2. Same Time In Three Forms

The Tapovan at Puttaparthi was inaugurated on the 29th of June 1957. On that occasion two close disciples of the Saint Swami Sivananda Saraswathi of Rishikesh, were also present. One of them was Swami Satchidananda who was then the working Secretary of the branches of the Divine Life Society. The other was, his co-disciple Swami Sadananda who is the author of the beautiful books 'Satmarga Deepam’ and 'Maha Sakthi' and has also written a commentary on Patanjali's 'Yoga-Darsana'. A few days before this function; both the personalities had the extreme good fortune of having stayed for full six weeks in the Divine Presence and company of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba at Kodaikanal. They were the recipients of His infinite Grace and Compassion and had enjoyed the Supreme Bliss, that the close proximity of the physical form of Divinity

In his speech on this occasion Swami Satchidananda said, "From my personal experience I am convinced without doubt and also from my extreme good fortune of recent close association with Baba I am fully satisfied that Baba is Super-Consciousness itself, Omniscient, Omnipresent and Inner Resident of all beings sarva bhoothantharathma). It is absolutely essential to explain how I have eome to this unquestionable faith in my heart and mind." Then he went on to say, "Once I was sitting with Baba in His room at a bungalow at Kodaikanal. At that time Baba was reclining on His bed. All of a sudden Baba stood up with a jerk and shouted in Telugu “DO NOT SHOOT” and then fell; unconscious on His bed.

To describe correctly, it can be said that Baba had gone on an 'out of the body' or transcorporeal journey. His body then became stiff. At that very moment of His shouting 'do not shoot' Baba was continuously thumping at the door of a military officer at Bhopal. However, at that moment of time and space He was not in Sri Sathya Sai form. Instead, He appeared in three different forms. Having created three different human bodies, Baba had entered into them _ one in the form of an old college friend, second as his wife and third as a peon, who was carrying their baggage on his head. In this way Baba presented to the officer a fully natural picture which was commensurate with and perfect in all minute details of divinity.

This military officer, had performed well in the Second World War and had risen to a high rank in the government service. During the re-organisation of the States, however, he had been unfairly superseded. This he had taken to heart. The unfortunate chain of circumstances, had left him completely shattered and a demoralised fatalist, prompting him to end his life. At that time there was no one to share his burden of sorrows nor anyone to console him. His wife, who was a staunch devotee of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. was away with her parents in their native village. Hearing the loud bang on his door, the officer ran to his bedroom, kept his revolver on his bed and after covering it with a sheet, readjusted his dress, regained his composure and opened the door. At that stage Baba entered the house in three different forms and superbly performed the three roles. For three-fourths of an hour thereafter Baba kept on displaying the humourous nature and boisterous behaviour of his college-mate, thus dispelling from the officer's mind all thoughts of depression, gloom and also the ugly intention of suicide. On learning that the officer's wife was not at home, his friend (Baba) did not consider it proper to stay at that house. Instead he decided to stay at a well-known hotel at Bhopal. After the departure of the three, the officer discovered that the revolver was missing. He searched infructuously in the whole house and thereafter ran to the hotel where his friend and his family were to stay. There was no booking in his friend's name and also there was no trace of his friend and his family. The officer realised, that it could be Baba, who had come as his old friend to rescue him from the jaws of death. It was Baba alone, who had retrieved him from that critical situation and saved his life and had given him a new lease. Just at that moment, there was another knock on the door, bringing him a telegram which read "DO NOT WORRY THE INSTRUMENT IS WITH ME_BABA."

Swami Satchidananda reported, that when Baba was lying unconsciously at Kodaikanal, He showed His infinite 'Leela-Sakthi' by the flow of a stream of o 'vibhuti' (Holy Ash) from His toes, thus comforting them. Baba soon resumed His normnl frame and had the above telegram sent.

On exactly the fourth day Baba received a letter; from that officer in which he had described all the | events. In that letter, it clearly stated that Baba is Omnipresent, Omniscient, Almighty, The Savour who guards all His devotees from every difficulty. He is the beloved Lord, who saved Draupadi from ignominy, Ahalva from petrification, the elephant, Gajendra, from the jaws of a crocodile and Bhaktha Prahlada from torture by the wicked King Hrinyakashyapa. It has been described in the Puranas (the ancient Hindu scriptures) that the Atma when dlsembodied, can enter into an existing body. This phenomenon is known as ‘Parakaya-pravesam'. However, this incident is even more profound than that. It has been neither heard of, nor seen nor written about. The simultaneous appearance in three different forms at the same place is called 'Kaya-Srishti' Body Creation). This means appearing at one’s will in three different forms, adopting full details of their physical appearance and exhibiting identical behaviour in performing their roles in perfect exactitude.

From the circumstances just narrated it will be seen that meticulous attention was given to the minutest details, the correct physical appearance, the identical behaviour and mannerisms in their every aspect, the exactly similar gait and gestures while talking and repeating even the same phrases and idioms, they had used in their college days. A carbon copy of his friend was actually created before the officer. Quite apart from this the happenings of those days, conversations held at that time, even the mimicry of other contemporaries and tales of decades ago, were enacted in their completeness. This could have been accomplished, only by an Incarnation of God.