Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group IV | Mr. V. Subrahmanyam

Mr. V. Subrahmanyam,
Plot No. 11, Annapurnanagar,
Berhampur, Orissa.

Tel: 0680-2260314

Mr. V. Subrahmanyam, a sales representative, relates a few of his experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in his own words.

'My father Mr. V. Kailasavasa has been a devotee of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba since 1963. Though I believed in God and worshipped mainly Lord Venkateswara, I had certain reservations about Bhagavan in the beginning. One of my friends who is a devotee of Bhagavan used to tell me, 'go and see for yourself. You will understand by experience alone the Divinity of Bhagavan.'

I came to Prasanthi Nilayam for the first time in 1990. I did not know the rules here. At that time I was in Ayyappa-deeksha and went in by the students' gate. I had darshan of Bhagavan from close quarters.

Even in 1991, I had some doubts. But I was amazed to find answers coming to my doubts. This used to happen either through Divine Discourse or some other way. I gradually got interested in Sri Sathya Sai seva activities. I used to work mainly in medical camps for urban as well as rural folk as I was, at that time, a medical representative.

In 1999, I was asked by my samithi people to go to Kurda railway station and get a copy of notification laying down norms for railway concessions, as well as some concession application forms. As I got down the train at Kurda, there was heavy rain and gale. I was walking in that rain towards the office of the Divisional Railway Manager. There were two roads - both leading to DRM office. When I was about to take the shorter one, I heard a voice, 'don't go that side'. Immediately, I turned and took the other road as directed by the voice. In fact, there was no one seen on the road at that time. I didn't know whose voice it was. Just then I saw a tree falling down across the road, which I was about to go by, but abandoned, owing to the pressure of the gale. Had I taken the shorter route, I would have been crushed to pulp under the impact of the falling tree then and there. Swami miraculously saved my life.

I reached the DRM office safely. They were all surprised how I reached there despite the rain and gale. They gave me the copy of the notification and some forms. How to go out? There was no sign of any abatement of rain. The weather was damp and chilly. 'How I wish I had a cup of tea?' was my only thought. There was a canteen across the street, but I could not go there because of the rain. At that time, a gang-man came there. He was commenting on the rain. As he was chatting about the rain, I did not pay much attention. Suddenly he asked 'would you like a cup of tea?' Without waiting for my reply, he handed over a cup of hot tea. I didn't know how he secured it. I was amazed. No sooner did I think of having a cup of tea, than it came to me. I thanked Bhagavan who I thought came in the guise of the gang-man to give me tea.

After a couple of hours, I had an attack of migraine. As I was coming by train to Kurda, I met a railway contractor in the train. He also came to DRM office in the rain. We wished each other. 'How are you?' he asked me. 'Fine' I replied, 'but for some headache'.

'Here are some tablets with me' he said, 'but I don't know which one heals you'.

'Let me see' I told him, and selected a tablet from the stock he had.

'How do you know' he asked 'that it heals your headache?'

'I am a medical representative' I told him.

I thanked Swami for sending me medicine for my migraine in this cyclonic weather.

It was dark. I had no place to go. I stayed on at the office of the DRM. Rain was lashing heavily. After a while, I heard my name being called. I answered. 'Please come here' a staff member invited me, 'take these'. It was a pleasant surprise. He handed over a plate of hot puris - nearly a dozen! There was no chance of my getting any food at that time there. I was, in fact, hungry. Here came the food miraculously direct to me.

'In the rain' the staff working there told me, 'you cannot go anywhere. You may sleep in this room'. I gratefully accepted their kind offer thanking the Lord for giving me shelter.

Next morning, I went to the house of the State Secretary of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization, in rain.

'How could you come in this cyclone?' he wondered.

I told him the purpose of my visit and how I spent the night in the DRM office! 'I came here on Swami's work' I said, 'He takes care of me'.

'There is no train for you to return to Berhumpur' he told me, 'all trains are stranded'. I was his guest for the next four days. I was happy that in that cyclone he could mobilise members of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation and arrange food for the stranded passengers in trains at the Kurda station.

When the sevadal were distributing food packets containing puries with sugar and pulihora, one passenger in an upper class bogey said, 'see. We have bundles of money. What's the use? All my money can not buy a plate of puris for my hungry children. Had not God sent you to feed us, we would have had no alternative but to starve'. God, indeed, sent them food; God that presently walks on earth.'

-- Mr. V. Subrahmanyam

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 24.08.2005)