Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group VI | Mr. A. P. Ravindran Nair

Mr. A. P. Ravindran Nair,
B-4, Shreehari Apartments,
Tripunithura,
Ernakulam District, Kerala.

Tel: 0484-2782001

Mr. A. P. Ravindran Nair (62), Senior Superintendent (Retd), KSEB, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'Swami came to Kerala in 1966 when I had His darshan for the first time. It was from a distance. I was not having much faith in Him at that time though I was hearing about many miracles He was doing.

It is customary for us to go to in-law's place with family for Onam. So I went to Cananoor a few days before Onam. It was my in-law's place. I left my wife there and was returning to my place. I had to change bus at Calicut to reach Tripunithura. At Calicut, I saw two or three buses heading for Puttaparthi. The buses were decorated and were carrying banners like 'Parthi Yatra'. Just then a bus came there and the conductor was calling Bangalore, Bangalore. I knew that one could go to Puttaparthi from Bangalore. On the spur of the moment, I jumped into that bus and asked for a ticket to Bangalore. Till that time, my programme was to go to my place and return to Cananoor for Onam. I do not know what made me to decide to go to Puttaparthi.

As the bus reached Bangalore, there was a bus at the same stage for Puttaparthi. I got into it. The moment I alighted at Puttaparthi, I went to the mandir. As I entered Ganesh gate, I was wonderstruck. Swami was coming towards me walking. As the crowd parted into two lines, He was walking in between the lines. I, too, stood on one side. He passed just in front of me. I had a very good darshan from close quarters. I felt that Swami had literally pulled me from Calicut to Prasanthi Nilayam and blessed me with darshan immediately on my arrival. I was so overwhelmed on seeing Him just at the gate itself on my arrival that I began to cry in ecstasy. I was at Prasanthi Nilayam for Onam, and had not only the good fortune of having His darshan in the morning and evening for 3 days, but also to listening His Discourse for Onam. Then I returned to my place. This was in 1978-79.

After a few months, I was transferred to Chertalai. Our Engineer there was a devotee of Bhagavan. He was closely associated with Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samithi at Chertalai. On his advice, I joined the Samithi and began to participate in bhajans and seva. I subscribed for Sanathana Sarathi in Malayalam and started to read Sai literature.

The next year, I came to Prasanthi Nilayam for Onam, this time in a bus sponsored by our Samithi. I came to Prasanthi Nilayam for Onam the next year, too, for the third time consecutively.

Nineties began on a melancholy note for my family. My eldest sister's husband passed away, leaving his wife, three daughters and three sons. This was followed by the death of my second sister's husband leaving his wife and three daughters. These two families became dependents on me.

In 1992, I came to Prasanthi Nilayam for seva. It was the first time I came for seva. On the last day of our seva period, Swami gave us all padanamaskar. I wrote a letter listing out all my problems. Swami came along, gave me padanamaskar and took the letter from me.

After Bhagavan took my letter, it was evident that He began taking care of my family. Soon the eldest boy of my elder sister got employment in Libya and began providing relief to me financially. In 1994, we could perform the marriage of the first daughter of my elder sister. In 1996, the second boy got employment in Dubai. By 2005, all three boys of my eldest sister were employed and all daughters of both my sisters were married. I could perform the wedding of my daughter also in 2005. My son is working now as a software engineer.

It is generally difficult to arrange the marriage of a girl in Kerala owing to dowry problem. We have to search and search for a suitable alliance. But owing to the grace of Bhagavan, in the case of each of these seven girls, the very first alliance I contacted resulted in settlement and wedlock. In each case, the in-laws said 'you arrange marriage according to your means. We will gladly accept whatever you do.' All my relatives were amazed at the way our problems had been solved by Bhagavan. All the girls are happy. Swami enables me to come for seva to Prasanthi Nilayam free from all worries, for which I am ever grateful to Him.'

-- Mr. A. P. Ravindran Nair

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 29.01.2006)