Sri Sathya Sai: Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent

This incidence happened during Dassara in 1995, just after I completed my B.Sc. (Honors) course, in the Brindavan campus of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. All the boys of the Brindavan [in Bangalore] campus who stayed back for the vacation were accommodated in the old hostel located near the mandir. As usual, the students used to rush inside the mandir and were often selective about where they sat. I used to sit in a particular place for Swami’s darshan [seeing the Divine]. May be it was my perception, but I felt that Swami avoided looking in the direction where I used to sit.

One day during darshan, seeing my vacant seat, Swami enquired about my absence from my brother, Vamsi. My brother was perplexed and he feared that I was absconding from darshan without a valid reason. Once the darshan was over and Swami went inside the interview room with a few devotees, my brother quickly rushed to the old hostel and found me sleeping. He approached me with anger but seeing me, his anger melted. He saw that I was in a lot of pain and my face was also sweating. I found it difficult to sit on my bed as I was struggling with excruciating pain on my right lower side. I had not mentioned about it to anyone.

He immediately went back to the mandir, and Swami again approached him and asked him where Mr. Chakravarthy [he looks after the day-to-day affairs] was. My brother promptly said that I was in agony with unbearable pain. This shows the omnipresence of Swami. Bhagavan exhibits His love for all His beings where ever they are, regardless of whether they are in His presence or not.

Swami smiled at him and immediately called a doctor and told him to take me to the Super Specialty Hospital. He also directed my brother to accompany me. I was transported to the hospital and was given medical attention. In the evening Swami again called my brother and the doctor, and materialized vibhuti [sacred ash] for me and instructed that it should be applied externally at the place where it was hurting. He also gave some money to buy tender coconuts for me. This act of grace repeated for three days and on the third day, Swami instructed that the vibhuti should be given with water.

Then came the day when the senior surgeon recommended that I should be operated upon immediately as I was suffering from appendicitis. I was in a dilemma for I did not accept the diagnosis. But the situation demanded surgery and I had no choice. Prior to my surgery, I wanted to have Swami’s darshan, and possibly a chance to talk to Him about it (shows my ignorance). I was allowed to go for darshan and was sitting in the front line so that I catch Swami’s attention. I did not make any attempt to talk to Him as He was very busy distributing prasadam [blessed food], but the doctor on the verandah insisted that I should take a chance to talk to Swami.

Then, by Swami’s sankalpa [will] I got a chance to talk to Him. I told Swami, “The doctor says I need to be operated upon; I need Your grace and blessings, Swami.” Swami gave a stern look and He moved away from me without saying a single word. This sent a shiver down my spine! I was baffled and scared.

My surgery was scheduled for the next morning and the doctor administered some medicines. He advised his team to do an initial scan to get more clarity about my ailment. And lo and behold! When the reports of the scan arrived, the protrusion of the appendix was literally not visible! The team tried again but it showed a negative report of the protrusion. I was brought back to the ward. The senior doctor was astonished, but was ready to accept this as an instance of Swami’s omnipotence. I was discharged in a day and I went for darshan. This time Swami gave me a smile and moved on silently. This is just one of the many incidents that show His omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience.

I still remember the Diwali festival in the year 1993. Swami was gracious in calling my whole family for an interview. During the interview, Swami poured His love on all of us. He called my eldest brother and showing His palm, asked him what was in it. My eldest brother Srikanth was taken aback and he replied, “Swami there are lines on your palm.” Swami smiled and said that there were not just lines but that His tiny palm contained the whole world. It was a great revelation and it thrilled us.

Swami then began describing and revealing all that had happened to us in our lives—things that had never been shared even within the family members. Swami described how He helped my mother when her sari caught fire in the prayer room when she was immersed in her worship. He also mentioned taking care of her when she was admitted in a hospital with a paralytic stroke. Swami was sitting next to her in the interview room and He assured her that He was always with her even though He was physically in Puttaparthi.

On one occasion [when she was in the hospital], my mother had told my father that she had experienced someone touching her head at night and my father had replied that it might have been a nurse. Swami spoke about this incident also and revealed that He was the one who had comforted my mother by caressing her head. Swami then materialized a small golden Ganesha idol and gave it to my mother. He told her that she should do abhishekam [bathe] everyday and drink the holy water. That would rid her of all her ailments.

In the interview, Swami mentioned that it was not necessary for housewives to go out and work to feel responsible. They should serve their family as that itself was a great service. Swami added that even while making chapattis [bread], one could think of God. Mixing the dough can be an act of mixing the Lord’s love and your shraddha [devotion]. Flattening it with a rolling pin could be an act of broadening the mind, and baking it on the griddle could be an act of burning away hatred and other vices. Serving the chapatti could be akin to giving one’s love to all. This interview was followed by many more. Each interview and each conversation with Him revealed His innate Divine selfless love.

I know that I will never be able to pay off the debt that I owe to Him. But I also know that He expects me to just love Him and live for Him. My only prayer to Him today is that I love Him and live for Him always.

~P.S. Priya Chakravarthi, Student (1996-1998)
Source: Fragrance, Sathya Sai with Students