Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group V | Ms. Lalitha Sarma

Ms. Lalitha Sarma, I B.A,
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning,
Anantapur Campus.

Ms. Lalitha Sarma, a student of the first year B.A. of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Anantapur Campus narrates a few of her experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan in her own words.

'In my childhood, Bhagavan was someone very near and dear. He has always been there in my life as far as I can retrace. The beautiful ochre-clad Lord with crown-like tresses was almost an unseen family member to me. All the conversations in the house would finally end up in Swami. His glories were my bedtime stories; and His bhajans, the lullaby that put me to sleep.

But as I came to my teens, I felt myself drifting away from Swami. This thought pained me and created a doubt in me, 'is Swami becoming less and less accessible to me?' All the wise counsels of my father and other learned elders fell on deaf ears. Once after a Thursday bhajan, I had a bitter argument with my father. I went on to declare that I didn't believe that Swami was in and around us always. Both of us were much perturbed after the thoughtless statement I had made. The next day, I had to stay longer at school to finish my Chemistry practical. As I handled the chemicals hastily, an accident that occurred sent all my friends into frenzied screams. Fuming acid fell on the table and flowed down to my right palm, my dress and my shoes. The wax coating on the table melted; my dress had a hole; my socks were burnt. And, all the while, I had not even felt the heat of the burning acid. Also, I had not called out to Him for protection. As the acid ate up all that it fell on, I had to eat my own words. I regretted the previous day's arguments. Now, I revived my friendship with Him.

I had this long cherished dream to become a Sai Student and He gave me that priceless opportunity. The day I joined college, emotions ran high and I went to attend the evening bhajans, a little downcast. I missed my parents, the fear of isolation in a new place with new people made me feel miserable. Swami's photograph at the altar was beautifully decorated with flowers. As I looked at it in desperation, another unkind thought came to my mind, and I muttered to my neighbour, 'Swami says He has the love of a thousand mothers but now I realize that He can't even compensate partially the love of one mother.' Barely had these words slipped out of my mouth than a flower dropped from Bhagavan's photograph. To me, this seemingly trivial coincidence meant much. It was a sure sign of His reminder to me yet again not to get Him wrong - to be conscious of the 'Constant Integrated Awareness.' It was something more than I could ever ask for on the evening when I had just become one among the angelic flock. This was the instant cure for my terrible homesickness.

My mother, hailing from an orthodox family, could never fully accept that Bhagavan is truly the incarnation of the godheads that she worshipped. None could really convince her that Sai Baba is verily her paradevatha. A couple of years back, her niece's condition was diagnosed as ovarian cancer. My mother was particularly fond of this niece of hers and the news made her very sad and depressed. After a session of chemotherapy, as she convalesced, we decided to take her for Bhagavan's darshan to Puttaparthi. We were blessed with memorable darshans that still remain etched in our memory. On return, my mother had a dream in which Swami told her that the second chemo treatment was also over and that her niece was fully cured. Meanwhile, the follow-up scanning and medical checkups revealed that there was indeed no trace of any more cancerous tissues. Without actually undergoing physically the second session of treatment, owning to the Lord's interference, she was cured. While this incident strengthened my mother's faith, the whole family today lives in the constant awareness of the Lord's omnipotence.'

-- Ms. Lalitha Sarma

(As extracted from the souvenir Ananta Prematarangini published by the Anantapur Campus of the SSSIHL on the occasion of the 80th Birthday of Bhagavan)