WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 5

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

Mrs. MANAGER'S REMINISCENCES

"We used to go and sit near Sri Sai Baba at his mosque. At the usual time, any one could go up and bow before him and sit there. On one occasion as I was seated at a short distance from Sri Sai Baba, there came a leper to the mosque, His disease was far advanced. He was stinking and he had little strength left In him, so that It was with much difficulty and very slowly he clambered up the three steps of the mosque, moved on to the Dhuni (fire) and then to Sri Sai Baba and placed his head on Baba's feet. It took much time for him to take his Dakshina, and I, feeling the stench from him intensely, hoped he would clear off. At last when he got down slowly carrying a small parcel wrapped up in a dirty cloth, I felt relief and said within myself , ''Thank God, he is off and at once Sai Baba darted a piercing glance at me, and I knew that he read my thought."

Fetched Back :
"Before the leper had gone far, Sri Sai Baba called out and sent some one to fetch him back. The man came. It was again the slow process of his clambering up, emitting foul stench all the time; and as the man bowed, Baba picked up that parcel saying, "What is this?" and opened it. It contained tome pedas and Baba took up a piece and gave it to me—to me alone of all present!—and asked me to eat it. What horror! To eat up a thing brought by the stinking leper; out it was Sri Sai Baba's order, and there was no option hut to obey. So I ate it up. Baba took another piece and himself swallowed it and then sent the man away with the remainder."

A Lesson in Fraternity :
"Why he was re-called and I alone was chosen to be the recipient of his peda, none then understood. But I knew fully well that Sri Sai Baba had read my heart and was teaching me valuable lessons e.g., in humility, fraternity, sympathy, endurance and trust in His Supreme wisdom rather than in my own notions of hygiene and sanitation for saving me from disease."
Mrs. Manager mentions the incident in her reminiscences of Sri Sai Baba. And though this was a somewhat unpleasant experience, he was all kindness, and she herself experienced it on numerous occasions.

Mysterious Orders :
Sometimes, Sri Sai Baba's mysterious orders seemed even cruel, and that was how she felt when the saint asked her husband to accompany two other devotees on a pleasure trip to Ahmednagar and Poona which, because he was poor and unemployed, he could ill afford. Moreover, he had just come from Poona and intended to stay for sometime at Shirdi. So he submitted to Baba that he had no business at Ahmednagar or Poona. But Baba's order was again peremptory and he gave no explanation.

A Strange Thing :
"My husband, feeling that there was no appeal, obeyed Baba's order and accompanied the party. At Ahmednagar, they went to the cinema, and my husband felt he had not gone for such thamashas to Baba. Then, they left for Poona with my husband. Here came up a strange thing. The day previous to their arrival, there was a strike of mill hands. The directors wanted a reliable and capable manager to meet the situation. They had thought of my husband and had sent a message for him to Bombay or other places where he was likely to be found. When they were in this plight my husband went there and at once they appointed him manager Here it was Baba's power ,for seeing what had happened or was to happen and how a chance of suitable appointment was available for my husband, and his kindness in sending my husband to be there at the nick of time to get the employment for which he had gone to Shirdi.