Features | Experience of the Divinity of Bhagavan by Devotees | Group V | Dr. S. Kanaka Durga

Dr. S. Kanaka Durga,
Reader in English,
Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning,
Anantapur Campus.

Dr. S. Kanaka Durga is, presently, the Reader in the Department of English in the SSSIHL, Anantapur Campus. She has had several experiences of the Divinity of Bhagavan. She narrates a few of them in her own words.

'In 1972, when I was in my final year of M.A. English course, I had to submit original certificates along with the examination application form to appear for the postgraduate examination. But on the day of submission, to my utter consternation, I found the folder containing all my original certificates missing. I frantically searched for the missing certificates in every possible place, but did not find them. However, the university authorities allowed me to appear for the examination. In the meanwhile, I was going about the task of applying for the duplicates which involved a long winding official procedure. At this juncture, Bhagavan Baba happened to visit Shivam at Hyderabad. As usual, I went to Shivam for Bhagavan's darshan. In the darshan line, when Swami came and stood in front of me, I burst out crying, silently appealing for His help to recover the missing folder. Bhagavan assured me that I would get what I had lost, and significantly added that I would join His College. A week later, Swami left for Bombay.

One of those days I was helping my mother in the kitchen when she was preparing pickle. She told me to bring down the pickle jar that was kept on the loft. I went up the ladder and reached the loft. When I removed the lid of the jar, I found, inside the empty jar, the folder containing all my certificates intact! I was overjoyed to discover it! This unusual find made all my family members very happy. Subsequently, in 1974, I joined the Bhagavan's College for Women at Anantapur as a lecturer in the department of English. Then the whole truth of Bhagavan's statement made at Shivam dawned on me. I understood the true import of His assurance that I was picked to be graciously included in His Divine fold. Life under the canopy of Divine Love has been a smooth sail.

There are numerous instances of the Divine intervention and attention in our life. I quote a few here. I was asthmatic from my childhood. I used to suffer spasms of breathlessness. Even after I joined the college at Anantapur, I continued to get these attacks at frequent intervals. During one such attack, I was at Prasanthi Nilayam. While I was sitting in the darshan line, wheezing heavily, Swami came near me and asked me if it was asthma. I nodded my head affirmatively, as I was incapacitated to answer verbally. Swami looked up thoughtfully a while, and said in Telugu, 'chacchipo (die soon)' and walked away to the shock of everyone around. It is indeed very difficult to interpret Swami's statements rightly. That night, my family members were very anxious about my life, as I was helplessly struggling to breathe. Next day by early hours, I became normal, and my problem vanished into thin air, never to return.

My mother was an ardent devotee of Sai, and she alone instilled in us an unflinching devotion to the Lord, and put us on the god-ward path. She was never in the habit of taking medicines for any ailment. As such Bhagavan also discouraged us from taking her to the hospital whenever she was ill. Swami took complete care of her health and she lived a full life of 82 years. It was customary for us to report to Bhagavan, whenever she was unwell, especially, due to her cardiac problem. Once we had to take her to Hyderabad to attend the marriage ceremony of my niece. On the way, she became severely ill and semi-conscious. Perforce, we had to admit her to a hospital. After administering intravenal fluids, the Chief Cardiologist of the hospital expressed a deep concern for her, and told us that she should be immediately administered packed cells, as her haemoglobin had dropped to an incredibly low level of 3 gms. Survival at that stage was next to impossible.

As she was always under the Divine care all her life, we thought it was appropriate to inform Swami before putting her on further treatment. Immediately I went to Whitefield to seek Bhagavan's advice. Even before I could complete my statement 'Swami, mother, haemo…,' Bhagavan at once answered in Telugu that the haemoglobin levels would increase automatically. Taking cue from Swami, I rang up home informing my sister about Swami's assurance, only to know, in turn from her, that without the medication, the haemoglobin levels of my mother had already shot up to 8 gms much to the surprise of the hospital staff. With Baba's grace, she could attend the wedding of her grand daughter peacefully, without any complications.'

-- Dr. S. Kanaka Durga

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