Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group III | Mr. Vaddi Sivasankara Rao

Mr. Vaddi Sivasankara Rao,
Sompeta – 532284,
Srikakulam District.
Tel:08947-233979

Mr. V. Sivasankara Rao (45), a businessman, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

‘Many of my friends were Sai devotees but somehow I was not interested. One day in 1998, I sat in a bhajan. A thought crossed my mind at that time. - ‘So many people are doing seva. Why not I also do my little bit?’ I went and asked the members of Sri Sathya Sai Samithi. ‘How can it be possible?’ they asked, ‘first you have to be a member’. So I joined as a member.

First time, I came to Prasanthi Nilayam for seva in 2000. It was in the month of April. Swami was in Brindavan. My duty was at Ganesh temple. We would begin everything with the worship of Ganesh. Here Swami made me begin my seva at Ganesh temple. After we completed seva, we went to Brindavan to have Darshan of Bhagavan. There I got first line. Swami came along the Darshan line. He came to the place where I was sitting and stood before us. I took padanamaskar. Swami materialized vibhuti and was giving to those sitting by my side. I stretched my hand. Some vibhuti fell into my hand also which I swallowed immediately.

I again came for seva for the 75th Birthday celebrations of Swami. I used to come for Darshan daily. One day a person came to me in Darshan. He was a stranger. ‘We fixed our daughter’s marriage’, he told me, ‘I brought new clothes, jewellery and invitation card for getting blessings of Swami. I could not get first line for the last six days. You got the first line. So please hold our things also and get them blessed by Bhagavan’. I hesitated, but due to his persuasion, I relented. I placed the new kerchiefs I had bought and my letter in his plate along with his daughter’s wedding card and other things.

Swami came but was on the other side. He moved forward. I thought there was no chance. But after going forward a few paces, He turned back and came to me. He took my letter and their wedding card. He touched the new clothes, jewellery and my kerchiefs and blessed. I took padanamaskar. The person came running to me after Darshan was over. He was overwhelmed with joy.

Once Swami’s padukas came to our area. I invited the padukas to be kept for a day in our house. On that day, we performed Sai Vratam and bhajan. Flowers kept on the photograph of Bhagavan used to fall down. It happened three or four times.

In November 2004, my friend Mr. Maddi Srinivasa Rao took padukas to his house and did Sai Sahasranama Archana (worship with 1000 names). He put saligramas below the photograph of Bhagavan. It was a laminated photograph hung on the wall. As he was doing pooja, chanting sahasranamas and pouring vibhuti on Saligramas, a miracle took place. As I was looking at Swami’s photograph there, I saw vibhuti spreading on the hair of Sai in the photograph. It was not there ‘on’ the photograph but ‘inside’ lamination’. I told them about it. They did not notice it, as they were preoccupied with pooja. When they saw it, they were wonderstruck.

Earlier in August 2004, we took Sai-jyothi to various houses. On each day, the jyothi was to be kept in one house. Bhagavan lit it at Prasanthi Nilayam personally when Srikakulam devotees took Parti-yatra to Prasanthi Nilayam. We were allowed to keep it in our village for 30 days and we took it to 30 houses. I brought it to my house on April 13, 2005. We performed Sai Vratam and 1000 namarchana. Flowers kept on Sai photograph began dropping down as we were chanting. Sixty children assembled in my house and did Sai japam for 1008 times. We kept sapota fruit juice in a silver glass for Swami. We kept a leaf of pan as cover on it. As we were chanting Sai namas, the juice increased in quantity. It pushed the pan leaf up. As all were seeing, the juice came up but did not overflow the glass. We were all amazed on seeing the miracle.’

-- Mr. V. Sivasankara Rao.

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 29.04.2005)