On Saturday, the 29th of June,1963, Bhagawan took on Himself a paralytic stroke as well as two major heart attacks of a devotee who would not have survived the illness. The night before the stroke and heart attacks, Swami had told His close devotees that He would not be giving any interviews for a week. Throughout the entire episode Swami refused all medication, frustrating the doctors in attendance in their efforts to give Him any injections or oral medication. On the fourth day following the initial attack, He told His devotees (as best He could as His speech was totally slurred, the entire left side of His Body and Face having been paralyzed): "This will last five days in all. Tomorrow, the pain will be less. I had two heart attacks, these three days. You must have heard the groans. No one else could have survived." The doctors' diagnosis verified Swamis own analysis of His physical state, including the presence of a large blood clot in the brain. Two more heart attacks followed that night. The next morning, a Thursday--the sixth day of the episode--as per His own prophecy, the heart attacks ceased and the pain lessened. But His entire left side was still completely paralyzed. Two days later--Saturday, the 6th of July- Guru Pournima, the festival held in honor of Gurus or Teachers, especially those who teach Spiritual Truths. A massive crowd of at least 5000 had gathered in the Prayer Hall for it had been announced the day before that Swami would be appearing there for the first time since the paralytic stroke and heart attacks. When Swami was carried down and placed in His chair in the front of the Prayer Hall, an audible gasp, which turned into a massive wail of grief, rose spontaneously from the crowd, seeing Him in this pitiable state. Even the bravest among the crowd wept aloud. Then Swami relayed the following to the crowd through one of His devotees (who had been with Him from the moment the stroke first struck Him--Prof. N. Kasturi): "Do not grieve! This is not My ailment. This is an ailment I have taken over. I can never fall ill; No, never. Do not feel dispirited. If you lose heart, it will pain Me." Swami then motioned for some water, which was brough in a glass. His palsied right hand tried grasping it, but slipped. Then, after being helped to sip a little, He placed His right fingers into the water and sprinkled it over His limp left hand and then over His paralyzed left leg. Then with both hands He stroked the left leg, and suddenly stood up! "Premaswaroopalaara! Embodiments of Divine Love!" He suddenly called out to those gathered there, clear as a bell and as strong as ever! The crowd was stunned, unable to believe their own eyes! In a matter of a few seconds Sai had completely cured Himself! All evidence of the previous paralysis had disappeared. The crowd went wild with joy, leaping, crying, dancing and praising God who was standing before them in physical form! Swami continued His discourse, saying: "For him who has no refuge, God is the refuge. That is the reason I had to take on this disease that one forlorn Bhaktha (devotee) was to suffer from. He would not have survived it, nor could he come through the four heart attacks I took on. My Dharma--My Divine Duty--is Bhaktharakshana (Granting succour or running to the aid of devotees9. I had o rescue him. "Of course, this is not the first time I have taken on the illness of those I want to save. Even in the previous Divine Body at Shirdi, I had this responsibility. This is My Leela (Divine Play); My Nature. It is part of the Task for which I have come. Someone asked Me wether it was right on My part to plunge thousands into grief, in order to rescue one. Such numerical calculations cannot apply to accts of Grace!" "You must count another benefit too, though you may not be aware of it. I know to what depths your devotion to Me reached, as a result of this 'illness' during these eight days. You would not have achieved that single-pointed meditation on Me, even during years of Tapas (Worship).."
This Wonderful incident also helped to open the hearts of those who witnessed Swami's "illness", bringing forth their own compassion. Om Sai Ram
