Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group IV | Mr. N.P. Vithal

Mr. N.P. Vithal,
A5-W2,
Prasanthi Nilayam - 515 134.

Tel: 08555 - 287816

Mr. N.P. Vithal (73), who retired as Chief Commissioner, Railway Safety, Government of India, relates his experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'In 1972, I was working in Zambia where I used to attend bhajans held every Saturday. One day, one of my Tamailian friends invited me for bhajan in his house. My wife Mrs. Kusuma and I went to his house. It was a Thursday. I found there a big photograph oh Shiridi Sai and a photograph of another person by its side. I had been a devotee of Shirdi Baba. I did not know the other.

'Who is this?' I asked my friend showing the other photograph. He became furious.

'You hail from Andhra Pradesh and you don't know Bhagavan Sri Satya Sai Baba?' he demanded. Later, he gave me a photograph of Bhagavan, a packet of vibhuti and some books on Bhagavan. That is how Bhagavan drew me into His protective fold.

In 1973, one of the contractors having work with me tried to bribe me. But I did not yield. Enraged, he tried to blackmail me by sending petitions against me that I was demanding bribe from him to clear his bills. I was in a new country. The unscrupulous contractor might go to any length for furthering his interests. Who would come to my rescue? I prayed to Bhagavan as my only refuge. The General Manager was my friend, but there was little he could do against the Minister if the Minister tried to back the contractor.

One day I got information that the Minister was coming to inspect my works. It was a Sunday. Even then I went and sat in my office alone. A car came and stopped in front of my office. A person walked into my room. I thought that he might be the Personal Assistant to the Minister who came to see if I was available in the office.

'What can I do for you?' I asked him politely.

'I have come to see your works' he told me, 'I am the Minister in charge of your works. When can we start?'

'Anytime it suits the Minister' I told him, 'if it pleases the Minister, we can start right now.'

This was around 8.00 a.m. We started in a car. We were touring the work spots till late in the evening. I found him to be quite interested in the subject .He was listening to me patiently and seemed to have been endowed with good grasp.

'There is one more work spot' I said, 'after that, we can go back'. It was the work site of the contractor who had complained against me.

'Not necessary' he said to my utter surprise, 'we will get back.'

On return, he said that he was much impressed with my work and command of the subject. 'Don't worry about the contractor or his allegations. If he does not behave properly and cooperate, we will remove him and select another. We want here people of your type with commitment and honesty.'

As I was seeing him off at his car, I was thanking in my mind Bhagavan who came to my rescue by bringing about a transformation in the Minister who had come to inspect my works. Though, when he came, he was under the influence of the contractor, he returned a changed man under the Divine influence.

After retirement, I came to Prasanrhti Nilayam for good. Swami, in His abundant love and compassion, has been keeping me engaged in His seva in various ways in the evening of my life.'

-- Mr. N. P. Vithal

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 26.07.2005)