Gopalakrishnan
1992 Prasanthi Nilayam
The first miracle I witnessed was during the summer course in 1980 at Brindavan. I was new to the Institute and new to the Sai System of Education. Such instances are very normal for those who have seen Bhagawan, but it transformed me & changed my heart. It was an ‘everyday’ miracle. Ah! the irony of calling a miracle an ‘everyday’ event, but that’s what divine proximity does to you!
This story needs a bit of background, especially to put the ‘miracle’ in perspective. I arrived a day late for the summer course. It was His grace that I could still join the Institute and attend the course, but I hadn’t realized the value of being in Bhagawan’s college then. I did not have ‘whites’, just had a rarely used pair of off-white tight-fitting pants and an extra loose full-sleeve shirt. I did not know much about Sai Baba or ‘Swami’ as we refer to Him. I had read about His miracles and expected to witness one as time passed. In fact, that was one of my primary ‘motivations’ to join this University. I did not ‘join’ the college to ‘learn’ spirituality, as much to ‘understand’ His miracles. I believed in science and its comprehensive ability to explain any physical phenomena. Unbiased observation is the key, or so I thought.
There were lingering doubts in my mind whether I arrived at the right place or had I just upset the rest of my life? I was quite surprised by the overwhelming display of love and affection… Students calling each other ‘brother’, treating each other with a tenderness reserved for one’s beloved, saying something and actually meaning it, and showing utmost respect to elders! And the reverence & strong faith people had in His divinity amazed me. But, who was I to judge… And so I let it be and focussed on what I wished to witness… a ‘miracle’ on close quarters. I did not question the integrity of all the witnesses, but I firmly believed that a critical link was missing in each of the story.
The summer courses were being conducted at Brindavan Institute auditorium. The summer course theme, I was told, was “Body-Senses-Mind- Thought-Atma”. Apparently, during the afternoons Sai Baba was to give His take on the topic. I was curious to see what a barely educated person could teach me or this august gathering of scientists and educators. I joined the lines to reach the auditorium and got a place – the 15th row near the central aisle. The hour-long speech in Telugu, of which I did not understand much, ended in Sai Baba singing a Bhajan. Strangely there was no applause by any of these students, instead there was a reverential silence. Soon a young boy, about 11-12 years old ascended the stage to perform. I do not recall whether he sang or played an instrument, all I recall was a sense of peace and quiet. I admired how quickly the stage was reset without even a curtain drop and how Sai Baba himself sat on one corner of the stage. How humble, I thought.
And then it happened!
As soon as the program ended, I saw Sai Baba get up and move His hands in large circles even as He glided towards the centre stage… and there appeared a large golden chain, which He quickly grasped. Almost simultaneously the person sitting left of me whispered ‘Avatar!’.
The moment was miraculous… the air suddenly filled with an enchanting smell of jasmine and for a few moments everyone and everything vanished. Nothing existed but Sai Baba, and me watching Him smile most benevolently. My eyes were teary and I prayed, “Swami, Swami…” For the moment science vanished, the sceptic in me was vanquished. Every strange observation of the day suddenly made sense. I had found the missing link.
In a few hours after landing at Brindavan, I finally felt I am home, where I truly belonged. His greatest miracle is the transformation of the heart that His enveloping love performs.
Brother Gopalakrishnan is based out Rajahmundry. He works for the Sri Sathya Sai Gurukulam
English Medium School (SSSGEMS) as a deputy Correspondent and also teaches Chemistry.