Sai Baba the Master

[Guest guest]

Once Sai Baba gave jog the darshan of Akkalkot Swami in himself.

 

Sridhar Narayan Kharkar of Thana was given a picture of Baba and his udi

when he was ill and the next day he recovered! Faith thus struck root in

his heart. But a doubt arose in his mind whether he could keep a Moslem

saint’s (i.e. Baba’s) photograph by the side of the picture of Akkalkot

Maharaj. That night he had a dream in which a fakir, robed like Sai Baba,

came towards the verandah where he (Kharkar) and his friend were sitting.

Kharkar stood up to welcome the fakir. Then his companion said to him,

“This fakir (Sai Baba) is not different from the Swami of Akkalkot” and

told him to treat both the saints with equal regard. The next morning

Kharkar kept both the photographs together in the shrine and worshipped

them.

 

 

Guru Gholap Maharaj

Moolay Sastri was an orthodox brahmin, well versed in astrology and

sastras. Once he came to Shirdi to see the millionaire of Nagpur,

Bapusaheb Buty, who was a great devotee of Sai Baba. After meeting Buty,

Moolay Sastri and others went to the musjid to see Sai Baba. Baba bought

fruits with his own money and distributed the same to all the devotees.

Moolay Sastri requested Baba to permit him to read his (Baba’s) palm. But

Baba ignored his request and gave him four bananas.

 

All the devotees later returned to the wada. Moolay Sastri took his bath

and started his daily devotions like agnihotra (keeping the sacred fire)

etc.

 

Baba started on his stroll to Lendi and said to those at the mosque, “Get

some saffron dye (gerua); today we shall put on ochre robes!” No one

understood the real significance of Baba’s words. For Baba never wore a

saffron robe.

 

At noon Baba sat on his gaddi and the arti commenced. Then he said to

Buty, “Go and get some dakshina from that brahmin of Nasik”. Buty conveyed

Baba’s demand for dakshina to Moolay Sastri and he was puzzled. For he was

a pious brahmin while Baba was a moslem and he was not, after all, Baba’s

disciple! Why should he offer dakshina to him? But he could not refuse to

give it either. For Baba was a great saint and Buty, his friend and

millionaire. So reluctantly he left off his daily observances and at once

proceeded to the musjid.

 

When they reached Dwarakamai, Moolay Sastri remained a little away from

it; for it was a mosque; and he was pure after his bath and worship. From

there he threw flowers at Baba and joined his hands in salutation. And lo,

in the musjid it was not Sai Baba that was seated. He saw his late Guru

Gholap Swami there! He was speechless for a few moments with wonder and

joy. He at once ran into the mosque and fell at his guru’s feet. While the

whole congregation was chanting the arti of Sai Baba, he was ecstatically

calling out his guru’s name. Standing there with folded hands, he closed

his eyes in bliss. When he again opened his eyes, he saw not his guru but

Sai Baba asking him for dakshina! Seeing Baba’s real nature, Moolay Sastri

completely forgot his pride of caste and learning. With tears of joy in

his eyes, he gladly offered his dakshina. It was only then that the

devotees understood the real significance of Baba’s earlier statement,

“Today we shall put on the saffron colored robes”. Baba obviously meant

that he was going to demonstrate his identity with an ochre-robed guru.

Sai Baba was one with all Gurus! For we have already noted in the chapter

“Call of the Guru” that Sai Baba identified himself with the sadhu of

Tapovan whom Govind Upasani Sastry had met before visiting Shirdi.

 

 

Source http://www.saibharadwaja.org)