Messages from Sri Sai Baba Vol. IV
Author: Dr. K.V. Raghava Rao

 

Om Sri Shirdi Sai

CONTENTS

1. RAHUL'S FEVER

The first instance that I want to record is about my son Rahul, when he was six years old. He got very high fever and had continuous vomiting. For fifteen days, the medicines had no effect and his condition was serious. The doctors also could not understand whether it was malaria, typhoid or some viral fever.

Finally, one day the fever started rising even more and whatever he took started coming out, even plain water. The fever was above [105 (o F)] even after administering tablets and sponging. Two doctors sat beside him the whole night but there was no response. The whole night we were awake and extremely anxious. We are fast loosing hopes.

Then suddenly I remembered Udi (holy ash) and thought of giving Udi water. Till that time I prayed to Baba and applied Udi on the forehead only but to give it as a medicine and not strike me. I also prayed that if Baba's Udi works as medicine then I will publish this miracle.

I mixed Udi in water and started giving him one teaspoon of water every half an hour. From that time the fever started subsiding, half a degree per hour. And in four to five hours the fever came down completely. The Udi water did, what even the latest medicines could not do.

Later, after things became normal (after many days) I had a feeling that if I write this miracle, will people believe in the power of Udi? In this age of science and medicine will people believe in the supernatural or of some power which is behind us. Will the "Sai Sudha" or "Sai Prabha" magazines publish such incidents?

One day I casually turned the pages of a Sai Sudha magazine. In that a person had written a similar story of his son's fever which was cured by Udi. After reading it I felt very happy and thought that Baba made me read this miracle to remove my doubt.

Even in this age of science, there is still something called "Life" and "Death" which nobody is able to describe, define or prevent. However much we are able to probe still there is such a vast expanse of universe, about which nothing is known. All this is staying in harmony because of some powerful superhuman force, which we cannot see, but can only feel or experience, at some stage or other in our life. And this force tries to help us when we ardently invoke it.

2. ARTI

All my experiences with Baba started with this Arti incidence. Once, as soon as I went for a bath, my mother completed her prayers and gave the Arti to God. I felt very sad because I could not receive the Arti.

Then suddenly the flame of the Arti appeared in the bathroom. Baba was holding the Arti in his hand. Like a shadowy figure clad in white clothes Baba stood over there but the flame of the Arti came towards me. I moved this side and that side but the flame followed me. Finally I got scared and bowed to it and took the Arti. Then the Arti vanished.

In those days we did lot of namajapam and also Bhajan day in and day out. After the above incidence, during prayers whenever I closed my eyes, certain Goddesses used to come in glittering silver. Each day I would describe the Goddess that I saw to my mother and she used to tell us the mythology connected with it. At that time, we realized, how many Goddesses were there in our mythology.

These incidents happened before my marriage, i.e. before 1980.

3. LAKSHMI, DURGA, SARASWATI

Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth, Durga is the Goddess of power (sakti) and Saraswati is the Goddess of knowledge.

I am surprised to realize that what I saw in dreams, meditation or prayers got correlated with actual events in life.

Lakshmi :

The first incident was about twelve years back I had this dream. There was hilly area. The air was quiet chilly. Some people along with me were climbing up a strenuous path. We were tired but were progressing in our journey. We came to a cave and had to pass through it, bending our heads and walking precariously. There was a stream flowing and we had to pass that also. Suddenly near a bend I was confronted by a Goddess. I stood over there looking. Later that Goddess became Lakshmi Devi. I could hear the sound of water flowing through the rocks beneath. The Goddess was sitting on a big lotus, smiling and gave her blessings. When the Goddess gave her darshan, I folded my hands and bent my head in reverence.

I told my dream to others but we could not realize which place it was. I thought that the dream had no relevance and forgot about it.

After some years, when I was casually watching the T.V., I saw some pilgrims walking on an almost similar hilly track. I started thinking about where I had seen this place before, when I suddenly remembered the dream. The Goddess was Vaishnava Devi. I had no idea or clue about Her before my dream. I was surprised that how could I get a dream about something that I had never seen in my life nor knew that it existed. I was happy that the Goddess gave me Her darshan, even though I was ignorant.

Durga :

This incident happened exactly one year after the Om Jai Jagdeshwari miracle described later in this book.

One day, my mother and myself were alone in the house with the kids. That night at about 10 p.m. the temperature of my daughter started rising. We became worried as we could not take her to a doctor. We immediately rang up our family doctor and spoke to him. He told us to administer some tablets for the fever. As there was nothing much we could do, we had to just pray that the fever would not rise. We administered the tablets and the baby started getting sleep. As I was having some doubt lurking in my mind based on my experiences last year, I anxiously looked at the calendar for the actual date of commencement of Navaratri festival. I became wonder struck as it was the first day of Devi Navratri. So the Goddess gave me a little scare by making my daughter unwell and made me pray to her. I remembered Om Jai Jagdeswari and started chanting the mantra which till then I quite neglected. I continued the meditation till the early hours of the morning. The face of a Goddess appeared in front of me. I did not know who she was. The face flashed many times in front of my eyes. The face looked as if it was carved in wood. I prayed to her also that the baby should get well. My daughter became normal by morning.

Then again after some days, in the night I was watching TV The program showed how Goddess Durga was worshipped in different forms all over India. Suddenly, they showed the forms of Durga carved in wood. In my shock I could not register the name of the place where She was worshipped in this form. But in this form Goddess Durga is worshipped to cure ailments and to bestow health to the people. I was surprised.

I can say that the Goddess Durga is so magnanimous that even though I was ignorant and did not know that this certain form of the Goddess existed, She only came to me, gave Her darshan and made me pray to Her. She hinted or showed to me through the TV program that She really existed.

Saraswati :

In my routine prayers, I also pray to Goddess Saraswati.

Sometimes, in my prayers, a certain Goddess with Her face completely yellow and wearing a crown used to come. I mistook the vision and always thought that it was Goddess Lakshmi.

For "Varalakshmi Vrata" puja we apply turmeric to a coconut, so that it becomes yellow in color and on it we put eyes, ears, lips, etc., just like the face of a Goddess. This coconut is put on top of a pot and a saree is wrapped around it and decorated with ornaments. She is considered as Goddess Lakshmi and is worshipped on that particular day.

As soon as I saw a yellow face I thought of Goddess Lakshmi only. On seeing the crown, I thought, the Goddess was asking me to decorate her with the crown the next week when I perform the puja. The following Friday, in the same auspicious month, I did the puja of Goddess Lakshmi grandly and also decorated her with a crown made of a small ornament I had. I was very much satisfied with myself, that I performed the puja nicely according to the wish of the Goddess.

Then again, after a week or so, after the Lakshmi puja, the yellow faced Goddess again started appearing. I was perturbed. I thought I did everything correctly regarding the puja, but then, why was She appearing again and again?

I asked the Goddess also whether I did something wrong that she appeared so many times. She used to appear at times in a flash and disappear, but She used to come regularly with long intervals in between. I always thought of her as Goddess Lakshmi and whenever She appeared I used to bow to her and join my hands in prayer. This happened many times.

One evening I was very busy with some work and was moving from one room to the other. On the TV they were showing some program and my son was watching it. Suddenly he shouted, "Mom" it is "Basara Saraswati Devi, come and see, how nice She is looking". I said, "Keep quite and watch it if you want, I am very busy, don't disturb me". But as he was very persistent saying what will happen if you just give a look and go, I came to the TV and had a look. I was shocked because what I saw was the Goddess who was persistently coming in my vision. It was the same yellow face with a crown on Her head. It was unbelievable and I was also dazed. My mother was also surprised when I showed her the figure and reminded her of my visions.

As I did not recognize Her and as I mistook Her for Goddess Lakshmi instead of Goddess Saraswati, She came persistently to me. Even after coming so many times when I could not recognize her, she enlightened me through the TV How could an ignorant person like me know how Goddess Basara Saraswati looks when I have never gone to that place in my life.

After I realized the truth that it was Goddess Saraswati and not Goddess Lakshmi who came in my vision, the vision stopped coming.

To date, I fail to understand how such experiences occur and how can they be explained or proved by science.

4. SWAPNA'S DEATH

My First daughter Swapna was very serious. She was only a year old baby. The doctors also did not know her condition properly. I started continuously thinking, Baba, will she live or not. In the night I got this dream.

Two very beautiful gold fishes were playing in the water in an aquarium. My daughter also was very beautiful. Suddenly both the fishes fell down and were dead. The male voice that I heard was --

"Death is inevitable for anybody".

After this scene, immediately another scene came. It was a very big hall with marble flooring. On one side there was a big statue of Baba and on the other side was a big statue of Goddess Lakshmi. Both the statues were beautiful and magnificent and were almost touching the ceiling. The whole hall was sprinkled with rice grains. I was standing and looking at the divine figures with a sad expression on my face.

I do not know the connection between both these dreams. Except that Baba knew before only about the sorrow that was about to befall me and that I would still continue to pray Baba, even after the sorrows.

5. SUGARCANE JUICE

When my daughter Swapna was in a serious condition I got this dream.

I was on a railway platform and was very thirsty. Some friends were also there with me. We had no water bottles with us. All of us were searching for water but we could not find water anywhere. We walked up and down, two or three platforms but there was no water.

Finally, on the last platform, on a bench sat a Fakir. He was just like Baba but a little more fat. He had a jug with him. We could not control our thirst and asked him for the little water that he had. He agreed and started giving a little water to everyone. I was the last one and by the time my turn came the jug was empty. There were only two or three drops at the bottom.

I took the jug from him hoping to wet my tongue at least with that two drops of water. Baba pulled off the jug from my hands. He smiled and said, "There is no need for you to quench your thirst with water. From now on you can quench gave me the jug again. It was filled to the brim with sugarcane juice. I was surprised. I drank my full and still a lot was left. The Fakir vanished, laughing.

I hoped that some miracle would take place and my daughter would be alive. But she died. I was frustrated and very angry with Baba because when he could not save the girl, why to come in dreams and show such instances. I was in a state of depression for a long time.

But after lapse of many years and also after mature consideration, I felt that though I wanted water, Baba gave me sugarcane juice. That is though I begged for the life of my daughter, Baba knew that it was not possible and so instead of her he gave two more children. We have to endure what is written in our fate.

6. WRONG INTERPRETATION

On day I came from the hospital (during daughter Swapna's illness) took bath and stood near Baba's photo and prayed. Suddenly I felt as if the whole of Baba's mouth was filled with blood, and I was shocked.

After sometime, my daughter died. I was frustrated, dejected and I chided Baba that He was the one who took away my child. I held Baba responsible for her death. For many years I could not reconcile myself. Whenever I thought of the event I was very sad and dejected.

After many years, I was praying to Baba, but inwardly I remembered this incident and was very disturbed. Then as if coming from my mind only I heard a voice, which said, "I did not take your baby, I took the suffering of the baby on Me". Baba flashed the message in my mind. After this incidence I stopped interrogating Baba regarding this matter.

Baba tries to do good only to us, but in our misery and suffering we interpret Him wrongly. If it is written in our `Fate' that we have to suffer, then we have to suffer. Perhaps Baba would not like to interfere with `Fate'. Only we get a lot of solace by praying to Him and He also tries to smoothen our path.

In my case, just one month after my daughter's death a son was born to me. And with a new born baby we will have so much work that there is no time to sit and think. And in one way that is also solace.

Before this interpretation, some four or five years after the death of my daughter, one night Baba came in the dream. He said, "You are thinking I took away your daughter. No I did not. See, if you want I will give back your daughter to you'. Saying this he dug up the tomb and gave her to me. I quickly touched her from top to toe and she was alive. She was wearing the same green frock in which she died. I started thinking, how could she survive there (underground) for so many days. I woke up from the dream trembling, shivering and sweating. After this, I became pregnant and a daughter was born to me.

7. FAITH

One day I was in very low spirits. I was continuously thinking, Baba we pray to you only, we are your devotees, then why do you inflict such suffering on us that we are unable to bear it.

I got the following dream. My mother and myself were walking on a bridge over a river. Suddenly the bridge started collapsing. All the people including my mother ran for safety and were safe.

Only I fell down into the water. I was panic stricken as I was on the verge of drowning. Then I thought, though I am a devotee of Baba, my plight is like this. Baba says he helps his devotees, then what is this. He is not even bothered about his devotees who are suffering. Immediately Baba appeared and threw a big block on me. First of all I was drowning and on top of it if a heavy weight (load), falls on me, instant death was inevitable. I was surprised by Baba's behavior but I knew I was about to die and as a last resort unknowingly I screamed Baba, Baba, please help me.

The next minute Baba threw a large net like basket around me and hauled me out of the water to safety.

Baba stood there before me, smiled and gave the following message :

"If you have complete faith in Me,

From all the burdens shall I free you".

As soon as I fell into the water I was proud that why should Baba not come and rescue his devotees. But when I screamed from the bottom of my heart, for His help, throwing all my burden on Him, thinking it is His wish to rescue me or not, He immediately came and rescued me.

Our troubles, sorrows, pains, grief, distress, everything comes under burden because they all weigh us down like a heavy load. If we start ignoring our difficulties and leave everything to Baba, He only will wade us out of this worldly existence, decide our future path and take us to safety.

8. OM JAI JAGADESRARI

After the death of my first daughter I was still wavering whether to continue prayer of Baba or not. My mother asked me to complete some of the vows which I had undertaken and did not fulfill. One of it was to do Parayanam of Satcharita.

I started reading it on a Thursday. I read it, but I was finding fault with every miracle as my heart was very restless.

On the third day of the reading, my second daughter suddenly became very ill with high temperature. It was the first day of Devi Navaratri. It was midnight and her temperature was very high and she was only months old baby. I took her to Baba's puja room, applied Udi on the forehead, and said to Baba that if anything happens to this girl, I won't tolerate it.

My father was working abroad at that time and brain fever was rampant in those parts, and also many children had died. The family doctor advised us to get a few tests done to eliminate doubts.

All the necessary tests were done and we were awaiting the results. We were all very tense and distressed because we had a tragedy at the back of our mind.

That night I got the following dream :

There was a huge and big mountain. A thundering, rumbling sound was heard and the mountain split into two. The atmosphere was very scary and the scenery was awesome because of the big sounds and the deep echos of the mountains breaking into two. The inside flat surfaces of the mountain faced me.

On one flat side of the mountain was carved the figure of a big Goddess. Slowly the figure became prominent. After my daughter's death, I was in a reckless mood and very fearlessly asked the Goddess "There are so many Goddess in our mythology. How do I know who you are? If you tell me, I will come to know".

Then from somewhere, musical sounds were heard, jingling sounds of bells ringing, conches being blown and from in between all these, as if coming from the depths of the ocean, sounds of singing came. The words I heard were, "Om Jai Jagadesh.....", immediately I said, Oh, it is Om Jai Jagadesh Hare. Then the Goddesses' clear and sharp voice said, "No, Not Jagadesh Hare, but Jagadesh Wari. Pray to me". Then to confirm the words, the other mountain turned completely and laid flat on the ground as shown below.

In Southern India. Gowri Devi's Puja is done in this form. A stone is cut in this shape and worshiped. One can imagine what a breathtaking and awe inspiring experience it is when a whole mountain splits into two, turns and falls flat on the ground, and how a Goddess will look when carved on a huge mountain surface.

After witnessing all the scenes, everything became calm and then I heard the voice of Baba. He wanted to tell me that all the tests were normal and I must not worry. He said,

"Number One, nothing is there,

Number Two, nothing is there,

Number Three, nothing is there. Don't worry. Wake up. The time now is 5.45. A.M."

I woke up from the dream. Under my pillow there was a digital watch. Immediately I pulled it out to confirm the time and it was exactly 5.45. A.M. I was shocked and surprised.

The whole night parents were also very restless, thinking about the results. Only in the early hours of the morning my father could get some sleep.

Baba came to my father, patted him and woke him up saying, "Go to the hospital". My father became very tense and anxious thinking that something might have happened to the baby. He immediately rushed to the hospital. There I received him with a smiling face. I told him that Baba had come in my dream and told me that there will be no problem at all and so there was no cause to get frightened. My father heaved a sigh of relief.

Just as Baba had given his word, all the tests were normal and we all were very happy.

9. MY MOTHER

Once we took our mother to a hospital in Madras as she was not well. There the doctors felt that her condition was not good and advised my father to get her admitted in the hospital. My mother was adamant and did not want to get admitted in the hospital.

When my father took her to the hospital to get some tests done, I was alone in the hotel room. I started praying to Baba. I was worried about my mother and did a lot of namajapam (Om Sai Ram). Then suddenly I saw Baba's white shadowy figure, walking swiftly up and down the room. As we pray ardently to Baba, Baba appears to us.

Later, my mother was cured without being admitted to the hospital, but by prayer to Baba.

After four or five years, once again my mother was in a serious condition with severe pain in the stomach. My brothers and myself were in Hyderabad and my parents were in Sri Lanka. My mother was admitted to the hospital and had to be operated immediately according to the doctors. My father informed us with anxiety that since her condition was not at all well, the doctors were debating whether it was possible to perform the operation or not.

All of us were very tense and started praying in the puja room. When I closed my eyes, Baba showed a silver hand and leg and asked me to put them in Tirupati. I did not understand why this vision repeatedly came when we were praying ardently about my mother's serious condition. But as it went on appearing, I thought, O.K. Baba, we will put them. Immediately the vision vanished. After sometime we got a phone call from our father informing us that the operation had been averted.

Later we came to know that my mother always suffered with pain in the arms and legs for no specific reason at all. This pain vanished.

Regarding the operation of my mother, Baba used to avert the operation in the last minute through prayer. This had happened not once or twice but several times. Every time my mother was in a serious condition, Baba used to avert it in the last minute. Thus Baba showed us that though, according to doctors, the operations were inevitable, it was finally "He" who cured.

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