Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group II | Ms. K. Sarojamma

Ms. K. Sarojamma
C/o Mithal
D.No. 3/681, Opp. Telephone Exchange
Puttaparthi - 515134

Ms. K. Sarojamma (70), a retired teacher, narrates her experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in her own words.

'We came to know about Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in 1963 for the first time from Mrs. Mallamma, a friend of my mother. 'Go to Puttaparthi and have Darshan of Bhagavan', she told my mother, 'all your problems will be solved'.

My mother, my brother and I came to Puttaparthi. Swami called us for interview. 'You will become Sub Inspector of Police', Swami told my brother, and turning to my mother added, 'you will be blessed with a grand son, don't worry'. My brother had got married ten years back. He had no children. Then Swami looked at me. 'You are a teacher?' He said, 'you will face financial cringe. Marriage performed to the body is not wedlock. Atma joining Paramatma is the real marriage. Proceed on the path of self-realisation. You will be blessed with Darshan of the Lord!' I have remained unmarried.

I was working at that time as a teacher in Mysore Maharani's Junior College. 'I am in a Government job', I thought, 'how can I get into financial problems? What this Baba said is not true. Is He God to foretell future?' However, I liked His discourses, bhajans and the divine environment there. 'Has Swami Vivekananda re-incarnated like this?' I thought. Later, many things occurred though I do not remember the dates.

We used to do bhajan in Mysore Hindi Samaj. Kumkum and vibhuti emanated one day from the Photograph of Bhagavan. We were all amazed and felt happy. My brother got a job as the Sub Inspector of Police. He was also blessed with a handsome son. He constructed a big bungalow in the place of our ancestral house. Owing to Swami's grace, it was as if Goddess Lakshmi had entered our house. Our own relatives became jealous of us and tried some black magic against us. One day there was some blood in the front verandah of our house. I cleaned it and told my mother that, as a cat had killed a rat, some blood had fallen there. But my mother saw some lemons, and marks of blood on a tree nearby, and was frightened.

That day an ugly apparition appeared to me at around 10 p.m. It pulled my hair and beat me. I cried in fright. It was happening like that daily. When we consulted some knowledgeable people, they told us that some one was trying to kill me using mantras and witchcraft. I visited pilgrimage centres such as Tirupati, Udipi, Mantralayam and Dharmasthala in vain. I had to apply for six months leave. At last we came to Puttaparthi. Bhagavan called us for interview. He materialised vibhuti and put it on my forehead personally. 'Don't worry', He told me, 'it's nothing! You will be all right'.

When I sat one day in the Mandir open yard, a small mud pot fell on my side. It was broken into pieces. One copper plate was there. I could not understand the meaning of these occurrences. We returned to Mysore.

That night a horrible apparition came and sat on my chest. She pulled out my tongue. 'No one can send me out', she told me, 'no one can save you from me'. I could not cry for help or utter any word as she pulled out my tongue and caught hold of it. I thought that it was the end of my life. I looked at Bhagavan's Photograph in my room. From the Photograph of Bhagavan, a circle of fire emanated. It encircled my bed. The apparition was frightened, and ran away. The circle of fire pursued it. Both disappeared.

I went to Puttaparthi again. Bhagavan called me for an interview. 'Had I not sent the arrow of fire', He told me, 'you would have been finished, you know?' I returned to Mysore and joined my job as before.

We continued the bhajan in our College as before with the permission of the Principal. There were about 2000 students and 80 teachers in our Institution. Some of them were Christians and some others were Muslims. They complained to the Management against me that I was conducting Sai Baba's bhajans and spoiling children. I took the permission of the Principal to do bhajans. So the Principal was transferred to Gulbarga and one Mrs. Gangamma was appointed as the new Principal. Mrs. Gangamma warned me that she would hand me over to police if I uttered Baba's name even once. She instructed the attenders to remove Bhagavan's Photograph.

When the attender removed the Photograph, vibhuti began to emanate from it in large quantities. Mrs. Gangamma thought that I was indulging in black magic and decided to report to police against me. I could not bear the humiliation and resigned. After some time, my mother and my brother passed away. My sister-in-law did not allow me to stay with her. My relatives were all against my residing at Puttaparthi when I wanted to go there. I was helpless. But owing to Bhagavan's grace, I got a job in a private school as a teacher. I retired in due course. After retirement, I came to Puttaparthi and settled here.

Before I settled at Puttaparthi, one night, Swami came in my dream. 'Go to court for your share of the property', Swami told me in the dream; 'you will get it'. So I went to court for my share in the property of my parents. My brother's wife came to a compromise with me and gave me Rs. 85,000.

On another day, Swami came in my dream. 'Go and see the Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture, Mr. Jeeva Raja Alwa', Swami told me in the dream. I went to Mr. Alwa accordingly. He sanctioned a monthly pension of Rs. 500 to me as a musician. This was also His grace.

I appeared for M.A. (Hindi) privately. One subject in the final year was very hard. If I failed in it, I would have to appear for all the papers again. I sat before Swami's Photograph in the night and wept prayerfully. Swami came in my dream that night as Lord Siva. He was playing Damaru and dancing. When the results came, I scored more marks in that paper than those I got in others.

On the occasion of Swami's 60th Birthday, Swami was being taken on a chariot. I was witnessing that memorable scene happily. Suddenly I saw a 14-year-old boy in the place of 60-year-old Bhagavan. So handsome! I went into raptures on being blessed with that vision.

Once I went to Brindavan. My friends insisted that I should sing the song 'Nilli sadaru vanamali'. I was singing it in the room given to us. Then we all heard some one playing the flute melodiously. The music of flute was coming from Swami's room.

One night I woke up. Someone was singing the song 'prvatisa namo pahi'. My master taught me that song. Who was singing it in the dead of night? Who except Bhagavan?

It is customary in our parts to distribute sesame (til) seed to relatives during Sankranthi festival. I went to one of my relatives' house with til. 'What is the news of Swami?' they asked me. I was explaining to them about Swami's leelas when we heard a call from the street entrance, 'bhikshaandehi'. There was a boy with fine aura begging for alms. He wore saffron cloth as headgear, sporting vibhuti on his forehead. He was very handsome. I gave him til and jaggery assuming him to be Bhagavan. He left immediately. I returned inside. Suddenly I felt an urge to see him again. I ran to the street entrance. He was not to be seen. He could not have gone far in a few seconds. How did he disappear? Who was he? Who else if not Swami?

Once on my birthday I called a few children and gave them chocolates and pongali. They ate happily. All of them left. In the end, one small boy was seen leaving. Strangely there was vibhuti cover on all his footprints from my house till he crossed the street entrance. Was it swami who came like that boy to bless me?

I used to write articles and songs on Swami, which were published in various journals. Some of my songs appeared in a book form under the title 'Iswaramba Kanda' in Kannada. I used to write those articles sitting in Mandir as we were then allowed to take pen and books to Darshan. When I was writing, Swami used to pass before us sometimes. Then a flash of blue light used to emanate from Swami and fall on me. This happened many times.

One day I was in meditation. I was then blessed with a beautiful divine sight. There was a lotus in full bloom in my heart. Swami gave me Darshan in it.

Sometimes, I used to hear my inner voice, too. Whenever my feeling of spirit rose over my feeling of body, I used to find thousands of jyothis dancing around, all over the place. I used to witness one divine form in each of them. I used to hear 'Aham Brahmasmi' and 'Tattvamasi' as if some one was playing the notes on Veena. I used to feel as if I was a bee sucking the nectar from the lotus feet of Swami.'

-- Ms. K. Sarojamma.

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 26.01.2005.)