Jayaweera Bandara was a poor rural native doctor in Sri Lanka. He also had a temple dedicated to Lord Muruga (Lord Katharagama) in a village called Mirigama, about 40-kilo meters from Colombo
One day, Swami appeared in a dream and asked Jayaweera to come to Puttaparthy. Baffled Jayaweera, who did not know or heard about Swami, discussed his dream with a member of an elite family in the area who was a Sai Devotee. This devotee organized facilities for the native doctor to visit Puttaparthy. Jayaweera could not speak English at all. He had the chance of sitting in the first row in the Darshan line in the Sai Kulwant Hall. He was sitting next to a Tamil gentleman on whose lap he was keeping a young child. The child’s flesh in the legs is dissolving and the child cannot even stand, the gentleman said. This Tamil gentleman could speak Sinhala too and Jayaweera felt comfortable with his good company. Swami was slowly walking and as He approached Jayaweera and said, “ Jai Usman, go to my room”. Jayaweera was indifferent but other devotees explained to him that Swami wants him to go to His room. Jayaweera claimed that his name was not Jai Usman. Swami turned back and repeated, “Jai Usman, go to my room.” Convinced Jayaweera finally went into Swami’s interview room.
When Swami settled in the room, Jayaweera said in Sinhala, “Swami, I cannot speak English, but the gentleman who was sitting next to me speaks.” Swami immediately dispatched a “Seva Dal” and asked to call the particular gentleman. (In fact, Swami gave the name of this gentleman to the Seva Dal). The gentleman and the kid also joined them in Swami’s interview room.
Swami told Jayaweera that he was His cook during the Shirdi Sai Baba’s time, and materialized a photo taken during the time of Shirdi Baba. Swami showed Jai Usman in the picture. The gentleman with the child lying across the lap interpreted everything into Sinhala. Swami suddenly asked the “interpreter” “what has happened to your child?” The crying gentleman explained that the child’s flesh in his legs is slowly dissolving up to the bone structure and he cannot stand or walk. Swami then said, “keep the child standing, and asked him to run.” The gentleman was sobbing and repeated that child’s legs have no strength to stand. Sami said again, “Ask him to run.” The gentleman, slowly and with hesitation kept the child in an upright position, and the child started running about. The gentleman was sobbing aloud, this time with amazement and delight.
One evening in Prashanthi Nilayam, Jayaweera was approaching his room to change and go for dinner. Suddenly, a lady came from nowhere and gave him a dinner pack and said that the dinner is meant for him. The parcel was warm and wrapped in a newspaper with Hindi letters. He opened it and ate the rice and curry meal which was very tasty. Jayaweera met Swami the following day and Swami lovingly asked Jayaweera whether the dinner He sent was tasty, and remarked “This is the type of food you cooked for Me during My Shirdi Sai days.”
This miracle filled story tells us many important things:
- Jayaweera never knew Swami in this life. But Swami knew him, as a cook who served Shirdi Sai Baba. The same concept applies to all Sai Devotees, who were miraculously drawn to Swami. Some, who were very critical of Swami, later became ardent devotees.
- Swami’s “Sankalpa” also included the “interpreter” and his ailing child. All the three were immensely benefited, not only with mundane happiness but also being able to come so closer to a “Poorna Avathar.”
- All of us must make efforts to further advance our journey towards Liberation by always remembering the name and form of Swami, with a Love-filled mind.
