I affirm that this Sai form is the form of all the various names that man uses for the adoration of the Divine, said Bhagawan once....and it is interesting to note His ways of proving the above statement as a part of His Divine Sport. Dr. K.G.Thangamma, Nandanavanam, Ootacamund (erstwhile Sathya Sai School in Ooty) narrates her share of experiencing the Divine. (Source: The Sanathana Sarathi Archives)

It happened two years ago, — that unforgettable incident and I had the most fortunate privilege to witness it!

We were returning to Whitefield, after two delightful days in Swami's Divine Presence, at Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar, Ooty. Swami was visiting the school for the first time, —it was started only a month back.

We halted at Muthumala Game Sanctuary, for lunch and rest, before proceeding on to Brindavan, where Swami had promised to be, by about 6 P.M. —that being the Shivarathri night.

The miracle I am about to describe took place that day—i.e. March 7th, Thursday 1979—between 11 a.m, and 12 noon.

After breakfast, Swami posed for polaroid photographs with each one of the party. He then turned to the student (still holding the camera in his hand) and said, "Now take My Photo" (i.e. Himself standing alone). He had an orange coloured robe that day and He stood holding His hands at the back, as usual. The photo slid down the camera—and a few seconds later revealed His figure, with the charming smile, and His bright orange robe. Immediately after, standing in the same spot, and in the same pose, He said, "Now, take one more." Down slid the film which, Swami caught in His hand, as He was doing all along preventing it from falling on the ground.

But, what did we see! In the place where we expected to see Swami's figure, enveloped in His orange robe, there stood a young Divine figure, in black and white. It had three heads and six hands. It wore a white garment, gracefully wound around His body, one end of the flowing garment around the bare body and drawn over the left shoulder in charming folds—like an Angavastra. Each arm was holding a different Insignia of Divinity; the lower left arm bent at the elbow, resting along the back and shoulder of a beautiful, well-fed, fully grown calf, which was half reclining on the ground—at the Feet of its Master, with its majestic young head held majestically high. There were three or four dogs also in the background—all revealing the form of Dattatreya as described in Puranas—the integration of the three facets of the One God.

When I recovered from the wonder and the thrill of it all, I could hear Swami describing the various significances of the numerous details. And when I could put in a word, I asked Swami, the significance of the calf, (which occupied quite a big space in that picture). Swami replied smiling, "Don't you know? That cow represents Dharma! See! Swami is resting His hand on Dharma!" The rest of the explanation He had given to the students—I confess— had been lost to me in the wonder of my gazing at this, incredibly marvellous creation of Swami's Sankalpa, which transformed His Form into the Unity of Trinity, Dattatreya. A second later, Swami looked at the picture and exclaimed, "Where is my hair? All gone." No. They were not all gone—the thick crown that was on one head, had now been divided between the three Heads! And they were tied up in a sort of knot, on top of the three Heads!

And with an amused childish glee He added a second later "Look: There is Swami's mole on this cheek!" This He said pointing to a little black spot that could be discerned on the partially visible left cheek on the Head on the left side. While the Head in the Centre had the front view, the Heads on the left and the right sides, had only side views.

This is the first time, to my knowledge that a camera caught what Swami projected as Himself, through His Maha Sakthi and Maya Sakthi, with such intensity, that while He Himself was facing the camera in solid body, the lens caught, not His Physical Form, but exclusively the Form of the Figure projected by Him, in all its numerous minute details, to the exclusion of His Divine Form, which is visible to us.

May the whole world understand and realise the Lord for what He really is!