Mrs. Manager's Reminiscences

[Guest guest]

V. Mrs. MANAGER'S REMINISCENCES

"We used to go and sit near Sri Sal Baba at his mosque. At the usual time, any

one could go up and bow before him and sit there. On one occasion as I was

sealed at a short distance from Sri Sai Baba, there came a leper to the mosque,

His disease was far advanced. He was stinking and he had little strength left In

him, so that It was with much difficulty and very slowly he clambered up the

three steps of the mosque, moved on to the Dhuni (fire) and then to Sri Sai

Baba and placed his head on Baba's feet. It took much time for him to take his

Dakshirta, and I, feeling the stench from him intensely, hoped he would clear

off. At last when he got down slowly carrying a small parcel wrapped up in a

dirty cloth, I felt relief and said within myself 'Thank God. He is off-i Sai

Baba at once darted a piercing glance at me, and I knew that he read my

thought."

Fetched Back :

"Before the Ieper had gone far, Sri Sai Baba called out and sent some one to

fetch him back. The man came. It was again the slow process of his clambering

up, emitting foul stench all the time; and as the man bowed, Baba picked up that

parcel saying, "What is this?" and opened it. It contained tome pedas and Baba

took up a piece and gave it to me—to me alone of all present!—and asked me to

eat it. What horror! To eat up a thing brought by the stinking leper; out it was

Sri Sai Baba's order, and there was no option hut to obey. So I ate it up. Baba

took another piece and himself swallowed it and then sent the man away with the

remainder."

A Lesson in Fraternity :

"Why he was re-called and I alone was chosen to be the recipient of his peda,

none then understood. But I knew fully well that Sri Sai Biba bad read my heart

and was teaching me valuable lessons e.g., in humility, fraternity, sympathy,

endurance and trust in His Supreme wisdom rather than in my own notions of

hygiene and sanitation for saving me from disease."

Mrs. Manager mentions the incident in her reminiscences of Sri Sai Baba. And

though this was a somewhat unpleasant experience, he was all kindness, and she

herself experienced it on numerous occasions.

Mysterious Orders :

Sometimes, Sri Sai Baba's mysterious orders seemed even cruel, and that was how

she felt when the saint asked her husband to accompany two other devotees on a

pleasure trip to Ahmednagar and Poona which, because he was poor and unemployed,

he could ill afford. Moreover, he had justcome from Poona and intended to stay

for sometime at Shirdi! So he submitted to Baba that he had no business at

Ahmednagar or Poona. But Baba's order was again peremptory and he gave no

explanation.

A Strange Thing :

"My husband, feeling that there wai no appeal, obeyed Baba's order and

accompanied the party. At Ahmednagar, they went to the cinema, and my husband

felt he had not gone for such thamashas to Baba. Then, they left for Poona

with my husband. Here came up a strange thing. The day previous

to their arrival, there was a strike of mill hands. The directors wanted a

reliable and capable manager to meet the situation. They had thought of my

husband and had sent a message for him to Bombay or other places where he

was likely to be found. When they were in this plight my husband went

there and at once they appointed him manager Here was Baba's power—seeing what

had happened or was to happen and how a chance of suitable appointment

was available for my husband, and his kindness in sending my husband to be

there at the nick of time to get the employment-for which he had gone to Shirdi.

 

(This is from the book"The Wonderous Saint Sai Baba" written by Pujyasri

B.V.Narasimaswami,founder President of All India Sai Samaj, Chennai..This book

can be read at www.saileelas.org)