Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group V | Mr. G.C. Rastogi

Mr. G.C. Rastogi,
Care: 452, Sheik Sarai-1,
New Delhi - 110 001.

E-mail: saimahendra@rediffmail.com

Mr. G. C. Rastogi (60), who retired as the Managing Director, Relaxo Foot Wear, New Delhi, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'I was working in 1981 as the Financial Manager in Industrial Cable India Ltd., Raipur. One day, I had to go to Bombay from Delhi on official work. My flight was on the morning next day. As I learnt that they were showing two reels of a documentary on Prasanthi Nilayam and darshan of Bhagavan, I went to Royal Picture Hall, but returned disappointed as the show of the documentary was deferred on technical grounds. Next morning I flew to Bombay and stayed in a hotel. That night around 4 a.m. I had a vision of Swami. 'Mad cap! Going to picture hall to see me?' Swami asked, 'am I found in picture halls?'

'Swami, I know you are not found in picture hall' I said, 'but we wanted to have a glimpse of you in picture form also'.

'If you really want to see me' Swami told me, 'take bath and get into a local train to Andheri'. As the vision lasted, I felt fine fragrance in the room and could very well feel His Divine presence. In the morning, I took bath, got ready and left for Andheri by a taxi. He took me to Dharmakshetra. When I reached the place, I found the doors closed. There was a chowkidar who was not of much help. Meanwhile, some one came out and enquired me of the purpose of my visit. He was nice to me and took me inside. 'Swami came here last night at 11 p.m.' he confided in me, 'there was no programme for His visit now. He came here all of a sudden. So there is no programme, as yet, for giving darshan to the public. Swami is likely to return around 9:30 a.m.'

There were three more persons there at that time. As we were waiting, Swami came out unexpectedly at 6:30 a.m. and went in after a few moments. He did not speak anything. We waited till 9:30 a.m. Then Swami came out again. Coming along towards where we sat, He paused before me and threw His enchanting smile at me. I took out a photograph of Swami and a pen, and requested for His autograph. Swami took the pen from my hand and threw it into the air. He caught it as it began to fall down. 'Give this pen to your younger brother' Swami told me, 'he will get a good government job, and after a few years he will go to the USA. He will make good progress'.

That night I returned to Delhi quite elated. I went to Rampur where my younger brother Mahesh Rastogi was working in the All India Radio in the Engineering wing. 'This pen has been blessed by Bhagavan' I told my brother as I handed him the pen, 'Swami wants you to use this when you write your promotional tests and has predicted you a bright future, and a foreign chance'. Accordingly, he wrote competitive exams with that pen and was selected to a high position in the Meteorological Department of the Government of India. Subsequently, he was sent to the USA for training. Owing to Bhagavan's grace, he was later elevated to higher posts.

My introduction to Bhagavan's name and His glory came in 1974 when I met a gentleman on a bus from Moradabad to Meerut. Originally, I belonged to Moradabad, and ran into one Mr. R. N. Mehta who was then the Manager of the LIC there. I went to him for some information for my dissertation which I had to submit then for the course of my post-graduation. Mr. Mehta looked ultramodern and trim, taking extreme care of his appearance. That was in 1960-61.

Now in the bus, I saw a person who looked exactly like Mr. Mehta. But this man was very simple. He wore some white kurta and pyjama and remained with his eyes closed, and murmuring something most of the time. 'Excuse me, sir!' I asked him going near, 'are you, by any chance, Mr. R. N. Mehta of the LIC?' 'Yes, of course!' he said with a smile. 'But, I find a lot of change in you' I blurted out, 'incredible, indeed!' He smiled again. 'May I ask you, sir, why this change?' I persisted with my enquiry. 'I did not change' Mr. Mehta said gently, 'I was transformed by the God that walks among us, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba'.

That is how I heard the name of Bhagavan first. Later, Mr. Mehta told me the story of his transformation. He was very much worried when his son had remained unemployed. He happened to meet Mr. D.D Gupta, an ardent devotee of Bhagavan. 'Bhagavan cured me of blood cancer' Mr. Gupta told Mr. Mehta, 'you better go to Swami and place your problems at His lotus feet'. Mr. Mehta went to Prasanthi Nilayam a few times. In one of his visits, Swami came to Mr. Mehta. 'Where do you want your son to be posted?' Swami asked. 'But, Swami!' Mr. Mehta protested, 'my son is unemployed. Where is the question of our choosing his place of posting?' Mr. Mehta wanted to leave and sought permission of Bhagavan to leave.

'Stay for a week' Baba said, and moved on. This added one more worry to Mr. Mehta about his overstay of leave without permission. After five days, Mr. Mehta was surprised to see his son at Prasanthi Nilayam.

'Papa, I got appointment orders from four different places' the boy told his father, 'I came to take your advice where I should join'

Both went and sat for darshan. Bhagavan came to them. 'Your younger son is driving the motorbike very fast' Swami told Mr. Mehta, 'tell him to be careful'. Suddenly Swami closed His eyes and made some peculiar gestures with His hand. 'Mehta! Don't worry' Swami told him, 'your son is saved; but tell him to be very careful hereafter'.

Mr. Mehta then returned with mixed feelings. He was happy that his son got employment. But, his worry about his absence owing to overstay of leave remained. He went to his office, but no one seemed to have noticed it. 'You are always careful' one of his colleagues told him, 'your application for extension of leave reached in time.' Mr. Mehta was surprised. Yes! There was his application in the file. But he had not sent any! He gratefully remembered Bhagavan. His application in the file is the standing example of His boundless love and compassion.

Mr. Mehta also told me also how Bhagavan had saved his younger son from a road accident exactly at the same time when Bhagavan closed His eyes standing in front of him in Prasanthi Nilayam, making some gestures with His hand.

'When our boy was going on a motorbike, he dashed against a truck' Mr. Mehta was told by his wife, 'then a stranger, a tall young person in white dress sporting a beard, took care of the boy and left him at our house. I am sure it is Shirdi Baba'. The motorbike was so badly damaged that onlookers found it hard to believe that the person riding it survived at all, let alone, without a scratch'.

Mr. Mehta took from his pocket a packet of vibhuti and a photograph of Bhagavan. 'Keep these' he said, 'may Bhagavan take care of you!'

Mr. Mehta took me to the residence of Mr. D.D. Gupta and introduced me to him. Thereafter, I kept meeting Mr. Gupta who unfortunately lost his eyesight at that time. He had passed four years in that state till then, but continued to work on Swami's mission very regularly despite his handicap.

One day when I was with Mr. Gupta, I heard Swami's voice quite clearly. 'Gupta is doing good work' Swami's voice told me, 'I will give him his sight.' Next day, Mr. Gupta regained his sight. This assured me further that Bhagavan has been with us all the time. By the grace of Swami, I have got many opportunities to visit Prasanthi Nilayam, and have darshan of Bhagavan.

I was a witness to many a miracle of Bhagavan. Let us take the case of Mr. Bhagri, an old friend of mine. Initially, he was antagonist to Bhagavan and ridiculed those who were visiting Swami. One day he phoned to me. 'I am hearing a voice' he confided in me as his voice betrayed his disturbed mind and anxiety, 'you are here for two years only. I am afraid that the voice puts a full-stop to my life span after two years. I am just 40. My son is only 11. I have a daughter just 5 years old. Who will look after them?' I went to his house and tried to console him. However, he did not feel reassured, and could not even attend to his official work properly. That night I prayed to Bhagavan. 'Swami, kindly solve Mr. Bagri's problem' I prayed to Swami, 'enlighten on how to interpret the voice correctly'. That night Swami came in my dream. 'Tell Bagri not to worry' Swami told me, 'he will live long. Only thing is that he will be in that house only for two years after which he will shift into a bigger house'. How compassionate is our Lord even in the case of His detractors!

Next morning I went to Mr. Bagri and explained to him about my dream. He felt reassured. Exactly after two years, he shifted to his own and bigger house in Mayurvihar- Phase III in Delhi. He came to Prasanthi Nilayam afterwards with all the members of his family. Swami materialized vibhuti for him and blessed. On return from Prasanthi Nilayam, he got a very senior position in the L.N.J. Bhilwara Group as Vice-president with excellent pay and perquisites.

When I was working as the Chief Accounts Manager of the Upper Doab Sugar Mills Ltd, Shamli, I appointed one Mr. Chander Praksah Aggarwal as our Internal Audit Assistant in the Sugar Mill in 1980. After I left the Sugar Mill, Mr. Aggarwal did not feel like working there. He left his job and came to Delhi. In spite of my best efforts, I could not get him a placement though he had qualification as well as experience. He suffered a lot in those days. One day, when he came to me, I took him to my puja room and gave him a photograph of Bhagavan and a packet of vibhuti. After he took them, my efforts to get him a job succeeded though in a small way. He joined as an office boy and struggled for about a year and half before he could become an Assistant in that firm. He also obtained a licence in his name in that firm. Owing to Swami's grace, he is now well off, with his son, Mr. Deepak helping him in the same line.'

-- Mr. G.C. Rastogi

(Based on a written note given by Mr. G.C. Rastogi to Mr.B.Parvathala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 27-11-2005.)