The Story of Avasthe

[Shammi]

The Story of Avasthe

P.R. Avasthe was a judge at Gwalior. Hearing of the greatness of Baba through Rege, he wanted to see him. In 1914, on his way to Phandarpur, he came to Shirdi along with Rege. Those were the days of the First World War. These two were travelling by train from Gwalior to Manmad. When the train reached Mhow where there were a large number of troops, all the passengers in the train were asked to alight so as to enable the transport of the troops. Avasthe and Rege also had to get off the train. They prayed to Baba to help them. In the meantime the Military Commander came and after inspecting their carriage told them that this was too small to accommodate the troops and told them that they need not get down. The whole night Avasthe sang devotional songs and prayed to Baba. They reached Shirdi the next day morning. When they went to the mosque to see Baba, he asked Rege who the unstable devil with him was. He said, "They tried to disembark my children from the train. But I told the captain that you are my chldren and let them come to me. But this Avasthe was by my side the whole night, calling ‘Baba!Baba!"

From the above incidents we learn that Baba always protects the devotees who fully believe in him. Previously Avasthe had a yogini as his Guru. He thought that now if he started worshipping and serving Baba, he might be considered as unfaithful to the yogini who was his Guru. But Rege told him that his Guru was also integrated in Sai Baba who is considered to be the incarnation of God and Guru for the entire world ( Jagatguru). Hence, if he worshipped Sai Baba it amounts to worshipping his Guru yogini. But Avasthe desired to have some proof of this. For the afternoon arathi, he took a rice ball kept in a small vessel covered with a cloth. He thought within himself that if Baba personally asked and took the rice ball, then he would definitely belief that his Guru yogini was also in Baba. He started climbing the steps of Dwarakamai when the rice-ball fell down accidentally. What he had wanted to keep as a secret, became public. When he was picking up the rice ball from the floor, Baba called him and asked him to give it to him and said that he in turn would send it to the person for whom it was intended. Avasthe felt very happy. His Guru yogini had attained Samadhi long back. He decided to have Baba as his Guru. Even afterwards Avasthe used to come to Shirdi and consult Baba whenever he wanted advise in worldly matters; spiritually also he advanced much by seeking Sai’s advise.

Accepting Sai Baba as Guru

From the above story, the moral we learn is - If the devotees of Sai have had some other Gurus previously, and so think that they are being unfaithful to them, if they treat Sai Baba as their Guru now, no such doubt need be entertained by them, since Sai Baba is the Guru of Gurus, Samartha Sadguru King of Gurus and yogis. He has powers to command the entire world and also to control the five elements. If any disciple of a Guru comes under protection of Sai, the Guru will be pleased. Some gurus with an eye on the welath and power of their disciples, will try to create some unpleasant situations with some concocted stories.

Baba also was not for changing Gurus. He always checked to see what type of disciple he was and under what circumstances he had left his previous Guru and come to him. There are a number of disciples who would worship a particular Guru or God for some time and if they did not gain anything, they would change their Gurus or Gods. They would run to the Guru or God who fulfilled their wishes. Such persons are after material benefits and not spiritual advancement, being without faith and patience. When they came to Baba, he would tell them, "What is required for you is not another Guru. If you cannot have undeterred devotion and gratitude towards your Guru, but come to me, no useful purpose will be served and you cannot benefit anything. Therefore, first of all you should learn how to serve your own Guru in the correct manner and do not keep changing your Guru." To those who approached Shirdi Sai Baba and saw his greatness personally, and were unable to surrender themselves completely, our appeal to them: "Previously there was no Guru equal to Sai Baba. In future also we cannot get such a Guru. Let us prostrate to this Satchidananda Samartha Sadguru, and request him to make us understand this true Avatar, before we complete the Parayana of his Life History. We will also pray to him to see that we have abundant devotion for him with his devotion lasting our lifetime. When the life goes out of our body our kith and kin and material things do not come with us. We also pray to Sai to be with us in our solitary journey and to give us moksha or higher form of life in the next birth and be with us in all the future births.

Bow to Sri Sai - Raksha Karo Deva !!!