Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group IV | Mr. S.V. Rama Rao

Mr. S.V. Rama Rao,
A-7, Sai Sri Enclave,
Chitravathi Road,
Puttaparthi -515 134.

Mr. S.V. Rama Rao (73), retired Head Master of a Zilla Parishad High School in Krishna district, presently working as Head Master of Sri Satya Sai Deena Janodharana Pathakam School, Prasanthi Nilayam, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'I first learnt about Bhagavan Sri Satya Sai Baba in 1985 through Mr. Komaragiri Krishna Mohana Rao, the Editor, Sri Vani, Machilipatnam. Earlier I was a devotee of Shiridi Sai.

When I was working at Penugolanu, I sent a file to the office of the Commissioner of Secondary Education, Hyderabad. I kept a duplicate copy with me. The file was very important as it contained the dates of birth of all the students in my school. I don't know what happened, but the file was not traceable with them. The office people flatly refused to admit its receipt and began to find fault with me for its loss. The parents grew anxious and started to raise hue and cry. Political elements also tried to fish in the troubled waters.

I began praying to Bhagavan as my only refuge, and went to Hyderabad to do what I could in the matter. In the office of the Commissioner, I was waiting for the concerned to arrive. My mood was melancholy. Then an attender who was not known to me came and said, 'this will not be solved like this, sir. You meet the Commissioner directly and explain your case. Show him all the evidence you have'. Though I initially hesitated to follow his advice, I finally resolved to take the bull by its horns, assuming that Swami came in the guise of the attender and advised me.

I met the Commissioner who was very sympathetic. 'What happened, happened' he said, 'let us see how best we can resolve the issue. Do you have proof of the dates of birth of the students with you now?'

I said that I had them with me, and produced them. He patiently went through each one of them and certified. 'Hand this over in the office', he told me, 'you can go now.'

I thanked Swami for this miraculous solution that saved me my job and reputation.

In 1992, I went to Shiridi with my family. On the last day of our stay we went for darsan once again. I kept the return tickets, money and a few items of jewellery in a zip-bag as a matter of abundant caution and hung it on my shoulder all the time for fear of losing it. After darshan, I was relaxing near Gurusthan, when my wife and my daughter went on a shopping spree leaving my grand daughter with me. As soon as they returned, we began to hurry up to catch the bus for our return. In the process, I lost sight of the bag, which I had placed by my side, when I took charge of my grand daughter. As we walked for about 20 yards unmindful of the loss, a lady in blue sari came to me from behind and said, 'here is your bag.'

I was about to say, 'no, not mine' when I noticed that it looked mine. I was still holding my hand bent at the knee, as if I was carrying the bag with me still. But the bag was not there. I anxiously grabbed the bag from her hand in a dazed mood. My wife and others began saying that we would have been in terrible soup with the loss of the bag, when I remembered that I did not even thank the lady. When I looked around, she was not to be found any where. There was no blue sari wearing woman at all nearby. We concluded that Swami had come to our rescue in the guise of the lady in the blue sari.

In 1998, I had chest-pain and had to undergo bypass surgery at Hyderabad. As I was being taken into the operation theatre, someone came and put vibhuti on my forehead and a little in my mouth. The operation was successful, and I recovered completely owing to Swami's grace.

In 2001, I was returning in a car from a marriage in the early hours at Hyderabad. My son-in-law who was awake all night attending the marriage was driving. He hit a sand lorry by accident and our car was damaged beyond recognition. Onlookers thought that there would be no survivors. My daughter and son-in-law lost their consciousness. Some workers standing on the roadside brought crowbars and opened the doors and carried all of us out. We were all placed on the roadside, in a row with blood all over. My son-in-law, my daughter and I were badly injured. I had a fracture of my leg and had to undergo surgery to get it set right. We were afraid that my son-in-law sustained brain injury. Doctors also thought that it might be the case. We were praying to Swami. The brain scan was taken, and to the relief of all of us there was no damage to the brain at all. My daughter was discharged after a few days without any loss of limb. Thus Swami saved us all from a ghastly end or incapacitation.

Later I shifted to Puttaparthi for good. Owing to Swami's grace, I could get an opportunity to serve as Head Master of Swami's School started for the children He brought from a situation of destitution to that of Divine embrace. I joined there on July 29, 2002.

Earlier, after retirement, I came to Puttaparthi and gave a letter to Swami praying for some seva. I wanted to buy a flat here. In the process of buying a flat at Puttaparthi, I parted with Rs.75, 000 and could not retrieve the amount easily. I gave a letter to Swami praying to Him to bless us with a roof on our heads. Within ten days, I got back the amount owing to Swami's grace and I could buy a new flat.

We wanted to go into our new flat and boil milk ceremonially as the flat was earlier under the occupation of someone who had to vacate it on finding alternate accommodation. We wanted to have the formal Grihapravesam later when we could invite all our family members. I sat with a plate containing the auspicious things for the blessings of Bhagavan. Swami asked me, 'what is it?'

'We are entering our new house tonight, Swami' I said.

'Who told you to go tonight?' Swami said, 'go tomorrow morning before rahukalam comes, perform Grihapravesam ceremonially and perform vratam. You have your meals there. I will send new clothes, wear them.'

Just when we were about to sit for the vratam, a lady brought new clothes for me and my wife. She has been known to us, but we did not expect her, as we had invited only a few. 'You have to accept these' the lady said, 'last night I had a dream in which Swami appeared and said 'go to Rama Rao's house and give them new clothes. They are doing my vratam'. Luckily I have new clothes ready with me. So I came hurriedly. Glad I could come on time'. We wondered at the grace of Bhagavan, and the love and compassion He has been showering on us.'

-- Mr. S. V. Rama Rao

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 26.07.2005)