Samparka

It was some time in 1957, Shrī Sathya Sāi bābā was gaining fame and popularity. Lot of people used to talk about his miracles and a few were blessed with Vibhūti, fruits and wrist watches etc. Around this time, I had moved to Mumbaī for my job and used to stay with my elder sister at Vākolā. As a member of the Local Sabhā, on Sundays and holidays I used to go for Vantigā collection to a few Āmchī houses in the area. 

On one such occasion I happened to visit Shrī Shaṅkaranārāyaṇ Shukla Mām’s place for collecting Vantigā. While I was there, little Ravindra (Pūrvāshrama name of Swāmī Parijñānāshram III) asked me about the miracles of Shrī Satya Sāi Bābā and how He blessed people with Vibhūti etc. I replied that He has attained siddhi and hence He could perform such miracles. I was amused at the young child’s fascination with miracles; little did I know at the time that little Ravindra was Himself destined to be our 10th Guru. 

Shortly after this incident in Feb 1959, He was taken as Shis̲h̲ya by H. H. Ānandāshram Swāmījī and was ordained as Shis̲h̲ya-Swāmī. Later on young Shis̲h̲ya-Swāmījī attained Siddhi and used to materialise Vibhūti and Kuṁkum. On learning of this, Guru-Swāmī guided His young Shis̲h̲ya to refrain from performing such miracles, saying that this was not the path for sannyāsī-s of the Paramparā.
Another incident . . . 

This incident happened on 10th Feb 1993 in Shree Datta Mandir, Vākolā, Mumbaī. It was a daily ritual to offer bhajan sevā and āratī to Lord Dattātreya from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. On this particular day too we finished the bhajan sevā and started the āratī as was my practice, I used to ring the bell during āratī. It was a big temple bell. As I was ringing the bell and we finished the last line of the ārati the clapper from the bell got detached and fell on the sofa without making a sound. Just above the sofa is a big portrait of H. H. Parijñānāshram Swāmījī III. 

The heavy clapper could have fallen anywhere or hurt anybody standing close to the bell. I was surprised that instead of any such untoward event happening the clapper fell directly below the portrait of H. H. Swāmījī. This was an indication for me that Swāmījī‘s Kṛpā was upon us, and had saved us from a grievous accident.