Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group IV | Mr. M.A. Pillai

Mr. M.A. Pillai
5-A, Street 9, Sector -10,
Bhilai - 490 027
Chattisgarh.

Tel: 0788-2351489

Mr. M. A. Pillai (74), retired Deputy General Manager, Bhilai Steel Plant, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'I was a devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba since 1972. I came to know about Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in 1979. I came to Prasanthi Nilayam for the first time in 1980. It was the time of Gurupurnima. I gave a letter to Swami about the marriage of my daughter Meena. Swami took the letter and asked me, 'when are you leaving?' 'Tomorrow, Swami!' I replied. He gave padanamaskar and blessed. We performed Meena's wedding in 1983.

During the same visit to Prasanthi Nilayam in 1980, I happened to see Swami for the first time from a distance. Suddenly, he disappeared and in His place I was seeing Lord Siva. It was not a dream. I was witnessing it with wide open eyes. Next He turned into Lord Rama with bow and arrows and all. Then the vision faded, and I saw Swami walking towards the mandir.

In 1995, my wife and I were coming to Prasanthi Nilayam. My youngest daughter, Anjali who had no faith in Bhagavan tried to dissuade us. We did not yield and got our reservations done. That night Anjali said, 'I am also coming'. We were surprised, but owing to the grace of Bhagavan, we could get reservation of berth for her also.

At that time, I was suffering from spondilitis. I was hospitalised also for a few days. The doctors advised me to give up chewing tobacco, but I could not do so. When we arrived at Prasanthi Nilayam, my daughter, Anjali said, 'you are in Prasanthi Nilayam now. You should not chew tobacco'. I realised that what she said was true. I prayed to Swami to give me strength to give up the bad habit. From that day, I did not touch it again. What I could not do at that hospital in spite of doctors' pressure, I could do at Prasanthi Nilayam easily owing to Swami's grace. That is how Swami transforms people.

Once I came for seva in 2000 to Prasanthi Nilayam. During darshan time, I prayed to Bhagavan, 'Swami, I cannot sit on the ground because of my age and spondilitis. Kindly get me a seat on the bench in the middle so that I could have your darshan well'. That day, I tried to get in from the VIPs' gate as old people are allowed to go that way. But they refused to allow me. Then a voice said, 'let him go!' They turned back, and there was none. They were amazed and let me go.

When I went in and began to walk along the bench, I found it full of devotees. There was no place even to squeeze a little. Suddenly, one gentleman got up and requested me to sit there. I could have darshan of Bhagavan from a vantage point that day.

During that trip, I lost my spectacles somewhere. I removed all articles from the hand bag and searched for the spectacles. It was not there. I searched various places where I had been that day. As I could not get on without it, I went to an optical shop and got another set of spectacles. Then I came to the telephone booth in the ashram. As I had come to the booth earlier that day, I was searching there also. The person sitting near the photograph of Swami where Swami's padukas and the casket of vibhuti are kept asked me, 'what are you searching for?'

'I lost my spectacles', I said, 'I don't know whom to ask, so I am searching'

'You ask Him, he will give it back', he said showing Bhagavan's photograph.

I made namaskar to Bhagavan's photograph and returned to the shed. I was opening the bag when my colleague asked, 'how many times you will search it?'

Still I opened it. My 'spectacles' was there on the top of things in the bag. How did it come there?

I had taken out all things from the bag and searched it only a few minutes before. Who could have put it in the bag which remained locked? Only Bhagavan!'

-- Mr. M.A. Pillai

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 20.06.2005)