I asked the visitors to come a little while latter for my next article in my previous article titled ‘Search’. I am sorry all of you to wait for a long time for the promised next episode. I have reasons though. I had to undergo cataract operation on my right eye and was waiting for the doctor’s permission to work on my computer. Finally I got his ‘go’. Here I am to plunge into nostalgic memories.
In the initial days, I was mostly observing doctor’s interaction with his disciples wherever we met. Every one of them revered him, loved him without any reservation. It was amazing to see them showering love on an ordinary looking man.
One day, I think it was at clinic, Doctor suggested that a few of us go to Koodumalai, a village situated in Kolar district of Karnataka. I came to know latter that the place is spiritually significant one and he wished to have an ashram setup for Anand Jothi in that village. Doctor suggested that I take them all in my Jeep. I had an old model (1960) jeep with me. I used it for my business and well as for my personal conveyance. I was using it within the City. I was not sure whether its condition was good enough for a long drive upto Karnataka. I hesitated but didn’t voice it. Doctor looked at me but didn’t say anything. The look conveyed something which I didn’t understand at that moment.
Well, we proceeded to Koodumalai on one fine morning. Mr. Krishnan, Engineer Subramaniam, Mr.Ramesh, Mrs. Santhamma, Mr.Balaji and Miss.Vidhya (now Mrs. Vidhya Vaidhyanathan) were with me. That was our first visit to that holy place. It is about 300 and odd kilometers from Chennai. In my old Jeep we could have reached there much earlier but for the failure of the dynamo in my jeep. We tried to fix it at Palamner a small town on the way. They could not fix it. We had wasted lot of daylight in the process and the night was fast approaching as we started our journey from that town. In a short while, the battery drained fully and was dead. We had absolutely no headlight or parking light or whatsoever. We initially thought of staying somewhere on the way and proceed next morning but I thought I can make it in spite of dead battery. I don’t know what others felt but they kept quiet.
It was pitch dark and no moon light even. In the starlit night I could visualize the dark ribbon like tarmac in the gathering darkness of the night. I was driving very slowly with total concentration on the feebly visible contrast between the black tar road and muddy road margin to keep the vehicle on the road. I adopted a technique to allow any vehicle coming behind me to go past and immediately pick up speed and follow it keeping my orientation on its red tail lamp. The capacity of my Jeep was inadequate in following the speeding vehicles. Some of them noticing in their rearview mirror a jeep following them without headlamp perhaps scared them and drove away at very high speed. Then I had to wait for another vehicle to come by. Huge cargo Lorries were helpful as they cannot drive at high speedss.
Finally we reached Mulbahal a small town on the Chennai Bangalore highway. We have to take a diversion to reach the village which is situated 13 km. away. As it was a small hamlet, our overnight accommodation for stay was a problem. Hence we decided to stay at Mulbahal and proceed to the temple in the morning. We parked the Jeep by the side of the road and got down to stretch our numbed limbs. Suddenly an expression of surprise was there on the faces of all. All of us were able to sense a very pleasing, hitherto unexperienced new fragrance in that open space. We couldn’t spot any source for that. Mr. Krishnan, a senior disciple said that such experience was quite common for all of them in the company of Doctor. They said that Doctor caused them all. As this was the first miracle in this group, my respect grew a little more for the Master. The Master does not cause miracles just for fun. It happens only for vital reasons. Go to article Miracle to learn more about it.
Then we located a lodge in that town and stayed that night. In the morning we proceeded to that village. The village was quiet, calm, no observable activities, to put it in two words; it is a ‘sleeping village’. There is a Ganesh temple. The history of the temple dates back to Yugas. To learn more about the temple and the village Click Here
We visited the temple and had dharshan of Lord Ganesha there. We meditated there for a while and visited other temples and a lake in the outskirts of the village. After out lunch we started out return journey. I have to make one thing clear that the Jeep does not require electrical power for running. The electric power is used for only lighting, horn and starting the engine. We started the vehicle by pushing. That was quit easy. Still the battery was dead as we reached Rippon buildings where we met Doctor. He asked us to proceed to the clinic and he followed. The clinic was two streets away when my Jeep stopped dead and was not willing to move a foot. I couldn’t start it even by pushing. We pushed the vehicle to the clinic and left it in front of it. I along with Ramesh made enquiries in the nearby battery shop for a battery on hire. He demanded almost the cost of the battery for rental. We didn’t have that much money at that time. Hence, we returned to the clinic. Doctor was there. He asked me what happened to the Jeep. I said the dynamo failed and the Jeep is not starting. He asked me to start the Jeep using the key. I looked at him with disbelief in my eyes. I thought that he didn’t believe my words. I wanted to convince him that it is an impossible task but he said patiently, “try once; let me see”. I looked at him like an indulging father would at his adamant child and went to the Jeep inserted the key and turned it on. Holy Mother! It started with roaring sound at the first go! I couldn’t believe that a four cylinder diesel engine starting with a dead battery! My Master said “stop the engine and come. We will do it when you go home”. I didn’t switch off the engine. I was afraid that it may not start again. I thought that miracles cannot happen always. As I confessed in the earlier chapter, I am not the kind who falls in love at first sight nor surrender at the first visit of the Guru. He asked me the second time to switch it off and come. Reluctantly I returned after shutting down the engine. But I was restless inside. I wanted to reach home safely without any mishap on the way. Sensing my restlessness Doctor wound up the session and asked us to start. He asked me if I can drop Santhamma home and proceed. I agreed but I was worried about the engine starting for the second time now. He asked me to start the engine. It failed to start in the first attempt. I looked at him with doubt in my eyes. He asked me to try again. If my memory serves right, I think it failed the second time also. He was looking at me and nodded his head to try again. I did it. Suddenly the engine came alive. Everybody was happy and we proceeded. I was driving without light as there were street lights in the City. I was nearing home after dropping Santhamma and Engineer Subramaniam at their home. There was a stretch where there was absolutely no light. It used to be pitch dark always. As I approached the place, I asked my friend Sambandam to watch the road carefully and tell me if there is anything on the road or pot holes or any obstacles. He nodded his head and said yes. Suddenly it struck in my mind as to why not I try the head lamp? I turned on the headlamp switch. To the surprise of all those in the Jeep, the road was bathed in bright headlight. I shouted in delight. I covered the rest of the distance with the lights on. After dropping all in their homes, I parked the Jeep in the garage and switched off.
As a first thing in the morning when I woke up I rushed to the garage with the key to start the Jeep. When I turned the key on………nothing happened…….not even a moaning sound…..pin drop silence. I said sorry to Doctor within me for the disbelief I had about his powers. That was the first miracle he performed for me.
I was beginning to think that the Master is no ordinary guru. He seems to possess some power. If that power could show me the path to liberation........! I hoped against hopes that he is my Guru ............ as I do not have much time to waste in search of a Satguru.
Miracles have begun to happen in my life there after. I will write about them all in the ensuing articles……..visit again next week. Until then, bye from:
Kesavan
Article submitted on 06-11-2000
