Preliminary
How to meditate on Baba? No one has been able to fathom
the nature or the form of the Almighty. Even the Vedas
and the thousand-tongued Shesha are not able to describe
it fully; but the devotees cannot but know and look at
the form of the Lord, for they know that His Feet are
the only means of their happiness. They know no other
method of attaining the supreme goal of life, except
meditating on the Holy Feet. Hemadpant suggests an easy
way of devotion and meditation as follows:-
As the dark fortnight of every month wears out
gradually, the moonlight also wanes in the same degree
and on the newmoon day, we do not see the moon at all,
nor do we get her light. Therefore, when the bright
fortnight begins, people are very anxious to see the
moon. On the first day, the moon is not seen and on the
second day also she is not clearly visible. Then the
people are asked to see the moon through an opening
between the two branches of a tree, and when they begin
to see through this aperture eagerly and after
concentratedly, the distant small crescent of the moon
comes, to their great delight, within their ken.
Following this clue, let us try to see Baba's Light.
Look at Baba's posture, how fine it is! He is sitting
with His legs folded,the right leg held across the left
knee. The fingers of His left hand are spread on the
right-foot. On the right toe are spread His two
fingers-the index and middle ones. By this posture Baba
means to say, as it were-if you want to see My Light, be
egoless and most humble and meditate on My toe through
the opening between the two branches-index and middle
fingers-and then you will be able to see My Light. This
is the easiest means of attaining devotion.
Now let us turn for a moment to Baba's life. Shirdi had
become a place of pilgrimage on account of Baba's stay.
People from all quarters began to flock there, and both
the rich and the poor began to be benefited in more ways
than one and in some form or other. Who can describe
Baba's boundless love and His wonderful natural
knowledge and His all-pervasiveness? Blessed is he, who
could experience one or all of these. Sometimes Baba
observed long silence which was, in a way, His
dissertation on Brahman; at other times He was
Consciousness-Bliss Incarnate, surrounded by His
devotees. Sometimes He spoke in parables, and at other
times indulged in wit and humour. At times, He was quite
unambiguous (clear) and at times He seemed enraged.
Sometimes He gave His teachings in a nut-shell, at other
times He argued at length. Many a time He was very
plain. In this way, He gave varied instructions to many,
according to their requirements. His life was,
therefore, inscrutable, beyond the ken of our mind,
beyond our intellect and speech. Our longing to see His
face, to talk with Him and hear His Leelas was never
satisfied; still we were overflowing with joy. We can
count the showers of rain, encircle (tie) the wind in a
leather bag, but who can gauge or measure His Leelas?
Now we deal here with one aspect of them, viz. how He
anticipated or forestalled the calamities of His
devotees and warded them off in time.
Balasaheb Mirikar
Balasaheb Mirikar, son of Sirdar Kakasaheb Mirikar was
Mamlatdar of Kopergaon. He was going on tour to Chitali.
On the way he came to Shirdi to see Sai Baba. When he
went to the Masjid and prostrated himself before Baba,
usual conversation regarding health and other matters
commenced, when Baba sounded a note of warning as
follows:-"Do you know our Dwarakamayi?" As Balasaheb did
not understand he kept quiet, Baba continued - "This is
our Dwarakamayi, where you are sitting. She wards off
all dangers and anxieties of the children, who sit on
her lap. This Masjidmayi (its presiding Deity) is very
merciful, she is the mother of the simple devotees, whom
she will save in calamities. Once a person sits on her
lap, all his troubles are over. He, who rests in her
shade, gets Bliss". Then Baba gave him Udi, and placed
His protecting hand on his head. When Balasaheb was
about to depart, He again said- "Do you know the "Lamba
Bava" (long gentleman), Viz. serpent?" And then closing
the left arm like fist He brought it near the right
elbow, and moving His left arm like the hood of a
serpent, He said- "He is so terrible, but what can he do
to the children of Dwarakamayi: When the Dwarakamayi
(its presiding deity) protects, what can the serpent
do?"
All who were present there, were curious to know the
meaning of all this and its reference to Mirikar, but
none had the courage to ask Baba about this. Then
Balasaheb saluted Baba and left the Masjid with Shama.
Baba called Shama back and asked him to accompany
Balasaheb, and enjoy the Chitali trip. Shama came to
Balasaheb, and told him that he would go with him
according to Baba's wish. Balasaheb replied that he need
not come as it would be inconvenient. Sharma returned to
Baba and told Him what Balasaheb said to him. Baba said,
"Alright, do not go. We should mean well and do well.
Whatever is destined to happen, will happen".
In the meanwhile Balasaheb thought over again, and
calling Shama asked him to accompany him. Then Shama
going again to Baba and taking His leave started with
Balasaheb in the tanga. They reached Chitali at 9 P.M.
and encamped in the Maruti temple. The office-people had
not come; so they sat quiet in the temple, talking and
chitchating. Balasaheb was sitting on a mat reading a
newspaper. His Uparani (upper dhotar) was spread across
his waist and on a part of it a snake was sitting
unobserved. It began to move with a rustling sound which
was heard by the peon. He brought a lantern, saw the
snake and raised an alarm- 'serpent, serpent'. Balasaheb
was frightened and began to quiver. Shama was also
amazed. Then he and others moved noiselessly and took
sticks and clubs in their hands. The snake got down
slowly from the waist and it moved away from Balasaheb;
it was immediately done to death. Thus this calamity,
which was prophesied by Baba, was averted and
Balasaheb's love for Baba was deeply confirmed.
Bapusaheb Booty
A great astrologer named Nanasaheb Dengale told one day
Bapusaheb Booty, who was then in Shirdi, "To-day is an
inauspicious day for you, there is a danger to your
life". This made Bapusaheb restless. When they, as
usual, came to Masjid, Baba said to Bapusaheb- "What
does this Nana say? He foretells death for you. Well,
you need not be afraid. Tell him boldly "Let us see how
death kills." Then later in the evening Bapusaheb went
to his privy for easing himself where he saw a snake.
His servant saw it and lifted a stone to strike at it.
Bapusaheb asked him to get a big stick, but before the
servant returned with the stick, the snake was seen
moving away and soon disappeared. Bapusaheb remembered
with joy Baba's words of fearlessness.
Amir shankar
Amir Shankar was a native of the village Korale, in
Kopergaon Taluka. he belonged to the butcher caste. He
worked as a commission agent in Bandra, and was
well-known there. He once suffered from Rheumatism,
which gave him much pain. He was then reminded of God,
and so, he left his business and went to Shirdi, and
prayed to Baba to relieve him from his malady. Baba then
stationed him in the Chavadi, which was then a damp
unhealthy place, unfit for such a patient. Any other
place in the village, or Korale itself would have been
better for Amir, but Baba's word was the deciding factor
and the chief medicine. Baba did not allow him to come
to the Masjid, but fixed him in the Chavadi, where he
got very great advantage. Baba passed via Chavadi every
morning and evening; and every alternate day Baba went
to the Chavadi in a procession and slept there. So Amir
got Baba's contact very often easily. Amir stayed there
for full nine months, and then, somehow or other, he got
a disgust for the place. So one night he stealthily left
the place and came to Kopergaon and stayed in a
Dharmashala. There he saw an old dying Fakir, who asked
him for water. Amir brought it and gave it to him. As
soon as he drank it, he passed away. Then Amir was in a
fix. He thought that if he went and informed the
authorities, he would be held responsible for the death
as he was the first and sole informant, and knew
something about it. He repented for his action, viz.
leaving Shirdi without Baba's leave, and prayed to Baba.
He then determined to return to Shirdi, and that same
night he ran back, remembering and muttering Baba's name
on the way, and reached Shirdi before day-break, and
became free from anxiety. Then he lived in the Chavadi
in perfect accordance with Baba's wishes and orders, and
got himself cured. One night it so happened that Baba
cried at midnight- "Oh Abdul, some devilish creature is
dashing against the side of My bed". Abdul came with a
latern, examined Baba's bed but found nothing, Baba
asked him to examine carefully all the place and began
to strike ground with His satka. Seeing this Leela of
Baba, Amir thought that Baba might have suspected some
serpent had come there. Amir could know by close and
long contact the meaning of Baba's words and actions.
Baba then saw near Amir's cushion something moving. He
asked Abdul to bring in the light, and when he brought
it, he saw the coil of a serpent there, moving its head
up and down. Thereupon the serpent was immediately
beaten to death. Thus Baba gave timely warning and saved
Amir.
Hemadpant (Scorpion and Serpent)
(1) At Baba's recommendation Kakasaheb Dixit was daily
reading the two works of Shri Eknath Maharaj, viz.,
Bhagwat and Bhawartha Ramayana and Hemadpant had the
good forturne to be one of the audience when the reading
of the works was going on. Once when a portion from the
Ramayana relating to Hanuman's testing Rama's greatness,
according to his mother's instructions, was being read,
all the listeners were spell-bound. Hemadpant was one of
them. A big scorpion (none knew where it came from),
jumped and sat on the right shoulder of Hemadpant, on
his Uparani (upper dhotar). First it was not noticed,
but as the Lord protects those, who are intent on
hearing His stories, he casually cast a glance over his
right shoulder and noticed it. It was dead silence, not
a bit moved here or there. It seemed as if, it also
enjoyed the reading. Then by the Lord's grace, Hemadpant
without disturbing the audience, took the two ends of
his dhotar, folded them, and brought them together,
enclosing the scorpion within. Then he went out, and
threw it in the garden. (2) On another occasion some
persons were sitting in the upper floor of Kakasaheb's
Wada, just before nightfall, when a serpent crept
through a hole in the window frame and sat coiled up. A
light was brought. Though it was first dazzled, yet it
sat still and only moved its head up and down. Then many
persons rushed there with sticks and cudgels, but as it
sat in an awakward place, no blow could be dealt. But
hearing the noises of men, the serpent went out hastily
through the same hole. Then all the persons there felt
relieved.
Baba's Opinion
One devotee named Muktaram, then said that it was good
that the poor creature escaped. Hemadpant challenged him
saying that serpents should better be killed. There was
a hot discussion between them - the former contending
that serpents, and such creatures, should not be killed,
the latter that they should be. As night came on, the
discussion came to an end, without any decision being
arrived at. Next day, the question was reffered to Baba,
who gave His settled opinion as follows:- "God lives in
all beings and creatures, whether they be serpents or
scorpions. He is the Great Wirepuller of the world, and
all beings, serpents, scorpions etc., obey His command.
Unless He will it, nobody can do any harm to others. The
world is all dependent on Him, and no one is
independent. So we should take pity and love all
creatures, leave off adventurous fights and killings and
be patient. The Lord (God) is the Protector of all.
|
