OM SAI RAM !!!
Story - 14
Baba Saved the Life of Shri Pyare Kishan Wall Ship Captain from death
As Baba performed many miracles and He is still continuing to do so,
I wish to add one more miracle which I have experienced. First let me
inform the readers that I came to know the name of Baba and His miracles
performed at various stages through my wife (Veena) who is a great
devotee of Sai Baba, Then, I read many books on "Sai Baba. I have made
this trip especially as I took a vow to come here personally and pay my
respects to Him. The first I came to Shirdi was about a year back and that time.
I visited all this places and found great peace at every place. It gave me
a lot of peace (Shanti) when I used to look at his Photograph and sit by
His side and pray. I can assure you that He has His own way to help the
needy people and they are at times so strange that a man of my caliber
is unable to understand them. I describe one of the most important things
which happened to me in my life.
I had many offers of jobs in various capacities and as such I was confused
as to which one I should choose. I definitely wanted to improve the status
and the fina¬ncial conditions. Hence my wife made twelve slips of paper
and only on one, she wrote the name of the ship called "M.V. Dhanalakshmi"
of which vessel I was offered to take the command and that was the highest
post (i.e.) the captain of the ship. Prior to that all happening I had just returned
from Shirdi after paying homage to "Sai Baba". My wife asked me to pick up
one slip although out of 12 slips, eleven were blank and as I said earlier that
only on one she wrote the name of the ship as mentioned above. So, I prayed
and shuffled them more and what a strange thing. I had my eyes closed and
the first one I picked was the ship on which the name of the ship "M.V. Dhanalakshmi"
was men¬tioned. That was the destiny and Shri Sai Baba wanted me to take the
command of the said vessel. I under¬took the journey to Calcutta. I used to go
on board daily since the time she arrived. It was being my first command, I was
taking special interest and precautions. The ship sailed from Calcutta to
Anandamans on 17-5-1972. After that, I met with heavy weather, rough sea
and wind force 61.1 I decided to return. I came back and anchored in
Diamond Harbour. As usual, I prayed daily and used to light two Agarbathis
before a plastic statue. A plastic ring I am still wearing which was bought
from Shirdi. I was so strange that one Agarbathi used to go on, every time.
I used to light it again. But again it used to go off. I used to place
Sai Baba's plastic statue on my chair and I used to ask him to guide me protect
the ship and men aboard. But the significance of Agarbathi going off could
not be understood by me. Hence, I used to put my hand to my head and ask
Shri "Sai Bapa" guide me or given me any indication as to what is ahead of me.
But "No". Anyway, I took out the ship, out again but met still the game whether
and I could not proceed out Hooghly river. The pilot was on board. She was a
small vessal and after consultation with the pilot the second time, we decided to
go back to Diamond Harbour. As usual I used to pray, but at the time I started
feeling very much depressed in my heart the causes of which was still hidden
from me, at the third attempt, the pilot was cha¬rged and out. Other pilot
Anand boarded, I asked him about weather condition and accordingly ;o him
weather outside Hoogly was not abnormal, but I told the second pilot that
I already returned twice and that I felt not right to go out and
I shall have to come back. But this time, all things had to happen and
Shri Sai Baba was to perform another miracle. After I had al¬ready passed
lower Gasper Light vessel, she started listing to star board. I wanted to
ascertain the cause. I called the pilot who was collecting some papers
in the room and the Chief Engineer to check up if any engine room valves
were open. I and pilot were still trying to find the cause of the list and in
meantime, she was taking heavy list to starboard. I told the pilot to
return to Calcutta as I did not wish to proceed out, so that we could confirm
the reason of her list. The pilot turned the ship back to Calcutta and the
Chief Engineer told me that there was nothing wrong in the engine room.
There was no water entering into the Engine room. The list was becoming
dangerous so I called the people on board's deck with life Jackets. Just then
somebody informed me that my cabin was flooded with sea water as the port
holes of my cabin were broke open which was confirmed by my writer and deck
sarang and hence my life jacket could not be brought. All persons on board had
their life Jackets except me. In the meantime, I was calling S. O. S. (Save our Soul)
on the whistle. Although we were in the intermediate light vessal, no help was
received. I had lost all hopes of saving my ship. My duty was to save the lives
on board the vessal. I ordered the Chief Engineer to stop the engine and all hands
including the pilot to abandon the ship. The ship was stopped and all abandoned.
As the sea fared tradition goes, that master of the ship is to be the last I complied
with it and I jumped without life jacket. As I jumped into the sea, the time then
was about 0.1000 on 21-5-1972. It was pitch dark, the swell was about 10/12 feet
high and wind force was over 8. I felt I was being sucked in any way. I pulled myself
out of it. Then I caught the chicken crate to which I clung after thrusting my fingers
inside it as there was no place to hold. Then I met more people of my ship (crew)
who were also cling to that crate and in this way we were tossed over more than
30 hours in water, during which period I prayed to Sai Baba, I said "Sai Baba you
have put me into this and now you must give cou¬rage to go through this body".
It might have taken a minute or so to say all that, I had very little fear in my heart.
I was consciously alert, but ray body was eaten away by salt water and there was
neither food nor water for over 30 hours, I was getting exhausted. Death was facing
me very closely. But now Shri Sai Baba gave me the courage to go through this.
After 30 hours, our cries were heard by a ship called "M. V. Jalakhanda". My other
two members were picked up by that ship, but how I could be as I was falling into
waters from a height of 15/20 feet as I was totally exhausted. Later after making
three attempts, I became unconscious and when I woke up, I found myself in pilot
vessel. I was running a temparature of 130° and my body was full of bandages
all over. Later I was put in a hospital. After that the Government case started
(the fact finding of this mishap). Now dear readers although the court of enquiry
was equally treacherous, Shri Sai Baba helped me to go through this by His leela.
NOW I am a free man. As I said before Shri Sal Baba has His own ways of helping.
So He helped me to save my life and others lives. The He helped me to go through
the court of enquiry successfully and now I am sitting in Shirdi and writing His leela.
I am proud to say that it is He who has granted me the privilege to do so, otherwise
I could have been gone dead long. My request to the dear reader is that they should
not lose trust and faith in Him and when you are in trouble, seek His guidance. I am
hundred percent sure that He will show you the way but this prayer has to be from
your inner self "Say Shri Sai Ram".
Surrender Shri Sai Completely ! Stupendous Delectation and Deliverance be there !!! .
OM SAI RAM, SRI SAI RAM, JAI JAI SAI RAM !!!
Source: Ambrosia in SHIRDI - Stories after BABA's Mahasamadhi on 15.10.1918 by Ramalingaswamy