Hearing Swami’s speech during the Birthday celebration on Nov 23, 2019: ‘Yogaha Karmasu Kaushalam’ was a trigger which made me look back at my life with gratitude.

The Seed– By Divine Farmer

As students, we had innumerable chances to listen to Bhagawan on Karma, Bhakti and Jnana margas. As we commenced life after Prasanthi Nilayam and landed onto a ‘job’, the best way to please Swami was to get Him a good name with our employers.

So, I selected Karma Marga soaked with Bhakti in my heart as my path. Let Jnana take birth on its own as per His will.

The Plant – By Divine Guru

After being educared in Prasanthi Nilayam, with prayers to Swami, I began my corporate career in 1989. Interestingly I had worked during Cement decontrol, Oil decontrol, India opening for Outsourcing, and various emerging world of work. Swami gave me the opportunity to work with globally respected personalities from all over the world. All the while I was conscious of being noticed as a Sai Student.

Swami used to say change of work is rest and laziness is rust. I worked 12 to 20 hours a day keeping in mind that He alone is always my boss. Bhagawan in his inimitable way will send signals that He is watching and blessing as the difficulties will wither away. I was always given breakthrough projects despite being young at every stage.

The Fruit – Divine acknowledgement

I would like to recall how Bhagawan blessed me during the year 2003 at Prasanthi Nilayam. Post the inauguration of Radio Sai, the project of connecting the hospitals with Prasanthi Nilayam with Video conferencing was scheduled in the central Trust Building and the inauguration was nearing. I was with the TVS group that time and was roped in as part of the project to execute the inauguration function. I left Chennai with my wife by Bengaluru mail and while we were reaching Bengaluru, my body was stiff as I had a hyperacidity attack. In the cantonment station, they took me in a stretcher and admitted me to a hospital nearby and I was on I V drip. In three hours as I regained consciousness, I told my wife let’s move and I called for the taxi to go to Prasanthi Nilayam.

Next two days, we worked without sleep and worse still, without darshan – as CISCO and Microsoft engineers, network providers, civil engineers, electrical contractors were at work. Connectivity was not easy those days for a video conferencing facility. It was the time we were told that the program needed to be crisp. The lift was installed, and I had the good fortune of designing the 32-minute schedule using typical 5S practices. The yellow stickers were posted on the floor to show the movement, round stickers were pasted where Swami will be requested to stand briefly for the explanation during the walkthrough and a script was provided to all, no more no less talk. Till 4 am on inauguration day nothing worked but by Swami’s grace it just began working minutes before His arrival. I was outside, standing in the corridor on the first floor as we were old boys. As soon as the function was over Swami came out, addressed me “Dunnapothu” and hugged me and allowed us to take a group photograph. Work is Worship. Swami acknowledges our every worship.

The Seed Factory – Divine Community

As we stepped into another ERA after 2011, Swami provided the opportunity to coordinate the alumni activities. There were so many naysayers expressing that nothing much will happen and many remarked “I told you so” after three years of journey. It is now 9 years and we see how Bhagawan has molded the alumni movement. Not a day goes without alumni work for me despite extensive engagement otherwise. Swami has blessed the movement in His own way and the flowers and fruits are there for all to see.

The Prayer – DIVINE Sankalpa Swami’s explanation on Adi sankara’s “Yad yad karma karomi thadh that akhilam shambo thava aradhanam” hit me so hard as a student, I had kept a note of it on my cupboard in the hostel. This took me closer to Swami and enabled me to scale heights in the corporate sector. Swadharma is LOVE in Action. The modern world needs actively good citizens and not passively good citizens. We can never escape KARMA as Swami always said – Karmanu Bandheeni Manushya lokey. Many times, he would sing – Karma Data Vasamaa …. Naruda Karma Data Vasama.

Dr.K. Prasanna Sai, a student from 1980-89, Prasanthi Nilayam. He is on the advisory Board of several companies and a very active Sai Student Alumni coordinator. He undertakes various projects in association with SSSO and SSSIHL.