28/07/2026
Sleep Peacefully, God Is Always Awake
This remarkable incident was narrated by a teacher of the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School, Prasanthi Nilayam.
It revealed once again that the Divine Master never abandons those who serve Him. Even while the entire world is fast asleep, He remains ever alert, silently watching over His children with infinite love. His ways of protecting them are often mysterious, but they are always perfect.
After a long and tiring day, the teacher retired to his room on the third floor of the school boys hostel.
Within a short time, he fell into a deep sleep.
Sometime around midnight, he had an extraordinarily vivid dream.
He saw someone entering the school hostel kitchen. In the very next moment, there was a deafening explosion. Flames burst forth with terrifying force, as though the entire kitchen had been consumed by fire. Then, amidst that frightening scene, there stood the beautiful Orange-Robed Lord Himself.
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba looked directly at the teacher with His all-knowing Lotus Eyes. There was neither anger nor agitation on His radiant Face. Yet His words rang out with unmistakable authority.
”Careless... careless... careless!"
The dream ended instantly.
The teacher awoke with a violent jerk. His heart was pounding. Sleep had completely vanished.
He sat upright on his bed, deeply disturbed.
Swami had explained on many occasions that when He Himself appeared in a devotee's dream, it was by His Divine Will. Such dreams were exceptionally clear, extraordinarily real, and never without purpose.
For a few moments he tried to convince himself, "Perhaps I am imagining things. I have had an exhausting day. I should simply go back to sleep."
But another voice within him refused to remain silent.
”No. Go to the kitchen. Check immediately."
The inner urge became stronger and stronger until he could no longer ignore it.
Without wasting another moment, he left his room, descended the staircase, crossed the silent dining hall, and reached the kitchen door.
The instant he opened it slightly, a strong smell of leaking cooking gas rushed into his nostrils._He listened carefully.
There was no mistaking it.
He could clearly hear the hissing sound of gas escaping from the pipeline.
At that very moment, Swami's dream flashed before his eyes. Every scene became crystal clear. Bhagawan had not shown him a future disaster merely to frighten him. The Compassionate Lord had awakened him to prevent it.
Realising the terrible danger, he immediately closed the kitchen door and hurried to the dining hall.
Many students were sleeping there peacefully.
Without creating panic, he gently woke them one by one.
"Please go back to your rooms and sleep there tonight," he told them calmly.
The boys trusted him completely. Without asking questions, they quietly gathered their bedding and returned to their rooms.
Only after the dining hall had become completely empty did the teacher return to the kitchen.
He was careful not to switch on any electrical light. Even the smallest spark could have triggered a devastating explosion.
In complete darkness he slowly felt his way inside.
After a careful search, he discovered that one of the gas pipes had developed a leak.
Without losing a second, he located the main valve and shut off the gas supply.
Only then did he realise the full magnitude of the danger.
No fewer than seven gas cylinders had been connected to the pipeline. Had the leakage continued throughout the night, the kitchen would gradually have filled with an enormous quantity of highly inflammable gas.
Since the kitchen stood adjacent to the dining hall where many students usually slept, a single spark in the morning—a light switch, an electrical appliance, or even some other accidental ignition—could have led to a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.
After closing the main valve, he opened every door and window of the kitchen and allowed the accumulated gas to escape. Only after waiting long enough to ensure that the kitchen had been thoroughly ventilated did he switch on the lights. *Everything was finally safe.
Standing there in profound gratitude, the teacher realised how close they had all come to disaster.
Had Bhagawan not awakened him through that vivid dream, the gas from all seven cylinders would have continued leaking silently throughout the night. By morning, the entire kitchen would have become a death trap, and the consequences for the sleeping students nearby might have been too dreadful even to imagine.
The incident also brought about a permanent change in the kitchen's safety procedures.
From that day onwards, all seven cylinders were never connected simultaneously. Only the number of cylinders actually required for immediate use were connected, thereby eliminating the possibility of such a grave danger arising again.
How silently, lovingly, and effortlessly does the Divine Master protect those who surrender themselves to Him!
Long before danger becomes visible to human eyes, it has already been seen by His omniscient vision. Long before the mind even senses a threat, His infinite compassion has already begun working for the devotee's safety.
As the ancient saying beautifully expresses,
”The Divine Mother guards us even more carefully than the eyelids guard the eyes."
