Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group III | Mr. C. Raghava Ram

Mr. C. Raghava Ram
Officer, Syndicate Bank,
Old Post Office Street, Ramakrishna Puram
Vijayawada - 520 016
Mobile: 94407-78748

Mr. C. Raghava Ram (44), a Bank Officer, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

‘In August 1999, I came to Prasanthi Nilayam for the first time and had Darshan of Bhagavan. From that time onwards, I began to take interest in bhajans and other activities of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization along with my wife and children.

I was transferred from Lucknow to Vijayawada in June 2003. But my wife, Mrs. Vijayalakshmi, an employee of the LIC of India working at Lucknow was posted to Hyderabad. She could not get transfer to Vijayawada and had to continue at Hyderabad. We are blessed with two daughters, Pravallika and Prathyusha, twins. They, too, are devotees of Bhagavan.

In November 2003, I bought some curtain rods and kept them on the terrace. My wife was to leave that day for Hyderabad. While going she told us to shift the curtain rods in, lest they should get damaged if it rained. We were taking food. Meanwhile, my daughter Pravallika who was 13 years old at that time, went upstairs and wanted to shift the rods in. As she lifted up a few rods, one of the rods touched the high-tension electric wire running along the street near the balcony of our house. My daughter fell down crying ‘mom’. Some neighbours who saw it were horrified and began to shout aloud, warning us of what had happened.

We all saw some sparks and rushed upstairs. Even though she was under shock, Pravallika made signs to us not to touch her as we, too, could get electrocuted. I noticed that there was no contact with the supply line and lifted up my daughter. I sprinkled water on her face and gave her a cup of hot milk. She was rushed to the hospital. Doctor examined her. There was mild burn on her palm and also on the toe of her leg where the other end of the rod made contact burning the toenail.

‘In such cases, hand would clutch the rod and the electric power won’t allow one to release one’s grip’, the doctor told us, ‘it is only a divine miracle that the girl is alive now’.

When my daughter recovered sufficiently, she told us what had happened. It was incredible. ‘As soon as the rod came into contact with the line, I had the shock and cried ‘mom’, my daughter explained, ‘then a person whom I had not seen earlier came from nowhere, pulled the rod from my hands and threw it away. Had he not done so, I would have been in great danger’. There was no scope for anyone to come on to the balcony. Even if some one had come there, who would touch the rod and pull it from the hands of my daughter without himself getting electrocuted? We are very certain that Bhagavan came in that guise and saved her.

The separation from their mother was telling upon my daughters. They used to pray to Swami to get their mother transferred to Vijayawada. That was not possible because there was no vacancy for computer programmer’s post in the LIC at Vijayawada as there was one working there already. Besides, normally they won’t transfer any one within one year.

One day my daughters went to attend a bhajan organized by Sri Sathya Sai Samithi. At about 6:45 p.m., they (both) saw Swami in a vision during bhajan. Bhagavan told them, ‘your mother would be transferred to Vijayawada. Don’t worry’. This was on Sunday, may be first or second Sunday in August 2004, I don’t remember exactly. Next day, that is, on Monday, office people told my wife at Hyderabad, ‘congratulations! You got a transfer to Vijayawada’. The person working at Vijayawada had requested for a shift to Hyderabad on his own. To accommodate his request, they had to shift my wife to Vijayawada in his place, and post him at Hyderabad in the place of my wife.

I went to do seva during Krishna-pushkarams. Members of Vijayawada sevadal who participated in pushkara-seva came as a group to Prasanthi Nilayam in September 2004 to have Darshan of Bhagavan. Swami was coming along Darshan line in a car. The person sitting by my side whispered, ‘Swami is looking at you’. When I looked at Swami, He was, indeed, looking at me. He raised His hand as if gesturing to me with corresponding shake of His head, ‘now that your wife has been shifted to Vijayawada, are you happy?’ That was how I felt.

Afterwards, I had a feeling that Swami was not talking to us or meeting us. He was not giving padanamaskar as He used to do earlier. That day I went to listen to the lecture of Prof. Anil Kumar near the shed. He said, ‘we think that Swami is not meeting us or calling us. It is not correct. He notices every act of ours. Swami ignored me for 7 years. Only then He called me. So, we should not feel disappointed’.

I reflected on what he had said, ‘Swami! I could not understand your greatness and illimitability. Hereafter, I will not crave for physical nearness with you. I only pray for your bliss’.

That day after Darshan, I saw some people sitting in a line in Sai Kulwant Hall. I learnt that the line was for those wanting to go into the bhajan-mandir at the time of bhajan. I went and sat there. Luckily I got token No. 1. That day the number of students attending bhajan was less. So I got third line in the bhajan-mandir. For half-an-hour I had the enviable opportunity of my lifetime to sit in front of Bhagavan closely and do bhajan. Even after harati, Bhagavan did not get up but tarried on some pretext giving me an extra few minutes bonus of His Darshan.’

-- Mr. C. Raghava Ram.

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 24.04.2005)