DIVINE GRACE - I GAVE YOU WATER, DID YOU DRINK?

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DIVINE GRACE – I GAVE YOU WATER, DID YOU DRINK?

 

The most common and triffling things one would suppose in the list of

an ordinary man's needs are water to drink and food to eat. Yet at

times these assume extraordinary importance, and provisions of drink

or food under extremely difficult circumstances becomes clearly a

kind of Divine Providence. This was done for Nana Saheb Chandorkar by

Baba under very peculiar circumstances.

 

Chandorkar was an orthodox Hindu, and, in spite of his corpulence,

anxious to visit hill tops where there were temples. Harischandra

Hill, forty miles away from Shirdi, was a noted hill with a Devi's

shrine at the top. But the long stretch of barren rock between the

temple and the bottom of the hill was one vast treeless, wild, rocky

waste, where there was neither water to drink nor any shelter to hide

in. Over that hill, Nana was climbing on a hot, summer day, and,

after he had gone some distance, the heat of the sun and the toil of

the journey told upon him. He felt very thirsty and asked the

Sheristadar friend by his side for water. The latter replied that

there was none and that it was a barren rock. Nana felt the fatigue

of climbing also greatly and said he could not climb. The Sheristadar

asked him to climb down. But Nana was unable to do that either and

quietly sat on a huge slab and exclaimed `If Baba were here, he would

surely give me water to slake my thirst'. The Sherishtadar, who was

by his side, remarked that such observations about `ifs' were

useless. He added `Baba is not here. What is the good of thinking

what would happen if he were here? The Sherishtadar had only fleshly

eyes and matter bound brains. He could not see with the eye of faith.

If he had such an eye, he could have noted the presence of Baba not

only on Harischandra hill but in every other place also. Chandorkar

was slightly better position than the Sherishtadar. It is because of

his faith in Baba that the thought occurred to him that Baba could

save him even on that barren rock. But he did not feel certain that

Baba was there and that the water would be provided. Anyhow his

thought of Baba was the tiny hairspring or switch working the magic,

the turn that saved the situation

 

Let us see how the thought of Chandorkar on the Harischandra hill

intensified by his dire thirst operated. His thought was very intense

and even if it had been less intense, when it was directed to Sai, it

must have had immediate effect. That could not be seen by the

Sherishtadar or by Chandorkar himself on the hill. Let us see what

took place at Shirdi where the body of Sai Baba was physically

situated. Sai Baba spoke out immediately in the presence of some

devotees, `Hallo, Nana is very thirsty. Should we not give him a

handful of water?' To Baba, all places and all times were open before

his vision, and he could see and hear everything. But the persons

around him, who had not the benefit of such a vision, were wondered

why Baba should talk of Nana's thirst. Nana the Deputy Collector was

not there, and it the Deputy Collector was in thirst, why a palmful,

gallons of water would be quickly brought to him by number of

persons. Why did Baba talk like that? People round about Baba could

not make it out. Nor did Baba care to explain. But what followed on

the hill gives the explanation. A little time after Nana made his

exclamation about Baba, a Bhil, that is, a hill tribesman, was seen

coming down the hill towards the party, that is, Chandorkar and his

friends. Chandorkar accosted him and said, `Hallo! I am thirsty; can

I get some water to drink?' People wondered that this Brahmin Deputy

Collector should accost a Bhil, who his considered an untouchable or

low-caste man, and ask him for water. But necessity knows no law, and

the Bhil's reply was most surprising. He said, `What! You ask for

water! Under the very slab or rock on which you are seated, there is

water'. So saying, he moved away and disappeared from view.

 

Nana's subordinates and friends who were with him immediately set

about lifting up the slab after Nana moved aside, and lo and behold!

There was just palmful of water on that rock, attractive and cool,

just the quantity that is necessary to save a man from fiery thirst.

Nana took that water, his thirst was gone; he was able to march

higher up and complete his pilgrimage. After the hill ascent, the

goddess darsan at the temple and descent were over, some days later,

Nana had occasion to go to Shirdi, and as he stepped into Baba's

Dwarakamayee the very first words that uttered to him before anybody

could inform about Nana's experience on the hill, were these, `Nana,

you were thirsty; I gave you water; did you drink?' Nana's eyes

opened with joyous wonder. He felt that his very thought of Baba had

worked as a prayer and the appearance of Bhil and his pointing out

where the water and the appearance of the water there on a waterless

rock must all have been due to Baba. How Baba managed it, Baba only

knew. And to conform Nana in his view, devotees at Shirdi mentioned

to him that on the memorable day and hour when he was on the

Harischandra hill, with burning thirst. Baba spoke the above words.

Nana was convinced more than ever that Baba was God omnipresent,

merciful and omnipotent, for he had the power to bring water under a

rock.

 

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

(Shri Vasuki Mahal Shirdi Sai Baba Trust, Coimbatore-641025, India)