This Chapter described other interesting and wonderful
stories of Sai Baba.
(1) Madrasi Bhajani Mela
It was in the year 1916 that a Madrasi Bhajani Mela
(Party of the Ramadasi Panth) started on a Pilgrimage to
the holy city of Banaras. The Party consisted of a man,
his wife, daughter and sister-in-law. Unfortunately
their names are not mentioned. On their way, the party
heard that there lived at Shirdi in Kopergaon Taluka,
Ahmednagar District, a great sage named Sai Baba, who
was calm and composed, and who was very liberal and who
distributed money every day to His Bhaktas and to
skilful persons, who went and showed their skill there.
A lot of money in the form of Dakshina was collected
daily by Sai Baba and out of this amount, He gave daily
one rupee to a three year old girl Amani, the daughter
of a Bhakta Kondaji and Rs. 2 to 5 to some, Rs. 6 to
Jamali, the mother of Amani and Rs. 10 to 20 and even Rs.
50 to other Bhaktas as He pleased. On hearing all this
the party came to Shirdi and stayed there. The Mela did
very good bhajan and sang very good songs, but inwardly
they craved for money. Three of the party were full of
avarice, but the chief lady or mistress was of a very
different nature. She had a regard and love for Baba.
Once it so happened, that when the noon-day Arati was
going on, Baba was much pleased with her faith and
devotion, and was pleased to give her darshan of her
Ishtam (Beloved Deity). To her Baba appeared as Sitanath
(Rama) while to all the others the usual Sainath. On
seeing her beloved Deity, she was very much moved. Tears
began to flow from her eyes and she clapped her hands in
joy. The people began to wonder at her joyful mood; but
were not able to guess its cause. Late in the afternoon
she disclosed everything to her husband. She told him
how she saw Shri Rama in Sai Baba. He thought that she
was very simple and devout, and her seeing Rama might be
a hallucination of her mind. He poohpoohed her, saying
that it was not possible, that she alone should see Rama
while they all saw Sai Baba. She did not resent this
remark, as she was fortunate enough to get Ramadarshan
now and then, when her mind was calm and composed and
free from avarice.
Wonderful Vision
Things were going on like this, when the husband got a
wonderful vision in his dream one night as follows :- He
was in a big city, the police there had arrested him,
tied his hands with a rope, and put him up in a cage
(lock-up). As the police were tightening the grip, he
saw Sai Baba standing quiet outside, near the cage. On
seeing Baba so near, he said in a plaintive tone -
"Hearing Your fame I came to Your Feet and why should a
calamity befall me when You are standing here in
person?" Baba said - "You must suffer the consequences
of your action" He said - "I have not done anything in
this life which would bring such a misfortune on me."
Baba said - "If not in this life, you must have
committed some sin in your past life." He replied, "I do
not know anything of my past life, but assuming that I
did commit some sin then, why should it not be burnt and
destroyed in Your presence, as dry grass before fire?
"Baba - "Have you got such faith?" He - "Yes." Baba then
asked him to close his eyes. No sooner did he shut them
than he heard a thumping sound of something falling
down, and opening his eyes, he saw that he was free and
the police had fallen down, bleeding. Being much
frightened he began to look at Baba who said - "Now you
are well caught, officers will now come and arrest you."
Then he begged - "There is no other saviour except You,
save me anyhow." Then Baba again asked him to close his
eyes. He did so and when he opened them, he saw that he
was free, out of the cage and that Baba was by his side.
He then fell at Baba's Feet. Baba then asked him - "Is
there any difference between this namaskar and your
previous ones? Think well and reply." He said "There is
a lot of difference; my former namaskaras were offered
with the object of getting money from You, but the
present namaskar is one offered to You as God; besides,
formerly I thought resentfully that you, being a
Mahomendan, were spoiling us, the Hindus". Baba "Do you
not believe in your mind in Mahomendan Gods?" He said
"No". Then Baba said - "Have you not got a Panja (Emblem
of Hand) in your house and do you not worship the same
in Tabut, i.e. Moharum festival? Also there is in your
house another Mahomedan Deity by name Kadbibi, whom you
propitiate and appease on your marriage and other
festivals. Is it not so?" He admitted all this. Then
Baba said,"What more do you want?" Then a desire arose
in his mind to get the darshan of his Guru Ramdas, when
Baba asked him to turn back and see. And when he turned,
lo, Ramadas was in front of him. No sooner did he begin
to fall at His Feet, Ramadas vanished. Then he
inquisitively asked Baba,"You look old. Do You know Your
age?" Baba - "What! Do you say I am old! just run a race
with Me and see." Saying this Baba began to run and he
too followed. Baba disappeared in the dust raised by His
foot-steps while running and the man was awakened.
After awakening he began to think seriously about the
dream-vision. His mental attitude was completely changed
and he realised the greatness of Baba. After this, his
grabbing and doubting tendencies disappeared and true
devotion to Baba's Feet sprang in his mind. The vision
was a mere dream, but the questions and answers therein
were most significant and interesting. Next morning when
all the persons assembled in the Masjid for the Arati,
Baba gave him as prasad two rupees' worth sweetmeats and
also two rupees from His pocket and blessed him. He made
him stay there for a few more days and gave him His
blessing, saying,"Allah (God) will give you plenty and
He will do you all good". He did not get more money
there, but he got far better things viz. Baba's blessing
which stood him in good stead all along. The party got
plenty of money afterwards and their pilgrimage was
successful as they had not to suffer any trouble or
inconvenience during their journey. They all returned
home safe and sound, thinking of Baba's words and
blessings and the Anand(Bliss) they experienced by His
grace.
This story illustrates one of the methods, which Baba
followed (and is following even now) in some cases to
improve and reform His devotees.
(2) Tendulkar family
There lived in Bandra (a suburb of Bombay) a Tendalkar
family, all the members of which were devoted to Baba.
Mrs. Savitribai Tendulkar has published a Marathi book
named "Shri Sainath Bhajan Mala" containing 800 abhangas
and padas describing the Leelas of Baba. It is a book
worth reading by those who are interested in Baba. The
son, Babu Tendulkar was studying hard day and night and
wanted to appear for the medical examination. He
consulted some astrologers. Examining his horoscope they
told him that the stars were not favourable that year
and that he should appear for the examination next year,
when he would be certainly successful. This cast a gloom
over him and made him restless. A few days afterwards
his mother went to Shirdi and saw Baba. Amongst other
things she mentioned the gloomy and morose condition of
her son, who was to appear for the examination in a few
days. Hearing this Baba said to her,"Tell your son to
believe in Me, to throw aside horoscopes and predictions
of astrologers and palmists and go on with his studies.
Let him appear for the examination with a calm mind, he
is sure to pass this year. Ask him to trust in Me and
not to get disappointed". The mother returned home and
communicated Baba's message to her son. Then he studied
hard and in due course appeared for the examination. In
the written papers he did well, but being overwhelmed by
doubts he thought that he would not secure sufficient
marks for passing. So he did not care to appear for the
oral examination. But the examiner was after him. He
sent word through a fellow- student, stating that he had
passed in the written examination and that he should
appear for the oral. The son being thus encouraged
appeared for the oral examination and was successful in
both. Thus he got through the examination that year
successfully by Baba's grace, though the stars were
against him. It is to be noted here that doubts and
difficulties surround us just to move us and confirm our
faith. We are tested as it were. If we only hold on
steadily to Baba with full faith and continue our
endeavours, our efforts will be ultimately crowned with
success.
The father of this boy, Raghunathrao was serving in some
foreign mercantile firm in Bombay. As he grew old, he
was not able to attend to his work properly and so he
had to take leave and rest. As he did not improve during
the period of leave a further extension of leave or
retirement from service was inevitable. The Chief
Manager of the firm decided to retire him on pension as
he was an old and a reliable servant. The question
regarding the amount of pension to be given was under
consideration. He was getting Rs.150/- p.m. and his
pension i.e. half the amount viz. Rs. 75/- would not be
enough to meet the expenses of the family. So they were
all anxious about this matter. Fifteen days before the
final settlement, Baba appeared to Mrs. Tendulkar in her
dream and said, "I wish that Rs. 100/- should be paid
(settled) as pension, will this satisfy you?" She
replied "Baba, why ask me this? We fully trust in You".
Though Baba said Rs.100/- still he was given ten Rupees
more i.e. Rs.110/- as a special case. Such wonderful
love and care did Baba exhibit for His Bhaktas.
(3) Captain Hate
Captain Hate, who was staying in Bikaner, was a great
devotee of Baba. Once Baba appeared to him in his dream
and said "Did you forget Me?" Hate then immediately held
Baba's Feet and replied, "If a child forgets his mother,
how could it be saved?" Then Hate went into the garden
and took out fresh walpapadi vegetables, and arranging 'shidha'
(ghee, wheat-flour and dal etc.) and Dakshina, was about
to offer all this to Baba when he was awakened and came
to know that the whole thing was a dream. Then he
decided to send all these things to Baba at Shirdi. When
he came to Gwalior some days afterwards, he sent Rs.12/-
by money order to a friend, with instructions that Rs. 2
should be spent in buying shidha articles and walpapadi
vegetables, and those should be offered to Baba with Rs.
10 as Dakshina. The friend went to Shirdi and purchased
the things mentioned, but walpapadi was not available.
In a short time a woman turned up with a basket on her
head, which curiously enough contained the vegetables.
It was purchased and then all the things were offered to
Baba on behalf of Captain hate. Mr. Nimonkar prepared
the 'naivedya' (rice and walpapadi vegetables) next day
and offered the same to Baba. All the people were
surprised to see that Baba while dining, took and ate
walpapadi, and did not touch rice and other things.
Hate's joy knew no bounds when he heard of this from his
friend.
Consecrated Rupee
At another time Captain Hate wished that he should have
in his house a coin of rupee consecrated by Baba with
His touch. He came across a friend who was bound for
Shirdi. With him Hate sent his rupee. The friend went to
Shirdi and after the usual saluation gave first his
Dakshina which Baba pocketed. Then he gave Hate's rupee,
which Baba took in His hand and began to stare at it. He
held it in front, tossed it up with His right thumb and
played with it. Then He said to the friend, "Return this
to its owner with the Prasad of Udi, tell him that I
want nothing from him, ask him to live in peace and
contentment." The friend returned to Gwalior, handed
over the consecrated rupee to Hate, and told him all the
h0appened at Shirdi. This time Hate was much pleased and
realised that Baba always encouraged good thoughts, and
as he wished intently, Baba fulfilled the same
accordingly.
(4) Waman Narvekar
Now let the readers hear a different story. A gentleman,
named Waman Narvekar loved Baba very much. He once
brought a rupee. On one said (obverse) of it were
engraved the figures of Rama, Laxman and Sita and on the
other (reverse) side was engraved the figure of Maruti,
with folded hands. He offered it to Baba with a hope
that He should consecrate it with His touch and return
it to him with Udi. But Baba immediately pocketed it.
Then Shama spoke to Baba, regarding Womanrao's intention
and requested Him to return it. Then Baba spoke in the
presence of Wamanrao as follows :- "Why should it be
returned to him? We should keep it ourselves. If he
gives Rs.25/- for it, it will be returned." Then, for
the sake of that rupee, Wamanrao collected Rs.25/- and
placed them before Baba. Then Baba said, "The value of
that rupee far exceeds 25 Rupees. Shama, take this
rupee, let us have it in our store, keep this in your
shrine and worship it." No one had the courage to ask
Baba why He followed this particular action. He only
knows what is best and most suitable to each and all.
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