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Sai
wanted us to focus on spiritual path but he never abandoned us with
materialistic aspects of life. He even said that his devotees come to him for
worldly things first and after helping them with this issue he will direct them
to spiritual path. Here we need to be careful so that we do not waste our lives
devoting ourselves to these worldly objects. Baba gave great message to mankind
through Damia. Because Baba’s main goal is to take us to the ultimate goal of
human life that is salvation.
Damodar Sawalram Rasane was one of those
devotees who asked Baba for help in his business dealings family issues and
other day to day life issues. Baba was always there for him. He was a Kasar
and one of the earliest of Ahmednagar citizens to learn about Sai Baba. He was
a very humble man and began as a poor bangle seller but all his transactions
yielded good profit and he soon grew rich. He had everything to make life
happy, but had no children. Seeing that his first wife could not bear a child,
he married a second time. But even the second wife could not bear him a child.
Astrological curiosity made him explore into his horoscope and he found that he
could never have a child. In astrological terms, Kethu was obstructing this,
and there was no Guru influence to overcome that force. Therefore, the
local astrologers, who were consulted, declared that issue for him was
impossible in this life.
Sai blessing him with children:
He had
heard of Sai Baba and went up to meet him. Sai Baba had kept apart 8 mangoes to
be given to him from a basket of mangoes that were sent to Baba. The children
were the recipients of the rest of the mangoes and some children wanted more.
When Baba said, “There is nothing,” the children pointed to the eight mangoes.
Baba said, “They are for Damia.” But the children said, “Damia is not here.” “I
know that. He is on the way. He is coming,” said Baba. Then, when Baba went
out, some of these petted children of Baba stole away four mangoes, and when
Rasane came, there were only four mangoes remaining. As soon as he came, Baba
gave him those four mangoes. “Eat and die. People are clamoring for mangoes.”
Eat and die – Damodar was perturbed by hearing the inauspicious word die, and
Mahlsapathy noting his perplexity told him that it was a blessing to die at the
feet of Baba. Baba was enjoying the humor all the time, as the word die, which
he had used, did not refer to the physical death but only to the spiritual
death, which is the same as Bhramh or Pramada coming upon one who
gets deeper and deeper in samsaric (Worldly life) life with the birth of
a child after child and the death of several of them.
Baba
came to the rescue and said, “Damia do not eat these fruits yourself. Give them
to your wife”. Damia wanted to know, which wife were the fruits to be given.
Baba said, “The second wife.” Baba also said, “She will have eight children.
The first and second would be boys. Name the first Daulat Shah and the second
Thana Shah.” Taking up his note book immediately, Damia wrote down the names.
Then the fruits were taken and given to his second wife, and, she did eat the
four fruits. She begot, as stated by Baba, exactly eight children, one after
another, their sexes being in the order given by Baba. It took fifteen years
for all the children to be born. It may be noted that the eight mangoes
representing eight children that Baba set apart for Damia, four were stolen
away. Corresponding to that loss, of the eight children that were born to
Damia, four were filched away by death and the remaining four survived.
One year after that, he had his first son. When his son was 15 months old Damia took him
to Sai Baba at Shirdi for darsan and he then asked Baba "How shall I name
this child?" Baba replied
"Have you forgotten what I told you?
You have written it on page 3 of your note book. Did I not say that he should be named Daulat
Shah?" He is also known as Nana Saheb
Rasane. Daulat means prosperity and
fame. With the wealth already acquired by Damia, the children started or
carried on a successful business, and they kept up the name of Damia for wealth
and generosity.
In
addition to the above, Nana Saheb Rasane, the eldest son was helped by Baba in
his spiritual development. He later helped spreading the Sai faith by lectures.
When Daulat Shah was five years old, and when he first began writing the
letters Hari on the slate, Baba held his hand and helped him to write.
After that he was, taken to a school at Shirdi. At his marriage also, Baba
helped him. When there were several girls offered for this rich man’s son, Baba
was requested by Damia to select the one, which he considered proper out of
four horoscopes. Two girls were offering a dowry of 2500 to 3000 rupees at that
time. Then Baba selected a poor girl’s horoscope; and that was the girl that
Rasane married, and that was a happy marriage. It took place at Pandharpur and
Damia went to Baba to invite him to Pandharpur. Baba replied “I am with you. Do
not fear. Wherever you think of me, there I am with you.” Still Damia pressed
him to attend. Then Baba said, “Without God’s permission, nothing can be done
by me. I will send Shama to attend the marriage as my deputy.” And Shama
attended the marriage.
Damia’s contribution to
Ramanavami festival:
Damia
wishing to show his gratitude undertook to pay the expenses of a grand ceremony
of ‘The standards procession’ on every Ramanavami Day. Two very tall standards
were nicely decorated and carried from the Mosque through the streets of Shirdi
on that day every year and finally brought back to be planted at Baba’s Masjid
to remain there as a mark of the residence of the weird saint. Damia, not
content with this service, was always ready to undertake further trouble and
expense for Baba in other matters. At the time of the reconstruction of the
Masjid, he made his contribution as also on other similar occasions. But the
best contribution that Damia made was his becoming an Ankita or child of Baba,
whom Baba looked after wherever he was and wherever he thought of Baba. Baba
told him, “I am with you wherever you are and
Damia finding comfort with Baba:
Baba was
relied upon by Damia as his great asset, the one shield against all sorrow and
trouble, the one supreme protector who would guard him against every evil. So,
whenever he was in trouble, he thought of Baba. On one occasion, his wife’s nath,
nose ornament, usually considered to represent the Mangalya, was stolen
by an old-time servant. The matter was reported to the police. They came and
seized the thief and after making a search, arrested him. Damia felt hurt in
every way, firstly by the loss of the Mangalya ornament and next the
fact that the thief was a man whom he had trusted for thirty years. That such a
servant should turn a traitor was a shock to him. So, he at once went to Shirdi
and Baba, noting how upset he was, told Shama to give him a good fine feast.
Then he was given a coating of sandal paste and Baba assured him he was with
him, and restored his courage, self-possession and equanimity.
Damia eating with a low caste
person:
On other
occasions also, he always appealed to Baba and Baba came to his aid. Damia had
implicit reverence for and faith in Baba and obeyed his directions. Although he
was very orthodox in his ways, he invited Baba for a meal on an important
occasion at Shirdi. Baba declined to go and then Damia asked him, “Send at
least Bala Patel”, who was Baba’s constant attendant, though a Harijan.
Baba said, “I will send him. But do not cry Dhut, Dhut at him and
keep him far away from your own place of eating.” Damia agreed and, in spite of
his orthodoxy spread a plate for Bala next to himself. This was a great
achievement in those days at the beginning of 20th century.
Damia
has said that his mind was always dwelling on Baba, and he saw him at his own
house at Ahmednagar few times. Baba abused him and even beat him fiercely. But
he adds, he knew that, as with Akkalkote Maharaj, blows and abuses have an
auspicious ending. So, he always found that blows and abuse were not matters
for regret.
OM SAI RAM!
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