Devotees Experience - Contributed by Anitha Kandukuri

[Guest guest]

DEVOTEE'S EXPERIENCE By Anitha Kandukuri

 

I wish to share an amazing experience of my life. I am sure you would

have read that Canberra – Australia's National Capital – was engulfed

in fire on January 18th, 2003. I am from Canberra. The last 24 hours

have been a nightmare for us. Australia is known for its bushfires

but what we saw in the last 24 hours was unheard of in the history of

Australia. We live in a part of Canberra that has plenty of bush and

scenery. My house is about 3 minutes drive from my work and there are

mountains behind my work place. For the last 4 days the area behind

the mountains was burning and as it was a reserve we did not think

much of it. We went to work and came home without knowing that we

were soon going to be doomed. Yesterday afternoon at 2:00 our whole

family went to the shop just behind our house. In the shop we heard a

sales girl come up and tell her friends that her place was on fire.

Her place was in the suburb next to ours! We rushed out of the mall

only to find a darkened sky with a red globe and ash and embers every

where. We rushed home and were in a state of panic as were all the

people on the road. My kids started crying helplessly, sensing the

danger. My husband and I wanted to salvage important things like

papers, passports, citizenship certificates and other stuff and a few

clothes. We had the radio on full volume and were told that the whole

of Canberra had been declared as being under state of emergency until

further notice. We were upset and were deciding to hose down the

fence and roof of the house. Our neighbors told us to evacuate as the

fire was sure to reach us as the mountains and the suburb next to

ours were ablaze and the wind was traveling at the speed of 100

KM/hour. We were lost and could not make up our minds. Then I told my

kids to grab their important stuff and fill the bath tub with water

and put damp towels at the doors to keep them occupied and I asked my

husband to give me half an hour. I locked myself in a room and read

Vishnu Sahasranamam. Then in my usual fashion when I am in state of

confusion I seek answers from Sai Satcharitra. I begged and implored

BABA to guide us and tell us whether to leave the house and go away

or stay at home. I closed my eyes, thought of my BABA and opened the

book and BABA the merciful answered me with this - I beg you read

carefully the highlighted words. " Balasaheb Mirikar, son of Sardar

Kakasaheb Mirikar was Mamlatdar of Kopergaon. He was going on tour to

Chitali. On the way he came to Shirdi to see Sai Baba. When he went

to the Masjid and prostrated himself before Baba, usual conversation

regarding health and other matters commenced, when Baba sounded a

note of warning as follows:- " Do you know our Dwarakamayi? " As

Balasaheb did not understand he kept quiet, Baba continued - " This is

our Dwarakamayi, where you are sitting. She wards off all dangers and

anxieties of the children, who sit on her lap. This Masjidmayi (its

presiding Deity) is very merciful; she is the mother of the simple

devotees, whom she will save in calamities. Once a person sits on her

lap, all his troubles are over. He, who rests in her shade, gets

Bliss " . Then Baba gave him Udi, and placed HIS protecting hand on his

head. When Balasaheb was about to depart, He again said- " Do you know

the " Lamba Baba " (long gentleman), viz. serpent? " And then closing

the left arm like fist He brought it near the right elbow, and moving

His left arm like the hood of a serpent, He said- " He is so terrible,

but what can he do to the children of Dwarakamayi: When the

Dwarakamayi (its presiding deity) protects, what can the serpant do? "

(Chapter 22 - Sai Satcharita).

 

From this I understood that our house was Dwarakamayi – as we worship

BABA in our house and HE is our MASTER. I cried holding this book to

my heart. I showed it to my husband my 9 and half year old and my 5

year old son. We were very emotional. We then decided to leave the

bags in the car and we started hosing down the house and decided we

shall stay in the house - if we were to evacuate then the emergency

department would come and tell us. We were outside watering and

preparing for the worst. We heard that winds would worsen from

afternoon 6:30 and it would be blowing towards our direction carrying

balls of fire and that situation was grave. We were constantly

looking out. 6:30 came and went. Earlier we could not see anything

more than 10 meters away as it was covered with thick smoke. But

instead of getting worse the smoke cleared and by 8:30 there was cool

soft breeze. Our suburb which was on red alert was not even mentioned

as being at risk though we were surrounded by suburbs which were on

alert. Houses were gutted and were engulfed in fire when a ball of

fire swept over unexpectedly and 400 and more people lost their

houses in the western part. There was no power in most of the places.

Canberra was in a blackout. Except for few of our houses in the

suburb where we lived; the rest of the houses in most affected parts

of Canberra were in blackout. At night we saw the mountains behind my

office burn. My friends, who were presumably in a safe area and had

invited us to stay with them as we were at high risk, had to evacuate

themselves as the flames spread towards their houses. They had no

power for 12 hours or more. WE WERE SAFE. We had electricity. The

things we always took for granted - we realized the essence of it. We

had water and we were all together. All because I followed what BABA

told me through the book, and HE assured that HE would save us. Had

we left in panic then we would have been engulfed in fire on the

road. By staying at home we were safe. When we saw the pathetic

situation of people who had lost their memories and valuable things,

which cannot be replaced like pictures, medals and other trinkets, I

counted my blessings. Money is not important but there are some

things which are more valuable for us. Some lost their lives, and

many houses were gutted. We are fortunate as we did not suffer

anything other than mild inconvenience from inhalation of smoke. My

husband's office was burnt down. His boss called on Sunday morning

asking him not to bother going to work till Wednesday. Businesses

shut down.

 

There was utter chaos, grief and shock. This brought out love,

concern, empathy and the best in people as they came to the rescue of

others in need. Believe me we are still in shock, especially the

little kids. My 9 year old asked me – " Mum BABA hit his stick and

brought the fire down, can't he do that now? I said HE would if we

pray. Both my kids sat and prayed. My 9 year old is a voracious

reader and loves to read AMAR CHITRA KATHA's about God's mythology

and stories. He read a book on Shirdi Sai BABA. I was amazed at his

thoughtfulness. We are richer now, richer with new experiences,

richer in our faith getting stronger towards the holy feet of BABA.

Most important my children learnt that BABA never lies once HE

promises. The't what we went through and learnt through it. I am

grateful for being given this chance to survive and learn from this

experience. I am grateful to God for teaching me the value of the air

that we breathe, for the electricity without which the food which I

bought in preparation of my little one's birthday party would have

gone bad in the freezer. We became richer in compassion and empathy,

showing concern for our other friends momentarily forgetting our

needs. This is a learning opportunity provided to us by BABA. He did

this only:

 

1. To show HIS presence in our lives and that HE alone is our

caretaker.

 

2. To show our gratitude towards what HE provided to us.

 

3. To emphasize that we should not take things for granted and to let

us count His blessings in the little things that make our life

comfortable.

 

4. To let us show compassion, love and concern. Tomorrow we might

need it and what we pass around comes back to us.

 

5. To make us open our window of understanding and love.

 

6. To thank God for the small mercies and to tell that there are

others who are in graver situation than ours.

 

7. To tell us to have contentment with what we have and not to

compare ourselves with others and make ourselves miserable.

 

As Baba is there within all of us, let us reach out to Him and feel

Him in our hearts. He alone is our savior. Please, while doing naama

japa can I beg you all to pray for those victims of the fire who lost

their homes and loved ones, for all those brave firemen, and persons

from military and other emergency services who worked nonstop to

control the fire. We are doing fine now by BABA's grace, in spite of

the threat still looming over our heads, and even though we still

have smoke and haze around us. BABA gives us such experiences only to

increase our faith. Let us collectively bow down to BABA for His

constant vigilance and guidance in our lives. For us there is no

other adviser than Him and we seek His blessings. BABA protects us

always.

 

 

Anitha Kandukuri