Sudhir Shetty
It is rarely in a lifetime, nay, many lifetimes that one gets a chance to go down on the knees and offer a rose flower to Love itself! And it rarely happens even in the wildest reveries that Love would accept the rose, pat the cheeks and make one experience the taste of Supreme Peace and Bliss. But that is what happened to me way back on January 27th, 2004. This article is an attempt to capture the experience of that divine chance, which lingers into every aspect of my life today.
As per the beautiful tradition of the student community in Prasanthi Nilayam, whenever Swami took Arati outside in the portico of Sai Kulwant Hall, one student gets a chance to offer a rose to Swami. When I was told that it was my turn during the next Darshan, my joy knew no bounds. The next few Darshans, Swami suddenly stopped accepting Arathi outside, although the Bhajans were held there. It was as we say a ‘cold storage’ preparation treatment – sitting in the first line but being ignored completely. During this period, in a quest to find and correct any faults within me and make Swami happy, I started watching every thought, word and action and only then did the D-day arrive.
On that day, there was a function in the Sai Kulwant Hall, which meant students could go for the Morning Darshan. I still remember walking towards the hall praying to Swami to accept the rose and sitting in the designated place. Swami arrived and like Sunflowers turning towards the Sun, all of us turned towards Swami to enjoy the beautiful Darshan. Swami then delivered a discourse, which I was listening to holding the rose in my hand. When He said, ‘If Love blossoms in your Heart, you yourself will become God!’, it could not be more symbolically apt.
After the discourse, Swami hinted for Arati and beckoned me to accept the rose. He touched the flower and placed it in my shirt pocket as He asked for my name. I then continued to kneel nearby when Swami beckoned me again. He asked me in Kannada as to what I was studying and I replied, “MBA, Swami”. With a smile and twinkle in His eyes, He asked, “In Prasanthi Nilayam?” and gave a tight pat on my right cheek. And with that pat He sent my consciousness deep within myself. Words fail to describe that experience but, suffice to say I had not experienced such absolute Peace and Bliss before. Swami then stood up and as He went past me, He smilingly gave me a deep look which bolstered that experience even further. Love struck, I then proceeded to the institute and still vividly recollect feeling very light as if an unseen burden was lifted off my shoulders. It was like Mother Earth had suspended gravity itself. At this point, it is worth mentioning that it was an examination day in Statistics, and it was an unusual feeling to go blissfully towards the examination hall without all the last-minute cramming.
At the entrance, Prof. Bhagia sir, my teacher was beaming with happiness on Swami talking to me – the only institute where your happiness brought so much joy to the teachers. I was feeling a little distant from the happenings around and without the normal anxiety received the question paper. As I was writing the exam, my heart was filled with Love while my mind was reminiscing on that divine experience and as my intellect was thinking clearly, my hand was busy writing answers. In the most intense situation of an examination, for the first time, I was feeling free. Till then, I had thought, at any given moment you can either ‘do’ Dhyana or Karma and not both. The words of Sant Tukaram ‘Dil mein Ram, Haath mein Kaam’ was an experience for me that day and maybe that is what Krishna meant by saying, “Efficiency in action is Yoga”. Swami once said, MBA is the balance of Mind, Body and Atma, is this what it meant? I am sure it was a taste of what Swami called ‘Constant Integrated Awareness’, to goad me sweetly towards that experience until it becomes an integral part of Life. I had topped my class in that examination too, which shows that it is possible to be intensely busy and yet be immersed in the Divine contemplation. This experience has helped me immensely after graduating from Swami’s institute. In the dog-eat-dog corporate world as they say, whenever faced with tough situations, reminiscing this experience opens the floodgates of Peace within.
That day Love had not just accepted the rose but had transferred its fragrance of Peace for me to experience ever after!
Sudhir Shetty MBA, 2003 – 2005, Prasanthi Nilayam. Currently Senior Manager at Cognizant in London, UK. He has been part of the Bengaluru alumni medical camp. He is active in London Sai centers and conducts study circles and talk on Swami’s Life and teachings.
