The Story of Mhalsapati

మహాల్సాపతి-2 (బాబా72 గంటలసమాధి)

The story of Mhalsapati

Part 2:

Mhalsapati’s role in Baba’s 72 hour Samadhi:

Sai Baba could have taken Mahasamadhi 32 years prior to real Mahasamadhi day in 1918. It was because of great bhakta Mhalsapati that situation was averted. We can imagine without his persistence what could have happened. This was the gift to mankind given by Baba through Mhalsapati.

 On Margashirsh Purnima day (thirty-two years before the Mahasamadhi) Baba had an attack of asthma and he became very uneasy. In order to bear this bodily pain, Baba raised his ‘prana’ high up and went into samadhi. Baba told Mhalsapati as follows;

“For three days from now I will rise my ‘prana’ high up and go into samadhi. Do not wake me up”. Baba told them. “See that corner of the courtyard,” Baba said pointing his finger. “Dig there for my samadhi and place me there”. Then looking at Mhalsapati, he point blank said to him: “Do not neglect me for three days. Place two flags at that site as an indication”. Saying this, he raised his ‘prana’ high up. Suddenly he whirled around and became unconscious. Mhalsapati placed him on his lap. Others lost hope. It was about 10 o’clock at night when this happened. Oh, everyone became still, thinking about the sudden turn of events.

There was neither breath nor pulse. It seemed as if there was no life in the body. The people were in a state of deep fright. But Sai was absolutely at peace. Then Mhalsapati remained alert day and night and took care of Sai. He sat wide awake near him. Though Sai himself had ordered that the samadhi be dug yet no one had the courage to do that. Seeing Baba in a state of samadhi, the whole village assembled there. Bhagat Mhalsapati did not remove the body from the lap.

The people would get a shock if they realized that the body was lifeless. Sai, therefore, seemed to have deceived the people by saying that the body should be kept for three days. The breath had stopped. All the sense organs were at a standstill. There was no trace of movement. The lustre of his face had dimmed. He had lost consciousness of the surroundings. He was totally silent. How could he come back to consciousness? This was the great worry for all.

 Two days had passed but he did not gain consciousness. Moulvis, maulanas and fakirs came and gave their opinion for future action. Appa Kulkarni and Kashiram also came. They took a firm decision that Baba had achieved his abode of peace and the body should be given eternal rest. Some said: “Wait a little longer. Such haste is not good. Baba was not like ordinary people. Baba’s words come true”. Others promptly replied: “How will the life spirit return to a body which is ice cold? How foolish all these are! Dig a grave at the place shown (by him). Call all the people. Perform the last rites on time. Make all the preparations.”

 Thus, while the discussions to do or nor to do went on, the time period of three days was over. Then, early in the morning, at 3 o’clock, the life spirit was observed as returning. Very slowly his eyes opened, the body stirred and the limbs stretched, the breath re-commenced and the abdomen was seen to move. His face showed a cheerful expression, the eyes began to blink, the unconsciousness went and a state of awakening arose. It seemed as if he had been reminded of a body he had forgotten. The lost treasure had been found again and was freely available.

 Seeing Sai fully conscious everyone rejoiced. By the Grace of God a great calamity had been averted. The devotees were wonder struck. Bhagat (Mhalsapati) looked at Sai’s face, marvelling, as he gently moved his neck. The moulvis and fakirs lost face. In this manner, a terrible event passed.

Mhalsapati supported Baba's body on his own knee, and when officers, including the village headman karnam, etc., held an inquest over the body, declared it dead, and wanted it to be buried. Mhalsapati with the help of others stoutly opposed their proposal and saved Baba from losing his body. Thus, he rendered a valuable service in 1886, after which Baba lived for 32 years to create this huge Sai movement that has covered this land. If Mhalsapati had failed in his duty, and Baba had been buried perhaps the course of history might have been different. We cannot imagine that situation but we know that Baba intended this kind of miracle.

Similar kind of responsibility was given by Baba to Mhalsapathi another time but in a different way.

Trying to save Nigoj Patil’s wife:

 Once upon a time, Mhalsapati came to Dwarakamai to sleep there.  As usual, he had spread his cloth and Baba was lying on one half of that cloth, and he was lying on the other. Then Baba told him. 'I say, come on. To-day we shall be on the watch. The rude Rohilla (death from plague) wanting to take away the wife of the Nigoj Patil. I am praying to Allah to prevent that by Nama Smaran. You had better see that no one comes and disturbs me in my Nama Smaran.' 

Accordingly Mhalsapathi kept awake to try and see that no disturbance took place. But, unfortunately, in the middle of the night the Nivas Mamlatdar had come. He and his subordinates took a fancy to take Baba's darsan, which could be had for nothing, so, at midnight, the worker (peon) of the Mamlat­dar came and stating that Darsan was wanted and udhi was wanted, made a noise. Mhalsapathi tried to prevent it but who could prevent official hauteur or jabardas ? Mhalsapathi was trying to oblige the peon by getting down the steps to give him some udhi, but the noise made disturbed Baba's trance (contemplation), and Baba sat up, and hurled foul curses and told Mhalsapathi. 'Arre Bhagat, you are a man with family! And don't you know what is taking place at Nigoj? This disturbance has caused a failure in my efforts. That Patil's wife is dead. Let that go. What has happened is for the best'. In his anger, Baba threw away Mahlsa-pathy's cloth on him, telling him that he should not allow disturbance like that to Baba's holy work of contemplation and prayer.

After that Mhalsapati served Baba for so many years with dedication and assisted Baba in his night vigil in an effort to save millions of people. It is a blessing to listen or read about that kind of Bhakta of Baba.

OM SAI RAM!