Stories from life and times of Shri Sai Baba for children - Part 2 of 2

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in any form which is dear to his bhaktas. This is what Baba also did. Sometimes

he appeared as Ram or Krishna, sometimes Vithal, sometimes Akkalkot Swami,

sometimes a Moulvi, or a Guru. When Das Ganu was staying with Baba in Shirdi,

he once wished to go to Pandharpur to see Vithal. He asked for Baba's

permission. Baba said. "Ganu, for you Shirdi itself is Pandharpur. Why leave

Shirdi and go so far ?" Das Ganu had implicit faith in Baba. But he thought,

"if Shirdi is Pandharpur, then who is the Vithal here ?" As, with that thought

in his mind, he looked up. Baba appeared to him in the form of Vithal. He has

composed a beautiful song on this incident. Gauli Buwa mostly lived at

Pandharpur, serving Vithal. But occasionally he used to go on pilgrimage and

when he visited Shirdi, Baba would appear to him as Vithal Himself. At Prayag

there is a confluence of Ganga and Jamuna. It is considered a very sacred

place. Das Ganu once wished to go there. Again Baba said, "Ganu, your Prayag is

here." At this, water began trickling down from both thumbs of Baba's feet. Das

Ganu had his "Prayag tirth" there and then. Bapusaheb Jog, a devout bhakta

residing at Shirdi, once longed to have a darshan of the late Akkalkot Swami.

When he expressed his desire, Baba gave him a darshan in that form. To another

Bhakta. Baba appeared as Gopal Krishna - the bhakta's favourite deity. A

doctor from Bombay was a staunch devotee of Ram. He regarded Baba not as a

great saint, but rather as a mad fakir. A close friend of his invited the

doctor to go to Shirdi with him. The doctor agreed on the express condition

that he would come to Shirdi merely as an onlooker, but not bow before Baba. On

reaching Shirdi, the very atmosphere there softened' the doctor's resolve. He

accompanied his friend who had started to go to Baba, and, on seeing Baba from

a distance, the doctor ran towards him and fell at his feet. Smiling

meaningfully, Baba blessed him. As they both started to come back, the friend

asked, "What happened, doctor ? Did you forget your resolve ?As soon as I

saw Baba, my resolve vanished, for in Baba's place there appeared Shri Ram of

Ayodhya. Unaware of myself. I ran and fell at his feet," said the doctor with

tears of joy. For a long time after this, he was immersed in a state of bliss. A

staunch Shastri of Nasik had come to Shirdi with a similar resolve. His devotion

was only to his Guru who had passed into Samadhi some time earlier. Baba gave

him a darshan in the form of his late Guni, whereby the Shastri was completely

transformed. Some students while appearing for their examinations, or even

afterwards, ask an astrologer whether they would pass or not. The astrologer

tells them some hotch-potch, and the students get uneasy thereby. Sai Baba

discouraged such habits. He would advise the students to concentrate on their

studies and for the rest put their trust in God. Baba would bless them and

apply Udi on their forehead. Such students would always come out with flying

colours. The Powers of Udi Friends, I have told you what Udi is. It

is not the ordinary ash. It is the ash from the dhuni which Baba had lit by his

yogic power. Hence the Udi has all the powers of Baba. It has banished the

agonies and cured incurable diseases of innumerable persons. Here are a few

real instances. A certain doctor's nephew had bone-cancer. The doctor tried

all remedies, including surgical operation, but in vain.

With acute pain, the boy cried pitiably. At last the doctor brought the boy to

Baba and threw all burden on him. Daily Baba placed a blessing glance on the

wound and applied Udi on it. Within a week, the boy was completely cured.

Another doctor had a guinea-worm in his leg, which was terribly swollen and

caused intense pain. He approached Baba with a request to release him from his

mortal coil and thus end his agony for good. Baba daily applied Udi to his leg

and also administered it orally. One day, an attendant inadvertently stepped on

the doctor's affected leg with the result that the wound burst open and the

guinea-wom was driven out. The doctor was soon cured. There are countless

instances of this kind. But I will tell you one, deserving special mention.

Nanasaheb Chandorkar, one of the earliest devotees of Baba, was a mamlatdar at

Jamner, about 24 miles from Jalgaon in Khandesh. One can go upto Jalgaon by

railway and then take a tonga. Nanasabeb's daughter, Maina had come to Jamner

for delivery. For fortyeight hours, she was in labour and her very life was in

danger. Nanasaheb was appealing to Baba to come to her succour. Sai Baba as if

'heard' it in Shirdi. Ramgir, a resident bhakta, was then inspired to go to his

village in Khandesh. He came to ask for Baba's permission. Baba said, "Yes.

Start immediately. But first go to Nanasaheb at Jamner, givehim Udi and Arati,

and then proceed home". Baba gave him a packet of Udi from the dhuni with his

own hands and the Arati on a piece of paper to be recited at Maina's bedside.

Ramgir took the two things,

but, in a tone of anxiety, he asked, "Baba, I have only two rupees with me. With

this much. I can barely go to Jalgaon. But how could I make a detour to Jamner

and thence to my place ?You need not worry," Said Baba, "You only go to

Jalgaon. Everything will be arranged thereafter." With firm faith in Baba,

Ramgir started. He had to pay Rs. 1-14-0 for railwav ticket and only two annas

were left with him. About midnight the train reached Jalgaon and Ramgir got

down. Just then a sepoy in Khaki uniform approached him and said "Sir, you are

Ramgir from Shirdi, I hope". Ramgir said he was. "Then come along," said the

sepoy, Nanasaheb has sent me with a tonga for you." Ramgir thought that as Baba

had hinted he must have sent a word to Nanasaheb and asked him to make these

arrangements. The sepoy gave him a few snacks, which he said, were sent bv

Nanasaheb. Then the tonga

started and by dawn, it arrived at Jamner. The sepoy, pointing to a distant

'building, said, "That is Nanasaheb's office." Ramgir alighted there to ease

himself and went behind a bush. But as he came out, what did he find ? Nothing,

no horses, no carriage, no sepoy. All had disappeared. Dumbfounded, he went to

Nanasaheb's office and, obtaining Nanasabeb's address, went there. Saluting

Nanasaheb, he said, "Baba has sent me here from Shirdi and has given you these

things." A thrill went through Nanasaheb on hearing this. He said, 'Oh Baba,

Baba! What should I say to you ? I called your name here and hearing my call in

Shirdi, you at once ran here in the form of these things. A million pranams to

you ! " Nanasaheb applied the Udi to his daughter and put a little in her mouth

too. Then he sat by her bedside, reciting the arati. And would you believe it ?

In half an hour, Maina delivered safely. Ramgir was waiting outside.

Nanasabeb came out and thanked him profoundly. Eagerly Ramgir asked, "Nana,

your tonga brought me to Jamner all right. But then as I got down to ease

myself, it suddenly vanished. Where is that tonga ?Which tonga ?" asked the

puzzled Nana. "Your tonga which you had sent for me to Jalgaon Station. Your

sepoy met me there, g;ave me your delicious snacks and brought me here with

great speed." With tears of gratitude, Nanasaheb said, "Ramgir, I had not the

faintest idea that you were coming. So how could I have sent the tonga ? This is

all no doubt done by Baba. How unbounded is your kripa, Oh mother Sai !" Later,

Nanasaheb himself related this whole incident to the people assembled at

Shirdi. It

therefore bears a stamp of authority. Deo Mamledar Balasabeb Deo, an

enlightened Sai Bhakta was a magistrate at Dahanu. His mother had observed cer

tain vows, at the conclusion of which a thousand Brahmins were to be fed in the

month of Shravan. Balasaheb earnestly wished Baba to attend this function. So

two months ahead, he sent a cordial invitation to Baba, who replied that he

would attend along with two others. In Ashadh, the month before Shravan, a

Sanyasi (recluse) came to Balasaheb and asked for his help to collect a fund

for cow-protection. But as another fund had recently been collected in Dahanu,

Balasabeb told the sanyasi to come to him in the Diwali season (four months

later). The sanyasi went away, but appeared again exactly on the day of the

concluding function. Seeing him, Balasaheb suspected that he had come for the

fund too soon, and was about to rebuke him for his impatience. Anticipating

what Balasabeb would say, the Sanyasi hastened to explain that he had not come

for the fund, but for a square meal. "Oh, that's very fine," said Balasabeb

almost apologetically, "We are feeding the Brahmins today. So it will be a

pleasure to have you amongst us." But I have two others with me, waiting in the

dharam-shala." "Bring them too ! It will add to our pleasure." The Sanyasi

brought the two along with him and, after a hearty meal, they blessed Balasaheb

and went away. The function was over, but Balasabeb thought that Baba had not

come as promised. So he wrote to Baba expressing his displeasure and put in a

mild hint that Baba had deceived him. Baba wrote back, "Your doubts have

deceived you, not I. As promised, I came along with two others and we took

meals at your place. But your mind was clouded with the doubt that it was the

Sanyasi coming for funds. So your own doubt deceived you and in that state you

did not recognise me." Balasaheb felt intense anguish and remorse that, though

Baba had visited his place, yet he did not recognise the saint and had lost the

opportunity of a life-time of surrendering at his feet. Baba and

Vasudevanand Vasudevanand, a contemporary of Baba, was a staunch

fire-worshipper and a rigid observer of religious practices. He had also

perfect command over several mantras. Baba too, was a fire-worshipper. Hence

these two saints regarded each other as

brothers. When Vasudevanand was at Rajmahendry, Pundalikrao, a lawyer from

Nanded and friends came for his darshan. Pundalikrao was a Sai Bhakta. So in

the course of conversation, Baba's name came up. Hearing it, Vasudevanand was

overwheImed with a feeling of reverence and folding his hands, inquired, "when

are you going to Shirdi?" "Right from here, I am going to Baba,"said

Pundalikrao. Vasudevanand picked up a coconut, held it near his heart and,

handing it over to Pundalikrao,

said, "Then, please give this to my brother." Soon Pundalikrao and his friends

started for Shirdi. They took with them flowers, fruits, coconuts etc. to offer

to Baba, and a few eatables for themselves. On their journey, they ate some

chivada, which tasted very hot. To appease the heat, one of them suggested that

coconut be mixed with it. So a fruit was broken and, mixing it with chivada,

they ate it with pleasure. Then it struck them that the coconut they broke was

the same which Vasudevanand had given for Baba. They all felt very sorry. What

could they tell Baba ? No hatched up account would do, for Baba would already

be knowing everything. So Pundalikrao went and sat with his head hung down.

Baba slyly asked, "Pundalikrao, where is the present from my brother?"

Pundalikrao confessed everything and said he would

go and bring another coconut. "No other coconut would do," Baba intervened.

"That coconut cannot be replaced by a thousand others; for it was not a mere

coconut; it was the very heart of my dear brother. Remember, how my brother had

given it to you ?" Pundalikrao recollected that Vasudevanand had held the

cocoanut near his heart and said, "Give this to my brother." He had put his

very heart in the coconut before handing it to Pundalikrao. Highly developed

souls like Vasudevanand and Sai Baba can communicate with each other by means

of their psychic powers. That is how Vasudevanand had informed Sai Baba about

the coconut he was sending.

Baba too had immediately received that message. This is called telepathy

(communicating mentally over long distance). Antar Gyani Baba One who

knows the inside (of a man or a beast or even an ant) is called Antar-gyani. I

will tell you a story which will show you how Baba was such a one. Once Baba

was walking along a road, by the side of which there flowed a rivulet. A

serpent there was trying to swallow a frog which was piteously droning. A

passer-by, hearing the cry, inquired, "What sound is this, Baba ?A serpent

is swallowing a frog who is crying with fright of death. Now come with me and

see how I save the frog." So saying, Baba took the passer-by down to the

stream and, addressing the serpent, be said in a stern voice, "Oh you,

Virabhadra, are you still continuing your enmity with this Basappa even in this

birth ? Shameless that you are, leave him at once and go away, I bid you."

Hearing these words, the serpent released the frog and humbly went away. The

frog leapt in joy at Baba's feet and then took a dive into the water. Said the

passer-by. "Oh Baba, who are these Virabhadra and Basappa ? And what does vour

rebuke signify "Oh, it's a pretty long tale" said Baba. "Now light the chillum

(a clay-pipe) and while smoking I will tell you everything." And taking a

puff. Baba began- "In the village where I stayed formerly, there was an old

Shiva temple. In order to renovate it, the villagers collected a fund and

placed it in the hands of a rich sahukar. Their intention was that the sahukar

will make up the shortfall and complete the renovation. But the sahukar, true

to his clan, was a miser. Whatever work could be done out of the villagers'

fund, he did and kept quiet. The villagers told him to

be generous and finish the work on his own. But he would not budge an inch. God

Shiva then appeared in the dream of sahukar's wife. He told her to complete the

work and promised that whatever she spent for the temple, He would give her a

hundredfold in return. She told this dream to her husband who merely laughed at

it in derision. She then decided to sell the ornaments which her father had

given her and utilize the amount for the temple's renovation. Coming to know

of this, the sahukar said to his wife, "Well, a piece of land is in mortgage

with me for a thousand rupees. This is exactly the worth of your ornaments. So

give me the ornaments and

I will give you the land which you may dedicate to Shiva." In fact the land

was barren. Dubki, a helpless woman, to whom it belonged, had mortgaged it to

the sahukar for Rs. 200/- and had died. The rogue grabbed his wife's valuable

ornaments and, in return, had given her that barren land to be offered to the

God. Poor wife, she fell a victim to this chicanery. She sold her ornaments

and gave the land to Lord Shiva. By custom, the ownership of the land vested

in the pujari and the gurav (care taker) was supposed to look after it. Some

time later, the sahukar and his wife both died by a stroke of lightening. The

sahukar was reborn as a

Brahmin in Mathura and was named Virbhadra. His wife was born as the daughter of

Shiva's pujari and was named Gauri. Dubki was born as the son of the gurav and

was named Basappa. When Gauri came Of age, her father, the pujari, was

anxious about her marriage. He approached me and I told her, "you need not

worry; this girl is fortunate A suitable boy will come here and woo her." As

it happened, Virbhadra, while on business tour, visited the pujari's house. He

came to like Gauri and the match was arranged with my approval. After a few

vears, the barren land was purchased by a housing colony for the fabulous sum

of Rs. one Lakh and as, in the mean time, the pujari had died, the sum now

belonged to

his daughter Gauri, and so by implication, to her husband Virbbadra. Gauri was

the Sahakar's wife in former birth. She had bought' the land for Rs. 1000/- in

lieu of her ornaments and dedicated it to Lord Shiva. Now in return, according

to Shiva's promise, she had obtained a hundred fold i.e. one lakh. Thus Shiva's

words had come true. But now Basappa, the Gurav's son and heir, argued that

the temple's gurav has a claim on half the 'produce' of the land. So he claimed

half of the lakh of rupees which the land had yielded. This brought him at

logger heads with Virbhadra who would not entertain the gurav's claim. At last

Virbhadra threatened to kill Basappa who came to my shelter and I promised to

save him. Tempers rose so high that both of them died in fits of delirium.

Virbhadra is now born as a serpent and Basappa as a frog --- the very same you

saw a little while back. And, according, to my promise, I have saved Basappa

from the jaws of Virbhadra. This is the story of the three births of these

two souls. Baba is ever

living

roman"> The previous story, told by Baba, will convince you,

my friends, that Baba lived in the past. Of course he lived at Shirdi in the

present birth, and bhaktas are experiencing his existence even today. Baba

entered Samadhi in 1918 on the

Dassera day giving bhaktas this solemn assurance : - Though this mortal body I

am leaving, Yet for Bhaktas, I will come running. Take my word, I am ever

living, You'll know this by experiencing. And, indeed, bhaktas the world over

have experienced the truth of Baba's words Shri C. R. Dabholkar, alias

Hemadpant, was a thorough Sai Bhakta. Through Baba's benediction, he became a

gifted poet and wrote in verse, Baba's life, entitled "Sai Sat-charita". It has

been translated in English and in many Indian languages. You must read it. May

Baba shower his choicest blessings on you. Philosophy of Sai Baba Sai

Baba was a great saint who lived in Shirdi (Distt. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra,

India) from the year 1854 till 1918 when be entered Mahasamadhi. Sai Baba

never preached, nor did lie deliver any sermons. Neither has Sai Baba any

philosophical compositions to his credit. Hence he was not theoretically a

philosopher as were Kapila and Sankara, or Kaul and Hegel or Whitehead and

Russell. And yet his way of life has influenced far many people than have a

thousand books of arm-chair

philosophers. Baba had no needs and no desire for anything material. If he was

living, it was not for himself, but wholly in order to do good to others. Only

for this purpose he maintained his body, but for the physical sheath itself he

didn't care a whit. This completely selfless fakir was even in unison with God,

and that is whv his very presence had an elevating, influence on those who came

for his darshan, and that darshan taken even once, was enough to transform even

a casual visitor - an atheist into a believer, a pessimist into an optimist, a

sinner into a God's man. Philosophers have written dissertations and

treatises, but these by themselves have not changed the world. A great

philosophy moulds a certain Man of Destiny who, by his deeds brings

about great reforms and even revolutions. Philosophies of Ramdas and Marx

moulded Shivaji and Lenin, whose actions brought about major changes in the

people's way of life. Sai Baba was such a man of action -- a living embodiment

of many former philosophies. Therefore by 'philosophy of Sai Baba', we mean his

way of life which exemplified certain priciples. 'Sarvam Vishnumayam Jagat' is

the central principle of vedanta. This may be called Universalism. Sai Baba

lived by this principle. He had indentified himself with all creatures -- not

only human beings but even birds and beasts, reptiles aid insects. Not for him

was the man-woman distinction. Naturally woman was not an object of enticement

for Baba. Differences of caste, creed and religion are man-made

and therefore artificial. Hence those differences had no place in the eyes of

Sai Baba. That Sai Baba never revealed his own caste and religion has a deep

significance. It is that he didn't want these labels, to be, attached to him.

In spite of this, some research scholars have made pedantic efforts to

ascribe him a certain caste and religion. Such attempts only tend to destroy

the very basis of the present social philosophy of Bharat. Another important

principle -brought in practice by Sai Baba was that of equality once a person

stepped into his Dwarkamai a dilapidated mosque where be lived. He was neither

rich nor poor, neither a Raja nor Praja (subjects), neither a landlord nor a

labourer. Actually people coming to him forget these differences of wealth and

position. The common meals which Sai Baba cooked and served with his own bands

in Dwarkamai was an

object-lesson in equality. It was just for this reason that Baba never consented

to be a Guru and never made anv disciples, for this institution of Gurus leads

to ownership and property rights which Baba strictly opposed. He wanted Shirdi

affairs to be run in a spirit of democratic socialism. All this will show

that Baba was a prophet of Modern India and a hundred years back he put into

practice the principles of democracy, socialism and secularism which form the

bulwork of our constitution today. That is Sai Baba's philosophy, if it can be

so called. Courtesy: http://www.saibabaofshirdi.net/ With Sai love from Sai

brothers – ‘’

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