THE TIME TABLE OF BABA'S DAILY ROUTINE - 3

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THE TIME TABLE OF BABA’S DAILY ROUTINE - 3

At about 8 a.m., Baba would start on his rounds for alms. He went to the houses

of Ganapati Tatya Patil (Bayajabai), Appaji Patil, Sakharam Shelke, Waman

Gondkar and Nanduram Marwadi. To them fell the good fortune of giving

sustenance to the One who was the sustainer of life in all the worlds. Baba had

a different way of calling for alms at each of the houses at which he begged. He

would say, "Abaad-e-abaad, Allah bhala karega," and bless the housewives. He

would say, "Bayaja maa! Jevan de! Roti lao (give food, get the roti)!" at the

house of Bayajabai. He would stand in front of the houses of Appaji Patil and

Waman Gondkar and calling them by name would say, "Bhakri de (give roti)." He

would stand in front of Sakharam’s house and call for his wife, "Itlayi Bai!

Roti lao." He would go last to the house of Nanduram Marwadi and say either,

"Nanduram bhakri de," or call his wife Radhabai, "Bopidi Bai bhakri de."

"Bopidi" means

"to stutter" in Marathi, and as Radhabai had a slight stammer, Baba sometimes

called her by that name. He would shout at her, "Why so much delay?" if she

were late in bringing the food for Baba. Sometimes, even when no special

occasion such as a festival warranted it, he would say, "Bopidi Bai, mitha lao"

(get the sweetmeats). She would leave all her work and make puran polies for

Baba whenever he asked for sweetmeats. He would put a piece in his mouth and

distribute the rest to the devotees present there. Baba went only to these

houses for alms and he would always go to them in the same order, but there was

no saying how many times a day he would go. There were sometimes occasions when

he went seven or eight times a day. "Baba went eight times a day for alms in

the first three years," says Sri Bayyaji Appakote Patil, "He then went four

times a day for the next three years, and twice a day for the next twelve

years, and in the last days he would go only once a day."

When Baba went to Bayajabai’s house for alms, she would plead with him to sit a

while in the house and eat his food there. Baba never entered any house as a

rule, however, he could not refuse the loving supplication of the motherly

Bayajabai and so he would sometimes sit on the platform abutting the forecourt

of her house. The devoted Bayajabai never sent Baba away empty-handed no matter

how many times he went for alms. She would eagerly come running out of the house

and put at least some pickles or papadam in Baba’s alms-bag. Baba called her his

sister; she was indeed blessed. She had seen the greatness and the glory of Baba

when the whole world was unaware of him, and had resolved, even in those early

days, not to eat till she had fed him. Her life in the previous birth must

indeed have been meritorious for her to have such discernment. The housewives

of Shirdi in those days may not have been highly educated or considered

cultured by the so-called high society,

however we must salute them for their rare qualities of devotion and love for Baba.

-Suchitra Devi in Sai Padham

 

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