DEVOTEES' EXPERIENCES OF SRI SAI BABA BY H.H.NARASIMHASWAMIJI - PARTS II

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surroundings promoted faith in Sal Baba. My father-in-law, Mr.Buty, my wife and

my mother were all great devotees of Sai Baba and worshipped Him as God. I used

to read Jnaneswari and other works which deal with greatness of Satpurushas. In

1907-9 I was at Calcutta and was trained in Geo­logical survey and {as a

scholar from C.P.) I had got my MA. in 1905. I was sent in 1909 as State

Scholar of Govt.of India to Manchester where I stayed till 1912 and got my M.Sc

in Geology and Mining. I came back in August 1912. My wife, mother and my

father-in-law were often at Shirdi and they wrote to me to go over to Shirdi to

pay my respects to Sal Baba. I wrote back to say that I would go, if Baba wanted

me. My father-in-law then asked Baba and wrote to me that Baba wanted me. So I

went to Shirdi in April 1913. Baba was very kind to my relations. He would jump

up (occasion­ally) and play a jig, as it were, before my mother, showing how

happy he was to see my mother. Mr. Madhava Rao Deshpande went with me and

introduced me for the first time to Sai Baba. Baba replied "You introduce him

to me! I have known him for thirty generations." What wonderful knowledge of

the past was this!

FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> The first impression I got

of Sai Baba was from His eyes. They pierced me through and through. And His

image as seated at the Chavadi has left an indelible impression on my heart. As

for the inner experiences they gradually grew upon me. First, I fell in with the

current and did my Seva (i.e., service) to Baba and attended the Aratis, etc. At

an Aratl, in my early visit Sai Baba was in a towering passion. He fumed, cursed

and threatened for no visible cause. I doubted if He was a mad man. That was a

passing thought. The Arati was completed in the usual way. In the afternoon (of

that day), I went and massaged His feet and legs.

Then He stroked my head and said "I am not mad". Lo! He is seeing my heart.

Nothing is concealed from Him. He is my Antar-yami-the inner Soul of my soul,"

I thought. Thenceforward, numerous instances occurred in my own experience of

his Antaryamitwa. When He talked, He spoke as one seated in my heart knowing

all its thoughts, all its wishes, etc. This is God within. I had no hesitation

in deciding that He was god. I tested Him at times. Each test produced the same

conviction that He was all knowing, all seeing and able to mould all things to

His will. A few instances out of hundreds may be cited here which showed that

nothing was beyond Him or concealed from Him, in the past, present and future.

Arial"> In 1913, Baba told me that my father-in-low would build a

Dagdiwada,(le., a stone edifice) at Shirdi and that I would be in charge of it.

It was only in 1915-16 that my father-in-law began to build it, (i.e., the

building in which Baba's tomb is erected) and it was after 1918-19, I was one

of the Trustees in charge of that tomb. My mother was anxious about my

employment I was ever tossing from place to place and often had periods of

un­employment. I was trained in England as a Geologist, Mining Engineer; and

here in India I was on the look out for pros­pecting jobs advertised in the

press and took up one Job after another finishing each in a short time. My

first stay at Shirdi was only for three or four days and I then went back to

Balaghat and Burma. After three months my work under B.O.C. ceased, and I went

back to Nagpur and thence to Shirdi and stayed four months there with my wife

and went back to Nagpur. Again as I got a letter from Madhava Rao that Baba

wanted me, I went to Shirdi alone and stayed thir­teen months. I was without

employment and I did not care. Sometimes, I had stray fancies that a fakir's

life was good for me. It was a day in 1914. Baba had got ready a number of

Kupnis (somewhat like gowns or togas which are worn by fakirs) and presented a

number of people with them. I was watching the distribution from a distance and

hoped that one might be conferred on me-to be kept with me and worn on special

occasions, e.g.,

Bhajans in honour of Sal Baba. Baba stopped distribution even when many Kupnis

still remained with him. He beckoned to me a little later and placing His hand

kindly on my head stroked it and said "Do not blame me for not giving you a

kupni That Fakir (meaning evidently God) has not permitted me to give you one."

My relations were asking Baba what was to become of me, seeing that I had such

an unsettled course of life. My mother also saw that I went up to distant

places like Calcutta and Burma for prospecting jobs and prayed to Baba that I

should be provided by his grace with good employment nearer home or Shirdi.

Baba answered and told them

"/ will settle him at Poona." I got sometimes a number of jobs at the same time

and I had to choose. I went to Baba each time. relying wholly on His foresight

and all seeing wisdom to guide me. I had as great a reliance on Him as sucking

babe on its mother. His choice was often times strange. When there was once a

choice between Calcutta and (the more distant) Burma, He chose the latter. He

always would say "Go to Burma and Poona or "go to such and such a place and

Poona" adding Poona every time He made the selection. In 1916 I had to choose

between an offer from Banares of a professorship and a prospecting job at

Burma. Baba told me "Go to Burma and Poona". I always laughed within myself at

the addition of Poona as I was a Mining Engineer and Poona held no prospects

for me. Even in 1913 Baba was seeing my present permanent appointment as

Professor of Geology and Chemistry in Poona which I have held since 1918. The

entire future of my career was but present to Him.

--- to be Contd Devotees can be read this

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