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
No comments:
Post a Comment