SHIRDI SAIBABA KI KRIPA :: SHRADDHA AUR SABURI ::

HAPPY HOLI !!!

2009-03-11T03:37:00.000+05:30

Dear Sai devotees ,

We wish you all a very happy and colourful holi !!!

May Baba bless you always ! Amen !

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 44

2009-03-10T04:12:00.002+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 83
Madhavnath Maharaj asked Laxmanrao, alias Bhausaheb Pradhan to go to Baba. Bhausaheb was then working as a sub-register. He was not aware that Madhavnath Maharaj had to receive a message from Baba. Just as he entered Shirdi, the omnipresent Baba merrily said, "Nath's son has arrived and we will dine on Nath's prasad." The devotees sitting besides Baba knew that Baba spoke in riddles and parables. So they watched and waited. Just then, Laxman Pradhan walked into the Dwarkamai, bowed to Baba and sat down. Baba said, "I've got sacks and sacks of gold on a donkey's back. Thieves have stolen them on the way. A hole in the ear has to be pierced only by the goldsmith. It is very difficult to pull on, in this naughty world. Tell this much to my brother Madhavnath.Laxman understood the message and went away satisfied.

(Possible explanation): The sacks of gold refer to the abundance of spiritual knowledge that was readily available with Baba. One had only to seek and ask for it. The thieves are the six internal enemies that keep one away from that path, and robs whatever little gain one has made. A hole on the ear has to be pierced only by the goldsmith. The remedy for it is easy. If one goes to the right person, the Guru or Jnani, the task can be accomplished. But, one has to be constantly aware of the temptations of the naughty world and not succumb to it. Laxmanrao learnt a valuable lesson from Baba.

Leela 84
In 1909, Nana spent his Christmas vacation with Baba. His friend, Chintamani V. Vaidya had gone to Calcutta to attend a congress session. On his way back, he got down at Manmad and proceeded to Shirdi. A day before this, Nana requested Baba's permission to return home. Baba said, "Nana, go tomorrow after lunch." Nana happily stayed on for another day, as usual, he Nana Saheb Chandorkar followed Baba's words implicitly. The next day, after lunch, he packed his bags and sought permission from Baba. "Nana, where are you going ? Your stout youth friend is on his way here.",It was about 4:00 p.m. when Baba said this. Twenty minutes later, Vaidya arrived, and with great joy, met Nana. Baba then gave permission to go, the next day. At the time of departure, Baba said, "There was an orchard of guava fruit trees. Most delicious and delectable were the fruits. Everyone ate about twenty to twenty-five fruits. The next day, I spoiled the grove."
Possible meaning: The orchard of guava fruit trees signifies abundance. The fruit were delicious and delectable. Baba fulfilled all their worldly desires of name, fame and wealth. The spoiling of the grove indicates the culminating of the worldly desires and the opening of a new path of spirituality, this path being straight and narrow.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART43

2009-03-09T05:32:00.001+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY
Leela 81
Out of the dakshina collected, Baba distributed about Rs.800/- or more daily. By evening, He had but a few coins left and He became a Fakir again. The news of His charity to Sadhus, Jnanis, Bhajan-singers and dancers spread far and wide. Some Brahmins from Kumbakonam came to Bombay and earned their livelihood by preaching the Vedanta. They heard of Baba's name and fame and his charitable disposition. Eager to get a huge amount of money, they decided to come to Shirdi. Unfortunately, they thought that Baba was a Muslim avalia. They were perplexed as to how they would bow to Him and further explain the Vedanta to Him. So, they discussed this amongst themselves and decided to bow to him as they would to Purna-Brahma, just so that they could amass a lot of wealth. They went to Shirdi and stood before Baba obediently. Baba just looked at them and asked them what they wanted. "We wish to explain the Vedanta in your presence and get sanmaan from you", they said. Baba agreed and asked them to start. They started explaining with a great deal of enthusiasm, but soon forgot everything. Baba patiently waited a while and asked them to continue. They looked at Baba with blank expressions for try as they may, they couldn't remember what to say next. Baba however picked up the explanation from where they had left and continued a while. Then the Brahmins finished the rest. At the time of bowing, they said "Purna-Brahma" and bowed to Baba as 'Turna-Brahma" and not Baba. Then they requested Baba for their sanmana. Baba told them, that as they bowed to "Purna-Brahma", they might receive their sanmana from that "Purna-Brahma". On hearing this vital answer from Baba, they were astonished and made Sashtanga-Namaskar. Afterwards, Baba gave sanmana to them. They went away satisfied that Baba was more than "Purna-Brahma". In fact, He was Parabrahma.

Leela 82
Naik and Shantaram were great friends. Both went to Shirdi for Baba's darshan. Shantaram was an alcoholic and couldn't stay without liquor even for a day. Baba made him stay at Shirdi for six days. During those days, he abstained from drinking and was cured of alcoholism. He never touched liquor throughout his life, thereafter. Naik had another friend, who was upset with his son, as he was ruining his life with alcohol. Time and again, the doctor advised him not to drink, but he said that he could live only on alcohol. Naik advised his friend Sonar to send his son to Shirdi. Sonar and his son started for Shirdi. at Manmad, his son started vomiting incessantly, all the way to Shirdi. as soon as he stepped into Shirdi, the vomiting ceased. They went to Dwarkamai and had darshan. Baba blessed his son and made him stay for four days. During this time, he developed distaste for liquor. In the month of Bhadrapad, there was Gauri-Puja. On the last day, at the conclusion of the ceremonies, everyone drank merrily. His friends forced him to drink, but he refused, time and again. Then they forced a glass of liquor in his hand. He pleaded to be excused, as he saw Baba in the glass. Nonetheless, they forced him to drink. Ultimately, he drank unlimitedly, and fell down unconscious. At that time, he felt that his whole body was on fire and the alcohol was burning inside him. After this experience, he refrained from drinking throughout his life.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART42

2009-03-08T05:39:00.001+05:30

Leela 79
In the year 1901, Nana Chandorkar was Census Superintendent, and Vasudev Janardhan was his clerk. He asked Vasudev to accompany him to Shirdi. One day at 8.00 A.M. Vasudev, Nana and some twenty other people made a pilgrimage to Shirdi. They entered Dwarakamai, and found Baba smoking a chillum. Vasudev was the youngest and a non-smoker, while the others were eager to take a puff. Baba however, offered the chillum to Vasudev. Naturally he hesitated; Nana whispered to him to accept it, as some thing wonderful would happen thereafter. He took three puffs and returned the chillum to Baba. Baba did not offer it to the others.
After this incident, Vasudev got all the promotions he desired, and retired on a comfortable pension. After retirement, he started his own business called Sadhbai Water Supply. He was also the Managing Agent for Belapur-Kopergaon Electric Co. Ltd. He was fully convinced that any work he undertook, after taking Baba's name was bound to be successful. The miracle of the chilium and Baba's grace was with him for life.
Leela 80
Madhu False was an ardent devotee of Baba. He served Baba day and night. Later, he worked in Baba's Sansthan. Baba made him in charge of His favourite horse Shyam Karan. Lovingly, Baba called him 'ghoda-wala'. Once, it so happened that Madhu False suddenly took ill. He turned pale and fell down, semi¬conscious. At that time, he was residing at Narayan Teli's house, which was behind the Dwarkamai. His mother saw his condition and started weeping and wailing, as she thought her son would die. Baba heard this and He went to her house and reassured her, "Why do you weep like this? Madhu will be alright. I'm by your side always. He will ask for roti in the morning. Do give it to him." Indeed, in the morning, False regained consciousness and asked for roti. His mother, with tears in her eyes, gave it to him, and he recovered. Baba's words as always, came true.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 41

2009-03-07T20:07:00.003+05:30

Leela 78

Baba, in actuality, smoked very little and required only two to three chillums per year. The potter knew this. Nonetheless, he delivered two to three hundred chillums daily and demanded payment for them. The cost of a chillum was about two pie and Baba paid it. Thus the potter made a living. Baba stacked these chillums in the corner of Dwarkmai. The devotees freely took the chillums and smoked them there or took them home. One day, Deo came for Baba's 'darshan' in the afternoon and seeing the stacks of chillums, asked Baba as to why He had stored them when He Himself needed only two to three per year. Baba replied, "What you say is correct. I don't need more than two to three chillums per year. But My devotees come here and smoke. Some take them unseen by us. So, I have stacked them here."

The Magical Chillum (Clay pipe)

The magical chillum, like Baba's satka, was a constant companion of Baba's sojourn on earth. Blessed was the potter who made them, and blessed was the clay that touched Baba's hands and lips.Chandbhai Patil was truly a blessed soul, who got the first taste of Baba's chillum. The bond and debt between them was great. As Baba, after smoking and sharing His chillum, actually went and stayed with Chandbhai. He was instrumental in bringing Baba back to Shirdi, along with the marriage party. After this event, it is history.Baba bestowed His grace and favours on many a devotee by allowing them to smoke His chillum. The most amazing story is that of Balaram Dhurandar (Sai Satcharitra Ch.59). He was troubled by bouts of coughing fits and suffered from asthma for six years. On his visit to Shirdi, he went to Dwarkamai, one afternoon, and with great humility, began pressing Baba's feet. Baba gave him His chillum to smoke. Accepting it as prasad, Balaram took a puff. The very effort was painful and incongruous to him. But he had utmost faith in Baba; so, he smoked a while and returned the chillum to Baba humbly.Thence, his asthma vanished completely and he was greatly relieved. The chillum was so powerful and worked like a magical mantra on him. He wasn't tormented by breathlessness or coughing bouts thereafter. However, the day Baba took Mahasamadhi, the asthma was triggered again. He coughed all day long, that day and only that day did he cough and wasn't bothered by it again. Could he ever forget the experience of the clay pipe?Ganesh S. Khaparde was a renowned, wealthy lawyer of Amravati. He was a loyal aid to Lokmanya Tilak, who was serving a six-year sentence in Burma. He had immense faith and a deep love for Baba. Baba in turn, kept him at Shirdi and rescued him from the clutches of the British, who were waiting for a chance to prosecute him for treason and sedition. He was politically involved in several agitations against the British.His lucrative practice dwindled and his political ambitions were also at a standstill, because of his long stay at Shirdi, But Khaparde was a spiritual man, well versed in Sanskrit and the Puranas. Time and time again, during Arati, Baba made signs and offered His chillum, when he could unravel the answers. At other times, the chillum would calm his restless mind and give him reassurances. On 22/01/1912, Khaparde says, "During the course of worship, He put two flowers in His nostrils and two others between His Ears and head. I thought this was His instruction, and when I interpreted it in my mind, He offered His chillum to me and thus confirmed it."(Shirdi diary)Krishnaji J. Bhishma, the author of Sai Sagunopasan (Arati Book) was disgusted by the thought that the devotees were drinking Padtirtha of a Muslim, Sai Baba. He was horrified to see the Brahmin devotees puff the chillum after Baba had smoked it and mentally, he resolved not to do both. One day, Baba narrated a story to him and it was the same dream vision, he had had earlier. While doing so, Baba casually passed His chillum to Bhishma. He took a puff and was thrown into complete bliss and ecstasy and changed for life. Thenceforth, he became an ardent devotee of Baba.Bhagoji Shinde was the first devotee to enter the Dwarkamai in the morning. He came to do seva and bandage Baba's burnt hand. Baba smoked His chillum and passed it to Bhagoji, who also accepted it.Now, Baba is offered the chillum in the Chawdi on Thursdays and other Holy Days. On these days, the palki and rath procession is taken out with great pomp and show. Baba's 'Raj-Upchar' photograph is brought to the Chawdi and placed on the silver sinhasan and lagu-arati is performed. During Adkars 'Arati Sai Baba, Soukhyadatara Jeeva', chillum is offered to Baba thrice. The honour of offering the chillum is given to the descendants of Tatya's family .

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 40

2009-03-07T00:14:00.002+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 75
He had an intense desire to have darshan of Shree Siddhanath and spend Mahashivaratri there. So Krishnaji Narayan, also called Chottu Bhayya Parulkar, went with his family to Nemavaram. They had an early start and set out at about 3:00 A.M. by bullock-cart. Unfortunately, the wheel was damaged on the way. So they stopped at Hadias and got the wheel repaired. Thence, they had to cross a river. They reached the bank of the river, but the boatman would not take them across, as it was dusk. However much they tried, pleaded and were even ready to pay double the charges. The boatman said that he could not ferry them across at nightfall, and if he had to, a special permission had to obtained, as per the rules and regulations. Disappointed, they decided to break journey and stay in any temple or dharmashala nearby.
Just as they were retracing their steps, a Fakir galloped in on a white horse with a pony in tow. He enquired of the boatman about crossing the river. The same reply was given to him, saying that he could not ply the boat at night. The Fakir asked him to whom the banks belonged. The boatman said, " This side belongs to the British Raj, while the opposite bank belonged to the Holkar Government. The Fakir asked Parulkar if he wanted to cross the river. Parulkar replied in the affirmative, and his inability to do so at that time. The Fakir had a dynamic personality, and he said that he would return with the necessary permission at once.
This made the boatman tremble with fear and on his own accord; he came to Parulkar and said that he would take them across. So Parulkar, his family and the cart were taken across. The Fakir waited and ascertained that everyone was on board. Then He disappeared. The family had a wonderful pilgrimage and returned home safely.

Leela 76
Baba lived in an old dilapidated Masjid. The floor was uneven, and had pits in it. The roof was rickety and barely held together. Happily, He ate and slept there, until the devotees' repaired it. Once, Baba and three other devotees were sitting and having their lunch when Baba suddenly roared, "Wait. Stop for a while." Then He continued eating. His devotees wondered to whom Baba had shouted His command. After the meal was over, Baba started collecting His meagre belongings, like

His tumrel, chillum, and tobacco bag and water pot. He brought it outside to the Sabha Mandap. Following Him, the devotees too climbed down the steps, and came to Baba's side. Just then the roof of the Dwarakamai caved in, crumbled, and fell down exactly in the spot where Baba and His bhaktas sat. Then the devotees realized to whom the orders were given.
"Whatever exists in this sentient Universe as a name, a form or a shape is only Myself bedecked as the eightfold Prakriti. It is also a marvel of My own creation!" said Baba to Dhabolkar (Sai Satcharitra Ch.3) when Dabholkar was granted permission to write the Sai Satcharitra.

Leela 77
Kondaji lived in Shirdi. His love and devotion for Baba was intense. Baba reciprocated and called him Kondya. One day, Kondya was sitting with Baba and chatting. It was a hot, sultry afternoon, but there was a gusty breeze. At that moment, Baba said, "Go to Khalwadi (the place where the harvest is threshed) as your stack of wheat is on fire." Kondya rushed to the Khalwadi, checked the stacks of wheat, made enquiries and returned as everything seemed alright. He said, "Baba, why do you send me hither and thither needlessly in the" hot sun and frighten me?" Baba just pointed to the Khalwadi and said, "See the smoke rising from your granary? The central stack is on fire.At that time, the wind started blowing fiercely. Anguished at seeing the smoke bellowing from his granary, Kondya ran to the Khalwadi, shouting for help. The villagers, hearing him shout, came out of their houses, and seeing the blaze fanned by the wind, ran to Baba. They entreated Him to come and rescue the adjacent granaries, as the sparks would soon ignite them. "Please put out the fire Baba, or all the granaries will burn down. The villagers and cattle will starve without the harvest," they pleaded. Baba was moved by their pleas for help. So He went with them to the Khalwadi. Then taking a glass of water, He drew a circle around the central stack. "Only this central stack will burn. Do not try to extinguish it. It is an offering for Agnidev," He said. No sooner did He say this, the wind calmed down and only the central stack was burnt down.The devotees learnt a valuable lesson of making an offering to Agnidev, the sustainer of life. Baba had control over the five elements, viz., earth, wind, ether, fire and rain.
His 'word' was law unto them.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 39

2009-03-06T09:43:00.002+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 72
In 1912, Pilaji Gurav was thirteen years old. Both his parents dreamt of Sai Baba. His mother had a vivid dream in which Baba gave her fifty paisa and asked her to keep with the rest of the coins in the prayer room. He also asked her for a torn piece of cloth to wear. His father, on the other hand, was asked by Baba to come and live in Shirdi. " There will be no dearth of food and clothing here," Baba assured him in his dream. Both the parents discussed their dreams and decided to go to Shirdi from Korala. At Rahata, they met the munim of Tatya Patil, who brought them to Shirdi.
Tatya asked Gurav (Pilaji's father) to play the clarion, which he did but Baba would often throw stones at him though none of them ever hurt him. Gurav would run and Baba would run after him, shouting for him to stop. When he did. Baba caught hold of him by the collar and said, " I will bury both of you, father and son." Frightened out of his wits, he did not wish to face Baba again. Gurav used to play the clarion at the arati in Dixit Wada.When he went there for the arati, he opened his heart to Kaka and told him, how he feared Baba's wrath. Kaka gently reassured him "Gurav, do not fear Baba. He wants you to settle in Shirdi. This is a blessing in disguise", Kaka said.
The next day, Gurav, with a smile played the clarion for Baba and Baba smiled benevolently. After this, he was a regular clarion player for Baba. His son got employment in Baba's Sansthan. The descendents of Pilaji Gurav still reside in Shirdi and have Baba's grace.

Leela 73
Ramabai Kanitkar resided in Yeola in 1905. Many of her friends were Baba's devotees and they asked her to accompany them to Shirdi for Baba's darshan. She kept on postponing the trip. To her surprise, she found a small photograph of Baba on her table. Curiously, she wondered how it came there on its own accord. No one had given her a photograph. She kept the photograph safely.
Once, her husband, who was a sub-judge, was transferred to Kopargaon. She too accompanied him. Thence to Rahata they went. This time, she came to Shirdi and stayed in Baba's Chawdi. She developed faith in Baba, but she yearned that Baba give her darshan as Swami Samarth of Akkalkot. Baba, however gave shakshatkar as Swami Samarth to her son and daughter-in-law. They told this to her and she was fully convinced that Baba and Swami Samarth were one and the same.

Leela 74
Shankarlal K. Bhat owned a shop in Bombay. He walked with a limp and this bothered him a lot.There he tried all kinds of treatments. But he still walked awkwardly. Then he heard of Baba's wonderful powers and how He cured many diseases. He came to Shirdi in 1911 and prostrated before Baba, received His blessings and left. On his return journey, he walked a few steps to catch the ferry when he felt something snap. He took another step and was delighted to notice that he walked erect. Lo! The limp was gone and gone forever. He was so pleased and grateful to Baba that he told each and every customer about Baba's superhuman powers.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 38

2009-03-06T09:33:00.002+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 70
Once Nana arrived at Shirdi at about 12:00 noon and took Baba's darshan. Baba told Nana that He wanted to eat puran poli. Nana was reluctant at first, as it was way past 12:00 noon. He told Baba that he would offer it the next day. Baba wouldn't agree to this and told Nana, "No matter how long it takes, I want puran polis today." Nana went and searched for a lady who was willing to prepare them for Re. 1/- each. In the evening, he came to Dwarkamai with freshly prepared delicious puran poli and placed them before Baba. Baba, however didn't touch it, let alone, put a morsel in His mouth. After a while, He asked Nana to take it away as He had eaten. Nana was vexed to hear this, as Baba hadn't eaten it, after all the trouble he had taken to get them prepared. He went to the Chawdi in a huff. Baba called him and told him to eat it, as He had already partaken of it. This happened twice. Then, Baba said, "You have been with Me for more than eighteen years. What have you learnt from Me? I've eaten your puran poli in the form of ants." Nana wasn't convinced. Intellectually, he knew that Baba was everywhere and in everything. But, it was hard for him to accept it. Then, Baba made a sign to him, and that was a secret, deep in his heart that nobody knew about. Nana then realized that He was indeed in his aatma and the aatma of ants and every living creature.

Leela 71
One day, Baba was extremely angry with Sagun Meru, when he went for His darshan. He scolded him and said that he hadn't followed His words. Perplexed, Sagun Meru wondered at what he had done wrong. Suddenly he realized that someone must be hungry. He went to the Wada and enquired if anyone had missed his or her meals. Two of the devotees hadn't eaten. So he invited them for meals and after they were satiated, he returned to the Dwarkamai. Baba smiled and said, "Have you understood the meaning of my words? Always act thus." Baba, by behaviour and conduct, taught the devotees that food is Brahma and that all living creatures experience the same hunger pangs. "Know that those who give food to one suffering the pangs of hunger , are really putting it in My mouth, and this is true everywhere," said Baba once to Laxmibai (Sai Satcharitra Ch. 42).

A humble request to all Sai Devotees !!!

2009-03-05T18:07:00.008+05:30

Dear readers Jai Sainath !

First of all," Happy Baba's day ! '', to all of you.
Indeed, its a blessing that we are aware about his holiness Sri Saibaba and his unfathomable kindness,love and care in our lifetime.

Sometimes in life,we all face tough situations which seems like dead-end.We feel helpless and are desperately in need of immediate attention from Baba.We want those conditions to vanish as soon as possible.When baba was in his physical tabernacle,he always said that ,"Whatever good or bad fruits are there in our destiny,for us to bear we should always bear them and get it over with once and for all."

There are numerous examples in Sri Satcharita as well of many such cases where Baba advised to bear the effects of our karma howsoever good or bad it may be.However, Baba always reduced the pain suffered in such case.Be it any case,since Baba has unconditional love and care for his devotees which do not distinguish as good devotee or bad devotee. All are same and equal in his eyes.

Prayers can be very powerful tool in order to obtain Baba's grace.Even scientific researches have shown and proved the miraculous result of prayers.Larger the hands folded infront of baba in prayers regarding our particular problematic situation,the better it will be.

Here , i would like to mention one such noble soul , "Mr.G.P.Sinha",who is performing such prayer sessions for quite some noticeable time now for such needy people who are going through troubles and distress.May baba always bless him for the wonderful work or i should better address it as Sai service , he is
doing selflessly for Baba's children ! Amen !
He actually helped us a lot by praying for my husband to get a new and better job and saved him from getting laid off from his old job.
I heartily thank him for that and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.

If any of our readers,who are going through tough times want to get a prayer session done for them or their loved ones in distress,then please contact,"Mr.G.P.Sinha",on <1to1withgp@gmail.com> ...
or else Click Here

He'll be more then happy to lend his helping hand.

May baba bless all ! Amen !

May all your problems soon vanish ! Amen !

POSTED BY-
MEMBER ( SHIRDI SAIBABA KI KRIPA :: SHRADDHA AUR SABURI :: )

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 37

2009-03-04T04:07:00.001+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI"
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 68
Baba wanted peace and harmony amongst His devotees, whether they were Hindus, Muslims, Parsees or any other caste or religion. Once the Muslims were offering 'namaz' in Dwarkamai. Simultaneously, the Hindus were performing Bhajans, accompanied with musical instruments. The Muslims complained to Baba about this, saying that it was a hindrance to their worship. Baba, however, said, "Those who pray sincerely with concentration will not find any hindrance. So those who want to do 'namaz' devotedly may do so, and the rest may leave."
Baba was extremely fair with his devotees and wouldn't allow anyone to interfere with the others' spiritual endeavours. In Sai Satcharitra Ch.3, a Rohilla came to Shirdi and recited 'kalmas' from the Koran at top of his voice, day and night. This disturbed the villagers. So they complained to Baba. However, Baba said, "Do not harass the Rohilla. Let him shout on the top of his voice. He brings me great pleasure." Baba's dealings with His devotes was strict and fair. He wasn't concerned to what caste, community, creed or religion they belonged to; neither did their socio-economic or social status affect Him. All He wanted was zeal, love, devotion and total surrender to the almighty.

Leela 69
A devotee from Dewas (Madhya Pradesh) came to Shirdi for Baba's Darshan. He stayed in Dixit Wada and dined in Sagun Meru's hotel. He longed for Baba to dine with him. So he reserved a plate of food everyday.
Then he went and invited Baba to dine with him for lunch and dinner. But Baba just laughed. One night, at 10:30 p.m., just as Sagun Meru was about to close the hotel, a Nath Panthi entered the hotel and said, " There is a plate of food reserved for me. Can I have it?" Sagun Meru at once made Him sit comfortably, and offered the food to Him. He ate heartily and asked to see the person, who, had so thoughtfully reserved the food. Sagun Meru ran to Dixit Wada at once. But the devotee was fast asleep. Try as he may, he couldn't awaken him. He returned and told the Nath Panthi about it. "Always feed the hungry", He said and then left.
Everyone heard about this the next day. Shama asked Baba if He had dined at Sagun Meru's. " Yes .I had gone to the hotel yesterday and dined to My heart's content", said Baba. Thus it was known that Baba went in other roopas (forms) to dine in Shirdi also.
"Today, as everyday, I went to Bandra, but there was no rice, no gruel, nothing to eat or drink; and hungry, I had to return," said Baba to Mrs.Tarkhad (Sai Satcharitra Ch. 9).
Baba often went as an athiti, and dined, in the homes of various devotees, at different places. Sometimes, He told the devotee that he would come for lunch and this He did, but as a sadhu, fakir or an athiti (as any living creature). It was up to the devotee to recognize Him in that form and also to recognize Him in every form.
Upasani was staying at Khandoba Mandir, Shirdi as per Baba's orders. Everyday, he cooked a meal and took it to Dwarkamai and offered it to Baba. One day, while he was cooking, he noticed a black dog watching him, prepare the food, with great eagerness. Upasani thought that it was absurd to give food to the dog, before offering it to Baba. The dog, however, followed him for quite a distance and then disappeared. Upon reaching the Dwarkamai, he offered the naivedya, and Baba said, "Why did you come all the way in this heat? I was there, watching and waiting for you to offer Me the food." Upasani was astonished to hear these words. Baba refused to accept the prasad.
The next day, a sickly Shudra (low caste) was leaning against the wall watching him. He feared the "Drishti-Dosha" (evil eye) of a Shudra watching a Brahmin cook. So, he said, "Go away," and the man left. Again, Baba refused to accept the prasad. Upasani asked Him if He could have been the sickly beggar. Baba said, "I'm in everything and beyond." (Ref: Life of Sai Baba Vol.3)
In Sai Satcharitra Ch. 40, Deo invited Baba to his home for the udyapan (concluding ceremony of a religious observance) ceremony and Baba agreed, saying that He would come with two others. On that day, a Bengali sanyasi and his two companions came and dined. Although Deo was very courteous and looked after them graciously, he failed to recognize Baba. He later wrote to Baba saying that he was disappointed at the breach of promise, as Baba did not attend the udyapan ceremony. Baba said, "Tell him, if he did not recognize Me, why did he invite Me ? Yet, I lunched at the function to My heart's satisfaction. I will even give up My life for My devotee . But the words from My mouth will never be untrue."

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 36

2009-03-03T05:30:00.001+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI"
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 66

R.B.Purandare was in the railway division of the government. He applied for leave once, which was accepted and granted along with passes for the journey. Joyfully, he made all kinds of preparations as he was going to Shirdi to see his Guru. A day before his departure, his superior officer called him and requested him to cancel the trip as there was an impending workmen's strike. Purandare was acutely disappointed. How could he survive this blow?? "I would rather die, than to cancel my trip to Shirdi. Any other place of visit, I could do without", he thought. He was adamant to leave as planned, though his officer had promised to sanction leave later, after the crisis had blown over. That night, Baba appeared in his dream and angrily said, " Don't you dare come to Shirdi tomorrow ." Purandare obeyed and attended office as usual, the next day. This pleased the officer and the doubt that he harboured, that Purandare was in league with the strikers also vanished. A month later, the officer asked him to take leave and go to Shirdi. When he went to the Dwarkamai, Baba said, " Don't go mad. We have as yet, many responsibilities to discharge. Stay at home and chant My name. Am I not with you all the time ???"

Leela 67

Baba asked Purandare to build a house, for himself and his family, at his own expense. Purandare, with great difficulty, bought land in the desolate Bandra suburb. He started construction, but was plagued by severe headaches. Unable to bear it anymore, he wrote to Baba, pleading that, instead of giving him such unbearable pain, He had better put and end to his life. This letter he gave Dr. Pillai, with the request to give it to Baba. Upon the receipt of the letter, Baba's heart melted and He sent some Udi and snuff like powder in a small packet. He asked Purandare to inhale it, and Purandare did just that and the headache was gone. A few days later, he wrote to Baba, asking Him when he should do 'Gruha-Pravesh'. Baba replied, " You may perform 'Gruha - Pravesh' on Thursday. I too will come along with you."

So, on Thursday, Purandare made 'naivedya' for Baba. Then with Baba's photograph clasped to his chest, he proceeded to the house. Being rather poor, he couldn't have an elaborate 'Pooja' and riuals. As long as Baba's photograph was there first with naivedya, everything would go well, he thought. To his surprise, as he was walking past the Datta Mandir, he saw Baba there. Baba accompanied him to the new house, till Purandare reverentially placed Baba's photograph on as 'aasan' and then vanished.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 35

2009-03-02T04:48:00.002+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 64
Ramchandra Maharaj was required by his Guru Gadge Maharaj to sponsor a day's expense for the 'yagna' (holy sacrifice) that he was going to perform. Ramchandra Maharaj went to Belapur, and the surrounding places, performing Kirtans. He obtained promises of sums greater than the estimated expenses. So, he was quite carefree. When he went again, a few days later to collect them, he was disappointed. As the money wasn't forthcoming, and the people evaded him. Ramchandra Maharaj was in fix and wondered, how he could fulfill his promise to his Guru. He therefore offered an earnest prayer to Baba for help. The next morning, a devotee brought Rs.100/- and gave it to Ramchandra Maharaj while he was performing 'kirtans'. That was the exact amount that was promised to him. Need it be said that his faith in Baba grew by leaps and bounds!!

Leela 65
Govindrao Chandorkar was Nana's father. He, like his son, was a Deputy Collector and lived in his house' in Kalyan. Once it so happened, that there was some misunderstanding between him and the local Muslims. Upset with this, he told all his family members not to associate with any Muslims. His word was law at home.So, the family distanced themselves from their Muslim friends and neighbours. At that time, Nana was away on tour. When he returned, the family warned him about the turn of events, and informed him of his father's decision. This made Nana quite uncomfortable, as he knew that his father thought that his Guru, Sai Baba, was a Muslim. He racked his brains as to how to convince his father that Baba was neither Hindu nor Muslim, but far above that. He was uncertain of his father's response and he felt that he would rather die than to forsake Baba. Nonetheless, he told his father that he would like to discuss something with him. He couldn't believe his ears when his father said, " My Guru is Sakharam .Maharaj, but he isn't your Guru, and Baba is. So even if Sai Baba is a Muslim, he is still your Guru, and you may most certainly continue worshipping him. There is no objection from me on this." Nana gratefully thanked his father. He was overjoyed and amazed at the way Baba gripped his father's orthodox mind and changed it for the better. What was it that his Guru could not do?? Time and again, Baba has changed people's minds, nay, and their whole life!! Megha, the Gujarati Brahmin was sent to Baba by Hari Vinayak Sathe. But Megha was sure that he would descend into hell, because he would have to prostrate before a 'Yavan'. Baba to him was 'Avindha' (whose ears aren't pierced), living in the Masjid. Megha went to Shirdi because his master forced him to. Reluctantly, he went to Dwarkamai and Baba roared at him saying, "You are a high class Brahmin and I'm the meanest of mean - a Yavan. You will be polluted. So go back this very moment." This was a show of Baba's 'Rudra Roop'. He was waiting to develop Megha spiritually. This He did by working on him mentally and showing him Leela after Leela. Megha, on the other hand, was changed for life. He saw Shiva in the place of Baba, every time he did Arati. With utter devotion and concentration, he stood on one leg with the 'Pancharati' in the right hand and the bell in the left. He did Baba's Arati till his samadhi (death) in 1912. (Sai Satcharitra Ch 28)

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 34

2009-03-01T04:45:00.003+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 62
Kaka Dixit wished to purchase some land from Laxman Bhat in Shirdi in 1910. Bhat demanded Rs.200/-, but Dixit was unwilling to pay that amount. He thought that Rs.150/- was a fair bargain. So he set about convincing Bhat. But, Bhat was adamant and Dixit was unwilling to compromise. A long discussion took place between them. That afternoon, Bhat was passing by the Dwarkamai. Baba called him and enquired about the discussion. "What discussion was going on between you and Dixit?" He asked. Bhat told Baba everything. Baba settled the matter by saying, "You may sell the land for Rs.175/-." Bhat went to Dixit to collect the money. Dixit as per his word gave Rs.150/- unknowingly, as he wasn't aware of the agreement between Baba and Bhat. Bhat also did not tell Dixit. He just took the money and went home. At home, he counted once, then again and again, to his surprise it was Rs.175/-, the amount that was settled by Baba. Be it an extra photograph or extra money, Baba sees that His devotees are satisfied.

Leela 63
Although his application for a government loan for Rs.500/- was rejected, a farmer didn't give up. He wanted the loan for a well on his land and so applied again with the same result, a rejection. Finally, he went to Baba for help. Baba patiently heard him, and turning to Nana, asked him to do the needful. Nana was then a collector, Chitnis. Nana said that he would try his best and present the application, but was doubtful about the acceptance. The farmer therefore applied and Nana presented the application to the collector. Nana also told him that a similar application was previously presented, only to be rejected twice. This aroused the curiosity of the collector in charge. He called the farmer and asked him, why he was so adamant. He also asked him to state the reasons clearly. The farmer said, "Sir, I owe Rs.500/-to the government and I am anxious to repay that amount. I can't do this till I have a well to water my lands and thereby get a better yield of crops. I started digging a well, but halfway through, there were huge rocks. These rocks have to be blasted, using dynamite and then removed. The workers stopped mid-way because of this. The work can't be completed. Thus, I can't get water. Without water, I cannot get a good crop. So, I can't sell and repay my debt. So, I pressed the government for this loan, though I have been disappointed twice before." The collector was thoroughly satisfied and the loan was granted.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 33

2009-03-01T04:43:00.002+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 60
Baba once asked Kaka to accompany Him to Nimgaon, knowing full well that his left leg was hurting. On that occasion, Kaka had such excruciating pain, that he could hardly limp, even a furlong. But Kaka being the perfect devotee, said, "Yes Baba", and got up. Kaka of course knew that his Guru had a plan for him. They both set out to Nimgaon, a distance of 6 km, to and fro. Over the dusty and bumpy road, they walked. But there was not a trace of pain in Kaka's leg. When Kaka came back to Shirdi, he found that the pain had completely gone.

Leela 61
In 1917, a 'Maha Mandal' in honour of the Bharadwaj Gotra was conducted in Babol village in Vengurla taluka, Ratnagiri. They invited Dabholkar to preside and become its president. As always, Dadbholkar consulted Baba who refused permission. The same thing happened the following year. So, he dropped the idea. Baba then appeared in his dream and told him to take up the position of president, the following year. So, he did just that. Dabholkar's daughter became mentally imbalanced and started clinging to her father. She would not listen to any body, but him. As president, it was required of Dabholkar to go to Babol. So, with Baba's permission, he left and returned in four days. During that period, his daughter was quite normal. But after his return, she relapsed again. To add to all this, she started getting convulsions and couldn't be controlled by anyone. Dabholkar was quite upset as his daughter was pregnant at that time and everyone was worried about the baby.
Being a kind and caring father, he got three famous gynecologists to examine her. Each of them advised a caesarian to safely deliver the baby, but thought that the mother's life maybe in jeopardy. The very next day, a doctor came to his home on his own accord and advised him to seek divine help. This was easy for Dabholkar and he at once prayed to Baba to help both mother and child. She then delivered a normal baby without the help of surgery or the doctors. After some time, both mother and child came to Shirdi. The merciful Baba blessed her and said that all would go well. After that, all her sufferings came to an end.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 32

2009-02-28T05:30:00.002+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI"
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 59

Ganeshji Mahajan of Sawantwadi worked as a clerk at Khatau Mahajan Mills, Bombay. He earned a meagre salary of Rs.15/- per month. To add to all this, he frequently fell ill with some malady or the other. His mother worried greatly and fervently hoped that her son would go to Shirdi and gain good health. Ganesh too wished likewise. But, he felt that he couldn't afford the trip. Once, the water pump in Shirdi required urgent repair. So, his mill manager, R.A.Tarkhad decided to send an engineer to Shirdi. The engineer seized the opportunity and decided to take his family with him. Mrs. Tarkhad, on hearing that the family was going, decided that she would accompany them. Tarkhad booked seats and made arrangements for both the families to go to Shirdi. Ganesh knew all this. So, on the date of departure, he came to V.T. station to see them off. He also brought some fruits, flowers and prasad to be offered to Baba. The families were comfortably seated, and there were just a few minutes for the train to depart. When Tarkhad asked Ganesh whether he would like to go, as one of the family members could not make it and there was a spare ticket. Ganesh couldn't believe his ears. He jumped into the compartment saying, "Yes! Yes! Of course I'll go!" Then he sent word to his mother about the wonderful news, at long last, his chance to go to Shirdi. His delight knew no bounds and he thanked his manager and Baba for making all the arrangements for the pilgrimage.He reached Shirdi, took Baba's Darshan. From that time, the illnesses took to their heels and he was in robust health.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 31

2009-02-27T05:30:00.005+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI"
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 58

His problem seemed to be insurmountable, as he earned very little, and had to look after his mother,so Janardhan M. Fanse, also known as Haribhau Fanse decided to give it all up. He informed his mother of his decision and decided to go to Rameshwaram. However, as Shirdi was on the way, he decided to go there and have Baba's Darshan. He stepped into the Dwarkamai and was enchanted to see Baba. Baba told him to return home as his mother was fasting and praying for him and she might die. However, Baba gave him some Udi at the time of departure. This he kept safely with him. On reaching home, he narrated what Baba said and his mother was convinced of Baba's divinity. Meanwhile, a villager approached him for help, as he was ill with cholera. Fanse gave him a little of Baba's Udi and he recovered. This led the villagers to think that he was a physician, and the people kept coming for aid. Soon, the Udi was exhausted and he wondered, what he could do next. But the epidemic also vanished. One day, he casually met a Marwari, who told him about his brother's plight. "My brother is seriously sick. He has tried doctor after doctor, but of no avail. Since you are a devotee of Sai Baba, you must see him. For if your Sai Baba is really so divine, he will cure him through you." Haribhau took one look at the patient and was horrified at his state. He quickly told the Marwari that his fees were very high and quoted Rs.200/- hoping that the Marwari would refuse. The amount far exceeded the fees of the civil surgeon. But the Marwari agreed. He was then in a real fix. He decided to slip away. But, he couldn't leave the village, as it was nightfall. He had now been pushed into a dark corner. As was his usual practice, he made preparation for Bhajan and prayer. To the utter surprise of the family, the patient himself did all the work. Throughout the Bhajan, the patient sat and looked at Baba's photograph with love and concentration. The Marwari was so pleased that he said, "Whether the patient dies or survives, you alone will treat him." This put Haribhau in a dilemma, and he did not know what to do. The compassionate Baba appeared in his dream and told him what the disease was, and what to prescribe and how to administer it. Haribhau did exactly that and the patient recovered. The Marwari gave the fees of Rs.200/-, but Haribhau would not rightly accept it, saying, "It was my Guru's grace." The Marwari was uneasy at this. So he bought a shawl worth Rs.200/- and left it at his residence when he was out. Haribhau returned, only to find the gift. He somehow, wanted Baba to have it. But, by that time, Baba had taken Mahasamadhi. With tears rolling down his cheeks, he prayed to Baba. That night he had a dream. Baba said, "There is famine all around, so sell the shawl and out of the money, buy rice. For the present, sell it below cost price till the rice runs out. After that, sell rice for a profit and you will be able to make a living." Haribhau did just that and became prosperous and was able to look after his mother comfortably. This Leela elaborates the power and the greatness of Baba's Udi. In Sai Satcharitra Ch. 33 and 34, Leelas are cited when Baba gave Udi and affected a cure. Be it Narayanrao of Nasik who used the ash from the incense sticks to treat the scorpion bite, as Udi wasn't readily available. Nana was enroute to Kalyan, when a father wanted some of Baba's Udi for his daughter, who had bubonic plague. Nana had no Udi at hand. So, picking some dust from the road, he fervently prayed to Baba and applied it to his wife's forehead. The man saw all this with amazement and only later found out, that she started recovering, the very moment, Nana applied the dust. The Jamner miracle, where Baba sent the Udi and Adkars Aarti to Nana through Ramgirbua to ease the delivery of Nana's daughter, is also very remarkable. Leela after Leela are given where Udi was given by Baba or some other devotee and was certain of a cure.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 30

2009-02-26T05:30:00.003+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI"
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 57

Bhimaji Patil of Narayangaon, Pune district was suffering a great deal with pulmonary tuberculosis. He tried all kinds of medicines; both hakims and vaids treated him. Then he prayed to various gods and goddesses who were propitiated, but of no avail. Even exorcising the evil spirits was tried. But the disease was relentless. Then Nana told him of the compassionate Sai. So, he went to Shirdi. Seeing him, Baba said, " The moment you put your foot in Shirdi, your sufferings have ended. The Fakir of this place is very kind. He will eradicate your disease and pain." (Sai Satcharitra Ch.13) It was Baba's word and it had to be followed to the letter.

Here is another Leela about pulmonary tuberculosis. Malanbai, the daughter of D.R.Joshi Devgaonkar suffered enormously from pulmonary tuberculosis. All sorts of treatments, remedies and poultices were tried, but nothing worked. Malanbai could not bear the pain and coughing bouts anymore. So, she insisted on being taken to Shirdi. Baba upon seeing her let off a volley of abuses and asked her to lie on a blanket and take nothing, but water by mouth. She stayed in Dixit Wada for a week, carefully following Baba's orders. Early one morning, she stopped breathing and died. Her family were moaning her loss and making preparations for her cremation. That morning, Baba did not leave the Chawdi, although it was past 8:00 a.m. It seemed that Baba was in one of His 'rage fits'. He shouted and shouted for no apparent reason. Hitting the floor with His 'satka', It looked as if He was driving away, some unseen object. Still shouting, He strode to Dixit Wada and paused a moment, shaking his 'satka' vigorously. Then just as suddenly, as He flared up, He calmed down and went away. The family was oblivious of Baba's actions, but as they were getting ready to bathe the body, they noticed the girl breathing. She opened her eyes and looked around frightened. She told the family what took place. " A demon-like black person was carrying me away, I was terrified and couldn't do anything. So, I called out to Baba to help me. He at once came and beat the black man quite badly. Then, He snatched me from his hand and carried me to the Chawdi." She gave a vivid description of the Chawdi, although she had not seen it. The family, hearing all this, shed tears of joy. Was it any wonder that Baba sat in the Masjid facing south? South, the dreaded direction, from which Yamraaj comes. But everyday and all day long, He sat, facing Yama. Not a moment was He without His 'satka',the 'magical wand', with which He could drive away the Yamdoot, or save Amir Shakkar from being bitten by the serpent (Sai Satcharitra Ch 22).With every stroke of the 'satka', He could quell the blazing 'Dhuni' when the flames roared and leapt to the ceiling (Sai Satcharitra Ch. 11).

Chandbhai Patil had lost his mare and though he searched diligently for her, he could not find her. Disappointed, he was returning back to Dhoopkheda, with his saddle. Under a mango tree, sat an Avalia, who called out to him and said, "Come here, smoke this chillum, then go. Rest a while." The loving tone and the benevolent presence drew Chandbhai Patil. He went to the Avalia who was getting ready to smoke His chillum. Two things were wanting; the coal to light the tobacco and water to wet the cloth. The Avalia struck the ground with His 'chimta' and out came a live coal. Then, taking His 'satka', He struck the ground and a stream of water flowed out (Sai Satcharitra Ch 5). This was Baba's first 'satka' Leela to the outside world. Though He had been using His 'satka' before and is still doing so.

Once, Mausibai was kneading Baba's stomach vigorously. When another devotee asked her to be gentler, hearing this, Baba got up and striking the 'satka' on the ground, rolled His eyes around. Then holding one end of the satka with both His hands thrust it into His stomach. The other end, He pushed against the pillar in front of Him. It seemed that the 'satka' was fast disappearing into His stomach. A little later, He calmed down and resumed His seat. The devotee learnt a valuable lesson of not interfering with anyone's seva to Baba. Baba Himself knew the depth of love and devotion that each devotee had for Him, and allowed seva accordingly (Sai Satcharitra Ch 24). This 'satka' Baba kept with Him at all times. Even today, His 'satka' is venerated and taken in procession in the 'palki' and 'rath' on Thursday and other holidays.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 29

2009-02-25T05:30:00.005+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI"
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 56
Keshav was the grandson of Hari Bhau K. Karnik. He went on a pilgrimage festival of the goddess Mahalaxmi. The village was about ten miles away from his residence and was situated on the banks of a river. During his stay there, he often swam in the river. Just before returning home, he swam and bathed as usual, went to the temple, took Darshan of the goddess and returned home. On the way, he noticed that his golden ring weighing 1.5 tolas was missing. With a heavy heart, he returned home. He was sure that it must have slipped into the river while bathing. About six months later, a Fakir came to his house and asked his grandfather whether his child had lost his ring in that very river. After ascertaining the identity of the ring, he returned it and left.

Two Gentlemen from Goa

One of the gentlemen was robbed of Rs.30,000/- He bemoaned the loss and sat on the verandah in great sorrow. On the 15th day, a Fakir came to his house and advised him what to do.
The money was recovered the very next day. (Sai Satcharitra Ch. 36) Could you believe that the Fakir in the Leelas given above was Baba??

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 28

2009-02-24T05:30:00.005+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI"
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 55

He desperately prayed to Baba to help him

There was a devotee who was a clerk in the customs' office. One day a bundle of custom bills were checked and verified by his officer and given to him. He was sure that he had kept them safely in the drawer of his desk. Knowing that the officer would recall them later, he wanted to keep them ready on his desk. But to his utter dismay, there were not to be found. He made a thorough search, but could not trace them. He feared a reprimand, or worse still, the loss of his job. So he prayed to Baba. That day passed without his officer asking for the bills.
The next day, rather scared, he went to the office and found the bills neatly placed on his table. He racked his brains as to who could have done this, as he was the last person to leave and the first to enter the office. He remembered locking the office in the evening before leaving and opening it in the morning.
Who but Baba could have entered the closed office and done this!!

Megha and the Trident (Sai Satcharitra 28).
Baba had once asked Megha to draw a Trident in his dream vision. Megha woke up to find Akshata (sanctified rice) all over his bed. But the door was locked and bolted securely. How could this be, he wondered!
"No door is necessary for My entry. I've neither shape nor size. I'm always everywhere," said Baba to Megha when He asked him to draw a trident.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 27

2009-02-23T05:30:00.002+05:30

BASED ON THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI"
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 54

M.R.Tagare worked as a doctor for Sakarwadi sugar mills near Shirdi. In 1914, he wished to encash his war-bonds of Rs.2500/-. Thus, he proceeded to Kopargaon Post-office in a bullock-cart. He had a bag containing the war-bonds, kept at his side. En route, he was busy chatting with a fellow passenger. To his utter dismay, he noticed that there was no bag beside him. Thinking that it must have slipped and fallen on the way, he stopped the cart and went in search of it. He trudged back for about a mile or two, searching diligently for it. But, alas, the bag wasn't to be found. Disappointed and remorseful about this, he went to Kopargaon as he had to visit a sick friend. That night he couldn't sleep and tossed and turned, thinking about the loss. At midnight, he got out of bed and went and sat near Baba's photograph, praying for help. When he heard a voice saying, "Cease worrying." The voice reassured him and he fell asleep. Next morning, he made the 'house call' to his friend who lived in a village nearby. He examined the friend and prescribed the necessary medicine and sat a while chatting. He mentioned to his friend about the loss of his bag, en route. A little girl, standing nearby, ran and brought a bag, saying, "Is this the bag? It was found on the roadside yesterday." Thrilled, the doctor took his bag and upon examining the contents, found that the war-bonds were intact.

He mentally thanked Baba for His help.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 26

2009-02-22T05:30:00.006+05:30

BASED ON THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI"
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 53

Plague raged in Pimpalgaon, Baswanth, Nasik District. Waman C. Munge, a lawyer, moved his family to his farmhouse. One night, a theft was in progress in his house. The thieves had cleverly made a hole in the wall. Munge was sleeping peacefully, and on the wall above, hung Baba's photograph. One of the thieves entered the room and taking a small box that lay below the bed, passed it to his accomplice who was outside. The box contained cash of Rs.200/-, but had some promissory notes, worth Rs.4000/-. Next, the thief was in the process of lifting a huge trunk that was in front of the cot. This trunk was valuable as it contained the family jewelry, worth about Rs.10,000/-. Baba was watching all this from the photograph above the bed. At that very instant, Baba appeared in his dream, woke him and warned him of the theft. So, he started shouting at the top of his voice. His sister-in-law also joined him. The commotion woke the whole family, the servants and the watchman. They chased the thieves who escaped, or so it seemed. The next day, the small box was found, lying in the field nearby. The cash, however, was missing, but the promissory notes were intact. On that day, he had a dream vision, in which he saw Baba, Abdul and another Fakir (Abdul's Guru). Subsequently, he visited Shirdi and saw the Trio there. Some days later, Shri Datta Brahmachari of Kopargaon, visited him for lunch. He told Munge that the lost property was recovered. The police had raided a Marwari, and confiscated many stolen goods from him. The police officer also arrived at Munge's house and informed him of the raid. Subsequently, with proper identification, he recovered his money.

Baba proved that there were no Shishyas, Relatives, Incarnations or Successors to inherit His legacy

2009-02-22T05:30:00.003+05:30

We have reasons to believe that Sri Saibaba of Shirdi Stands Alone to protect and preserve his devotee's best interest.

Its very saddening of some people claiming to be his incarnation or successor or relative through which he performs his duties.

Baba is the father, caretaker and preserver of all , even of his fickle-minded childrens.

May baba give sadbuddhi to all and put even his fickle-minded childrens on the right path. Amen !

DEVOTEES EXPERIENCES AFTER BABA'S MAHASAMADHI ON 15th OCTOBER 1918 from book entitled ''AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI" written by Shri Ramalingam Swami, inspired by Param Pujya Sri Sivanesan Swamiji of Shirdi .

How Baba proved that there were no Shishyas, Relatives, Incarnations or Successors to inherit His legacy?

Proof 1

Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi took His Mahasamadhi on 15th October, 1918. Upto 1922, no proper arrangements to look after the Mahasamadhi were made. Ultimately, Shri Kakasaheb Dixit, seeing the sad state of affairs as conducted by the village set up an office with a Managing Committee under the Public Trust Act, with the approval of the District Court Ahmednagar.

At that time, Shri Abdul Baba performed the daily 'Abhishek' to the Samadhi. So, the 'Mahanaivedya' (food offering) was handed over him. Also, he was allowed to live in the room on the left side, adjacent to the Samadhi. He was the only local leading devotee of Sai Baba. He had collected about four to five thousand rupees of 'Dakshina' amount given by Baba's devotees. Enjoying these privileges, he thought, he was the legal heir to Baba. Some of his well wishers fuelled the idea that the Trust formed was an the injustice against him. Thus he filed a suit against the Trust, in the District Court of Ahmadnagar.

By the Grace of Baba, the District Court passed order against Abdul Baba, saying that there were no hairs or successors to Shri Sai Baba and he had no right to the maintenance of the Samadhi or in the working of the newly formed Trust. The Mahanaivedya given to him was stopped, and he was asked to vacate the room.

Baba had said that he would have the Divine Powers for a thousand years to look after the welfare of His devotees. It was thus proved by Baba Himself that there were no Shishyas, relatives, incarnations or successors to Him.

Surrender to Shri Sai Completely!

Stupendous delectation and deliverance will be there!

Proof 2

The Fate of Shri Muktaram, a staunch devotee of Baba, when he wanted to occupy Baba's Gadi

Shri Muktaram was a staunch devotee of Shri Sai Baba. Sai Baba had given him a Kafni. He lived in Dixit Wada and kept a Dhuni. A few days after Baba's Mahasamadhi, he forcibly occupied Baba's Gadi in Dwarkamai, against the wishes of the villagers.

As soon as he sat there, he began to vomit blood and was taken to his residence in Dixit Wada. The devotees thought of taking him to the Kopergaon hospital but before it could be decided as to who should accompany him, he died in Dixit Wada itself. His Samadhi is in Lendi Baug.

This incident clearly shows that Baba was not willing to allow anybody to occupy His Gadi.

- Joyti Ranjan
Worli, Mumbai

RECENT LEELA OF BABA-PART 2

2009-02-21T05:30:00.004+05:30

Dear readers ,

Provided below is an article inherited from Saileela magazine , of whom , i couldn't leave the charm of sharing with all other Sai devotee's out there who are chanting Baba's name day and night and receiving benefits both spiritual and material from it .

It will surely prove that our prayers are never unheard and unanswered . Our ever-pervading and omniscient Baba knows and takes care of us all .

What an amazing ,breathtaking and marvellous leela of baba.

Please read through and experience the same amazing feeling which i had when i read through this experience of a Sai devotee.

Jai Sainath !!!

I am not alone-Baba is with Me

I am pleased to share my following glorious experience with innumerable Sai devotees.

It was during November, 1997. My wife and myself went to our daughter's home in the United States. I am a diabetic patient and I also had an attack of severe bronchitis before we left India. The doctors here had prescribed medication to be taken during our stay in the US.

We reached US on schedule and continued to stay with our daughter comfortably. As per our routine, we used to worship our beloved deity Sri Sainath by chanting the usual prayers everyday. We had planned our sojourn for three months. On the thirtieth day after our arrival in US, I suddenly had severe cramps in the chest. I could not bear the pain or breath. I lied down wherever I was. We were alone in the house with the infant kids of our daughter, as our daughter and son-in-law had left for their work. I was alone in the drawing room when I had these cramps. I somehow beckoned my wife who was in the kitchen. She was shocked when she saw my plight and immediately phoned my daughter at the office. It was snowing at the time and there was eighteen inches of snow on the road and approach to our home. Temperature outside was below zero. On hearing about my condition at home one of her senior colleague helped her drive through the snow and they rushed to the house within fifteen minutes.

When my daughter saw my distressed state, she did not waste time pondering. She called the emergency service and explained to them of our predicament. Within ten minutes, the emergency squad arrived at our place fully equipped. There were two doctors too in the squad. They checked my condition, took ECG on the spot and decided that it was a stroke and that I have to be immediately admitted to a hospital having facility to perform a heart surgery. There were two hospitals nearby who could perform the surgery. As it was heavily snowing, most of the roads were blocked. I was physically immobile but I was in senses. I pleaded that "I need not be taken to any hospital and I will be all right soon and that I can get necessary medical aid in India." The emergency squad insisted that I should be taken to the hospital and specialist doctors will decide the future course. They asked for our preference of hospital, and my son-in-law suggested a name known to him, where there was a specialist Indian doctor attached to them. They then put me on the stretcher and we waded through snow on the way to the hospital.

Within 30 minutes we reached the place. On arrival, the staff took me to the emergency cell. I distinctly remember that, lying on the stretcher on way to emergency room, I was continuously chanting and remembering Lord Sainath's name. Silently chanting his name I may have lapsed into an unconscious state. Within an hour I understand that they conducted various tests including catheterization. The tests suggested that there were four blocks in the arteries. A conference was held among various doctors and surgeons and it was decided that an open heart bypass surgery has to be conducted without delay.

Hospital authorities summoned the anesthetist and within two hours of arriving at the hospital the surgery was commenced. I was not aware of anything that was being performed on my physical body. I was gleefully wandering somewhere in the most pleasant gardens and lawns in a serene atmosphere. I was aware that 'I' was not alone and Lord Sainath was with me'.

It nearly took five hours for the surgeon and his assistants, to complete the task of cutting the veins from my calves and thighs and plant them firmly in place in the arteries. The operation was successful. Probably it took another six hours for me to regain my consciousness. My wife, it seems was continuously praying Baba for the success of the surgery and for my speedy recovery. Her prayers were answered. She was there to give me an assuring smile although in tears of joy.

I came to senses all right! But I was trying to find me! I was neither there nor here! It took me some time. May be a minute or two, I am not sure! Suddenly I realized that I was with Baba, and I was walking down from the inside of his heart back to my bed. I was in a state of confusion! I did not for a moment understand why I had to leave Baba and that beautiful garden and walk down to this miserable place. I started looking for him. I could not find! Then after some time, I concluded that he had walked along with me and may have entered my heart! Yes, He is still there! Always there! I am not sure when I will have another opportunity roaming those gardens with Him! Why should I worry? Let Him decide.

One thing that has entered my heart now after the surgery is not the new veins 'but that' I am not alone and Baba is always with me! He loves, provides and protects.

"I am not alone, Baba is with me" is not an exclusive privilege of mine. It is a fact decreed for every devotee. We have to be aware of His presence. He is with us hearing and looking at everything we say and do. He is witnessing our every speech and actions. The moment the awareness of his continuous presence is felt, we get transformed. The thoughts which are the cause of our speech and actions will naturally get oriented to speak and do things which have His approval. Our ego the 'I' will get a knock and a slap. Our speech will get changed to be very courteous and polite. We start appreciating others. We will start saying "Oh! You have done a great job". This is because we also feel the Lord's presence in the person, whom we are addressing. We shall start saying, "I admit I was wrong". I know how difficult it is to admit our inadequacies. But with the awareness of his presence in us it is easy. The 'I' becomes a non-entity. When the 'I' gives room for 'We' the life turns out to be a happy passing phase.

One more thing we normally say "I did this, I said this, I did that, I said that" etc. We should make it a habit to say "Let us do this, let us do that" etc. Let us include Him also in whatever we say or do. I am a non-entity without Him. It is He who does everything and we are only His instruments.

The eight words "I am not alone, Baba is with me" is a mantra that we have to repeat daily and at all times and feel His presence with us!

- K. S. Shenoy
Kothrud, Pune.

Hyderabad, A.P.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 38

2009-02-20T20:07:00.014+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI"
COMPILED BY:SAI BHAKT VINNY,
FOUNDER,ALL INDIA SAI SAMAJ,MADRAS.

Leela 70
Once Nana arrived at Shirdi at about 12:00 noon and took Baba's darshan. Baba told Nana that He wanted to eat puran poli. Nana was reluctant at first, as it was way past 12:00 noon. He told Baba that he would offer it the next day. Baba wouldn't agree to this and told Nana, "No matter how long it takes, I want puran polis today." Nana went and searched for a lady who was willing to prepare them for Re. 1/- each. In the evening, he came to Dwarkamai with freshly prepared delicious puran poli and placed them before Baba. Baba, however didn't touch it, let alone, put a morsel in His mouth. After a while, He asked Nana to take it away as He had eaten. Nana was vexed to hear this, as Baba hadn't eaten it, after all the trouble he had taken to get them prepared. He went to the Chawdi in a huff. Baba called him and told him to eat it, as He had already partaken of it. This happened twice. Then, Baba said, "You have been with Me for more than eighteen years. What have you learnt from Me? I've eaten your puran poli in the form of ants." Nana wasn't convinced. Intellectually, he knew that Baba was everywhere and in everything. But, it was hard for him to accept it. Then, Baba made a sign to him, and that was a secret, deep in his heart that nobody knew about. Nana then realized that He was indeed in his aatma and the aatma of ants and every living creature.

Leela 71
One day, Baba was extremely angry with Sagun Meru, when he went for His darshan. He scolded him and said that he hadn't followed His words. Perplexed, Sagun Meru wondered at what he had done wrong. Suddenly he realized that someone must be hungry. He went to the Wada and enquired if anyone had missed his or her meals. Two of the devotees hadn't eaten. So he invited them for meals and after they were satiated, he returned to the Dwarkamai. Baba smiled and said, "Have you understood the meaning of my words? Always act thus." Baba, by behaviour and conduct, taught the devotees that food is Brahma and that all living creatures
experience the same hunger pangs. "Know that those who give food to one suffering the pangs of hunger , are really putting it in My mouth, and this is true
everywhere," said Baba once to Laxmibai (Sai Satcharitra Ch. 42).

Experience His All- Pervasiveness!

2009-02-20T05:30:00.000+05:30

Article inherited from Sri Saileela magazine published by Sri Saibaba sansthan trust, Shirdi .

Wherever you are, and Whatever you may doing, always bear it in mind that I shall continue to be informed of the minutest details of your deeds.

In this manner, as I am described, I dwell in the mind of all I am in the hearts of all, all pervading I am the load of all.

I fill entire creation, within and without, to the point of overflowing. This universe is directed by God and I am the one who holds the reins.

I am the Mother of all being, I am the equilibrium of the three gunas, I promote the activities of the senses. I am the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer.

One who concentrates on Me, for him nothing is difficult. But the moment he forgets Me, Maya will attack him.

Whatever is perceived in My image only, whether it be a worm, an ant, a poor wretch or a king. "This immeasurable universe consisting of mobile and immobile thing-these are Baba's own image.

He who constantly remember me after completely surrendering to Me, I own him a debt which I will repay by uplifting him.

I constantly care for him who only longs for me and for him no one is equal to me. I act according to his wishes.

You may ask who is in the heart and how? What are his attributes? And what is his identity by which he can be recognized?

- Chapter 44 Shri Sai Satcharita

Sai fills the movable and immovable, Sai is within us outside us too. Sai is in your and my heart. He stays there permanently

Sai is immanent in the whole creation and He likes nothing else than love.

- Chapter 44 Shri Sai Satcharita

Though we cannot see him with our naked eyes He is everywhere. Though He in hiding in a subtle form, He keeps us engrossed in him.

Worshipping him with heart and soul, remembering him with love and devotion all the devotees will experience His all pervasiveness.

- Chapter 44 Shri Sai Satcharita

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 25

2009-02-19T05:30:00.007+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ," AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",

COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 52

Vasudev Sadashiv Joshi of Sitaram Co. and his friend Chidambar Rao K. Gadge went to Shirdi for Baba's Darshan. They stayed in Sathe Wada and attended the Aarti that was conducted there. In the early days, there was Aarti in the Gurusthan also.While the Aarti was in progress, Joshi saw Narsimha Murthy in the photograph instead of Baba. He was delighted; but wonder of wonders, it happened for three consecutive days. On the day of their departure, Baba gave them Udi and Prasad. They thought that the Prasad would not suffice for distribution, when they returned to their village. Baba, knowing their thought, gave them eight annas and asked them to buy Prasad from any shop in Shirdi, as any Prasad bought in Shirdi was His Prasad.On another visit, Baba distributed 'burfi' for Prasad. They found it extremely delicious. So they thought they would buy some more. Baba told them that there were three baskets of prasad, so they could take three mounds from that. Happily they returned home with Baba's Udi and the 'burfi' Prasad.Some days later, Joshi gave Rs.10/- to his friend and asked him to give it to Baba as dakshina. He also made another request and that was to take a photograph of Baba and bring it back with him. Joshi wished to do ritualistic Puja to Baba. So, he wanted the photograph. Gadge left with Rs.10/- and went to the Dwarkamai, prostrated before Baba and gave Him Joshi's dakshina. He was silent, as he had not the courage to request permission for the photograph. Baba, too, was silent for a long time. Then just before his departure, Baba Himself asked Gadge to take His photograph. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he 'with consent photo' took two photographs of Baba, one sitting and the other standing. Baba told him that the photographs should not be sold for a profit. He then gave him permission to leave with Udi and Prasad.In Sai satcharitra Ch.33 the story of Balabua Sutar is given. He was a famous kirtankar residing in Bombay. Once, he went to Shirdi and took Baba's darshan. Baba said, "i have known him for the last four years." Balabua wondered at this, for it was his first visit to Shirdi. How could Baba have known him since four years? Why four years? He racked his brains, and then he remembered that four years ago, he made obeisance to Baba's photograph and the omniscient Baba mentioned it. He also got a valuable lesson that bowing to Baba's photograph was bowing to Baba in person. This lesson, he treasured forever.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 24

2009-02-18T05:30:00.004+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",

COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 51

Once the daughter-in-law of Hari Bhau Karnik became mentally imbalanced. Karnik heard the sad news and set out to see her. She resided in Andheri, Bombay.He caught a local train to go and meet her. When the train reached Palghar, he suddenly saw a Fakir wearing a Kafni seated behind him. The Fakir said, "Lord Parmeshwar has created all varieties of trees, for their utilization by humanity. But they know little about their significance or use. I know them pretty well." Then pointing to one particular tree, He said, "If the leaves of this tree are ground and the juice given to a madman, he will be alright."Karnik was deep in thought and he was unaware of his surroundings. Only upon reaching Bandra did he snap out of his reverie. He looked around for the Fakir, but He wasn't there. Upon reaching his son' s home, he quickly procured the leaves of the tree and administered the juice to his daughter-in-law just as the Fakir had advised.'Lo! She became alright!'.Two years later, she had become mentally imbalanced again. He used the same leaves, and this time, she became all right for life.In Sai Satcharitra Ch. 7, a beautiful description is given of Baba being the famous Hakim of Shirdi. In the early days, Baba roamed about here and there, in the thickets, brambles and jungles. Most people thought that He roamed aimlessly. But the compassionate Fakir would go and collect indigenous plants, leaves and seeds. These he would use as a remedy and as cure for the numerous devotees who flocked to Him for physical relief.Once a devotee came to Him, as his eyes were red, painful and swollen. Baba took some crushed Biba seeds (marking nuts) and made two balls out of them. Then, He placed then on each eye and bandaged them. The next day, He removed everything and poured water over the eyes and behold, the eyes were clear and bright again.Shama suffered from Hemorrhoids (piles) and the pain and burning was severe. The compassionate Baba gave him a decoction of Sona mukhi (Senna pods) and he was relieved. Two years later, the condition reoccurred and Shama, on his own accord, took the same Senna pods, only to find the condition aggravated (Sai Satcharitra Ch.13).

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 23

2009-02-17T05:30:00.007+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",

COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 50

Kaka Dixit was a perfect disciple of Baba. He not only obeyed Baba's orders, but also tried to inculcate Baba's nature and lifestyle, so that one day he could be just like his Sadguru. Indeed, he succeeded with hard work.One evening, Kaka was returning home from his office. A strong able-bodied person came and asked for alms. Kaka however looked at His face keenly and was convinced that He was none other than his Sadguru. He at once eave Him some coins. The man on receiving the money just laughed and went away without asking for anything from any other person. Dixit watched Him till he disappeared. Dixit started for Shirdi on that very day. When he met Baba, he enquired about it. Baba simply said, "Yes! I did come to you in that form.".Dixit was extremely pleased to hear this.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 22

2009-02-16T05:30:00.004+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",

COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 48

After taking darshan of Baba, Karnik wished to go to Pandharpur. So, at Kopargaon he bought a passenger train ticket. At Daund, he got out and waited for the train to take him to Kuridwadi and thence to Pandharpur. In the meantime he wanted to relieve himself, but could not leave his luggage unattended. A porter obliged him by showing him the toilet and waited by his baggage. The porter also told him to change his ticket for the mail train. Karnik gave the porter his ticket and the required money and asked him to purchase the ticket. "The mail will arrive in a few minutes, so you better sit in it," he said and went away. The mail did arrive and Karnik sat and waited. His fellow passengers were amazed at this and asked him "What will you do if he does not turn up?" Karnik replied that he had faith in him. Just as the train started moving and nearly pulled out of the station, the porter came running and handed over the ticket.What was there to worry about as he had left Shirdi with Baba's permission?

Leela 49

Marthand, a tailor in Shirdi, was desperate as he was ill and suffering a lot. There was no kith or kin or anyone else to take care of him. As a last recourse, he went and laid in the middle of the path that Baba took going to Lendi Bagh. The compassionate Baba told him, "Just go to Nimgaon and stay there".Marthand followed Baba's advice.He then went to Neemgaon, to Nanasaheb Dengle's home.Nanasaheb came out of his house at the opportune moment, and received him warmly. "Baba has already informed me of your arrival in a dream. You are welcome here, so please consider this your own home," said Nanasaheb. He treated Marthand well and nursed him back to good health. Marthand left being ever grateful to him and Baba. He returned to Shirdi and thanked Baba for His omnipotent mercy.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 21

2009-02-15T05:30:00.011+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI"

COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 46

There is one special characteristic of the pilgrimage to Shirdi. If a pilgrim returns home without Baba's permission he invites only trouble for himself, says Hemadpant (Sai Satcharitra Ch.9) nor could the pilgrim stay on if Baba gave His permission. On the other hand, if a devotee followed the advice of staying for the required time, or having a meal, though it seemed to be late or an unnecessary delay, the events proved to be fruitful as danger was averted, trains were caught and the journey was comfortable. Many such stories are given in Satcharitra. Here are a few others.He pestered Baba of and on for permission to go home, during his visit to Shirdi.This irritated Baba. So He told Baburao Aurangabadkar, "Do whatever you want. I will not bear any consequences". Aurangabadkar presumed that Baba had granted him permission to leave. He left in haste. All went well for about a mile, and then a terrible storm erupted. Thus he was stranded in the middle of the road, unprotected and at the mercy of the elements. He could proceed only the next day. After having learnt a lesson of disobeying Baba, Aurangabadkar could not forget how cold, wet, shivering and hungry he was stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Leela 47

Shama was devoted to Baba but he often took liberties with Him. Once he had go to the office of the Mamlatdar, on some official work. Baba forbade him to go. Nonetheless he left. Just as he crossed Nimgaon he saw the Mamaltadar proceeding to Shirdi. Shama was remiss for not heading Baba's words. So Shama turned back and accompanied the Mamltadar to Shirdi. Rather embarrassed he went to see Baba and asked for forgiveness. Khaparde, Butti and Dixit on the other hand

humbly obeyed Baba's words, however irrational it may seem and reaped the benefits.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 20

2009-02-14T05:30:00.008+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ," AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI ",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 43

In 1915 Bapusaheb Butti once suffered immensely with high, unremitting fever of 105°.Thus weakened he could not Baba's darshan. Baba asked him to come to see Him on someone's back. Butti came to Baba in a very weakened state. When Baba made him sit down and gave him a feast of Payasam, Bajji, Daal, Usal (Indian cusine) and made him eat all these in His presence. After he part took the food, Baba asked him to go back to his lodging. Without any medicines the fever abated, simultaneously Baba fell ill. But as soon as Butti recovered, Baba also recovered. Thus Baba took the fever upon Himself.On Purandare's first visit to Shirdi, he requested his mother to accompany him. The day before the scheduled departure, his young daughter was ill with high fever. Nonetheless, he could not think of canceling his trip. He left behind, his mother, and wife, and the daughter in their care. On the third day of his stay at Shirdi, Baba appeared in his wife's dream and applied Udi to the child's forehead. At that very moment, her illness took a turn for the better and she began to improve and was well when he returned home.

Leela 45
There roamed a bull in Shirdi that was dedicated to Lord Shiva. This bull caused havoc of the village gardens and fields.It grazed wherever it felt like.The villagers met together and decided to send it to Yeola Pinjrapoli (asylum for old beasts). Funds were raised and the job of taking the bull to Yeola was entrusted to Bikku Marwadi. Bikku set out with the bull, but he did not go to Pinjrapole, but sold the bull to a butcher for Rs.14/-.Upon return villagers that the bull was left at the Panjrapoli. That night Baba appeared in the dream of Bayaji Bayaji Kote Kote and said, "You are enjoying sound sleep having left Me in the butcher's hand?" . The next day Bayaji informed the villagers of his dream and it was decided that he go to Yeola and rescue the bull. He went straight to the Pinjrapoli but the bull was not found there. So he headed right away to the butchers lane and made a diligent search there. He found the bull with the butcher.He requested the butcher to return the bull and told him the whole story. The butcher however, was unwilling to return the bull as he had bought it for Rs. 14/- from Bikku. Bayaji then gave him the money and took the bull to safe haven. He returned to Shirdi and told the villagers of his actions.They were quite upset over Bikku's breach of trust, so they prosecuted Bikku who had to spend two months in jail.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 19

2009-02-13T05:30:00.006+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY
Leela 42
Prangondji and his wife, Manigori had gone on a pilgrimage to Shirdi. Baba blessed them and Sai Sharanand was born on 05.04.1889. The village was Mota, Bardoli Taluka in Surat. He was named Vamanrao Prana Govind Patel. At the age of three, he was seriously ill and his parents were worried about his survival. Baba appeared as a Fakir and gave his mother Udi. He asked her to give it to her son as Tirth. He mentioned that there was a scar on his back towards the right side. "He will be a great Satpurush," said the Fakir. The mother followed the instructions and the child recovered.
Vamanrao did his primary schooling at Surat and Ahmadabad. He completed his B.A. in 1910 from Elphinstone College, Bombay and subsequently passed LL.B. in 1912. Vaman had a questioning mind and he kept asking his professors and other saints whether God was real or a nebulous phenomenon. No one could give him a satisfactory answer. His father took him to Shri Balakrishna Maharaj, a disciple of Swami Samarth. When he asked the question, the Maharaj flew into a rage, but gave him two books, the Life of Akkalkot Maharaj and Eknath Bhagavat. Still unsatisfied, he went to Shirdi on his father's advice in 1911. Baba seeing him said, "Why do you worry about God there is God."
After joining a solicitor's firm in 1913, he came to Shirdi during his vacation and stayed there for one year, as Baba refused permission for his return. The parents were worried about his whereabouts and welfare. They consulted an astrologer who said, "He is safe in God's paradise (Shirdi)". Permission was finally granted to him so he returned home. In 1916, he came to the station to see his friend who was bound for Shirdi, when he too suddenly decided to join him. He stayed at Shirdi for 21 days.
One day, he sustained a severe head injury when a huge bolder stone accidentally fell on his head, as he walked past Butti Wada. He started bleeding profusely and was semi conscious. By Baba's grace he recovered without even a scar or internal damage. When Vaman Rao was questioned about his injury, he said he experienced divine bliss. From that day, he became a staunch devotee of Baba. He wrote Guru Smriti in Gujarati in 1932. In 1946, he wrote Baba's life called 'Sai Baba'. Baba gave him Sanyas in Dakor, appearing as a Fakir and named him Sai Sharan Anand. In 1961, he wrote 'Sai Baba the Superman'.
A devotee gave him Baba's Padukas. At first he refused. Later he accepted them and installed them at Ahmadabad where Baba's temple, called 'Vishnu Dharmalaya', houses them. Thousands of devotees flock there, to have darshan, and many healings and miracles are witnessed. He states that from 1952, after his sanyas, Baba was with him all the time getting His service done through him. On 25.08.1982, he took Samadhi.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 18

2009-02-12T05:30:00.006+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ," AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 41
Purandare had infinite faith in Baba. When his daughter or wife was sick, he knew that Baba was there to look after them. Once, his wife suffered from incessant vomiting and diarrhoea from 3.00 AM to 8.00 AM. She had continuous loose stool and vomiting. At 8.00 AM, she became cold and pulse less and went into shock. The doctor was summoned who checked her, but was doubtful if she would survive for more than an hour. Purandare was oblivious of this, as he was in the house of a goldsmith, getting a jewel prepared for his niece. When the doctor gave up hope, some one ran to fetch him weeping all the way.
On his way home, he passed the Dutta Mandir. There he saw Baba as a Fakir with a Jholi in His hand. The Fakir comforted him and said, "Don't fear for your wife, she will not die. Give her Udi mixed in water and she will recover in an hour. I am guarding all of you". Purandare reached home and found every one weeping and wailing. He just went and got Baba's Udi and mixing it in water, brought it to his wife's bedside.
Her teeth were clenched; so he had to pry it open with a spoon to administer the Udi Tirth. The rest of the family was dismayed to see this and asked him not to force the Thirth down her throat. Unmindful of their pleas, he administered the Udi Tirth. Then taking some Udi, he rubbed it all over her body.
He had a bath and performed Puja and offered Naivedya. Then he non-chalantly had his meals without waiting for anybody. The doctor came about one hour later, and found that she was recovering. Her body temperature was now normal and her pulse had returned. Surprised, he asked Purandare what he had given her. Purandare said, "I have given nothing but my Baba's Udi Tirth". The doctor then gave her some medicines and left. True to His word, his wife did not die but recovered and became healthy.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 17

2009-02-11T05:30:00.005+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 39
In 1915 Triambak Govind Samanth went to Shirdi. We had only Rs.5/- with him, out of which he gave Rs.1/- as Dakshina to Baba. Baba demanded one more rupee, which Samanth was reluctant to give. None-the-less Baba kept on asking for it, till finally Samanth parted with it. Baba took the Rs.2/- and turning them upside down said "You have given these Rs.2/- to the one letter God (Ganapathi). Now you may go. Ganu Mahar will bless you". Samanth was in a hurry to leave, and rather upset at parting with the other rupee, that he didn't understand what Baba said.By His blessing Baba wanted to remind Samanth, that He had appeared to him, earlier as Ganu Mahar. Samanth was then 21 years old and Baba as Ganu Mahar had initiated him with the mono syllabled mantra of Lord Ganapathi. Then Samanth had performed one crore of Japa of the same.He had received Baba's permission to leave. Disgruntled he came to the main road, but there was no tonga to take him to Kopergaon. Meanwhile a tonga from Rahata turned up with a Gujarathi man in it. He beckoned to Samanth and asked him to accompany him. Samanth sat next to him and they proceeded to Kopergaon. The Gujarathi asked, "are you coming after
taking Baba's darshan? If you give one rupee He demands another rupee" Samanth was astounded to hear this. How could he know all this he wondered!
On reaching Kopergaon the Gujarati paid both their fares, further, he bought two tickets to Dadar, Bombay. They had a comfortable journey, and alighted at Dadar. The Gujarathi gave Samanth a hearty meal. Samanth was puzzled at his kindness. He asked the Gujarathi's name and address 'Ganu Marwadi, Plot No1, behind Masjid Bunder'. He said and left. The next day Samanth went to meet his benefactor and return the money. He searched invain, as no Ganu Marwadi lived there.The whole area was inhabited by Muslims.
Samanth then thought about Baba's words seriously. He recollected how he had lost his way in the forest near Triambakeshwar earlier. At that time some robbers have taken him captive to a cave and threatened to kill him. He had fervently prayed to Ganapathi for protection. When a loud voice called out "Jai Malhari" this frightened the robbers and they set him free. On another occasion he missed his way in the same forest, again he had prayed to Ganapathi. Suddenly a man affected with black leprosy stood before him and said "My name is Ganu Mahar. You have missed your way. I will show the way, but, you must not turn back and see. Agreed". Samanth had agreed and they proceeded. Ganu Mahar was behind him directing him and conversing with him. When they reached the main road Ganu Mahar was silent. Samanth turned around and there was no one.Thinking over it calmly he realized that he who had freed him from the clutches of the robbers, Ganu Mahar who had showed him the way in the forest, and Ganu Marwadi the kind Gujarathi gentleman were forms assumed by Baba.
Thereafter Samanth began worshipping Baba in the form of Ganapathi.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 16

2009-02-10T05:30:00.004+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ," AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 36
Baba kept on taking dakshina from Shankar Rao till his pocket was empty, and he had no money left for his return journey.Shankar Rao had full faith in Baba and was not a least bit worried. He knew that 'He who takes one rupee will give back ten fold'.A day before his departure a friend of his came to Shirdi. They both met with great joy. Then the friend gave Shankar Rao Rs.20/- which he had borrowed many years ago.Thus Shankar Rao received the money loaned to his friend and had a comfortable journey home.

Leela 37
It was June, 1914 Sai Sharan Anand was in Shirdi. Before returning to Bombay, he kept some coins in an old compass box for Baba. He was staying in Radhakrishna Mai's house and he kept the box below the cupboard and left. Soon as he reached Bombay, he learnt that Baba sent word to Radhakrishna Mai to search under the cupboard for the box and send the 'dakshina'.She made a thorough search and found the box and sent the money to Baba at once. This pleased Sharan Anand greatly.Dakshina literally means 'sacrificial fees'. In this case, Baba asked Radhakrishna Mai to search for the dakshina and bring it to Him. Thus, He accepted the fees and gave credence to the Shruti 'Yagnen Danen Tapasya', i.e., those who are anxious for self-knowledge will find its secret in giving dakshina as one of the means of attaining it.
Baba gave Swami Sharan Anand 'sanyas' in 1952 and 'Sadgati' in 1982.

Leela 38
In 1917, Gajanan Narvekar was suffering from high fever. He sent his son to Baba with five hundred rupees dakshina. The son did as he was advised, as soon as Baba received the money, He started shivering. A devotee sitting next to Baba said, "Baba you are shivering with fever all of a-sudden?" Baba replied, 'Whoever I accept dakshina from, I have to bear their troubles and set them free." Similarly, He received rupees five hundred from Moreshwar Pradhan and took upon Himself all the troubles of his family.

RECENT LEELA OF BABA-PART 1

2009-02-09T05:30:00.005+05:30

Dear readers this is a recent leela of Saibaba submitted by Sai devotee Sandhya.
This true story represents the unfathomable love , warmth and tender care which baba manifest for his devotees when he is called upon by his devotees in times of need.Below is the actual account of a special and unique experience of sai sister Sandhya experienced by herself and how she is blessed by Baba in a dream , in her own words ...

" Hi Jyotika,

I have been a Sai devotee since 91 and would visit Shirdi whenever possible,

The past two years, my husband and me had been planning on having a child, but too many fertlity complications from my end prevented us from it.

My parents came to visit us exactly a year back and i told my mom that i am going to give up eating rice for Saibaba .I also gave up reading Sai Satcharitra and took a vow to do all the pooja's in the city's Saibaba temple till he gets me a succesful pregnancy news

We tried innumerable treatments and one day when my husband and me were in the elevator in the Hospital, a pregnant lady looked at us and said, Dont worry, we all will get there, it took me a year and i am sure u will be there. Her words for soem reason gave me a lot of hope and then finally decided to take the plunge in IVF.
since it was my first IVF ( read a lot of stories about all the unsuccesful ones), i was nervous from the beginning, but by Baba's grace my medication and my procedure went well.

The waiting period was killing me, but just 2 days before my pregnancy test, i got a dream in which i was offered a handi of rice!!!!!! i cannot explain the feeling in any words, i was like, is this for real????? Finally my pregnancy test came positive and by Baba's grace and by his blessings, we are having twins by August of this year! :-)))

i do not belive in any medical miracles, i only belived in my Saibaba and his blessings, without his blessings, i dont think i would have reached this stage where everyday is a miracle for me! the feelings cannot be expressed in words to see our babies first heartbeats!

I thank him everyday and hope that he always blesses me and my family and he has always been an anchor or a pillar to me in times of need!. This is just one of the incidents that has been touched by Saibaba!

I am reading my Sai Satcharita daily and will continue to do so till my babies are born!

Thank you for publishing this real happenings in my life!

regards

Sandhya "

ANANT KOTI BHRAHMAND NAYAK RAJADHIRAJ YOGIRAJ PARAMBHRAHMA SHRI SAT-CHIT-ANAND SADGURU SAINATH MAHARAJ KI JAI !!!

SAI ARTI

2009-02-08T20:31:00.011+05:30

Dear Readers,

Now all of you can listen to ,"Sai arti" , on this blog as well .

JUST CLICK ON THE ICON PLACED ON THE SIDE BAR WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE ICON GIVEN BELOW LATER IN THE POST .

The importance of Sai aarti is not unknown to any Sai devotee ,but those of you who are willing to know more about Sai arti , please read below.

ARTI SAIBABA : This famous Arti is recited during Madhyayan Arti and Dhoop Arti in Shirdi. It appears in chapter 33 of Sai Satcharitra. It is composed by a devotee named Madhav Aadkar. It has importance due to following incident.In chapter 33, Sai Baba made Shama (Madhavrao Despande) to write it on a page and gave it to Bapugir Bua to be given to Nanasaheb Chandorkar to save his daughter from death, who was away many miles. This shows that this Arti was accepted by Sai Baba himself.The Arti consists of a verse :कलियुगी अवतार सगुण परब्रह्मसाचार अवतीर्ण जलसे स्वामी दत्त दिगंबर, दत्त दिगंबर.This means Sai Baba had accepted that He was one with Lord Dattatreya.As soon as he, received the Arti he started reciting it and his daughter was relived from the pain of delivery. Moreover she could deliver safely and at the same point of time.

Today also this importance is fulfilled and devotees may very come to know once they have started it.Thus , It may be assumed that it daily recitation or listening to this Sai arti help us get blessings of Saibaba .

Also , for listening and reading to various Sai artis online , you can browse through an excellent collection of sai artis on the following link provided below :

http://www.saibaba.org/arathi.html

May Sai bless us all ! Amen !

ANANT KOTI BHRAHMAND NAYAK

RAJADHIRAJ YOGIRAJ

PARAM-BHRAHMA

SHRI SAT-CHIT-ANAND SADGURU

SAINATH MAHARAJ KI JAI !!!

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 15

2009-02-08T05:30:00.004+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 34

Baba once asked Butti to go to Dixit Wada and get rupees sixteen and half as dakshina from Kaka.Butti at once got up and went to the Wada. There he found Kaka and Bala Saheb Bhate about to discuss the Eleventh Skanda of Eknath Bhagavat,

that they had just read. Butti related the reason for his coming there. Kaka had only one rupee left with him at that time. He

said, "I have already given sixteen and half to Baba," and explained to Butti the significance of the amount. Then Buti returned to Dwarakamai and told Baba what Dixit had just said and Baba gladly accepted.

Leela 34

Once Chandorkar and his family were at Shirdi, during the solar eclipse. He requested Baba to allow him to go to Kopargaon, to do Puja and bathe in the Godavari. Baba readily agreed. After he finished his rituals and bath, he gave a four-anna coin as dakshina to a Fakir. Upon his return to Shirdi, Baba showed him the same coin that He had accepted during the solar eclipse.

Leela 35

A devotee from Aurangabad sought refuge in Shirdi at Baba's feet. A Police warrant was filed against him for an injury case. He brought with him Rs.800/- in cash and had two gold rings on his fingers. At Shirdi he stayed at Dixit Wada and dined at Sagun Meru's hotel. Daily he took darshan of Baba who asked him for Rs. 100/- as dakshina. Soon, he was depleted of the money so he asked Sagun Meru to write to his brother for Rs.1000/-. Forthwith the brother came with the money, took Baba's darshan and left.Baba depleted him of the Rs.1000/- and he had no more money left. Meanwhile the police found out that he was at Shirdi. They arrived with the warrant and searched for him. The devotee heard that the police had come for him, so he ran to the Dwarakamai and sat before Baba. The police did their duty of searching and then came to Dwarakamai. They looked for him but could not see him though he was sitting in front of Baba. When they left, the devotee prostrated before Baba. Baba said "You may go home tomorrow after meals.Your troubles have come to an end." The next day he received a letter stating that he had been acquitted. Happily he returned home, and latter earned a lot of money, thus the dakshina provided protection, relief of mental anguish, and latter a good income.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 14

2009-02-07T05:30:00.004+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 31

One devotee had gone to Shirdi for Baba's darshan and wanted to give Baba dakshina. On beholding the luminous roop of Baba, he was so overwhelmed that he forgot to give dakshina and returned home, That night, his wife dreamt of Baba who told her about a packet of money that was lying on a shelf in the bathroom. She related her dream to her husband, who realized that he had kept the packet there upon his return. He regretted having forgotten to give the dakshina. So he went immediately and sent the amount by money order.

Leela 32

Repeatedly Baba asked Purandare for rupees two as dakshina.Purandare went to see Baba often out of the deep love and regard he felt for Him. Every time Baba asked for rupees two nothing more or nothing less.Curious about this Purandare asked Baba about it, Baba replied, "It is not these coins I want from you. I want Nishta (concentrated faith) and Saburi (joyous patience)", Purandare replied that he had given all his faith to Baba and was patiently awaiting progress. Baba told him to keep up his faith unfailingly and to be strict and anxious to fulfill all the promises he had made. Further Baba said, "You should have truth always wifh you. Then I will be always with you wherever you are and at all times." Humbly, Purandare promised to try his best and entreated Baba's help for controlling his mind.

Leela 33

Baba once asked Butti to go to Dixit Wada and get rupees sixteen and half as dakshina from Kaka. Butti at once got up and went to the Wada. There he found Kaka and Bala Saheb Bhate about to discuss the Eleventh Skanda of Eknath Bhagavat, that they had just read. Butti related the reason for his coming there. Kaka had only one rupee left with him at that time. He said, "I have already given sixteen and half to Baba," and explained to Butti the significance of the amount. Then Buti returned to Dwarakamai and told Baba what Dixit had just said and Baba gladly accepted.

Leela 34

Once Chandorkar and his family were at Shirdi, during the solar eclipse. He requested Baba to allow him to go to Kopargaon, to do Puja and bathe in the Godavari. Baba readily agreed. After he finished his rituals and bath, he gave a four-anna coin as dakshina to a Fakir. Upon his return to Shirdi, Baba showed him the same coin that He had accepted during the solar eclipse.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 13

2009-02-06T05:30:00.005+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 30

"Sometimes I am a dog, sometimes a pig, a cow, a cat and an ant, a fly, and a aquatic creature in such various form do I move about in the world. Know that I like only him who sees Me in all the living beings. So give up the sense of differentiation. This is the way to worship Me," said Baba to Mrs. Tarkhad (Sai Satcharitra Ch.9). She fed a hungry dog that came to her door at lunch time. Then came a hungry pig smeared all over with mud and dirt; happily she fed the pig too.Baba used to feed a mongrel dog daily. The dog used to sleep on the steps of Dwarkamai one day Madhu False hit the dog, who was obstructing his path. Baba at once flew into a rage and said, "It came here for Me and not for you. Be aware hereafter."In Devotees Experience, page 166, the story of Hansaraj is given. As he was an asthmatic, Baba forbade him to eat curds. However, Hansaraj could not resist his love for curds. He got the curds made at home and asked his wife to hang it in a sling from the ceiling. Every day, a cat came and ate the curds. One day Hansaraj stayed at home to catch the cat in the act, so he could punish it. This is exactly what happened. The cat stealthily came in climbed up and ate the curds. Hansaraj waited with stick in hand and beat the cat as it left. Later he went to see Baba in Dwarakamai. Baba said, "There is a man who wants to die by eating sour and pungent things. But I would not allow him to do that. Today I went to him in the form of a cat. That fellow has given Me a caning on the back. See here!"Then Baba exposed His back and thereby showed the welt marks.Mahalsapathy used to feed a crippled bitch daily. One day having fed her he said "go, go" but the bitch would not move, so he took a stick and beat it. Later when he went to Dwarakamai, Baba said, "There is a bitch, sickly like Me in the village. Every one is beating it". Mahalsapathy remembered his behaviour and repented, (Ref. ~~ Life of Baba, Vol.2).After taking 'bhiksha' Baba put all the food collected into the 'Kolemba'. The cats and dogs of Shirdi waited for Him to return so, they could eat to their hearts content. He, who would not drive away the animals would He allow them to be beaten?

DAKSHINA MIMAMSA

Dakshina literally means 'sacrificial fees'.In Sai Satcharitra Ch.14 is the wonderful story of Ratanji Shahapurji Wadia of Nanded. He went to Baba on Das Ganu's advice, because he was filled with sorrow and despair, as he had no male children. He longed for a son and prayed to Baba from the bottom of his heart. Baba said, "And so, after all these days you have come to Me today! But then give Me first whatever dakshina you wish to give. Only then will you get your satisfaction".Ratanji had brought with him the most beautiful garland the choicest fruit and of course dakshina. Full of love and humility, he offered them at Baba's feet. But Baba said, "/ know you have already given Me three rupees and fourteen annas. Now give Me the remaining money as dakshina". Here Baba identifies with another saint called Mauli Saheb, who was invited for lunch by Ratanji. The amount spent for that purpose was exactly rupees three and fourteen annas.Baba stayed in the Dwarakamai for sixty years. From the very beginning, He went for biksha to the five chosen houses. He ate very little. The rest He distributed to the devotees, the dogs and cats survived because of that bhiksha. His needs were very little. All He required was a little tobacco, oil for burning the lamps and wood for His Dhuni.

Why did Baba demand dakshina?The most significant meaning for dakshina was to rid the devotee of ego, and instill non-attachment to the transient things. Baba had a unique method of taking dakshina. Usually, He asked only for that amount that the devotee had wished to offer. At other times, He would keep on asking the devotee till his pockets were empty. There was a lesson behind this. He then asked the devotee to borrow it (instilling humility). Some times it was to instill faith, for another devotee would give that same amount unknowingly. Time and again the devotee left Shirdi penniless and Baba appeared on the way in some disguise and took care of every thing.

The most striking feature was the significance of the number.

1) Re. I/-. The number one stood for jeeva or even Brahma.

2) Rs.2/- for nishta, faith and saburi (Sathe and Radhabai Deshmukh. Sai Satcharitra Ch.18 & 19)

3) Rs.4/- often indicated the ego complex, i.e., Manas, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahankar and the need to surrender it at the feet of the Guru.

4) Rs.5/- symbolized the senses, i.e. the Indriyas (The Marwari and quick Brahma Cyan. Sai Satcharitra 16 & 17).

5) Rs.6/- refers to the six internal enemies (Mrs. Tarkhad. Ref: Devotees' experience)

6) Rs.9/- refers to Nav Vidya Bhakti of the Bhakti Marga (Laxmibai and Anantrao Pathankar and the parable of the mare, Sai Satcharitra Ch. 42 and 21 respectively.)

7) Rs.15/-. Giving Dakshina here means deriving lessons from the scriptures and lodging them in the heart where Baba resides. (Prof. Narke. Ref: Devotees' experience)

8) Rs.16.50/-. Sharanagati (total and complete surrender to Baba).

Some times the amount was large; implying a pay raise or bonus and the exact amount was demanded by Baba.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 12

2009-02-05T05:30:00.005+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ," AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 29

Baba had an endearing way of calling his Bhaktas (devotees) by pet names. Some of them are given below.

1) Madhava Rao Deshpande-Bhatacha Shamya

2) Tatya Patil-Kothyacha Ghodmukhya

3) Dr. Pillai-Andhoji Filial

4) Pilaji Gurav-Guravacha

5) Hari Seetharam alias Kakasaheb Dixit-Langada Kaka

6) Dabholkar-Hemadpant

7) Dadasaheb Kapharde-Bapusaheb Tapusan Dada

8) Sagun Mehru Naik-Takki (Deceiver)

9) Bapusaheb Buti-Buttya

10) Bapusaheb Dhumal-Bhau

11) Madhu Fasle-Ardha Gandhu

12) Radhakrishna Mai-Avadasa (Moodevi)

13) Balasaheb Dev-Chindi Chor

14) Abdul Baba-Halalkar

While the female devotees He usually called as 'Mai' or 'Ayi’ (mother). 'Tai' (sister) or with respect Bai' or 'Mousi'

(aunty).

He had a very strict code of conduct with the ladies. They could not enter the Dwarkamai at night or while He was

resting. He pulled His Kafni down to His heels whenever a woman was present. Shampooing His feet was allowed only

below the knee.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 11

2009-02-04T05:30:00.004+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 28

Balaji Patil Newaskar quitely went about doing Baba's seva. He swept and cleaned the streets that Baba walked on daily. When it was harvest time he brought the whole harvest to Dwarkamai and offered it to Baba. He and his family happily lived on whatever Baba gave them. In Satcharita the wonderful Leela of how his family fed thrice the number of guests, is given. It was Bala's annual Shradha ceremony. His daughter-in-law diligently cooked food enough for the estimated number of guests. While she was serving them, she realized that thrice the number of guests had arrived. With Baba's grace and a little Udi, the last guest was fed to satiety with plenty of food remaining. (Sai Satcharitra Ch. 35).

This is a similar Leela whereby Baba's grace not threefold but a multitude of guests were fed with food remaining.

When Purandare once visited Shirdi, he stayed with Bala Shimpi. Baba told him that He would come to dine with him, along with two other Fakirs. With great joy, Purandhare asked Baba what he should prepare. "Make rice, sheera, bhaji, two vegetable curries and masala khichidi," said Baba. After the Noon Arati, upon his returning home he saw that every thing was ready. Then four to five Fakirs came and had their meals. While leaving, they informed him that many more would soon arrive. Later, a batch of twenty Fakirs arrived. Satiated, they too left. Then another ten Fakirs came. They too were well fed and food still remained. Then Purandare went to Baba with betel leaves and dakshina and invited Him for meals. Baba smiled and said, "/ have eaten a lot and I am satiated and satisfied." Then Baba asked Purandare to have his meals along with Bala Shimpi. All of them, Purandare's family and Bala dinned together and still food was abundant.

Purandare partook the food as Baba's Prasad. He also carried the food to Bombay and distributed it to his friends and relatives and told everyone this wonderful Leela.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 10

2009-02-03T05:30:00.019+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK," AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY

Leela 26

In the early days, the Bhills often waylaid the trains. In 1914, Ganpath D. Kadam and his family were travelling by train to Shirdi. Just after they passed Nasik, a gang of Bhills jumped into their compartment, with the intent to attack and rob the passengers. At that time, Kadam was reading a book of holy songs. The gang stood by his side for five minutes or so. Thinking that they were interested in the book, Kadam started reading it loudly. After a while the Bhills left one by one. Kadam looked up from his book and saw a Fakir seated opposite him. When he looked again, the Fakir had disappeared just as the Bhills left. When Kadam reached Shirdi, Baba said, "Well, have you come safe and well guarded?" Kadam at once fell at Baba's feet and thanked Him for guarding him and his family. He also realized that the Bhills took to their heels fearing the Fakir,

Leela 27

Although he attended Das Ganu's Kirtan and Pravachan unlike Cholkar (Sai SatCharitra 12). He did not have faith in Baba. He thought that Baba was a Muslim. In 1910, this Ramachandra V.Pathankar, a Retd. Clerk of Alibaugh was in distress. His monthly earnings of Rs.30/- did not suffice to meet his family expenses. There was a certain photograph of Akkalkot Swami at Balkrishna Buva's Mutt, Dadar that attracted him. He visited that Mutt often, as he was devoted to Swami Samarth.

One day Ghansham Gupta, a close friend of his, asked him to accompany him to Shirdi. He assured Pathankar that all his expenses for the trip would be borne by him. Pathankar was reluctant at first, and then he agreed to accompany Ghansham, on the condition that he wouldn't give any Dakshina to Baba. If he did, it would be no more than one rupee. Ghansham agreed to this and both of them went to Shirdi.

At that time, there was only one hotel in Shirdi. Unfortunately, Pathankar found a few worms in the dal when he was having lunch. He started shouting at the top of his voice. "Did I come all the way to Shirdi to eat worms?" he said. Then, both the friends went for Baba's darshan. Baba, on seeing Pathankar, flew into a rage and drove him away. Pathankar was upset and decided to leave Shirdi, without Baba's consent. The other devotees consoled him and asked him not to do so.

Latter both the friends went for Baba's darshan again. Baba had calmed down and looking at Pathankar, He said, "Do people come here to eat worms?" On hearing this vital question, Pathankar fell at Baba's feet. He realized that Baba was omnipresent. Then, Baba gave him darshan as Akkalkot Swamy, the very same roop that he worshipped at Balkrishna Buva's Mutt.

Pathankar was overwhelmed and realized that Baba was not different from Swami Samarth. He gave Baba one rupee Dakshina. But, Baba asked for Dakshina again. He gladly gave another rupee. Then, Baba gave him permission to leave. Upon returning home, he got another job, which gave him a better salary, and he could live comfortably.

Baba took two rupees Dakshina and gave back a hundred.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 9

2009-02-03T05:30:00.018+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ," AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY.

Leela 23

"Eat! Eat this prasad," said Baba to Sridhar J. Dighe and made him eat three handfuls of prasad. Baba asked him to stay in Shirdi for a few days. Then sent him to Narsingh Maharaj at the Kala Ram Mandir. Narsingh Maharaj received him well and asked him if Sai Baba had sent him. He stayed comfortably in the home of a grape merchant on the Maharaja's request. The merchant bought him a ticket for Bombay. Then he went to see Narayan Maharaj at Khedgaon. "You are blessed by Sai Baba," said Narayan Maharaj and made him stay there for a few days. Then Dighe returned home fully satisfied with his pilgrimage. Dighe firmly believed that this was the result of Baba's prasad and blessings.

Leela 24

Baba loved Shanta a lot. She was the daughter of Babu Girvandikar of Shirdi. Lovingly Baba called her 'little sister' and she called Baba 'brother'. One day she slipped and fell into the well near Dwarkamai. Every one feared the worst; but to their utter surprise, they found the girl floating, though her trunk and legs were below the water. They however, pulled her out. When they checked her, she had no bruises or wounds, though the well was very deep. Shanta told them, "As I accidentally fell into the well, my Baba, my brother held on to me. Thus, I was able to float, and only the lower part was submerged in water."

On another occasion, a little boy was going home. It was raining rather heavily. He had an open umbrella, which obstructed his view. In front of his house they had dug the ground to lay the foundation for a building. Accidentally he slipped and fell into the pit. Although the pit was very deep, he walked to the other side and climbed out. When questioned he said Baba made steps for him so all he had to do was to climb them and come to the other side.

Leela 25

Das Ganu was a gifted man, he could compose Abhangs extempore, sing Kirtans beautifully, write commentaries on Isha Upanishads (Sai Satcharitra Ch.20). It relates the story of how Kaka Dixit's maid servant enlightened him to write the Isha Upanishad's commentary.

Then he decided to write a commentary on Dnyaneshwari Amrit Anubhav. He felt he should write it, explaining the details, so that the common man could read and understand it. Das Ganu told Dada Maharaj of Satara of his intent. The highly knowledgeable Dada Maharaj was skeptical and said, "You must first understand the original test, before embarking on such a detailed treatise. If you stay with me and learn and understand the book, then you will be able to write the commentary."

But Das Ganu thought differently. "If Baba wants me to write the Tika (commentary) then He will give me Buddhi (wisdom). I will not go to anybody to learn it." Dada Maharaj did not appreciate Das Ganu's idea. Nonetheless, he prayed to Baba on his behalf.

Then Das Ganu began the commentary on the first two chapters and went to Dada Maharaj with the same. Dada asked him about his progress. So Das Ganu read what he had written. Dada complemented him on the commentary and said "Baba is truly a Samarth because of His favour on you such a scholarly Tika has been written".

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 8

2009-02-03T05:30:00.017+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY .

Leela 20

The story of Dr. Vir Hate and the one rupee is given in Sai Satcharitra Ch.29. A little more is given here about him.Capt. Dr. Hate was a staunch devotee of Baba and lived in Shirdi for some time, and then returned to Gwalior. One day, Saval Ram of Gwalior came to him distraught as his son was missing. Dr. Hate said, "Go to Shirdi and take Baba's darshan and you will surely find him". Saval Ram agreed. After some time he received a letter from the boy saying that he was in Egypt. He had secretly joined the army, as he feared his parents' wrath. Now he was returning to India. Saval Ram's joy knew no bounds. But instead of going to Shirdi, he and his wife went to Bombay to receive the boy.When they met, Saval Ram was upset, as his son was emaciated and suffering from high fever. He rushed with the boy to Gwalior for treatment. Again he told Dr. Hate about it. The doctor chided Saval Ram saying, "You failed to keep your promise. Now take the boy to Baba and he will be alright". The three of them then set out to go to Shirdi. Just before they left Dr. Hate gave one rupee to Saval Ram and said "Place this in Baba's hand. Do not fail to bring it back". He wanted the blessed coin to keep in his Puja.Saval Ram returned with his family and told Dr. Hate that his son was recuperating. He also gave the rupee to Hate. On receiving the coin Hate felt it was not the same coin he had given. Disappointed, he told Saval Ram to go back to Shirdi and fetch his coin. On returning home Saval Ram told his wife about the inci dent. She however, just went inside and brought Dr. Hate's coin, which she had put away safely. The next day a thrilled Dr. Hate received his prasad (coin) and Saval Ram apologized for the substitution. He related what had happened and Dr. Hate was satisfied.

Leela 21

For a long time Raoji. B. Upasani suffered from asthma. Upon the advice of Kaka Dixit, he went to Shirdi, in 1913 for Baba's darshan. On seeing him, Baba said He was glad that he came, and gave him Udi with His blessing. From then on, Raoji started feeling better and returned home.In March of 1913 his son fell ill. For six days he had relentless high fever,continues and unabating and the doctors gave up hope. The doctor and Upasani sat near his bed as they thought that his end was near. At 2 A.M. the exhausted father went out and sat in the varandha. He dozed off for a short time when he dreamt of Baba. He saw Baba applying Udi to his son's fore head, then Baba standing before Upasani said "Don't worry. He will perspire after two hours and his condition will improve. After he gets well bring him to Shirdi for My darshan". Upasani woke up and so it happened exactly as Baba said. After two hours his son did perspire and felt better. The doctor was surprised at his recovery. Three days latter Upasani received a letter from Shyama. "I had not written to you so far as I had no direction from Baba to do so. Now upon Baba's orders I am stating what Baba said " i have been to your friends place in Dhulia". I asked Him who that friend was? "Upasani Balakrishna Raoji" He answered clearly. Then added "I go to his place often. Write to him". Hence this letter from me.Fifteen days latter Upasani, his wife and son went for Baba's darshan. Early in the morning they got down at Kopergaon and bathed in the Godavari hoping to attend the Arati. However the tongawala was late and Upasani was doubtful of reaching Shirdi in time for the Arati. Here at Shirdi Baba said "Shama, stop the Arati for a little while, your friend Raoji is on his way. He has set his heart on attending the Arati". As soon as the family stepped into the Dwarakamai, the Arati started. Baba called the son and asked him whether he recognized Him from his vision, when he was ill with fever. Raoji and his son immediately prostrated before Baba and thanked Him for His timely help.

Leela 22

When Krishnabai Prabhakar came for Baba's darshan, He gave her a four-anna coin. This coin she treasured and did puja to it daily. One day, a lady came to sell coconuts. Krishnabai unwittingly gave the four-annas along with some other coins to her. When her household chores were done, she realized her folly and cried bitterly. In the evening, there was a knock on her door. With a sad heart, she opened it, only to see the coconut vendor. The lady just handed over the four-anna coin and took another in return.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 7

2009-02-02T05:30:00.007+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY .

Leela 18

In 1917, during Vaishakh month a doctor, his wife and son came to Shirdi. He hoped that Baba would drive away the evil spirit that tormented his son. In the Dwarkamai, the doctor thought that Baba's grinding of wheat and throwing it at the outskirts was futile and just a superstition. Baba reading his thoughts asked him to come at 3.00 P.M. Exactly at 3.00 P.M. he and his family went to Dwarakamai. The doctor and his son sat and started massaging Baba's legs upon Baba's orders. Just then, an ugly, devilish looking lady came and grabbed his son, wanting to take him away. Baba, undaunted, gave her a blow with His satka. She fled, crying loudly. Baba then said, "She came to eat your son. She was deprived of her ration. I did not throw the flour at the outskirts today, as you thought it was unwanted. But I drove her away with My satka. Now she will not torment your son". The father and the son were filled with awe at Baba's Antarjnan and kindness. Then Baba gave them permission to go on the next day.

Leela 19

In the Sai Satcharitra, Ch.29, the Leela of the avaricious Bhajan Mandali from Madras is given. Some of the details like their names, address, and other particulars are missing. The Leela given below elaborates upon it.

He was called Bhau Swamy because his Guru was Ram Bhau of south Kanara. This Govinda Swamy worked in Madras Electric Tramways. He and his family went on an all India pilgrimage in 1915. They visited Shirdi on 23.8.1915. They sang beautifully and did bhajans daily. Baba gave them Rs.2/- and two rupees worth of burfi. The burfi he sold for one rupee and twelve annas. All these details he wrote in his diary daily.

One day, he had a dream vision of Baba (which is elaborated beautifully in the Sai Satcharitra). After this revealing vision, the greedy skeptic became an ardent devotee. Dr. Pillai asked him to write his dream, which he did, and handed it over to him. Knowing of Radhakrishna Mai's love for bhajans, he performed bhajans in her home too. She gave him a Marathi book containing the life of Baba, which he treasured.

His wife Adilakshmiamal was given sakshatkar (vision) of Sri Ram at noon Arati while the rest of the Mandali saw Baba sitting in his usual place. Filled with joy, she decided to make prasad of Bhaaji and Payasam for Baba. On 30/08/1915, while preparing it, she fervently prayed to Baba to accept it, as she had prepared it with all her love and devotion. Eagerly she took it to Dwarakamai and handed it over. To her utter consternation, the lady (Durga Bai) placed it last in the rows of Prasad offerings. Baba however, slowly moved to the back, and opening her dish, devoured the whole of it with great relish. This touched the lady to the bottom of her heart further strengthening her devotion in Baba.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 6

2009-02-01T05:30:00.004+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY,
.

Leela 14

"In the Wada there are many thieves fasten the doors and be alert for they will rob you of all your belongings and attack you fiercely. Property is never permanent, as for the body, it is for ever transient knowing that death is near, conduct yourself according to Dharma," said Baba to Vijayanand Swamy (Sai Satcharitra Ch.31). Baba knew that he was going to die and alerted him to do the right thing by reading the Holy Scriptures.

Appa Kulkarni:
He said the same to Appa Kulkarni, who did not understand His words. "Thieves will come and fight with you. They are very clever in selecting persons, and will take away only what they want. Beware!" But Appa took trouble to safeguard his property. At that time, there was an epidemic of cholera in Shirdi. One night, Appa had incessant vomiting and diarrhoea and suffered from cholera. Soon, his body became cold, clammy and pulseless. Seeing his condition, Appa Kulkarni his wife ran to Baba and begged for Udi and blessings to save her husband. Baba calmly replied, "Do not grieve. Death awaits all those who are born. Birth and death are acts of the almighty. No one lives or dies here. If you look at the phenomenon of life with the eyes of wisdom, you will realize that you are no different. When the clothes become old and fade, you throw them away. In the same way, the soul, which is immortal, casts off the worn out body. Do not stop him from going. Let him leave as he has reached his life's goal. He will go to heaven. He is right now changing his clothes before Me."

Then, his wife returned home, weeping, but comforted by Baba's words. Appa died soon after. The villagers were frightened, lest cholera spread in epidemic proportions. They came to Baba and begged him to stop the epidemic. Baba said, "Only seven will die of cholera." After seven people succumbed to it, the disease abated.

Leela 15

Nulkar:
Tatyasaheb Nulkar was a sub-judge at Pandharpur. He was well versed in the Shastras and Vedas. He was a skeptic and thought it was not necessary for him to have a Guru. Once he had severe pain in his eyes during his visit to Jalgaon. As his brother was a doctor, he thought that he could readily get treatment from him. There he realized that Gurupurnima was three days away. So, without any remedy, he set out to Shirdi. Upon arriving at Shirdi, he lay down in Sathe Wada for a while, before going for Baba's darshan. Inspite of the tormenting pain, he went to Dwarkamai for Baba's darshan. Baba in his characteristic way said, "Shamya, my eyes are giving me great deal of trouble and I am suffering too much pain". The moment He uttered those words the pain in Nulkar's eyes ceased.

Nulkar stayed in Shirdi till his death. During the time of his death, Baba sent His Udi and Tirth to him thereby giving him Sadgati.

Leela 16

Moreshwar Pradhan:
Moreshwar Pradhan and his wife Chottubai loved Baba from the bottom of their hearts. Baba likewise reciprocated. He looked after their welfare in every way. Once all the children had chickenpox and subsequently they all recovered except the youngest, who was also the weakest. Then the illness took a serious turn. The doctors also gave up hope of child's recovery. The child turned pale and signs of collapse appeared on the child's face. The parents tended to the child lovingly, but with a heart full of sorrow. They chanted Baba's name continuously. Chottubai suddenly fell asleep, only to see Baba before her. Baba said, "What is all this? The child is all right and safe. He will ask for something to eat at 6.30A.M. Do give him whatever he wants without fear." Chottubai woke up and looked at her child who seemed to have recovered at that very moment, and was sound asleep. Exactly at 6.30 A.M. the child asked to be fed. The mother joyously gave him all that he wanted. The child Moreshwar Pradhan fully recovered in a few days.

Leela 17

Baba , Lakshmibai and Janabai were grinding wheat with the hand mill, when a lady from Bombay entered Dwarkamai. She sat beside them, and asked Baba if she too could grind the wheat. Baba said that she would get tired. Nonetheless, she was eager to grind as much as was possible. Baba asked Lakshmibai to let her grind the wheat. The lady was full of questions, and was eager to get answers from Baba. She started asking Baba, why the wheat was ground? Why He threw it at the village boundary?

Baba said, "Akkabai Maaribai, Marriamma (i.e. dieties of cholera and smallpox) want to enter the village so I feed them on the other side of this village and prevent them from entering Shirdi. As they are propitiated, they do not enter Shirdi. Thus, I save My devotees."

Then she asked whether there was 'Jari', 'Mari' (durdevatha=evil forces). Baba said, "Yes, there exists durdevatha; but they will not do any thing to us." She said that some people are dying because of durdevatha. To this, Baba said, "Durdevatha was scolding Me and insisting that she be allowed to enter this village so I requested the Almighty to give her the allotted person."

"Are there evil spirits, Baba? When I was in Naigaon, in Bombay, an evil spirit would come from the side of the well and go to the room upstairs and disappear." The Omnipresent, Omniscient, Baba replied, "Yes. But they will not do anything to harm us." Then Baba told her that the spirit she saw, was that of the owner of the house. "He comes and goes upstairs and disappears where you delivered".

The lady was astonished to hear all these facts and asked Baba how He knew them. "I know you from childhood, you have forgotten Me, but I do not forget. I call all My children to Me even if they are thousands of miles away. I look after all equally, be they good or bad." After a while she felt tired and asked Lakshmibai to resume the grinding. The lady returned to Bombay unafraid and assured of Baba's love and protection for her and her family.

Sai Satcharitra Ch.1 describes the leela of Baba grinding wheat. "Go at once, to the village boundary and throw all the flour at the side of the brook there!" said Baba to the four women. Thus , Baba prevented Cholera from invading Shirdi.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 5

2009-01-31T17:30:00.009+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY,

Leela 9

"Give up all anxiety. The moment you put your foot in Shirdi, your sufferings have ended. You may sink neck deep in the sea of obstacles, you may have sunk deep into the pit of sorrow and suffering, but know that he who climbs the steps of this Mosque will enjoy the greatest happiness. The Fakir of this place is very kind, He will eradicate your disease and pain. He who has compassion for all, will look after you very lovingly," said Baba to Bhimaji Patil of Narayangaon when he was suffering from pulmonary T.B. (Sai Satcharitra Ch.13).

In Thajanpur Chebedi near Sinnar, Nasik district lived Lakshman Baji Avare. In 1910 he suffered from terrible pain in both his eyes. The eyes watered constantly, and finally he lost his sight and became blind. All sorts of remedies and medicines were tried but of no avail. A friend of the family advised them to go to Shirdi. Have Baba's darshan, and assured them of a permanent cure. One Thursday they came to Shirdi and had Baba's darshan. Baba looked at Lakshman kindly and said "Allah Achchha Karega" (Allah will do good) and gave them Udi. They returned home, when they noticed that the watering and pain had subsided. So they made weekly trips to Shirdi every Thursday, and took Baba's darshan for six months.

The villagers advised the mother to take her son to JJ. Hospital, Bombay for treatment. On the day of their departure to Bombay, Lakshman had a burning sensation all over his body. Regardless, he left for Bombay.

There a British ophthalmologist (eye doctor) examined him and told him that he would not regain sight as the eyes were badly damaged.

With a heavy heart they returned to their village. Lakshman however, determined that whether he recovered his sight or not he would stay in Shirdi at Baba's side. The family came and stayed in Shirdi for some time, then the mother returned to her village leaving her son behind. Lakshman had intense faith in Baba. Every morning, he washed his eyes with the water that Baba used to wash His face with. This he did for one month when suddenly, his sight got restored, but not fully. One evening he took Baba's darshan in the Chavadi. Baba gently clapped His hands on Lakshman's chest and Lo! He could see clearly again. So overwhelmed with gratitude was he, that he stayed on in Shirdi till Baba's Mahasamadhi.

Radhakrishna Mai asked Lakshman to pump water from the well (now in Saran Jame Baug) and do all the work that she ordered. This seva he willingly did as a token of gratitude for his recovery.

Leela 10

From 1913 to 1915, Swami Sharan Anand saw a blind man in Shirdi. He was doing Hari Kirtan, and kept beat with his cymbals. In 1942 or 1943 he saw the same man reciting chapters of Shrimad Bhagwat Gita and singing verses from Dnyaneshwari's Amrit Anubhava. Curious about this, Swamiji said, "When did you get your sight back?" He replied "Through Baba's grace I received this precious gift. I had a blessed vision of Him years ago, and since then, I can see, read, write and move freely". To assure Swamiji he read out several verses from the Amrit Anubhava. How wisely he used the sense of sight!

Leela 11

He longed for Baba's darshan. But no matter what he did his plans failed. This upset and frustrated Joshi and he got angry at Baba. "All my friends and relatives keep going to Shirdi, why am I denied this opportunity? Baba! If you are really a saint, you will give me darshan, even without my going to Shirdi" said Joshi. Simultaneously at Shirdi a family from Konkan were about to return home after taking Baba's darshan. Baba asked the man 'if he could do a piece of work for Him', the devotee readily agreed. Then Baba said, "You go home by rail, and give this packet of Udi to the person who requests you to give him a span of space for sitting". The devotee agreed to Baba's strange request. He and his family were comfortably seated in the train. At every station, the man looked for the gentleman. But no such person approached him. At last, the train pulled out of Kalyan. The devotee thought that he should write to Baba about his non-compliance. Then the train halted at Thana. Just as the train was moving out, a man rushed into his compartment, drenched in perspiration. He gasped and said, "Please pick up your child and give me a span of space to sit as I am feeling giddy." The Konkani devotee readily picked up his child, and gladly handed over the packet of Udi. He told him of Baba's strange request, and as Joshi had said the very words, he handed over the Udi. Joshi respectfully received the Udi packet. He thought of Baba's kindness towards an angry child and was forever grateful.

Leela 12

"Do coconuts produce children ? How can you be so superstitious?" said Baba to Shama (Sai Satcharitra Ch. 36). Shama was pleading with Baba on behalf of Mrs. Aurangabadkar. He beseeched Baba to give her the coconut and His blessings. Thus the barren lady might get a child. "She will get a child in 12 months," said Baba.

This is another coconut Leela.

A lady from Poona was desperate to go to Shirdi, and seek Baba's blessings. But, however hard she tried, her attempts failed, for some reason or the other. She was sure, if she received a coconut from Baba, she would get a child. She was very sad and dejected and wondered about the future.

One night she had a dream vision. Baba came and gave her a coconut as prasad. When she woke up, and thought over the dream, it seemed so real, that she looked around. Lo! There was a coconut on her bed. She vowed that if she got a child by this prasad, she would take the child to Shirdi. A year later she delivered a male child; so she went with her child and gratefully laid him at Baba's feet.

Leela 13

Mention is made of Hari Bhau Karnik in Sai Satcharitra chapter 33. In 1917 on Gurupurnima he visited Shirdi and after proper rituals offered dakshina to Baba. While he was getting down the steps, he wished he had offered one more rupee. As he was given permission to leave, he proceeded to Nasik. There Narasimha Maharaj demanded, "Give me my one rupee" which . Haribhau gladly gave, realizing how Baba, had reclaimed the rupee.

Before this visit to Shirdi he was once in trouble. His relatives dragged him to court unlawfully. Having heard of Baba he came to Shirdi. He bowed to Baba and offered a coconut, betel nut and dakshina. Baba asked him to go to the Wada and take rest. Two days later, he met Baba; he was dejected and sad at the behaviour of his relatives, and was thinking of the law suit. Baba, in His characteristic way, told him 'all about the case'. The other devotees asked him if he was acquainted with Baba. "No, I have not met Him before, but He surely knows me". On the fourth day of his stay, he met Baba who said, "Wait for six months and see the fate of the mischief makers!" True to His words, six months later he was acquitted and the troublemakers suffered much for their misdeeds.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART4

2009-01-30T17:30:00.005+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ," AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI ",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY,

Leela 6

A Cashier of a well-known firm at Bombay, had embezzled a large sum of money. He had a master plan, and that was, to go to Shirdi and seek refuge there. So he did exactly that. A warrant for his arrest was put out. The Manager of the firm was asked to execute the warrant and bring the culprit for prosecution. The Manager was a Baba devotee. He diligently searched all the places far and near, but could not trace the culprit. Out of desperation, he thought he would go to Shirdi and place the matter before Baba, before giving up the search.

So he went to Shirdi and to the Dwarakamai for darshan. When to his utter amazement he saw the Cashier shampooing Baba's feet. On seeing the Manager, the Cashier was at his wits end. He prostrated before Baba and begged Him to save him.

Baba advised him to go with the Manager to Bombay, and confess the whole matter and request to be pardoned. The Cashier carried out Baba's words to the letter. Thus the Cashier was saved from criminal prosecution. The firm thanked the manager for dexterously handling the affair.

"SHARAN MAJA ALLA ANI VAYA GELA DAKHAVA DAKHAVA AISA KONI"

{SHOW ME. DO SHOW ME ANY ONE WHO HAS SOUGHT SHELTER AND REFUGE IN ME AND WAS CAST BY THE WAY SIDE OR ABANDONED}

(11 PROMISES OF SAI BABA)

Leela 7

"When Brahmadev has created this Universe, if we do not appreciate it, His ingenuity and skill will be in vain. He who has no evil thought in his mind, why should he fear any one? Eyes do their work of seeing. Then why be embarrassed," said Baba to Nana Chandorkar (Sai Satcharitra Ch.49) when the beauty of a Muslim lady, who came for Baba's darshan, charmed Chandorkar.

"I lost my eye sight I do not mourn its loss as it keeps me from seeing undesirable things. Yet, I yearn to see the Sagun Roop of my Lord, You. Therefore grant me sight till I am satiated at beholding your form. Then you may withdraw the sight again," prayed a devotee to Baba. Baba at once restored his sight. He looked at Baba with love and devotion for a long, long time. When he was filled with joy and completely satisfied he lost his sight again. Thus Baba fulfilled his wish.

Leela 8

In Dadar, Bombay lived Vittal Yashwant Deshpande with his parents and grandfather. A tragedy brought him to Baba.His grandfather suddnely fell sick and gradually lost his sight. All sorts of remedies, treatments, doctors and vaids were tried. But, he became totally blind. Vittal was very fond of his grandfather and he helped him move around the house.

There lived in Bandra, a Satpurush named Govind Rao Mankar. He was a devotee of Baba and advised the grandfather to go to Shirdi, and seek Baba's blessings for a cure. The grandfather was impressed by the Satpurush, and was determined to go to Shirdi. He requested his son to take him to Shirdi, but for some reason, the trip was postponed.

In 1916, Vittal was just twelve years old. As his uncle was busy, it was decided that Vittal would take his grandfather to Shirdi. Before leaving, his parents repeatedly told Vittal to behave properly and take care of his grandfather. They reached Shirdi and went to the Dwarakamai. They took darshan and prostrated before Baba, who said, "Give Me Rs.6/- dakshina".

Vittal thrust his hand into his pocket and found that he had a Rs.10/- and a Rs.5/- note. He gave Baba the ten rupee note, which He did not accept, nor would He accept the Rs.5/- note, nor would He give him the change. Vittal tried again, but Baba stubbornly said, "Give Me Rs.6/- dakshina". So, Vittal brought his grandfather to the Sabha Mandap below, and seated him in a corner next to the wall. He went out to get the change. But try as he may, no one gave him the change. Frustrated and wondering how his grandfather was, he started crying. Suddenly, a well-built man stood before him. He had on a clean dhotar (Indian dress) a pagdi (turban), Poona shoes and chandan (sandalwood paste) on his forehead. Gently, he asked, "Child, why are you crying?" Vittal told him how stubborn Baba was and his inability to get change. Quietly, he gave him the change. Vittal ran to Dwarakamai and placed the Rs.6/- at Baba's feet "Daro mat, beta. Allah Malik achcha karega. Ab thumhara kaam hogaya" (Do not fear my child Allah Malik will do good. Now your work is successful). Vittal was astonished, but rather confused. He had not told Baba why he had come, nor had Baba asked him. He just stood there staring at Baba. Baba repeated the same words again. Still confused, he went to the corner where he had seated his grandfather, but he wasn't there. He searched in the Sabha Mandap, but couldn't find him. Fearing that he may have walked out, he ran out of the Dwarakamai, but there was no trace of his grandfather. Again, he ran around the village, calling his grandfather, but he couldn't find him.

Dejected and afraid, he started crying bitterly, wondering if his grandfather had fallen or hurt himself. Lo! The same man stood before him. "Why are you crying now?" he asked gently, patting Vittal on his back. Though sobs, Viittal told him what had happened. "Your grandfather is seated on the steps of Sathe Wada", he said, pointing in that direction. Vittal ran and found his grandfather happily seated on the steps, eating sugarcane.

Angrily, he said "Why did you leave the place I seated you at? Suppose you fell and hurt yourself? How did you reach here?" the grandfather told him that as soon as he went to get the change, his sight started returning. "By the time you came back, I could see clearly. So, I came to the Wada". Vittal was relieved to hear this. He also understood why Baba asked for Rs.6/-only. The dakshina of Rs.6/- could possibly mean 'giving unto Baba the six internal enemies (lust, anger, greed, pride, dellusion and envy) that thrive through the five senses (sight, hearing, speech, smell and taste). Especially sight (Sai Satcharitra Ch.16 'Shadripus') is explained.

On the way home, he lost his cap, and was afraid to tell his grandfather about it. Finally, they reached Dadar. His parents were awaiting their arrival, when he turned around, his grandfather was missing. He collected all their bags and walked slowly towards his parents. They eagerly questioned him about the trip. He mumbled something, just then his grandfather arrived with a new cap. He was then filled with immense joy as he finally got proof that his grandfather could really see.

"But who was the mysterious gentleman, and how did he know who my grandfather was?" he wondered.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 3

2009-01-29T17:30:00.005+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ,"AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI ",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY,

Leela 3

"I forgot my vow to Baba," thought Govinda Rao Garde of Nagpur. He recalled, how his nephew was suffering from some disease when he visited him. At that time, Govinda Rao vowed that if his nephew recovered, he would send him to Shirdi for Baba's darshan. The nephew did recover in two days. But he forgot his vow, although his nephew visited him three times, hoping that he would remember, after seeing him hale and hearty.Some time later, the nephew visited his uncle only to find that he was sick with the same disease. Since it was a Thursday, all the family members gathered together and prayed and sang Bhajans. They entreated Baba for his recovery. That day, he was well enough to attend the pooja (worship) when he was reminded of his vow.He vowed again saying, "Baba if you cure me, I and my nephew will come for your darshan." He found that he recovered quickly and hurriedly went with his nephew to Shirdi to thank Baba.In Sai Satcharitra Ch.36 describes the story of two gentlemen from Goa and their fulfillment of their vows.

Leela 4.

Govinda Rao Oak lived in Andheri, Bombay. Once he and his friend, Krishanji Agasthe went to Shirdi. They had Baba's darshan and stayed for two to three days. On the day of their departure, both of them purchased a photograph of Baba. Neatly they tied the photographs in a bundle. On the way home, Govinda Rao was remiss, as he had not purchased a photograph for his brother. On reaching home, they opened the packet containing the photographs. To their utter surprise there were three photographs although they had paid for two. Mentally, he thanked Baba for this Leela and gave his brother one copy as Baba's prasad.

Leela 5

At every opportunity, Chidambar R.K. Gadgil visited Shirdi for Baba's darshan. This was easy at first, as he was the Personal Assistant to the Collector of Ahmadnagar district. Then he worked as a Mamlatdar in Sinnar. Time and again he came to Shirdi and took Baba's darshan.

Then he got transferred to a distant place, with the order 'to join immediately'. He followed the orders, but with a heavy heart. The journey he took was via Kopargaon yet he could not break his journey, and go to Shirdi. At Kopargaon, he was thinking how 'futile it was, as he could not have Baba's darshan being so close to Shirdi'. Just as he thought this, a packet containing Udi was thrown in his lap. He looked out of the window to see who had done this, but could not find anybody. He reverentially picked up the packet and kept it safely. Some time later he got a chance to visit Shirdi when Baba said, "Even though you could not visit Shirdi did I not give you My Udi at Kopargaon?" Gadgil was filled with joy at Baba's love and concern, so he put the Udi in a Talisman and wore it constantly.

"I am absolutely in the power of My devotees and stand by their side. For ever I am hungering after their love and readily answer their call in distress” said Baba to Dada Bhatt (Sai Satcharitra Ch.ll). When Dr. Pandit applied sandal paste to Baba's forehead with love.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART 2

2009-01-28T17:30:00.004+05:30

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ," AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI ",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY,

Leela 2

Rama Krishna G. Kothari was born in 1908. He was a Pathari Prabhu by caste. His parents first visited Shirdi in 1911. On that visit, they saw Baba standing near the railing (Kathada) of Dwarakamai, distributing Udi to the Bhaktas. They were filled with devotion, and were overwhelmed with the love, to see this beautiful sight. Upon their return home, they started worshipping a photograph of Baba (it was a print of Jaykar's painting). They also started doing Bhajans and called the Bhajan Mandali (group) ‘Sai Laj'.

In 1913 his father was seriously sick with pneumonia. Dr. Naik was treating him, but was skeptical of his recovery. He told the family that the chances of recovery were slim, and he would succumb to the disease. Hearing this his mother prayed to Baba and vowed that if her husband survived, she would do 'Padyatra' (walk) to Shirdi and thank Baba.

The Bhajan Mandali also came to his home to perform the Bhajans (hymns), the whole night. At nightfall the disease took a serious turn, the doctor was summoned at 10.00 P.M. He gave the patient an injection and medicines but told the wife that at about 12.00 P.M. her husband would die. The relatives on hearing this, read the Bhagwat Gita to the patient. Simultaneously Baba's Bhajans continued. At about 11.00 P.M. the patient started to suffocate, and had great difficulty in breathing. The distort wife seeing his condition wailed and cried saying 'Baba save my husband'. The crisis lasted till 1.00 A.M. when the doctor was called again. He again gave the patient an injection, but assured them that the crisis was over.

The Bhajans continued till 4.00 A.M. when the Bhajan Mandali and the relatives assured the wife that her husband had survived. So she better get ready, for the 'Padyatra' (pilgrimage by foot) as per her vow. From that time the patient steadily recovered, and was ambulant in a few moments. So the family and the Bhajan Mandali started for Shirdi. At Kopargaon, the family hired five bullock carts to take them to Shirdi. But the wife would not sit in the cart. She just walked, behind the carts although her legs were swollen and bruised.

A short distance from Shirdi there was a stony, and thorny path. So she went and rested under a tree. She noticed a man with a white beard in a shepherd's dress. He approached her and said, "Your vow has been accepted by Baba so mother, go the rest of the distance by bullock cart".

The lady heard the loving tone in the voice but she adhered to her vow, and trudged the rest of the way. When she reached Dwarkamai, Baba was seated with His devotees when Baba said to Nana Saheb, "/ met this lady on the way and told her to ride in the cart, but she would not listen. See how swollen and bruised her legs are! But they will be alright by the evening." True to His word the swelling and the bruises vanished by evening.

They stayed at Shirdi for a few days and returned home with Baba's blessings and Udi.

AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI-PART1

2009-01-27T18:36:00.009+05:30

Starting the series with some of the Leelas of his holiness Sri Saibaba that occurred before 1918 as mentioned in the book," Ambrosia in Shirdi", that haven't been mentioned in Sri Sai Satcharitra.

EXCERPTS INHERITED FROM THE BOOK ," AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI ",
COMPILED BY : SAI BHAKT VINNY,

Leela 1

"/ may be here in My physical body, and you may be far away beyond the seven seas. Yet, whatever you do there I know instantly. Wherever you may be, when you spread your hands before Me in supplication with faith and devotion, there I stand behind you day and night, as steadfast as your faith and devotion is," said Baba to Cholkar (Sai Satcharitra Ch.15).

Baba's words are true for each and every bhakta (devotee) even now as they were then. This is such a Leela where Baba literally went beyond the seven seas to rescue a bhakta.

It was during World War I Capt. Jahanghir F. Daruwala was at sea, with his fleet of ships. To his utter dismay he realized that all but three of his ships were hit by the enemy and were sinking fast. Soon these three ships with the passengers, and himself would meet the same fate. Being a good Captain he hoped to ferry the remaining ships to safety.

He had Baba's photograph in his pocket. He promptly took it out and earnestly prayed to Baba to come to their rescue. Just as he has praying, Baba sitting in the Dwarkamai shouted "Haq, haq". The devotees surrounding Baba, were astonished to see Baba completely drenched, from head to toe. The water flowed in torrents, and the Dwarkamai soon became a pool of water. The devotees simply removed buckets and buckets of water from the Dwarkamai for about an hour. Then they gave Baba dry clothes to wear.

As Baba was silent about the cause of His being drenched, one of the devotees drank the water as tirth (holy water) and found it extremely salty. He wondered at that, but kept quiet. Simultaneously, at sea, Capt. Daruwala saw Baba in person, pull and tow his ships to safety. On the third day after this incident Baba received a telegram from the Captain, thanking Him for the rescue operation. Immediately on his return he came to Shirdi and fell at Baba's feet. He thanked Baba for answering his prayers so swiftly and saving the lives of his crew and the passengers. Capt. Daruwala was an ardent devotee and he took a great deal of interest in Baba's affairs. He donated Rs.2,200/- in two installments for the repair of the Sabha Mandap. As a small, ''thank you'' gesture.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART40

2009-01-25T10:47:00.004+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

SRI SHIRDI SAI BABA'S NECTOR WORDS

1.The secret of happiness lies in serving God almighty with joy and abandon.

2.Contentment is the harbinger of mental peace and happiness.

3.Speak with love to everyone, and take great care not to hurt the feelings of others.

4.The true essence of God is bliss. Therefore, by surrendering at His Lotus Feet you too can partake of this supreme anand.

5.True bhakti means intense and self-abnegating love for the divine.

6.A dedication of all your actions to God or Guru is the true essence of devotion.

7.Gnan (Knowledge) which is not tinged with bhakti (Devotion) is bleak and uninspiring.

8.Inflicting pain on others by body, mind and speech is sin; the reverse is merit, good.

9.Welcome whoever comes to your house, give water to the thirsty, cloth to the naked, keep in your house the helpless this will satisfy Sri Hari (God).

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 39

2009-01-25T10:37:00.011+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

HOW DO MASTERS REDEEM DEVOTEES ?

STEADY UPLIFT ENDING IN FREEDOM FROM CYCLE OF BIRTHS

How do Saints or Samarthas help humanity? This interesting question is answered in the following statement prepared jointly by B. V. Narasimhaswami and Bharatananda.

The Supreme Being is thought of as having five aspects or functions with names appropriate to each :--

Creation : Brahma in conjunction with Saraswathi.
Maintenance:Vishnu or Narayana in conjunction with Laxmi.
Destruction :Rudra in conjunction with Kali.
Iswar :Mahesh in conjunction with Maheswari.
Redemption :Sadashiva in conjuction with Kripa.

There are avatars combining often several of these elements. The life work of a Samartha Sadguru lead one to identify him with the Redemption aspect of the Supreme Being.
Jivas, like ourselves, are going on from birth to birth. They are the Supreme Being, but shot out of Him by an initial act of nescience (Maya). Then the initial ignorance developed by a series of their Karmas, whirls them at a terrific velocity in the circle of Samsara. The Jivas feel powerless to get out of it. They are moved by desire (Vasana) to acts (Karma) which in turn strengthen desire. So the vicious circle of Karma and Vasana catches the Jivas in its powerful grip and unaided they feel they cannot wriggle out. If they try to do so, they only get more and more entangled more and more involved in Samsara. How are these Jivas then to be helped out of this involution in evolution, so that they may evolve themselves back into the state of the Supreme Being?

Avatars to Help:
At special times Avatars of the Supreme Being come down to raise humanity in masses. The Avatars do not as a rule set to themselves the task of caring for particular Jivas spiritual advance. So the work of the Avatars finds its supplement and fulfilment in the work of the Samartha Sadgurus. These with the vast powers, knowledge and bliss of the Supreme proceed to deal with individual Jivas and help them out of their involution to evolve into the Supreme Being. Samarthas like Sri Sai Baba are called Samarthas because of their vast nay unlimited, power, wisdom and bliss and they are called Sadgurus, because they appear in order to act as the Guru for individual Jivas to lead them into the Sat or Supreme. The powers of Samarthas may, to a superficial view, appear like the feats of a thought-reader, magician or necromancer. But there are unmistakable differences between these two sets of powers in respect of their origin, their nature or limits, the manner of exercise and the purpose or motive of such exercise. The magician and others of his like acquire their power and exercise it with great effort and its exercise is within definite limits of time, space, etc. and the purpose of the exercise may be either sordid or at any rate clearly personal. The Samartha, on the other hand, has not to work for the powers , the powers come as pan of his realisation and perfection; and exercise of his powers is not the result of effort. These powers are not limited to any particular sort or class, as even Ashta Siddhis are limited in comparison with the Samarthas.The purpose of the Samarthas, exercise is pure mercy for the Jiva, whose spiritual advance is distinctly furthered thereby.

How They Work :
We may proceed to examine the main feature of the work of the Samartha Sadguru.
The point at which a Jiva's involution or Samsaric life turns to evolution or the Path of Redemption is the appearance of the Sadguru to that Jiva. How did the Jiva start his Jiva hood? By forgetting its original, its real, nature as Brahman and thus disturbing the harmony of the Gunas that prevailed in Brahman till the forgetting. At that moment, a disturbance in the Gunas took place and the Jiva started its samsaric career. The original Brahmic state was the clear unruffled waters of the ocean. The disturbance caused in it a small whirl. This whirl is the Jiva; and it fancied itself (and this is the primary ignorance) different from the waters of the ocean, by reason of its being a whirl. The Sadguru comes and restores the harmony that pravailed before the Jiva started this whirling. The Sadguru shows the whirl that it is water after all this , Jiva realising that truth sinks into peace as part of the ocean and thus primal harmony is restored by the Sadguru. This is the essence of Sadgurus work. But the general lines of his work we shall next consider.

The Initial Help :
First the Jiva is under a heavy load of past Karmas which weighs him down and pins him to Samsara. He has to reap the pains and pleasures he has sown. If he tries to remove one item of load he does two more acts and thereby increases the load. This is because of his weakness, and want of clear vision, and of ability to know and direct himself alright. He requires, therefore, the help of one who knows the situation exactly and what will meet it in the individuals special circumstances. Such a guide and director is the Sadguru. So the Jiva has to go to a Sadguru. But unfortunately even the desire to approach a Sadguru and the idea of how to approach him properly are foreign to the Karma-bound Jiva. So taking advantage of a little punya (merit) acquired by the Jiva by means of previous contact (however remote) with the Sadguru or any other holy person, the Sadguru mercifully makes the approach easier for the Jiva. By his vast powers, the Sadguru helps the poor. Jiva, even temporally in a way under such marvellous circumstances that the Jiva is pulled out of his vicious circle, and roused to a sense of admiration, gratitude and reverence to the Samartha, noting especially how divine the Sadguru is contrasted with the earthly Jiva.

Later Development :
Thus the Jiva gets prepared to and does attach himself by love to the Samartha Sadguru and the latter increases his faith by showing him more and more of his vast knowledge, vast power, vast kindness and love,all exercised on behalf of the devotees out of pure mercy. As part of this same mercy, the Guru directs the devotee to do some acts which will increase the punya or good Karma and reduce the papa or bad Karma of the devotee. The more good Karma is done, the more is the doer reducing his heavy load of past bad Karma, without committing fresh bad Karma. Results of previous Karmas are even advanced and regulated by the Samartha's omniscience and omnipotence to help his dependent reap his harvest more quickly.
But in this process the Jiva is apt to get attached to the doing of punya or meritorious work. Though they enable him to get over Rajas and Tamas, they still bind him through Satva, as they will carry him to repeated births in nice worlds i.e. of the Gods, Even this Satvic bondage must be rent as under.

So the Guru next weans the devotee even from good works. For the purpose, the devotee must have an attachment higher and stronger than good works. That is the attachment to, and love for the Guru, ending in surrender to the Guru. Attachment to the Guru is useful no doubt. But its early stages leave in the mind of the devotee the idea that he is still the person directing his affection to the Guru, and doing the appropriate service therefore and that he is doing something worthy and meritorious. It nearly approaches detachment by reason of absence of personal motive but is still tainted with Egoism, i.e. with the sense of the devotee being an agent, a voluntary performer of action. This sense also must be knocked on the head or banished. Its absence is surrender to or identification with the Guru. Identification and surrender are almost the same, with a slight difference. In surrender, the process is marked by humility and a desire to end the self, which need not be distinctly present in identification with the Guru. Identification may be the result of surrender but is seldom its cause. The fruit of identification is the destruction of the primal Maya or nescience under which the Jiva started its separate existence. Surrender restores the balance (or harmony) of gunas that was upset when the separate existence of the Jiva commenced.

Towards Surrender :
This surrender is brought about when the feeling of the devotee towards his Guru gets intensified. Such intensification is comparable to a huge world-wide dynamo attracting an electrified atom. The devotee, the atom, may however still be feeling or fancying that it is moving of its own accord to the huge dynamo, the Guru and then the devotee may even raise the question how this surrender is to be effected and accelerated.
In this connection, we may consider another line on which the devotee Jiva's progress is proceeding. The devotee starts with devotion to his Guru or God, who is felt to be entirely outside him, i.e. outside the devotee's body. The devotee is then under the influence of Rajas and Tamas and identifies himself almost entirely with the body. But increasing contact with the Sadguru and increasing faith in him, with good works, especially selfless, meritorious works, reduce the Rajasic and Tamasic elements of the devotee and wear off his Deh-atma-buddi, i.e., the idea that he is the body.

His ideas of God get broader and finer and more emphasis is laid on God's and Guru's spiritual nature which bursts the shackless of finite space limits. The Guru God is not confined to the small human body but extends far beyond covering the entire universe on one side, and, on the other, is very subtle and therefore enters as Sarva Antaryami into all hearts. The devotee begins to feel that the Guru,God is his own Antaryami, i.e., he sees him within himself. TheSamartha's vast powers enable the devotee to obtain the finer sight actually to see the Guru within his own heart. The inner presence of God,Guru can never be inactive. His real living presence within asserts itself more and more and swallows up the Jivahood of the Jiva. This is self surrender of the Jiva when viewed from the latter's stand-point. With this swallowing up or surrender, all old Karmas, good and bad, are swallowed up.

The Final Snap :
The Vasanas or tendencies to do fresh Karma have also to be destroyed in the Jiva's progress. Vasanas are desires or desire tendencies directed to lower objects (whether earthly or otherworldly objects). These have to be swallowed up only by a stronger and purer desire or affection, by something more exacting than earthly love. As stated already, such stronger passion is the devotee's love for the Guru, and it is that love that blossoms into complete self-surrender. This surrender alone totally extinguishes Vasanas. Once Vasanas are destroyed, there is no more ego, no more of vicious circle of Samsara, and the Evolution of the Jiva into the Supreme is complete. Then the Jiva sees that the Samartha Sadguru has all along been with him, inside and outside, and that the Jiva , the Sadguru and the Supreme Being are and always have been one and the same Real.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 38

2009-01-25T10:36:00.007+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS INSECTS AND REPTILES
CONFLICTING ADVICE

Numerous are the instances when Sri Sai Baba saved his devotees from snakes or death from snake bites. In some instances, he actually foretold the accident and vouched safe protection.

At Shirdi, one day, Nana Saheb Dengle who had acquired considerable proficiency in Astrology, told G. M. Buty, a rich devotee from Nagpur, that there was a "ganda" or danger to Duty's life that day. A little later, both of them went to the masjid and sat near Baba, mentioning nothing of the apprehended danger. But Baba himself broached the subject and addressed Buty.

Baba : What does Nana say? He sees Death coming to you, eh? We have no need to fear. Strike ! Let me see how you strike and kill !
Spared Long :
Later, in the evening, Buty went out to ease himself; and near him was a snake. Both he and his servant saw the snake; and before they could fetch a stick to despatch it, it moved away. The "ganda" or danger had indeed come. But under the eye of Baba, that watches everything everywhere, the danger was averted. Buty had much pious work for Baba yet to do; and Baba shielded his life and limb for years till the arrival of the fated hour in 1921.
While in this case the snake escaped, in all others even in the presence of Baba the snake was clubbed to death. Did Baba approve of it?

The general question of clemency to noxious reptiles and insects bristles with difficulties and conflict of interest:
Tukaram, a great authority in the Maharashtra has said that snakes and scorpions are God (Narayana) and that they should be worshipped of course, at a safe and respectful distance. The Sage of Dakshineswar preached the same doctrine, stressing the precautionary clause at the end, in respect of tigers, etc., but showed by example that bugs and other such vermin may be killed. Srimad Bhagavad Skanda VII says: Even a saint may rejoice at the killing of snakes and scorpions. H. S, Dixit, ex. M.L C. was greatly perplexed by these considerations; and he put the question in his own peculiar way to Baba, "To prevent death from snake bite people kill venomous snakes as soon as they see them. Is that right?"
Baba said "No. A snake will not kill a person, unless so ordered by God (i.e., Destiny). If that is ordered, that person will not succeed in killing the snake and escaping destiny."
Numerous devotees encounter snakes at Shirdi not infrequently and they generally let them pass scout free, treating them as Baba in reptile form.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 37

2009-01-25T10:29:00.004+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

WHEN THE FAITHLESS GROW PENITENT
SRI SAI BABA'S WAY ...

Some 40 years ago, two friends were discussing their prospects for the Law Examination.
One said that he was sure to pass, though he had not prepared for it because Sri Sai Baba had assured him. The other, Sapatnekar, simply laughed at his friend's confidence and jeered at him and at Baba.
When the results came, the friends name was in the pass list. Sapatnekar was surprised, but still, "That must be a fluke", he thought. He had no faith in, nor regard for Baba.

Then Sapatnekar settled at Akkalkot and practised as a lawyer. Ten years passed. And then he lost his only son and it broke his heart. He sought relief and peace of mind by pilgrimage and study of Vedanta. No peace came to him however. Then he remembered that he had treated Sri Sai Baba's name and powers with contempt and feared that perhaps the bereavement was a punishment. Any how it would be good to go and see Baba at Shirdi and he started. When he went and prostrated before Baba, the latter uttered the chilling words "Chal Hat", i.e., "Getaway'. This was repeated a second time arid even a third. He left Shirdi, thoroughly mortified.

A year passed and then he was preparing for a pilgrimage to Kasi. Just then his wife saw a fakir in her dream, who told her: "Come to me. Why do you make vain efforts?" This showed them that Baba had realised and was more favourably disposed. Sapatnekar then came to Shirdi and fell at Baba's feet. His wife who saw Baba then for the first time noticed that Baba's was the exact figure that came to her in the dream. Baba, however, still uttered "Chal Hat" when he fell at His feet. This time he was more penitent and persevering. He admitted to himself that he did not deserve any better treatment and resolved to see Baba later in the day in the absence of a crowd, to beg pardon for his past contempt. This he did and then Baba kindly stroked his head. Baba strengthened his faith by addressing a shepherdess that had come there, in his characteristic fashion. Baba narrated the various vicissitudes of Sapatnekar's life,never mentioning his name however. His heart was heaving with wonder and joy. None else could know all that Sai then knew and spoke out.

Then the Gift :
Then Baba still addressing the shepherdess pointed to Sapatnekar and said, "This man blames me and charges me with killing his son. Now, I will bring that very child back to his wife's womb".
With these words, Baba placed his blessing hand over Sapatnekar's head and added : "Place entire faith in my words. Your object will be quickly attained". Sapatnekar again glowed with joy and his faith grew in intensity.
At parting Baba gave him a coconut and directed him , place it in the fold of his wife's upper cloth and go away rejoicing.
He did so and in 12 month's time, a son was born to him. Baba's words, he then realised, were never nature, never unfulfilled.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 35

2009-01-25T10:28:00.017+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

TEMPLE TRUSTEE PAYS FOR HIS CRIME

Sri Sai Baba occasionally narrated a few reminiscences of his own past births. These were never taken down and most are forgotten. But a few are still fresh in the memory of the hearers. One of these is given below, substantially as given out by Baba. The readers will note how every sentence of his brims with wisdom and virtue and now, for centuries, Baba is the same Samartha carrying on his mission of helping humanity with his superhuman power, lofty principles and benign impartiality.
One morning, Sri Sai Baba strolled along till he came to a river bank. There he sat under a tree, admiring the dense foliage of an alley and lit his pipe with a pair of flints. A wayfarer came up and the hospitable Baba gave him a few puffs out of his pipe. Then a peculiar sound was heard.

Wayfarer: Let us see what the matter is.
Sai Baba: Matter! It is the croaking in pain of a frog seized by a snake. It is reaping the fruit of its own karma. What we have done in the past comes to us now as present suffering. And yet there is an outcry against Fate!
The wayfarer went out to see the frog for himself.
Sai .Baba (without leaving his seat):— The frog is caught by a huge serpent and is crying. But both frog and serpent were wicked in their past birth and have come into their present bodies to reap their reward.
The wayfarer, returning to Baba : Yes, I went and saw. A big frog, it is, in the mouth of a huge black serpent. If it continues for 10 or 20 minutes more, it will be all over with the poor frog!
Sai Baba: No. I am its father and am here. Will I let the snake eat it? Just see how I realise it!
Then Baba walked on to the place where the frog was, The wayfarer who was going in advance suddenly took fright.
Wayfarer: Baba, let us go back. Do not go nearer. The serpant may fly at us.
Sai Baba : Do not fear.
Sai Baba then went near and thus addressed the creatures.
Sai Baba : Hallo! Veerabhadrappa! Even now, you have no pity for your enemy Basappa though he has now taken birth as a frog, just as you have turned into a serpent? Shame! Shame upon your hatred! Get rid of hatred and rest in peace!
These words acted like magic. The snake let go its, prey, dived into the river and was lost to sight. The frog hopped away and hid in some tree.
Wayfarer: What a wonder! I cannot see why the snake dropped its prey at your words. Which of these creatures is Veerabhadrappa, and which Basappa? Give me their full history, please.

Sai Baba resumed his seat, shared a few puffs with his visitor at his pipe and spoke :
Some 6 or 7 miles off my place, there was a village sanctified by a temple of Maheswara. That temple was getting dilapidated. So the villagers began to collect funds for its renovation. The treasurer appointed was a rich miser. He spent but little of the collections on the renovation which consequently made very poor progress and he swallowed much of the public funds. Seeing the work thus hampered, God appeared in a dream and told the wife of the treasurer: "If you spend any money in renovating this temple, Maheswara will give it to you back a hundredfold". On waking, the wife communicated the dream to her husband. But he sniffed "expenditure" as the drift of her dream and this Shylock would launch into no such venture. He replied that this was no business proposition. Was he not the man incharge of funds? If God meant business, would He not have come to him? And how far was he from her?
Another night, God again came to the wife in her dream and said : "Do not bother yourself about your husband and his money. Give, if you like, out of your own". The wife then told her lord that she was going to endow the temple with the value of her own jewels. They were worth Rs. 1000. Then this treasurer, not content with the amounts already embezzled by him, wanted to do Maheswara, even in this transaction. He told the wife that he would take the jewel himself and give God, i e., the temple, his vast stretch of land as its endowment; and the simple woman agreed. But the land was not his. It was the property of one Dubaki, a poor widow, who was just then too poor to redeem it. But there was no period of limitation for exercising the right of redemption. And the present possession of the land was worth nothing. It was barren saline coastland yielding nothing in the best of seasons.
Thus ended this transaction and sometime later there was a terrific storm. Lightning struck down the house of the treasurer. He and his wife died.
That lady was born in the same village, as the daughter of the temple priest, two whom the above land had been given as service inam. And she was named Gauri. She bad come back to enjoy the land and the priest who was very fond of her donated the land to her use. Then he adopted a boy Basappa who was no other than Dubaki, the mortgager of that land in the previous birth. Basappa was to have the riwersion after or a joint right with Gauri. Gauri had to be married and the priest came to his great friend Sri Sai Baba, living in a mosque in that birth also, and asked for advice. Baba told him to wait,for the man destined to marry her would himself soon turn up. Then came a poor boy of their caste named Veerabadrappa, and he married Gauri. Who was Veera-badrappa? That embezzler of public money, and God's money, the treasurer. He had been born of poor parents at Mathura and named Veerabadrappa. Veerabadrappa was at first devoted to Baba as the latter had proposed his marriage to Gauri.
But the old hankering for wealth was still working in Veerabadrappa and he appealed to the Fakir Baba to get him wealth. Baba told him to wait, for the suitable time would be coming soon.
And it came, For that vast stretch of coast land, there was at last a demand and a sudden appreciation of value. It sold for Rs. 1,00,000 (just 100 times the worth of the jewels) a moiety of which was paid down in cash, the rest being payable in twenty-five annual instalments. Now was Veera-badrappa's chance. He tried to clutch at that money. Basappa was naturally hostile to his claims and resisted his efforts.
Baba's intercession was sought and Baba pointed out that Gauri had the right to the entire money and that none else should interfere. Veerabadrappa got angry with Basappa and Baba. He threatened to kill Basappa who, in his cowardice sought refuge from Baba. Baba plighted his word that he would shield him from the wrath of his wicked foe. Then the parties to this feud died. Veerabadrappa was born as the serpent and was still unrelenting in his hatred. The coward Basappa was born as a frog. Veerabadrappa tried even in this birth to kill his enemy.
Winding up, Baba said. "Hearing the miserable croaking of Basappa, and remembering my pledge to save him, I am here. I have kept my word and saved him".
Baba then changed his expression and said "God saved Basappa, his devotee, by sending me. All this is God's lila or sport".

This may be taken for perfectly true history. For Baba never spoke anything but truth. This anecdote has been embodied in grand sonorous Oviverse in Dabolkar's Sai Sat-charita Ch. 47.
That book is read for daily study, "Parayana" by numerous devotees of Sri Baba. One day, Mr, G. B. Dattar, B.A..LL.B., a pleader of Thana, was reading it. A lady in the bouse was litening to it in a half drowsy condition. She suffered from periodical internal pains as she listened she burst out half involuntarily, in that drowsy condition, and said "Baba, you have such pity for a dumb irrational creature. Have you no pity for me, a human being?"
Then she heard a voice emanating apparently from a peg in the wall saying "Will you give me Rs. 5 dakshina for the Dasstrah?" And she answered she would, if she was cured. At once she woke up from her dozing condition and had the money sent up to Sai Sansthan. She began to improve and in some hours, her agony considerably abated. This was in 1932.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 34

2009-01-25T10:28:00.016+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

SRI SAI BABA AND NATIONAL UNITY

The peaceful atmosphere of Sri Sai Baba's sansthan was never disturbed by politics or other controversies. In his own quiet unostentatious way,'Baba was however laying the solid foundations of Indian Unity, and affording both by example and precept valuable suggestions for Indian's welfare. The greatest stumbling block in its way is the difficulty of yoking together the two great communities to the common cause and making them pull in unison and amity. Let us note Baba's contribution to this great task.
While at Bombay and in other places, heads were being broken, temples, mosques and houses were burnt down, at Shirdi each of these groups built or lent a hand in building the others' temples, mosques and houses.

Happy Co-operation :
A Hindu Revenue Inspector gave Baba stones for the reconstruction of His mosque and Baba gifted them all away for the reconstruction of the Hindu temples in the village. The Hindus later collected thousands of rupees and reconstructed His mosque.
A devotee of Sri Sai Baba viz., Sri Upasani Maharaj has put up at Sakori (3 miles off Shirdi) a neat little mosque within twenty yards of the local Siva and Maruti temples, without any disturbance of public or private tranquillity. Hindus and Muslims have always joined together for the processions and celebrations in honour of Sri Sai Baba, and for prayers at the tomb and both partook of the vegetarian offerings (Naivedya) brought by both to Baba, after due pronouncement of Namaz.

Against Coaversion :
Sri Sai Baba symbolised the coming unity of the two creeds in himself and in his abode,Like Kabir.Baba said he was Kabir in a former birth, he combined in himself the Hindu boring of ears with Muslim circumcision. He dressed like a Muslim Fakir, but was painted, garlanded and ornamented like a Hindu image. He spoke to Muslims in their Hindustani and to Hindus in their Marathi and quoted the Koran to the former and the Puran to the latter. He gave advice and help suited to each and was the friend and father of all. He was strictly conservative and kept each group or individual to its or his customary observances and lines of progress. He hated proselytism. Once when Bade Baba, the Malegaon Fakir, brought with him a Hindu recenly converted to Islam, Baba mockingly asked the latter (knowing, offcourse, that the conversion was external and not a change of heart), "Well, have you changed your father?"

Pooja and Koran :
The building In which Baba resided was the 'masjid’ of the Muslims; but it was styled 'Dwarika-Mayi' by Baba himself and the Hindus. It contained the niche in the western wall called 'nimbar' representing the Caaba of Mecca, to which all orthodox Muslims should turn at times of prayer, and also a perpetual fire, with its sacred ashes, a platform round the sacred tulsi for Pradakshina, and a garlanded portrait of Baba for pooja. Hindu scriptures were read there by day and the Koran by night. And at noon, worship of Baba was carried on with Hindu hymns to the accompaniment of deafening music. Fully justified was Baba's remark, "This is Brahmin's mosque."
But this strange, though not unprecedented, assimilation of the two religions into one was not achieved without the exercise of the vast powers, the intense love and watchful zeal of Sri Sai Baba for many decades. And at times, especially at the outset, there were occasions for friction. But under Baba's care, actual friction was averted. These instances were very few not more than 3 or 4 during a period of 3 or 4 decades, and they are the exceptions which prove the rule. We shall notice them very briefly.

Defies a Threat :
Painting Baba with sandal and worshipping him at the mosque was the first and foremost cause of dissatisfaction to Mussalmans. In fact, Baba himself disliked these and was long preventing their performance. But the loving heart of Sai could not long resist the persistent ardour of his Hindu 'children' and he finally yielded his reluctant assent. The Muslims of Shirdi, however, were not at first inclined to yield their assent. On the other hand, they invoked the aid of Sangamner Kazi and held a council of war at which it was resolved that further discreation of the mosque should be stopped by the use of force. They resolved to beat Mahlsapathy—this was probably in ths nineties of the last century, when he was the only regular worshipper of Baba—in case he continued to paint and worship Baba at the mosque. When that feeble-bodied devotee learnt of the mischief that was brewing he stood outside the mosque and carried on his pooja of Baba.But Baba knew his own power, the weakness of the opposition and the vast advantages to the public of the development of his worship. He called Mahlsapathy into the mosque and ordered him to go on with the usual painting and pooja,defying terrorism to lift its head, if it dared. The Moulvi and other present were cowed down by the firmness of this Shirdi Wizard, and gave up all idea of molesting Mahlsapathy or any other worshipper.

Pathan's Terrible Offer :
More than a decade after the above incident, when the worship of Baba had become general, marked and assertive, a few die-hards tried to stem this current and stop the "desecration of the mosque and the transformation of a Muslim fakir into a Hindu Idol". One midnight, in 1915 when Baba was sleeping at the chavadi along with R. A. Tarkhad, some other Hindus and a fierce Pathan, the last got up and telling Baba that the Hindus were "spoiling" and ruining him begged permission to cut all the Hindu throats immediately. R. A. Tarkhad woke up and shuddered at the prospect of being murdered in cold blood. But Baba the watchful mother that he was, came to the rescue. He took the entire responsibility for all the heterodox practices at the mosque on himself, and declared that it was his madness that spoilt the Hindus and that consequently his own throat might be cut, if that was desired. As this zealot for the purity of Islam was not willing to go so far, the matter was dropped.

Punished on the Spot:
A little later, another Pathan who left Police service for a fakir's life, was staying with Baba at Shirdi. His zeal first spent itself in shounting out the 'Kalam", throughout the night of the proximity of Baba. The villagers whose sleep was thus disturbed wished to drive him out. But Baba supported him, fed him and maintained him there. This "Rohilla" (as he was incorrectly named) though convinced by Baba's vast powers and goodness, that Baba was nothing less than Paygambar (i.e. Prophet) felt at the same time that Baba was striking at the root of Muslim orthodox traditions. This feeling gathered strength in a short time and one day this "Rohilla" decided to murder Baba and approached him from behind with a club. But the omniscience of Baba was equal to the occasion. He simply turned back and with a glance and a touch pinned the would-be-murderer to the ground whence he was unable to lift himself without other's help. This was probably the last attempt at interference with the peaceful and united celebration of Baba's worship at Shirdi.

After Death :
When Baba passed away in October 1918, disputes arose as to the disposal of his mortal remains. Some Muslims were anxious to assert their right to this "Muslim” saint's tomb, and to keep it under their own control. The majority of worshippers being Hindus resisted the demand. The ease with which the problem was solved showed how greatly Baba had toned down creed asperities at Shirdi. When the disputes were going on, and the corpse remained unburied, the customary Hindu worship was proceeding. The public authorities that came on the scene took a plebiscite, through mahazars which showed that the majority of devotees were in favour of respecting Baba's own wish to be interred in a recent edifice of his Hindu devotee, G. M. Buty. The Muslims agreed, stipulating only that they should have free access to the tomb and mosque as usual. The utter absence of mutual violence on this occasion speaks volumes for the toleration and co-operation so sedulously cultivated by Baba at Shirdi.
There are numerous saints all over the country, who have a following among both the communities. Is it too much to hope that they also would develop the spirit of toleration and amity as at Shirdi and render real Hindu-Muslim unity an accomplished fact?

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 36

2009-01-25T10:28:00.015+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

WHEN GIFTS ARE PROMISED AND FORGOTTEN

More than thirty years ago, as Sri Sai Baba was seated at this mosque, two Deccan Brahmins came and prostrated before him. Baba asked Shama to ask one of them to pay Rs. 15 as dakshina. Shama asked and the money was paid readily. The other man found that Baba did not ask him for anything. Yet as he felt strongly in the matter, he voluntarily paid Rs. 35. Baba just handled the amount and promptly returned it. Shama was surprised and spoke to Baba.

Shama : Lord! I have never seen the like of this! The thirty-five rupees voluntarily paid, you refuse to accept. The other and smaller sum, fifteen rupees you beg for and accept. What is the discrimination !
Baba: Shama, you do not know. I receive nothing from anybody. This Rs. 35 is not ours. But the Rs. 15 is Datta's and he has made it over to "Masjid Ayi" (a phrase denoting Baba's personality as functioning at masjid).
Baba paused a while and further explained his statements in his characteristic indirect way which none but the concerned parties could follows.

Baba: He was first poor and earned nothing. He then made a vow to Datta, that if he should secure employment by Datta's grace, the first month's salary should be made over to that God. He did secure employment on Rs. 15. That was long, long ago. Then there was steady increase in his salary which went up by leaps and bounds to Rs. 700 aid over. In the full tide of prosperity, the old vow was clean forgotten and Datta's debt remained unpaid. The force of this Karma drove him here. So I asked him to give my fifteen rupees as a dakshina.

Then was there another incident. I was going on by the seaside. There was a huge and beautiful house there ,owned by a rich Brahmin, of good family. The Brahmin gave me my night meal. There was a clean and neat place, near the cupboard. He pointed out that place, as good for me to sleep in. I slept there. When I was sound asleep, that man used his skill in the grafter's art and quietly removing a stone slab in the wall, gained acces to me. He gently cut off an entire roll of note,thirty notes, each of the face value of Rs. 1000. I woke up in the morning and was aghast at the loss of my fortune. I was greatly upset and did not know what to do. That Brahmin must have done it. I felt sure. But where was the proof? I lost all interest in food and drink and sat on the verandah of that house moaning over my fate. A passing fakir noticed my evident dejection and made kind enquiries to its cause. I unburdened myself of the tale of my woe. Thee said he "Do act up to my directions, and you will recover yours. There is the fakir that I shall mention to you. Make a vow that you will go and see him if the money is recovered. Meanwhile give up yaur favourite dish of food, and do not taste it till the money is recovered". I followed the fakir's directions and recovered the money. I left that house. Again I went by the sea. There was a steamer I wanted to get into. But the master of the boat would not allow me to get in as the boat was already full. Then a belted peon said: "These are our men". On that peon's intercession, I got in. Then I took train and came to Masjid Ayi.
As Baba was speaking, Shama was much mystified. But the two visitors were deeply impressed and were shedding tears.
Then at Baba's bidding, Shama took the visitors home and fed them. There Shama observed that Baba's talk was quite mystifying, since Baba never went to the seaside, never had 30,000 rupee, never lost money, and never recovered them as was just stated. But the visitors said that every word that Baba spoke was the truth about them.

The first visitor had indeed made a vow to Datta dedicating the first month's salary to God, and said that having risen from Rs. 15 to over Rs. 700 he had forgotten all about his vow, and that Baba who was undoubtedly God was very kind to him in calling up that amount and releasing him from the obligation under the vow.

The second visitor also confirmed the account given by Baba about Rs. 30,000. When Baba said "I", that only denoted this visitor who was the person despoiled of thirty notes, each a thousand in value. The "Brahmin", i.e., cook who had served him for 30 years, one night removed a slab in the wall and approaching this visitor purloined the entire sum. A report to the police was fruitless. So he was sitting with a long and down cast face at his verandah, when a fakir told him that if a vow be made to Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi (to go there if the money is recovered) the money would be surely recovered; and that meanwhile, he should fore go the use of his favourite dish.
"I like rice best and I vowed not to taste it and I made the other vow also", said he "In 15 days the cook came to me of his own accord and returned the entire amount stolen by him. I then was tossing between Bombay and Goa by sea. Baba again appeared in my dream, to remind me of the unfulfilled vow. At Goa we made up our minds to start for Shirdi i.e., to go by boat to Bombay and thence to take train. But the boat at Goa was full and space was refused. Suddenly there was on board a belted peon totally unknown to us and he said, "Please let them come in; they are our men". So we were admitted.
The visitor added; "What vast knowledge is Babas! What vast control over every thing and person is His! But for Him, how would the thief return such a large sum and how would we even get a place in the steamer! Baba is Sarva Antaryami. He lives inside each heart, knows its secrets and controls it".

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 33

2009-01-25T10:18:00.008+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

THE MYSTIC BLISS OF BABA

Baba gave all things to his devotees and filled them with all sorts of joys , 'enjoyment of worldly objects, comforts of domestic life riches, honour, success in one's efforts, security from danger, release from disease and troubles of various sorts. It is not to these joys that this article is devoted, nor even to the joys be gave them of overcoming defects and vices. The new life of virtue and power, with the joyous sense of achievement not only increased the quantum but also the tone and scale of their happiness; lifting it from the animal level of selfish sense gratification to the angelic level of selfless spiritual joy, the joy of life that is grounded in love. But there are special grades of joy including the "Mystic Bliss" that Baba favoured some devotees with and it is that bliss that will be now described.
First it is necessary to define the term used. 'Mystic' is a very elastic, very popular, and therefore much abused, term so much abused in fact as to deter some from using it in serious works. Such vagueness and the resulting confusion and abuse can, however, be easily avoided by starting with a definition and strictly adhering to it. This writer uses the word Mysticism to denote the blissful direct immediate contact by intuition, or attempt at such contact by any person, with the Real or what stands to him as the ultimate that lies beyond the universe of phenomena, subjective and objective.
This Real or Ultimate is God to most persons and in their case, mystic bliss is the same as or a part of and preparation for perfect Divine Bliss. But even among religious minded people, the Real that the touch in such experience may not be distinctly identified with God. For instance, Tennyson even as a boy began to dive into himself, by pronouncing his own Christian name and ridding it of its finite association, with the result that he was lost in a trance, in which the consciousness of his little ego perished or rather expanded infinitely into an unlimited illuminating Light of Self, full of joy and life, where in death was an unimaginable or laughable absurdity. This was clear mysticism of the self without distinct reference to a personal or impersonal God, though few would hesitate to give that name to the limitable Deathless state of enlightenment.

Joy Alone Left :
This mystic bliss comes to Buddhists in attaining "Nirvana", in "extinguishing" their little self but as they do not recognise or ascribe their joy to God, such blus cannot be described as Divine Bliss by them, though a student of religious psychology may have good grounds for identifying the Buddhistic Joy of Nirvana with the Vedantic Bliss of the Atman, Brahmananda.
Sri Sai Baba was (and even now is) shedding or showering joy upon his devotees, occasionally when they were away, but frequently when they were in his presence. Anna Saheb Dabolkar in his monumental Marathi biography of Baba,
Sai Satcharita, has thus described it:
"When one gazes and gazes upon Baba's fact, all hunger and thirst are gone , what other joy can compare with thou? One forgets all miseries of earthly exitence".
And again!
"Gazing into his eyes, loses one's sense of individuality; Bliss gushes out from within and the mind sink into an expanse of sweetness".

Care Vanish :
And he further adds that the Vedic description of Brahman is mere bookish knowledge to most, while at Shirdi, it was the common and daily experience of devotees. That Sri Dabolkar has not overstated fact is borne out by reliable testimony. The Hon. Mr. G. S. Khaparde, the Pepys of Shirdi, has noted the same in his daily dairy during his seven months, stay with Baba in 1910, 1911 and 1912 and in his preface to a biography of Baba. In the latter, he says: "From the moment I approached him, all the load of my worldly cares disappeared, though only a few minutes before, it was felt to be exceedingly oppressive and such as to excite disgust of life".
It is needless to quote from the numerous other devotees who have spoken out their experience in similar terms; but we may first refer to those of a Marathi lady Mrs. Manager, and of a Parsi, Mr. Jahangir of Bombay.

A Paradise :
Mrs. Manager says:— "His (i.e., Baba's) loving care combined with those powers made Shirdi a veritable paradise. Directly we went there, we felt safe, that nothing could harm us. When I went and sat in his presence, I always forgot my pain—nay the body itself with all mundane concerns and anxieties. Hours would pass and I would be in blissful unconsciousness of their passing. That was a unique experience shared I believe, by all his real devotees".
Says Mr. Jehangir, "My experience with Baba was very happy. Whenever I went into his presence I forget everything. I had no trouble, no anxiety, no Care, no fear. Everything was blotted out and I passed a blissful time in his company. That was most wonderful. Even now, if he comes in dream vision, that effect is reproduced".
We shall next proceed to consider the instances of mystic bliss he granted through Sakshatkara or vision of divine forms.
A Brahmin doctor who was a devout Ramabhakta was persuaded to go to thee , Sri Sai Baba despite his strong antipathy to bow at the feet of a Muslim, as Baba was taken to be. But Baba's grace evidently in consideration of his devotion to Rama was shown to him from the time of his entry into the mosque compound. When he saw Baba there, he hurried up and fell at his feet, and later explained his sudden change of attitude to his friends. What he beheld in Baba's seat as soon as he approached it, was not the human figure of Baba, but the divine glory of Sri Rama. Having found God in the flesh, he determined to get the highest out of Him,viz. Brahmananda. As Baba did not grant it at once this petulant child started satyagraha. He resolved to fast and not to visit Baba at the Mosque unless he should be given the bliss he sought, or be sent for by Baba.
So he fasted three days. Baba, the kind mother that he was, knew of course how the wind blew and sterred his own course. On the fourth day of the fast, an intimate friend of the doctor, not seen for many long years turned up at Shirdi ,accidentally one might say, if one did not know Sri Sai Baba's vast powers of control. Overflowing with the joy of the friend's arrival, the doctor forgot his fast and his vow and accompanied him to the mosque. Baba asked him, 'Doctor, did any one send for you?" The doctor saw that nothing was or could be concealed from this powerful Sai, and he mentally pressed his quest. That midnight, Baba's grace vouch-safed a response, and the doctor was filled with a strange ecstasy for which there was no physical or physiological explanation and which was clearly a glimpse of Paramananda or Siva Ananda granted by Baba's will. But what he experienced was short lived. In response to his prayer after he went home, he again experienced this joy for a full fortnight. But after that, it ceased. The doctor was not yet qualified to get the perpetual Ananda that becomes part of one's nature or rather becomes one's self, i.e., the Jivan Mukta state. Baba gave him just an appetizer to make him work up to the goal.

A Yogic Doctor :
We may close this article with an experience of greater permanence than those above recited. Sri Sai Baba though invested with the nature and powers of a Yogasiddha, was never known to practice Ashtanga Yoga and sometime warned his devotees agaist the snares of the mystic powers for which parts of the yoga course are gone through. If, however, any one who had difficulties or had come to ruin in yogabhyasa sought relief at his feet, relief was afforded. The best instance known to this writer of such help was that given to Sri Upasani Maharaj. In the course of his hata yogic efforts at suspension of breath, his respiration became fitful and evidently on account of a paralytic attack on some of the respiratory organs, respiration would now and then suddenly threaten to collapse, filling him with the fear, thus, of sudden death. No doctors and no yogis could help him. But Sri Sai Baba appeared to him at Rahuri 30 miles of Shirdi and gave him a very simple recipe which almost completely cured him.

Stream of Sweetness :
Sri Sai Baba further drew him to Shirdi arid there taught him the secret of the Yogic Ecstasy (as practised by Sufis).
Before he went to Shirdi, Sri Upasani Baba easily attained the. Samadhi state and remained in it even for days. But it was a Sushka Samadhi. It was no doubt free from the cares and sorrows of the world but there was no positive element of joy in it. Sri Sai Baba showed him how to turn his dry Samadhi into a joyous experience. He was made to retain a thin trace of his personality and with it draw in an inexhaustible stream of sweetness from Iswara, the Ocean of Sweetness (Rasa).
And this was a permanent gift. Sri Upasani Maharaj has ever since resorted to this form of ecstasy in preference to his former method. But even this ecstasy is but a preparation for the highest goal, the Jivan Mukta state in which one's personality merges for ever in Sat-Chit-Ananda from which there is no return.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 32

2009-01-25T10:16:00.012+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

AS IF TO STRIKE BUT REALLY TO BLISS
SRI SAI BABA'S WAY

There was often at times a certain mystery and dignity about Sri Sai Baba's direction or order when he favoured his devotees. He would not condescend to explain or give reasons. What was a real and great favour came with the harsh appearance of heartless cruelty. Thus when Mr. Manager of Poona had lost his employment and went to Shirdi in the hope that Baba would help him to get employed, Baba ordered him, at once, to start back to Poona via Ahmednagar, with Tatya Patel and others who were going there for fun and no business of their own. Mr. Manager's plea that he had no business at Ahmednagar or Poona was unheeded. But the benefit of implicit obedience to Baba's order was immediately felt. When he reached Poona, there was a strike of mill hands and the Directors were waiting for him, to take charge of the Managership. Baba lifts his hand as though to strike, but the uplifted hand showers blessings.

The Dakshina :
Once D. H. Lele, Inspector of Land Records, Nasik was going to Shirdi to see Baba. En route, at Kopergaon, he visited the Library and saw from the Official Gazette that he had been promoted from Rs. 125 to Rs. 150. When he reached Shirdi and bowed at Baba's feet, the latter asked him for Rs. 15 Mr. Lele pleaded that he had not so much money with him. Baba retorted "It is only yesterday, I gave you Rs. 25. Go and fetch fifteen". The money was then borrowed from Mr. H. V. Sathe (to whom the facts were narrated) and paid to Baba.
Mr. Somnath Shankar Deshpande Nimonkar, Inspector of Police, Poona says that when he was a Sub-Inspector at Kopergaon, he visited Baba at Shirdi and the latter asked for a dakshina of Rs. 10. That was paid and it then seemed to have no particular significance. But about 6 months later, be got an order for increasing his salary by Rs. 10 from the date of his paying that dakshina.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 31

2009-01-25T10:16:00.011+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

BABA'S HELP TO BOYS IN INFANCY

STRANGE ADVICE: BUT RIGHT
Sri Sai Baba had no school education. He never wrote or read anything written. He never even signed his name—if he had any name except the general name Sri Sai Baba i.e. Saintly Father which is applicable to any holy fakir. Yet he knew all about school and college studies and examinations and helped people to attain success in these. The first incidence is mentioned by H. S. Dixit, Ex. M.L.C., in his notes about Sri Sai Baba published by him in Vols. I and II of Sai Lila Masik.
In 1913 when Mr. and Mrs. Dixit were living at Shirdi they sent a son of theirs for his education to stay at Bandra with a friend. About a month before the examination, the boy was seriously ill and Mr. Dixit was asked to go over and see the boy. Sri Sai Baba to whom the letter was shown, detained Mr. Dixit and wanted that the boy should be sent up to Shirdi. In spite of his illness, and near approach of the examinations and the unsuitability of that village for study or medical treatment, the boy was brought to Shirdi. There he soon regained his health. Yet, Baba did not send him back, not even on the date fixed for examination, viz., 2-11-1913. The Bandra friend was surprised at the detention. But the examination, he discovered, was postponed to 6-11-1913. That friend wrote again to get the boy in time for 6-11-1913. But Baba detained him once more having foreknowledge that it would be postponed further to 13-11-1913. Baba finally sent the boy in time to attend examination. Despite such long absence the boy passed the examination.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 30

2009-01-25T10:12:00.005+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

TRANSFORMS A PRIESTLY BIGOT
SRI SAI BABA'S CARE FOR CHILDREN

Babu, the little pet of Sri Sai Baba whose rebirth as the son of Rao Bahadur M. W. Pradhan has already been described, was the instrument for the conversion of an orthodox Telugu priest, who had bean carrying on extensive pooja's etc. for the benefit to the Pradhan family. When Babu once fell ill, the priest look the view that the sickness was due to the family worship of Baba, (whom he took to be) a Muslim neglecting ,"Datta". One night when the child was lying very ill upstairs, its mother thought of sending for the priest Meanwhile the priest himself climbed upstairs and mentioned remarkable vision. He saw a figure, like that of Sri Sai Baba, sitting on top of the staircase, holding a baton in one hand. That figure told him "What do you mean? I am the Lord of this house". The priest was so much influenced by the sight that he began to pray to Baba and said that in case the child should be able to swallow milk within five minutes and recover health from the next day, he would recognise Baba to be Datta, go to Shirdi and pay him a dakshina of Rs. 120. The child took milk within five minutes and began to play some hours later. The priest was converted into a devotee of Baba and fulfilled his vow.

A Timely Warning :
A child of Mr. Pradhan was getting occasional fits which caused considerable anxiety while they stayed. One night at 11 p.m. Mrs. Chotubai Pradhan was thus addressed by Baba in her sleep : "Are you sleeping? Get up. Your boy will have convulsions". At once she woke up with a start and looked at her boy. He was alright then. But Baba's kind warning should not be ignored. So she set about getting all the accessories needed for treatment of 'fits' ready. For e.g a charcoal fire, hot water, Eau-de-cologne, etc., and kept watch. At 2 a.m. the boy awoke with convulsion and all the family were roused. The presence of everything needed helped to combat the disease and in half an hour it passed off. How kind of Baba to give such timely warning of an impending danger!
Even in little matters Baba used his omniscience. Ant-tir-jnana as the Bombay devotees term it, for their benefit. Mrs.Chotubai was once worshipping Baba at the mosque. He suddenly stopped her and bade her go back to her lodgings. Going there she found that her little baby was crying, and she put it to sleep and came back. ''Now do your pooja" remarked Baba on her return to the masjid. What vast concern for a crying baby! The masjid was too far off from her lodgings to let her hear the baby's cries. But Baba heard all cries anywhere and he came to the rescue.

At Danger Points :
Baba's care was not confined to children born with a silver spoon in their mouth. There was a humble family of Babu Kirwanaikar at Shirdi with a little daughter aged 3 and named Shanti. She used to say that she was Baba's sister. Baba was fond of her. One day she slipped into a well and it might have proved fatal, as the neighbours thought. But going up to the well they found that the child was floating above water holding on to a ledge. "Baba held me up" said the child. There was no other explanation for her safe escape. The fall had not injured her in the least.
A child ran one day along a water-covered lane of Shirdi. By the side of the lane, a very deep trench had been cut for building the foundation of a house.The trench was full of storm water and was about 5 feet deep. The child walking in full dress with a cap and umbrella slipped into the trench, unnoticed by anyone but somehow it came out of the trench, without knowing even how to swim. "Baba showed me that there were steps to climb up and I walked up those steps" said the child.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 26

2009-01-25T10:08:00.023+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

GIFTS OF SRI SAI BABA
MOST VARIED AND UNIQUE PEARLS AND SWANS

Newton's dog, his fellowmen and Newton all looked at Nature and saw apples fall. The first looked on and derived no benefit. The second ran up and ate the fruits. Newton alone discovered the Law of Gravitation which has served mankind, as a useful theory or hypothesis to explain many facts of Nature.
All sorts of men and women have approached Sri Sai Baba. Some have returned without any benefit. Some received much of temporal goods with just a taste of the spiritual others, higher and higher spiritual goods. Every one received what he was fitted to receive. Baba, the Universal mother that he was, impartially offered his gifts, nay, scattered them before his visitors, but the crows picked up the offal and the swans, the pearls.
It was in accordance with the capacity, the receptivity and the circumstances of each visitor due to his Karma Rinanubanda, i.e., prenatal merits and ties, that Baba's gifts were effective; and hence spiritual benefits received from him are of a very varied description. Anything like an exhaustive statement of them being impossible, we may content ourselves here with a set or samples.

That Boundless Love :
When people talk of God, to most He is a word and nothing more. They know how to use it for their worldly purposes, nothing what effect it has on the hearer. Convention and current feeling invests its use with a certain dignity and telling force, specially in oaths and curses. But how few have felt at all or in any appreciable degree the sacred awe, the first basis of the idea of the Holy or that for higher feeling of all-Consuming all-sacrificing bundles of Love! For too many have been begotten or brought up in godless families amidst cheerless, cramped and darkened surroundings where the words and conduct of the parents, relations and friends are really a stifling negation of God, conscience and the moral principal, sometimes nominally veiled by an occasional observance of forms of worship or reference to God. Some of these are at times candid enough to admit and sometimes to bemoan the fact that they could never conceive of, much less experience God in their lives.

Spiritual Rebirth, First step in God-Realisation :
The greatest service Sri Sai rendered and renders to mankind is to save such souls from their utter darkness, to show them the existence in himself and elsewhere, of vast power, vast knowledge, vast goodness and self-forgetting Love which blesses him that gives and him that receives and to make them float on waves of joy and happiness, hitherto inexperienced. Rudely shaken from or terrified out of their prolonged stupor and indifference they just receive a few gleams of light into their sin soiled eyes, feel a glow of gratitude, love and other noble emotions in their chilled hearts, begin their spiritual birth and see or feel their God in Sai, their real Saviour. For the first time, they get a rudimentary idea of Sri Sai-and know God. He is the giver of the God-idea to them and is God, in their view and it may be their only God.
The benefit is by no means confined to the class just described. Persons, who start life better, fall into evil ways, gets tainted by wicked company, sunk in voice and sin from drama and cinema songs and street talk, lose their early innocence and receptivity, become thoroughly care-hardened, sneer at purity and piety and blatantly proclaim their imperviousness to godly influence. To such Sai has many times restored, in some degree, their lost innocence by making them feel that they see God in him and in his devotees. Some cultured and English educated persons that this writer met have confessed to him that Baba, who has restored their faiths, is God to them, that in their present life of holiness the foreground is fully occupied by Baba, and that Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Sri Siva, Sri Datta and Sri Pandarinath get their halo of glory through Baba. One lady said "Krishna no doubt appeals to me and attracts me. But Baba who often appears and instructs me in visions is a hundred times more powerful".
The need for a noble "Superman" that leads one to God is at its height in the case of advanced spiritual aspirants who style him their Samartha Sadguru and derive from him the maximum benefit that a human being can enjoy. Realisation of the Ishtadevata, perpetual enjoyment of heaven at His feet, attainment of Adwaitic Bliss or Nirvana Sukha can alike be had at the guru's feet and there alone.

A Warning :
Sri Sai Baba showered his benefits on thousands in a variety of ways. Some only of these have been revealed to this writer and these may be a sample of his gift to others. But one cannot be sure that the highest have been yet made public. However that may be, before proceeding to give a very brief sketch of these, the writer has one request to make or a warning to give. Person who are great admirers of particular saints, like Krishna Chaitanya, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Samartha Ramdas, Haranath or Thayumanavar, should not judge others exclusively by the life, teachings and methods of their saint or hero. Let not Sri Sai Baba be measured on the Procrustes bed of any particular saint. Sri Sai is a rare phenomenon by himself and his services to Humanity, if judged calmly, would be found great enough to require a special corner in our pantheon and a readjustment of our ideas based wholly on a few past examples. In the words of Browing (as adapted) we must insist,
Our times are in his hand,
Who said "A whole I planned,
Past shows but half; Trust God, see all, nor be afraid"
Add this to the rest,
Take it and try its worth.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 27

2009-01-25T10:08:00.022+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

SRI SAI BABA'S TOUCH
EXPERIENCES OF A SANYASIN

Sri Narayan Asram , of Vaman Mutt Gangapuri (Wai) , is a cultured sanyasi who says that a considerable and momentous advance in his spiritual condition was due to , "Sri Sai Baba". While serving in the Customs Department in 1910, he approached Baba. But within a few years, Baba noted that he was after higher things than worldly welfare and "graciously conveyed'' to him without any words, the feeling that differences between souls, nay all differences, were unreal, that the one Real Thing is that which underlies all. Baba did not speak out and express this in words. In fact Baba spoke to him very little.
Baba's influence, he says was mostly silent. Baba's touch was a potent factor in moulding those who came to him- "Baba had a way of touching (with his palm) the head of the devotee who went to him. His touch conveyed certain impulses, forces, ideas etc. Sometimes he pressed his hand heavily on the head, as though he was crushing out some of the lower impulses of the devotee. Sometimes he tapped, sometimes he made a pass with the palm over the head etc. Each had its own effect-making remarkable difference in the sensations or feelings of the devotee".

The Spiritual Push :
"Baba's touch was one means. Apart from that he would invisibly operate on the nature of the devotee and effect a great change in him". For this, immediate proximity was not necessary, Sri N. Asram (then Mr. Toser) would go and sit even there, he was under Baba's direct influence.
Unfortunately, almost the whole lot that went to Baba wanted worldly benefit and had only poor, if any spiritual ambition. Hardly any was competent to receive the highest teachings. He evidently found none to receive all that he could confer, and so none has succeeded to his position at Shirdi.
In the case of Sri Narayan Asram, Baba gave the first great push in Pararaartha about 1914 and left him in charge of the departed, yet living soul of Vasudevananda Saraswati (as all great souls are one) who is responsible for his present condition.
"Baba was pre eminently practical", says Sri N. Asram. "He just gave people a push to carry them a few steps beyond the level at the time of approaching him". Others will be there at the exact psychological moment to give the needed help and guidance at each level and stage.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 28

2009-01-25T10:08:00.021+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

SPIRITUAL GAINS AND WORLDLY HELP
IS IT OBJECTIONABLE?

Some who learnt of Baba's miraculous help to his devotees have been oppressed by doubts and objections. What trivial work is done by the saint! If he be a great saint, could he or should he attend to such trifles, or to any worldly work at all? If not exactly infra dignitatem, does it not prove that he is not a Jnani in Sat Chit-Ananda, i.e., perpetual absorption in Supreme Bliss of God or the Atman? Can an Atmanishtha or Jivan Mukta afford to fritter away his moments in concern for worldly gains and losses, comforts and discomforts, even though they are not his but others. Have not saints themselves decried the working of miracles, and is not such working prima facie proof of the absence of Jnana or Realisation?
A close examination of these objection is not possible hare. But a single circumstance that constitute a complete reply may now be mentioned. Is not a fact that Sri Krishna, Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ, Sri Sankaracharya, Lord Gauranga and a host of other 'Great Ones" have rendered temporal help, even in small matters, to many even by miracles. Are these to be labelled Ajnanis?

Not His , But God's :
What applies to them applies to Baba. The reader will find the truth declared often by Baba that what are called 'his' actions are really 'His'. Baba repeatedly stated that he did nothing, that God did everything, that God is the Master (Allah Malik), and that he, Baba. performed no miracles and indeed did not do anything unless permitted or made to do it. Ample proof will be found even in these pages of his complete self-surrender, his merger in or identification with God. Meanwhile the reader is requested, in the words of Baba, to have faith and patience (Nishtha and Saburi), to wait and watch. He will soon find that the apparently trivial is at times an important link in momentous affairs, that Baba's 'worldly' works In unworldly, that his efforts and care are consistent with-nay the expressions of his supreme love and bliss.
Baba's care for children began even before they were born. The devotees that successfully prayed to Baba for securing matches for their daughters and progeny have urged their prayers on all occasions, great and small. Pregnancy is sometimes the occasion of great anxiety and Baba has not failed to help his devotees in such critical.moments. Here is a typical instance.

Presence Unnecessary:
The daughter-in-law of Nana Saheb Nimonkar( an Hony. Magistrate of Nimon), was on the family way and in September-October, 1916, her accouchement was expected Mr & Mrs. N. Nimonkar started for Poona to help in the accouchement and called en route at Shirdi. When they wanted leave to go to Poona, Baba refused. He told N. N. on the other hand that the latter should stay by Baba's side, bury him and then leave Shirdi. Asked about the accouchement, Baba replied, "Why are you anxious? God will help". That meant of course that Baba undertook the safe delivery of the child and that Nimonkars stayed on.
At Poona, no preparations for helping the lady were made and when the pains began, she was taken about 10 p.m. to a hospital and there within an hour, in the total absence of help when even the attendant nurse was absent, a male child was born in good health. At about that time, Baba told Nana Saheb Nimonkar at Shirdi, "There was woman. She was taken to a place. There she was delivered safe of a male child". Here again as promised, God did help through Baba of course.

WONDEROUS SAINT SRI SAIBABA-PART 29

2009-01-25T10:08:00.020+05:30

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

SRI SAI BABA'S HELP
IN ALL STAGES

Sri Sai Baba's care for his devotees and their families and their number is legion-extended and still extends from the cradle to the grave, from one end of the country to the other, from sunrise, and from the most trivial to the most momentous of their affairs. A few grains are generally taken out of a boiling pot to see if the whole is boiled. A very few reported instances given hereunder will similarly serve to show the excellent help Baba has rendered in innumerable unreported cases. Baba has proclaimed such help in general terms to all devotees and in some cases avowed or alluded to the particular relief given. We shall select a few of to the latter class.

Mr. Somnath Shankar Deshpande, (C.I.D. Inspector at Poona), son of Nana Saheb Nimonkar, relates that in December 1917 he started to go to Nimon, his ancestral home where his brother's wife had been recently delivered of a child. En route, he called at Shirdi and paid his respect to Baba. In sending him away, Baba gave him udhi as usual, but added the significant words "Porala Jiva Love" i.e., "Save the child". Mr. Somnath taking this to refer to his own healthy three years boy travelling with him, gave him the udhi and left for Nimon. Soon after he reached that place, his brother's new born baby was found to be in extremis; and all hope of its life was given up. Then it struck him that Baba's parting words referred to this child and he looked for the udhi. But it was not to be found. Then taking the baby on his own lap, he intently prayed to Baba. In 15 minutes, the child began to revive and was at last restored to health. How kind of Baba to think of a devotee's child some 30 miles away from Shirdi and to take steps to save its life.

Had Sitaram Dixit, a well-known solicitor of Bombay and an ex. M.L.C., gave up all his public and professional activities and surrendered himself entirely to Baba, and made Shirdi his own abode. One morning when he bowed at Baba's feet at the mosque, the later told him "Arre Kaka tula kalji Kasuli? Sagoli Kalji Mala ahe" i.e., Why should you have any anxiety or care? All the responsibility is mine. Mr. Dixit felt that Baba was extending his all powerful wings to protect him and his, and expressed assent saying, "True, Baba. All care is yours". He had no inkling then that there was any particular incident or circumstance which called for Baba's help at that time. But going to Ville Parle, his own home, soon after, he discovered what took place on the very day that Baba spoke to him the above words. His little daughter was playing in the ball. In a corner was an almirah with glass shutters.That fell upon the child. Glass articles and metallic toys were inside the cupboard. But what was the result of that fall? All these articles appeared to have been lifted up and placed by the side of the child. Nothing hurt her. She merely broke her own glass bangles and had a slight scratch in consequence!