Seva at Swami's Ashram as member of Sevadal - An Experience

[Guest guest]

                                                  AUM SAI RAM

Dear Saibandhus,

My humble prostrations at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan.

Sairam to all.

  i wish to tell some experiences of mine, occurred some weeks back .

  i am a sevadal member of Shri Sathya Sai Samithi attached to S.K. District. i had participated in the one week service  programme at Swami's residence Trayee Brindavan, Kadugodi from 30th August to 5th Sept 2009.( Most of these service opportunities i try to utilise, if not all.) There are two gates for the Trayee Brandavan building and a third gate at the outer periphery towards the Whitefield Railway station. i was to guard each gate for two days each and the last and seventh day at the coconut garden near the student's play ground. This was my first service in Swami's Ashram. On earlier occasions i had done service once at Puttaparthy in 1994 and four times in the Super Speciality Hospital during 2008-2009. i fully enjoyed the service at the Ashram. Especially when i was at those two gates,on either side and in front of the Trayee Brindavan my memory went back ( In fact only the Divine memories are not of the past; they are in the present ) to nearly 37 years back when i received the blessed Darshan,Sparshan and Sambashan of Swami inside Swami's residence. i was ruminating over  that experience.

 

After seva was over, on the evening of sunday the 6th sept.many sevadal people travelled to Prashanthinilayam for the Darshan of Bhagavan. There is a provision for the sevadal people,who have done one week service,to sit in the front in Sai Kulvant Hall for Swami's only one near Darshan. Since all of us couldn't reach in time on 6th sept. for the evening Darshan, we occupied the front place the next day i.e. on 7th sept. That morning Swami didn't give physical Darshan. ( since we didn't get Swami's physical Darshan on the morning, we were allowed to sit once more in the front for the evening Darshan.) However,by the Grace of Bhagavan, for me the Formless Experience of Swami, despite HIS physical absence,  on the morning was marvellous.  My earlier Divine Experiences of the Formless Bhagavan that occurs generally in the closed doors of our home, again recurred in the Sai Kulwant Hall. This happened during the morning Bhajan time. We were eagerly waiting for the Darshan of Bhagavan since 08.00AM. After sometime Swami's devotees started Bhajan. It was, i felt, an heartfelt and an agonised cry from the core of their hearts for  Bhagavan to appear. So melodious and Soul touching it was!  My mind merged in the soft vibration of those songs, my body consciousness merged in the Divine Consciousness. My Inner Being felt the Divine Presence of Swami just on the path where Swami moves seated on His chair. i paid Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan. i did HradayaPada Puja of my GOD Swami , as i normally perform at home.

Swami was seated in  His chair. i slightly,delicately lifted both the Lotus Feet of Swami  by using both my hands, then holding both the Feet in my right hand and in that lifted position, i placed a round shallow plate underneath the Feet and gently placed those Divine Feet on the plate. i immagined that a small round shaped vessel containing the Gangajal was kept nearby. i took the Gangajal vessel and started washing the Divine Feet lovingly; i first washed the top surface of right Foot slowly in circular motion of my palm and going towards the Heel and then to the Toe-fingers,cleaning all the five fingers and tha gaps between all the fingers.Next i cleaned the bottom surface of the Divine Foot using Gangajal liberally. Like this i cleaned Swami's right Foot a few times. After cleaning the right Foot, i gently placed it on the plate.

  Next i took the Divine Left Foot of Swami. Using the Gangajal, i cleaned the complete Left Foot, the Heel,the Fingers, and the gaps between Fingers and the under neath of Left Foot. Next i gently placed Swami's Left Foot on the plate. Now i lifted both the Feet  with my right hand, slowly pushed the plate away from Swami's Feet, taking care not to spill the Gangajal. Now i placed a soft rose coloured bath towel under Swami's Divine Feet. i lifted the plate containing the  Paadatheertha of Swami from both my hands reverentially, closed my eyes and very slowly started drinking the Paadatheertha sip by sip feeling  the Amruth like taste. After drinking the Paadatheertha completely, i dried both the Feet of Swami using the towel. Now i lifted both the Divine Feet of Swami and placed on the cushioned pedestal. 

i took some sandal paste from a small bowl kept nearby and applied it on both the Feet. Next i took some kumkum and applied on both the Feet. Next i took rose petals from a nearby basket and performed Pushparchana on the Lotus Feet. Next i did archana from Tulasi leaves. Next i did Archana using Bilvapathra. After this i placed my forehead at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan. Immediately Swami's Form turned to Formless and my Consciousness merged in that Formlessness and i experienced Immense BLISS. After sometimes the Bhajans were over and i left the Hall, the impact of the experience remaining with me for a long time.

 

Since we didn't get Swami's physical Darshan of Bhagavan on the morning, we were allowed to sit in the front in the Sai Kulwant Hall for the evening Darshan. After some time the Bhajan started and it was so sweet that my whole Being got immersed in it. There i saw some synchronised movement of lifting of their heads from a section of Devotees who were able to have direct view of Swami's residence and i understood that Bhagavan has stepped out of Yajur Mandir. Within a few minutes Swami was coming towards the Darshan lines. i was fully alert and anxiously waiting Swami to come towards us. Slowly God was coming forward, looking towards devotees Lovingly, raising His Hands on a few occasions. Slowly God was moving towards where we were seated. Slowly Swami looked at devotees in our group,one by one, and LO!!! the God looked into my eyes and that Enchanting look spontaneously stirred my Whole Being. Bhagavan slowly moved further towards the verandah of the Bhajan Hall and Swami's physical for disappeared from my sight. i closed my eyes with the Awareness of Swami's eye contact with my eyes. Just the visualization of the eye contact of Swami's with my eye, even for a second, raised so much of Divine vibrations from my feet up to the head that I-ness melted completely and there was BLISS and BLISS only surrounding all around. The Experience of SWAMI'S BLISS is simply indescribable. Even in that Bliss i could visualize Swami's Divine Eye contact  which further raised the BLISS and tears filled my eyes and started flowing down on my cheeks. Though Swami's physical form disappeared from my physical sight, through the  Inner Sight, i was Aware of Swami's Formlessness and the BLISS. Meanwhile, the divine melodious Bhajan, sung by the devotees, entered my Being,stirred it and augmented by that Divine Eye contact tears of BLISS was continuously flowing down. When there was a small gap where the tears stopped, the Divine Eye contact of Swami with mine flashed in my Being and it further continued  the flow of tears of BLISS.  i was simply unable to withhold the tears or wipe them ,because my body and hands were immobilised. The Bhajan singers might have sung seven or eight songs,since the arrival of Bhagavan to the Sai Kulwant Hall and throughout the whole Bhajan period ,there was continuous tears which didn't stop. Finally Swami took the Arathi and proceeded towards Yajur Mandir. Slowly i got up and left the Hall.

When i was in that state of Blissfulness, tears flowing down, i think, this was observed by some students of Swami seated there and they must have felt sympathetic. Because, when i was walking out of the Nilayam, one student ( first i thought so) while passing across me lovingly said to me Sai Ram; i also lovingly said Sai Ram to him and while telling my name ,i asked whether he was a student and what is his name. While telling his name, he told that he was a Lecturer.      .  

 

  Next day morning also we sat in the Sai Kulwant Hall--not in the special place- like other devotees. Swami didn't give physical Darshan on that morning. However at end of the Bhajan when i was immersed in the Melodiousness of the songs, i felt a warm hand lovingly touching my forehead; i was wonder struck!. Who else it can be other than the Loving BHAGAVAN.  The warmness remained for long. We left Puttaparthy by train for Bangalore the same noon. By night i was at home.

 

Whenever (and even now), in the closed or open doors of my home, i picturise or visualise Bhagavan's Eye contact with my eyes, simply the past time melts to the present, as if it is not the past but the present, and i experience the same Divine Vibration and BLISS and flow of tears. Then, how much fortunate are the Devotees,who daily get the Divine Darshan and Eye contact of Swami!!!

Thus i have a memorable experience of Seva 

Thanks for reading this lengthy mail patiently.   

Yours Saibandhu,

Ranganatha.Rao.