FROM PUTTAPARTHI...FORTUNATE VENKATAGIRI ROYALTY !!!

June 6, 2008

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The KING of VENKATAGIRI was one of the early devotees of BABA. He was educated in England, mingled with international socialites, and played polo. He was a towering personality, princely in demeanor, and spoke English like an English gentleman.

Till about fifty odd years ago, Venkatagiri used to be a Princely state. It is located about a 100 kilometers north of Chennai.

A deeply religious man, the KING was an ardent worshipper of Lord Rama. He first saw Swami when Bhagavan was just emerging from His teens. One look and the KING became instantly convinced that this was his dear Lord Rama come again.

Swami often went to Venkatagiri and spent long spells there. The company was most congenial, being full of learned Vedic scholars, and music lovers.

When it was time for Swami to go back, the KING would lie down on the road as Swami's car passed by. The roads were not paved, and the car would kick up a lot of dust. The devout KING wanted the sacred dust to literally bathe him – so intense was his adoration of Baba!!!

The KING passed away on 1st June 1970.

The younger son of the KING, VGK Rachandra (VGK) said…"My grandmother had died in 1947 and Swami made His first visit to Venkatagiri in 1950. My father asked Swami to show my grandmother. Her name was Ratnamma. BABA said "Ratnamma come!"

"From the wall she came in flesh and blood - not as an apparition, a dream-like thing or hazy. She appeared actually as she was. We touched her feet. She told my father that 'He is the Sri Rama that you are worshipping but in His characteristics He is like Sri Krishna. He will try to dupe you to see that you go away from His fold. So be careful; do not leave Him.' "After a few minutes she slowly went back to where she came from!!! This was in August 1950!!!"

He used to give whatever we wanted. One day we were all sitting together, my cousins, my brother and so on and He said " What do you want? "

I said " I want a mango " - it was December and not the mango season. Somebody said " pear " another person said " apricot " which is not available in Venkatagiri.

Swami replied " You want all of them? There is a small tree in the palace. Go and pick them from that tree!!! " And we saw that all the different fruits that we wanted were hanging from 1 tree!!! And it was not even a fruit-bearing tree! Swami did not even go anywhere near it. I do not think that I have ever tasted a mango like that in my life!!!

The 1st Divine Life Conference (of Swami Shivananda) was held in Venkatagiri, in 1956 I think. All the people came from the Shivananda Ashram. Swami was considered to be a small boy, illiterate, and 90% of people used to think that He was just a magician!!!

They thought that He was not well versed in Vedic philosophy and so they all started talking to each other ignoring Swami. They never addressed Him as Bhagavan or even as Sai Baba. Swami was laughing…

Swami's turn came, and He started speaking. In the end, they all stood up and said "We came here to defy him - but we are defied" and prostrated before Swami. This was the first public meeting with these sanyasis.

VGK continued, "One night SWAMI was lying down on the bed and I was massaging His Feet. I asked " Swami, what is the difference between you and other saints such as Ramana Maharishi, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? "

BABA replied in Telugu, " By their own effort they have risen to the level of Godhead, but with the infinite powers I possess, I have come from the level of Godhead to redeem mankind!!!" (See attached photos)

http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_03/11NOV01/venkatagiri.htm