DECEMBER 28TH, 2008...SRI GOPAL RAO

[Guest guest]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The loving blessings at the end of the day

 

 

 

 

Picture perfect indeed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 28th, 2007 Today Swami had set aside the evening for a very dear devotee of His - Sri Gopal Rao - who had turned hundred yesterday. Swami had blessed him yesterday but He did not seem satisfied with that. He came and took a full round of darshan and then alighted near the interview room. Taking a round around the portico, He came out on the stage and very soon asked that Gopal Rao too be brought on stage. Sri. Gopal Rao was wheeled on to the stage. Swami then called Prof.G.Venkatraman and asiigned to him the pleasant task of speaking in felicitation of Gopal Rao.The professor deemed it as a special privilege to speak on this occasion. He spoke of how Gopal Rao's life had been saturated with faith and Love for Swami. He had been cured of a cancer of the urinary bladder in 1960s simply by the force of a word from Swami. And now, in 2007, he was very fine and healthy. It

was his steadfast faith in Swami's word that made him stand firm during the Andhra Bank strike during which he was thoroughly tested. from the age of eighty till late nineties, he served water for devotees in the canteen. The professor's talk was very well appreciated and naturally so for it was the description of a most loved and respected centurion. In the speech he also made public a revelation that Swami made, "As per the scriptures, Sri Gopal Rao is not 100 but 105 actually!"As he concluded, Swami asked Gopal Rao to speak. A mike was placed before the centurion and the mike volumes must have been turned very high in anticipation of a feeble voice. Sri Gopal Rao boomed forth and his voice was surprisingly clear and loud considering his age. He started with a very recent anecdote. His eyes and ears were weakening and the doctors had prescribed operations. Swami came to him and told him,"Gopal Rao, you have seen enough, you have heard enough.

No need of any operation now!" He then narrated of how he first came to Swami as a proposed translator and then was saved the blushes when Bhurugulu Ramakrishna Rao stepped in right in time. He expressed his deep sense of love and gratitude to Swami and also to RadioSai for giving him Swami throughout the day. He spoke for about 40 minutes and everyone listened with rapt attention as words of wisdom poured forth."Swami has kept telling that we are all God. All the problems are only because we do not seem to listen how many ever times He tells. I try to follow that and it is so elevating."With that statement, he offered himself to Swami. Swami got Gopal Rao publicly garlanded by Sri Chakravarthi and there was a thunderous applause. Then Swami came to him and put a shawl to felicitate him. Both of them had an intimate conversation. Gopal Rao told Swami that he had seen all in his life and that He was ready. He had no desires left. He said that

the whole day, he could not step into his house for so many came to see him. It was all Swami's love and grace he said. Swami got up and posed for photographs with him and blessed him so many times by placing His hands on his head. Swami was smiling so sweetly and Gopal Rao chose to speak through his eyes which were now shedding drops of Love.God's love is so overwhelming and overpowering. None can resist its flow and grandeur. Swami gives up Himself completely to anyone who has said from the depths of his heart, "Lord, I am yours. I Love you." It was so touching to see Swami blessing and showering His Love on a dear devotee. After that was done, the time was around 6:40pm. Swami had prasadam distributed and then sat in a joyous pose as Aarthi was performed. Then He retired for the evening.Ram ChuganiKobe, Japan