Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group III | Mrs. J. Jamuna

Mrs. J Jamuna
117, Road No.12, Banjara Hills
Hyderabad - 500 034
Tel: 040-2330 8076

Mrs. J. Jamuna (66), a famous cine artiste and former Member of Parliament, relates a few of her experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in her own words.

'I came to Hindupur in 1987 to address a public meeting for the Congress party. I had information that some people who did not like my criticising the then Chief Minister were planning to create disturbance during my speech. Usually my husband Dr. Ramana Rao was not coming with me whenever I went out for political activities. But he came with me that time, as he wanted to take me to Prasanthi Nilayam to have Darshan of Bhagavan. He was working as a visiting professor in Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning - a Deemed University, though I was not a devotee of Bhagavan, at that time.

Before going to the meeting, I prayed to Sri Krishna, my ishtadaivam to see that everything went on successfully at the meeting. To my surprise, I found Bhagavan appear to me in the place of Sri Krishna - not once, but two or three times. During that speech, I was bitter in my attack on the Government, but no disturbance occurred. The speech was well received by the audience with repeated acclaim. The audience was so immensely large that it was taken as a swing in public opinion against the ruling party.

On September 22, we went to Prasanthi Nilayam. We were given accommodation and taken for lunch to the canteen. After we finished the meals, I was about to remove the plates and was looking for the sink or a place to keep the plates when an aged person with a dignified bearing that commands respect came to us and said, 'please leave them there'. As we went to the washbasin to wash our hands he was cleaning the table removing the plates.

As my husband was then a visiting professor there, he was provided with a student to escort us and look after our needs. We asked the student, 'who is he? He does not look like a cleaner'. 'He is a retired IAS officer who has come to do service here,' the student replied in an audible whisper. I was stunned. Had I not seen with my own eyes, I would not have believed that a retired IAS officer was cleaning tables in the dining hall. 'Many of us do not do it in our houses. What has drawn him to this remote village and make him do this type of voluntary service?' I wondered.

My husband was showing me the various educational institutions of Swami as we were coming along towards mandir on our way to Prasanthi Nilayam. The very environment seemed surcharged with peace and tranquillity. Inside Prasanthi Nilayam we cannot but notice all pervading silence invoking a feeling of being enveloped by Divinity. I began to feel the uniqueness of this Divine place.

That evening, we sat for Darshan in the open premises in front of the mandir on sand. Ladies sat on one side while gents were on the other. Swami was then residing on the first floor of the mandir. He came down and began to walk along the ladies side first. He came straight to me and said, 'oh! Jamuna! After how long you had come! Go! Go!' I was taken aback when I heard Him say 'Go! Go!' The happiness I felt when He personally accosted me by my name abated.

Then some lady sitting by my side told me, 'you are called for the interview'. An elderly lady took me towards the interview room. Bhagavan received us at the door. He switched on the light and fan for us Himself. One should learn to attend on our visitors with love and humility from Bhagavan.

First Bhagavan spoke for a while on spiritual matters and then called us for private audition. 'Alas! You suffer from bouts of severe stomach -ache and even weep helplessly', Bhagavan told me. 'How does He know?' He then waved his hand with His palm turned down and materialised a lingam. 'Take the water poured on this lingam daily', Bhagavan told me giving the lingam to me, 'you will be alright'. He then materialized a ring and gave it to my husband. He himself tried to put it on but it was loose to all fingers. He left it on the middle finger. I mentioned about the stones I had in my gall bladder. I told Him that doctors were pressing me to undergo surgery. 'Don't get operated', Bhagavan told me, 'Swami will take care of it. Take water poured on lingam'. We returned to our room.

'Give the ring to me', I asked my husband, 'I will put some wool or thread. Otherwise, it will fall somewhere. It is so loose'.

'No!' my husband told me with a ring of finality in his voice, 'Swami placed it personally on my finger. I wont take it out'. We had a wordy duel on it. As usual, he stuck to his guns.

Next morning, Swami called us for interview again. After we were seated along with a few others, Bhagavan told them, 'see! This couple was quarrelling on the ring I gave!' He then took the ring from my husband and tried it on my husband's fingers.

'Loose! Very loose, alas!' Bhagavan said, as He made it clear to all present that the ring was quite loose. Then He held the ring at a little distance away from His mouth and blew air on it. Miraculously, the ring became smaller. He then put it on the ring finger of my husband. It fit exactly as if it was made to order.

Then He told us, 'Chiranjeevi Rao will bring a car for you. Go and see all things here. He will show you'. We were taken round and shown various institutions like museum, administrative block, school, college and hostels as well as the planetarium. When Bhagavan called us again for interview in the evening, I ventured to ask, 'we want to stage Srikrishna Tulabharam here as part of the cultural fare for Dasara. Kindly permit us'.

'No! Don't come for Dasara', Bhagavan said, 'you stage it for My Birthday',

I came to Prasanthi Nilayam in October again with a view to discuss about the drama we wanted to stage for Bhagavan's Birthday Celebrations. Swami called us for interview.

'You criticise your political opponents very vehemently', Bhagavan told me waving His hand and materializing a chain with a pendant studded with diamonds in the shape of Aum in Devanagari script, 'keep this. It is raksha for you'.

Wearing that I addressed many public meetings attacking the policies of the ruling party. Wherever I went, I received tumultuous welcome. The turnout of the crowd was beyond expectations of all. But I never had any problem as the raksha was protecting me.

We came to Prasanthi Nilayam with our team and put on boards the play Srikrishna Tulabharam. It was held in the hill-view stadium. It was very largely attended. Bhagavan sat all through, and was watching with interest. I was told that He was even quipping with the dignitaries around about wives kicking their husbands when they were in a state of irritation like Satyabhama.

Bhagavan called our team later for a group interview. I was told that Swami would not generally witness a play staged by a team with ladies and gents acting together. I was overwhelmed with joy when I had come to know that he was kind enough to relax that rule in our favour. He presented all of us new clothes.

The water poured on lingam cured my stomachache. I had no problem except only once. It was in 1988. I had a relapse as I had consumed the famous pickle avakaya. I wrote a letter to Bhagavan on my problem. I poured out my heart in it praying for His benediction. Col. Joga Rao came to our house in Hyderabad after that one day. 'Swami saw your letter and said, 'Jamuna writes well. Alas, she has been suffering too much?'

Soon after, we went to Brindavan. Bhagavan told me with a pretence of disgust, 'you eat avakaya more and more and then cry Swami! Swami!' That day a person brought a carrier of meals for me from Bhagavan. I was overwhelmed with joy. Of course, it was completely sattvic food sans chilli powder - a palliative to my stomach though not to my palate. Bhagavan sent meals for me daily like that for about a week.

'Can you get me some chutney?' I asked the young boy bringing the carrier one day as the sattvic food became too much of a problem for me to swallow with relish. 'Swami wants meals to be sent to you only like this', he replied politely. That type of food, no doubt, helped my stomach to return to normalcy.

Bhagavan was encouraging me to continue in politics even though I felt vexed with the type of politics we have in the state and the country. I got Congress ticket for Rajahmundry Lok Sabha constituency in one election. I came to Bhagavan and sought His blessings. 'Good, go ahead' Bhagavan blessed me. Some devotees from Rajahmundry came to Bhagavan when I was in the thick of the electioneering.

'How is the campaign going on?' Bhagavan asked them.

'We are afraid, Swami', they were reported to have remarked, 'Jamuna may not get back her deposit even. They should not put a lightweight like her there'.

'Is that so!' Bhagavan feigned innocence.

I won with a good majority and came to Prasanthi Nilayam to thank Bhagavan.

Bhagavan gave me new clothes. He materialized jookas (earrings) and gave them to me. 'Wear these when you walk into the Parliament to be sworn in', He told me. When I stepped into the Lok Sabha with the new jari-silk sari and earrings Bhagavan had given me, some were heard commenting, 'see, Jamuna enters like a dazzling cine star!'

With the blessings of Bhagavan, my son Vamsikrishna went to the USA, did his doctorate and settled there as a professor. Bhagavan materialized a watch for him. At one time, he felt like coming back to India. But owing to Bhagavan's grace, he got a placement in the San Francisco University and stayed on. It was very unexpected that he got a posting of his choice at a place of his liking. At that time, I was in the States on a lecture tour, and was a witness to this silent miracle of Bhagavan.

We have Photographs of Bhagavan in the hall and in Devatarchana. One day, vibhuti emanated from the Photograph of Bhagavan in Devatarchana. We were thrilled very much. This went on for three months - vibhuti emanating only in a fixed time between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. One day I sat before the Photograph to see its emanation, but nothing happened. But my servant girl and our typist had seen it happen - each on a different occasion.

I came to know that Bhagavan was talking through the daughter of one Mr. Vasu, a student of my husband.

'How are you Baba?' I asked that girl.

'You have a house as large as an island, but what is its use? You have not set apart even a room for me', the girl replied (presumably echoing the words of Bhagavan).

It was so. Therefore, we set apart a room in our house for Bhagavan, kept a cot and bed for Him. We now offer whatever food items we prepare first to Him, and then partake them.

My daughter Sravanti is an ardent devotee of Bhagavan like my son. She is a stained-glass artiste busy arranging for her exhibition presently. When she was three years old, Bhagavan celebrated her birthday in Brindavan. He took her hand in His, made her cut the cake and Himself put a little of it in her mouth.

I get many dreams in which Bhagavan appears. Once He appeared to me in the dream coming out of the hundi at Tirumala as we were waiting for darsan there. Another time, He appeared as Raghavendra of Mantralaya with the head of Bhagavan, and the body naked save for the angavastra of Raghavendra. In another dream, He gave darshan as Sesha Sai - head being that of Bhagavan, but body being that of a lady wearing a sari and a variety of jewellery. By such mixed appearances, Bhagavan might be indicating to me that He happens to be one and the same of my ishtadevatas such as Tirumala Venkataramana, Mantralaya Raghavendra and Mahalakshmi.

We came to Prasanthi Nilayam in 1988 for the Christmas. My mother and all members of my family came with us. My mother suddenly fell ill. Local doctor saw her and gave some medicine. Her condition grew worse by evening. The doctor told us that her condition was very serious. That night I had a dream. Bhagavan appeared in the dream. His body was there in the mandir with no movement. I shivered with fear and grief. I woke up and was shaken by the bad dream. I went out, sat under a coconut tree near the mandir and wept praying to Bhagavan to ward off the effect of the bad dream.

After that I returned to my bed and slept. In the morning, I was surprised to find my mother preparing to come for Darshan. 'How are you?' I asked. 'Quite all right', she replied. She came for Darshan. Bhagavan called us for interview. Bhagavan told her, 'oh, you can't squat on the floor!' He brought a stool Himself, placed it there and said, 'be seated'. 'Your devotion is greater as your voice is louder', He said and materialised a chain with a wonderful pendant. On the pendant is the picture of Lord Vishnu. Inside Vishnu are Shirdi Sai, Pathi Sai and Prema Sai.

'What more do you want?' Bhagavan asked my mother.

'I want Balakrishna' she said.

Bhagavan materialised Muralikrishna and gave it to my mother. She began to examine it. 'Don't you like it?' Bhagavan asked.

'You have given Muralikrishna', she told Bhagavan, and 'I wanted Navaneetakrishna'.

Bhagavan took it and gave it to me. He again materialised a Navaneetakrishna and gave it to her.

We came to Prasanthi Nilayam in January 1989. I was asked to direct the play Srikrishna Leelalu. Swami came to the auditorium of the university and introduced to me the members of the team of students playing different roles. The boy who was to play the role of Krishna was three years old. However much I tried, he did not stop crying. He did not cooperate at all.

Next day we went to the auditorium for rehearsals again. Bhagavan also came there. I told him that the boy was creating trouble. Bhagavan called the children playing the roles of Krishna and Balarama, and materialised chocolates and gave them. He took them into His fold, too. Later the boy who played Krishna began to cooperate very much.'

-- Mrs. J. Jamuna.

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 09.03.2005.)