From biology to medicine- from fate to faith
by Dr Ira Shah (MD Pediatrics) on 14 Jun 2020
It was in the year 1988, that I was first introduced to Kaka (Satguru Devendra Ghia) by my mother when I was preparing for my 10th board exams. I had the impression that he was an astrologer. When I met Kaka (Satguru Devendra Ghia), he told me that I would pass with 85% in my boards and would take the stream of science in junior college. I was not very impressed at that time as I always wanted to take science and also was a good student in my studies and always got excellent marks. Soon, my exam results were out and I had secured 85% and I took my science in junior college.
During junior college days, I would meet Kaka (Satguru Devendra Ghia) on and off. I would talk to him about my experiences in college and he would always listen to it as a friend. I used to hate to do dissections of frogs and earthworms in the biology class as I always felt that I was killing them by doing their dissection. When I told Kaka that, he told me to do the dissection diligently and also said that whatever sin I was doing by dissection, he would take it on to him! I never realized the meaning of that statement at that time but the profound mercy that he showers on his disciples was realized by me several years later. As I did not really enjoy dissection, I was really not interested in the subject of biology. Soon, the 12th standard arrived and this was to be the deciding year for the career of my life. I wanted to become an engineer, and so I concentrated only on physics, maths, and chemistry. I ignored biology completely. It was only after the prelim exam that I bought the textbook of biology. Once I mentioned to Kaka that I wanted to become an engineer. He told me that I should become a doctor. I kept on insisting that I want to become an engineer. During my final board exams, when I went for the biology exam, I had read only a few chapters (I thought were enough to make me pass the exam). When the question paper arrived, I realized that the entire paper consisted of questions only from those chapters that I had read. I could actually answer the entire paper. The day of the results dawned- I had secured 95% marks in the subject of biology! I now had an opening to apply for medicine. The ways of the divine are truly miraculous. This reminds me of a quotation that coincidences are small miracles where God chose to be anonymous. Truly, this was a huge coincidence.
I soon applied for biomedical engineering (my father was already in a similar field and I thought it was a good career option) and was the first one to get admission in the engineering college. However, one of my school friends was applying for medicine and she also filled up my form. She asked me to submit the medical form to Grant medical college while she submitted it to the other colleges. It was the first time in my life that I went to the area where Grant medical college was situated. Here I was a typical south Mumbai townie who was always roaming in Bermudas and skirts and there I went to the most conservative part of Mumbai. After I submitted the medical forms, I told my father that I would never go to a college in that area. I also told Kaka the same thing. Kaka very mildly told me that it is an excellent college. The moment I heard those words, I told myself - it’s all over, now you will get admission in this college only. And truly, I got selected for medicine for Grant medical college. The day, I had to pay the fees for medical school, I was in a dilemma what to do- whether I should continue engineering or whether I should take up medicine. I cried my heart out and my mom said, “let’s ask Kaka . You do as he says.” Kaka again told me to take up medicine. I heard him half-heartedly but since he said, I gave up the admission in engineering college and took up medicine. However, I told Kaka , I would give him a treat only when I was convinced that I had made the right decision. It was only after 3 years when I was in 3rd Mbbs that I actually started liking the subject of medicine that I went to him with a box of sweets and thanked him for guiding me! What a late realization!
A few years later, I asked him why he did not let me take up biomedical engineering. He replied that I would have been depressed in that field. I did not understand his words at that time but as time passed, my father closed his biomedical business. It was much later in my career when I was in my hospital conducting interviews for the post of a biomedical engineer that I realized that if I had taken engineering, I would probably be applying for a similar post and would be completely unhappy with my career choice. At that time, I recollected Kaka’s words- you would have been depressed if you had taken up engineering. I could not thank him enough for guiding me and always holding my hand even though I could not understand his protection and blessings at those times.
Thank you Kaka ! His direction and guidance have always been there and gradually his spiritual blessings become known to the devotees. He is no astrologer and is a spiritual guide and teacher.