Chapter from "Sanathana Sarthi – Bhagavan 70th Birthday Commemoration Volume", Nov. 1995
What Baba Means To Me
Mr. Justice Esuana Prasad
As a young lad of nine years, I was struck with infantile paralysis while my father, the late Sambasiva Rao Choudary Garu, was working as a Judicial Officer in a town in the erstwhile Madras Presidency. Prolonged treatment proved futile and the doctors confessed their inability to cure the malady. My mother, the late Smt Sitamahalakshmi, was shocked to learn that for the rest of my life a wheel-chair would become a part of my body, but that was not to be! The Grace of Baba descended on me in the form of a stranger who exhorted us to pray to Baba, and we immediately did so. Then the miracle happened! The very same night my legs, which were lifeless and immobile, became functional and I could lead a normal life thereafter.
It was only five years after the happening of this miracle that my mother saw Baba in a dream and we had His first darshan at Madras, where He declared that He is Sai Baba, thus removing our lingering doubts whether it was Shirdi Sai or Sathya Sai that put me back on my feet to walk. A life which was condemned to life-long movement in a wheel-chair by the doctors, was redeemed by the Grace of Baba. And it is by His Grace alone. I rose to reasonable heights at the Bar as a Lawyer and was later elevated to the High Court Bench. For some time I served the Sri Sathya Sai Organisations in my humble way as Secretary to Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samithi at Hyderabad.
Not only did Baba shower His limitless Grace on me, but He extended it to all our family members. Our eldest daughter was born with congenital heart disease which was not operable, and according to medical option, she might survive only up to her 13th or 14th year. Baba told us not to worry and on His direction we put her in Sri-Sathya Sai Women's College at Ananapur, from where she graduated and later took a Post-Graduate Degree. At Baba's command we got her married though she was reluctant to marry, as she desired to devote herself totally to the service of Baba. She is blessed with a daughter.
My own and my family members' experiences are nothing but a few drops in the ocean of Baba's Grace. Millions of devotees and non-devotees have experienced such Grace, flowing freely from Baba. Devotees have to perform Sadhana, as very often Baba advises, to attain His Grace, which is similar to the effort made by one to quench His thirst by digging wells for water. Others, though they may not know who and what Baba is. also receive His Grace on a par with His devotees, just as the clouds pour rain both on barren and arable lands in equal measure. Baba relieves misery, both physical and mental, provided the prayers are genuine and sincere.
What Baba is to an individual depends on His perception. He is a great man to some, a superman for others, a man doing some good work in the view of some, a God-man for some and an Avatar for those who have realised at least a part of His Glory. Those who have seen Him for decades and those who have received His Grace know who He is. To me He is God in human form. The transformation He brings about in the people and the love He kindles in their hearts itself is the greatest miracle. As darkness can be removed by light, His message can remove hatred and jealousy from the minds of the people and bring peace and happiness to all.
I end this article with a prayer to Bhagavan that He may give us the strength to serve society and to take part in His mission and be one of the tiny parts of His Chariot, Sanathana Dharma.
Eswara Prasad, Judge,
Karnataka High Court, Bangalore
Come one and all, see in me yourself. For I see myself in you all, you are my life, my breath, my soul, you are my form, when I love you, I love myself. When you love yourselves, you love me.
- Sri Sathya Sai Baba
