I S S Subbarao and Rosamma, Aikivedu

When we came back home we found that there was some improvement in my wife’s condition. A few months she was completely cured of her backache. Experiencing this miraculous phenomenon our love for Sri Swamiji started.

In 1982 Sri Swamiji graced the house of my elder brother in Aikivedu. I was invited for the event, I didn’t feel like going there, but my wife did. I was in the habit of occupying my time in my business and I could not make time for visiting; temples, swamis, or holy men. For those people who had the time, like my brother, they did what their hearts told them to do.

A few months later my wife had a spinal problem and she was advised to have complete bed rest. I took her for a checkup in Chennai. Our elder son used to stay in Tumkur so we visited him too. While coming back, my elder brother, who was at that time to Mysore ashrama for the divine Navaratri celebrations, again invited us. We went to the ashram and stayed for the entire event. At the end we wanted to take Sri Swamiji’s permission to leave, but He asked us to stay back for another week. It was completely unplanned and we had no money to stay, we obeyed His words and somehow we stayed there for a week.

When we came back home we found that there was some improvement in my wife’s condition. A few months she was completely cured of her backache. Experiencing this miraculous phenomenon our love for Sri Swamiji started. In January/February every year Sri Swamiji would do a tour of Andhra Pradesh, so the next year we invited Him for pada pooja at our house. Sri Swamiji accepted and we were lucky to get His permission to touch those Holy feet that day.

After the pooja, when He was leaving the house, to my amazement, Sri Swamiji asked me to accompany Him in the car. I had some lawsuits pending regarding one of the parcels of lands that I owned. I didn’t mention that to Sri Swamiji, but His omnipresence knows all. He asked me to show Him the disputed land. During the journey we had to pass through the area; He wanted to look at the property from the car itself. Wonders happen with just one glance! That land was under dispute for over twelve years. However within a few months, after He visited that place, the other party, of the lawsuit, opted for an out of court settlement, and we got the land. We thanked Him for He solved the biggest problem that I had although i didn’t even mention it to Him.

During the next year’s visit, we proposed to Sri Swamiji, to construct a Datta temple in Aikivedu. He advised us to search a land for the construction. We searched a lot but couldn’t find a good place for the ashram. We own a rice mill business in Aikivedu and we had some properties. We looked at these lands and it was finally decided to donate the land adjacent to our house for this purpose. Lucky us! Sri Swamiji agreed and He accepted.

In 1986 Sri Swamiji came to Aikivedu during His yearly tours. He came to the land that was proposed for the temple construction and swiftly walked to a spot. He sat there for awhile and said that it should be the spot for laying the foundation stone. We followed His order, made the preparations and had the foundation stone laid by Sri Swamiji, and then the temple construction commenced. Incidentally, some of my family members were not on speaking terms with each other but during this event all the members became united. What more blessings do we need than being in His service? The temple was inaugurated on November 3^rd 1989.

My elder son, who was studying in Tumkur, had some health issues. We informed this to Sri Swamiji; He assured that the boy would be fine. We went to the Mysore Ashrama to seek His permission to find an alliance for him. Sri Swamiji said that we should wait for some time. However He arranged an alliance to our younger son.

The ashram at Aikivedu was slowly developing and during Sri Swamiji visits He would spend time in a small room. Many devotees started coming and the place was crammed. It was decided that we should build a “Guru Nilayam” on the premises. We didn’t have the finances, since a lot was already spent on temple construction. But through the miraculous grace of our Sadgurudeva we complete the project very easily. Later on more construction took place and we added more buildings.

In 1994 during my younger daughter became seriously sick and was admitted in hospital. I left few family members at her side and stayed back in the ashram, since Sri Swamiji was there in the Guru Nilayam. We didn’t inform the situation to Sri Swamiji. But He himself came called me and said, “Swamiji came here to save the life of your child. Don’t worry”. My daughter was saved and was soon gained back her health.

My experiences are numerable. During one of His visits, Sri Swamiji materialized a gold chain from a garland which I offered to Him. Sri Swamiji is everything to us. My entire family treats Him as God. He is Lord Venkateshwara. I stopped going to other temples after I met Sri Swamiji because I see God in Him. When I go to any temple I don’t see the idols of other Gods, I see Sri Swamiji sitting there in the Sanctum Sanctorum.

In 1996 my elder son became seriously ill and informed Sri Swamiji. His Holiness said, “Every life has to end”. We were deeply disturbed as Sri Swamiji spoke this way. A month later he breathed his last. Sri Swamiji had given us the strength to face this calamity by warning us earlier. We place full trust in His words. We follow them without questioning. Not only me, but my entire family treats Him as God. We had many ups and downs in life. But each step of the way we had His blessing. In the twenty-seven years of knowing Him, our lives have turned into a positive path. We visit Mysore ashram for the main festivals and functions. He blessed my family abundantly. He saved my wife from an illness. He gave her rebirth.

I often see the vision of Sri Swamiji holding a Trisula and safe guarding the Aikivedu ashram. When I asked Sri Swamiji about His ‘Shiva Roopa’, He said, “Yes I am Eshwara”. That’s why I never go to any other temple. For me Sri Swamiji is Lord Shiva and Lord Balaji. The world for me is in His service.

I see Sri Swamiji in every God. I see no difference between Sri Swamiji and Datta Vijayananda Swamiji. When we hear the discourse of Bala Swami we feel we are listening to Sri Swamiji Himself.

I don’t think that I am the person who donated the land for the Aikivedu Ashrama; it was Sri Swamiji at every step that did this. I am just a spectator in His play. He once said referring to this ashrama, “This is a Puspaka Vimana I am bringing down to earth. A yogi did his meditation here and that’s why this place would be best for the ashrama”

He sometimes ordains me to send rice bags for use at the Mysore ashrama. What can I send when everything I have is given His Holiness Himself? Sri Swamiji is everything to me. Sometimes it scares me as to what my life would be without Him. My children are on a good path, because of Him. We don’t ask Him anything because we know He will take care of us. Each time He gives a fist full of ‘Swetharka Raksha’ and there exactly seventeen, the same number as members of my family. This never changed; we don’t get a number more or a number less. He says, “These Swetharka raksha would save your family”. Yes they did, not once each time, every time. Some times we know and sometimes we don’t even know.

Once a wagon filled with 1.2 Million worth of goods were stolen. I went to inform Sri Swamiji about this. He said nothing but gave me “pada sparsha”. When I stressed about the issue again He said, “That is meant for your good. Don’t long for that. Let it be. That money is your bad karma”. Like wise I didn’t get that money back, but it didn’t shake me. I knew what ever happened, happened for good.

Whenever Sri Swamiji visits Aikivedu, He visits our house. How blessed we are. He saved my wife and my family members. What else do we need? We don’t ask Him anything. He gave us everything. Jaya Guru Datta.