The Blessed Ones

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Br : (to me) What? You want to make an exhibition of me, as though I were a monkey!
I : No. But this person is full of unbelief.
Br : (to Beake) Shall I tell you some fact then about yourself?
Beake : Yes.
Br : Had you not immoral relations with Z?
Beake : No.
Br : Was it not Z that was maintaining you and supporting you for a long time?
Beake : No.

Then the Brahmachari clinched the whole matter of his truthfulness and his power by immediate proof.
 Br : Shall I tell you what is in your pocket?
 Beake : Yes.
 Br : You have a letter from the Raja of Kolhapur about the affairs of 'Satya samaj", which you are supporting. Take the letter out and give it to Maharaj (i.e. me D.G.) (That was done).

Then the Brahmachari gave full details of the contents of the letter. My friend was flabbergasted. He had placed the letter in my hand. Every word spoken of it by the Saint was true, and it proved that consequently what was said about Z also must be true. As my friend felt humiliated and would make some progress if I left him alone with the Saint, I left him there and went away. My friend did improve in giving up his bad associations and his other bad habits. The Saint's name and fame spread so quickly that the Tahsildar insisted on my producing him one evening for delivering a Pravachan. The Tahsildar, the Autocrat or Cham of the Taluk, of course, believed that the Saint could not decline to go to the meeting nor decline to speak. But before the day fixed for the meeting, it was discovered that the Saint left that place. He left it for good and was never again seen or heard of.

[SS91]

The books I wrote about Sal Baba are:-
I. Santakathamrita - first. This was written bit by bit when I was in service i.e., before 1903, both the portions about Baba and about others. But it was printed in 1903. Baba blessed the effort. None of my books was read to Baba. Nor was Baba asked before-hand to give the information for writing the books. What he spoke of his own accord was picked up. Baba had talked of his "Selu" antecedents and I made inquiries at Selu about Baba's antecedents. Baba said about each book when placed in his hand, That is alright". I do not know whether Baba knew how to write, read or even to sign his name.

 II. Next came Bhakti Lilamrita. This was published in Baba's life time - 1906.

III. Lastly came the Bhakti Saramrita.
The two chapters viz: 52-53 therein relating to Baba were placed in his hands and he said, "alright". But other chapters were composed later from time to time mostly after 1918; in 1925 this book was printed as a whole.

The account given in it (in chapter 28) about Baba's antecedents at Selu is based partly on Baba's statements and partly on what the villagers of Selu told me. The only thing Baba said of Selu and the Selu period was that he came from Selu. So I started while I was in service and went to Selu to make enquiries. I cannot specify any villager as having told me anything in particular. My inquiry was 35 years back. The villagers said that there was an old Saint, that a young boy was being trained by him, that some got vexed with the Saint and threw stones at him and killed him and that the boy escaped and that all this took place 100 years previously. Sal Baba told me, in the presence of Chandorkar, that the brick he used as a pillow at Shirdi and which is still retained as a relic of Baba at Shirdi was given by his Guru to him, that his Guru was "Venkusa". The version about Baba's telling Chandorkar is my own, as I wished to avoid dragging my own name into my own work and figuring in it too prominently. Chandorkar did not know if he maintained a diary or note of his experiences.

[SS91]

As for Ratanji incident, it was a small affair. He invited me to tea and then the Nanded MouM came in also. Nice dishes of almonds, pistachio etc. were supplied. The cost of all would not be very great, say anything more than 3 or 4 rupees. Then Ratanji went to Shirdi. Baba told him that Baba had already received this amount and asked him for the balance. When Ratanji came back to Nanded, he narrated these facts and wondered what Baba meant by saying that he had received the sum. I asked him to see the amount entered in his accounts on the evening of the tea given to the Moulvi. The exact amount entered in that account (viz 3-12-0) was what Baba said had been given. This is the truth. The rest is all elaborated out of this.

The Tomb referred to is that of Sai Baba's guru and was not visible when we saw it first. It was merely land and underneath it was the tomb. Sathe Saheb built a flight of steps over it leaving a niche for worshipping that guru.

[SS91]

When I first went with Nana G.Chandorkar to see Sai Baba, that was out of a desire to ingratiate myself with N.G.C. and with no particular desire to see Sai Baba or esteem for him, I had no spiritual or other temporal desire or object in seeing Baba. One year later, I chanced to see Vaman Sashi Islampurkar, an old Brahmin of Islampur near Osmanabad (N.S), a graduate (of the Madras University) and a married man. I had to attend upon him at Saigonda in obedience to my superior's orders. Finding him to be highly devout and spiritually advanced and believing that a Guru was necessary to obtain Moksha, I asked him to give me Upadesh and he agreed. He gave me Siva Mantra Upadesh as desired by me, for then I was an out and out Shivbhakta. He told me to go on with my Mantra. I then asked him as I was visiting Sai, whether that was harmful. He said that no harm could arise if one was firm in his faith, whatever Saints he visited. I asked him what sort of person Sai Baba was and he replied that he had himself visited Shirdi and stayed with Baba for three days, that Baba was a great Saint and a Rama bhakta, whom none had yet properly understood and that people would get to know and appreciate him later on. With this estimation in my view I had more regard for Baba and I went to him with more faith.

[SS91]

Baba and Orthodox Moslems
Baba some times came into some conflict with the local Mussulmans, as very often his acts and ideas did not agree with their orthodoxy.

Bade Baba and others once asked Sai Baba to go outside the town for saying the Kutba prayers. Baba said, "Yes, let us go", at first; but when they finally came to take him, he declined to go. Another time they came up and offered prayers inside the Mosque. But Baba did not join them in that group prayer.

At Moharram, some local Moslems came up to Baba and said they wanted to bring into the Mosque a Tajia. Then they constructed a Tajia and brought it and installed it on the fifth of Moharram at the Mosque. Baba allowed it to remain there for a couple of days and then dragged it out and placed it on his fire saying, "I do not want a corpse in the Mosque". The Moslems who were working up their Tajia dared not do anything against this powerful Baba.

[SS91]

An Orthodox Moslem brought a 'Sera', i.e., an ornamental arrangement of flowers, to decorate the niche in the Mosque and wanted Baba's permission. Baba said, "Take it and put it on Hanuman". The Moslem replied that he was a Mohammedan and could not decorate a Hindu idol. Baba fulminated some foul abuse (in which Hanuman was depicted as superior Allah) and the Sera was taken away.

Baba's respect for Hanuman or Maruthi :- There was a small image of this God in a corner of the upper platform of the Chavadi. Baba was in the lower platform and when showers began to drive into it, some one told Baba that he should go up into the upper platform. Baba refused to do so saying, "How can we be seated on the same level as God?" Fakir Baba alias Bade Baba brought up a recent convert from Hinduism to Islam to the Mosque. Baba slapped that convert and taunted him with the remark, "You have changed your father".

Even towards Hindu Gods as to Allah, he would use uncomplimentary expressions in some moods. People occasionally asked him for permission to go to Pandharpur and he would reply, "Go" but would add some abuse. On the other hand, when Arati was sung of Jnanadev or Tukaram, he would sit up and fold his palms in reverence.

[SS91]

Baba's treatment of Advaitism is not easy to make out. He never expressly dealt with it. He would say, "I am God", "God is in all", etc. He was really Advaita personified. He was sitting up still whatever went on. Thirtytwo dancing girls would come and play before him daily; he would never care to look at them. He never cared for anything. He was detached and in his Ananda state. Once a devotee asked him, "What is God (Brahman) like?" Baba did not reply to him but sent some one to Bagchand Marwadi for 100 rupees. That man did not give it but sent his Namaskar to Baba. He sent the man to another person with the same negative result. Baba then sent for Nana Saheb Chandorkar and asked him for 100 rupees. Nana Saheb Chandorkar sent a chit to the said Bagchand Marwadi and the latter sent 100 rupees at once. Baba merely remarked, "All is like this in the world". The questioner asked me later on privately why Baba gave no answer. I explained that the demands for dakshina and the response thereto were the reply to the questioner. When others asked for money, it was not forthcoming. But when Nana Saheb Chandorkar wanted it, it came at once. Similarly the man who merely wants to know Brahman does not get it. It is he who is qualified to know it that gets it. The lesson is "Deserve before you desire (Brahman)".
 
As for miracles, I have hardly seen any of Baba. I saw him about 1898 sleeping on a plank suspended about 7 or 8 feet above the ground. The wonder was how he got into or out of it, without a ladder. How he could swing himself up or down, none saw... The supporting threads were weak and lamps were loosely placed on it. They would fall down if one swings into it. When I went to see him as he lay on it, he got angry and drove me off. Baba was occasionally doing something strange between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m at the mosque with a cloth screen in front of him and when he was alone. He would take out of a pouch 10 or 15 old coins. They were of various values and descriptions i.e., 0-0-3, 0-0-6, 0-1-0, 0-2-0, 0-4-0, 0-8-0, 1-0-0. He would rub his finger-tips constantly yet gently against their surface (whether with or without mantra, I cannot say). Their surfaces had all become worn out and smooth. He would say, as he rubbed his finger against the coins, 'This is Nana's, this is Bapu's, this is Kaka's, etc." If any one approached, he would gather the coins, put them back in the pouch and hid them.

[SS91]

Baba spoke thousands of "goshties". I will narrate a few. Once he said, "I was at Punthamba. There was a struggle there between two parties. I wondered why they fought. I found near them a potful of coins. That was the bone of contention between them. Then I quietly moved up and carried it away. They found that their wealth was gone and began to mourn and lament. I was saying to myself, "Who am I? What is this wealth? Whose is it? What confusion and struggle for this? The pot is mine and I am the pot's".

Baba once spoke thus: "My mother was greatly rejoicing that she had got a son (i.e., me). I was for my part wondering at her conduct. When did she beget me? Was I begotten at all? Have I not been already in existence? Why is she rejoicing over this?"

Once at Shirdi, somebody had prepared "Sira" (i.e., sweetened semolina pudding). Baba asked me if I had been given 'Sira'. I then said that I was not on good terms with B... and that I had not been given 'Sira'. Baba then gave me instructions. "Who gives what to whom? What is this Sira? Who eats it? Do not say of anyone that he is inimical. Who is whose enemy? Do not entertain any ill feelings towards anyone. All are one and the same". That idea is brought out at the end of Ch.II of my commentary on Amirtanubhava.

A religious person of Satara once offered to teach me Vedanta but I said that I could rely on Sai Baba's help in that matter. Then that person jeered at Baba and said that as a Moslem he knew nothing and could teach nothing of Vedanta. I did not waver in my faith and so I went to Sai Baba and told him that I wished to write a commentary on the well known Vedantic work, Amritanubhava. Baba placed his hand on my head, blessed me and gave me permission to write. I found that the numerous goshties I had heard from Baba furnished me with fresh analogies and similies to embellish my commentary with and avoid a repetition of the stock similies. I have composed numerous Kirtans and Stotras and written other works. A list of them is given in Ch.63 of Bhakti Saramrita P. 333 including Manache Sloka Jalada Dhus.

Baba occasionally sang Musalmani songs that I could not understand.

Source: Devotees Experiences of SRI SAI BABA by B.V.NARASIMHASWAMIJI

[SS91]

Dattatreya Damodar Rasane

alias Nana Sahib Rasane (or Daulatshah), Son of Damodar (or Anna) Savalram Rasane, Kasar, aged 40, Ravivarpet, Poona, May, 1936

My father is an old devotee of Sai Baba. He went to Baba about the time Nana Saheb Chandorkar went to him. Then my father had no issue and wanted to go to Baba to get his blessings for obtaining issue. About 1895, a devotee had sent Baba a parcel of excellent Goa mangoes. Of these he kept apart six and distributed the rest as prasad to persons present. They wanted him to distribute the remaining six also. But Baba said he had reserved some for Damya (i.e., my father). But they said, 'Damya is not here'. "He has arrived at Kopergaon and will be here soon", said Baba. Soon after that, my father went to Baba and presented him with flower garlands, chadar etc. Then Baba said "Damya! Take these fruits now. Eat and die". My father was frightened at these words. But Mahalsapathi who was there told him that it was a bless­ing to die at Baba's feet. Thus encouraged, my father thought he would eat the fruit. But Baba came to his relief with these words, "Do not eat the fruits yourself. But give them to your junior wife. You will have two sons first. You should name the first Daulat Shah and the second Thana Shah", etc. My father returned to his home at Ahmednagar and gave the fruits to his junior wife. He then noted the names to be given to the promised sons in a note book. One year after that, I was born. When I was 15 months old my father took me to Sai Baba at Shirdi for darsan and he then asked Baba, "How shall I name this child?" Baba replied, "Have you forgotten what I told you? You have written it at page 3 of your note book. Did I not say that he should be named Daulat Shah?"

[SS91]

In my fifth year (i.e., in 1900) I was taken to Shirdi for my tuft ceremony and given my first initiation into the mysteries of the Alphabet. Sai Baba held my hand and wrote on the slate etc. Thereafter I was taken to the school at Shirdi. When I was to be married, four girls were offered to me. My father never acted in any serious matter without previously consulting and getting the sanction of Baba. He went to Sai Baba and placed before Him all the four horoscopes (i.e., of the offered girls) one of which had 2,500 or 3,000 rupees dowry and asked Him which was to be chosen. Baba selected a poor girl's horoscope and gave it into the hands of my father. That was the girl I married. My father invited Baba to attend the marriage which was to take pace at Pandharpur. But Baba replied, "I am with you. Do not fear. Whenever you think of me, there I am with you". My father pressed him further to attend the marriage. Baba, however, declined the invitation with these words: "Without God's permission nothing can be done by me. I will send Shama (i.e., Madhav Rao) to attend it as my deputy". And Shama attended it at Pandharpur.


I have a younger brother and he was named according to directions of Baba.

[SS91]

As for the issue of my marriage, two girls and a boy were born but expired within a few months of their birth owing to fits. The male child died in 1926, my wife's health was bad and I was in great depression of spirits and in that state I prayed to Him thus: "Instead of giving me many babies that die quickly give me at least one child that will live long". When I was sleeping there at Shirdi, Baba appeared in my dream and said that the male child I was grieving over was born in Moola Nakshatra (i.e., under the constellation Moola) and that was harmful to the parents. I saw in that dream a bright circle like the Sun on Baba's breast. Or rather inside the Sun, Baba was sitting with my deceased child on his lap and he said, "I took away this dangerous child from you. I will give you a good child. Do not fear". Before this time our family had migrated from Ahmednagar to Poona. When I went home I looked up the dead child's horoscope and noticed that Moola was really the constellation under which the child was born. In fifteen months of the visit I got a son who is still alive. This was in 1918.


My faith in Sai Baba increased. I look upon other Saints as Sai Baba and when I bow to them, I say either expressly or within myself, "I bow to Sadguru Samartha Sainath". In 1927 I visited Khedgaonpet and bowed to Narayan Maharaj with this thought or these words. He told me, "Your guru is Paramaguru. He is of higher sort than myself. Why did you come here? Your prarabdha – Sanchida - is there. Your choice is excellent. Go there and you will achieve your purpose". This was before the birth of the son I referred to in the last paragraph.

[SS91]

In 1927 my stars were not auspicious and my health was bad. I went up to the temple of Sitaram Uttareswar (i.e., Siva) 2 miles of Junner (about 40 miles from Poona) and worshiped the God every Sunday. One Sunday at 9 p.m. when I placed flowers on the God with the words, 'Namaskar (i.e., Salutation) to Sai Baba', I saw a light at the image of the God and in that light the form as Sai Baba, whom I am always thinking of. Then my health improved and my drooping spirits revived. A saint, Janaki Das, is living there. Every Sunday I went and bowed to Him also with Sai Baba's name on my lips. He then told me, "You have resorted to a great saint. Why do you come to a poor saint like me? People like myself seize the feet of Sai Baba.” Then I went to my lodgings and slept. Sai Baba appeared in my dream as a fakir and said, "You are full of anxiety. Give me biksha, your entire body and mind as biksha".

I : I will give this biksha and then inform my father.

Baba: How can you do it without consulting your father?

I : I am master of my life. My father has other sons and he will not object. You gave the children and there can be no objection to my being given to you.

Then Sai Baba took my body up in his palm and put me into his breast pocket. I was filled with bliss at the thought that he was so kind to me as to put me near his heart.
 
When I woke up I found myself happy and my mind at once attained indifference, Udasinata or Vairagya. Things did not attract me and hold my mind as they did formerly.

[SS91]

Two or three months later, i.e., in 1928 (Phalgun Vadya) a son was born to me at Pandharpur. Fifteen months later, when I and my father went to Shirdi, he prayed to Baba that I should have one more son. In 1931, I got another son and that child was named Saidas. On the second day of its birth, it had high fever. Baba's udhi and tirtha were given to it and cloth relics of Baba were enclosed in a Tayath and tied to it. It recovered and got alright. When it completed its first year, it was taken to Shirdi; abhishek was done, clothes presented to Samadhi and brahmins were fed.

In 1931 I was placed in charge of the bangle business. I insisted that it should be named after Baba. It is called (after getting Baba's permission by casting lots before his picture) Sri Samartha Sainath & Co. It is conducted on lines of probity and God conscience.

Any Udhi and Tirtha that I give in Sai Baba's name cure and bless the person that receives these.

[SS91]

On 1-9-1932 I was on pilgrimage at Muttra and had an attack of cholera. Death appeared imminent. My father asked me what were my last wishes. I said I merely wanted to be taken to Shirdi, to be burnt there if I die as Sai Baba was my Krishna. But with Baba's photo placed over my head (Udbatti being burnt before it) and with the frequent application of Baba's udhi and Tirtha at Muttra, I was somehow pulling on. At midnight, my sister-in-law Subadrabai who was there had an avesam. That is, the spirit of Miradatar, a saint of Unava (in Gujarat near Sidpur), spoke through her mouth. Miradatar was a renowned Mohammedan Wali (i.e., Saint) and spoke thus (through her), "You are calling on Sai. He is old and cannot easily move. He is my uncle (Kaka). On his behalf and as he sent me, I have come. Have no fears. You will have his blessing. You will see him in spirit tomorrow. Prepare a cup of coffee and give it to the patient". Coffee was prepared and I took it with a little of Baba's Udhi in it. Thereafter fever ceased and I had no more motions. The cure was so sudden as to surprise the doctor whom I went to see the next day. "Yesterday, this man was at point of death and how does he get so quickly cured as to come here today?" was his question. I replied that Sai is a doctor of doctors and that His sacred udhi saved me.

[SS91]

When I was young, say seven years old, I went to Shirdi and was massaging Baba's foot. At that time Baba began the distribution of sweets with His own hand to the children present. Naturally my attention turned to the sweets and I grew slack in massaging. My mother was at my side and she beat me saying, "You are thinking of sweets and neglect the service of Baba" "You, old woman" cried Baba, "Why do you beat the boy?" My mother requested him to give me a good desire to perform service to Baba. Baba answered, "The boy will serve me well. God will endow him with pure desires. Do not fear, Do not beat him". When I was twelve years, I went with an elder cousin to Shirdi. We had 100 rupees with us. Baba asked for dakshina, 10 rupees once, 15 rupees another time etc. Only 25 rupees were left with my cousin in his pocket and we at once wrote home to Ahmednagar for more money to give Baba and for our return journey. That evening Baba asked my cousin for 25 rupees and he replied that our money had been exhausted and that we required money for our return journey. Baba's retort was quick. "Why talk all this humbug? You have got 25 rupees in a corner of your pocket. The M.O. you have written for will come here tomorrow. Do not fear." My cousin paid up the 25 rupees at once. Baba used to say "Who gives me one, to him I give two. Who gives two, to him I give five. Who gives me five, I give him ten". There was besides the obvious meaning of God's or Baba's returning one's gift manifold and esoteric meaning in these words.

Source: Devotees Experiences of SRI SAI BABA by B.V.NARASIMHASWAMIJI