SAI SADGURU – THE PRECEPTOR UNPARALLELED
Episode - 3
FLYING HIGH WITH SAI
The life-transforming moments of Sai alumnus Mr. Pratim Banerjee as he learns how to enrich one's life the true
way and excel in it to emerge with flying colours
to the great satisfaction of his Divine Master
Part - 3
After two years in Sri Sathya Sai Higher
Secondary School, Pratim cleared the entrance for Bachelors in Sciences
(majoring in Mathematics). In 2005 he joined the Brindavan campus of Sri
Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.
The Halcyon Brindavan Days
“Brindavan is special for me as it is
here that I started singing. The way this happened is also quite
interesting. There was a mass Upanayanam ceremony being
organised in the Divine Presence and everyone was sure Swami would
continue to stay in Bengaluru at least till that day. But to everyone's
shock, Swami suddenly left on the morning of June 1. The whole ambience
turned silent and sombre. Everyone was sitting and sulking in Brindavan.
Even as everybody was trying to reconcile with their cruel fate and
thinking how to get Bhagawan back, there was a sudden buzz all around –
‘Swami is coming! Swami is coming!’ Yes, He went in the morning and
returned in the evening! Till today I do not know the mystery behind
this play of the Lord but what is fresh in my mind even now is the
unfettered joy that danced on every face as Swami's car entered the
Brindavan compound.
“Swami now stayed for a few days and it
was during this time that I was shortlisted along with another student
to sing in Mandir. The warden had secured divine permission. My first bhajan was Dhimitha Dhimitha Dhim....
I liked the vibrancy in this bhajan; it went up to a crescendo. After
the session, one of the teachers congratulated me and said, “Swami
looked very impressed as you were singing. It was as if He was saying
‘See, this small boy is singing such high notes so effortlessly!’”
“So by His grace my singing began on a
positive note. Later I was blessed with many opportunities, not only to
sing but also to participate in various other extracurricular
activities. Given that this campus had only undergraduates, there was
lot of scope for us to get involved in several events. Brindavan days
were hectic but lovely.”
The Paramotors Parable
The inaugural function of the Annual
Sports and Cultural Meet of the University is held every year on January
11. One of the events that Brindavan campus was preparing to present to
Bhagawan that year was a display of paramotors, which are basically
motorised paragliders. Pratim was excited about this stunt; he wanted to
join this team.
“But I was not even allowed to appear for
the selection process because I was already part of the drama,” he
recalls. “Actually that year Brindavan campus had not planned to do a
drama. But the Master Manager that He is, Swami went to the Prasanthi
Nilayam campus boys and said, ‘Every year Brindavan campus stages a
wonderful drama. Why don't you also come up with something?’ Two targets
with one arrow! Now there was no way Brindavan could skip the drama.
“I was selected for an important role
because of which I was not auditioned for paramotors. I was extremely
sad. I felt I had it in me to do this event, but all doors were closed.
What added to my sadness was a senior who was part of this team. That
evening he came to our room and started describing animatedly how
fantastic it was to go up in the air, be a bird in the sky, and so on.
It only made me feel more miserable.
“That day
before sleeping I went to the altar and piteously prayed, ‘Swami, I too
want to please only You. I want to do it for You. Give me this
opportunity please.’ This became my constant prayer. In a week's time,
implausibly, one morning we received this message from Prasanthi –
‘Swami has told that there should be no stunt items. So the events like
motorcycle stunts and paramotors have been cancelled.’
“Oh my God! I was so disturbed when I
heard this. I went to His altar again and pleaded, ‘Please forgive me
Swami! This is not what I had intended or prayed for! All I wanted was
that I should be part of the event. That is all. Why is everybody else
losing the chance now?’
“Well, that was His will. The event did
not happen that year. Next year, the same item was proposed and now
Bhagawan consented. The teachers in charge said that they wanted to
retain the seven boys from the previous year's team but would take a few
more from the junior classes to compensate for the boys who had
graduated.
“Interestingly there were motorbike
stunts too planned that year and my classmates told me, ‘Pratim, you
will waste your time in paramotors. There are already seniors, who are
experienced than you, in the team. Obviously no one is going to give you
a chance to fly in front of Swami. Don't lose the chance to at least be
part of the bike stunts. Else you will miss this too.’
“They were right, maybe. But somehow my
mind was fixed on paramotors. I confidently replied, ‘No, let me give it
a shot. By Swami's grace I will get into the core team.’ My additional
shortcoming was my height. The minimum measurement stipulated was 5' 6''
and I just about made it. Soon the practice started. A few days later
the warden called all of us and said, ‘Boys, all the eight of you are
now equally qualified to perform this in front of Swami. The only
differentiating factor which will decide the final performer on the
D-day is the intensity of your prayers. Swami would eventually pick,
through the scheme of things, whom He prefers. So be prepared, practise
well and pray hard.’
“I
remember my life at that time had become a constant penance. There was
no moment when I was not praying. Even while eating and bathing I was
saying: ‘Swami! You have brought me this far. Don't abandon me now
please. I want to do this only for You. Give me this chance please.’
“Another interesting thing I noticed
about myself during this period is how I lost my fear of heights. Since
my childhood, I was always scared of heights. Whenever I would look down
from my grandmother’s apartment in the tenth floor, my legs used to
shiver. But now I had begun to relish being in the air, and in fact was
enjoying the panorama below from above.
“Our practice went on and soon Sports
Meet arrived. I clearly remember that was the year when the Annual
Sports and Cultural Meet presentations happened on January 12th and not
on 11th as it usually happens every year. On January 9 Swami had kindly
come to the airport to see our practice session. After
watching our performances, just before He left, He suddenly looked at
me and said, ‘What do you want?’ He was so full of mercy and love that I
know whatever I would have asked that day He would have granted it to
me. But the success of the paramotors event was so much on top of my
mind at that moment that I could not think of anything else. I instantly
said, ‘Swami, bless me with good wind conditions.’
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“This was crucial for the stunt because
we were completely dependent on the climate. A little too much or too
less of air would make our adventure a failure. Generally, the wind
early in the morning was not suitable. Similarly the conditions a little
later during the day again were unfavourable. We were completely at the
mercy of the wind god.
“The moment Swami heard my prayer He said, ‘I will give, I will give.’
Then looking at our instructor, Brigadier Sandhu from the Indian Army,
Swami said: ‘Safety is paramount. The parents of these students have
entrusted the responsibilities of their children to Me. Now you are in
turn answerable to Me. So take all precautions. First think of safety
and then everything else. Also, mind you, the landing conditions in the
airport and in the stadium are quite different. It is important that
they practise in the stadium.”
