SRI SHIRDI SAIBABA

Om Sri Sairam

GOD IN HUMAN FORM

Born in the village of Patri, living at Dwarakamayee
The god that fulfils the desires of his devotees,
Oh Lord Sainadha! Salutations unto thee

It was Mahalsapathi who first announced Baba as ‘Sai’. Baba incarnated himself in the village of ‘Patri’ in Manmad Taluq, and lived in Dwarakamayee only to fulfill the desires /wishes of His devotees.

“There is one God, that fulfils
our desires and wishes like the Kalpatree ;
Just as this human birth, a rarity
so should be our aim to see him”

In this world any object becomes useful only when it is chiselled and sharpened. An object which has intrinsic worth gets doubled in value by more chiseling and sharpening. It will assume a new form. Hence in this sacred Bharat, it has been often said “reform and get reformed”. Ill feelings should be transformed into noble feelings; the food that we take daily and the clothes that we wear are made sacred everyday, and fit for our everyday use. We can’t wear simple cotton as clothes. It is woven into cloth, which is suitable for wearing. Similarly the husk from the grain is removed and the resultant rice when cooked properly becomes a tasty food. We don’t eat grains as it is. The round stone on the hill is hammered and with sharp chiselling is turned into a beautiful idol, which in a temple after installation following the Vedic ritual of “sixteen sevas” becomes fit for worship. The tree wood after being cut and sawed is made into a beautiful chair. The diamond too by more and more cutting gets a new valuable form. The raw gold drawn out of the bowels of the earth is turned into a beautiful ornament fit to wear. Life is useless if man goes on living without any purpose. Man without any reformation or change is just a heap of flesh. The same man by education, sadhana, Tapas (penance) and meditation, transforms himself into God.

Man and God are one. Grain and rice are one. Yet, what is the difference? Grains are covered by husk. As long as the husk is there, they are grains. They can be used as seeds and if they are sown in the soil, they sprout into plants – grain, plants, and grain again. Like this life goes on. But if some rice seeds are sown, can there be plants? Absolutely No. There is no rebirth for them. In the same way man and God. Similarly impure gold is a mixture of silver, copper, iron, and other metals. It is called “white gold”. Its value also is less. The same gold when put in fire and purified becomes free from iron, copper and silver, gets value as a purified gold. Similarly man who is innate divine is tainted by ‘ Sat, Rajo and Tamo’ qualities, thereby he is called man. The same man realizes his divinity, becomes free from ‘ Sat, Rajo and Tamo’ by meditation and Sadhana. Worldly qualities and attachments make a being a man and detachment from all these turn man into god. To understand it better

Life + desires = Man
           Life - desires = God

covered with husk, it is grain. Grain removed of husk is rice. In daily life too man can attain divinity by constant ‘Sadhana’.

          A relationship should be established between man and divinity. We daily come across so many instances. For a sweet mango tree when a sour mango branch is grafted, it gets life and is transformed into a sweet fruit bearing plant. A human full of worldly qualities when comes into contact with divinity, transforms into God. In the language of philosophy it is called ‘Knowledge of Brahman makes one Brahman’.

          Today, as long as we think that we are humans we cannot acquire divinity. To reform ourselves to divinity, we need discrimination and Sadhana. In order to acquire inner purity, we need constant awareness and Sadhana. For example a small boil on the body soon develops into a septic wound. Ointment is smeared. Antibiotic tablets are taken. Then gradually the wound heals up. In the same way, we have to practice outer divine exercises. At the same time with inner vision, we have to develop integrated awareness. But today’s man is lagging behind in all these spiritual practices. All his attention is on how he could materialistically progress himself with more and more worldly attachments. His progress is worldly and materialistic. Man has developed outer vision and worldly attachments, and thereby shrunk himself. He has not developed any inward look, or inward enjoyment of what he has seen, heard and experienced. To develop this inner look or inward journey in man, noble souls from time to time have advented themselves on this Holy Land of ‘Bharat’. In spite of this, if still harm continues to eat away this ‘oneness’, not great men alone, but God himself descends on the earth.

          God descending himself does not mean coming down from up. From the stage of divine, assuming the mortal form is called ‘Advent’. We should not underestimate divinity because it has assumed a mortal form. Mother bends down to take the child into her arms. Bending does not mean surrendering. In the same way, god descends himself to the level of His devotees only to uplift them. But men in their ignorance doubt divinity, because it is behaving like a normal human. We expect that God is someone beyond and above the level of man. When you have failed to understand God in Human form, how can you comprehend Super conscious divinity? Impossible. Either you have to uplift yourself to that level or God Himself should come down.

          God assumes mortal form to bestow on his devotees that triple benefit of His presence, His proximity, and Moksha (liberation). ‘God descends into mortal form’. Without assuming mortal form, it is impossible to move among mortals. As said by sage Purandaradas man worships cobra in the form of a stone idol, but the same man beats the cobra with stones and runs away, when he sees it live in flesh form. If god were to descend on the earth, with Conch, Disc and Mace as his weapons, the devotee runs away. Why? The form is unnatural. It is impossible for man who has a body form and sense organs, to understand divinity, which is beyond sensuous perception. Only man can stand before man. Only man can understand man. Hence God assumes human form, moves with and among men, converses with them and develops in them their inherent divinity.

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2.'Experiencing the super conscious divinity'

Those were the days when there was no communal harmony in India and both Hindus and Muslims full of religious differences and narrow minded feelings killed one another. In such critical times Divinity had to assume a mortal form, to preach to the world the 'oneness of man' and the unity of all religions.

In the state of Nizam, in the district of Aurangabad, there was a small village by name Patri, by the bank of the holy river Godavari. In this village there lived a pious Brahman couple. They were neither rich, nor poor. They were just a middle class family, without any worldly desires. They had no children and this irked them a lot. They were Devagiramma and Ganga Bhavaria. Daily they worshiped Gowri and Sankara, and led a pious life, treating their guests with all comforts. Ganga Bhavaria's profession was arranging boats for passengers to cross the Godavari [like taxis]. He was hiring boats, employed some boatman to ply those boats, taking the passengers to and fro. One day there was a heavy rain. It was Ashada Poornima. The water level in the Godavari was rising. Ganga Bhavaria left home telling his wife that he would not be able to come in the night, as he had to take off his boats, since the Godavari level was rising.

Devagiramma closed the doors, and was praying to Goddess Parvathi. It was heavily raining outside; darkness increased. She lighted the lamp, and spent the time in worship and singing. Someone knocked at the door. Eagerly she opened the door, hoping it was her husband. Lo! It was an old man past eighty, full of resplendent brightness on his face. 'Oh, mother, hunger, hunger', so saying he entered the house. Devagiramma from the beginning was a very kind hostess. Whoever came to their house, at anytime, she would prepare and serve food. She had not yet taken her meal. She welcomed the old man, made him sit on the wooden sheet, spread a big leaf, and served food. The old man ate to his fill. Since it was pitch dark and heavily raining, he said he was very old and he would sleep that night in their house; our Vedas say
          ‘ Mother be the goddess          
           Father be the god
           Teacher be the god     
           Guest be the god’
It was our tradition to treat our guest as Narayana Swarupa (God himself). She arranged a bed
for him on the Verandah asked him to sleep and went inside closing the door.
     
She knew that her husband would not come that night. She took a small quantity of food, put off the light, and slept. It was 10'0 clock in the night. The old man got up and knocked on the door. She opened the door hoping that the old man might go to the toilet. The old man said she had given him belly full food and that he was not getting any sleep. ‘I want someone to press my legs' he said .She thought' the servant too has left. Nobody is there. What can I do'. Meanwhile the old man repeated 'I need a woman to press my legs'. At this request of the old man, she felt aghast. 'I am alone; this old man is making this strange request; where can I go now? What can I do?' She did not like to hurt the feelings of her guest. At the same time, she would not render such a service. Partly covering her head, with her saree, she went out through the backdoor, to search for a woman who would render such a service. She requested the women she met 'I will give whatever money you want; please come and press the old man’s legs'. Nobody was willing. 'We can't come in this rain. Today we are fulfilling a vow. Not possible to come'. Helpless she returned home, and sitting in the prayer room, she wept 'Oh mother! Are you testing me? Never have I touched another man. How can I do this service of pressing the old man’s legs? It was a testing time.
She did not like to hurt the old man’s feelings; nor her mind was willing to do such a service. Weeping, and with lots of tears rolling down the eyes, she prayed to goddess Parvathi to save her from that predicament, without causing any disappointment to the old man and no violation to her womanly vow of purity. Soon she heard a knock on the backdoor. When she opened the door, she saw a woman standing at the door offering her services. Devagiramma's joy knew no bounds. ‘Oh mother, you have come to save my honour; this is your help; you have sent this woman to save me’, so uttering to Goddess Parvathi, she took the woman, kept her on the verandah, and went inside closing the door. It was her duty to safely send back the woman. So she could not sleep. She was praying in her prayer room.

     In the meantime there was a knock on the door; full of fear that there was another danger lurking, and shivering, she opened the door. Lo; behold; Lord Shiva and Parvathi in their divine beautiful forms appeared. That old man was no other than Lord Shiva and the woman who came to serve the old man was goddess Parvathi, Herself. Devagiramma prostrated before them shedding tears. Goddess Parvathi hinted to lord Shiva to bless Devagiramma with a boon. Their languages are known only to them. ‘The mind play of Hari is known only to Hari’. Others cannot understand it. Lord Shiva said and Parvathi,’ you have come after hearing her prayer; I have come only to test. Since you have come in response to her prayer, you satisfy her desires’. Then Parvathi said to Devagiramma ‘you have all virtues, and all prosperity. But you are unhappy that you have no children. I bless you with one daughter to fulfill the obligation of performing the marriage of a daughter, and with one son for sustaining the family’s lineage’. Devagiramma immediately turned to Shiva with folded hands.‘ Devagiri’ the Lord said ‘ your devotion has appealed to me and moved me. I will be born to you in your third pregnancy’. Again he said ‘I am from Aapastamba sutra, from Bharadwaja Gotra, I am Shiva.

     Devagiramma prostrated before them with folded hands. When she got up, there was
nobody’. They vanished. Her joy was boundless. Her husband was not in the house to share her joy. She would not get any sleep. To who could she share her joy? Full of joy, she was roaming in the house. It was early morning 5’o clock. Her husband came. She fell before his feet and narrated to him all that happened. He thought ‘ this Devagiramma from the beginning is a mad devotee; she is suffering from an illusion; I was not at home. She did not sleep. Hence all these hallucinations; this is the general weakness of all women.’ Immediately he replied ‘I am so happy’. But he did not believe in it. Days passed.

After two months, Devagiramma became pregnant. That year, a son was born. Next year a daughter was born. The third year, she was again pregnant. This is Lord’s leela. God’s actions are mysterious. They are inexplicable. In the ninth month of her pregnancy, her husband lost interest in this worldly life. A total detachment surrounded him. ‘I don’t stay even a moment in the home. I will go to forest, do penance and see Eswar. You have seen Shiva. I have not seen him. Now I understand that what you said then was true. How lucky you are! You stay here. I am going to forest’. The wife fell on his feet and appealed to him. ‘Oh my husband! Believe me’, Eswara himself said that he would be born as our third child. Why do you go to forest, when Lord Eswara is going to be born as our third son, why do you go away without seeing him? Why should you go to forest, when your third son is going to be Lord Shiva himself? When the first two boons have become true, why not the third one. It will certainly come true. Then Ganga Bhavaria said ‘My son will be in human form only but he would not appear to me as Lord Eswar. In this visible world, it is always befitting to feel and see the invisible divinity. As long as I am in this worldly life, I cannot get liberation or salvation. The knowledge about Brahman the spirit is the spiritual eye. Sacrifice alone is happiness to life. The goal of life is liberation. I will follow these three, but not this worldly life any longer. So saying he left his family.

Devagiramma was in her full pregnancy. She could not live even a moment without her husband. He was going very fast. She too followed him. She was not able to walk. In the forest, her delivery pains started. ‘Oh my husband! Please stay for a few moments; you can have the darshan of Eswar. I am suffering from severe pain. Please stay, stay’. But he would not listen. He continued his march without turning back. She went to the shade of a tree; not a step forward. In a moment the delivery took place. A child was born with divine lustre on his face. Should she stay back for the child? or follow her husband.

Helpless to resolve for herself, and feeling that her husband is her child, she covered the child with leaves, left it there and went away. She thought ‘that day I had the darshan of both Parvathi and Parameswara. It was rare and only a mother like Anasuya had such a blessing’. Thus musing, she reached her husband. Let us leave this story there.

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3. DIVINITY BLOOSOMS

That child was born on 28th September 1838. That was Ramzan day. A fakir and his wife, sufists, were returning home in a horse carriage, visiting their in laws’ house. The time, the work, the reason and the result, to whom and where, are all God’s design, but not the work or the out come of the man’s effort. On reaching the tree where the child was lying, the fakir’s wife asked the driver to stop the horse carriage, as she had a need to relax herself. The driver and her husband were the two men there. None else was there. The cry of a child was heard. As they followed the cry, they discovered it was from the shade of a tree, of a child covered in a big leaf. The fakir’s wife took the child into her arms hugging him. She called her husband. They searched for the Childs mother and loudly called for her. No signs of any body. She said, ‘to day is Iid’. Allah presented this child to me without my undergoing any pangs of childbirth. Allah gave me this child as a sacred prasad. So saying she got into the horse carriage with the child.

It was the ninth month as per their calendar. Waking up early morning, and wearing new clothes, it was the day when one had to express his gratitude to Allah. Also the day when one has to offer gratitude to Prophet Mohammed. Mohammed’s life was a saga of sacrifice. He spent his entire life only in prayers. These Muslims have three firm beliefs.
There is none supreme to God. “Allaho Akbar”.
There is none, other than Allah who can protect, who is fit for being worshipped.
None other than Allah should be worshipped.

“Because we believed stead fast in these three beliefs and followed them, and every moment we thought of God, we got this child”. So saying to themselves the Muslim couple reached home by their Tonga full of joy.

Just as we call children in our house ‘chinni’, ‘chanti’, ‘bujji’, ‘kanna’, so the Muslim couple called the child ‘Baba’ for four years from 1838 to 1842. They lived happily with the child. By their house, there lived a merchant’s family. They had a son. One day the two children were playing a game with small glass balls. Baba defeated the merchant’s child in the game and won all the round glass balls. As there were no more glass balls, the merchant’s child brought out from his house a small stone idol. Baba won that too. When he lost that small idol, the merchant’s child was angry. The two children began quarrelling. The merchant’s wife who saw all this from upstairs, came down and asked her child not to quarrel but to come away. The child said, “ Baba has won all my round glass balls. There is a new one in that. He is not giving it to me. On the other hand, he has swallowed it”. He told his mother how he had brought the small idol from the prayer room and played with it. The child’s mother went into the room and felt unhappy that the small idol, which she was daily worshipping, was missing. She angrily pulled Baba by the ear demanding him to give back that small stone idol, and if he wanted, she would give him not ten but hundred glass balls in return. Baba showed his empty hands. Her son told her it was in Baba’s mouth. She slapped Baba on the cheeks, beat him asking him to show his mouth. When Baba opened his mouth, just as young Krishna showed to Yashoda, the entire Universe within him by opening his mouth, in the same way, the merchant’s wife saw the whole universe in Baba’s mouth, unfolding itself like a cine reel. Realising her foolishness, since she was a great devotee, and since she had read Krishna’s playful pranks, she looked sideways, and bowed to the feet of Baba. From that day she cultivated her devotion on Baba. She would not tell this to any body. She would call Baba into her house, first gave him any preparation she made. She was afraid of her husband; lest he should mistake her otherwise as in those days there was hatred between Muslims and Hindus.

Since then what was it Baba had done? In order to preach the unity of all religions, he took the stone idol to the mosque and worshipped it there. He was a Muslim. He used to go to a Hindu temple. He read the Koran. These were quite contradictory habits. Both Muslims and Hindus went to the fakir and complained against Baba.

One day the fakir had a dream, ‘fakir you will not live long. Nobody can rear the boy whom you have brought up. There was one ‘Venkusa’. Take the boy and leave him with him. Fakir took the boy to Venkusa. Venkusa was a good teacher. He used to take up spiritual classes. On seeing fakir coming with Baba, Venkusa, with all eagerness as if he was waiting for him, welcomed him and made him sit by him. He affectionately touched his shoulders. “All these years I have been waiting for you” he said. He fondled the boy and asked him to go in and finish his meal and come back. Venkusa ashram was meant for Hindus. Was Baba a Hindu child? or a Muslim child? Venkusa was the teacher for all children in the village. If he admitted Muslim children, Muslims attacked him, while Hindus hated him. When he was in such a predicament and reflecting on his action, he had a dream. The divine voice told him ’ the boy who came to you was not an ordinary boy. He was above all religions. His longing was the harmony and unity of all religions’ don’t hesitate to take the boy as your pupil. His coming is your good luck’. Since then Venkusa’s love for the boy grew manifold. He treated him with all affection, asked him to stay with him only. He said ‘Oh child, this entire school is yours’. Gradually, he gave to Baba all the rights of managing the ashram. He loved him ardently. In everything, the first place was that of Baba.

God’s love is abundant on some; on some it is minimal; on some it does not reflect at all. This is only our illusion. All are same to god. In a mirror you see your reflection because of the chemical smeared on the reverse. Similarly love is the chemical to be applied to one’s heart. Then one feels and experiences the grace of God. It is not the fault of god not to be seen. The defect is in our heart. The chemical of love is not applied to it, on the other hand as there is no chemical of love, another disease will originate. What is it? It is jealousy.

In Venkusa’s ashram, other students started murmuring among themselves. ‘We have been here for the last many years. Our teacher is not looking at us. All his attention and speech only with the new boy’. Thus started disturbances in them. Some students of course thought good of the boy, but some others thought that since the fakir was rich, their teacher was expecting more money. Hence this changed attitude. So variously thought different students. If the heads are different, the thoughts also will be different. As our feelings, so our thoughts.

As days passed, the relationship between Baba and Venkusa grew. One day both were going to the forest known as ‘Vikara.’ The Hindu boys in the Ashram hatched a crooked plan. A Muslim boy should not be in the ashram. If he were to continue, the Ashram in course of time would be full of Muslim boys. With this evil thought in their minds, they wanted to drive away Baba from the ashram. A few boys even conspired to kill him and this was the opportune time. If Baba was killed, our teacher would shower his love on all of us alike. They went to the forest and hid themselves beside a hut. One strong student took a brick and threw it at Baba’s head. Venkusa’s love for Baba was immense. He stood in front of Baba; the brick hit him on the head. He was profusely bleeding. Baba tore his shirt and tied it on Venkusa’s forehead. ‘Swamy! How did it happen? Even before Baba completed the sentence the boys ran to him with the dead body of one of the boys. It was the boy who threw the brick at Baba. The moment he threw it, he fell down dead. The boys prayed ‘Oh teacher! Pardon us’. They prostrated on their feet. Then Venkusa told them ‘ Oh boys! I have become old. This boy Baba is my whole property. He who has pure love in him alone can save others. On hearing these words of their teacher, they put the dead body at the feet of Baba. Baba laughed. Why? not because the boy who wanted to kill him died. It was all our body feelings – body attachment. Baba realised this truth even when he was a boy. Baba knew that the whole creation was in his palm.

He asked the boys ‘what do you want? This is a dead body, today it is he, tomorrow it is you; it is you; nobody is immortal. Then the boys asked Baba’ what have we to tell the boys’ parents? ‘ Then Baba replied, “tell them the truth”. It is a shame for us if we tell the truth. It is untruth if we tell something different. Baba asked them’ what have we to tell the boys parents? Then Baba replied” tell the truth”. It is untruth if we tell something different. Baba asked them ‘ what do you want? you want the boy to come back to life’. So saying Baba took the boys’ head on to his thigh and slowly smeared his head ’surrender yourself to Sainath; I shall fulfill your wish’. At once all the boys fell at Baba’s feet. The next moment, the dead boy came to life, He woke up. Since then Baba’s name and influence spread far and wide.

Shiridi is a small village. When Baba was entering the khandoba temple, Mahalsapathi, the head priest, taking him for a Muslim fakir, did not allow him. Baba came out and sat under the shade of a neem tree on the outskirts of the village. Then Baba was only 16 years old. Nobody there knew his name or his village. If anybody asked him ‘ what is your name? From which village have you come?’ He would reply ‘why, my name to you. What purpose do you have with my village? ‘. Hence nobody could know what Baba’s name or village was.

Baba lived there for sometime. In those days the villagers went to Baba sitting under the neem tree, and sought relief from him for their sufferings. If any body came with somebody’s ailment, Baba gave them a leaf, pinched it and asked him to eat it, so that he would get relief. In this manner Baba cured several villagers of their diseases. This news spread far and wide in every village. People started coming to Baba in large numbers. It so happened that as days passed on like this, Baba suddenly left the village, without anybody’s knowledge. They searched for him but he was not found. The villagers were disappointed.

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4. Thou art the teacher
Or
‘Salutation unto thee, the revered teacher’

     After three years, it was in the year 1857, Baba returned to Shiridi. With whom did he come? Near Aurangabad there was a small village by name ‘Dhoop’. In that village there was one middle class person by name Chandbhai Patil. One day on some important work he rode on his horse and reached Aurangabad. When he was there for about two days attending to some personal works, his horse disappeared. He loved the horse very much. He spent a lot of money in search of it but all his efforts were of no avail. He did not take his food. Our attachments lead to disappointments; full of despair, he was returning to ‘Dhoop’ carrying the saddle.

Between Aurangabad and Dhoop, on the way there was the dense forest. He entered the forest. He saw a fakir sitting in the shade of a mango tree. Seeing Patil plodding his way in despair, the fakir called him ‘ Hai Patil, please come’; Patil came to the tree and rested. Baba had tobacco powder with him’. He started preparing his hookah. To inhale it, both water and fire are needed. ‘Patil, do you have a match box’? Fakir asked him. ‘No’ was the reply. Then Baba struck the ground with a stick. Immediately there arose fire. Again he struck the ground. This time water sprouted. Using fire and water, which he created, Baba lighted the hookah. After lighting the hookah and giving to Patel, Baba asked him why he was sad, where from he had come and where he was going. ‘You have only the saddle what about the horse’ asked Baba. Patil surprisingly asked Baba how he could know his name. Patil realized that Baba was not an ordinary man. ‘I am carrying this saddle in memory of my missing horse’, Patil replied. Then Baba said ‘ I know everything; you are sad as your horse is missing. You are searching for your horse, wearing your eyes on your head. Your horse is there grazing under the tree go and see’. Chandbhai immediately went to the spot where his horse was grazing. Earlier Chandbhai employed some servants to search for the horse in that place. They could not find it. How could the horse be found there now? It was a great surprise. Chandbhai after getting his horse, and having seen earlier how the fakir created fire and water could understand the miraculous powers of the fakir. “Swami, you have helped me a lot. Please come with me to my house and accept my hospitality” requested Chandbhai. Baba accepted and went with him. Baba was there in the village of ‘Dhoop’ for three years. Nobody knew this fact.

     Meanwhile, Chandbhai’s nephew’s marriage was solemnized. The bride belonged to Shiridi. As the groom’s party had to go to Shiridi for the marriage, Chandbhai requested Baba to come with them for the marriage. They all reached Shiridi. On seeing Baba getting down the horse carriage, Mahalsapathi, saw him and lovingly welcomed him, calling him” Baba, Sai”. It was Mahalsapathi who first addressed Baba as “Sai”. No one else called him so.

     After Baba’s arrival at Shiridi all things began to happen. Nobody knew the story of Baba till his arrival at Shiridi. There was the Vaishnava temple and Mahalsapathi was its priest. He was a great devotee. Baba came along with the groom’s party and sat at the temple. Mahalsapathi while leaving the temple gave some ‘Prasad’ to Baba. Baba refused and Mahalsapathi asked him why he had refused. ‘ Just now I had taken’ replied Baba. ‘ You have not gone anywhere. How could you eat’? ask Mahalsapathi. ‘ Just now you have offered Prasad to God, I have eaten’ said Baba. ‘ How is it? It is a small temple. I have been there all the while. You have not at all come that side. How have you taken the Prasad?’ asked Mahalsapathi. ‘ You have not seen me’ replied Baba. Mahalsapathi, at first took him for a small boy. After going some distance, he came back to find out who the boy was. He thought there was something in what he said. The lustre on his face made him believe that he was God. Just by the temple there was a small room meant for sundry objects and idols. He asked Baba to stay in that room. Since then, daily Mahalsapathi gave Baba the sacred Prasad offered to God. Baba stayed there and gradually started giving spiritual discourses to the devotees and explained to them certain difficult spiritual concepts. Some of the devotees asked him what he had studied and what he was doing. ‘ I have not studied anything’. But I knew all knowledge. I have not viewed anything from a human angle. I have in me everything. I have no teacher I am the teacher for all. When Baba was telling himself like this, Mahalsapathi started taking more interest in Baba and tried to comprehend Baba’s inner form.

     Days passed. In the village there was a wrestling Champion by name Janakidas. One day he challenged Baba for a fistfight with him. ‘You say that you know everything. Can you fight with me?’ He challenged Baba. Baba said that he would. For two days they wrestled in a pit covered below with sand. Everytime Janakidas was defeated. The more he was defeated, the more he grew angry. Because Janakidas was a Champion and was respected by elders in the village, they mocked at his defeat in the hands of a small boy. One day Mahalsapathi after observing all this told Baba “Dear Son! I know your greatness but people cannot understand you. People are of different types. They will have hatred towards you. They may do any harm: since I have a bodily attachment with you, I am telling you with all earnestness. Kindly pretend defeat atleast once in the hands of Janakidas”. Baba said ‘ Mahalsapathi, for your sake, I will pretend defeat’. What was the bet? ‘ If Janakidas was defeated he should accept asceticism. If I am defeated, I will give up wrestling once for all and in token of my defeat, I will tie round my head a saffron cloth’ said Baba. To honour the request of Mahalsapathi the moment Janakidas attached him Baba fell down pretending defeat. Janakidas should be happy. Enemity should not be prolonged. Hatred should not be roused. To establish piece and amity, Baba accepted defeat. He tied round his head the saffron cloth given by Janakidas. This particular episode is told in different ways in different books. One story was that when Baba was in the Ashram, some thieves entered the ashram to beat him, and when Baba followed his teacher into the forest, the thieves threw a brick at his head hurting him, hence the wound on his head, and Venkusa immediately tied a cloth round his head. These are all concocted stories. Baba did not receive any injury at any time and anywhere. No one tied cloth round his head. Suppose he received an injury and tied cloth round it, he should have removed it soon after it was healed. Why should he wear it through out his life? All these are fabricated stories.

      Mahalsapathi, Nana, Tathya, Abdul Baba, Dasganu came to Baba and became close to him. Since then Baba’s name and fame spread far and wide.

     One day in the village of “Failgav” the police caught some thieves who were running away with the booty they plundered from the house of a rich man. Shivering on being caught by the police, they said pointing to Baba,’ that Fakir gave us these articles.’ The police asked Baba whether he had given those articles to them. Baba replied ‘ Yes’. ‘Then how did you get them’ enquired the police. ‘ They came from the same place, where from other things come’ replied Baba. The police could not understand the meaning of the Baba’s words. Theirs is worldly look. Sensing that they would not be able to get any information from Baba, the police reported the matter to the Magistrate. Baba received summons from the Magistrate that he should attend the court and give evidence to the theft. Nobody in the village was willing to send Baba to the magistrate. They spoke with the magistrate and the superior officers and arranged that the investigation committee meet Baba at his place. On meeting Baba they asked him.

          What is your father’s name?
          Baba
          What is your religion?
          God’s religion.
          What is your Caste?
          Divine Caste.
          Where from did you come?
          From the soul.

In this manner Baba gave answers to their questions.

Several people began to doubt Baba’s divinity. On one day, the day of Margasirisha Panchami, on the sacred occasion of Dattatreya’s birth anniversary, a large number of devotees gathered round Baba. Among them there was one scholar and Pandit by name “Khaijak”. His full name was Balwant Khaijak. As he was coming, Baba took a stick and was driving away all those who gathered round him saying go away, ‘go away, you devil’. Nobody could understand why Baba was doing like that. “ I am suffering from labour pains, all of you go away from here,” he was shouting. Then Baba not only shouted but also beat with a stick. Hearing the shouts of Baba all those who gathered round him ran away. After some time he asked all of them to come near him. Not simply that; seeing Balwant Khaijak, he called him, ‘please come, come, Balwant Khaijak?. So saying Baba went inside. Balwant followed him and went in. Surprisingly Baba was not to be seen. But instead, there was a child with three heads. That child looked like Dattatreya. That little child had a number of hands. Balwant who saw the form of Dattatreya, immediately called all others. All went inside and seeing the form of Dattatreya closed their eyes in devotion. The next moment Baba appeared there. Since then many believed Baba as the incarnation of Dattatreya and God Himself.

          It is the belief of we Indians that with the help of a teacher and by following his divine guidelines, we can reach an elevated state. There are eight kinds of teachers as per our sastras. They are

Bodha Guru - The teacher who teaches
Veda Guru - The teacher who teaches Vedas
c) Nipatha Guru
d) Kamya Guru - The teacher who fulfills our wishes
e) Vaachaka Guru - The teacher who teaches Yoga Philosophy
f) Suchaka Guru - The teacher who lays guidelines
g) Karaka Guru -The teacher who guides us to the supreme
h) Vihita Guru
“Bodha Guru” simply explains the meaning of sastras, and extends all his support and enthusiasm to his disciplines to follow the sastric injections as per the given guidelines.
Veda Guru (one who teaches Vedas) on the other hand teaches the philosophic meaning of sastras and by turning ones soul inward, diverts our minds towards God.

Nipatha Guru clarifies our doubts, purifies the mind and with pure mind reminds us of the soul and its nature. Kamya Guru-the teacher who teaches how to attain our desires. Teaches actions of kamya and thus helps us in attaining happiness both in this and the other world. He guides us in doing all good and virtuous deeds.

Vaachaka Guru teaches Yoga philosophy and makes us experience the divine Atmic principle in life. Suchaka Guru -the teacher who teaches yama, niyama and helps man how to control his sense organs. Karaka Guru is one who makes us realize the oneness of the body and the soul. He is one who can change life principle into Atmic and divine principle. Vihita Guru on the other hand teacher that the soul and the body are the reflection of an image in a mirror and that there is no difference between the soul and the God. He is one who preaches practical philosophy. He is one who shows by example what he preaches. He is none else than God.

One day Baba called Kelkar and said “Today is Gurupoornima; perform teacher worship (Gurupooja) Sathe started teacher worship first with his uncle. Kelkar asked, “Do you know who a teacher is? They are not ascetics and monastery heads. God is the real teacher supreme happiness is supreme bliss. That supreme bliss is a divine attribute. It is of God only.

     Of all types of happiness, the one, which is supreme, is the divine bliss. It is the attribute of God only. All the worldly pleasures connected with money, gold, objects and vehicles are transitory. Supreme bliss means God Himself. “Only knowledge embodiment”. ‘ What is real knowledge?’ Is it knowledge concerning worldly things? No, No. It is Adwaitic knowledge. Non-duality principle has spread the entire world and this knowledge of Non duality is the real knowledge? That real knowledgeform is God. I am Brahman, knowledge is God; “Thou art Brahman”. The supreme divine knowledge is beyond the comprehension of these four sentences. The real teacher is God only. Brahma, Vishnu & Maheswara are the real teachers. He who creates, maintains and destroys is the real teacher. “Am I to worship Vishnu or Brahma or Eswar? Please tell me”, asked Kelkar. When he asked Baba like that, Baba said, “ Oh Devil, I am now here, worship me”. Baba meant that he was the trinity form of Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva. Let worship be offered to that “I “ ness of Brahman in everyone of us. Ffrom then on, people in the village of Shiridi started believing Baba as God Himself.

     One day a devotee by name Radhabhai eagerly came to Baba to receive from him initiatory Mantra. It was Aashada Poornima (Full Moon) season. She vowed not to take any food until she was initiated. For three days she fasted. Baba did not agree. Then Shyam requested Baba on behalf of Radhabhai. She might die on account of fasting, if she was not given initiation Mantra. If she died, it would tarnnish the name and fame of the kind hearted Baba. He took to Baba Radhabhai, who was extremely weak on account of fasting. Baba asked her to go to another master and get initiation. ‘ Baba! I do not know any other master’; she said. Baba asked her the meaning of the sloka.

     “The teacher is Brahma, Vishnu & Maheswara.

      The teacher is none other than God Himself.

      Unto such a teacher, salutation”

     “ Why not accept the name of a teacher? Why take another name in the face of master. If teacher is God, by following his teachings and following on the path shown by him, the result will be equal to that of chanting God’s name. Once the teacher is accepted, everything should be left to his care. Even for liberation of soul, the master is the guide. The master knows more about you than you know about yourself. He alone will lead you on the right path. What is our duty? Simply to follow the master without taking any diversions. You may think that if we follow master in this way how can we get food. Believe in God, that he will never leave you in starvation. God gives you not merely food but nectar too.

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5. Sacrifice Makes one Divine

Not only man but all beings in creation are covered by the six deadly passions. Of them the first two are lust and anger. Though they are treated as two, the second word is a development of the first. Miserliness, desire, ego, jealousy are also an extension of the first. These six passions are the different forms of lust. The changes / fluctuations in lust are the root cause for the nature and forms of other passions. Wish grows out of desire. This desire assumes the form of worldly attachments, which in turn changes to thwarted Anger. This anger in turn assumes the form of lust. This lust grows and makes man forget his true nature. This man loses all his wisdom on account of sufferings. For all miseries, for all destruction and for all dishonour, the root cause is desire. We have to put ceiling on our desires and lead our lives accordingly.

          At times Baba cried ‘ Allah Malik! ‘ Allah Malik’. ([Allah is the Lord). The next moment he would cry. “ Krishna the master, Ram the master and Dattatreya master.” Hence it was doubted whether Baba was a Hindu or a Muslim. Whenever Baba cried ‘ Allah Malik’ (Allah is the Lord). Many Muslims gathered round him. Similarly Hindus also gathered round him and offered their worship with camphor, incense and prasad. The Muslims did not like what Hindus did, and Hindus disliked what Muslims did.

          Mahalsapathi was the priest in the Khandoba temple. But he was always following Baba.
This was not liked by Muslims. One day they beat Mahalsapathi. For every blow he received, he cried ‘ Baba, Baba’ . When he cried like that, all those blows fell upon Baba. Baba came out. Muslims too ardently believed in him. Baba shouted ‘Oh Devil! On one hand praying, on the other hand beating. Is this devotion? Baba was bleeding. On seeing this, Muslims rushed to Baba and said ‘who beat you Baba?’ Baba replied ‘ all the time you have beaten me’. They replied ‘ Baba, we have not come to you, but we have beaten Mahalsapathi’. ‘Who was in Malshapathi?’ It was me. His sufferings and pains are all mine’ replied Baba. The Muslims prostrated before Baba and pleaded for excuse. Then Baba gathered both Muslims and Hindus and said ‘my dear children! all of you are the children of the same mother. Do not entertain any differences on the basis of caste and creed. These differences of caste and creed are only to the body. In a fanatic you don’t see god. Search for God only in your heart; thus preached Baba.

     Once, when Shiridi Baba was in Dwarakamayee, two devotees, Dama and Naana, were worshiping his feet. He was exchanging some copper coins from one hand to another and deeply examining them. He was searching for something that was visible or invisible, at the same time turning those coins this side and that side, without conversing with them. He spent one hour like that. When it was going on like that Dama asked Baba. ‘Baba many devotees are waiting for you; whereas you are playing with those copper coins. You are examining the same coins again and again; why are you deeply examining them?

Baba replied ‘ Oh, my son! I am doing the same thing, seeing the same thing and saying the same thing, again and again. See the mango tree opposite to you. It is full of flowers. Leaves are not to be seen. If all the flowers turn into unripe mangoes, can the tree bear the burden? If the tree is full of mangoes, the branches will break; but generally it does not happen. Why? All those mango flowers do not blossom. Some by the wind, some by frost, some by birds are destroyed. When the remaining blossom into small unripe mangoes, they are eaten away by birds, squirrels and monkeys. About 90% of the flowerage of the mango tree gets wasted, only 10 % blossoms into unripe mangoes. Similarly so many devotees are coming to me every day. Some for money, some for education, some regarding marriages, some others for their children and a few more for jobs. Most of them are coming to me full of desires. In every one of them there are defects. Nobody wants me. Each one of them comes to me for fulfillment of their worldly desires but not to acquire knowledge of the soul. I have kept open my precious treasury for them; but none seeks anything from it. I have been examining these coins, some are worn out, some spoiled, some have been crooked and in a few there are holes. “ Just as there are defects in these coins, the devotees who are coming to me are full of lapses. I have been studying there defects. Like the defective coins these people have many evil qualities and bad thoughts. Can they eat my fruits? Though they outwardly long for me, their entire mind is on the world outside. They are not striving for me. How can they get me? One among the multitude of devotees gathered here, longs and pines for me. They are not true devotees. All of them are full of defects. Their conscience is blunted. Not only that even those who call themselves ardent devotees are deserting me, when their desires are not fulfilled. Some others are doubting masters. They are coming to find out divinity in me. Whatever it be, they are all going away from me. These are all sinners; none of them are devotees or virtuous people, Can they reach me?’ ‘said Baba.

     Just at that time Takur came there. Going near Baba he said “ Baba, I have everything; money, children, riches, what not. There is no dissatisfaction in me for anything. I have come to you with the desire of acquiring Atmic knowledge”. “ Oh God! How long will you stay here?” Takur said ‘I have paid to & fro charges to my tonga wallah. If you give me Atmic knowledge now, I will take it and go away immediately’. Baba called Dama and asked him to go and get five rupees from Patel. Dama returned saying that Patel was not at home. Then he was asked to go to the shopkeeper and get the amount. Dama returned with empty hands. He was asked to go to the nearby Pan shopkeeper. Like this Baba sent Dama five times for an amount of five rupees. Takur was standing and observing all this. He was asking Baba to give him Atmic knowledge. But his mind did not agree to give five rupees. At last Baba looked at Takur and said “Oh Takur! You have seen how many times I have sent Dama for five rupees. You have five rupees bundle in your pocket. You have not cared to take out one and give. Oh mad fellow how can you get knowledge about soul and God, when you have so much attachment and greed for money. Go after money, since you have greed for money. Go home in your Tonga’. Takur did not move. Baba took a stick and shouted ‘ Oh Devil’ go away from here. Such a fellow as you, why should you come here? Longing for knowledge of the soul, but meditation only on money leave this place immediately. “Without sacrifice how can one get Atmic knowledge? For a man who does not have a sense of sacrifice, the knowledge of Brahman will be far at a distance. You are not able to sacrifice five rupees. But remember, one day all these will leave you. Then what will you do? Realise this truth. This truth is the real knowledge of Brahman”. With such preaching’s as these, Baba worked out transformation in the devotees’ hearts.

     Magnet attracts only pure Iron. It does not attract rusted Iron. Then that Iron says that magnet does not have power. Hearing the words of Iron magnet laughs, “ You are full of rust and dust. How can I attract you; first clean yourself; then I will attract you”. Human body is an Iron piece. First it should be purified. Not with a soap bath. Both outside and inside, we should be pure. If there is both external and internal purity the magnet of divinity will attract us. Not simply attraction. Iron will be transformed into magnet. ‘Divinity at heart makes one divine. ‘ Knower of Brahma makes one Brahman’.

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                    6. Spiritual Centre- Shiridi

When Baba had gone to Shiridi, there was nothing except an old dilapidated mosque. There was a small growing neem tree. There was the shade of the tree on one side. The branch of the tree grew like that. Baba used to relax himself under the shade of the tree. Struggling hard, he would go out for alms and come back and sit in the shade of the tree. After some period of time, the son-in-law of LaxmiBhai constructed a pial round the tree. “Oh tree all these years you have given me cool shade and shelter and helped me a lot. The branch which has given me so much of happiness all these years, should always be sweet and sound,” said Baba in gratitude to the tree. That is the reason why the neem leaves of this tree are sweet unlike those of other trees. Those who help others are always blessed. The good that we render to others will never go waste. We should not get depressed because the result is not immediate. The result for good deeds and help will always be there, slowly but certainly.

     In Shiridi Mahalsapathi used to sleep along with Baba in the same room. There was a verandah. In that verandah Baba used to sleep, resting his head on a slab. The width of the slab was only five inches. Baba was a tall, stalwart. He used to sleep on that. There was no other place Mahalsapathi used to sleep down under it. In the beginning Mahalsapathi was full of fear. Baba used to hang that slab with old dhotis (men’s lower garments). He was afraid that the old dhotis acting as a cradle might give way and the slab would fall upon him. He was a lean man. If he slept, and if suppose & such a big man as Baba fell upon him, would he be able to live; this was the fear of Mahalsapathi. He could not sleep all the night. If he heard even the slightest sound, he would runaway. Baba proved his divinity only to Mahalsapathi. One night Baba woke up Mahalsapathi calling him chotabhai. Baba used to call Mahalsapathi chotabhai. When Mahalsapathi woke up and saw, there were no old dhotis. The slab was hanging in the air. Baba was swinging on the slab as if it were a cradle.’ Are these old dhotis to carry my weight? No…No…It is all my prowess ‘ said Baba. “Mahalsapathi! Don’t tell any one. Many think I am a Brahmin, some others think that I am a Muslim, yet some other think that I am a Patel. In fact I am the son of Brahmin couple Devagiramma and Ganga Bhavaria, in the village of Patri. Don’t tell this secret to any one” Baba said.

     Why did Baba want his birth to be a secret? In those days there were communal differences and disturbances in Maharastra. Baba continued ‘ this is not good. I am a Muslim among Muslims and a Hindu among Hindus. Don’t tell any body whether I am a Hindu or a Muslim’. So saying Baba took a promise from Mahalsapathi. Baba told such secrets only to one or two of his devotees. This is common in every avatar (advent of god). During Treta yuga, in the advent of Ramavatar, Rama revealed his true nature to Laxmana only. In Dwapara yuga, Balarama was always with Krishna. But Krishna revealed himself to his close friend Uddava who always followed him like a shadow. Krishna told only Uddava, when he was leaving his mortal body. Such divine secrets will not be revealed to all. Divinity is beyond the comprehension of all.

     In the state of Bombay there was one Deputy Collector and settlement Officer by name Sathe. His full name is Harivinayaka Sathe. He lost his wife. He could not bear this separation and hence was very much depressed. One day his friend Professor Narke came to him, and enthused his spirits. He said, ”brother! There is no use of spending time like this. Leave this place for some time and go and have the darshan of great people”. He brought him to Shiridi. Sathe had the darshan of Baba. Baba at times laughed, turned his hands mystically and behaved like a mad man. Sathe doubted whether Baba was really a great man or a mad person. Nobody or his friend told him anything. Sathe stood before Baba “Sathe! Don’t be sorrowful. After all, these human bodies are like water bubbles. Don’t have any attachment to the body. Have any attachment only with god. Sorrows and troubles are just like passing clouds. These are common in the life of every man. Be brave. Take care of your child”. Sathe’s wife died giving birth to a child. Even Narke, his friend did not know about this.

     On hearing all this, Sathe believed him to be a prophet. Infact he wanted to return after having Baba’s darshan. But now he extended his stay by two days. After returning home he continued his job. “To whom am I to earn. Money, gold and all earthly objects are momentary”. Thinking thus, he visited Shiridi twice. Baba laughed and said, “Sathe! You have lost interest in your job. You are thinking for whom you should earn money. Why such a thought? Do good deeds. Construct a fort in Shiridi”. Sathe replied “ Swamy! I am not a lakhier. How can I construct a big fort in Shiridi? Baba continued, “ Start the work and do as much as you can. Why fear when I am here?”

     Sathe gained courage. By stages his uncle Dadakelkar came to Shiridi and settled there. Sathe sent money while his uncle constructed the fort and other buildings developing Shiridi. They were thus engaged in this activity. Sathe constructed the first accommodation building in Shiridi. Even today in Shiridi, that particular ward is known as “Sathe Wada”.

     Baba thus used Sathe as his first instrument in his divine mission. Since then, Sathe had become the prime person in all the activities of Baba. When Baba was telling everything to Sathe and took him near, other people of Shiridi grew jealous of him.

     “No quarrel, if one doesn’t do
but become jealous if others do
In the nearness of donor, one feels
his money is lost and
Go on spreading scandals with their tongue”.

     Several gathered round Baba and told him a number of scandals about Sathe. “ What name should be given to such people? ‘ The enemy of beggars’ who is that enemy? ‘Dog’ -such scandalmongers are no better than dogs. People of Shiridi developed grudge against Sathe. What is the reason? Sathe arranged a Hundi type of box for the offerings of devotees and with that amount he planned to construct a building (temple). It is a pity, and perhaps bad luck of Sathe, that in Shiridi thieves stole the silver chariot with horses. Sathe was the chief trustee of that trust. Others had a grudge against him as if he were responsible for the theft. One day a man stood with an axe in the way, Sathe generally traveled. That was seen by that mans uncle. Immediately he cautioned “ Sathe! Please don’t stay here. You may stay anywhere and chart Baba’s name. Please leave Shiridi”. Sathe left Shiridi. Baba called ‘ Sathe, Sathe,’ and almost grieved for him. But Sathe was not there. Sathe was very dear to Baba and also very close. As such a dear and near person as Sathe had left Shiridi, Baba was not happy and this was realised by his devotees.

     Quite appropriate to the time, Shyam’s parents after retirement came with Shyam and settled in Shiridi. After Sathe had left, Shyam gradually endeared himself to Baba. During daytime, Shyam took classes for the students and after the classes were over slept in the same classroom. While going to sleep he observed through the other window into the other room, what Baba was doing. He saw Baba talking and laughing in himself and doing certain pranks for himself. He slept on a wooden block, which he tied with two ropes. It was a small block. Sleeping on it, he used to swing. Shyam feared this act of Baba. ‘While sleeping Baba might fall down, because it was a small block’ thus worried Shyam. One day while pressing Baba’s legs, he asked him, “ Swamy, the whole night you haven’t slept. You are laughing and talking within you. What does it mean?” Baba replied, “Oh mad fellow! Are you the only person in this world; there are so many praying to me; I am speaking with all of them”.

     Baba continued ‘If I turned my finger it meant turning their minds. My lips are moving means I am talking to them. My hobby is enjoying their madness; All this I am doing for my devotees”.

     Baba had no anger but at times pretended it. If he were angry, even from a distance of ten feet, he would take a stick and threw it at them. One day Shyam questioned him, ‘ Swamy, you are beating them so severely and angrily. If any of them died, it would bring a bad name to you’. Baba ‘Oh Devil, please sit down. Their life is in my hands. If I send him he will go. I will see that they won’t die; you do your work’ further he said, ‘ Why are you sad of this? He would come to the normal state only when I pretended anger. If I am good, he will sit on my head. Hence with harsh words and sentences, to some extent striking fear in them, we have to make them work. I pretend anger to get work done. Infact I don’t have any anger towards anybody’ thus Baba revealed the secret of himself to Shyam. Baba passed time, getting services from Shyam.

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7. The implied meaning of a gift – devotion and dedication

Baba used to take a gift or an offering from anyone who came to him. Not much. Generally he asked for a gift of Rs.2/- only. Why? The Rs. 2/- would mean, one is devotion, the other is dedication. These two are the two parts of a seed. When the two parts are together, the seed will sprout. Suppose the two are separated, no sprouting will take place. Devotion and dedication should be together like the two parts of a seed. Then only the plant called bliss will sprout.

Baba used to give away to poor people the gifts he took from a devotee. He never kept one with him. One day, one by name Pradhan came. He was a judge. He wanted to give Rs. 20/- to Baba. In those days there were only coins. Silver coins in rupees. Pradhan gave a sovereign. Baba turned upside down and closely examined it. The man by his side said it was a gold coin. ‘How many rupees for it’? Baba asked. ‘Only fifteen rupees’ he replied. Then Baba asked Pradhan, ‘ Pradhan you have to give me Rs.5/- more! Pradhan was a judge what! for a sovereign only Rs.15/-.I have given correctly. Why are you asking me like this? So thought Pradhan “First give me Rs.5/- and then think “ what have you thought before leaving your house? You wanted to give Rs. 20/-. But you have given me Rs.15/- only. You have to give me another Rs. 5/-‘ first give; Baba said. The judge was taken aback. The real judge was Baba. Baba used to take money from those who came to him and gave it away to the poor people.

In Shiridi, Baba did not preach spiritual knowledge only through discourses. In those days the living atmosphere was altogether different. Baba was an embodiment of love. There was neither anger nor hatred in him. A number of examples are there. Once Dadasaheb’s wife came along with her child to stay in Shiridi for some time .At that time plague was widespread in Shiridi. The child had an attack of fever. Big blisters have formed on the body. She left the child there itself and went to the mosque and piteously prayed to Baba. ‘Why have you come? Your child has fever and blisters. Not only your child; I too have them on my body.” So saying Baba showed them raising his shirt. Big blisters were seen on his body. Mahalsapathi was there. Then Baba had a high fever, temperature ranging from 105 to 106 degrees. Then the mother felt “Not only my child, you also. Who will save you? You are the protector of all life. Is there anyone who can save you?” So saying she mildly beat her cheek in excuse. After some time, the child had no fever, and no blisters. Then she expressed her gratitude to Baba ‘Oh Baba’! You have taken my child’s suffering on you and saved him’.

There was also a doctor by name Pillai .He had no good opinion about Baba. He used to satirically give speeches about Baba’s miracles. Once he had a severe ailment in his body. He used all medicines. He consulted several eminent doctors. But no relief. The suffering and pain increased day by day. He thought of suicide as the only medicine. Then his friend Kaka Saheb advised him ‘Go to Baba; prostrate before him with all humility. He will give relief’. Heeding this advice, he approached Baba and prostrated before him. Baba looked at him with a smile and said. ’Hello! You are suffering from sever colic. Don’t be afraid. Believe in god and meditate on him. You will not have that pain again’ so saying he gave him ‘prasad’ (the gracious food offered to god) and sent him away. The next moment onwards Pillai was free from pain. Where did it go? Baba had taken it on himself. Baba suffered from it for some days and it left him on his command.

In this way Baba showed divine results for anything. The reason for it was the steadfast faith of devotees. They used to follow Baba’s words to the letter and deed. Today it is not there. If anything is said, there will be ten questions. It is on account of the influence of education. Today’s man gets all help but forgetting all that behaves with all cruelty and ingratitude. He forgets good, and fosters bad only. Hence today’s man is full of devilishness. Selfishness to the core. If his wishes are full filled he will come smilingly to Baba other wise they are totally changing. If they turned into such cruel animals, how can devotion for Baba grow in them? Today, man is only in form but a beast in actions.

Once i.e. in the year 1916 there was a severe cyclone in Shiridi. The people of Shiridi could not bear it . The hailstorm hit the people; All, workers and villagers ran towards Dwarakamayee and took shelter. All prayed to Baba ‘Oh Baba,’ save us, save us’. In Dwaparayuga Indra rained stones, all yadavas prayed to Krishna ‘Oh Krishna’, save us, save us; in the same way people of Shiridi prayed to Baba. Then Baba said ‘good! I will see’. He went forward and striking on a pillar, he cried ‘ Sir, please stop your wrath; calm yourself. You have shown too much of your anger. All are struck with fear. They have understood your valour. Don’t show too much of your valour please calm yourself. ‘At these words the cyclone stopped.

In Dwarakamayee, there was a sacred fire place called ‘Dhuni’; Putting sticks into that fire is the tradition. Devotees believed that by putting sticks into that fire, some good will happen to them. Women madly believed in this. They used to buy sticks and put them in the fire. They are satisfied that for their benefit they have to put sticks in the fire. But what about the mosque. Can it bear all heat and fire? One day after some time, there was a big flame. Sham came out crying ‘Dada’! Dada!’ Baba came out ‘what happened’? ‘See the fire god appeared’. ‘who is here now to see you? None. When nobody is there to see, why do you want to show your valour? There is nobody to teach you a lesson. Why show your greatness when it is unwanted’, uttering thus Baba struck on the pillar. Lo’ the next moment all the flames came down.

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8. Reforming the devotees – a unique style

               Nobody knows the day when this body falls
               Nor does one know the onset of sufferings;
               In this world no one knows about his birth
               None knows anything about the earthly or heavenly pleasures
               Caught in the web of illusion, and unable to give up attachments
               They forget their duty as humans
               What they do, they do not know
               All these are the work of the divine will
               When we pray to him, the lover of the poor and the suffering,
               Whatever and however be the mystery of creation,
               Devotion, strength, and liberation, Baba will give.

     A number of devotees were going to Shiridi. Among them there was one devotee by name Tarkad of Bandra. He was a Sheristedar. He had wife and a 16 year old boy. Both wife and son loved Baba and had faith in him. Tarkad never interfered in their faith. One day wife and son said ‘we are going to Shiridi’ ‘certainly go’ said Tarkad. He was a follower of Brahma Samaj. He did not like to go to any holy place. Though his wife requested him, he did not go to Shiridi. That is also a weakness. Whatever society to which you belong God is one. Some people enter on the crooked path of these narrow caste and creed considerations. Because Tarkad was a Brahmo, he did not agree to go to Shiridi. Meanwhile his sixteen year old son said ‘Father, I don’t go to Shiridi’, ‘why’ asked his father. Everyday I am observing discipline while worshipping Baba; daily I offer a sugar candy to Baba. Believing that Baba has taken it, everyday I offer the same to Baba. I don’t like to leave it. So I cannot go to Shiridi’. Father loved his son immensely. He did not like to hurt the sentiment of his son. ‘ I will do that work; you please go’ said Tarkad. ‘Do you really perform it?’ promise me that you will render worship to Baba, or else I don’t go to Shiridi. Tarkad was moved by his son’s perseverant faith in Baba. ‘Such a disciplined boy, how noble he must be; though I am older and aged, I haven’t acquired such a discipline.’ Thinking thus about his son, he assured him that he would certainly perform worship of Baba, during his absence. Both mother and son left for Shiridi. As promised to his son, Tarkad daily worshipped, offered sugar candy as oblation, and at the lunch he would take it as divine food. On this merino, days passed. One day in his office hurry, he offered worship to Baba but forgot to offer sugar candy, finished his breakfast and left for office. On returning from office, for lunch, he asked his cook to serve sugar candy. The cook told him that, that day he did not offer any divine oblation. Tarkad regretted very much that he failed in his promise to his son. His worry was more for his son than for his failure to render his duty.

One day in Shiridi both mother and son went to Baba to offer their Pranams. ‘Oh my child! Yesterday I went to Bandra. No one offered me food there. The sugar candy, which you were daily giving, I did not get. I returned hungry. If you give now I will take it ‘ said Baba. These words were a shock to the boy. On returning home, he wept bitterly hiding himself in the arms of his mother. ‘Father promised to me but did not give the oblation; so Baba returned disappointed. Mother, I don’t stay here. I will not deviate from my discipline. I am going back to Bandra’ said the boy. Immediately Baba sent one by name Jog to the boy with these words you need not go now. Your father failed in his promise, but not you. You have my grace; don’t go; you may stay here as long as you want to’. The boy stayed there for some more days but spent his time disappointed and disillusioned. After ten days both mother and father returned home. Father immediately went to his son and requested him to excuse him for his failure in keeping his promise. Then the boy said’ offer your excuses not to me but to Baba. To whichever society and culture one belongs, one should not swerve from truth’. Only when we follow Truth in word and deed, we will feel the presence of divinity’.

Some people considered Shiridi Baba as a mad man. Some others believed him to be a fakir. To those who think that God is a mad person he appears mad, for those who think him to be a fakir, he appears as a fakir. Once Baba called one by name Appa Kulkarni and giving him from his pockets two coins asked him to go and bring Nana. Nana was a Tahasildar. In those days Tahasildar commanded a lot of respect. Further Nana was a well-educated person, and a man of attractive personality. Naturally, he was arrogant. When Kulkarni met him and conveyed to him the request of Baba, he was not willing to go and meet a fakir. ‘ Some fakir asks me to meet him. Am I to go? You have no sense, go away ‘ said Nana. Kulkarni came back and told Baba what Nana had said. But Baba again insisted that he should see Nana. ‘ I have to see Nana; I have to see Nana! These words Baba repeated as if he were mad. Then Kulkarni though ‘ this Nana is highly egoistic. He insulted me also. Why should Baba be anxious to see him? Why should he be so loving to him? But he could not understand Baba’s nature. At last Kulkarni holding the feet of Nana, requested him to come and see Baba’ Baba wants to see you. You must come? At last Nana agreed to go to Shiridi and see Baba. ‘ I am going not to see Baba but to satisfy you. There is no need for me to see him.’ He came to Shiridi, met Baba but was not at all obedient in his manner. ‘ I am an officer; you are a beggar. What purpose do you have with me? Why did you ask me to come? “ questioned Nana.

“Nana, why have you not come, when I have sent for you so many times? The relation between you and me is not of this birth. You have forgotten. I remember it. Come near,” said Baba. Nana was feeling bad that he was asked to sit on the floor. If he did not heed Baba’s words, it would be an insult to him. Baba one by one narrated the faults of Nana ‘ you are working as a Tahasildar. You are using Government lands for your personal use. It is not good. Your job is meant for setting right the people who are on the wrong path. What you are doing is severely wrong,” admonished Baba. On hearing these words of Baba Nana realized that Baba was not a beggar but a great man. Baba asked Nana to come again next week.

Nana came again next week. Baba was having a philosophic discussion with some people. Nana was in his prime years. Meanwhile a Muslim couple came. They were young. The lady wore a mask. This is common among Muslims. While offering Pranams to Baba, the lady’s mask turned aside by the breeze. Nana looked at her without closing his eyelids. Baba observed this. ‘ No doubt God has given us eyes to see; but it doesn’t mean that our thoughts should be vicious. Let the eyes see, but why do you change your mind? God has given us eyes to see but it is wrong to divert the mind on the wrong path.’ Nana felt insulted when Baba admonished him in public. “ Baba is it right to insult me like this among so many people?” asked Nana. Baba said” youth should be admonished only in a group. If told alone, they won’t listen. For example sitting in your room, you don’t mind to wear old clothes and sweep the room, but if anybody comes to meet you, you will change your clothes and come out in good dress. When alone, we don’t feel respect; in public, we are conscious of it. Then you will keep bad or evil at a distance and become good. If one is told in public, he will cultivate good feelings and good thoughts. This is fear of sin, where there is fear of sin, love for God will grow. Love for God generates social morality.

Nana came next week also. Baba asked him to sit and said “ Nana, in life there is no relation between you and me. But in the previous birth there was a close relation between both of us. That was the reason why I longed to see you” Baba got up and pressed Nana’s eyes. Then Nana had a vision of the past, who he was and who Baba was. He prostrated before Baba and said” Baba, excuse me. Though you know all, you pretend as if you were ignorant. We pretend to know everything though we do not know anything at all.”

Since then Nana became close to Baba. He was helping Baba with Hookah. The man who looked down upon Baba thinking that he was a mad fellow treated Baba as his sixth life breath. Baba without Nana or Nana without Baba was never seen. Some people grew jealous and criticised this closeness between the two. “ It is my will. Who are you to tell me? I will take food only if Nana were with me.” No one can say how people were in the previous birth and how the present birth would be. In the case of some, their works are easily facilitated without any effort or reason. Though they do not hope or expect, God takes them close to him. It is the result of our actions in previous birth. Without a seed yesterday, how can there be a plant today. The refinement of births over years acquires fruition in this birth. What form and name one assumed in the previous birth, no one knows. What is the reason? Because of our love and attachment to the present name and form we totally forget the form and name we had in the previous birth.

At one time, in the village of Jaamneru Nana’s daughter Meena was suffering from labour pains. Three or four days passed. She became very weak. Everybody doubted whether she would be able to cross the critical hour. There were no medical facilities, no hospitals and no nurses in those days. Nana sat before Baba’s photo and prayed “ Baba, Baba please save my child.” A devotee however and wherever he prays, it reaches god. There is a connection between the two. It reaches God faster than wireless. Baba could immediately foresee the predicament of Meena. There was one by name Ramgiri Baavu. Baba used to call him Baavu. “ Baavu, please come. Take this Vibhuthi [ash] and go to Jaamneru and give this to Nana,” said Baba. ‘I take it as a command’, Baavu said. He had with him only two rupees. How could he go to Jaamneru with two rupees? He could go only upto Jalagam. He told Baba” How can I go? I have no money”. ‘ Oh mad fellow, don’t bother I will look after that you go. When I have entrusted you with some work, I will take care of your comforts. Don’t give scope for any doubt’, said Baba.

In Tretayuga Rama commanded Hanuman ‘ Hanuma! You should search for Sita.’ At that time Hanuma doubted first whether he would be able to cross the ocean. But at the same time realising that God who entrusted him with that work would look after everything, proceeded on his mission. It was nothing else but his supreme confidence, steady faith. Baavu also at first doubted whether he would be able to go to Jaamneru with Rs.2. From Jalagam; it was 30 miles more. In those days there were only Tongas [horse carriages], either he should go by Tonga to Jaamneru or on foot from Jalagam. Baba gave him confidence.’Believe my words, follow my command, go” said Baba.

The train reached Jalagam. It was half an hour past one in the night. Pitch dark. Baavu got down the train and prayed to Baba. An office attender came. In those days an office attender with an official badge used to accompany the Tahsildar. He was a tall man, very tall and hefty. He came to the train and enquired, “ Who was Baavu that came from Shiridi and got down here? Baavu said ‘ I am Baavu. I have come here sent by Baba. ‘Please come. A Tonga is waiting for you.’ Who sent it?’ ‘Nana Saheb sent it’ said the attender.

The Tonga started at a high speed. Soon Baavu reached the village. He got down before the house of Nana. He turned himself to talk to the carriage driver but nobody was there. No Tonga. No Tonga driver. Meeting Nana he said’, Nana Saheb! Baba sent this Vibhuthi. ‘When?’ yesterday evening. I reached Jalagam by half past one in the night. How you came to know about it I don’t know. You sent me a horse carriage. So I could reach your house.

Nana Saheb was surprised. ‘I don’t have any Tonga; nor have I sent anybody. I don’t know that you are coming. Where is the Tonga? Let me see” The Tonga left immediately after I had got down. The tonga wallah said that you had sent him”. This is not the time for words. First the patient had to be given Vibhuthi. Nana went in prayer to Baba, gave Vibhuthi to his daughter. He was crying ‘ Baba, Baba, Baba.’ The next moment the cry of a male child was heard. Meena had given birth to a male child.

Nana came to Baavu and asked him to narrate in detail what had happened. Baavu narrated how he started with Rs.2 and how he reached Jaamneru and how Baba looked after all his comforts. Baba would never desert his devotees. Steady faith is important. Unfortunately we have lost the two eyes of faith. We can achieve anything with confidence and faith.’ I am happy because of my faith.’ On the third day of the childbirth, Nana and Baavu left for Shiridi. ‘ Baba! What a drama it is! What a message you have conveyed! What sports! They are indescribable.’ Thus they praised Baba.

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9. A divine instrument – Dasganu

Dasganu was a police officer in Kopergam. No doubt he was a good man but had the bad habit of abusing those who went to Shiridi. He debunked that so many people were going to the fakir. He was a good singer. Even when he was in the police station, he would be singing. At times he also narrated some tales of the Lord (God’s stories) in a sweet voice. Many people came to him. He advised the devotees to believe in and surrender themselves to God, but at the same time cautioned them not to go to the Fakir. Baba came to know about this. ‘Swami! Dasganu was saying like this, we are not able to hear his words’ said the devotees. Any devotee going to Shiridi should pass through Kopergam. When Dasganu was cautioning the devotees against Baba, they were very much disturbed.

                    
          Once in Shiridi both Srirama Navami and Bakrid occurred on the same day. Dasganu came to Shiridi on official duty. In those days there used to be a procession for Baba. Devotees took him in a palanquin in the streets of Shiridi. The procession was going. Dasganu stood at a distance. On seeing him Baba called him ‘Dasganu, please come, come! Dasganu started shivering. He is a guilty conscience, because earlier he was abusing Baba. ’Don’t be afraid, I am a fakir. So many are coming to me, because they have gone mad. You too have gone mad; please come here’. He threw a stick at him from the palanquin. ‘Oh Devil! Because you have a tongue, you are talking as you please. The purpose of tongue is only to speak good words. But you are using the tongue for bad and unholy words. This is not the duty of a policeman; you are behaving contrary.’ So Baba scolded Dasganu. Everybody there understood that Baba was scolding Dasganu. Dasganu grew angry.’ He was scolding me in the midst of so many people. He should have called and reprimanded me alone’, so thought Dasganu. ‘You want me to call you alone. I will call you after this palanquin festival is over, said Baba’. Baba knew everything. He said what I had in my mind. He was not a fakir, Dasganu thought. Getting down from the palanquin, Baba asked Nana to call Dasganu. Leaving his shoes outside, Dasganu went in to meet Baba. On seeing him Baba said what work do you have with this world. From today onwards, you stay here only’. ‘Swami! I have duty. Soon I will get my promotion’. You want promotion? asked Baba. ‘I have still service for a long time. There are chances of my getting promotion’. ‘Do you come here again after getting promotion’, Baba asked. ‘ I will certainly come’, replied Dasganu. ‘Promise; only one word, you can go. I will send your promotion order’ Baba said.

     Dasganu left for Kopargam. After one week he went to Aurangabad on promotion. He forgot his promise to Baba. He was attending to his regular duties, and spending time at parties (dinners) and so on. Like that he was spending his time. Baba sent Kulkarni to Dasganu to remind him of his promise. ‘Dasganu! Baba is calling you.
     
‘ I have forgotten. But Baba has not forgotten.’
‘ I am now in my duty. I will apply for leave and come. As long as I am in duty, I have to do it
well’.
After some days applying for leave, Dasganu came to Shiridi.
‘ What did you say Dasganu? You promised to come after getting your promotion. It was
already six months. You have not even tried to come here’ asked Baba.

‘Swamy! It is power. I want to enjoy it. After sometime I will come’ Dasganu replied.
‘Yes, you may go’, said Baba.
Dasganu left. On reaching Aurangabad, he was surprised; he had to face an enquiry. What was it? The stolen money from the thieves was recovered and kept in the police station. The next day the amount was missing. Where had it gone? Dasganu was innocent but he had to bear the blame. He was charged with theft. ‘I have lived all these years a decent life and wanted to acquire name and fame. But this blame has fallen upon me.’ Thus felt Dasganu. It was neither sleep nor conscious state. He heard the voice of Baba. ‘Are you thinking of what has happened? Have you forgotten? The theft is my work. If you want not to get any bad remark and lead an honourable life, get up early in the morning and start.’ Dasganu arrived at Shiridi. The stolen money was in the police station itself. The police came to Shiridi and said that Dasganu was innocent.

‘Since he had forgotten his promise, I wanted to punish him. So I have created
an illusion. The money was there itself. I made it invisible and after sometime visible, said Baba. Since then Dasganu stayed in Shiridi only. He was a poet and singer. He went to the villages and spread the story of Baba through the medium of ‘Harikatha’. (God’s story with music accompaniment). Earlier he used to scold and criticise those who were going to Shiridi. But now he was requesting and advising all the devotees to go to Shiridi. ‘It is a sin if one doesn’t go to Shiridi. A visit to Shiridi – human life gets ennobled and enriched,’’ thus saying, Dasganu narrated the story of Baba in the villages. A large number of people started coming to Baba.
               
     One day Baba sat under a Banyan tree. He was answering the questions of devotees, and during intervals, he would ask Dasganu to sing. Once every body in the gathering was silent. A lizard cried. The attention of everyone turned on that. Because it was a total silence, even a small sound was heard. Some devotees asked,’ There is a lot of meaning in the cry of a lizard. If a lizard cries is it good or bad.?’ Baba replied.’ Oh, Devil! Don’t you know, for every happening there is a hidden meaning. Don’t you be happy if you come to know that your children are coming home. In the same way the lizard also is happy. Why? Her sister is coming from Aurangabad.’ Every body wondered, ‘where is Aurangabad? A lizard having a sister! How could she know that her sister was coming?

     Just then Patil and his wife got down from the Tonga to have the Darshan of Baba. They took out the bag to give food to the horse. There was a lizard in it. She went towards the other lizard. Both were happy. ‘See them.’ Said Baba. God alone knows such things. Dasganu started a God’s story. Before narrating it he asked Baba. ‘Baba! Your story should be written as God’s story. Where were you born? Who were your parents? Where did you grow up?’ ‘Oh Dasganu! I have no birth. My name is Baba. I have come from Baba. I was not born’. No one could understand these words. Once Baba called Dasganu and whispered in his ears. ’Born in the village of Patri – living at Dwarakamayee’. Then he and other devotees came to know that Baba was born in the village of Patri.                                              

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10. ‘A fulfiller of Devotees’ wishes’

There was a village near Shiridi by name Nanded. A devotee from there came to Baba. He was a very rich man called Wadia. He was trying to go to Shiridi from a long time. He was a close friend of Dasganu. He went to Dasganu and asked him how to go to Shiridi.’I have a lot of money’. ‘I have no children. First time, I have a determination to go to Shiridi. Please guide me’, he said.

In the same village (Nanded) there was a pious, hard working, kindhearted man. All the people in the village called him ‘Kooli Swamy’. He was living on daily labour. He was also a good preacher. He used to preach as well as practise. One day this Kooli Swamy was sleeping under a bunk. Nobody was talking to him. He was very weak, as he had no food. Wadia who was going by his Tonga saw him, pitied him and instructed a nearby hotelier to give him, enough food he wanted. Kooli Swamy felt happy and expressed gratitude to God. God is the prop to the propless people.

‘Whether in forest or on the sky
in the town or in the village
on the bank or in the river
for the propless people, God is the only support.’.

So thought Kooli swami. He conveyed his thanks to the hotelier who gave him food.

After Dasganu told him, Wadia journeyed to Shiridi along with his wife and had the darshan of Baba. ‘Hei! Give me five rupees as an offering’ asked Baba. Wadia was a very rich man. He did not step backward. He put his hands in his long coat. He had only small coins. Baba said ‘I don’t want five rupees; I want only rupee one and two annas. Already you have given me rupees three and 14 annas.’ Wadia could not understand. ‘This is the first time for me to come to Shiridi; earlier I have not seen Baba. How was it possible that I gave him already Rs. 3 and 14 annas?’ So thought Wadia. However he had the darshan of Baba and after giving Re.1 and 2 annas, he left for Nanded.
          
On the second day of his return, Dasganu came and asked him what had happened at Shiridi. Wadia was not happy ‘Dasganu! I don’t see him as a great man. He appeared to me as a mad person. Even in a mad person, there may be divinity. However I could not respect him much.’ ‘What happened there? Tell me ‘ asked Dasganu. Wadia said, ‘immediately after I had the darshan of Baba’, he asked me to give him Rs.5. When I was about to give, Baba said that I had already given Rs.3 and 14 annas, and now the balance of Re.1 and 2 annas to be given. I had never seen Baba before. Why did he say like that?’ Dasganu was an ardent devotee. ‘Baba will never say unreal things. He is omnipresent and omniscient. What Baba said must be true, something wrong with you. The deficiency is yours, not that of Baba. You are mistaken. There must be truth in what Baba had said. During this period have you given any charity? ‘ Asked Dasganu. Yes three days before, while leaving for Shiridi, by my Tonga, I arranged food for one ‘Kooli swami’ in the hotel. Except that I haven’t given any charity.

‘How much did you spend on that?
Wadia called his peon and asked him. ‘It was Rs.3 and 14 annas.’
Now see! the amount you gave for the food of Kooli Swamy reached Baba. So you have given that amount to Baba. Nothing will happen without Baba’s will. God is there in everyone. To whom ever you render service, it will reach Baba’ said Dasganu. This is the main text of Indian culture. All religions accept it. ‘Since Rs.3 and 14 annas reached Baba, he asked you for the balance amount’.

‘God’s ways are mysterious. Don’t think of Baba in any wrong sense’. Wadia was surprised. He realised his folly. I have thought like that on account of my foolishness.’

On the second day Wadia went to Shiridi along with his wife, and Dasganu. On reaching Shiridi, Dasganu went to the mosque to see Baba. Wadia came late with his wife.

‘Baba! Pardon me!’ So saying Wadia fell before Baba’s feet. He took with him a basketful of plantains. Baba took four out of them and gave them to Wadia’s wife. In those days women never took by hands anything given by others. They used to extend their saree. Baba dropped the fruits in that ‘you have to eat these four plantains. Don’t give to others. You will have four sons, Thus Baba blessed her.

Earlier Wadia had spent a lot of money on astrologers. None of their words came true. Next year a son was born. Wadia went to Shiridi and placed the child at the feet of Baba for his blessings.
     
In those days Baba’s devotees had no amenities at all. Wadia constructed a choultry for the comfort of Baba’s devotees. Now of course it became an old one.                      

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11. Saieswara Sarwabhootanam
Saieswara present in all beings

     In the village of Bandra there was an ardent devotee called Hemad Pant. His real name was Anna Saheb. Anna Saheb always chanted the name of Baba. One day he slept and woke up at 3’0clock. He felt the presence of a six feet tall stalwart. The doors were open. He was no other than Baba. Baba patted on the back of Anna Saheb ‘Saab! Tomorrow I am coming to your house for food.’ Was it a dream or an illusion? Anna Saheb pondered’. No. It cannot be a dream. My Baba came to me. He will come to my house to take food. Anna Saheb was full of cries in his estastic joy. His wife asked him “ What is it? Is it a dream or a childish play? Why are you so eccentric?” Anna Saheb told his wife all that he had seen. “ All this must be your dream. How could Baba come to our house at 3.00 AM? Where is Shiridi and where is Bandra? All this is your illusion?’ She said. Anna Saheb knew Baba’s true form and nature. ‘Oh madwoman! To God, there is no distance or nearness. God is omnipresent. It is foolish to think of God’s coming or going. God appears anywhere at any time to those who deserve it. To the undeserving he won’t be seen at all. It all depends on one’s faith. Tomorrow Baba will come to our house. Soon after getting up in the morning, you must prepare delicious preparations said Anna Saheb to his wife. ‘If Baba really comes to our house, how fortunate we are!’ his wife said.

     Next morning, she got up in the early hours, cleaned the house, and cleaned the utensils. Made special preparations. Prepared sweat liquid milk and sago combine. Prepared another sweet. Also prepared pulse cakes. All were eagerly waiting for Baba. The house was fully decorated with flower arches, rows of mango leaves hung on the doors, it was 12 noon. Baba did not come. Nor were there signs of his coming. Anna Saheb looked in all directions. ‘Why has not Baba come? Baba keeps his word. He is an embodiment of truth. He is Satyanarayana [the Lord of truth]. He is not different from truth. Definitely he will come Baba will never fail in his promise. “ Thus he was trying to convince his wife. It was already 2 PM. There were no signs of Baba’s coming. What could be done?

     From the front room two Muslims came. They said “ Anna Saheb! You are in a hurry. It seems your relatives have come. You are getting ready for lunch. Don’t disturb yourself. Please take this packet ’so saying they handed over a pocket to Anna Saheb. When he opened the packet, he found in it Baba’s Photo. ‘Oh Baba! You have come in this form to my house’. He hugged Baba’s photo. True devotion is real madness. ‘Why does Baba make people mad? He drives away worldly madness and creates madness for him in the devotees’ minds. He kept the photo leaning it against a glass tumbler, before a food leaf. ‘Baba! Please take food. You have come in this form.’ Make me shed tears; make me shed tears, oh! my dear blissful form, my Child Baba. He wipes our tears for worldly things and makes us shad tears for him. Oh! Baba you must eat” thus he prayed to Baba closing his eyes. One pulse cake from the basket disappeared. Rice heap on the leaf spread and there appeared fingerprints on it. ‘Baba ate food; this is Baba’s food - a divine Prasad’ so saying Anna Saheb ate the remnants of food on the leaf. Those days and circumstances were different. Devotees also were satisfied by such instances. If Baba said that he would come, he would definitely come in some form. This is an example for god’s omnipresence. He would come in the form of a dog, or a buffalo or a cat and take food.

     Now a days it is different. ‘I will come to your house ‘ and take food” means physically I must go and take food. ‘When I go to Bombay, I will visit your house’ if I say, definitely I will go. Why?
Those days the beliefs were different. These days’ beliefs are different. In those days there was complete faith. Faith full of love. Today it is part-time devotion. Enjoyment is only to some extent. But later again doubting. We should not give room for doubts. Steady faith is required. If we have steady faith, definitely anything would happen. That is divine voice, it will never swerve. But many deficiencies in our faith, it will fail. ‘As you think, so you will be ‘ keep your faith steady. Any number of obstacles let your faith be constant. Any number of sufferings, our faith should not change. It should be constant and fixed. Just as our breath, so should be our faith.

     The Devotees in Shiridi would not comprehend these divine actions. If Baba said that he would come and did not come in human form they would ask him ‘Oh! Baba! We have waited for you. Why have you disappointed and troubled us?. What sin have we committed?.’ Baba would say ‘I came in the form of black dog.’ It meant there is a god in every living being. This is also an ancient Hindu belief. A rat moving in a house will be caught in a cage. The same rat as the vehicle of Lord Ganesh is worshipped. Any small being or object in divine presence is respected and worshipped. Snakes are killed when found in thick grass or lonely places. The cobra around the neck of Lord Siva is not only an ornament but worshipped. Proximity enhances esteem. Nearness to divinity brings riches. Away from divine grace or presence, none will be respected. Always we should be In divine presence. Divinity is everywhere, in you, with you and around you. Divinity knows no exits and entrances.

     In the Village of Dahazu there was one by name Dev. To satisfy his mother, he determined to perform a religious vow. He went to Baba and said ‘ This is a great vow we are performing in our life. You are our god incarnate. If you come and be our living god in that performance, there is no better heaven or liberation than that. Please come and accept our hospitality on that day” requested Dev. Baba promised to come. Dev made all arrangements. Baba said that he would come, and along with him two more. He did not tell the names. Dev announced in the village that Baba would be coming on the day of performance of vow. Everybody was happy.

     Ten days before the commencement of vow, one Narendranath Tagore came to Dhanu. ‘For the protection of the cow, I have come to this village for a donation. Will anybody give me donation?’ he asked. ‘ Dev is the only rich man in the village. He was busy organising a big programme. You please come after the programme was over.’ Before leaving the village he met Dev and said ‘Sir, you are busy in a major programme. We hoped for your help. We will come again after some days.’ He left the village and appeared again on the last-day of the vow. A feast was arranged to all in the village. This Narendranath Takur came along with two others. ‘Sir, we have not come for any donation. We have come to see the performance of this religious vow.

Then Dev offering his pranams said ‘Sir, you please stay with us and accept our hospitality’ the vow will come to close by 12:30 noon. I will be busy in my work. If you tell me where you are staying, I will send my people. Narenderanth Takur said ‘ you are busy in the programme. You need not send anybody. We will come by 12:30 noon.’ Dev thanked them. They left.

     They returned at 12:30 noon. All sat in the line to take food. Dev was waiting for Baba. He did not even take water. He wanted to take water only after Baba had arrived; It was 1’o’ clock. Time passed it was 4 ‘o’ clock. It was 10 ‘o’clock in the night. Baba did not come. Dev grew angry. He thought ‘we worshipped him, as god. My mother is disappointed. Baba has told a lie and cheated us. He should not have deceived us! In this manner he thought of Baba in different ways. Dev’s mother took her food, not hoping for Baba.

     After one week Dev went to Shiridi. He was very angry. He wanted to ask, holding Baba’s feet, why he had told lie and disappointed him. He was standing at a distance being an elderly man. Dasganu, Tatya, Nana, Shyam were all there Baba told them ‘See Dev is coming to fight with me. All of you get ready. I’ll argue with him. I have good weapons to fight with him.

     Dev was angry on one hand but at the same time full of devotion for Baba. He fell at the feet of Baba and said ‘Baba, I am your devotee. What people think? Whether I told a lie or you? They are laughing at me; my mother an aged lady felt very much disappointed. I am feeling very bad at my mother’s disappointment. Why did you tell lies? “ Dev! There is no need for me to tell any untruth. Never have I told lie so far. You don't have brains to understand truth. You are full of folly and you find fault with me and have come to fight with me. I have done as I promised.’ ‘Baba! You said that you would come along with two persons for lunch. At least you should have come. ‘Do you know who is that Thakur who has come for a donation from you for cow protection. You have welcomed them and invited them to lunch. They left saying that they would come by 12:30 noon. They came again and had their Lunch. Who do you think they are?’

     Dev regretted his folly in arguing with Baba. ‘Baba I did not realise that you would come in another form. My thoughts are all in another direction.” ‘Oh! Dev, Do you think that Baba means this small frail form. All forms are mine. You are narrow-minded; not I. I am always broad-minded.’

     Tatya and Dasganu were by the side of Baba supporting him. Tatya said to Dev ‘It happened like this to me several times. Baba also told me an untruth. My wife and I are in Shiridi ---. It was Thursday and my wife prepared ‘polilu’ because Baba liked them. Please come to our house ‘she invited Baba ‘I like the ’polis’. Certainly I will come to your house ‘Baba said. We got the house cleaned we were ready waiting for Baba. Baba did not come as per time. So we did not move at all, eagerly expecting Baba. We started our prayers to Baba in front of his photo. In the meantime a black dog came and ate away one of the ‘polis’. She took an iron rod and beat the dog. ‘I prepared these items for Baba. This dirty dog came and touched them. A cow would have been better; but not a dog. “So she felt at heart. Baba did not come “ This was what we were destined today “ she reconciled herself. On the second day she asked Baba “Baba! Why did you make us jokers by telling a lie” “I did not tell any lie. I came; I ate one ‘poli’; but you have beaten me with an iron rod. The fault is yours or mine? You have invited me but when I came, you have beaten me with iron rod. How faulty you are!” When did you come?” You were not seen at all. In what form did you come? “She asked. Baba replied ”Do you know who that black dog was?. It was not dog. It was god. I myself came to your house in the form of a dog and ate the polis! When Baba told by this, she terribly regretted her action. ‘ We don't know in what form Baba would appear. So we have waited for this form. “We regretted. Then Baba said “you have narrow feelings; you are saying that God is this form, and this name and not other forms and other names. ‘Only one should know that god all pervasive’. Since the same soul or divinity is in all forms. We don't know in what form god will arrive. Who ever comes at meals time should be considered as god. First serve them, and then we have to take” said Baba.

     Lakshmi Bhai Shinde was very a rich lady. Though she was very rich, daily she used to clean the place where Baba stayed. One-day, seizing an opportunity, she prostrated before Baba. “Lakshmibai I am feeling very hungry “said Baba”. I am daily giving oblation food offering

to Baba’s photo which never asked me food; but to give food to the living god, who asked me, I have nothing to give, so she felt sad at heart. Asking Baba to wait, she ran home and prepared chapathis (wheat cakes) and offered them to Baba. In those days Baba used to eat very sumptuously. Each chapathi, he made four folds and ate them at a time. Lakshmibai brought a good number of chapathis in a plate. On seeing them Baba said “Oh! Excellent, very tasty.” Meanwhile a black dog appeared there wagging its tail. Baba gently smeared its body and patted. It ate all the chapathis. Lakshmibai saw this “Baba what is it you have done? I have prepared these chapattis full of devotion and dedication, as God Himself asked for them. But just before my eyes, you have given them to a dog. What sin have I committed? Lakshmibai felt unhappy at Baba’s action. ”Lakshmibai I have eaten all the chapathis you have brought. My stomach is now full” said Baba.

     “ Baba! I have seen you giving them to a dog. How can I believe if you say that you have eaten them? replied Lakshmibai.

      Then Baba said, “ Man will ask for food, if he is hungry. How can dumb creatures like birds and animals ask? They too feel hungry. Don’t think that Baba means only this human body. That dog is also Baba. All creatures in this creation are Baba’s forms. You have asked me like that because you are narrow-minded. You should be broad-minded’ said Baba.

     In Bhagawad Gita, Lord Krishna says I am the seed form of every creature in this creation’ Lakshmibhai thought that the chapatis she prepared were eaten by a dog. But Baba said that he had eaten them. What is its meaning? God does not show any differences. Forms and names may be different, but divinity is one. We have to live as per our form. Nagayya who acted, as Tyagayya should live in that role. But acting as Tyagayya, if he lives like Tyagayya on the stage; behind the stage Nagayya. In the eyes of nature, you human beings may appear special, but beyond that line, you and I are one’

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12. Total surrender

     In today's world it is one's faith in oneself that is the root cause for one's failures or successes. 'Manava' means one who has faith in oneself. But in today's people this most important quality is lacking. Today's man has faith or belief even in small matters. When it comes to spirituality, he is lacking that faith. One is confident that if he lays foundation for the construction of a house this year, he will complete it. He is also confident that he will live for one more year. Man believes in all worldly things. But he is losing his faith in the external and even truthful divinity. One should have steady faith in god. All the rest are mundane matters. Fleeting things and momentary. Faith in god, which one should have forever, is decreasing day by day. Because of this absence of faith, man is facing defeat everywhere in his daily life.

     Long ago in Shiridi there was a student named Sivadas He passed B.A. He wanted to study LL.B. In those days lawyers were much-respected people in the society. People believed that whatever lawyers said was truthful, righteous and just. Today the three values righteousness, justice and morality are at a very low ebb. All the respect only to money. People are not able to give due importance to morality and integrity.

     Sapatnekar, friend of Sivadas was living in Akkalkot. Both the friends applied for LLB examination. Sivadas had full faith in Baba. He had to go to Bombay to write the examination. Sivadas went to Shiridi and offered his ‘Pranamas’ to Baba. He was weeping. Streams of tears were rolling down his cheeks. He prayed to Baba ‘Baba, you have to save me’. ‘Why are you feeling? Don’t worry. Surrender yourself to me with folded hands in full faith. Why fear when I am here I’ll take care of your result. You’ll definitely pass” Taking this assurance form Baba, Sivadas proceeded to Bombay.

     Both friends wrote their exams. After the examinations, Sapatnekar asked Sivadas about his performance, just as today’s students after examinations ask one another the answers for the questions they have answered. Sivadas did not give correct answers for any question. ‘Certainly you will fail, Sivadas; said Sapatnekar ‘I will definitely pass’ replied Sivadas.

‘You have not written examination well. With what confidence were you able to say that you would pass?

     ‘Whether I answer well or not, I will definitely pass’ Baba’s word is primary to me This is the truth. I will definitely pass’ said Sivadas with full confidence in Baba. ‘No’ said Sapatnekar the food in the basket can’t go into the stomach without any effort. You have to make an effort. Without writing any thing in the exam, how can even Baba make you pass? Where as I have answered all questions very well. Definitely I will pass in first class. Whereas you will get only a Zero” thus Sapatnekar ridiculed Sivadas.

     Sivadas said, ‘ whatever you think, even though I get a Zero, Baba can make me a hero.’ The two friends left. Results were announced. Sivadas passed with good marks. Sapatnekar failed. He realised ‘ I am mistaken I have spoken unnecessarily” He appeared for the examination again and passed.

     Sivadas went to Shiridi and expressed his gratitude to Baba. He started his legal practice in Bombay Sapatnekar also began practicing as a lawyer in Bombay. He was married. A son was born who lived for two years and died suddenly. Only one son and died. Sapatnekar could not bear the loss of his son. Almost he grew mad and left his practice ‘my life is a waste. Why and for whom should I earn? What is the use of all these earnings?’ Thus grieved Sapatnekar. Sivadas came to him ’ you are mistaken Sapatnekar, let’s go to Shiridi once’ he said ’No’ I don’t have any faith’. ‘At least for my sake, let’s go to Shiridi’, persisted Sivadas.     

     The value of friendship lies not in giving money during sufferings, but in sharing one’s troubles, showing god and making one love god during sufferings this is one’s duty. Some people may say ’what is all this madness for god? Earn money it will help us a lot.’ So saying friends of today give importance to materialistic matters. They may render some help to their friends by offering money or making them earn more. In reality they are pushing them into to mire. By offering such temptations they are being deceived. Money, house and other comforts are necessary for living. What is real property? Only god’s grace. Sivadas convinced his friend and took him to Baba. ‘Approach Baba with steady faith; all your sufferings will end’ said Sivadas.

     They got down at Manmad, sat in a Tonga. They have to travel ten miles. Till they reached Shiridi, was Sivadas giving his friend all information about Baba? But Sapatnekar was not happy ‘Sivadas whether I close my eyes or open them, I see none and nothing except my son. Don’t vex me’ said Sapatnekar. ‘Why do you think about your lost son? He was not there before birth; he was not there after death. He came in the middle and disappeared again in the middle. But remember God is there before your birth, will be there after your birth and is there throughout your life. God is present in the past, the present and the future. All worldly things appear only in the present. They were not there in the past, nor will be there in the future. Just as snowmelts, they too will melt and disappear. Why do you grieve for such worldly things? They are simply mirages; how long will you go for these mirages to quench your thirst? Do they quench your thirst? “ Thus Sivadas began to preach to his friend. It had its impact on Sapatnekar. Both friends went to Shiridi. Sapatnekar sat outside under the shade of a tree. Sivadas went inside offering his Pranamas to Baba. Sivadas said ‘Swami! I have brought a friend along with me.’ Baba said with contempt “ Get out you devil” Sivadas thought that this anger was natural to Baba. He took his friend inside. Baba saw him, took a stick and shouted at him to go away from there. Sapatnekar was afraid. He was angry with his friend ‘ I told you that I don’t come; now see what happened. I am insulted among so many people. ‘saying thus to his friend he went outside and sat under the shade of the tree. Baba came out and sent Shyam asking him to drive away the two friends to the outskirts of the town. Sivadas and Sapatnekar left Shiridi by a Tonga.

     Sivadas was very unhappy. He realised that there must be some hidden reason for all this happening, they reached Bombay. Sapatnekar could not tolerate any talk from Sivadas. He even asked him not to come to his house. ‘You have no right to ask me not to come. I am your friend. I am steadfast in my determination to change you. I am not teaching you any bad things. Simply I am advising you to reach god. That is my firm belief. You may listen or not. My words will work in your mind like seeds and sprout after some time. It’s my duty ‘so saying Sivadas daily in the evening went to see his friend. He told his friend in strong words “ Don’t feel for what had happened. Baba was saying all that only to purify you of your sins. Baba will never say or do anything without a proper reason. Hence, hold his feet tight; even leave your family, but not His feet’

     After three days, Sapatnekar’s wife had a dream. Earlier she had not seen Baba at all. In the dream appeared a person with a cloth around his head and a stick in hand. ‘Oh! Mother you are suffering a lot. You are a good woman but your husband is a demon. He has no devotion and faith on god. This is the reason why you have lost your son. If you want your son back, please go to Shiridi. Certainly you will get back your lost son “ said Baba in the dream. She got up early in the morning, told her husband about her dream and suggested to her husband that they should go to Shiridi. He replied’ You want me to be insulted once more!’ But he could not say ‘No’ to his wife. Early morning he went to his friend Sivadas for his help. On seeing him Sivadas lovingly welcomed him and said “ you asked me not to go to your house; you have come to my house. I am so happy. What is the reason for your coming?’, Sapatnekar told his friend about the dream his wife had.

     All started on their journey to Shiridi, Soon after reaching Shiridi, Sapatnekar was full of fear and pain. He sent his wife and Sivadas into the Mosque. Baba spoke to them smilingly. ‘I know that your son has died. I will give you back the same son’ Immediately Sapatnekar realised that the Baba who had come in her dream and the Baba whom she is seeing now are one and the same. She said ‘Oh Baba! You have appeared in my dream. You are omnipresent.’ She was happy at the words of Baba. Sapatnekar came to Baba, feeling that it was the most opportune time. Seeing him Baba shouted ‘ Devil, go away from here. Whether you will write or not, you will pass the examination. You said that there should be human effort for any thing. Yes, why were you not able to save your child? Could you do it with human effort? No; for anything there should be gods will. You have failed on account of your ego. Sivadas who had steady faith in me passed his examination. I can’t tolerate any offence to my devotee. I don’t mind even if I am offended. Sivadas is my devotee’ so saying Baba threw a stick at Sapatnekar. It hit him on the head. The next moment there was a change in his mind. There is god’s will behind every action. Sapatnekar came forward ‘Baba, you beat me, kill me; whatever be I’ll not leave your feet. You are my refuge; I can’t forget this particular incident in my life. You are my saviour ‘saying this Sapatnekar held Baba’s feet tight.

     Baba smilingly said “ To change you and to bring in you this feeling, I have given you that much punishment. Sugar cane by itself won’t give any jaggery. Only when sugar cane is crushed, juice will come. The juice should be boiled. Then it turns into jaggery. This human body is like a sugarcane. First it should be crushed in a grinding machine. That is the first punishment. The second one boiling the juice. Then comes jaggery, unless all these are done bad and corrupted human nature won’t change. I have given you insults and punishments to make you a firm believer. If there is a bad seed inside, anyday, it will sprout. That bad seed should be eradicated. I’ll give you back your lost son; next year come to me with that child.’

     Sapatnekar’s wife was very glad. Sapatnekar prostrated before Baba’s feet in all gratitude. They reached home. From that day onwards all their thinking was on Baba. Sapatnekar’s wife was pregnant in 3 months. A child was born. The same moles and spots, which her lost boy had. The parents went to Shiridi with that child and placing him before Baba’s feet, said, ” Oh Baba, this is your grace and divine food (prasad) given to us”.

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13. Births may change but not the destined results of actions of previous births.

It was summer. The Godavari was flowing as a small stream near Shiridi. Baba and Shyam were walking along the bank. After going some distance, they took rest under the shade of a tree. A frog was loudly crackling.’ The frog was loudly crackling very pitifully’. ‘ I know it. A black cobra caught it. He was not able to swallow it. The frog was not able to escape. It had no strength to escape. The cobra did not have the necessary strength to swallow it. Both were struggling. That was the reason why the frog was pathetically crackling’ said Baba. ‘ Swamy please avoid this confrontation between the two. Shyam requested. ‘ Oh! then see’ Baba was going towards them. ‘ Swamy! Black cobra! very dangerous. Don’t go near. Because you have a stick in your hand, don’t beat the cobra.’ said Shyam. ‘ Shyam, I know it ‘ Baba went near them ‘ oh! Veerabhadrappa your bad nature has not gone, though you have a number of births; oh! Chennabasavappa though you have changed your births, you are not free from jealousy. Aren’t both of you ashamed? Go away from here’ said Baba. At these words of Baba, the cobra released the frog. The frog went on its way and the cobra on its way. ‘ Veerabhadrappa and Chennabasappa immediately left ‘ said Shyam. ‘ There is a long history behind this Shyam’, said Baba.

Long ago, there was a Siva temple in Madhuranagar. It was in a dilapidated condition. All the villagers collected some money and gave it to a rich man in the village ‘ Sir, keep this money with you and renovate the temple’, they said. The rich man was very happy, because he received a lot of money. He had no value of pity, sympathy, and compassion. A horrible miser. He would not give even a paise in charity. If a beggar came to his house, he would release his dog. He was a cruel man, but very rich. A big shot in the village. The villagers, who collected a lot of money, were afraid to keep it with them. So they have kept that amount with the rich man. Gradually months passed. That rich man was not bothered about renovating the temple. Everyday the villagers met him and asked him, ’Sir! You have not yet started the renovation work’. One day by his bullock cart, he transported some sand and spoiled bricks to the temple site. The villagers felt glad that at last the work was started. But soon the work stopped. No progress. Again the villagers approached him and asked him” Sir! You have not yet started the work.’ What can I do? All the money was over, spent on sand and brick. How can I build the temple?’ Said that rich man. The innocent and helpless villagers whispered among themselves ‘ what is this? This big man is uttering very low and unworthy words’ from that day onwards; the people’s respect on him gradually waned.

One day Lord Eswara appeared in a dream to the rich man’s wife and said ‘oh mother! your husband has taken away the people’s money but now lying. I don’t want any temple. But people are anguishing for the sake of my temple. Devotees have collected money according to their abilities. They should not be deceived. Your husband has done something. Your parents have given you some jewellery. Sell them away and construct the temple’. Her husband was of a different nature. No dream, nothing. Even if god appears and tells he won’t listen. “ Why do you give importance to dreams? Tell Eswar to come and ask me. I’ll construct it’ thus her husband foolishly argued. Such adamant and foolish people are increasing day by day. Does Bhagawan appear to such a heinous person and ask him to construct a temple? God is the giver to all. God will never stretch his hand before such people. His wife became helpless. Again on the second day she had a dream. Lord Eswar appeared and said, “ Your husband is saying that your dream is a false one. The dream is not false. Construct a temple for me and make people happy. I will bestow on you all prosperity and happiness. I am myself telling you all this’. Early morning she got up and told her husband that Eswara appeared to her again,

‘first ask him to give us all riches and prosperity, then I will construct the temple’. Her husband argued. She persisted. ‘I don’t want your money. I’ll sell away the jewellery given to me by my parents and with that money I’ll construct the temple’, she said. Then I’ll give that money, you give your jewellery to me’, her husband replied. She believed. She was an innocent, traditional generation woman. She did not know anything about the value of gold, and its weight. He took the entire jewellery for Rs.1000/- saying that it was not pure gold.

This rich man was a moneylender. Once he gave Rs.400 to an old woman and since she could not pay the money in time took away her 2 acres land. She was a poor woman. Once she lost the land, she had no livelihood. She wept but what could she do? She was a poor hopeless woman. She was angry but helpless. A poor man’s anger will hit his own lips. Harm retaliates with harm only. This is bound to happen. That rich man gave the 2 acres of land to his wife, instead of cash, for the jewellery he had taken from her.

One day there was a severe gale and rain. The rich man’s house collapsed. He and his wife died in the house collapse. At the same time that old woman also died, as her hut collapsed. That rich man was born as Veerabhadrappa in the village of cowherds. That rich man’s wife was born as the daughter of the village priest. That old woman was born as Chenna basappa in the family of the temple trustee. They do not know anything about their previous births.’ All this was narrated to Shyam by Baba.

The priest’s daughter was growing in age. The priest wanted to perform her marriage. One night Lord Eswar appeared to the priest in a dream and said ‘ perform your daughter’s marriage with Veerabhadrappa. ‘ There was no alternative. He performed her marriage with Veerabhadrappa. This Veerabhadrappa was a merchant. His wife nurtured the desire of constructing a temple. Bodies decay but our thoughts are eternal. She asked her husband ‘ I want to construct a temple’. Please help me. When she wanted to construct a temple, Chennabasappa offered to give some land. To construct a temple, the support and help from all is necessary. Efforts started for the construction of the temple. Veerabhadrappa first wanted the land to be registered. ‘ Give me money, I will register the land’ said Chennabasappa. Veerabhadrappa struggled to possess the land and Chennabasappa for his money. In this way both selfishly struggled for their private ends. They quarreled. Their previous birth’s ambitions and desires were coming out. They did not know anything about them. In course of time both died. Births change but ambitions and desires do not vanish.

People who are selfish and work for their own profit, in whatever exalted position they are, behave in a petty manner. How to get rid of mean thoughts? Only by the company of pious people. If a glass tumbler, after taking water is washed will be clean. If the same tumbler if not cleaned for a week, will smell foul. It will have a lot of dirt inside. Even if a man were born in a noble family, he will carry forward his previous birth’s smells, i.e. ambitions and desires and will have low mindedness. He will not have a noble mind. Only some fortunate people will get a noble birth and noble thoughts. ‘ Shyam! You always cultivate noble feelings’ said Baba.

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14.Human bodies may change but divinity is one.

Long ago there lived in Nagapur a devotee named Mataji Krishna Priya. She was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna. She used to visit Shiridi now and then and have the darshan of Baba. Lord Krishna and Baba were not different, but the same. With that firm faith she wholeheartedly prayed to Baba. One day she went to Simla. There she came to know that Baba left this human body. It was in the afternoon at 2.30 PM in the month of October in 1918. She was very unhappy at the news. It happened on Vijayadasami, Ekadasi started, even before he left the body.

Even as early as 1916 Baba told this to ‘Kaka Dikshit. Kaka! Tatsya was going to die on Vijayadasami in 1918. In those days there was one by name Tatsya in Shiridi, Kaka Saheb was unhappy knowing that Tatsya would die in another two years.

In those days Abdul Baba was also close to Baba. One day Baba said ‘ I’ll leave this body soon. Mahalsyapathi was very sad on hearing those words. ‘ You needn’t be unhappy. I’ll be with you only. I will come back after eight years. I will live in Madras state. I will be born again in the village of Patri. Andhra Pradesh was then a part of composite Madras state. This village was Puttapatri. It was on the bank of Chitravathi. Whenever God descends on the earth that place is near a river, which flows from South to North. ‘ There I will descend assuming the name of Sathya’’, said Baba. The bodies are different but divinity is one. This coming now is the promise then made. The first descent is to show divinity. The present descent is to bestow divinity. The coming one is to preach divinity. The three Avatars are incarnations Shiridi Sai, Sathya Sai and Prema Sai.

In the year 1918, on October 15th Baba had a high temperature. Only two days before, Baba went to three houses, collected alms and ate his food. On that day at 12 noon Baba said ‘ I don’t want to be here.’ Take me to Bootiwada. It will be peaceful there for me’. There, one by name Booty constructed Krishna temple. To install Krishna’s idol, Booty prayed for Baba’s permission several times. Everytime, Baba went on postponing the matter. To the last day, Baba did not tell anything about the installation. On the afternoon of October 15th, Baba asked Booty and Kaka to go to their houses and finish their lunch. He took nine rupee coins from under his pillow and put them in the hand of Lakshmibai. Then resting on the lap of a close devotee, he breathed his last. That was the end.

Krishna Priya, in Simla came to know about this. She felt very unhappy. On the day after Baba’s passing away, it was heavily snowing. She closed the doors of her house and was inside. Meanwhile a tall personality, a monk with a cloth tied to his head came to her neighbor’s house and knocked on the door. The woman inside opened the door and asked ‘ who are you? The monk asked her ‘ where is Mataji Krishna Priya?’ Infact he knows where Mataji Krishna Priya is; but to make people know that he has been physically present, he has done like that. The woman showed the house of Mataji Krishna Priya. Baba went there and knocked on the door. Mataji Krishna opened the door; she could not believe her own eyes ‘ what is this? Only yesterday we came to know that Baba passed away. How is it that in this severe cold, he has come from Shiridi? It takes nearly three days to come here from Shiridi. ’ As she was thinking thus, Baba told her ‘ my dear child! I am present everywhere. All these days you have worshipped me with Krishna consciousness. You have understood about me only this much! I am feeling severe cold. First give me a cup of tea. Next moment, Krishna Priya brought a cup of tea. Baba took it. ‘ My stomach has become empty, as I have travelled from there to this place. I am now very hungry’ said Baba. Krishna went into the kitchen and bought chapathis, and bringjal curry in a plate. Baba liked bringjal curry very much. That day Krishna Priya prepared only bringjal curry. Baba ate chapathis, washed his hand, and said ‘ The purpose for which, I have come is over, I am going out’.

In those days none had the courage to reply or go against the will of Baba. If any body said ‘ not this way’, Baba used to beat him. He could not tolerate any defiance. Mataji Krishna Priya could not say anything to Baba while leaving the place. Baba gave here a jasmine garland. She saw Baba walking on the road to a long distance. The roads in Simla are full of undulations. There were some labourers working at a point on the road. Baba fell into the valley. The labourers who saw this shouted that a monk fell into the valley. Baba’s body was not there. Baba vanished. In this way, though Baba left the human body, he was omnipresent. This he whispered in the ears of Krishna Priya.

After Baba’s passing away, several problems arose. Baba used to say ‘ Allah Malik! Allah Malik!’ So Muslim claimed that Baba was a Muslim and hence his body was theirs. Hindus on the other hand argued that Baba also used to say ‘ Ram Malik; Krishna Malik; hence his dead body belonged to them. On account of these differences between Hindus and Muslims, the last rites could not be performed for about thirty-six hours. The collector and police officers arranged a meeting to resolve this issue. Muslims don’t burn a dead body; Hindus do it. To avoid this, Baba’s body was taken for cremation (samadhi). Inspite of so many protests, Booty arranged for cremation of Baba’s body only in the Mandir. When they were digging the ground, a small idol appeared. It was infact Kabir’s grave, for the Muslims Kabir was their past teacher, Baba was the present teacher. It was Thursday. All the three are associated with teacher-hood. Hence to mark this sacred teacher-hood, Thursday is a holy day for this trinity. Thursday is sacred and important for Baba. That temple of Lord Krishna is the grave of Baba.

In Simla, Mata Krishna Priya put that Jasmine garland round the neck of Krishna’s idol. Those who have seen this sight exclaimed ‘ Oh! She was a Sai Devotee. Why did she put that Jasmine garland round the neck of Krishna’s idol. Why not round the neck of Sai Baba? On that day when the chanting of Lord’s name was going on, that jasmine garland around Krishna’s neck disappeared and it fell adorning the neck of Sai Baba. It meant that both Lord Krishna and Sai Baba were one, and everyone in Simla was happy. In the morning, when the devotees woke up and saw, the same Jasmine garland was on the grave of Baba.

In the month of October 1918, the wife of Pradhan who was staying in her village had a dream that Baba died. Pradhan was in Shiridi. She wokeup and told her children that she had a dream that Baba had died and she began to weep. Immediately a divine voice was heard in the house. The divine voice said ‘ Don’t use the word ‘ death’ for Baba. Baba did not die. Baba was in his samadhi. It meant he was full of equipoise. Both birth and death are one and same. Similarly joy and suffering are one and the same. Baba did not die at all ‘ this was what the voice said.’ What was this voice and where did it come from? When Mrs.Pradhan was searching for that voice, her husband sent news. What was it? It was that Baba had left this mortal coil.

Why should Baba show such miracles? In those days there were jealousy and hatred between Hindus and Muslims. ‘ There should not be religious fights. God is one for all. God doesn’t have any distinction of colour, caste and creed. Baba’s religion is one that co-ordinates all humans into one race of humanity. It is the religion of humanity.’ To propound and propagate this truth, Baba had to show those miracles.

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15.The Auspicious Epilogue

Embodiments of Love,

A number of doubts will be arising in man depending on the food he takes and the environment in which he moves. We should not become unfortunate people, yielding ourselves to those doubts. Changes are common in selfish people but not in those who are full of love. That is steady faith. It is only the true heart that moves. It is only then God also moves. God is not some where in Heaven. He is there in every one of us. ‘ I am separate, God is separate’ this duality should not disturb us (we should not live with this duality). These two are combined with only one thing. That is Love. To combine two sheets of paper, gum is necessary. Similarly the soul, and God to become one, the gum of love is necessary. Only when there is love, soul and God become one. If doubt distracts our faith, it should be set right. We have to go ahead withstanding all temptations and doubts, and forge ourselves forward. We should not give scope for all kinds of mean doubts. All those doubts are our feelings but not of God. God is like a diamond. It doesn’t grow with one nor does it dwindle with some one. ‘ Baba do this, do that, and change our minds’ so people ask me. In fact is it Baba’s work? It is your duty. If everything is done by Baba, what is it you will do? This is nothing but total laziness. You have to make your own efforts to reach your goal. There will be God’s help only when there is human effort. ‘ Oh god! do this, do that, change my mind’ such prayers are a sign of human weakness. If you have steadfast faith, why will not your mind change? Because you don’t have that faith, you are asking me to change you. “ My work is not to change you; but to change your destiny.’ Every one should realise this truth. First of all rectify your defects. Make your devotion and dedication constant. Under no circumstances, should they change. Human effort is important. Only then there will be God’s grace. Enter the path of truth, the path of love and finally merge yourself in this boundless divinity’.

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The Fruition

Listening to the stories of Sai with peace
               removes all impediments and sufferings,

Once recalling the miracles of Saieswara,
               all the illusions of the mind will go away,

               Praying to Saieswara with full faith
               will make one achieve all
               human glory as ordained for men in the
               Vedas by rendering the prescribed duties

Practising Saieswara’s Preachings in full
               will give us eternal happiness,     

Read ever Saieswara’s words, you will be blessed.
One’s desires are fulfilled, and
sorrows are driven afar
One time reading of these divine discourses of Sai
Will give you the benefit of the company of the good and the pious.

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The auspicious Lyrical End.

Salutation unto thee;

Oh! Sathya Sai, the form of all Gods
Protector of the pious and the good
Forever to thee auspicious salutation,

The son of Eswaramba, the miracle form,
The eternal form of the Universe
unto thee, auspicious salutation!

Ever bowed by Sunandananda and
Ever chanted in Saamaveda
Ever surrounded by sages such as Narada
unto thee, auspicious salutation.

Thou, the real form of Joy, the protector of those who pray to you,
Ever venerated by Hanuman, unto thee auspicious salutation
The very essence of ‘ Vedantha ‘ and the form of all Vedas
and the prime of all the gods, unto thee auspicious salutation;

The native of Puttaparthi, the incarnation of Love
Ever worshipped by the Virtuous and the pious,
unto thee, auspicious salutation

Ever harbinger of the good, Ever success and glory
Oh Lord Sathya Sai! unto thee, our auspicious salutation

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