Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group VII | Mrs. & Dr. Adi Aleti

Mrs. & Dr. Adi Aleti,
4, Gristmill Court,
Post Box 635, Medford,
New Jersey 08055, USA.

E-mail:adialeti@yahoo.com

         Dr. Adi Aleti (65), Environmental Engineer and Smt Lakshmi Aleti (63), working in Software Industry, in the USA relate their experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in their own words.

I belong to Andhra Pradesh. I did engineering here and went to the USA in 1965. There I studied Medicine and worked in the medical line for sometime. Our family deity is Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati. While in the USA, one day my wife was invited for bhajan. I went to drop her there. There we remained till the end. Hear what my wife has to say on it:

I heard about Bhagavan when I was about 15 years old. It was at Kakinada, my birthplace. Many times, I had thought of going to Swami but somehow it did not materialise.

After my marriage, I went to the USA with my husband. Unexpectedly, we went to a bhajan there. When I saw the pictures of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, I was not favourably disposed towards the programme as I expected the bhajan to be about Rama, Krishna or Venkateswara or some other God. As I was looking at the picture of Sri Sathya Sai Baba - not without a little aversion - I was amazed to find there clearly the form of Lord Venkateswara, our family deity in the picture in the place of Baba.

Next week also we went to attend the bhajan. Immediately after bhajan, there was a brief speech by a guest speaker. I was again amazed to hear him compare Swami with Venkateswara and mention pointedly that both are one. It was, as if, the Lord was answering my doubt through the speaker. My husband, who knew my opinion about Baba versus Venkateswara, was looking at me often, to note my reaction. There one Mr. Scott gave me a book of bhajan songs even though I was not keen on accepting it. Literally, he thrust it on me. Later, I practised some of those songs and found myself leading bhajans singing those songs. That is how Swami gradually drew us into His fold.

About two weeks after this, I was driving my car taking my children with me. Then a heavy truck, going speedily, hit my car. My car swung to a side, hit a pole and came to a halt. It was smashed completely. Onlookers concluded that all passengers inside were to be written off. Ambulance, Fire Service and Police promptly arrived on the spot. I lost my consciousness for a while due to shock. I remember that I had told my children that the truck would, possibly, hit us and said, 'Sai Ram'. When I regained my consciousness, I found the door of our car jammed. I could open it with some manoeuvre and come out. All those that gathered were pleasantly surprised that my three children and I escaped without a minor scratch even. I remember also what my daughter Swathi (ten years old at that time) was telling me just before the accident 'mom! If we die, we go to Baba!' I don't know why the child had said that. May be, Swami took me to Him and, out of His compassion, sent me back during the brief interregnum, when I lay unconscious in the car immediately after the accident. That accident ensured that our family has remained hooked to the Divine feet of Bhagavan. My husband, my children and I have become Swami's devotees.

One day I went to call on an American family known to us. As I saw their house with a big hall, I thought 'how nice it would be to hold bhajan in a hall like this!' From that time, I began to dream of a house of that design with, of course, a basement. But many of the houses we saw there have no basement.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jones, an American friend of my husband, advised my husband to resign his job and start his own business (Engineering Consultancy). He resigned though he had no bank balance to pull on.

One day I had a dream. It was on the night of a Friday. Swami appeared in my dream and took me to a house. He showed me the entire house in great detail. There was a sky light in the kitchen which was to my liking, a bhajan hall and a basement, too. Usually, ads relating to real estate appear in Sunday newspapers. We rang up a real estate agent and went to see a house. As soon as I saw it, I recognised at once that it is the same house Swami showed me in my dream. I began telling the real estate agent about the geography of the house. He was not only surprised, but felt cross that I had already seen the house through another agent. Then I explained to him about Swami and my dream. We had to pay some advance and apply for loan with deposit of our margin money. My husband gave a cheque for $1000. You can know from him what my husband did to buy the house.

Without any balance in my account I gave the cheque. I don't know what made me do that. We had, then, no money to buy the house. No job. No income. I cursed myself for foolishly giving the cheque without balance. Besides, I had to raise $ 75,000 for down payment for the housing loan and go on paying the instalments every month without a job. It is a very critical and nasty situation into which I allowed myself to be pushed. I did not know what to do and remained praying to Swami. Then someone rang up for my advice. 'It is expensive' I replied in a tone that should have discouraged the customer. 'Never mind' he said, 'I want you to take up my work'. The work helped me keep enough money to prevent my cheque bouncing. Then I needed $75,000 for down payment. Mr. Jones, my friend who advised me to resign and start my own business, co-signed for my housing loan. 'I did not do this even to my children' he said, 'I never agree to co-sign an obligation.' Such was the grace of Bhagavan. That's how I happened to own a house, a house my wife likes.

You know now how Swami helped us to have a roof of our own. We had not yet taken possession of our new house though our entire circle of friends knew we had bought one. Eswaramma Day was near. Suddenly they announced at one bhajan, 'next bhajan is at the new house of Mrs &. Dr. Aleti'.

When I informed about it, my husband was shocked. 'How can it be?' he asked, 'they won't allow us to step in till closure (a process akin to registration in India)'.

I spoke to the real estate agent. He, too, said the same thing. I prayed to Bhagavan to pull me out of this muddle. In the evening, I rang up the real estate agent once again. Surprisingly he agreed and gave us the key of the new premises. How this change came in him cannot be explained rationally. It was Divine grace; that's all.

We had the bhajan in our new house. One of the flowers kept on Swami's picture dropped as an auspicious sign during bhajan. Many devotees who visited our house for bhajan said 'we don't feel like coming to a house. This is, indeed, a temple. We see Swami everywhere here.' The turn out was over 100 - a record, in fact.

In 1992, I came to Brindavan, Bangalore. One of my friends who was undergoing cardiac bypass gave me a letter to be given to Swami. I sat in darshan line. I had an album with plans for Sai Mandir to be constructed at Medford. Swami came, but did not stop before me. He proceeded along and turned back and returned to me. As He stood before me, my mind went blank. I was just staring into Him. I was holding the letter and the album. I had no idea of offering the letter, and showing the album to Him. Swami bent and touched the album as a token of His blessing. He tapped thrice on the letter. Later, I learnt that my friend had undergone bypass surgery successfully, and recovered well.

When I returned to the USA, my problem 'how to pay for the house?' stood before me. $5000 every month! Where to get each month? I had resigned my job. No salary. The tension began to mount, of course. I was getting some work or other fetching me payment enough to meet my immediate requirements. Then, I prayed to Swami one day.

'Swami, this is Your house' I prayed, 'if You want to keep it, keep it. If You don't want, let it go'. Since then I have been relieved of tension. I have felt peaceful. I have been very regular for the last ten years in paying for the house, owing to His grace.

My son, Sasank got admission in a school. I had to pay a fee of $10,000. I had no money. I sat praying to Bhagagan. As usual, I got a customer. This time, my friend Mr. Jones! He wanted me to get a drainage tank in a site of his old relative removed. Strangely, there were three tanks - one below the other; an unusual phenomenon. Even Mr. Jones or his sons were not aware of this. I got paid for removal of three tanks when I was expecting payment for one. Swami's grace helped my son thus to join an expensive school and, later, to get settled well in life.

In 2004, we came to Prasanthi Nilayam. Swami called our group for interview. Just at that time, my husband went somewhere. I stood at the door waiting. 'Go in' Swami gestured to me. 'We were married 40 years ago' I said, 'how can I go in without my husband, Swami?'

Even after sometime, there was no trace of my husband.

'Neevu vellu (go in)' Swami told me, 'athagadu bayatane vundani (let him be outside).'

During the interview, I saw Swami materialising a locket with the picture of Lakshmi to one of our group. She was then having some financial problems. Swami materialised a green colour ring for Mr. Mahesh in our group. Swami also materialised a coin with Ganesh on one side and Siva on the other. He gave it to Dr. Hanumantha Rao. He gave packets of vibhuti to all in the group. He gave me a few. Then Swami gave me some more and said, 'ivi athagadiki ivvamma (give these to him).'

'Swami' I prayed, 'you have to take care of us all'.

'Don't worry' He said smilingly, 'I will take care. Be happy and go happily'.'

-- Mrs. & Dr. Adi Aleti

  (As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 12.08.2006)