Devotees Experiences by HH Pujyasri B V Narasimha Swamiji, Dt: 18-10-1936

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Devotees Experiences by HH Pujyasri B V Narasimha Swamiji,

18th October 1936

Balakrishna Waman Vaidya, C/o. C. K. Prabhu, aged 58, retired Railway servant, (G.I.P) Bandra, says:

In 1910-1911, was my first visit to Shirdi, I had then taken my entire family

and we stayed 4 or 5 days. Baba was kind to us all and gave us his blessings.

Even prior to starting, his grace was evident. I applied for leave to G.I.P.

Railway authorities and for passes. But, urgent work appeared to require my

continued stay and to be an obstacle to leave being granted. But, my head clerk

was a ‘Sai Bhaktha" and he passed my application and leave was granted. Baba’s

grace helped us on the journey also. It was night (or nearly nightfall) when we

reached Kopergaon. The road to Shirdi was unsafe; robbers might attack us. So

the Tonga man whom we sought to engage told us to wait till tomorrow. I told

him that Baba would protect us and asked him to start. Then other passengers

who were there said they would also start with our Tonga. Thus, we had some

company or protection even at the outset. But, as our Tonga went on, we found

several carts coming towards Kopergaon and

others going in the same direction as ourselves. Baba’s aid was thus clear. No

highwayman could or did trouble us.

When we reached Shirdi, it was 1 a.m. and we went into Sathe’s Wada. I insisted

on my family joining me at once in taking faral (i.e.) a light meal, as the day

following was a Sankashi Chaturti a fasting day, and we then retired to rest

after faral. Early morning, Baba got up and took the resident devotees or some

of them to task for not providing us with a meal as soon as we arrived, He

said: "My children arrived. None (of you) looked after them. You gave them

nothing to eat, and made them fast". (In one sense, this was true as persons

who eat only faral and not a regular full meal are considered as fasting or

upavas). Baba, with these angry words, drove from his proximity those devotees

who were there. This showed us the intense paternal love he had for us and his

watching over our interests. The expelled devotees came to us and reported

Baba’s words and action; and they begged as to tell Baba that we had taken our

light meal on arrival, and had been well treated.

So we reported to Baba as soon as we went to him, (i.e.) at darshan. Baba

blessed me as soon as he saw me and said (i.e.)"Good will befall you" and he

blessed us all similarity. Later, when we had prepared food at our Wada, Baba

came round and begged for food and my wife promptly gave him these articles,

(i.e.) bread and vegetables.

One day, we prepared special naivedya for Baba and we were late in getting

ready. Others had taken their naivedya to Baba. Baba waited for ours and kept

them waiting, saying "wait", Then I took mine, he bade me place mine nearest to

him, and he gave us prasad and blessings.

Look at his kindness and care for us. When we were starting I begged leave to go

to my family to Nasik. Baba forbade it saying: "Go, Go, Go, to Nasik. What for

should you go to Nasik? There is plague there. Do not go there, go back home

just as you have come (i.e.) the way you came, taking your little ones with

you."

During one these 3 or 4 days of our stay at Shirdi, I was talking with Madhavrao

Deshpande and expressed my desire to take a photo of Baba, touched by him and

given to me, for the purpose of worshipping it at home. Baba, who was near,

insisted on my going and fetching a photo at once. I brought it; he touched it

and gave it to me. I am worshipping it daily even now. I never take food

without first worshipping him in that photo.

Baba guided and guarded us on our way back. When we took leave, he said, "You

had better go now." We took a Tonga and arrived in time at Kopergaon just to

miss our intended train as it left the platform as we reached the station. This

looked bad augury and we spent the night there for some hours and took the early

down train to Manmad. Fancy our grateful surprise when we learnt that the

previous train to Bombay, which we intended to board, had an accident with the

result that one carriage in it was smashed. Baba’s all-watchful eye and kind

care for ‘his children’ had saved us from possible harm in that accident.

One incident at Shirdi during this visit is curious. One of Baba’s devotees came

to me and said, "Give me some money and I will you bandar (i.e., a sacred powder

applied to the forehead as a blessing). I was resenting this demand and said

‘No’. The man was going away. Suddenly my mind changed, and I recalled him. "I

will give you some coins, give me your bandar", I said. But, he declined saying

that he had no such orders from Baba. Then, I went to Baba and reported what

happened. Baba said "Alright".

My next visit was in 1912. This time no member of my family accompanied me. Two

office friends were fellow pilgrims then. My idea was to tell Baba, on this

occasion, about my misfortunes, troubles and miseries. But, Baba anticipated me

and said: "Be quiet, Don’t fear." I replied that I had no fear as he was

protecting me. We had all taken only a day’s leave and so I begged leave of

Baba to go away. But Baba did not give me leave. I knew Baba would somehow save

me from trouble and so I stayed on. But, my friends expressed their fear to me

of being cashiered for staying away without leave. But seeing that I stayed,

they also decided to cast in their lots with me and remained with me. Baba

prevented us from going back for 2 or 3 days more. Then he permitted us to go.

When we returned we applied for extension of leave and got it without any

trouble. This was Baba’s lila or power.

The second visit was my last visit to Shirdi. In 1916, I made Bandra my

residence. Then, say in 1917 or 1918, a saint came before our lodging and asked

for a paise. My son gave him one paise and said: "I know who you are." As he

felt sure it was Sai Baba though in an unrecognizable form. Then Baba said,

"Sri Sai Baba aahe gageyakaru navane. As he said this at the veranda, I bowed

at his feet and asked him to walk into the house, and he came inside, whereupon

I again bowed at his feet. He asked me thuja samadhan barale (i.e.,) ‘Are you

satisfied?’ I replied ‘yes’. Then he demanded sidha (i.e.) materials (e.g.)

wheat flour to prepare food. I gave him. He blessed me and went away telling

me: "I am here with you always. You need not come to Shirdi.’ This was about in

1917-18. I never went thereafter to Shirdi.

We have had many misfortunes and troubles all these years. But, Sai Baba is at

my back and I have faced them all courageously and cheerfully.

 

 

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