BABA AND HUMOUR (7)
Again, on one occasion, when Hemant Pant alias Anna Dabolkar came to Baba, there was in the fold of his coat some channa, that is, fried grain, and it fell from his coat; and people were joking about him. That was a day of the fair at Shirdi, and Dabolkar had perhaps been to the fair. Baba, wanting to have a joke at him, said, `Oh! This channa shows that he is in the habit of eating things all by himself without sharing it with others'. Dabolkar was upset and he protested that he had no such habit. But how the channa got into his dress, he could not explain. Then, Baba made further use of the occasion and told him, `When you eat, do you give things to me? Am I not always by your side?' Thus impressing on him a very valuable lesson that Baba was present everywhere, and that they should first offer their food their food to him as their Gurudeva, before taking their food. This is a sacred lesson, and this teaching is divine. But it came out as Baba's humour, and poked fun at Anna Saheb Dabolkar.
Baba's saying, `I am not at Shirdi', when he was actually staying with them at the Mosque, was another instance of humour combined with great spiritual truth. By his statement that he was not at Shirdi, hewished to convey that he was not the physical body seen at Shirdi, but the real personality, which is a divine Force, present everywhere, especially in the hearts of all people. Baba meanwhile enjoyed the puzzled looks of people who thought that he was talking untruth by denying his presence at Shirdi. This was especially the case with a local lady, who could not understood what Baba meant by his words to Mrs. R. A. Tarkhad. Baba said to the latter, `Mother, I am going thrice a day to your house in Bandra, Is it not?' and the lady said. `Yes'. The local lady said, `We are seeing Baba here everyday, and how could he go thrice a day to Bandra, which is 100 miles away'. But Baba said, `I go to that house'. He then gave adescription of route, etcetra. The local lady did not understand that Baba was referring to his travelling in his linga sarira to his devotees places and accepting the naivedya, offered three.
Another practical joke played by Baba for effecting good was the following. Kaka Mahajani was suffering from diarrhoea. He had frequent motions and so he had to carry with him a vessel lota of water. He had come to the Mosque, along with the lota of water. He had come to the Mosque, along with the lota of water. Baba knew very well his condition and when Kaka was there, he suddenly got into a rage and uttered words and acted in such a furious way that all the people took to their heels. In the rush and bustle someone seated at the mantap eating ground nuts left the groundnuts and fled for life. Kaka Mahajani thought that he must also go away. He was proceeding to take his vessel in order to move away. But Baba quietly came down to him and asked him to sit. Then they took up the groundnuts left bythat stranger, and both of them consumed the ground nuts, and drank water. Now groundnut and water is hardly the best treatment for diarrhoea. In ordinary cases, it would accelerate diarrhoea and make the man miserable. But in this case, Baba said, `Your anus be closed', and the discharge ceased. Kaka Mahajani was cured. Baba had used his apparent fury for the purpose of securing groundnuts for hisdevotee.
(Courtesy: H H Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji)
Again, on one occasion, when Hemant Pant alias Anna Dabolkar came to Baba, there was in the fold of his coat some channa, that is, fried grain, and it fell from his coat; and people were joking about him. That was a day of the fair at Shirdi, and Dabolkar had perhaps been to the fair. Baba, wanting to have a joke at him, said, `Oh! This channa shows that he is in the habit of eating things all by himself without sharing it with others'. Dabolkar was upset and he protested that he had no such habit. But how the channa got into his dress, he could not explain. Then, Baba made further use of the occasion and told him, `When you eat, do you give things to me? Am I not always by your side?' Thus impressing on him a very valuable lesson that Baba was present everywhere, and that they should first offer their food their food to him as their Gurudeva, before taking their food. This is a sacred lesson, and this teaching is divine. But it came out as Baba's humour, and poked fun at Anna Saheb Dabolkar.
Baba's saying, `I am not at Shirdi', when he was actually staying with them at the Mosque, was another instance of humour combined with great spiritual truth. By his statement that he was not at Shirdi, hewished to convey that he was not the physical body seen at Shirdi, but the real personality, which is a divine Force, present everywhere, especially in the hearts of all people. Baba meanwhile enjoyed the puzzled looks of people who thought that he was talking untruth by denying his presence at Shirdi. This was especially the case with a local lady, who could not understood what Baba meant by his words to Mrs. R. A. Tarkhad. Baba said to the latter, `Mother, I am going thrice a day to your house in Bandra, Is it not?' and the lady said. `Yes'. The local lady said, `We are seeing Baba here everyday, and how could he go thrice a day to Bandra, which is 100 miles away'. But Baba said, `I go to that house'. He then gave adescription of route, etcetra. The local lady did not understand that Baba was referring to his travelling in his linga sarira to his devotees places and accepting the naivedya, offered three.
Another practical joke played by Baba for effecting good was the following. Kaka Mahajani was suffering from diarrhoea. He had frequent motions and so he had to carry with him a vessel lota of water. He had come to the Mosque, along with the lota of water. He had come to the Mosque, along with the lota of water. Baba knew very well his condition and when Kaka was there, he suddenly got into a rage and uttered words and acted in such a furious way that all the people took to their heels. In the rush and bustle someone seated at the mantap eating ground nuts left the groundnuts and fled for life. Kaka Mahajani thought that he must also go away. He was proceeding to take his vessel in order to move away. But Baba quietly came down to him and asked him to sit. Then they took up the groundnuts left bythat stranger, and both of them consumed the ground nuts, and drank water. Now groundnut and water is hardly the best treatment for diarrhoea. In ordinary cases, it would accelerate diarrhoea and make the man miserable. But in this case, Baba said, `Your anus be closed', and the discharge ceased. Kaka Mahajani was cured. Baba had used his apparent fury for the purpose of securing groundnuts for hisdevotee.
(Courtesy: H H Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji)
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