A small Divine desire

The beautiful Trayee, Brindavan - The Lords Abode

I was doing my duty in Swami’s residence area when a few students called me and handed me something with a smile on their face.  When I saw what I had received, I was thrilled to bits.

Every evening when Swami came out for darshan in Brindavan, He would ask one of us boys to open the darshan door for Him. Sometimes He would wait and interact with the boy to pour grace on Him in some way. These students, who managed the darshan audio from inside the residence premise, would quietly capture these blessed moments with their cameras. Later the lucky boy would receive this snap. Today it was my turn. As my fellow sevadal boys and a few students looked at the picture of Swami and me, someone remarked  “ Hey this looks like Krishna Arjuna!”

Something about that simple remark caught all my attention, and in rapid excitement my mind raced back many years ago when as a boy of 15 or 16 I had come here for my early darshans of Swami as a devotee. I did not know much about Swami and His work then. All I knew was He was Divinity.

This one early morning as I arrived for darshan and took my place in the last block , I noticed a young , very tall, European boy showing around something which excited him a great deal. His face was suffused with joy. As my turn came he showed me his photo. It was a picture of Him in a darshan. He was on one knee and Swami was standing next to him talking to him.  “ Look – look – like Krishna Arjuna!! Like Krishan Arjuna” the boy exclaimed in untold excitement in broken English. I couldn’t help but share his immense joy. 

The picture caught my young hearts imagination and a small divine desire began taking form. I too began wishing to have such a picture with Swami. Through that morning I kept thinking about it. I prayed deeply , earnestly asking God to please fulfill my wish of such a photo with Him. My worldly mind had its own doubts :

Do you think Swami has time for you? He has much important things to attend to. More over do you think you deserve such grace?

Ok Swami , even if not such a picture, please give me any picture of You and me.

Why should He do that? What have or can you ever do  for Him?

Swami perhaps I am not worthy but even if you give me an accidental group photo to help me celebrate my presence on earth with the Avataar, I will be very grateful….

Years passed. The passing time took away these memories and I forgot my zeal  and yearning for such a grace.

But He didn’t forget the prayers of a young heart.

He waited for the right time to grace me.

And now the proof of His grace was in my hands

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