As it happens in many devotees’ homes Swami was introduced to me by mother by adding a small photo of Swami to our alter. I simply accepted Him as God at that very moment and since then it has been an amazing journey. 

As a child from a Sai family, I was sent to Balvikas classes and was also motivated by my father to imbibe and practice the teachings of our Lord Sathya Sai. My mother was a Balvikas  guru and also a nurse by profession, she would conduct spiritual counselling sessions for the visually challenged and cancer patients. As a little girl, I used to distribute Swami's Vibhuti at the end of each session. Many of the persons attending the session would request for more Vibhuti packets, when I gave them some. One day I grew curious and asked the reason they wanted more Vibhuti packets. I was surprised by their answer, “Amma, the treatment of cancer is extremely painful and also has many side-effects. It not only causes physical trauma, but also mental stress,” and then they said that by taking Swami’s vibhuti they were largely relieved of the physical and mental suffering. Inspired by this incident, later in life I became a Balvikas Guru and relished attending and conducting such programmes. The joy one experiences by teaching Swami’s principles and encouraging little ones and adults alike to inculcate the human values is beyond words.  

After completion of my schooling my parents insisted that I become a doctor. I wrote the entrance exam and got the required rank, but the authorities who conducted the exam cancelled the exam due to some technical issues, and decided to conduct the exam again.  I was devastated and de-motivated by the news. It took me some time to come out of the stress. My mother being a registered nurse boosted my morale and persuaded me to join a nursing college. Once my decision was made to join a nursing college, the same day I made up my mind to work in one of Swami’s hospitals and nowhere else. 

I am sure Swami heard my prayers. After my course completed, it was as if Swami was waiting to give me a job. As soon as my course was over, I heard the news that Swami was recruiting nurses to work at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram. I attended the interview on 10th August, 1996 and returned to my home town Cuttack, Odisha state. 

A month later, on October 10, 1996, I developed high fever and was diagnosed to have typhoid and gastroenteritis. My condition was worsening day by day and after around 15 days the treating doctors told my parents to prepare for the worst as my body had stopped responding to drugs. One night while under treatment my vitals collapsed and I lost consciousness. During those dark moments, I travelled out of my body and was sucked into a tunnel. The tunnel had a bright orange hue and I felt very peaceful travelling though it. At the end of the tunnel waiting for me was our dearest Lord Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai, in his orange robe and a radiant smile. I had Swami’s lovely Darshan and He blessed me with His Abhayahasta.  After that I travelled back through the same tunnel and back into my body and suddenly regained consciousness. The treating doctors were stunned as I had showed no signs of life for around 10 mins and then made a sudden recovery. This meant that I was dead for around 10 minutes and then came back to life. One more astounding thing the doctors and my parents noticed was that my body, my bed, and the whole room was covered with Swami's Vibhuti after I came back to life. From then on my vitals started improving and I was discharged within a few days. It was new life gifted to me by our Lord. That day I understood that life and death are just a part of our Lord Sai’s play. 

I had received the appointment letter from SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, in the month of November 1996 and joined the Temple of Healing on 12th December 1996.  As a child, I had only two wishes and always prayed Swami to fulfil them. One was to serve Him and another is to live in a serene atmosphere. My Lord granted them both.

Before joining the hospital I sat in the Darshan line and Swami came close to me. Then I had one desire in my mind that I should not take any salary from Swami. Swami knew my thoughts, as it would always happen, and then told me, “ Young people should not work without a salary. Do you want to take money from your parents while working in My hospital?” Swami asked. Then He added, “If you consider Me your Father and Mother then let me take care of you and accept what I give you. I know exactly how much you want,” Swami said. 

Soon after I joined the hospital I was posted in the Urology department under the legendary Dr. H.S. Bhatt, who is considered the father of Indian Urology. 

One day a new born baby arrived in the hospital as an emergency. He was born with an open abdomen, meaning he was born with his intestines outside his body. Dr. Bhatt took it up as an emergency operation and set right the defect. The baby was kept in the Urology Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with many line attached to his tiny body. The mother of the new born child could not be with him as she was herself suffering from malaria and was undergoing treatment in the Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital(SSSGH), Prasanthi Nilayam. In the mother’s absence the baby was continuously crying. Posted in the ICU I was at a loss to figure out how to pacify the newborn child. I fervently prayed to Swami to do something. At 3:30 am I suddenly saw an orb of blue light, the light travelled around in the ICU and then hovered over the crying child and stayed there for 5 minutes. I checked whether I was  dreaming or was it for real. It was real as I was wide awake. At the same time the whole ICU was filled with the divine fragrance of Vibhuti and sandlewood. After five minutes the blue orb of light disappeared from the top of the child. Immediately the baby stopped crying and had a complete recovery and was discharged within a week. I knew that it was no other than Swami who had come to the ICU to take care of His children. 

Working in the hospital this experience has repeated many times over. Between 3:30 am and 4:30 am I have strongly felt Swami’s presence in the hospital, and this experience is not unique to me, but is shared by many of my nursing colleagues who have been on night duty.  

Another incident I would like to share with you is about my mother. One day during Darshan Swami came up to Dr. Bhatt and asked him about my mother! Swami told him that my mother was not keeping well and Dr. Bhatt should find out and report about her to Him (as if He did not know). My mother was bleeding internally. When I told the same to Dr. Bhatt, he conveyed the same to Swami. Swami said that my mother should be immediately shifted to the SSSGH, Prasanthi Nilayam and be operated. He also gave some Vibhuti to Dr. Bhatt to be given to my mother. My mother was shifted to SSSGH, Prasanthi Nilayam, was operated and recovered completely. It did not end there. When I went to meet her in the ward, she told me that she could feel Swami’s warm hand holding her hand throughout the duration of surgery and just when she was about to be wheeled into the ward Swami’s hand withdrew. 

Being in Puttparthi or being a Swami devotee is like being a lifelong student in the University of Life. Every incident that happens with you after Swami enters your life will have something to teach you and take you closer to Swami. But sometimes Swami Himself directly takes the role of the teacher and gives instructions. One such incident I mention here.  During one of Swami’s visits to the hospital, Swami told me that I had a clean heart, but my path of life was filled with obstacles. Then he reassured me, “But I am always there to take care.” 

 There have been many occasions when I have had various health issues in my life, but even while undergoing the pain I have always felt that my Swami was always next to me to take care. My only wish to Swami while undergoing all that pain was, “Swami do not give me any suffering or pain that will make unfit to work in your hospital. And He has heeded to my request.” 

In a life’s journey of a Sai Devotee, we need to understand that there will be difficulties and obstacles, which may bother us, or worse inflict pain, but this assurance of Swami was not just for me, but to all to have faith in Him, that He will take care however difficult the situation may be. These difficulties and obstacles will eventually lead the individual to realise that all this creation is just a Divine Play of Swami. Nothing else.  

Jai Sai Ram