Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group VII | Mrs. Lilany Rao

Mrs. Lilany Rao,
D1, Kanakalakshmi Apartments,
Road No. 6, Himayathnagar,
Hyderabad - 500 029.

E-mail: venkat_rao7@yahoo.co.in

      Mrs. Lilany Rao (42), a housewife and also an employee in the Infosys at Hyderabad, relates a few of her experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in her own words.

'My friend's father, Mr. D.L. Narasimham was PA to some Minister more than three decades ago. At that time, I was in the 6th class. Swami came to Mr. Narasimham's house at Hyderabad. We went there and had His darshan for the first time. Swami gave us vibhuti. My friend gave me a photograph of Swami. I started attending bhajans.

Swami came for the inauguration of Sivam. I attended it. I had a letter to Swami with me. Swami came to me and took the letter looking deeply into my eyes which sent a thrill all over me. I became a devotee of Bhagavan since then.

My father Mr. Nidadavolu went to Prasanthi Nilayam in 1974 for Sivarathri. He was keen on seeing lingodbhavam. He succeeded in watching the linga emerge from the mouth of Swami. After his return, whenever he had any problem, he used to light two agarbattis and pray to Swami going into meditation for a few minutes. That problem used to get solved miraculously.

In 1983 I was married to Mr. N. Venkata Rao. When I went to my in-laws' house, I saw pictures of various gods and goddesses in our bed room. There was a small photograph of Bhagavan in the almirah.

'Which of these gods is your favourite?' my husband asked me.

'Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba' I replied.

He was overwhelmed with joy.

In 1994, we went to Kodaicanal. Swami was there at that time. So we went to have His darshan. It was a small hall. Curiously, no one stopped us. We went straight where Swami was sitting, and sat right in front of Him. When I was face to face with God, I was overwhelmed with joy. Tears of joy began to roll down my cheeks. I was literally crying out of joy.

On June 6, 1997, I underwent tests for some gynaecological problem. They detected a tumour. Biopsy confirmed presence of malignancy. They started cancer treatment on June 7. Chemotherapy is notorious for its horrible side-effects. I was doing parayana of Shirdi Sai Saccharitra. I used always to keep Bagavan's photograph with me and take vibhuti regularly. No cure was in sight though they gave the treatment up to August 1997. My very appearance changed to worse beyond recognition. All my hair was gone. I turned nearly black and lean. In September 1997, they decided to resort to surgery. I cried in anguish before Swami's photograph. In my dream, Swami said 'go in for surgery. I will be with you.' He gave me padanamaskar and said 'you will look better than ever. No one would know you were a cancer patient.' After surgery, my cancer disappeared. Doctors were surprised at the pace of recovery. I was completely healed by Swami. As Swami promised, I now look better and healthier than ever. No one can guess that I was once a patient of cancer.

In January 1998, we came to Prasanthi Nilayam. That was my first visit. I had darshan. My husband used to be seated in the verandah but I had to sit somewhere in the rear. I used to go to Brindavan also when Swami was there. I used to give letters and Swami used to take them.

In 2000, I had a dream. 'Won't you come to my Birthday?' Swami asked me.

'I won't, Swami' I replied, 'what's the use?' I will have to sit in the rear somewhere and can't get good darshan. '

The dream repeated on the second day. I had been to the Birthday celebration at Prasanthi Nilayam in my dream.

When I was trying to go to the front, I was stopped by sevadal. 'Go to the rear' they told me.

'That's why I refused to come' I told Swami.

Swami took me and made me sit in the front.

'Are you happy now?' Swami asked.

The dream ended.

We went for the 75th Birthday of Swami at Prasanthi Nilayam on November 22, 2000. We drove straight to a hotel where we had accommodation booked for us. As we were collecting keys from the Reception, the official at the counter gave us a cover. There were two slips. They were VIP entry passes to the function. When we went to the meeting place, I was taken in right royally, and seated in the front row. Swami looked into my eyes and gave me padanamaskar.

'Swami' I prayed to Swami, 'pray, give blessings to our daughter.'

'Sure, bangaru' Swami replied raising abhayahastha with a smile.

From that day, whenever I come to Prasanthi Nilayam, I am being seated in the VIP enclosure only.

In 2004, we went to the house of Mr. L. Rama Rao at Hyderabad. There we saw vibhuti and amrit emanate from Swami's photograph.

Sometimes my cell phone would ring. When I lifted it, there would be no response. The phone indicated that the calls came from Mr. Rama Rao's house. When I rang up and asked them they would be surprised. 'We have not made any call to you' they used to tell me. We concluded that Swami was calling me to their house. Once I went to their house responding to the ring on my cell phone. As I was passing the corridor in their house, amrit came out of Bhagavan's photograph as if pumped out of a fountain, and I could put both my hands and get my hands full of amrit.

I was watching TV as they were showing Sivarathri programme at Prasanthi Nilayam. My husband had gone to Prasanthi Nilayam for Sivarathri in 2004. My cell phone rang. I went to Mr. Rama Rao's house. Just then they completed Sri Sathya Sai Ashtottaram. Immediately akshatas and vibhuti literally rained on me covering me completely.

I saw many miracles in their house. I saw akshatas spring up from the neatly swept floor, rise up into the air and fall on my head.

Once a linga emanated on a vacant chair. They used to keep meals for Swami in a box. After a while, they used to find saligramas or lingas in it.

In 2005, my name was written on the wall with vibhuti in their house. Sometimes, the names of my husband and our daughter were written as well.

On March 6, 2006, my name was written on the wall with vibhuti in their house 19 times. On the photograph of Swami, my name appeared in vibhuti eight times that day.

On May 4, 2006, the line 'Happy wedding Anniversary' appeared in vibhuti on the wall in Mr. Rama Rao's house. That day was our wedding anniversary.

Swami gives me interviews during meditation. I hear His voice. My daughter failed in two subjects of one examination, though she did well in both of them. 'I want to apply for revaluation, Swami' I asked Swami in the interview during my meditation.

'Do apply' Swami replied, 'she will pass both.'

I applied for revaluation. I saw afterwards results on the Internet. She passed in one.

'Swami said that she would pass in both' I mused, 'how could Swami's word go wrong? Was it my imagination only?'

Later we went to collect the memo of marks on revaluation. To our pleasant surprise, she passed in both! So it was not a figment of my imagination, after all!

On October 2, 2005, I thought of distributing sweets for my birthday. But we forgot to bring them. At 4 p.m., devotees come along our street for nagarsankeerthana. One of them came to my house with a packet of sweets.

'Many happy returns of the day, madam!' he said and gave me sweets. He distributed them to all present.'

-- Mrs. Lilany Rao

    (As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 12.07.2006)