Enter Sri Sathya Sai

Jai Sai Ram .

As Destiny would have it, through Swami's blessings, I had a chance to function from the United States of America, in the year of  2019-2020 . The year of 2019 was coming to an end and the desire to spend the New Year's Eve with someone from family in a special way kept lingering in my mind and I planned a trip to one of my elder cousin's place in Florida . This blessed soul had the opportunity to study in Sri Sathya Sai's Institutes and as a result developed sense of Love and Consciousness for Sathya Sai . Whenever she used to come to Mylapore , back when I used to live in my rental home, she would visit Sundaram, the place where swami was blessing the devotees and public alike in all his glory .  I still remember how she would head out early , before I got up , and come back much later in the evening after all the service was done , all the bhajans were over and she was filled with Bliss , having spent time in the presence of Swami . She is insanely Blessed , to have seen Swami , in his physical form, which again I missed. But I have  a deep rooted confidence that one day I will get my turn . I have to earn it. So ,fast forward, I went to her place , a beautiful blessed home , with many portraits and pictures of Swami in his different poses . I could sense his presence throughout  . After all , how difficult is it to detect Love . Swami is all about Love. He was , even in his physical form, an embodiment of Love,  or in his own words, PremaSwaroopulara as he always addressed all of us in his in numerous discourses.   

So, we had made plans to go one day to a Beach there in Florida, after all ,who would miss the beaches of Tampa, Florida and Miami . We were standing in the waters ,all of us , when suddenly I was in pain . I couldn't understand what it was, but it pained instantly, like a needle was inserted in my leg and I somehow could fathom strength in me to identify something blue in color , a water balloon like thing with long dark blue ropes. I retired to the sand, even as the others were playing in the waters. After some time, I felt very uneasy in the lower back and the pain and irritation increased and I was internally deeply worried about my health. Then it struck me. It might have been one of these poisonous Jelly Fishes that float around in these beaches . Sadly, it was indeed a kind of Jelly Fish. It was a Portuguese Man of War . I flew all the way from Southern India ,to Southern USA , Florida to be stung by a Portuguese Man of war. As Swami would have it, I wasn't injured much . I Developed some scars and had to endure some lingering pain , but thankfully not much itching. Much after this episode, when I used to think , why did Swami even punish me this way . Like any devotee would ask the lord , when they face a bad situation. Then , after many many days it dawned upon me. This was Sathya Sai's entrance into my being. Until then ,and even during the Florida trip I was devoted to Shiridi Sai baba , regarded him as my Sadhguru , my all in all , my only Guru . Though Sathya Sai was very much alive , during all my adult years, somehow my ignorant mind never took to recognize the very same Shiridi Sai in Sri Sathya Sai. 

Now, in 2019 , 8 years after Swami left his physical body , he couldn't bear no more, to see how Ignorant I was and when the time was opportune, when I was metaphorically and factually standing in the same waters of my Cousin , who is a Swami  devotee , he stung me and the work had begun.  My florida trip was filled with happy memories, and when the day of me leaving their place came, I requested my cousin and her blessed husband to give me 2 of Swami photos . One , in which , he was directly looking at me and in another, in his Double Hand Abhayahastha Pose, with both hands raised , blessing us all copiously. Even then, I wasn't aware of his oneness with Shiridi Sai and I merely asked her these photos , with the intention of staying in touch with something positive from the place. My ignorant intellect, can't be described in words . I had also attended a Bhajan with my cousin on new year's eve and I began my 2020 with Swami's Bhajans and satsang. 

I came back to Chicago where I was staying and placed these two photos along with other photos which included Shiridi Sai as well. Somehow, over the days, through unique experiences which I don't wish to divulge here in a public forum, I started developing a deep deep craving for Sri Sathya Sai . Indeed, at one point of time, unaware , Swami  resumed his rightful place in my heart , where all this while , he had been guiding me in the form of Shiridi sai. I am so grateful , for Swami's grace, as he took pity on me and reached out to me, when I was aimlessly strolling in this world, making mistakes, accumulating deeds that should not be accrued . His love for me, his focus on me, has cut through generations, births , as he has lifted me from my ignorant sleep , as he gently rains down lovely showers of love and blessing and knowledge on me every single day every single step and every single breath. Sai Rama , may myself forever hold your presence, your divine aura fixedly in my mind , word ,deed and spirit . I also used to think , I wouldn't have progressed into his next avatar of Sri Sathya Sai if not for this leela. The energy was not enough , the environment was not enough and I was getting ignorant by the day . Somehow, he conjured and choreographed a plan to wake me from slumber, drop me in America , taking me over the oceans, all the way from a place that meant everything to me. I am by myself here, in my solitude, now madly in Love and ecstasy , thinking of my Swami . He brought me all the way here , to slap the ignorance out of me and now there is no going back. I am fully his own and he is fully my own. We are there for each other . My Sai Rama. 

Samasthalokah Sukhino Bhavanthu