Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group VI | Mr. K. K. Padhi

Mr. K. K. Padhi,
Chandraprabha Street,
Berhampur - 760 001 Orissa.

Tel: 0680-2223186

      Mr. K.K. Padhi (58), Reader in English (Retd), relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'My uncle Mr. Brahmanada Panda, the President of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization, Orissa State, used to tell us often about Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba as far back as in the sixties. My first visit to Prasanthi Nilayam was in 1988. At that time I was constructing my house. It was incomplete. One of my neighbours, who was pressing me to visit Prasanthi Nilayam with him, helped me to arrange for makeshift doors for the building before we started on our trip to Prasanthi Nilayam. How far such makeshift doors would protect the house was doubtful. We left everything to Bhagavan to take care of, and started. I came with family and stayed for nine days at Prasanthi Nilayam as it was the time of Dasara. That is the first time I had darshan of Bhagavan. After my return, I was glad to find that my house and belongings were in tact owing to the grace of Bhagavan.

In 1989, I joined Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization and began taking part in service activities. I incurred some loans in constructing the house. In 1989-90, I got some money and wanted to clear the loan. I went to the Bank, obtained a DD in favour of my relative who lent me money and started on my motorbike to return home. I kept the DD in my breast pocket. It was a hot day and there was wind also. To my dismay, I found the DD missing on arrival at home. I went back to all places I had visited that day searching for the DD in vain. I was praying to Bhagavan intensely. I reported the matter to the Bank. They explained the procedure to obtain a duplicate, but it was a long drawn process.

The next morning when I returned home from the college, my wife said 'good news!' So saying, she gave me the DD I had lost. 'How did you get this?' I asked her in disbelief. 'One gentleman gave this to me' she explained, 'he said that you had lost it near his shop'. 'How did he look like?' I asked, 'did he tell his name?' She described the person and also mentioned the name.

I went to all the shops in the vicinity and enquired. No one saw the person with that description. At last one shop keeper told me 'yes! I knew one by that name.' 'Where does he live?' I asked. 'He died ten years ago' he replied. Only then did I realize that it was none other than Bhagavan that had come to return the DD to me. He blessed my wife with His darshan though in disguise, and me with the DD to enable me clear my obligations.

Once when I came to Prasanthi Nilayam for seva, I saw a photograph of Bhagavan in a shop. I liked it very much. Before I could buy that, my colleagues hurried me to the mandir. That whole night I was thinking of that photograph regretting that I missed to buy it.

Next morning, when I was going for seva, I saw a photograph of Bhagavan on the road. It is exactly the same as the one I wanted to buy, though not a new one and I carried it. I have been grateful to the Lord to presenting me His photograph I longed for.'

-- Mr. K. K. Padhi

   (As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 14.02.2006)