Chapter XXIX — Madrasi Bhajani Mela; Tendulkar Family; Captain Hate; Waman Narvekar

Source: Shri Sai Satcharitra, trans. Gunaji
Marathi original: Sai Satcharita (archive.org scan) · Devotee testimonies: Narasimha Swami 1936 (Internet Archive) · Full bibliography: /sources.html

URL: https://www.saibaba.org/satcharitra/sai29.html

Sections

The Madrasi Bhajani Mela

In 1916 a Madrasi Bhajani Mela (Ramadasi Panth) of four — man, wife, daughter, and sister-in-law (names not preserved) — was on pilgrimage to Banaras when they heard of Baba's daily distribution of Dakshina-money. (Baba was then paying Rs. 1 daily to a three-year-old girl Amani, daughter of the devotee Kondaji; Rs. 6 to Jamali, Amani's mother; Rs. 2-5 to various bhaktas; Rs. 10-50 to others as he pleased.) The party came to Shirdi inwardly hoping for money.

Three of them were full of avarice. The chief lady was different: at one noon Arati Baba was pleased with her faith and gave her darshan of her Ishtam — she saw not Sai Baba on the seat but Sitanath (Rama). Tears flowed; she clapped in joy. The others saw only Sainath. She told her husband; he dismissed it as hallucination.

The Husband's Dream-Vision

One night the husband had a long dream-vision: he was in a big city; police arrested him, tied his hands, and put him in a cage. Baba stood quietly outside.

He pleaded: "Hearing Your fame I came to Your Feet and why should a calamity befall me when You are standing here in person?" The dialogue that followed records Baba's teaching on karma:

"You must suffer the consequences of your action." — "I have not done anything in this life which would bring such a misfortune on me." — "If not in this life, you must have committed some sin in your past life." — "Why should it not be burnt and destroyed in Your presence, as dry grass before fire?" — "Have you got such faith?" — "Yes."

Baba asked him to close his eyes. He heard a thump — opening his eyes he saw the police fallen, bleeding, and himself free. Baba: "Now you are well caught; officers will come and arrest you." He begged. Baba asked him to close his eyes again; on opening them he was outside the cage, Baba beside him.

He fell at Baba's feet. Baba asked: "Is there any difference between this namaskar and your previous ones?" He answered: "A lot. My former namaskars were offered with the object of getting money from You; the present one is offered to You as God. Formerly I resented that you, being a Mahomedan, were spoiling us Hindus."

Baba then exposed the inconsistency: "Do you not worship a Panja (emblem of Hand) in your house at Moharum (Tabut), and a Mahomedan deity by name Kadbibi, whom you propitiate at marriages?" The man admitted both. Baba: "What more do you want?"

A desire arose in him to see his Guru Ramdas. Baba: "Turn back and see." Ramdas was there; the man began to fall at his feet — Ramdas vanished.

He asked Baba's age. Baba: "Do you say I am old! Just run a race with Me and see." Baba ran; he followed; Baba disappeared in the dust of his footsteps. The man awoke.

His mental attitude was completely changed. The grabbing and doubting tendency disappeared. The next morning Baba gave him Rs. 2 worth of sweetmeats as Prasad and Rs. 2 from his pocket, blessed him: "Allah will give you plenty and He will do you all good." The party returned home with plenty of money and a successful pilgrimage.

The Tendulkar Family of Bandra — Babu's Examination

The Tendulkar family of Bandra (Bombay suburb) were all devotees. Mrs. Savitribai Tendulkar published a Marathi book "Shri Sainath Bhajan Mala" of 800 abhangas and padas on Baba's Leelas.

The son Babu Tendulkar studied hard for the medical examination. Astrologers consulted his horoscope and said the stars were unfavourable that year — wait one year. He grew restless and gloomy. His mother went to Shirdi and mentioned this to Baba:

"Tell your son to believe in Me, to throw aside horoscopes and predictions of astrologers and palmists and go on with his studies. Let him appear for the examination with a calm mind, he is sure to pass this year. Ask him to trust in Me and not to get disappointed."

Babu sat the written exam and did well, but doubted his marks and did not appear for the oral. The examiner, who knew he had passed the written, sent a fellow-student after him. Babu attended the oral and passed both. The Satcharitra's gloss: "Doubts and difficulties surround us to confirm our faith; hold steadily to Baba with full faith."

The Tendulkar Family — Raghunathrao's Pension

Babu's father Raghunathrao served in a foreign mercantile firm in Bombay. Old age forced him to take leave; the firm decided to retire him on pension. His salary was Rs. 150 p.m.; half (Rs. 75) would not maintain the family.

Fifteen days before the final settlement, Baba appeared to Mrs. Tendulkar in dream:

"I wish that Rs. 100/- should be paid (settled) as pension, will this satisfy you?" — "Baba, why ask me this? We fully trust in You."

The firm in fact gave Rs. 110 — Rs. 10 more than Baba's word — "as a special case."

Captain Hate of Bikaner — Walpapadi

Captain Hate, stationed at Bikaner, was a great devotee. Baba appeared to him in dream: "Did you forget Me?" Hate held Baba's feet: "If a child forgets his mother, how could it be saved?" He took fresh walpapadi vegetables from the garden, arranged shidha (ghee, wheat-flour, dal) and Dakshina, was about to offer them — and awoke.

He decided to send everything to Shirdi. When he came to Gwalior he sent Rs. 12 by money-order to a friend, with instructions: Rs. 2 for shidha and walpapadi vegetables; Rs. 10 as Dakshina. The friend reached Shirdi; the shidha was bought; walpapadi was not available. A woman then turned up with a basket on her head — containing walpapadi. It was bought and offered.

Mr. Nimonkar prepared the naivedya the next day. At dinner Baba ate only the walpapadi, not the rice or other items. Captain Hate, when told, was overjoyed.

Captain Hate — the Consecrated Rupee

Hate later wished to keep at home a rupee consecrated by Baba's touch. A friend bound for Shirdi was given a rupee. At the masjid the friend offered his own Dakshina (Baba pocketed it), then Hate's rupee. Baba took it, stared at it, tossed it with his right thumb, played with it, and said:

"Return this to its owner with the Prasad of Udi, tell him that I want nothing from him, ask him to live in peace and contentment."

Hate received the consecrated rupee in Gwalior with joy. The chapter's gloss: Baba always encouraged good thoughts, fulfilling them as the devotee wished.

Waman Narvekar — the Rama-Maruti Rupee

Waman Narvekar loved Baba dearly. He brought a rupee engraved on one side with Rama, Lakshman, and Sita, on the other with Maruti with folded hands. He offered it hoping for consecration and return with Udi. Baba immediately pocketed it.

Shama interceded on Wamanrao's behalf. Baba replied in Wamanrao's presence:

"Why should it be returned to him? We should keep it ourselves. If he gives Rs. 25/- for it, it will be returned."

Wamanrao collected Rs. 25 and placed it before Baba. Baba then said:

"The value of that rupee far exceeds 25 Rupees. Shama, take this rupee, let us have it in our store, keep this in your shrine and worship it."

Hemadpant's gloss: no one had courage to ask why. Baba alone knew what was best for each. The Hate-rupee was returned; the Narvekar-rupee was kept.

Verbatim Sai Baba quotes documented in this chapter

1. (In the husband's dream, on karma) "You must suffer the consequences of your action… If not in this life, you must have committed some sin in your past life."
2. (To the dreaming husband on faith) "Have you got such faith?" — answered yes, then "Close your eyes."
3. (Exposing the inconsistency) "Do you not worship a Panja in your house at Moharum, and a Mahomedan deity by name Kadbibi at marriages?"
4. (At the racing-disappearance) "Do you say I am old? Just run a race with Me and see."
5. (Parting blessing) "Allah will give you plenty and He will do you all good."
6. (To Mrs. Tendulkar on Babu's exam) "Tell your son to believe in Me, to throw aside horoscopes and predictions of astrologers and palmists and go on with his studies. Let him appear for the examination with a calm mind, he is sure to pass this year. Ask him to trust in Me and not to get disappointed."
7. (To Mrs. Tendulkar on Raghunathrao's pension) "I wish that Rs. 100/- should be paid as pension, will this satisfy you?"
8. (To Captain Hate's friend, with the consecrated rupee) "Return this to its owner with the Prasad of Udi, tell him that I want nothing from him, ask him to live in peace and contentment."
9. (To Shama on the Narvekar rupee) "Why should it be returned to him? We should keep it ourselves. If he gives Rs. 25/- for it, it will be returned."
10. (Same, after Rs. 25 paid) "The value of that rupee far exceeds 25 Rupees. Shama, take this rupee, let us have it in our store, keep this in your shrine and worship it."