SAIBABA-The Protector by Narendranath Mungara

[Guest guest]

SAIBABA-The Protector

It was a Thursday dated 19th January 1984 when myself and a colleague

Mr. T. R. C. Menon got out of the Z. P. Guest House at Jalgaon-Jamod

(Maharashtra) and got into a readily available vacant taxi to reach

Nandura Railway Station. The driver required about half an hour's time

to take off. So we both walked across the road to a small tea-stall.

Time was 6.30 A. M.

 

As the ordered bread and tea was awaited, my sight was attracted by a

photo of Sai Baba visible in the adjacent pan-shop. I pointed out the

same to my companion and told him that it was an auspicious Thursday

morning to have darshan of our blessing SAI.

 

Placing a loaf of bread, the stall keeper went back to his assistant to

help making a special tea for us. Mr. Menon refused bread and preferred

only tea when I was unwrapping the bread. Looking at the SaiNath's photo

I sat quiet. Then I closed my eyes for a minute, meditating on Him.

As I opened the eyes I saw a young Muslim Fakir aged around 28 years

standing at the entrance with a smile and looking straight into my eyes.

A green cloth fastened around his head, he wore a white loose kurta and

lungi. One small black bowl in his hand suggested that he came for

begging alms. But it was surprising to note that he did not ask anyone

for alms or money. Just with the same smile and a calm look into my face

he merely stood.

 

Not a word was spoken by the fakir. The look from his bright eyes was

full of affection for me. His blissful smile respon-ded in me an

overflowing joy. Like the waves on the sea jumping higher with happiness

at the appearance of a full Moon-my joy touched new bights at the sight

of this fakir. Inexplicable exchange of some unknown silent feelings

between us was a great experience in itself.

 

I nodded my head silently calling him. The fakir came closer, only a

table in the middle separated us. First two slices of bread offered by

me with devotion were accepted. He lost no time to wave his hand and

very swiftly walked out to disappear from my vision. That silent and

affectionate smile glowing from his bright face still remained in my

mind and I was fully convinced that that fakir is none but our

Sai-Malik.

 

Then I turned to Mr. Menon and asked " What do you think about this

fakir? " His cool reply came an ordinary beggar " .

" No " I continued, " He was not an ordinary beggar but Shirdi Sai Nath

Himself who came in disguise to bless us in person " .

Mr. Menon laughed with indifference and said " seeing Saibaba's " photo a

few minutes before, your mind is engaged in thinking about him. At this

juncture even when an ordinary beggar stood here you are illusioned that

he too was Sai Baba " .

 

I explained that it was no illusion but a full proof fact. " The fakir

with a bowl in his hands obviously came for begging but why he did not

beg? Why he did not even call the tea stall man, who was busy in

preparing tea? Why did he not beg from the pan shop wallah? At least

after we offered bread why did he not step into other neighboring tea

stalls and pan shops? Does this not infer that he perhaps came with the

purpose of only meeting us? Who else could he be other than Lord

Sainath? " thus I concluded that the strange incident was only a darshan

of Sai-Malik.

 

After a couple of days when I returned to Aurangabad from my tour, I was

shocked to see at home the walls, roof and window glass-panes of the

kitchen room badly damaged. My wife Usha thus narrated to me about the

dangerous accident which recently occurred.

 

On Thursday (19th January 1984) by morning 10 a. m. my wife filled up

the pressure-cooker with necessary contents to be cooked for lunch and

placed it on an electric stove (Cooking gas was exhausted) and went into

the drawing room where she sat reading some books. Though generally very

cautious while cooking, that day she happened to be somewhat negligent

being fully engrossed in reading until she looked at the watch showing

10.45 a. m. She got up from the sofa remembering suddenly about the

cooker on the stove and wondered how it has failed to vigil for 45

minutes. Then, hardly she covered a few steps and at once halted before

the kitchen door when a big explosive sound, almost deafening the ears,

came as a shock. The pressure cooker had burst and caused dangerous

havoc in a most unexpected accident.

 

The cooker's lid was pushed up with great pressure of steam bursting out

and it hit the roof at first, then two side waits and window before

falling down like a crashing flying-saucer. Glass panes of the window

were broken; walls and concrete ceiling were damaged while all

kitchenware from the shelves fell down with the tremor. Very thick

gauged indalium pressure cooker (Prestige brand) was twisted completely

out of shape and the electric stove was shattered to pieces, leaving the

broken live wire still hanging from the plug. Patches and lumps of

cooked rice and dal with vege-tables stuck to the walls and the roof.

Altogether a ghastly scene it was.

 

Neighboring housewives rushed to our apartment in panic, fearing that

the sound was due to burling of the gas cylinder. They were frightened

to notice equally dangerous accident that occurred; but found a

consolation as my wife was surprisingly safe.

 

My dear Sai-devotees! See how our SAI BABA saved my wife Usha. Had she

entered the kitchen even a fraction of a second before the accident she

would have been perhaps killed. Baba averted such a grave danger within

no time to save her life. Also he ruled out the possibility of the

children being hurt as it was timed when both little sons Sainath and

Vamsinath were away at School.

 

Yon may carefully note the coincidence of Sai Malik giving me darshan at

a far of place namely Jalgaop Jamod and accepting two slices of bread at

7 a.m. on the very same day and within next few hours He takes care to

save my wife from a deadly accident that occurred at our residence in

Aurangabad ! All happened on a Thursday!

 

What more proof one need to realise the omnipresence of Lord Sainath's

love and care for his beloved devotees at all times and at all places.

 

Narendranath Mungara

Aurangabad

 

(source saileela magazine June 1985)