Humility personified

Sri Bharath from Thanjavur, an ardent devotee of His Holiness, narrates this incident…
I am blessed with the opportunity being in the divine presence of Sri Sri Swamiji, whenever Sri Swamiji visits Thanjavur. Mahans generally do not say anything for fun. Even if they may sound so, their golden words are pregnant with a treasure of inner meaning.
Sri Swamiji was recently in Tanjavur on a tour. Sri Swamiji was about to leave, and He had alighted the vehicle. Suddenly from inside the car, I noticed someone coming running towards the vehicle. I realized it was Subbaiah Raju.

Subbaiah is known to our family. Of late, he was facing a multitude of troubles in life. He did not have a proper job and hence was devoid of steady income. This added to his financial woes, not to mention the other family problems he was facing. Once when he came to our place, we told him about Sri Swamiji and asked him to have His darshan the next time Sri Swamiji graced Thanjavur.

There he was, to have darshan of Sri Swamiji.

I introduced Subbaiah to Sri Swamiji and requested Sri Swamiji to bless him. Sri Swamiji lowered the window panes of the car and glanced at Subbaiah who stood there with folded hands. Sri Swamiji asked him not to worry, saying that everything would fall into place and raised the window pane.

Then Sri Swamiji, with a beautiful smile on His effulgent face, turned to me and said, ‘Are you playing? Do you think I know to bless someone?”

Sri Swamiji did say it in a jovial manner, but that had so much of a hidden meaning.

We mortals take pride in even the smallest act that we perform. We walk about in a heavy headed manner though the earth spins by dint of our effort.

Sri Swamiji who has changed so many lives by His sheer look and grace, uttered those words, to teach a lesson to this student – a lesson on humility!