The Ever-Vigilant SaiBaba

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The Ever-Vigilant SaiBaba

By B. Sathyanarayana

 

" One

making proper use of existing circumstances does not have to await success;

success awaits such a person. If you perform each action as worship of Sai Baba then you will not have to remember Sai Baba; Sai Baba Himself will

remember you. "

- Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji

 

It was

during 1960-61. I was working as an Assistant Engineer, Western Railway at Botad, about 100 miles from Ahmadabad. A mail train met with an accident at a Railway

Station - 'Bhimnath' in my jurisdiction, resulting in

the loss of lives. I had to rush to the site of accident to restore the railway

line, to attend to the transshipment of hundreds of stranded passengers, to

arrange medical aid, to face interrogation by the local police and press

reporters, and answering nerve breaking queries of my superiors. All these

happened from 7 pm and the entire night. Though I was sure, that I

was not at fault, still people around me including some of the railway

officials, were talking that I would be suspended the following day by the

Chief Engineer, coming from Bombay, and further disciplinary action would be

taken. There was none to support me and at least to sympathize with me. I was

thinking of Sai Baba and mentally asking him:

“Baba, what wrong have I done? Why this torture”?

 

Thus praying, I was doing my duty of arranging

transshipment of stranded passengers at dead of night from the site of accident

to the relief train which was at a distance of nearly one kilometer. At about 1

a.m., one old gentlemen about 6 ft. tall, well built, wearing a white long,

soiled jubba and a scarf with a knot tied round his

head and carrying a long stick and a bag hanging from his shoulder came slowly

towards me. He spoke to me in Hindi thus: " What a big accident? How to go? " I did not respond to him, as my mind was

totally pre-occupied. He passed a few steps, almost brushing my shoulder. Then

somehow I asked him to wait and called one of assistants who was having a lantern

and told him to escort this old gentleman carefully to the other train. On

hearing this, this old man came back to me and patted my shoulders and said

" Pikhir math karo, sab teek ho jayega”

(Don't worry, everything will be alright). So saying he stared at me for a few

seconds and left. Hardly few more seconds must have passed when I shouted:

" Baba, where are you " and ran like a mad man in search of him. But I

could not find him anywhere.

 

I am

quite sure that he was none other than Lord Sainath

and I got solace. Next day the Chief Engineer came from Bombay and told me ‘not to worry’ and

handled the rest of the work. This in spite of other

officials insisting that I be suspended. Thereafter, other routine

enquiry was conducted and I was appreciated in my work. The savior is none but

all merciful Sai BABA.

 

The

mouth of man is a Temple of the Lord. Alas! We desecrate it by indulging

the tongue in useless talk and speaking ill of others. " O my soul! Sing

the praises of the Lord, day and night, so that not a single harsh or negative

word leaves the lips! "

- J.P. Vaswani

 

(Source Sai Padananda Oct 1991)