GALWANKAR'S REMINSCENCES ON BABA

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GAWANKAR'S REMINISCENCES ON SAI BABA

 

Dr. K. B. Gawankar, in his book on Sai Baba, has recorded a few more

of Sai Baba's reminiscence of his pre-Shirdi days. One Sai Baba told

his devotees, Bade Baba and Bapugir Gosavi, "I grew up in Mahurgad (a

holy place sanctified by the presence of Lord Dattatreya); when

people pestered me I left for Girnar; there too people troubled me I

left for Mount Abu. There too the same thing happened. Then I came to

Akkalkot and from there to Daulatabad. There Janardana Swami (a great

saint) did me a lot of seva (i.e. service). Then I went to

Pandharpur; from there I came to Shirdi."

 

Dr. Gawankar also records a significant aspect of Sai Baba's life.

Once Baba asked Smt. Kasibai Kanitkar, "Did Lord Datta give you

anything at Kopergaon?No", she said.

 

"Do you know Sakharam Maharaj of Angaonkawad? (a famous saint of that

place). He is my Guru bandhu. We served the same guru. We planted

mango saplings there."

 

Next day, when Smt. Kasibai went to Kopergaon to see the saint Sri

Sakharam Maharaj, he gave her two mangoes and said, "Sai Baba has

sent these for you."

 

There is a mention in Sri Sakharam's biography of his frequent

chatting with "a young fakir" who, according to Gawankar, was

undoubtedly Sai Baba himself. It is also recorded that once Sakharam

Maharaj told his devotees that he was going to his `brother' and then

he proceeded towards the river Kamode. Devotees who accompanied him

thither saw a fakir on the opposite bank of the river. He was the

fakir aulia of Nizampur Dargah. They saw each other and exchanged

hearty smiles and returned to their respective abodes. Dr. Gawankar

conjectures that it is possible that this fakir aulia was Sai Baba

himself. Chronically, this incident took place between Sai Baba's

earlier disappearance at Shirdi and his second and permanent arrival

there in 1858.

 

How dearly Sai Baba cherished this phase of his life can be seen from

this incident; Bapusaheb Jog was a devotee of Sri Sakharam Maharaj.

On one of his visits to the latter's mutt (monastery) at Angaonkawad,

he saw the two mango trees that were mentioned earlier by Sri Sai

Baba. On one of his later visits, Jog plucked a mango from one of

them as an offering to Sri Sai Baba but realized his error when he

found it to be too unripe. Then he purchased two good fruits on his

way for Sai Baba. Later when he offered the two ripe mangoes Sai Baba

would not take them. He only wanted the mango that Jog had plucked at

Angaonkawad. When Sai Baba took it in his hands tears of joy flowed

freely from his eyes. Baba examined it and said, "It is not yet

ripe." Bapusaheb Jog said, "Yes, Baba." Sai Baba stared at it for a

while and with a sportive sparkle in his eye said, "Is it so?" and

ordered that it should be cut and distributed to all the devotees

assembled there. Everyone was surprised to note that the mango was

indeed ripe and sweet.

 

Written by: Sri Pujya Acharya E. Bharadwaja in `Sai Baba The Master"