SWEET MEMORIES OF TATYA - NURSING OR CURSING

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SWEET MEMORIES OF TATYA

Nursing or Cursing!!

The author of Sri Sai Sacharitra wrote that Baba and Mahalsapati used to massage

Tatya’s head and limbs as he went into deep sleep. Sri Tatya elaborated on this

as follows.

"Baba is aware that I work in the fields during the entire day and that as a

result, my body suffers pains. So he and Mahalsapati used to massage my body

and limbs, and that would worry me a lot. One fine day I firmly told Baba, as

well as Mahalsapati, that it was not proper on their part to do so. How come I

should receive their service, instead of being of service to them?

Baba completely ignored my sentiments and furthermore told me, "It is perfectly

all right, we are both the same. People think I am great but it is not so. I am

just like you!" However, I threatened that I would never come to the mosque

again should Baba repeat such acts. And I did not just threaten, I did so! Once

I stubbornly avoided going anywhere near the mosque for ten or twelve days which

made Baba very upset. He called out to me loudly should I pass that way, even at

a far distance, but I would gesticulate to him from afar that there is no

connection between him and me, and move away. Then Kaka Dixit came on a visit

to Shirdi and learnt that I was not going to the mosque any longer. He called

me up and persuaded me that I must go as usual as I was the son of Bayajamami

and Baba loved me very much.

Mahalsapati used to get sick quite frequently for a period of three to four

years. During such times Baba would not allow him to sleep at the mosque and

would send him home. As for me, I slept in the mosque for fourteen or fifteen

years along with Baba, but I discontinued sleeping there five or six years

prior to his mahasamadhi (passing away).

"Experiences of Tatya" in the Marathi magazine Sri Sai Leela Masik