Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group III | Mr. T Surender

Mr. T. Surender
Plot No. 54, Janaki Nagar
Valasaravakkam, Chennai - 600 087
Tel: 044-2486 1099

Mr. T. Surender (59), a retired Central Government employee, a cine artiste, Management Consultant and Interior Designer, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'In 1972, we attended bhajan in a devotee's house at Chennai. Then vibhuti emanated from the Photograph of Bhagavan. Those were the days when I was facing financial difficulties. In 1978-79, when I returned from office, I found a large gathering near Abbidsbury.

'What's the matter?' I asked a person there.

'Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has come. They are all here to have His Darshan', he replied.

I searched my pocket. There was only one rupee. A person was selling photographs of Bhagavan. With that one rupee I bought a Photograph. I did not know at that time that the arrival of Bhagavan into my life thus was a turning point in my life.

Even though I was in Central Government service, many persons and firms used to consult me on matters relating to accounts, management and taxation. After the photograph of Swami came to me, there was marked improvement in all matters. In fact, though I was working unofficially, I used to be reckoned as a top consultant owing to Bhagavan's grace. I was quite satisfied with my success in that line and opted for voluntary retirement in 1985 turning a fulltime consultant.

During those days, I had fairly good success in film field also as an actor. One day in 1984, my eldest son, Manoj (14) ran away from the house with a sort of amateurish recalcitrance and dejection. My wife was unhappy at this turn of events and said, 'you always say Baba, Baba. See what your Baba has done now!' Immediately, I thought of going to Puttaparthi and praying to Bhagavan, and got bus tickets booked. No sooner did my staff members, who went to get tickets, return with tickets, than the phone rang. It was a call from Kavali. My brother was on the line.

'Your son came here', my brother told me, 'he is safe with us. You can come and take him home at your convenience.'

'You were remarking what our Baba has done', I told my wife, 'no sooner did we book tickets to Puttaparthi than He gave us good news.' After that we all went to Puttaparthi. It was my first visit to Puttaparthi.

In 1986, I was taking a film producer for some discussion on the production of a film. I was driving the scooter while he was the pillion rider. Suddenly a lorry came and dashed against us. My mandible jawbone was fractured. Bhagavan saved us from a greater calamity and let us escape with less injury. I underwent surgery, and it healed well owing to His grace.

I fixed up an alliance for my daughter with a boy from my wife's side. I sat for three days in Darshan line in Prasanthi Nilayam in 1996 for blessings of Swami, but He did not look at me. On the third day, He picked up some akshatas from the plate I held and sprinkled on my head, but not on the invitation card. Unfortunately that boy divorced my daughter within a year. That's why, perhaps, Swami did not bless us properly.

I wanted to get the passport of my daughter renewed. They raised an objection that her initials were of her husband. As a divorcee, she could not use them. As the divorce decree was not countersigned by our embassy in London, they could not correct the initials. I had to move from pillar to post to get it done.

One day I had to go early without taking breakfast on that work. I picked up a police officer and went to the passport office, which was on the 2nd floor. The usual reply that the Indian embassy's endorsement was necessary was given. I felt disappointed as well as exhausted. I came down and enquired about toilets. They were on the 1st floor. I had again to ascend the steps. On the top of all this I had to drive the car over 10 kms to my house.

On my return home, I had a light meal and felt uneasiness. One of our relatives who was a doctor was called. On his advice I had to be hospitalised. Angiogram was taken, and then angioplasty was also done. But the question is 'how did I survive that strain that day on empty stomach, being a diabetic?' Only by Swami's grace!

In 1986, I came to Prasanthi Nilayam for Gurupoornima. On July 18, I sat in Darshan line. It was my birthday. Bhagavan came to me and blessed in spite of the crowd being heavy.

In 2001-2002, we came to Prasanthi Nilayam. We had Darsan. We went to our house near Gokulam and were loading our car with our luggage with a view to returning to Chennai. Just then, Swami's car was going towards the Super Specialties Hospital. We could notice it only after it passed us. I was furious that my wife and daughter did not alert me and that we missed a golden chance to have Darshan of Bhagavan before starting on our return journey. I asked our people to get into the car, and began to chase Swami's car. Students travelling in the escort car objected to our overtaking Swami's car. Swami's car, by then, neared the Hospital gate.

'It will turn left', I told my wife being still furious, and 'we will not get a chance to have His Darshan'. But Swami's car did not turn into the Hospital. It proceeded straight.

'Swami is going to Brindavan', I said, 'somewhere on the way, we may have a chance to have His Darshan.'

But, before I completed my sentence, Swami's car stopped. We were at a loss to know what to do. We, too, stopped.

Then unexpectedly, Swami's car began to take a u-turn.

We immediately got down and stood on the side of the road. As Swami's car passed by us slowly, we had Darshan of Swami and His blessings. We discussed nothing else but our luck and Swami's compassion till we reached Chennai.

Whenever I come to Prasanthi Nilayam, I pray before Ganesh temple near the main gate. I treat Him as Vinayaka in Kailasa and Swami as Kailasapati. When I was listening to the discourse of Mr. Anil Kumar one day before Shivarthri last week, he said: 'Vinayaka is here, leaving Kailas because Kailasapati Himself is here as Bhagavan'. Thus Swami confirmed through Mr. Anil Kumar what had been in my mind all along.

On the Shivarathri day, I managed to get in and sit in a prominent place. Suddenly a sevadal came and said, 'how can you sit here? Get up and go there'. I had to shift reluctantly to the place he had shown. I was a little crestfallen. But the grace of Bhagavan is such that from my new position I could have, for 20 minutes, uninterrupted Darshan of Bhagavan to my heart's content. Had I been sitting in my original position, I would not have been that lucky.

On the next day of Sivarathri, I could not get into the hall. Prasadam was being distributed. Someone who was with me was saying, 'alas! We could not get prasadam'.

'Don't worry; we made some prasadam in our house. You can take that', I said.

'No, I want Shivarathri prasadam of Swami ', he said.

Then they opened the gate on the eastern side. We went there and entered. When we entered, no one objected. But all were stopped from entering after we two were in. Some one came to us and said, 'sit down'. We sat and they served prasadam. We came out happily. Swami made us get in and receive prasadam in His abundant love.

When I gave a little of what I had received to the flower vendors outside the Ashram on my way home, their faces lit up with joy. 'Swami!' I saluted to Bhagavan gratefully, 'had you not given me this opportunity of distributing your prasadam to these people, I would have missed the opportunity of beholding their joyful countenance beaming in the aura of your Divine Grace.'

-- Mr. T. Surender

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 14.03.2005.)