Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group VII | Mr. M. S. Satyanarayana

Mr. M. S. Satyanarayana,
23/1 (Upstairs),
2nd Cross, Nagappa Block,
Bangalore - 560 021.

Tel: 080-2332 2957

      Mr. M. S. Satyanarayana (75), who retired as Cost Accounts Officer in the Kirloskar Company, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'I used to hear about Swami in the fifties but did not have His darshan then. Only in 1954, I went to Prasanthi Nilayam. Then the old structure was there without any decorative additions seen now. I was called for interview twice. Swami was standing near the staircase in the interview room and called me nearer. His hair was touching my cheeks and ears as He bent to talk to me in confidence. I still feel the bliss of that Divine touch whenever I remember it.

In 1962, I went to Prasanthi Nilayam with a friend. My friend was called by Swami for interview. Though I was there for two days, I was not called. We had only a day left. I felt deep anguish as I was not called. Sitting near the door in the hall which was full for bhajan, I was worrying about being not called. Tears began to roll down my eyes. Wiping the tears, I lifted up my face. There was Swami, right in front of me. He called me for interview, responding with love to my anxious yearning, promptly.

In 1982, I wanted to construct an outhouse to be given on rent. As we had no pension on retirement, I thought that it would supplement income. But I had no money to construct it. I prayed to Swami in my mind. Surprisingly, I got a jump in my career which worked out to an addition of Rs. 200 per month to my salary. So I could seek a loan confident of comfortable repayment. I got the loan also without any problem.

Later, when I broached the subject of construction of the outhouse casually with my brother-in-law who was in Government service, he promptly arranged for delivery of 35 bags of cement soon. Cement arrived but I had not till then arranged to get any plans drawn or approved to build the house. Miraculously, those things were all expedited in a few weeks. Then the question of construction remained. When I contacted a contractor, he asked quite a large sum. So I dared not entrust it to him for fear of losing heavy amount towards his margin. I was also not sure of the quality. I was praying to Swami for a solution. One day I happened to go and see one of my colleagues. He was constructing a house. I closely observed how the work was being executed. I was satisfied with the quality. So, I decided to engage that mason. Just then the clock struck the bell which I took as Swami's approval. Thus, the outhouse was completed in three months owing to His grace. Then I rented it for a couple of hundred Rupees. Now I get about Rs. 2000 on it per month like monthly pension.

In 1970, my brother-in-law forced me to apply for allotment of a scooter. It was difficult to get such allotment then. My father passed away that year. I got the allotment which was taken by someone paying me Rs. 2000 as premium which came in handy towards expenditure on obsequies of my father.

In December 1972, my elder brother Mr. M.S. Ramachandra Rao came to me. Earlier, he proposed partition of our property. He was supposed to keep better portion in our house but, because of some vastu belief, he asked me to take it. In fact, it was much better than the portion I was supposed to get as the younger one. I thought it was Swami's grace. After we discussed our affairs for a while, he left for Brindavan to have darshan of Bhagavan. I could not go for some reason. He took the son of our Chief Engineer as the pillion rider, and left for Brindavan on his scooter from my house in Bangalore. It was on December 28, 1972. They had darshan. When they were returning, he met with an accident and he died on the spot. The pillion rider escaped without injuries. I wonder at Swami's grace for me that, had my brother not completed the partition formalities just before his untimely death, things would have become complicated. Swami's grace helped me to have partition as well as the better portion of the house to my lot without my asking for it.

In 1982, I underwent training for sevadal and began to come for seva. Ever since, I have been going for seva every year to Brindavan or Prasanthi Nilayam.

My son Mr. Nagaraj got a seat in Bansankari College at Bangalore. It is far away from our house. We had two chances to seek transfer to another college. I prayed to Swami. He got a change to Ambedkar College, but my son did not like to go there. He had an eye on RV College which is good as well as near our house. I prayed to Swami. In the second and final chance, he got a transfer to RV College. Thus, Swami's grace solved our problem. But for His grace, my son could not have hoped to get a seat in that college as it was very much in demand.

After he took his BE degree, he was unemployed for nine months. I could have got a job in Kirloskar for him. 'I don't want a job by way of recommendation' he declared, and firmly negatived my proposal. We were all praying to Swami. Finally he got a good job on his own in W.S. Industries in 1992.

On January 23, 1997, I had heart attack. Angiogram confirmed four blocks indicating complicated surgery. My relative Mr. Vijaya Sai mentioned this to Swami. Swami sent me vibhuti prasadam and asked Sai to admit me at the SSSIHMS, Puttaparthi. Bhagavan was kind enough to make enquiries of my health with doctors during darshan.

Bhagavan had fixed the date and time for surgery. Swami asked Dr. Choudari to do it. But Dr. Choudari was scheduled to leave for abroad. Swami asked him to cancel his trip and stay on to do the surgery. Mine was a critical case, but owing to His grace everything went on well. Though the doctors wrote on the case sheet that I could be discharged, I was not actually discharged. 'Swami sent you here' the doctors privately confided, 'we cannot send you till Swami gives clearance.' Just at that time an important person was admitted in a room next to mine. Swami came to see him. I stood at the door of my room and had His darshan thanking Swami for His grace in my mind. My wife went near Swami and mentioned about my surgery. Swami raised His hand and blessed. Later, I was discharged as doctors could mention about it to Swami and get His clearance.

Before I left for Prasanthi Nilayam for my cardiac surgery, I was ringing the bell in Brindavan during harati daily. I was away for nearly four months. After I recovered, I resumed ringing the bell during the harati. One day Swami looked at me for a few minutes as I was ringing the bell. The same day, Mr. Venkataraman, leader of the sevadal, came to me and said 'Swami wants you not to ring the bell from tomorrow.' That bell is a heavy one. I underwent surgery only recently. So Swami did not like my exerting, and instructed thus, out of concern for me. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I contemplated on His love and concern for us.

At Brindavan, there is a kind of duty which we call 'pigeon duty'. One sevadal is posted on that. He is supposed to ward off pigeons from windows of Trayi lest they make nuisance and disturb Bhagavan. One day the sevadal on that duty was sent out for some time on other work, and I was asked to deputise for him. I was asked to go away from there before Swami returned to Trayi. As I was moving to go to the spot of my duty, the sevadal at the other end signalled to me to stop as Swami was expected. I waited for some time when I heard a noise as if the door was being opened. I turned that side.

The door opened, and Swami stepped out right in front of me. 'Some 30 students will be coming from Prasanthi Nilayam now' Swami told me, 'allow them, but don't allow any others.' Thus Swami blessed me with darshan and sambhashan on that day.

On another occasion, the person on duty near Trayi was absent and I was asked to do duty in his place. On that day some sevadal who came from the Punjab were working to clear the premises of Trayi of rubbish, stones and some bricks, etc which were there. Swami observed them doing hard work during the day. In the evening, He called all of them and distributed laddu prasadam, some plantains and some mixture personally. I was standing at a distance. Swami gestured me with His hand to come near. He gave me laddu prasadam with His divine hands. It was not my own turn of duty, but I was only deputizing.

In 2000, Swami was conducting mass upanayanams. I tried to get the name of my son included, but his name did not figure in any list. I sat in darshan line with a letter, but in vain. I began praying to Swami intensely. On the day of upanayanams, my daughter and son-in-law came running to me to inform that my son's name was included. We all rushed to Brindavan. Swami personally distributed yajnopaveetam to all brahmacharis. He administered Brahmopadesam personally, went round the rows blessing each vatuvu by sprinkling akshatas on him and his parents.

Once my boss, his wife, our General Manager and an architect were coming from Mysore in a car and met with an accident. I came away from office that day taking permission. So I was not aware of the news. One of my colleagues came to me that day. I brought a garland to put on Swami's photograph. When he came, he phoned from my house to someone and told him that he was going to him. When I asked him why he was going to him, he said 'our boss met with an accident. We are going to see him in the hospital.'

Thus by the Divine grace, I learnt the news. I put the garland on Swami's photo and prayed for my boss and others involved in the accident. Only a few days earlier, I had got vibhuti and some photographs of Bhagavan blessed by Him. I took them and went to the hospital. I met my boss's son. 'Please take these' I told him, 'put vibhuti on your father's forehead as well as to others. Keep the photographs under their pillows. These were personally blessed by Bhagavan.' All of them were critically injured. Doctors had no hope of survival of any. However, owing to the grace of Bhagavan, all of them survived.

On another occasion, I was in a bus. The driver was rash and he dashed against a military truck. I cried 'Sai Ram' as I was observing that the accident was about to occur. By Swami's grace, both the drivers as well as all passengers escaped unhurt. That was on a Good Friday.

I was blessed with our daughter in 1971. Swami did her namakaranam as Sai Latha. She was married in 1992 and blessed with a son in 1993. Swami performed namakaranam to him as Sai Teja. Swami did aksharabhyasam also to him. His upanayanam was also performed by Bhagavan in 2005.

Once I was going to Mysore. The bus failed en-route. I had vibhuti with me. I mixed it in a little water and sprinkled it on the engine. The bus started miraculously to the wonder of the driver and my co-passengers.

Once I went to the airport to see some people. There I had a passing thought. 'Swami' I thought, 'so many people are going by air. When will I get such a chance to fly?' Soon I forgot about it. After a couple of days, my boss called me. 'Is the Cost Audit Report ready?' he asked.

'It is ready, sir!' I replied. 'It is to be personally handed over in the Government of India, New Delhi by someone. It will be better if you go' I said.

'True' he replied, 'but I have work here. Why don't you go?'

I was stunned. Next day, I was flying to Delhi. Our company people came to the airport in Delhi. I completed the work comfortably. I was taken round the city seeing places of interest before I returned. It was all owing to Swami's grace. Otherwise, I would not have been in the flight at all.'

-- Mr. M. S. Satyanarayana

        (As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Brindavan on 02.06.2006)