Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group III | Mr. B. Krishna Rao

Mr. B. Krishna Rao,
28/6, Flat No.1, Eswari Flats,
Parameswari Nagar, II Street,
Adayar, Chennai - 600 020
Tel: 044-5218 8714, Mobile: 94444-64888
E-mail: bkrishnarao@lycos.com

Mr. B. Krishna Rao (62), who had long innings as Medical Representative of Glaxo Co, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

‘Though I was hearing about Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for several years, I had not attached any particular importance. However, I was spiritually inclined since my early years and had not looked down on any guru or god-man, much less on Sri Sathya Sai.

In 1996, I had Herpes Zoster. It is a viral infection affecting skin and is very painful. Indeed, surprisingly, in my case, I had no pain. It was amazing. At that time, I was working in Visakhapatnam. Though the skin affliction subsided, it left behind a side effect called ‘Right Bundle Branch Block’. I was advised angiogram at the King George Hospital, Vizag. I did not know at that time that it was not advisable to go in for angiogram unless backed by arrangement for cardiac surgery in case of an emergency. At that time, there was no such cardiac surgical support in the K.G.H. If there were to be an emergency in the event of an angiogram being administered, I would not have survived.

One day before the date on which I was to be admitted for the angiogram, I called on a senior physician, Dr. K. Rama Murthy and casually mentioned about my plan for undergoing angiogram the next day. Only due to his effective intervention, I had to defer my plan to undergo angiogram there. I went to Hyderabad but somehow it did not come through there also. Finally, I was advised to go to Puttaparthi. I came here and underwent cardiac check-up at Sri Sathya Sai Super Specialties Hospital. After doing all tests such as ECO, the doctors said that everything was normal and there was no need at all to undergo angiogram. On retrospection, I think that all this was only a ploy of the Divine to anchor me safely to Sai harbour. Herpes Zoster without pain! Miraculous postponement of angiogram; finally landing at Puttaparthi; and having Darshan of Bhagavan! I returned to Vizag with a clean chit from the Super Specialties Hospital.

Our visit to Puttaparthi then was a turning point in our lives. My wife Mrs. Ratna and my elder daughter Ms. Sabitha became devotees of Bhagavan almost instantaneously on receipt of ‘All Normal’ result in all tests I had undergone there. I was, of course, rather slow in being drawn into Bhagavan’s fold.

Soon after our return from Puttaparthi, I stopped reading newspapers. Gradually I have been giving up my other habits. Today I don’t take even coffee or tea. That’s the result of transformation Bhagavan has brought about in us.

My second daughter Ms. Anuradha was selected to the IIT, Chennai. She did her M.Tech and was appointed in the Tata Consultancy Services at Chennai through campus recruitment. This necessitated my shift from Visakhapatnam to Chennai in 1999 resigning my job. I used to entertain a desire to participate in seva activities for a long time. But I could not do so because of the touring nature of my job at Visakhapatnam. But after coming to Chennai, I found out that Sundaram, the abode of Bhagavan at Chennai is near the house where we stayed. This gave me an opportunity to involve myself in seva activities under the aegis of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization fulfilling my longstanding desire.

In 2001, I came to Prasanthi Nilayam. I could sit in the front line as I got token No.2. Bhagavan came along Darshan line, but went forward a few paces. Suddenly, He turned back and looked at me with all seriousness. Then I saw two rays emanating from His eyes with a ‘jing’ sound. The rays came straight into my eyes. I was filled with boundless joy and peace. He then moved away.

I wanted to buy a house at Puttaparthi. When I was mentioning this to a friend of mine at the bhajan mandir in Chennai, a flower fell from the garland placed on the photograph of Bhagavan there. We were happy that Bhagavan blessed our intention thus.

My friend knows a devotee from Chennai who owned a flat in Puttaparthi. He wanted to dispose it off. He was prepared to sell it for Rs. 1.5 lakhs even though he bought it for a little over Rs. 2 lakhs. I agreed. But when I saw the documents, I understood that the house was 10 years old. So I did not like to buy an old house. I told the seller that I was not interested. But my friend told me that an engineer had built the house for his own use. Therefore, it was built well. In fact, it was built better than many new houses. Persuaded by him, I relented and agreed to buy it. Just then 100 petals fell in a shower from a garland placed on the photograph of Bhagavan. We took it that Bhagavan was pleased with our decision to buy the house.

Later, the seller and I came to Puttaparthi for registration of the house. When I went to see the house, I noticed that another building was coming up by the side of the house offered for sale to me. I thought that the new construction would block ventilation to the house I was about to buy. So I told the seller, ‘I am not interested in buying the house. But as you have come to register the house, I will reimburse your expenses’.

I went and sat in Darshan line. The person sitting by my side gave me pen and paper, and persuaded me to write a letter to Bhagavan. I wrote a letter, and Bhagavan took it from me.

The seller and I met at a common friend’s house that evening.

‘If a Sai devotee like you is buying, I will give the house even for Rs. 80,000’, the seller told me, ‘take it for Rs. 80,000’.

I thought that he was in dire need to dispose it off. So, I wanted to buy the house only with a view to helping him. So I bought the house in January 2002. Initially I had no desire to keep the house as I had bought it mainly to help him get rid of it. But later I thought, ‘Swami has been showing many favourable signals to me to buy the house here. Why not I keep it and reside in it?’ So I decided to perform housewarming ceremony.

We came to Puttaparthi in October 2002. I wanted to have a purohit to perform the rituals. But local people told me that there was no purohit available. The Jnanapurusha Yajnam was on at that time for Dasara. Sri Venkateswarlu, a great scholar, was leading the team of Vedic pandits performing the Yajna. I prayed to Bhagavan, and approached the Vedic scholar. He not only agreed but also came to my house by walk at that old age, and performed all rituals well. Owing to Bhagavan’s grace, I could have the valuable services and blessings of an eminent Vedic scholar like Sri. Venkateswarlu, instead of an ordinary purohit.

In March 2005, I came for seva to Prasanthi Nilayam. When my term of duty was about to be over, I felt heaviness in my chest. I had to sit down, as I was unable to stand. Just at that time I saw Mr. Sriram, a technician working at Sri Sathya Sai Super Specialties Hospital. I called him and explained my problem. He took me in an auto to the Super Specialties Hospital at once. They conducted all tests. It was normal in all except in the Tread Mill Test, which was positive. Then Dr. Iyer said that the result of TMT was wrong, and did Stress Chalium Test, which established that my heart was normal. It indicated a problem in early stages in the thyroid gland. Why was the SCT ordered? Perhaps Swami wanted to alert me on the thyroid problem. Otherwise, I would not have been able to know that something was wrong with my thyroid. Besides, had I felt the heaviness at Chennai, they would have gone to the extent of a bypass cardiac surgery on me. Swami saved me from an un-necessary cardiac surgery and also alerted me on the thyroid problem.

How did Mr. Sriram happen to be there at that time? How did I notice him just at that moment? Even though ours was only a nodding acquaintance, he took me promptly to the hospital. All this is nothing but the grace of Bhagavan.’

-- Mr. B.Krishna Rao

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 08.04.2005.)