Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group IV | Mr. Surinder Sharma

Mr. Surinder Sharma,
2623/2, Patel Road,
Ambala City - 134 003,
Haryana.

Mr. Surinder Sharma (40), who retired from the Indian Air Force, narrates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagvan in his own words.

'One day my father's elder brother, who is a priest in Sri Krishna Temple, happened to attend a bhajan conducted by devotees of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai. He was much impressed, and invited them to do bhajan in the Temple. We all attended the bhajan, which was really impressive. We all began to attend bhajans wherever they were held in the vicinity. That is how we were brought by Bhagavan into His fold in 1974.

In the same year, my father Mr. Arjan Dass Sharma, who was working in the Postal Department, had a heart attack, but luckily survived owing to Bhagavan's grace. My father was going by bus to New Delhi to attend the engagement of our close relative in 1984. The bus collided with a truck. The truck driver's son was killed. In the bus all passengers who were sitting in front and on either side of my father died on the spot. My father was the only one in that line to survive. He had an injury on his jaw and a fracture in the leg. He was admitted in a general hospital and, after some treatment, was declared dead.

His body was placed in a room along with a few other dead bodies. Our family was informed by the Police about his death. So some of our family members went there to bring the body to Ambala city. Meanwhile a relative of someone who died in that accident was searching in that room for the body of his relative. He found my father alive and informed the hospital staff who shifted him to the ward where he was recovering. When some of my family members went to the hospital for the body, they were happily surprised to find my father seated on a bed and talking to people.

He lived afterwards for 14 years. When my father died in January 1998, my mother was weeping un-consolably one night. Swami came in her dream and said 'your husband was to die in 1974 when he had heart attack. I saved him twice - in 1974 and also in 1984. I gave him life again. He was only on bail'

In 1999, I could not pass the exam for higher grade. I prayed to Bhagavan. After six months, I was given higher grade.

In July 2005, I suddenly felt an urge to go to Prasanthi Nilayam for seva. By that time all those that enlisted for seva had already made railway reservation. I went to the reservation counter though I was doubtful to get reservation in view of the short time available. But, by the grace of Bhagavan, I got a berth. My mother was going to Shirdi and from there she was to come here. When she was getting ready for the journey, my elder brother, Mr. Ravinder Sharma gave her some money and said, 'remit this amount there as my contribution to Swami's seva works'. She put it under the cloth on which Swami's photograph was placed in the house and forgot to take it when she was coming to the railway station. She remembered it only in the train and told me to pay that amount at Prasanthi Nilayam and then take it later. I said 'no problem'.

At the New Delhi railway station, she phoned to my brother's house to tell them what had happened. But before she could open her mouth, my sister-in-law, Mrs. Urmila Sharma, who was working in the Department of Judiciary, told her that she was promoted that day. We all felt very happy that Swami had blessed them even before their humble contribution reached Him. We had some sweets with us, which we distributed to co-passengers on the platform to celebrate the good news.

Last year, in the month of July, there was rain at our place for nearly 36 hours, out of which it was for 12 hours non-stop and very heavy. The bund of the river which was going near the city gave way and all low-lying areas were inundated. Water was coming into our home around 2:30 p.m. I was afraid that our house would collapse and we all would get washed away in the floods. Army was already evacuating people. I was praying to Bhagavan all the time. At 2:30 p.m. when water entered my house, I got nervous and prayed to Bhagavan 'I am a poor fellow. If the house is lost, I cannot build it again, pray save us'. In less than an hour, rain stopped and our house as well as our entire area was saved owing to Swami's grace.

In 2004, we conducted a medical camp in the nearby village. I went there to do seva. We were getting a room darkened for eye testing by covering all windows and ventilators with cloth. I stood on a table and covered one ventilator. Then I got down the table and tried to drag it near another ventilator in the room. It was a table having iron rods. Its plank was sharp and heavy. Suddenly; it collapsed and fell on my feet. Every one came running thinking that both my feet might have been cut by the sharp edge of the table that had fallen on my feet. But miraculously nothing happened owing to Bhagavan's grace. I was completely unhurt. No one was able to explain how the sharp edge that had fallen suddenly on my feet had not injured me.

One day, I returned from the celebration of remembrance of my grand father. We celebrate it every year. I returned home at 12:45 in the night. My wife kept some milk for me. I went in to the kitchen to warm it and felt the smell of gas. I checked. Everything was alright. I lit the stove and warmed the milk and drank it. All was ok. I switched off the cylinder and went to bed. Next morning, my wife woke me up saying that the stove was not getting lit. I went in and checked up. I could detect no problem. Then I pulled the cylinder out to see if anything was wrong with it. I was shocked to find that the gas carrier pipe was broken into two. It was so since the previous night, but nothing happened to us even though I lit the stove in the night, and my wife struck matches to light the stove in the morning. In fact, the moment I had struck the match in the night it should have caught fire and exploded. So was the possibility in the morning when my wife had struck matches to light the stove. Swami saved us from a calamity.

Another day I gave harathi to Swami's photograph and then asked my wife to get me some water to drink. Then, I told her 'never mind, you attend to your work. I will go and take water'. I went into the kitchen where I felt the smell of leaking gas. I immediately switched off the cylinder, as I found it in 'on' position. I asked my wife why she had failed to switch off the cylinder. 'I have switched it off' she replied. How is it that it was in 'on' position? When the gas was leaking, how is it that it did not catch fire when harathi was going on in the next room, which stood connected to kitchen through an open window and a door? Swami saved us again from a major accident. Otherwise, my entire family would have perished that day.'

-- - Mr. Surinder Sharma

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 04.08.2005)