Worldly Wisdom and Wealth

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X. WORLDLY WISDOM AND WEALTH

SAI BABA TEACHES A LESSON

 

One remarkable feature of Sri Sai Baba^s life was the

"insistent demand for money, dakshina, from his devotees.

Never, of course, was the money kept by him. It would

immediately be distributed.

The money was generally asked from the rich but what was Sai

Baba's aim? Judge Saheb nitrates in his reminiscences, the

following incident, stressing also its moral.

"Once I had taken 100 rupees with me to Shirdi in my" pocket.

Sai Baba asked me for dakshina of Rs 40. I readily gave it.

A little later he asked for another 40 rupees' and' that too

was given with equal readiness and joy. FinaUy, , he asked

me for the remaining twenty and that also I gave -him. I

was happy to give him although I was left withoot a pie in the

result. '

Go and Borrow :

"Then again Baba sent fur me and asked me for

dakshina. I said I had nothing to give. Then he suggested

that I.shouid go and get money from some others. I agreed but

told Baba that if he should indicate whom I was to go to, I would

gladly go and ask him. Baba said "Go to Shama".' I went to

ham -and told him' what took place and 'asked him for money.

He replied that I had not understood' Baba alright: "Does

Baba care a rap for your rupees? No, what-' he wants is your

mind and heart, your time "and soul to bV dfvoteatto^himj

That- is his.- meaning". I went back- to Baba and reported

what Shama had said.

"Then. .Baba smiled and said "Go to Dixit and ask him*'; I went to

Mr. Dixit and told him of what Baba had bidding me. to do..

He,then.:replied that Baba's direction to me had to be

understood in the circumstances as a lesson to me that I should

not feel absence of money or the begging for money*' or for

anything. else to.be a humiliation and that I should not

esteem myself to be above begging

Wordly Wisdom

I went back and reported. Dixits reply to Baba. He smiled and then

asked me to go to Nana Saheb Chandorkars and ask him for a loan. I

went to Khandobas temple where Nana Saheb was reading some

religious books and told him all. that .had .occurred and

Baba's.order that I should approach him for. money. Nana Saheb at

once showed his worldly wisdom. He said that he knew how delicate

the situation was when Baba asked for dakshina and that I should

profit by his plans and ways. "Whenever I go to Shirdi, he said,

'I start with a certain sura, and leave a half at Kopergaon e.g.,

on this occasion I came with Rs. 200, out of which I have left 103

rupees at Kopergaon and come down to Shirdi with only 100 rupees.

I go on giving dakshina out of the stock in hand to Baba and when

it is exhausted, I send for the reserve at Kopergaon. You must act

like this".

Put to the Test :

"I went back to Baba and told him what Nana said. While I sat

there, Baba sent for Nana and asked him for dakshina - Rs. 40. He

paid it and went away. Again he sent for him and asked for 40

rupees more. That was paid and again Nana was sent for and the

last amount was paid up and at once he sent some one to Kopergaon

for his reserve fund. Then Baba at once wanted more. Nana felt

humiliated at having to say 'no' as there was no time for the

Kopergaon reserve to arrive. The lesson that was then taught to

him, to me, and to all was that it was presumption on the part of

any one to think that he himself was the great Providence

supplying the needs of Baba, or that anyone could supply all that

Baba might ask for".

"Thus Baba showed me how differently the demand for dakshina was

interpreted by devotees. The real explanation of Baba's demand in

this case was not what Shama, Dixit or Nana said it was. It was

evidently to teach a lesson to all of us. Baba really cared

nothing for money or for presents. What he really wanted was love,

deep, intense, passionate, whole-hearted love".

 

 

(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)