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Chapter
XXXIII
Greatness
of Udi
Scorpion
Sting and Plague Cases Cured - Jamner Miracle -
Narayanarao's Sickness - Balabuva sutar - Appasaheb
Kulkarni - Haribhau Karnik.
In
the last Chapter we described the greatness of the Guru;
now in this we will describe the greatness of Udi.
Preliminary
Let us
bow now before the great saints. Their merciful glances
will destroy mountains of sins and do away with all the
evil taints of our character. Their casual talk gives us
good teachings and confers on us imperishable happiness.
Their minds do not know any difference such as 'This is
ours and that is yours.' Such differentiation never arises
in their minds. Their debts (obligations) will never be
repaid by us in this birth as well as in many future
births.
Udi
It
is well-known that Baba took Dakshina from all, and out of
the amount thus collected, He spent a lot on charity and
purchased fuel with the balance left with Him. This fuel
He threw in the Dhuni - the sacred fire, which he kept
ever burning. The ash from this fire was called Udi and it
was freely distributed to the devotees at the time of
their departure from Shirdi.
What did
Baba teach or hint by this Udi? Baba taught by His Udi
that all the visible phenomena in the universe are as
transient as the ash. Our bodies composed of wood or
matter of the five elements, will fall down, after all
their enjoyments are over, and be reduced to ashes. In
order to remind the devotees of the fact that their bodies
will be reduced to ashes, Baba distributed Udi to them.
Baba also taught by the Udi that the Brahman is the only
Reality and the universe is ephemeral and that no one in
this world, be he a son, father or wife, is really ours.
We come here (in this world) alone and we have to go out
alone. It was found and is even now found out, that the
Udi cured many physical and mental maladies, but Baba
wanted to din into the devotee's ears the principles of
discrimination between the Unreal and the Real,
non-attachment for the Unreal, by His Udi and Dakshina.
The former (Udi) taught us discrimination and the latter (Dakshina)
taught us non-attachment. Unless we have these two things,
it is not possible for us to cross over the sea of the
mundane existence. So Baba asked for and took Dakshina,
and while the devotees took leave, He gave Udi as Prasad,
besmeared some of it on the Bhaktas' foreheads and placed
His boon-conferring hand on their heads. When Baba was in
a cheerful mood, He used to sing merrily. One such song
was about Udi. The burden of the Udi song was
this,"Oh, playful Rama, come, come, and bring with
you sacks of Udi." Baba used to sing in very clear
and sweet tones.
So much
about the spiritual implication of Udi. It had also its
material significance. It conferred health, prosperity,
freedom from anxiety, and many other worldly gains. So the
Udi has helped us to gain both our ends - material as well
as spiritual. We shall now begin with the stories about
the Udi.
Scorpion-Sting
Narayan
Motiram Jani of Nasik was a devotee of Baba. He was
serving under another devotee of Baba, by name Ramachandra
Vaman Modak. Once he went to Shirdi with his mother and
saw Baba. Then Baba Himself told her that he (her son)
should serve no more, but start independent business. Some
days after, this prophecy turned true. Narayan Jani left
service and started a boarding house 'Anandashram' which
thrived well. Once a friend of this Narayanrao was stung
by a scorpion and the pain caused by it, was servere and
unbearable. Udi is most efficacious in such cases; it is
to be applied on the seat of pain, and so Narayanrao
searched for it, but found none. Then he stood before
Baba's picture and invoked Baba's aid, chanted Baba's name
and taking out a pinch of the ashes of the joss-stick
burning in front of Baba's picture and thinking it to be
Baba's Udi, applied it on the seat of pain and the sting.
As soon as he took out his fingers, the pain vanished and
both the person were moved and felt delighted.
Bubonic
Plague Case
Once
a devotee in Bandra came to know that his daughter, who
was staying in another place was down with bubonic plague.
He had no Udi with him; so he sent word to Nanasaheb
Chandorkar to send the same. Nanasaheb got this message on
a road near the Thana Railway Station when he was
travelling with his wife to Kalyan. He had no Udi with him
at that time. He, therefore, took up some earth from the
road, meditated upon Sai Baba, invoked His aid and applied
it on the forehead of his wife. The devotee saw all this
and when he went to his daughter's house he was very glad
to learn that his daughter, who was suffering for three
days, began to improve from the very moment Nanasaheb
invoked Baba's aid near the Thana Railway Station.
The
Jamner Miracle
About
1904-05 Nanasaheb Chandorkar was Mamlatdar at Jamner, in
the Khandesh District, which is more that 100 miles
distant from Shirdi. His daughter Mainatai was pregnant
and was about to deliver. He case was very serious and she
was suffering from labour pains for the last two or three
days. Nanasaheb tried all remedies but they proved in
vain; he then remembered Baba and invoked His aid. There
in Shirdi, one Ramgirbuva, whom Baba called Bapugirbuva,
wanted at this time to go to his native place in Khandesh.
Baba called him and told him to take a little rest and
stop at Jamner on his way home and give the Udi and Arati
to Nanasaheb. Ramgirbuva said that he had only two rupees
with him and that amount was barely sufficient for the
railway fare upto Jalgaon and it was not possible for him
to go from jalgaon to Jamner, a distance of about 30
miles. Baba assured him that he need not worry, as
everything would be provided for him. Then Baba asked
Shama to write the well-known Arati composed by Madhav
Adkar (a translation of this is given at the end of this
work) and give a copy of it with Udi to Ramgirbuva to be
delivered to Nanasaheb. Then relying on Baba's words,
Ramgirbuva left Shirdi and reached Jalgaon at about 2-45
a.m. He had only two annas left with him and was in a hard
plight. To his great relief he heard somebody calling out
"Who is Bapugirbuva of Shirdi?" He went to him
and told him that he was the person Bapugirbuva. Then the
peon, professing to be sent by Nanasaheb, took him out to
an excellent tanga with a good pair of horses. They both
drove in it. The tanga ran fast and early in the morning
they came to a brooklet. The drive took the horses for
watering them and the peon asked Ramgirbuva to partake of
some eatables. On seeing the beard, moustache and the
livery of the peon, Rangirbuva suspected him to be a
Moslem and was unwilling to take any refreshments from
him, but the peon satisfied him by saying that he was a
Hindu, a Kshatriya of Garhwal and that Nanasaheb had sent
these refreshments and that there should be no difficulty,
nor any doubt about acceptance. Then both of them took the
refreshments and started again. They reached Jamner at
dawn. Ramgirbuva alighted to attend a call of nature
(passing urine) and returned within a few minutes, but
found that there was no tanga, no driver and no peon. He
was dumbfounded. Then he went to the neighbouring Katcheri
and making enquiries, learnt that the Mamlatdar was at
home. He went to Nanasaheb's house, and announced himself
and gave to Nanasaheb, Baba's Udi and Arati. At this time,
Mainatai's case was most serious and all were in deep
anxiety about her. Nanasaheb called out his wife and asked
her to give the Udi, mixed with water, to their daughter
to drink, and sing Baba's Arati. He throught that Baba's
help was most opportune. In a few minutes came the news
that the delivery was safe and that the crisis had passed
away. When Ramgirbuva thanked Nanasaheb for the peon,
tanga and the refreshments etc. the latter was greatly
surprised as he had sent none to the station, and was not
aware of any person coming from Shirdi.
Mr. B.V.
Deo of Thana, Retired Mamlatdar, made enquiries about this
matter with Bapurao Chandorkar, son of Nanasaheb and
Ramgirbuva of Shirdi and after satisfying himself wrote an
elaborate article - part prose and part poetry - in Shri
Sai Leela magazine (Vol. 13 Nos. 11, 12 and 13). Brother
B.V. Narsimhswami has also taken down the statements of
(1) Mainatai (No. V page 14) and (2) Bapusaheb Chandorkar
(No. XX page 50) and (3) Ramgirbuva (No. XXVII, Page 83)
dated Ist June 1936, 16th September 1936 and Ist December
1936 respectively and published them in his
"Devotees' Experiences, Part III." The following
is quoted from Ramgirbuva's statement.
"One
day Baba called me to him and gave me a packet of Udi and
a copy of Baba's Arati. I had to go to Khandesh at the
time. Baba directed me to go to Jamner and told me to
deliver the Arati and Udi to Nanasaheb Chandorkar, at
Jamner. I said to Baba that all I had was Rs. 2, and asked
Him how that could take me by train from Kopergaon to
Jalgaon and next by cart from Jalgaon to Jamner. Baba
said,"God will give." That was Friday and I
started at once. I reached Manmad at 7-30 p.m. and Jalgaon
at 2-45 a.m. At that time plague regulations were enforced
and I had much trouble. I was to discover what I should do
to get to Jamner. At about 3 a.m. a peon in boots, turban
and well equipped with other details of good dress came to
me and took me to a tanga and drove me on. I was in
terror. On the way at Bhaghoor, I took refreshments. We
reached Jamner early in the morning and by the time I
attended my call of nature the tanga and its driver had
disappeared (page 83)."
Narayanarao
Bhakta
Narayanrao (father's name and surname are not given) had
the good fortune to see Baba twice during the Latter's
lifetime. Three years after the passing away of Baba in
1918, he wanted to come to Shirdi, but he could not come.
Within a year of Baba's Mahasamadhi he fell sick and
suffered much. All ordinary remedies gave him no relief.
So he meditated on Baba day and night. One night he had a
vision in his dream. Baba coming to him through a cellar,
comforted him saying, "Don't be anxious, you will be
improving from tommorrow, and within a week you will be on
your legs." Narayanrao got perfectly well within the
time mentioned in the vision. Now the point for
consideration is this:- Was Baba living because he had the
body, and was He dead because He left it? No, Baba is ever
alive, for He transcends both life and death. He who loved
Him once whole-heartedly gets response from Him at any
time and at any place. He is always by our side and will
take any form and appear before the devout Bhakta and
satisfy him.
Appasaheb
Kulkarni
In
1917 the chance of one Appasaheb Kulkarni came. He was
transferred to Thana and began to worship Baba's picture
presented to him by Balasaheb Bhate. In real earnest he
did the worship. He offered flowers, sandal-paste, and
naivedya daily to Baba in the picture and longed intently
to see Him. In this connection it may be remarked that
seeing Baba's picture earnestly is equivalent to seeing
Him in person. The following story illustrates this
statement.
Balabuva
Sutar
A
Saint of Bombay named Balabuva Sutar, who on account of
his piety, devotion and bhajan, was called "Modern
Tukaram", came to Shirdi for the first time in 1917.
When be bowed before Baba, the latter said "I know
this man since four years". Balabuva wondered and
thought, how could that be, as that was his first trip to
Shirdi. But thinking about it seriously he recollected
that he had prostrated himself four years ago before
Baba's portrait at Bombay and was convinced about the
significance of Baba's words. He said to himself,"How
omniscient and all-pervading are the Saints and how kind
are they to their Bhaktas! I merely bowed to His photo,
this fact was noticed by Baba and in due time He made me
realize that seeing His photo is equivalent to seeing Him
in person!"
Appasaheb
Kulkarni
To
return to Appasaheb's story. While he was in Thana, he had
to go on tour to Bhivandi and was not expected to return
within a week. In his absence, the following wonderful
thing took place on the third day. At noon a fakir turned
up at Appasaheb's house. His features resembled exactly
those of Baba's photo. Mrs. Kulkarni and the children all
asked him whether he was Sai Baba of Shirdi. He said 'No',
but that he was an obedient servant of His and came there
at His order to enquire after the health of the family.
Then he asked for Dakshina. The lady gave him a rupee. He
gave her a small packet of Udi, and asked her to keep this
in the shrine along with the photo for worship. Then he
left the house and went away. Now hear the wonderful Leela
of Sai.
Appasaheb
could not proceed with his tour as his horse fell sick at
Bhivandi. He returned home that afternoon and learnt from
his wife about fakir's visit. He smarted in his mind as he
did not get the darshan of the fakir and he did not like
that only one rupee was paid as Dakshina. He said that had
he been present, he would have offered not less than
rupees ten. Then he immediately started in quest of the
fakir and searched for him in the Masjid and other places,
without taking any food. His search was in vain. He then
returned home and took his food. The reader may remember
here Baba's dictum in Chapter 32 that God's quest should
not be made on an empty belly. Appasaheb got a lesson,
here about this. Then after meals he went out for a walk
with a friend Mr. Chitre. Going some distance they saw a
man approaching them rapidly. Appasaheb though that he
must be the fakir that came to his house at noon, as his
features tallied with those of baba in the photo. The
fakir immediately put forth his hand and asked for
Dakshina. Appasaheb gave him a rupee. He demanded again
and again and so Appasaheb gave him two more. Still he was
not satisfied. Then he borrowed Rs. three from Mr. Chitre
and gave them to him. He wanted still more. Appasaheb
asked him to accompany him to his home. Then they all
returned home and Appasaheb then gave him again three
rupees, in all nine. He looked unsatisfied and demanded
again. Then he told him that he had a currency of Rs. ten.
The fakir asked for the same and took it and returned the
nine rupees in cash and went away. Appasaheb had said that
he would pay Rs. ten and that sum was taken from him and
nine rupees, consecrated by Baba's touch, were returned to
him. The figure 9 is significant. It denotes the nine
types of devotion (vide Chapter 21). It may also be noted
here that Baba gave Rs. nine to one Laxmibai Shinde at His
last moment.
Appasaheb
examined the Udi-packet and found that it contained some
flower-petals and Akshata. Then some time afterwards he
got hair from Baba when he saw Him at Shirdi. He put the
Udi-packet and the hair in a talisman and always wore it
on his arm. Appasaheb realized the power of the Udi.
Though he was very clever he got Rs. 40/- as pay in the
beginning, but after he secured Baba's photo and His Udi,
he got many times forty rupees per month and also got much
power and influence; and along with these temporal
benefits, his spiritual progress was also rapid. So those
who are fortune enough to get Baba's Udi should, after
bath, apply it on the forehead and take some little of it
mixed with water in the mouth as holy Tirth.
Haribhau
Karnik
In
1917 Haribhau Karnik of Dahanu (Thana District) came to
Shirdi on the Guru-pournima day (in the month of Ashadha)
and worshipped Baba with all formality. He offered clothes
and Dakshina, and after taking Baba's leave through
Sharma, got down the steps of the Masjid. Then he thought
that he should offer one more rupee to Baba and was just
turning to get up when Shama informed him by signs that as
he had got Baba's leave, he should go and not return. So
he started home. On his way, when he went into the temple
of Kala Rama at Nasik for darshan, the Saint Narsing
Maharaj who used to sit just inside the big door of the
temple, left his Bhaktas there came to Haribhau, caught
his wrist and said,"Give me my one rupee".
Karnik was surprised. He paid the rupee most willingly and
thought that Sai Baba recovered the rupee, which he
intended in his mind to give, through saint Narsing
Maharaj. This shows how the saints work in unison.
This
story illustrates the fact that all saints are one and
shows how they work in unison.
Bow
to Shri Sai - Peace be to all
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