ALL MULTIPLICITY WHEN IT REACHED TO BABA - BECOMES ONE

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ALL MULTIPLICITY WHEN IT REACHED TO BABA - BECOMES ONE

Baba occasionally gave B. V. Dev hints for his spiritual progress. But it was

not always that Dev could understand them correctly. Baba asked Dev once,

"Bhav, give me dakshina" B.V. Dev gave one guinea.

Baba: Give more.

Baba, after getting four guinea said, "Though four were given by you, Baba has got only one."

Dev: "Baba I have given four."

Baba: "Yes, but I have only one. You will know."

The obvious interpretation is, though the devotee surrenders his fourfold

Antahkarana Manas, Buddhi, ahamkara and Chitta, Baba receives only the Jiva and

all multiplicity when it reached God – Baba, becomes one. So, the mind

must surrender multiplicity unto the Guru God to attain unity.

Baba helped B.V. Dev to surrender himself more and more and derive Baba’s

help at every stage and hence, B.V. Dev in his turn becomes a means of

spreading Baba’s glory. Though not quite on the large scale in which

Chandorkar did work for Baba. Dev also absorbed Baba’s magnetism through

Chandorkar and also directly, and communicated Baba’s magnetism to

others. But it is not always easy to make people derive full faith in Baba. A

karnam under B.V. Dev, having learnt about Dev’s attachment to a great

Satpurusha called Sai Baba, came to him to get Baba’s help to decide an

important question for himself and his family. That karnam had his own Guru who

for his own purposes wished to get a new image to replace the karnam’s

former image and have a grand installation ceremony, hoping to derive consider

pecuniary profits from the proposed ceremony. So, while the priest of the

karnam insisted on it, the karnam himself had some doubts and came to Dev and

through him consulted Baba as to whether the new image should be brought and

installed. Baba was consulted, and gave his opinion that the new image should

not be brought in. the consultation was through Shama. The karnam, being very

anxious to get his priest’s advice confirmed, wanted to ask Baba, "What

would happen if the new image was brought?" Baba gave a story. He said he and a

companion had gone together and he told his companion not to buy an animal.

Inspite of his advice, that animal was bought and brought to the village, and

at once an epidemic of plague broke out as the result of the animal coming in.

Baba left it there. The karnam, not fully impressed by Baba’s All-knowing

character, tried to please his Guru and brought in the new image. At once an

epidemic broke out and the karnam’s own wife was attacked first. The

karnam asked his Guru to help him, but that Guru wanted half the property of

the karnam to be made over immediately to the priest, and was trying in various

ways to deprive the karnam of his property. The karnam woke up. He went to Dev

and mentioned how things had turned out. Then on Dev’s advice he removed

the new idol and reinstalled the old idol. By Baba’s grace he was saved

from further harm.

Dev’s services for Baba were mainly through Sai Sansthan and through his

researches into matters connected with Sai Baba and the Sansthan. These

researches he made after great trouble. For instance, he made researches into

the ancient history of Shirdi and into the meaning of certain words and

phrases. These articles appeared in the Sai Lila Masik which was the organ of

the Shirdi Sai Sansthan, of which he was a member, and signed them with the

pseudonym, Babache bal that is, child of Baba. He had a very good command of

Marathi and even in Sanskrit his proficiency enabled him to compose brilliant

verses which have appeared from time to time in Sai Lila Masik. He took very

active interest in promoting the welfare of the Sansthan, and spent a very

large part of his time at Shirdi. He had a good physique and could endure

thirst, hunger or troubles for long periods. He had assisted various enquiries

into matters on Sai and enabled them to become staunch Sai bhaktas. In the

statement he has given to the author, some hints may be found of the way in

which he helped the Sai Sansthan. He worked to the last as a trustee of the

Sansthan, and he passed away dying in harness so to speak. He has written a

good deal in Marathi and these would be appreciated by those who know that

language. The accuracy of some interpretations he has given to Baba’s

Sayings has appeared, however, to the author to be doubtful but one cannot be

positive in these cases. Taking first the conclusion in Baba’s Charters

and Sayings in paragraph 245 mentioned earlier, the interpretation given to

Baba’s statement is the author’s and not Mr. Dev’s for Mr.

Dev thought that he should keep Baba’s teachings secret and did not

reveal how he interpreted Baba’s statement that he gave four. Baba

received only one. Dev’s services have now been continued by his son Sri.

S.B. Dev, who is now also a trustee of the Sansthan, doing yeoman service for

Baba.

Written by: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

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