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

Mr. P. Narendran,
Sai's, Perambara - 673 525,
Calicut District, Kerala.

Tel: 0496-2610522

Mr. P. Narendran (61), a retired officer of the Indian Navy and presently a businessman, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'My brother told me about Sri Satya Sai Baba in 1965 and gave me the address of a hotel at Puttaparthi. At that time I was at New Delhi working with the Joint Command of Army and Navy. I wrote a letter to the hotel manager seeking further information to plan a visit to Prasanthi Nilayam. In his prompt reply, the hotelier wrote that, as Sivarathri was fast approaching, it is better that I visited Prasanthi Nilayam immediately to avoid crowds. So I applied for leave and my immediate superior was not convinced on the need for leave. However, he forwarded my application to higher-ups. I did not expect that it would be sanctioned but it was, owing to Swami's grace. Then I went to the New Delhi railway station where I could get reservation to Bangalore the very next day which was incredible! I alighted the train at Bangalore and from there took a bus to Kothacheruvu. I had to walk down from there to Prasanthi Nilayam crossing the Chitravathi, enroute.

That was my first visit to Prasanthi Nilayam. By the time I reached Prasanthi Nilayam, the evening darshan was on. As I had arrived just then and as I was not aware of the practices there, I stood outside as Swami moved along the lines. Swami looked at me and smiled. That was the first time I had darshan of Bhagavan.

Next day, I sat in the darshan line. Swami came along and called me for interview. As we entered the room, Swami received all of us personally. He materialized vibhuti and gave to ladies and then put on our foreheads Himself. Then He called me and said, 'why are you always worried? Don't worry. I am here to look after you,'

A young man who travelled with me in the train up to Bangalore was also in the interview. As soon as we came out of the interview room, he said, 'I am going to Bangalore to catch the train to my place.'

'Suppose Swami had not called you for the interview this morning, you would have attended bhajan. Isn't it? Then why not stay on for bhajan and then go', I told him.

He did not agree. 'I can't waste one day. I have to go,' he said and left. I stayed for bhajan, and then left for Bangalore. Next morning, as I was entering the train, he was there in the compartment. 'I could not leave,' he told me. 'As I missed the train yesterday, I had to linger on in the railway station all the time. Instead, it would have been better had I stayed on there itself yesterday.'

I had the good fortune to come for the Birthday celebration of Swami. I do not remember which year it was. I could witness the rare sight of Bhagavan being anointed by Smt. Iswaramma, the Mother, Sri Kasturi, Dr. Bhagavantham and only two or three others. After that, Bhagavan came down from the dais. A lady devotee from overseas was there on the steps to the stage on one side. She was brought there on a wheel chair. Swami came to her with the cup of oil and said 'won't you like to anoint me?' She was stunned.

'I will be only too glad to do it, Swami', she said, 'but I can't stand up'. 'No problem', Swami told her, 'I will bend'. Swami bent His head before that devotee and had His head anointed. Then He asked her to get up. He caught hold of her hands and made her stand up. Then He took her along the hall on to the stage holding her carefully, and made her walk from one side to the other with His support. The whole assembly was watching the scene with bated breath. No one observed Swami withdrawing His support, and she was walking alright. 'Now you don't need this chair any more', Swami told her pointing to the wheel chair in the corner,' walk normally'.

In the sixties, I saw Swami calling an aged person for the interview. That person was brought there on a wheel chair. I saw him being taken in, carried by his sons .He was inside the interview room for about 20 minutes and came out walking. But after he came out, his sons began to hold him by shoulders and extend support to him while he walked. They did so for fear that he might fall down.

After darshan and bhajan, Swami went up to His room. At around 11 a.m., I was going to the canteen. I saw the gentleman also being taken to the canteen with the support of his sons. Then we heard Swami's voice from the balcony. He was there. 'Why are you depending on them when Swami's support is there for you? Walk confidently', Swami told the gentleman. Then he told the sons to leave him alone. The gentleman began to walk normally to the amazement of all present.

I had the good fortune to come for seva a number of times. Once I came for seva when the central dome on the mandir with the golden kalasa was being erected. I too grabbed some privilege of carrying sand and cement for that. Swami used to come on to the terrace and supervise the work. He used to walk about the terrace in the hot sun barefooted. Before leaving, He used to say invariably, 'take padanamaskar.

We used to wash our hands in a hurry and take padanamaskar. Swami used to stand like that in the hot sun barefooted till we washed our hands and came to Him.

I attend Sivarathri festival here invariably. I witnessed lingodbhav many times. I also witnessed vibhuti abhishekam to the silver idol of Shiridi Sai many times. Once Swami materialized a golden dot (bottu) for Shirisdi Sai and put it on the forehead of the idol. It stuck. Later, giving His Divine discourse, Swami said, 'some people with scientific bent of mind are sceptical about how gold dot can stick on silver idol's dry surface covered with vibhuti without some adhesive. But can't they think this much? For He who created the gold dot, would it be difficult to create the adhesive also?'

Immediately, Dr. Bhagavantham who was translating Swami's Discourse said, 'it is I who doubted it. I pray to Bhagavan to pardon me.'

-- Mr. P. Narendran

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 12.07.2005.)