The Wind That Already Knew My Name
Yesterday I walked upon Uttarāyaṇa.
There were no crossroads.
No signboards.
No uncertainty.
Only one direction…
Towards Him.
As the Eternal Road disappeared into a horizon of golden light, a gentle breeze surrounded me.
It did not touch my body.
It embraced my soul.
At first, I thought it was simply a celestial wind.
But soon I realised…
This breeze carried remembrance.
Every movement whispered peace.
Every fragrance awakened gratitude.
Every gentle current seemed to say,..
“Do not be afraid… You have never travelled alone.”
The breeze became brighter.
Then…
it took form.
Before me stood Vāyu, not merely as the wind that sustains life, but as a radiant servant of the Lord, welcoming another soul on its journey Home.
There was majesty in his presence.
Yet even greater was his humility.
He did not ask who I was.
He already knew……
He bowed—not to me—but to the Lord whose servant I had become.
Then, with folded hands, he spoke:
“Come… The One whom you have sought in temples, in tears, in pilgrimages, and in prayer has arranged every step of this journey.”
At those words, my heart overflowed.
For suddenly I understood something that had remained hidden throughout my earthly life….
There came a time when the Lord planted another longing in my heart.
The first pilgrimage had taken me to all 106 Divya Deśams.
Many lovingly congratulated me.
But one quiet thought refused to leave me.
“What about the Āḻvārs who awakened this longing within me? What about Bhagavad Rāmānuja, Vedānta Deśika, Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ, and my inspiration and thirst for Naama sankirtan by our beloved Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi?”
Thus began a second pilgrimage.
Not mine.
Theirs.
A beautifully crafted wooden travelling shrine became their resting place.
Whenever I gently lifted it, I would whisper,
“Come… Perumāḷ is waiting.”
To the world, it appeared to be a wooden chest.
To me……..
it was a travelling Vaikuṇṭha.
The Āḻvārs who had once sung before these very Lords were once again journeying to behold them.
Especially my beloved Tirumaṅgai Āḻvār.
He had lovingly travelled to so many Divya Deśams, offering Maṅgalāśāsanam before Perumāḷ.
Every time I carried that sacred shrine, I wondered…
Was I carrying the Āḻvārs?
Or were the Āḻvārs carrying me?
Then the Lord began revealing His quiet miracles.
On crowded trains…
there would often be one vacant seat.
On buses…space would mysteriously appear.
During flights…
the travelling shrine would rest peacefully beside us.
At temples where no one knew our names…
Prasādam would arrive.
Doors would open.
Hands would welcome.
Problems dissolved before they became burdens.
Only later did I realise…
These were never coincidences.
The Lord was gently teaching me that those who travel in the company of His devotees never travel alone.
As these memories filled my heart…
I looked again at Vāyu.
He smiled.
Almost as if he had been there during every pilgrimage.
Then another astonishing thought arose.
Perhaps…every gentle breeze I had felt while climbing Tirumala…every cool wind that greeted me at a Divya Deśam…every refreshing breath beside the Kāverī, the Yamunā and the Gaṅgā…had always been this same compassionate servant… quietly accompanying me.
Today…
he simply revealed himself.
“I thought I was carrying the Āḻvārs to the Divya Deśams. Today I understand… they were carrying my heart toward Vaikuṇṭha.”
How often have we thanked the Lord only for the destination?
Perhaps we should also thank Him…
for every unseen hand…every unexpected kindness…every timely stranger…
every quiet miracle…that carried us there.
As Vāyu gently led me onward…
the radiance ahead became impossible to describe.
It was not merely brighter.
It was alive.
Countless rays of golden light descended like welcoming arms.
Someone…
or something…was waiting beyond that brilliance. Vāyu smiled and said only these words:
“The Sun you knew on Earth gave you daylight. The One you are about to meet reveals Eternity.”
Tomorrow…
I shall enter the Realm of the Divine Sun.
Srimathey Ramanujaya namah
Adiyen Ramanuja dasan
Pictures Courtesy Google images
