04 Mar 2023
[By Ms. Swathika]
Jai Guru Datta Swami!
Padhanamaskaram Swamiji
With blessings of our beloved Swamiji, I would like to share an important experience given to me by Swamiji.
Since my school days, I was attracted to Kanchi Maha Periyava (Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati) by listening to His Mahimas (Miracles) daily in TV. I considered Him as my best friend and I used to share everything with Him in my mind. I felt the presence of Periyava whenever I felt lonely or depressed. Every difficult situation got me closer to Periyava. With time and experience, my attraction to Periyava increased exponentially although he was past incarnation of God.
At college, I came in contact with AMMA (Mata Amritanandamayi) who is considered to be one of our contemporary human incarnations. She personally helped me by giving me a special scholarship and it was by Her grace that I got a very good job through campus placement. I have had darshans of AMMA and expressed my gratitude. Still, I was more attached to Periyava only.
After my graduation, Shri Datta Swami chose to come into my life through Ms. Thrylokya and Dr. Nikhil Sir. Although Nikhil Sir always stressed on Swamiji's divine knowledge, my mind was still attracted to the mahimas of Periyava. Swamiji's knowledge was very new and it was hard to digest initially. Slowly, I started to do more satsangs and got attracted to His divine knowledge. Once Nikhil Sir asked me if I have read the teachings of Periyava. I felt embarrassed to say that I don't know anything about His work. I was always attracted to listen to His divine experiences than His Knowledge. I thought that Had I liked Periyava so much, I should have known about His teachings. That was when I started reading Swamiji's knowledge more sincerely. While reading Swamiji's knowledge, I was attracted to Periyava more and more. I knew theoretically that only contemporary Human Incarnation is relevant. I knew that Shri Datta Swami is contemporary Human Incarnation. But still, I felt comfortable worshipping previous incarnation only.
On a pleasant evening, I was listening to a mahima of Periyava which I have heard so many times before. Periyava gave darshan to a close devotee as SHRI VENUGOPALA KRISHNA which is the very name of our beloved Sadguru, Shri Datta Swami who is considered by devotees as contemporary human incarnation of Lord Datta and Lord Krishna. A sudden realisation struck my mind that the Periyava is our Swami and our Swami was Periyava. I am not able to express the bliss I experienced after this realisation. This realization is the biggest miracle I experienced so far. I was like a blind person getting back the eye sight.
I was walking in the opposite direction and that realization was a turning point. The same God has now come in the form of Shri Datta Swami and I was so ignorant worshipping the past Incarnation. Although I appreciated and enjoyed the knowledge given by Swami, I could not accept Him as God. I'm a very ignorant soul with lot of ego, jealousy and selfishness. Such realization wouldn't have happened to me in this birth if not by the divine grace of Swamiji. With Swamiji's grace, I realized that Swamiji has always been with me since the beginning. First, He came in the form of my Divine Father Periyava, then as my Divine Mother AMMA, and finally as my beloved Sadguru, my all in all, Shri Datta Swami preaching the highest spiritual knowledge. Thank You so much Swamiji. Though I was so ignorant and adamant, You never left me wandering hopelessly in this world. Thank You so much for showing me the ultimate Goal and guiding me at every step. I don't deserve any of Your love and compassion and I'm so unworthy of whatever I am receiving today. Thank You for giving me this lifetime opportunity of Your darshan, sparshan and shambashan.
Koti pranams shata Koti pranams Swamiji.
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