Vishal Lakshmanan
Tvam-Eva Maataa Ca Pitaa Tvam-Eva
Tvam-Eva Bandhush-Ca Sakhaa Tvam-Eva
Tvam-Eva Vidyaa Dravinam Tvam-Eva
Tvam-Eva Sarvam Mama Sai Deva ||
My journey with the Lord began when I was in my kindergarten. It used to be a moment of joy to hold my mother’s hand and go to the Sai Samithi to eagerly wait for “Paramam pavitram” to be chanted and mouth-watering prasadams to be served. Be it a Ladoo or chocolate, it used to be a delight to my little self to enjoy those moments even without realizing how beautifully those Divine hands embraced our family into His fold.
Right from those tiny tot days, I was very fortunate to be part of Swami’s Bal Vikas programme and many other Samithi activities that ensured that I kept Him as my centre of focus throughout. Be it Bhajan singing or delivering a speech in His physical presence or acting in front of the Divine Director Himself, with His grace and blessings He gifted me unforgettable moments to cherish for a lifetime.
During my early school days, I along with my Samithi brother wanted to see ourselves as Swami’s students studying in His institution. Though we were aware of the strict selection process and interview criteria, it was our dream to get admission into His school and get the opportunity to become nearer and dearer to Him. Both of us applied and were blessed to be called for the written test in Puttaparthi. Preparations began in full pace and we were all set to crack the exam. Little did we realise the test of God that awaited us to only strengthen our faith in him. On the day of the exam, I vividly remember we finished our daily prayers and went straight to the school along with our parents to give the exam. Hours passed and once the final bell rang to submit our answer papers back, tears were ready to gush out from our eyes. The exam was tough, and we realised that there was no scope for us to get selected to the interview round. With drooping faces and a heavy heart, we went back to the room to rest and get ready for evening Darshan. Our parents comforted us and said,” Have faith and pray to Swami, He will definitely take care”.
Though those words were comforting to hear, we were completely shaken. Our only aim was to take that step closer to Him and experience the divine bliss, but it was looking like a distant dream. With His name on our lips and faith in the Divine Will, we were immersed in our prayers. During the evening Mandir session, Swami was all set to begin His Divine discourse. Throughout the discourse, I was only chanting His name and continuously praying to Him to bless us with the opportunity to become His students. Very uniquely, post His discourse, Swami turned towards our direction and showered an abhaya hastha with a beaming smile on His face. It was like a sense of assurance that He will take care of everything for us. We immediately rushed to the school premises to look at the result and were dumbstruck to see our names as selected candidates. True to His words, when we have a sincere prayer and offer the same at His Lotus Feet, He will take care. After that, we were blessed to complete our entire education at His Lotus Feet right from our 11th grade till post-graduation, with many opportunities to become nearer and dearer to Him.
For me, Swami has always been my all-rounder guiding me in each aspect of my life. Though now we all miss the physical charm that attracts us very deeply to the Avatar, He has given us the mental strength to unravel and utilise our potential to connect with Him in every aspect of the world around us. My prayers to Swami is that He blesses everyone with the ability to have a constant connection with Him throughout so we make our lives meaningful and become a worthy instrument in His divine mission.
Vishal Lakshmanan High school Grade 11 & 12, BCom, MBA, 2010 – 2017, Prasanthi Nilayam. Currently Management Consultant with KPMG India in their CFO-Advisory division in Bengaluru.
