DATTA SAI (2)

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DATTA SAI (2)

Another devotee’s experience occurred long after Baba’s Mahasamadhi

(in 1918). Vinayak Daji Bhave, a clerk in the Railway Department, was anxious

to find a guru. So he undertook a devout daily reading of the ‘Guru

Gita’ which is said to be efficacious in such matters. After a month, he

visited a temple of Datta on a Thursday. But, to his wonder, there was a

samadhi (i.e., tomb of a saint) in the place of usual idol of Datta! Next

morning he happened to see, for the first time, late Sri Dabolkar’s

(Hemadpanth) book on Sai Baba in which he saw a picture of Sai Baba’s

samadhi. At once he recognised it to be the one that he saw at the Datta temple

earlier and inferred that Sai Baba was his guru. For a time he took Baba’s

udhi and read books on Baba. After some time the doubt cropped up in his mind

that a tomb cannot be a substitute to a living guru who could communicate to

him. So again he did parayana of the Guru Gita for a week. Then the great saint

Narayana Maharaj of Khedgaonbet appeared in his dream. Inferring that Narayana

Maharaj was his guru. He went to Khedgaonbet. There Sri Narayana Maharaj

appeared in his dream and said, "I and Sai Baba are not different from each

other. Why do you not go there?" Thus confirmed, Daji Bhave accepted Sai Baba

as his guru. Later, a sadhu read his palm and said, "Sai Baba is your guru."

The appearance of Sai Baba’s samadhi in the place of Lord Datta’s

idol in Datta temple and its confirmation by Narayana Maharaj establish

Baba’s identity with Lord Dattatreya beyond any doubt.

(Written by: Pujya acharya E. Bharadwaja in Sai Baba the Master)