Purandhare Part -2

R. B. Purandhare Part 2 Telugu talk (click here)

Love is worship;

Purandhare loved Baba so much and it is hard to describe his love in words. What ever work he did Purandhare measured it in terms of his love towards Baba. He became the representative of love.  This is what made him to come to Shirdi often. Baba used to say “Bhav you don’t have to come here all the time. I am everywhere”. Baba encouraged Purandhare to be in company of H.S Dixit. Whenever he came to Shirdi with Dixit, Baba used to keep him for longer periods. One time he stayed there for a while and goes back to work. His foreman complained to his superiors about his absence. When his officer questioned him, he said “Here is my resignation. I went to see Sai Baba”. His officer knew how much he loves Baba and tears up the resignation letter. Then Purandhare gets a promotion after 6 months and this foreman who complained earlier becomes his subordinate. 

Purandhare never cared about any thing else other than loving Baba. This is the best quality that we can all adopt. We can do different kinds of worships but if we don’t have love towards Guru or God we could never be complete.

Purandhare once had an urge to go Shirdi and went to bed thinking about this. In his dream Baba appears and tells him “don’t come to Shirdi. If you come here I will beat you up. Why you want to come to Shirdi so many times? I am not far away from you. I am everywhere and inside you also. Don’t do these hasty things”. Purnadhare wakes up and felt disappointed. When he goes to work in the morning, he saw workers protesting. If he went to Shirdi, his management could have thought Purandhare had some thing to do with this strike and protest. Baba protected Purandhare by asking him not to come to Shirdi that day.

We will see another incident where Purandhare proves his love towards Baba. Baba once became ill in 1915 and could not move with out proper help. His body was tired and no one could describe the pain he was going through. Around the same time Purandhare wanted to visit Baba along with his family. He goes to railway station where he changes his mind to go alone. He asked his family to stay behind. His wife and mother did not want him to go but he decided to leave. When he came to Shirdi he saw Baba being sick. Purnadhare felt really sad looking at Baba. The love in his worship brought him to Shirdi.

In 1916, Baba and Radhakrishna Mai both became sick at the same time. At the same time Purandhare was coming to Shirdi. When he came to Kopergaon horse carriage driver by name Hasan tells him that Baba and Radhakrishna Mai were sick in Shirdi. Then Purandhare could not wait for moment and immediately goes to Masjid. He reaches Shirdi around 8.45 AM. He sees Baba breathing heavily. He starts crying like a kid. Then Baba speaks “Bhav you came! I am so tired. Don’t leave me. I have been waiting for you for the last 3-4 days. I even told kaka. You go and stay with Radhakrishna Mai. Don’t leave Shirdi”.

There is so much affection and love in Baba’s words. Purandhare was very fortunate and blessed to have received such affection from Baba. When he visits Mai, she was also very sick. Purandhare treated her as his mother and she also showed that kind of love towards him. Baba wanted to go for alms as usual despite his sickness. Couple people have to hold him while he was walking. When Baba came to Lendi, Purandhare meets Baba and starts crying again. The Baba says “Bhav don’t cry. I will be better in four days. God wanted me to go through this pain. This body has to endure this pain. When we live on earth, we have to face both good and bad. We can not be fearful and we have to face the situation”.  Hearing these words every one realized what Baba was saying and meaning behind these words.

Purandhare planting shrubs for Baba:

Baba used to sleep in Chavadi alternate days and he walks to Lendi everyday. So Radhakrishna Mai gets up in early morning and used to clean the roads where Baba supposed to walk. She used to take all the stones from the road. In a similar way one day Purandhare felt that he should plant some nice flowering plants on both sides of road so that Baba can enjoy the fragrance. He took lot of pain to get these plants and asks Baba’s permission to plant them. Baba does not give permission. Three days passed and the plants withered out. His sorrow at the idea of losing this enterprise of planting an alley and his sorrow at the withering or the death of the creepers was intense. Baba inspite of his vairagya and indifference to alleys and planting creepers could not be indifferent to the pain of this loving Purandhare. So, he told him finally not to have any fears and promised that even if the creepers were withering, he would make them thrive again with his wonderful mystic powers and finally granted permission after three days of withering. Strangely enough, the creepers were planted and inspite of the loss of time, the plants grew up.

Building shed for Palanquin.

Purandhare and his friends had, with great enthusiasm and trouble, secured for Baba’s picture a silver palanquin with silver ornament tacked on to the top of the same, but, when these were brought by the loving and enthusiastic devotees, Baba, who hated all pomp and pageantry and rated them at their proper worth, refused to allow the palanquin to be brought into his mosque as Baba himself would not sit in a palki. 

He said, ‘Let it remain outside, and so the whole night the palki remained outside without any watchman. During the night some thieves came and made away some of the silver horses. In the morning the much distraught devotees ran to Baba and complained about the theft. 

Baba simply said, ‘Why did the thieves not take away the whole palanquin?’ Baba had so much contempt for wealth. But the devotees would not give up their own notions as to the need for wealth and pomp to set off Sai Baba as a real Maharaja, a Prince with all sorts of appurtenance like silver palanquin. So, Radhakrishna Ayi and Purandhare resolved that the palanquin should be provided with a garage and they determined that the place to the next to the mosque on one side should be turned into a garage to safely lock up the palanquin. They could put up pillars on one side of that space and lean rafters thereon, but to make the rafters rest on the other side they had to put in support which should be inserted into the wall of the mosque to support the roof. No one would dare to do it, because it involved digging into the walls of the mosque, that is, boring holes, about four or five of them. It is a downright desecration to bore holes in a wall of a mosque, which has only three walls. But Purandhare had no alternative. He got up boldly and dug holes in the wall and inserted the pieces of wood. By that time Baba, who had gone out, returned and he was furious. He said, ‘Purandhare. You want to break my mosque wall?’ Purandhare bowed to him and explained that the wall would be safe that only three of four pieces of wood would be inserted. But Baba refused permission. Here comes the liberty taken by the spirit of love. 

Purandhare determined to continue his work for honoring Baba with a silver palanquin and a garage, and did not mind his orders. Baba was cursing and swearing, all to no purpose, Purandhare continued his work unmindful of his meal or that he was detaining his mother and wife from having their meal by reason of his absence. But Baba’s heart was pained. He could not endure to see Purandhare toil away without caring for his food and without caring for his mother and wife who were starving. Baba at last gave in. His love overcomes his orthodox objections as regards desecrating the wall. He told the people that this rascal of a Purandhare was making himself and others suffer by keeping away from food and not listening to his words.

Finally Baba said, '‘Purandhare, go and eat'’ But Purandhare would not. He said, '‘Baba, if I go away, you will undo all my work.’ Then Baba had to promise that he would not undo the work done. It is only after that Purandhare got down and went to his quarters for a meal. Then Baba said, referring Purandhare, ‘What is to be done? If a child passes motions on our thigh, do we kill the child or cut off the thigh? We have simply to put up with it.’ This is a very apt description of the relation between Purandhare and Baba.

Salvation to Purandhare’s wife:

Sadgati to his wife:
In 1920 Purandhare’s wife was very sick. She was suffering a serious case of influenza, she felt sorry that she could not attend the Urs Ramanavami festival at Shirdi. That night Sai Baba appeared in her dream and said "Do not cry. I will take you for the Urs." She got slightly better next morning and narrated this to her husband. Illness still continued and she expired on Ramanavami Crying "Baba, Baba" to the last.

Sai Protecting Purandhare from death:

In 1932 Purandhare was hopelessly ill of Sciatica and Rheumatism. He then saw Yama dutas near him. Then Baba came up, sat on his bed, took his hand on his knee and prevented Yamadutas touching him or his bed. He was saved. This was told by Purandhare himself in an interview.

Teachings by Baba:

He was very passionate, i e., hot tempered. Baba told him often "If anybody comes and abuses you or punishes you, do not quarrel with him. If you cannot endure it, speak a simple word or two or else go away from the place. But do not battle with him and behave like that. I feel sick and disgusted when you quarrel with others. Baba said these words to Purandhare and to others also several times.

Baba told Purandhare to speak truth always. Baba appeared in his dream after Mahasamadhi and asked him to go and assist with Sai Sansthan programs. Purandhare served as treasurer for the Sansthan. He used to feel that Baba was with him all the time while he was serving.

Baba brought so many changes in the life of Purandhare where ever necessary. Like Baba mentioned there is good and bad in this world, similarly there is death and birth. Baba always follows us in every life and guides us.

OM SAI RAM!