August 16, 2005

This week has been very stressful to me as my son was going through a very difficult life-changing event while he was studying. He was living in London and was undergoing some difficult life’s problems and out of frustration, saddness, and despair – He had given up on God. He stopped praying, stopped eating and all he would do is cry on the phone with me. I felt helpless and saddened that my son would let go of God at a time when God is the only one to help him. I conveyed my concerns to our ishta-deivam (family God) – Lord Murugan. In response to my prayers and to offer guidance to my son, Lord Muruga granted His darshan at our time of need.

Last night I had a dream. It was in a temple where a lot of devotees were gathered — all not known to me. The only known person there was my son — whom I recognized.

We (the devotees, myself, and my son) were all walking following a young saint dressed in a orange-brown robe (from the waist down to his knee — not down to his ankles). From the edge of his robe were loose cotton threads (tussels). I spotted my son who was very anxious and determined to grab some of those loose cotten threads to keep with him as a sacred item. My son then silently walked very close to the young saint and without asking his permission, pulled a few cotten threads off the saint’s holy robe. My son then carefully kept it inside his palms (holding them within both his hands).

But the young saint (?Murugan) knew and felt what my son did — so He turned around. Then only did I have an opportunity to take a glimpse at the saint’s face. I have never seen him before. However, he had a kind yet firm face. His facial expression was that of neither smiling nor stern-looking. It was like a strict teacher’s face. Murugan looked at my son and ordered him to sit down. He, too, sat down with my son. I sat down, too, but at a distance — all the while watching closely the events taking place between Murugan and my son. The rest of the crowd were standing behind my son.

Then Murugan started talking to my son, who still held the saint’s cotton threads in his palm. Murugan asked in a firm voice [in Tamil], “What is in your mind?” I was shocked thinking that Murugan was very angry with my son — who did not utter a reply to the question. Then His voice changed. He asked again firmly but in a softer voice [in Tamil], “What is in your heart?” Again, my son did not reply. Murugan this time, however, did not wait for a reply. He immediately said, “It is a Vel. Vel is in your heart. Isn’t it?” My son nodded his head, in agreement.

Then with a calm face Murugan put his right hand on his chest, materialized an object from within and planted it firmly on the ground in front of my son (i.e. in between my son and Murugan). Then Murugan said [in Tamil], “This is what you need. Not the tussels in your palm. You don’t need anything else when you hold this Vel firmly.” Then Murugan pulled both my son’s hands and made him hold the Vel tightly. He directed as if a child is taught to hold something firmly. My son’s hands were inside His hands and both Murugan and my son were holding the Vel. Then he repeatedly said [in Tamil], “irukkip piddi! irukkip piddi! apediyE piddichi-kOl! [Grasp this tightly! Grasp this tightly! Do not let it go.]” He further added [in Tamil],”This [Vel] will do everything. This [Vel] will take care of you. You don’t need anything else.”

This experience re-affirmed what my son’s atma told him in 2002 — the experience was entitled, “Lesson 27: My letter to Lord Murugan*“

With these words I awoke. I couldn’t believe it was a dream. I felt how real the incident was. Later in the evening, when I went to the temple, I thanked Lord Murugan. When I looked at His form, I was shocked because it immediately flashed back the memory of the face of that young saint. The face I saw of the Murugan statue was exactly the same as the one I saw in my dream. I thanked Bhagavan Sri Skanda and cried for His endless blessings and love towards my son.