WHY FEAR I AM HERE!

[Guest guest]

WHY FEAR I AM HERE!

Purandhare found that his child’s health far from being ruined by the

journey was set right completely at Shirdi. This in itself was sufficient to

constitute one of those Aneka Ascruta Atarkysa Lila Vilasaih. Here is

Baba’s superhuman power. Here is kindness towards those that flock to his

feet.

If supreme power and kindness are combined, what more is wanted to give us the

idea of God’s help? So, Purandhare was made firmer in his faith and

deeper in his love of Sai Baba by this occurrence and this was the only one. At

every step he had full faith in Baba’s omniscience and omnipotence and he

found that his faith was fully justified by the subsequent events.

Baba knew exactly when Purandhare should start, when he should stay at a place

like Nasik, a holy place of pilgrimage, which his mother wanted to visit, and

how long he should stay there. When Purandhare acted upon Baba’s

directions, it seemed to several that he was running foolish risks, but

everything that Baba said occurred exactly as he said it would. He was told to

stay one day at Nasik and to proceed on the next day. When he went there, he

found that cholera was attacking some members of his family, such as his

brother, and he was advised to get away. But he remembered that Baba had said

that he must stay one day at Nasik. So he did stay. On the next day with

ill-health in the family, he found that he was perfectly safe in the following

Baba’s directions to the very letter. This confirms a man in the extent

of reverence and faith that he has in Baba.

Reverence and faith combined with thankfulness for the resulting good, form an

excellent basis for the development of love. in this way, his love for Baba got

more and more deep-rooted and his faith, being justified, was the means for so

many others catching on to that faith. Baba’s kindness towards him was

remarkable even from the beginning. Why should Baba care so much for this petty

clerk who went to Shirdi for the first time? That is the question, which any one

would ask. And one would like to know the root of that love. The root of love is

not always traceable, but in this particular case we have Baba’s own

statement to help us.

When Purandhare’s mother told Baba to look after him, Baba’s reply

was, "I have known him for generations. I have guarded him from his infancy in

front and behind. I will not eat even a bit of food without him". That is, as

much as to say that Baba remembered the love relations between Purandhare and

himself in former lives.

Purvabhysena Tenaiva Hriyate hyavasopisab

Tatra tam buddhi samyogam Labhate Pourvadehikam

These two are extracts from the Bhagavat Gita constantly quoted to show that

purva vasanas, that is, traits in the soul existing in previous births follow

one in subsequent births also. In addition to the Bhagavat Gita chapter 16,

Verse 10, Baba consciously expressed that love that existed between the two,

but Purandhare felt the same love unconsciously and was being pulled to Baba.

Baba added no doubt that he draws his devotee’s even from thousands of

miles away and his drawing is like a boy drawing a bird to whose foot one end

of a string is attached while the other is held by him. The bird cannot choose

but go to the boy when the boy pulls it. Baba’s statement was that he

similarly pulled persons who had former contact with him which is Rinanubhandha

and Purandhare was expressly one of those greatly attached to him in a former

life. That may explain how he run so many risks like taking a sick child to

Shirdi from Bombay for the purpose of seeing Baba, with no ostensible gain to

explain the risk taken.

Having hinted at the origin of the love link between Baba and Purandhare we may

proceed to sketch out how this seed of love in the latest janma manifested

itself. Purandhare was always giving vent to every emotional feeling strongly.

If he felt angry, he would at once burst out in a fit of anger and quarrel. If

he felt love, h would be equally ready to express it. Baba had to warn him

against his quick temper and thus improve him in respect of this first concern.

Baba used his emotional nature for developing love. Conferring of benefits is

the surest means of the development of love. Baba conferred benefits in a very

peculiar, and often in a very mysterious way. The manner of benefits being

conferred as well as the nature of the benefit being conferred, tended to

equally develop the mysterious elements of love.

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

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