Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group I | Mr. K.Raja Rao

Mr. K.Raja Rao,
Orient Sai Tailors, Sai Krishna Complex,
Gopuram Road, Puttaparthi - 515134
Tel: 08555-289242

Mr. K.Raja Rao (48), a Sai devotee for over a decade, narrates his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'My ancestors were Telugu people who migrated to Culcutta from Barampuram. I was brought up in spiritual environment. Though I was hearing about Sri Sathya Sai Baba, many of the things I heard were not of complimentary nature. So I used to ignore them.

After my marriage, I shifted to Visakhapatnam. There were thefts in my shop twice. So I had to move to other places such as Jadupally, Kasibugga and finally to Palasa. When we were at Jadupally, our gold jewellery was stolen. Though it was recovered, it did not come to our hand as the case was pending in a court.

When I was residing at Visakhapatnam, I took bath one morning and was kindling agarbatti in my Pooja room, according to my usual practice. Then our son Sudhir Babu who was three years old brought a Photograph of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. It was pasted on a cardboard. There was a Ganesh idol by the side of which Swami was standing in Abhayahasta posture. Around Him were Navagrahas. Our son brought it and showed it to his mother who told him to give it to me so that I can place it in Pooja. We do not know how he got it. We placed it in Pooja. That is how Swami entered our house for the first time in the form of a Photograph in 1988.

One day I had to go to Patapatnam from Palasa to attend the court for recovery of our gold. As I was going round the Court for over three years, I was vexed.

'Swami!' I prayed before leaving for Patapatnam, before the Photograph of Swami, which my son gave me, 'I will believe in you and worship you all my life if my Court affair is settled today'.

When I reached the Court I found it locked. I was told that, that day being a second Saturday, was a holiday. I was very much disappointed and tired. I tried to rest on a bench I found there when an Attender came and said, 'please make way. The Magistrate is coming!' I was soon called in. He asked me, why I was there. I explained. He was sorry that I was going round the Court for over three years.

'Is the box of valuables with us or have they sent it to the Treasury?' he asked the Attender. When he was told that it was still with the Court, he arranged to deliver the gold to me against my receipt. My work in the Court was over and I returned home happily. Why did the Magistrate come to the Court on a holiday? How did his office keep the box of valuables without sending it to the Treasury knowing about the advent of two holidays? How did the Magistrate return my jewellery without hearing arguments and completing formalities? All these are unusual. Only Swami could make them possible.

When we were at Palasa, I came under the influence of another person who was also a tailor, and a Sai devotee. On his advice, I used to attend Bhajans and was even organizing them in my house occasionally. While I was at Palasa, I came to Puttaparthi for seva in connection with the 70th Birthday Celebrations of Swami. I wrote a letter then to Swami in which I said, 'Swami! I want to be at Puttaparthi, breathe my last here and merge in you. Kindly grant this prayer'. I sat in Darshan line for five days but Swami did not take the letter. I decided 'if Swami does not take the letter from me the next day, I shall see that I and members of my family end our lives here at Puttaparthi itself'.

Next day I sat in Darshan line. The crowd was very heavy even though the Birthday of Swami was still two days away. We were far away from Mandir. Then Sai Kulwant Hall was not there. I sat there and started to intensely do Sai Gayatri closing my eyes. The music started signifying that Swami entered Darshan lines and began giving Darshan. I did not open my eyes. Suddenly my son tapped me on my shoulder and said, 'Swami took your letter'. Swami came into the lines, came up to the lion's idol, took a turn and came nearer the place where we were sitting. He signalled for the letter looking at us. My son took the letter from my hand, ran to Swami across the crowd and gave it to Swami.

In 1996, my son was ill. On examination, it was found that he had three holes in his heart. Medication prescribed was very expensive costing Rs.400 to 500 a day to be taken for six months. Even then, it was doubtful. After six months, cardiac surgery might be necessary. We came to Puttaparthi. I waited in Darshan lines for five days with letter. On the sixth day, Swami took the letter from me. We then went to the Hospital; they gave medicines free for two months. After two months they examined my son again. There were no holes and the boy was miraculously cured.

When we came to Puttaparthi for my son's treatment with family, initially we were in the sheds. Later, I rented private accommodation outside and shifted. We put a bowl of milk (not boiled) before the Photograph of Swami.

When we enter a new house, it is customary to boil milk till it runs over the container in which it is boiled. But we did not put the milk bowl on a stove. Still, the milk ran over the container on its own as if it were being boiled on a stove.

Later, on June 8, 2000, sandal paste and vibhuti came from Swami's Photograph in our house. Cold milk boiling and running over the brim of the bowl happened in my house again twice. When I took a new shop for my tailoring work, that is, the shop in which I run my business now, cold milk ran over the brim of the bowl again on March 25, 2004.

When my son was playing on a ground with others, the ball fell in thorny bushes. When he went to retrieve it, he found some thing shining under a mango tree. He dug a little and found a silver locket. On one side, there is Swami's picture and on the other side Swami's lotus feet. There are also letters in Telugu 'Pratishtha (installation)'. Was that installed there? By whom? Why? When? No knowing! It is still in our Pooja.'

-- Mr. K.Raja Rao.

(As narrated to Mr B.Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 22.06.2004.)