Shri Sai Baba's Divine Grace

[Guest guest]

Shri Sai Baba's Divine Grace

My first experience of the miracle of Shri Sai was in the year 1942. I

was posted as Medical Officer of Civil Centre at Ananthapur in June,

during Second World War After taking charge of the post, leaving my wife

and child in traveler’s bunga­low; I went in search of a house. Sri

Hanumanthrao, a leading Criminal Advocate of the place, whom I met, was

very kind to promise to get me a suitable house within a few days.

Because I happened to be a doctor, he was anxious to take me to his

brother-in-law's house, Shri Ramaswamy, an Advocate and an ardent

devotee of Shri Saibaba. The time was 7 p. m.

 

Shri Ramaswamy was sitting in the puja room and praying to Baba with

implicit devotion. His wife and other members of the family were in the

front varandah crying loudly. After enquiry, I learnt that their

daughter Pramila a girl of 6 years had sustained severe burns all over

the body upto neck because her pavadai had caught fire when she was

doing Pradakshinam to Tulasi Brindavan where a number of mud oil lamps

were lit on account of Uttana Dwadashi (festival of Shri Krishna at

Brindavan). This had happened about ten days back. Her body was full of

foul smelling pus, having lots of maggots (young worms of flies). She

was being treated at the local Government hospital. She was unconscious

for nearly six days with high temperature and had not taken even a drop

of water during the period. As her con­dition deteriorated, the

relatives were asked to take the girl home in a serious condition in

anticipation of an early end. That was the scene at my entry. As soon as

I entered the house, Shri Hanumanthrao introduced me as a doctor from

Madras. Shri Ramaswamy, who was praying in the puja room, immediately

came out and exclaimed, " Shri Saibaba has sent the medical aid at the

critical time. " He asked me immediately to examine the girl and treat

the case suitably. I was dumbfounded because I had not heard of any

Saibaba before and more so it appeared that the condition of the patient

was beyond any human help. However, being a doctor, I had to face the

emergency. I went back to traveler's bungalow to get my medical bag and

inform my wife not to worry about me if I return late in the night on

account of this emergency.

 

The patient had 104° temperature, pulse was rapid but feeble. She was

not responding to any kind of stimuli. The pus was smelling very badly

as it was full of maggots. After pro­tecting my nose with cloth, I

cleaned the whole body, removed manually with forceps a number of

maggots (nearly 180) and applied gauze soaked in cod liver oil over the

wound. The girl did not show any sign of life during the whole process

which took nearly 3 hours. As only sulfa drugs were available then, I

got some M and B 693 tablets, powdered them and asked the mother to give

it with honey in case the girl awoke in the night. Shri Ramaswamy

applied Shri Sai's udhi on the forehead.

 

Next morning I was sure that the girl would not be alive. With great

trepidation in my heart, I went to their house to know the position.

There I saw the miracle of Shri Sai for the first time in my life. The

girl was awake, had asked for water and milk in the night, which were

given. Her general condition was very much improved. The temperature had

touched normal and pulse full. She answered my questions clearly and

fluently.

 

Everyday I used to visit their house to clean and dress the wounds. At

the end of six months, the entire burnt area of her body had fully

healed up, covered with healthy skin, without any trace of a scar.

Baba's grace was primarily responsible for snatching that young girl

from the jaws of death and I was only a tool in His hands. Soon after

that, I was transferred to another centre in Madras.

 

Shri Ramaswamy told everyone that I was sent to Ananthapur by Baba to

treat and save his daughter's life. When I left Ananthapur Sri Ramaswamy

invited me and my wife to his house and gave, us a photo of Shri Saibaba

and a packet of udhi, after a sumptuous meal. He asked me to worship

Baba from that day. But my mind was still not receptive at that time to

get His blessings. Being young and full of ego, I entirely forgot about

the whole incident for nearly a decade when I was again reminded by Shri

Sai.

 

I shall narrate my next experience of Baba with His blessings in the

succeeding article in Shri Sai Leela.

 

With satsanga pranams to all knowing Shri Sai's incarnation of Sathya,

Dharma, Prema and Shanthi.

P. S.

Pramila I learnt now is married and leading a very happy life with her

husband and children in Hyderabad. We were extremely happy to meet her

when she came to our house to invite us personally for her marriage some

years back.

Dr. A. R. Govind Rao, M.B.B.S., M.S (Vaie)

Madras

(Source Shri Sai Leela June 1978)