The Sri Sathya Sai General
Hospital, Prasanthi Nilayam is the
first institution established by
Bhagavan Baba way back in 1954 to
come to the rescue of poor and
innocent villagers of Puttaparthi,
as well as the increasing number of
devotees to Prasanthi Nilayam.
Everything about this hospital has
been a divine miracle, right from
the fact that it was constructed
just 6 years after Indian
independence and had just two
doctors and a single nurse to start
with, to now, when there are over
hundred beds and scores of doctors
and surgeons. The greater miracle is
of course the amazing healing that
happens in this hospital every
single day. It baffles the doctors.
The patients, needless to say, have
no words to express their gratitude.
One such story is of Mrs.
Devika Gunasena. Her experience is
simply thrilling! Watch these videos
to get a summary of what happened
right from the horse's mouth. The
complete account of the story
follows below these video clips.
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Mrs. Devika Gunasena recounts
her traumatic experience which
had a thrilling end |
I am
Devika from Sri Lanka. It all started on
May 18, 2009; it was a Monday. I went
shopping in Sri Lanka with one of my
friends for a particular Sai work. On
the way I ate a guava.
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Mrs. Devika Gunasena
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By
evening, I was down with stomach cramps,
vomiting and diarrhea. I was scheduled
to travel to India to see Swami on
Thursday and I wanted to get rid of all
this and be fit before I travel. So I
went to the doctor and was given
medicines but they didn't improve my
condition; it just got worse.
A
Tortuous Journey
As time
went on, my stomach started swelling up
and I still had terrible contractions
with a lot of pain. I took the flight on
Thursday with my husband and son and
throughout the journey I just consumed a
little bit of lime juice and no other
food. There was a taxi waiting for us
and I came to Puttaparthi. I felt every
bump on the road because my stomach was
so swollen. It was a terrible pain and I
cannot express in words the trauma I
went through.
We entered
Puttaparthi ashram and found our room.
My husband said, "Let's go to the
Hospital". I said, "No, we will go in
the morning because the doctors wouldn't
be there in this late hour." That night,
Swami came in my dream. My husband and
my son were sleeping on either side of
me. I have this history of strangulation
of the bowels, and once when we had an
interview with Swami, my mother who was
very worried about me, had asked Swami
about this problem and He had said,
"It's
gastric." And whenever I used to
have this kind of pain, it always used
to be gastric ? something like
gastroenteritis.
Fast Track Clearance
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"I can clear it in three
seconds flat!"
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I knew
that there was something radically wrong
with me that night. So I had a talk with
Swami. I said, "Swami! You gave word to
my mother! Why are You breaking it?"
And I drifted off to sleep. In
the night, Swami appeared in my dream
and said:
"You have an obstruction; but I can
clear it in three seconds flat!"
I didn't
know what He meant but those were the
very words that He used. So I thought
everything would be fine in the morning.
But it wasn't. I was still bloated up
and the pain was worse! I was thinking:
'Oh my God! Swami! What is this? You
came in my dream and told me that You
will take care of it and how come I am
still having this pain?'
I sent my
family off for Darshan and told
them I will be okay, but I was so sick!
I just brought out everything that I had
taken in. Nothing was going through!
There was some block somewhere and so, I
just threw up anything I ate.
After my
husband and son returned from
darshan, I was ready to be taken to
the Hospital. I said: "Let's go, I just
can't bear this anymore." There were
very kind people nearby who arranged for
the ambulance to come to the doorstep
and I was admitted to the Sri Sathya Sai
General Hospital.
Into the Divine Care of Sai Hospital
Dr. Uma
saw me and I had to relate my history of
this strangulation problem because there
were scars all over my stomach! She
confirmed what Swami had already said:
"There is an obstruction which is why
food is not passing through and that's
why you are simply bringing it out.
There are three options now. You can
either fly back to Sri Lanka
immediately, or go to a premier hospital
in Bangalore, or we can keep you here
and try to flush it out with just
liquids." She wanted my family to make
the decision. They said: "We will keep
her here."
So I was
just brought into this room and given
this bed. And what do I see? You
won't believe it! This is the exact
picture; the image that I saw in my
dream! It was as if Swami was
there by me all the time! It was
amazing.! Then they started the
treatment. They gave me bottles and
bottles of saline but the obstruction
just didn't clear. Then, on Friday
morning, the two doctors went for
Darshan and after they returned,
they examined and said: "I think you
will have to be moved to the Bangalore
Hospital because your intestines are
dormant; they are just too tired and
have just given up. I don't think they
can do the work on their own of pushing
and getting rid of the obstruction."
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The Sri Sathya Sai General
Hospital, Prasanthi Nilayam
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That was
just hell for me because now the
condition was getting worse; the pain
was severe and my stomach was just
bloating out. They said they would
prepare me for the three-hour journey to
Bangalore and then inserted a tube
through my nose which was just agony. I
have had it twice before which is a
procedure to take the gases out. I had
sworn before that I would never go
through that again but I here I was
undergoing it again. It was sheer
anguish! I can't tell you in words.
Anyway,
they started pumping out the gas but it
didn't help much. Then, they gave me
some more bottles of saline. They were
pumping it fast and preparing me for the
journey and asked my family to make
arrangements for a taxi to rush me to
Bangalore. But my husband was adamant.
He wanted to stay for darshan
to ask Swami. But Dr. Uma said: "It
might be too late! Why are you delaying?
It might be 10:30 p.m by the time you
reach there and the doctors may not be
available then". But my husband was
unyielding. They made all the
arrangements and they came just before
Darshan to tell me that
everything had been organised.
Inexplicable Relief at the Ultimate
Moment
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A relieved Gunasena family
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Just
before they were about to return from
Darshan, I had a sensation in
my stomach and therefore visited the
bathroom. And everything was cleared! It
would have taken Swami just three
seconds as He had told me, and His words
came true! The two doctors came and I
said: "I just went to the toilet and
it's fine."
They said:
"My goodness! Cancel your taxi. Put back
everything because you are going to stay
here." At this point, my husband and son
walked in and heard these words. They
had prayed to Ganesha and their
favourite Gods, and the moment they
stepped into my room the doctors told
them that Swami had done it!
Dr. Uma
said, "You know, Swami waits for the
eleventh hour and the 59th second to do
it!" Which is true. And it's marvelous!
I am perfectly alright, thanks to Swami.
And I thank Him from the bottom of my
heart. Also I must mention that the care
and the attention I received in this
Hospital was absolutely wonderful. I
don't think I can get it anywhere. Even
if I go to any other hospital in the
world, I don't think I can receive the
treatment I did here. The attention and
the care they have given me is
unbelievable ? it's absolutely
unbelievable! The doctors, Dr. Uma and
Dr. Hema, have been so wonderful. I have
no words to express my gratitude for
what they have done for me.
Part 2
Baffled by His Unbelievable Love
In the Part 1 of this story,
we had the thrilling tale of how
Mrs. Devika Gunasena from Sri Lanka
was cured of her painful abdominal
trauma quite unexpectedly and
amazingly. Now, we continue her
story where she relates another
interesting account ? the story of
her incredible journey to Swami and
the several instances of how she has
felt His Love, care, protection and
guidance. Miracles, in Mrs. Devika's
life, have happened in the dozens -
time and time again.
H2H: Tell us about
your journey to Swami?
Mrs. Devika Gunasena (DG): We
were on a pilgrimage to see Sai Baba in
1980. We are Buddhists and we believed
in astrology. There was this friend of
ours who read our horoscopes and said we
need to do some pujas and this
was our third trip performing all these
rituals. We heard of Swami, and we were
in a hotel in Bangalore and I told my
husband I would like to see Him.
Swami
happened to be in Whitefield. So we went
there and saw Him. He looked just like a
playboy! We didn't have any faith at
all! We were wondering why people were
worshipping Him and why was He just
walking around as if nothing affected
Him!
We
happened to give a ride back to
Bangalore to this couple who were
lawyers from America and we got talking.
She asked if we had read anything about
Swami and at the time we had not. Then
she recommended "Sai Baba: Man of
Miracles" by Howard Murphet and we
agreed to look it up.
Sai Baba:
Man of
Unending Miracles
After we
returned to Sri Lanka, within a week
this book was in my hand! It was such a
miracle! My sister-in-law, who happens
to be a foreigner, heard that I had been
to see Swami. She had this book and she
instantly gave it to me. It was truly
the turning point; this book was such an
eye-opener!
Gradually, we developed faith and the
first time we went to see Swami, my son
was very small and was asthmatic then;
he couldn't even breathe! And Swami
cured him with that first Darshan!
He blessed us thrice raising His one
hand in blessing! We didn't even have
any faith!
We were
standing outside at the gate, and as He
went out in the car, He just blessed us!
The railway crossing gate there was
closed and He had to come back again and
He blessed us again! Then He blessed us
one more time while going out after a
few minutes! So He blessed us three
times and that was the last attack of
asthma that my son ever had! It was such
a miracle!
Then, in
the 1990's I had this Doberman dog that
attacked me, and something snapped and
my thumb just collapsed. I went to the
doctor who said that the tendons have to
be stitched to the base and that I will
have to be in plaster for six weeks.
However, he still couldn't guarantee
that it would work. But he said I have
to decide quickly because every passing
day would make the operation more
difficult. But I wasn't taking this
seriously as I didn't want any surgery.
It has
been my practice to make garlands for
Swami every Wednesday, and it was such a
strain to hold the flowers with only
four fingers and one of those days I
almost fainted making the garlands for
Him. This was three weeks after the
accident. And then I thought to
myself: 'Oh Swami! Why am I going
through all this?' When I went to sleep
that night Swami came in my dream but I
didn't see Him, I just heard His voice:
"Everything will be alright." In
the morning when I woke up the finger
was fixed and it was working perfectly!
I have
been keeping all this to myself because
I thought it was such a personal thing
and I have been sharing this with very
few people! After hearing this story,
some have developed faith in Swami.
Suddenly, last morning (May 20, 2009) I
was thinking to myself: 'This is wrong!
I should not keep all this to myself. I
should share this; people should know
about Swami and His love.'
And then I thought to
myself: 'Oh Swami! Why am I
going through all this?' When I
went to sleep that night Swami
came in my dream but I didn't
see Him, I just heard His voice:
"Everything will be alright."
In the morning when I woke up
the finger was fixed and it was
working perfectly! |
When my
son came in the evening, I mentioned
this to him and he thought I was crazy!
'What's wrong with my mother? Suddenly
she has this urge to tell everyone about
this!' And I feel I must tell everybody
about Swami, this Divine Doctor of ours
to the world; people must know about
Him. And in the morning, without my
knowing, Dr. Kamala has called you, the
Radio Sai Team. It is all Swami's doing!
Stories of Swami's love and grace are
endless. Since I have known Swami, He
has made me a better Buddhist because I
have become vegetarian.
Needing His Assurance
Once when
we were in Whitefield, my daughter came
and told us she wanted to marry a
foreigner, which was shocking! I knew I
had to ask Swami first and get His
blessings. So, I wrote a letter to Him,
and took it with me to Darshan.
Many doubted I would have any success,
saying: "Swami never takes letters in
the afternoons, He just comes on the
stage. He doesn't walk around in the
evenings; there's no point in taking
letters!" But I still took it with me
for Darshan. I was sitting not
too far, but at the same time not in any
corner; maybe just about five people
away from the aisle from where Swami
usually came.
That
afternoon, quite unexpectedly Swami
enters from the front entrance and not
the stage. Next, He stops next to my
row, looks at me and just asks for the
letter! I am so shocked! I remember I
couldn't even hold the letter properly
or even reach out!
He Himself
reaches out and takes the letter from
me! And that is the only letter He takes
that evening and walks to the stage. And
then, keeps this letter on the stool
placed beside His chair. Now, I am
praying: 'Oh Swami! What if You forget
it! You haven't even read it! What if
You leave it on the stool!'
Meanwhile,
my son who is on the men's side does not
see it was me from whom Swami took the
letter, and talking to two other guys
seated beside him, he says: "Oh my! Who
is this lucky person! Swami has taken
only one letter! He doesn't know it's
mine! It was fantastic!"
This was
just the answer that He gave:
"Go
ahead, You have My blessings for the
marriage." My husband still
didn't believe it; he had his doubts!
"Swami hasn't approved this marriage!"
he said and wanted more proof.
So, they
get engaged in Sri Lanka and we return
to Whitefield. I say, if there is His
approval, He will come and bless the
rings. So, we are at our first
Darshan with the rings in our
hands. And Swami comes up to me that day
and blesses them! My husband sees it
from his side and becomes convinced. At
that time, I had six padanamaskarams!
That was the last I ever had, in 1999.
We had a group interview with Him then.
He had called all the Sri Lankan
devotees and when I asked Him for a date
for the marriage, He just said:
"Very
happy! Very happy!" and went on.
Passports Delivered from Heaven
Once I had
gone to Hong Kong with my children. They
were all small then and my husband
wasn't with me on that trip. We got into
this hotel and were going to a market,
and everyone was saying: "You have to be
very careful in that area, because there
are pickpockets all over." I had my
handbag with me and we were traveling in
a train there. I had all my passports
and travelers checks in a case and I
used to put my hand inside the handbag
very often to check if everything was
there.
What could I do? Call
out to Swami! Who else but
Swami! "Swami! Please help me!
What do I do at this stage?" I
get back to the hotel and there,
on a beautifully made bed, on
the center, is my passport case!
He has placed it right in the
middle ? the whole passport
case, with the passports, the
traveler's checks, everything ?
perfectly intact!
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After we
returned from the market, we went to a
restaurant nearby for our dinner. And
then, when I opened my handbag to pay,
the whole passport case was missing! It
was gone! I only had a little money to
settle the bill. It was a very difficult
situation. Here I was, in a strange
country, all alone, without my husband,
with these three small children. What
could I do? Call out to Swami! Who else
but Swami! "Swami! Please help me! What
do I do at this stage?" I get back to
the hotel and there, on a beautifully
made bed, on the center, is my passport
case! He has placed it right in the
middle ? the whole passport case, with
the passports, the traveler's checks,
everything ? perfectly intact! The way
He had laid it on the bed, it was
absolutely marvelous! Oh my God! I don't
have words enough to thank Him!
H2H: How often have
you been coming to Puttaparthi?
DG: Very often! People must be
wondering why we don't travel the world
because whenever we get the chance, it's
only to Swami's Feet that we come! We
take two to three trips a year. We were
here till He went to Kodai Kanal, in
April 2009, and we returned again now in
May.
At
the Hour of Need He is There?
Swami had
called us for an interview on one
occasion. That was a very tragic time
for us because my husband's sister, who
was married to my brother, was caught in
one of the bombs that went off in
Colombo. And that was very devastating
for us. I was so worried about my
husband because he was just not sleeping
for weeks! And then we - he, myself and
my youngest son, and my mother - came
here to Prasanthi Nilayam. And the Lord
just made him sleep!
From the
time we came here, he wouldn't even come
for Darshan, he just slept and
I too did not force him to come for
Darshan! The day before we were to
leave Puttaparthi, he went to
Darshan with my son, and Swami came
to my son and said:
"I will
see you tomorrow." He did call us
the next day. He actually called my
husband and son first and as I saw them
getting up, I took my mother along and
joined them.
But Swami
came to the ladies side and said:
"Ceylon
(Sri Lankan)! I will see you tomorrow!"
It was so embarrassing to go back! But
then my husband got up from the other
side, went up to Swami and asked,
"Swami! Can my wife please come along as
well?" And then He taps him on the back
and says:
"Yes, yes!"
Years
earlier, my husband had seen Swami
tapping a foreigner on his back exactly
in the same manner, and he had thought
to himself: 'I wish Swami would do that
to me!' So it was a play that Swami
wanted us to re-enact! That's why
probably He asked us to go back so that
He could tap like that to him! It is
amazing what He does!
So we were
called in and He said:
"Forget about the past; past is past!
Carry on with your lives."
That was the most crucial time of our
lives that He called us in. He knew it
was so bad for us. He was like a Mother!
He was so close to me! He used to ask
everything from me! He materialized a
Buddha pendant for my son, and asked,
"Buddhist?" He then took him in
for a personal interview and came out
holding a chain, said:
"I have corrected him." And then
He put the chain around him and everyone
in the interview room started
applauding! I never shared this with
anyone because I thought it was so
personal! This is the first time I am
sharing this.
H2H: How was the
experience of being in the Sri Sathya
Sai General Hospital?
DG: Oh my god! It is such a
privilege to be here in this General
Hospital! I think even eating that guava
was a marvelous, divine play! I think it
was going to happen sooner or later, and
He wanted it to happen here. The doctors
and the care here is amazing!
The
First Miracle in Rajiv's Life
H2H: People say
whether one believes in His
materializations or not, the miracle
that is obvious to everyone is that
everyday thousands of patients walk out
of His Hospitals, cured in body and
elevated in spirit, absolutely free of
cost. Rajiv (Mrs. Devika's son), why
don't you share how your asthma was
cured?
Rajiv: Thirty years ago, we
didn't have any faith in Swami. We were
in Bangalore and we had two days left
and had nothing to do. So we thought:
"Let's go see this magician Sai Baba!"
That's the mentality with which we went
to Whitefield. I clearly remember this
particular incident where all of us were
standing and the rail gates were closed
and He just passed us in His old
Mercedes and from the rear view mirror,
He just raised His hand and blessed us.
And I have never had an asthma attack
ever since! I never even asked Him to
cure me! I didn't even believe in Him so
why would I even ask!
He just passed us in His
old Mercedes and from the rear
view mirror, He just raised His
hand and blessed us. And I have
never had an asthma attack ever
since! I never even asked Him to
cure me! I didn't even believe
in Him so why would I even ask!
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Actually, the very night before, I had a
very bad attack in the hotel. A doctor
was called in and I had great difficulty
breathing. But after that day, I do not
know what is asthma.
And a week
later, the first book on Swami arrived
to the house and everything just fell in
place! I am a Buddhist but I feel, after
coming to Swami, I am a better Buddhist.
I didn't know much about my religion; I
actually know more of Swami's teachings
and I like the practicality of His
message. After following Swami,
personally I have become a better
Buddhist, a better human being. And I
think this is great!
Overwhelmed by His Love
H2H: What do you
like most about Swami's teachings?
Rajiv: The concept of
Universal Love and service. Earlier, we
were never told how valuable service is.
I mean, service is not gaining
something; but just acting out of
compassion. That's the concept and
that's where the selfless part comes in,
where you don't expect anything in
return because when that happens, it's
not service. Service is compassion. And
the greatest concept in Buddhism is
compassion; and behind this is the
concept of love.
A year ago
(in 2008), we came here during
Christmas. My father-in-law had a sore
eye; he couldn't even see properly. We
got an appointment with a specialist at
the Super Specialty Hospital in
Puttaparthi. So we went there and the
care we received there was unbelievable!
That's the first time I actually
experienced that kind of concern.
I remember
they did all the tests and the eye
specialist, Dr. Prasad was very gentle.
He put the eye-patch on and said: "You
can go." I asked: "How much for the
medicines?" because I didn't know how
the system worked. Then he turned around
and asked: "What do you mean?" I said:
"I understand maybe your service is free
but what about the medicines? I am sure
I have to pay for the medicines."
And he
said: "No. No one pays for the
medicines, Baba will take care of that."
So I was amazed; I was surprised because
I had learnt it the first time that it
is absolutely true that Swami doesn't
take a red cent from anyone!
My in-laws
are definitely not Sai devotees, but
they were too impressed to see, first
hand, the way the ashram is run, and the
concept of Universal love in practice!
Even in my mother's case! How wonderful
the doctor's were! I mean, forget the
saline, medicines, etc.; they were
speaking so kindly! I think that's what
heals people. The love, the attention!
You should see how much care the boy who
made soup for my mother took in
preparing and serving, without we even
asking!
Last
evening, my mother had her first solid
meal. She asked for toast, but the
amount of butter he had put on the toast
was amazing! I mean, that's what appeals
finally. It's absolute truth when
someone says it's Swami's love! I think
this is the miracle! If people would
actually come and experience this, they
would realize this concept of universal
and unconditional love.