Dr. Gopala Krishna N., Dept. of Ophthalmology
Bhagawan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba
On the invitation of Kingdom of
Mother Sai, with the blessings of Bhagawan, I attended the medical
camp at Prasanthi Nilayam form 18th to 26th December 1982. Since it
was only a medical camp and not an eye camp, I did not carry any
surgical instruments with me. Bhagawan inaugurated the medical camp at
Junior College for Boys on December 18th by lighting the lamp. There
were five other doctors who were specialists in different medical
fields. Since I was an ophthalmologist, I was, asked to look after the
eye section.
Students, graduates and staff of Sri
Sathya Sai Women's College, Anantapur organized and assisted us in
the medical camp. On December 19th as we sat for darshan, Swami asked
us to examine the Prasanhti Nilayam women inmates for cataracts. After
examinations, fourteen patients were selected. Smt. Pedda Bottamma (an
old devotee of Shiridi Sai Baba), Who was 85 years old and had
hypertension and asthma with paraplegia, was the only case unfit for
cataract operation.
We wanted to inform Swami about the
health of Smt. Pedda Bottamma and that she was not fit for the
operation. We were waiting in darshan both morning and evening for
three days. But Swami was avoiding us all throughout those three days.
On the 21st evening after darshan, Swami sent a message that cataract
operations are to be performed on the women inmates on December 22 at
2 P.M. and that first person to be operated would be Smt. Pedda
Bottamma. Swami also informed that he would come to the operation
theatre. We were in a big dilemma as to how to convey the message to
Swami -about the health of Smt. Pedda Bottamma and that we didn't have
operation theatre-trained nurses and surgical instruments for cataract
operations. (We had not taken eye surgical instruments or/and theatre
trained nurses along with us, as it was programmed to be just an
out-patient medical camp.)
On December 22nd morning nurses form
Vishakpatnam came to Prasanthi Nilayam and they had no idea that there
was a medical camp at Prasanthi Nilayam but they found out about the
medical camp. After morning darshan they came to us, as we were
preparing the operation theatre with the help of students. They told
us that they were trained nurses in operation theatre for
ophthalmology and inquired if they could be of any help to us. We
gladly accepted assistance and entrusted the preparation of the
operation theatre to the nurses and students. The non-availability of
operation-theatre trained nurses was thus solved.
Then at 9 A.M. when we examined Smt.
Pedda Bottamma, we found that her health was in perfect, normal
condition. Her blood pressure of 240/160 mm of Hg was down to normal
120/80 mm Hg and she had no symptoms of asthma. It was His Divine
leela that made her normal.
We were still worried about the
nonavailability of surgical instruments. At 10 A.M. a doctor (psychiatrist) from Pittsburgh who was coming to India for the first
time was touring Administrative Building on the hill, saw a crowd
near the . junior college. He inquired at the Administrative Building
regarding the crowd. It was explained to him that there was a medical
camp being conducted in the Junior College. He came down to the
Junior College to find out if he could participate in the camp. He
came to me and told me that he was a doctor (psychiatrist). An eye
doctor from Chicago had-given him eye surgical instruments, to carry
them to India and give them to Swami. So he wanted to find out if
these instruments could be of some use in the medical camp. Since we
had no surgical instruments for the operations, we told him to bring
them. The instruments he brought were brand new and were the ones that
were exactly required for the operations. We were happy to receive the
instruments form him. So the non-availability of surgical instruments
was also solved. It was his Divine leela.
Bhagawan came to operation theatre at
2 P.M. and lighted the lamp and witnessed the eye operation of Smt.
Pedda Bottamma and another patient for about 30 minutes. Afterwards
Swami inspected the post-operative ward, where the patients were kept.
After finishing the operations, we sat for darshan at 5:30 P.M.,
Swami came to me and asked, "What have you done to Smt.Pedda Bottamma? Is her eye there or have you removed her eye?". Suddenly I fell at
Swami's feet weeping and told him, "Forgive me, for you have killed my
ego". Then Swami consoled me by materializing vibhuti, putting
vibhuti on my forehead and told me that I was only an Instrument in
his Divine play. He gave padanamaskar and went away.
Next day Swami came to the
postoperative ward and was asking Smt. Pedda Bottamma, "Why do you
like to have physical vision when I have given you Inner vision?"
After Swami left, Smt. Pedda Bottamma explained that Swami is Lord
Krishna and the significance of physical and inner visions. Physical
vision is only seen when eyes are open and when objects are in front
of the eyes. With Inner vision, Lord is in our Heart and we can see
him always. This was the experience of Gopikas' Inner vision of
Krishna.
Women students nursed the patients
with loving care throughout the post-operative period and by
Bhagawan's grace, all the patients recovered well and medicines were
given to patients. At the end of the camp, we gave the instruments to
the General Hospital at Prasanthi Nilayam.
On December 26th, Swami called all
the doctors and medical staff for an interview. Few devotees from
California had also been called for the interview along with us. Swami
questioned all of us, "Where is God?". We couldn't answer it and one
of the California devotees, answered, "God is in our Heart." Then
Swami told of us, "God is not only in our heart. He is besides you,
above you and omnipresent. Devotees form abroad are seeing the Light
and are getting enlightened, whereas, Indians are under the Light and
are not able to see it. See God in every person, because all are God's
children with divine spark. Serve the patients with love and affection."
Then Swami presented us golden pens
and then he to!d us, "These pens are made of pure gold. Just like this
pure gold, all of you should serve with pure heart and one should be
able to sacrifice in any situation."
In the beginning we were in a big
dilemma as to how the eye camp would be successful without surgical
instruments and theatre trained nurses. Since Swami is GOD, he knew
all along the whole eye camp would be successful, because he planned
it that way. What I learnt from this memorable experience of my life
was that God is the Doer and we are all but his instruments.
Sourced: SAI SPANDAN - Journal of
SSSIHMS Prasanthi Gram - Third Issue
http://sathyababa.tripod.com/miracle/doer.htm