The readers may remember that mention was made in the
6th Chapter regarding the Rama-Navami Festival in Shirdi;
how the festival originated and how in the early years
there was a great difficulty in getting a good Hardidas
for performing Kirtan on that occasion, and how Baba
permanently entrusted this function (Kirtan) to Dasganu
permanently. Now in this Chapter we shall describe the
manner in which Dasganu was performing the Kirtan.
Naradiya Kirtan-Paddhati
Generally our Haridasas, while performing the Kirtan,
wear a gala and full dress. They put on a head-dress,
either a pheta or a turban, a long flowing coat with a
shirt inside, an uparane (short dhotar) on the shoulders
and the usual long dhotar from the waist below. Dressed
in this fashion for some Kirtan in the Shirdi village,
Dasganu once went to bow to Baba. Baba asked him -
"Well, bridegroom! where are you going dressed so
beautifully like this?" 'For performing a Kirtan' was
the reply. Then Baba said - "Why do you want all this
paraphemalia-coat, uparani and pheta etc, doff all that
before Me, why wear them on the body?" Dasganu
immediately took them off and placed them at the Baba's
Feet. From that time Dasganu never wore these things
while performing the Kirtan. He was always bare from
waist upwards, a pair of `chiplis' was in his hand and a
garland round his neck. This is not in consonance with
the practice generally followed by all the Hardidasa,
but this is the best and the purest method. The sage
Narada, from whom the Kirtan-Paddhati originated, wore
nothing on his trunk and head. He carried a 'veena' in
his hand, and wandered from place to place everywhere
singing the glory of the Lord.
Mr. Cholkar's Sugarless Tea
Initially, Baba was known in Poona and Ahmednagar
Districts, but Nanasaheb Chandorkar, by his personal
talks and by Dasganu, by his splendid Kirtans, spread
the fame of Baba in the Konkan (Bombay Presidency). In
fact, it was Dasganu - May God bless him-who, by his
beautiful and inimitable Kirtans, made Baba available to
so many people there. The audience, who come to hear the
Kirtans have different tastes. Some like the erudition
of the Haridas; some his gestures, some his singing,
some his wit and humour, some his preliminary
dissertation on Vedanta, and some others, his main
stories and so on; but among them, there are very few,
who by hearing the Kirtan get faith and devotion or love
for God or saints. The effect of hearing Dasganu's
kirtan on the minds of audience was however electric, as
it were. We give an instance here
Dasganu was once performing his Kirtan and singing the
glory of Sai Baba, in the Koupineshwar temple in Thana.
One Mr. Cholkar, a poor man serving as a candidate in
the Civil Courts in Thana, was amongst the audience. He
heard Dasganu's Kirtan most attentively and was much
moved. He there and then mentally bowed and vowed to
Baba saying - "Baba, I am a poor man, unable to support
my family. If by your grace, I pass the departmental
examination, and get a permanent post, I shall go to
Shirdi, fall at Your Feet and distribute sugar-candy in
Your name." As good luck would have it, Mr.Cholkar did
pass te examination and did get the permanent post and
now it remained for him to fulfil his vow, the sooner
the better. Mr. Cholkar was a poor man with a large
family to support; and he could not afford to pay for
the expenses of a Shirdi trip. As is well said, one can
easily cross over Nahne ghat in Thana District or even
the Sahyadri Range; but it is very difficult for a poor
man to cross Umbareghat, i.e., the threshold of his
house. As Mr. Cholkar was anxious to fulfill his vow as
early as possible, he resolved to economize, cut down
his expenses, and save money. He determined not to use
sugar in his diet; and began to take his tea without it.
After he was able to save some money in this way, he
came to Shirdi, took Baba's darshan, fell at His Feet,
offered a coconut, distributed it with a clean
conscience along with sugar-candy as per his vow and
said to Baba that he was much pleased with His darshan
and that his desires were fulfilled that day. Mr.
Cholkar was in the Masjid with his host Bapusaheb Jog.
When the host and the guest both got up and were about
to leave the Masjid, Baba spoke to Jog as follows:-
"Give him (your guest) cups of tea, fully saturated with
Sugar." Hearing these significant words, Mr. Cholkar was
much moved, he was wonderstruck, his eyes were bedewed
with tears, and he fell at Baba's Feet again. Mr. Jog
was also curious about this direction, regarding the
tea-cups to be given to his guest. Baba wanted by His
words to create faith and devotion in Cholkar's mind. He
hinted as it were, that He got the sugar-candy as per
his vow and that He knew full well his secret
determination not to use sugar in his diet. Baba meant
to say, "If you spread your palms with devotion before
Me, I am immediately with you, day and night. Though, I
am here bodily, still I know what you do; beyond the
saven seas. Go wherever you will, over the wide world, I
am with you. My abode is in your heart and I am within
you. Always worship Me, Who is seated in your heart, as
well as, in the hearts of all beings, Blessed and
fortunate, indeed, is he who knows Me thus."
What a beautiful and important lesson was thus imparted
by Baba to Mr. Chokar !
Two Lizards
Now we close this Chapter, with a story of two little
lizards. Once Baba was sitting in the Masjid. A devotee
sat in front of Him, when a lizard tick-ticked. Out of
curiosity, the devotee asked Baba whether this
tick-ticking of the lizard signified anything; was it a
good sign or a bad omen? Baba said that the lizard was
overjoyed as her sister from Aurangabad was coming to
see her. The devotee sat silent, not making out the
meaning of Baba's words. Immediately, a gentleman from
Aurangabad came on horse-back to see Baba. He wanted to
proceed further, but his horse would not go, as it was
hungry and wanted grams. He took out a bag from his
shoulders to bring grams and dashed it on the ground to
remove dirt. A lizard came out therefrom and in the
presence of all, climbed up the wall. Baba asked the
questioner devotee to mark her well. She at once went
strutting to her sister. Both sisters met each other
after a long time, kissed and embraced each other,
whirled round and danced with love! Where is Shirdi and
where is Aurangabad? How should the man on horse-back
come there from Aurangabad with the lizard? And how
should Baba make the prophesy of the meeting of the two
sisters? All this is really very wonderful and proves
the omniscience -- the all-knowing nature of Baba.
Post Script
He who respectfully reads this Chapter or studies it
daily, will get all his miseries removed by the grace of
the Sadguru Sai Baba, Hence:
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