My first recollection of Patel Sahib dates back to 1984, when I was informed by my close relative and our dear friend, Mr Shashi Lal Kashyap, of weekly talks being held at the Sri Aurobindo Society by the late Professor Mangesh V Nadkarni, whose talks, which I attended from 1984 to 1989, completely changed my life. Patel Sahib and Prof. Nadkarni were very close, and Patel Sahib shone his affectionate and benevolent nature on all who attended the talks. He would always bestow a kindly smile on me and my wife when he met us each week, and he was impressed by our bringing along our (in 1984) 5-year old son, Sanjeev, to the talks. Patel Sahib said that even if Sanjeev could not understand the talks, the positive vibrations from them would definitely influence him for the better, and in this he has been correct.
Subsequently, I learnt from Patel Sahib that in fact he knew my parents since the 1950’s, when he first arrived in Singapore. So our family connections with him are very long indeed. As with all of us, he unfailingly remembered my family members’ and my birthdays, and would send us wonderful messages, from the writings of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, each year. I will always remember them with affection and gratitude, and remember him, and miss his messages, on future birthdays. Patel Sahib had the great good fortune of having had close personal contact with The Mother when She was in her body, and he manifested Her love and wisdom abundantly and wonderfully indeed. I recall him once telling us that, when he informed The Mother of his desire to leave for Singapore, She straightaway got up, went to the cupboard, took out a substantial sum of rupees – I believe he said it was 50,000 rupees – and gave it to him, to start his work and life in Singapore. He was an authority on the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, although he carried his knowledge lightly. Once, when I had a philosophical conversation with him, he said, a few times, ‘Whatever your doubts and weaknesses are, just surrender them to The Mother, and let Her take care of them’ – advice that has sustained me all these years.
Patel Sahib has been a great soul indeed, with a very benevolent, sincere, loving, and at the same time non-intrusive nature. May the Divine bless his soul forever, and give his family and close ones the strength to bear his loss.
- Basant K. Kapur
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