Chapter XXXVIII — Baba's Handi; Disrespect of Shrine; Kala; Cup of Butter-Milk
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/sai38.html
Sections
Preliminary — Anna-Dana is the Best Charity
Hemadpant frames the chapter with the doctrine of yuga-appropriate sadhana: Tapa for the Krita age, Jnana for Treta, Yajna for Dwapara, Dana for Kali. Of all charities, giving food is best:
"Food is Brahma; from food all the creatures are born and having been born, by food they live, and having departed, into food again they enter." — Taittiriya Upanishad
When an Atithi (uninvited guest) comes at noon, it is the householder's duty to feed him. Other charities admit discrimination; food does not. The lame, crippled, blind, and diseased pauper should be fed before relatives and able-bodied. Anna-dana is to other charities as the moon is to the stars, the central medal to a necklace, the kumkum to a married lady, salt to butter-milk.
Baba's Handi — Cash, Grinding, Hearth
Baba needed very little food for himself — what he ate came from his begging round at four or five houses. But when he decided to feed others, he made every preparation himself:
- He went to the bazar and bought corn, flour, spices — for cash.
- He did the grinding himself.
- In the open courtyard of the masjid he arranged a hearth and lit the fire.
- He placed the Handi on the fire with the proper measure of water.
There were two pots: a small one (for 50 persons) and a big one (for 100). He cooked sometimes Mitthe Chaval (sweet rice), sometimes pulava with meat, sometimes flat-bread balls in boiling soup. He pounded spices on a stone-slab and added them fine-pulverized. He took every pain.
He also prepared Ambil — jawari-flour boiled in water mixed with butter-milk — and distributed it with the food.
The Arm in the Boiling Cauldron
To test whether the food was cooked, Baba rolled up his sleeve and thrust his bare arm into the boiling pot, churning the contents from side to side and up and down. No burn-mark appeared on his arm, no fear on his face.
When the cooking was over, the pots were brought into the masjid and consecrated by the moulvi. Baba sent first portions as prasad to Mhalsapati and Tatya Patil, then served the rest with his own hand to the poor and helpless.
Vegetable and Animal Food
Hemadpant addresses the question: did Baba distribute meat to all alike? "Those who were accustomed to take animal food were given food from the Handi as prasad and those who were not so accustomed, were not allowed to touch it. He never created in them any wish or desire to indulge in this food." The Satcharitra's principle: prasad from the Guru cannot be questioned — to receive it doubting is to perish — but the Guru never forces a forbidden food on an orthodox disciple.
Dada Kelkar — The Two Mutton Tests
Dada Kelkar was an orthodox Brahmin observing all manners. On an Ekadashi Baba gave him some rupees and asked him to go in person to Koralha to fetch mutton. Dada — who knew that prompt compliance with the Guru's order is the real Dakshina — dressed and set out. Baba called him back: "Don't go yourself, but send somebody." Dada sent his servant Pandu; as Pandu was starting, Baba had Dada call him back and cancelled the plan entirely.
On another occasion Baba asked Dada to check whether the saltish pulava was done. Dada said casually it was alright. Baba:
"Neither you have seen it with your eyes, nor tasted it with your tongue — then how could you say that it was good? Just take out the lid and see."
Baba caught Dada's arm and thrust it into the pot:
"Draw out your arm and taking a ladle, put some quantity in the dish without caring for your orthodoxy and without blustering."
Hemadpant's gloss: "When a wave of real love rises in a mother's mind, she pinches her child with her hand and when it begins to cry, she hugs it close. Similarly Baba, in a true motherly way, pinched Dada Kelkar in this fashion. Really no saint or guru will ever force his orthodox disciple to eat forbidden food and defile himself thereby."
End of the Handi (1910)
The Handi business continued till 1910 and was then discontinued. Das Ganu's kirtans had spread Baba's fame in the Bombay Presidency; people began to flock; Shirdi became a place of pilgrimage. Devotees brought such quantities of naivedya that fakirs and paupers could feed themselves to their hearts' content from the offerings, with surplus left.
Nanasaheb Chandorkar's Disrespect of the Datta Shrine
Hemadpant inserts an episode that confirms Baba's care for Hindu shrines. Baba was no Muslim — if he were, he could not keep the Dhuni burning, allow the Tulsi-Vrindavan, blowing of conches, ringing of bells, all forms of Hindu worship; he could not have pierced ears or spent his own money on Hindu temple repairs. He never tolerated the slightest disrespect to Hindu shrines.
Once Nanasaheb Chandorkar came with his Sadu (sister-in-law's husband) Mr. Biniwalle. Baba suddenly got angry:
"You are so long in My company and how do you behave like this?"
Nanasaheb did not understand. Baba asked when he came to Kopergaon and how. Nanasaheb realized: he usually worshipped the Datta Shrine on the banks of the Godavari at Kopergaon on his way to Shirdi; this time he had dissuaded his Datta-Bhakta relation from going to that shrine to save time and driven straight. He confessed; while bathing in the Godavari a big thorn had pierced his foot. Baba: that was the slight punishment; be more careful in future.
Kala — the Hodge-Podge Distribution
After the arati and the Udi-blessings to all departing, Baba went inside and sat with his back to the Nimbar (niche) for the meal — two rows of bhaktas, one on each side. Devotees who had brought naivedya thrust their dishes inside — puris, mande, polis, basundi, sanza, fine rice — and waited outside for prasad.
All the foods were mixed in a hotch-potch and placed before Baba. He offered the whole to God and consecrated it. Portions were taken outside; the rest served to the inner party with Baba at the centre.
Baba asked Shama and Nanasaheb Nimonkar daily to serve the consecrated food and attend to each individual's needs. They did so carefully and willingly.
The Cup of Butter-Milk — Hemadpant's Prophecy
Once Hemadpant had eaten his full when Baba offered him a cup of butter-milk. Its white appearance pleased him; he was afraid he had no room left. He took a sip — it was very tasty. Seeing his faltering, Baba said:
"Drink it all, you won't get any such opportunity hereafter."
He drank it off. Baba's words proved prophetic — he passed away soon after.
Hemadpant's closing reflection: he drank one cup of butter-milk, but he has supplied us with sufficient quantity of nectar in the form of Baba's Leelas.
Verbatim Sai Baba quotes documented in this chapter
- (Cancelling the first mutton-test) "Don't go yourself, but send somebody."
- (To Dada Kelkar on the pulava) "Neither you have seen it with your eyes, nor tasted it with your tongue — then how could you say that it was good? Just take out the lid and see."
- (Pressing Dada's arm into the pot) "Draw out your arm and taking a ladle, put some quantity in the dish without caring for your orthodoxy and without blustering."
- (To Nanasaheb Chandorkar on Datta shrine) "You are so long in My company and how do you behave like this?"
- (To Hemadpant with the cup of butter-milk) "Drink it all, you won't get any such opportunity hereafter."