Divine Grace - God will give him a son

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DIVINE GRACE – GOD WILL GIVE HIM A SON

 

Rao Bahadur Hari Vinayak Sathe was a Deputy Collector and a

Settlement Officer in the Bombay Presidency. He was long remembered

for his first great service to Baba's faith by building the first

chatram or chavadi so to speak at Shirdi. He put it up in the year

1905-06. Baba's fame had already spread abroad considerably and

people having to visit Baba could not get accommodation in the very

few hovels and houses there, and had often to stay under trees. So,

Sathe's wada served as a great comfort and help to people in their

Shirdi pilgrimage to see Baba.

 

His second great service was the beginning of congregational worship

by Baba's followers, as he had provided the first pujari who

conducted the congregational worship of all. That pujari's name was

Meghashyam known as Megha. Hence, we shall try to describe Sathe's

contact with Baba, how it began, how it developed and what important

information Sathe gave others in respect of help from Baba.

 

The most noticeable feature about Sathe was that at the age of fifty

he married again after the loss of his wife. He had lost his wife

some four or five years earlier, and she had left him only daughters

and no sons. Every Hindu feels that unless he has a son, his

spiritual position is unsafe. Sathe was anxious therefore to have a

son, but there was no guarantee that the second wife would get any

sons and not more daughters. So, he declared to his importunate

friends who asked him to marry that if any great saint should advice

him, he would do so. In 1904, he was Deputy Collector at Ahmednagar.

He went down to Kopergaon, where Mr. Bharva was the mamlatdar and Mr.

Bharva told him that Sai Baba living at Shirdi within Kopergaon taluk

was a very great saint. So, both of them went in 1904 to see Sai Baba

at the Mosque. After seeing Baba, H. V. Sathe came out without

putting him any question. But Mr. Bharva told Baba, "Saheb has no

son", then Baba replied, "Shadi Karega to Allah Bachcha Dega", that

is, if he married, God will give him a son. As he stood in front of

the Mosque, these words were heard by H. V. Sathe. Then, the question

was about the bride.

 

There was also the question of confirmation of Baba's view. Sathe was

orthodox and considered it necessary to get an able astrologer. There

was one who had arrived at Poona to read his horoscope and find out

whether Baba's statement was corroborated by a reading of the

horoscope. When the astrologer looked into his horoscope, he declared

that Sathe was to have male progeny only after his fiftieth year,

that is, after 1905. So, Sathe was confirmed in the idea of marriage.

 

Ganesh Damodar Kelkar had a daughter for marriage and he wrote to

Sathe, when he was at Ahmednagar, asking him whether there was any

bridegroom to suit his daughter. Thinking this was a feeler Sathe

sent the reply, `There is no bridegroom here, but if you are thinking

of me, carefully consider all the pros and cons and let me have your

views'. So, Ganesh Damodar Kelkar offered his girl and after the girl

was taken to Baba at the instance of Sathe, Baba put kumkum on her

forehead and said, Send the girl to Ahmedabad. So, in 1906 H. V.

Sathe married Dada Kelkar's daughter. But the first two children were

girls. Dada Kelkar went to Baba saying, "When are we to have a

grandson". Baba's reply was, "I am requesting Allah. He will comply

with my request." So, in 1912 a grandson was born, hale and healthy

and now represents the family at Poona.

 

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. narasimha Swamiji

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