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

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Sairam,

Devotees Experiences - Kusha Bhav(alias) Krishanji Kasinath Joshi

 

 

X

20th July, 1936.

'Kusha Bhav' (alias) krishnaji kasinath joshi son of Kashinath Padmakar Joshi, Joshi Vattandr, Brahmin, aged 70, (10 miles off Ahmednagar) Mirazgaon, says:

I was given a mere elementary Vernacular School Ex­amination education to qualify myself for a School Master's place on Rs. 5 or 7 per mensem. I got trained also for the hereditary duties of the village priest. I did not care for either. We were poor. In these circumstances, I wanted to devote myself to a life of bhakti. I found a Guru in Datta Maharaj, a truly great and Satvic soul. He took me away from time to time and trained me in yoga. Under him I learnt Asanas, Pronoyoma and the rousing of the Kundalini SaktL But, in my youthful waywardness, I was not contented with all that and asked my Guru to impart to me the mantras he knew which gave worldly powers creating spells and breaking spells, exercising devils and in­voking them &c. The Guru very unwillingly imparted the mantras to me, on account of my Importunity and I went through the necessary Japa and sodhona I wore an iron bangle, repeated the mantras asprescribed for the required number of times, I

succeeded in getting possession of the coveted powers. I could simply utter a mantra and order the production of sweetmeats, pedhos and and the like. And the articles I ordered would at once appear and be filling my hands. These I would show to others and distribute. The pedha etc., I could not use. I could not and should not eat or sell them but I gave them away to the admiring or wonder­ing people about me. I could also destroy the evil spells of others. The production of pedha etc. was not by the use of evil spirits (e.g.) Yakshas, Jinns etc... This latter method is dangerous. It will extinguish one’s life. The spirits might even begin to cause physical harm to the man, who uses them. In my case, the articles required were produced purely rnantric power without the use of these evil spirits.

When I was aged about twentytwo and fully armed with these magical powers, my Guru resolved to go away from our society into the Himalayas and live there alone right up the end of his life. He started north and took me with him upto Delhi. There he wished to part company with me finally. As to what I should do, after he went away, he told me that there was one Sai Baba of Shirdi, whom he referred to as his elder brother that I should go to Him and do whatever ne directs. Saying this, the Guru went away and disappeared from me and this part of the country: and I have not seen or heard anything more of him since.

Then (i.e.) in 1908, I went to Shirdi and found Sai Baba. He would not allow me to be with him till I should throw away my iron bangle and stop the production of pedhas etc., by mantric means. As His order was strict; I broke and threw away my iron wristlets and stopped my mantric production of articles like pedha etc. To sustain myself I begged food here and there at Shirdi. I had no abode. He ordered me to sit in a corner of the mosque and go on reading Dasbodha during the day, and I did so. At night, I would sleep in any place I could find space to lie on. He gave neither me nor anyone else any upadesh mantra etc.

The town people from Bombay etc. were not coming to Him then. Only the villagers would go to Him now and then, and ask Him to remedy their trifling complaints (e.g.) stomach- ache, fever etc. He gave His Udhi to all these from his ever-buring fire (dhuni) which he maintained at the mosque. He was not asking for dakshina from all but only a few pice (e.g) 4 or 5 He would ask for and getting these, He might buy fuel for His dhuni or some such article of necessity. As for big people, I remember that Nanasahib Nimonkar was often with Him; and as for His talks, I never heard Him say anything about Maya or Brahma or Mahavakya tatwas or Viveka, and Sadhana Chathustftya, He imparted faith to those resorting to Him faith in Ishwara, by exercising His wonderful powers:

they would go on with their devotion to their Ishtadevata and finally, He would grant them Sakshatkara of that particular ishtadevata.

As for myself, I stayed three full years at a stretch with Him and then went on visiting Him during the nine years that followed. During that period of nine years, He told me to see a person with three heads. That of course, I took as a di­rection to go and see Datta at Gangapur. Every year I visited Gangapur twice once in Guru Poomima and next in Magha poornima. Then, once He told me to do 108 parayanas of Guru Charitra, taking three days to finish each parayana. I did this at Gangapur and stayed there 10 or 11 months for this purpose. As for my powers, He had interdicted their use. But, out of His kindness, He gave me some other power. It came about thus. One Ekadashi day. I sat by His side. Baba: What do you eat today?

I : Nothing, to-day is Ekadashi

Baba: What does Ekadashi mean?

I : It means a day for upavas

Baba : What does upavas means?

I: It is just like rojas

Baba: What is rojas?

I. We take nothing except Kandamulaa

means root and usually 'sweet potatoes' and is the food that is eaten (onions should not be taken by the orthodox) on Ekadashi day. Then Baba picked up some on­ions, evidently having a phonetic equivocation, and told me to eat it. Seeing Baba was persistent and not wishing to run counter to His wishes, I yielded, but added 'If you eat It, I will eat it’. Then Baba ate some onions and I ate some. Then as visitors began to arrive, Baba was enjoying some fun at my expense.

Baba : Look at this Bramniya (a contemptuous corruption of the word Brahmin), he is eating onions on Ekadashi day. I began to defend my conduct or justify it. I : Baba ate it and I ate it. Baba, at one stroke, was having humour at my ex­pense and the manifestation of His powers and He declared that He had not eaten onions. At once, He vomitted out something. That was not onion but sweet potatoes (Ratale). Baba : See, it is not onion but sweet potato I had eaten.

 

 

To Be contd ---

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