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Chapter
XXXVI
Wonderful
Stories of
(1) Two
Goa Gentleman - (2) Mrs. Aurangabadkar.
This
Chapter relates the wonderful stories of two gentlemen
from Goa and Mrs. Aurangabadkar of Sholapur.
Two
Gentlemen
Once
two gentlemen came from Goa for taking darshan of Sai
Baba, and prostrated themselves before him. Though both
came together, Baba asked only one them to give Him
Rs.15/- as Dakshina which was paid willingly. The other
man voluntarily offered Rs. 35/-. This sum was rejected by
Baba to the astonishment of all. Shama, who was present,
asked Baba, "What is this? Both came together, one's
Dakshina you accept, the other, though voluntarly paid,
you refuse. Why this distinction? Baba replied, "Shama,
you know nothing. I take nothing from anybody. The
Masjidmayi (The presiding Deity of the Masjid) calls for
the debt, the donor pays it and becomes free. Have I any
home, property or family to look after? I require nothing.
I am ever free. Debt, enmity and murder have to be atoned
for, there is not escape". Baba then continued in His
characteristic way as follows:-
As first
he was poor and took a vow to his God that he would pay
his first month's salary if he got an appointment. He got
one on Rs.15/- p.m. Then he steadily got promotions, from
Rs.15/- he got Rs. 30, 60, 100, 200 and ultimately
Rs.700/- per month. But in his prosperity he forgot clean
the vow he took. The force of his karma has driven him
here and I asked that amount (Rs.15/-) from him as
Dakshina.
Another
story, While wandering by the sea-side I came to a huge
mansion and sat on its verandah. The owner gave me a good
reception and fed me sumptuously. He showed me a neat and
clean place near a cupboard for sleeping. I slept there.
While I was sound asleep, the man removed a literite slab
and broke the wall entered in and scissored off all the
money from my pocket. When I woke up, I found that
Rs.30,000/- were stolen. I was greatly distressed and sat
weeping and moaning. The money was in currency notes and I
thought that the Brahmin had stolen it. I lost all
interest in food and drink and sat for a fortnight on the
verandah, bemoaning my loss. After the fortnight was over,
a passing fakir saw me crying, and made enquiries
regarding the cause of my sorrow. I told him everything.
He said, "If you act according to my bidding, you
will recover your money; go to a fakir, I shall give his
whereabouts, surrender yourself to him, he will get back
your money; in the meanwhile give up your favourite food
till you recover your money." I followed the fakir's
advice and got my money. Then I left the Wada and went to
the sea-shore. There was a steamer, but I could not get
into it as it was crowded. There a good-natured peon
interceded for me and I got in luckily. That brought me to
another shore, where I caught a train and came to the
Masjidmayi.
The story
finished and Baba asked Shama to take the guests and
arrange for their feeding. Then Shama took them home and
fed them. At dinner, Shama said to the guests that Baba's
story was rather mysterious, as He had never gone to the
sea-side, never had any money (Rs.30,000/-), never
travelled, never lost any money and never recovered it,
and enquired whether they understood it and caught its
significance. The guests were deeply moved and were
shedding tears. In a choking voice they said that Baba was
omniscient, infinite, the One (Para Brahma) without a
second. The story He gave out is exactly our story, What
He spoke has already taken place in our case. How He knew
this, is a wonder of wonders! We shall give all the
details after the meals.
Then
after the meals while they were chewing betel-leaves,the
guests began to tell their stories. One of them said:-
"A
hill-station on the ghats is my native place. I went to
Goa to earn my living by securing a job. I took a vow to
God Datta that if I got any service, I would offer Him my
first month's salary. By His grace I got an appointment of
Rs.15/- and then I got promotions as described by Baba. I
did forget all about my vow. Baba has just reminded me of
it in this way and recovered Rs. 15/- from me. It is not
Dakshina as one may think it to be, but a repayment of an
old debt and fulfillment of long forgotten vow".
Moral
Baba
never, in fact, actually begged any money, nor allowed His
Bhaktas to beg. He regarded money as a danger or bar to
spiritual progress and did not allow His Bhaktas to fall
into its clutches. Bhagat Mhalsapati, is an instance on
tis point. He was very poor and could hardly make both
ends meet. Baba never allowed him to make any money, nor
gave him anything from the Dakshina amount. Once a kind
and liberal merchant named Hansaraj gave a large amount of
money to Mhalsapati in Baba's presence, but Baba did not
allow him to accept it.
Then the
second guest began his tale. "My Brahmin (cook) was
serving me faithfully for 35 years. Unfortunately he fell
into bad ways, his mind changed and he robbed me of my
treasure. By removing a laterite slab from my wall where
my cup-board is fixed, he came in while we were all asleep
and carried away all my accumulated wealth, Rs. 30,000/-
in currency notes. I know not how Baba mentioned the exact
amount. I sat crying day and night. My enquiries came to
nothing. I spent a fortnight in great anxiety. As I sat on
the verandah, sad and dejected, a passing fakir noted my
condition and enquired of its cause, and I told him all
about it. He told me that an Avalia by name Sai lives in
Shirdi, Kopergaon Taluka. Make vow to Him and give up any
food that you like best and say to Him mentally that 'I
have given up eating that food till I take your darshan'.
Then I took the vow and gave up eating rice and s0aid,
"Baba, I will eat it after recovering my property and
after taking your darshan".
Fifteen
days passed after this. The Brahmin, of his own accord,
came to me, returned my money and apologized, saying,
"I went mad and acted thus; I now place my head on
your feet, please forgive me". Thus everything ended
well. The fakir that met me and helped me, was not seen
again. An intensive desire to see Sai Baba, whom the fakir
pointed out to me, arose in my mind. I thought that the
fakir who came all the way to my house was no other than
Sai Baba. Would He, who saw me and helped me to get my
lost money ever covet to get Rs.35/-? On the contrary
without expecting anything from us, He always tries His
best to lead us on the path of spiritual progress.
I was
overjoyed when I recovered my stolen property and being
infatuated, I forgot all about my vow. Then when I was at
Colaba, one night I saw Sai Baba in my dream. This
reminded me of my promised visit to Shirdi. I went to Goa
and from there wanted to start for Shirdi, by taking a
steamer to Bombay, en route. But when I came to the
harbour, I found that the steamer was crowded and there
was no place. The captain did not allow me, but on the
intercession of a peon, who was stranger to me, I was
allowed to get into the steamer which brought me to
Bombay. From there, I got in the train and came here.
Surely I think that Baba is all-pervading and all-knowing.
What are we and where is our home? How great our good
fortune that Baba got back our money and drew us here to
Himself? You Shirdi folk must be infinitely superior and
more fortunate than we; for Baba has played, laughed,
talked and lived with you for so many years. I think that
your store of good merits must be infinite, for it
attracted Baba into Shirdi. Sai is our Datta. He ordered
the vow. He gave me a seat in the steamer and brought me
here and thus gave proof of His omniscience and
omnipotence".
Mrs.
Aurangabadkar
A
lady from Sholapur, wife of Sakharam Aurangabadkar had no
issue during the long period of 27 years. She had made a
number of vows of Gods and Goddesses for an issue, but was
not successful. She then became almost hopeless. To make a
last attempt in this matter, she came to Shirdi with her
step-son Vishwanath and stayed there for two months,
serving Baba. Whenever she went to the Masjid, she found
it full and Baba surrounded by devotees. She wanted to see
Baba alone, fall at His feet and open her heart and pray
for an issue, but she got no suitable opportunity.
Ultimately she requested Shama to intercede with Baba for
her when He was alone. Shama said to her that Baba's
Darbar was open, still he would try for her and that the
Lord might bless her. He asked her to sit ready with a
cocoa-nut and joss-sticks on the open courtyard at the
time of Baba's meals and that when he beckoned to her, she
should come up. One day after dinner, Shama was rubbing
Baba's wet hands with a towel when the latter pinched
Shama's cheek. Shama feigning anger said, "Deva, is
it proper for you to pinch me like this? We don't want
such a mischievous God who pinches us thus. Are we Your
dependents, is this the fruit of our intimacy?" Baba
replied, "Oh Shama, during the 72 generations that
you were with me, I never pinched you till now and now you
resent my touching you". Shama, "We want a God
that will give us ever kisses and sweets to eat; we do not
want any respect from You, or heaven, balloon etc. Let our
faith unto Your Feet be ever wide-awake". Baba,
"Yes, I have indeed come for that. I have been
feeding and nursing you and have got love and affection
for you".
Then Baba
went up and took his seat. Shama beckoned to the lady. She
came up, bowed and presented the cocoa-nut and
joss-sticks. Baba shook the cocoa-nut which was dry. The
Kernal within rolled and made a noise. Baba said, "Shama,
this is rolling, see what it says". Shama, "The
woman prays that a child might be similarly rolling and
quickening in the womb. So give her the cocoa-nut with
Your blessings".
Baba,
"Will the coconut give her any issue? How people are
foolish and fancy such things!"
Shama,
"I know the power of Your word and blessing. Your
word will give her a string or series of children. You are
wrangling and not giving real blessing".
The
parley went on for a while. Baba repeatedly ordering to
break the coconut and Shama pleading for the gift of the
unbroken fruit to the lady. Finally Baba yielded and said,
"She will have an issue". "When?"
asked Shama. "In 12 months" was the reply. The
cocoa-nut was therefore broken into two part, one was
eaten by the two, the other was given to the lady.
The Shama
turned up to the lady and said, "Dear madam, you are
a witness to my words. If within 12 months you do not get
any issue, I will break a cocoa-nut against this Deva's
head and drive him out of this Masjid. If I fail in this,
I will not call myself Madhav. You will soon realize what
I say".
She
delivered a son in one year's time and the son was brought
to Baba in his fifth month. Both husband and wife,
prostrated themselves before Baba and the grateful father
(Mr. Aurangabadkar) paid a sum of Rs.500/- which was spent
in constructing a shed for Baba's house "Shyamakarna".
Bow
to Shri Sai - Peace be to all
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