Miracles Happen When Our Faith Unites with Divine Grace

                  By: Sharmila Sanka

                          One beautiful thing that happened to my life was listening to Sri Chaganti garu’s discourses on Sri Valmiki Maharshi’s ‘Sampoorna Ramayana’ and watching ‘Janaki Ramudu’ on a television channel. Previously, I had the impression that it was natural and not extraordinary for the God-incarnation to fight the demons or demonic qualitites, live a dharmic life and face all the difficulties in life with a calm smile. While watching the episodes, it struck my little mind on how the avatars lived a human life in a dharmic way facing all the turmoil in life. Though they were avatars, they didn’t use their supreme powers to live their day to day life. They put in human efforts being born on the earth as a human being and faced challenges in multitude despite living an exemplary life of a human being. The way Rama, Sita, Lakshman, Bharatha, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Sugreeva and millions of vanaras sacrificed their happiness, riches, comforts etc. deeply touched my heart that I would weep every day in happiness or sorrow. It was heart melting to see Sita Maa living a mere human life alone in the forest and giving up her life to go back to her mother Earth and how Rama lived a lifeless lonely life without Sita and then ended his incarnation as a human being on the earth. I got so involved with every incident of Ramayan that nothing could stop me from sobbing at the end and I felt my heart would stop beating had I not seen Lord Rama and Sita give darshan to me to pacify my heart that they were very happy and not in pain like I imagined it to be. I asked them to appear before me and grant me darshan along with Lakshmana and Hanuman. To give a happy ending to my Ramayana sravana parayan, I wanted to have Sita Rama Kalyanam or Sri Rama pattabhishekam (coronation) at my house in order to get it sanctified with their arrival. I wanted to start it but I knew our lives were so busy that we didn’t have even one free weekend to complete our pending chores and it would take enormous planning to conduct that auspicious event at my house. But still, I initiated and asked my husband Sai about having one and he said, “Too busy right now. We will plan later for sure.” I was not quite happy about it. He never said no for any of my wishes, especially spiritual wishes and I was surprised to hear that from him. Next day, I prayed to my Lord to bestow his blessings to fulfil my wish and gave that task to the Lord to fulfil. I prayed, “Lord Sai Rama! I have this wish and I am not quite sure which one to perform, Sita Rama kalyanam or your pattabhishekam but I leave it to you. Please bless me and let it happen.” Lo! In few minutes, I received an email from my friend Raveerna on the same day, 11^th February 2017 with the subject line- Sri SitaRama Kalyana Yatra and the email read as below with an announcement.

Sri SitaRama Panchaloha Utsava Murthys empowered with the divine blessings from Bhadrachalam Devasthanam and all 108 DivyaDesam (holy places) in India and Nepal are coming to Indianapolis from March 2 thru March 12 and Sita Rama Kalyanam will be performed by Archakam Padmanabacharlu Garu. You can invite Ram Parivar to your town and to bless your homes.

 I was in tears of bliss, joy and gratitude. My Lord showed me an easy way to grant my boon, right at my door. I thanked him very much for the opportunity given and asked him to take care of the rest. I informed the same to Sai and I was flabbergasted to hear him say, “Register our names immediately for the Kalyanam, no matter it is a week day or week end.” Lord’s ways are inscrutable! There was another event ‘Sayanotsavam’ after Kalyanam, where the ritual involved the idols to be traditionally put to sleep in the house by the Acharya and he would also stay with the Lords. Sai wanted me to opt for Sayanotsavam and my happiness knew no bounds. But I was not quite sure if there were any open slots and looked at the file without wasting a moment. Lo, there was just one slot for Sayanotsavam and so Sai immediately registered for it.  The moment I thought about that event, tears of happiness would roll down my cheeks unintentionally. I conveyed thanks to Raveerna, coordinator for Kalyana Yatra for this beautiful miracle and asked God to bless her. Then I invoked all the Gods, vanaras and all the Devathas to attend that event coming up in couple of weeks and sanctify our house. The waiting felt very long and I wanted my Lord to arrive soon to my house. On 20^th night, my dream was all about chanting the word ‘Ramayana’ like a mantra. I didn’t know why I dreamt that way very unusually. On 21^st February evening, my friend Anupama called me and said she would come home for 10 minutes despite being a week day. She entered the house and put something in my hand saying, “I went to the HTCI temple and when I saw this in the store, I felt like buying it for you.” I didn’t understand anything but I opened it and I was enthralled to see that. It was a net framed photo of Lord Rama, Sita, Hanuman, Lakshmana and Bharata. Tears rolled down my eyes in ecstasy. I cried and hugged her with a thankful heart. It was a very divine gesture by Anu and may she be blessed. I felt that my Lord was more eagerly waiting to enter my house that even he couldn’t wait until March 8^th to enter my house. After she left, I installed him in my altar, put kumkum and invoked them and sang mangala harathi with love and gratitude.

It was getting tough for me to wait for the kalyanam until Friday, 10^th March, 2017. 

Every Sunday, I would go with my family to Sai center Bhajans and enjoy to the fullest. I imagine Swami to be sitting on the chair. Along with my severe lower back pain, I started getting Sciatica pain too and the pain travelled through my right leg so badly that I couldn’t sit in the bhajan without moving and changing positions. The pain was severe when I sat cross legged on the floor and when I lay down to sleep in the nights. I went for physio therapy and chiropractor but it didn’t help. One such Sunday, I went to Sai center bhajan as usual and was praying to Swami very anxiously that he should bless mom, a heart patient. Mom is my guide, philosopher and a friend. I would cry out of helplessness and pray. I would get Swami’s messages and suggestions during bhajan but I was not quite sure if it was Swami saying those or my inner self. At one such connecting moment, I could hear Swami say from within without any audible sound,

“You are my student and it is my responsibility to take care of your family. Ammaki  nayamaipotundi. You are praying for your mother like tapas. I am pleased for your tapas and so am giving you a boon. I am removing your sciatica pain.”

I was shocked to hear that message. As usual, my logical brain kept thinking if it was really true and was it His message or my own self uttering those words within. That instant itself, I could notice the change. I didn’t have any sciatica pain or issues with my leg and I didn’t have to change any positions during the bhajan but I still couldn’t believe it. I thought I might get it again and so didn’t want to share it with my own family with the fear that the pain might come back since it might be my imagination. But after 2 whole months of sciatica pian-free life, I had got the courage to narrate my experience to my family and friends with faith and conviction. What a miracle it was! How kind Sai Maa is! He proved that when we pray for others, He will take care of us too. I guess he was moved with my love and concern for amma that my Sai  Maa granted me this boon and I could hear his words which literally came true which proved that the messages I have been recently getting are directly from the Lord and not my own self. Sai Maa! I remain indebted to your love and care for this child. I narrated this experience to my Sai Center friend Suguna and jumbled to explain the way I received messages from Swami since it was inexplicable; it could only be understood and felt. She smiled and said, “I exactly know what it was like. It is heart to heart connection you have with Swami and he is speaking through your heart due to which you feel it is from you.” She was absolutely right and I could then understand the root place of the messages.

Meanwhile, my mother was admitted in the hospital for her valve replacement surgery scheduled for 6^th March 2017. I was very stressed out since she was 74 years old and we were not sure if the surgery would be successful without any complications and if her body would be able to cope up with the surgery but all of our siblings discussed about it and had to take the decision to have her undergo the surgery since she was having breathing issues and unable to walk without gasping. With immense faith in our Lord, we went ahead. I requested and in fact out of fear, demanded Rama Bhakta Hanuman to be by amma at all times in the hospital. I asked him to bring Sanjeevani herbs and cure amma. I prayed to Ganesh to remove any obstacles for her successful surgery and recovery. All of us were sincerely praying for amma’s surgery to be successful all throughout. After 6 hours, we got the news that amma’s surgery went fine and once she forcibly came out of anesthesia after several hours, she became so weak and was in terrible pain while her hands were tied to her bed to avoid any mishaps but it was devastating for us to know about it. She was in tears, in helplessness not being aware of her surroundings and the happenings. She was kept on ventilator for few days and doctors said she had lung issues due to which they had to keep her on the ventilator again after 2 hours which was not a good sign. Fear filled our hearts, not knowing what would happen next. We did everything possible to make her safe again-healing, collective prayers, archana and abhishekams offered to the Lord on her name, informed all my family members, nephews and nieces to continue to pray for her. I personally requested all my Sai students to please have amma in their special prayers. they sent their prayers to amma immediately and chanted 108 trayambakam for her. I was really tensed, since amma was one of the very few and yet most beautiful things that ever happened to me and it was tough for me or my siblings to stay still despite having immense faith in the Lord. I suddenly remembered the ‘Sai Sanjeevani’ healing book I had with me that I only remember in crucial times. I took out the book and picked some healing cards for lungs, emergency, pain and overall body. I put Vibhuti on the cards and charged it by reciting a mantra and imagined the power going to amma for being cured.

Amma was literally begging my brother saying she was 74 years old and she was hungry and thirsty and my brother was crying after seeing amma in that desperate condition. I prayed to every form of Swami and trayambakam became my every breath. I asked Annapoornamma, Goddess of food saying amma was Annapoorna to hundreds of beings and how could she suffer from hunger and thirst. The success for us was only when she could stay without ventilator for an entire day. Meanwhile, I kept hearing from my brother about other heart patients having complications and several others in pain which really moved me. I felt selfish praying only for mom. Mom has tons of people praying for her but what about orphans and others lacking love of their family? With this thought, I took an oath thus- “Lord! If you free my mom from this critical situation, I promise you that I will do something to heal the world of painful illness around me with your grace.” With great difficulty, five days passed and it was March 10^th and time for Sita Rama kalyanam. It was the wedding of amma’s favorite God for whom she devoted all her life. Though I was relieved little bit, I still had fear and had great conviction that all her issues would be resolved following the kalyanam.

Sai and myself carried the idols of Rama and Sita while Roohi and Roopali carried Hanuma and Garuda idols while my sister UshaRani carried Lakshman into our house. It was a beautiful moment to feel the Utsava vigrahas from Bhadrachalam in our hands. Sita Rama Kalyanam took place at my house in a very auspicious manner with divine vibrations and we were fortunate to have Sai center friends along with the lead singer Smt.Lakshmi Varanasi sing Ram bhajans during the event and everyone simply enjoyed and loved Sai bhajans. I was asked by Priest to perform kumkum Pooja to Sita Maa’s mangalyam and all of a sudden, there was a great divine vibration that my entire body was filled with supreme power and my hands were shaking with extreme devotion and feel while tears were gushing down my cheeks. I was sure Sita Maa was in that mangalyam at that time due to which I felt such great divine power in me. I prayed for amma a lot during the event wholeheartedly. Following the wedding was the ritual of Sayanotsavam event, where Sai and myself carried the idols of Lord Rama and Sita who would sleep in our room in a wooden jhoola or swing, while the priest lay them down to sleep on my new saree while all the devotees gently moved the swing to put them to sleep and Roohi sang the song, ‘Ramuni maravakave manasaa’ (do not forget Rama, O mind!)

Priest said we could sleep in the same room too and our excitement knew no bounds and I made my excited kids sleep along with us to share the room with Rama and Sita. It was a great feel to have them with us and we moved in the room so quietly in order not to disturb them assuming they were sleeping.  It was 2 A.M when I was exhausted and slept down on the floor besides Rama and Sita whose swing was covered in my sarees. I couldn’t sleep. Amma’s health was lingering in my mind and sat up right next to their swing and prayed in tears, “Lord Rama! I know you must be sleeping but please listen to my prayer. Amma lived her life in your name; she devoted all her time and herself to you and to write your real story of Ramayana from her childhood; she served dad like a mother; she loved all selflessly; she was Annapoorna to many and she is in terrible pain mentally and physically. How can you stay quiet without intervening? O Sita Maa! O Lakshmana, please tell Rama to show his grace and kindness on this devoted soul and free her from her illness.” I knew that the Lord would listen to my prayers and with that faith I slept for few hours and woke up to carry the Lords into the Priest’s van and I kissed Sita Maa’s crown right under my chin while carrying. What a fortune to carry the daughter of BhooDevi, mother earth! With my house filled with their divine vibrations, I smiled in peace and my thirst to witness the happiness of Rama and Sita peacefully sleeping in my house got quenched at last.

Sita Rama Kalyanam was a beautiful experience for me and my family that I remain grateful to the Lord for blessing our lives with his arrival and sanctifying my home even more and I prayed to him to bless me with such blissful events every year. That morning, I dreamt that an angel was flying very happily and I woke up as I was eagerly waiting for some good news about amma since I had immense faith that Kalyanam would give auspiciousness to anyone and lo, my brother said that my mom was at last allowed to eat idly and drink milk. Goddess Annapoorna heard my prayers without fail. Amma felt much better and she was without ventilator that whole day and her hands were tied no more. We were told that amma seemed to be happy after several days. She came out of ICU after a week and I was so grateful and delighted to see her on my video chat. No doubt, all her worries were taken care of by the Lord and we were all in tears of joy and offered our thanks to the Lord umpteen number of times for his blessings on our family in crucial times. He once again proved that miracles happen when our faith unites with His grace.