WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 16

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

THE ARROGANCE OF WEALTH


SAI BABA STRESSES THE MORAL:
Sri Sai Baba told Nana Saheb one day that he would give him advice about wealth and that Nana should follow it. Nana promised.
Baba said "If any one begs for anything in your power or possession, give it if you can. If you cannot, give a suave negative reply. Do not mock, ridicule or get angry with the applicant. If you do not like to give do not say that you have not got the article when in fact you have. Do not resort to such indirect methods. Will you remember?"

Some months later, Nana was being pressed by a saint at Kopergaon (which lay on his way from Ahmadnagar to Shirdi) to provide funds for building a stone flight of steps to the Dattu Temple -a temple which Nana always visited enroute to Shirdi. Nana had promised a gift of Rs. 300 but came on this occasion without any money for the construction. He felt it some what distressing to go to the temple as usual, as he would have to explain to the saint why no money was brought. So be deviated from his straight route and took an unusual bypath to avoid the temple and the saint. The bypath was full of thorns and both Nana and his friend ran thorns in their feet and other parts of their body.

Would not Talk : (Mitra dandam abashanam)
When they reached Shirdi, Baba would not, for a long time, welcome him or talk even a single word to him which was quite the reverse of the usual practice of Baba. Sorely distressed, Nana asked Baba the reason for such treatment. Baba said, he did not like to talk to persons who promised to remember lessons taught but failed to keep up the promise. Nana protested that he remembered and followed Baba's lessons.
Baba: "You, sir, avoid seeing "Sircar" (i.e., God Datta) and take a devious route. Why? Because the saint would ask you for the Rs. 300. Is this the way to remember my lessons? If you could not get the money, you could go and tell him so. Would he eat you, if you faced him? But what device is this, getting away from seeing God Datta on your way and going by an indirect route? And have not thorns got into you and your friend? How am I to talk with such a person?" Nana repented his mistake and promised to amend his ways in the future.

Duty to respect holy objects en route: The sastras declare that one should circumambulate and worship images, cows, if they adjoin one's route. Nana Saheb thus usually worshipped the holy image of Datta on the banks of the Godavari at Kopergaon on his way to Shirdi. Once when he was taking his brother-in-law to Shirdi, he dissuaded the latter from going to that temple to avoid loss of time. When they reached Shirdi, Baba was very angry.

With Beggars :
On another occasion, Baba gave Nana another lesson.
Baba: "Nana, if anyone comes and begs for anything, give as much as you can or care to give. If that person be not satisfied and ask for more, refuse it courteously. Do not flare into a passion or parade ail your official authority".
Nana promised to follow the advice as it seemed very easy. Some six months after this advice was given, Nana Saheb was at his own house at Kalyan, upstairs. A beggar woman came to that house and was pestering Mrs. Nana Saheb with repeated requests for more and more of Bhajani (fried mixture of grains) . Mrs. Nana had given half her stock and the beggar wanted the whole stock and refused to budge an inch, unless and until her demand was complied with. Mrs. Nana lost all patience, sent for her husband and told him the facts. Nana Saheb grew angry and calling out for a peon, told the beggar "If you do not quickly receive what is gives and go away, the peon will neck you out of the bouse".

Knew It All:
When next Nana visited Baba, the latter would not talk to him. Nana wondered what the matter was and finally asked Baba the reason for the chill reception.
Baba "How can I talk to one who does not care for the advice I have given?"
Nana: "Baba, what lesson have I forgotten?"
Baba : "That day when the beggar was importuning you for Bhajani, why did you call your peon to expel her and why did you show all your official hauteur? What did it matter if she stayed some time longer with her prayers for more? If you gently refused, she would have ultimately left quietly. Why call for a peon to expel her bodily?"
Nana recalled the event and recognised how the previous advice exactly applied to that event. He repented and resolved to amend.