Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Mr. Raja Omapathi Rao

Mr. Raja Omapathi Rao
'Sumangali'
N-1-1195 / 2, AC Guards
Hyderabad - 500 004
Tel: 040-23397783

Mr. Raja Omapathi Rao (82), a Civil Servant hailing from a royal family of Telangana in Andhra Pradesh, voluntarily resigned from service. A long time devotee of Bhagavan, he relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'I had the Darshan of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for the first time in 1953 at Hyderabad. Owing to His boundless compassion and love, Swami blessed my wife and me with many memorable leelas of His Divinity.

Once - I do not remember dates - I was following Bhagavan to Hyderabad from Suryapeta. He was going in a car and I was following in a jeep. When we were near Nakirekal, the jeep stopped as the petrol tank was empty. In those days, petrol bunks were not there nearby. Swami who was racing ahead asked His car to be stopped. 'What happened?' Swami told His followers in the car, 'the jeep got stuck some where.' So saying, He asked the car to get back and came nearly 10 miles looking for our jeep.

When He came near us, He asked, 'what is the matter?'

'There is no petrol in the jeep, Swami', I replied.

'Raja Reddy!' Swami called His follower, 'where is our drinking water can?'

Mr. Raja Reddy brought from the car a 10-liter fresh water can. In those days, Swami used to take with Him drinking water for Him and His followers.

I was wondering why Swami was asking for drinking water.

'Pour the water in the petrol tank', Swami ordered.

I was afraid that Bhagavan was indulging in some prank to chide me for coming without sufficient petrol, and felt apprehensive that the water, if poured in the petrol tank, would damage it.

Mr. Raja Reddy, like the ever-complying Hanuman, poured water in the petrol tank before I could say anything.

'Start!' ordered Swami coolly. The jeep was started and, miraculously, it began to function as if it had received ample supply of petrol.

'Let's go!' Swami told us and asked His driver to turn back His car and proceed to Hyderabad.

Our jeep followed His car. Till we reached Hyderabad, the vehicle gave no trouble.

Once Swami went on a pilgrimage to Badari with about 200 devotees selected by Him. My wife was one of them. At that time, Mr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. Before the departure of the team, Mr. Burgula gave me a telephone number on which I could contact him at Badari. In those days, the tele-communication was not as widely dispersed as it is now. The service, too, was not appreciable.

After a few days, I read in a newspaper that a South Indian Swami who was going to Badari with a party of 200 devotees met with an accident and that all members of that party fell in the river Alakananda. I was stunned. Being human, I felt anxious about the safety of my wife, forgetting that all of them were in the protective and loving care of Bhagavan. I remembered the telephone number Mr. Burgula had given me and booked a call. Usually, such long distance calls took lot of time to materialize in those days. But, owing to Swami's grace, the call materialized soon and Mr. Burgula came on the line.

'What Mr. Omapathi!' Mr. Burgula accosted me on phone, 'what is the news? We are all ok.'

I told him what I had read in the press.

He laughed and said, 'why do you worry when we are with Bhagavan?

Then Bhagavan took the receiver and told me, 'you don't have this much faith in me? How can anything untoward happen when I am here? Speak to your wife. She is here'.

My wife spoke to me on the phone and assured me that they were all ok. I was repentant that I allowed my human response to ride over my faith in Bhagavan in a moment of weakness and anxiety.

Once my wife and daughter were returning from Puttaparthi after attending Bhagavan's Birthday celebrations. On the way some ladies of working class entered into the first class compartment and slept in the corridors. Early in the morning my wife woke up to find that her suitcase was broken open, and cash and jewellery were missing. They immediately lodged a complaint with the Railway Police at Mahabubnagar. They told me about it when I went to the Kacheguda Railway Station to receive them.

Immediately I sent a telegram to Bhagavan informing Him about the theft in the railway carriage. My wife was worried more for the loss of a sphatikamala, which was given by Bhagavan, than for the jewellery. To my surprise, we received a reply telegram from Bhagavan assuring that all the jewellery would come back. The same night, the Superintendent of Police, Railways telephoned to tell me that all the jewellery and cash were recovered, and wanted me to come and collect them.

He did not insist on any formalities - legal or departmental, but returned our things to us except the sphatikamala. Later, Swami told my wife that the sphatikamala had returned to Him and that my wife need not worry about it. Till then she was upset that while all the jewellery was recovered, there was no trace of the sphatikamala.'

-- Mr. Raja Omapathi Rao

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 04.08.2004.)