Looking into the past teaches humans so many things. But with people in Swami's fold it ends up as an epiphany. 

I was just an average student till my 12 standard and never could boast of anything more than 58 per cent score in my annual school exams. So in others words, I could not just get it. Then I entered 12th standard or 12th grade, as it is called in some countries, and Swami went to work. I have till today no clue how or why the change happened. Just by reading once I could understand even abstruse science concepts in a trice. I got 88 per cent in my 12th grade (excellent grade during that period 1978) and that made my admission into engineering college in Mumbai a cake walk. I wanted to take up Mechanical Engineering, but ended up taking Electrical Engineering. 

Four years of engineering just sped by and I immediately landed a job in a well known company. For the next four years I was learning the nitty gritty of running the electrical systems for a large industry. I later went up to take up other jobs, which included one in running computer hardware technology and telephone systems . Eventually I started my own business wherein I had to deal with a host of people at high positions.   

Then when Swami gave my sister who is a cardiac surgeon a job at SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, He called the whole family for an interview, the last thing on my mind was anything remotely connected to spirituality as I was a certified spiritual sceptic. 

Swami just looked at me and asked "How is your business doing?" "Trying to hide the truth, I told Swami it was going well." "No it is not," He shot back." It was actually not going well. " In 15 days wind up your business and be back here," he commanded.  I had a business in computers and had clients in high places and I was also providing the after sales maintenance to them. We would deal with one another simply on the basis of trust and hardly any papers. Now Swami wanted me to shut it all down at once and get to Puttaparthi. I was extremely scared that I would lose my good name in the society. But when Swami commands, the creation follows. I was flabbergasted when each one of my clients and my suppliers were happy with the decision I had taken to shift to Puttaparthi and told me that they could manage without me!! It was as if Swami had gone to each one of them and instructed them what to say. 

Lo and behold I was in Puttaparthi. Swami told me to join SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, in the electrical department to take care of the whole of electrical equipment of the hospital (learnt in my first job). Then slowly I was also asked to take care of computer hardware and telephone exchange ( learnt in my second and third jobs). Much later the job to interacting with the various govt departments for clearances with regard to the statutory electrical regulations (my fourth job). When I look back now, I sincerely feel, it was all a puppet show, with me being the puppet and Swami the puppet master.   

It is same with each one of us, only that we realise it when Swami wishes us to realise. 

I joined the hospital in 1994 and since then Swami's guidance and protection has been there at every step. A few years after I joined the hospital, another incident occurred which profoundly impacted me. One evening , me and my colleague were traveling on a motorbike right in front of the hospital. While taking a turn, a tractor came directly onto us and we collided headlong. Instinctively both of us said “Sairam” when we hit the  tractor. I was the pillion rider and the local people took us to the hospital. None of us suffered any serious injuries and were discharged within a day. The next day during Darshan, Swami walked towards my sister and said “ I saved your brother's life. Tell him not to sit on a motorbike ever again”. He repeated the same sentence to my father and then He came to me and said’ "I saved your life. Why are you sitting on other peoples motorbike? Don’t sit on a motorbike again”. 

Later Swami gifted my sister a car for use by the family to come to Prashanti Nilayam for Darshan, and whenever we had to take the car for servicing we would inform Swami and then take it to Anantapur for servicing. On one occasion, I mentioned about the servicing the car to Swami in Darshan and He blessed me and asked me to proceed. In Puttaparthi region those days had only single lane roads. I was going around 50 km/hr and wanted to overtake a bus that was in front of me, I lit up the indicator and cut across the road when I realised to my horror that a huge truck coming from the opposite direction right in my path. My mind went blank. I remember shouting "Sairam". Next thing I know, I was ahead of the bus on the road. I stopped, checked the car, and found the outer surface had a few mild scratches and that was it. Swami is a magician and the whole creation is His playground, is how I can explain what had happened. This is yet another example of his boundless shower of Love where how our Mother Sai Guards His children.   

Once in the interview room, Swami looked deep into my eyes and said, " I am a Goldsmith". The meaning of the statement did not dawn on me immediately. The moment I left the interview room, the meaning came to me as a flash. I understood that we are all just mounds of gold and He is the Goldsmith, who fires us in His kiln, beats us to shape and finally fashions beautiful ornaments fit to be offered to Himself. Each word uttered by Swami has a profound meaning. 

On one occasion there was a problem in one of the electrical equipment, which refused to go. We tried many methods, but could not succeed. After spending a long time on the problem, I told my colleagues that we would again try after attending the evening Bhajan in the Ashram. Even during the Bhajan, I was pondering about the problem and did not realise that Swami had come out of the interview room and was standing behind me.  I felt a light whack on the back of my head and realised with a start that it was Swami who had done it. " Hey Don't worry, Be Happy", He told and then went away. I did not tell him anything about the problem we were facing with the equipment in the hospital, but as is the experience of every devotee, He knows everything. Our each thought and our each worry. Of course I need not mention that when I returned and we started working on the same problem after Bhajan, the problem had disappeared.   

Now I wish to say a few things about the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram. When people talk about the Sai system of healthcare, the discussion inevitably turns to the free world class care dispensed to all of humanity irrespective of caste, creed or gender, which is being provided at the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram. An often overlooked aspect is that this system of healthcare is only one of its kind in the world and has been framed by the One who sustains life itself. In a world where health care today is at crossroads; lost in a haze of economic, ethical and moral crass; our hospital could be the answer that the world so desperately needs. 

To whatever walk of life we belong, let us have faith and continue to work to the best of our capacity and offer the same to our Beloved Sai.