Sai Baba the Master by E.Bharadwaja

[Guest guest]

The Sapatnekars stayed at Shirdi for a few days. Every day they used to

offer naivedya (offering of food) to Baba and then took it as his prasad

(consecrated gift). One day, seeing Sapatnekar pushing in the crowd to bow

to him, Sai Baba said, “Why do you prostrate yourself again and again? The

one salutation you have already made with love and humility is enough.”

 

The next day Sapatnekar wanted to take leave of Baba to return to

Akkalkot. While starting for the Dwarakamai he wanted to give Re. 1/- to

Baba as dakshina and kept one rupee more in reserve to offer if Baba asked

a second time. He set apart the money for his return fares. When he went

to Dwarakamai, Baba received the one rupee that Sapatnekar gave and asked

for one more as per his intention. Receiving them Baba blessed him saying,

“Take this coconut and give it to your wife. Go home happily”. Within a

year Sapatnekar had a son and he visited Baba again with his wife and

child.

 

Sai Baba used to say, “I draw my man to me, wherever and however far he

might be, like a sparrow with a string tied to its legs”. How graphic is

the description and how literally true it is in the case of Kakasaheb

Dixit! Kakasaheb, a famous lawyer of Bombay, once met his old friend

Nanasaheb Chandorkar and told him how his leg-bone was fractured when he

fell while boarding train in London. Nanasaheb promptly advised him to

visit Sai Baba.

 

Shortly after, Kakasaheb had to go to Ahmednagar. After his work was done,

he wished to visit Shirdi. When his hosts were still thinking of a proper

person to take him to Shirdi, Baba was making all arrangements to draw his

devotee to him in his mysterious manner. Sharma had to go to Ahmednagar

along with his wife to see his mother-in-law who was seriously ill.

Kakasaheb’s host met him there and requested him to take their guest to

Shirdi. Shama’s mother-in-law soon recovered. Just when they were about to

start, his host unveiled the portrait of Baba which was in their house. It

belonged to Megha and as the glass was broken it was sent to Ahmednagar

for reframing. It was reframed and it, or rather Sai himself, along with

his principal devotee, were to take Kaka to Shirdi.

 

(To be contd....)

 

Source http://www.saibharadwaja.org)