K Sankarasubramanian
1977 Brindavan

During those wonderful days, we imbibed a lot about life and divinity in the physical proximity of Bhagawan.

Bhagawan used to say, “When Yashoda wanted to admonish Krishna hoping to set His naughty behaviour right, she used to hide her left hand that held a stick behind her back and call Krishna near her by showing butter in her right hand so that He would come to her readily. In a similar manner, by showing you all the butter of worldly education, I am bringing you all near Me so that I can give you the True Education. If I had called you openly to come to learn Spiritual Education, your parents may not have allowed you.”

Bhagawan was more than a parent to us. He would guard us against the mistakes we commit. We were made aware of our faults immediately rather than having to wait for the ill effect which would prompt correct ourselves.

Personally experiencing His Omniscience had a great impact. Each day, a large bundle of letters would be delivered by the Postman and they would be placed near His sofa. Without opening the letter, Swami would rattle out the contents & the name of the person who sent the letter. Then, he would ask a student to confirm the same by opening the letter.

In a University practical examination when I was getting erratic experimental outputs and there was hardly any time left for repeating the experiment, I called out ‘Sai Ram!’ loudly in my mind, entered some arbitrary value and walked out of the laboratory very dejected. In an hour when we assembled before Bhagawan, He came near me with a twinkle in His eyes enquiring, “Have you scored 100%?” I was taken aback later when I found it was true.

In the agonizingly prolonged periods of time when He would seem upset with us, he would neither look at nor talk to any of us. Those were the times when He really moulded us through self- introspection. He would then choose the hour and the way to ‘break the ice’ and would explain to us about our blunders and the reasons for which He kept Himself away (physically) from us, It used to be an ineffable avalanche of pure delight in all of us when He would pardon us all leaving us in tears. And, as if to compensate us for the days of silence, He would come to our hostel and dine with us.

At Ooty in May 1975 during the Summer course. Bhagawan created a medallion containing the map of India embossed in gold, completely filled with inscriptions in Sanskrit. Bhagawan announced that it contained information about the names of Sai Students who would be carrying out the Mission of Sai in their respective place of work in the country.

This Sai Avatar has a Mission and He is certain to achieve it. He has been preparing His Army through His Educational Institutions. Each year sees a battalion marching out into the world. One final word of caution to all my Sai brothers. Let not ego blind us for what we were to Him. Let us be grateful every moment for what He has given us and continue to pray that He may give us many more opportunities to be of service in His Mission.

I conclude by offering a poem reminiscing my student days spent in Brindavan.

There I was, a student in Erode, Wanting to find the royal road
Prompted by the Divine Force, Applied for a Degree Course
And joined, surely not by force
In His College at Brindavan, which was verily a Heaven.
Around Him we began to flock, each morning at eight o’ clock
It was verily in His Presence, that we got the true Essence
Of Spirituality and Science.

As He took a stroll in the lawn, which had not a single thorn,
Each of us should have thought, to try and prepare the heart
So soft and fresh as His lawn, so that forever He may walk on.
An evil thought if we treat, as a thorn below His Feet
He will give us His Grace Sweet, and keep us ever at His Feet.
We must truly understand, that His Love is our treasure
To get which we must withstand, quite a lot of pressure.

His talks usually ranged, with all material well arranged
From facts about the Sun and Moon, to the cause of Kaikeyi’s boon
At the stroke of five to nine, He would send us in a line
With a smile sweet and benign, for our classes began at nine.
Even when the lessons were on, we could hear His car’s horn
A little time He would often find, to come to our classes and sit behind
When the teacher taught with tension, He would listen with rapt attention.

Many among us used to feel, that to cook and send His meal
Was the surest way to steal, a look from Him and a feel
Of His feet and may be a word, so that we may move forward.
He would feed us by His hands, so that we become His own bands
Of soldiers against evil brands, in the world today as it stands.

It was in the evening around Four, All our spirits would get to soar
We were back again in His Bungalow, where the time could have been slow.
At one He would smile with a glow, at the other He would give a blow
All to remove what obstructs the flow, of His love in the heart – His real bungalow.
Thus He gave us plenty of His time, during our youth, a period prime
To live with thoughts all sublime, without even a thought of crime.
To the people in the interview room, He spoke of dangers that often loom
Because of desires that mushroom, which ultimately design their doom.
By His love He dispelled their gloom, and wished that their hearts may bloom.
With them as He kept conversing, He would suddenly stop and swing
His Hand and create a beautiful ring, which He gave to the one deserving
Others among those, with awe, observing.

When the Lord was giving the Interview, some boys would try for an ‘Inner view’
And some enjoyed the nature’s view, while the prattlers were hardly a few.
We would all be standing outside, when He would come and call us in
If at the end some were still outside, He would ask us all to squeeze in.
The veranda with a cushioned floor, taught us about our cultural lore
There we sat around His Lotus Feet, and heard His voice nectarine sweet
When He sang for us it was a treat.
In turn, He would ask us all to sing, which He said, would always bring
His love and grace well-streaming, when performed with faithful feeling.

At the end of such an evening session, Lord would go up for His dinner
So far satisfied with His Mission, of having changed many a sinner.
A typical day that used to be, has now become a dream to me
I’m grateful to Thee, O Lord forever, for those blissful days in Thy fold,
A period which may come never.
May we ever hold on to Thee, so that we become finally free?

Brother K Sankarasubramanian is based of Chennai and serves as a Mathematics Professor in an Engineering college. He is actively involved in alumni service activities in Chennai. He joined Bhagawan’s college in 1975 and was selected by Bhagawan to be part of the famous play, “BhajaGovindam”. He was one of the first PhD students of the Institute and served in the Institute & hostel for many years.