SAI ‘SAVE’OR

SAI ‘SAVE’OR

He manifests in different places ‘same time’ with His ‘Visiting Cards’ only to accomplish something for His devotees…and at times He ‘manifests’ in different places, in different forms, with His ‘Visiting Cards’ again, to accomplish something for the sake of His devotees…He did it once in Tirunelveli, for the sake of a ‘new’ devotee…whom He wanted draw unto ‘Him’… and for this devotee’s sake He manifested Himself in the guise of this devotee…saving and managing the situation… A beautiful incident excerpted from the book “God in our Midst” by Dr (Mrs.) Hiramalini Seshadri, republished in the July 2014 issue of Sanathana Sarathi.

One of my patients, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police called Krishnan whom I treated for tuberculosis at the Apollo Hospital, had this true story to relate.

In the 1950s, he had been posted as the Traffic Sub-Inspector at Tirunelveli. Those days, there were no walkie-talkies and the Traffic Sub-Inspector had to be on the road all the time. He heard then that a Swami called Sathya Sai Baba was camping nearby. Being a man of spiritual nature, he decided to go with his friend, offer his respects and a garland to this new Swami and return in time for duty. They went in their jeep but found that Bhajans were on and they couldn’t get near Swami. They decided to leave, only to find that the jeep wouldn’t start. Another devotee asked them if they had sought Swami’s permission to leave. When they replied in the negative, he said, “Well, then the jeep won’t start!” They stayed on for the Discourse and lunch and, finally, in the evening they managed to present their by-then-faded garland to Swami, and get His blessings and Vibhuti! The jeep started right away when they were ready to leave now.

When he reached home, his elder brother and father were anxiously waiting. “Where on earth were you?” they angrily asked. “There were two accidents today; one involving a police jeep and another involving a State transport bus… Where were you?” Krishnan could not sleep all night. He wondered what punishment he would get for such dereliction of duty. Suspension? Show cause notice? Dismissal? Reversion? He prayed to Baba for help!

Next morning, he slowly made his way to the police station. “Oh sir, what would we have done if you had not been there!” a constable addressed him. He couldn’t understand what the fellow was saying; it was all very confusing. He slunk in and sat quietly on his chair and said nothing. Later, he slowly went to the D.S.P’s office. He was summoned in. The D.S.P. looked grave. Then he broke the silence. “What a shame that policemen should drink and drive…and that other bus driver… well that was the pedestrian’s fault… ah! Anyway, you did whatever you could. Good.” Krishnan couldn’t believe his ears! Later, putting together all that he heard from here and there, he reconstructed what had ‘happened.’ ‘He’ had been there at the site of both accidents, ‘he’ had booked the culprits, rushed the injured to hospital, notified the authorities… done the needful promptly and to the best of his abilities,” – as they would say in officialese!

Krishnan rushed back to Baba. He knew it was Baba who had saved him by appearing in his form and acting as the Traffic Sub-Inspector. Compassionate Swami comforted him and blessed him. Krishnan then told Swami that he wanted to resign and serve Swami. Baba said that he should not do such things; that he had a Karma to finish; that Baba would always be with him. Krishnan was struggling to keep back tears as he related this to me nearly forty years later. Needless to add, his tuberculosis responded well to the treatment.

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

SAI ‘SAVE’OR – The Divine Shelter of Love and Grace

SAI ‘SAVE’OR is a powerful devotional thought that speaks directly to the heart of a seeker. It suggests that the Divine is not only a guide, teacher, or distant presence, but the one who saves us from fear, confusion, weakness, and spiritual forgetfulness. In human life, we often look for protection in money, relationships, position, or personal strength. These supports may help for a while, but they cannot give complete peace. True safety begins when the heart turns toward the Divine with faith.

The meaning of SAI ‘SAVE’OR becomes deeper when we understand that saving does not always mean removing every problem from life. Sometimes grace saves us by giving courage to face pain. Sometimes it saves us by closing a door that would have led us toward harm. Sometimes it saves us by allowing a difficulty that teaches humility, patience, or surrender. The Divine does not work according to our limited expectations; it works according to a wisdom that sees beyond the present moment.

Many devotees have experienced this saving grace in simple and silent ways. A danger avoided, an illness softened, a prayer answered at the right time, or an unexpected strength during hardship can become unforgettable memories. Yet the greatest rescue is not only from outer troubles. The greater rescue is from anger, ego, jealousy, selfishness, doubt, and despair. When these inner enemies lose their hold, the soul begins to breathe freely.

SAI ‘SAVE’OR reminds us that Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s message was always centered on love, service, truth, and transformation. He did not ask people to merely depend on miracles. He asked them to become better human beings. A heart saved by divine love should also become a shelter for others. If we have received kindness, we must share kindness. If we have received hope, we must become hope for someone else.

In moments of fear, the mind easily becomes restless. It imagines the worst, forgets past blessings, and feels alone. Faith does not mean that fear never appears. Faith means that fear does not become our master. When the devotee remembers the Divine, a quiet strength rises within. The situation may not change immediately, but the heart changes. That inner change is often the first sign of grace.

SAI ‘SAVE’OR also teaches surrender. Human beings like to control every outcome, but life cannot always be controlled. Plans fail, people change, health fluctuates, and time moves in its own way. Surrender is not weakness. It is the wisdom to do our duty sincerely and leave the result to a higher will. Such surrender brings peace because the burden no longer rests only on the individual mind.

The saving power of the Divine is also felt through conscience. Whenever we are about to speak harshly, act selfishly, or follow a wrong path, something within warns us. That quiet warning is grace. If we listen, we are protected from future sorrow. If we ignore it, life teaches through consequences. Spiritual growth begins when we respect this inner guidance and allow it to shape our choices.

SAI ‘SAVE’OR is not meant to make us passive. It does not say, “Do nothing and wait.” It says, “Trust deeply and act rightly.” A devotee must pray, but also practice. One must ask for protection, but also avoid harmful habits. One must seek peace, but also stop creating disturbance through anger and ego. Divine help flows more clearly when our own efforts become sincere.

A person who feels saved by grace naturally becomes grateful. Gratitude changes the way we live. We stop complaining about every small discomfort and begin noticing the blessings already present. Food, shelter, family, health, guidance, and the ability to serve are not ordinary gifts. When gratitude grows, the heart becomes softer, and devotion becomes more stable.

The world today needs this message of saving love. Many people feel anxious, lonely, and burdened by unseen struggles. They may not always need advice; sometimes they need compassion. A gentle word, a patient ear, a helpful hand, or a sincere prayer can become a channel of divine rescue. The Divine often saves one heart through another heart.

In the end, SAI ‘SAVE’OR is a reminder that the highest protection is not only to be rescued from trouble, but to be awakened to truth. When divine love saves the heart from fear and selfishness, life becomes meaningful. We begin to live with trust, serve with humility, and walk with courage. The devotee then understands that grace is not far away. It is present in every sincere prayer, every pure action, and every loving step toward the Divine.

Radha is an inseparable part of Krishna…