Chapter 10
The Vision of Aura

“Love is God” is ever the repeated maxim of Swami. The God incarnate Bhagavan Baba is Himself embodiment of: Love. If only we spend a few minutes in His Divine presence wit intense love and prayers, in our hearts, we can easily and positively experience the strong divine love flowing from Him. Swami’s love envelopes everybody, even in an assembly of over lakhs of devotees, who throng for His Darshan. One has only to experience this bliss all by himself to understand what Divine Love is.

The Divine Love pulls multiplying millions of devotees to his very presence. In Dwapara Yuga, it was the melody of Lord Krishna’s flute which made the devotees of Brindavan to gravitate towards His presence. The Gopies lost any consciousness of their body, mind and spirit, dropped their work and other activities. They were absorbed by the melody. How lucky we are to witness today the reenactment of the same phenomenon by Sai Krishna at Parthi. The devotees run to catch a glimpse of Swami even at a murmur of the news that Swami’s car is approaching. They feel elated and truly blessed by the chance Darshan even of a fleeting second as the car passes through.

One Swami graced me with a rare chance of following His car from Puttaparthi to Whitefield. Swami’s tour programme is always unpredictable and un-announced. Nobody can dare to set the exact timings of such tour programme. On that blissful day, even though some close persons accompanying Swami received information of the time of His departure, Swami left Parthi about one and half earlier. I was fortunate to be provided with the experience of following Swami’s car. I had been directed to take our place as the fourth car in the caravan. However, since the other cars did not show up along with Swami’s car, I made a quick decision and followed Swami’s car as the second one, for quite a long distance till other cars showed up. I could not really believe the emotionally surcharged send off given by the devotees, even at such short notice. From the Gopuram gate onwards up to and far beyond the gate of Super Specialty Hospital, devotees had lined up in good strength on both sides of the road. Even the devoted Sai Geetha turned up with her majestic presence to greet Swami as the car passed by the side of the gates of her shed. Hundreds of devotees were showering flower petal on the car. I saw many of them breaking coconuts on the street, in front of the car. Indeed it looked like a real car festival in our villages when people offer special poojas in front of the Divine Car, as it passes through the village streets. Swami’s car was bedecked with the petals offered by devotees.

But the measure of attraction, which the Divinity drew all along the villages and the agricultural fields had to be seen to be believed. The villagers were out n the streets in time for the Divine Darshan. Many agricultural laborers were seen running towards the approaching caravan of Swami’s car and others on the road. How did all these villagers and agricultural workers come to know and that too the time of Swami’s moving presence in their area! It could only be divinity-induced situation, which foretold the people in the villages the possibility of the Divine Darshan!

I did nt end there. The approach road towards Whitefield from the highways was also line up with devotees. As the Car neared the gate of Thrayee Brindavan, I could see the crowd getting very thick and the whole compound was filled with devotes.

Swami had declared several times, that unless He wills it, one couldn’t gain access to His Divine presences. It may seem that Divine Darshan is obtained very easily whenever we go to His abode, since Swami walks amongst us, blessing everybody. But we should also know that we couldn’t take Swami’s Darshan for granted. Quite often Swami may test or even tease us and Darshan may become rare at times. We, the devotees, who happen to visit Him very often, may sometimes feel the pinch of Swami’s testing time. I was also subjected to such a test by agonizing experience, but only to have a blissful reward in the end!

This was the time when I was employed Bombay. I used to visit Bangalore very often on official engagements and most of the time Swami would be camping at Whitefield. I was feeling very very happy. During a particular year, I traveled to Bangalore 4 times during different months. Once we were told that there was no possibility of Darshan since Swami was unwell??!!. Some said that there was some injury in Swami’s Lotus feet. After staying for three days I had to return to Bombay without even a single Darshan. During my other visits in that year, His Darshan eluded me for one reason or other. Either Swami was on some tour or away on some other engagements and what not. The whole year passed of blank. I felt very much depressed. UI could only pray and pray. I gained some hope by an announcement about the proposed Divine visit to Bombay. That brought cheers to me. I was looking forward for May the 12^th, when Swami normally comes to Dharmakshethra.

I was not the only one; the whole of Bombay was eagerly expecting the arrival Swami. And Swami did not disappoint anybody. Mercifully He did come as programmed and stayed on for 4 days. But alas! Swami continued to keep me on test. I could not make it to His Darshan during all those days. It would seem funny, but it was the truth. My place of work, i.e. my office was situated very near to Dharmakshethra, some three kilometers away, on the other side of the hill. Sitting in my office chair, through the window, I could even have from that long distance a glimpse of the Divine abode. As ill luck would have it, I had a couple of outstation visitors to my office as our possible prospective clients, with whom we had to finalize some deals. Each day.

On each day of the Divine visit, I was late, and by the time I reached Dharmakshethra, the devotees would have left the place after Darshan and my wife would be waiting for me alone over there. What a fate, I used to curse myself. The Divine visit was reaching the end. And it was time or Swami to leave Bombay and the only possible chance was the early morning Darshan on the last day immediately after Nagar Sankirtan. Swami was scheduled to leave after this Darshan and I could not afford to miss this opportunity.

In those days adequate conveyance facilities were lacking and we had to depend on public transport systems. Reaching the railway station in Thane situated six miles from the place of our residence, changing 2 local trains and then catching a bus service, to join the group of devotees on their way to Dharmakshethra singing Bhajan songs – Nagar Sankirtan. We reached at the dawn and took positions at the lower side of the small hill. In the twilight, the lotus shaped Dharmakshethra looked very beautiful. Slowly Swami emerged from His abode and moved to the brim of hilltop. There was s “Sthoopi”, the pillar as if the  5 petals on the top, are about to blossom.  Underneath it, Swami took His place. Swami was accepting Arathi, looking down at  the devotees.

Literally I was weeping when my eyes could sight the Divine figure after many attempts. Tears wee rolling down my cheeks. I dared not to wipe it with my hands since I was holding both my palms in reverence. At this very moment something unbelievable was happening. A mild glow became visible to me around the crowning hair of Swami’s head. I immediately felt that it should be the Divine AURA about which I had heard several times. Still my mind was not firm on the genuiness of that vision. Just behind Swami, a glow of rising sun was appearing and I thought that it could the bright twilight reflected on His hair. I also thought that my moist eyes could have created an illusion.  

When my thoughts thus turned critical to a state of negating the very divine experience, the Aura was found all over the body of Swami. And when Swami kept both His hands on the grill provided on the edge from where He was standing, the iron bars also started glowing by the mere touch of Swami. Now I had no hesitation whatsoever to accept the Grace of Swami by this rare vision. The Arathi was over and when Swami was moving back into Dharmakshethra, the Aura was also following Him to make it doubly sure about the vision of His Grace!

Thus I had to wait for His Darshan despite my repeated visits and attempts, ultimately when Swami did make it possible for me to have His Darshan, He did it in a grand style bestowing His Grace on the final chance I got. I could never forget this Divine experience of a vision of the mild aura in the colour of Jasmine flower like white purity!.

Swami blessed me again with a repeat vision after many years, but at ‘Sundaram’ Mandir in Madras. This time also it was during the Darshan after Nagar Sankirtan. Swami was accepting the Arathi from the Lotus shaped balcony at ‘Sundaram’ Mandir when the Aura appeared for full five minutes till He withdrew into His room.

That day, I realized at ‘Sundaram’ in Madras that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba had accepted me unto His fold and provided divine protection. I prayed to Him with all my sincerity and devotion that he should bless me again and again to spend the rest of my allotted days in the earth, at His Lotus Feet, serving Him worshipping Him and offering my everything unto Him!

Author's statement in:
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/SaiGroup-BombaySrinivasan/message/1

Many of you may be aware that I had authored a book with the title "Sri Sathya Sai Hrudaya Nivasi (Indweller of Hearts). This book had seen the third reprint, and is being sold in Bhagavan's Bookstall at Prashanthi Nilayam. Many of you would have purchased and many would not have got chance to go to Parthi and get the book. After the third edition, this may not go to print again. As such I wish to bring the contents of this book to each and every one of you.

Starting from today I shall post one chapter every week or if possible twice a week, depending upon the response I get from you all. I would request you to kindly read it and then re-circulate it to your other friends in the Sai Family.

The text could be transferred to your hard disk, and if possible print outs taken out.

Utilize the contents, as much as you like.

With Lots of Love and regards
Bombay Srinivasan