A Glimpse of Swami with Sai Geetha - A Day like No Other

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Taken from Radiosai

 

A Glimpse of Swami - A Day like No Other

 

This happened more than a decade and half ago. It was one serene

morning in the hallowed hamlet of Puttaparthi. As the Sun cleared the

dispiriting clutter of the night with its pleasantly penetrating rays

of soothing morning light, Bhagavan, with His divine darshan, had

filled the devotees' hearts with the warmth of His love. The bhajans

ended as usual, at nine-thirty, and Swami retired to His room. The

Ashram, again, was enveloped in powerful silence.

 

As the devotees dispersed carrying the serenity of the blissful

morning in the chalices of their hearts, their minds and senses were

submerged with only one thought: `when can I have the Lord's darshan

again?' To hear the darshan music once more waft through the silent

settings of Prasanthi Mandir and still their bliss-seeking souls,

they knew they will have to wait at least five hours.

 

This would be true, had it been any other day. But on this day they

were in for a pleasant surprise. It was eleven thirty in the morning

and quite unexpectedly they heard the siren of the police pilot that

precedes Swamis' convoy! Suddenly there was excitement everywhere; it

was as if the ashram was in one instant catapulted into fifth gear.

Swami was on one of His `unscheduled' drives around the Mandir, when

at times He would go as far as the Super Specialty Hospital, located

about five kilometers away.

 

But where exactly was He going that day? " Will He visit the

Hostel? " , " or the Hospital? " , or " the School? " or " is it just a

drive? " The guessing game was on in everyone's mind. Either side of

the road was bursting with devotees somehow trying to carve a little

space for their necks so that they would not miss this bonus blessing

of the day. All the children of the Easwaramma High School and

students from the Hostel lined up on either side of the road. As His

car reached near the hostel, it slowed down, and His hands were

raised in blessing for all the beaming faces that thrust themselves

to have a precious glimpse.

 

Sai Geetha Pleads with Her Master

 

The Unparalleled Love Story

 

At that time, Sai Geetha, Swami's pet-elephant, had a huge vaulted

roofed enclosure right in front of the Senior Boys' Hostel.

Apparently, hearing the sound of the siren, she rushed towards the

gate and had it not been for her caretaker, she would have crushed

it. She was out on the road even before the boys lined up. She seemed

unduly excited that day, making it difficult for her mahout to hold

her in check. Swami's car approached and Sai Geetha moved forward.

Everyone there, who had seen Sai Geetha raise her trunk in salutation

whenever she saw Swami, were witness that day to an unusual scene.

Her stocky trunk lay heavily on the bonnet of the car. She refused to

budge despite urgings. Her ears were flapping at an alarming rate;

she seemed disturbed.

 

The glass door beside Swami slid down noiselessly and before anyone

could crowd around, her trunk slickly slid off the bonnet into the

window and ever so gently touched Swami's cheek and hair. It was such

a delicate, charming and sweet sight. A silence descended over the

gathering. No one wanted to miss even a minutest mini-second of the

divine play. Something subtle transpired between the two – maybe a

message understood only by the truly pure-hearted - and she slowly

withdrew her trunk from the window of the car. Next, at a signal from

Swami, the boy seated in the front seat swiftly opened the door.

 

Swami stepped out of the car and immediately the flapping ears

stilled to a gentle wave. She undulated backward as Swami moved

towards her, murmuring endearments while her trunk reached to caress

His feet. He touched her and the ones closest could see a ripple run

across her huge frame as she rejoiced at the blessing. Only the ones

in the closest proximity heard the sweet conversation between Sai and

His beloved Geetha. Swami, in His sweet Telugu, spoke to her softly.

 

" Come on Geetha, I have to go, " He said, patting her trunk.

 

She protested softly and her trunk rose to lie on the bonnet again.

It was a very loud " No! "

 

" I want to go Geetha, come on, come on, move, " said Swami, reaching

up to stroke her cheek. And suddenly a diamond glistened, a dew drop

that was the coalescence of her love for Him, a silent expression of

her feelings: a tear found its way down the very cheek upon which His

hand rested. As the students and devotees watched, more tears coursed

down and wet His hand. He looked up at her and nodded

understandingly. Her ears stood still, unmoving, her massive domed-

head drooping.

 

" Okay, okay, I will not go! " said Swami sympathetically.

 

Immediately the ears moved a whisker. She had not stirred an inch.

Perhaps she did not want to break the contact. Perhaps, she did not

want her Lord to remove His hand. She stood motionless with her head

bowed listening to her master.

 

" Go, go back to your shed, " said Swami, patting her and lowering His

hand. She shook her head gently. It was again a big " No " .

 

" Will you go back if I return to the ashram? " asked Swami.

 

She stepped back a fraction – but only a fraction - her trunk still

lay on the bonnet.

 

" Okay, okay, I will not go, I am going back to the ashram. Are you

happy? " He asked her.

 

She visibly trembled with joy and replied in her own language in the

affirmative. He, of course, understood.

 

" Good girl, good girl, " said Swami.

 

Sai is Overpowered by Sai Geetha's Love

 

He then turned to the students and accepted a handkerchief. Turning

back to her, He wiped her tears and looking at the boys again, He

said aloud casually, " I had planned to go to Brindavan (Bangalore)

today. "

 

The words came out of the blue! Dumbstruck, the boys just stared at

Him. The exhilaration with which they were enjoying the divine

romance just vaporized! The boys just `blinked', for want of a better

expression. " Swami was going to Brindavan? And none of us knew? No

message, no hint whatsoever. We would have lost Swami? " All the boys

stood there with their hands folded and heads baffled.

 

His gaze ran over all the boys. Using the same handkerchief to wipe

His hand, Swami continued, " I wanted to go quietly without much ado,

but look at her. " His eyes glanced at her and so did another

hundred. " She knew it, she sensed it. She somehow figured out Swami

was leaving and she was crying, Paapam (poor thing!) " He looked back

at her, His eyes tracing her trunk which was now at His Feet. Some of

the boys dropped their gaze and saw that she had gently moved aside

the robe resting on the earth and was caressing the Lotus Feet. He

gently, yet firmly, pushed her and she withdrew her worship.

 

" See ra, see! " He commented looking at the boys as He sat in the

car. " She loves Swami so much that she can feel Swami's feelings. She

came to Swami when she was a small baby, so many years have passed,

but see? Her love has only increased – expansion love. That is

devotion. "

 

Devotion Turns `My Mind' and `His Mind' into `One Mind'

 

If you can feel for the Lord in every cell of your being; if you pine

for Him every single second of your life; if nothing else interests

you in this world except His form and proximity, then `my mind'

and `His mind' will no longer exist, but will all become `One

awareness'. You are then in perfect sync with God, just like Sai

Geetha. Isn't it incredible to see an animal having so much love for

the Lord?

 

You can find parallels only in the ancient epics: in Hanuman, the

greatest monkey-devotee of Lord Rama; or in Jatayu, the bird which

sacrificed her life fighting for Mother Sita; or the cows of Gokul

which became lifeless without food and drink if Krishna did not

accompany them to the pastoral groves. You need not read the

scriptures and imagine in your mind's eye those beautiful scenes from

the Bhagavatham to fill yourself with divine bliss. It is enough to

just see Sai with His Geetha. The same divine leela is being replayed

in this age. How fortunate we are! Sai Geetha's life is a

demonstration for all humanity of that pinnacle of deep love and

surrender which every devotee of the Lord should one day ascend.