It was our third year of the B.Sc course at Brindavan. Our classmates were planning for the Gratitude Program. Everyone got together and it was decided that we shall offer a gold plate and tumbler as a symbol of our Gratitude for Swami, which we hoped He would use to have His food. Through this gift, He would remember us every session and we could imagine Him having His food on the offering we made. 

All of us prayed for an opportunity to get a special Trayee session with Swami exclusively for our batch so that we could offer our gratitude to our dear Swami. While most of us wrote letters, being a card room boy, I took the opportunity to prepare a gratitude card for Swami for the occasion. We were all waiting for Sunday, so that we could get the special Trayee session after morning Darshan. Finally, all of us were seated in Trayee with prayers in our heart and eagerly waiting for the Divine Direction.

The moment He gives His assent, all of us would run with the singular focus of reaching a spot closest to His chair in the front hall without any idea of what’s on the way or what ever happened to anyone. The flower pots on either side of the steps flew, many were broken and a few students got hurt in that stampede-like situation as we went past the door to reach the destination at His Lotus Feet. Swami would enjoy this mad rush, akin to the Gopis of His erstwhile Brindavan of Mathura, being replayed at Trayee Brindavan. The chance to have His Feet placed in your laps and to do Padaseva is coveted by the ones who manage to reach the position right in front of His chair. Finally, it is Swami’s Divine Will that prevails in spite of all the efforts by every one of us. Sweet memories indeed. 

By His Divine Grace, I got the opportunity to sit close by and could offer the gratitude card into His hands. Swami, opened the card and read the poem written inside, which goes as follows:

This is all I ask
Lord! Show me the way
I can somehow repay
The blessings You have given to me…
Lord! Teach me to do

what You much want me to 
And to be what You want me to be…
I am certainly unworthy, I know
But I do love You so
I beg You to answer my plea …
I have not much to give
But as long as I live
May I give myself completely to Thee!

Swami read the whole poem and then read it again and stopped at the line ‘What you want me to do’ and read it out loud and said, “I want you to do only one thing. Less talk. More study. Vidokkade kadu, mee andarininchi nenasisnchedi ide, less talk, more study. Not only this boy, but from all of you I want that you follow this simple dictum. Less talk, more study”.

Swami went on to bless all of us with His Discourse and accepted the offering made by us and gave it to the warden and told him to use it for serving food to Swami, whenever He visits the hostel for dining with the students.

These sweet memories fill our lives and have sanctified our existence for which we will remain ever grateful to Swami.

Dr O.S.K.S. Shastri B.Sc (Hons), M.Sc. Physics (Gold Medal), M.Tech in Applied Optics, 1988 – 1995, Ph.D in Nuclear Physics, 2006 – 2009,  Prasanthi Nilayam. Assistant Professor from 1995 – 2011 at Swami’s Institute and was blessed by Bhagawan to be the Coordinator for many dramas. Currently Professor of Physics in Central University of Himachal Pradesh.