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Chapter
XL
Stories
of Baba
(1)
Attending Mrs.Deo's Udyapan Ceremony as a Sannyasi with
two Others (Trio) and - (2) Hemadpant's House in the Form
of His Picture.
In this
chapter we give two stories; (1) How Baba attended the
Udyapan ceremony of Mr.B.V.Deo's mother at his house at
Dahanu and (2) How Baba attended the Shimga dinner-party
in Hemadpant's house at Bandra.
Preliminary
Blessed
is Shri Sai Samartha who gives instructions in both
temporal and spiritual matters to His devotees and makes
them happy by enabling them to achieve the goal of their
life, - Sai He who when places His hand on their heads
transfers His powers to them and thus destroying the sense
of differentiation, makes them attain the Unattainable
Thing. - He who embraces the Bhaktas who prostrate
themselves before Him with no sense of duality or
difference. He becomes one with the Bhaktas as the sea
with the rivers when they meet it in the rainy season and
gives them His power and position. It follows from this
that he who sings the Leelas of God's Bhaktas is equally
or more dear to Him than one who sangs the Leelas of God
only. Now to revert to the stories of this chapter.
Mrs.Deo's
Udyapan Ceremony
Mr.B.V.Deo
was a Mamlatdar at Dahanu (Thana District). His mother had
observed 25 or 30 different vows and a Udyapan
(concluding) ceremony in connection therewith was to be
performed. This ceremony included the feeding of 100 or
200 Brahmins. Mr.Deo fixed a date for the ceremony and
wrote a letter to Bapusaheb Jog asking him to request Sai
Baba on his behalf to attend the dinner of the ceremony,
as without His attendance the ceremony would not be duly
completed. Bapusaheb Jog read out the letter to Baba. Baba
noted carefully the pure-hearted invitation and said -
"I always think of him who remembers Me. I require no
conveyance, carriage, tanga, nor train nor aeroplane. I
run and manifest myself to him who lovingly calls me.
Write to him a pleasing reply that three of us (the trio),
Myself, yourself and a third will go and attend it."
Mr.Jog informed Mr.Deo of what Baba said. The latter was
much pleased, but he knew that Baba never went to any
place except Rahata, Rui and Nimgaon in person. He also
thought that nothing was impossible to Baba as He was
all-pervading and that He might suddenly come, in any form
He likes and fulfill His words.
A few
days before this, a Sannyasi with Bengali dress and
professing to work for the cause of the protection of the
cows, came to the station-master at Dahanu to collect
subscriptions. The latter told him to go into the town and
see the Mamlatdar (Mr.Deo) and with his help collect
funds. Just then the Mamlatdar happened to come there. The
station-master then introduced the Sannyasi to him. Both
sat talking on the platform. Mr.Deo told him that a
subscription-list for some other charitable cause had
already been opened by the leading citizen Rao Saheb
Narottam Shetti and so it was not good to start another
subscription-list and that it would be better if he would
visit the place after 2 or 4 months. Hearing this, the
Sannyasi left the place.
About a
month afterwards, the Sannyasi came in a tanga and stopped
in front of Mr.Deo's house at about 10 a.m. Deo thought
that he came for subscriptions. Seeing him busy with the
preparations of the ceremony, the Sannyasi said that he
had come not for money but for meals. Deo said -
"Alright, very glad, you are welcome, the house is
yours." The Sannyasi - "Two lads are with
me." Deo - "Well, come with them." As there
was time (2 hours) for dinner, Deo enquired where he
should send for them. He said that it was not necessary as
he would come himself at the appointed time. Deo asked him
to come at noon. Exactly at twelve noon, the Trio came and
joined the dinner party and after feeding themselves went
away.
After the
ceremony was finished, Deo wrote a letter to Bapusaheb Jog
complaining of Baba's breach of promise. Jog went to Baba
with the letter, but before it was opened Baba spoke -
"Ah, he says that I promised him to come but deceived
him. Inform him that I did attend his dinner with two
others, but he failed to recognize Me. Then why did he
call me at all? Tell him that he thought that the Sannyasi
came to ask for subscription money; did I not remove his
doubt in that respect and did I not say that I would come
with two others, and did not the Trio come in time and
take their meals? See, to keep My words I would sacrifice
my life, I would never be untrue to My words." This
reply gladdened Jog's heart and he communicated the whole
of the reply to Deo. As soon as he read it, he burst into
tears of joy, but he took himself to task mentally for
vainly blaming Baba. He wondered how he was deceived by
the Sannyasi's prior visit and his coming to him for
subscriptions, how he also failed to catch the
significance of the Sannyasi's words that he would come
with two others for meals.
This
story clearly shows that when the devotees surrender
themselves completely to their Sad-guru, He sees that the
religious functions in their houses are duly executed and
complied with all the necessary formalities.
Hemadpant's
Shimga Dinner
Now
let us take another story which shows how Baba appeared in
the form of His picture and fulfilled the desire of His
devotee.
In 1917
on the full-moon morning, Hemadpant had a vision. Baba
appeared to him in his dream in the form of a well-dressed
Sannyasi, woke him up, and said that He would come to him
for meals that day. This awakening constituted a part of
the dream. When he fully awoke, he saw no Sai nor any
Sannyasi. But when he began to recollect the dream, he
remembered each and every word the Sannyasi uttered in his
dream. Though he was in contact with Baba for seven years
and though he always meditated on Baba, he never expected
that Baba would come to his house for meals. However,
being much pleased with Baba's words, he went to his wife
and informed her that being the Holi day, a Sannyasi guest
was coming for meals and that some more rice should be
prepared. She enquired about the guest, who he was and
whence he was coming. Then not to lead her astray and not
to cause any misunderstanding he gave her the truth, i.e.,
told her about the dream. She doubtingly asked whether it
was possible that Baba should come there (Bandra) from
Shirdi, leaving the dainty dishes there for accepting
their coarse food. Hemadpant then assured her that Baba
might not come in person but He might attend in the form
of a guest and that they would lose nothing if they cooked
some more rice.
After
this, preparations for the dinner went on and it was quite
ready at noon. The Holika-worship was gone through and the
leaves (dishes) were spread and arranged with 'Rangoli'
marks around them. Two rows were put up with a central
seat between them for the guest. All the members of the
family - sons, grandsons, daughters and sons-in-law etc.,
came and occupied their proper seats and the serving of
the various articles commenced. While this was being done,
everybody was watching for the guest, but none turned up
though it was past noon. Then the door was closed and
chained; the anna-shuddhi (ghee) was served. This was a
signal to start eating. Formal offering to the Vaishwadeva
(Fire), and Naivedya to Shri Krishna were also over and
the members were about to begin, when foot-steps in the
staircase were distinctly heard. Hemadpant went
immediately and opened the door and saw two men there: (1)
Ali Mahomed and (2) Moulana Ismu Mujavar. These two
persons, seeing that meals were ready and all the members
were about to begin eating, apologized to Hemadpant and
requested him to excuse their interference. They said -
"You left your seat and came running to us, others
are waiting for you, so please take this your Thing
and I shall relate all the wonderful tale about it later
on at your convenience." So saying he took out from
his arm-pit a packet wrapped in an old newspaper cover and
placed it on the table. Hemadpant uncovered the packet and
saw, to his great wonder and surprise, a big nice picture
of Sai Baba. Seeing it, he was much moved, tears ran from
his eyes and hair stood on end all over his body, and he
bent and placed his head on the feet of Baba in the
picture. He thought that Baba had blessed him by this
miracle or Leela. Out of curiosity he asked Ali Mahomed
whence he got this picture. He said that he bought it from
a shop and that he would give all the details about it
some time afterwards and wished that as all the members
were waiting for him, he should go and join them.
Hemadpant thanked him, bade them good-bye and returned to
the dinning-hall. The picture was placed on the central
seat reserved for the guest and after the due offering of
the Naivedya, the whole party commenced eating and
finished it in proper time. Seeing the beautiful form in
the picture everybody was extremely pleased and wondered
how all this happened.
The is
how Sai Baba kept up and fulfilled His words uttered by
Him in the dream of Hemadpant. The story of the picture
with all its details, viz., how Ali Mahomed got it, why he
bought it and gave it to Hemadpant, is reserved for the
next chapter.
Bow
to Shri Sai - Peace be to all
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