Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group I | Mrs. Vani B. Veldurthy

Mrs. Vani B. Veldurthy,
B.23 / F.1, Vijayanagar Colony
Hyderabad - 500 057
Tel: 040-23343504

Mrs. Vani B.Veldurthy (34), a PhD Scholar and a lecturer in Political Science at a Junior College in Hyderabad, narrates a few of her experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in her own words.

'I have been having hernia on the wall of uterus for the last 4 or 5 years. Doctors initially suggested surgery but, some how, we could not take a decision about it.

Later my husband was transferred from Hyderabad to Kurnool in 2001. By Swami's grace, we got a convenient house very near to Sri Sathya Sai Mandir there. Sri Sathya Sai High School is also located there. Our two sons got admission in that school.

From October 1, 2001, I had stomachache as well as back pain continuously for 10 to 15 days. I was vexed with it, and wanted to go in for surgery. My parents have been residing at Puttaparthi. I thought it better to get myself operated there. My parents came to me to Kurnool and we all went to Puttaparthi. At that time, some strike was going on there in the APSRTC. No buses were plying. My mother's health also was not good. Against all these odds, I was insistent to undergo surgery there. We took a taxi and went to Puttaparthi.

At Prasanthi Nilayam, I sat in the Darshan line. Though I came here for surgery, I began praying to Swami to cure my ailment without surgery. Swami came where I was sitting, and stood before me. I was overwhelmed with joy. Later, when I was standing on the passage facing the gate of Sai Kulwant Hall, Swami turned towards where I was standing, raised both His hands and blessed.

Afterwards, I went to the Super Specialities Hospital. Though we were going there using the good offices of one of our family well wishers, I was not sure of how the Doctor would receive us. I was also worried about my children. If I were to leave them with my parents, they might not be able to manage the kids. My husband had to be here. I was praying to Swami for avoidance of surgery as a solution to all this.

The Doctor at the Hospital examined me. On his enquiry, I mentioned to him that we were living on a first floor at Kurnool. He said, 'change your residence first to ground floor and then come. You must take rest for two months after surgery. You should not ascend or descend even two steps'.

He also said that there was no urgency for surgery. 'Treat it (hernia) as a part of your body and learn to live with it'. The Doctor added, 'you can manage thus for a lifetime!' So the surgery was postponed.

A family well wisher residing at Prasanthi Nilayam mentioned to me, 'don't worry. You will be all right without surgery!' I thought that, as she happens to be a staunch devotee of Bhagavan, Swami Himself was speaking through her. She gave us, on our request, teertham (holy abhishekam water of a lingam given to her by Bhagavan. That water given by her is reputed to have healing power).

So far I have not undergone any surgery. I am hopeful that Bhagavan would ensure that I would be cured of the problem and that there would be no need for surgery at all.

I used to go regularly to Sri Sathya Sai Mandir at Kurnool, and sit before Bhagavan's Photograph there and pray. I used to tell Swami (in my mind) every problem I used to face whether it was absence of servant maid, financial stringency, children's health and studies, or any other matter. One problem after the other used to get solved by His grace.

My parents brought for us a Photograph of Swami from Puttaparthi. In it Swami is seen as blessing all, lifting both His hands up just as I saw Him blessing me at Puttaparthi.

We were transferred back to Hyderabad in May 2002. Immediately on hearing the news of transfer from Kurnool, I opened a book on Swami, which I was using then for daily parayana. The book opened at a page in which the following quotation of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai appeared. 'Why fear? I am with you, by your side, behind you, in your house!'

I felt very much reassured. I have had many experiences that establish His presence in our house. I felt that His eyes (in the Photograph given by my parents) were moving as I moved from one side to another, straight looking at me. When I did cooking, the eyes would be looking at me with care and affection. I used to pray then, 'Swami! See that all preparations are good so that my husband and children eat with relish'. On that day, they would all praise my cooking!

When I would lie down lazily, the Photograph would seem to be exhorting me, 'get up! Attend to your work!' If I happened to refer to anyone with malice, and chat gossip with others, Swami's eyes would look at me disapprovingly and seem to be telling, 'enough! Control yourself!'

Generally I keep talking (mentally) to Swami (in the Photograph) in all my moods reflecting my sadness, pain, anxiety, happiness, emotion or exhilaration. Some how, in someway, Swami responds suitably.

For example, our own house on the outskirts of Hyderabad, had fallen vacant in May 2003. It was vacant for nine months as no tenant came forward to occupy it. My father told me from Prasanthi Nilayam on telephone, 'why don't you write your problems to Swami?'

I began writing letters to Bhagavan from February 2004. The first letter I wrote was about my Ph.D. thesis. The CESS was not forwarding it to the university even after it was approved by my guide who was none other than the then Vice-chancellor of the University under which I was doing research for the Ph.D. degree. Within a few days after writing to Swami, the Registrar telephoned me to say that the University had received my thesis duly recommended by the CESS. My next letter was about the problem of no tenant coming to occupy our house. In a few days, a good family came as tenants.

My elder son, Master Subhanyu was suffering with throat inflammation and fever in March 2004. His annual examinations were to begin from the Monday next. I wrote a letter to Swami about his health and education. I dropped it in the post box and went to the school to bring home my second son. There I saw a notice on the notice board that the examinations were postponed! By the time of commencement of the examinations, my son was fit enough to take them. In fact, he improved his ranking in the examination.

On April 12, 2004, I wanted to complete my cooking early and go to see my parents at my brother's house. I put the cooker on the stove and was slicing vegetables standing by its side. The cooker was giving trouble for some time. Some how I could not get it repaired and was trying to manage with it.

As I was watching it for the vigils while slicing the vegetables, the weight on it moved off, all of a sudden. Usually, at that pressure, it should blow off and hit the ceiling or hit any thing around. Even the rice, dhal, etc in it should, normally, have got splashed around falling on my face as I was standing by its side. Nothing of that sort happened though steam was let off with loud sound and great force.

The miraculous thing that happened then was that the weight on the cooker did not fly off, as should be the case. Instead, it slowly landed on the black stone of the kitchen platform as if some one carefully took it off and placed it aside! I was a dumb witness to it. No damage was done to the cooker or to the stove or to the contents of the cooker. No harm was caused to me. What more proof do I need to be reassured that Swami is, as He promised, by my side, behind me and in my house protecting us always?

During May 2004, I began my efforts to secure some part time employment. As is my wont, I wrote about it also to Swami. I applied for many jobs. They were all in places far away from my house. But none of them fructified. I was feeling disappointed.

There is a college very near to my house. Earlier I worked there for sometime. They asked me to come and work again. But I did not accept their offer, as I was keen on joining elsewhere. I changed my mind and went to the college on May 29 to meet the Executive Director. He was conducting interviews for the post of Civics lecturer. He had interviewed seven candidates. After that he called me. When I went in, he received me cordially and offered the job of Civics lecturer to me even without any interview. He ignored all the seven candidates whom he had interviewed till then. Besides, he fixed higher pay than was given earlier. However, he posted me in their branch college, which is far away from my home.

But, later, the Director saw those orders and, by Swami's grace, altered the orders on his own accord and posted me at their college, which is near to my house. I joined on June 1, 2004.

We wanted to change the school of our kids for the current academic year. I wrote a letter to Swami. We made trials with many schools, but in vain. Finally we went back to their old school and admitted them. Later, we came to know that the Staff and the Principal as well as the policies of the school management changed for the better! So Swami changed the entire set up in the school, which is very near to my house and also to my college, and got my children admitted there.

We use a tin shed as a dining hall in our present residence. Those who reside on the first floor were getting some repairs to the drainage in their portion. In the process they inadvertently made two big holes on our tin shed roof. Though they had to get the roof repaired, they did not.

In January 2004, there was a heavy cloud formation. If it rained, water would come through those holes into the dining hall from which there is no outlet. It would have been a very tedious and painful job to let the water out. So I prayed to Bhagavan to come to my rescue.

In a few minutes it heavily rained, as I feared. But, miraculously, not even a drop fell into the dining hall from those holes in the roof. How it happened, I could not understand. It was inexplicable. It was only a miracle.

Later, I saw one of my neighbours getting some masonry work done. I casually mentioned our problem about the holes to him. Our neighbour immediately sent the mason to my house who got both the holes plugged in the roof to avoid any problem in the future.'

-- Mrs. Vani B. Veldurthy.

(According to a report sent to Mr. B.Parvatala Rao by post on 29.06. 2004.)