62.
During His lifetime, Baba would be at Shirdi physically, but at the same time would be appearing elsewhere to a devotee.
While being at Shirdi, He would be appearing in a person’s dreams and vision elsewhere. He would appear in His own likeness, and He would appear in some other form. Sai Baba, in flesh and blood at Shirdi, did not suffer from illusion that He was the body, there was no reason why he should be bound by it, or why He should not assume another form at will. Sai Baba, even after Mahasamadhi, performs His works at His will, taking His own form some other form or directs others to do the same.
The incident happened in 1949. Sri Shantavanji was a great saint of Gujarat and a disciple of Pujya Ramsharmaji. He was a worshiper of Bhagwathi Gayathri. After leaving home, in his early year, he stayed on the bank of the river Ganga for doing Gayathri sadhana. Not being able to concentrate, he started roaming and reached Balaram, a holy place near Palampu, where the atmosphere is serene and spiritual. He spent three or four days there in meditation.
Thereafter for reasons unknown, he began to feel discouraged and could not concentrate. He was upset with himself and decided to commit suicide by jumping into the river. He offered his last prayer in a Shiva temple. Reaching the river bank, chanting the Gayathri Mantra, and ascertaining that there was nobody around, was about to jump into the flowing river. A fakir caught hold of him, smiled gently and enquired why he was doing that act. He told Shantavanji to follow Him.
The fakir’s words were so forceful and magnetic, that Shantavanji, just followed Him like a dumb creature. The fakir got Shantavanji a railway ticket to his home town and disappeared there after. Sri Shantavanji did not know who the Fakir was, and after roaming the Himalayas for meditation, finally settled at Karnali on the banks of the Narmada, Baroda District.
In 1979, thirty years after the incident, Sri Shantavanji was invited to Sai temple, Surat, on the day of Dutta jayanthi, and for Gayathri yagna. Sri Shantavanji had not visited any Sai temple, nor Shirdi, nor was he a devotee of Sai Baba. On the night before the puja celebrations, Sri Shantavanji, who used to meditate every night before going to bed, prayed for the reason why he was selected for performing the pooja.
In the night Sai Baba appeared in his dream and asked Him “Have you forgotten me, who saved you thirty years ago in Balaram…” on hearing these words, Sri Shantavanji immediately got up, taking a bath, sat in meditation. In his meditation he saw Sai Baba in the place of Gayathri and experienced bliss beyond description. He related this incident when he went to the Sai temple for the yagna and pooja.