BABA AND HUMOUR (6)
Baba sometimes used expressions which were apparently foul. He abused and cursed against people present but when were really against the evil influences operating on them. This process is a joke though not understand at the time as a joke. The famous Gadge Bua, who built his famous and splendid chatrams at Pandharpur and Nasik, was trying to build the Nasik dharmasala. Funds came up which were only sufficient for the construction of the ground floor, and then no more funds were forthcoming. His attempt appeared to have some misfortune or set back, evidently spiritual, and so Gadge Bua, who had great reverence for Sai Baba, went to him in order to appeal to him to get over the spiritual hindrances. When he went to Baba and started to tell him about the matter. Baba used foul and obscene curses, and at once Gadge Bua began to laugh and Baba also taught with him. There ended the matter. It looked as though Baba was cursing and abusing and tried to drive away Gadge Bua. But really he was cursing and swearing down the hindrance that prevented Gadge Bua from going on with the construction of his chatram. After this mystic process of abuse, Gadge Bua's obstacle were removed, and funds flowed freely and he completed his Nasik chatram. He has put up Sai Baba's picture in his dharmasalas.
One other way in which Baba combined humour with a serious religious or spiritual performance was in connection with B.V. Dev. Shri B.V. Dev found that on account of some poorva samskara, he could nevercomplete any parayana or pothi of jnaneswari. Each time he tried, his effort broke down. So, as Jnaneswari is considered to be the most important of books for pothi or parayana, he went to Baba and Baba demanded considerable dakshinas of Rs.25 and more. then Baba sent Dev back. Dev after returning Baba, met Balakram Manker, and wished to learn from him more about Baba's wonderful powers and asked him for his experience. Balakram Manker promised to mention from the next day and when he was about to start his narration, Baba suddenly sent for Dev and flared up in anger. He asked Dev, `What! You are and old man, and in spite of your grey hairs, you indulge in stealing rags. I will kill you with a hatchet'. Dev was dumbfounded. The effect of being shocked was probably part of the mystic process, which Baba was conducting for his benefit, but Dev understood nothing. Then Baba asked him to go and fetch dakshina. again Dev produced Rs. 25 and next Rs. 25. Baba asked him, `What are you reading?' Dev replied, `Nothing'. Baba asked him, `Why do you not read pothi such as Jnaneswari?' Baba told him then to go on with that pothi, and said, `When I am trying to present you with a full lace shawl, you are trying to steal a rag from me'. Dev went on with his Jnaneswari parayana at Shirdi and finished it. That was the first time when he could finish the pothi, without any hindrance. It was a miracle. His former samskaras were obstructing him till then. Baba gave him a very valuable experience and it was highly useful to him. a parayana of Jnaneswari, which is a commentary upon Bhagavad Gita, has a high spiritual value, and yet this imparting of the great spiritual benefit was accompanied by a humorous threat that Baba would kill him with a hatchet, and Baba's charge against him that he was stealing rags, koupinus. Then Dev understood the point. The rag that he was said to be stealing was the second-hand and third-hand report from Monker of experiences about Baba, whereas the full lace shawl that Baba wanted to give was the direct experience by Dev himself of Baba's overcoming his poorva samskaras that revented pothi from being completed by him. Here again the humour and the pretended anger and the confirment of a great spiritual boon were so nicely intertwined so as to be inseparable. It was greatly impressive andnever to be forgotten.
(Courtesy: H H Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji)
Baba sometimes used expressions which were apparently foul. He abused and cursed against people present but when were really against the evil influences operating on them. This process is a joke though not understand at the time as a joke. The famous Gadge Bua, who built his famous and splendid chatrams at Pandharpur and Nasik, was trying to build the Nasik dharmasala. Funds came up which were only sufficient for the construction of the ground floor, and then no more funds were forthcoming. His attempt appeared to have some misfortune or set back, evidently spiritual, and so Gadge Bua, who had great reverence for Sai Baba, went to him in order to appeal to him to get over the spiritual hindrances. When he went to Baba and started to tell him about the matter. Baba used foul and obscene curses, and at once Gadge Bua began to laugh and Baba also taught with him. There ended the matter. It looked as though Baba was cursing and abusing and tried to drive away Gadge Bua. But really he was cursing and swearing down the hindrance that prevented Gadge Bua from going on with the construction of his chatram. After this mystic process of abuse, Gadge Bua's obstacle were removed, and funds flowed freely and he completed his Nasik chatram. He has put up Sai Baba's picture in his dharmasalas.
One other way in which Baba combined humour with a serious religious or spiritual performance was in connection with B.V. Dev. Shri B.V. Dev found that on account of some poorva samskara, he could nevercomplete any parayana or pothi of jnaneswari. Each time he tried, his effort broke down. So, as Jnaneswari is considered to be the most important of books for pothi or parayana, he went to Baba and Baba demanded considerable dakshinas of Rs.25 and more. then Baba sent Dev back. Dev after returning Baba, met Balakram Manker, and wished to learn from him more about Baba's wonderful powers and asked him for his experience. Balakram Manker promised to mention from the next day and when he was about to start his narration, Baba suddenly sent for Dev and flared up in anger. He asked Dev, `What! You are and old man, and in spite of your grey hairs, you indulge in stealing rags. I will kill you with a hatchet'. Dev was dumbfounded. The effect of being shocked was probably part of the mystic process, which Baba was conducting for his benefit, but Dev understood nothing. Then Baba asked him to go and fetch dakshina. again Dev produced Rs. 25 and next Rs. 25. Baba asked him, `What are you reading?' Dev replied, `Nothing'. Baba asked him, `Why do you not read pothi such as Jnaneswari?' Baba told him then to go on with that pothi, and said, `When I am trying to present you with a full lace shawl, you are trying to steal a rag from me'. Dev went on with his Jnaneswari parayana at Shirdi and finished it. That was the first time when he could finish the pothi, without any hindrance. It was a miracle. His former samskaras were obstructing him till then. Baba gave him a very valuable experience and it was highly useful to him. a parayana of Jnaneswari, which is a commentary upon Bhagavad Gita, has a high spiritual value, and yet this imparting of the great spiritual benefit was accompanied by a humorous threat that Baba would kill him with a hatchet, and Baba's charge against him that he was stealing rags, koupinus. Then Dev understood the point. The rag that he was said to be stealing was the second-hand and third-hand report from Monker of experiences about Baba, whereas the full lace shawl that Baba wanted to give was the direct experience by Dev himself of Baba's overcoming his poorva samskaras that revented pothi from being completed by him. Here again the humour and the pretended anger and the confirment of a great spiritual boon were so nicely intertwined so as to be inseparable. It was greatly impressive andnever to be forgotten.
(Courtesy: H H Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji)
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