An interview with Anil Kumar

David: How did you first come to hear about Sai Baba and what attracted you to him in the first place?

Anil:  Back in the year 1970, an eminent devotee and a great scientist by the name of Dr. Bhagavantam happened to visit the town where I lived, and he gave a talk, narrating his experiences with Sai Baba in a most scientific manner, which made a deep impression on me. Later on that year I had some family problems, and so I went to Prasanthi Nilayam to ask Sai Baba for help. I can tell you that I didn’t get an opportunity to talk to him, I didn’t get to touch his feet and, as a result, I experienced five very unsuccessful days of togetherness. He was so divinely mischievous. He spoke to almost every person there but me, yet when I returned home I discovered that the family problem had been solved. The health of my wife had become very bad and when I was at Prasanthi Nilayam I prayed within myself saying,

“If you really are God, then please give her back to me in good health. We have four children and if she dies I can’t take care of the children by myself.” Well, without talking to him, without any padanamaskara or anything of that sort, she regained perfect health. After this I started reading the discourses, Sathya Sai Speaks, and I became very inspired. As a student I was always first in elocution and debating contests, never in academics. I was never a gold medallist in studies, but in all the elocution competitions and inter-university competitions I always came first. I was very much interested in public speaking and learning effective communication skills. So having been inspired by Swami’s discourses I started sharing with small groups about them, and then people started inviting me to come and talk to them about Sai Baba. This went on for eight years. I went to see Sai Baba on many occasions, but he ignored me, year after year, and not just me, but the whole row in which I was seated.

I used to tell my friends that they could sit by me in the canteen and the hotel but never, never sit by me in darshan, because Sai Baba would certainly never look at them! However after eight long years of waiting he did call me and, what is more, he asked me to give a talk in the Poornachandra Auditorium and ever since I have been in close contact with him.

David: Will you tell us about how you first came into contact with Sai Baba? I know that you have told us this story before, but many of our readers will not have heard it, and I personally find it very amusing.

Anil: Well, in 1977, after eight years of exile, I was travelling to Prasanthi Nilayam when Sai Baba’s car passed me by on the road going to Anantapur, so I turned around and followed him to Anantapur. There I discovered that Sai Baba was busy with some trust committee in the Girl’s College. Now, in the Girl’s College, as you well know, even male mosquitoes are not permitted to enter! So I was stuck outside the gate pleading with the watchman to allow me to enter, but he would not let me in and so I waited helplessly outside. Then Swami suddenly appeared at a door, surrounded by several important people, and the watchman took pity on me and said “Sir, you are free to walk a few steps inside the gate, but please don’t go any further.”

I said, “OK” and walked in. Suddenly Swami shouted “Anil Kumar, come here” and I started running towards him, at the same time thinking, “How does he know my name? Why has he ignored me all these eight years? Why did he not look at me? Does he not know my problems?” whilst at the same time feeling totally blissful. Swami said, “Oh, last night you gave a lecture about me and everyone liked it” and then he said, “How is your wife?” I replied “Swami, it was she who brought me to you.” “I know”, he said, and then he materialised some vibhuthi for me and told me to come and see him in Puttaparthi.

David:  Tell us how you came to be Sai Baba’s interpreter. What was the sequence of events that led up to your selection for this job?

Anil:  Well, I was the State President of the Sathya Sai Organisation in Andhra Pradesh, and as the State President I used to attend the World Council meetings. One year it so happened that Sai Baba convened a meeting of the members of the World Council in the Mandir. Suddenly he needed an interpreter and since I come from Andhra Pradesh where Telegu is spoken he immediately picked me out and asked me to interpret. At the end of the talk he just said “Oh, fast, very fast!” and that was that and no opportunity presented itself to act as interpreter again for some time. In 1989 I was appointed the principal of the Sathya Sai Baba College in Whitefield, the Brindavan Campus, and since that time I have been the regular interpreter. All that I can say about this role is that I’m not always a hundred per cent successful in interpreting, I’m not particularly competent at it and I’m certainly not the only man who can do it. I regard the role more as an opportunity extended to me than something that I have sought. It is more like a blessing conferred on me than an answer to a prayer. I have faltered many times and Sai Baba always corrects me, so I know that I still have a long way to go. I know that I am not perfect, but I just hope that I fulfil the needs of the devotees.

David:  By most people’s standards you are very close to Sai Baba and I say this not only because you are his interpreter but also because, sitting on the verandah, you are in his presence most days and are always chatting to him. What has being close to Sai Baba taught you about him?

Anil:  I will be very frank with you, because I know that Western people, people such as the Americans and the British, appreciate frankness and I, in turn, appreciate them for that reason. Firstly, you say that I am close to Swami but, in my experience, the way to get close to Sai Baba is to never discuss personal matters with him and by personal matters I mean things like family problems, ashram problems, problems with colleagues, problems with the College, problems with my health, problems at home. Secondly, I’m very much interested in the message of Sai Baba and so I want to know everything about him, I want clarification on all his teachings because I’m interested in sharing them with anyone who wants to listen to me. It is a fact that when I talk and share with people about Sai Baba I forget where I am, I forget all my problems. I forget everything, because sharing the message of Sai gives me the greatest joy. So when I have doubts about any aspect of the teachings I want clarification, and who else can tell me but Sai.  So, slowly, I begin to tickle and tease Swami, to put him in an inconvenient position, even sometimes to cause irritation, so that I can draw a divine answer out of him, which I can then share with everybody. Thirdly, I tell him quite openly how happy I am with him, how nice he looks that morning, how beautiful is his dress, how sweet was his morning darshan, how well behaved are his schoolboys, how wonderful was his morning discourse and how well received it was by his devotees. I think that it is these three factors that have brought me close to him.

David:  What is the greatest truth that Swami has taught you?

Anil:  The greatest truth that Swami has taught me is a kind of preparedness to accept anything that comes to me in life, good or bad, acceptance, or if you want to use another term, spiritual surrender. Surrender, I think, is a higher word than accept. If something unpleasant happens in my life, well that doesn’t make me run away from here. If manna from heaven falls upon me, well that doesn’t make me feel egotistical or proud. I am prepared to accept with equanimity whatever happens to me, both the good times and the bad times, and no matter what does happen I will continue to love Sai Baba, to listen to his message, to share the joy, the thrill, the excitement of his mission with everybody. The greatest gift that Sai Baba can give me is to allow me to participate in his divine mission.

David:  I think that for most devotees that is a very difficult lesson to learn, especially for those who have got close to Swami, when he apparently starts ignoring them, and note that I say ‘apparently’. They go to see him one trip and he recognises and speaks to them and then on the next trip he totally ignores them. They feel quite rejected.

Anil:   It’s courtship!

David:  Yes, that’s right, but it’s still very difficult for devotees to accept what appears to be rejection.

Anil:  It is very similar to problems at home with the wife or with the children. If I spend a lot of time away from home working in the college or the ashram the children will say to me “Daddy you have no time to spend with us.” Being a father is very demanding; I know that to be true.

David:  Would you like to tell us about the greatest manifestation that you have ever seen Swami do?

Anil:  For me his greatest manifestation is what I call his concern, his love. Let me give you an example. Several years ago I was waiting for the results of my son’s engineering entrance examination, but on the very morning when the results were to be published the President of India, the first citizen of this country, was to visit Prasanthi Nilayam. Sai Baba slowly, softly, smilingly came walking up to me in darshan and standing in front of me he lifted up both of his arms and he enquired, “How are you, Sir?”  I replied, “Swami, I am very fine.”  Sai Baba then said to me “How about your son?” and I replied, “Waiting for the results, Swami.” Sai Baba responded “No, no. He is going to be selected, he is going to be an engineer, he is going to pass with distinction, don’t worry, Anil Kumar.” I immediately fell at his feet and I thought to myself “Oh God, when the President of India and all the VIPs are waiting at the door, you still manage to show concern for this little, unimportant fellow, Anil Kumar. I am grateful to you Swami, for this concern, this love, which rises above position, status and money.”  So, yes, for me, his biggest manifestation is his love.