SRI SATHYA SAI HRUDAYA NIVASI (INDWELLER OF HEARTS) Chapter-1
"Objects are not to fall on magic wand". It was the year 1965, when I was employed in Bombay, that I heard, many people talk about Sai Baba. I was a regular visitor to Shirdi, offering worship at the Samaadhi very often. One day I again heard the name of Sai Baba, still alive and likely to visit Bombay very shortly! I felt something mystical about this, and I started enquiring what this was all about. One of my friends gave me a copy of a recently published English magazine “Illustrated weekly of India”, and showed me the cover page. There I could see the picture of a saintly man, but with a crown of hair on the head, holding out the right hand upwards, as if blessing somebody. “This is Sai Baba, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba”, said my friend, and urged me to read the cover story inside the magazine. The article mentioned about the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, as Sri Sathya Sai Baba, born again at Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh. The amazing miracles of materializing Rings, Pendants, Mangala Soothram, etc. vividly explained therein, were very difficult to believe. Something deep inside told me that there was nothing wrong in believing Him and it would still be better, if I could visit this Holy Man. There was excitement in my mind, to know that I am living during the period of an Avatar. We have only read or heard stories of various Avatars. I thought that if only it is true that Sai Baba is an Avatar, then it is really an unique chance to live during this period. We have seen Gods as idols in temples, and in pictures in our Pooja rooms. Here I hear that God is presently living on earth, in human form, and that He is available for all the humanity. The more exciting news was that Sai Baba was likely to visit Bombay shortly and that we could see this God in human form for ourselves. I did not know what to do. Something precious was within our reach, during our lifetime. Great devotees had lived and served God during earlier Avatars. In Dwapara Yuga, it was said, that Gopies worshipped, served and lived ever in His memory. Arjuna was constantly with Krishna. The only thing that I could understand was that it would be a God sent chance to live while God is on earth and to get opportunities to serve Him. However, we should deserve HIS grace. Would I deserve His Darshan? If He is God, then, He should know everything about me (About all of us), past present and future. Oh My God, I would have committed many a sins during this life. He would be knowing all about my deficiencies and blemishes and He might not like to see me at all. When Baba might come to Bombay, lakhs of devotees would be longing for His Darshan. Could it be assumed they are all free of sins? Then why not I also go and have His Darshan at least from a long distance! I was very much confused and restless for several days - to see Him or not to see Him! I could not concentrate on my office work and could not sleep peacefully. I wanted to know more about Sai Baba and started making enquiries with whomever I happened to contact. Many did not know about Baba nor had they heard of Him. They were looking at me curiously and perhaps thought that something was really wrong with me. Restless I was, yet I tried to engross myself in my office work. I was living alone since my wife had gone to her native place. We were waiting for the arrival of our first child. This was already causing tension. My confusing thoughts of Baba added to my tension. My wife had developed some problems during her earlier pregnancy resulting in abortion. The specialist doctors had certified that she might not conceive again. The Grace of Sai flowing unto us, even before we came to know of Him, is a different story altogether and I shall narrate it, elsewhere in this book. Here, I only wish to mention that, in spite of the complications and anxieties, my wife insisted on going to her native place for delivery. It is a small remote village in Kerala with no doctors and hospital facilities. Yet that was her wish that she wanted to be with her own mother. Sitting alone in the house, my thoughts were oscillating between my unconfirmed faith on Baba and fears of my wife’s safe delivery. My dull mind was not able to knit the possibility of Baba’s Grace with a solution to my