Das Ganu undertook a Marathi 'Ovi'-metre commentary on the Ishavasya Upanishad (the 40th chapter of the Vajasaneyi Samhita of the Yajurveda). He translated verse by verse but was not satisfied: the Upanishad's terse synthesis of knowledge and action — its statement that the Lord pervades everything and that one's duty is therefore to enjoy what is given and covet nothing — eluded his pen. He consulted learned men; none could give him a satisfying explanation. He came to Shirdi and put the difficulty to Baba.
Baba's reply:
"You need not be anxious. There is no difficulty about the matter. The maid-servant of Kaka (Kakasaheb Dixit) will solve your doubts at Vile Parle on your way home."
Listeners thought Baba was joking — "How could an illiterate maid-servant solve the difficulties of this nature?" — but Das Ganu was sure Baba's word would come true.
The Maid-Servant's Song
Das Ganu went to Vile Parle (Bombay suburb) and stayed with Kakasaheb Dixit. Next morning he heard a young girl singing in clear melodious tones — the sister of Namya, Kakasaheb's servant. Her song was in praise of a beautiful crimson-coloured sari: how nice the embroidery, how fine the ends and borders. She was cleaning vessels and wearing only a torn rag.
Out of pity, Das Ganu mentioned her to Rao Bahadur M. V. Pradhan, who the next day was about to give Das Ganu a pair of dhotars; Das Ganu asked him to add a sari for the girl. Rao Bahadur bought a fine Chirdi (small sari) and presented it.
The girl wore the new sari the following day, whirled and danced and played Fugadi with the other girls. The day after, she put the new sari away in her box at home and came again in her old torn rag — but looked as merry as she had been the day before.
Das Ganu's Realisation
On reflection Das Ganu understood: the girl's joy with the new sari and her contentment without it were the same. All feelings of pain and pleasure depend on the attitude of the mind. To enjoy whatever the Lord bestows in the firm conviction that he is the giver — and not to covet what belongs to another — was exactly the teaching of the Ishavasya. Hemadpant calls this a "practical demonstration" of the Upanishad: the poor girl in a torn rag, the new sari, the donor, the dance and the acceptance were all parts of the Lord, all pervaded by Him.
Baba's Method
Hemadpant comments on Baba's manner of teaching: though Baba never left Shirdi, he sent some devotees to Machhindragad, others to Kolhapur or Sholapur, for practising sadhanas. To some he appeared in his usual form; to some, in waking or dreaming state at any hour of day or night. In this instance the lesson was set in Vile Parle, in a poor girl whose name we do not know.
A Note on Baba's Manner After the Noon Arati
Hemadpant adds a brief picture of Baba at the close of the noon Arati: standing on the edge of the masjid, distributing udi handful by handful into the palms of his devotees, marking foreheads with his fingers, and sending each home by name —
"Oh Bhau, go to take your lunch; you Anna, go to your lodgings; you Bapu, enjoy your dishes."
Verbatim Sai Baba quotes documented in this chapter
(To Das Ganu about the Ishavasya Upanishad) "You need not be anxious. There is no difficulty about the matter. The maid-servant of Kaka will solve your doubts at Vile Parle on your way home."
(At the close of the noon Arati, sending devotees home by name) "Oh Bhau, go to take your lunch; you Anna, go to your lodgings; you Bapu, enjoy your dishes."
Source: Shri Sai Satcharitra by Govind Raghunath Dabholkar (Hemadpant), 1929. English adaptation by N. V. Gunaji.
Original chapter text:
saibaba.org/satcharitra/sai20.html.
This page is a factual summary with verbatim quotations from the source. We add no commentary attributed to Baba.