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Indian Spirituality => Sai Baba Books Archive => Topic started by: SS91 on April 21, 2012, 01:05:16 PM

Title: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on April 21, 2012, 01:05:16 PM
Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand - Part 1
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1. BIRTH, RACE AND FAMILY
 
Though I am unborn, whole soul, Lord of all creatures, taking to my life-nature, I manifest myself by my powers. (Bh. Gita 4-6.)

The self same soul has transformed himself principally into the Sun, the Moon, Brahma the creator, Vishnu the protector, Shiva Shakti the Destroyers with his Goddess. I bow to that excellent light of lights.

My salutations to that Bhagwant, Lord who is free from anger, attachment, above Maya and devoid of three states of wakefulness, dream and sleep. The best of gods, ascetics do not know the farther end of your Maya Power. The demons were most powerful; you forced them to give up their egotism when the world is beset with worst calamities, you manifest yourself and come upon the earth, Oh Lord.

Vallabh Bhagwat IV, VIII Chs. 7&17.

The Primordial, original, perfect Reality, the thing In-itself beyond name and from inspired by the force of devotee’s religious merit automatically manifested itself as Sai Nath, Sai Baba for the purpose of leading the lost souls to the path of Truth. When asked, His only reply was "Brahma is my father, Maya is my mother and this Universe is my house." That He descended on this earth through some human mortals has not yet been established through reliable source. No conflict of opinion exists however as to His being an extra-ordinary incarnation of God or the highest of perfect beings.

Brahman by His Maya Power manifests itself as human being, when irreligion stalks unchecked in this world. He comes and places religion on sound foundations dispelling the clouds of doubts and dogmatism. He descends in particular to protect the good, the saintly and to destroy the bad and the wicked.

Though beyond (above) limitations of time, space, causation, body, mind, intellect etc. pure Brahman, has by Maya power the capacity of assuming such form male or female-as would satisfy the devotees’ desires and their ideals. It is ever ready to please its real devotee in this respect and even serves him incognito, Saints who have attained oneness with this Brahman that is who have ceased to be bodily minded, who have without their knowledge transformed themselves into Brahman by constant meditation on the same are Brahman with all its Powers. Etc. (Mundak UP. 3-2-9)

Shri Sai Baba falls in this category and so His devotees have seen in Him their ideal of God realised and so they have described Him in many different ways as their ideals of Guru or God have differed. To staunch devotees of Shri Ram, Shri Sai appeared as Ram, to those of Shanker, Maruti, Krishna, Vithoba, Akkalkot Swami, Gholap Swami and Ali irrespective of their race, caste, creed or religion. They all look upon Sai as their God, Saviour, or Prophet and worship Him as such in their own way, propitiate Him and crave blessings from Him. As an out-come of this propitiation each one of them feels and realises that he has been lucky enough to find in Him his benign father, protector, benefactor, a helper in distress, a safe refuge amidst the turbulent waters of this world. Each one has realised He is omnipresent, omniscient omnipotent.

Recipients of such experiences seldom care to ascertain how and whence this rarity descended upon this earth, who His blessed parents were, who His master or teacher was and yet there are amongst intelligent educated devotees some persons who have bestowed much labour and done a deal of research to hit upon proper and satisfactory answers on these points.

Vedanti devotees of Baba Shri Sai look upon Him as the manifestation of knowledge incarnate, the joyful Brahman, the giver of highest happiness, free from dualities, ether like knowable by the four Maha Vakyas (key-sentences) of Vedas, the sole, the permanent, the pure, non-changing, the Universal witnessing Intellect, the one beyond emotions and the three gunas-pure, mixed, and impure-tendencies, the Master, teacher of Reality.

The non-Mohammedan devotees of this class firmly, believe that if Shri Sai Baba had adopted Hindu Mohammedan mixed ways of life and prayers it was simply for the purpose of drawing the attention of these devotees to the cardinal truth, the soul has no caste of race; that their object of proper worship is not of any caste; and what are castes? They are not skin, blood, flesh nor bones; but these castes are fixed for the purpose of the smooth running of this world.

Hindu devotees of Baba particularly, Brahmins and other Dwijas believe that if Baba had donned Mohammedan garb and adopted some Mohammedan ways of worship (without giving of the ways of the purest of pure Brahmin sages) it was for the purpose of killing or removing the wrong interpretation of Veda and drawing attention to the truth that everything all without exception-is Brahman; that difference of diversity or duality does not exist; that if Veda says that Brahmins are God’s mouth, Kshatriyas His hands, Vaishyas his body and Shudras His legs, the intention of the Vedas is not to show the inferiority or superiority of any one of these castes but to draw attention to the fact, that each is these castes but to draw attention to the fact, that each is a part and parcel of the same Holy body of God.

Similarly about the genesis of races’ if one Upanishad states that Non-Aryans came from the nether part of God, it is to root out the hatred and bitterness that might have been raging between these races and to rivet the attention on the oneness of the Holy Body from whom the Non-Aryans have also emerged. Vedas and Upanishads teach us to look at the unity in diversity and preach only oneness of soul, no difference, dissention. Discord but unity.

Peace and accord is the burthen of the Veda, Upanishad and Vedanta. Veda and Upanishads have no doubt prescribed worships of different God’s but these are only for persons who hanker after material happiness and are not satisfied with mere realisation of Truth. Baba called upon persons of the latter class to follow His directions to achieve the ends of their material desires and they had their desires fulfilled. His guidance and His sole worship have obtained for these devotees what they desired and in this way also He encouraged one worship and not multiple worship, Viewing Vedas.

Upanishads and Baba’s ways, Vedanti devotees have always believed that to root out the ego of castes pride and to teach them the oneness off all pervading all-knowing, all powerful god, irrespective of race, caste, or creed, Baba adopted the special ways of life that he did. In fact His life laid stress on the essentials of religions, discarding the non-essential parts thereof.
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on April 22, 2012, 07:43:56 AM
Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand - Part 2
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1. BIRTH, RACE AND FAMILY - CONTINUED  
Most of the devotees of Shri Sai Baba fall under this class. The late Hon'ble Hari Sitaram Dixit B. A., LL.B., solicitor, the late Shri Nana Saheb Chandorkar, B. A., EX-District Deputy Collector, the late Shri Anna Saheb Dabholkar, the learned author of Shri Sai Satcharitra, the late Rao Bahadur Moreshwar Pradhan, J.P., ex-member of the Bombay Legislative Council, the late Shri G.S. Khaparde, B. A., LL.B., ex-member of the Bombay Legislative Assembly, the late Rao Saheb Yashvantrao G. Galvankar B. A. Shri M.B. Rege. Indore judge as also the Sai Baba Sansthan Committee members of 1953 held and hold and hold this view.

There are other devotees who have been worshipping some other deities or are followers of some other religious teachers-all these seen in Sai Baba their own deity, or their own religious teacher and worship Him for the realisation of truth through Him, Sai Baba. Worshippers of Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Vithal, Pandurang, Ramchandra, Goddesses, Guru Dattatraya, Swami Akkalkot Gholap etc. all come under this category, Baba actually assumed the form of these gods and goddesses. And satisfied the devotees of these gods & goddesses.

For the disciple of Gholap Swami, he assumed the form of the Sanyasi Gholap Swami and of that intent of His. He gave an inkling to his other devotees by asking them to fetch for Him (Gerua) redochre Clay, Devotees of Swami Akkalkot identify Him with Akkalkot Swami from what He said to Shri Pitale of Bombay, "I have already given you Rs.2, take these three more, keep them safe.’ Pitale’s father had been given Rs.2/- by Akkalkot Swami; and so the reference that Baba gave those two rupees, unequivocally stating that He Himself had given him those two rupees, clearly goes to indicate that He Himself was none other than the Swami of Akkalkot. Some Devotees of Guru Dattartraya trace the pedigree of Akkalkot. Some Devotees of Guru Dattartraya trace the pedigree of Akkalkot. Some Swami to Guru Dattatraya through Nirsinha Swami, the last incarnation of Guru Dattatraya.

Other devotees of Guru Dattatraya state that Shri Akkalkot Swami was the contemporary of Shri Manik Prabhu, the well-known incarnation of Guru Dattatraya and that it is an undisputed fact that Shri Sai Baba was none other that Swami Shri of Akkalkot. Shri Baba was therefore an incarnation of Shri Guru Dattatraya. We have nothing to state against this theory of Shri Baba being an incarnation of Dattatraya but we simply state that a person is what he is not because he can be shown to be a member of the high pedigree of certain Gods or gurus, since they are born great, the high pedigree could not in any way go to make them greater. Apart from this as well they are great, not only great but none in human form could be greater, none can surpass them. These remarks equally apply to devotees who trace Sai Baba to the Nine Masters, Matsyendranath, Gorakhanath and others. Some of Baba’s prominent devotees hold the same view.

Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on April 23, 2012, 02:28:33 PM

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(1) One Shri Ganpatrao Dattarya Sahasrabuddhe alias Das Ganu actually seeing the holy Ganges trickling down from Shri Sai’s feet in a small stream, just when he desired to have a dip in the holy river, in the fervour of his love for Baba, composed a prayer describing Baba as Brahma Vishnu and Mahesh (i.e. Gods of creation, protection and destruction).

(2) Another personage of this class is the great Upasani Maharaj. In the course of his three years’ stay at Shirdi, he was fully convinced that Shri Baba had not only realised Brahman but had been (become) perfect Brahman and so in the fervour of that enthusiasm he composed a prayer of several hymns on Sai Baba; the first verse of which said, "’Baba was the original Sat Chit Anand Swarup, the primordial cause of original existence and destruction of the Universe and that Baba had appeared (Manifested Himself) as human being as the outcome of the ardent desire of His devotees to see Him as such." The recurring burthen of the eight verses of this prayer is, "I bow to that God-Sadguru Sai Baba.’ In the eighth verse of the said prayer he declares Sai Baba to be "The unborn, The veritable Brahman.’ Looking to the most important task of moulding and regenerating the lives of thousands of males and females (by imparting to them godly knowledge) That awaited him in future Shri Sai Baba got him to practise severe penance for three years at Shirdi and awarded him in return powers of clairvoyance, assuming all forms at will becoming invisible at will etc. which subsequently drew to him people in thousands. He did appreciate all this and to show this, going to Benaras with his devotees he performed the obsequial ceremony of Baba and other bygone saints spending thousands of rupees.
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on April 24, 2012, 06:48:48 AM

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(3) Another great devotee is the late lamented Shri B.V. Narasimha Swamiji, a law graduate and an ex-member of the Legislative Council, author of the lives of several saints, who had dedicated the last 29 years of his life to spreading the name and fame of Shri Sai Baba throughout the length and breadth of Madras. He declares that Baba was born of Brahmin parents of Pathri-a village of Nizam Hyderabad and then he was given over to a Fakir for being trained.

(4) Shri Sathya-Sai-Baba, who claims to be reincarnation of Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi, states that as Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi, he was born at Pathri on the banks of the Godavari of very pious parents and that as a result of Shri Shanker’s boon they got Him; but that at the time He was, born, both the parents had got so much detached from the world that they left the Sai Baba child under a tree to the mercy of God and went away to practise penance. A childless Fakir couple passing by the way picked up and brought Him up as their child. When however the little Sai Baba grew up, He was found so much attached to the worship of Shanker’s Shivalinga that the Fakir drove him away; so he came to Shirdi and settled down there. (Life of Shri Sathya Sai Baba Part I by N. Kasturi; Pages 210 to 216, 2nd edition.)

(5) Another personage Madhvnath a great saint also told his disciple that Shri Sai Baba was the eldest of the three sons of a Yajurvedi Deshasth Brahmin of Pathri and that he was handed over to a Fakir, for the parents thought that the sons born to them were the outcome of the blessings that the then childless parents had received from that Fakir in lieu of the services rendered by them for him.
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on April 25, 2012, 05:54:52 AM
Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand - Part - 3
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1. BIRTH, RACE AND FAMILY - CONTINUED  
Shri Sai Baba’s own utterances in this respect should also be considered.

(1) The oldest, most pious and revered devotee of Shri Sai Baba the late Shri Mahlasapati, who had the unique honour of sleeping with Baba on every alternate night for 30 to 40 years in the Dwarkamayi said that Baba had once told him. "I am a Brahmin of Pathri and when, young, my parents gave me over to a Fakir for being trained under him."

(2) In December 1912 when the writer went to Shirdi, he was anxious about his father’s life, as the father had dropsy and dropsy was in those days considered to be a fatal disease. Unasked Baba said, "Bring that big bellied man here." I said to myself. "Bring that big bellied man here." I said to myself. "How is it possible when he takes you to be a Mussalman?" This clearly shows Baba considered himself to be a Brahmin.

Another time in 1916 when one Shantaram Nachne Dehnukar went to Shirdi and he forgot to pay to Baba a two-anna paisa that his friend V.S Samant had given for Baba along with a coconut etc., and he asked Baba’s permission to return home giving him coconut etc., Baba had reminded him of the said two anna paisa by saying, "You may go, but why have you been retaining the two anna paisa of this poor Brahmin?" Whereupon Dehnukar at once paid the two-anna piece requesting Baba to pardon him for the lapse of his memory.

When on the behest of his master Shri H.V. Sathe one Megha came to Baba, taking Baba to be a Mohammedan, Baba became angry on seeing him and did not allow him to mount up the steps of the Dwarkamayee threatening him with a stone, that if he came up to see Him, He would assured kill him with the stone, and bawled out, "I am the lowest of the low, a Yawan (Mohammedan) and you are a Brahmin of the highest caste." This clearly shows Baba’s dislike for those who considered him to be Mohammedan.

Baba putting His hand on His chest said to Mrs. Kashibai Kanitkar of Poona. "This is Brahmin. This Brahmin will lead lacks of people to the Shubhra Marga (The White Path as opposed to the Black Path of demons and take them to the goal right up to the end. This is a Brahmin’s Masjid." (Baba Charters and Sayings Page 57. B. V. Narasimha Swami.)

All this clearly shows that if Baba was really born, He was born in a Brahmin family. Born or unborn Baba thought He was Brahmin and got offended with all those who thought He was Mohammedan.

We may therefore say with the late Shri Narasimha Swami "The birth and parentage of Sai Baba are wrapped in mystery. We have not come across a single person who has any direct knowledge of them."

It is however common knowledge that the people of all castes, creeds, races and religions Hindus, Mussalmans, Parsis, Christians and other come to Baba and soon become attached to Him. They all gradually recognise him to be their long-lost philosopher, friend and guide. They see in Him their God, their Prophet, their Son of God, their Saviour or their best and dearest friend. They realise that Sai Baba is always present. He controls their hearts and knows all their actions good bad or indifferent. They are also convinced that He knows their most secret thoughts and their wicked actions and yet He is full of mercy and never gives up those who remember him. He cares not to look at the family, caste creed or religion even the action of His devotees; but as soon as the devotees remember Him, he runs up at once with or without assuming a forms and defends them against fell diseases, calamities, worldly difficulties, ill-repute etc. etc. For instance, He assumed the form of a farmer for His devotee Balakram Mankar and banded over to him a rail ticket for his destination-Poona.

For another devotee Nanasaheb Chandorkar, He became (assumed the form of) a tanga, horses and a coach-man, when Shri Sai Himself dispatched His Udi with one Ramgir. He had taken that Ramgir to Nana’s house and saved by that Udi Nana Saheb’s daughter from a mortal delivery. Even after He left His body, He has been helping devotees in the same way. Thus he put Dhumal’s hand-hand-signature on about a thousand municipal papers one night when Dhumal was unable to find time for the purpose.

For another devotee Nachne, of Prabhu caste, he assumed the form of a peon called Himself Ganpatishankar. Attended on him till he reached Nasik and thereafter also he helped him in the performance of the obsequial ceremonies of his wife for three days and as soon as the ceremonies were over, He left him saving Him services were wanted by His Master. Persons visiting Shirdi have known that if only they would remember him, he would without fail stretch His helping hand and render such help as they would require. These devotees look upon Sai Baba as their own god, prophet, Saviour and as such they try their utmost to draw or attract Him to them by propitiating Him and by rendering such services as they can. They sole yearning of these devotees is to obtain His grace, for they know that therein only lies their material and spiritual welfare; they little care to know His parentage, family, race or His guru. They have ever believed that the kind and merciful God though ever formless has for their benefit assumed a form and so if they are wise they should without delay try their level best to obtain His grace, the root cause of all earthly and heavenly happiness, leaving all other matters about His family etc. to logicians, the worldly wise and wiseacres. They definitely believe and assert-God is only one; there are no separate Gods for the various races, castes and creeds and yet He has powers to assume such forms. as His devotees yearn for and ardently desire to behold with their material eyes. And the living testimony of this is Shree Sai Baba.
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on April 26, 2012, 10:05:34 AM
Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part 4  

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SHRI SAI’S GURU, SHRI SAI’S MANIFESTATION IN SHIRDI  
(1) I manifest myself in every age, for the protection of the good destruction of the wicked and the foundation of religion. (Bh. Gita, Ch. 4-8)

(3) Little in stature, great in valour. Subdued terrible Cobra Kali, held aloft a week the Goverdhan Mount and saved people from the fury of God Indra. (Bhalan)
 
(4) Some are born Great.
"I was only eight years old when I left my parents and came to the Ganges (Baba always named the Godavari as the Ganges). Then I came to Shirdi," This was what Baba said (unasked) to the writer.

He continued, "I found my master in the Chawdi here. His calm, peaceful, Cheerful and meditative face attracted me, charmed me, almost bewitched me so much so that my eyes, were ever rivetted on his face and that even a moment’s separation from him made me uneasy. In his company I used to forget all my hunger and thirst. I served him with all my heart for years together for more than 12 years. The duties I had imposed on myself for him were very arduous. He never left his seat for any purpose, not even to answer calls of nature. Merged in meditation for ever, he entirely forgot that he had a body, mind etc. He ate, passed urine and stool etc. there and there on his seat. I fed him, changed his clothes, Swept and kept his seat always clean.

As a reward of this he awarded me his blessings saying, "Wherever you are, here or even beyond the, seven sea’s, I will be ever with you to guard and protect you." Right at the start he had asked me to pay his fees; and on my asking what his fees were. He coolly said "his fees were only two pice", and these pice were not the government currency I had been using but his two pice fees consisted of two things Nishta faith-absolute faith and Saboori-patience. I readily gave him these two pice and though I was very eager to obtain from his holy mouth some holy spell or formula which I could go on chanting and repeating, he uttered nothing into ears. He simply said, "I shall ever be with you. Protecting you by my mere loving glance in the manner of a tortoise protecting his young ones by mere glance. The entire credit of all this glory of mine goes to this Guru master. It is the outcome of his blessing."

On another occasion He said to this writer "My Guru’s (master’s) name is Roshan she Mian" When Baba uttered these words, I took them as advising me to take to the sun Worship, as I am by caste a Brahmin and Brahmins are by their scriptures required to worships the Sun, three times a day-at sunrise, at noon and Sunset and repeat the Sun’s Gayatri formula for at least 324 times a day. Subsequently Baba made me repeat this Gayatri several thousands times for expiation of certain sins committed by me in the past and also asked me to offer a few rise oblations in the fire and set apart certain portion for gods. guests cow, dogs etc. by performing "the Vaishwdeva ceremony before taking dinner.

 All this confirmed me in my belief that Baba’s intention in telling me the name of His Guru was to impress on me the necessity of performing the six duties enjoined on Brahmins by scriptures. Subsequently I marked that Shri Baba was from time to time also using the word ‘Roshan.’ He used it particularly when he told some parables. Then he had used that word in the sense of ‘light’ meaning knowledge as opposed to (the darkness of) ignorance. In the In Shrimad Bhagwat Gita, the Celestial Song of Lord Shri Krishna Gnan is described as "Jyotisham apitadjyoti" The light of all the luminous. And Upanishadic prayers also reads, "Tamaso ma jyotirgamay," "-Lead me to light from darkness" uses this word Jyoti or Roshan in the sense of knowledge, Applying the same sense to ‘Roshan in Roshan Sha.’

The name Roshan Shah would mean the Lord of Knowledge, the Universal Soul, self luminous, Self-evident, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient as the only Truth, the only Reality, the only (root of) knowledge properly understood, the world being Its evanescent reflection. Saints aspire to attain oneness with this Absolute truth or Lord God in order to be of some help to the suffering humanity and in their efforts to do so they even sacrifice their body. Sai Baba thus cast off His body to save Tatya Patil to whom He was indebted for the rendered by, him his mother and father. Jesus Christ’s and Lord Krishna sacrificed themselves to save the erring humanity from since.

Thus Shri Sai Baba by His sacrificed taught humanity that the beauty of life consists in submitting or sacrificing the Lowerself for the Higherself. Latterly these words reminded me of what the Lord Shri Krishna said to His pet disciple Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuru Kshetra (Panipat) embodied by Shri Vyas in Bhagvad Gita or the Celestial song of Shri Lord Krishna. The first line of the Fourth Chapter of that book says that the Lord taught this method of realisation to Vaivaswat, meaning the Sun. As the giver of light to the world Baba must have called him Roshan Shah.

Lord Krishna recites in this line the geneology of the disciple and states the order in which He taught this way of realisation. The first to receive this instruction from Him was the Sun, He said, and as the Sun or the Roshan Shahmia was Sai Baba’s instruction (as in the case of the well-known Shri Yagnya Valkya) Sai Baba received all knowledge from lord Krisha through His first disciple the Sun.

We do not however mean to suggest by above interpretations that a person of the name Roshan Shahmia did not materially exist, on the contrary we, by these nterpretations desire to draw the attention to the peculiar characteristic of the life events of such a superman as Shri Sai Baba. This peculiarity is that all the events of Supermen’s life can always be interpreted metaphorically as well as literally.

As examples of this we may draw the attention of the readers to the various biographies of Shri Ram and Shri Krishna, some of which have always shown the philosophical (metaphorical) significance (aspect) of almost all the incidents of the lives of these supermen.

 
Continued...
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on April 27, 2012, 01:09:35 PM
Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part  5

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SHRI SAI’S GURU, SHRI SAI’S MANIFESTATION IN SHIRDI - Continued  
Accordingly one should not to be astonished if we say that Roshan Shah spoken of by Baba did exit in flesh and blood and Baba strenuously served him for over twelve years. It seems Roshan Shah thereafter cast off his mortal coil-his-body-and Baba entombed him under or near the nimb tree at present found in Shirdi Navalkar’s Vada.

When the previous owner of this Wada B.S. Sathe wanted to put up a story and terrace, at the time of putting a stair case he unearthed a tomb with and under-ground cellar or a cave under the tree, Baba was asked as to what should be done about the tomb and the cave? Baba said that, ‘that place belonged to His elders and it should neither be disturbed nor opened but it should be covered up with a stone as before.

" Persons and some boys playing a hide and seek game removed the stone and found under it several steps leading further down. They said that the cave was dark but rather long; Baba once told the writer pointing to a pillar near His Dhuni (the sacred fire) in the Dwarkamai, "that there was a cave there; He always confined Himself to that cave; that once his beard had grown so long that it reached the ground and swept; that He never came out of the cave unless to meet some holy and religious man" It seems this cellar or cave referred to by Baba started from under the nimb tree and extended up to and even beyond the Chawdi. This cave was in fact Baba’s place of penance.

After years of such penance in the cave, people caught sight of him one day when He had come out for water. It seems He had finished His term of penance then, for thereafter He did not return to the cave; but made the nimb tree His abode. And what an abode it was! Situate on the outskirts of the village in the debris of the old village wall, where people used to help their rubbish, where a stream of village filthy stinking water ran and the thorny cactus abounded uncheked, Baba stayed uncared for and unnoticed by the people of the village for about a year or two.

With only a Kafni on the body and rag covering the head He lived on. Digging a pit He slept in it. How he fed himself on one knows bur from the admonition He had once administered to Sagunrao M. Naik—it appears He had lived only on Margosa leaves for than 12 years. He had said to Sagun, "What! You can’t put up with a day or two days’ starvation? I myself had lived on Margosa leaves for as many as twelve years."

Mahlsapathi was probably the first to introduce himself to Shri Baba; he was so much impressed with conversation he had with Baba that he thereafter saw Him daily and introduced Baba to his other friends Kashinath tailor and Appa Jogle, saying that a Fakir Sai Baba has made a sudden appearance o the outskirts of the village near the debris of village wall, that He is far above the common average man, a pure and holy man worth paying respects; from that time onward He came to be known as Sai Baba. This trio-of Mhalasapati, Kashinath and Jogle-daily visited him and paid their respects to Him and supplied whatever little requirements He had.

The news that one Sai Baba had manifested Him-self near the nimb tree o the outskitrts of the village, reached the ears of the late Appa Patil Kote and one day he with his wife went to Baba to pay respects. It is said that when Baba saw them coming He left His seat, got up and cordially welcomed Appa and told his wife that she had been veritably His sister. The lady his wife that she had been veritably His sister. The lady Bayjabai, on seeing Baba was so much impressed that she there and then resolved never to take her food without first feeding Baba.

At the start Sai Baba prescribed and gave medicine but never charged nor accepted any money for the same. Not only that, but if he found that there was none to look after or nurse His patient, He would himself be his nurse and serve him. Once it so happened that His patient failed to observe the rules of diet etc. He had prescribed and as a result thereof he died. Since that day Baba gave up administering medicine and gave only His Udi-holy ashes for their. In this connection Baba once said, I used to give medicine before but thereafter giving up everything I went on chanting (taking) the name of Hari; and by a ceaseless muttering of that holy name I actually became Hari."

After giving up the physician ship, Baba was seldom found at his abode under the nimb tree; He moved about in the village fields in the jungle amidst thrones etc. apparently idling away His time but virtually utilising each minute of His time in remembering and meditating on God. He was in rags and village people looked upon Him as and called Him a mad Fakir. He begged His food once, twice or at times even a dozen times in a day.

Without caring for the adverse opinion of the village folks Bayjabai however never failed to give alms whenever Baba went to her for the purpose and never failed to observe herself imposed rule of feeding Baba before she fed herself. and for the observance of this rule she had at time with a basket on her head to wander in fields and jungle for hours to find Him out and if she found Baba was merged in mediation, she would slowly wake up, serve the dish, persuade him to take a morsel of two (if not more) return home and then take her meals.

Baba in turn amply rewarded her services by doing everything in His power for her welfare and the welfare of her whole family. In particular. Baba treated her son Tatya Patil with tender care and affection, regularly paid him to took after His requirements, and even after the educated, the cultured, the rich and the wealthy, multi-millionaire came to Him, He would not give over his charge to any one else, nor would He ever leave for Chawdi unless and until this Tatya came and accompanied Him; but as if all this was not enough return for the services rendered by Bayjabai. He cast off even His body to save this Tatya.

As Shirdi was on the way to many places of pilgrimage of southern India such as Rameshwar, Pandharpur etc. several saints visited Shirdi and amongst them there were two, who ultimately though it fit to settle down in Shirdi. One of them was Devdas who came to Shirdi when he was only 10-11 years old. He was well built and had lustrous eyes. He had put up in Maruti Temple. He was man of knowledge. Shirdi people looked upon him with respect.

Appa, Mhalasapati, Kashinath and others were his daily visitors and they supplied all His wants. Kashinath and Tatya Patil had accepted him as their Guru (Religious master). He usually taught Vyankatesh Stotra (a composition of hymns on God Vyankatesh) Ten-Eleven years after he came Baba appeared in Shirdi. Baba saw him from time to time. Another Saint Jankidas, highly advanced, had also come and settled down before Baba’s appearance. When Baba came He spent long long hours in the company of this Jankidas.
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on April 28, 2012, 11:37:22 AM

Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part  6
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SHRI SAI’S GURU, SHRI SAI’S MANIFESTATION IN SHIRDI - Continued
Baba did not accept any money gift from any body these days; so when Kashinath offered Him some money-gift. He flatly refused to receive it. This refusal brought tears in the eyes of Kashinath.

 Moved by this He started taking money gifts (Dakshina) from him; at first He increased that sum. However, from the day Baba started accepting His Dakshina, Kashinath’s financial position grew weak and weak till he became abjectly poor and people refused to give him even a loan. This set Kashinath thinking. He asked himself. "How could charity made to the most holy and the pure reduce him to such a miserable state?" Then after a little introspection he found that it was not his Charity that reduced him to this miserable state but it was his pride that blinded him to the fact that the giver was not he but God Himself; Unless God gives who can dole out Charity? In fact as he knew Baba to be God; he now understood that the truth lying under this unhappy event of his life was that both the giver of Charity and receivers of Charity were one viz; God Himself. From the day he realised this true state of affairs, his condition started improving; and very soon he regained his lost wealth and reputation.

This Kashinath dealt in cloth and wherever weekly bazaars were held, he would go and put up a temporary shop. Once when he was returning from some such Bazaar of Naur he was accosted by a band of armed dacoits. Kashinath handed over to them all the cash that he had, but he would not part with a small bag. Dacoits thought the little bag contained some more precious article and so they demanded the delivery of the said bag. He refused and so the dacoits tried to snatch it away from him but he opposed and so a tussle ensued.

Taking the sward of one of the dacoits which lay there he killed two of them and so the third one coming from behind dealt on Kashinath’s head an axe-blow. This blow stunned Kashinath and he lay prostrate on earth as if dead. Taking Kashinath to be dead the other dacoits escaped leaving Kashinath there. After some time Kashinath regained his consciousness and people pressed him that he be allowed to be taken to a hospital. But his faith in Baba was so unshakeable that he refused and returned to Shirdi in that condition and recovered under Baba’s care.

The Government was pleased to award him a sward for the valour he had shown in facing these dacoits and while the fray between the dacoits and Kashinath was going on, Baba at Shirdi had been shouting, abusing bawling aloud. People accustomed to Baba’s way at once understood that some dear devotee of Baba had been in some trouble and to tide over the calamity of that devotee He was roaring, shouting, abusing etc. Kashinath lived long after this and passed away on the 11th day of the lunar month which is considered to be very auspicious for death. Appa Jogle also passed away on the same day some time after this, enjoying a long lease of a happy life.

The third of the trio Mhalasapati worked as goldsmith but was not so financially happy as the other two; he was abjectly poor and it seems Baba did not want that he should have affluence or plenty of riches. Once a rich person presented to Baba a dish filled with Gold and silver coins. Baba returned it to the donor in tact. Mahalasapati was percent there at the time for his daily worship of Baba. The donor seeing Mahalasapati desired that he be permitted by Baba to give over dish of coins to Mahalasapati. Baba emphatically disallowed it, saying, "Real royalty is renunciation. That alone lasts for ever. Riches (or Plenty) are evanscent."

 Though unlucky in money-matters Shri Mhalasapati was very lucky in having Baba’s constant company on every alternate night at the Dwarkamai. Both of them then kept as it were night vigil but mainly it was Baba who would be awake all night, not allowing Mhalasapati and Tatya (when the latter also attended the Dwarkamayi to go to sleep by night. He would very often ask Mhalasapati to keep his hand on His (Baba’s) heart and see that His utterance of the holy name did not stop, that as soon as it stopped he was asked to wake Him up; but Baba very often complained that instead of watching the sound of the holy name emerging from His Heart, he himself would fall asleep, his hand would become heavy and He was required to wake him up feeling the heaviness of his hand. This clearly shows what the object of Baba in not allowing Mhalasapati (and Tatya) to sleep in the Dwarkamayi was, that He wanted them to chant the holy name by keeping awake.

We have already mentioned that it was Mhalasapati who dubbed Shri with the name of Sai Baba and Sai Baba also willingly retained it till He left His body. But Mhalasapati had to his credit a still greater service to posterity of which we shall now speak.
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on April 29, 2012, 12:03:19 PM

Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part  7

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SHRI SAI’S GURU, SHRI SAI’S MANIFESTATION IN SHIRDI  - Continued
Baba had been suffering from Asthma and He had a very severe attack of it in about the Decembers of 1885. He said to Mhalasapati, "I am going up into a superconscious state for a period of 3 days. Take care of this body exactly for three days, and if by the end of that period I do not return to bodily consciousness, then pointing to a place-a corner of the present chowk have Samadhi prepared, bury me there and put up two flags as a token of my being there. But till then do not disturb me; and do not leave me unguarded, unwatched Saying this, He drew up His breath up to the tabernacle and fell senseless, on the lap of Mhalasapati. It was 10 p.m. He had no breath, no pulsation, the whole body was functionless; people gathered together but finding Baba in a super-conscious state, none said anything at the time; two days after, some Molvi (Mohammedan Fakir), Appa Kulkarni, and Kashinath seeing that life had left Baba’s body entirely, proposed to have a Samadhi built for Him for His burial.

Thanks to Mhalasapati he do not change his posture, nor budge an inch lest Baba should get disturbed for three days, without a break and simply heard out the proposals of His body asking them to wait till the time-limit fixed by Baba was over. Pending the discussion about the disposal of Shri's body, the time limit of three painful days had at last expired. On expiry of that period at 3 A.M. life gradually returned to Baba; His eyes also opened bye and bye; breathing started and the belly also moved. His face then appeared to be joyful, winking of the eyes started, stiffness of the limbs had gone and the whole body started working as if nothing had happened. But for Mhalasapati’s firm devotion. Faith in Baba’s words and his marvellous courage in adhering to the same in the face of people’s opposition, the posterity, nay millions of people, would have been deprived of the innumerable benefits that they derived and are deriving from Him.


 3.SAIBABA’S MISSION  
"But for Guru, who can show the right path? Millions of Suns, Moons and stars may simultaneously put forth their best light. And yet the Darkness, the impenetrable Darkness will be there to block your path, if you have no Guru."

"Know Guru to be God, serve him with all your heart; then the fetters of worldly bonds will fall off and the fruit of absolution will be yours." "Surrender unto the Guru, meditate on God’s reality; obtain release-the all pervading joy" says Brahmananda.

Few seem too have even the faintest ideal of the immense powers of a perfect man, of a man who has by constant meditation wholly identified himself with Brahman. Scholars and Pandits. Teachers and professors of Indian Philosophy particularly of Brahma Sutra know this full well, but immersed in their own worldly affairs they seldom care to look up for a person fully answering the description of such a man.

The last chapter of this Brahma Sutra clearly states that a realised soul has the powers to assume any form he likes, that he may not, if he so wills take any form, that he can by his mere will not only assume one form but as many as he wants, that he will create and uncreated his own world, that by his mere will he will have all he wants, that he can move in the whole of the universe material and spiritual by that power and wherever he goes he will be adored and respected by people.

Sai Baba fully answers to the description of the perfect soul given by Brahma Sutra and this is and was the reason why He could manifest Himself in as many forms as he deemed necessary either to satisfy the loving hearts of His devotees or to show to the real aspirant that he is the same, in no way different from the God. Whom the aspirant worshipped. We shall quote a few experiences of the devotees in illustration of this.

A Sai devotee Mamlatdar was very friendly with a doctor who was a staunch devotee of Shri Ramchandraji. In 1909 Christmas the Mamlatdar informed his doctor friend that he had determined to spend his X’ mas at Shirdi and that he would be very happy to have his company if he could give it. The Doctor was a Brahmin, strictly adhering to the Mandates of scriptures and regularly discharged all the duties enjoined upon Brahimns therein; over and above this, be was staunch devotee of Shri Ram and would never bow to a Mohammedan. The doctor therefore said, he may give his company if he so desired but he would not bow to Baba. The Mamlatdar having assured him that none in Shirdi, nor Baba Himself would ask him to prostrate himself before Baba, the Doctor accompanied the Mamlatdar to Shirdi.

On reaching Shirdi both the friends went to Dwarkamayee; the Mamlatdar as usual prostrated himself before Baba and offered Him fruits etc. The doctor stood witnessing all this. When lo! In place of Sai Baba the doctor saw his own deity Shri Ramchandraji. At once he prostrated himself before Baba; on coming out of Dwarkamayee, when Mamlatdar asked the doctor, why he had prostrated himself before Baba though none had asked him to do so, he at once declared that he prostrated because in place of Sai he saw his own deity Shri Ramchandraji.
I was lucky enough to have my deity’s Darshan and that was the reason why I lay at the feet of Shri Sai Baba.


Continued...

Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on April 30, 2012, 09:42:11 AM


Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part 8  

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SHRI SAI’S GURU, SHRI SAI’S MANIFESTATION IN SHIRDI - Continued  
Another man Mule Shastri, a palmist also got a similar experience. The Shastri was a disciple of one Gholap Swami-a Sanyasi, and he never bowed to any one else but his master Gholap Swami.

During the Shastri’s stay in Shirdi one day Baba called him at the arti (The Waving of lights) ceremony; fearing pollution he stood at a distance and threw some flowers on Baba from there; but to his great surprise he saw in Baba’s place is own Guru Gholap Swami in his usual Bhagwa (redochre) coloured dress; so he at once rushed to Baba and while Sai devotees were reciting at the time Shri Sai’s Arti he recited his Gholap Swami’s Arti; when he finished arti recitation he opened his eyes and saw Sai Baba seated in his usual place demanding some Dakshina from his. Mule Shastri prostrated himself before Sai Baba as if to thank Him for the favour He had shown in procuring for him his Guru’s Darshana after a lapse of many years.

Shri Sai Baba convinced one Harichandra Pitale of Bombay that He was the Swami of Akkalkot, by giving him three rupees at the time of his departure from Shirdi and asking him to deposit and worship them with the two rupees He had previously given him. Pitale visiting Baba for the first time could not understand when the said two rupees were given to him; but subsequently on enquiring of his mother he learnt that Swami of Akkalkot had given his father Rs. 2/- spoken of by Baba. In this way Baba clearly told him, He was none else but the Swami of Akkalkot.

For another staunch devotee of Shanker named Megha He assumed the form of Shanker, Shanker, when that devotee went to a Shanker’s temple of his native country and convinced him that He was veritably his own deity Shanker in the form of Sai Baba.

The priest of the goddess Sapt Shrangi temple, also was shown that his goddess and Baba were one. He was directed in a dream by his goddess to go to "Baba" in reply to his fervent prayer for relief from worries he suffered on account of worldly calamities. Misunderstanding the word "Baba" used by the goddess the priest went to Trambakeshwar and staying there for ten days tried to propitiate Shanker by constant prayer etc; but he found no improvement in his harrowed (troubled) mind.

Returning home, he rebuked the goddess that she had sent him to Trambakeshwar without any purpose and again prayed her for relief. The goddess again appeared in the priest’s dream and said "by ‘Baba’ I meant ‘Baba of Shirdi,’ Why did you run up to Trambakeshwar in vain?" The priest was altogether ignorant of the where about of Shirdi; nor had he heard of Sai Baba. While he was in this embarrassed predicament. Baba asked one of his favourite devotee Madhavrao to go to that Sapt Shrangi temple and fulfil the vow of giving tow gold teats long since outstanding in respect of his mother’s illness.

The priest was very much pleased to see Madhavrao of Shirdi, for from him he got all the information about Shirdi and Sai Baba; so when Madhavrao had finished his work of fulfilling the vow and prepared to return to Shirdi the priest of the Sapt Shrangi temple accompanied him. So as soon as the priest prostrated himself before Baba his worries left him; his ruffled mind calmed down; and he enjoyed peace. Neither the priest spoke nor Baba; mere sight of Baba sufficed to supply what he wanted; this convinced the priest that Shri Sai Baba was in charge of Sapt Shrangi’s work then.

Even after he left His body, in response to the earnest prayer of one Mrs. Kumudben B. Raval (of Bhau’s Pole, Ahmedabad Maha Gujarat) Baba manifested Himself in the form of Goddess Ambika.

Similarly all such prayers of devotees of Mohammedan and Parsis were responded to by Baba by manifestations of such forms as the devotees worshipped. Very lately for a Parsi doctor of Kopergaon (Dist. Ahmednagar Maharashtra) He assumed the form of his Paygamber Zarthostra. To another Mohammedan devotee named Gulam Hussein Jaffarally Surendranagar (Maha Gujarat) He was please to appear as his Prophet Ali on horse.

To native Christians He showed that He had that heavenly divine power which they believed in. Thus Chakranarayan, a Police constable, who kept an eye on the income and outgoings of Baba expressed his wonder saying, "Baba distributed hundreds of rupees per day and yet very often. He received a much lesser amount. Really he has got the divine power".

A native Christian nurse yearning to go to Shirdi after His Maha-Samadhi, was at first refused leave by the head-nurse but on the first one'’ constant chanting of Baba'’ name, she was able to bring about a change in the mind of the latter as a result of which she sanctioned her leave and enabled the first one to fulfil her wish. Another Christian Miss Meerabai Satyavir, a teacher in Baroda Methodist school, says that this (the writer’s) book inspired in her an unshakeable faith, and in the course of her reading she had Sai Baba’s vision in the form of a globe of Light and thereafter she has visited Shirdi more than once; Baba is her only refuge or shelter. He has been helping her and always saving her from irreparable losses. It is therefore clear that rendering of help in all matters material, spiritual to every person irrespective of his caste, creed, race, merits or demerits has been Sai Baba’s daily routine, His very nature, His joy.

He knew that amongst the people of the various races, who visited Him, something like hereditary antipathy subsisted particularly between two major races, Hindus and Muslims and this very often burst out in riots, murders, arson.

Loot and it seems that if He had elected to adopt some of both their ways of life and religion, His object was to draw to Him people of both these races, to provide for them a common ground for meeting and worship so that all mis-understandings would vanish and their attention would be drawn and fixed on the one universal feature of devotion, common to both religions, that differences between them in the forms and formalities of the religions of both would not be made much of, would be tolerated with a liberal mind on both sides, that strifes and feuds would give place to unity and friendly feelings and relations.


Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on May 01, 2012, 08:22:19 AM

Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part 9  
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SHRI SAI’S GURU, SHRI SAI’S MANIFESTATION IN SHIRDI - Continued  
With this object in view, when therefore the leaders of Shirdi village Gopalrao Gunde and others approached Baba with a request to fix a day for holding annual fare at Shirdi, He said, "fix up Ramnavmi, the birth day (date) of Shri Ramchandra;" for He knew that it being a Hindu holy day they would surely run upto Shirdi to attend the fare and as to Mohammedan, they would also come, as this was the only day fixed for annual fare; the object of their common worship being Baba in order to please Him at any rate, they would sink all their differences of non-essentials, methods of worship and meet as friends or brother-sons of a common father-and for ever forget their pristine animosity, hatred, antipathy.

In due course this hope was fulfilled, though at first fanaticism of one party took an ugly form and might have burst out in undesirable feuds and fights or riots but for Baba’s holy and powerful presence. The narration of a few of such incidents would not be out of place here.

The difference in the forms of worship of one and the same God between Hindus and Muslims coupled with ignorance of His real nature and want of toleration is the root cause of all their dissensions, disputes, strife’s etc.; Liberal minded educated Muslims understand this and they therefore do not join their orthodox section which cannot look upon Hindu ways of worship with the equanimity and toleration of really educated cultured men.

In Shirdi as well, the orthodox Muslims believed that Hindus by their anointing Baba with sandal pastes, ceremonial worship and the noisy waving of lights before Him were compelling "the Mohammedan" Baba to commit what they thought to be a ‘Sin’ according to the tenets of Muslim religion. If therefore these Hindus were stopped from coming to Baba all this irreligion would be checked for ever. They therefore many a times spoke to Baba, tried to persuade Him to prevent Hindus from carrying out such noisy programmes before Him but Baba seemed to turn a deaf ear to all that they said.

In the year 1894 therefore the ignorant Shirdi Muslims brought to Shirdi a Kazi (a religious teacher) from Sangamner (of Ahmednagar) and arming themselves with canes and Lathis under the leadership of that Kazi, stood at the Masjid entrance to prevent all Hindus from approaching Baba and worshiping Him with their materials of worship, such as sandal paste, flower, lamps etc.

As per his daily routine, Mhalasapati came there to offer his worship to Baba but seeing the mob armed with lethal weapons at the gate of the Masjid he stood at a distances, mentally offered Him his Pooja and was just retracing his steps home when Baba Himself called him and asked him to carry out to finish his daily worship. The Muslims stood aghast; and could do nothing; they then slowly dispersed and since then never though of obstructing Hindus from worshipping Baba in their own way.

Twenty years after, a Pathan fanatic of the same orthodox, ignorant section came to Shirdi. He hated the Hindus for the same reason as above mentioned and so one mid-night when some Hindus were sleeping by his side in Chawdi, he said to Baba, "If you are being spoilt, it is because of these sleeping Hindus. I will make short work of them (kill them) if only you will permit me to do so,’ Baba replied, "the fault, if any, is not theirs but mine; instead of Killing them, therefore kill me so that all the things you hate would end.'’ But the Pathan could not muster courage to do that and so the sleeping Hindus were also saved.

Another Pathan, whom, on account of his bustling shouting prayers and wild manners people called Rohilla, worshipped Baba as his prophet and adored Him as such. But one day in the fit of his fanaticism, he forgot all this and thinking that he should stop Baba once for all from going astray in the way that He did by allowing Hindus to anoint him, worship him in the noisy way, he rushed upon Baba with a big stick to murder Him. Baba simply cast a glance at him and caught his wrist. This slight gesture of resistance of Baba rendered him powerless and he fell to the ground and was able to get up only with the help of two persons. The wonderful strength that Baba showed in resisting him fully convinced the Rohilla that Baba was the real prophet and thereafter let off examining the propriety or impropriety of Baba’s actions.

A much respected Mohammedan Fakir was in Baba’s constant company but was ignorant of the principles of true religion. One day the thought of converting Baba’s Hindu Devotees to Mahomedanism; so when Baba went out to Lendi as per His daily routine. He polluted the water kept ready for Hindu drink by dropping in each tumbler the residue of the water he had drunk. In his ignorance he thought that the conversion of the Hindus would be complete so soon as they drink the residue of the water drunk by him; he never thought that for real conversion of religion the heart has got to be converted.

However that may be, by His omniscience Baba knew the trick the Fakir had played to carry out his programmer of conversion of Hindus in a mass; so on his return from Lendi he became mighty angry and his anger reached the highest peak; he broke the earthen drinking pot, threw away all the tumblers filled with polluted water and went on abusing for a long long time say an hour or two. At last the Fakir’s conspiracy of the conversion of Hindus in a mass leaked out and the Fakir got ashamed of the childish ignorance he had shown.

But the above unpleasant incidents of Muslim fanaticism were not thereafter repeated at all; for the annual fair of Ramnavmi gave the Muslims and Hindus an opportunity to meet and to understand one another and as a result thereof each gave up the disgust and hatred he had for the other and looked upon each other’s way of worship with eyes of equanimity and toleration.

When therefore the Hindus started celebrating the Ramnavmi Festival by Katha, Kirtan, Arti with Band, Drums, Cymbals etc.; and Mohammedan took out their sandal procession the same day and went to the Dwarkamayee, each party joined the other in their worship of Baba.

Thus Hindus joined the sandal procession and Muslims also took part in the celebration of Ramnavmi-festival. Particularly when in the evening two big flags were taken in procession and jointly hailed the putting up of these flags on the Dwarkamayee. The flags that were and are being so put up annually seem to be a standing testimony of the Hindu-Muslim unity at least in Shirdi, and, if we may say so, amongst Baba’s devotees of the whole of India.

Continued...
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on May 02, 2012, 07:15:24 AM

Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part 10
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4. SUPERNATURAL POWERS  
Seekers of God rightly suppose that, if they use such supernatural powers as they have, their spiritual progress would, for ever, be retarded. Shri Sai Baba stands far above the category of seekers. He has already reached the goal. Not only He has realised God; He has by His constant meditation attained oneness with God. The idea that He is an entity apart from God has entirely left Him. He lives, moves and acts in God and when any of the super natural powers is being exercised or used by Him, he never thinks that He has been going anything extraordinary, the exercise of these powers being so natural to Him. We shall recount here a few of such incidents for the enlightenment of our readers.

Baba had all the eight great powers a Yogi possesses. He can become small, big, light, heavy assume any form, go and move without barriers, control, fire, air, earth, water rains, storms etc. Once he hung up to the worn out Masjid’s ceiling pillars a plank 2 Ft. long and 1/ 2 Ft. broad with rags. He appeared to be sitting on that plank with his head bent down or sleeping on it, with lamps burning both near the head and the feet. No one saw Him Climbing up or going down this plank and all wondered now He managed to pass His nights comfortably over that small plank supported only by thread-bare rags. Seeing that people crowded there to see Him aloft on the plank. He removed the plank and again started sleeping on the floor.

 Shirdi people first came to know of this mad fakir’s super-natural powers, when shopkeepers untidily refused to dole out oil for his lamps and He kept the lamps at the Dwarkamayee burning for the whole night with water in place of oil. The shop-keepers and Shirdi people stood amaze and this new spread like wild fire in the whole of the Ahmednagar District.

Next time when hay stacks in a Shirdi field caught fire and the crops of Shirdi people, massed in that place, were in danger of being burnt down, at the earnest entreaties of the Shirdi farmers, Baba went there and drew round the burning hay-stack a circle of water, stating, the fire would not then spread beyond that line, the farmers found that Baba’s control of fire was unique for the fire stopped so soon as they hay stack marked by Baba was burnt down.

 Thereafter people also marked that whenever Baba prepared some medicinal decoction. He dipped His hand in the burning liquid and nerve used a spoon for the purpose.

Another instance of His control over elements occurred when one day He was taking His meals at the Dwarkamayee and some persons were sitting by, He bawled out "Stop" and when after finishing His meals He had all His belongings removed outside the Dwarkamayi the ceiling cracked and at once came down with a crash, spreading mortar bricks etc. all over the Dwarkamayi.

More than once Baba at the request of people or for the safe retreat home of His devotees stopped the fierce winded ceaseless out-pouring of rains.

Thrice were devotees’ little girls saved from being drowned in the waterfull foundations of some Shirdi buildings.

When Baba gave permission for holding annual Ramnavmi Fair, water problem was the stiffest for solution and so when the management committee requested Baba to help them in the matter, He ask them to take away, after He had finished His meals the leaf-dish used by Him for His meals and throw the same in the dried up well So soon as that was done, water streamed into the well and since that day this well has been serving the needs of the people of Shirdi.
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on May 03, 2012, 10:12:45 AM
Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part 11
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4. SUPERNATURAL POWERS - Continued  
Hindu metaphysics states that a human body has in it everything that the universe has; this seems to be true in the case of soul who has been in unison with Brahman or God.

When Das Ganu asked Baba for permission to go on a pilgrimage to Singaba for a bath in the holy Godavari, Baba did not permit him saying, "the Godavari is here". But Das Ganu could not feel so. Hence Baba asked him to draw near and to hold out his joint palms near His feet. So soon as he did this, water trickled down Baba’s feet and within a few minutes, his palms were filled overflowing with water. He was over-joyed, he sprinkled this water on his head and on the heads of those other who were there, and composed a song narrating this incidents. This incident clearly indicates what the body of a realised soul is or contains.

At times Baba gave to his devotees dreams the veracity of which the devotee could not doubt. Thus being pleased with the devotion of a childless woman, Baba appeared in her dream, blessed her and banded her a coconut saying, "Take this, eat it, and you will have a child". On waking in the morning, she found the coconut on her bed and was very pleased to eat it. As per Baba’s words she had a son within 12 months thereafter.

Another devotee Megha was in his bed one morning half awake, half asleep, when he saw Baba throwing rice grains on him and asking him to draw a Trident on the wall of his temple. He was wondering as to how Baba could have entered his premises when all doors were closed; but then his eyes caught the rice grains scattered on his bed. This convinced him that Baba had actually come and ordered him to draw the Trident in precedence of the Shanker he was to receive from Baba the next day.

Baba wanted His old pupil Abdul to come to Him and so He appeared in his Guru’s dream, gave him two mangoes and asked him to send Abdul to Him immediately. The Guru found the two mangoes on his bed. He therefore called Abdul to him, delivered the two mangoes and asked him to go to Baba.

There are numerous instances of persons having had a comfortable journey home when they strictly followed Baba’s directions when leaving Shirdi and also of persons who had suffered on account of their failure to do so. Even in the mater of the Court cases, office leaves, etc. persons obeying and overstaying the periods fixed by courts or of leaves and departing from Shirdi on the days fixed by Him have never suffered.

Simply through Baba’s grace numerous devotees have obtained male issues though their wives had long since passed child bearing age and doctors had declared its impossibility. The names of a few out of the many such devotees are:- Nana Saheb Dengle, Gopalrao Gund, Damodar Savlaram Rasne, Rao Sahed H.V. Sathe, Sakharam Aurangbadker, Narayan Govind Shinde of Harda, Rao Bahadur Moreshwerrao Pradhan, Saptnekar Vakil and others.

But the greatest of all great supernatural powers Baba had was the one of restoring to life a dead persons He exercised this power in the case of the late Mrs. Malanbai the late D. R. Joshi Devgaonkar’s daughter and a close relative of V.S. Ratanjanker. She suffered from T.B. but all medicines having failed, she insisted on her being taken to Shirdi.

When brought to Shirdi Baba asked her to lie down on a blanket and take nothing but water. She carefully followed these instructions but after a week or so she died one early morning. Baba was then in the Chowdi; and for the first time in Shirdi history Baba did not leave Chowdi though it was past 8 A.M. The daughter’s parents, with heavy hearts were preparing for the funeral when Malanbai appeared to breathe opened her eyes and looked round about, as if much frightened. Then she said, "A black person had been carrying me away; very much frightened, I cried out to Baba for help; Baba took His staff and gave him good cudegelling, snatched me away from his hand and carried me to Chowdi."

Without seeing Chowdi she gave a correct description of the Chowdi. Just at this time Baba left His Chowdi bed bawling out, striking his staff against the ground and came shouting to Dixit’s Vada where the girl had put up. Seeing Malanbai restored to life there was joy all round.


Continued...


Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on May 04, 2012, 10:41:28 AM

Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part 12

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5. KNOWLEDGE OF PREVIOUS BIRTHS  

"I and you have passed through many rounds of births; I remember them all, but you do not know them."
Bhagawad geeta IV-5.

The difference between an ordinary man and a Superman usually consists in the latter’s having a knowledge to the past births of all creatures. Once while Baba was returning from Lendi, His eyes fell on a flock of goats. From out of them, He purchased two Shi-goats for Rs. 32/- in all, inspite of the protests of the near-bye devotees, who informed Baba, that the price he paid for the she-goat was extravagant as ordinarily a she-goat can be had for Rs.2/- only, and at the most Rs. 4/- may be paid for each.

Hearing this Baba said, "Go to that shopkeeper, purchase two seers (about 1.87Kg,) of Chani pulse and feed each with one seer and return the she goats to the vendor." The transaction angered; those worldly minded devotees, when Baba told them the following history of the past births of these goats. "These goats were human beings and used to be with me always. They were two brothers.

At the start they had great affection for each other and were joint; but thereafter the greed of money made them hostile; the younger worked hard and earned a lot but the elder could not earn being idle; becoming jealous of the younger, he hatched a plot to murder the other; the plot however leaked out and this resulted in a scuffle in which each killed the other.

A few days after their death they were born as she-goats. Recognising them, I thought of purchasing them and providing them with a life of ease, but as their ill-luck would have it, you protested and so I had to return these goats to their owners."

Another time Baba revealed His Knowledge of the past births stating "After breakfast I stirred out and when walking fatigued me I came upon a river bank. The river was small but was full; I had a bath in it, and the scenery round about cheered me up. I was thinking of having my chillam puff when I heard the painful croaking of a frog. Taking such sound to be the usual feature of watery places, I made my chillam ready when a traveller came to me and bowed to me.

I shared my chillam up with him and he invited me to his house with a request that I should have my noon-meal with him,; and them return after resting. In the mean while the frogs croaking grew louder and louder; so the traveller said, "I will just go and see what this is". The traveller said on return, "a big black serpent; has caught a frog and will soon swallow it", Baba said, "Do you think I have come all this distance for nothing? I shall see that the frog is saved." We then went to the spot where the serpent was, when Baba nearing the serpent said, "Oh Virabhadrappa, this Chanbasappa your enemy has been born a frog and you a serpent to wreak your vengeance on him’ Shame! Shame upon you, now at least give up; hostility and rest in peace." So soon as these words were uttered by Baba the serpent gave up the frog and each went its own way. Seeing this the traveller requested me to tell him who these Virabhadrappa and Chanbasappa were.

Baba thereupon said, "Four or five miles away from my residence was a Shankar’s temple; it required repairs; so a fund was started and the subscribers appointed one of them a Banker as their Manager to get this work done. The Banker was honest but was miserly; he did not misappropriate the fund but he did not spend a single farthing of his own; so though the repair work was started it remained incomplete; a second time the fund was therefore collected; but the Banker would not get the repairs resumed. His wife in the meanwhile had two dreams in which Shankar asked her to contribute her mite for the repairs, saying, "As she sincerely loved him (Shankar) even one pice contribution of hers would be taken by him worth a lac of Rupees."

Determining therefore to sell off her ornaments, she requested her husband to sell away her ornaments and carry out the temple repairs from the sale proceeds thereof. The Banker instead of selling his wife’s ornaments purchased these ornaments himself for a sum of Rs. 1,000/- and in lieu of that consideration he conveyed to his wife a piece of land mortgaged to him by a helpless widow (for only Rs. 200) and advised his we to donate that land to the temple priest as a gift. The wife accordingly made a gift or that land to the temple priest. The Banker, his wife as also the helpless widow mortgagor all died in due course.

"Thereafter the banker’s wife was born as a daughter to the temple priest of Shankar’s temple and was benamed Gauri and the helpless widow mortgagor was born as a son also to the same Shankar’s temple priest and was named Chanbasappa. The banker was born as the son of a poor Brahmin and was named Virbhadrappa.

To make a living, Virbhadrappa left his home and moved about from one village to another eking out his living by begging, working as a cooly etc. During these peregrinations he came to this Shankar’s temple and put up there. As God would have it, the priest and the inmates of his house liked him and with My consent Gouri was married to him.
The priest was so fond of Gouri that he put Gouri in the sole possession of that (mortgaged) land with rights to enjoy the income thereof in perpetuity.

Through God’s grace that fallow land had purchaser and he bought it for a lac of rupees paying half the amount of Rs. 50,000/- on the spot and agreeing to pay the balance by installments of Rs. 2,000/- each.
All liked the idea except Gouri’s brother Chanbasapa, who demanded half the sum agreed upon as the legal heir of the priest, on the ground that his father the priest was the real owner of that land. Virbhadrappa opposed this demand of Chandbasappa. On their referring this dispute to Me I said that sole owner of that land is Shanker. All this money therefore should be spent for Shankar. Gouri alone is the sole and rightful owner; Virbhadrappa and he abused me.

The same night Shankar appeared before Gouri in a dream and as to the appropriation of this amount I have full trust in Chanbasappa and so pay him such sum as he demands for the temple management and the balance should be appropriated as per Baba’s (my) instruction." When therefore she came to Me for advice, I told her to have the whole amount for herself and to pay half and to pay half of the interest on that sum to Chanbasappa. The account of the dream, his wife had told had no effect on Virbhadrappa. He abused every body and then went mad.

In a fit of insanity he very often threatened Chanbasappa that whenever he found Chanbasappa alone he would cut him to pieces. This threatening haunted Chanbasappa day and night and allowed him no peace of mind, though I very often told him, "he has nothing to fear about." Both died thereafter Virbhadrappa was born a serpent to wreak his vengeance and Chanbasappa was born a frog, for though he was my devotee, he had no faith in Me and stood in constant dread of Virbhadrappa, inspite of My assurance to him."

Continued...
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on May 05, 2012, 04:36:53 PM

Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part 13
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5. KNOWLEDGE OF PREVIOUS BIRTHS  - Continued  
Over and above the knowledge that Baba had of the past births of human beings, He had also full knowledge of the births and activities of beasts, animals, insects etc.: and took care to see that they did not unjustly suffer at the hands of the wicked.

Once while a devotee was seated near Baba, a lizard went chirping so loudly that the devotee asked Baba, "what made the lizard chirp so loud and whether it foreboded some evil." Baba told him not to entertain any fear of it, and that her chirping was simply an expression of her joy, for she knows her sister was coming from Aurangabad to meet her. The devotee thought Baba had simply humoured him by that reply and so he attached no importance to what Baba had said. Soon however he was disillusioned. A gentleman on horsebacks came to Shirdi from Aurangabad to meet Baba but Baba was taking His bath and he had therefore to wait outside for about half an hour. As he had to proceed farther from Shirdi, he thought of utilising his time by feeding his hungry horse with grams. He therefore took his small gunny bag, whipped it twice or thrice and then turned its inside out to clean it properly, when a small lizard fell down from the bag. Frightened as she was by her being thrown down like that, she heard her sister’s chirping so she was put at ease; she therefore strutted in eclat and pomp to meet her sister. The sisters had met after a long time, so both were overwhelmed with joy, they kissed and caressed each other and had a very happy time. The questioning devotee who was watching all this was amazed at the supernatural oneness of Baba with such little creatures as the lizard even.

Another day at breakfast time Baba said to Mrs. Jog, "Mother prepare to-day plenty of pulse puddings, apply plenty of clarified butter to them, and after the noon arti (waving of lights) feed with them the buffalo whom you will find at your back door." She was overjoyed at this and fed the buffalo with those puddings. The buffalo heartily enjoyed this meal and doing justice to them, rested there with ease. Strangely enough however the buffalo soon died. This frightened the lady devotee, who looked up all the vessels used in the preparation of the puddings to assure herself that no poisonous substance had, without he knowledge, found its way into the cooking utensils. She stood aghast at the idea that she had been instrumental in bringing about the buffalo’s death and that not only she had committed a sin this way but she had made herself liable to a prosecution by the buffalo owner. Terrified at this idea she rushed to Baba and narrated to Him how unhappy she was at what had happened. Baba emphatically told her, "Mother, you have done no wrong; the only desire that the buffalo had in that body was, this eating of the sweet pudding; in satisfying this desire of hers you have earned religious merit, since she has now obtained a released from the animal body. She has now gone into a superior body; so do not worry and as to your fear of prosecution, rest assured, no one is going to come to claim, this buffalo at all. This was enough to set at rest the troubled mind of that lady devotee Mrs. Jog.

Next time Baba saved a bull from a butcher’s hand. Once it so happened in Shirdi that a bull dedicated to God Shivaji roamed about in the Village gardens and fields and destroyed the plants, standing crops etc. so people met together and decided to send away the bull to Panjra Pole (an asylum for old beasts) at Yeola and collected some fund for the purpose. They entrusted this work to Bhikhoo Marwadi of Shirdi, in all good faith; but the said Bhikhoo proved treacherous he did go to Yeola as directed, but instead of taking the bull to that asylum he sold it to a butcher for a sum of Rs. 14/-. Returning to Shirdi however he calmly reported that he had taken the bull to Panjra Pole and kept him there. Baba knew how the bull was dealt with, so He appeared in one Bayoji’s dream and said, "You have been enjoying sound sleep of rest. Haven’t you placed me in a butcher’s hand?" Bayoji reported this to the village people, who growing suspicious of the bonafides of the Marwadi deputed Bayoji to Yeola for investigation. Bayoji went to Yeola Panjra Pole book full and complete search of it. Not finding the bull there, he went to the butcher’s lane and looked about here and there. Fortuitously a this very time the bull had raised up its head above a butcher’s compound wall; Bayoji saw this, he at once recognized the bull; so he approached the butcher and requested him to return the bull, but he would not part with it, as he had purchased it for Rs. 14/- cash. Bayoji thereupon got the bull released by paying to the butcher Rs. 14/- and then took him to the old beasts asylum and kept him there. On his return to Shirdi he acquainted the people with what Bhikhoo had done so to set a lesson to such sinful, faithless people as Bhikhoo, Baba inspired them to prosecute him and Bhikhoo had to rot in Jail for two months for his heinous act.

 These instances show that Baba had His benign protective eyes not only on the people of Shirdi but also on all creatures, large, and small bull, buffalo, lizard etc. of Shirdi.


Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on May 06, 2012, 09:18:51 AM
Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part 14

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6. SAINTS ARE THE BEST OF BENEFACTORS
"Unlike man they live not for themselves, but for others, God’s creatures whom He loves."

Baba had His own ways of relieving people from such fell epidemics as plague and Cholera. When the writer first went to Shirdi in December 1911 Baba had on His body seven plague bubos. Devotees asked Baba as to what remedies they should adopt to relieve Him from these bubos’ pains. Baba said, "Nothing needs be done, Seven bubos on My body bespeak deaths only seven people; that no more plague" fatalities would occur in Shirdi thenceforth; the devotees however pressed Baba to name the medicine the application of which would relieve Him from bubo pain; so He prescribed for Himself the application of burnt cotton soaked in oil and the devotees went on applying this during my stay of ten days in Shirdi, So soon however as seven fatal plague gases had occurred, the plague, it was reported, left Shirdi, and bubos also disappeared from over Baba’s body.

Another time, when Cholera broke out in Shirdi and several people fell victims to it, one morning Baba took out large quantity of wheat from the gunny bag He had at the Dwarkamai and turning the hand-mill Himself, ground them and had that wheat flour spread out on the banks of the stream, two, three furlongs away from Shirdi. When some devotees asked Baba what all that was for, He emphatically stated it was to stop Cholera and as stated by Him, Shirdi people were freed from the ravages of Cholera Since that day. Several educated devotees of Baba attempted to find out from scientists without success the connection, the spread of Wheat Flour had with Cholera epidemic.

Similarly, when a millionaire devotee suffered from constant motions and vomiting for a fortnight Baba called him to His presence and by a simple wave of His 4th finger, cured him of stools and vomiting. So soon as Baba by His finger ordered Bapu Saheb not to go to privy nor to vomit, the motions and vomiting stopped and Bapu Saheb felt alright. On being asked by his doctor what diet should Bapu Saheb be given, Baba said give him almond Rabadi which is usually considered to be too heavy to digest for a man of Bapu Saheb’s weakened health. Bapu Saheb did not stop to weigh this common belief but with faith implicit in Baba took the prescribed Rabadi. The result was marvellous; Bapu Saheb at once regained his lost energy and health.

Another cure by Baba was even more wonderful than the preceding one. One Patil Bhimaji of Narayan village, Taluka Junner, Dist. Pune had tuberculosis of a most advanced stage. Every five minutes he vomited blood. All medicines had failed and his life was despaired of. He was very intimate with Nana Saheb, who advised him to go to Shirdi, and have Baba’s grace for his cure. So he came to Shirdi and supported by two three men, he got down from the cart and was seated in front of Baba. Bhimaji laid his head on Baba’s feet and prayed, "Save this helpless soul". Baba was moved by these words and patil’s pain subsided at once, and yet on finding that the Patil thereafter felt a bit uneasy, Go you will have a complete cure within a day or two. Put up at Bhimabai’s place now vacant." Blood vomiting, he had every five minutes, stopped in Baba’s presence and he felt as if he was slowly regaining his lost energy; so he slowly walked upto the place where Baba had asked him to put up. The ground there appeared to be quite wet as it had very recent rubble filling and cow dung plastering. To-night he had two fearful dreams in the first of which his primary school teacher went on caning him and making him repeat some poetry lines and in the other, a fierce looking man went on rolling a heavy stone roller on his chest with such force that he felt as if he was passing through the last moments of his life. But thereafter he got sound sleep and when he awoke in the morning he found himself completely cured much refreshed; he had now no coughing, no vomiting. He was agreeably surprised to see that the fell disease had, for ever left him. He therefore all alone went to Baba, prostrated himself before Him and expressed his gratefulness to Him with tears in his eyes. Baba blessed him. All without exception admitted that Baba had cured the Patil of T.B. in advanced stage within a day and that too without medicine simply by the exercise of His divine supernatural powers. Patil then left for home.

Another time when Madhavrao was stung by a poisonous serpent in the evening. He stopped the spread of poison of the serpent’s fang simply by his command to the serpent and keeping Madhavrao awake the whole night chewing nimbleaves. Next morning Madhavrao was all right; the finger stung by the serpent had only a burning sensation for a few days. Of what moment is a scorpion sting to one who can stop the poison spread of a poisonous snake simply by the word of His mouth? Bapu Saheb Jog had that experience; when he had one evening a scorpion sting and he complained to Baba about it and Baba simply said, "Go, go, the pain will soon vanish."
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on May 07, 2012, 08:47:49 AM


Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part 15
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6. SAINTS ARE THE BEST OF BENEFACTORS - Continued  
A mere prostration before Baba and the procuring of His blessings cured Chhotubhai Paralkar of 8 years old Dispepsia, and Mrs. R.A. Tarkhad of six years’ old bad head-ache. An agent’s prayer in the event of the patients’ disability to attend in person was also found to serve the purpose. This was seen in the case of Madhavrao’s brother’s wife, who had a plague fever with two bubos and so soon as Madhvrao informed Baba of this, praying for her recovery she recovered within twelve hours. A mere decision to come to Shirdi and starting for it cured one Mrs. Rangari of her inability to eat, drink etc. on account of her throat swelling. Bombay Law College Principal Shri Dhurandhar was cured of seven year’s old Asthma by one puff of Baba’s Chillam offered to him by Baba Himself.

Though Baba has cast off His mortal coil, even now His devotees are having such experiences One doctor kathe’s two years old son Vijay was unable to take even milk and emitted particles of stone through bladder. On their coming to Shirdi Vijay’s mother asked Vijay to take some of Shri’s food and to their wonder Vijay took that food with his own hand was able to digest it, and emission of bladder stones also stopped for ever.

An educated wife of an educated husband had been ailing from a disease which doctors, physicians and Hakims were unable to diagnose and cure. The lady would swoon, close her teeth tight and remain unconscious for hours together. At last the doctor’s father asked him to take his wife to Shirdi; "Just take a trial," he said. To satisfy the father both of them went to Shirdi but the wife would not go to Baba Samadhi temple; so with the help of a friend she was dragged to the Samadhi and made to prostrate herself before Samadhi. Baba’s sacred ash and Samadhi water were thrust into her mouth. On the second day’s evening after bowing before Samadhi she fell on the ground and the spirit within started speaking, "I had pounced upon the lady and possessed her while she was returning from her parental house and standing under a tree. I am a female Bhil ghost; the holy water and the holy ash sprinkled over me have vanquished me, so I am leaving this body for ever and going away." This ended the lady’s sickness; and she returned home safe and sound.

Nine years after Baba’s Maha Samadhi i.e. in the year 1927 a devotee’s wife was miraculously saved by Baba from the jaws of death. The husband and wife were returning home after celebrating Ramnavmi at Shirdi. The wife got down at Thana Rly. Station to fetch water and just when with a waterfull vessel she was boarding the train, the train started, and the woman fell down under the train. The husband and other passengers combined, shouted to the guard to stop the train; but the train having already started stopped only after it had gone some distance, the husband and the passengers had feared the woman must have been crushed under the wheels but when they ran up to the spot of the accident, to their utter amazement they saw the woman standing there unscathed, uninjured. In reply to the inquiry of all, the woman said, as soon as I fell, I remembered Baba; He at once appeared stood in front of me pressed me hard against the platform; what sort of body Baba had assumed to save this woman, one can hardly know, for usually there is no room enough to stand for two person between the train wheels and the platform; and yet what is impossible to a Superman like Baba?

So also Baba saved His devotee Nagesh Atmaram Sawant, a Police Sub-Inspector, from death in the year 1929 during the Bombay Hindu Muslim riots. While on duty Sawant had fever and bad head-ache; an European officer in his round seeing that Sawant was really ill, relieved him saying he would inform the Superintendent of this. Unluckily an hour after Sawant was relieved, the riot reached its highest pitch and the officer was killed in it. Had not Baba not inspired the European officer to relieve Sawant from duty probably death would have taken his toll and not the officer’s.

One Sakarlal Keshavram Bhatt, a shop keeper of Bombay, who had been lame by one leg, tried all means to cure his lameness without success; hearing of Baba’s wonderful powers, he came to Shirdi in 1911, prostrated himself before Baba and obtained His blessings. As a result thereof on his return journey as he walked a few steps in the sand to go up ferry (ship) the clogged up leg nerve loosened itself and to his surprise he was able to walk erect. His lameness had gone for ever. He was so pleased with this that he broadcast this news of Baba’s superhuman powers amongst all his customers and persons connected with him.


Cotinued...
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on May 09, 2012, 11:51:54 AM

Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part 16

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6. SAINTS ARE THE BEST OF BENEFACTORS - Continued  
Another cure of lameness was of a school mistress widow’s only son in the year 1956. The boy appeared for the S.S.C. Examination but when he returned from the Examination on the last day he was found to have a bad attack of fever. Proper medicine cured him of the fever, but he was not cured of the lameness of legs brought on by the fever; the boy had always to be lifted up for being taken to any place. All possible remedies were tried but when they proved ineffective, hearing of Shirdi Sai Baba’s powers, the school mistress took the son to Shirdi. On account of his lameness the boy felt so shy that rather than going to Baba’s Samadhi on the shoulder of a coolie, he preferred staying at the Shirdi Vada. The mother alone therefore had to go to Shri’s Samadhi to pray for her son’s cure for two days. She was to leave Shirdi on the third day; so she went to Samadhi Mandir to attend Arti and offered her last obesance before leaving. In the meanwhile Baba appeared before the boy and said, "Have courage." He then lent him his hand, led him to the temple pillar. On return from the Arti when the mother did not find the son in the room. She again approached the Samadhi and with tears in her eyes most piteously prayed for the recovery of the boy. When she was just returning from the temple her eyes fell on the boy standing against the pillar. She inquired of the boy how he had managed to come there; the boy how he had managed to come there; the boy narrated how Baba had helped him to come, but the mother would not believe it, However when she saw that with her support the boy was able to walk up to their room she was mightily pleased. The boy fully recovered within a month thereafter and was able to move and walk freely.

 Non a few cases of the wonderful cure of blindness by Baba’s supernatural power may be cited. The grandfather of Shri Baba’s devotee Vithalrao Yashwant Deshpande pressed his son devotee to send him to Baba for His blessings; so Vithalrao arranged to send him to Shirdi with his son. Led by the grand-son the grandfather went to the Dwarkamayi, prostrated himself before Baba and sorrowfully said to Baba, "I am unable to see". Baba said, "You will be able to see". So soon as Baba uttered these words the grandfather had his eye-sight restored to him. He was able to see everything. Blindness left him entirely. Never was anybody’s prayer for relief granted so soon. All wondered at it.

Another blind devotee went to Baba and prayed to Baba, ‘I have lost my eyesight keeps me away from many undesirable things; all the same I am eager to see the human form in which you, my lord, have eyesight till I satiate my eyes by beholding your human form; and you may withdraw this grant of eyesight so soon as that is done." Baba at once granted this request; he saw Baba with his own eyes and then he lost vision and became blind. A stark blind man was found singing in the tune of his cymbals before Baba, the one sacred formula "Ramkrishna Hari" (names of incarnations Ram Krishna, Vishnu), in the 1913-15. The writer found the same man in Shirdi in 1942-43 reciting Chapters of Shri Bhagvad Gita of Lord Krishna and poems, verses from the well-known Maharashtra Saint Dnyaneshwar’s Amratanubhava. I asked him "When did you get your eyes?" He said, "Through Baba’s grace he had blurred vision during Baba’s time and thereafter a clear vision. Through His grace he is now able to read. Write and move about freely." To assure the writer of this he read out to the writer several verses from the said Amratanubhava that he had with him.

Even after Baba left His body, he has been wielding His Powers for the benefit of His devotees. Thus He gifted speech to the speechless daughter of His devotee R.S. Maniar of Kumbakonam, Madras The said daughter Rajkumari was dumb down from her birth; all possible means were tried to cure her of her dumbness, but when all of them proved fruitless Mr. Maniar took to Baba’s worship. Some days after, Baba asked him to bring her speechless daughter to Shirdi for paying her respect to His Samadhi. Maniar brought the daughter to Shirdi and made the daughter place for flowers etc. on Baba’s Samadhi and pay her respects to Him. As soon as she did this she started speaking "Sai Baba" "Sai Baba" and then she started speaking freely. Parents were naturally very much pleased to see the instantaneous cure of their daughter.

A Bombay (Andheri) devotee had a similar experience. His little daughter run over by a motor car, was saved; but was injured and took a fortnight to recover in the hospital. Though the hospital treatment restored her health, the speech she had lost was not re-gained; she became dumb and though several remedies, medicines etc. were tried all of them proved ineffective. At the last, the holy ash of Baba’s sacred hands was tried and she started speaking as soon as she took its first dose. All were startled at the powers the holy ash of Baba’s hands.


Continued...

Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on May 15, 2012, 06:09:20 AM



Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand-Part 17  

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7. MATERIAL GAINS  
Necessities have to low.
"Aged parents, Chaste wife, infant son must be maintained at any cost"….Manu.
I take upon myself the burden of getting and protecting the wealth of those who worship me meditate on me and see nothing but myself I this world… B. Gita-IX-22
 
It seems Baba did not like that any of His able-bodied devotees should remain idle and be a burden on society or his kith and kin. He always preached, "A man should always be doing something." He Himself never sat idle but was always busy doing something. In the noon when no work was at hand He would just take a needle and repair His torn out Dhoti or His robe etc. and if at such a time somebody would turn up and question Baba, "Why should you take this trouble when we all are ready and willing to do this for you?" He would at once reply, "One has to be always busy doing something and so far as possible he should avoid troubling others for his own piece of work."

How a man seeking to escape the discharge of his worldly duties by running away for good from it on the excuse of going on a pilgrimage, was persuaded by Baba to return home and to shoulder his responsibilities like a man, is best seen in the life of one Janardan Moreshwer Fanse alias Haribhau Fanse. Wearied with carrying on the burden of his worldly cares, informing his mother Haribhau left his home for Rameshwar; however as Shirdi was on the way to Rameshwar, with a view to have the blessings of the far famed Shri Baba he came to Shirdi and felt so much attracted by Baba,. That he stayed at Shirdi for a week. When thereafter he asked Baba’s permission to go to Rameshwar. He ordered him to go home, saying his mother had abstained from food since the day he had left home and if he failed to return home she might die. The mother was very much pleased t see her son back at home and was convinced that Baba was omniscient.

In the meanwhile a person of his village being attacked with Cholera approached him; he administered to him Shri Baba’s holy ashes and he was cured. This led the people to believe that he was a physician. The holy ashes were however soon exhausted and so Haribhau was embarrassed as to how he should deal with another Cholera case, if he got one. But luckily for him Cholera left his village since that day.
Thereafter he happened to go to a nearby village and casually met some Marwadi merchant known to him. The merchant seeing that a simple devotee had come to meet him, told Haribhau," Look here, my brother is seriously ill, all physicians, doctors have tried their utmost to cure him but they have all failed; now since you are Shri Sai Baba’s devotee, if your Sai Baba is really a saint, He must cure my brother through you." Haribhau saw the patient found the case to be serious, was therefore anxious to slip away but as it was night, he could not leave for home.

At night when Haribhau’s Bhajan (prayer) time became due, the patient himself made the necessary preparations for Bhajan and throughout the Bhajan sat concentration on Baba’s Photo. This surprised all and the Marwadi now said," Whether the patient dies or survives I will have his medicine form none but you." To shirk the responsibility Haribhau purposely quoted his fees in excess of those of the Civil Surgeon, at Rs.200/-. The Marwadi agreed to that. That night Baba appeared in Haribhau’s dream and told him what the disease was and the medicine to be prescribed for it. Haribhau prescribed the said medicine and the patient started taking this medicine; the patient full recovered after a time and so the Marwadi offered Rs.200/- the stipulated fees to Haribhau, but Haribhau would not accept it stating he had done nothing, it was his Guru’s work. Marwadi could not rest satisfied till he requited Haribhau’s labour in some form or other so he bought a scarf worth Rs.200/- and going to Haribhau’s house when he was out, left it there. Haribhau could not now refuse the acceptance but he felt that the price-amount of the scarf should be sent to Baba.

However as he was penniless and Baba had also left off His body in the meanwhile, while offering his usual night prayers, tears rolled down his eyes. That very night Baba appeared to him in his dream and said, "There is famine all round at present, so sell off the scarf and purchase rice from this amount of Rs.200/-, sell it at under price for the present; carry on this rice business till this amount of Rs.200/- runs out. Then sell rice at profit and you will be able to make a living." Following these instructions Haribhau prospered, became happy and then never thought of deserting home.
 

Continued...
 
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on May 27, 2012, 05:56:35 PM

Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand - Part 18
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7. MATERIAL GAINS - Continued...
Baba did not and does not even today want that His devotees should starve; of course He discouraged greed but He wanted that His devotees should have a proper living and so He helped most of them up to a job or provided them with facilities for business. To mention a few of the thousands of such instances of every day occurrence.

In the year 1915 one Shri R.A. Tarkhad had to be without service for a pretty long time after he gave up the Mill Manager’s post he had held; so he came and stayed at Shirdi with his wife. When he had stayed for very many days he asked Baba’s permission to return home. Baba permitted them to return but asked them to go to their Bombay home via Poona and not via Manmad; as this route was a little longer they had to spend a little more. As Mr. Tarkhad was without a job for many many days his wife felt it inconvenient but Mr. Tarkhad knew the significance of Baba’s instructions, so overruling the objection of Mrs. they took the Poona route and put up at their friend’s for night. Learning from Mr. Tarkhad that he was in search of a proper job for himself his friend informed him that a mill owner there was in bad need of a Manager able to control labour; immediately Mr. Tarkhad saw the mill owner and the Mill owner was so much impressed with the conversation he had with Mr. Tarkhad that there and then he appointee Mr. Tarkhad as his Mill Manager Mr. And Mrs. Tarkhad were naturally very much pleased with this, and this had brought home to her the importance of Baba’s instruction to them about taking Poona route.

Another time one Ghanpatrao Narke, who after graduation had spent three years at Manchester for specialization in Geology and Mining went to Shirdi to see his father-in-law Shriman Booty. Being of a spiritually inquisitive turn of mind he saw and pain his respects to Baba and soon became so much attached to Him, that in all important matters he would not do anything without Baba’s permission. For some years he could get only job work for a few months and that too in different provinces. Being tired of this camp life when he heard of a vacancy of a Professor’s post at Benares College carrying a salary of Rs.300/- per mensem, he sought Baba’s permission to accept it; but Baba asked him to desist from such an attempt and continue the job work he had been doing. Till then there was no chair for geology and Mining at Poona College, but in 1917 an advertisement appeared calling for applications for such a post in the Poona Engineering College. With Baba’s consent Mr. Narke applied for it and was appointed a professor Geology and Mining on a salary of Rs. 600/- P.M Why Baba had prevented Narke from taking up Benares University professorship for Rs. 300/- P.M. only was now understood and appreciated by Narke and consequently his faith in Baba grew stronger.

But it was not always that Baba took care to guard the interests of persons with high academic qualifications; he took equal interest and care of even non-qualified persons provided he had the necessary devotion and faith in Him. One Cholkar vowed that if he would be able to pass his P.Sc. Examination and get a teacher’s post and he would go and pay his respects to Sai Baba; He prepared for his examination, took it and passed out and obtained a teacher’s post as well through Shri Baba’s grace, but as his salary was meager, he was not able to spare money enough for going to Shirdi. He therefore took another vow that he would not take sugar until he was able to go to Shirdi. At last he was able to spare the necessary money so he left for Shirdi and one morning he saw Baba and paid his respects to Him. Just at that time Bapu Saheb Jog turned up. Baba said to Mr. Jog, "Take this man to your place and give him a sugarful cup of tea, Bapu Saheb accordingly took Cholkar with him and learnt from him that Baba had added "Sugarful" to a cup of tea, to show to Cholkar that He was fully aware of his vow of abstaining from sugar till he had seen Baba. This pleased Cholkar and he felt that he had met one who was ready to be his guide, philosopher and friend if he stuck to Him, with faith.

In another case, a young man named Bapurao Boravke who went to Shirdi on foot with only three annas in his pocket earned lakhs of Rupees through Shri’s grace. Boravke had lost his parents when he was almost an infant; and taking advantage of his age, his relatives squandered away his ancestral property with the result that Bapurao was forced to look up for a job so soon as he had gone upto the entrance (SSc) class. The only relative he had was his maternal uncle, a devotee of Sai Baba at Shirdi; so he went upto Kopergaon by railway but the funds that he had, had run out and with only three annas balance in his pocket he could not get a seat on the tanga, so he went to Shirdi on foot and paid his respects to Baba. He was well received by his maternal uncle, so he stayed with him looking after his sugar crop improved so much that the neighbouring field owner took Boravke into partnership. Boravke now looked after both the fields. Next few years they got bumper sugar candy crops, the prices also went up considerable, and so within two years Bapurao made a lac of Rupees; he realised that, all that was due to Shri Baba’s grace and so purchasing a piece of land at Shirdi he now grew Oranges, Mosambi in it, Build a bunglow for himself and settled down there to be able to pay his respects to Baba everyday. Even today we are reminded of Shri’s powerful grace when we see this bunglow with his fruit garden on the way to Rahata a Few Furlongs from Shirdi.

Continued...

Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on June 08, 2012, 05:42:09 AM


Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand - Part 19

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7. MATERIAL GAINS - Continued...  
One Christian Police inspector Joseph of 46, Turner Road, Bandra, Having failed to get any clue about culprits in a criminal case prayed to Baba to help him; Baba was pleased to appear in his dream and to give him the necessary instructions for investigation. Following Shri’s instructions Joseph was able to find out the proper culprit.

Again Baba helped the late Mr. Tendulkar Raghunathrao in obtaining a fairly good pension Both Mrs. Savitribai Tendulkar and Mr. R. Tendulkar were ardent devotees of Baba; both of them jointly and severally composed songs on Baba’s glory. Raghunathrao had grown grey in Bombay Graham & Co’s service and had then attacks of epilepsy fits and dimmed vision. He put in an application for pension and in the usual course of events his pension would have been fixed at Rs. 75/- the one half of his salary. So Savitribai felt a bit embarrassed as to how she could cope with the expenses of her large family in Rs. 75/-. To set her at rest the all knowing Baba appeared in Savitribai’s dream and said, "I have a mind to fix up your pension at Rs. 100/-. Will that satisfy you?" Savitribai said, "We have full faith, that you will do the needful for us." A fortnight after the dream, the Company considered Tendulkar’s application and going beyond the usual rule, fixed his pension at Rs. 110/-. This was enough to satisfy the husband and wife who thereafter spent the rest of their lives in singing songs of God’s glory.

Not only did Baba provide money to his devotees but he also saw to it that they did not by their thoughtless ventures run into losses. An old devotee of Baba Shri Damuanna Kasar at the instance of his Bombay friend, thought of going in for a purchase of cotton bales; he therefore sought Baba’s advice on the point, through another Shirdi devotee. Baba replied, "Sheth seems to have lost his sense. He should rest contented with what little he has got; he should not run after lakhs’ Seeing that the cotton prices were going up everyday, Sheth said to himself, the devotee who has obtained Baba’s advice for me in this matter does not seem to have properly put before Baba all the facts, so he ran down to Shirdi, paid his respects to Baba and started massaging his legs. While doing so, it occurred to him that if he reserved a certain portion of the profits for Baba in that transaction Baba would permit him to enter into the proposed contract. Without being asked, Baba at once said, "I would never be a party to any body’s business." Hearing this Sheth looked down and entirely gave up the idea of the purchase. His Bombay friend again wrote to him that in following the advice of a Fakir, Sheth was committing a gross error of judgment; but the Bombay friend was soon disillusioned, when the cotton prices went down and down and he suffered a heavy loss in that transaction; Damuanna now realised how he was saved by following Baba’s advice in preference to his friend’s and thanked Him from the bottom of his heart.

Thefts and robbery are well known sources of loss of people; Baba saved several of His devotees from such inroads on their purse. A cook who had put in thirty-five years of service under a Baba’s devotee bored a hole in his master’s wall treasury and removed Rs. 30,000/- currency notes, which was all, the master had saved in his life. Inquiries and investigations were all made but they bore no fruit. Once the master was sitting outside his house on his Otta ruminating over his loss, when a fakir passed by him; beckoning him he narrated the loss he had sustained by theft; the Fakir thereupon advised him to swear that he would go to Shirdi of Kopergaon Taluka in Ahmednagar District and there pay his respects to the great Saint Sai Baba and that he should give up one of the foods he liked most till he was able to fulfil his vow of going to Shirdi. The master took the vow and gave up a food of his liking. Even before a fortnight had elapsed, the cook thief thought better of the matter, so with all the currency notes of Rs. 30,00/- he approached his master, returned the currency notes and remorsefully requested the master to pardon him. The master was naturally overjoyed at the turn the cook’s mind had taken and then fulfilled his vow by going to Shirdi and paying his thankful respects to Shri Sai Baba.

One Ganpat Dhond Kadam was saved from a gang of Bhil robbers in the year 914. Mr. Kadam was proceeding to Shirdi with his family. After he had left Nasik a gang of Bhils boarded the Running train and entered into the compartment where Kadam was sitting with his wife and children. Kadam was reading a book of holy songs. Thinking the Bhils were interested in listening to the Songs he started reading them louder. The gang waited there for about five minutes and then left the running train one by one in the same way as they had entered into it. The wonderful part of this story was that Mr. Kadam saw a Fakir sitting in front of him, as the gang boarded the running train and then as soon as they left the train the Fakir disappeared, no one knew where. When Kadam reached Shirdi and paid his respects to Baba, He asked him, "Well, have you come safe, well guarded?" Kadam at once understood that Baba had appeared before him in the compartment on the entrance of the gang into the compartment and it was only as a result thereof that the gang of Bhils got frightened and left the train leaving him safe and unscathed.

Continued...



Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on June 16, 2012, 02:12:55 PM

Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand - Part 20
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7. MATERIAL GAINS - Continued...  
Another Vakil Devotee Vaman Chintaman Muke of the village Basant of Taluka Nifad, Staying in his field-house escaped the loss of all his property, though a party of four trespassed upon his house after mid-night and boring a hole in the northern wall, one of them had entered into it. A small trunk under the cot, where the vakil slept, was removed by the inside thief and passed over to one of his companions outside. That small trunk had some promissory notes and Rupees Two Hundred in currency notes. When after that the said thief tried to remove a big trunk containing ornaments, silver vessels, documents worth about Rs. 10.000/- the vakil’s sister-in-law suddenly awoke and seeing the intruder called out, "Thief! Thief!". The Vakil was fast asleep, he could not hear his sister-in law’s shouts; but Baba appearing in his dream said to him, "You are robbed of your trunk, awake, awake." At once the Vakil awake, and ran frightened with a cudgel shouting "thief! Thief!". The thief in the house made his way through the hole they had bored and all of them escaped. The only loss the vakil thought he had sustained, was that of a small bag but even this bag which the thieves had thrown away through fright in the neighboring field was brought in tact to the Vakil by a farmer of that field. So ultimately it was found that the Vakil had lost nothing at all through Shri’s grace.

So Also when a thief broke into the rail quarters of a Railway Telegraph master Ratanlal of Vani (Nadiad-Gujarat) and was fumbling for valuables hare and there a child cried and the thief’s leg dashed itself against a bucket so Ratanlal awoke and with a strike in his hand ran after the scampering thief; on return home the Rly. Master found that through Shri’s grace he had lost nothing.

Sakhrevadi Sugar Mill Doctor M.R. Tagare had a similar experience in 914. He was Proceeding to Kopergaon post office with a bag in a bullock cart, to encash his war Bonds of Rs. 2500/-. While he was busy talking with a fellow passenger, the containing the bonds slipped down the cart unnoticed by the Doctor. As soon as he noticed that the bag had dropped down on the way, leaving the cart he ran helter skelter a mile or two in search of it without success. Uneasiness on account of this loss allowed him no sleep till about mid-night, when he thought of sitting near Sai Baba’s Photo, he has in his house and praying to him. While he was so praying he seemed to hear someone telling him, ‘cease worrying.’ This brought him peace of mind and he could then sleep. Next morning he had to attend upon an ill friend at a nearby village; so he went there, examined his friend, gave him medicine and casually talked to him about the loss of his bag containing the said war bonds. A girl who was standing by listening sympathetically to the Doctor’s talk, at once ran out and returned with a bag saying that it was found lying on the road the previous day. Looking up the bag, the Doctor found that though the parpers had all been disturbed and turned up and down, the finder finding nothing valuable in his eyes, had removed nothing from the bag, that the war bonds were in tact. The Doctor was over pleased and heartily thanked Baba for His favour and grace.

Again a cashier of a well-known Bombay firm had made away with a large sum and come to Shirdi to save himself from arrest etc. A warrant was obtained and the work of executing the warrant was entrusted to the firm manager, a Baba’s devotee. The manager tried his utmost to trace the culprit cashier but he could not find him. He was at a loss to understand whether he should continue the search or return to Bombay; so he came to Baba to have his decision in the matter. To his surprise, he found there the cashier seated shampooing Baba’s feet. On seeing the manager, the cashier got nervous, prostrated himself before Baba and earnestly prayed to Him for saving him. Baba advised him to accompany the manager to Bombay, to confess his crime to his master and to request him to pardon him. The cashier carried out Baba’s instructions in toto and was waved from criminal prosecution and the manager also received his master’s thanks for dexterously handling this affair.


Continued...
Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on June 20, 2012, 08:07:13 PM

Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand - Part 21
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7. MATERIAL GAINS - Continued...

Through Baba’s grace His devotees were able to secure necessary loans for their personal use for business, for getting a so educated and trained I foreign countries. So also through his grace loans were returned unasked to Shri’s devotees to enable them to go to Shirdi. Bapusaheb Jog had a loan of Rs. 1,400/-, advanced to his wife’s relative returned to him after a lapse of 14 years. We quote here only two such instances out of the innumerable that are extant.

 A farmer was very anxious to obtain from Govt. a loan of Rs. 500/- for a well on his farm and he applied twice to the Government but both his applications were refused. The farmer approached Baba in the matter and he spoke to Nanasaheb the then collector’s chitnis about it. Nana said he would certainly present his application as required by Baba, though he had no hope of the application being granted. The farmer therefore applied to the Collector again and Nanasaheb presented the application to the collector informing him at the same time that two similar applications of his were rejected previously. The Collector thereupon asked the farmer, "Why do you press the Govt. for a loan?" The farmer himself clearly put his case before the Collector. He said, "Sir, I owe s. 500/- to Government. I am anxious to repay the loan. I cannot do this until I have a well to water my land and to get better crops. I have started digging the well but the work had to be stopped owing to the intervening beg rocks; unless they are fired by Dynamite and removed, the well work cannot be completed and I can’t have water. Without water, I can’t have crops enough to return the Government loan and so I press this application. The Collector at once granted the application and the farmer obtained the loan be badly required through Baba’s grace.

In another case Baba enabled a disciple of Gadge Maharaj to pay to his Master (Guru) a sum of Rs. 100/- he had promised him. The disciple Shri Ramchandra Maharaj was required by his master to defray a day’s expenses of the Yagna a sacrifice the Guru was performing; so Ramchandra went to Belapur and Round-about places performing Kirtans (recitations of God’s glory accompanied by music etc.) and obtaining promises of the sum required. More than the sum required had been promised, so he thought he had nothing to worry about; when therefore a very few days were left for sending the promised amount to the Guru, Gadge Maharaj, he once again repaired to Belapur, for it was from that place that he had received promises for the largest portion of the required amount; but as usually happens the Belapur people evaded payment of the promised sums. This set Ramchandra thinking; he could not understand how to make up the amount required; he therefore offered up an earnest prayer to Baba to help him keep his to grant the just prayer to Baba to help him keep his promise to Gadge Maharaj and Baba ever ready to grant the just prayers of his devotees, inspired one man to pay the whole of the promised sum of Rs. 100/- to Ramchandra during the Kirtan the next morning. Need it be said that this strengthened Shri Ramchandra’s attachment to the ever kind Sai Baba?

Continued...


Title: Re: Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand
Post by: SS91 on December 08, 2012, 05:03:12 PM

Shri Sai The Superman By Swami Sai Sharan Anand - Part 22

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MATERIAL GAINS

Many and Mysterious are the means,
A Superman takes,
To save his men,
From Situations,
Unwelecome, unpleasant,
His knowledge Infinite,
Powers unlimited,
Presence All Pervading;
Of glory He erects,
For the eternal happiness;
And Life-long Joy,
Of the men he loves.

Numerous experiences as illustrations of the above line have been recorded in magazines and books on Shri Sai Baba. The narration of a few of them however will, it is hoped, be deemed sufficient by the readers for his purpose.

Rao Saheb H.V. Sathe's father-in-law Kelkar had purchased for Shri Sathe a piece of land, admeasuring 20 Acres, in Shirdi, When Shri Sathe happened to come to Shirdi thereafter, he proposed to Mr. Kelkar that the latter should accompany him and show him the said land. He also asked his wife to go with him to see that land and she consented to do so without consulting her father, Kelkar however did not approve of the idea of accompanying Shri Sathe for the reason that he had in his house at the time a widow of Sathe's deceased brother and he feared that if she came to know of that purchase, she might demand a portion of the land as her share. Kelkar therefore declined to accompany Shri Sathe' so Sathe asked his wife to go with him but on the advice of her father she also now refused to do so. This irritated Shri Sathe so much that taking a whip from his coachman he was just on the point of starting whipping his wife, when Shri Baba's devotee Megha rushed in, bawling out, "Saheb, Saheb, you are wanted immediately by Shri Baba;' Shri Sathe throwing down the whip at once rushed to Baba; when Baba asked Shri Sathe, "Well, Well, what has happened?" Sathe knew at once Baba had known all that had happened and that he was preparing to whip his wife; so he shamefully hung down his head. Baba then said, "Why do you want to see the land? It is there. Your going there would not change it a bit." On hearing this Shri Sathe calmed down and returned home thanking Baba for saving him from the cruelty he was to perpetrate; the wife also sincerely thanked Baba for saving he from being whipped.

Mrs. Nanasaheb Nimonkar also had a some what similar experience. Her son was ill at Belapur and so she wanted to go there to see how he was. Her husband permitted her to do so, but he insisted that she should return the very next day. As that day was considered to be so very auspicious that none would be allowed to leave on that day, she feared that she would not be able to return on that day as per husband's whishes (or order). She was in a fix; she would not disobey her husband, nor could she displease her son. Now, Nanasaheb was always in attendance upon Baba and accompanied Him to Lendi. Just when Baba was proceeding to Lendi with Nanasaheb Mrs. Nanasaheb prostrated herself before Baba and asked for permission to go to his son at Belapur. Baba at once said, "Yes Yes go there at once, stay there for three four days and then return." Thus Mrs. Nanasaheb's fear of displeasing her husband by not being able to return the next day was averted, as Nanasaheb had listened to the instructions Baba gave to his wife in that matter.

Bapusaheb Jog lost his mother; there was no such Brahmin at Shirdi as he should have to get the obsequial ceremonies of his mother duly performed; so he requested Baba went on adjourning the day of his departure from day to day till at last only a day was left to the day on which those ceremonies should be started. Bapusaheb informed Baba accordingly and stated that he must that day start for Nasik. Baba cooly replied to him, "We will start this noon",. Bapusaheb was in a fix; he could neither disobey Baba nor evade the performance of ceremony on the day fixed. However, just at 11 A.M. that very day a learned Brahmin versed in lore of the family clan came up. This satisfied Bapusaheb who was now fully convinced that the faith he had reposed in Baba was not in vain.

Nanasaheb Chandorkar got into a fix in certain family matters. His father Govindrao Chandorkar had also been like him, a District Deputy Collector and stayed in a house built by him at Kalyan. Lately some unpleasantness had grown up between him and the local Musalmans and so he had ordered all the local Musalmans and so he had ordered all the members of his family to desist from having any connection whatsoever with Musalmans in general. When Nanasaheb happened to return home he was informed of what had happened and his father's standing order about having no Musalman connection. Nana was now puzzled. He was prepared to give up all connection with Musalmans but he was not prepared to dissociate himself from Baba. If his father took Baba to be a Musalman, naturally he would expect Nana to give up Sai Baba; this embarrassed Nana; so he spoke to his father about his connection with Sai Baba. In the meanwhile Baba had already given proper turn to his father's mind in the matter; so he at once said to Nana, "My Guru ($Religious Teacher) is Sakharam Maharaj, but your Guru is not Sakharam Maharaj so even if Sai Baba may really be a Mohammedan, He is your guru, and you may most willingly continue going to Him without the least objection from me. On hearing this Nanasaheb was overjoyed and heartily thanked Baba for the happy solution of the puzzle he had to face.