“It’s Done…You Can Go…”

He wills and it happens. He has proved time and again that His Will reigns supreme. Many a time many of us have encountered such situations wherein His unseen abounding grace bailed us out of difficult situations in the form of small miracles. Mr B.S.K.Vittal Rao of Bangalore narrates how His Divine Resolve helped him to earn a petty favour from a mundane point, indeed a much more valued one when it comes to establish in faith…one from a billion untold miralces.

I joined Baba on 6th December 1965, at Whitefield and accompanied Him during His tour to Madras etc. Dr. B. R. joined at Madras, at the last part. We all accompanied Him to Whitefield in the last week of December. We had an exhilarating elevating and glorious time throughout the Tour with Him.

On the New Year Day at Whitefield, He received Pranams from about a dozen persons collected in the hall there. He suddenly approached me and said, “Happy New Year, Happy New Year”, striking me at the same time twice on my back. I was thrilled and felt supremely happy. I was moved at His Prema. I knelt at His Feet. We accompanied Him on the 6th January to Prasanthi Nilayam. Throughout the journey, we were treated to gladdening and elevating talks and melody, which quite often touched the inner chord.

His Grace it was that I was to stay till my birthday on the 8th January. I was blessed indeed to receive on that day His ashirwadam, with “Nayanome premadhar, Vachanome Amruthadhar”. He brought out by a wave of His palm, as usual, a curved thin small shell with Vishnu, Shirdi Baba, our Baba and Shivalinga on it in bright colours and bestowed it on me.

I had to go to Tinnevelly to perform a ceremony on the 21st January and so, I approached Baba to let me go. “How do you go?” he asked; “By bus to Penukonda and from there, by train” was my answer. “No; you are aged; you should avoid bus journey.You stay till Sankramana, January 14th and I shall send you by some Bangalore car” He said.

The Kumara Raja of Sendur arrived on the 14th and Baba told me that l could go in his car, when he returned. We could leave with His Prasadam only on the 17th. I told Baba that unless ten to twelve days notice was given to the railways, a first class berth could not ordinarily be secured and implored that He alone should help me, by guaranteeing a berth. He raised the palm and said, “It is done; you can go.”

As soon as I reached Bangalore, I rushed up to the Railway Station. I was shown the Register of Reservations. “There ware already seven persons on the Waiting List. The official said to me that there was no chance, unless another bogie came along, attached from Jolarpet. Else, I would have to go by the second class. I dreaded to go by second class on that long journey, which involved also travel by night. …However, I bought a first class ticket.

No additional bogie came along, the next day, attached from Jolarpet. I was advised to get into a second, and if by chance, some one of the two or three that were to board from the Cantonment Railway Station did not turn up, I could get in to the first class. A certain Mr Das who wanted four first class berths had got only two and he was also pleading that he could not split up his party, one half to go in first and the outer half in second. I had half-a-mind to stay away and do the ceremony in Bangalore itself.

But, Baba, had told me to go! With mixed thoughts I changed my first Class ticket into a second class one and got into a compartment near by. There were only three in that compartment; I consoled myself that the journey may not to be so uncomfortable. I was thinking of Baba’s guarantee. There were only three minutes for the departure of the train.

To my surprise, Mr Das came running to my compartment, and said, he had surrendered his first class tickets and his whole party was travelling by second class. He told me, I could change. The Railway official also came and told me, I could change. My joy was unbounded I made a dash with my luggage and plumped into the berth. The train whistled off, almost at once.

Wonder of wonders! How Baba’s Sankalpa worked, without prejudice to the other five or six persons on the waiting list whose names were above mine, and who had already left the platform some minutes before! What Graciousness! Nothing but Divine!!!

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II