Saints' Mission
We have seen before, that the purpose or
object of Divine Incarnation is to protect the good and destory the
wicked. But the mission of the Saints is quite different. To them the
good and the wicked are the same. First they feel for the evil-doers and
set them on the right path. They are like the Agasti to destroy the
Bhava-sagar (the ocean of wordly existence) or like the Sun to the
darkness of ignorance. The Lord (God) dwells in the Saints. In fact they
are not different from Him. Our Sai is One of these, Who incarnated for
the welfare of the devotees, Supreme in knowledge and surrounded with
divine lustre, He loved all beings equally. He was unattached. Foes and
friends, kings and paupers, were the same to Him. Hear His powers. For
the sake of devotees, He spent His stock of merits and was ever alert to
help them. But the devotees could never approach HIm, unless He meant
to receive them. If their turn did not come, Baba did not remember them,
and His Leelas could not reach their ears. Then, how could they think
of seeing Him? some men desired to see Sai Baba's but they did not get
any opportunity of taking His darshan, till His Mahasamadhi. There are
many such persons, whose desire for Baba's darshan was not thus
satisfied. If these persons, believing in Him, listen to His Leelas,
their quest for milk (darshan) will be, to a great extent, satisfied by
the butter-milk (Leelas). If some persons went there by sheer luck and
took Baba's darshan, were they able to stay there longer? No. Nobody
could go there of his own accord, and nobody culd stay there long even
if he so wished. They could stay there, so long as Baba permitted them
to stay, and had to leave the place when asked to do so by Baba; so
everything depended of Baba's will.
Kala Mahajani Once, Kaka Mahajani went to Shirdi from Bombay. He wanted to stay there for one week, and enjoy the Gokul-Ashtami festival. As soon as he took Baba's darshan, Baba asked him - "When are you returning home?" He was rather surprised at this question, but he had to given an answer. He said that he would go home when Baba ordered him to do so. Then Baba said - "Go to-morrow". Baba's word was law and had to be obeyed. Kaka Mahajani, therefore, left Shirdi, immediately. When he went to his office in Bombay, he found that his employer was anxiously waiting for him. His munim, i.e., the manager, suddenly fell ill, hence Kaka's presence was absolutely necessary. He had sent a letter to Kaka at Shirdi, which was redirected to him at Bombay.
Bhausaheb Dhumal
Now listen to an opposite story. Once Bhausaheb Dhumal, a pleader, was going to Niphad for a case. On the way he came to Shirdi, took Baba's darshan and wanted to proceed to Niphad immediately. But, Baba did not premit him to do so. He made him stay at shirdi, for a week or more. In the meanwhile, the magistrate at Niphad suffered intensely from pain in his abdomen, and the case was adjourned. Mr. Dhumal was then allowed to go and attend to his case. It went on for some months and was tried by four magistrates. Ultimately Mr. Dhumal won the case, and his client was acquitted.
Mrs. Nimonkar
Mr. Nanasaheb Nimonkar, Watandar of Nomon and Honorary Magistrate, was staying at Shirdi with his wife. Mr. and Mrs. Nimonkar were spending most of their time in the Masjid with Baba and serving Him. It so happened, that their son fell ill at Belapur and the mother decided, with Baba's consent, to go to Belapur, and see her son and other relatives; and stay there for a few days, but Mr. Nanasaheb asked her to return the next day. The lady was in a fix and did not know what to do; but her God Sai came to her help. While leaving Shirdi she went to Baba, who was standing in front of Sathe's wada with Mr. Nanasaheb and others, and prostrated at His Feet and asked His permission to go. Baba said to her, "Go, go quickly, be calm and unperturbed. Stay comfortably at Belapur for four days. See all your relatives and then return to Shirdi." How opportune were Baba's words! Mr. Nanasaheb's proposal was overruled by Baba's decree.
Moolay Shastri of Nasik
An orthodox Agnihotri Brahmin of Nasik, by
name moolay Shastri, who had studied the six Shastras and was
well-versed in astrology and palmistry, once came to Shirdi to see Mr.
Bapusaheb Booty, the famous millionarire of Nagpur. After seeing him, he
and others went to see Baba in the Masjid. Baba bought various fruits
and other things from vendors with His own money, and distributed them
to the persons present in the Masjid. Baba used to press the mango on
all sides so skilfully that when any person received it from Baba and
sucked it, he got all the pulp at once in his mouth and could throw away
the stone and the skin forthwith. Plantains were peeled off by Baba and
the kernel was distributed to the devotees, while the skins were
retained by Baba for Himself. Moolay Shastri, as a palmist, wanted to
examine Baba's hand or plam and requested Him to extend the same. Baba
ignored his request and gave four plantains to him. Then, they all
returned to the Wada and Moolay Shastri bathed, wore sacred clothes, and
started his routine duties, viz. Agnihotra etc. Then Baba as usual
started for Lendi and said - "Take some Geru (i.e. a red miry substance,
to dye clothes in saffron-colour), we shall today don saffron-coloured
cloth. None understood what Baba meant. Then after some time when Baba
returned, and preparations for the noon-Arati were being made. Bapusaheb
Jog asked Moolay Shastri, whether he would accompany him for the Arti.
He replied that he would see Baba in the afternoon. Very soon Baba sat
on his seat, was worshipped by the devotees and Arti commenced. Then
Baba said - "Get some Dakshina from the new (Nasik) Brahmin." Booty
himself went to get the Dakshina; and when he gave Baba's message to
Moolay Shastri, he was sorely perplexed. He thought in his mind thus: "I
am a pure Agnihotri Brahmin, why should I pay Dakshina? Baba may be a
great Saint. I am not His dependent." But as a great Saint like Sai Baba
was asking for Dakshina through a millionaire like Booty, he could not
refuse. So
leaving his routine unfinished, he forthwith started with Booty to the
Masjid. Thinking himself holy and sacred, and the Masjid otherwise, he
remained at a distance, and joining his hands threw flowers at Baba.
Then lo! all of a sudden, he saw no Baba on the seat, but saw his late
Guru Gholap Swami there. He was wonder-struck. Could this be a dream?
No, it was not, as he was wide awake; but though awake, how could his
late Guru Gholap be there? He was speechless for some time. He pinched
himself and thought again, but could not reconcile the fact of his late
Guru Gholap being in the Masjid. Ultimately, leaving all doubt, he went
up, fell at his Guru's feet and then getting up stood there with folded
hands. Other people sang Baba's Arati, while Moolay Shastri chanted his
Guru's name. Then casting off all pride of caste and ideas about
sacredness, he fell flat at his Guru's feet and closed his eyes. When he
got up and opened his eyes, he saw Baba asking for Dakshina. Seeing
Baba's blissful form, and His
inconceivable power, Moolay Shastri forgot himself. He was extremely
pleased, his eyes were full of tears of joy. He again saluted Baba and
gave the Dakshina. He said that his doubt was removed and that he saw
his own Guru. On seeing his wonderful Leela of Baba all the people,
including Moolay Shastri, were much moved, and they realized the meaning
of Baba's words, "Bring Geru, we shall don saffron-coloured garment."
Such is the wonderful Leela of Baba.
A Doctor
Once a Mamlatdar came to Shirdi with a doctor
friend of his. The Doctor said that his Deity was Rama and that he would
not bow before a Mahomedan, and so, he was unwilling to go to Shirdi.
The Mamlatdar replied, that nobody would press him to make a bow, nor
would ask him to do so. So he should come and give the pleasure of his
company. Accordingly, they came to Shirdi, and went to the Masjid for
Baba's darshan. All were wonder-struck to see the Doctor going ahead and
saluting Baba. They asked him how he forgot his resolve and bowed
before a Mussalman. Then the Doctor replied that he saw his beloved
Deity, Rama, on the seat and he, therefore prostrated himself before
Him. Then as he was saying this, he saw Sai Baba there again. Being
dismayed, he said, "Is this a dream? How could He be a Mahomedan? He is a
great Yogasampanna (full of Yoga) Avatar."
Next day, he made a vow and began to fast. He absented himself from
the Masjid, resolving not to go there, until Baba blessed him. Three
days passed and on the fourth day, a close friend of his from Khandesh,
turned up, and with him, he went to the Masjid for Baba's darshan. After
the salutation, Baba asked him, whether anybody had gone to call him,
so that he had come. Hearing this vital question, the doctor was moved.
The same night he was blessed by Baba, and he experienced the Bliss
supreme, in his sleep. Then he left for his town, where the experienced
the same state of a fortnight. Thus his devotion to Sai Baba increased
manifold.
The moral of all the stories mentioned above, specially, that of
Moolay Shastri, is this that we should have firm faith in our Guru and
nowhere else.
More Leelas of Sai Baba will be described in the next Chapter.
No comments:
Post a Comment