.

“This is not an ordinary presence; it is an omnipresence”, he told himself regularly.

Such awareness helped him enjoy and be part of his Lord’s Maya as well.

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future - Part 2

Dissatisfaction is the nature of the world

In the art of storytelling, it is important to know where detailed descriptions have to be given and where they should be avoided. The story should be long enough to cover all points but short enough to keep it interesting. Having gone into all the details of that momentous single day of Mohammad’s life in Part 1 of this story,  I shall avoid the mundane details of the next 3 months. But there is one detail that has to be narrated because it inspires interest and also conveys a lesson. And that is the fact that Mohammad, in those 3 months, often kept thinking about his benefactor at the Arabian sea. As he thought more and more about him and the episode, he began to realize more and more that  there was no peace or joy in the world that he was acquainted with.

There is a feeling of emptiness. A sense of dissatisfaction that engulfs us without exception. It rises and ebbs, perhaps, depending on the phase of life we are in. I doubt if this hollowness will ever be filled. It was there when we were born and it continues to grow as we age. Filling this emptiness, this dissatisfaction is possible only by spiritual means.

Though he began to make a decent living catching fish in the new motor boat, his inner world was in total turmoil. He now began to smoke even more than before in search of an escape from his mundane existence. But whatever he did, a strange sense of dissatisfaction plagued him. He remembered his fakir friend so much that he got an irrepressible urge to meet him. He decided to undertake another journey to Bombay and seek him out.

If one makes a close enquiry, one will notice that at some point in everyone's life, a sense of dissatisfaction sets in. The actual point of this dissatisfaction setting in might vary but this definitely happens irrespective of one's wealth, position, relationship status and age. This is a dissatisfaction that can be 'cured' only by spiritual means because true happiness lies only in union with God. That union can come about only when one drops one's desires and one's false sense of identification with one's body. That is precisely the reason why when anybody asked Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, "I want peace", His reply was,

"Drop the 'I' and drop the 'want'. You have peace automatically."

These statements are not only high in literary  value. They are profound spiritual truths packed in a very concise manner. In that sense,  though not in Sanskrit, they are mantras indeed.

The address that the fakir had given lead Mohammad to a temple in Bombay.  

[Note: The building indicated by the fakir friend was a Shirdi Sai Temple known as Shri Sai Dhaam Mandir located near Congress House on Vithalbhai Patel Road in Girgaum. A Christian lady, Mrs Valentine, sold the house to the Trustees of Sai Dhaam for Rs.50,000/-. The house was then remodelled as a temple for another Rs.20,000/- and was inaugurated on Gudi Padwa day in 1960 by Shri Yeshawantrao Chavan, the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The statue of Baba, in sitting posture, was carved by Shri Balaji Wasant Talim]

Not finding any house, he began to make enquiries about the fakir's whereabouts. He regretted that he had not asked the fakir his name which made the task of finding him very difficult. He had to go around describing him to the people there. Finally, somebody directed him to go into the temple. (Mr. Venkatesh Prithviraj, the narrator and witness to whom Mohammad told his remarkable story, personally visited this Shirdi Baba temple in the later years.) Mohammad had never entered a temple in his life. But today, nothing would stop him from doing so. Strangely, nobody seemed to be surprised to see a Muslim enter a temple. It was as if that was normal! Walking in, Mohammad got a shock of his life. He fell on his knees and began to sob uncontrollably.

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future - Part 1

A story of Himalayan proportions

It was Oscar Wilde who said,

"Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future."

For long, it was the story of Kalpagiri stood testimony to the truth in this statement for me. After I became a student at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, I came to know of many more such stories. Among the hundreds of stories of Swami’s grace and love that I had heard in my student days, one story stuck in my heart for its uniqueness. And that story brought new meaning to the Oscar Wilde quote. It showed that there are instances where even a sinner has a glorious past. But that glorious past is forgotten due to complete indulgence in the world. The soul starts blundering and floundering in life till God's compassion descends and reveals the Truth.

A file photograph of Sanjay Sahni speaking in the Divine
Presence at Brindavan, Bengaluru.

I first heard of this experience in Swami’s presence, in Trayee Brindavan, narrated by lecturer Sri.Sanjay Sahni who is the principal of the Brindavan campus of SSSIHL as on the date of writing of this article. Listening to the incident and seeing Baba’s rapt attention was such an experience in itself. I again heard this incident narrated in Prasanthi Nilayam a few years later, this time by another lecturer, Sri Ruchir Desai. His was a 15-minute speech and so he didn’t go into the details the way Sahni sir had done in his 45-minute talk. But since then, the incident was etched in me and what a wonderful opportunity it was to hear about it from the protagonist-witness himself! The first-hand narrative from Mr.Prithviraj is definitely a story of Himalayan proportions.

Mr. Prithviraj was an advocate from the Indian state of Orissa and he had prospered well in his career to soon find himself serving at the apex court in India. As an advocate of the Supreme Court of India, he had a very busy and fulfilling life. The fulfilling part came from his devotion to his God and master, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and his annual service at Prasanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi. He came face to face with the most fantastic and thrilling story of his life during one such visit to the abode of highest peace (that is what Prasanthi Nilayam translates into) as a member of the Seva Dal (the service corps of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization).

It was the year 1989 and as always, he was serving at the South Indian canteen of the Prasanthi Nilayam ashram. He was accosted with great familiarity by a man in a white shirt and a white pant.

“Sairam sir, do you remember me?”, he asked with a gentle smile, “you had given me tea.”

Having tea with strangers in order to extract their story with Swami was nothing new to Prithviraj and so, he was unable to recollect this face.

“I am Mohammad... remember? The cigarettes...”

In a flash, he remembered everything. A quick travel down memory lane brought before his mind’s eye everything about Mohammad and his extraordinary life. The time was about five years ago, in 1984.

Hadshi Mumbai diaries - Part 1 - The blessing materializes

A pleasant bolt from the blue

Sometimes, certain events occur in life that infuse a whiff of fresh direction and new beginnings; that restore and invigorate you in ways you would have never imagined possible. They are like splendid waterfalls in the path of a river as it flows towards its ultimate source - the ocean. They are encountered rather unexpectedly, and what unfolds as a result is something most memorable and spectacular. When the placid stream is suddenly awakened from its leisurely flow into a grand burst of intense activity, it realizes it’s potential. The most interesting thing however is that all this happens so naturally - the bounding brook puts in no extra effort; it just 'goes with the flow'.

The sudden burst of grand activity adds excitement and beauty to the leisurely flow of a river

My trip to Hadshi and Mumbai with Swami in the winter of 2009 was a similar one; it not only came as the mighty waterfall in the flow of my life but stood out as a momentous watershed for I was blessed with the privilege of witnessing, first-hand and for the first time in my life, Divinity in action from close quarters.

As far as I am concerned, the dream journey began as a dream! I 'received' this dream in the wee morning hours of October 13, 2009. The dream went thus. 

Swami had sent for me and I saw myself seated in the Sai Kulwant Hall about to go into the Poornachandra Auditorium. But I was also aware that only singers were supposed to be there. So I picked up a book on music, largely filled with swaras (musical notations), and headed for the auditorium. When I entered, I saw many proficient vocalists (students), all familiar to me, seated there. I went past Swami's chair and took my seat. When Bhagavan questioned me about my delay in arriving, I said, 

"Swami, I did not expect to be a part of this group! Hence I am late!" 

And then I woke up.

I was happy I had His darshan first thing in the morning. Beyond this, there was nothing more that I could decipher from that welcome dream. Two days later, everything became clear. The entry in my personal diary reveals the physical manifestation of the dream - another proof for me that the dreams of Swami are always true.

October 15, 2009

What shall I write about today! It was the most exceptional day when I think about my physical proximity with Swami. I had taken another lovely step in my journey towards Him. It was in the evening that the dream I had two days ago seemed to find fruition and it all happened after Swami completed His darshan rounds and called Mr. Jadhav and Mr. Ramesh Sawant (State President of SSSO, Maharashtra & Goa) for an interview. At this point in time, I was sure that it was going to be a long interview after which Swami would go into the bhajan hall to receive Aarthi before retiring. My love for badminton made me think,

"Should I just leave for my evening games? I don't think anything much will happen today..."

I could not have been more wrong. And it was destiny that told me through my heart,

"It is better to wait for the Lord over physical exercise and mental entertainment."

So I sat and waited.

Swami came out after a while and asked for Dr.Naren Ramji (the Registrar of Swami’s University). He then asked the boys whom He had earlier selected for the Pune trip to go inside the interview room. As He sat on the stage, He seemed to be scanning and searching through the faces in front of Him. In a few minutes, He looked at Neeraj and indicated to him to join the group in the interview room.

What happened next stunned me. His eyes met mine and He beckoned me to go inside as well! Was this really happening? The students seated behind me with "birthday trays" got up thinking He was calling them. I was certain that He had indicated to me and so wanted to quickly move up the stage. However, the birthday boys moved faster. I waited for the birthday boys to get their share of blessings and also for a second confirmatory indication. It came soon, as Swami signaled again and I rushed towards the interview room via the dais. Even as I did so, I turned to judge His reaction as I was still a bit unsure and thought – in case I am not the chosen one, Swami could still send me back! But the kind Lord just looked at me lovingly. Now I confidently walked on and took my position in the portico.

I was excited and thrilled. Indeed, even now, it was so unbelievable for me. That when Jagadish Kanadia came along. On many occasions, I had seen Swami send messages to devotees and students through this lad. I thought he had come to tell me that it had been my mistake to think that I was part of this 'privileged' group! With trepidation in my heart, I prepared myself for the disappointment. But he simply said ‘Sairam’ and sat next to me. A great relief swept over me as I realized that he had come to the portico for the same reason I had come - because Swami had picked him for the trip. Soon, Swami came and asked all of us to go to the interview room. I rushed ahead to take a place near His feet.

Sitting there, I just began to think of how alert and 'pure' I become when I am in Swami's presence. Though it was a passing thought it stayed with me as I realized that if I lead every moment of my life conscious of His presence, my thoughts, words and deeds would be so holy and uplifting - for me as well as for everyone else! Right, don't you think so?

Memories of  Swami's previous trip to the Marathwada region, to Latur and Chakur, were present in my mind
since my father had got the privilege of taking photographs during that visit. 

Once inside, Swami told Naren sir to take down the names. Swami personally asked every one present his name before telling Naren sir to note down - all except me. Again panic struck me and I think it was visible to many in the interview room. In fact, Ashwath prodded me to tell Him my name on my own. I did not want to! Why remind Him that I was there and assure Him that it was not too late to take corrective action in case a mistake had been made by calling me in! Really, I still found it difficult to accept that something so grand as this was being bestowed upon me. Later, as He was looking at all of us, He noticed me and asked if my name had been written. I looked at Naren sir and he nodded.

‘Ah, this was confirmation enough!’ I felt.

After this, Swami told us about the trip. 

"Everything has been well arranged,” He said. “There are rooms for all and the rooms have fans and A/C too; you can use either of them. We will go directly to Pune in flight. All of you must be well behaved. Be strict in your discipline." Swami enquired about the singers, harmonium players and tabla players as well. 

“Too many percussionists are not needed,” He said, adding that three were sufficient. A few musicians however, were added to the list. I was thinking that I would extensively do photography during the trip. So, I felt, it would be great to have a videographer along to ensure complete and comprehensive coverage. When I was sure that Swami was not looking at me, I whispered to Naren sir who was next to me,

"Sir, can we have a person to do video coverage."

"Ask Him; not me", he whispered back. 

I then ventured courageously, 

"Swami, if there is a video cameraman, it would be nice." 

Swami asked,"Won't you be doing that?"

"Swami, I will take photos."

"Who is there then?"

"Swami, Sai Prakash."

"Does he do a good job with the camera?"

"Yes Swami, he takes videos very well."

"Does he have a camera?"

"Yes, he has, Swami."

"And what about films (tapes)?"

"He has them in sufficient number too."

Swami smiled and then told Naren sir to add his name.

As the session went on, more names were added especially of boys skilled in various musical instruments. This made me happy.

Bhagavan then enquired about speakers. I quickly raised my hand. Swami asked, "Will you speak?" 

I said yes and He also seemed to agree. Then He asked Sudhindran as well, to which he replied that he would definitely speak if Swami so willed.Ah! That was a much better answer than mine, I felt. How I wished I too could have said the same. Let me remember always that whatever I do, it is because of Swami's love and grace.

All this while, I had the opportunity to press and massage His feet. During this period He did look deeply into my eyes a couple of times. For the first time in my life, I understood how special God can make you feel in just a moment. It was as if Swami had come to earth only for my sake I was only smiling in bliss. Then Swami noticed the clock. I too did the same.

“How quickly time flies with Swami!” I thought. 

In the meanwhile, Ashwath asked Swami about the songs to be prepared to which He said that they should be in multiple languages so that all devotees find something to enjoy. The interview was now coming to an end. As we filed out of the room, I took padanamaskar. Taking the chance to go closer to Him, I said, "Swami ee avakasam ichcharu... Chaala krutagnatalu (Swami, we are so grateful for this opportunity You have blessed us with).” He nodded. I was swimming in joy.

The resolve of two brothers

Until that moment, though I knew about Bhagavan’s impending trip to Pune, I had never really taken the effort to learn more about the place. But now that I was flying with the Lord to Hadshi, I began to glean vital information, and in the process, learnt some amazing stories of grace from the Jadhav brothers – Shivajirao and Uttamrao. 

"It is a must that we know something about the place before embarking on this historic trip," I thought.

It was in the early nineties that the Jadhav brothers heard about an Avatar who had made Puttaparthi His birthplace. Hailing from the faraway Marathwada region in Maharashtra, they could not come immediately for the Avatar’s darshan. However, in 1993, both the brothers visited Baba’s ashram in Whitefield, Bangalore. They were at once impressed by the devotion and discipline that seemed to fill the air of that Holy Site, and wondered why the shrines at Pandharpur and other pilgrimage places in Maharashtra too could not be maintained that way! That very instant, they made a resolve: We will take this Swami with us to our region in Maharashtra.

This was something bizarre! I had heard of people responding in different, unique ways, when they saw Swami for the first time. But in this case, merely being in the ashram had done wonders; these brothers had instantly decided to take Swami to their state!

The story of how Swami's first trip to the Marathawada region materialized and how He showered
His grace on the people there is a separate story in itself. 

The Jadhav brothers were, in a sense, not new to Swami as they had been devoted to Sai Baba of Shirdi for very long; so much so that the family felt restless if they did not make an annual pilgrimage to Shirdi. On innumerable occasions, they witnessed inexplicable instances of His benediction. For example, once a family member fell extremely ill when the scheduled time of departure for the pilgrimage arrived. Nevertheless, they set out on their holy journey, and by the time they returned, the malady had completely disappeared.

Was that not cruel of God to smite them thus, just to test their faith and secure their pilgrimage? "No!" was the vehement answer. "He knows that it is good for us and those are just reminders when we forget Him. Life has been wonderful for us due to His grace," said the Jadhavs.

Going back to their trip to Whitefield, the Jadhav brothers had in their party Mr. Naidu, an acquaintance who was a senior Sai devotee. And from him they learnt that earlier Swami had indeed made several trips to various shrines and cities of India. However,  the chances of Him coming to a remote village in Maharashtra (hundreds of miles away from Puttaparthi), were remote! Notwithstanding this, their resolve to take Swami home was only further strengthened after they had their first darshan of Him.

Pictures which show the devastation wreaked by the
earthquake at Latur. Those days, digital photography had
not yet made its advent and therefore very few images
exist even on the internet. 

Upon their return, news floated of Swami’s impending arrival to Maharashtra. Swami had expressed His solidarity for the people of Latur, the home-town of Jadhavs, which had been struck by an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 on the Richter scale. The catastrophe at Latur had rendered 7600 people dead and more than 16000 injured!

"The earthquake has brought fear into the people. I need to come there,” Bhagavan told Mr. Shivraj Patil, who was then a Member of the Lok Sabha and its Speaker as well. 

The Jadhavs’ coming into contact with Mr. Patil was the mysterious working of Swami’s will. Working hand in hand with this long-standing and esteemed devotee, the Jadhavs prepared for Swami's visit. The best part was Bhagavan Himself took an active interest in the Mandir (temple) that began to blossom at Latur and even promised to personally inaugurate it.

A couple of years went by. On one occasion when Swami was at Kodaikanal, the temple drawings were shown to Him, and He seemed very pleased. All of a sudden, one day, Swami unveiled the plans of the Mandir to His students and said,

"This Temple is coming up in Latur. I will go for its inauguration." That was the first time He had openly declared His promise. Then He asked Mr. Patil who was seated by His side, 

"What is the temple's seating capacity?" 

Not knowing the exact figure, he hesitatingly said, 

“5000 people, Swami”. 

That turned out to be an overestimate! The ever-sincere Jadhavs, however, took this seriously and erected a multi-storeyed Mandir which would indeed be able to accommodate such massive numbers!

Now, Mr. Uttamrao Jadhav also nursed another secret desire – he wished to make a replica of Bhagavan in bronze, and also design and build a chariot for Swami’s use whenever He visited the state. Privately, he had his apprehensions. Firstly, it is considered inappropriate to make a bronze statue of a living personage, and secondly, Swami may not want to move around in a chariot!

A few days later, when Mr. Shivraj Patil was with Swami in the interview room, Bhagavan mentioned to him about Uttamrao Jadhav's nervous disquiet and said, 

"I will give him peace. He is outside. Go and tell him that he can make my idol, and that I will sit in the vehicle that he wishes to construct."

The procession stretched for kilometers. The helicopter seen in the frame is the one used by the Chief Minister. Swami arrived to Latur by car. 

As per the wishes of the elder Jadhav brother, Swami blessed the chariot in which He was taken to the temple. 

Ah! Is there anything called secret or anxiety where the Lord is concerned? Then what to say of secret anxieties! Mr. Patil was totally oblivious of this and he too simply marveled at the Lord’s omniscience as he conveyed this message to Mr. Uttamrao.

to be continued in Part 2 at the link below:

Hadshi Mumbai diaries - Part 2 - First Flight with God

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