The Divine Guide from the Realm of Lightning ” When Heaven Sends Someone to Personally Escort You…”
Until now I had travelled from one divine realm to another.
Archis welcomed me.
Day embraced me.
The bright Fortnight smiled.
Uttarayana honoured me.
Samvatsara blessed me.
Vayu opened the celestial pathway.
Surya revealed unimaginable brilliance.
Chandra cooled my heart with compassion.
Each deity bowed—not to me—. but to the Lord whose servant I had become.
Yet something was changing.
I could feel it.
The atmosphere no longer resembled anything within the material universe.
The brilliance ahead became impossible to describe.
Suddenly…
The radiance itself transformed into a divine personality.
Not merely lightning.
Not merely light.
A majestic Purusha, shining brighter than millions of flashes of lightning, yet soothing to behold, stood before me.
His smile removed every trace of uncertainty.
His folded hands conveyed a message beyond words.
“From here onward… I have been sent by Sriman Narayana Himself to personally accompany you.”..
..
I was no longer travelling alone.
I was being escorted.
As the radiant Purusha of Vidyut Loka extended His hand towards me, countless memories began flashing like lightning across my consciousness.
One memory shone brighter than all the others.
It carried me back to my childhood.
I was only a young schoolboy studying in the seventh standard.
A severe viral fever had confined me to bed. My entire body shivered uncontrollably. .
My parents sat beside me through the night, worried and helpless.
Our home stood close to a small Sri Venkateswara temple.
Although I knew little of the Divya Prabandham or the profound teachings of our Acharyas, there was an inexplicable attraction towards the Lord.
Whenever I saw devotees returning from Tirumala with freshly tonsured heads, carrying the sacred laddus with glowing faces, my little heart longed for only one thing.
“I too want to see my Govinda.”
That longing had no reason.
It was simply there.
That night…
Something extraordinary happened.
In my dream, the Lord of the Seven Hills Himself came and sat beside me.
Not as the majestic ruler of the universe…
But as an affectionate guardian.
He gently placed His cool, divine hand upon my burning forehead.
Even today I cannot describe that soothing touch.
His fragrant Tulasi garland…
His enchanting smile…
His dazzling crown…
His compassionate eyes…
Everything was vividly real.
Tears flowed continuously.
I did not wish the dream to end.
Within my heart, one prayer alone echoed again and again…
Namo venkatesaya 🙏….
“Vinā Venkateśam na nātho na nāthaḥ… Sadā Venkateśam smarāmi smarāmi…”
When dawn arrived…
The fever had completely disappeared.
My parents stood astonished.
I knew…
He had come.
From that very day my longing became intense.
I pleaded with my father,
“Appa… please take me to Tirumala.”
His office responsibilities made it difficult.
Days passed.
Unable to contain my yearning, I stood before the small temple near our home and prayed with the innocence only a child possesses.
“Govinda… if You truly came to me… then You Yourself must call me to Your home.”
Within a week…
The answer arrived.
My father received official work requiring him to travel to Chittoor over the weekend.
He looked at me and smiled..
“Would you like to come?”
My joy knew no bounds.
In those days there was only one train to Tirupati. Tirumala express …
No reserved tickets were available.
We travelled in a crowded general compartment behind a steam engine.
The rhythmic whistle…
The smell of burning coal…
The tiny sparks flying through the windows… I was gluing out watching the hills from the window…
My father’s lap is becoming my pillow…
Every moment remains fresh in my memory even today.
Yet my eyes searched for only One Companion my dearest Govinda
I silently believed…
The Lord who had sat beside me in my dream was travelling beside me now.
Upon reaching Tirupati, my father gently said,
“I have taken a vow to climb the sacred hills on foot. If you wish, you may go by bus with my friend.”
For a moment my heart sank.
How could I miss walking to my Govinda?
Seeing the disappointment on my face,
Appa smiled.
Come then… we shall climb together.”
Those words became another blessing.
From Alipiri we began the sacred ascent.
Every stone…
Every step…. Every cry of “Govinda… Govinda…”
Filled my heart with an indescribable happiness.
Sometimes I walked far ahead in excitement.
Appa would lovingly call out,
“Walk steadily, my son… but never stop chanting Govinda.”
Even today those words echo within me.
At last………..
The Seven Hills opened their embrace.
Our relatives, who were engaged in preparing the Lord’s famous laddus, welcomed us with immense affection.
Crowds in those days were nothing like today.
My uncle quietly led me through the Mahadwaram.
Looking deeply into my eyes he whispered,
“My dear…
This is HIS call.
For the past week rain has poured continuously.
Today the skies have cleared only for you.
Go…
Meet your Govinda.”
I entered.
Hardly anyone stood before me.
Then… Overjoyed I rushed inside crossing both the vendi vaakili and bangaru vaakili
My heart was beating fast ….The ever lasting dream coming true .
I saw Him straight …Majestically tall ..my divine father….
The very same smile.
The very same gracious eyes.
The very same Lord who had came to my bedside.
Time disappeared.
I simply stood there. Tears ..rolling .
Every time I moved away, my feet refused to leave.
Again…
I returned.
Again… I looked. Again… I pleaded.
Ten…
Perhaps fifteen times or more ….
I walked out only to return once more for another glimpse.
Each darshan revealed a new beauty.
Garuda seemed to watch my childish innocence.
And my dearest Govinda…was watching.
He smiled with the playful affection of a loving divine father …
Knowing our family, the compassionate priest quietly allowed this little boy to keep returning again and again before the Lord.
It was as though the Lord Himself wished to prolong our meeting.
When my father finally arrived, he found me standing there, unable to leave.
Lifting me lovingly into his arms, he folded his hands before the Lord with tears of gratitude.
We returned carrying generous portions of laddus, sweet pongal, pulihora, vadai and jilebi.
To me…
They were not merely prasadam.
They were Govinda’s return gifts.
As we prepared to leave, one desire remained.
I held my father’s hand and said,
“Appa… I want Him to come home with me.”
My father smiled……
Without a word he took me to a small shop near the temple.
Among many images……
One dark, smiling half-bust of Sri Venkateswara immediately caught my eyes.
“There…. Appa I said … overjoyed same to same ..
That is my Govinda.”
Appa smiled again…..
Then He is yours.”
The shopkeeper carefully wrapped Him and placed Him into my hands.
I held Him close throughout the journey home.
That very same beloved Govinda…
Arrived during the year 1976…
Still resides in my home today.
Still resides in my home today.
For nearly five decades………
He has silently witnessed every joy…
Every tear…
Every pilgrimage…
Every Divya Desam…
Every homam…
Every Tiruppavai…
Every Rath Yatra…
Every step of my life smiling and boosting my spiritual quotient..
Standing now in Vidyut Loka, as the radiant Purusha extended His hand towards me, I finally understood.
My Archirādi journey had not begun when I left my mortal body.
It had begun on that childhood night…..
When the Lord of Tirumala quietly sat beside a fever-stricken little boy…
Placed His soothing hand upon my forehead…
And whispered without words,…
“One day… I shall bring you all the way Home.”
The Divine Guide stretched out His radiant hand.
Without hesitation… I followed……….
Tomorrow……..
The cosmic ocean itself will bow aside as the Lord’s representative approaches Varuna Loka.
The greatest miracle is not that God performs wonders.
The greatest miracle is that, long before we recognize Him, He has already begun arranging every step of our journey back Home.
Srimathey Ramanujaya namah
Adiyen Ramanuja dasan 🙏
Pictures Courtesy Google images
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