BABA AND HUMOUR (6)

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BABA AND HUMOUR (6)

 

Baba sometimes used expressions which were apparently foul. He abused

and cursed against people present but when were really against the

evil influences operating on them. This process is a joke though not

understand at the time as a joke. The famous Gadge Bua, who built his

famous and splendid chatrams at Pandharpur and Nasik, was trying to

build the Nasik dharmasala. Funds came up which were only sufficient

for the construction of the ground floor, and then no more funds were

forthcoming. His attempt appeared to have some misfortune or set

back, evidently spiritual, and so Gadge Bua, who had great reverence

for Sai Baba, went to him in order to appeal to him to get over the

spiritual hindrances. When he went to Baba and started to tell him

about the matter. Baba used foul and obscene curses, and at once

Gadge Bua began to laugh and Baba also taught with him. There ended

the matter. It looked as though Baba was cursing and abusing and

tried to drive away Gadge Bua. But really he was cursing and swearing

down the hindrance that prevented Gadge Bua from going on with the

construction of his chatram. After this mystic process of abuse,

Gadge Bua's obstacle were removed, and funds flowed freely and he

completed his Nasik chatram. He has put up Sai Baba's picture in his

dharmasalas.

 

One other way in which Baba combined humour with a serious religious

or spiritual performance was in connection with B.V. Dev. Shri B.V.

Dev found that on account of some poorva samskara, he could never

complete any parayana or pothi of jnaneswari. Each time he tried, his

effort broke down. So, as Jnaneswari is considered to be the most

important of books for pothi or parayana, he went to Baba and Baba

demanded considerable dakshinas of Rs.25 and more. then Baba sent Dev

back. Dev after returning Baba, met Balakram Manker, and wished to

learn from him more about Baba's wonderful powers and asked him for

his experience. Balakram Manker promised to mention from the next day

and when he was about to start his narration, Baba suddenly sent for

Dev and flared up in anger. He asked Dev, `What! You are and old man,

and in spite of your grey hairs, you indulge in stealing rags. I will

kill you with a hatchet'. Dev was dumbfounded. The effect of being

shocked was probably part of the mystic process, which Baba was

conducting for his benefit, but Dev understood nothing. Then Baba

asked him to go and fetch dakshina. again Dev produced Rs. 25 and

next Rs. 25. Baba asked him, `What are you reading?' Dev replied,

`Nothing'. Baba asked him, `Why do you not read pothi such as

Jnaneswari?' Baba told him then to go on with that pothi, and said,

`When I am trying to present you with a full lace shawl, you are

trying to steal a rag from me'. Dev went on with his Jnaneswari

parayana at Shirdi and finished it. That was the first time when he

could finish the pothi, without any hindrance. It was a miracle. his

former samskaras were obstructing him till then. Baba gave him a very

valuable experience and it was highly useful to him. a parayana of

Jnaneswari, which is a commentary upon Bhagavad Gita, has a high

spiritual value, and yet this imparting of the great spiritual

benefit was accompanied by a humorous threat that Baba would kill him

with a hatchet, and Baba's charge against him that he was stealing

rags, koupinus. Then Dev understood the point. The rag that he was

said to be stealing was the second-hand and third-hand report from

Monker of experiences about Baba, whereas the full lace shawl that

Baba wanted to give was the direct experience by Dev himself of

Baba's overcoming his poorva samskaras that prevented pothi from

being completed by him. Here again the humour and the pretended anger

and the confirment of a great spiritual boon were so nicely

intertwined so as to be inseparable. It was greatly impressive and

never to be forgotten.

 

(Courtesy: H H Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji)