Features
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Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees
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I | Mr. K.Vijaya Babu
Mr. Kolli Vijaya Babu,
D.No. 3-5-961, Narayanaguda,
Hyderabad - 500 020, India.
Tel: 040-23228122
Mr. Kolli Vijaya Babu (64), businessman, was invested with Guru Peetham and with
the power to administer 'Deeksha'. He has given up the Peetham as he could not spare
time for its activities. However, he continues to give mantropadesam to select Sathya
Sai devotees. He has experienced several miracles due to Bhagavan's grace. He narrates
a few of them in his own words.
'I had not heard about Sri Sathya Sai Baba till 1957 when a white spot appeared
on my right cheek above the lip. It was growing gradually. As I was yet to be married,
this spot caused a lot of concern to my elders. I tried various ointments and medicines,
but in vain.
Then, one day, an unknown person advised me to go to Puttaparthi. 'Sri Sathya Sai
Baba is there', he told me, 'He is curing ailments of many people'. At first I brushed
away his advice. But as my elders began to press me to give it a trial, I condescended
to go to Puttaparthi.
It was in 1958 that I went to Puttaparthi and had the Darshan of Bhagavan for the
first time. At the very first sight, I felt that I was in the presence of God. After
3 days, Swami called me for an interview and spoke at length on spiritual matters.
At the end of the interview, I was coming out. Then Swami remarked, 'how is that
you are leaving forgetting the work for which you have come? Besides, you are yet
to be married?'
Swami then materialized some vibhuti and an ointment. 'Don't worry', Swami assured
me, 'apply these. Everything will be ok'.
In the presence of Bhagavan at Prasanthi Nilayam, I felt so happy that I wanted
to stay on. In fact, I extended my stay at Puttaparthi to more than two weeks. Surprisingly,
the white spot on my face disappeared and never recurred. I returned as a firm believer
in Bhagavan. On retrospection, I realize that the white spot on my cheek was only
a pretext to draw me into His fold.
Though I experienced His boundless love and compassion thus in person, it was curious
that He generated no inclination in me to go to Puttaparthi again even after my
being transformed as a firm believer in Him. Only after a lapse of 35 long years,
I went to Brindavan, Bangalore in 1993 and had the good fortune of having paada-namaskar
there.
On August 8, 1993, my grandson showed me a boil that developed on his wrist. I told
him to go and get a 'band-aid' and apply it on the boil. While he was returning,
he put his foot on a banana peel and slipped. At that time a bus was coming that
way, and he could not control himself and fell down. Before the bus ran over the
spot, he was pulled out. There was no one nearby who could have pulled him out from
under the approaching front wheel. When he reported his miraculous escape, I immediately
examined his shirtsleeves. I found vibhuti marks of hands that gripped his shoulders
and pulled him out, on his shirtsleeves. My premise that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai
had saved him from being crushed under the bus proved correct.
On the same day, vibhuti came out of Bhagavan's photograph at our house for the
first time. That happened several times later and many visitors witnessed it for
several days. There were several other miracles, too, experienced at our house by
our family members. Sometime later, one day I prayed to Bhagavan to withdraw the
outward 'sign' of the shower of His love and compassion. Then miracles, like vibhuti
appearing on photographs, etc, ceased though we are, fortunately, allowed to experience
the Divine Presence continuously in our house.
Though I did not go to Puttaparthi (or, Brindavan) in the interregnum of 35 years,
I was continuing to worship Bhagavan in my house. My system of worship was more
internal.
Once I developed some illness in 1995. I could not eat or sleep, and was pestered
with bouts of severe cough. One of my family friends and fellow devotees, who went
to Puttaparthi, had an opportunity to speak to Swami. He mentioned about my illness.
Swami materialized some vibhuti and gave it for me. After taking it I was cured
of my ailment gradually.
I then went to Puttaparthi along with Sri R.V.Subba Rao, Advocate, who had brought
Swami's vibhuti for me. We could get the first 'token' (for being seated in the
Darshan lines). When Swami came along the Darshan lines, we sought his permission
to bring 1100 of our fellow devotees in a group to Puttaparthi. Swami consented.
A few days later, we took 1100 devotees from Hyderabad in 16 buses to Puttaparthi.
Some of them came by train, too. Some of them could have paada-namaskar also. We
took groups of devotees like that to Puttaparthi 4 or 5 times. With the consent
of Bhagavan, we could arrange for performance of Sai Vratams in the Divine Presence
accompanied by huge groups of fellow devotees.'
-- K.Vijaya Babu.
(As narrated to Mr. B.Parvatala Rao at his own residence at Hyderabad on 22.04.2004.)
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