Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group I | Mr. P.Kandasamy

Ms. P.Kandasamy,
64, Summerlea Street,
Markham, Ontario - L 3 S 4 H 7
Canada.
Tel: 905-294-1947

Mr. P.Kandasamy, a Sri Lankan Educationist, presently in Canada, has been a devotee of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. A widely travelled couple, Kandasamys have been blessed by Bhagavan many times. Mr. Kandasamy has several experiences of which he narrates a few in his own words.

'We are teachers by profession. We both are native citizens of Sri Lanka. While I was working at Gampola, Kandy District in Sri Lanka, I was transferred from that place. As I did not like a shift at that time, I tried for cancellation. Though many influential persons used their good offices for cancellation of my transfer, nothing happened. By that time, I came into the Sai Family, as an acquaintance of mine gave me a pocket size Photograph of Baba saying, 'keep it with you. It will be good for you!'

Just at that time, a young lad, reputed to be a staunch devotee of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai, came to our place. At his instance we arranged Bhajan in Amban temple in Gampola. He was encouraging and, even, exhorting us to do Bhajan with intensity and speed. As the Bhajan picked-up tempo, he went into a trance uttering some words. One of those present brought a coconut. The coconut, when broken, split into pieces. When we gave a coconut, it broke exactly into two of equal size. Then the young devotee told us, 'your problems will be solved in two or three days'. As predicted by him, my transfer was cancelled within three days miraculously.

At that time, my wife was getting bouts of severe headache now and then. The young devotee told my wife, 'please put a little vibhuti in water and apply it on your head and pray to Swami. Your headache will disappear'. My wife did likewise and her chronic headache disappeared in a few days.

In 1981, we both left on deputation to Nigeria to work there as teachers with our lien retained in the Education Department of the Sri Lankan Government. While we were in Nigeria, an African gentleman was looking at my car in close scrutiny. He enquired whether I would sell it. 'When I leave this country', I replied, 'I will sell it'. He smiled and drew a Photograph of Bhagavan from his pocket. Showing it to me, he said, 'your Swami is here!' He was referring to the Photograph of Bhagavan on the windshield of my car. The Photograph on the windshield as well as the car, being a devotee himself, might have attracted him.

In 1985, we went to Puttaparthi. That was my first visit to Puttaparthi. At that time Sai Kulwant Hall was not there. We sat in the sand in front of Mandir. Swami gave my wife Padanamaskar.

By 1985, the term of my contract in Nigeria was over. I returned to Sri Lanka. As I overstayed in Nigeria, the Sri Lankan Education Department served a notice for my virtual dismissal. However, there was a provision for appeal. My wife returned to Nigeria as her term was not over, and I went in for appeal asking for my reinstatement. By Swami's grace, the first commissioner happened to be my old friend. I was reinstated and later retired on attaining the age of superannuation. Meanwhile, my wife telephoned from Nigeria that I was reappointed there.

I wanted to get my pension sanctioned before leaving for Nigeria. When I went to the Pension office, it so happened, owing to Swami's grace, that the Head of that Department was also my old friend. He saw to it that my terminal benefits including pension were handed over to me in the form of a cheque before I left for Nigeria.

During 1986, when I was in Nigeria, my daughter telephoned to me from Madras. 'Dad!' she asked, 'why don't you try to go to Canada? Many are going there from Nigeria'.

Even my getting a visa to the USA was a miracle. Our Principal gave me a letter informing the Visa office that we were to go on a vacation to the USA. This letter helped us to get visa to the USA. From the USA, we went to Canada where I could secure a decent placement in Security Department, and also worked in a Bank.

While we were in Canada, my wife developed pain in her knees. In 1997, we went to Puttaparthi. I got luckily the first token. Swami came along the Darshan line and stopped in front of me. He asked, 'how is your wife?' An overseas devotee started explaining about the gastro-enteric problem of his wife assuming that Swami had asked him. Then Swami interjected, 'no, the fat lady with knee pain'. I knew that Swami was asking me. But before I could answer, Swami moved away. Miraculously the knee pain of my wife disappeared.

In 1997-98, we had a problem. My daughter, an English literature graduate, fell in love with her classmate. Somehow, this was not to my liking. However, I did not like to come in their way. My daughter who is also a Sai devotee said, 'we will go to Puttaparthi. If Swami blesses my alliance, we will marry. If not, I will give it up'.

I came to Puttaparthi in 1998 along with my wife, daughter and the would- be groom. Thanks to Sri R Janakiramaiah, Member, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (Bhagavan's Brother), we could secure passes for two days to sit in the front. My daughter had her bridal clothes and bridal chain (Mangalasutram) in a tray and sat in the line with them. Swami came along, but did not look at her in the morning and in the evening of the first as well as the second day. We were all perplexed. Swami was retiring to His room after the evening Bhajan on the second day. He passed on his way by my daughter without looking at her. But after going forward a couple of paces, Swami returned to the place where my daughter was sitting. He took akshatas (sacred rice) from the tray held by my daughter, and sprinkled them on her head and blessed her. We were all happy.

My wife said, 'Swami blessed the alliance. He will send some one to tell us when we should perform the wedding and where'. I was skeptical about it. When we were at Ganesh temple after Darshan, Mr. Srinivasan Raghavan, working in Sanatana Sarathi, who had known me, came there and told me, 'your daughter is very lucky. There is an auspicious muhurtam on the 18th. You go to Mr. Bhatt. He will perform the wedlock in the Siva Temple'. Mr. Bhatt is a Vedic scholar working as a priest in Swami's Mandir and also the local Temple of Lord Siva. Thus, we assumed that Swami had sent word about muhurtam (auspicious time) through Mr. Srinivasan Raghavan and that He would take care of other things also likewise.

I went and had a word with Mr. Bhatt. He did not agree at first but later consented to do the needful. We thought that it was all due to Swami's grace. Mr. Bhatt himself mentioned that he would perform the wedding on the 18th though I did not mention any date to him. I do not know how and why Mr. Bhatt also mentioned the same muhurtham, which was given by Mr. Srinivasan Raghavan. The wedding was performed successfully.

We have been associated with Sri Sathya Sai Centre in Canada. It is the Scarborough Sai Centre. It has six to seven hundred members. The centre has a network of several Bala Vikas Kendras. It was started seventeen years ago. There is a Sathya Sai School in Scarborough. There is a life size Photograph of Bhgavan in the hall of the School. When a garland was put on the Photograph, it used to stretch by itself dropping from the chest level to the feet level. A Photograph was taken and sent to Puttaparthi. It is now in the Chaitanya Jyothi Museum with a footnote giving the details of the growth of the garland.

As the Centre has no building of its own, we all decided to build a new Mandir for it. We purchased a site of about three acres at a cost of Canada $ 800,000. We got a plan prepared for the building and decided to get it approved by Bhagavan. Therefore, we all started as a group with 600 devotees of 200 males, 250 females and 150 Bala Vikas children to Puttaparthi. Our Bala Vikas children had the opportunity to stage a drama in the Divine presence of Bhagavan during that time. The title of that drama was 'Unity in Diversity'.

A question arose as to who should show the plan of the Mandir if Swami called us for a group interview. It was decided that the Secretary of the Centre should do it.

I was actively associated in the negotiations for purchase of the site and took an active part in the preliminaries; yet, I did not offer to show the plan to Swami and kept quiet and agreed with what the group had decided. Then another question arose as to how the seating was to be done. Every one naturally wanted to sit in the front. Therefore, lots were taken and by Swami's grace, I got the 3rd number.

Swami called us for a group interview and it so happened that my seat was just in front of Bhagavan as I got the 3rd number. So, by Bhagavan's grace, I was given the opportunity to show the plan to Bhagavan. On entering the Mandir, Swami came to me straight. I presented the plan keeping it open in my hands. Swami said, 'oh! This is the Mandir' and held his hand for a pen as He wanted to write something on the plan. I gave my pen. Bhagavan wrote with it and said, 'this is not dark enough'. So I got another pen from my colleague and gave it to Bhagavan who then wrote on all the three copies of the plan, 'With Love, Baba'. He then addressed us. He arranged for the distribution of saris to ladies of the group. Thus Bhagavan gave me miraculously the opportunity to present the plan to Him and get it blessed.

In 2004, we came to Puttaparthi and stayed for 3 weeks.

Before I came into the direct fold of Bhagavan, I must confess that I had been used to a fast life. I used to smoke, take non-vegetarian food and even drink liquor. One day I went to a Christmas party and returned fully drunk. That night I had a dream in which Bhagavan appeared. They were giving Harati to Bhagavan. Bhagavan sent for me and asked me to kindle the Harati. I tried many times by striking several matches, but in vain. Bhagavan who was observing all this remarked, 'you are wet' (you are drunk). Even though all this happened in a dream, it went to my heart. I gave up smoking, non-vegetarian food and alcoholic drinks from that day. This was a silent but salient transformation brought about by Bhagavan in me personally, which is nothing short of a miracle.'

-- Mr. Kandasamy.

As narrated to Mr. B.Parvatala Rao at Sai Gokulam, Brindavan, Whitefields, Bangalore on 08.05.2004)