DEVOTEES' EXPERIENCES OF SRI SAI BABA BY H.H. NARASIMHA SWAMIJI - PART II

[Guest guest]

On a Thursday, during that period Baba was prepar­ing food in "Handi" (i.e.,

pot) to feed large numbers. He drove away every one from the Masjid and was

alone with His handi. At that time, to the great surprise and alarm of the

spectators, myself and the two sons of Chandorkar went in. Baba. far from being

angry, received us very well, as though He had intended the expulsion of others

for the very purpose of granting us a wholly private interview. Then after a

little while Baba appeared to be singing out something. At least I thought it

to be so. But I found that when He

repeated the words for the third time, they were ‘Kayare apala kayahumanave sri

rama jayaram jaya jaya ram’ At once, on hearing these words I was overcome with

emotion and I placed my head on Baba's feet and tears flowed freely. These words

were the guru mantra that I had received from my family guru Haribua (whose

grandfather Atmaram Bua who has a temple built for his worship Thakurdwar

Bombay, was the guru of my great grandfather). And Baba was so kindly reviving

my interest in and regard for

that guru mantra in this fashion for my benefit. Baba was attending to my

spiritual benefit with­out any question from me and His loving interest in me

was too deep for me to return and too great to acknowledge except through tears

of gratitude and joy. At the "handi", I noticed with wonder that when the

contents of the cauldron were boiling, Baba used His own bare palm and not a

spoon nor a ladle to stir the contents thoroughly to secure even and uni­form

consistency in the food or Siro. His hand was not scalded or swollen by such

use. Thence suddenly at noon, He took us three to the lendi, a very unusual

hour for Him to visit the lendi; and there He dug into the earth small hollows,

gave me some corn and made me sow that corn in those hollows. Then after turning

up some earth to cover the seeds, He made me water the patches sown; and then we

returned to the mosque. It is that lendi garden which 7 or 8 years later (i.e.,

immediately after He passed

away) I have purchased. After detaining us for a week, Baba gave us permis­sion

to go away. At that time Babu Chandorkar placed a plate under Baba's feet and

pouring water on them collected the water to be used at home. That was a

departure in the traditions of Shirdi. Till then only udhi was allowed to be

taken away, and Pada-Tirtha was immediately used up at the Arathi or at any

rate at Shirdi. I took my cue from Babu and took Baba's Padatirtha home for the

use of my mother and others. On our way, at Manmad we had only 3rd class

tick­ets; and under the Railway rules then obtaining, we could only board a

later train but not the Punjab Mail. But by a happy thought we rushed in and

contrary to the rules, got into that mail and reached home 4 or 5 hours earlier

than if we had conformed to the rules. These 4 or 5 hours I discov­ered were

specially valuable and it was obviously Baba's grace that enabled us to be so

early. As soon as I reached home, I learnt that my mother had an attack of

Paralysis. She was having the attack of hemiplegia in our house at Bombay, when

Baba was saying "My side is giving me excru­ciating pain". Doctors had been

brought in. My sister and other relations were discussing if I should be

informed at Shirdi about the event. Mr.Chandorkar who was then pres­ent,

remarked, it seems, that it was needless and that every­thing would be safe for

my mother so long as I stayed with Baba and that Baba would Himself send me

back, if and when there was need. On the night when we

were starting from Shirdi the attendant doctor noting the high temperature, the

constricted state of the bowels and her restlessness declared that her

condition was critical and that if however the bowels should move in the course

of the night the situation would be more hopeful. It was that very night about

4.30 or 5 a.m. I reached my mother's place. At once I gave her Baba's Udhi and

Tirtha. She then got somnolent and sometime later, her bowels moved and

consequently her temperature fell. The doctor came and found that there was

improvement and that things had taken a favourable turn. Quite obviously our

timely dismissal from Shirdi, with Baba's Tirtha and Udhi, our timely catching

the Punjab Mail and arrival on the critical night were all seen or foreseen and

willed by Baba and the fa­vourable turn was what He intended and foretold when

He said to me at Shirdi "In 2 or 4 days it will be alright". Truly, Sai moves

in mysterious way. His wonders to perform. My mother

recovered full health soon and lived four years thereafter. Two years before her

death, she went to Shirdi and had Baba's darsan and blessing. To Be contd ---

Devotees can read this book from the Book Section of

www.Saileelas.org/books/exppart3.htm

Jiyo cricket on India cricket

Messenger Mobile Stay in touch with your buddies all the time.