DIVINE GRACE TO HARIBHAU FANSE

[Guest guest]

DIVINE GRACE TO HARIBHAU FANSE

 

How a man seeking to escape the discharge of his worldly duties by

running away for good from it on the excuse of going on a pilgrimage,

was persuaded by Baba to return home and to shoulder his

responsibilities like a man, is best seen in the life of one Janardan

Moreshwer Fanse alias Haribhau Fanse. Wearied with carrying on the

burden of his worldly cares, informing his mother Haribhau left his

home for Rameshwar; however as Shirdi was on the way to Rameshwar,

with a view to have the blessings of the far famed Shri Baba he came

to Shirdi and felt so much attracted by Baba. That he stayed at

Shirdi for a week. When thereafter he asked Baba's permission to go

to Rameshwar. He ordered him to go home, saying his mother had

abstained from food since the day he had left home and if he failed

to return home she might die. The mother was very much pleased to see

her son back at home and was convinced that Baba was omniscient. In

the meanwhile a person of his village being attacked with Cholera

approached him; he administered to him Shri Baba's holy ashes and he

was cured. This led the people to believe that he was a physician.

The holy ashes were however soon exhausted and so Haribhau was

embarrassed as to how he should deal with another Cholera case, if he

got one. But luckily for him Cholera left his village since that day.

Thereafter he happened to go to a nearby village and casually met

some Marwadi merchant known to him. The merchant seeing that a simple

devotee had come to meet him, told Haribhau," Look here, my brother

is seriously ill, all physicians, doctors have tried their utmost to

cure him but they have all failed; now since you are Shri Sai Baba's

devotee, if your Sai Baba is really a sainty, He must cure my brother

through you." Haribhau saw the patient found the case to be serious,

was therefore anxious to slip away but as it was night, he could not

leave for home. At night when Haribhau's Bhajan (prayer) time became

due, the patient himself made the necessary preparations for Bhajan

and throughout the Bhajan sat concentration on Baba's Photo. This

surprised all and the Marwadi now said," Whether the patient dies or

survives I will have his medicine form none but you." To shirk the

responsibility Haribhau purposely quoted his fees in excess of those

of the Civil Surgeon, at Rs.200/-. The Marwadi agreed to that. That

night Baba appeared in Haribhau's dream and told him what the disease

was and the medicine to be prescribed for it. Haribhau prescribed the

said medicine and the patient started taking this medicine; the

patient full recovered after a time and so the Marwadi offered

Rs.200/- the stipulated fees to Haribhau, but Haribhau would not

accept it stating he had done nothing, it was his Guru's work.

Marwadi could not rest satisfied till he requited Haribhau's labour

in some form or other so he bought a scarf worth Rs.200/- and going

to Haribhau's house when he was out, left it there. Haribhau could

not now refuse the acceptance but he felt that the price-amount of

the scarf should be sent to Baba. However as he was penniless and

Baba had also left off His body in the meanwhile, while offering his

usual night prayers, tears rolled down his eyes. That very night Baba

appeared to him in his dream and said, "There is famine all round at

present, so sell off the scarf and purchase rice from this amount of

Rs.200/-, sell it at under price for the present; carry on this rice

business till this amount of Rs.200/- runs out. Then sell rice at

profit and you will be able to make a living." Following these

instructions Haribhau prospered, became happy and then never thought

of deserting home.

 

(Courtesy: Shri Sai The Superman)