Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group IV | Mr. Babu Tangappan

Mr. Babu Tangappan,
5 - Srinagar Main,
Indore - 452 001.

Tel Ph. 0731 - 2561082

Mr. Babu Tangappan (39), technical manager in a textile mill, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'I came to Whitefield, Bangalore in 1993. That very trip itself was a miraculous experience. In those days I had fallen prey to bad company. I used to drink heavily. We used to go on drinking sometimes through the night up to even 2 to 4 a.m. One day we were drinking. It was already 2 a.m. One of those participating in the drinking was a devotee of Bhagavan. At around 2 a.m. he said 'tomorrow is Sunday. I have to go to Whitefield for darshan of Bhagavan. So, I am going'. We all insisted that he should continue drinking along with us. It went on till 4 a.m. Then he left. We were all in an inebriated state. I don't know how I reached my room in that state. But I did not rest. I don't know what happened to me. After an hour, I went to the room of the devotee who wanted to leave early to go to Whitefield. 'Let us go to Whitefield' I said, 'quick.'

'Neither I nor you can drive now in this state' he replied, 'we will go some other time'.

'No, let us go now' I insisted, 'I will drive. You sit on the pillion'. I forcibly dragged him out of his bed and we both went on my scooter. I was driving. We safely reached Whitefield driving nearly 23 kms from my room to Brindavan in that fully drunken state.

We both sat in the darshan line. Swami came along. Before me, there was a birthday lad carrying a tray of chocolates. Swami blessed him and threw some chocolates picking them up from the tray. One of the chocolates fell into my hand also. I felt so guilty before Bhagavan, for coming to Him after a nightlong bout of drinking even without a wash. I decided then and there to give up all my vices. I gave up drinking then and there to begin with. I have not touched it again till now.

For several days, my friends and even my family members did not believe that I had really been transformed. Gradually they all understood that I could give it up, after all. It was amazing even to me. I cannot understand even now why I took that decision that day in the darshan. It must be Swami's sankalpa only.

In 1997, I came home on November 23, the Birthday of Bhagavan from a bhajan and switched on the T.V. set. There was a live telecast of Swami's Birthday programmes from Prasanthi Nilayam for two hours and a half which I witnessed along with my family members. My wife was not a devotee of Bhagavan at that time. Though we were married in 1995, she did not change and I did not insist on change in her attitude. 'Let your Swami prove to me that He is God' she used to challenge, 'then I will accept Him as God.' That day also we had some discussion.

'See, there is Swami's programme coming as soon as I switched on the T.V.' I told her, 'this is proof enough.'

'Do you call this proof?' she laughed, 'today is His Birthday. Therefore there will naturally be programmes on Him. What is so great about it?'

That day we prepared kheer for nivedan to Bhagavan. We kept it in a small bowl and placed it before Bhagavan's photograph in pooja room and closed the door. When we opened, there was a mark on kheer that Swami had taken a spoonful with two of His fingers. My wife saw it and was instantaneously convinced of the Divinity of Bhagavan. She has been a devotee ever since.

In 2000, I was transferred to Indore. I thought of getting in touch with one or two devotees of Bhagavan so that I could be in touch with the devotee group there. How to get in touch with other devotees? I asked one or two of my office people. They were not aware of any Satya Sai devotees. I prayed to Bhagavan to get me into the mainstream of Swami's devotees. That afternoon I received a parcel. On the parcel my name and address were written correctly. When I opened it, there were copies of Sanatana Saradhi addressed to various devotees in the area. Each issue had an address on it. I could not understand why they were all sent to me. I noted down the addresses and redirected them all to the addressees. Thus Swami sent me not one or two, but the addresses of Swami's devotees in the area in one stroke.

In the same year, Swami showed me in my dream both the President and the Secretary of Sri Satya Sai Seva Organization of Indore. In another dream, Swami told me 'I will come to you tomorrow'. He did not tell me how and in which form He would come. I felt very excited and was waiting for Swami. That day, I received by e-mail Swami's photograph giving vibhuti. I concluded that Swami came in the form of that photograph.

In 1993, I went to Bilwara. There I stayed with an officer of the Punjab National Bank. They treated me like their own son. One day an expensive diamond set of their daughter-in-law was found missing. It was there half- an -hour before. No one else came. I was the only person who was present. They all went out and noticed the loss after their return. Clearly, I was the only suspect. Handing me over to the police seemed imminent. Really, I was innocent. They too could not believe that I would steal the jewellery. I prayed to Bhagavan and searched all places carefully. It was not there. I went out toying with the idea of committing suicide. After a while, I returned when they were all looking for me anxiously. The jewellery was found in the dustbin. We searched the dust- bin carefully earlier. It was not there. The daughter-in-law, perhaps, removed the set while cutting the vegetables. She might have gathered the leftovers along with the jewellery and thrown in the dustbin. But why did not we find it earlier? No answer. I think that Swami caused it to appear there to save me from humiliation and possible torture at the hands of the police.'

-- Mr. Babu Tangappan

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 10.09.2005)