Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group IV | Mr. T Ramalingam

Mr. T Ramalingam,
58, New Street,
Ayanavaram, Chennai - 600 023.

Mr. T. Ramalingam (65), a retired Railway employee, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'In 1997, a friend of mine told me about Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and advised me to attend bhajans. I attended a few bhajans. The convenor of the local Sri Sathya Sai Samithi, who observed me attending bhajans regularly, encouraged me to join the Samithi and participate in seva activities.

Within a few months after I started attending bhajans, I met with an accident. One day I was returning from my work place to my house for lunch on a cycle. There was no traffic at all at that time that day. When I took a right turn, a motorcyclist came fast suddenly and hit my cycle. I did not notice him till his vehicle hit mine. The impact was such that my cycle had gone into the air and landed at about ten feet away. But mysteriously I was sitting on the road immediately after the accident, as if some one had carefully lifted me from my cycle and placed me in a sitting posture on the road.

I was dazed at the unexpected incident. I could not surmise what had happened to me or to the one who had hit my cycle, for a few moments. Then I got up. There was no injury - not even a scratch on my body. I went to the place where my cycle was lying. It did not suffer any damage. I slowly went to a nearby hotel, sat there for a few minutes to come out of the shock and then went home on my cycle. As I reflected on that accident, I became more and more certain that Swami had rescued me from a ghastly fate. 'What would have happened had the motorcycle hit my legs or had I, too, flown into the air along with my cycle', I shudder to conjecture.

In 2000, I came to Prasanthi Nilayam for seva. I was posted on night duty near the gas go-down in the far northwest corner. As I was walking a few paces to ward off sleep, at about 2 a.m. or so, a thought crossed my mind: 'They say there are snakes in this area, but I have not seen even one. Are the snakes still there, or have they left the place because of the fear of humans moving about here?'

As I turned back to return to my chair, I saw a snake going along the edge of the black-topped road. It lifted its head and looked at me. I stood still praying to Bhagavan. It then went on its way. Its appearance was an answer to my doubt. Bhagavan made it clear to me, perhaps, by this, that snakes are still there, but they do no harm either to devotees or sevadal because of His grace. What would have happened had the snake rushed towards me and attacked me? As I was carrying a stick, it had reason to anticipate danger from me, and could resort to attack.

I came for seva again in 2001 when I was posted in S4 and S5. There is a mango tree in the corner. In the day time one person came and picked all mangoes from the tree. I saw it. He was employed by the management to collect mangoes from all trees. Next day, as I was on duty, a thought occurred to me. 'How I wish a ripe mango fell from the tree?' I thought, 'it will surely be delicious'. Suddenly, I heard a sound like 'thud!' I went to investigate. There was a small sand patch under the tree. A mango fruit fell in that sand. It was not damaged by the fall. I thanked Bhagavan and picked it, washed and ate. It was, indeed, very delicious the like of which I had never eaten. It ripened on the tree and came to me as Bhagavan's prasadam, further sweetened by Swami's love and grace.'

-- Mr. T. Ramalingam.

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 10.11.2005.)