Divine Miracles - 3

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“Love Knows No Pain” A Most Wonderful Incident of How Baba suffered for a devotee’s sake : In the December of 1970, Bhagawan travelled to Panaji, the capital city of Goa stopping enroute in the town of Dharwar in Karnataka. In Panaji, a strange and mysterious turn of events took place, which afforded His devotees another glimpse into His Divine nature. In fact, just prior to this incident, Prof. N. Kasturi, Bhagawan’s biographer, was to start for Sri Lanka, as Swami had blessed him earlier to address the Sai Centres there. But, all of a sudden, Bhagawan commanded him to cancel his visit and accompany Him to Goa instead. For what happened next is told in the most wonderful manner by Prof. Kasturi : At noon the next day, I accompanied Baba on a circuitous journey to Goa. The three cars moved

towards Jog Falls. As usual, while leaving Brindavan, devotees lined up on both sides of the road, anxious to get a glimpse of Baba and to see the Hand waving to them. It was a Fiat 1500 in which Baba, Mr. N.D.M. Appah, Chairman, Mysore State Electricity Board, and myself were traveling. The road was stony and rough, so the drive was full of jerks and bumps - this caused Baba to reprimand the driver for not being circumspect enough. "You do not know how much pain I get in the abdomen when it bumps," He said. We wondered why Baba who withstood worse roads better, was insisting on slow driving that day…. When the cars reached Goa, it was night. The stars came forth; they came with us, every yard of the road, keeping pace. When the border of Goa was reached, the Lt. Governor of Goa, Sri Nakul Sen, received Baba and let us into a rest house, where china gleamed in the shelves by the wall and geraniums glistened on

the window sills. We had coffee; from then on Baba sat in the state car, with the head of the state. Hurrying around the rambling roads, towards Panaji (the capital of Goa), the cars finally arrived at Raj Nivas, the Palace of the Governors-General of the "Portuguese Possessions in India and the Far East" for many centuries, but now, the official residence of the Lt. Governor. The time was 9.15 p.m. We had motored 385 miles, since morning, over good and bad roads, but Baba as fresh as a lily when He hastened up the red-carpeted flight of steps to the flower-decked apartments, set aside for His stay. Very soon, Baba presided over the dining table to which we were led by the Lt. Governor. He watched with amusement the contingent of waiters, and the beautiful chinaware, which the Portuguese had brought from Macao. Though Mrs. Sen made bold to remind Him of His duty to Himself, He did not eat anything. He appeared

to be anxious to send every one to bed. "Go, go! You are all very much exhausted," He insisted. I protested that traveling with Him can never exhaust anyone, but He repeated that I was really in immediate need of rest. When we rose Mrs. Sen was informed by Baba that coffee be made ready for Him only at 8 a.m the next day! She knew that at Prasanthi Nilayam, He had His coffee at around 6 a.m., but despite appeals for revising the order, Baba gave instructions that it was to be brought only at 8 o' clock. Baba was alone in the suite reserved for Him. Nakul Sen pleaded for permission to be within call, but Baba sent Him away to his own room. We from Bangalore were in rooms on the ground floor. About what occurred that night, Baba wrote later to Dr. S. Bhagavantham, in a letter I carried to him on the 12th December, "On the night of the 7th, strange events happened. I could not lie in bed, I could not sit upon it, nor turn, from one

side to another. Nor could I speak or call. I did not like to cause anxiety or trouble to anyone. So I kept silent, pretending that all was well with Me!” Next morning when the Sens grew aware of the truth it became clear, why He had abstained from dinner, and postponed the coffee hour, wanting only to hurry away to bed! I too began to understand why He had come away from Dharwar, and why He had taken the driver to task. Obviously, He had been 'ill' when He started out from Dharwar! Mrs. Sen felt that Raj Nivas was an 'unlucky' place since He had fallen 'ill' there, but Baba immediately corrected her. "No, it is a house of good luck! I brought the 'illness' with Me to Cabo, so that I could get rid of it here." By daybreak on the 8th, Baba appeared to be in great pain and Nakul Sen called in doctors from the Medical College at Goa, and some leading physicians of the City. Soon an imposing medical

team surrounded the sick bed; their report read as follows, "history of pain in right lower quadrant of the abdomen since 3 p.m. on the 7th December. To begin with, the pain was all over the abdomen, progressive in intensity; towards the night, it localized in the umbilical region, and the right lower quadrant. Had difficulty in extending the right lower limb. Pain is exaggerated by movement. 8th December morning, had nausea and fever." No one could be definite about the illness; there were too many experts and Baba was amused at the clash of their conclusions. The Sens were aghast at the turn of events for, among other reasons, the local Sathya Sai Seva Samithi had announced, that He would deliver a discourse at the large Maidan in the heart of the city, at 5 p.m. that evening. Meanwhile, pain, nausea and fever kept Baba in bed all day. Information came that 20,000 people crowded the Maidan, awaiting Baba; and half the number had come from

far off villages. Baba endeavoured to rise and don fresh clothes to keep the appointment, and not disappoint thousands of people. But Cabo Raj Nivas had no lift; for reaching the Maidan, Baba would have had to get down 28 steps and walk up some distance in order to give Darshan to the people. And then, climb the 28th steps back to His room! Baba directed me to tell the assembly to disperse quietly, and to assure them that He will be addressing them in a few days at the same place. I was to tell them that He had taken over the illness of a devotee, for I had witnessed such instances of healing and saving in the past years. At 8 o'clock that night, the doctors reported, "Lying supine in bed, with legs drawn up. On examination, the right side of the abdomen not moving with respiration; abdomen tender on the right side, and the lower flank..., point of maximum tenderness in lower flank..., no rebound tenderness...

guarding present over right lower quadrant, with rigidity of flank. Temperature 100o F; pulse 100 /m; respiration 16/m. Total blood count 22,000; neutrophils 88%. A diagnosis of acute paracolic appendicitis was made. Unwillingness for surgical intervention." Pressmen approached the doctors, anxious to report the reason for the postponement of the announced public meeting, alarmed at the news of the illness of the world-renowned personality. The doctors told them that Baba was suffering from an acute attack of appendicitis. This news was flashed all over India and spread through the early morning editions and the papers issued from Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, Bangalore and Madurai. Telegrams and telephone calls poured in from all over the country, praying and pleading, and denying - disbelieving, hoping, weeping and wailing. There were many offers to accept the 'illness' from Baba; some devotees said they

would fast until Baba was free from the illness. Devotees having firm faith in His Divinity were convinced that just as the illness had been taken on miraculously, it would be thrown off miraculously, too. The doctors told us Baba must be suffering excruciating pain, but He said, " I have taken it on upon Myself with Love and Love knows no pain!"’ Ms. June Schuyler, a school teacher who was accompanying the party writes: "I had once asked Baba a question, and I now remembered His answer. 'Baba, why did Jesus allow Himself to be crucified?' ‘Because the Great Ones never use spiritual power for themselves.’ Ah! Baba had not set the car right on Saturday night because it was not imperative for the good of someone other than Baba. "Baba! Baba!," I exclaimed, "I adore you; I utterly love you. Imperfect as I am, I give my heart to you completely! Precisely at

this very moment I became aware that Mr. Nakul Sen was motioning to Mrs. Rajagopalan, Indra Devi and myself to step inside the doorway of Baba's room. I could not believe it was true. We crossed the threshold half expectant, fixing our eyes on the bedstead where the Master was suffering for His dear devotee. He was not there! He was standing before us, feeble and frail, with eyes full of love and mercy - charming in spite of it all. He drew back the orange robe, and permitted us to touch those precious feet. The lovely feet were warm because of the fever. The beloved face was pale and etched with pain. The cheeks had been hollowed for want of sleep and refreshment. But He stood there for our sake. ‘Do not worry’, He said tenderly, in a soft, soothing voice, ‘It is a little upset, that is all,’ indicating the right side of the body. ‘Swami! accept what the doctors prescribe,’ we prayed. ‘What do the doctors know? What can they

prescribe? I only want your Love’, He said, quietly, almost wistfully. He stepped out of the room into the adjacent drawing room where several others anxiously waited. He stood for a few minutes, looking languidly, lovingly, at them all, reassuring the timid and charging them with courage. Then He returned to the bed. None of us knew that the appendix was very near bursting point, and the doctors had said that He must not rise from his bed at any cost." Later in Bombay, on Christmas Day, Baba referred to the "illness He had taken on at Goa" and the suffering it caused to many… "The other day, a serious illness came upon this body in Goa. Many who are devoted to Me were plunged into anxiety and despair when they learnt of it. Illness can never afflict this Body. It cannot even approach it! If it should come sometime - believe this - it belongs to someone; not Myself. And it goes just as it came, of My free Will. I have no contact

with it; I am not affected by it." On 9th December, the doctors decided to put tubes down the nose to relieve the hiccough, which was complicating matters, for taking the gas out of the stomach. They talked also of the urgent need that had arisen to puncture the lump and syringe off the pus from the abscess. It must indeed have given a terrible gash of pain for Baba, every time the hiccough pulled the muscle tight and affected the lump round the inflamed appendix! But eventually the doctors left the Raj Nivas with their tubes and bottles, as Baba refused to accept their proposals. On the 10th, a Bhajan meeting had been announced at Government House, and word had gone round indicating that Baba would attend the meeting! Baba too said "Yes! Arrange it." The doctors could not believe their ears. They did not foresee any possibility of a public appearance that day. There was doubt, wonder and amazement in the

minds of various people, but a few of them were convinced that whatever He says will come to pass. At tea time Mrs. Sen looked rather serious, as time was running out and already people were streaming towards the meeting place. Goa, which had been previously shocked by the news of the agonizing illness, was now jolted by the impact of such good news. Baba's condition may be described in His own words: "The doctors were unanimous that an immediate operation was necessary, or they would not be held responsible for what might happen. They said the inflamed appendix had burst, and the pus had entered the blood - a situation that is fatal for all mortals!" Baba had to move across His own room, across the drawing room, walk along the veranda, ascend a low step, get across to the doorstep of the hall which He had selected for Bhajan, traverse its length, reach the dais,

climb two low steps - and finally sit upon the chair placed there. A total distance of 200 feet! A floral carpet stretched all this length. Sri Nakul Sen spoke later during the Bhajan sessions. "The doctors became panicky, and I could feel that they were absolutely against what Bhagawan had said to me. My sixth sense somehow assured me that Bhagawan was showing one of His Leelas in Goa and that through His Sankalpa (will) He would get rid of this trouble as quickly as He had assumed it." Dr. Varma, the chief of team of doctors came at about 4 p.m and finding a floral carpet covering a distance of 200 feet, protested that it was too long a walk. He suggested some short cuts through other doors and passages making the journey a distance of only 40 feet. He said, "The dais itself will have to go; let the chair be on the floor, for He cannot get up the steps however low they may be - and please, have the dais on

the near side, not at the farthermost end of the hall." At 5 p.m. Baba was led into the bathroom, and twenty minutes later He came out of it, clean shaven, wearing a new robe! Fresh as a new blossomed rose. When the doctors examined Him again, they could not locate any abscess, nor could they find any trace of big lump of flesh near it. The whole area of the appendix was as soft and as normal as it could be. "Lo and behold!," said Nakul Sen, in the speech he delivered as soon as Baba sat on the dais at 6 p.m., "Bhagawan walked from His bedroom to the dais, a distance of about 200 feet without any aid. He sat down erect on an office chair." Ms. June writes about that historic moment of ecstasy: "Bhajan began, and my heart was pounding a joyous tune of expectancy. Love for Baba filled the hall. Ah! There He was, moving majestically down the hall, although He had

required the assistance of two men all day. He now moved as if nothing had ever happened. His steps were as sure and graceful as ever. The cheeks which had been hollow when I last saw them were completely filled out. His Love flooded the hall. It was overpowering. He swung into the room, and when He saw someone leaning against the wall with a sick child beside him, the Hand began the familiar circular motion to create the cure. Baba's eyes which plumb the depths, His eyes which pour out love and compassion, His eyes which flash when he speaks of cruelty, falsehood, hypocrisy and injustice, eyes which can be full of quips, were as eloquent as ever. He took His place on the divan in front of the gathering and began keeping rhythm with the Bhajan being sung, with His head and hand. Mrs. Rajagopal whispered in my ear, "Look! Those eyes are more beautiful than ever. There is an ethereal expression, not of this world in them; a look of radiant joy

and adoration.” Baba's eyes caressed the gathering, which was watching Him without even a wink, apprehensive that the cure He had effected on Himself, might be only partial or temporary." Sri Nakul Sen was full of gratitude and wonder! While welcoming Baba, and introducing the gathering to Him as convention demanded, he said, "Bhagawan lives in the inner recesses of the hearts of His devotees; there is nothing He would not do for them. He has simultaneously appeared in this Form at different places, to help His devotees in distress, or to save them from impending calamities, of which He alone has the precognition! Through His Sankalpa or Will, He has assumed the illness of His devotees and suffered it from them, because they would have succumbed to it, if left alone." We have witnessed this now, a Leela which has greatly perplexed the medical experts of Goa. It leaves no doubt in

our minds that there is nothing on this earth which is beyond Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. His Leela is Adbhut - unprecedented; it is Romancha Kari - exhilarating; it is Madhumaya - sweet in memory; Mangalamayi - promoting the happiness and welfare of mankind; Manoharini - overpowering the mind and turning it to truth, beauty and goodness. It gives Ananda - bliss!…" Nakul Sen concluded his descriptions of the ancient glories of Goa and its sacred contacts with Shiva, Rama, Krishna, and Parasurama, the Divine Avatars, with these words: "No wonder the Lord decided to visit this ancient and sacred land again, in the form which He has assumed now, with the name of Sathya Sai Baba; He has loved Goa in His previous incarnations and Goa continues to be dear to Him even now." Baba spoke for over forty minutes with His usual emphasis and élan. The gathering listened spellbound, for it was a message of triumph,

benevolence, and benediction. The illness that had vanished an hour ago was still uppermost in the minds of all, and so, Baba spoke of the significance of its 'entrance and exit' and its place in the scheme of the Avatar's activities. "There are many who doubt the existence of God or deny Him, or dismiss the idea of God as a silly outworn superstition. To make them discard their conceit, the Divine, out of Its Innate Grace, reveals its superhuman glory. The doubters receive the reply without asking, the door is opened without even a knock; for those who deny will not knock at all. The 'superstition' will be illumined into divine status by a concrete experience, an indisputable fact. The human body generates diseases as a result of faulty food or frivolous habits, or foolish rashness or fanatic emotions. The illness that was witnessed by you during the last two days was quite different. That

was an illness taken over by Me, voluntarily put on, in order to save a victim who could not have survived it! His continued existence, in good health is desirable for the task dear to Me. Pouring Grace on the devout is one of the functions of the Avatar. The appendix was inflamed, it turned into an abscess which the doctors could cure only by removal... He could not have survived it, I know. I have come with this Body in order to save 'other bodies' from pain. This Body is ever free from pain. Disease can never affect it. I had to go to the rescue of a person who had surrendered to Me - even his judgment. I took over his illness and went through it. It shall not recur again in him. You refer to this incident as a miracle, but remember - every breath is a proof of the Providence of God. Every event is the consequence of Divine Omnipotence. Wherever you find truth, beauty, goodness, justice, wisdom, compassion -

God is present, and active. An atheist denies God, with the very breath that God has given him! He closes the eyes that God has opened in Him, and declares that there he could see no God. Therefore, such amazing events have to be accomplished and made known to man everywhere, so that mankind can be saved from over-fond involvement with the world, and lovingly drawn towards the Master of the World." Reference: “Sathyam Shivam Sundaram” Vol – III by Prof. N Kasturi. Page: 227-246. Published by Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam. --- Divine Sport - The Master Plays with Matter The Geologist is

Dumbstruck! Dr. Y.J. Rao had this fascinating experience, which he narrated to Howard Murphet. The incident also illustrates the very profound truth that God is immanent in every object in the universe, animate or inanimate: Dr. Y.J. Rao, Head of the Geology Department, Osmania University, Hyderabad, was the appropriate person to witness the transmutation of solid rock to another substance - with a valuable spiritual lesson thrown in for good measure. One day at Puttaparthi, Baba picked up a rough piece of broken granite and, handing it to Dr. Rao, asked him what it contained. The geologist mentioned a few of the minerals in the rock. Baba: "I don't mean those - something deeper." Dr. Rao: "Well, molecules, atoms, electrons, protons." Baba: "No, no - deeper still!" Dr. Rao: "I don't know, Swami." Baba

took the lump of granite from the geologist, and holding it up with his fingers, blew on it. It was never out of Dr. Rao's sight, yet when Baba gave it back to him its shape had completely changed! Instead of being an irregular chunk it was a statue of Lord Krishna playing His flute! The geologist noted also a difference in colour and a slight change in the structure of the substance. Baba: "You see? Beyond your molecules and atoms, God is in the rock. And God is sweetness and joy. Break off the foot and taste it." Dr. Rao, found no difficulty in breaking off the "granite" foot of the little statue. Putting it in his mouth as directed, he found that it was sugar candy. The whole of the idol, created instantly out of the piece of granite, was now made of candy. From this Dr. Rao learned, he said, something beyond words and far beyond modern science, in fact, beyond the

limits of the rational mind of men today. He is a great enough scientist and man to realise that science gives but the first word: the last word is known only to the Spiritual Scientist. Reference : “Sai Baba: Man of Miracles” by Mr. Howard Murphet. Page: 156 (Paperback Edition, 1972). Published by Macmillan India Ltd. --- The Lord of Time and Matter In this fascinating incident, The Late Shri.Howard Murphet demonstrates how Baba transcends time and matter: One evening a party of us were sitting on the carpet in his suite; Ramanatha Reddy, the doctor, the young men, Iris (Mr. Murphet’s wife) and myself were there. Swami asked

me the year of my birth, and when I told him, He said that He would get for me from America a coin minted there in that same year. He began to circle his down-turned hand in the air in front of us, making perhaps half a dozen small circles, saying, "It's coming now... coming... here it is!" Then He closed His hand and held it before me, smiling as if enjoying my eager expectancy. When the coin dropped from His hand to mine, I noted first that it was heavy and golden. On closer examination I found, to my delight, that it was a genuine milled American ten-dollar coin, with the year of my birth stamped beneath a profile head of the Statue of Liberty. "Born the same year as you," Swami smiled. What would the sceptics say about this, I wondered. Would they suggest that Baba carried around with him a stock of coins so that He

would have one to match my year of birth. Such old American coins, now long out of circulation, would not be easy for Him to obtain in India through normal channels. I have no doubt whatever that this was one of Baba's many genuine apports. While He circled his hand before us, some agency under his will had dematerialised this gold coin at some place somewhere, carried it at space-annihilating velocity, and re-materialised it in Sai Baba's hand. From where did it come? Who knows? Baba would never say; perhaps from some old hoard, hidden, lost, forgotten long ago, and now belonging to no one alive. Reference: “Sai Baba: Man of Miracles” by Mr. Howard Murphet. Page: 84 (Paperback Edition, 1972). Published by Macmillan India Ltd. --- A Lost Treasure retrieved for a Privileged Few This incident where Swami retrieved the legendary diamond that adorned the nose ring of the Goddess Kanyakumari and then sent it back is reported by Sri N. Kasturi: It took place at Kanyakumari in 1958. At the time it happened Baba was sitting on the beach with a small group of devotees. One of the devotees had been reading a book about the pilgrim center there, and Baba asked him what the book said about the temple. The devotee then told the story of a diamond that had once adorned the nose-stud of the temple goddess. It was such a magnificent diamond, the book said, that pirates could see it shining out at

sea. So, one day they raided the temple and carried off the diamond. The writer of the book did not know its subsequent fate. After hearing the story to its end, Baba said: 'do you want to see that diamond? I know exactly where it is now: I can bring it for you to see and send it back before its absence is noticed.' All agreed eagerly that they would like to see the famous diamond. Whereupon Baba simply patted the sand in front of Him, and suddenly there was the glittering diamond! He held it up for everyone to see clearly, and then it simply vanished from His hand. Reference: “Sai Baba: Invitation to Glory” by Mr. Howard Murphet. Page: 60-61. Published by Macmillan India Ltd, 1982. --- Divine palliative over telephone! How Vibhuti dropped from the phone receiver Dr. Padmanabhan, a highly qualified dentist, came to Baba as early as 1942. He has been a staunch devotee of Baba since and all the members of his family have had wonderful experiences of Baba over the years. Dr. Padmnabhan’s daughter, Geeta, an active member of the Sai Organisation, narrates here an astounding miracle: A staunch devotee had to undergo an emergency operation but she would not agree to it until she received Sri Sathya Sai Baba's permission. It was pointed out to her that there was no time to be lost and that there was no way she could make a quick trip to Puttaparthi to ask for

permission. Her answer to this was that she would much rather die than do anything at all without first seeking Sri Sathya Sai Baba's permission. As a last resort, a member of her family decided to put through a telephone call to Puttaparthi. Everyone agreed that the call would serve no purpose as there was no way of knowing which passing person would pick up the receiver and whether anyone would be able to convey the message to Sri Sathya Sai Baba. All the same, to appease the old lady, they rang up. To the surprise of everyone, the voice at the other end belonged to none other than Sri Sathya Sai Baba! In a casual way He said, "I know you were trying to ring Me. Please call her to the telephone. I will speak to her." The lady went to the telephone and spoke to Baba who told her that she must have the operation. But, she was persistent and protested, "Baba, I don't

even have your prasadam." He laughed and told her to hold her hand out near the receiver and wonder of wonders! Vibhuti poured into her hands from the telephone. "Are you happy now?" Sri Sathya Sai Baba asked his old devotee. She happily agreed to be taken to hospital. Such indeed is the true bhakti of devotees and Sri Sathya Sai Baba's response to true devotion. Reference: “Living Divinity” by Shakuntala Balu. Page: 189-190. Published by S. B. Publications, Bangalore, 1983. --------------------------- “I Just had an Increase in Temperature” How Mrs. Sushila was saved from burns Prof. Kasturi relates the following incident: At about 1.30 p.m. on June 21st 1959, Baba's close disciples were alarmed because His temperature shot up suddenly to 104.5 degrees. About five minutes later the thermometer registered a fall to 99 degrees. This was a mystery to them, and Baba did not at the time enlighten them. However, that evening He was having dinner with a number of His devotees on a terrace in the moonlight. Among them was a young man from Madras who had been for some time staying with Baba, but was leaving the next day. Suddenly Swami said to him: "When you go to your mother tomorrow, tell her that she should be more careful about fire." This aroused considerable curiosity and some anxiety. So Baba told them that the lady's sari had caught fire that morning in Madras while, she was in her puja room but that the flames had been

extinguished in time. The sari was ruined but she was unharmed. After dinner one of the devotees thought of putting through a trunk call to Madras. Baba agreed, and it was done. The lady came to the phone herself and gave the enquirers more details of the accident. Then Baba spoke to her, and the listening devotees heard him laugh and say, "Oh, no, I did not burn my hands. I just had an increase in temperature for a short while." Some years later I had first-hand confirmation of this story from Mr. G. Venkatamuni whose wife, Sushila, was the person concerned. Yes, her sari had caught fire while she was in the puja room, he said, and in a moment she was enveloped in flames. Panic seized her, but she had long been a devotee, and the first words that sprang to her lips were "Sai Baba". Immediately the flames died away and Sushila; knowing from

experience the power of Baba at any distance, felt quite sure that He had somehow come to her aid in the crisis. Forgetting for a moment that He had not come to her in His physical body she had asked Him on the telephone if He had burned His hands. Yet this is not such a foolish question as might at first sight appear. Psychic research workers have found many case histories of astral travel where a shock to the astral body has caused effects, such as wounds, burns and bruises, on the physical body. Baba's sudden rise in temperature seems to have been a mild example of this. Reference: "Sai Baba: Man of Miracles” by Mr. Howard Murphet. Page: 138-139 (paperback edition, 1972). Published by Macmillan India Ltd.

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