Khaparde - 2

Khaparde’s Spiritual journey:

Dadasaheb stayed only 7 days in Shirdi during his first visit. Once he left Shirdi, he realized how peaceful it was in Shirdi and in the presence of Baba. He developed faith in Baba. So many officers were standing in line to seek his blessings. Baba also told him about their relationship in the past lives.

Khaparde came to Shirdi second time in December of 1911. This time he had to stay there for almost 100 days. Khaparde’s family tried to ask Baba’s permission so many times but Sai did not allow them to return to their place. Belief in Baba made that family stay in Shirdi that long. Baba had solid reasons for not giving permission. Khaparde has been the right hand person to Tilak. Khaprde was supposedly on the list for Bristish Government after Bala Ganghadahr Tilak was arrested. Baba had to save him not only from British but also from the mundane world. He wanted him to advance in the spiritual world. Baba took care of both at the same time.

Baba once said, “in a former birth, you (Khaparde) were with me for two or three years, and went into royal service, though there was enough at home to live in comfort.' Baba wanted to help Khaparde to break all these past impressions. If we can hold on to great gurus like Sai, we will be saved from these clutches. This is what Baba had in mind. Once Baba told Khaparde, “We (Baba, Khaparde, Dixit, Syama and Dada Kelkar) all lived with our guru in a corner street. That’s why I am trying to gather everyone here again”.

Baba used to speak in parables and tell short stories. Khaparde wrote in his diary that he could not understand these stories at times but felt blissful during these discourses. Baba used to have spiritual glances at people during and after the Arathi times. This is nothing but transmitting yogic energy to his devotees. These yogic glances brought so many inner changes in Khaparde. His routine was incredible. He used to participate in morning arathi, did satsangh with Dixit, Bhisma, Upasini Baba and several others. They used to sing bhajans after night arathi. They used to listen to Dixit’s Ramayan reading until midnight. Khaprde used to teach Panchadasi (Great vedantic writing by Swami Vidyaranya) and Paramamrita, Yoga Vasishta, Dasa Bodha, etc.

Meeting with Mr. Natekar:

Khaparde met so many people while he was in Shirdi. He wrote about this Mr. Natekar (also called Hamsa) in his diary as follows;

He is a very nice simple man & after meals he told us about his travels in the Himalayas, how he crested Manasa Sarowar, how he heard an Upanishad being sung there, how he followed foot prints, how he reached a cave, saw a Mahatma, and the latter spoke of the conviction of Tilak that day at Bombay, how the Mahatma introduced him to his brother (elder fellow student) how he finally met his Guru and became “Kritastha ”. Later on we went to Sayin Baba & saw him at the Masjid. He sent me a word this afternoon that I have to stay here another two months. He confirmed the message in the afternoon & then said that his “Udi ” had great spiritual properties. He told my wife that the Governor came with a lance, that Sayin Maharaj had a tusall with him & drove him out, & that he finally conciliated the Governor. The language is highly figurative & therefore difficult to interpret. 

While Dadasaheb was away in England, he enjoyed the hospitality of Khaparde family for a month.  Sometime in 1913, it was discovered that nine diaries of Dadasaheb were found stolen from a wooden box which was locked but they were later returned by the Government as they did not find any incriminating material therein.

Long after this incident Khapardes’ learnt that “Hamsa” was a CID detective planted by the Government in their household who had followed Dadasaheb to Shirdi to gather information about his activities there. In his entry of 14th June, 1913 Dadasaheb records, “Hamsa” appears to have taken in many on the pretext of being a sadhu”. It is not without significance that the above quoted remarks about “Udi” and repelling the Governor with “trishul” appear in the entry of 29.12.1911 while “Hamsa” was in Shirdi. No wonder Sai Baba must have known about the plotting of Hamsa and used his powers to ward off any danger to his faithful devotee. Here is a perfect example how Sai can save us if we develop faith in him and show patience. He will never disappoint anyone. The way Baba saved Khaparde from the clutches of British is possible only through great gurus like Sai.

Baba always says, “'My eye of vigilant supervision is ever on those who love me'what else we need from our guru!  He was perpetually watching the minds of the Governor and the Home Member of the Central Provinces Government and elsewhere; and he revealed to Mrs. Khaparde what he did and how he watched. He did not let Khaparde leave Shirdi until he wiped out the thoughts of persecution from the minds of British.

Mrs. Laxmi Bai Khaparde’s experiences:

We only know her details as wife of Khaparde. She was highly cultured. She had read and also heard from Keertankars the stories from Ramayana, Mahabharat, Pandav-Pratap, Shiva Lilamrit etc. She had a special relationship with Sai. Sai himself told people about her greatness. She stayed in Shirdi for almost 7 months and served Sai personally. She adored Sai’s feet. She used to eat only after she gave food to Baba. Once he felt so pleased with her service, he blessed her with some great words. Baba style of teaching is such you never will realize that you are learning but you will see changes in your personality. Now let’s look at one of Mrs. Khaparde’s stories; 

Once Mrs. Khaparde brought a platter filled with ‘sanza, sheerapuri, bhat, varan, kheer, sandge, papad, koshimbiri’. As soon as this platter came, Baba most eagerly got up from his seat, rolling up the sleeves of his kafni. He went and sat down at his usual place for eating, pulled the platter in front of him, took off the outer cover and got ready to eat. Many other naivedyas came, far superior to this one. Often they remained untouched. What was the greatly impelling reason to eat this only? Why should such a worldly attitude affect a Saint? Madhavraoji asked Sai Samartha: “Why should there be such a distinction? You keep aside all the other platters. Even if some are made of silver, you hurl them far away. But, only when this lady’s platter came, you got up immediately and started eating. This is surprising! Why is her food so delicious? Deva, this is a great mystery to us. There is some stratagem of yours, here! Why should you have such likes and dislikes? ”

Baba said: “What can I say about the surpassing quality of this food? In her earlier birth, this lady was a very fat cow belonging to a merchant, yielding much milk. Then, she disappeared and took birth in a gardener’s family. Later she was reborn in a Kshatriya family and got married to a merchant. Then, she was born in a Brahmin family. I saw her after a very long time. Let me take a few morsels of food, she has offered with love, with contentment”.

After saying this, he did full justice to the meal, washed his hands and mouth, belched to show his satisfaction and resumed his seat. The lady did an obeisance and started gently pressing Sai’s feet. Baba took the opportunity to give her some beneficial advice. While the lady pressed Baba’s feet, he in turn, pressed those hands which served him. Seeing this reciprocity of service between Deva and devotee, Shama joked about it. “It is going on well, Deva! It is a pleasurable sight to see this reciprocal devotion. It is marvelous to behold”.

Considering her service, Baba was pleased with her and softly told her to keep on repeating “Rajaram, Rajaram”. “Keep chanting this always. Oh, mother, your life’s objective will be achieved, your mind will be at peace, and you will be immensely benefited”. How potent were those words! They penetrated her heart and became embedded there. Through these words, Baba had instantly imparted ‘Shakti – pata’ (transfer of yogic energy). Such was Sree Samartha the compassionate! Sainath, the protector of all who have surrendered! He always fulfils the devotees’ cherished desires and works for their welfare.

The Guru and the devotee are not separate, though they appear different or distinct. He who attempts to separate them forcefully is bound to be humiliated. Both are one and one cannot live without the other. When guru blesses the disciple then there is no duality. The Guru lives in one place and his disciple at another! He who likes it thus, then their relationship is only for appearances sake. If essentially they are not two, how can they be separate? One cannot exist without the other; both are so inseparable! There is no difference between the Guru and the devotee; thus they are continuously together. The devotee placing his head on the Guru’sfeet is a gesture of worship or outward vision.

The devotee is one with the Guru in his one-pointed worship, and the Guru is in union with his devotee. If they are not completely one with one another in this way, then the relationship is not worth its name. The root cause of all calamities is ignorance. Those who are rolling in the sleep of ignorance should wake up before it is too late and partake of the nectar of knowledge from the Guru. Therefore, with great humility, go and surrender at the Guru’s feet.

Surrender the vacillating mind at Sai’s feet. Then, he will be the doer of the actions that arise by his inspiration. Similarly, surrender the initiative and energy to act to Sai. Then behave according to his will. Know that Sai’s power prevails everywhere.