Miracles at Vashista Cave-Rishikesh Om Sri Sai Ram VISION AT RISHIKESH(source S.Balu)“I worship Bhagavan Baba as Sri Bhagavan Narayana Himself and none other. I have written a book based on the Bhagavatha and dedicated it to Bhagavan Baba. I hope to place it at the feet of Sai Narayana shortly,“ said seventy year old Shri Subbaramayya Naidu of Venkatagiri, his face lighting up with devotion as he spoke. Shri Subbaramayya is a blessed individual, most apt to talk with fervour, for he is a witness of the most fantastic divine Vision given by Bhagavan that has been recorded in Sai history. This was a vision of Jyoti Ananta Padmanabha given to Purushottamananda at Vasishta guha (cave) near Rishikesh, during Bhagavan Baba‘s first visit to Rishikesh at the Invitation of Sri Sivananda. “Yes, I know, and I have experienced the proof of his divinity. He is Lord Narayana in human form, come for the upliftment of humanity,“ he said. Sri Subbaramayya continued, “I first saw Sri Sai Baba in 1950 when Baba visited Venkatagiri at the invitation of the royal family of Venkatagiri. Then the Yuvaraja invited me to darshan. At that time, I was President of the local branch of the Divine Life Society, and I had been initiated by Swami Sivananda in 1944“. He had always been a spiritual person. Earlier his father had sent him to Sri Malayalaswami. He had been with Ramana Maharshi for two years and also had darshan of Sri Aurobindo and Swami Ramdas in his early years. He had also read a lot on Theosophy. But when he saw Swami Sivananda, he knew he had found his guru and had been initiated. With such a spiritual background, Subbaramayya was, indeed, overwhelmed when he saw Bhagavan Baba. The devotion of the Venkatagiri Royal Family for Bhagavan Baba thoroughly impressed upon his mind. He was blessed with vibhuti created by Sri Baba and he also saw several other materialisations. Sri Baba used to visit Venkatagiri every year, and there were sankirtans in the palace to which Subbaramayya was always invited. He remembered how, during one of his early talks, Baba had referred to his previous form at Shirdi. He particularly mentioned a rickshaw used by him when he was Shirdi Baba.It was then in Hyderabad. Those talks used to be cosy and intimate, within the palace precincts, with just the royal family and select guests. After three years of such private visits the royal family took the decision to invite the public to them so that they, too, might have the benefit of Sri Baba‘s darshan and hear his discourse. So in 1953, for the first time, a public sankirtan was arranged in Boddu Saika the inner quadrangle of the palace and Sri Subbaramayya took an important role in arranging the meeting at the request of the yuvaraja, his friend. Baba was happy with the arrangements, as it would benefit the people of Venkatagiri. It became a precedent for Subbaramayya to request Bhagavan Baba to preside over the All-India Conference of the Divine Life Society hosted in Venkatagiri. Subbaramayya recalls how Swami Sadananda‘s arrival was delayed till the eleventh hour and how Baba allayed his anxiety by assuring him, “Subbaramayya don‘t worry, he will come on time. You carry on with your work“. Swami Sadananda arrived on time and the inauguration took place as scheduled. Swami Sadananda remained aloof on the first day and appeared to have his own reservations about Baba. But, on the second day, everyone could see that there was a definite change. He never left Baba‘s side and, later, also went to Puttaparthi with Baba. After that conference, there was a telegram from Swami Sivananda inviting Baba to kindly visit their ashram and bless them. As a result, when Bhagavan Baba planned his tour of North India, a visit to Rishikesh was included in the itinerary. Subbaramayya Naidu and the Yuvaraja of Venkatagiri were among those who accompanied Sri Baba to Delhi. Subbaramayya and Mr. Tirumalachari (who wrote the Telugu version of Sathyam, sivam, sundaram) went ahead of Swami‘s party to Rishikesh. A cottage “Shiva Kutir“ had been got ready for Baba and everyone in the ashram was excited about Swami‘s stay. Swami Chidananda was then the General Secretary of the Ashram. Swami was given a spontaneous and enthusiastic welcome. Beautiful sankirtan was arranged at the Diamond Jubilee Hall, after which Swami Sivananda asked Subbaramayya to speak on “the Life and Mission of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba“. lt was a great honour for Subbaramayya and he spoke about what he had heard, what he had seen and what he had experienced about Sri Baba. After two days, Subbararnayya (an advocate by vocation) approached Sri Baba and said that he had to get back to appear in a case at Nellore. Baba cut him short saying “Your case is adjourned“. After talking to Sri Baba, Subbaramayya returned to his room and found a telegram waiting for him. The telegram stated that the case had been adjourned, so he need not return in a hurry. He wondered again and again how Baba could have predicted the adjournment. Sri Baba stayed in the ashram for seven days, much to the joy of Swarni Sivananda. Several times Subbararnayya was called upon to translate Sri Baba‘s Telugu talks to others, a task that filled him with immense joy. Baba took the party on several excursions around the area. On the fifth day (after their arrival), he said, “Let us go to Vasishta Guha“ (Vasishta cave). The place was nearly fifteen miles away from Rishikesh. The route was through difficult terrain, with a steep half a mile climb down. At the end of this tricky trek, they found to their surprise, a sanyasi standing with a garland for Baba! How did the sanyasi know that Sri Baba was coming? The sanyasi was none other than Swami Purushottamananda who had been living in the guha (cave) for several years. Seeing Baba, he went off to a trance,