Sai Baba the Master by E.Bharadwaja

[Guest guest]

A great astrologer who arrived at Shirdi told Shama that the vows of his

mother to goddess Saptasringi were not fulfilled and that the family

troubles were all a sequel of that breach of promise. Shama was reminded

of what his dying mother told him thirty years earlier: When, in his

childhood, Shama was seriously ill, she vowed to goddess Saptasringi at

Vani that if he recovered, she would take the child for her darshan. The

child recovered, but she could not fulfill her vow. After sometime, she

suffered from ring-worms on her breasts which defied all medical

treatment. Then she again vowed to the same goddess that if she was cured

of her ailment, she would offer a pair of silver breasts. She was cured

and again she failed to fulfill her vows. On her deathbed, she took a

promise from Shama that he would fulfill her vows. The son also neglected

his promise for nearly thirty years. Shama also heard that once a person

has surrendered to a guru like Sai Baba, he must henceforth see all gods

in the guru . So he promptly got pair of silver breasts made by a

goldsmith, prostrated before Baba and begged him to accept the gifts and

relieve him and his mother of their vows to goddess Saptasringi.

 

Baba was very particular in such matters. At the time when Shama’s mother

made the vows, Baba was not at Shirdi and she meant her vows only for the

particular deity. Now neither Shama nor he can properly modify the same.

So he insisted on Shama going to Vani and fulfilling the two vows. Baba

alone knew that this visit had another purpose to serve in his mysterious

scheme.

 

Shama promptly arrived at Kakaji’s house. After knowing his purpose Kakaji

was thrilled with joy when he learned that there came to him, uninvited

and unsought, a man from Sai Baba, precisely at a moment when he himself

was dying to know where Shirdi was. Shama’s purpose fulfilled, he took

Kakaji with him to Sai Baba. On seeing Baba, he prostrated before Baba and

was speechless with joy. He wondered to see that the goddess’s words were

literally true: he had to say nothing to Baba about his sufferings. The

very sight of Baba made his mind calm and peaceful. After twelve days he

returned to Vani. But his heart was ever after in the possession of Baba.

Here too, Sai Baba sent his principal devotee to fetch the other sheep of

his vast flock.

 

(To be contd....)

 

Source http://www.saibharadwaja.org)