The Eternal Sai- By S Maneey

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48.

Here is Baba’s prediction coming through after His Mahasamadhi. Sri Gummadalli Lakshminarayana of Secunderabad used to go to Shirdi when Baba was alive and had darshan of Baba many times. On one occasion, Baba told G. Lakshminarayana, “You build a temple of Lakshminarayana”. G Lakshminarayana asked what the cost would be. Baba said 6 lakhs. G Lakshminarayana was aghast as he did not have that much money as he was an ordinary merchant, at that time. G Lakshminarayana, thought it was a joke made by Baba. But within two years his business flourished to such an extent that he could spare 6 lakhs for the construction of the temple. By this time Baba attained Mahasamadhi. G Lakshminarayana obeyed the direction of Baba, and constructed a Lakshminarayana temple at Secunderabad costing about 6 lakhs. The temple is still maintained and managed by G Lakshminarayana’s children.

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49.


Dr. A.R. Govind Rao, MBBS, M.S. (Yale), was posted as Medical officer of civil/military centre at Ananthapur, A.P., during World War II in 1942. His search for a house for himself and his family led him to the house of one Ramaswamy, an advocate and an ardent devotee of Baba. The time was 7 p.m. on that eventful day, when Sri Ramaswamy’s wife and other members of the family were crying loudly. On enquiry the doctor was informed that Ramaswamy’s daughter Pramila, 6 year old had sustained severe burns all over the body upto the neck. Her pavadae (clothes) had caught fire while she was doing pradakshina to Tulsi Brindavan, where oil lamps were lit. It was Dwadashi festival (festival of Sri Krishna at Brindavan). The girl’s body had received burns 10 days back. Her body was full of foul smelling pus, having lots of maggots (young worms of flies). She was being treated at the local government hospital. She was unconscious for the last six days with high temperature and could not take a drop of water. As her condition deteriorated, the doctors in the hospital advised her parents to take the patient home as nothing more could be done from their side. The girl was brought to her home and that was the condition that prevailed when the doctor entered the house, accompanied by his brother-in-law. His brother-in-law, who was also a lawyer, introduced the doctor as having come from Madras and that he is in search of a house. Sri Ramaswamy who immediately came out of the pooja room, exclaimed that Sai Baba has sent the medical aid at the critical time. The doctor was requested to examine the patient and treat her suitably. The doctor was dumbfounded as he had not heard of Sai Baba before and it appeared to him that the condition of the patient was beyond human help. However being a doctor, he had to face the emergency. He went back to the traveller’s bungalow where he was camping with his family to bring his medical kit, and informed his wife the predicament in which he was, and told her not to worry if he returns late in the night. The patient had 104 degrees temperature; the pulse was rapid and feeble. She was not responding to any kind of stimuli. The pus smelt badly. After protecting his nose with a cloth, he cleaned the whole body, removed manually with foreceps a number of maggots (about 180) and applied gauze soaked in codliver oil over the wound. The girl did not show any sign of life during the whole process which took nearly three hours. As only Sulpha drugs wee available then, the doctor gave Mand B 693 tablets powdered them and asked the mother to give it with honey in case the girl woke up in the night. Ramaswamy, the girl’s father, applied Baba’s udhi on the girl’s forehead. The doctor went home with no hope whatsoever. Next morning the doctor returned to see the patient, with great trepidation in his heart whether the girl would be alive. There he saw the miracle of Sai Baba for the first time in his life. (The second miracle would be mentioned later). The girl was awake. She asked for water in the night, and had asked for milk, which were given. Her condition was very much improved. The temperature had touched normal and the pulse was full. She answered the doctor’s question clearly and fluently. Everyday the doctor would visit their house and dress the wounds. At the end of six months the burnt area had fully healed up, covered with healthy skin, with no trace of scar. Baba used the doctor as an instrument for saving the girl from the jaws of death. Soon after the doctor was transferred from Ananthapur to Madras. Sri Ramaswamy while giving farewell dinner to the doctor gave him a photo of Sri Sai Baba and a packet of udhi, and asked him to worship Baba. But the doctor’s mind was not receptive to such things at that time. He forgot about Baba entirely for nearly a decade, when Baba reminded him again. Pramila had grown up, she was of marriageable age. When her marriage was fixed, she personally came to invite the doctor for her marriage. The young wife and husband are now settled at Hyderabad.   
 
 

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50.

Here is Doctor’s second experience. The doctor had forgotten Sai Baba for more than a decade. Baba re-established the faith in Him, by His own initiative. The doctor was posted as Professor, Andhra Medical College, Vishakapatnam in the year 1950. In the period 1952-1953, the now Andhra Pradesh was in the midst of political turmoil, of creation of separate state from the composite state of Madras.

The doctor to escape the turbulence and insecurity of life and property went to Mysore on two months’ leave. One evening while he and his brother-in-law were walking on Thyagaraja Road, Mysore, there was a sudden down pour of rain. They went and took shelter in the nearest building, which happened to be a beautiful temple of Sai Baba, the existence of which the doctor was unaware of. At that time, as the evening pooja and Arathi were going on, the doctor, was reminded of the evening pooja and Arathi in Sri Ramaswamy’s house in Ananthapur. After Arathi, they were given Prasad and udhi.

An old man was sitting in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. He beckoned the doctor to come near him. When he went near the old man, he gave the doctor a beautiful photo of Sai Baba. The doctor thinking that the old man was entrusted with selling photos of Sai Baba, asked him the price. The old man retorted at once, that the photo is not for sale. “Baba has asked me to give it to you, It seems you have forgotten Him. You take the photo and put it in your own house and that done, He will be with you.”

The doctor was taken aback. With humble devotion he accepted the photo and offered his gratitude to the old man and to Baba. The doctor had saved only Rs. Five Thousand, and hence he could not imagine how he would be able to own a house and install Baba’s photo there. The above incident took place in 1953 and within a year there of, a miracle really happened. A cooperative house construction society in Madras accepted Rs Five Thousand only and allotted the doctor a big plot of land (Five grounds) in Adyar, a posh locality in Madras.

The society also constructed a fine spacious house on the plot, costing nearly thirty thousand rupees. The doctor was given possession of the house in 1954, with a stipulation that he should pay the cost of the land and the house on Moderate monthly instalments spread over a period of twenty years. He and his wife were immensely happy. After house warming ceremony, they put up Sai Baba’s photo in the hall facing the main entrance. Sai Baba began to make His presence felt.

A well was dug to supplement the Corporation water which was inadequate. The experience of the neighbours who had also dug wells was discouraging. The wells had saltish water. The doctor also got the same saline water. The doctor also got the same saline water. The doctor and his wife were much disappointed. In the evening both of them prayed before Baba and told Him, “this is your house, not ours. So if you want us to drink salt water, we are ready. So kindly give us the solution to the salt water problem.

” It rained throughout the night, the wall of the well partially collapsed. The contractor told the doctor, that he is prepared to spend a little more money, he would remove the mud and dig a few feet deeper. The doctor agreed. After digging three or four feet deeper, a fresh water underground stream was seen oozing out from the side of the well. In summer, which is very severe in Madras, the neighbours’ wells go dry, but the doctor’s well has at least 8 to 9 feet of sweet water.

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51.

Captain Devaraj who was serving in the World war, received miraculous help from Sri Sai Baba. The grateful Captain donated a plot of land, which he owned on the Ooty road, Coimbatore, for the construction of Sai Mandir. One evening in January 1943, bhajans were going on in the Sai Mandir. Suddenly a cobra appeared and moved towards the picture of Sai Baba (idol of Sri Sai Baba has not been installed then). The cobra lay before the photo and appeared to be listening to the bhajans. It did not appear to be frightened of the congregation of people, nor the devotees appeared to be frightened of the cobra which lay near them. After the arathi and bhajan, the devotees left locking the temple. The next morning, the cobra was still there, near Baba’s picture. The devotees now began to realise that the cobra was no other than Sai Baba. They chanted verses and sang praises of Baba, showered flowers and rose petals on the picture of Sai Baba and on the snake. The cobra quietly, accepted the adoration and did not move from the place. A professional photographer was called and he has taken the photo of the cobra with heap of flowers on it. The next day afternoon the cobra left the temple of its own accord. The temple is now called Naga Sai Mandir Coimbatore. 52. V.N Murthy Rao of Basavanagudi, Bangalore, was suffering from fits for 17 years from his 19th year. All kinds of treatments and charms were of no avail. About 1943, a friend of his gave him a little udhi of Sai Baba, advised him to leave all other medicines, cast all his burden and anxieties on Sai Baba and worship Him. He began to worship Sai Baba, not with any faith but with the hope that he would get relief from his fits. He began to get relief immediately. First he would get fits only when he was in the office or in the house and never while outside, or on roads. The attacks became milder and milder. Murthy Rao was content to be cured gradually. But his mother and brother were anxious for cure immediately. They approached some tantrics, without the knowledge of Murthy Rao. Every time it was done the attacks increased, until one day, Sai Baba came upon him and in that condition, he told his mother “why did you go elsewhere. Never have any of my devotees been thrown to despondency. He is not having any of his previous attacks. Within another three or four month, he will be completely all right. Be content with having the complaint cured slowly.” Murthy Rao became alright as told by Baba.

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52.


V.N Murthy of Basavanagudi,Bangalore,  was suffering  from fits for 17 years from his 19th year.
All kinds of treatments and charms were of no avail. About 1943, a friend of his gave him alittle udhi of SaiBaba , advised him to leave all other medicines, cast all his burdens and anxities on SaiBaba and worship him. He began to worship SaiBaba, not with any faith but with the hope that he would get relief from his fits.He began to get relief immediately.First he would get fits only when he was in the office  or in the house and  never while outside or in roads. The attacks became milder and milder.Murthy Rao was content to be cured gradually.But his mother and brother were anxious for cure immediately. They approached some tantrics, without the knowledge of Murthy Rao.Every time it was done the attacks increased, until one day SaiBaba came upon him and in that condition,he told his mother " why did you go elsewhere. Never have any of my devotees been thrown to despondency.
He is not having any of his previous attacks.Within another 3 or four months,he will be completely all right.Be content  with having the complaint cured slowly. Murthy Rao became alright as told by Baba.

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53.


This narration appeared in “Swadeshamitran”, a Tamil magazine dated 15-9-1944. Sri T.R.S Mani Iyer of Kumbakonam was an ardent devotee of Sai Baba. He had a daughter Rajalakshmi who was dumb since birth. When she was 9 years old, Sri Iyer was directed by Sai Baba to visit his Samadhi at Shirdi. Sri Iyer visited Shirdi on 28-3-1942 along with his daughter. They worshipped the Lord before His Samadhi with all devotion, and lo! The girl began to cry “Sai Baba, Sai Baba”, the first words uttered by her. Sri Iyer went to Shirdi during Ramanavami celebration, presented a Banaras Silk shawl, and a silver lamp of the height of his daughter to Baba. A photo of the girl Rajalakshmi was also published in the said news magazine of that date.

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54

V Swaminatha Iyer of Mayavaram arranged for pooja of Sai Baba on 6-2-1944, and for the purpose requested Maruthur Sanathana Ganapathigal to come with four other Vedic Brahmins. The said Ganapathigal declined, hence alternative purohits and Brahmins were arranged. But at 10:30 a.m. on 6-2-1944, Ganapathigal himself turned up for the pooja, and said with a chagrined face that he declined the previous day, thinking Sai Baba was a Muslim, But at 5:30 a.m. on 6-2-1944, Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetadhipathi Sankaracharya Swamy appeared in his dream and directed him “you go to Mayavaran junction immediately and do my pooja there, don’t doubt.” He came with four other Vedic Brahmins and performed pooja for Sai Baba.

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55.


Mrs. Hira Bai Iyer, W/o later Sri Rao Saheb VP Iyer, writes about her husband as follows: They had six children, Sri VP Iyer was a sugar technologist who worked for various sugar mills; he worked on a contract, at different places. Mrs. Iyer stayed at Lucknow with her children to give them education. In 1944, he got a contract to work in Lakshmiwadi Sugar Mills, near Kopergaon, Maharastra. Because of its nearness to Shirdi, Sri Iyer would take every opportunity to be in Sai Baba temple. He had expressed often that his wish was to be near Sai Baba always. In May 1945, the sugar season was over and his contract with the factory came to an end, and he had planned to leave for Lucknow on 27th May 1945, his two sons had gone to Lakshmiwadi to spend their holidays with their father. On 26th evening he went to Shirdi to have darshan of Baba. At 2 a.m. on 27th, he woke his sons stating that he was not well. The doctor was summoned and medicine was given. He was lying with his eyes closed and would open his eyes at times only to look at Baba’s photo. At 4:30 p.m. he opened his eyes and beckoned to a person standing near him to bring the Baba photo and place it on his chest. Embracing the photo of Baba, and crying “Baba, Sai Baba”, he smilingly breathed his last. Baba heard the prayer of His devotees that he should always be near Him, and has kept him near Him forever. Sri Iyer had endeared himself to all sections of the people at Shirdi, and they approached the Samsthan and requested that a Samadhi be build for Sri Iyer, which was agreed to. His ashes were buried and a Samadhi was built and his name engraved on it. There are a few samadhis to the right side of the enterance to the Lendi garden and one of them is that of Rao Saheb VP Iyer.

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56.



In July 1946, Sri G Vishwanathan Chetty was the Joint Registrar of Co-operative societies, Madras. He stayed with his cousin Ramakrishna in Kasi Chetty Street, Madras, as he had not yet brought his family to Madras. His daily routine was to spend an hour with Sri Narasimha Swamiji. During one such visit, Sri Narasimha Swamiji suggested to him that he should offer silver bell with Anjaneya Vigraha on the top of its handle. The bell was ordered and obtained. Swamiji said that the bell should be handed over to him the next day as he was leaving for Shirdi. Sri Vishwanathan Chetty had safely kept the parcel containing the bell in his wardrobe in his bedroom. The next morning, he was leaving for office but had forgotten about handing over the bell to Swamiji. As he was descending the stairs to get into his car, he heard the ringing of the bell. He stopped and looked up. It was not the telephone ring. But what was it, which was ringing continuously? Then it dawned to him that he had forgotten to deliver the bell as promised to Swamiji. He immediately retraced his steps fetched the bell and handed over the same to Swamiji. Sri Vishwanathan Chetty asked the question, who rang the bell in his mind, Sai Baba or Swamiji?

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57.


In the year 1947, there was not much electricity in the interior countryside of India. It was so in the residence of Ravalu Devendra Nadhan, Perala, Chirala. He lived with his daughter Indra and other members of the family in a big house. Indira had a separate room for herself. She had the walls well whitewashed and roof covered with tatty to which paper was plastered so as to prevent insects from falling. As there was no electricity, a lamp was fixed to the wall and she had Baba’s photo next to the lamp. It was Saturday and 8 o’clock in the night. In her place there was a Hanuman temple and on Saturdays Hanuman pooja was performed and Prasad distributed. She was reading a religious book, lying on her cot, when she was roused suddenly by her father’s unusually lound voice “Indra, Indra”. She felt irked at the disturbance. She went out and found the poojary with a plate of prasadam, which she took and brought inside the house. When she returned to continue her reading, she was shocked to find that a big snake had fallen on her cot in her absence. She shouted “snake snake” and her father and others gathered, caught the snake and left it on the outskirts. Indra had requested them not to harm the snake. The benevolent grace of Baba was on Indira. At the appropriate time, he made her to leave her cot, which saved her from mishap.

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58.


In the Ashada month of 1948, a batch of devotees left for Shirdi from Hyderabad. It was rainy season. From Kopergaon, in those days, were no busses to Shirdi. One had to cross river Godavari and then catch a bus to Shirdi. The present road over the bridge was under construction. The devotees found that the low level bridge across Godavari was almost submerged in water. A boat was plying to enable people to cross to the other shore. The Hyderabad devotees also wanted to do the same. But the cartman, who had brought them from the Kopergaon station, suggested that he would take them through the low level bridge, and the party of devotees agreed, to avoid transhipment by boat. When the cart was half was half way through there was a heavy downpour of rain, the river which was already swelling become furious? The bullocks were virtually in water, and the cart man lost his control. In addition one of the cart wheels got struck to a boulder. There was no parapet wall to the low-level bridge, and the water had engulfed the cart. The party chanted the name of Sai Baba in chorus and had almost made up their mind to meet the watery grave with the Lord’s name of their lips. Suddenly from nowhere a middle aged man appeared in front of the bullock cart, and assumed control of steering the cart of his own accord. The cartman removed the boulder and the stranger piloted the cart towards the other shore. The water subdued as the stranger deftly piloted the cart. Soon after, the rain stopped, clouds cleared and there was some sunshine. The crowds of people who were watching from the other shore at the party’s plight, rejoiced with shouts of “Sai Baba Ki Jai”, Mr Baliah, the head of the group of devotees was so immensely happy, that he took out a ten rupee note to offer as a presentation to the stranger. But lo! The stranger was not there!

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59.

After evening darshan at the shrine, the party returned to their cottage and everyone including Sri Balliah fell asleep. In his dream a certain person appeared and told him that he has erred in accounting the “hundi” money to be given to Sai Baba, and also told him the extent of the error. Sri Baliah immediately got up, took his pencil and paper and began calculations. To his surprise, he found the error exactly, as the gentleman in the dream had said.

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60.


The following narration will show another instance of the continued presence of Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi. The following are the experiences of Sri Munshi’s in his own language. Sri J.M. Munshi is an advocate. He resides in Bombay. ”Shirdi Sai Baba is a phenomenon. His physical body disintergrated into the elements many years ago. But today belief in Him and His power to assist people in times of distress is growing. The Baba started no cult and spread no religion, which one could identify with Him. His teachings have however been the essence of all religions. His believers are country wide, and include Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Christians and Others. All of us have heard of miracles.

 A person educated in wordly subjects, however finds it difficult to accept their existence, for they defy human reasoning and logic. Normally a person has his pride and ego on which he exists and survives. Acceptance of a miracle tends to offend his ego and hurts his pride. Indeed it needs an unchallenging humily, a strong character and strict adherence to honesty to admit the existence of miracles. Moreover to acknowledge a miracle is to accept the existence of an agency which performs it.

One had indeed to thrust aside his ego which feels ashamed of such acceptance, to show reasoning and logic for there is no rational explanation one can give for it; and in all humility to admit that what one experienced was no accident or coincidence, but in the words of Gandhiji the work of “an indefinable mysterious power which pervades everything.” I am a lawyer by profession and I have been trained to accept a fact only when it is conclusively proved. It was with this background and training that my association with the name of Shirdi Sai Baba first started.

In May 1948, my wife and I were travelling in a first class compartment of the train going from Bangalore to Bombay. There were six of us in the compartment, including an old couple and two youngsters. Having nothing else to do, the two youngsters, my wife and I were playing cards. The old man was obviously praying and his wife was watching us. We had been advised not to travel by this particular route because of the Razakar trouble then prevailing in the erstwhile Hyderabad state. As youngsters, we thought it was our privilege not to heed to such advice which we believed was borne out of undue apprehensions and fear. The train had left the last station in Hyderabad territory and was fast approaching Sholapur station in the Indian Union.

Suddenly the train was forced to stop at a station called Gangapur. There was a large crowd of Razakars in the station, armed with rifles, lathis, and other lethal weapons. As soon as the train stopped, a cry was raised by the Razakars. “All Muslims get down. Kill all Hindus.” The old man immediately ordered us to pull down the shutters and to lock the door. We promptly carried out his orders. For nearly five hours we could hear screams and wailings of passengers who were pulled out of the train, beaten and robbed. Third class passengers fled into the nearby fields and their belongings were looted. The Razakars repeatedly tried to force open our compartment but failed to do so. Even in the midst of this cacophony and panic, we would observe the old man praying. Queer enough from the reports confirmed at the Sholapur station, our compartment was the only one in the entire train that had escaped the marauders.

After nearly five hours, the train crawled towards Sholapur station. Once we reached the shores of Safety, the old man’s wife explained to us that the old man has been suffering from blood pressure and heart disease and that they were fleeing from the Hyderabad territory with all their money and belongings because of Razakar trouble. Once we reached Sholapur station, the military officers took down our statements and the incident came to an end. Although we had escaped untouched by the Razakars, this incident left such an indelible scar in our memory that for a long time my wife and I suffered from nightmares arising out of it.


A few days after this incident a friend of mine read out to me, in Bombay an article in a magazine, obviously written by the old man where in he had related this incident and had claimed that it was because of his prayers to Shirdi Sai Baba, that the entire compartment of the train escaped unscathed by the Razakars. As witness to this incident, he had cited my name in the article. My friend saw me with his article for corroboration of this incident. I told him that the facts stated in the article were all true. It was also true that our compartment was the only one which had escaped unhurt. It was also true that the old man was frantically praying all the time. I however told him that I had never before heard of Shirdi Sai Baba and that whether this incident was a miracle or a mere coincidence was for him to judge for himself.

While this incident remained embedded in my memory, except in the course of stray discussion with friends, Shirdi Sai Baba was more or less forgotten for a long time. In the early part of 1953, I again came in close association with the name of Shirdi Sai Baba. This was a bad period for my wife and me. My wife had been seriously ill and because of her long stay in the hospital she was feeling very miserable. I was having some trouble in my office and had threatened to leave my partners. Life in general, was fraught with problems, for which no solutions were in sight.

On the way to my office there was a small photo frame maker’s shop. Outside his shop was hung a picture of Shirdi Sai Baba. Below the picture was his message ‘if you look to me, I shall look to you’. I do not remember how long this picture was hung there, but it was during early 1953 that my attention got first focussed to this picture and the message. It was then that I was suddenly reminded of the old man’s assertion during the Razakar incident, that Shirdi Sai Baba had saved him.

Gradually I got so obsessed by this picture of Shirdi Sai Baba, and the message, that one day, I told my wife about my obsession and my desire to acquire the said picture and to perform the pooja of Baba. My wife readily agreed to my proposal. We purchased Baba’s picture, brought the picture home, lit a lamp before the photo and prayed that we looked to him for solution of our problems.

Within a few days there after, all our problems got settled to our reasonable satisfaction and life ran smooth again. Was this another coincidence? Was this pooja a weakness of our minds? Or could the solution of our problems be the working of that indefinable, mysterious phenomenon called Shirdi Sai Baba?

Well, let each one judge for himself. For us since the time Shirdi Sai Baba entered our home and heart, he became a veritable Pater Familias of our household. Not only the two of us, but our near relations, as also the domestic servants accepted him as an essential part of our existence. As the pooja continued daily, we gradually got used to look to Shirdi Sai Baba for His blessings, particularly in times of distress.

Many things big and small did happen which ostensibly appeared coincidental but which one could in all humility attribute to the phenomenon called Shirdi Sai Baba. A few years there after, I was once travelling by the night train from Surat to Bombay. After the train left Surat station, I suddenly developed severe pain, which later was diagnosed as being on account of stone in the bladder. Within a couple of hours the pain aggravated to such an extent that I could neither lie down on my berth nor sit down. The only choice for me was to keep standing writhing in pain, while my co-passenger was fast asleep on the adjoining berth.

I also began passing blood through the bladder. When the train reached the Palgar station, at about 2 a.m, the pain became so severe that I had to shake my co-passenger out of his slumber and urge him to call the guard and to see whether he could find a doctor travelling by the train who could relieve me of the pain. My co-passenger there upon called the guard and explained the situation to him.

No doctor could be located in the train at that time of the night. The guard therefore advised me to get down at Palghar so that I could receive treatment from a local doctor and proceed to Bombay by subsequent train. The guard called the station master and under their joint advice, I got down at Palghar and the train left the station. The advice given by the guard and the station master was however not at all sound.

For nearly an hour, I waited at the Palghar station for the doctor who had been summoned by the station master . I was virtually howling in pain, and taking the name of Baba. No doctor was however forthcoming. The station master then told me that the doctor summoned by him was refusing to come to the station at that time of the night. He suggested that instead I should be taken to the doctor. There was no taxi available at the time and the only available conveyance was bullock cart.

 So the station Master and his associates lifted me into the bullockcart and directed the driver to take me to the doctor. One can imagine my mental state travelling alone in bullock-cart in that condition at that time of the night, in a town I had never visited before and where I knew no one. I was not sure whether I was going to survive this predicament. The only thing I could do in the circumstances was to look upon Shirdi Sai Baba for aid and assistance. The doctor diagnosed my ailment, administered morphine injection and I was soon immersed into oblivion. At my request he had sent a call to my relations in Bombay. The next day my relations arrived and I was taken to Bombay.

But the most important experience of my life was yet to come. It was this incident which shook the lawyer out of me and converted me into a humble devotee recognising the work of the Master.

In October 1959, my one month old daughter got seriously dehyderated and was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital. Over three weeks of treatment, including blood transfusion could not bring her round. Leading doctors were attending on her. The child hand been running high temperature since days and the doctors were not sure whether she would pull through.

My wife and I were on the verge of a complete breakdown. On the early morning of November 14th 1959, we were informed by two leading doctors that the child was so serious that her chances of survival were remote. She was being administered oxygen as her breathing had been difficult. With tears, agony and deep dejection, my wife and I came home from the hospital at about 9 a.m. for a short while, so that we could get ready and again rush back to the hospital. As soon as we reached our home, I told my wife about a decision which I had reached.

My decision has arisen out of sheer desperation. I said to my wife “we had been worhipping Shirdi Sai Baba for several years. It has been said that if we looked to Him, he would look to us. The survival of our only child means a lot to us. My decision is that if the child survives, our faith that Shirdi Sai Baba looks to us in times of distress, would become conclusive. If on the other hand, the child does not survive, we would end our worship as He would have failed us.” The sequence of events, after this decision, is interesting.

At 10 a.m. we were again at the hospital. Another senior doctor was attending on the child. He too came to the conclusion that the child was dying and there was no hope of survival. Suddenly a comparatively junior doctor, who was also there, said “Doctor, I have been observing this child for some time, while she is running very high temperature, she has not lost consciousness.

Could it be that the child is not suffering from septi anaemia but from malaria?” The senior doctor laughed and said, “How do you expect malaria in Breach Candy Hospital. Anyway, there is not much left in the child. You may try a shot of quinine.” As stated above, this talk took place at 10 a.m. At 1 p.m. on that day the temperature of the child came down to 101 degrees after several days.

At 4 p.m. the temperature came further down to 99 degrees and by 7 p.m. the temperature was 97.5 degrees. Oxygen and blood transfusion were no longer called for. The eminent doctors who during the earlier part of that day had certified her as dying left baffled. The temperature of the child remained at normal ever since. Within three months, the child was in the pink of health. Those who saw her at the age of 5 months could hardly believe our description of the crisis that she had passed through a few months earlier.

Consistent with our promise we took our daughter to Shirdi in March 1960 by car. Strange and dramatic though it may appear, on our way to Shirdi during a halt, our daughter gazed at the world around her, spread our both her arms, and madder her first utterance ‘ba, ba, ba,ba.’ These are facts of my life as they stand. The sequence of events is also in the above order.

The conclusion is for each individual to make for himself. For myself I felt convinced of the existence of that power which assists us, if we, in all humility look to it. Today with all the above mentioned and other experiences, my entire family, near relations, and even servants, have got completely used to looking upto Shirdi Sai Baba for succour in times of distress. I must admit in all humility that He has never failed us. Many things big and small, have happened in our lives which have made us acknowledge the existence of this indefinable mysterious power/phenomenon, whose only message is that if one looks to Shirdi Sai Baba, the Baba will look to us.

So far as I am concerned, the Baba has now been the very part of my existence. He has been my guide, philosopher and friend. On difficult occasions, depending on my variable moods, I have prayed to Him, beseeched Him, implored Him, begged of Him, argued with Him, and sometimes even quarrelled with Him, for not solving the knotted problems of my existence. Whatsoever the mood, the problems have been ultimately solved.

Recently a great devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba, whom I met, has also endorsed this view of mine and said “Shirdi Sai Baba is not only the father, but also the mother. A mother sometimes becomes inattentive to the child, sometimes she punishes the child, but when it is time, she will always give milk to the child’!   

[SaiServant]

Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai.

Praise be to Baba!
Glory be to Baba!
Victory be to Baba!

Om Sai Shri Sai Jaya Jaya Sai.

[SS91]

61.


In 1949, Gangadhar Lakshman Jakhadi, Dadar, Bombay, was a telegraph master at Kalyan Railway Station. At 12’O clock, in the noon, he was going to the railway canteen for his lunch.

 A sanyasi who was sitting on a bench, beckoned him. The sanyasi began to converse with him. He said he was a devotee of Dutta, that he had come to Bombay after pilgrimage to Mahur, (in Central India, is a Dattatreya kshetra.) that he was on his way to Badrinarayan temple in the Himalayas, “would you buy me a ticket to Haridwar?’ asked the sanyasi. ”Do you have money for the journey and ticket?’ asked Jakhadi. “Put your hand in my joli and take the money” said the sanyasi.

Jakhadi did so and found the zoli contained a lot of rupee coins. He took Rs.36 from the joli, the fare to Haridwar was Rs35.12 annas. “Put the balance four annas in my joli” said the sanyasi. When Jakhadi tried to put the four annas in the joli, he found it empty now. Hardly a few minutes back it was full! ”What happened? Your joli is empty now” asked Jakhadi in wonder. “Nothing has happened.

 My bank is at Mahur, Gangapur (Gangapur or Ganagapur is near Sholapur, Gulburga District, is also Dattatreya Kshetra.), Shirdi and other places. When I need money, I get it. When the need is met, the money returns to my bank. “What have I got to do with money”? queried the sanyasi. Then the sanyasi of his own accord, told Jakhadi, “Sai Baba is an incarnation of Dutta, visit Shirdi from time to time, you will not be found wanting for anything.” Did Sai Baba materialise in the form of the sanyasi?
Or did the sanyasi identify himself with Sai Baba? We do not know.