Here are a few
excerpts of Prof. Anil Kumar’s talk delivered in the Divine
Presence on the 13th july 2004.
With Pranams at the
Lotus Feet. Revered elders, brothers and sisters.
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“You
Should Know That I Know”
These were the days
when I was there in Brindavan quite fresh to the Sai
system of education and the campus as well.
(Prof. Anil Kumar had newly joined the Brindavan
campus as the Principal of the college).
One Sunday Bhagavan
drove straight to the campus about 8 am. Luckily I
was there, even though usually we would take rest on
Sundays but I congratulated my stars that they had
driven me to be present on that day most
unexpectedly.
At that time there was
a gentleman named Col. Sood from Punjab who, along
with 18 associates, was working in the garden. Well
I did not know who they were but someone told me
that they do the work regularly. |
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Bhagavan got down from the car
and asked me who are those men. I replied that I did
not know. Bhagavan immediately said 'Can anybody
step into the college like that and do work without
your permission?' (Prof. Anil Kumar being the
Principal).
What am I to do? But
then I wanted to be smart and said 'Bhagavan
shall I ask them to get out?' Bhagavan replied,
'Since you did not ask them to come in, how can
you ask them to go?' I was stuck in between 'to
be or not to be that is the question'. Swami smiled
and left.
Then I thought it is
my duty to keep myself abreast of the situation. I
slowly approached Col. Sood and did some homework:
who he was and his associates. I became familiar
with all the data: so and so from Kerala, another
from Tamil Nadu, etc. |
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Bhagavan again came to the
college campus at 4 pm . Without being called to
come close I ran up to Bhagavan and started to
exhibit my knowledge. So and so is Col Sood, so and
so from Kerala, so and so from Tamil Nadu.
Swami heard this and I thought
that He appreciated my knowledge. Swami walked to
Col. Sood and materialised a big ring for him. He
then enquired about his son and daughter saying that
she must be in her final year of medicine and that
his son is in Patilia… He went on talking like this.
I was really
non-plussed at that moment. I went up to Bhagavan
and said 'Swami, when You know him and everybody
very well, why did You ask me about them? Why did
You listen to all this information from me?
Swami's reply is the
message that we should take note of. He said, |
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"I know everything
but you should know that I know - therefore I ask you."
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Bobattoo
and Birthday
It happened to be my
birthday, October 25th and I came from Bangalore to
Prashanti Nilayam campus on official duty. My family
was away at that time and I received a box of sweets
- a special preparation called in Telugu
bobatoo (a sweet chapatti). Bobattoo is the
favourite dish of every Andhrite - circular, brown
in colour and bathed in ghee, so sweet it goes
straight into the gullet and you will feel the
sweetness till the evening.
That is the height of
its taste and I received six of them from Guntur
(his hometown) to be specially consumed by me alone.
But what happened was
that my room was overflowing with devotees asking me
about the latest miracle from Swami. Well I was
talking, but my concentration was,only on
bobattoo. What was I to do…? |
Somehow using all my intelligence I chose
Darshan time when no one would disturb me. I bolted
the door from the inside switched off the light, it was
still dim, and started eating them, all six of them in quick
succession, as an NCC parade salute - as quick as that. But
I did not want anyone to notice this, so I took some cloves
so that nobody could smell it.
I sat there for Darshan
and usually Bhagavan comes and walks in a curve but that day
He comes straight to me - then I thought something is
waiting for me. Then Swami came close by and said,
'Ah, safe, safe now;
all the six are safe now. Why did you eat all six of
them? Can you not distribute them to friends? Are six
enough or do you want 60?'
Then Bhagavan smiled and said,
'I know today is your birthday' and He gave me
Padanamaskar.
This action that I did secretly, in the
dark without anyone's knowledge, stomach being the only
witness, but Bhagavan starts to tell everybody there so that
I felt very much embarrassed!
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Anything Can
Happen At Anytime
Another experience
that I wish to share with you happened in Kodai
Kanal. We were all seated at the breakfast table and
by my side was one gentleman by name Mohan Das. A
very good gentleman of my age group and both of us
usually sit together. Swami walked slowly up to us
and said 'What is the breakfast?' Then I
replied, 'Swami, poori and idli.'
'Oh I see'
said Swami, 'good, good' and looked at the
plate.
Then Swami came close
to Mohan Das and picked up one poori
saying, 'It is well done' and tore it at
the centre. A diamond ring appeared there! Swami put
it on Mohan Das' finger!
Watching all this I
started to eat slowly. Bhagavan asked me why I was
eating slowly? I replied,
'Swami who
knows there may be a diamond ring in my poori
also. I want to be extra careful so that it does
not get stuck in my gullet by accident!'
Baba reposted, 'I
am not going to give - ask your mother-in-law.' |
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So I saw the materialisation
out of a poori ! Anything can happen at anytime
He
Can Never Forget You
I remember Bhagavan attending
a music concert in Choudaiah Memorial Hall in Bangalore . A
very good music programme attended by the Chief Minister of
Karnataka, the Chief Commissioner, the Railways Minister and
Bhagavan presided over the whole programme.
At the end of the programme
while Bhagavan was leaving the auditorium I saw an old
couple who must have been in their 90's at the back of the
hall. Swami went all the way there, took the old man's hand
and asked him how he was. Swami blessed the couple and then
left.
I was very much surprised at
this but later I came to know that he had been the
Electricity Board chairman and also an ardent devote of
Bhagavan for a long time.
This only goes to prove that Bhagavan
will never forget us. We may find it difficult to walk
because of age, we may find it difficult to hear but
Bhagavan always remembers everybody.
Long back in the 1980's a
yagna was taking place in the Poornachandra auditorium.
Next to me sat a man called Rajagopal, a revenue inspector
from Venkatagiri. He told me that he had visited Prashanti
Nilayam many years ago but he is returning now after 20
years. He related that Swami would visit Venkatagiri every
year and sang some of the songs that Swami used to sing.
Around 9 am Swami started
walking in the midst of the devotees, came straight to
Rajagopal and said, 'Rajagopal, how are you?' This
man was shocked! Swami remembered him after 20 years! And
then Swami looked deep into his eyes and said,
'You might have
forgotten Swami but Swami has not forgotten you.'
Swami remembers every one of
you.
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'Now this
is My car’
Once a man brought a
brand new car and asked Swami to accept it. Swami
said that He did not want it. The man started crying
but Swami replied,
"If I accept all
the cars offered and they are all piled
one on top of the other there will be no
space to walk. So I do not want it.'
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Then Swami gave him an
interview but still the man was crying in the
interview for Swami to accept the car. Bhagavan
said, 'Alright, where are the keys?"
Swami took the keys
saying,
Now this is my
car. You run the car in My name; the car
belongs to Me. You use it, you
understand.'
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He
gave him back the keys.
“I belong
to the whole universe”
This is the hand that
never receives only gives and gives. I recall the
speech made by Smt. M S Subbulakshmi before her
concert at Guntur attended by 10,000 people. She
told us,
I am a
devotee of Bhagavan. I have visited so
many universities and educational
centres and charitable institutions.
Wherever I go the trustees ask me to
give a musical concert to raise funds;
and in this way so many institutions
have been built.
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But I
went to Prashanti Nilayam where instead of asking me to
perform, Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba gave me a diamond
necklace and it is my experience that He never accepts
anything.'
Once I said to Swami concerning some matter, 'In our
area things will not happen like that.'
'Why do you say our? I belong to everybody; do not
say our place
I belong to the whole world. I belong to the whole
universe.'
We are in front of the Cosmic Personality, the Divine
Personality and we are an international fraternity.
Jai Sai Ram!
