SHRI SAI THE SUPERMAN - Divine Love

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SHRI SAI THE SUPERMAN

By

Swami Sai Sharan Anand

 

 

Divine Love

 

 

Love selfless Pure Divine,

Consecrates the human mind,

This Love divine is surely blind,

Sex, Race, Creed it does not mind,

 

 

Dispels the duality of MEUM and TEMUM, And leads all unto the

Universal One.

 

We propose to give in this Chapter a few out of the many instances

showing how Baba requited the Love Divine of His devotees.

 

 

 It was a 1914 Ramnavmi day-a day of annual fair at Shirdi; about

sixty to sixty-five thousands of people had come to pay their

respects to Baba. The Police Party with their officers, big and

small, was also present for (proper Bandobast), keeping the crowd in

order. Baba had had sat up since early morning, and so when it was

past 11 a.m. devotees round about asked the police to stop the coming

visitors for a -while to enable Baba to have His breakfast. Baba

said, "I have no appetite for food to-day. The bustling crowd was

rushing to the Dwarkamayi jostling one another and pushing its way

towards Baba. In the mean which an old woman aged about 60-65 Years,

seated away from the Dwarkamayi, was bowling out without a break,

requesting Baba, to have mercy on her and to favour her with His

benign sight, Shri R. A. Tarkhad passing through the crowd heard her

shouts and so being cut to the quick, led her to Baba through the

surging crowd. As soon as she saw Baba, she fondly caressed Him;

tears rolled down her eyes and she stood speechless for a few

minutes, Baba blessed her by keeping His blissful hand on her head

and inquired of her in minutest detail the well-being of her family;

then He told her, "I have been waiting for you; tell me what you have

brought to me for my food?" She said, "I had brought a loaf and two

onions with me; but when I came half way I felt so very exhausted and

hungry that sitting by a stream, I partook half of the loaf and one

onion. The other half of the loaf and one onion are left unused;

please do justice to them. Baba eagerly ate that loaf with onion

saying, "Ah! How sweet these are." Devotees surrounding Baba and

listening to what passed before their eyes were very much struck the

reception accorded by Baba to the loving old poor woman.

 

 

 Baba was in the know of all His devotees outside had been sending

Him, and if one forgot to deliver it to Him He would remind that one

of it and would not rest till it was given over to Him. Master Mankar

was given a piece of sweets by Mrs. Tarkhad at the time of his

departure for Shirdi. Reaching Shirdi, he went to Baba and paid his

respects to Baba but clean forgot about the Sweetmeat. Baba did not

say a word to him at the time. When however in the afternoon he again

went to Baba, Baba asked him whether a devotee given him something

for Him. Even this much was not sufficient to wake up him memory and

so he at once replied in the negative. Then Baba again said, "Has not

the mother given you a sweetmeat piece at the time you started for

Shirdi?" The lad was at once reminded of the sweetmeat piece, and

feeling sorry for his forgetfulness at once ran up to his abode; he

returned with the sweetmeat piece and handed it over to Baba. Who at

once devoured it with the zest of a hungry man.

 

 

 "In or about the year 1914 June, before going into seven days'

retirement, the writer had kept before leaving for Bombay an empty

Compass Box with some coins in it for Baba's use, at Radhakrishna's

beneath her cup-board, without informing her of it. Soon After the

writer reached Bombay he learnt that Baba had got Radhakrishna to

look up her room carefully to find the said box and deliver the said

sum to Him. Radhakrishna on taking search of the room did find to her

amazement the said box with coins. She immediately sent the same to

Baba and this appeased Him."

 

 

 Two friend devotees of Bombay suburbs went to Shirdi, paid their

respects to Baba and stayed at Shirdi, paid their respects to Baba

and stayed at Shirdi for two three days. At the time of leaving, they

purchased two copies of Baba's photo and started Journey. Thereafter

on the way one of them remembered his brother and felt sorry that he

has omitted to purchase one more copy of Shri's Photo for him. On

reaching home when he untied the package of photos instead of the two

they had purchased. Ardent devotees as they both were, they ascribed

this to Baba who had by His superhuman grace, requited their love by

giving one more copy of his Photo for his brother.

 

 

 The late Shri Moreshwar Pradhan and his wife Chhotubai loved Baba

from the bottom of their hearts and carefully followed every word of

Baba; Baba in His turn took care to look after their Baba in His turn

took care to look after their welfare. Once all their children had

chicken pox; all of them except the youngest got over that illness;

but the youngest, who was the weakest of all, did not and one day his

illness took a serious turn. Doctors gave up all hopes of the child's

recovery; all the symptoms of a collapse appeared on the child's

face; parents sorrowfully waited upon the child, chanting Baba's

name; when suddenly Chhotubai fell asleep and in the dream she saw

Baba appearing before her and saying, "What is all this? The child is

all right, safe and sound. He would ask for something to eat at 6-30

A.M. Give that to him without fear." At once Chhotubai woke up and

was surprised to see the child showing symptoms of good health; the

child was fast asleep his fever had left him and the persons in

attendance were all in a very happy mood. At 6-30 A.M. the boy asked

for his meals as Baba had predicted, and the mother at once gave him

all he wanted. A few days after he fully recovered.

 

 

 Another time Baba got all preparations made for another child from

Chhotubai by appearing in her dream at 11 P.M. and telling her, "Why

are you sleeping? Get up. This child will soon have an attack of

cramps." Hearing this Chhotubai got frightened. She looked at the

child. It was fast asleep. It had no fever neither coughing. She was

in a fix. All the same as she had full faith in Baba's words, she

made all preparations for the predicted catastrophe. Warm water was

always kept ready so it was there and all the medicines usually

administered at the time of such attacks were taken out from the cup-

board and kept on the table ready for use. All preparations were made

and yet the child showed no symptoms of the feared attack. And yet as

she had full faith in Baba's words, she set up and did not go to

sleep. At about 2 a.m. the child suddenly raised its hands and began

to be unconscious. So Chhotubai wakened up the members of the family,

who seeing the child had its usual attack of cramps ran up hither and

thither to make the usual preparations; when to their surprise they

were informed that at Baba's instance she had made all the necessary

preparations; they need not be running about for that. Half an hour

after, the child regained its consciousness; the doctor came the next

morning and gave him the proper treatment. Within four or five days

the child fully recovered and thereafter through Shri's grace the

child had no more attacks of cramps.

 

 

 A third time Chhotubai was at Shirdi with her infant child. As per

her usual routine she went to Baba with flowers etc. to pay her

respects. As preliminary to anointing Baba's feet and forehead with

scented sandal paste she was just washing Baba's feet when Baba

stopped her doing so saying, "The proper rituals for your worship are

at present in the Wade, go there." On going there she found her

infant child was bitterly crying, and none was able to quiet it. She

at once took the child on her lap, treated it in the way she knew

best and then returned to Baba. Baba then allowed her to carry to

finish her rituals of worship thus teaching her, that duties towards

one's children have to be first discharged before attending to one's

worship routine outside home.

 

 

 One Lakshmichand of Delhi who found of seeing and paying his

respects to saints was drawn. Lakshmichand could not know who He was.

It was only when he attended Das Ganu's Kirtan and looked at the

Photo placed by Das Ganu's Kirtan and looked at the Photo placed by

Das Ganu in front of him, that he recognised that the saint he had

seen in the dream was exactly the same as the saint of that photo. He

then came to know that, that was the photo of Shirdi Sai Baba-whose

glory Das Ganu as chanting. Das Ganu's Kirtan impressed him so much

that he borrowed a loan, went to Shirdi and paid his respects to

Baba. At once he enjoyed peace of Mind. Then Baba said, "What was the

necessity of coming here by borrowing a loan?"

 

 

 Lakshmichand wondered at Baba's supernatural knowledge. During his

stay, one day Lakshmichand had incurable pain in the back and so when

as usual he went to Baba. Baba of His own accord said, "You have a

pain in the back, the necessary medicine for its cure, semolina

pudding, is being prepared, as soon as it is received and you take

it, this pain will go off." So soon as Baba said this a devotee

brought semolina pudding to Baba. Baba gave some of it to

Lakshmichand. On his eating it, his pain left him. These two

experiences fully convinced Lakshmichand of Baba's supernatural

Powers and of His love for him and enchained him to His feet for ever.

 

 

 How Baba arranged for a devotee's coming to Him, removing all

obstructions from his way, is best seen in the case of a boy, Ganesh

Gopal Mahajan of Samantwadi, Thana. The boy was very weak and so from

time to time he suffered from some illness or other. His devout

mother therefore very much wished that if the boy could go to Shirdi

and pay his respects to Him, his health might improve. The boy was

also anxious to go to Shirdi, but he was mere clerk of Rs. 15/- P.M.

at Khatau Makanjee's Mills. The Mill Manger R. A. Tarkhad was Baba's

devotee. As water Pump at Shirdi required repair very badly he

arranged to send an Engineer to Shirdi. The Engineer determined to

utilise this opportunity by taking his family with him. Mrs. Tarkhad

also seeing that the Engineer was proceeding to Shirdi with his

family joined them. Coming to know of this, the boy Ganesh went to

the Victoria Terminus with some flowers and fruits to be sent to Baba

with the party going. Mr. Tarkhad was there. A few minutes before the

train was to start, Mr. Tarkhad asked Ganesh if he would go to

Shirdi. On the boy's replying in the affirmative he handed over to

him a Railway Ticket saying that one member of this party had not

turned up and so the ticket was a surplus. The boy sent word to his

mother about his going, with some Thana passenger and proceeded to

Shirdi, thanking Baba for the arrangement that He had made for his

going to Shirdi and paying his respects to him.

 

 

 How Baba by His supernatural knowledge and merciful nature appeased

His angry devotee is also seen in the case of a Rao Bahadur's son-in-

law Mr.Joshi of Thana.

 

 

 All the members of his family and all his friends had been lucky

enough to go to Shirdi and pay their respects to Baba but he was not

able to do so. He therefore became angry with Baba and declared that

if Baba was really a saint, he would bless him with His sight even

without going to Shirdi. Nothing was beyond Baba's ken. It seems that

He accepted his challenge and satisfied him. When some gentleman from

Konkan had gone to Shirdi with his wife and children and was

returning home, Baba asked him if he would do a piece of work for

Him. When he said, he would do it most willingly, Baba gave him a

little packet of His holy ash (Udi) packet to him who requests you to

give him a span-full space for his accommodation in the train," The

gentleman assured Baba he would discharge His trust without fail but

that if he met no such gentleman he would immediately write to Him.

Assenting to it Baba gave him Udi packet. The gentleman started by

Mail but no such gentleman as described by Baba turned up till the

train left Kalyan; the gentleman bad thought that the train did not

stop at Thana and so taking out a postal card he was preparing to

write to Baba, when to his surprise the train stopped at Thana and

just after the whistle for the train to start had gone, in rushed a

gentleman running drenched with perspiration. He approached this

Konkani gentleman and said to him, "Please take up this child of

yours, and give me a span-full space to sit as I am feeling giddy."

The surprised gentleman at once made room for him and handed over to

him the little packet of Udi saying that it had been given by Sai

Baba for being handed over to a person who asked me for a span-full

space in the train. As you fully answered to that description, with

great pleasure I give this Shri's packet of holy ashes to you. Mr.

Joshi most respectfully received it and wondered at Baba's wonderful

knowledge and the grace he had conferred on him-His angry child.

 

 

 Baba showed equal mercy to all His devotees rich or poor. A tailor

named Martand of Shirdi fell ill, he was abjectly poor, he had none

to look after or serve him. He was laying on the public road. Baba

passed by that road specially on that day and said to him, "You go to

Nanasaheb Dengle of Nimgam, he will look after you, and serve you."

When thereupon Martand went there, he was welcomed by Nanasaheb,

Nanasaheb told him, "Baba had appeared to him in a dream and asked

him to serve Martand tailor sent by Him. So please make this your

home; stay here peacefully without worrying; Baba will see to your

health. Please go on telling me all your needs without reserve etc.

through Shri's grace and Nana's careful treatment the tailor soon

recovered and resumed his business.

 

 

 How Baba continues to satisfy the godly desires of His devotees

years after He cast off His mortal coil is clearly seen in the case

of an Honorary Magistrate of Harda, Shri Krishnarao Narayan Paralkar.

For several years he had been celebrating Shri Datta festival usually

falling in December and feeding a hundred Brahmins on that occasion

and whenever for some reason or other he was not able to do so, year

after that on the said celebration day, he would feed double the

usual number, that it two hundred Brahmins. As per that self-imposed

rule, he was to feed two hundred Brahmins in respect of that

celebration in the year 1925. Saturday was fixed for holding this

dinner, only when five days were left to it that is on Monday. On

Tuesday when Shri Paralkar was merged in meditation as per his daily

routine, he heard a voice saying, "If you desire that on the day you

are feeding Brahmins I should come and dine with them, you call Shri

Dixit from Bombay". Paralkar however thought to himself, whether it

was proper for him to request Shri Dixit to come such a long distance

simply for taking a dinner. While he was in the midst of such

conflict of thoughts he again heard the voice, "Why are you Puzzled?

Write to Shri Dixit; feed him along with all the Brahmins; and when

you have done so, know it for certain that I have joined the party

taking dinner at yours." So Paralkar wrote to Shri Dixit on Wednesday

requesting him to attend the dinner on Saturday. Failing to hear from

Shri Dixit till all preparations were made for serving the dinner on

Saturday, Paralkar with tearful eyes requested Baba to set matters

right and then taking his bath, so soon as he stared doing his mid-

day routine prayers, he got a telegram from Shri Dixit informing him,

that he and Madhavrao Deshpande were on their way to Harda. All were

gladdened to receive the news; they all went to the station to

receive them, accorded them a hearty welcome and gave them a

sumptuous feast in the company of the two hundred Brahmins. Shri

Paralkar was overjoyed and he now felt that Baba is still there to

satisfy all the godly cravings of his heart.