||chapter thirty||

|| sri sai satcharitra ||

|| chapter thirty ||

|| some more sparrows ||

|| Sri Ganeshaya Namaha || Sri Saraswatye Namaha ||
|| Sri Venkateshaya Namaha || Sri Sai Nathaya Namaha ||
|| Sri Sadgurubhyo Namaha ||

In this chapter, Hemad Pant tells us about Kakaji Vaidya of Vani, Punjabi Ramlal of Bombay, and other matters.

SADGURU SAI:

Before proceeding further, let us bow at the divine feet of the ocean of kindness and ever forgiving, our beloved Baba and pray that all our mistakes and sins be pardoned. He is the one who understands our problems, our miseries and He alone is the one who can grant us peace of mind. When the mind becomes turbulent with increasing worries, and when darkness engulfs us all around, and we do not know what to do or where to go, that is the time we should think of our beloved Baba. He alone is powerful enough to provide us succour.He alone can take us safely across this never ending ocean of samsara. Sai Baba has incarnated only for the sake of devotees. What was before a formless Nirguna Brahma, seeing the devotees helplessly sinking into the bottomless ocean of samsara and being strangled by the creatures in that ocean, the Nirguna Brahma took the form of Sai Baba and came to the rescue of everyone who cried for help. By mere visualising of His image before our eyes, the fear of this samsara is dispelled. Those who take refuge at His feet will always find complete relief from miseries and troubles. Those who chant His name will get enormous strength and would be able to easily distinguish between the real and the unreal. Without this strength, we are of no consequence. Whatever may be our failures, whatever may be our shortcomings, we know that even if everyone deserts us, Sai will never forsake us. He is the only ray of hope in a world which is increasingly becoming darker and darker with each passing day.

We are ever grateful to Sai, as He alone understands us and fulfills our desires even without our asking for it. It was Sai who fixed the pension of Raghunath Tendulkar, without his asking, at an amount comfortable for him to maintain his family. It was Sai who favoured Hemad Pant to complete the monumental task of writing Sri Sai Satcharitra. It was only after Sai took over the responsibility that Hemad Pant’s job became easy and he never felt the burden. Hemad Pant was only the pen through which Baba wrote His own stories. This could happen to Hemad Pant because of the accumulated virtues of all of his previous births.

The stories narrated in this chapter, or for that matter in the entire Satcharitra, are meant for those who have belief and faith in the positive aspects of life. Only they can appreciate these stories. The agnostics or those who criticize and doubt everything under the sun cannot enjoy these stories. What happens here in these stories is beyond the realm of human reasoning and logic. The innumerable coincidences that take place are beyond the comprehension of an ordinary doubting mind. These coincidences happen because they are made to happen by the will of a super intelligent and ever alert god called as Sai Baba. Learned, devoted and faithful devotees of God alone can like and appreciate the concept behind the incidents narrated in the Satcharitra. Drinking this nectar of Sai Leelas will give liberation to the ignorant Jivas, satisfaction to the householders, and a sadhana to the aspirants.

KAKAJI VAIDYA’S STORY:

There is a place called Vani in Nasik District. In that place lived a god fearing, devoted man by name, Kakaji Vaidya. He was the priest of the local temple of goddess Sapta-Shringi. Everyday he used to go to the temple early in the morning and worship the goddess. After offering naivedyam to the goddess, he would go home and have his food. Thus he served the goddess Sapta-Shringi for several years. Then life took a turn. His comfortable life was rocked and afflictions and tribulations started overwhelming him. Difficulties piled up to such an extent that he did not know what to do. His mind became very restless and was almost contemplating ending his life. Then one evening, he went to the temple of the goddess whom he had worshipped almost for a life time and prayed Her from the depths of his heart to relieve him of his anxieties. The goddess was pleased with his devotion and appeared that night in his dream. She said, “Go to Baba. Your mind will become calm and composed.” Kakaji wanted to find out from the goddess who this Baba was and where He could be approached. Before he could ask anything, his dream was over and he was awake. He enquired some of the people in the village, but could not get any satisfactory information. Then he thought over the matter. Lord Shiva is also called as Baba Bholenath. And Shiva was in Tryambakeshwar. As Sapta-Shringi is another form of Devi Durgamata, Kakaji thought that She wanted him to go to Tryambakeshwar, and went there.

Kakaji stayed there for ten days. Everyday during this period, he took bath early in the morning in the river and performed ‘Rudra abhishekam’. He did other religious rituals also, but found out that he was as restless as before. The condition of his mind had not changed even slightly. So, after ten days, he returned back to his village. Desperate and not knowing how to come out of his afflictions, he went to the temple once again and invoked the goddess. Once again, She appeared in his dream and said, “Why did you go to Tryambak? By Baba I meant, Sri Sai Samarth of Shirdi.”

Kakaji was keen to implement the orders of the goddess, but the question was how and when to go to Shirdi, and how to see Baba? If the desire is in earnest and the intention is pure and clear, then it does not take long before the wish is fulfilled. God will come to the aid of such devotees. To see a saint is a very noble desire. For such a desire to be fulfilled, in addition to God, the saint will also help. The more anxious a devotee is to meet the saint, the more devout and faithful he is, the more speedily and effectively is his wish satisfied. If someone invites us, that someone will also make all arrangements for the reception and stay. And so it happened in the case of Kakaji Vaidya. When Kakaji was thinking about his visit to Shirdi, unexpectedly, a guest came to his house. He was none other than Shyama, the most intimate devotee of Baba.

SHYAMA’S STORY:

When he was very young, Shyama was severely ill. Seeing that he did not improve even with medication, his mother took a vow that if her son got well, she would bring him to the family goddess Sapta-Shringi at Vani and dedicate him to Her. Because of various reasons, she could not fulfill the vow even after a few years. Subsequently, she was also not well. She had developed ring worm on her breasts and suffered very much. Then, she prayed her family goddess Sapta-Shringi at Vani, that if she was cured of the ringworm, she would offer two silver breasts to Her as an offering. She got well. The urgency which is there when we are in difficulties will vanish once we get out of the problems. Soon, Shyama’s mother also forgot her vows. It was only at her death-bed that she called her son Shyama and told him that these two vows have to be fulfilled. She breathed her last only after Shyama promised her that he would carry out her wishes. And as it usually happens, with the passing of time, Shyama also forgot about the vows. Within no time, thirty years also slipped away.

It was around this time that a famous astrologer came to Shirdi. Bapusaheb Booty and others consulted him and found his predictions quite accurate. Shyama’s younger brother, Bapaji, also went to the astrologer. The astrologer told him about his mother’s vows. He also told that as the vows were not yet fulfilled by his brother, the goddess was unhappy and if the present difficulties of Bapaji have to end, the goddess has to be appeased. Bapaji told this to his brother Shyama. Without any further delay, Shyama called a goldsmith and got a pair of silver breasts made. With the silver items in his hand, he went to the masjid, prostrated at the feet of Baba and offered the silver items to Him. Shyama requested Baba to accept them and relieve him of the vows. He also told Baba that He was his goddess Sapta-Shringi. Baba did not accept and insisted that Shyama should go personally to the temple and submit the offerings to the goddess and get her blessings. Then Shyama took Baba’s permission and the udi prasadam, and went to Vani.

After reaching Vani, he went in search of the priest so that the offerings could be made to the goddess Sapta-Shringi. That was how Baba’s most intimate devotee reached someone who desperately wanted to see Baba. What a wonderful coincidence and how beautifully Baba had interlaced the lives of so many of His devotees! Shyama did not go to Kakaji a day later or a day earlier than required. Those who surrender everything to Baba need have no fear of anything. He will take care of us and guide us.

When Shyama knocked on the door of Kakaji, Kakaji asked him who he was and where from he had come. The moment Shyama told him, Kakaji embraced him and was overwhelmed with Baba’s love for him. They both talked for some time about Sai Leelas. Then Kakaji took Shyama to the temple of goddess Sapta-Shringi and helped him fulfill the vows. After Shyama completed his task, they both left for Shirdi. On reaching the masjid, Kakaji prostrated at the feet of Baba. As goddess Sapta-Shringi told him, the moment he saw Baba, Kakaji’s mind lost all its restlessness and became very calm and composed. In that state of mind, his only thought was, “What a wonderful power! There is no question asked and no answer given. Baba has not even spoken anything. No benediction given. The mere darshan itself is like pouring oil over a turbulent sea. Everything has become very quiet. Consciousness of joy has come over me. This is called ‘the greatness of darshan’.” Fixing his gaze on Baba’s feet, he surrendered himself completely to Baba. He lived in Shirdi happily for twelve days and after taking Baba’s permission and the udi prasadam, returned home.

KHUSHALCHAND’S STORY:

It is said that dreams which come in the early hours of the morning usually come true. As far as Baba’s dreams are concerned, there is no constraint on time. On one afternoon, Baba asked Kakasaheb Dixit to go to Rahata and bring Khushalchand to Shirdi, as He had not seen him for a long time. Accordingly, Kakasaheb took a Tonga and went to Rahata. He met Khushalchand and gave him Baba’s message. Khushalchand was surprised.

Just before Kakasaheb arrived, Khushalchand was having his afternoon nap. He had his meals earlier and was relaxing, when sleep overtook him. During that nap he had a dream. Baba appeared in the dream and asked him to come to Shirdi immediately as He had not seen him for a long time. He was also eager to go but he did not have his horse nearby. So he had asked his son to go to Shirdi and inform Baba that his father would be visiting Him shortly.

Khushalchand went with Kakasaheb in his Tonga and prostrated at the feet of Baba. Everyone was pleased. Seeing Baba’s Leela, Khushalchand was also deeply moved.

PUNJABI RAMLAL’S STORY:

A Punjabi Brahmin of Bombay by name Ramlal once had a dream. A mahant (saint) appeared in the dream and asked him to go to Shirdi. He did not know who this mahant was or where from he came. He wanted to contact this mahant, but could not find him. He did not know what to do. It usually happens that He who calls for interview also makes all the necessary arrangements. That afternoon, when Ramlal was strolling in the street, he saw the picture of the mahant, who had appeared in his dream, in a shop. He enquired the shop owner about the person in the photo and was told that it was none other than Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi.

Ramlal then went to Shirdi and stayed there till the Mahasamaadhi of Baba. In this way Baba brought His devotees to Shirdi for darshan and fulfilled their desires, both material and spiritual. Before leaving this chapter, let us bow to the ever loving and always forgiving, graceful, kind and benevolent Baba.

With this, the thirtieth chapter called as Some more sparrows is complete. In the next chapter, Hemad Pant tells us about passing away, in the presence of Baba, of Sanyasi Vijayanand, Balram Mankar, Noolkar, Megha, a tiger, and other matters.

|| Sri Sadguru Sainathaarpanamasthu || Shubham Bhavatu ||

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti