HEMAD PANT TOWARDS PERFECTION

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HEMAD PANT TOWARDS PERFECTION

When Anna Saheb Dabolkar first went to Shirdi, he was so very superficial in his

attachment to Baba that he fell to a 30-minute discussion with Bala Saheb Bhate,

an old friend of his, on the question whether a Guru was necessary or not.

Dabolkar was hotly holding the position that a Guru was unnecessary, and that

it was a question of free will of everyone to go whichever way he liked. But

Bhate contested his views on both points. Bhate said that there was so free

will at all, and that the only thing was destiny. On the question of the need

for a Guru, he said, "A Guru is absolutely essential". Naturally after 30

minutes talk they completely disagreed with each other, and there was no result

from the discussion except Dabolkar’s mind being restless.

After that, they went to the mosque, and when they prostrated before Baba. Baba

pointed to Dabolkar and said, "What talk was going on there at the wada? And

what did this Hemand Pant say (pointing his chin to Dabolkar)?" Dabolkar’s name

not was Hemad Pant at all. Hemad Pant was a great genius, who in the mediaeval

age wrote grand works and so, in one way it was a compliment and in the other,

the reference to Hemad Pant was to mere literary skill.

Anyhow Dabolkar was impressed by the fact that Baba without being told of

anything, knew that there was a discussion, and that he (Dabolkar) had engaged

in it with all his literary ability and dialectical skill. However, Baba’s

influence did not stop with that. Dabolkar had very poor ideas on the subject

of saints. For one thing, even frivolous objections to saints weighed largely

in his mind. It was well known that Baba’s favoured devotee, H. S. Dixit,

called Kaka Dixit, was at Shirdi with his daughter, whose life Baba saved

miraculously at Ville Parle when a whole almirah full of toys was about to fall

on her. On that occasion Baba said to Dixit (who was with Baba at Shirdi when

the child was in danger at Ville Parle) "Arre Kaka, Tula Kalji Kazli Maje

Sarakalji Ahe" That is, "Dixit, why should you have any anxiety? All cares are

mine." On that occasion, when a whole

almirah full of toys fell on the child, she was unsheathed. She got only a

scratch on her arm due to her bangle being broken. Yet that child, when at

Shirdi directly under the nose of Baba, died, and Baba could not save her. Then

Dabolkar thought, and Baba could not save her. Then Dabolkar thought, "If a Guru

cannot save the child of his own pet devotee, what is the good of a Guru?" This

appeared him at that time to be a sound argument, but he adds that destiny

proved too much for that agreement, and his destiny was to compel him to become

a Sai bhakta and get along whatever happened to his arguments about pupils and

the nature of help rendered by Gurus to pupils or Sishyas.

By constant association with devotees, he got wider and more correct ideas as to

the functions of the Gurus. He gradually resigned himself more and more to be

dealt with by Baba. Baba dealt with him in a very remarkable way, and from the

very beginning, made up his mind as to what should become of this Dabolkar.

(Written by: HH Pujyasri B V Narasimha Swamiji in Life of Sai Baba)

 

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