Broaden your vision because beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder - a student's experience with Sri Sathya Sai

Nature beckons

The rains had arrived in great bounty over the parched and summer-scorched landscapes around Puttaparthi. A lush-green, velvety carpet seemed to spread over the hard, dry earth. Standing by the window at home, I looked at the looming hill, nicknamed Shiva, standing majestically beside a slightly smaller hill, Parvati. This Indian habit of naming anything beautiful and majestic after different gods and goddesses had got into my colleagues at the Prasanthi Digital Studio too. Thus, the otherwise ordinary hills near the neighboring village of Karnatenagepalli had got these divine names.

The sight of the lush green hills was too much for me to contain. My heart erupted in joy and I felt a strong desire to wander into the green and peaceful embrace of these hills. As the sun mellowed down from a harsh afternoon into a pleasant evening, I mounted my bicycle and was on my way towards the hills. Nature, in all its majesty, is such a powerful intoxicant and attractant for me. It just pulls me with such spontaneity and urgency that I drop whatever I am doing and get drawn to it.

The inspiration was great but the cycling was not that easy. 3-4 kilometers of country road which went up and down soon had beads of perspiration dripping from my forehead. I reached the edge of the grounds beyond which there was no navigable road. From here on, the journey had to be made on foot. I dismounted, parked the cycle and started off.

The path here was quite bad. Strewn with thousands of rocks and pebbles, it presented quite a danger of a slip and a fall. Adding to this was the fact that my feet were in ‘slip’pers instead of in shoes. Naturally, I began to place each foot after testing the ground. My progress was slow and laboured and my mental focus was at its peak. The perspiration continued and I realized that it was one thing to gaze at nature from the comforts of home but a totally different thing to be a part of it and explore it.

In fact, I now began to ponder over the spontaneity and impulsiveness of my decision. Wasn’t it a mistake to have walked this path? Nature looked quite good from home and so, where was the need to have ventured out? My mind was soon a muddle of such thoughts as my body battled the harsh terrain in its bid to maintain balance and control.

Drama of Life

It would be a good idea to leave my huffing and grunting on the hill slopes for a while and enjoy an interesting episode which concerns my master and best friend, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. That would definitely be more ‘dramatic’ than my plight on the path. The episode dates back to the November of 1998 when Swami (as He is reverentially and endearingly called) was in the Poornachandra auditorium with a group of students preparing for that year’s Convocation drama.

For those that have come in new, the Convocation Drama is an annual cultural event enacted mostly by the senior-most students of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning on the 22nd of November. The drama has an audience running in tens of thousands and Swami has always given its theme, dialogues and actors the greatest importance. As a matter of fact, Swami would often attend the rehearsals of every scene in the drama several times. He would select the costumes, check the script, compose songs and even make subtle changes in the plot to make the drama a wholesome and entertaining spiritual food for the audience. So much was His involvement in the drama that it was indeed a marvel at how He could sit and watch the same drama, completely engrossed, on the 22nd of November every year.

Deepak Anand in his costume
as Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

Ah! Now coming to the main story. In the year 1998, the drama had a scene from the life of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Deepak Anand, currently a doctorate in the School of Business Management at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, then a student of the same Business School, was chosen by Swami to act the role of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. As expected, a major part of the role included the devotion of the saint towards his ‘Maa’, his mother, the Goddess Kali.

Ramakrishna and his Krishna

The rehearsals began and soon, Swami was involved completely in the planning and practice of the drama. When the scene involving Ramakrishna came, Swami looked at the altar and asked,

“Why is there no idol in the shrine?”

Getting a statue of Goddess Kali is not easy in this part of the country. That was the reason why no idol adorned the altar. Swami went and fetched a statue of Lord Krishna. Giving it to the teacher-in-charge, he said,

“Here is the Krishna which Ramakrishna will worship. Place it in the altar.”

The teacher-in-charge did as he was told but he realized that Swami was making a rare ‘mistake here - Ramakrishna was a devotee of Mother Kali and not of Lord Krishna. Maybe Swami had got ‘confused’ because of the ‘Krishna’ in the saint’s name!

The next day, an idol of Goddess Kali was brought. Swami glanced at the idol. Mother Kali, baring her blood-red tongue stood over the carcass of the demon she had slaughtered. A garland of human skulls adorned her neck and a huge sword shone in her hand.

“No! Place the Krishna statue in the altar and continue the practice.”

An artist's impression of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Mother Kali. The fearsome
form of the Goddess can be seen clearly. 

Now the teacher was in a fix. If Swami were to insist on keeping the Krishna statue in Ramakrishna’s altar, it would be historically inaccurate. He tried to point out the error but Swami would listen to none of it. The teacher even tried replacing the Krishna idol with a smaller one so that the ‘error’ would not be noticed by a large section of the audience that were far from the stage. Swami did not agree to that too. He wanted that same Krishna idol to be in Ramakrishna’s altar. On his part, Deepak Anand, continued to improve on his acting with each passing session. He seemed to keep himself totally out of the Kali-Krishna controversy. Swami showered special attention and grace on him, telling him in detail about Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s love for Mother Kali. Though He had bestowed a mantra for this boy to chant as his personal sadhana, Swami changed it into one on the Mother. He told him to chant the mantra on the Mother for the next few days. The boy was in bliss and felt his love for the Mother grow by leaps and bounds every passing day. In spite of all this, Swami stood firm on His decision on Krishna.

The unexpected turn

A couple of days before the actual drama, when everyone had resigned to having the idol of Krishna in the altar, Swami came up with a surprise packet. He asked for the Krishna idol to be replaced with the idol of Goddess Kali! He said that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was a devotee of the Mother and it didn’t make sense to have the idol of Krishna in his altar.

Everyone was relieved. Finally, Swami seemed to have realized His error. Before He could change His mind again, the idols were quickly exchanged and everyone smiled at each other. It was only after Swami left that every person of the drama troupe came to know the secret behind Swami’s error. The secret came as a revelation from an overwhelmed Deepak Anand.

“When I saw the idol of Mother Kali, my feelings were of fear and even a little disgust. I wondered as to how I would be able to inculcate feelings of devotion and yearning towards such a fearsome and fiery form. Even as I was thinking thus, Swami brought in the beautiful idol of Krishna, my family deity. The connection and bonding was instantaneous for me. In the meanwhile, Swami Himself worked on my love and devotion towards the Mother. Incessant and intense chanting of the Mother’s mantra and hearing about Her from Swami stroked a deep and intense love in my heart. Today, I could see the change. When the idol of Mother Kali was brought to the altar, I did not see an idol, but my Mother, the object of my deep devotion and love.”

Swami with the students after the finale of the 1998 Convocation Drama. Deepak Anand can be seen clutching on to
Swami's right elbow, straining to remain in the frame. 

Everyone was stunned by this revelation! They could not imagine in their wildest thoughts the wisdom behind Swami’s apparent mistake. What a Masterstroke Swami had played! Now, everyone was lost in admiration for His subtle and beautiful ways. Being very ‘focused’ often makes one narrow in one’s vision. Broadening of one’s vision enables one to see the beauty that otherwise is missed.

Trekker’s Delight

The memory of Deepak Anand’s inspirational experience brought a little smile on my sweaty face. I decided to take a little break from my trekking and catch my breath. As I stood still, my eyes raised from the path they had been so diligently focusing on all this while. And then, what I saw took my breath away.

The hills and the dales that spanned before me were beautiful beyond description. The lush green carpets with bushes dancing in the wind, the fluttering butterflies and chirping birds, the soothing blue sky with its fluffy clouds - everything seemed so ethereal and other-worldly. The scene was as beautiful as it was when I had seen it from the window at home. How on earth had I missed all this?

I understood that being narrow-minded and too focused on just my perspective often blinds me to the beauty and glory that the Lord embodies. No wonder that it is said, "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder." If one's vision is broad, one is able to appreciate beauty. If one's vision is narrow, one is just not able to understand and realize the beauty! The members of the 1998 drama troupe realized it through Deepak Anand’s experience and I realized it through my little trek!

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God's pining for the devotee - story of Meerabai and Sathya Sai

(This is concluding part of an ongoing story. Please read this after you have read the part 1 entitled - Love between Meerabai and the Lord- from source and not by force.

Thank you)

Swami and Koustubh in a conversation in Kodaikanal in the
summer of 2007.

Kodaikanal Trip 2007 - Koustubh realizes his aspiration

Koustubh’s story at Kodaikanal in 2007 was little different from what it had been in 2006. As it had happened on the previous trip, this time too, Swami (Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba) kept asking him to sing the Meera Bhajan, Darshan Deejo Aao, on a regular basis. And every time he sang, he longed to imbibe the love and devotion of Meerabai. That somehow, never seemed to be happening till a climactic day.

The evening bhajans had concluded and Swami was sitting with all the students in the small hall. This was the daily private session before dinner. He looked at Koustubh and told him to sing the Meera bhajan and Koustubh began. He closed his eyes and began to sing out the initial notes - Krishna... Krishna... These were the notes of Meera’s longing and pining and he tried to put in his best feelings and emotions as he sang them. Within, he felt as if Swami was gazing at him intently.

He opened his eyes and saw that Swami was indeed looking deeply into him. Their eyes met and Koustubh realized what he had been missing all this while. While his physical eyes had been closed and therefore blind to Swami’s gaze, his inner eye had been blind to the great love and longing that Swami had for him! In an instant, Koustubh realized that the Lord’s pining for His devotee was as intense if not greater than the devotee’s pining for Him. And here was his beloved Swami, looking with all love and pining, deep into his eyes. That was enough!

That was enough to well up tears in Koustubh’s eyes. Out of the blue, an eternal spring of love and pining sprouted in his heart. Once the devotee realizes how the Lord pines for him, reciprocal pining is spontaneous and instantaneous. The South Pole of a magnet is attracted to the North Pole of the magnet because the North Pole is attracted to the South Pole with equal intensity right? Such is the spontaneity of the ‘pining’ between the poles that one cannot say which is longing for the other.

As tears flowed down his cheeks, his vision became blurry. His voice choked and he was unable to sing. But he continued because his Swami was listening. As he wiped his tears what did he see? There were tears flowing down the Lord’s cheeks too! Those blobs of divine liquid were falling onto the robe and blotting it. That brought a fresh burst of tears from Koustubh’s eyes and those in turn did the same to Swami’s eyes. Would this beautiful leela end? Koustubh didn’t want it to for, in those few moments, he had realized the ONLY thing in life worth crying for and pining for. And when he was at the heights of his pining and crying for that absolute, he didn’t want things to come to an end. Swami was the first to wipe away His tears. He looked at one of the elders and said,

“Get me that gold-plated watch from inside. If I don’t give this boy something, he will not stop crying.”

Immediately, there was laughter. Koustubh stopped his song and his tears. Swami gifted him that  beautiful golden watch. Though he got the watch, the moment of great joy, blessing and divine peace when his gaze had met the Lord was over.

The Lord is as close to the devotee as the devotee is close to the Lord.
Logical right?

The Lord’s leela

In that single act, Swami had delivered another profound yet subtle message. A “golden watch” had stopped Koustubh’s tears for the Lord. When one is crying and pining for the Lord, the Lord gifts many a ‘golden watch’. We know that ‘golden watch’ by different names - wealth, relationship, career, fame. We often stop ‘crying’ for the Lord when that is given. Koustubh realized that in his life, he should never stop pining and crying for the Lord. He should never be satisfied with anything less than the ultimate blessing - the Lord Himself. Then only would he have become a devotee with the pining of Meerabai.

On His part, the Lord does this like the Divine Mother. When the infant is crying, the mother offers it toys and trinkets. The baby stops its crying and the mother continues with her work. It is only when the infant cries persistently, refusing to be placated by any toy or trinket that the mother stops whatever she is doing and picking up the baby, places it at her bosom. I felt inspired to be a ‘cry baby’ in that manner and always ‘cry Baba’.

Meerabai’s place in Sai’s heart

As stated earlier, almost on a daily basis, Swami heard Meera bhajans during the 2007 Kodaikanal trip. So, when He gave Rs.500/- to each of the students and told them to go shopping, one of them decided to buy a small Meerabai idol as a gift for Swami. The idol was small and cute and the boy was sure that Swami would like it.

Swami gifted the students with a session where He would examine what each of them had purchased. It is not as if He is interested in sundry shopping but He uses every opportunity to give chances of Divine interaction. At the end of half and hour, after all the boys had shown their purchases to Swami, Sai Giridhar went to Swami with the Meerabai idol. He showed it to Swami and Swami placed a hand on the idol. He then said,

“It is nice. Keep it.”

Giridhar clarified,

“Swami, this is a gift for you - Meerabai. Please keep it with you...”

Swami smiled and returned the idol. He then made a statement which I am sure enthralled the soul of Meerabai. Swami said,

“Idi verum bomma ra, Meerabai naalone undi.” (This is only an idol. Meerabai is in me. She is not separate from me.)

There was a silence after that and everyone could only marvel at the saint’s devotion to her Lord.

Sai Giridhar shows the idol of Meerabai to Swami in Kodaikanal. 

The Meerabai drama

Swami’s penchant for Meera bhajans kept growing as days passed by and that was a great blessing for Koustubh. He kept singing the song Darshan Deejo Aao very regularly. The other members of MTV (Meera TV) also got many chances to sing for their Lord. Since Meerabai seemed to make Swami so happy, the students made sure that each and every programme they put up for Swami had at least one Meera bhajan in it. The same line of thinking inspired the students of the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School to put up an entire drama on the life of Meerabai.

The drama was scheduled for January 2008 and Sri Ram Mohan Rao, my wonderful English teacher from school, called me on my cellphone,

“Aravind... I am calling you because I need a favour.”

“I would be happy to do anything for you sir.”

“Our school students are putting up a drama. Would you mind going through the script and help in directing it?”

Soon, I was neck-deep in the drama which had been titled “Bhakt Meera”.

Going through the script, I realized that though the drama had some Meera bhajans in it, the song, “Darshan Deejo Aao”, about which Swami had spoken so much in Trayee Brindavan, was not present!  I immediately suggested that the song be included. Since it was a long scene, the screenplay had to be created. No points for guessing what I did! I opened my diary and went through the description that Swami had given about Meerabai’s pining. We planned a screenplay together. It was just as Swami had narrated with Meerabai banging her head at the threshold of the sanctum sanctorum during the climax of the song.

The scene was coming out well. The next question was - Who would sing that song? I immediately suggested that it should be Koustubh. But how could a male singer lend voice to Meerabai? That was a dilemma. In my heart, I was convinced that “Darshan Deejo Aao” was Kaustubh’s special since Swami had made him sing it so many times. So, I wanted him to sing. I managed to convince Ram Mohan sir and all the others too about the idea. When we rehearsed, many smiled and some laughed at the discrepancy of a male voice emanating from a despondent Meera. I just ignored it and thankfully, Koustubh too adopted the same stance.

The 31st of January 2008 saw the school students stage the Meerabai drama in Swami’s presence. Everything went on pretty well and then came the time for the final scene.

Final scene

Something totally different happened as the final scene began. This was a scene that had always evoked muffled laughter. But even as Meerabai came crying out to Krishna and Koustubh’s voice rented the air with the notes “Krishna... Krishna... “ the whole atmosphere got transformed. Everyone sat enraptured because their Lord, their Swami was in tears. It was as if He was unable to bear Meerabai’s plight! And when Swami was like that, nobody even noticed that Meerabai was singing in a ‘male’ voice. Everyone was simply lost in her devotion and the devotion being exuded by Koustubh.

Meerabai went to threshold, in front of Krishna and began to ‘bang’ her head. The song built up to a climax and it would be a matter of another 15-20 seconds before Krishna would make an appearance to grant Meerabai her soul’s longing. But Swami was unable to bear the intensity of her pining. Even before ‘Krishna’ could come to her, He called out,

“Meerabai... Come...”

The boy who was playing the role of Meerabai saw that his Swami was calling him. Leaving the temple, he ran to Swami on the dais and Swami waved his palm, materializing a beautiful gold chain for ‘Meerabai’. As He placed the chain around ‘her’ neck, the song concluded and everyone in the audience applauded. It was hard to tell whether the Lord had ‘chain’ed the devotee or the devotee had ‘chain’ed the Lord!

Of course, Meerabai went back to complete the drama and offer herself to Lord Krishna who made an appearance. The  narrative and details of this drama is captured in the 31st January section of Prasanthi Diary.

As I wiped tears from my eyes that day, I thanked Swami for giving me a chance to be part of this drama. I also expressed my gratitude for having got the opportunity to see what true devotion is. Swami went down from the stage to grant group photos to the students. Even as I was taking the pictures, I could see Koustubh from the corner of my eye. His face reflected supreme happiness and peace - something that comes from only from union with God.

(Below here is the video of a concert by students at Brindavan, Whitefield on June 23, 2013. In this concert, Kaustubh Pare sang his favorite Krishna song, the Meera bhajan.)

For all readers:

(If you enjoyed this and wish to subscribe to this blog, please go to the right hand side and choose the last 'box' which says subscribe. Another blog which I maintain with more than 200 articles on it is at http://aravindb1982.hubpages.com. You may visit that at your leisure. If you wish to be added to my mailing list, please email me via this page with the subject "ADD ME TO MAILING LIST".

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Love between Meerabai and the Lord - From the source and not by force

Meerabai and Sathya Sai

Mirabai's love for Krishna is an ideal for how a devotee
must love the Lord.

It was a rainy day in the summer of 2006. The 11th day of May showered unexpected cooling drops on the simmering city of Bengaluru in India. As the gathering of more than 4000 people in the Sai Ramesh hall at Brindavan felt the coolness in their bodies, a gentle music filled the air, announcing the arrival of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The darshan and bhajan session was about to begin and everyone in the hall seemed to experience a cooling in their minds and hearts as well!

As I sat in the front with the students of the University, I was filled with joy and excitement at the sight of the figure in orange. Needless the say, the energy of the bhajan session went up several notches. Five bhajans later, Swami asked for the bhajans to be stopped. He beckoned to renowned singer, Begum Parveen Sultana who was seated on the ladies side. The ever-ready devotee that she is, she took the microphone and, saluting Swami, began singing. It was an excellent rendition which included a couple of Meera Bhajans (songs composed by the legendary devotee and singer, Meerabai). The session concluded after half an hour with Swami receiving the Aarthi.

That day, during the Trayee session, Swami walked into the jhoola room (the room with the ornate swing) and congratulated all the students who had accompanied the artiste during her musical performance. He called out a group of boys whom all the students had come to recognize as the “Meera Boys”. This was a group of students of whom Swami always asked for Meera bhajans to be sung. Each of the four singers had specialized in a song of his choice and every time, Swami made each singer sing his song. So numerous were the occasions when we had heard this group of boys sing their song that whenever Swami asked for them, the whispers that would go around were,

“Swami has switched on MTV - Meera TV.”

That was the code that the students had mischievously developed. But the fact that a ‘code’ had developed showed that Swami had indeed been very intent on listening to the Meera Bhajans on a regular basis.

Lord of the Rings in Trayee Brindavan

Even as Swami called these boys, He began to encircle His right palm. He materialized two rings in a go and gave one to a singer and the other to the boy who accompanied the singers on the tabla. Once again, He waved His palm and materialized two more rings for the two other singers. Then, another wave and another ring followed for the fourth singer. Each of the five rings fitted the ring fingers of each student perfectly.

“Perfect size”, Swami said with a gleam in the eye and all of us just smiled in joy and wonder.

Swami turned to one of the singers, Koustubh Pare, and told him to sing his Meera bhajan. Koustubh closed his eyes, sat comfortably and began with the Alaap, the introductory notes,

“Krishna... Krishna... Krishna... Krishna” in the heart-rending raga, Darbari. I was in tears as I heard those introductory notes after which Koustubh began the actual song,

“Darshan Deejo Aao Pyare” (Dearest Krishna, Come and grant your darshan to me).

Even as he continued singing the song, something magical happened.

Swami told Koustubh Pare to sing the Meera Bhajan in Trayee Brindavan. ( Though the picture here is from Kodaikanal the settings appear very similar to Trayee Brindavan and so I have used it.)

Swami began to sing along with him - word to word! Swami also told the other singers to join in the song. It was a mesmerising experience. It is one thing for the devotee to sing out to the Lord, but to have the Lord reciprocate in the same measure with the same intensity is not something everyone gets a chance to see because the Lord is a silent lover and a silent worker. But today was a special day. Swami sang along,

“Life without you, for me, is like a lotus without water; a moon without the moonlight...How can I stay happy without seeing you my beloved?”

As He sang, Swami’s face became emotional. The intensity of feeling of the Lord for the devotee, Lover for the beloved and the Master for the disciple seemed to be echoed in His words. Ah! The bliss of that vision of the Lord pining for the devotee can never be suitably described. When that song was complete, Swami was not satisfied. He asked the other singers to sing the other bhajans as well. And once again, He was lost in those bhajans composed by Meerabai. I could not help thinking thus,

“Meerabai’s life is sanctified multiple times. She pined for her Lord and such was the intensity and love that she put into the songs that five hundred years later, the Lord seemed to be pining for such devotees. Blessed are you Meerabai...”

After those songs, Swami materialized two more rings for two more boys. It was evident that He was very happy. And it was clear that something about the Meera bhajans made Him so.

Meerabai’s matchless love for God

I remember on another occasion, during another Trayee session, Swami had explained beautifully to Koustubh the meaning and emotion of every line of the song which he used to sing. In fact, it had been Swami who had inspired him to compose the tune for that bhajan in the Darbari raag. He explained about the climax of the song in this manner,

“Meerabai feels that her life is worthless if she is unable to glimpse her Lord Krishna. She rushes to the threshold of the sanctum and begins to bang her forehead on it. She implores to Krishna that she is His servant forever and curses her mind and intellect that are blinding her to her heart where her darling resides. She continues to bang her head...”

As Swami explained this to Koustubh, He moved His head vigorously to show how Meerabai banged her head! He seemed to be totally lost in her devotion. He continued to say,

“Instead of death, she gets the vision of Krishna. She feels she cannot live without Krishna but even Krishna cannot live without her...”

And there is a tear in the divine eye!

I still remember, the very next day in Trayee Brindavan, a screening of the movie, Meera, with the legendary M.S.Subbalakshmi playing the lead role, was arranged. MS was an ardent devotee of Baba and Swami couldn't contain this double-devotee (Meera-MS) delight that the movie was. It was a moving session for all.

It made my respect and awe for Meera grow. I wished to develop an iota of her love and pining - something which even the Lord thirsted for!

As Koustubh confesses, many were the occasions when Swami had spoken to him about Meera’s pining. And on every occasion when he sang, Swami made it a point to tell him,

“You are singing Meera’s bhajan but you do not have those feelings.”

The force comes from the source and not forcibly

Such was Swami’s adulation of Meerabai that soon she grew into Koustubh's role model for devotion and pining. But try as hard he did, he was unable to plumb into the depth of his heart when he sang that Meera bhajan. And yet, every time he sang it, Swami would taunt him for the lack of feeling and intensity.

“You have to feel like Meerabai... You must have that intensity of love... It is not seen at all on your face...”

That was too much for Koustubh to take. He constantly prayed in his heart,

“Swami, you are the one who filled Meera’s heart with love divine. You must fill my heart too in the same way. Then alone will I be able to have that intensity.”

But at the same time, he put in his efforts too. The next time Swami told him to sing that bhajan, he began to contort and distort his face in a desperate attempt to build intensity and emotion. He was not feeling anything in his heart but he had to show intensity! So he literally ‘acted’ out the song. Everyone around were thoroughly impressed. Not Swami though!

“You got so many feelings on your face but there is not a single tear in your eye...”, He pointed out much to Koustubh’s embarrassment.

“Only if you feel like Meera, can you sing like Meera...”

That statement only redoubled Koustubh’s enthusiasm to develop along the lines of his role model. He began to spend more time dwelling on the meaning of the song. He related various lines of the song to his relationship with Swami.

In his own words,

“I developed an irresistible pining to become like Meerabai. Seeing how moved Swami would be, thinking of Meerabai, I too wanted to become dear to Him like Meerabai. I wondered when that would happen...”

This intense pining to develop a pining for the Lord had been a result of Swami’s constant taunts. However, the beauty lay in the fact that Koustubh had not got pressured to develop such pining. Swami’s taunts had only inspired him to become so. This is one subtle yet lovely aspect of Swami. He never tells anyone directly to do something and express disappointment when he/she fails to do so. Instead, He showers him/her with so much love that he/she gets overwhelmed. Then, Swami only states what He likes and dislikes. That is enough to make the student pine to do what He likes and keep away from what He dislikes!

His love is the reason why anyone gets inspired to do something. Nobody ever feels that he/she is doing something for Swami forcibly. Love is the Force that comes from the Source!

Koustubh had no idea then that he would be picked and chosen to accompany Swami to Kodaikanal in the summer of 2007. He had been to Kodaikanal in 2006 when Swami encouraged him to sing Meera bhajans. A second trip in a row was unimaginable for him. He had an even lesser idea that he would get his first opportunity to experience Meerabai’s love and devotion first hand during the trip. But as the saying goes, everything with the Lord happens at its perfect time.


Ready to go on to the second part of this beautiful story?

God's pining for a devotee: Story of Meerabai and Sathya Sai.

For all readers:

(If you enjoyed this and wish to subscribe to this blog, please go to the right hand side and choose the last 'box' which says subscribe. Another blog which I maintain with more than 200 articles on it is at http://aravindb1982.hubpages.com. You may visit that at your leisure. If you wish to be added to my mailing list, please email me via this page with the subject "ADD ME TO MAILING LIST".

Also, use the Tweet and FB buttons below here liberally to share with your friends and family! Thank you)