Love is not a thing measured by a thermometer or by the quantity of good or sacrifices rendered

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The great question in the case of the lovers of Baba is, how can we possibly describe the extent of love and its intensity. Love is not a thing measured by a thermometer or by the quantity of good or sacrifices rendered, though all these do count. We may roughly begin a statement of how love works and then deal with Purandhare’s case.

 

When two persons are greatly attached to each other we find that no other expression would describe the situation than love. Friendship, admiration, gratitude, loyalty, faithfulness, regard, worship, all these blend together in many a case, as it did in Purandhare’s case also. So, let us begin an account of how Purandhare’s love began.

In the case of most people approaching Baba within the last decade of his life, they were impelled to go to Baba by hearing accounts of Baba. Das Ganu was mostly the source of this inspiration. Das Ganu, though himself not pre-eminent in his love for Baba, had the wonderful charm of eloquence and some amount of real bhakti. He was an expert in the Kirtankars’ line, that is, in telling Harikathas about saints and holy persons.

 

He generally began with an account of the day’s topic, say, Tukaram or Namdev, but he always kept Sai Baba’s picture close to him and never failed to refer to Sai Baba as the present day illustration of the greatness of the bhakti of the ancient or mediaeval saints. He would say, ‘Here is Tukaram’s great love and greatness in surrendering to God and getting the most marvelous benefits. If you wish to know if there is any such person now in the flesh who can give you the same benefit, then I will tell you 'Here is this Sai Baba. He is the present day representative of mediaeval saintship.

 

What Ramdas was to Sivaji, that Sai Baba is to innumerable people who approach him in the proper spirit'. Then he would give an account of some of the marvelous lilas and dealings of Baba with his devotees. Thus, besides the fact that thousands attended his kirtan, his account and inspiration would pass on from one to another, and after his kirtan people, having learnt of Sai Baba, would rush to see him. It is rarely that one gets a chance to meet a Tukaram in the flesh, a Namdev in the flesh, and if one gets a chance, surely one does not wish to lose it.

 

So, having heard of Sai Baba from Das Ganu and others, Purandhare’s nature was fired with the ambition of contacting Sai Baba. Purandhare’s own nature was very simple and highly emotional. He was a plain man and did not care to twist and turn phrases in describing things. When he found that Sai Baba was a powerful saint living in the flesh and was showering benefits like Ramdas, Akkalkote Maharaj and other Samarthas, he naturally wanted to take the earliest opportunity to go to Shirdi and that he did.

 

In his case, going to Shirdi was not an easy matter. He was only a petty clerk on Rs.35 per month. He had to support a family of four or five including his mother his wife, his brother and a child. Yet, the spark of enthusiasm in his heart did not find these to be difficulties. He fixed upon a certain day to leave for Shirdi, and if we see what he did, we will see exactly what love does.

 

He was naturally to go with his wife and mother. But his young child was unwell and the mother thought that it was foolish to risk taking a little child with fever for such a great distance – Bombay to Shirdi. Yet, Purandhare would not brook a denial of his wishes. He must go and he would leave and take the child with him inspite of his mother's protest. Look at this! He is taking risks with his only child’s health. And what for? To meet the great Sai.

 

The burning enthusiasm of his love for Sai bore down all considerations of ordinary precaution or medical advice and they did go. His love was accompanied by intense faith. So Baba justified his faith and his love in what followed. When the child was taken with an illness to Shirdi, it quickly regained health instead of suffering. This is a chamatkar of Baba and it is these chamatkars which first tell upon an emotional mind. Upasani Baba says,

 

Aneka Ascruta Atarkysa Lila Vilasam

Samavishkrita Isana Bhasvat Prabhavam

in his Sai Mahima Stotra, composed in 1912. That is, Sai Baba’s divine or superhuman character was evidenced by innumerable and unheard of miraculous achievements and chamatkars. Yet he was

Ahambhavahinam Prasannatmabhavam Namami Iswaram Sadgurum Sainatham

Purandhare found that his child's health far from being ruined by the journey was set right completely at Shirdi. This in itself was sufficient to constitute one of those Aneka Ascruta Atarkysa Lila Vilasaih. Here is Baba's superhuman power. Here is kindness towards those that flock to his feet.

If supreme power and kindness are combined, what more is wanted to give us the idea of God's help? So, Purandhare was made firmer in his faith and deeper in his love of Sai Baba by this occurrence and this was not the only one. At every step he had full faith in Baba's omniscience and omnipotence and he found that his faith was fully justified by the subsequent events.

Baba knew exactly when Purandhare should start, when he should stay at a place like Nasik, a holy place of pilgrimage which his mother wanted to visit, and how long he should stay there. When Purandhare acted upon Baba's directions, it seemed to several that he was running foolish risks, but everything that Baba said occurred exactly as he said it would. He was told to stay one day at Nasik and to proceed on the next day.

When he went there, he found that cholera was attacking some members of his family, such as his brother, and he was advised to get away. But he remembered that Baba had said that he must stay one day at Nasik. So he did stay. On the next day with ill-health in the family, he did proceed and reached his own home quite safe. Thus he found that he was perfectly safe in following Baba's directions to the very letter.

This confirms a man in the extent of reverence and faith that he has in Baba. Reverence and faith combined with thankfulness for the resulting good, form an excellent basis for the development of love. In this way, his love for Baba got more and more deep-rooted and his faith, being justified, was the means for so many others catching on to that faith.

Baba's kindness towards him was remarkable even from the beginning. Why should Baba care so much for this petty clerk who went to Shirdi for the first time? That is the question which anyone would ask. And one would like to know the root of that love.

The root of love is not always traceable, but in this particular case we have Baba's own statement to help us. When Purandhare's mother told Baba to look after him, Baba's reply was, ‘I have known him for generations. I have guarded him from his infancy in front and behind. I will not eat even a bit of food without him’. That is, as much as to say that Baba remembered the love relations between Purandhare and himself in former lives.

Purvabhysena Tenaiva Hriyate hyavasopisabTatra tam buddhi samyogam Labhate Pourvadehikam â€â€¦â€¦

 

Jai Sai Ram