This is an interview given by Mr. Pradhan on 19th October, 1936. Santa Cruz
Baba's kindness to my family was, I repeat, very great. When my
wife begot "Babu", she resolved to make Baba, her father-in-law's
household God. It is our custom for a lady that begets a child, when she goes
to her husband's house, to fill up one end of her cloth with some wheat,
coconut and fruits, tie them into a knot and unburden herself of these before
her father-in-law or his Gods, i.e., domestic images. My wife
tied up these articles and carried these, as also Babu when he was four months
old, to Sai Baba at Shirdi. Baba readily received the articles on a plate and
took up Babu in His arms. He then endearingly addressed Babu thus, "Babu,
where had you been? Were you vexed with, or weary of me?". To mark the
joyous arrival of Babu at Shirdi, Baba pulled out two rupees from His own
pocket, got burfi (sweets) for that amount and distributed it exactly, as they
do, on the occasion of a son’s birth. This was in 1912.
On this occasion, Baba pointed to the village
wall stone arch and said "Whoever rebuilds this, will get blessings. My
wife asked him for permission to rebuild it and gave it. Then I paid Rs.600 to
N.Chandorkar to rebuild it. On this occasion, Baba said "Babu’s bungalow
is beautiful and ready". I guessed that Baba meant that I should buy the
Bungalow I now live in. So within two months, I got a lease of it and occupied
it and in six months thereafter I bought it. Baba's words thus were fulfilled
by my purchase and Babu had a beautiful bungalow in 1913.
Babu was again taken to Baba for his first
birthday and again commemorated it, by buying Rs.2 worth of sweets (Burfi) and
distributing it to all. On this occasion, Baba asked very significantly about
Babu "Has he no brother and no sister?" My wife, with some degree of
bashfulness answered "You gave us this Babu only". In fact, we had a
daughter at that time. Baba's words were construed as a blessing that we would
get one more son and one more daughter. That is exactly what happened. To
commemorate Babu's first birthday at Shirdi, a grand dinner was prepared at
Madhav Rao Deshpande's residence and all were invited. That was a Thursday.
Bala Saheb Bhate excused himself from attending it on the ground that on a
Thursday his rule was to avoid dining out. But when he went to Baba that day,
Sai Baba asked him;
Have you dined at Bhao's (i.e., Pradhan's) place?
Baba, today is Thursday.
SB : What if?
BB : I do not dine out on Thursdays. That is my rule.
SB : To please whom do you observe this rule?
BB : To please you.
SB :Then I tell you to go and dine at Bhao's.
Though it was 4 p.m. Balasaheb Bhate came up to me,
told me what Baba had said and dined with us.
Next my wife had a dream here at Santa Cruz of
Baba's appearing before her and receiving Pada Pooja from her, Mr.
N.G.Chandorkar interpreted it to mean, that Baba wanted her to start regular
Pada Pooja of Baba at home and so bade her go to Shirdi with two silver
Padukas. She did so. When she went up to Baba, the latter who was sitting with
legs folded stretched out His legs of His own accord and said "Place the
Padukas on these and do Pooja". Then my wife placed each of Padukas on
each foot of Baba and worshiped them. Baba then said to Nana Saheb "See.
Mother has cut off and carried away my feet" and Himself picked up the two
Padukas and handed them over to my wife. Ever since that date, she is daily
worshipping these Padukas.
Ever since my first visit, I was having my dinner at the Mosque
with Baba. Baba with His own hand stuffed all food into our plates and cups in
such large quantity. Instead of throwing away such valuable prasad I asked my
niece to come up and take away about three fourth of what was served to me and
that sufficed to feed my family. Yet what I ate warded off all hunger or
appetite for a night meal. Baba almost invariably gave desert (i.e.,fruits etc)
at the end of the meal. But when I went with Baba, Babu noticed that Baba did
not care for cooked food and served mangoes and fruits first, so that Babu
might have a full meal. When other children were born, I would take the three
children with me including Babu, to the Mosque to dine with Baba.
My last visit to Baba was in May, 1913. I had
taken with me Rs.3800 and overstayed my intended period, on account of Baba's
insistence. Baba's unuttered but evident practice with those whom he loved was
to deplete their resources. "I take away the wealth of those I
love". So when I returned from Shirdi after the month's stay, my money was
reduced to minus Rs.1200. In fact, I had borrowed that sum from an
acquaintance, a Veterinary Doctor of Poona and returned it to him after coming
home.
An incident relating to Babu's illness as an
infant ought chronologically to be placed before this. When Babu was 3 or 4
years old, he had serious illness. We had Madhava Bhat, a learned and pious
(and on the whole well-to-do) Telugu priest at home, who was greatly attached
to the family and carried on Mantra Japa and Pooja in our house for our
benefit. He noticed Babu's serious illness with concern. He had first no
sympathy with our worship of Baba. He fancied that Babu's illness was due to
our worshipping a Moslem Saint viz Sai Baba but he dared not
give utterance to his thought. One night he had a dream. He saw a figure (which
from the photo we had, he recongnised to be Sai Baba) sitting on the top of the
staircase, holding a batton (Sota) in one hand. That figure (Baba) told him
"What do you mean? I am the Lord of this house". The priest kept this
dream to himself for a time (He had asked us to go and make a vow to Datta for
the child's cure but he had been told that Baba was Datta himself).
Later Babu's condition was much worse than
before. The priest noted with concern. He ran up at once to Baba's photo and
loudly prayed thus "if the child should improve sufficiently by 4 p.m. so
as to be brought downstairs, then I will agree that you are Datta". Within
a short time of this prayer, the child's temperature was getting lower and by 4
p.m. he wanted to be carried down for amusement and his mother took him
downstairs. Madhav Bhat was converted and felt that Sai Baba was really Datta.
And he vowed he would pay him a dakshlna of Rs. 120 and paid it. The Pandit
wanted to get a son and vowed he would pay Rs. 108 if he got one. He got one
and then paid Rs. 108 to Baba. But at that very time, the Pandit vowed he would
pay Rs. 1.008 if my (i.e., Pradhan's) ambition
should be achieved. When Mr.Deshpande referred to the gift of Rs.108 as large,
Baba belittled it and said, "He is giving me much more" evidently
referring to the vow of Rs. 1 ,008.
Baba gave some words of advice to my wife
(l)e.g, "If anyone talks ten words at us, let us reply with
one word ..... if we reply at all". (2) Do not quarrel or vie with any one
not to be outdone. Early during the 32 days of my last stay with Baba. 1918,
all of us escorted Him with umbrella and all paraphernalia to the lendi. We all
left Him there and retreated. But me alone He recalled to Himself and put His
palm over my head and said "Bhav, will you do what I ask you to do?"
I said "yes”. Then he said "Pay me Rs. 100. Bring it in a bag and
deliver it to me at the Masjid quietly". In this way He made me give Him
all the sums I brought and the extra sums I borrowed. Then He made some signs
which were not clear. They seemed to mean "Even if the heavens tumbledown
on you, do not fear. I am with you". Baba at my first visit said that for
the previous six years, He had been smoking the chilm that I had given Him. I
could not make out His meaning.
Sri Buty's second marriage took place at Shirdi
in 1916 and I was present.
When we left Shirdi Baba said, that He would
accompany us. Physically and with a visible body He did not accompany us. But
our journey was pleasant and free from danger. That indicated that He accompanied
us with His invisible body and warded off all danger and trouble. After Baba
blessed me and passed away, I had the following benefits. I was appointed 2nd
Class Magistrate of South Salsette for 1920-1926 and am a J.P. since 1926. I
was elected for Thana as a member of the Bombay Legislative Council and sat
during 1921-1923. I was made a Rao Bahadur in 1927.
OM SAI RAM!
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