The ways of the Lord are indeed mysterious. He is the Master of Time and His timing is perfect. It is we who take years,  and perhaps several lifetimes to understand our true purpose. 

Swami physically entered my life in this birth in the year 1989. I chose the words “in this birth” very consciously. It was the year I was fortunate to be admitted into the B.Com program of Swami’s Institute. In the same year, Swami blessed me with my first interview and that conversation with God changed my life.

“I know you from crores and crores of years,” said Bhagawan looking into my eyes. The words sank in. Our relationship wasn’t new! In just one statement Swami reinforced His oft-repeated words “the purpose of birth is not to be born again”. I had spent lifetimes and was yet to achieve that ultimate purpose.

I was still digesting this revelation when a few minutes later Swami waved His hand, materialized something and with a sweet smile put it in my mouth. 

“Eat it, this is a grape. Sweet hai na? Seedless grapes!” 

It was indeed a very sweet seedless grape. Lost in the moment, I just enjoyed the fact that I had just eaten from His own Divine hands! 

Several years later, I understood the inner significance and higher purpose that perhaps Swami fed me the sweet seedless grape to teach me a very important lesson on the spiritual path – ‘Make your actions sweet and seedless’. 

It took years to link both these messages. ‘You have been coming and going into this Jagat for crores of years. Now make your actions sweet and seedless. Don’t let another tree or a forest grow from the seeds that may lie in the fruits of your actions. Instead, make your actions seedless. Offer them to God and perform them without attachment or aversion’.

Another instance happened at Kodaikanal in 1993. I had a ring with Swami’s picture that I had purchased in Puttaparthi. One evening while washing my face, I inadvertently scratched the area near my nose with the ring. Next morning, Swami was seated on the sofa, with all of us around him. Noticing the fresh scratch marks near my nose Swami enquired,

“Eh! What happened? How did you get hurt?” 

“Swami, this happened with the ring that I was wearing, while washing my face,” I replied. 

I was seated in a corner and it appeared as though Bhagawan was trying to angle a look at the ring. After a while, He saw the ring and asked for it. I immediately offered it to Him.

He looked at it and said, “Oh! Did I give you this ring? This ring is not given by me. It will not happen from my ring.”

“Swami, This ring is not given by you. I had bought it.”

“Where did you buy it?”

“Swami, I bought it from a shop outside Ganesha gate in Prasanthi Nilayam.”

“How much did you buy this for?”

“Swami, Two Rupees Fifty Paise”.

“Two Rupees Fifty Paise!?”

“Yes, Swami”.

Bhagawan then made a profound statement. “See he has got Sai Baba for Two Rupees Fifty Paise only.” He repeated this sentence twice. 

Swami circulated the ring and those present in the room were looking forward to Him transforming it to a new one. Suddenly someone entered and announced, “Swami the bus has come for the picnic”. And that was the end of that session!

But, the Rs 2.50 ring remained. The message again was deep and powerful, particularly when combined with the first interview. 

‘You have got the fortune of having God, without your efforts. It has just happened because of the Divine Grace. Don’t fritter away the opportunity.’

Essentially, none of us remember our past lives. No one knows whether Swami’s coming into our lives was a result of merits done by us or because God felt, “This soul has been coming and going for too long. Let me see if I can find just one Punya that could be an excuse for Me to bless him and take over his life”. I possibly had some Punya that was just Rs. 2.50 worth, but that gave an excuse to Bhagawan to save a soul that has been iterating for eons and perhaps eternity. 

I pray to our Beloved Lord, borrowing the words from Sri Rabindranath Tagore

The song that I came to sing remains unsung.

I have spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument.

Dearest Lord, guide us, guard us…Tomorrow or the next life! Bless us to be with You for all time.

Saurabh Saksena B.Com, MBA, 1989 – 1994, Prasanthi Nilayam. Currently General Manager for a private company in Oman.  He is President of School Management Committee for a school for children with special needs and presented a module on Project Management for Sathya Sai International Leadership Programme (SSILP).