All I did was call out to Him!

- Anita Gayakwad, Pune

In the age of Kaliyug, does anyone have any time for others? Everyone is usually so engrossed in their lives that even when they witness another person in difficulty, they are not particularly inclined to extend a helping hand. In times of difficulties, those who are regarded as one’s well-wishers, tend to behave like strangers. However, the only one who comes rushing to extend a helping hand is one’s ever loving and caring Sadguru!

Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu

May the 18th, will forever be etched in my heart. I was admitted to an Ayurvedic hospital at Dehu-Road due to severe spondylitis. My husband and my son Omkar had come to visit me on that day to the hospital. We spoke for a long time. On their way back to Pune, their motorcycle met with a serious accident on the Bangalore-Pune highway near Baner.

A tempo was speeding right ahead of their motorcycle and all of a sudden it came to a screeching halt. The motorcycle was on the left side of the highway. Since the tempo stopped suddenly, my husband tried to manoeuvre the motorcycle to the right side of the highway. Even so, cars were speeding away from that side of the highway, and for a moment, he paused to reassess the situation. If he moved in that direction, he would be hit by the speeding cars, and so he decided to apply the brakes. Since he had hit the brakes suddenly, he lost his balance and got thrown over the handle on to the tempo.

As Omkar was the pillion rider, he did not let the motorcycle fall despite the sudden impact. Due to the severity of the accident, my husband’s cervical bone broke into two. He suffered from a massive head injury, and both his hands swelled up. However, just so that Omkar does not fall, he did not let the motorcycle lose its balance. In the next few seconds, when he looked at Omkar, he saw that Omkar’s face had swollen and was bleeding profusely. His clothes were drenched in blood, and so were his shoes. He was bleeding through his forehead, nose, and mouth! The motorcycle was completely damaged.

My husband realised that Omkar’s condition was immensely serious and he experienced extreme fear. He began to call on Bapu for help. He later understood that Omkar had not fallen but had hit the tempo right in the face. The tempo driver, by then, had run away without offering any help. My husband pleaded to people gathered around for help, but they merely looked at the scene and walked away. No one came forward to extend any help even after watching the dire situation. In today's world, no one has any time for anyone else! However, our Bapu is the only saviour in this Kaliyug. He keeps rushing towards his devotees for help! ...And he came forward to extend a hand of much-needed help in our situation as well.

Due to his blessings, no cars were speeding behind them. Otherwise, the cars would have hit these two and resulted in a worse calamity. That is the unconditional love and care of our Bapu! His grace and blessings, as also his mechanism had begun its work.

Amid all of this, as my husband continued to plead for help, a person came there on a motorcycle. He stopped to ask them about their whereabouts and then assured my husband and told him to not panic. He said that there was a hospital called Dr Datar’s Hospital in a bungalow close by and that he would take them there.

He brought them to the hospital, and they received treatment for the injuries. My son’s condition was more serious than my husband. His forehead and nose had fractured and had to get some stitches on his forehead, but till then, the bleeding had stopped. My husband was terrified after looking at Omkar’s condition. His cervical bone was hanging out, and he was in immense pain. However, he was tensed about our son Omkar who laid quietly. My son was feeling giddy, and my husband was constantly touching him to ensure Omkar was conscious. Also, my son had bit his tongue which made it impossible for him to speak.

Then this person took my number from my husband and called me to inform me about the accident. He pacified me by adding that there was nothing to worry. Even so, on hearing the news of the accident, I was so flabbergasted that the location or for that matter, even the name of the hospital did not register in my mind. I began to cry uncontrollably and handed over the phone to my brother-in-law Dr Jitendra. Then this person explained the directions to the hospital to my brother-in-law.

We reached the hospital soon after. On our way to the hospital, we came across the damaged motorcycle, which triggered all sort of negative thoughts. I had begun to call on Bapu as soon as I heard the news. However, on reaching the hospital, I realised that My Bapu had already reached there to offer his help.

To help us find the hospital easily, this person had come upto the highway and was waiting there for us. My brother-in-law had called my sister, Dr Anupama and informed her about the accident. She also reached the hospital along with another doctor. I believe it was only Bapu who made my brother-in-law to call my sister as for Bapu had seen what was coming our way soon after.

By the time we reached the hospital, Omkar had begun vomiting. Looking at the emergency, the doctor moved him and my husband to Lokmanya Tilak Hospital at Nigadi. Both were made to undergo scanning and x-ray. Omkar was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I was devastated due to the grim situation. I kept on calling out to Bapu for help. I was pleading to him that Omkar’s brain ought not to be injured. I kept requesting him not to let my husband’s internal organs be affected. I had applied the Udi to their foreheads. While I was chanting Ghorakashtodharan Stotra and Hanuman Chalisa, I was calling on to Bapu for help.

And Bapu heard my plea. In spite of having met with such a devastating accident, all the test reports were normal. Due to Bapu’s grace, a big calamity was averted with very little damage. Bapu had saved my son and my husband from something untoward.

I realised that all those who walk on the path of the ‘Devayanpanth’ receive very timely help. After looking around the hospital and observing the suffering of people at the hospital, I realised how safe and secure all Shraddhavans are!

All friends and relatives came to visit us after receiving the news of the accident. Everyone was wondering about how they were saved inspite of such a massive accident. My husband’s friend also exclaimed that there was something beyond our comprehension that seemed to have taken place here. While no one knew about it, we were certain about who had made this possible.

Furthermore, the hospital bill was also not too high, and even though our economic condition was not too great, everything went by smoothly. It was none other than our Bapu who had managed it all.

All this happened at such breakneck speed and in such a chaotic manner that I forgot to ask the name of the person who had called us and helped us through the ordeal. Later, the person had called to enquire about their well-being. Just before keeping the receiver down, he said to me that his intervention and help was no longer required. On hearing that I neither remembered to ask him his name nor did I remember to thank him. Afterwards, I sat back and reflected upon the events calmly, and realised that who else other than Bapu could do so much for anyone!

Honestly, in today’s day and age, my Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu is the only one who rushes to help an ordinary person like me.

I bow a thousand times over at His lotus feet!