Do not think that God will appear before you with his disc, club, lotus and conch to save you from your difficulties. But you can rest assured that if you sincerely pray to Him and surrender yourself completely He will send His grace through others who will give you the proper lead.
The Divine Mother spoke these words, after a prolonged Samadhi, turning towards me. I was first then sitting in the midst of a large number of devotees at the Kayamkulam Bhaktha Mandali, one evening in February 1958. Mother had gone into Samadhi during bhajan but the devotees continued the bhajan. As I was in deep agony at that time consequent on my son’s resolution to marry against my wishes, I was deeply absorbed in praying to Mother to help me to solve my problem. Hence I did not follow either bhajan or the discourse of Mother except the words quoted above which were personally directed to me. Even then I did not grasp their significance. After the bhajan, I left the hall, the words still ringing in my ears.
A few days after this, Mother came to Trivendrum for Her Birth Day Celebrations. In the meantime my son had also come to Trivendrum from Jabalpur, after having made up his mind to marry the girl of his choice. The girl and her mother who are also devotees interviewed Divine Mother and explained all the circumstances. I also placed before Mother my objections. She simply asked us to intensify our namajapam. I was determined not to have anything to do with the proposed marriage. My friends and relatives approached me to get my consent to the marriage. But I did not pay any heed to them. The very thought that my son whom I loved so very much had the audacity to celebrate his marriage even though his parents refused to participate in the function, unbalanced my mind and I was so much embittered against him that I made up my mind not have even a look at him in future. My unyielding nature alienated me from all and I had even the impudence to turn down a suggestion from one of my well wishers to abide by the decision of Mother by telling him that this was purely a family affair.
I was then overwhelmed with passion that I forgot, for the moment, that Mother is as much interested in our family welfare as in our spiritual upliftment. I also entirely forgot Her teaching to rise above all passions and to consider the “I” in us as the all pervading Self. Further, little did I remember then that it was because of the blessings of Mother that my daughter came to be well-settled in life with a suitable husband. Later on I repented for my lapses and prayed for forgiveness.
During the time Mother stayed in Trivendrum She used to come to Rama Devi Mandir every evening for bhajan and discourses, except when She observed silence. With a heavy heart I also attended the bhajan and discourses. One night after the bhajan, mother was about to leave the Mandir when She saw me from a distance standing near the portico, desiring to have an interview. Mother seemed to have divined my wish and She sent word through one of the disciples, to meet Her at Her residence, the same night.
On the morning of the same day one of most intimate friends had come to me pleading on behalf of my son. I disappointed him telling him in a curt manner that I was not going to take any body’s advice in the matter. But in spite of my rude behaviour he was good enough to advise me to consider the matter dispassionately and calmly.
After his departure I took my bath, entered the prayer room, prostrated before Mother’s picture and deeply thought over the entire affair, considering all its implications. It now began to dawn on me that my irreconcilable attitude was due to my pride and anger which had their full sway over my heart and that it ill-became me to call myself a disciple of that Sadguru, a personality radiating lofty ideals, ethical principles and spiritual forces. A little meditation made my mind calm and normal. My love for my son prevailed leaving aside all sense of prestige. At this time the significance of Mother’s words quoted above struck me. I thought of the friend who advised me in the morning and he appeared to me to be the person sent to extricate me from my difficult situation. So I met him again and requested him to ascertain whether my son was willing to postpone his marriage for six months in case I agreed to participate in the function. I attached this string to know whether he sincerely desired my co-operation. In spite of protests from the girl’s parents he promptly agreed to my suggestion. I was therefore anxious to acquaint Mother with this turn of events. The universal mind of the Mother might have become receptive to my thought vibrations or else I could not have been asked to meet Her at that late hour of the night. As soon as I was ushered into Her august presence I prostrated before Her and told Her that by Her grace I was able to consent to the marriage. I also requested permission to conduct the marriage in Her presence, giving up the idea of postponing it. Her face beamed with a divine smile. Later on, before Mother’s departure from Trivendrum the marriage was celebrated in the Mandir, the Divine Mother solemnizing the function.
Subsequently, I came to know that both my son and his bride had been intensely praying to Mother day and night to bless them to marry, with the approval and blessings of the parents. As stated above the invisible power of Mother has mysteriously guided us along the right path. She did not intervene in our affair, nor did She speak even a word to any one of us for or against the marriage. She knows within Her cosmic consciousness what was best for the couple and She ordained everything accordingly.
Though Mother is the source of enormous psychic powers She never demonstrates them. But, sometimes, Her ever free divine consciousness appears to perform miracles when She responds to Her devotees who sincerely pray for succour. I am recounting below the experience one of my friends had, of the invisible presence of Mother when he was involved in an accident.
One night at about 10-30 he entered his prayer room for meditation after switching on the electric light. His wife had gone for a marriage in a neighbouring house and their children were in bed. When he sat down before Mother’s picture he noticed that the bulb which used to illuminate the picture was missing and that the holder alone was hanging over it. As the current for this bulb was tapped from the light point in the room the holder was charged with electricity. But the absence of the bulb created in him the impression that it was not a live holder. He therefore took hold of it to remove it from the picture, when all at once one of his fingers was caught between the pins in the holder. The electric current began to pass through his body and it seemed to him that it was all aflame. He fell down, the holder still remaining in his hand. His throat became parched and his voice choked. But somehow he managed to call aloud “O, Mother” thrice. Hearing this unusual call his children ran up to the room. But before they could touch his body the holder was blown away from his hand as if by a hard hit from an unseen fist. In case the holder had continued to remain in his hand for sometime more, himself and the children who would have come into contact with his body, would have all perished by the electric shock. By this time the neighbours as well as the mother of the children arrived at the scene, only to find the father lying unconscious and the children weeping by his side. When he regained consciousness he explained to them how it all happened and how he saw in the vision of Mother hastening to his rescue. Mother was not intimated about this accident. But three days after this he received a letter from Mother from Mangalore in which She had asked him inter alia whether he was convinced of the truth that Brahman, agni and devi are identical.
Such experiences by devotees are many. But Mother will never claim that She has any occult powers. She gives glory to God for all such miracles. Yet, we fully believe that an invisible power emanating from Her helps us in our need and that it guides us in our actions. Whenever we are worried we have only to pray to Her and immediately the grace of the Sadguru affords us relief.
– V.Narayana Pillai. B.A. B.L.