Khaana Lav

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Baba's Call - 'Khaana Lav'

 

By K.NAVIN CHANDER

 

Correct knowledge of any kind is good. But correct

knowledge of facts connected with the lives of saints

is not only good for the individual who knows them but

is beneficial to society as in the long run it

promotes

social unity and ethical, spiritual and religious

study and endeavor. Lives of saints give not merely

information for the brain of the reader, but food

and strength for his heart and they facilitate the

general advancement of the temporal and spiritual

interests of mankind. By the study of such lives,

basic ignorance and illusions are dispelled. Rajasic

and Tamasic qualities such as egotism, pride, hatred

and cruelty are checked or suppressed and noble

virtues like humility, earnestness, love to all,

service of saints,Guru Bhakthi are developed. These in

due course lead to the goal of God realisation.

- H.H. Sri Narasimha Swamiji

 

QA was on 3rd February, 1998. I was about to complete

an article on Sai Baba. I heard a sharp rap at the

gate of my house. I shouted: " Who is there? " Promptly

the reply came: " Khaana Lav " (give me food). From

where I sat I could not see him. Nevertheless, I

called my wife to serve food to him. She brought rice

and dhal but oddly he did not have anything on him to

receive it. My wife did not feel like serving in the

plate she had brought.So she came back to the house,

took a small card board and served the fare on it

outside the gate. He sat on his haunches preparatory

to eating.

 

Meanwhile, my wife came inside to fetch water for him.

It did not take a couple of minutes for her to do so.

But the stranger was not to be seen anywhere. There

were tell-tale marks of his having taken the food. He

did not even wash his hands. It was impossible to eat

the food-that too without water-and walk away out of

sight in less than a couple of minutes.

 

It was then the truth hit me like a whiplash. I should

have known much better when he said: “Khaana Lav”. It

was truly a command. Even during his begging rounds

sometimes, Sai Baba never begged. He simply commanded,

" Lassie, roti lav " . I asked my wife as to how he

looked like. She said: " He was lean and aged and

looked like a village Muslim of the old order, with a

sharp beard. He was wearing a faded green lungi with

brownish checks on it and a soiled white long-sleeved

kurtha with a black vest on it. His head was turbaned

leaving the top crown open. " Though the description

did not actually tally with that of Sai Baba, I was by

then more than convinced who He was. I cursed myself

because the food that was served was overnight food

and served on a cardboard outside the gate.

 

Later when I slowly composed myself, I went into the

pooja room and begged.His pardon for my lapse. At that

stage my own conscience began to reply:

" Your repentance is enough for me. Keep on feeding the

hungry, who come to your doorstep, as best as you can.

Believe me, charity especially that of food is indeed

a great spiritual virtue.

 

I recollected three incidents during Baba's life time.

On 9th May, 1913,Kasinath Kande Rao, a sub judge had

Baba's darshan and presented a basket of mangoes. Baba

ordered them to be cut and distributed. He picked a

piece for himself and said: 'This man has purchased

the whole lot for me without tasting any of it. But a

Pundit a few days ago offered a big packet of laddus.

However on the way from Kopergaon, he got hungry and

ate away some 'laddus'. What he gave me was only the

'Sesh', " But 'sesh' offerings have their own value if

they are offered with soulful love. Once a poor woman

brought a jawar roti and two onions to Baba. On the

way, she felt hungry and ate one half of the roti and

an onion. She admitted this to Baba, who unflinchingly

took and ate it. The roti was hard and dried up and

Baba's teeth were weak and some missing. Nevertheless,

he ate with relish and then blessed her with his hands

firmly on her heads.

 

http://www.saileela s.org/magazines/ saipadananda/

oct1998.htm# BabasCallKhaanaL

av

 

 

 

 

 

 

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