Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group I | Mrs. B.Radha Kumari 

Mrs. B.Radha Kumari,
Pharmacist, APSRTC Hospital,
5, APSRTC Hospital Quarters,
Taranaka, Hyderabad.
Tel: 040-27017092

Mrs. B. Radha Kumari (45), Pharmacist in the APSRTC Hospital at Hyderabad, was affected by polio in her childhood. She has been fighting her way against all odds with none but Bhagavan to support her. She has been blessed with many mystic experiences of which she narrates a few in her own words.

'My sister-in-law presented me a small Photograph of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in 1989-90. That was how Bhagavan entered my life to my knowledge.

In 1990, I was fortunate to go to Puttaparthi. I was so lucky that Bhagavan came and stood before me talking to some others. I took advantage of it and took padanakaskarams as many as 8 times. I tasted the boundless love and compassion of Bhagavan for the first time that day. He has continued to shower His bliss on me abundantly ever since.

In the month of December 1994, vibhuti, pasupu, kumkum and gandham came before the Photograph of Bhagavan. On the Sivaratri day in 1995, footprints with vibhuti marks appeared in my house. The entire house was inundated with water (abhisheka teertham) by the time I returned from Bhajan. During that year, once, meegada (milk cream) came from the Photograph of Swami and fell on the table in a lump. Another time, a garland came around the neck of the Ganesh idol. Curd, papads, pulihora, daddhojanam, payasam - all materialized.

During the year, I used to keep meal in a plate and offer it as Naivedyam to Bhagavan. The plate used to be completely empty as if Bhagavan had eaten the meal. This happened daily. Sometimes at the place of offering, the container used to be full of sugar. These things were happening nearly for 4 months, and later stopped.

In the same year, while coming from work place, I thought one day: 'How nice it would be if dosas are prepared and kept ready for me to eat'. When I opened the door and went into the kitchen, there were two pans on the stove each with one dosa. I thought: 'I am hungry. Sai prepared small dosas'. Immediately, the dosa from the other pan also fell in my plate. Out of the two, one dosa was for me and the other was for Bhagavan. But Bhagavan gave His dosa also to me, as I was hungry.

Once payasam, pulihora and daddojanam came - each in a separate container by the time I came back from my work place.

In the same year, I had a dream. Bhagavan appeared. As I became lame with polio, I was feeling it difficult to bend and take padanamaskaram. Swami raised his feet to enable me take padanamaskaram easily.

My colleagues in the Hospital were discussing about going to a temple in the early hours of one Vaikuntha Ekadasi to have Uttara-dwara Darshanam. Being handicapped, I could not think of such things. In the early hours of that Vaikuntha Ekadasi, I had a dream in which I saw Bhagavan. Thus, He was kind enough to give me not just Uttara-dwara Darshanam, but Darshan of the Lord Himself.

I went to Brindavan, Bangalore in 1995. Swami stopped before me when I took padanamaskaram. Bhagavan asked me, 'where did you come from?' I replied, 'I came from Hyderabad.' (Later, I was told that I should not answer like that. The correct form of reply, I was told, is: 'I have not come, but Swami brought me'.)

Swami then asked, 'why did you come?'

I replied, 'I did some mantra-japam, and came for Darshan'.

'What mantra?' Swami asked.

'Sai Gayatri', I replied.

Swami remarked. 'Oh! Sai Gayatri!' and moved on.

In 1995, Swami blessed padukas, which Sri Vijaya Babu had arranged to be prepared by Sri Madhusudana Rao for me. As I did not have money, I was allowed to pay for them by Sri Vijaya Babu at my convenience. I went to Puttaparthi along with a group taken there by Sri Vijaya Babu. Swami came to me in Darshan line, asked me to lift the padukas, and then blessed them.

Though I yearned to go to Puttaparthi many times, I could not do so for want of company in view of my handicap. Finally, one of my fellow devotees agreed to take me there. We both went to the Bus-station. She went to get tickets, and returned saying that there were no vacant seats. I then went to enquire. One of the persons on duty said, 'please wait. We are putting another Bus. I will give you two seats in the front'. Thus we travelled comfortably.

There was heavy rush at Puttaparthi. We both went and saw the queue extending very long. My colleague told me to sit near the ladies' canteen and went to join the queue telling me that I could join later when the queue came up to the place where I was asked to sit. After sometime a middle-aged lady came and sat by my side. I did not take any food - not even a glass of water that day being Sivaratri. I did not tell anyone about my fasting.

The lady who sat by my side said, 'why wait here? Let us go into the Mandir'. When I told her that my colleague was there in the queue, she said, 'she will anyway join us later'. So we both started. She caught hold of my hand by way of support. When we went near the gate without going through the queue, she told the Sevadal on duty, 'my daughter has not taken any food - not even a drop of water. Let her go in'. So telling them she took me inside the Mandir and made me sit on the bench comfortably.

After sometime, she took me to the front. That year, the rush was heavy as it was reported in the press that Swami would take out lingam - which practice He had discontinued for some years. I sat there throughout doing Bhajan, and witnessed the emergence of lingam from Bhagavan's mouth. The lady who brought me inside was there by my side for sometime but I could not find her when I wanted to thank her for her help. I came out after taking prasadam in the morning of the next day.

Later my colleague joined me, and we both went to the Bus-stand after lunch to return to Hyderabad. My colleague went and came back saying that there were no seats. I went to plead with the RTC Staff. The person on duty at the counter said: 'I can give you two seats, but they are in the rear. You cannot travel on them. We are going to put another Bus. I will give you in the front in that Bus.'

He did not give me tickets for the earlier Bus, however much I pleaded with him. So we had to travel only by the next Bus. By the time I came back to my house in Hyderabad, it was past 6 in the morning. As I opened the door, I found that a bottle of oil was pushed off the almirah by rats, and was broken. There was oil patch just at the doorstep. If I had put my foot on that oil slick, I would have slipped and fallen down breaking my spine, never to get up again! If I had come by the earlier Bus, I would have reached my home while it was still dark and would not have been able to notice the oil slick on the floor. Bhagavan did not allow me to come by the earlier Bus only to save me from a certain fall.'

-- Mrs. B. Radha Kumari.

(As narrated to Mr. B.Parvatala Rao at her residence at Hyderabad on 27.4.2004).