Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Mrs. S. Meenakshi

Mrs. S. Meenakshi
B3, East Prasanthi
Prasanthi Nilayam - 515134

Mrs. S. Meenakshi (68), a long time devotee of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai, narrates a few of her experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in her own words.

'My native place is Pekeru in West Godavari District. My in-laws belong to Yelegetipalem adjacent to our village. I was married at the age of 12 and widowed at 16.

My aunt and I went to Badari along with a group of devotees going there to attend a Yaagam performed there by Sri Sri Tridandi Ramanuja Jeer Swamiji, the predecessor to the present Chinna Jeer Swamiji.

On the way we had a brief stay at Puri. I missed our people there and was roaming in the town trying to reach the Choultry (lodge for pilgrims) in which we stayed. I did not know Oriya. Then someone who was going on a cycle stopped by me, understood my predicament and took me to some one who knew Telugu. It was raining on that day. By the time I reached our Choultry, I was completely drenched in rain. One old gentleman then came to me at the entrance of the Choultry and said, 'poor girl! You are completely wet; I will get you hot water and clothes. Take bath and wear them'. Though I politely refused his kind offer, he brought hot water and put it in the bathroom. Meanwhile I met my aunt who was quite anxious about my safety. As she brought my clothes, I did not use the clothes he had brought for me. Strangely, he brought the same type of white Bengal cotton sari, which I usually wear!

We proceeded on our tour and reached Rishikesh. When I went to the bank of the Ganga (River Ganges), one lady from our party tried to take bath in the Ganga, and was being washed away. I tried to rescue her and met with the same fate. Then a young man wearing knickers came and rescued us both. Earlier, the bank was deserted except for us two. My colleague and I paid grateful namaskarams to God, and were busy enquiring each other's safety. When we looked for the person who had saved us, to thank him, he was not to be seen anywhere. Our people reprimanded us for venturing into the river without local guides.

We reached Badari safely and witnessed the Yaagam besides taking bath in hot springs. While returning from Badari, we had to walk about 5 miles. I was proceeding along, singing full-throated some devotional songs when an old gentleman came along without my noticing him and asked, 'do you remember me?' I looked at him and recognized him as the person who had brought me hot water and Bengal cotton sari at Puri. I said, 'namaskar! You have also come to Badari?' Without answering my question, he asked me, 'will you come to my place?' I asked, 'which is your village?' He replied smiling, 'Nitya Kalyanam Paccha Toranam!'

Just then my aunt who feared I might have missed my way, called aloud, 'Meenakshi!' I tried to call back loudly, 'oh! I am here' and looked back; the old gentleman was not there. I do not know how he disappeared.

On return from Badari safely, we got entangled in a legal battle for my share in my husband's property. Everyone thought we would lose the case as my father did not give evidence as tutored by his lawyer, but went on speaking facts. Even the Judge told him, 'I will adjourn for tomorrow. You seem tired! The next day, to the surprise of all, the Judge decided the case in my favour.

After this, I lost both my parents in a few years. I continued to stay alone in my father's house. Our servant-maid, Mrs. Mutyalamma used to come and sleep in my house for my company. In those days, there was an outbreak of cholera. Added to this, many thefts were taking place. So the servant maid asked me to go to my relatives' house and sleep there. She said, 'I cannot come tonight to sleep here'.

'I won't go anywhere', I said, 'whether you come or not'.

'Ok!' she said, 'I am going. Bolt the doors carefully and sleep inside'.

I bolted the door and slept thinking of Lord Venkateswara and Lord Subrahmanya, our family deities. At about 2 a.m. the door opened with a bang. I awoke and half-rose from the bed. I saw Lord Siva entering my room majestically. I was wonderstruck at His handsome figure. Two serpents were seen around His neck and around His jaatajuta. He was sporting trisula and damaru. He came straight to me and said, 'I have come only for you'. He hugged me placing His hands around me. Then He said, 'Puttaparthi Sai Baba is incarnation of Adishakti. He is Rama. He is Krishna'. Soon His figure melted, and I saw Trimurthies (Trinity of Hindu deities) before me for a few minutes. Then they vanished. I sat all through the night without stirring. I did not think of bolting the door, which was thrown open on the entry of Lord Siva.

Early in the morning, the servant maid came and saw the door wide-open. She came in and found me in a sort of stupor. She began to cry aloud thinking that thieves had broken into my house. I did not tell her anything, and simply said, 'nothing to worry. Go and attend to your work'.

Within a few minutes I got ready, sent away the maid and started for Komaragiripatnam. To go to that place, I had to change buses at four places en-route. Usually it used to take nearly 10 hours at that time. But on that day, I could reach by 11:30 a.m. even though I started around 6:30 a.m. as I could get connections almost within minutes at every point. At Komaragiripatnam lived a saint called Sri Prahalada Baba to whom my husband had used to go frequently. Baba came out of his room and accosted me.

'Why don't you go to Puttaparthi?' he asked me even before I began.

'I have no plans to do so at present'. I replied and narrated what I had seen in the night.

'Go to Puttaparthi', he repeated on hearing to my story.

'I don't have money now'. I said desperately searching for an excuse.

'I will give you', he said.

'I will go only when I have my money', I replied.

'Saraswathi and others are going', Baba said, 'I will ask them to take you'.

I returned to my place. I went to my brother-in-law who was looking after my finances.

On seeing me, he said, 'I hear that you are going to Puttaparthi'.

'How much money is there in my account?' I asked.

'Why do you worry?' he replied, 'how much do you want? Take'.

He gave me Rs. two hundred. My sister gave me some puutarekulu (sweet) for Swami. I prepared karapu pusa (savoury) with ghee to give to Swami. Till then, I did not know anything about Swami. I joined a group of ladies going to Puttaparthi with my suitcase, and the bag containing some rice, utensils and eatables.

We had to go to Puttaparthi from Bukkapatnam in a bullock-cart. We had to walk the whole distance keeping our samans (luggage) in the cart. This was in 1962. There was only one shed and a few masonry kiosks without doors for visitors. We all went to Chitravati River at about 3 a.m., took bath and returned bringing some water for drinking. Swami used to give interviews at 6 a.m. in those days.

Coming down from His first floor residence, Swami opened the door and called us all for interview. As we went in, He came to me and said, 'I have come only for you'. I was immediately reminded of what Lord Siva had told me, as He (Swami) was coming to me. 'It is good that you have come', Swami said, 'stay here. I will give you a room. Why weep over your husband who is no more?' I was literally weeping. Tears were rolling down my cheeks.

Then Swami said, 'who do you think made you win the lawsuit? Who do you think that saved you from being washed away in the river Ganga?'

I was stunned. How did He know all that?

We were there till Ugadi. He gave me an interview almost every alternate day.

We were keeping our samans in one kiosk and sleeping there. In those days, they used to observe pin drop silence even after the Darshan and Bhajan were over. Swami used to move around a lot. Wherever he went, we all used to run there.

On arrival at Puttaparthi, I was sleeping in the night in the kiosk; there was some sound as if some dog was pulling at the samans. I woke up and tried to alert others that a dog had come, without knowing that the dog was pulling my own bag. It dragged the tin in which I had kept karapu pusa, and somehow removed the cap. When I realized what was happening, I warded off the dog. I saw karapu pusa sprinkled all over the place. I took, whatever was left, into the tin and gave it next morning as prasadam to fellow devetees. 'Which dog can come in? It must be Swami', I said while giving prasadam. That day Swami coming along the veranda was saying to no one in particular, 'which dog can come? They bring eatables for me but forget to give. So I take them myself'. So, my view that it was Swami that had come as a dog was confirmed.

Before the Ugadi festival, one of the persons doing seva with Swami came to me and said, 'it seems Swami told you Nitya Kalyanam Paccha Toranam. So He wants you to decorate the place with Paccha Toranam'.

I was literally floored. Was it this Swami who had saved me at Puri and Rishikesh and asked me, 'will you come to my place?' I wondered. That was why He was saying, 'I have come only for you'.

After returning to my village, I decided to shift to Puttaparthi for good. Many of my people, my brother in particular, did not like the idea.

'That Sai Baba is God', my brother remarked with sarcasm, 'and you want to go to him?'

'Yes', I said very assertively, 'He is my God. I will go to Him. What can you do? It is my will and pleasure. Who are you to ask me? My parents or my husband could dictate. No one else can do so'.

I had idols of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Anjanaya, and a picture of Dattatreya which I bought after I had Darshan of Trimurthies. I packed a few clothes and utensils and arrived at Puttaparthi.

Next morning Swami came to me in the Darshan line and asked, 'what is your brother saying?'

I didn't like to repeat that sacrilege. But Swami insisted. I told that my brother was remarking, 'that Puttaparthi Sai Baba is a God and you want to go to Him?'

'What did you say?' Swami asked.

I told Swami what I had replied to my brother. Swami said, 'yes, you are right. You must assert like that'.

I was provided accommodation in a room occupied by one Ramulamma. During my last visit she had asked me to stay with her.

'You give your room to Meenakshi', Swami told Ramulamma, 'and go and dance outside'. Later, Swami gave me a room in East Prasanthi after it was constructed.

I used to collect flowers from the various flower trees and plants in the gardens of the Mandir, and prepare garlands and tie them to the doors of the Mandir. I was told that Swami had once mentioned about the flower garlands in his speech at Trayi, Brindavan. When I came to know of this, I felt immensely happy and decided that I should not give up that practice. Owing to His grace, I have been able to continue the Poolaseva to date.

I used to get fever and severe headache often in those days. I went to the General Hospital at Puttaparthi, which was not as big then as it is now. The Doctors examined me and said that I had to go to Madras for treatment, as it was cancer in my head. I could not manage resources to go to Madras and remained at Puttaparthi leaving everything to Swami. After sometime, I had severe problem with my teeth. Some Doctor who came for seva removed two of my teeth.

Once I had high fever. When I went to the GH at Puttaparthi they said, 'you are neglecting a serious disease like cancer. We do not have treatment here. We can only give temporary help'. They gave me some tablets for fever.

Some people told Swami, 'Meenakshi is suffering from some serious illness, Swami'.

'Let her go and drown in Chitravathi', Swami said, 'and be dead'. He repeated this thrice. When people came and told me about it, I was a little disappointed. At that time, I did not know that by saying so, Swami was literally removing my disease. It was, in His view, the cancer that should go and drown in Chitravathi and be dead.

Since then, the disease has not raised its head. Swami has kept it under His foot and allowed me to go about doing my daily chores and seva without any problem for the last three decades.'

-- Mrs. Meenakshi

(As narrated to Mr. B. Parvatala Rao at Prasanthi Nilayam on 31.07.2004.)