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Posted on: Mar 06, 2014
An 'Apple' of His Parents' Eyes
A Chronicle of His Love Through the Experiences of Pardhiva Erramilli, an Alumnus of SSSIHL
The temperature in the room was chilling because of the air-conditioner. The only sound was the hum from the dialysis machine punctuated by occasional high-pitched beeps. Erramilli Sathyamurthy lay on the bed undergoing the dialysis procedure which had become part and parcel of his life ever since both his kidneys failed him. He was in pain and the environs did nothing to cheer him. He just was waiting for the hours to pass so that he could get out of the hospital. Slowly, the door to the room opened and in walked his son, Pardhiva. In an instant, a smile flashed across Mr. Sathyamurthy’s face. It was as if the sun had risen and cleared the clouds of his gloom.
“Suputraha kuladeepakaha” goes the ancient Indian saying. It means that a good son is the light of the family, nay the entire clan. For those that are ill-informed, this might seem like a sexist statement of an old society. However, there is a reason why it is said in this manner. In Indian society, the daughter, after marriage, becomes a member of the husband’s household. It is a patriarchal society. Though this does not necessarily mean that the parents are ‘cut-off’ from the daughter after her marriage, it means that the daughter is ‘officially’ bound to the family she is married into and the parents do not deem it right to expect anything of her. So, the only ‘official walking-stick’ during the ripe years of the parents is the son. And if that son happens to be a good, noble one, there is light in the whole family and clan.
In that sense, Pardhiva truly had turned out to be light in the life of his father. Serving him with love and dedication, he had taken upon himself all the financial burdens of the costly dialysis treatment. Such was the father’s joy that he could not help but take a ride down memory lane to that beautiful day when Pardhiva had been miraculously ‘materialized’ for him and his wife.
An Unforgettable Interview and a Miracle
The year was 1977. Mr. Sathyamurthy was a proud father of four healthy daughters and he had travelled along with his wife to Puttaparthi for the blessings and grace of his Swami, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. On the 25 April, Swami had called them in for an interview. In the interview room, Swami had told him something that took him completely by surprise.
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| Swami naming the child He gifted Mr. & Mrs. Sathyamurthy with |
“You have four daughters Sathyamurthy, it is time to have a son.”
Sathyamurthy had protested. Having and rearing a fifth child was no easy task and it was quite late to plan for a son now. But Swami had been in no mood to listen. He had just waved his palm and created a juicy, red apple. Handing it over to the mother, Swami had said,
“I bless you with a son.”
Mr. Sathyamurthy does not remember anything much apart from this about the interview. And he cannot be blamed. Swami’s command and act had come so suddenly and miraculously. The family returned from Puttaparthi and about 11 months after that interview, on the 14 February 1978, a bonny baby boy was born to Mrs. Sathyamurthy. Unlike the parents who had a brown skin tone, the baby was creamy white, almost the colour of the apple flesh!
The Name is His; the Words are His; the Thoughts are His
Shortly after granting the blessing of the baby boy, Swami made a visit to Mr. Sathyamurthy’s house. This time, it was for naming the baby boy. Talking to the eldest member of the house, Swami said,
“Your name is Krishnamurthy. Your son’s name is Sathyamurthy. Let this baby’s name be something different. I am Krishna and this boy is my Arjuna. Let us call him Parthiva (one among several of Arjuna’s names).”
(Pardhiva is another way of saying the same name - Parthiva.)
Ugadi, the Telugu New Year day, was a very special day for Hyderabad in 1978 because Swami was at Shivam. The visit proved to be even more memorable for Mr. Sathyamurthy because Swami promised to visit him at home and see the new born babe. In the early 70s when Swami was selecting a suitable piece of land for the construction of his abode in Hyderabad, Shivam, Sathyamurty won the privilege of being Swami’s neighbour! Apparently, Swami had Himself purchased this land which was adjacent to his house, a few years ago.
When Swami came home, He picked up the one-month old baby in His arms. Fondling him, Swami made a revelation,
“After four daughters, it is not easy to have a son. This baby is Swami’s prasad to you and he came because of Swami’s prasad (the apple). See, his colour is distinctly different from both of you!”
This was not the first instance of Swami blessing a couple with a child via an apple. However, it was definitely a unique story like all the other such similar stories before it.
Second Lease of Life
As Sathyamurthy returned home with his son, he could not help stop the tears from running down his cheeks. Pardhiva looked at his father and asked him the reason for the tears.
“I am fine son”, the father reassured him, “These are tears of joy. Ah! How much Swami loves us!”
Pardhiva was taken aback at this sudden and spontaneous expression of gratitude. But that is how gratitude erupts in the heart - spontaneously and often, without notice.
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“36 years ago Swami told me that I would NEED a son. Today, I can see how beautifully and perfectly Swami has planned out my life for me. I have pains, of course. That is part of my karma. But Swami has ensured that the pains do not cause me suffering. That is His love and mercy.”
“What are you saying father?” asked Pardhiva as he helped his father to the bed.
“Pardhiva! In my old age when the body is ridden with so many problems, Swami has given me a second lease of life through a son like you. I am grateful for that.”
He hugged his son and planted a tender kiss on his forehead. Mr. Sathyamurthy’s eyes were closed and he imagined himself to be kissing his Swami’s forehead. Wasn’t Pardhiva his little Swami now? Physically, Swami had left the earth but Mr. Sathyamurthy was able to feel His love pouring on him in many ways, especially through his son.
Pardhiva too felt a few glistening drops roll down his cheeks. He held his father’s hand and said,
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| Swami with Pardhiva and his parents during the mass upanayanam ceremony at Prasanthi Nilayam |
“Dad! You are Swami for me now. I am indebted to you for bringing me into this world when the Lord walked it. You were Swami’s instrument in giving me life and am forever grateful for it.”
“Your case is special Pardhiva”, his father reminded him, “Swami gave you life and also saved you from death.”
The past flashed before both their eyes. Within a year of being born, the baby boy was down with severe diarrhoea and was losing body fluids at an alarming rate. He was rushed to the hospital and the doctors worked furiously to stem the baby’s decline but it was to no avail. The parents had to hear those words from the doctor which no father or mother can ever bear,
“We are doing our best but it is all in God’s hands now. I think you should think about the child only. It might be the most comfortable thing for the little boy to just let go of his body.”
There were tears in Sathyamurthy’s eyes even as he relived those dark and scary moments. The parents had sat hand-in-hand in fervent prayer to Swami. Swami’s prasadam could not just leave like this! And that was when a visitor was ushered into the hospital. It was Dr. Ramakrishna, then the associate director of the prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bangalore. He was the son of Dr. Bhagavantham, who was Bhagawan Baba’s translator then. He had with him vibhuti, the wonder ash which Swami had materialized for the little baby boy!
The parents’ faces lit up and they sprang into action. Much to the consternation of the doctors, they insisted on mixing this ‘ash’ in the drip that was being administered to the baby. The impending loss of a loved one leads to crazy behaviours and the doctors had seen many such desperate attempts by many people in the past. So, the doctors did as told before leaving the bedside. They would come again to just finish the formalities and issuance of the death certificate.
As they thought, five hours later they were writing a certificate. But it was not the death certificate! It was the baby’s discharge summary which Mr. Sathyamurthy considers as a second-birth certificate!
Swami’s arrival into a person’s life is so redeeming and wonderful. And this is not just on the physical front. The body is healed, the mind is calmed and the soul gets uplifted. Life gains its true meaning then. It is no surprise that many people celebrate the day they got to know Swami as their actual birthday. Pardhiva and his parents are no exception.
Growing to Love Him and Learn from Him
Pardhiva grew into a happy and healthy boy. He was strong and mischievous. Even Swami was not spared from his mischief. Whenever Swami visited Shivam, Pardhiva would rush to Him. For him, Swami was a loving elder of the family. He loved being with Him. In fact, he would run and play around Swami and Swami would indulge him. On many occasions, little Pardhiva would pick grapes and other fruits from Swami’s plate and pop them in his mouth. On one occasion, he saw Swami eating paan (betel leaf with betelnut and other additives). He went to Him and asked for a paan for himself. Swami pulled his cheek and told him,
“Bangaroo, this paan had lime in it. So it will be spicy for you.”
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| Mischievous Pardhiva with Swami in Shivam, Hyderabad |
But Pardhiva would not listen. He insisted on eating whatever Swami was eating.
With a smile, Swami prepared a paan for him and gave it to him. The minute Pardhiva put it in his mouth, he ran out crying because it was spicy. Swami had a hearty laugh. He had seen many adults also do what He had advised against and end up in tears. This was just a little child. But even at that age Pardhiva realized that he should never disobey Swami.
Years later, the same Swami was there to relieve him when he listened to Him. It was 1993 when Swami picked the 11th grader Pardhiva to accompany Him to Kodaikanal. As the entourage wended its way up the winding hill road to Kodaikanal, Pardhiva felt nauseous. Even as he was about to throw up, Swami sent word for him. Calling him by His side in the bus, Swami began to show him sights outside the bus.
“Look at those trees.... and those beautifully coloured flowers... many birds abound in the hills here.... see you can see them fluttering away.... our bus is being driven by controlling that steering - the driver must be so strong right?”
Pardhiva was lost in the description that Swami built. More than 15 minutes passed this way and soon, they were at the top. Now Swami said,
“You felt like vomiting right? How come nothing has happened till now?”
Immediately, Pardhiva rushed to the restroom and threw up. Later on Swami told him,
“The mind is much more powerful than the body and so you can achieve miracles with mind-control. Your body forgot that it had to vomit because your mind was focused elsewhere. What you get in life is what you choose to focus on. Whatever be the situation, if you choose to focus on God, God is what you will get always.”
Our Lives are His
Returning from the travel down memory lane, Pardhiva and his father couldn’t help shed tears of gratitude for everything that Swami had done and continues to do for them. As Sathyamurthy lay down to rest, Pardhiva got ready to leave for work.
Pardhiva’s story is like the story of a leaf growing on the Sai tree - one among millions. And yet, like all the other ‘leaves’, it is a one-in-a-million story because of its uniqueness. I am sure that anyone who has come under the Sai umbrella has had a similar experience wherein he/she realizes that everything in life - the name, the fame, the health, the wealth, the joys and the peace - are all His bounty. One might not be directly named ‘Pardhiva’ but everyone has been an ‘Arjuna’ receiving the song celestial from Sai Krishna. The experiences of each leaf of the Sai tree are for all the other leaves to enjoy and learn as well - only that particular leaf happens to be Sai’s instrument at that point in time. It is just like Arjuna being given the Bhagwad Gita by Krishna - as a receiving instrument on behalf of the entire universe because the Bhagwad Gita is for all. As fellow ‘leaves’ on the same tree, should we not live by sharing and caring? Should we not imbibe feelings due to which each one li(ea)ves for the other and all leaves live for God?
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| With Swami in Kodai - Pardhiva can be seen standing right behind Swami |
It is so important that we spend time counting and sharing these gifts because the secret to happiness and peace lies in gratitude. It is this gratitude that makes Mr. Sathyamurthy shed tears of joy when in pain during dialysis. It is this gratitude that makes Pardhiva smile and feel his Swami when he embraces his father. It is this gratitude that makes us close our eyes reminiscing our beautiful moments with Swami that has given meaning to our lives.
Let us live in the present in this beautiful attitude of gratitude. Then, we would have truly taken a ‘leaf’ out of the book of Swami’s life. And we would have made His life our message.
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Pardhiva Erramilli studied in Bhagawan's school at Prasanthi Nilayam, during the years 1993-95. After his engineering degree he again returned to Bhagawan's University to pursue his MBA, between the years 1999-2001. As of March 2014, Pardhiva works as a Senior Analyst in Quality Management in Staples Inc. (USA) |
- Aravind Balasubramanya
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