Sai Ram Dear Brothers and Sisters,
My humble pranams to the lotus feet of our Prema Swarupa Bhagwan!

Our beloved Bhagwan’s love is incomparable. Swami always starts His discourse with “Premaswarupulara - the embodiments of love.” How fortunate we are, to have such a compassionate Divine Mother – our dear Lord for HIS Life is HIS Message for all of us.

I wish to share the divine love I have experienced, HIS subtle presence and HIS blessings at the testing times when I needed HIM the most. HE was there with me, guiding me, loving me, reinforcing me, teaching me, helping me to overcome the effect of past Karma’s and what not, but, in HIS own way, for HE alone knew what is good for me. Only thing I know with full conviction was that HE was me when I needed HIM the most.

It was after my marriage, through my wife’s parent’s side, I came to know a little about Swami. Though we stayed for more than two and a half year in Abu Dhabi, opposite to a place where Bhajans were held, we could not locate the house nor could we undertake the efforts to locate the venue. In the year 2000, on a blessed day, we came to know from one of our company’s consultants, that a bhajan session would be held at his son’s classmate’s place. This is how we started attending Swami’s activities.

After my initial visits to the bhajans, I would sarcastically comment to my better half on bhajans and Swami. I started showing disinterest in attending bhajans. Being a true dharmapatni (as we call our wives in India) she kept on insisting me to tread further for her sake least I knew that it was for my own reforming. The Chairman of Sai Samiti Abu Dhabi also encouraged me. By being associated now with the seva activities, I gradually started finding a purpose in my life. May be, with HIS blessings, my right time had come. Gradually I started loving bhajans and would impatiently wait to attend the bhajan and other Sai activities.

I was working for a Government firm in Abu Dhabi for about eight years, where the job timings were five days a week and seven hours a day. Envisaging brighter future, I resigned and took over another job approximately 180 kilometers away from Abu Dhabi. Here, I had to work for more than fifteen hours a day and on all seven days of the week. The job timings were such that I could not attend weekly bhajans for which I had developed so much love. It was like being a fish out of water.

Could not withstanding any more, I cried in front of Swami’s photo about my pitiful situation of not being able to attend the bhajans and Sai activities. Showing HIS mercy upon my situation, just then, our compassionate Lord in HIS own way, inspired one of our elderly Sai Sister’s to call me on phone and as HIS true instrument, she soothed me and comforted me. I whole heartedly thanked Swami for lifting my spirits through this dear sister.

Within a day, I heard that there is a vacancy for a Safety Engineer in a private power plant. This information had come through a conversation between two consultants. Swami has HIS own ways. These two consultants while talking named the recruitment agent as well. Is it not that Swami through these consultants asked me to apply for the new job?

I could not wait any longer but applied for this job on the same day. The recruitment agency called me in the evening of the same day and asked me to appear for the interview next day. I still remember, my interview was on Janmashtami day in the year 2003. After attending the interview at about 05:30p.m., I went and attended Janmashtami Bhajan in one of the venues in Abu Dhabi.

The bhajan coordinator asked me to lead a bhajan,. I was surprised but pleasantly. This is because no one can lead a bhajan without practice in the practice session. Our bhajan coordinator never gave anyone a chance in the past. I whole-heartedly thanked Swami for HIS ways in blessing me. Indeed HE has HIS own ways of encouraging and elevating the spirits and blessing them. For me it was HIS signal and HIS blessings in getting a good and a comfortable job.

The following day evening, the recruitment agency asked me to attend the final interview. I drove once again 180 kilometers to Abu Dhabi from my workplace to attend the interview. Swami prompted to me from within telling me that this was my job. I returned back to my work place that night at about 10 PM and vacated my room and came back to Abu Dhabi on the same night. I received a call from the recruitment agent on the following day to come and sign the offer letter.

I left Abu Dhabi immigration gate in the airport for India, exactly half an hour before my visa grace period was about to expire. I would have ended up in paying heavy penalty for the over stay. Our beloved Lord has HIS own ways. HE is bhaktanurakshaka. HE made every thing so much comfortable for me. Thank you Lord that is all I can say.

Upon reaching Chennai, I came to know that the Abu Dhabi government had rejected my visa application for this new found job. They had just banned the employment visa’s for the Indian nationals. I went twice to Parthy – the physical abode of our dear Lord. I prayed and prayed to HIM for HIS divine intervention since I was jobless sitting back home.

I did not receive any response from the employer or the recruiting agency for about 45 days. Seeing my state, my dear in-laws started pressurizing me to undertake a job locally (Chennai). With firm faith in getting this much needed job and not withstanding the pressure for a local job, I decided and went to my mother’s place at Trichy.

Upon reaching Trichy, I came to know that my mother is doing Shirdi Sai parayan. Following day morning, my mother with full conviction told me that I would get a favorable message soon and must not worry. I went out to the nearby shopping complex. Upon my return, my mother surprised me with the message that my wife had called me from Chennai and had informed that the visa is issued. What a relief I got. I thanked our most compassionate Swami again and again. I had no words to express my gratitude to our beloved Lord for without HIS blessings, for without HIS intervention, neither I would have got the job nor the visa. Thank you Swami. Thank you very much.

Soon my family joined me in Abu Dhabi and we were back in Sai samiti enjoying bhajans and Sai activities.

Dear brothers and sisters, the biggest lesson I learnt in the whole episode which I wish to share with you is to seek the blessings of our parents especially the mother before undertaking anything. Swami has HIS own ways of teaching. He practically taught me the lesson “Matri devo bhava”. “Seek your physical (biological) mother’s blessings and get into the new job – The divine mother shall be happy only if the biological (physical) mother who has given us birth, nurtured us, loved us, made us to stand on our own is happy”.

Sometime later, I changed my job and came to Qatar. It would be apt to say that Swami moved me to Qatar. This is so because I had not applied for the job in Qatar. One fine day, the Power Station Plant Manager called me and asked me if I would be interested for a senior position as Health & Safety advisor in Qatar. I requested him to talk to my Plant Manager and as per the divine plan my Plant Manager agreed to release me for my better prospects.

From the day one of my entering into Qatar, I am attending Bhajans and other seva activities. Guided by the senior devotees in our samiti and blessed by Swami, I started attending Study circles and spiritual workshops. I also started reading Swami’s literature. Swami is truly reforming me. I can see a sea change in me. Thank you Swami for all I can offer at your Lotus Feet is the heart you have given me.

“Loka Samastha sukhino Bhavanthu”

Jai Sai Ram
Bro. Mahesh
Youth Wing Convener
Sai Center - Qatar