Our family belongs to Palakkad in Kerala state. When around 22 years old, still unmarried, my father Sri. Raman left home in search of a good job and arrived in Bangalore. He soon got one. This was in the 1960s. One of his colleagues one day spoke to him about Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba who was then in Brindavan Ashram in Bangalore. My father’s curiosity was piqued by the fact that there was a person who could do miracles and so he wanted to see Swami first hand. The first time my father saw he felt some deep connection with Baba. This made him visit the Brindavan Ashram one more time. The second time he visited the Brindavan Ashram Swami was organizing Narayana Seva for all the devotees. 

As there was a heavy crowd, my father stood outside the Ashram gate and waited. It was then that a person came and told him that Swami was calling him in. He was surprised. “Swami calling me?” He could not believe his ears. But indeed Swami had called him inside. And when he went Swami was waiting for him to serve him food with His own hands. Swami then served all the preparations with His own hands to my father. My father would tell me that there was so much love in how Swami served him food that he had never experienced that love ever. That day onwards my father decided to be with Swami his whole life.  He then quit his job in Bangalore and shifted permanently to Puttaparthi.

In the Puttaparthi of 1960s inside the Ashram there was only one small shed where food was cooked for the devotees. Swami would go everyday around noon and taste the food himself before it was served to the devotees. One day Swami called my father and told him to fill in for him. So my father went and tasted the food in Swami’s place. From then onwards somedays Swami would himself check the food and on other days he would ask my father to go in His place.

One of those days Swami asked my father to open a small restaurant in Puttaparthi so that the increasing number of devotees who were visiting Puttaparthi could have one more place to eat apart from the canteen inside the Ashram. The Puttaparthi of 1960s, was nothing more than a small village and literally nothing was available. Many persons including my father would visit Bangalore to get groceries.  With Swami’s blessings, therefore, my father opened a restaurant just outside the Ashram. As my father’s name was Sri. Raman, in the local lingo, the restaurant became famous as Ramu Hotel.

My father later visited home in Kerala, got married and got my mother also to Puttaparthi.

 After I was born I spent my childhood in Puttaparthi , but did my schooling and later college education in Palakkad. As children during those days we had a separate area on the sands and Swami would come and talk to the children. One day I noticed some staff members were sitting in a special place with trays in their hands, with some chocolates and akshatas in it and Swami would come and give them special blessings. I asked a person sitting next to me what it was all about. She told me that these were staff whose birthday it was and therefore, Swami was blessing them. Much later when I joined the SSSIHMS as a nursing student, this idea came back to me. What if I also got a tray with chocolates and akshatas and may be Swami would bless me also? The decision was made and after taking required permission I sat in the front row of our area.  Sure enough Swami came straight to me blessed me by putting His hand on my head also took a few chocolates and distributed them among the devotees. Then a thought came to my mind, whether it was possible that Swami would come to me whenever I would get chocolates? I wanted to test my hypothesis. Few weeks later on the occasion of some festival, I again took a tray filled with chocolates. Sure enough Swami again came to me took some chocolates and then distributed them to the devotees. Now I had enough scientific proof and then onwards whenever I would wish Swami to visit our area and spend some time with us, I would take a tray with chocolates and Swami would always come and take some and bless us all. This was the case even when I would be several rows back.  Swami definitely knew that chocolates were a ruse to attract Him, but when our intentions are pure Swami would always respond.  

After the initial years in Puttaparthi I went to Kerala for my schooling and college education. But I would always miss Swami and Puttaparthi terribly. The moment my vacations would begin I would start for Puttaparthi. I made it a point that I would never miss Swami’s Birthday. It was 1992 and I was sitting in the Hill View Stadium when Swami in His discourse spoke about the inauguration of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Puttaparthi. I was in my 2nd year of Bachelor of Commerce, and I felt sad that I could not work in Swami’s hospital in any capacity. It was just a thought that passed through my mind. My next visit was during the Onam festival. After the morning session concluded there was an announcement for applications for women to join the new Nursing College that was to start at the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram, who would then eventually join the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram. And the qualification was just after 12th standard. I was already in my third year of college, but the opportunity of studying in Swami’s college and then working in Swami’s hospital was too good for me to let go. And the icing on the cake was that Swami was going to speak to all the women, who applied, the next day. 

Next day after morning Bhajans got over Swami called all of us around 30 of the women who had applied inside the Bhajan Hall. That was the first time I saw Late Dr. A. N. Safaya the first Director of the hospital. Swami spoke at length about what nurses do, their roles and responsibilities and then started walking among the candidates. Coming to each candidate, Swami started taking a virtual interview. “What is your qualification? Are your parents happy with your decision? And many other questions, which are normally asked in an interview. I was waiting that Swami would ask me the same questions. That was the opportunity I was eagerly waiting for. But was also a little worried that He may object to  me leaving my college studies mid-way and wanting to join the nursing college. Swami came blessed me and just moved on. I was shocked. What? No questions? Firstly I was disappointed that Swami did not speak to me, secondly I was not sure whether He wanted me to join the course or had He already rejected me.  

  Next day the results were announced I was on the list. Swami’s ways are His own. That was my first step of entering the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram.  Looking at the Anantapur students of Swami I would always feel in my heart, Swami I want to be your student, why did you not give me such an opportunity to study in your institution. Needless to say Swami heard it and fulfilled my wish in His own unique way. It is my experience that in my life in Swami’s fold, whenever any genuine wish would come to my mind, Swami would definitely fulfil it. There was no need to speak to Him about it or write about it and give it to Him. The connection between Swami and a devotee is heart to heart.  

One month after joining the nursing college we were called for an interview again by Swami in the interview room. It was my secret wish to see the interview room from inside, that day Swami fulfilled that wish also of mine. Swami asked each one of us how we were doing and if everything was all right. At that time my father had developed severe back pain to the extent that he could not even stand while in the hotel. I always wanted to ask Swami to bless my father. When Swami asked if anyone had any questions, I raised my hand and in my native tongue Malayalam told Swami about my father’s problem. Swami created Vibhuti by a wave of His hand. Many of my classmates put forth their hand also for the Vibhuti. But Swami refused to give it to them. “This is for a patient, it should only go to him,” Swami said and asked me to take it. I took it and after having the vibhuti my father's back pain disappeared.

During that time my father had a good friend named Sri. Sukumar. He was involved in many construction projects in and around the Ashram. Swami would give him interviews every now and then and my father being his good friend, after every interview he would come to our hotel and over a cup of tea and snacks narrate in detail  what all Swami told him. We all would sit around him and enjoy the conversation. One day he came running to us after the evening Darshan. We did not understand what was so important that he had to run to our hotel to convey. Catching his breath he told my father, “ You know, Raman, during the interview today, Swami asked me why I was telling you everything what happened in the interview room.” “I did not know where to hide. Swami knows everything.”  

On another occasion one of the organisers of the Swami’s Paduka Pooja programme visited our hotel and got some  vadas packed and took it to his room. At that very moment Swami visited his room. There was nothing to offer to Swami at that moment apart from the vadas, which he had bought from our hotel. So he offered Swami the same vadas. Swami took a bite from a vada and immediately told him, “ These are our Raman’s Hotel’s vadas. When he later narrated this incident to us we all became teary eyed. All the food prepared in our hotel was always offered to Swami first. So we felt that it was no wonder that He knew the taste of each and every preparation of our hotel.    

After my nursing course got over I joined the SSSIHMS, Prasanthigram. Swami thus fulfilled my dream of working in His institution. Time passed swiftly I was posted in the Intensive Care Unit of the Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery department.

In the year 2007 my father passed away at the age of 73. His entire life was one of being immersed in Swami devotion. Whatever the situation may be he would say “it is all Swami’s Grace. He will take care. On many occasions he would let customers eat on credit and they would never bother to pay back and the hotel would go into losses, but my father would not bother. He would say, there is nothing that we have brought into this world and there is nothing we are going to take away from here.  Whatever is, is of Swami, so why bother?"

Father’s passing was difficult for everyone in the family to handle. Swami arranged everything for my father’s funeral and the rituals involved. I knew Swami knew everything, and prayed in my heart that He should bless my father and give us His vibhuti as prasadam. And sure enough after evening Bhajans Swami sent me seven packets of vibhuti. The moment the packets touched my hand a strange energy started coursing through my body. Till then I was being tormented by thoughts of loss and a deep sense of sadness. The moment Swami’s Vibhuti touched my hand a new sense of faith and confidence filled my being. All sadness disappeared. I realized that this is all a part of life. The person born has to go someday and what better passing than passing away in Puttaparthi. I was a totally changed woman. Immediately I went to my mother and handing over the Vibhuti packets told my mother, “Mother stop worrying. We have Swami with us. Father lived a fulfilling life in following Swami’s command and serving His devotees, nothing can be better than that.”

Let me now talk a bit about working in Swami’s hospital. Working in Swami hospital is an experience to cherish for many lifetimes. Here we get the opportunity to directly serve people and witness firsthand how Swami’s loves flows to the patients.  There was one young boy who underwent a complex cardiac surgery. The surgery went uneventfully and in the ICU, he was not responding well. He was kept in a special room with a separate nurse to take care of him.  After a few days during Darshan Swami spoke to one of the Cardiac Surgeons and told him to visit the boy daily. The surgeon would make it a point the visit the child daily and speak to the nurse taking care of him and wonder of wonders the child started recovering from that day onwards and in a few days was discharged from the hospital. 

On one occasion when Swami visited the ICU He asked me how I was taking care of the patients in the ICU, “Swami it is privilege,” I replied. “ Not privilege, it is your duty,” Swami corrected me. Later after seeing all the patients in the ICU Swami again spoke to me. “I sent Vibhuti to you, did you receive it?  He asked. Ten months ago Swami had sent me His Vibuti after my father’s passing. My eyes welled up with tears and I remembered how His vibhuti had given me strength and courage in difficult times.  It later occurred to me how deep the significance of Swami words was. He was telling me never to be overawed by the fact that we were working in God’s institution or allow this to cloud our sense of duty. 

This has been said often, but let me say this one more time. Being in Swami’s fold is our greatest good fortune. There are many people who have come into Swami’s fold after Swami left His physical body. They may feel they missed out on not having Swami’s physical Darshan, but if you pray with your heart, please be assured you will find Him standing right next to you.

JAI SAI RAM