Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group II | Mr. V. Ramakrishna Rao

Mr. V. Ramakrishna Rao
58 / 3 RT, Near Post Office
Vijayanagar Colony
Hyderabad - 500 057
Tel: 040-23340722
E-mail: rveldurthi@yahoo.com

Mr. V. Ramakrishna Rao (75), who retired as College Principal, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'I had the good fortune of having Darshan of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai for the first time at Sanathnagar, Hyderabad in around 1964 - 65. Swami came there as Sri Raja Omapathi Rao was organizing Narayana Seva. One of my colleagues, Mr. Vijaya Sarathi, a devotee of Bhagavan, took me there. A large plate with laddus was brought before Swami.

As Swami waved His hand over the plate by way of blessing, we all saw vibhuti fall from Swami's empty hand on the laddus in the plate. After sometime, a person brought a boy of about 6 or 7 years carrying him on his shoulders. He could not stand or walk owing to some illness. Swami asked the person to leave the boy on the ground. The person carrying the boy replied that the boy could not stand. Swami insisted that he should make him stand with his support. Then Swami came near that boy and passed His hand along the boy's leg and commanded, 'get up! And walk!' We were all looking eagerly when, to our amazement, the boy stood erect and walked!

I saw Swami again at Hyderabad in 1977 when He visited Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar in our colony. I took padanamaskar when Swami came along the line. After going forward a few paces, Swami paused. A devotee handed over a coconut to Him. Swami took it into His hand, and beat it with His other hand. It broke into two! I never saw anyone who could break a coconut that way.

In our house, we have a Photograph of Shirdi Sai and also that of Sri Sathya Sai. In 1996, my wife fell ill. As her condition was deteriorating, we admitted her in a hospital. Even after that she did not improve. Her condition became serious. When I went to pray before those two Photogrtaphs of Shirdi Sai and Sathya Sai, I found vibhuti at the bottom of the Photographs. There were clear indications that vibhuti had emanated from those Photographs. There were still some traces of vibhuti left on the Photographs as vibhuti fell down from them. A few minutes before my noticing the vibhuti, all those who were in the house at that time could find a fine fragrance coming from both the Photographs. It came like that for about a fortnight.

In fact, on the second day, I took both the Photographs, cleaned them with a cloth and changed their places. This time I kept them on a white cloth spread over an almirah. Even then, vibhuti began to emanate from those two Photographs. Soon my wife recovered miraculously. I thought that Swami came into our house in the form of vibhuti, and granted fresh lease of life to my wife. She lived for 3 more years after that.

In 2000, I went to Prasanthi Nilayam as a member of a group of 120 devotees taken there by Sri B.V. Pattabhiram, the famous magician. We were there for four days. That was my first visit to Prasanthi Nilayam. We had Darshan in the morning and evening everyday. Swami was busy with the Sports Day.

When we were boarding our buses on the last day to return to Hyderabad, one person came to us. 'I am coming from Swami', he said. 'As Bhagavan could not meet you all in person owing to His busy schedule, Swami sent you vibhuti prasadam'. We were all immensely happy. When the vibhuti packets were distributed, all 120 of us got each one packet, neither more nor less. The messenger who brought them told us that Swami had picked up a lot with both His hands and gave them to him for distribution. How could Swami know that we were 120? How did only 120 packets come into His hands when Swami picked them up in a lot with His hands?

I recall another incident that took place in 1988. My wife had cardiac problem for which open-heart by-pass surgery was indicated. She was also a diabetic. Naturally we were very much concerned about her condition.

On the advice of one of my friends who is a devotee, we tied Rs. 5 each in two separate packets in two separate new clothes. We call it 'mudupu'. One was for Sri Shirdi Sai and the other for Sri Sathya Sai. We prayed to Bhagavan intensely. She underwent the surgery successfully and recovered well. A few weeks after the surgery, my wife was relaxing in a chair one morning when a saintly looking person came and asked, 'how is Mother's health?' He then added, 'she came out of a big problem safely. She promised to come to Baba but did not'.

We asked him to take food in our house. He did not agree. Please take this money and have food at a hotel; we gave him Rs. 21. He did not take. However, he took the one rupee note from the money offered and crumpled it. 'Take this', he said. We stretched our hands. What he dropped in our palms was not the one rupee note, but jaggery! And, it was sweet, of course.

Later, we went to Shirdi. My wife put the mudupu (money tied in new clothes) in the hundi.'

-- Mr. V.Ramakrishna Rao.

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Hyderabad on 27.08.2004.)