Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group VII | Mr. Bhupati S. Mudaliyar

Mr. Bhupati S. Mudaliyar,
21-A, Viswamithri Township,
Mangalpur, Baroda - 390 011,
Gujarath.

Tel: 0562-2342257

      Mr. Bhupati S. Mudaliyar (70), a retired Railway employee, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'I was originally a devotee of Shirdi Sai. One Mr. Satyanarayana, a devotee of Bhagavan told me about Sri Sathya Sai. He has been my guru. He used to bring devotees to Prasanthi Nilayam often at his own cost in case they happened to be poor. He was going to Prasanthi Nilayam in 1964-65 and wanted me to come. I went separately and met them at Prasanthi Nilayam. We all went early in the morning to do omkar in the mandir. The hall was dimly lit. Suddenly Sri Satyanarayana whispered to me 'Swami has come!' Swami silently came into the mandir. At that time, Swami was residing on the first floor of the mandir. There was no Sai Kulwanth Hall. That was my first visit to Prasanthi Nilayam and that was my first darshan of Bhagavan.

I came again in 1966 to Prasanthi Nilayam and had darshan.

In 1967, Swami came to Baroda. He camped at the house of Mr. Madhubhai. We all went and had His darshan. The family of Mr. Madhubhai preserved the chair on which Swami had sat when He had visited their place. Swami personally distributed vibhuti prasadam to all. He materialised a few things like lockets and gave them to a few.

When Swami sat on the dais, I was very close to Him. I was looking at Him closely. I noticed a mannerism. He used to put His finger in His hair and twist it and take off with a jerk. This He was doing often. Now we don't find Him doing so. Another thing I noticed was His hair curled into Aum shape in Devanagari script in the end. I saw Aum letters in Devanagari script all over and was surprised.

On May 26, 1968, Swami came to Baroda again. The crowd was heavy. An old lady who could not walk was brought there on a cot. She was almost at the periphery of the crowd. 'I don't think Swami would go this side' I thought. Within a few minutes, I saw Swami walking direct towards her. My guru Mr. Satyanarayana said 'go, you know Telugu. You can translate.' I hurriedly went near the cot. Swami materialised vibhuti. He poured it on her in a big heap and spread it with His own Divine Hand all over her body. I felt a little hesitant to touch the sick lady, but Swami was doing it without any inhibition. 'Mother, get up' he told her in Telugu and looked at me as if He had wanted me to tell her in Gujarathi. I told her. 'No, I cannot' she replied. 'Mother, get up' Swami said. This time His tone was authoritative. She made some effort and sat up. Everyone was surprised.

'Get up' Swami insisted. I was translating Swami's words into Gujarathi and her words into Telugu. She stood up. When someone tried to help her, Swami said 'no'. When she stood up, Swami asked her to walk and she walked. There was tremendous applause from the crowd around. I fell on His feet at once. When I lifted my head, He was gone very far. I could not understand how He had gone that far in a trice.

Swami came to Bombay to inaugurate Dharmakshetra when I went there and had darshan.

I was passing through bad times financially form 1970. By that time was married and had two sons. I was sent then to Bangladesh during Bangladesh war for maintenance of the Railways. All this was of great stress on me. Under such pressure, I became a prey to alcoholic drinks. In fact I became a drunkard. I spoiled much money on this vice.

In 1977, I went with a group of friends to a village to drink. We drank awfully late into the night and were returning by train. The train would usually slow down near the Railway quarters when we would get down. That day also I tried to get down the train. As I was in a drunken state, I slipped and fell down. I remember that I fell down in between the two rails and was about to be crushed to death. Next second, I was outside the rails. My hand, however, was fractured. I rose saying 'Swami saved me'. Even now, I cannot say how I came out of the track while the train was running over the rails.

There was an expert surgeon by name Dr. Merchant. He saw to it that my hand was saved. In fact, he thought in the beginning that there was no choice but to impute it. May be, Swami made him have second thoughts. When I went to report to duty, my officers objected that I was not fit to do duty. Then Dr. Merchant gave me the fitness certificate. Even then the Railways conducted a test to see if I could do the maintenance work. I passed it by Swami's grace.

All my colleagues thought that my career was over. Swami first saved my life; then my hand, and later my job. It did not end there. Unexpectedly I got promotion to a supervisory post within 15 days I had been admitted to duty. My promotion removed the necessity for me to do the original hard physical work on machine-side, as I had only to supervise others' work.

In 2002, I came to Prasanthi Nilayam. Even after such a horrible accident, I did not give up drinking though I was observing some moderation.

'Liquor is available in Andhra Pradesh' I thought while coming to Prasanthi Nilayam, 'we can have nice time after bhajan is over in the evening.' But miraculously I stopped thinking about drink the moment I entered Prasanthi Nilayam crossing the gate. I don't know what happened to me. I have not touched liquor since then.

Earlier my wife could not trust me with money as she was certain that I would spend it on drink. But now she has no such fear. She is thankful to Bhagavan for this miraculous transformation in me.'

-- Mr. Bhupati S. Mudaliyar

    (As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 24.06.2006)