Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group V | Mrs. Anjali Devi

Mrs. Anjali Devi,
Former South Indian Cine Actress,
Chennai.

Mrs. Anjali Devi, about 80 years of age, has been an ardent devotee of Bhagavan for several decades. She narrates a few of her experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in her own words.

'We were facing financial cringe in 1963 owing to the failure of a film we had produced, when Mr. Chittoor Nagaiah took us to meet Bhagavan who was then camping at the house of Mr. Venkatamuni in Chennai. Bhagavan asked us to wait in a room, went out to give darshan to devotees outside and joined us soon. As soon as He entered the room, He talked to us calling each one of us by name as if He had known us for a long time. Even before we opened our mouths, He Himself narrated our problems. 'Don't worry' He assured us, 'every thing will be all right'. Then He materialized a ring each for my husband and me. That was our first darshan of Bhagavan.

As assured by Swami, our financial problems disappeared and we recovered in a few weeks.

I went to Anantapur on the day of inauguration of Swami's women's college there. I went and stood in the ground. Many people spotted me, and soon a crowd gathered around me. Just then a sevadal came to us. 'Swami sent me to take you in' he told us as he led us into the building. We were taken to the room where Swami and His mother Iswaramma were put up. 'Look! Who has come?' Swami told Mother Iswaramma, 'Sita! Sita in the Ramayana'. Then He asked me to stay in that room along with Mother Iswaramma.

I visit Swami quite frequently. 'Why are you not producing new films?' Swami asked me once.

'I lost heavily by producing films, Swami' I replied, 'so dare not venture into production side'.

'No!' Swami said emphatically, 'you must make failure a stepping stone for success. Produce films. No worry.'

We produced, as instructed by Bhagavan, films such as Sati Sakkubai, Sati Sumati, Sati Anasuya, Bhakta Tukaram and Kshetrayya. All fared very well at the box office.

In those days, my husband Mr. Adinarayana wrote 'Suprabhatam' on Swami. He had it sung by Mrs. P. Suseela and produced a tape. We took it to Bhagavan and dedicated it to Swami. Swami was delighted and blessed us. That has been sold in thousands. It reverberates in thousands and thousands of homes now.

My husband also wrote the content and produced a record named 'Sai Katha'.

I acted as Sita in Lava Kusa. I wanted to act as the mother of the Lord. So I wanted to produce a film on Swami, myself playing the role of Mother Iswaramma. Whenever I broached this subject with Swami, He used to brush it aside with 'wait, wait'. Finally, I stopped asking Swami about it.

Once my fans arranged a function to felicitate me at Rajahmundry on Vijaya Dasami day. Actually I wanted to spend that day in the Divine Presence at Prasanthi Nilayam. So I came one day before Dasara to Prasanthi Nilayam. During darshan, I told Swami 'I want to go to Rajahmundry'.

'Go, go' said Swami, 'they will cut your stomach.'

I thought He was joking.

As I was returning to Chennai from Rajahmundry, I had severe stomachache in the train and was operated upon for appendicitis. Only then I realised the full import of Swami's quip 'they will cut your stomach'.

We have two sons. The elder joined Engineering course. The second joined B.Sc.

During darshan, Swami enquired about my second son's studies.

'I want to study medicine, Swami!' he blurted out. 'Do you want to study medicine or are you saying so because of your mother's pressure?' Swami asked.

'I want to do medicine', my son replied.

'Well!' Swami told him, 'don't give up. Apply today itself to Kasturba Medical College'. He applied and got a seat in that college in Medicine owing to Bhagavan's grace. He could go to the USA for higher studies and settled down as a leading practitioner.

I was in Mumbai in connection with dubbing into Marathi of our Telugu film Bhakta Tukaram when I suddenly remembered that the next day was Sivarathri. We met for the first time Bhagavan in the house of Mr. Venkata Muni in Chennai on Sivarathri day. I felt unhappy that I got stuck in Mumbai. Then feeling sad at my predicament of not being able to have darshan of Swami on Sivarathri, I spent that night in a mood of low spirit. Next day when I opened the newspaper, I saw to my amazement and happiness that Bhagavan was coming to Dharmakshetra, Mumbai for Sivarathri. I rushed to Dharmakshetra. During darshan Swami came to me.

'Alas! Anjali' Swami said, 'you were sad all night that you could not have darshan chance on Sivarathri'. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for Swami's concern and compassion.

Once, my husband was in a critical stage owing to closure of throat. He could not drink even a drop of water. Surgery was indicated. I felt anxious and ran to Swami at Whitefield. 'Don't worry' Swami told me 'everything will be all right'. He materialized an apple and gave it to me. 'Give the juice of this to your husband'. I rushed back to Chennai. When I gave the juice of that apple to my husband, he drank it all. How could he do so when a few minutes ago he could not sip even a drop of water? Doctors were stunned at this development. He recovered well without any further treatment.

In 1996, Swami came to Chennai. 'You said that you wrote some script some time back' Swami told me, 'take it out now'. Then it struck me that He was giving me green signal to produce a film on Him for which I had prayed to Him 20 years ago. We started preparations to produce a telefilm. One week before we actually started the production, Mother Iswaramma appeared in my dream and blessed me. I mentioned it to Swami also later. With the blessings of Swami, the film 'Shirdi Sai - Parthi Sai Divya Katha' was completed in nine months. It has been received well and dubbed into five more languages.

One lady known to us delivered a female child, who was born with the blood vessel connecting the liver blocked. So, half of her body had no movement. They consulted many top medical people in vain. She came to Prasanthi Nilayam and sat by my side during darshan. That was Sivarathri day. The hall was jam-packed with thousands. Swami came straight to the place where the mother was sitting with the child, materialised vibhuti and sprinkled it on that part of the body, which had no movement. The child showed some movement, and from that moment began to improve. She has become all right without any further treatment and is now going to school. Doctors who had examined her earlier were stunned at her recovery without any treatment.'

-- Mrs. Anjali Devi

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 20.11.2005.)