Remembering Sai Geetha

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Today is a Day of Divine Rememberance of Sai Geetha on her 2nd Death Anniversary. She was a Divine Sai Sewak.

 

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?â€, “or the Hospital?â€, 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.

 

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!â€

“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 “Noâ€.

 

“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.

 

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.â€

 

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.â€

 

Sai Geetha's Divine Love

 

Om Sai Ram

 

Source : http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_05/01JAN07/03-coverstory.htm

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