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Chapter
XXV
Damu
Anna Kasar of Ahmednagar - (1) Speculations - (2)
Amra-Leela
Preliminary
We
begin this Chapter with a bow with all our eight limbs to
Sai Baba, Who is an ocean of mercy, the God incarnate, who
is Para-Brahman and the great Yogeshwara (Lord of Yoga).
Victory be unto Sai Baba, Who is the crest-jewel of the
Saints, who is the home of all auspicious things, who is
our Atmaram (Dear Self), and who is the able refuge of the
devotees. We prostrate ourselves before Him, Who has
attained the aim and end of life.
Sai Baba
is always full of mercy. What is wanted on our part is
whole-hearted devotion to Him. When a devotee has got firm
faith and devotion, his wishes are soon fulfilled. When
the desire arose in the mind of Hemadpant to write the
life and Leelas of Sai Baba, He immediately got it written
by him. When the order 'to keep the memos' was given,
Hemadpant was inspired and his intellect got strength and
boldness to undertake and finish the work. He was not, he
say, qualified to write the work, but the gracious
blessings of Baba enabled him to complete the undertaking;
and thus you have this Satcharita which is a Somakant
jewel, from which nectar in the form of Sai Leelas oozes
out for the readers to drink to their hearts' content.
Whenever,
a devotee had complete and whole-hearted devotion to Sai
Baba, all his calamities and dangers were warded off and
his welfare attended to by Baba. The story of Damodar
Savalaram Resane, Kasar of Ahmednagar (now of Poona) alias
Damu Anna illustrating the above statement, is given
below.
Damu
Anna
The
readers are aware that a mention of this gentleman was
made in the 6th Chapter, regarding the celebration of
Rama-Navami festival in Shirdi. He went to Shirdi about
the year 1895, when the Rama-Navami Utsava-celebration
began and from that time he has been providing an
ornamental flag for that occasion every year. He also
feeds the poor and the fakirs that come there for the
festival.
His
Speculations : (1) Cotton
A Bombay
friend of Damu Anna wrote to him, that they should do some
cotton-speculation business in partnership which would
bring them about two lacs of rupees as profit. (Damu Anna
says in his statement made about the year 1936 to Mr.
B.V.Narasimha Swami that the proposal about speculating at
Bombay in cotton was from a broker who was not to be a
partner, and that he (Damu Anna) was to be the sole
adventurer: - vide P.75 of the Devotees' Experiences Part
II). The broker wrote that the business was good and
involved no risks and that the opportunity should not be
lost. Damu Anna was oscillating in his mind. He could not
at once determine to venture in the speculation. He
thought about this and as he was a devotee of Baba, he
wrote a detailed letter to Shama giving all the facts and
requested him to consult Baba and take His advice in the
matter. Shama got the letter next day and when he came
with it at noon to the Masjid and placed it before Baba.
He asked Shama what the matter was, and what the paper
(letter) was about. He replied that Damu Anna of Nagar
wanted to consult Him about something. Then Baba said -
"What does he write, and what does he plan? It seems
that he wants to catch the sky and that he is not content
with what God has given him; read his letter". Shama
than said, "The letter contains what you have just
said now. Oh, Deva you sit here calm and composed and
agitate the devotees and when they get restless, you draw
them here, some in person and others through letters. If
you know the contents of the latter, why do you then press
me to read it?" Baba said - "Oh Shama, read it
please. I speak at random and who believes Me."
Then
Shama read the letter and Baba heard it attentively and
said feelingly - "The Shet (Damu Anna) has gone mad;
write to him in reply that nothing is wanting in his
house. Let him be content with the half loaf (bread) he
has now and let him not bother himself about lacs."
Shama sent the reply which Damu Anna was anxiously waiting
for. Reading it, he found that all his hopes and prospects
about lacs of rupees as profit were dashed to the ground.
He thought that he had done a mistake in consulting Baba.
But as Shama had hinted in the reply that there was always
much difference in seeing and hearing and that, therefore,
he should come to Shirdi personally and see Baba. He
thought it advisable to go to Shirdi and consult Baba
personally about the affair. So he went to Shirdi, saw
Baba, prostrated himself before Him and sat shampooing His
legs. He had no courage to ask Baba openly about the
speculation, but he thought in his mind, that it would be
better if some share in the business should be assigned to
Baba and said in his mind, that if Baba were to help him
in this transaction, he would surrender some share of
profits to Him. Damu Anna was thus thinking secretly in
his mind, but nothing was veiled from Baba; everything
past, present and future were clear to Him as an Amalaka
fruit in hand. A child wants sweets, but its mother gives
bitter pills; the former spoil its health, while the
latter improve it. So the mother looking to the welfare of
her infant, coaxes it and gives it bitter pills. Baba,
kind mother as He was, knew the present and future
prospects of His devotees, and therefore reading Damu
Anna's mind, He openly spoke to him - "Bapu, I do not
want to be entangled in any such wordly things (sharing
profits)." Seeing Baba's disapproval Damu Anna
dropped the enterprise.
(2)
Grain-Dealing
Then he
thought of trading in grain, rice, wheat and other
groceries. Baba read also this thought and said to him,
"You will be buying at five seers and selling at
seven seers a rupee". So this business was also given
up. The rice in the prices of grains was kept up for some
time, and Baba's prophecy seemed to be falsified, but in a
month or two there was abundant rain everywhere and the
prices suddenly fell down; and, therefore, those who
stored grains suffered a severe loss. Damu Anna was saved
from this fate. Needless to say that the cotton
speculation which was conducted by the broker with the
help of another merchant also collapsed with a severe loss
to the adventurers. After seeing that Baba had saved him
from two severe losses in cotton and grain speculations,
Damu Anna's faith in Baba grew strong and he remained a
true devotee of Baba till His passing away and even now.
Amra-Leela
(Mango miracle)
Once
a parcel of about 300 good mangoes was received at Shirdi.
It was sent from Goa by one Mamlatdar named Rale to Sai
Baba in the name of Shama. When it was opened, all the
mangoes were found to be in a good condition. They were
given in Shama's charge and only four were retained and
placed in the kolamba (pot) by Baba. He said that,
"These four fruits are for Damu Anna, let them lie
there".
This Damu
Anna had three wives. According to his statement mentioned
above, he had not three but two wives only. He had no
issue. He consulted many astrologers and himself studied
astrology to some extent and found that as there was a 'papi'
(inauspicious) planet in his horoscope, there was no
prospect of any issue to him in this life. But he had
great faith in Baba. When he went to Shirdi, two hours
after the receipt of the mango parcel, for worshipping
Baba, He said, "Though other people are looking for
the mangoes, they are Dammya's. He whose they are, should
'eat and die'." Damu Anna on hearing these words was
first shocked, but on Mhalsapati (a prominent Shirdi
devotees) explaining to him that death meant the death of
the little self or egos, and to have it at Baba's Feet was
a blessing, he said that he would accept the fruits and
eat them. But Baba said to him. "Do not eat yourself,
but give them to your junior wife. This Amra-Leela (mango
miracle of 4 mangoes) will give her four sons and four
daughters. This was done and ultimately in due course it
was found Baba's words turned out true and not those of
the astrologers.
Baba's
speech established its efficacy or greatness while He was
living in the flesh, but wonder of wonders! It did the
same even after His passing away. Baba said -
"Believe Me, though I pass away, My bones in My tomb
will give you hope and confidence. Not only Myself but My
tomb would be speaking, moving and communicating with
those who would surrender themselves whole-heartedly to
Me. Do not be anxious that I would be absent from you. You
will hear My bones speaking and discussing your welfare.
But remember Me always, believe in Me heart and soul and
then you will be most benefited.
Prayer
Hemadpant
closes this Chapter with a prayer. "Oh Sai Sad-guru,
the wish fulfilling tree of the Bhaktas, Let us never
forget and lose sight of Your Feet; we have been troubled
with the ins and outs (births and deaths) in this samsar;
now free us from this cycle of births and deaths. Restrain
us from the outgoing of our senses to their objects and
introvert us and bring us face to face with the Atma
(Self). As long as this outgoing tendency of the senses
and the mind is not checked, there is no prospect of self-realisation.
Neither son, nor wife nor friend will be of any use in the
end. It is only You, Who will give us salvation and
happiness. Destroy completely our tendency for discussions
and other evil matters, let out tongue get a passion for
chanting Your name. Drive out our thoughts, good or
otherwise and make us forget our bodies and houses, and do
away with our egoism. Make us ever remember Your name and
forget all other things. Remove the restlessness of our
mind, and make it steady and calm. If you just clasp us,
the darkness of night of our ignorance will vanish and we
shall live happily in Your light. That You made us drink
the nectar of Your Leelas and awakened us from our slumber
is due to Your grace and our store of merits in past
births".
Note :-
In this connection the following extract from Damu Anna's
statement mentioned above, is worth perusal, (Page 76).
"Once
when I sat at His Feet along with many others, I had two
questions in my mind and He gave answers to both.
(1) There
are so many crowding to Sai Baba. Do they all get benefit
from Him?
To this,
He replied orally - "Look at the mango tree in
blossom. If all the flowers brought fruit, what a splendid
crop it would be. But do they? Most fall off (either as
flowers or as unripe fruits) by wind etc. Very few
remain".
(2) The
second question was about myself. If Baba were to pass
away, how hopelessly adrift I would be and how am I to
fare then? To this Baba answered that He
would be with me when and wherever I thought of Him. That
promise He had kept up before 1918 and has been keeping up
after 1918. He is still with me. He is still guiding me.
This was about 1910-11, when brothers separated from me
and my sister died, and there was a theft and police
enquiry, all of which incidents upset me very much.
When my
sister died, my mind was much upset. I did not care for
life and enjoyments. When I went to Baba, He pacified me
with His Upadesh and made me eat a feast of Pooran Poli at
Appa Kulkarni's house and get pasted with sandal.
There was
a theft in my house. A thirty year's friend of mine stole
my wife's jewel-box, including her auspicious Nathi
(nose-ring). I wept before Baba's photo. The next day, the
man returned the jewel-box and prayed for pardon.
Bow
to Shri Sai - Peace be to all
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