DIVINE LOVE HAS NO LIMIT

[Guest guest]

DIVINE LOVE HAS NO LIMIT

Love does not merely show itself in strong fellow-feeling, but manifests itself

by the sacrifices made. Purandhare was prepared to make any sacrifice and be

with Baba to bask in his presence and he would put up with any treatment,

however painful, from Baba which others would rebel against. On one occasion,

when he took creepers to make alley on both sides of Baba’s walk from his

Masjid, in the chavadi, and Lendi, he got the creepers with great trouble. They

were precious creepers, they were. But Baba did not care a brass button for

alloys and flowers and all that. So when he took the creepers, Baba refused to

give him permission to plant them. For three days the creepers withered not

being cared for, Purandhare’s heart was aching like anything. His sorrow

at the idea of losing this enterprise of planting an alley and his sorrow at

the withering or the death of the creepers was intense. Baba inspite of his

vairagya and indifference to alleys and planting creepers could not be

indifferent to the pain of this loving Purandhare. So, he told him finally not

to have any fears and promised that even if the creepers were withering, he

would make them thrive again with his wonderful mystic powers and finally

granted permission after three days of withering. Strangely enough, the

creepers were planted and inspite of the loss of time, the plants grew up.

Another very interesting manifestation of love is the taking of liberties. In

the case of Purandhare, the taking of liberties was in the following case.

Tatya Patil’s taking liberties is mentioned in a different place in H. S.

Dixit’s diary in a letter from Narke. But here we are dealing with

Purandhare. Purandhare and his friends had, with great enthusiasm and trouble,

secured for Baba’s picture a silver palanquin with silver ornament tacked

on to the top of the same, but, when these were brought by the loving and

enthusiastic devotees, Baba, who hated all pomp and pageantry and rated them at

their proper worth, refused to allow the palanquin to be brought into his mosque

as Baba himself would not sit in a palki. He said, ‘Let it remain outside,

and so the whole night the palki remained outside without any watchman.

During the night some thieves came and made away some of the silver horses. In

the morning the much distraught devotees ran to Baba and complained about the

theft. Baba simply said, ‘Why did the thieves not take away the whole

palanquin?’ Baba had so much contempt for wealth. But the devotees would

not give up their own notions as to the need for wealth and pomp to set off Sai

Baba as a real Maharaja, a Prince with all sorts of appurtenance like silver

palanquin. So, Radhakrishna Ayi and Purandhare resolved that the palanquin

should be provided with a garage and they determined that the place to the next

to the mosque on one side should be turned into a garage to safely lock up the

palanquin.

They could put up pillars on one side of that space and lean rafters thereon,

but to make the rafters rest on the other side they had to put in support which

should be inserted into the wall of the mosque to support the roof. No one would

dare to do it, because it involved digging into the walls of the mosque, that

is, boring holes, about four or five of them. It is a downright desecration to

bore holes in a wall of a mosque or a garbagraham, which has only three walls

and no Hindu would think of defiling a garbagraham by such an unholy act. No

orthodox Muslim would put up with the idea of boring holes in mosque wall

merely to support the adjoining garage rafters. But Purandhare had no

alternative. He got up boldly and dug holes in the wall and inserted the pieces

of wood. By that time Baba, who had gone out, returned and he was furious. He

said, ‘Purandhare. You want to break my mosque wall?’ Purandhare

bowed to him and explained that the wall would be safe that only three of four

pieces of wood would be inserted. But Baba refused permission.

Here comes the liberty taken by the spirit of love. Purandhare determined to

continue his work for honouring Baba with a silver palanquin and a garage, and

did not mind his orders. Baba was cursing and swearing, all to no purpose,

Purandhare continued his work unmindful of his meal or that he was detaining

his mother and wife from having their meal by reason of his absence. But

Baba’s heart was pained. He could not endure to see Purandhare toil away

without caring for his food and without caring for his mother and wife who were

starving. Baba at last gave in. His love overcomes his orthodox objections as

regards desecrating the wall. He told the people that this rascal of a

Purandhare was making himself and others suffer by keeping away from food and

not listening to his words. Finally Baba said, '‘Purandhare, go and

eat'’ But Purandhare would not. he said, '‘Baba, If I go away, you

will undo all my work.’ Then Baba had to promise that he would not undo

the work done. It is only after that Purandhare got down and went to his

quarters for a meal.

Then Baba said, referring Purandhare, ‘What is to be done? If a child

passes motions on our thigh, do we kill the child or cut off the thigh? We have

simply to put up with it.’ This is a very apt description of the relation

between Purandhare and Baba. Purandhare was the petted child who would take

liberties of Baba and Baba did forgive his tortuous digging into the mosque

wall for the sake of providing a wretched palanquin with a garage. The incident

was insignificant. But it brings out the power of the love existing between Baba

and Purandhare by showing the liberties the devotee takes and the extend of

Baba’s forgiveness, due to the strength of his love.

Courtesy: HH Pojyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

(Vasuki Mahal Shri Shirdi Saibaba Trust, coimbatore-641025, India)