Destiny cannot be altered. I came to Bangalore in May 1964 on transfer from Madras. I was alone as my wife had stayed back at Madras for her confinement. I called on Sri R.Seshadri who was then working at Deccan Herald, as I knew him since my childhood, One day he asked me as to whether I was interested in meeting a ‘Mahan” – a highly evolved person. He took me to the first floor apartment of a modest building in NR Colony. I was looking forward to meet an elderly man in saffron robes. Instead I was led to the presence of Swami, a picture of calmness. Peace, Smile and love radiating from his face. He asked me to sit down in a sweet and soft voice and to chant Vishnu Sahasranamam. | in Madras on a week-end to be with my family. I informed my wife about my meeting Swamiji. She also wanted to meet him. She and her parents were staunch devotees of Shiridi Baba and Narasimha Swamiji. In fact her father was a relative of Narasimha Swamiji. They lived very close to Sai Baba Temple at Madras. (Mylapore) One day I learnt from Mr. Seshadri that Swamiji would be in Madras during my holiday there. We could meet him in Smt.Rajammas house. After the bhajan was over, all were taking leave of Swamiji. Mr.Seshadri, who happened to be there, introduced Smt. Hyma to Swamiji saying that she was my wife and that she was pregnant. Swamiji closed his eyes for a moment and said in an almost " inaudible voice: "I am going to name your daughter", and gave us the prasad. We were very happy. My wife delivered a baby girl on 18.1.1965. As I was away on tour could not inform Swamiji. We had the cradle ceremony on 28th January 1965. That day we saw a black car stop in front of our house. To our amazement, Swamiji came out from the car with a smile and entered inside. We offered him a chair to sit. He was witnessing the whole function. Finally he asked me with what name I would like to call my daughter. I mumbled; "Padma, the name of the consort of the Lord of the Seven Hills." "So be it", he said. "Let her second name be Lakshmi". He kept his word; What a Dheerga Darshee he was. We invited Swamiji to attend the Sathabhishekam of my father on 31st December 1971. He heard our request but did not reply. We repeated our request subsequently on two or three occasions. Silence was the answer. One day in early December Swamiji asked us to attend the evening bhajan daily for a week. We did. After the bhajan and prayer he asked all of us, to repeat "Mruthyunjaya Slokam" along with him for half an hour. This continued for a week. On December 15, just a day before our departure to Madras for the function, we called on Swamiji to hand over the invitation and renew our request to him to grace the function. After chanting Mruthyunjaya slokam he asked Mr. Krishnamurthy to give us in a bottle a collection of waters of all important rivers of India to be used there. While the final preparation for the celebration in the Kalyana mandap was proceeding, my father suddenly developed high fever and passed away peacefully just two days before the function. A great shock to the family. The consolation was that the sacred waters of all the rivers given by Swamiji were given to my father just before he sank into coma; the balance was used to bathe his mortal remains. It would be interesting to know what happened in Sri Sai Spiritual Centre in Bangalore on that day, that is, on 31 st December 1971, the day on which the function was to be celebrated. Swamiji rang up Mylapore Baba Temple to find out whether the function was going on, in the Kalyana Mandap. When they were wondering how to find this out, Mr. Kannan, a devotee of Swamiji and my good friend, turned up there. He rushed to the spot only to find that the function was cancelled and the reason thereof. The message was conveyed to Swamiji immediately. After finishing all the religious rites, we returned to Bangalore and went to Mandir; saw Swamiji and told him everything. He consoled us and said; "None can alter the destiny; I tried my best to postpone the inevitable death by 2 or 3 days. That was why I asked all of you to chant Mruthyunjaya Slokam. After all I am a human being. I could not succeed." Swamiji was really a Thrikala Gnani. (Presented at the Sri Saipadananda Seminar in April.) By.S.Nagarajan Saipadananda July 2000