11. The Jyothiswarupa Sai
Dr. S.
Bhagwantham, M.Sc., Ph D., D.Sc., former scientific adviser to the Ministry of
Defence, Government of India, and also the Director of the All India Institute
of Science, Congress Association is a Physicist of international repute. He
used to be a sceptic and a severe critic of Baba. During his first meeting with
Baba in 1969, Baba took him and few others for a walk on the sandy banks of the
river Chithravathi. Baba then made him select a spot on which they all sat.
During the course of their conversation, Dr. Bhagwantham stated that a very eminent
scientist, Opphen Heimer, had quoted a sloka from the 'Bhagavad Gita' in
describing the brilliance of the first ever atomic explosion. He had said that
the infinite flash of light could only be described in the words of Arjuna,
when he had the 'Vishwa Virat Swaroop' darshan before him. Arjuna had described
the effulgence as comparable with the splendour of a thousand suns shining
simultaneously in the sky, which is called the JYOTHISWARUPA.
On this
Baba asked him, "So you believe in the 'Bhagavad Gita'. Would you read it
if I give you one straight away ?" Dr. Bhagwantham happily consented.
Baba then asked him to stretch out his hand and picking up some sand poured it
on the outstretched palm. The sand particles changed into a copy of the
'Bhagavad Gita'. The scientist was not an adept in Sanskrit and though he had
not mentioned this fact before Baba, yet the all-knowing Baba had known about
it and therefore He had materialised a Telugu copy of the epic. The scientific
mind of Dr. Bhagwantham gave vent to an expression of doubt on his face about
the publishers. Baba cleared the doubt and said, "This Gita has been
printed in the Sai Press.”
The
scientist has also seen myriads of miracles from the Divine Hands. Dr.
Bhagwantham stood in mute amazement seeing Baba successfully perform an
elaborate surgical operation on his mentally retarded son, using on spot
created instruments and dressings Once he saw Baba materialise a 'shankha' from
which subsequently emanated an incessant flow of 'amrita'. Baba poured a
spoonful of nectar on the tongue of everyone present.
On another occasion Baba took a handful of set water and in the presence of the scientist and many others converted it into a beautiful diamond necklace. This and many other instances left not an iota of doubt in Dr. Bhagwantham's mind about the Absolute Divinity of Baba. It, however, took him three years of closely watching, examining and weighing the Sai's words and deeds before he could fully accept Him as an Avatar, who is beyond any human understanding, comprehension and scientific explanation.