WONDEROUS SAINT-PART 10

BY PUJYA SRI NARASIMHASWAMY JI

WORLDLY WISDOM AND WEALTH
SAI BABA TEACHES A LESSON

One remarkable feature of Sri Sai Baba's life was the , "insistent demand for money, dakshina, from his devotees.
Never, of course, was the money kept by him.It would immediately be distributed.
The money was generally asked from the rich but what was Sai Baba's aim? Judge Saheb nitrates in his reminiscences, the following incident, stressing also its moral.
"Once I had taken 100 rupees with me to , Shirdi in my" , pocket. Sai Baba asked me for dakshina of Rs 40.I readily gave it. A little later he asked for another 40 rupees and that too was given with equal readiness and joy. Finally, he asked me for the remaining twenty and that also I gave him. I was happy to give him although I was left without a paise in the result.

Go and Borrow :
"Then again Baba sent for me and asked me , for dakshina. I said I had nothing to give. Then he suggested that I shouid go and get money from some others.I agreed but told Baba that if he should indicate whom I was to go to, I would gladly go and ask him.Baba said , "Go to Shama".' I went to him and told him what took place and asked him for money.
He replied that , " I had not understood Baba alright.Does Baba care a rap for your rupees?
No, what he wants is your mind and heart, your time and soul to be devoted to him That is his meaning". I went back to Baba and reported what Shama had said.
Then Baba smiled and said "Go to Dixit and ask him'' , I went to Mr. Dixit and told him of what Baba had bidding me. to do. He,then replied that Baba's direction to me had to be understood in the circumstances as a lesson to me that I should not feel absence of money or the begging for money or for anything else to be a humiliation and that I should not esteem myself to be above begging

Wordly Wisdom :
I went back and reported. Dixits reply to Baba. He smiled and then asked me to go to Nana Saheb Chandorkars and ask him for a loan. I went to Khandobas temple where Nana Saheb was reading some religious books and told him all. that .had .occurred and Baba's.order that I should approach him for. money. Nana Saheb at once showed his worldly wisdom. He said that he knew how delicate the situation was when Baba asked for dakshina and that I should profit by his plans and ways. "Whenever I go to Shirdi, he said, 'I start with a certain sum, and leave a half at Kopergaon e.g., on this occasion I came with Rs. 200, out of which I have left 103 rupees at Kopergaon and come down to Shirdi with only 100 rupees. I go on giving dakshina out of the stock in hand to Baba and when it is exhausted, I send for the reserve at Kopergaon. You must act like this".

Put to the Test :
"I went back to Baba and told him what Nana said. While I sat there, Baba sent for Nana and asked him for dakshina Rs. 40. He paid it and went away. Again he sent for him and asked for 40 rupees more. That was paid and again Nana was sent for and the last amount was paid up and at once he sent some one to Kopergaon for his reserve fund. Then Baba at once wanted more. Nana felt humiliated at having to say 'no' as there was no time for the Kopergaon reserve to arrive. The lesson that was then taught to him, to me, and to all was that it was presumption on the part of any one to think that he himself was the great Providence supplying the needs of Baba, or that anyone could supply all that Baba might ask for".

"Thus Baba showed me how differently the demand for dakshina was interpreted by devotees. The real explanation of Baba's demand in this case was not what Shama, Dixit or Nana said it was. It was evidently to teach a lesson to all of us. Baba really cared nothing for money or for presents. What he really wanted was love, deep, intense, passionate, whole-hearted love".