He had come into my life through different means, many a times. Then, I was naive and did not know the deeper meaning hidden in them. Today when I look back I understand that all was in divine plan.
It all began years ago, my sister found her strength in Shirdi Sai. She was His ardent devotee and so I was surrounded by His books, stories, et al. Nothing of this however, stirred 'that' chord in me. Then one day He came into my house, when a friend visiting Shirdi gifted me His idol. I placed Him in my prayer room with the other God's idols. Life went on....
During one of my regular TV channel surfings I chanced upon a serial based on the life of Shirdi Sai Baba. I saw it for a few minutes and went back to surfing. After a week, again I came across the same serial, which of course I saw for a few minutes and moved on. This happened for a while and I gradually started watching the serial for longer. Finally there came a day when I became a regular viewer of the serial.
Throughout the time of the serial, I was glued to the TV. I felt as if I was receiving answers to many complex questions of life. Somehow it made perfect sense and sat well on the situations and problems in my life. Was it just a coincidence or was there something more to it? I thought the latter. Days rolled by and one evening when I was watching the serial, I felt that Baba was asking me to visit Shirdi. I ignored the call and continued with my life. Six weeks later when I was watching the serial again, I heard Baba say "I asked you to come to Shirdi and you are ignoring me." It was a wake up call for me and I decided to leave to Shirdi immediately.
I decided to visit the Sai Baba temple in town at the earliest. Couple of days later as I was stepping into the temple, I saw the flower placed on Baba fall on the ground. I thought it was a good omen and I asked Baba to make my trip to Shirdi comfortable. I then remembered what people had said very often, "only if Baba wills, can you step on the soil of Shirdi."
That evening I informed my parents about my plan to visit Shirdi and they immediately said that they knew a person who could be of help in Shirdi.
Finally I was on my way to Shirdi not knowing what to expect. I was not sure why Baba had repeatedly asked me to come to Shirdi. The bus journey of over 21 hours was comfortable and I reached Shirdi.
The man known to my parents had taken care of everything, including my stay, food and VIP darshan. This I took as a welcome sign from Him, for without His will no one could step on the soil of Shirdi.
On a bright very hot day, I stepped on the soil of Shirdi and that moment will remain etched in my memory forever. Everything taken care, I went into the temple for the darshan. For those who don't know, thousands of devotees throng the temple and for a darshan you would have to wait in queue for long hours. I however had a VIP pass and so went in easily. Sai in all his splendour had adorned his throne in the temple. It is an overwhelming experience which cannot be expressed in words.
Since there is a huge crowd of devotees, you get less than two seconds to see Him from close. As the queue was moving, I was going closer to Baba. I was just near him when all of a sudden, people in front of me made way and I stood there close to Baba uninterrupted, for long. This was an unusually long period than what one usually gets. Thrilled I was that I had finally made it. With joy in my heart I left the temple premises.
I wanted to then visit Dwarakamai, the place where Sai lived. When I reached there, seeing the long queue I decided to first visit the Chavadi *(Baba used to sleep here every alternate day). After the Chavadi darshan I came to Dwarakamai and looked around in awe, for this was where Sai, walked, Sai talked, Sai healed and Sai lived. The fire he lit then, is still kept burning. It is from here that one gets the Sai prasad of 'Udhi' (miraculous ash). I sat in the centre of Dwarakamai, with eyes closed. I began reveling in his presence.
Not satisfied, I wanted more.... I wanted to see Him, I wanted to know why he had called me to Shirdi, I wanted to know that he was there for me, to protect me, to take me on a Spiritual
journey. I prayed. I prayed asking Him to bless me with his presence, to appear before me just as He is, in a way that I could recognize him. My heart cried in pain for the desire to see Him and be assured that He was with me guiding me through.
After some time in meditation
I left Dwarakamai. Next morning too I got a VIP pass for the morning aarti and went in to see Him. It was followed by a visit to the Chavadi and Dwarakamai many times during the day. Meditating here was a truly enriching experience. With the shlokas and the mantras in the background and the devotees singing along, it was as if I had found the missing link in my life.
Happy that my trip to Shirdi was fruitful, I went to bed that night. When I woke up the next morning, it dawned on me that my visit was not fruitful after all. I had two darshans in the VIP slot and felt what was the point in visiting Shirdi, if I could not stand in the normal queue like most others, chant the Sai nama and then get his darshan? So, I decided to stand in the queue, knowing fully well that the queue would take atleast 3 hours to clear and that I had to take the bus at 12 noon the same day. After about 3 hours I finally got the darshan and the feeling cannot be described. As I was nearing the pedestal where He sat with all glory, I saw devotees asking the priests for flowers.
The flowers and garlands blessed by Sai, where being put into a corner by the priests for the devotees to collect. Determined to get my share, I moved on to collect a garland. As I bent down, to take the garland, I noticed that there was just one garland left in the basket. I happily grabbed the garland and suddenly from nowhere an old lady bent and frail (I had not seen her in queue) reached out for the same. Seeing her reach out to the same garland I handed over the garland to her. Just as I placed the garland in her hand, a big, nice and fresh garland came flying and fell on my shoulders. I felt His power and grace that very minute. My heart was filled with the assurance that He was with me.
Contented and filled with Sai's grace, I went to visit the Chavadi and Dwarakamai. There was a huge crowd but that did not deter me. As the crowd moved on I looked around savouring the walls, which Sai would have touched.
I then saw a Fakir just ahead of me standing with his bag (jholi) outstretched for offerings. I took out my offering and gave it in his hand. He signaled to drop it into his bag. As I dropped the offering into his bag and looked at him, his aged body began shaking deliriously. He lifted his hand and blessed me exactly the same way that I had seen Baba bless people. Just then, like a flash of lightening I realized that in the last two days , I had not seen any fakir inside Dwarakamai. Only then did I remember my cries to Him and my request to see him in a form that I could recognize. That instant I turned back to look and lo behold, He was not there. I knew it was Him. I had seen Him, I had seen Baba!
Om Sai Ram
ALLAH MALIK!
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
Topic: DWARKAMAI's LEELAS(She is our Mother) (Read 399226 times)