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Jai sai ramchapter 14Ruttonji Wadia of Nanded -

Saint Moulisaheb - Dakshina Mimansa.

In the last

Chapter, we described how Baba's word and grace cured many incurable diseases.

Now, we shall describe, how Baba blessed Mr. Ruttonji Wadia with an issue.

The life of

this Saint is naturally sweet in and out. His various doings, eating, walking

and His natural sayings are also sweet. His life is Bliss incarnate. Sai gave

it out as a means of His devotee's remembrance to Him. He gave them various

stories of duty and action, which ultimately led them to true religion. His

object may be that people should live happily in this world, but they should be

ever cautious and gain the object of their life, viz. self-realization. We get

human body as a result of merits in past births and it is worth-while that with

its aid, we should attain devotion and liberation in this life. So we should

never be lazy, but always be on the alert to gain our end and aim of life.

If you daily

hear the Leelas (stories) of Sai, you will always see Him. Day and night you

will remember Him in your mind, When you assimilate Sai in this way, your mind

will lose its fickleness and if you go on in this manner, it will finally be

merged in pure Consciousness.

Ruttonji of Nanded :

Now

let us come to the main story of this Chapter. In Nanded, in the Nizam state,

there lived a Parsi mill-contractor and trader, by name Ruttonji Shapurji

Wadia. He had amassed a large amount of money and had acquired fields and

lands. He had got cattle, horses and conveyances and was very prosperous. To

all outward appearances he looked very happy and contented, but inwardly, and

really he was not so. Providential dispensation is such, that no one in this

world is completely happy and rich; Ruttonji was no exception to this. He was

liberal and charitable, gave food and clothing to the poor and helped all in

various ways. The people took him to be a good and happy man, but Ruttonji

thought himself miserable as he had no issue, male or female, for a long time.

As Kirtan (singing glories of the Lord) without love or devotion, music of

singing without rhythmical accompaniments, Brahmin without the sacred thread,

proficiency in all arts without commonsense, pilgrimage without repentance and

ornamentation without a necklace, are ugly and useless, so is the house of a

man or house-holder without a male issue. Ruttonji always brooded on this

matter and said in his mind, "Would God be ever pleased to grant me a

son?" He thus looked morose, had no relish for his food. Day and night, he

was enveloped with anxiety whether he would ever be blessed with a son. He had

a great regard for Dasganu Mahajat. He saw him and opened his heart before him.

Dasganu advised him to go to Shirdi, take Baba's darshan, fall at His Feet and

seek His blessing and pray for issue. Ruttonji liked the idea, and decided to

go to Shirdi. After some days he went to Shirdi, took Baba's darshana and fell

at His Feet. Then opening a basket, he took out a beautiful garland of flowers

and placed it around Baba's neck and offered Him a basket of fruits. With great

respect he then sat near Baba, and prayed to Him saying- "Many persons who

find themselves in difficult situations come to You, and You relieve them

immediately. Hearting this, I have sought anxiously Your Feet; please,

therefore, do not disappoint me." Sai Baba then asked him for Daksbina of

Rs. five which Ruttonji intended to give, but added, that He has already

received Rs. 3-14-0 from

him, and that he should pay the balance only. Hearing this, Ruttonji was rather

puzzled. he could not make out what Baba meant. That was the first time, he

thought, that he went to Shirdi and how was it that Baba said that He had

formerly got Rs. 3-14-0

from him? He cold not solve the riddle. But he sat at Baba's Feet and gave the

balance of the Dakshina asked for, explained to Baba fully, as to why he came

and sought His help, and prayed that Baba should bless him with a son. Baba was

moved and told him not to be worried, and that that time his bad days had

ended. He then gave him Udi, placed His hand on his head and blessed him saying

that Allah (God) would satisfy his heart's desire.

Then after

taking Baba's leave, Ruttonji returned to Nanded and told Dasganu everything

that took place at Shirdi, He said that everything went on well there, that he

got Baba's darshan and blessing with Prasad, but there was one thing which he

could not understand. Baba said to him that he had got Rs.3-14-0 before. Please

explain as to what Baba meant by this remark. He said to Dasganu, "I never

went to Shirdi before, and how cold I give Him the sum to which Baba

referred?" To Dasganu also, it was a puzzle, and he pondered much over it

for a long time. Some time afterwards it struck him that Ruttonji had received

some days ago a Mahomedan Saint, by name Moulisaheb, in his house and had spent

some money for his reception. This Moulisaheb was coolie-saint wellknown to the

people of Nanded. When Ruttonji decided to go the Shirdi, this Molisaheb

accidentally came to Ruttonji's house. Ruttonji knew him and loved him. So he

gave a small party in his honour. Dasganu got from Ruttonji the yadi or memo of

expenses of this reception, and everybody was wonderstruck to see, that the

expenses amounted to exactly Rs.3-14-0, nothing more, nothing less. They all

came to know, that Baba was omniscient, that thought He lived in Shirdi, He

knew what happened outside far away from Shirdi. In fact He knew the past,

present and future, and could identify Himself heart and soul with anybody. In

this particular instance how could He know the reception given to Moulisaheb,

and the amount spent therefore, unless He could identify Himself with him, and

be One with him?

Ruttonji was

satisfied with this explanation and his faith in Baba was confirmed and

increased. In due time afterwards, he was blessed with a son and his joy knew

no bounds. It is said that he had in all a dozen (12) issues out of which only

four survived.

In a foot-note

towards the end of this Chapter,it is stated that Baba told Rao Bahadur Hari

Vinayak Sathe, after the death of his first wife, to remarry and that he would

get a son. R.B. Sathe married second time. The first two issues by this wife

were daughters and he, therefore, felt very despondent. But the third issue was

a son. Baba's word did turn out true and he was satisfied.

Dakshina - Mimansa

Now

we shall close this Chapter with a few remarks about Dakshina. It is a

well-known fact that Baba always asked for Dakshina from people who went to see

Him. Somebody may ask a question, "If Baba was a Fakir and perfectly

non-attached, why should he ask for Dakshina and care for money?" We shall

consider this question broadly now.

First for a

long time, Baba did not accept anything. He stored burnt matches and filled His

pocket with them. He never asked anything from anybody--whether he be a devotee

or otherwise. If anybody placed before Him a pice or two, He purchased oil or

tobacco. He was fond of tobacco, for He always smoked a bidi or Chilim (an

earthen pipe). Then some persons thought that they could not see the Saints

empty-handed, and they, therefore, placed some copper coins before Baba. If a

pice was placed before Him. He used to pocket it; if it was a two pice coin, it

was returned immediately. Then after Baba's fame had spread far and wide,

people began to flock in numbers; and Baba began to ask Dakshina from them. It

is said in the Shruti (veda) that Puja of the Gods is not complete, unless a

golden coin was offered. If a coin was necessary in the Puja of the Gods, why

should it be not so in the Puja of the Saints also? Ultimately, the Shastras

laid it down that, when one goes to see God, King, Saint or Guru, he should not

go empty-handed. He should offer something, preferably coin or money. In this

connection we may notice the precepts recommended by the Upanishads. The

Brihadaranyak Upanishad says that the Lord Prajapati advised the Gods, men and

demons by one letter "Da". The Gods understood by this letter that

they should practice (1) "Dama" i.e. self-control; the men thought or

understood that they should practice (2) "Dana" i.e. charity; the

demons understood that they should practice (3) "Daya" i.e.

compassion. To men Charity or giving was recommended. The teacher in the

Taittiriya Upanishad exhorts his pupils to practise charity and other virtues.

Regarding charity he says, "Give with faith, give with magnanimity, i.e.

liberally, give with modesty, with awe and with sympathy. In order to teach the

devotees the lesson of charity and to remove their attachment to money and thus

to purify their minds, Baba extracted Dakshina from them; but there was this

peculiarity, as Baba said, that He had to give back hundred times more of what

He received. There are many instances, in which this has happened. To quote an

instance, Mr. Ganpatrao Bodas, the famous actor, says in his Marathi

autobiography, that on Baba's pressing him often and often for Dakshina, he

emptied his money-bag before Him. The result of this was, as Mr. Bodas says,

that in later life he never lacked money, as it came to him abundantly.

There were also

secondary meanings of Dakshina, in many cases, in which Baba did not want any

pecuniary amount. To quote two instances - (1) Baba asked Rs.15/- as Dakshina

from Pro. G.G.Narke, who replied that he did not have even a pie. Then Baba

said, "I know you have no money; but you are reading Yoga-Vashistha. Give

Me Dakshina from that." Giving Dakshina in this case meant - `Deriving

lessons from the book and lodging them in the heart where Baba resides'. (2) In

the second case Baba asked a certain lady (Mrs. R. A. Tarkhad) to give Rs.6/-

as Dakshina. The lady felt pained, as she had nothing to give. Then her husband

explained to her that Baba wanted six inner enemies (lust, anger, avarice etc.)

to be surrendered to Him. Baba agreed with this explanation.

It is to be

noted, that though Baba collected a lot of money by Dakshina, He would

distribute the whole amount the same day, and the next morning He would become

a poor Fakir as usual. When Baba took His Mahasamadhi, after receiving

thousands and thousands of Rupees as Dakshina for about ten years, He had only

a few Rupees in His possession.

In short,

Baba's main object in taking Dakshina, from His devotees was to teach them the

lessons of Renunciation and Purification.

Post-script

Mr.

B. V. Deo of Thana, retired Mamlatdar, and a great devotee of Baba, has written

an article on this subject (Dakshina) in "Shri Sai Leela" magazine,

Vol.VII, P.6-26, in which he says amongst other things, as follows:-

"Baba did

not ask Dakshina from all. If some gave Dakshina without being asked, He

sometimes accepted it; and at other times He refused it. He asked it from

certain devotees only. He never demanded it, from those devotees, who thought

in their minds that Baba should ask them for it, and then they should pay it.

If anybody offered it against His wish, He never touched it, and if he kept it

there, He asked him to take it away. He asked for small or big amounts from

devotees, according to their wish, devotion and convenience. He asked it, even

from women and children. He never asked all the rich for it, nor from all the

poor."

"Baba

never got angry with those from whom He asked Dakshina, and who did not give

it. If any Dakshina was sent, through some friend, who forgot to hand over the

same to Baba, He reminded him somehow of it and made him pay it. On some

occasons, Baba used to return some sum from the amount tendered as Dakshina,

and ask the donor to guard it or keep it in his shrine for worship. This

procedure benefited the donor or devotee immensely. If anybody offered more

than he originally intended to give, He returned the extra amount. Sometimes,

He asked more Dakshina from some, than what they originally intended to give

and, if they had no money, asked them to get or borrow from others. From some,

He demanded Dakshina three or four times a day."

"Out of

the amount collected as Dakshina, Baba spent very little for His own sake,

viz., for buying Chilim (clay pipe) and fuel for His Dhuni (sacred fire), and

all the rest, He distributed as charity in varying proportions to various

persons. All the paraphenalia of the Shirdi Sansthan was brought, by various

rich devotees at the instance and suggestion of Radha-Krishna-Mai. Baba always

used to get wild and scolded those, who brought costly and rich articles. He

said to Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar, that all His property consisted of one koupin

(codpiece), one stray piece of cloth, one Kafni and a tumrel (tinpot), and that

all the people troubled Him by bringing all these unnecessary, useless and

costly articles."

Woman and wealth

are the two main obstacles in the way of our Pramartha (spiritual life); and

Baba and provided in Shirdi two institutions, viz., Dakshina and

Radha-Krishna-Mai. Whenever they came to Him, He demanded Dakshina from them,

and asked them to go to the 'SCHOOL' (Radha-Krishna-Mai's house). If they stood

these two tests well, i.e. if they showed that they were free from attachment

for woman and wealth, their progress in spirituality was rapid and assured by

Baba's grace and blessings.

Mr. Deo has

also quoted passanges from the Gita and Upanishads; and shown that charity

given in a holy place and to a holy personage, conduces to the donors' welfare

to a great degree. What is more holy than Shirdi and its Presiding Deity -- Sai

Baba?

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all pooja sai ram

 

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