Request for prasad
This one happened was during the Amma’s evening darshan program at San Ramon Jun/10/2008.
A couple of us, Ananth and I were standing near the ‘JumpGrades’ information desk , talking and seeing Amma from over there. When I noticed that the kids trying out the software demo, were munching something. I was wondering what it was.
Shorly after another Ajay came over to us and gave both us some prasad from Amma. I could see Ajay had just a small piece (it was raw Green Bell pepper/capsicum) and he handed most over, to the two of us and went away. We immediately ate ours. Just then we hear a voice piping up from behind . This was a young boy, about 8-9 years old, who was sitting in one chairs behind where we were standing and not part of the other group of kids doing the software demo.
I am repeating here the conversation that went on subsequently between us and the boy….may not be the exact words though.
Boy : ‘What was that ?’
We replied ‘Prasad from Amma’
Boy : ‘Can I have some too ?’
That’s when I felt bad about not looking around to ask if anyone else wanted Prasad when we got ours. It being a being a little kid made it worse !.
To try and make him feel better we said “Maybe you wouldn’t have liked it”
He says : “Why is that ”
We : “It was just raw vegetable….green bell pepper (capsicum)”
He goes quite emphatically : ” But I like it a lot! I wish I had received some too”
We could sense the dismay in the tone of the young boys voice. Now this had us feeling even worse!. I remarked to Ananth standing next to me : “We should have asked around before eating the prasad , especially since this being a little kid and all that” and he agrees. But I also console myself that since we ourselves got only very small pieces, even had I shared it with the boy, it would have meant that he would have received a very very tiny sliver only, probably not enough to interest him !
We then dismissed this incident from our thoughts and got back to whatever we were talking about, thinking that was that. But here’s the rest of the story ……..
Within a short while, a devotee makes his way towards where the boy was seated asking if anyone wanted Prasad from Amma. My eyes went wide … you can guess what he had in his hand … a green bell pepper . And you are not talking here of a small teensy weensy piece…..this was one practically a whole pepper, the size of a fist 🙂 .
Needless to say the young boy received his Prasad (probably a big piece too 🙂 ) and was happy!!. We did too ( once again) and I am still left amazed at Amma’s Grace in how all this played out.
namashivaya
manikantan
Thank you for sharing this beautiful incident of divine grace towards that little boy.
Years ago, when I was a college student, I went to the Parthasarathy temple in Chennai. It was early morning and the sanctum was jam-packed. After the deepa arti, a priest briskly came in with a big bucket and thrust delicious pongal (white rice and lentils) into our hands as prasad. Pongal is one of my favorite foods and I was a bit disappointed to receive a miniscule quantity (everyone received miniscule quantities) and I was very hungry.
So, in my heart, I chided Lord Parthasarathy (Krishna) thus. “Hey Krishna, lord of the universe. What a kanjoose (miser) you are this morning! How do you think such little quantity can fulfill anybody’s hunger?”
Hardly had this thought crossed my mind that the priest who was about to exit the sanctum with his pongal bucket suddenly came to me and emptied the last contents into my cupped hands. I was left holding a huge, huge heap of pongal. The quantity was so much that I shared it with others and even took some home!
Grace. One never know in what form or when it comes.
Many thanks for this wondeful sharing, Amma is indeed boundless love and no one is ever left without Her love and Her divine Grace.
I am so happy for that boy !!
Thank you for sharing this glimpse of Amma and her devotees in San Ramon. These stories show how Amma and even the God in the statue form are the same – they are listening and they want to give us what we want (if it is for our good). Yesterday, I asked the Swamiji in Mumbai for some prasad in a broken plastic glass and he scooped out the payasam once and then again a little and he muttered, “For the dog.” Only, in Amma’s ashram! Wonder where the prasad gets its exquisite taste from.