AN APOSTLE OF SHRI SAI BABA
“Too many a gem of purest ray serene
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear”
- Thomas Gray
Among the less known apostle of Baba but no means the least important was Shri R. Narayana Swamy Konar of Shri Sai Baba Darbar, Wright Town, Jabalpur. He had been a devotee of Baba for pretty long. However, the manner in which he came to be known to the general public as a blessed devotee of Baba is itself a ‘Leela’ through which as a first step Baba’s divinity came to be realised in these parts of the country.
Shri Konar was employed as Train Examiner in the S.E. Rly. At Howbagh, Jabalpur. One of the conditions of his service was a compulsory medical examination every year to determine physical fitness, especially the eye-sight. In the winter of 1954, he appeared as usual before the medical board. When his papers reached the office, it was found that he had failed in the eye-test. He came to know of it through his friends. It so happened that the date coincided with the scheduled date for his annual pilgrimage to Shirdi. He had concluded that in any case, his services would be terminated on medical grounds and he would be pensioned off. So, without waiting for official intimation and obtaining leave either, he went to Shirdi.
When Shri Konar was away, there was a flutter in the office. In the first place, his boss was annoyed at the casual manner of his taking law into his own hands and absenting himself as well as leaving the station on his own. This was strange in the case of a man known for his meticulous adherence to rules. Now this breach would mean a break in the service and would adversely effect his pension and other benefits later on when he would be retiring in due course. Such were the officer’s remarks. Then some one, close to him, observed that the question did not arise, that for all practical purposes, Shri Koner could be considered to have retired from the date of the medical examination which had gone against him and his present breach was purely technical, not worthy taking note of “What the hell are you talking about ?” flared up the officer. “Who told you that the medical examination has gone against him ? I have before me his category ‘A’ report and for aught I know. Konar is good enough to go on atleast for a year more. Find out if he has returned and send for him ?” The clerk concerned and the few officials in the know of things were mystified and could not believe their eyes. The most surprised was Shri Konar himself on being told that he was placed in category ‘A’ by the board. Now, it dawned upon his mind that it was a clear case of Baba’s ‘Leela’ and that he had fulfilled Himself according to the shloka.
(He makes the blind see and the fools wise)
The officer was kindness itself to Shri Konar and asked him to put up his application for leave for ex-post facto sanction, and close the whole affair.
This was a turning point in Shri Konar’s life. From now onwards, he not only became a magnet of Baba for attracting an ever increasing number of devotees of all ages and religions but also His instrument for achieving many miraculous results in the lives of those who sought his help. It was for getting cured of bodily and mental ills, for success in examination and interviews for promotions, for redress from evils spirits, for getting children, for success in matrimonial affairs, etc. Hence, one remarkable thing should be noted. Guruji, as Shri Konar came to be known to one and all later on (some even called him Narayana Baba) continued to possess the clarity of vision of category ‘A’ till the last and never used glasses. He only put a few drops of the ‘abhisheka thirtham’ in his eyes daily. It acted as a panaceae for all eye troubles of others too.
As long as he was in service, the enclosed front verandah of the Rly. Quarters served the purpose of a Mandir for Baba’s worship. A band of devotees, mostly young, helped and took part in the daily ‘aarti’. Thursdays were of course special days. Guruji had always a saffron cloth tied over his head during the ‘aarti’ or when giving Udhi to devotees. He had become a disciple of Abdulla Baba (There is his photo in Abdulla Baba’s cottage at Shirdi) at Shirdi and imbibed from him some incantations which he used along with Udhi to cure ills and for exercising evil spirits. He was simple and unassuming with a child like nature which put others at ease. Till his retirement in 1958 he celebrated Ramanavami and Mahasamadhi Day festivals on a modest scale. For the former, Baba’s idol was taken in procession around the mohalla. It was during this period one night after ‘aarti (I think it was a Thursday) when guruji was chatting with one sadhu, he saw a fakir, who had all along been sitting some distance away, entering the enclosure. As guruji was welcoming him, the latter turned to the sadhu and blessed him saying that in due course he would become known to the public and his true merit would be recognized by them. Presently, the latter took leave and went away. Guruji then offered to massage the legs and thigs of the guest to which the latter did not agree at first, threatening to go away. However, guruji’s importunity softened him and he allowed it. Just then, guruji’s elder sister, who was keeping house for him, came that side. Seeing him with a fakir at such late hour, she asked him to tell the fakir to go away. The latter told her that it was she who would be going away. As guruji did not seem to heed her, she locked up all the doors, lest the self-invited guest should disappear with some articles, and went to bed. The fakir then asked guruji to make some tea and partook it. Before retiring, he asked for a ‘lota’ of water to be kept beside him for the night.
Early in the morning, when guruji woke up, the fakir was not to be seen. It now became clear to guruji that it was Baba himself in disguise. Seeing the locks in position, his sister too was now convinced about it. The ‘lota’ was half-full with water. Guruji preserved it carefully, using it for special purpose as a panacea and always kept it filled to the original level with Ganges water. The lady passed away shortly after this occurrence making guruji realize that it was to this that the fakir (Baba) had cryptically referred.
Knowing him intimately as I did and having had the privilege of sharing mutual experiences of Baba’s Lilas with him, I can say without hesitation that as a rule, guruji preferred to treasure them in his heart.
After his retirement in 1958, guruji had a small house built with the amount of his gratuity supplemented by the financial help of one or two rich devotees. The front hall with the verandah toop up the major portion to serve as Baba’s Mandir. It is this that latter came to be known as Shri Sai Baba Darbar at Jabalpur. It began drawing devotees from neighbouring places extending as far as Nepa nagar, especially fo rthe Ramanavami and Samadhi Day celebrations. He had no issue. To the best of my knowledge and belief, his relationship with his ‘Sahadharmini’ was platonic, his energy being sublimated in the service of Baba and His devotees. Now he was available at all times of day and night to answer devotee’s calls and their attendance for the ‘aarti’ continued to increase, overflowing the varandah and spilling over into the street, especially on Thursday. An hour in the afternoon, usually between 2.00 pm and 3.00 pm on Thursdays was reserved for the ‘Sumangalis’ ‘Suhasinis’ for the worship of Baba with ‘haldi, kumkum’. The ‘aarti later in the evening, at 5.30 pm during October to March and 6.30 pm during April to September was preceded by ‘Ashtothara puja’ in which all, irrespective of caste or creed, took part. The prasad consisting of a mixture of fried gram and parched rice from the Darbar along with the ‘Naivedya’ offerings of devotees was distributed to all. It was a pleasant surprise to find the majority belonging to the younger age group. With more and more persons from the business community, evincing keen interest, the celebrations for Ramanavami came to be an a grander scale than before extending to about a week, with daily cultural programmes and bhajans by various groups. The main day’s procession with band and fire-works, covered a longer route along main roads, and took 5 to 6 hours to return to the Darbar. On the final day, virgins were fed on a mass scale and prasadam distributed to be assembled devotees bringing the celebrations to a happy end.
The Mahasamadhi Day’s puja, a whole night function, also attracted a good number of devotees eliciting from them a generous response in terms of service and contributions. Both the festivals were managed by a committee of responsible men freshly chosen every time. Guruji made it a point not to handle the cash collections personally. He also repeatedly turned down requests for creating a kind of trust with monthly contributions of members on the ground that it would inevitably lead to corruption of some kind and would detract from the dedicated approach currently obtaining. As already indicated, he meticulously forbade the touching of his feet except by a select band of young devotees of transparent sincerity.
At the first meeting, Guruji gave the impression of being quite an ordinary man not worth fussing about. I have the feeling that he consciously took pains to go unnoticed, as it were. I myself must plead guilty to the charge of having thought like that in the beginning. Only to those, who sought him out, attached themselves to him and believed in him did he come to be known by occasional flashes as a chosen agent of Baba. Indeed, as will be seen from the examples to be set forth by and by, he communed with Baba and worlds emanating from is lips especially at ‘aarti’ time had the sanction of Baba and found fulfillment. In other words, he was gifted with ‘Vaak Suddhi’ ***** and Baba evidently heard his prayers of intercession on behalf of those in trouble of any kind. He asked such persons to write out their request ailment on slips of paper which he placed before Baba where they remained till he deemed it necessary. For each of them he lighted an agarbathi daily and prayed. In specific cases like an examination, interview, court-case or surgery where obviously thee was Baba’s sanction he offered special prayer for success by burning agarbathies continuously for the duration of each as notified in advance. With all his childlike simplicity he was nobody’s fool. He could easily see through cant and hypocrisy. To persons without faith he would not give Udhi but tell them to take if from the receptacle for it before Baba. For the different ills of persons who sought his help he administered Udhi to be taken with different vehicles ***** like water, milk, honey etc. or Abhisheka thirtham of Baba’s Padukas with uniformly good results. He also suggested special observances like fasts and complete reading of Sai Satcharita within a week and distribution of sweets at the end for overcoming obstacles and achieving success. Where a person was not in a position to carry out the suggestion, he himself offered to do so in lieu. In rare cases where obviously he did not have Baba’s approval, he declined to interfere. Friday was the day of silence from 5.00 am to 5.00 pm and it was devoted to answering letters of out-station devotees in which he was prompt. No letter ever went unanswered. He was never known to be so sick till the fag-end of his life as to be obliged to avoid Baba’s ‘aarti’ though he was troubled with ailments incidental to the aging of the body. Only a week or two before the end of his earthly sojourn, he returned from a visit to Nepanagar in response to the wishes of the devotees of that place. He attained samadhi on 6-7-81 in his 87th year, (28-10-1894 to 6-7-1981)
Dr. P.S.R. Swami
Hyderabad – 500 033 (A.P)
Sai baba let your holy lotus feet be our sole refuge.OMSAIRAM
dipika duggal
Topic: DWARKAMAI's LEELAS(She is our Mother) (Read 501321 times)