Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group VI | Ms. M. Vijayalakshmi

Ms. M. Vijayalakshmi,
Lecturer in History,
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning,
Anantapur Campus.

Ms. M. Vijayalakshmi, Lecturer in History in the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Anantapur Campus, narrates her experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in her own words.

'It was the eventful day of the Annual Sports and Cultural Meet - January 11, 1992. As the air was breathing with activity, there was prayer in everyone's heart to offer the best they could at the Beloved Lord's Feet. Everyone was assigned some task or the other, and I along with two other teachers had the duty of serving refreshments to the girls of our campus. We arranged the snacks near the tent at the far end of the Hill-View Stadium. A few minutes later, enchanting music filled the silent morning and announced the arrival of the Lord. The three of us hastened towards the road to have the divine darshan.

On reaching the road, we decided to go further ahead in order to get the blessings of the Lord. While my two colleagues moved forward, I preferred to leave my footwear and then proceed. I found a pole nearby and removed my footwear near it. When I then tried to move, to my astonishment, I felt some pull that restricted my movement. I tried in vain to release myself and run ahead for that one lovely glimpse of the Divine. Since I was not able to understand what caused that hard tug, I just chanted 'Sai Ram', and once again tried, in all desperation, with a palpitating heart, to break loose. To my utter disappointment, the mysterious pull persisted and the effect was so strong that I started trembling. The struggle went on for sometime.

My colleagues turned to find that I was moving to and fro in the same place unable to step forward. Before they could return to enquire about the matter, Bhagavan's car arrived at the spot where they were standing. I was all the more desperate to release myself, now that the Lord's car was approaching. As the car reached closer, my heart grew heavier. The mysterious pull began to ease and the trembling came under control. As I was making my final attempt to rush forward, the car stopped where I was standing, and Bhagavan, in His infinite mercy, rolled down the window, and blessed me with the most powerful abhayahasta. His compassionate look penetrated deep into my eyes and instantly freed me from the grip of that strong force which had until then stopped me from taking even a single step.

A few moments later, the car gently went past and I took a step or two in order to put on my footwear. To my utter dismay, the same strong force pulled me once again. I shouted aloud 'Sai Ram.' With much difficulty, I drew myself back. Only then did it occur to me that there must be short-circuit in the iron pole to which a tube light was fixed. The silk sari I was wearing had a big copper border, and the copper helped to conduct electricity into my body. My two colleagues, who were by now aware of the situation, rushed to the volunteers and sought their help. Soon, some electricians came to the spot and found that the huge iron pole was fully electrified. They quickly disconnected the power supply, while I offered tears of gratitude at the Saviour's Lotus Feet. It dawned on me that not only the Lord's darshan, but His name is powerful enough to save one from untoward incidents.

In March 1996, some of us, staff members residing in the quarters, got together one Saturday night and sang bhajans throughout the night. The following day being a Sunday, we decided to take rest to overcome the tiredness of the night's vigil. One of my quarter-mates, Ms. Meenakshi Das relaxed for a while and then got up to do some urgent work, while I continued to sleep in my room. As she was engaged in her work, she heard the sound of a mug-dropping. She was perplexed to hear the sound, and she was the only person awake in the house. She, however, continued with her work.

After a few minutes, she heard a sound which she thought was that of the rustling of a plastic sheet. In a short while, she again heard the same sound along with some hissing. This time, she felt that something was crawling too. She could no longer ignore it and, with curiosity as well as trepidation, she opened her door of her room to come to the hall. When she entered the hall, she stood transfixed and petrified at the sight of a big cobra with its terrifying hood raised, right in front of my room. As it was a hot summer day, I was sleeping on the cool bare floor. She screamed out my name on seeing the hooded serpent. The creature meandered towards me with its fatal hood spread out. My quarter-mate, now in complete desperation, raised her voice to alert me. Her loudest call woke me up from my blissful sleep. Habitually, I let out 'Sai Ram' from my lips even as my eyelids, heavy with sleep, were trying to open. Blissfully unaware of the lurking danger, I got up. And then, I noticed my quarter-mate standing aghast. The story she narrated to me unnerved and amazed me. On the one hand, she had to alert me, but on the other, she expected the worst if my sudden movement agitated the cobra. However, what she witnessed was incredible. My casual and habitual 'Sai Ram' had cast a spell on the crawling creature. The next moment, it turned around and slithered away quickly.'

-- Ms. M. Vijayalakshmi

(As extracted from the souvenir Ananta Prematarangini published by the Anantapur Campus of the SSSIHL on the occasion of the 80th Birthday of Bhagavan)