Sri Saisatcharita chapter -29

There was a Bhajan group from Madras and they were traveling to Kashi in 1916 and wanted to stop at Shirdi to see Sai. They heard that Baba was a great saint, patient, generous and one who had controlled his passions. He was kind to pilgrims and distributed large sums of money. There were four people in that group (The man himself, his sister-in-law, wife and a daughter). They were desirous of the saint’s darshan.

After taking Sai’s darshan, the group was pleased. They sang loving bhajans, before Sai, every day, regularly. Baba used to give money sometimes and other times nothing. It was hard to predict what he does. He did not give charity to all. There was a little girl who used to come to Baba every day and her mother will sit nearby and sign her to ask for money. Baba used to simulate anger but he gave her money every day.

 This Ramadasi bhajan group wanted to get as much money as possible from Baba. All of them were greedy except wife who had devotion towards Baba. One day during the noon arathi, Baba gave darshan as Lord Rama to wife as she was worshipping him with utmost devotion. Then she shares this experience with her husband and he ridicules her but she knows that it was not her imagination. She continued to have darshan of Rama for a while and then stopped as she became little greedy with money.

The man who came with the group had a dream one day that he was in a city being a prisoner in a lock up. He saw Sai standing there quietly standing and then he prays to Baba saying “Baba, having heard your fame I came to your feet, why has this happened to me when you are present here?” Then Baba says “One must suffer their past deeds”. He immediately says “I have not done anything wrong”. Then Baba says “may be in past life”. Then the man says that all the sins should have burned by Baba’s darshan. Baba asks him if he had that much faith in him. When he closed his eyes he was free but the police man was dead. He gets scared that he is in more trouble now. Baba then says “you are well caught now”. Then this man prays to Baba again to protect him and Baba aks him to close his eyes again. He is outside the lock up in front of Baba. He prostrates with so much faith and Baba asks him about the difference between his prostration prior to all this and now. Then the man says “My earlier prostrations were for monetary gains and now this is to acknowledge you as God”. Baba also clears his doubts where he felt Baba is a Muslim. The man then asks Baba of his age as he appeared as an old man; Baba asks him to race with him and takes with cloud of dust. Then the man wakes up from the dream. When he went to Baba next day he gave 2 rupees each to him and to his family. They stayed there for a while with Baba’s blessings.

Tendulkar story:

Raghunath Rao Tendulkar was a staunch devotee of Baba and he is from Thane district. He was always cheerful and loving and attached to lotus feet of Sai all the time. Mrs. Savitribai Tendulkar used to worship Baba everyday at her home with Bakul flowers and she wrote Shri Sainath Bajan mala which consists of 800 abhangas and padas. She described Baba's leelas in this bajan mala. Her son was hyperactive as a child and she left him in Shirdi for sometime with Baba. He grew up and went to medical school. Once he was supposed to appear for medical examination but all the astrologers told him not to take the exam that year and to take year after. Then Savitribai came to Shirdi and told Baba about this issue. Then Baba reassures her and asked the son to take the exam that year it self. Of course  he passed the written exam and was asked to appear for the oral exam. Then he went on to become a very successful doctor and had a practice in Bombay. He used to have Baba picture in his clinic. 

Raghunath Tendulkar became old and had to retire and he was concerned about getting low pension. His salary was only Rs150 and he will get half of that salary that is Rs 75. But this is not enough to survive. Fifteen prior to settlement Baba appeared in Mrs. Tendulkar's dream and asked her if Rs 100 was OK for her. Then they got Rs. 110 as pension. Like this Baba took care of Tendulkar family all the time. 

Captain Hate:
Hate lived in Gwalior and once he saw Baba in his dream. Baba said: “Have you forgotten me?” Hate immediately held Baba’s feet and said: “If the child forgets the mother, how will it be saved?” In the dream, he got up quickly and went to the garden, picked fresh ‘valpapdi’, ‘shidha’ and with dakshina made an offering to prove his devotion. When all these items were ready to prove his devotion, Hate moved forward to make the offering. Suddenly his eyes opened and he realized that it was a dream. Immediately, Hate felt that he must collect all the items seen in his dream and offer them to Baba personally, by going to Shirdi. But, as he was in Gwalior, he wrote a letter to his friend, giving him all the details of the circumstances, and persuaded him to go to Shirdi himself. Once the money was sent the friend bought all the items except Valpapdi as it was difficult to find. On the way a lady comes to sell Valpapdi. In this way Captain hate's wish was complete. Once the friend reaches Shirdi, Baba asks specifically for the food Hate sent. Captain Hate became tearful once he heard about this. 

Another time Captain Hate wanted a rupee coin to be blessed by Baba so that he can put that in his Puja mandir. He sends this coin with one of his friends. Once this friend sees Baba, he asks him for dakshina. He gives some money and Baba takes that money. Then this friend gives Baba the rupee coin given by Hate. Baba plays with that coin for a while and gives it back to this friend along with some Udi. Baba says “Return this to whom it belongs. Take this udi prasad along with it. Tell him that I do not want anything from him. Stay well”. After reaching Gwalior and giving the rupee to the doctor, he related in detail all that had taken place. Hate was choked with emotion. He said: “The purpose that I had in mind and as I had wished, Baba fulfilled my wish, knowing my desire”.

Another time Baba did the reverse when Vaman Narvekar brough a coin with one side engraved Sita, Rama and Laxman and on the other side Hanuman. He wanted Baba to bless this coin and give it back to him. But Baba gives this to Shyama and wanted to keep this in Shirdi itself to be worshiped in the shrine. So Baba knows what we need and how to bless us. All we have to do is have unwavering faith in Baba. Baba knows what is suitable for us and what will advance us in the spiritual path. 

Om Sri Sainatharpanamasthu!