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Posted on: Sept 21, 2016

- Revelations to mankind through the thrilling experiences of Mr. Krishnadas Eradi

Part 1 || Part 03 || Part 04

God in God's Own Land

Once Mr. Krishnadas Eradi had the vision of his Krishna in Sai, his connection with Swami was sealed forever. Now there was no looking back. Puttaparthi became his Dwarka and Brindavan, and he longed for every opportunity to be here. But the Lord is so kind; instead of facilitating Mr. Eradi to come to His presence, Bhagawan presented Himself at his place. In 1963, Swami was in Palghat (one of the most populous towns in the South Indian state of Kerala).

“Many a times I cannot control my tears when I think of those days now,” Mr. Eradi recalls, “Especially whenever I hear the bhajan Chitta Chora Yashoda Ke Bal because it was during this visit of Swami that for the first time ever this bhajan was sung in His immediate presence. Bhagawan was so happy listening to our rendering that after the session He hurriedly came near us and literally hugged us! He was so thrilled. He was bubbling with joy. He even said, ‘Why don't you add an alaap before the bhajan?’ We implemented this without any delay. He loved it even more. My brother and I have lost count of the number of times He has asked us to sing this bhajan ever since. Every time we started this bhajan He would be in bliss. Seeing Him happy has been the greatest moment of fulfilment in our lives.

“I come from a family which is deep into spirituality and service. So many saints and holy men including the Paramacharya of Kanchi Mutt have stayed in our house and we have served all of them with great devotion. My parents were deeply devoted to the values of Indian culture and tradition. I was fortunate to grow in such a sacred environment. I feel it is because of the blessings of our parents and the devotion they instilled in us right from our childhood that we were led to His lotus feet. He not only overwhelmed us by touching our lives with His love but also set our spirits free with ecstasy by liking our bhajans.

“Imagine our joy when later Swami Himself sang Chitta Chora Yashoda Ke Bal. To what extent He goes to fill our hearts with bliss to the brim!

“To our utter delight, Swami was again in Kerala in 1967. This time His benediction on us was unimaginable. He actually stayed with us. Three full days Swami was in my brother, Justice Eradi's residence. Three of us brothers sang in every public function that Swami attended during the time. Again, Swami was so immensely happy listening to us that on the last day He beckoned us near and out of sheer joy, without speaking a word, just covered us in a loving embrace.

“The Krishna whom I had loved and worshipped all my life, the beloved of my heart, for whom I had sung innumerable bhajans since I was a little one was now filling every pore of my being with happiness. I did not want to miss a moment with Him, and almost as if reflecting my thoughts, before He left Swami said, ‘Why don't you come to Puttaparthi? Dasara is round the corner. You must come!’”

That is how the Eradi brothers were actually invited by the Lord to Puttaparthi. When our love for the Lord is pure and bright, the Lord longs for us just like little Krishna used to be mad for butter. In reality, it was not the butter but the butter-heart of the gopis and gopalas that used to drive Krishna to go to any length to perform amazing leelas.

Becoming God's Own Singers

In this case too a beautiful play was unfolding. The Eradi brothers found themselves in Prasanthi Nilayam in September 1967. It was the third day of Dasara; the Veda Purusha Saptaha Gnana Yagnam was to begin that morning in the Poorna Chandra Auditorium. “As soon as we reached, someone came frantically looking for us and said, ‘Prof. Kasturi has been enquiring about three brothers from Kerala. Please go and see him at once.’ So we immediately presented ourselves to Prof. Kasturi, and his first question was,

“‘Are you three brothers from Kerala?’

“‘Yes Sir,’ we nodded.

“‘Are you bhajan singers?’

“‘Yes Sir,’ we nodded again.

“‘Are you bhajan leaders?’

“‘Yes Sir, we lead bhajans in Kerala,’ we humbly submitted again.

“‘Since when have you been singing?’

“‘Sir, we have been leading bhajans since 1953-54. We have sung in various institutions and organisations across Kerala in the last 15 years.’

“Pleased with our answers and humility, Prof. Kasturi then said, ‘I will check this evening with Swami if you three are the ones He has been mentioning about.’

“The next day we were informed that Swami had been waiting for us. In fact He had started talking about us the moment we started our journey from Calicut. We were to sing the next morning during the Dasara celebrations.”

That is how the Eradi trio became a part of the Prasanthi Mandir Bhajan Group, much before any student was a part of it. In those days, apart from them it was Mr. Raja Reddy and Mr. Mohan Rao, two other stalwart devotees from the yesteryears whose voices boomed in the sacred precincts of the sanctum sanctorum of Prasanthi Nilayam every morning and evening. There were no mikes then; there was no need for them either.

After a blissful Dasara at the lotus feet, the Eradi brothers returned to Prasanthi Nilayam the next year (1968) for the sacred festival of Shivarathri. Incidentally, the youngest of them reached first. Not much aware of where exactly he should be seated, he quietly sat in the last line of the crowd assembled in the bhajan hall. A few minutes passed and suddenly Swami walked in through the rear door, and even as the Shivadas Eradi was looking at Him, Bhagawan looked keenly at him, bent down, and the next moment the Lord was twisting his ear! Just like a school teacher would do when a little one is caught red-handed! Swami then made him walk through the entire aisle, all the while holding his ear, took him to the first row and then said, “Do you expect Me to invite you to come and sing every time you are in Prasanthi?”

“What a blessing it was! For me that is the highest recognition we have received from Swami in the last 45 years with Him,” says a teary-eyed Krishnadas Eradi. “Never for a moment He distanced us or made us feel anything different in all these years. There was always a prime place in His heart for us. In fact He took over our lives completely. Not just singing but literally every other aspect of our existence.”

Part 1 || Part 03 || Part 04

- By Bishu Prusty
Radio Sai Team