Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group V | Mr. S. Babi

Mr. S. Babi,
31-30-220, Hymavathi Nilayam,
Opposite to Ambedkar Junior College,
Visakhapatnam - 530 046

Tel: 0891-2759084

Mr. S. Babi (50), Junior Officer, Marketing, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'I went to Tirupati in 1991-92, and from there I went to Prasanthi Nilayam. That was my first visit here and I had darshan of Swami for the first time then.

My second visit was in 2004. I came with a large group of Steel Plant employees at that time. We had darshan of Swami. I went to the shopping centre, and bought a bag and some clothes there. I also took a CD on Swami as well as His photograph which I placed in the upper layer of bag and pulled the zip securely. Mr. Appa Rao, a friend of mine, and I left for Tirupati from where we arrived at Vijayawada. From there, we reached Visakhapatnam. When I opened the bag, clothes were there, but the CD and the photograph of Swami were missing. I searched the bag thoroughly. They were not found. When I rang up Mr. Appa Rao to check if the articles had been placed in his bag by mistake, he said 'no.' 'You took out all the contents of the bag at the Vijayawada bus-stand' Mr. Appa Rao reminded me, 'may be you have forgotten them there'. I broached this matter with another devotee Mr. Renuka Prasad. 'They will come back to you' he told me, 'in the same way in which they disappeared. Don't worry'. I forgot about it.

There are two Sai devotees at Vizag. One is Mr. Srinivasa Rao. As vibhuti has been emanating from Swami's photograph in his house continuously, he is known as vibhuti Srinivas. Another is Mr. Gella Sankara Rao. In his house also vibhuti, kumkum, amrit, etc, emanate. When a letter is placed before Swami's photograph in his house, Swami's reply will be forthcoming even though the seal on the cover is intact.

I, too, placed a letter at the photograph of Bhagavan in the house of Mr. Sankara Rao in which I wrote five problems of mine. Swami gave reply. As mentioned by Swami, two or three problems were solved. One day, we put kova (sweet) in the house of Mr. Gella Sankara Rao. We placed the bowl before the photograph of Swami; closed the door of the pooja room and waited in the hall. There was no way to go into that room without our noticing it. When we opened the door after 10 minutes, we saw signs on kova as if Swami had dipped His fingers into it to pick up some kova to eat. I was amazed. Till then, my faith in Swami was lukewarm. But, on that day, I believed totally in Him. 'From this day, I am giving up drinking alcohol' I pledged myself. I have not touched it again.

I wanted a transfer to the Marketing Department. In spite of my efforts, I could not get. I prayed to Swami and gave a letter to Him by placing it on the altar at the house of Mr. Sankara Rao. Swami gave reply. Regarding transfer to the Marketing Department, He wrote 'it will happen. But it takes time'. I placed the letter in August 2004. I got transfer to that Department in January 2005.

I used to keep a photograph of Bhagavan in my office room in the previous Department. I used to do pooja daily. When I was relieved there to join the Marketing Department, I removed that photograph with a view to taking it to my new work place. My joining the new post got delayed due to some hitch. Then I realized that Swami did not like my shifting His photograph from that Department. So, I took the photograph back to that room again and put it there. Next morning, the hitch in my joining the new Department was cleared, and I joined the Marketing Department.

In August 2005, I came to Prasanthi Nilayam with a group of 15. We took a group photograph with Mr. Anil Kumar in the Eswaramma Samadhi mandir. After a couple of months, I went to the house of a friend Mr. Jagannadha Rao in Vizag. The photograph taken in the Eswaramma Samadhi was in his house. I had not seen it after it was printed and developed. I was stunned to see it. Mr. Anil Kumar originally stood in the middle of the group. By his side Mr. Gella Sankar Rao stood, when they posed for the photograph that day and there was no gap between them. But in the photograph displayed in Mr. Jagannadha Rao's house, Swami was standing in between Mr. Anil Kumar and Mr. Jagannadha Rao. The background ought to have been Eswaramma Samadhi mandir. But in this photograph here it was Chaitanya Jyothi.

In November 2004, I came with my wife to Prasanthi Nilayam. I could not get good darshan because of the heavy crowd for Swami's 79th Birthday. My wife had the good fortune having darshan four times. We stayed for three days. We were to leave on the evening of the third day. I was feeling disappointed in my mind as I could not get good darshan. I came to sit in the token queue in the evening. By that time, the queues were moving in already. While I was there, a queue was moving in when one pushed me into it saying, 'follow the queue. Don't come out' I went in that queue into Sai Kulwanth Hall and sat in the 3rd line. Swami was coming then in the red, open car. The car did not stop anywhere till it came to where I was sitting. Swami blessed me not only with good darshan, but with a wave of His abhayahasta. Then He smiled as if He were asking me, 'are you now happy?'

-- Mr. S. Babi

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 29.11.2005.)