CALM AFTER STORM

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CALM AFTER STORM

"So they all prayed to Baba - their God, Who was fond of their devotion, to

intercede and quell the storm. Baba was much moved..." –Sri Sai Satcharitra

Ch.VI

In the Ashada month of 1948, a batch of devotees left for Shirdi from Hyderabad.

It was rainy season. From Kopergaon, in those days, were no busses to Shirdi.

One had to cross river Godavari and then catch a bus to Shirdi. The present

road over the bridge was under construction. The devotees found that the low

level bridge across Godavari was almost submerged in water. A boat was plying

to enable people to cross to the other shore. The Hyderabad devotees also

wanted to do the same. But the cartman, who had brought them from the Kopergaon

station, suggested that he would take them through the low level bridge, and the

party of devotees agreed, to avoid transshipment by boat. When the cart was half

way through there was a heavy downpour of rain, the river which was already

swelling become furious? The bullocks were virtually in water, and the cart man

lost his control. In addition one of the cart wheels got struck to a boulder.

There was no parapet wall to the

low-level bridge, and the water had engulfed the cart. The party chanted the

name of Sai Baba in chorus and had almost made up their mind to meet the watery

grave with the Lord’s name of their lips.

Suddenly from nowhere a middle aged man appeared in front of the bullock cart,

and assumed control of steering the cart of his own accord. The cartman removed

the boulder and the stranger piloted the cart towards the other shore. The water

subdued as the stranger deftly piloted the cart. Soon after, the rain stopped,

clouds cleared and there was some sunshine. The crowds of people who were

watching from the other shore at the party’s plight, rejoiced with shouts of

"Sai Baba Ki Jai", Mr Baliah, the head of the group of devotees was so

immensely happy, that he took out a ten rupee note to offer as a presentation

to the stranger. But lo! The stranger was not there!

After evening darshan at the shrine, the party returned to their cottage and

everyone including Sri Balliah fell asleep. In his dream a certain person

appeared and told him that he has erred in accounting the "hundi" money to be

given to Sai Baba, and also told him the extent of the error. Sri Baliah

immediately got up, took his pencil and paper and began calculations. To his

surprise, he found the error exactly, as the gentleman in the dream had said.

(Taken from the book "The Eternal Sai")

 

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