Fire or severe disease like cancer, Bapu's grace always protects his children!

 

Since Sadguru Shree Aniruddha Bapu took us under His benevolent care, we have had so many memorable experiences that it seems almost wrong to shortlist His blessings. However, it is always a pleasure to share our experiences with other bhaktas, as it gives us a chance to sing the glories of our Sadguru.  

We performed the poojan of Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu's Padukas at our residence on February 24th, 2007, on the occasion of my husband's birthday. The presence of Padukas always brings a feeling of festivity, and we wished for them to stay with us for more days. Just like that, our wish was granted.   

We strongly believe that Bapu is present in every moment of our lives. He is present not only in the form of words in 'The Shreemadpurushaartha Grantharaj', His pendant and His picture but also in all things we believe are associated with Him. Our faith was firm, but we never expected that He would soon give us an experience which stands testimony to this.   

On March 1st, a fire broke out in our kitchen. It started due to some oil getting overheated, and the filter in the exhaust hub caught fire. I was in the adjacent room, and on hearing noises from the kitchen, I went in to see what was causing them. Through the kitchen door, which is partly made of glass, I saw the raging fire. I rushed in only to find that the exhaust fan and tube light had already melted. Nevertheless, Bapu provided me with the presence of mind and courage to switch off the gas and call the emergency number for the fire brigade.   

The fire was leaping towards the ceiling and the cabinets above. I immediately rushed down to inform the management and ask for help. All the time, I chanted Bapu's Naama. The person on duty came promptly and extinguished the fire. Soon after, the fire brigade arrived. The officers were pleasantly surprised to see my 80-year-old mother-in-law and me in a very calm state. We were both confident that with Bapu's presence within our home, nothing untoward could ever take place.  

One would have had to see the fire for themselves to fathom the intensity of the disaster and believe its outcome. The gas meter, located right above the exhaust hub, was intact, but the cabinet was burned down. All the electrical appliances on the side were spared. The damage was minimal, given the intensity of the fire that had caused it. The spread of the fire had been restricted to the bare minimum.   

All this had happened a day before the festival of Holi. We firmly believe that there and then, Bapu's grace helped to burn down something unholy, evading a major disaster in our lives.   

My second experience was when we renewed the lease for the apartment and had to do some renovations and repairs. It went on beyond the estimated time. Since the then Pramukh Sevak of the Upasana Centre was away on vacation, we were taking turns conducting our weekly Upasana. That week, the Upasana was to be held at our place.   

We were all working hard to ready the house in time for Upasana of our beloved Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu. On Tuesday, I suffered from excruciating pain in the lower abdomen, almost in the pelvic region and the lower back. I could barely sit or stand straight. Despite the great pain, I tried to prostrate in obeisance after doing the Aahnik Upasana.   

That night, I prayed to Bapu to relieve me of the pain at least until Thursday so that I could carry out my responsibilities well. I also sipped a few drops of the Teertha that we had offered while performing the Paduka Pujan. In the morning, there was no trace of the pain, and it has not come back to date.   

I had described the pain to a doctor friend, who said that it could have been caused by a hernia or a kidney stone. Whatever it was, my Doctor, my Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu, had cured me. I was overwhelmed as I thanked Bapu for taking care of me because I remembered the page in Shree Sai Satcharita that Bapu had signed for me. How could I even forget that His touch, His word and His Naama are the ultimate remedies for me?  

This is yet another experience of the grace of Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu. It was when we had been in shock to receive a call from one of my husband's colleagues that he had been diagnosed with cancer. The doctors in the USA had diagnosed it to be a malignant tumour of his kidney. The cancerous tumour had, in all probability, spread to his pancreas and liver. They told him that perhaps he had just a few months to live and that he might want to be with his family. Saying so, they discharged him from their care. The 46-year-old man, who had a young wife and two kids, was naturally shattered.   

We had no idea about his religious beliefs, but to us, our Bapu is everything. My husband asked him to chant the Tarak Mantra: "Om Manahsamarthyadata Shree Aniruddhaya Namah," while arrangements were being made for him to be flown to Mumbai.   

Our centre's coordinator informed the Overseas CCCC team regarding the imminent arrival of this friend in Mumbai. The patient was in no condition to be taken to Suchit Dada's Clinic at Happy Home, Khar (W). Someone was sent with his medical reports to seek Suchit Dada's guidance.   

We asked him to consume and apply Sadguru Bapu's Udi. The Udi reached the patient just before he was taken in for surgery. He was initially admitted to a hospital in south Mumbai. The Surgeon suggested a hospital in the suburbs, which was incidentally close to Happy Home. During the surgery, the doctors extracted a huge tumour and, with it, the affected kidney. But the good news was that the doctors said he now had a good chance of surviving! Who gave him this chance? Need we ask?   

In Hong Kong, we prayed and wrote Ram Naam books for him. By Bapu's grace, our Upasana coincided with the time of his surgery. We had no doubts about the patient's well-being as our Bapu was surely taking the necessary care. It is said that we cannot escape our fate or destiny. Nevertheless, when Bapu, our Sadguru, is with us, it is then, and only then, that this destiny changes and turns in our favour.