BABA'S CURE - SIMPLY DEPEND HIS GRACE

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BABA’S CURE – SIMPLY DEPEND HIS GRACE

Sometimes Baba’s method of effecting cures were less direct. Perhaps he

sometimes felt it necessary for his kiddies to toughen through a process of

suffering which he could well gauge to be neither too serious not too painful.

Especially, he seems to have taken care to see that the suffering raised the

mental grit or courage of the patient. To this end he often ordered the patient

to go away from him so that psychologically, he might get used to depend on

Baba’s grace and not on Baba’s proximity.

Kakasaheb was laid up at Shirdi with high fever and sent a word to Baba through

Shama. Baba curtly replied, "I am not a doctor; let him go to his house in Vile

Parle." Shama was annoyed at his unexpected response. So he said, "He stayed

here with great trust in you; how can he go now when he is laid up with fever?"

Baba is not the one to yield. He just reiterated his order and did not even give

udhi for him. "What a mad fakir he is!" he thought. Yet he had the sense to

start on his homeward journey and went to the mosque to take leave of Baba. On

seeing him Baba said, in a voice not too soft, "Go home! The fever will go even

as it come, in four day’s time. Don’t lie down on the bed but move

about, eat badam (almonds), pista and sira." Then he gave udhi and sent Shama

to accompany him on his journey. Kaka’s mind regained composure at the

assurance of Baba. It was 11 o’clock at night when they walked home in

Ville Parle. Every one at Kaka’s home was surprised at Kaka’s quick

return this time, for he usually stayed on at Shirdi for several days. His wife

was about his health.

As per Baba’s order Kaka took sira for his diet. Next day the fever

increased. His wife, in her anxiety, called in a doctor who emphatically told

Kaka not to move about but to rest himself, and gave him medicine. But Kaka

adhered to Baba’s order, kept moving about and refused to take the

medicine. Every one feared that Kaka would die and started reviling him for

pawning away his sense to the absurdities of mad fakir. The doctor grew

impatient with Kaka’s obstinacy and roared. "What am I here for?" But

Kaka kept his course. And on the ninth day the temperature fell and it showed

‘normal’. Later when Kaka visited Shirdi again, the first question

Baba asked was "What did your people in Bombay say?" He know it all.

(Written by: HH Pujya Acharya E Bharatwaja in Sai Baba the Master)