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It was about eight years or so, when we were in the Divine Presence in Kodaikanal. Swami was having nice time with the students whom he had chosen to accompany Him during the Vocation with the Divine. It was late in the evening and the usual chat with students commenced. Swami was explaining the story of “Nala & Damayanthi” whose love affair became fruitful in their wedlock. There was a small canal running along the backyards of the palace where Damayanthi was living and further down the stream where Nala was living. Swami explained that Damayanthi used to send letters to Nala and a faithful Swan in the stream used to courier these letters to Nala and bring back the replies.

Just a few days before the wedding date, Nala accosted Damayanthi who looked very sad and forlorn. Nala enquired the reasons for her sadness, when Damayanthi replied that the Swan, which was instrumental in bringing them together, has passed away recently, and that the feeling that the swan will be missed during the actual wedding, is making her sad. Nala too expressed his shock and grief on hearing the news. He enquired how best he could do something to remove her sorrow. Damayanthi suggested that he could design a “Mangala Suthram” (Thirumangalyam or the wedding necklace) having a pendent in the form of the swan. And Nala fulfilled her desire by designing the Manga suthram in the form of a Swan. Swami then enquired whether the students wished to see the pendant of the Mangala suthram which Nala made and offered to Dhamayanthi.

The excited students cried in chorus, “Please Swami!!!”

Swami waved His Divine Palm and created a pendant, and showed it to all of us. We were wonderstruck with the beautiful design and the creation of the pendant, which was in the shape of a swan. It was filled with hundreds of small, small pieces of Diamonds studded all over!!!! “This is the pendant of the Mangala suthra, which Nala tied around the neck of Dhamayanthi!!!” declared Swami.

While we route our thoughts with such Divine experiences, our minds are united with Swami, and this also forms a great path of meditation. Any small or probably ‘not-that-much’ important factors which we may come across in unexpected sources, may give us a cue to enable us channelizing our thoughts towards Swami.

Sai Ram.