WHY BABA WEPT?

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WHY BABA WEPT?

 

In 1915, Santaram had a set of calamities in his family. his wife

gave birth to children who died in infancy. then his wife went alone

with Shama to pray to Baba for long-lived children. Then as usual,

she took a coconut with her. She gave the coconut to Baba and Baba

threw that coconut back into her padar. Baba's eyes were brimming

with tears as he gave away the coconut.

 

He made Santaram sit at his feet and massage his legs. During that

time, Baba passed his hands over Santaram's back in a token of his

blessing and Santaram felt happy , and expressed his thanks for being

saved from the murderous mad man. Baba said, Allah Malik Hai meaning,

'`That is all the order of Allah'' Then Santaram embraced Baba and

Baba embraced him, showing the intimate love Santaram bore to Baba

and Baba bore to him.

 

The reason for tears in Baba's eye when giving the coconut to

Santaram's wife was not understood at that time. But in 1919, after

Baba passed away, a son was born as promised by Baba at the time when

the coconut was gifted. This child was called Kalu Ram. Kalu Ram

lived just for eight years, and his mother lived for only 2 years

after his birth. So, both the deaths were obviously seen by Baba at

the time of his gift.

 

Baba's powers, included Traikalika Bhuddhih, Srimad Bhagavata refers

to this traikalika Jnana. Baba's Jnana may even be termed Rithambhara

prajna. This distinction between past, present and future exists only

to us, who are all very limited in our power of seeing and knowing.

To us the present includes very little of the future but to

Satpurushas like Baba it includes the whole of the future.

 

This boy Kaku Ram was a wonderful genius. At the age of 3, he was

always in the habit of repeating Ram Hari Ram. It was then that his

mother expired. This was said to be the effect of Mula Nakshatram in

which the boy was born. This boy stunned the imagination of all their

acquaintances. Hegde, a neighbour, said, "The boy's knowledge of

Krishna Lilas seems to be so good that the boy himself should have

certainly been one of he playmates of Krishna in the Dwapara Yuga".

 

The boy himself occasionally said, "Krishna used to tease me, I

caught hold of Hari's legs and pinched them. I looked up and then

Hari upset the curd pot over my face. Then the lady of the house

turned up." Hegde used to read Hari Vijaya and on some days the boy

would mention the story that would be read in Hari Vijaya later on in

the day.

 

One day, the boy was seated motionless in a corner. His eyeballs were

upturned. He had a cloth over his head as a cowl, and when Santaram

asked him why he was covering his head, he laughed and said, "That is

our usual course of sadhana". Everything was suggestive of a high

proficiency of Yoga about him. From a journal, he cut out the pranava

Om and stuck it on the wall next to him.

 

As regards the picture in His Master's Voice, Kalu Ram asked his

father, "What is this?" The father said, "It is the advertisement of

a gramaphone". Kalu said, "No, it is a special message of Krishna."

The father asked, "What is that message?" Kalu replied with a counter

question. He asked, "What is the dog in the picture hearing?"

Santaram said, "It is the music from the gramaphone record." Kalu

said, "No, the dog is hearing his master's voice. Look at the dog –

he is intensely concentrated and intensely listening. We must be

equally firm and concentrated and sit. See how I sit. You also should

sit like that and listen. Then you will hear Baba's voice." Santaram

asked, "How do you know Baba's voice? You were born after he passed

away." The boy replied, " I know it, but I will not tell you."

 

Kalu then took to written japa of Ram, Hari Ram, in addition to oral

japa. he did a huge mass of Ram, Hari Ram japa. In 1926, Gadgi Baba

came to see the boy, because of his precocity. Kalu then had dropsy

and low fever. He was only given Baba's udhi. The disease continued

for a while. On Kartik Suddha Ekadasi, a day so piously celebrated by

thousands of pilgrims at Pandharpur and other Vishnu sthalas, Kalu

Ram approached his end. He called Santaram to his bedside and asked

for Jnaneswari the family heirloom. it was produced at once. he

opened it himself and picked up chapter XIII. Kshetra Kshetragna

vibhaga. At that time Santaram was feeling heavy with the sadness of

the approaching end – the bitterness of parting with Kalu Ram. But

Kalu Ram cheered him up and said, "What is there to cry for? Read

this. Read aloud for me. I am going today". Santaram's heart was

sinking under a load of grief and he could not read. The boy kept the

book in front of him and breathed his last. In this way it was a

fitting departure on a Karthik Ekadasi day for such a life. But yet

how sad was such an early death!

 

No wonder that Baba wept in 1918, when he gave the coconut, and

clearly perceived that such an early death was to crown such a life.

 

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimah Swamiji

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