PIONEER OF SAI POOJA

[Guest guest]

PIONEER OF SAI POOJA:

 

It was about 1872 perhaps that Sai Baba entered the village along

with a "Barat", i.e., a bridegroom's party of Moslems headed by Chand

Bhai, Patil of Dhupkeda (in the `Nizam's State'). The Sai Baba

separated from the marriage group very near Khandoba temple at the

outskirts of Shirdi and sauntered along almost till the threshold of

Khandoba temple Mahlsapathy, who was inside worshipping Khandoba,

noticed Baba's presence and, with usual civility and regard, invited

him to sit. After a few minutes, the fakir Baba remarked, "How

secluded and a quiet a place is the Khandoba temple, best fitted for

a Fakir to be in". Then it was that Mahlsapathy put his conservative

back up and protested against the proposal that a Moslem should

reside in Khandoba temple, which in his opinion was unthinkable. Most

Moslems are iconoclasts, (i.e., breakers of images) and, therefore,

Mahlsapathy prevented Baba from entering the temple which contained

the images of Khandoba etc., Finding Mahlsapathy's objection to

natural, Baba said, "God is one for Hindus, Moslems, and all, but, as

you object to my entry, I shall go". So saying Baba went away.

 

Baba in his earliest days was acting in ways wholly unintelligible to

the villagers and even Mahlsapathy considered that he behaved at

times like a mad man. But while others lost their respect for Baba on

that account, Mahlsapathy always had great regard for Baba, perhaps

remembering, as many Hindus do, that there is always a class of

saints known as the Unmattha Siddhas, crazy saints. Anyhow, the

occasional crazy conduct of Baba at least in the view of Mahlsapathy

and some others did not bulk large enough to prevent the great esteem

which the general conduct of Baba evoked in serious and thoughtful

minds, Baba was an absolute "Vairagya Purusha" and never cared for

wealth or women. Mahlsapathy, being himself highly detached i.e., of

a vairagya temperament and not being governed by lust or to the low

urges, could easily appreciate Baba who had the same virtues of

purity and non-attachment in a higher degree and therefore, from the

very beginning was drawn to Baba. Other people began to worship Baba

only when they saw Baba's psychic powers e.g., when he turned water

into oil to feed his lamps, and then they regarded him as a God. But

Mahlsapathy esteemed Baba for his good qualities of purana satva and

vairagya, that is purity and non-attachment; and he found that

compared even with Devidas, Jankidas, and other saints with whom Baba

was often keeping company; Baba shone brilliantly, and that even

those saints, highly regarded Baba. So, Mahlsapthy and his friends

considered Baba as well fitted to be a Guru for themselves.

 

Mahlsapathy in that group was the first to honour and then to worship

Baba. He went to Baba's Mosque and placed flowers and sandals on

Baba's feet or neck and offered him milk. Baba would not allow others

to do even this; only Mahlsapthy was allowed to do it. This developed

later into regular puja by the use of sandal paste and flowers on

Baba's feet, neck, and finally on his forehead also. Even after that,

local magnates like Nana Saheb Dengle who wanted to do Baba's puja,

were not allowed to do it. Baba would tell them: "There is the pillar

in this Dwarakamayi (Mosque). Do puja to the pillar". That of course,

they did not care to do. Nana Saheb Dangle later requested the

intercession of Dagdubhai, a constant companion of Baba and,

encouraged by his words, did puja and became Baba's second

worshipper. Baba gradually allowed others to do his puja and then

Baba's puja became general. Few realized that the part played by

Mahlsapathy as the pioneer of Sai puja and Sai movement

 

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