Mr. P. V. Krishna Mohan is an alumnus of Sri Sathya Sai University who completed his Master in Business Administration in Prashanti Nilayam in the year 1994. Currently he works as a department head in Tata’s Telco Construction Equipment Company based in Jamshedpur in the state of Bihar, India. An active Sai worker, he is also presently the Sai Youth Coordinator of Jamshedpur.
When people ask me, “What is your qualification?” I always respond saying I am a Sai Student. I strongly believe that this is the only true qualification that I have. I treasure the fact that I am a Sai Student, and cherish every moment of the years spent at Bhagavan’s feet. For, being with Swami was, verily, a rebirth to me.
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I was born in Hyderabad but had never known of Sathya Sai Baba until 1992. I had heard of Shivam (Swami’s Mandir at Hyderabad), but had never made an attempt to visit the place.
My first memory of
Swami is of a fleeting moment, when I was
travelling with my parents. We were in a bus
stand near Shivam. In front of us, there was
a motorcade passing, and people said -
Sathya Sai Baba is going by.
My second remembrance of Bhagavan is seeing
a cover story on Him in the Illustrated
Weekly of India. I only remember a few
things I read about Swami in the article,
for instance, His materialization of
Vibhuti.
Those were really vague memories as I was a
mere schoolboy then.
Becoming a
‘Proud Atheist’
It was during college days when I became
alienated from God. My parents were very
pious and used to visit temples. But somehow
I developed a distorted perception that
questioned the very existence of God. “When
there is so much suffering, how can there be
a God?” I asked myself.
I stopped praying, even thinking about God.
I even remember an instance, when I saw an
article in the newspaper that announced a
provisional change of routes to divert the
traffic in lieu of Sathya Sai Baba’s visit.
I recollect commenting to my friends –
‘These Babas keep coming and needlessly
disturb everybody.’
Swami said, “See, all
animals like elephants and
tortoise have a very low pulse
rate, and they live very long.
And people who have a high pulse
rate, don’t live long. But you
are My student. You will live
long.”
Bhagavan then asked me to open my shirt buttons. He put His hand on my heart, rubbed His hand on my chest, and said, “Okay. Nothing will happen to you. You are My student.” And He sent me away. |
So here was I, a regular college-going youngster, studying engineering from Hyderabad, scoffing at any form of association with anything godly. I made a visit to Tirupathi along with my parents in my third year of engineering. But it was one of those stand-alone instances for me as well as for my brother, who also like me professed a hearty disbelief in God. In fact, we took a pervert delight in calling ourselves atheists and boasting about it to friends.
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I could not
have fathomed at that point in time that the
mighty wheel of change was heading in my
direction. Immediately after engineering, I
decided to pursue Masters in Business
Administration.
I applied for admission to various
institutes, posting my application to any
college that put up an advertisement in the
newspaper. But it so happened that I would
invariably qualify in the written test and
the Group Discussion round. But when it came
to the final interview, I found myself
getting eliminated each time. This happened
in almost five cases!
So I took up a
job in Hyderabad itself. There, for the
first time in the factory premises, I saw an
advertisement of the Sathya Sai University
(it was the Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Learning then) for the MBA degree, in a
small Telugu newspaper. I told my father
about the poster, asking him to find out
more about the institute. My father learnt
that the university was highly reputed for
its academics and discipline. We were
thrilled.
My father received the application and even
filled it out on my behalf and sent it, but
as time elapsed, I totally forgot about it.
Suddenly, one fine morning, my father
informed me that my written test and
interview at Puttaparthi were lined up for
the forthcoming Sunday and Monday. So I
packed my bags and first set foot here (in
Prasanthi Nilayam) on a Saturday evening.
The Sublime
Attraction of the Abode of Supreme Peace
The moment I had my first glimpse of ‘The Abode of Peace’, I fell in love with the place. The ashram, the university, even the hospital which I first saw while coming from Bangalore, whispered a gentle serenity. My first reaction was to admit to myself, that deep within, this was the sort of a place I had always longed for.
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We took a room
in the ashram. I then purchased a
book on Swami, because my father told me
that I might be asked some questions on ‘Sai
Baba’ in the interview next day. On the flip
side, we also happened to interact with a
couple of people who told me that I stood no
chance of getting in the institute as I was
not a devotee of Sai Baba.
Nevertheless, I wrote the written test the
next day. I remember one of the questions
was, ‘Which of the teachings of Sai Baba
have influenced you?’ Here I was, totally
unaware of any of Swami’s messages, but then
I remembered a sticker pasted in the room
where we were put up the previous night,
which said ‘Start early, Drive slowly, Reach
safely’.
So I simply wrote that down. I did not even
know what Swami meant by that saying.
Nevertheless, that was a lesson, the first
teaching from the Lord. I qualified in the
written test and also in the Group
Discussion.
The final interview was scheduled for a day
later. My father left as he had to join his
office and I stayed on, awaiting my
interview.
In the interview, Professor Sampath asked me
a question. “The students here
in Prashanthi Nilayam will be interacting
with Swami on a regular basis. And Swami too
interacts often with the students. So how
will you take this?” The answer which I gave
then sends shivers down my spine when I
think of it now. I blatantly told Prof.
Sampath – “No, I have come here for my MBA
studies and not for Swami!” I said this in
my ignorance, not knowing that Swami would
hold me unto Him for the rest of my life.
This is how my journey to Swami began.
Selected for
Sai by Sai
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I found to my
delight that I was selected and was asked to
report immediately to Brindavan campus for
the Summer Course in Indian Culture and
Spirituality. When I showed up at the
counter, I was allotted a room in the third
floor, where all the MBA boys were put up.
Even before I could pick up my belongings,
two boys came to carry my luggage upstairs.
Completely taken aback, I demurred and
hesitated. But, to no avail. “No, sir,
come,” they gently persuaded. They were
actually my seniors; they gladly carried my
luggage all the way upstairs to the room and
made me comfortable.
That evening I had my first darshan
of Bhagavan. It was May 20, 1992. I strongly
believe - that day was my date of rebirth. I
remember we were all seated on the lawn. And
lo! The doors of Trayee Brindavan opened and
Bhagavan came out. That evening, Swami
distributed diaries and pens for the Summer
Course. That was a beautiful moment in my
life.
Those two years of my life in Prashanti
Nilayam campus were truly wonderful. Though
it took me a little while to fall in rhythm
with Swami’s teachings, I loved the place
and the ambience. The routine didn’t seem
daunting either, as I was used to a tougher
schedule at home. And deep in my heart, I
always felt this was the right place for me,
where I always wanted to be.
He Whom the
Rain Clouds Obey!
A few students and
lecturers were still waiting.
Ten minutes elapsed. Swami came
for the third time again and
said, “See, I have already
warned you. I can’t hold the
rain back. Now I am calling the
rain.” Swami looked at the sky,
beckoned it with His hands, and
went inside. Swami only took one
step inside, and the heavens
opened! We broke into a run. By
the time we reached the hostel,
we were all thoroughly drenched.
This was my first experience of
Swami.
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Slowly yet surely, unbeknown to myself, I began to accept Swami. My first encounter with His Divinity materialized in the Summer Course itself. One afternoon around 3:00 p.m., there was heavy rain. We students were all relaxing in the room after the lunch. People said there would be no darshan because of the downpour. All of a sudden, the shower ceased. We all went to Trayee Brindavan waiting for Bhagavan.
Swami came out and said, “I stopped this
rain. It is better you go back. All the
devotees will get unnecessarily drenched.
They will be waiting for Me. If you sit
inside, they will all be there. So it will
be good if go and tell them that there would
be no darshan today. It is going to
rain heavily now. I have just stopped it.
Please go now.” And Swami went inside.
In implicit obedience to the Lord’s words, some of the students and lecturers did go away. But the rest of us waited. After ten minutes, Swami came out again and said, “You all are not listening to Me. It is going to rain heavily. I am telling you to go back.” Reluctant to leave His presence, we implored in unison – “No Swami, no Swami.” Bhagavan insisted – “This is Swami telling you. Please go away.” And He went inside.
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A few students
and lecturers were still waiting. Ten
minutes elapsed. Swami came for the third
time again and said, “See, I have already
warned you. I can’t hold the rain back. Now
I am calling the rain.” Swami looked at the
sky, beckoned it with His hands, and went
inside. Swami only took one step inside, and
the heavens opened! We broke into a run. By
the time we reached the hostel, we were all
thoroughly drenched. This was my first
experience of Swami.
In Awe of the
Lord
After this incident, I took a keener
interest in Swami, listening to His glory
from several people and reading books on
Him. Soon I got hooked onto Swami’s little
poems, which He often recited before a
discourse. I imbibed more in little doses,
as I sincerely relished His Chinna Katha
stories, the melodious bhajans, the
profound truths He expressed in the simplest
of manners, His voice, His discourses,
verily, His teachings.
In the month of August that year, Swami
called us – the first and second year MBA
students - and spoke to us. He gave a
wonderful discourse on production
management. The session went on for about an
hour or so after which Swami said, “I will
bring prasadam for you all” and
went inside. My friend and I were almost
literally at the end of the room. Swami came
up to my friend, and spoke to him in soft
words, meant only for his ears. He
said, “I know, you smoke. You do it
in Delhi. Stop it.” Then Swami went inside
as if nothing had happened and distributed
prasadam to all of us. Only my
friend and I knew what had transpired. It
was a gentle but powerful reminder of His
omniscience and one could not but feel awed.
Onset of
Mysterious Sickness
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My very
special moment with Bhagavan came when I was
one among those fortunate to be chosen to go
to Kodai Kanal with Him. This was in April
1993. It so happened that I was very sick
all through my second semester examination.
I still vividly remember; the exams started
on March 17, 1993, and I fell sick on the
18th. That illness so weakened me, I
couldn’t sleep for days. Worse still, I
couldn’t study, and was simply unable to
concentrate.
So I went to a teacher Dr. Bhagia and he
sent me to the Super Specialty Hospital.
They checked me and said that I was
perfectly normal, and that any symptoms of
ailment were purely because of my
examination fear. But I knew that I could
pass even without studying; that my sickness
was genuine, as was my unusual rate of
palpitation in my chest.
I made up my mind to go back to Hyderabad
after the exams, and get a proper medical
checkup done. It was with tremendous effort
that I sat through the tests. And now I was
all set to go home, even having booked my
tickets in advance.
Kodai - To
Go or Not to Go…
On March 31, on the morning of the last
exam, the registrar of the University came
to the hostel and called all the boys
selected to accompany Bhagavan to Kodai
Kanal. I was one among the boys selected! I
did not know what to do!
I was not well and I thought to myself that
I should not be a problem to Swami in
Kodaikanal with my ill health. I wrote my
exam and was walking back to the hostel; we
had been instructed to be ready by 11
o’clock as a bus would come to take us to
Brindavan soon after lunch. As I was
returning, I saw Dr. Bhagia a few feet ahead
of me, walking towards the hostel. I
approached him and laid my predicament
before him. “Sir,” I said, “you know I am
not well, and Swami has selected me for the
Kodai Kanal trip. So what should I do?
Should I drop out?” Bang came the response –
“No! What are you thinking? You are going
with God. So why have second thoughts?
Please go.”
What gratitude can I
express to Bhagavan, that
Compassionate Resident in the
hearts of all beings, who has
not just cured me of an ailment
of my physical heart, but has so
touched my spiritual heart that
I can think of no other refuge
than Him and Him alone.
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His words did
the magic. I immediately packed my luggage.
Later, Bhagavan called all of us, the Kodai
Kanal boys, into the interview room. He
asked each one of us how we had done our
exams, viva voce and the like. All except
me; He did not ask me any questions. I was
just sitting there, listening and praying
all the while, as I had not done my exams
well.
Seeking the
Divine Health Assurance
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Every moment
in Kodai Kanal was a precious moment. I had
never dreamt that I would be blessed with
such a unique opportunity. But then I was
not particularly well either through the
entire trip.
I was unable to sleep, even in Kodai Kanal.
When a couple of days went by in
this manner, I wrote a letter to Swami
saying – ‘Swami, I am not well and I am
unable to get sleep. My palpitations are
increasing. Please help me.’
That
morning, when Swami came out of His room, I
showed the letter to Him. Swami read the
letter, tore it into pieces, and put it in
my pocket saying, “Bahut sochtha hai tum
(You needlessly think a lot)”.
Our routine in
Kodai Kanal was such that we would wait for
Swami to come out of His room. Once He was
out, we used to have breakfast with Swami.
And then he would speak to us for 10-15
minutes, after which He would leave for the
morning darshan. In that interval,
we lecturers and students would go for a
morning walk.
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That
day, April 27, we seated ourselves in front
of Swami. I was at a distance.
Then, much to my surprise, Swami
called me and said in Telugu, “Eh,
boy, etla unnavra?” (Boy, how are
you?)
I replied, “Bagunnanu, Swami (I am
fine, Swami)”. Swami then beckoned me inside
and asked, “How is your heart?” “Bagane
undi, Swami (It is fine, Swami),” I
replied.
The Gift of a
New Heart
Dr. Alreja was present there as a guest.
Swami asked him to check my pulse. So Dr.
Alreja held my pulse, took his watch, timed
the pulse rate and said, “Swami, 88-87
undi, Swami (It is 88-87)”
Then,
Swami Himself checked my pulse and
said, “Ha, 86-87 undi
(It is 86-87.) See, I don’t have a watch but
still I am correct.”
And then,
Swami
said, “See, all animals like elephants and
tortoise have a very low pulse rate, and
they live very long. And people who have a
high pulse rate, don’t live long. But you
are My student. You will live long.”
Bhagavan then
asked me to open my shirt buttons. He put
His hand on my heart, rubbed His hand on my
chest, and said, “Okay. Nothing will happen
to you. You are My student.” And He sent me
away.
This was in the morning, before darshan.
Swami then sent us for our morning walk.
When we returned and seated ourselves at His
feet, Swami
called me saying, “Come here, boy. What do
you want?” I said, “Swami, naku emu
vaddu. Swami, meere kaavala
(Swami, I do not want anything. Swami, I
want only You).” Pat came the response,
“This is all stunts, stunts.” Swami
then created a ring, and gave it to me
saying, “Wear this. See, Swami is always a
perfect fit.” And the next moment, He put
the ring on my finger.
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It was a beautiful heart-shaped ring, but the size was a little big. I nearly lost the ring that afternoon, when we went touring Kodai Kanal with Swami. That whole night, I could not get a wink of sleep, afraid I’d lose the ring for good.
The very next morning, when Swami came for darshan, I said, “Swami, this ring is very loose.” Swami promptly said, “Why did you not tell Me yesterday? You thought that I will take it away? Give Me your ring.” Swami took the ring and blew thrice on it. The ring became smaller, and Swami put it back. The shape on the ring now resembled that of ‘Aum’.
The
summum bonum – I never got my heart checked
after that incident. Till date, I am
perfectly hale and healthy.
What gratitude can I express to
Bhagavan, that Compassionate Resident in the
hearts of all beings, who has not just cured
me of an ailment of my physical heart, but
has so touched my spiritual heart that I can
think of no other refuge than Him and Him
alone.