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The guess came true!
"Where
had You been, Swami?", we asked Him, when He sat up and leaned
back, on the wall. He answered, with a smile, as if He was not at
all tired or exhausted after the twenty-minute-absence from the
body. "Oh! I had been to Dehra Dun!"
We were astonished!
We asked Him what was the urgency for the visit, what was the
calamity which had to be averted, who was the Bhaktha involved
etc. He said that it was not a 'calamity' this time, but it was a
dying person to whom He had to give His Darsan, at the time of
death. "That was why you saw Vibhuthi issue from My mouth. When I
give Darsan to a dying person, that happens. Remember this".
We searched our
memories for the name and address of the Dehra Dun devotee but, we
could not recall any one's name. Then Baba Himself volunteered the
information. He said, "Don't you remember Dr. Krishna, the Lady
Medical Officer from Vellore, who comes here often? It was her
mother who passed away ten minutes ago, at Dehra Dun". And, He was
speaking to three of us, in His room at the Prashanthi Nilayam at
Puttaparthi, on 15th November 1958, at 5-40 P.M.!
At 5-20 P.M. that
day, while Baba was reading out a letter He suddenly shouted,
"Ha!", as if He was answering some one calling Him from afar and
fell on the floor, as if He had thrown His body and left it in a
trice, on journey! There were two more in the room, besides myself
and, we watched over Him helplessly, praying to Him, for what
could we do other than that? At 5-30 P.M, Baba coughed thrice and
there gushed from His mouth the sacred Vibhuthi. We wondered what
could it mean. Ten minutes later, He came back and sat up. It was
then that we ventured to ask Him, "Where had You been Swami?"
We knew Dr. Krishna
and had seen her at Puttaparthi and at Delhi, when Baba visited
the home of the Doctor. When Baba was at Rishikesh, the mother had
come down to the place and she had even the unique satisfaction of
worshipping Baba. And, so we were glad that the mother was
privileged to have the Darsan of the Lord, during her last
moments.
Baba told us, in
answer to our questions, that Dr. Krishna was at her beside at
Dehra Dun, that she was actually there at the time , holding the
pulse and that it was quiet and a happy death. He said that all
the nearest and dearest were around the bed. "She was a very pious
lady and she got the death she deserved", He said. "They are doing
Bhajana in that room! The atmosphere is so pure and holy", He
announced. Surely, we thought, that was why Baba blessed the soul.
We were all indeed
lucky that we could witness this Manifestation of the Divine
Mystery, for as Baba has often said, "Only the Lord can discern
the exact moment of the liberation of a soul".
The 15th of November
was a Saturday. On Tuesday, the 18th, the post brought an Inland
Letter from Dehra Dun, which Baba gave me to read and when it was
opened, lo, it was from Dr. Krishna herself! She had posted it on
Sunday, with extra stamps and it had to come fast and flying to
Baba's Hands.
"My mother drew her
last breath", it said, "at 5-30 P.M. yesterday". Dr.Krishna had
also written that they were doing Bhajan in the room for some time
and that her mother was praying to Baba during her last moments.
She concluded her letter thus, " I guess she had Your Darsan."
She guessed hundreds
of miles away! And we were told by Baba at Prasanthi Nilayam that
her guess had come true!
Source:
Radio Sai E-Magazine,
January 15, 2004
http://www.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_02/02Jan15/05_MOMENTS_MEMORIES/memories.htm
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