BABA AND HUMOUR
Another humorous incident has already been mentioned. When Mr. Sadasiva Tarkhad who was not employed came to Baba hoping to find employment with Baba's aid. Baba suddenly ordered him to go back to Poona in company with Tatya Patil and others who were going to Ahmednagar to see a film. This looked very cruel and heartless, nay horrid, to send the man back without a job and asking him to go andattend to amusements, when there was no provision for him to earn his bread. But he went with them to Ahmednagar and thence to Poona. At Poona he found that a local mill needed manager badly, as thelabourers had given trouble and a capable manager was wanted. The mill authorities had been sending telegrams to find out where Sadasiva Tarkhad was. Baba knew of it, and had yet humorously omittedto inform him sending him back in time to get the mill managership.
One day a very old goat just on the eve of death strayed into the Mosque mandap. Baba asked Bade Baba to cut it with a knife. Bade Baba's heart revolted against this needless cruelty and he left theMosque. Baba asked Shama to fetch a knife from Ayi and kill it. Ayi sent the knife, but learning that it was for killing the dying goat, recalled the knife. Again Shama professing to go out for another knife decamped. Baba was enjoying the humour all the time. Then he sent for H.S. Dixit, and asked him to fetch a knife and kill it. Dixit was the soul of obedience to Baba, and he was very intimately attached to Baba. So he took up a knife in his hand and asked Baba, `Shall I kill it?' `Yes', said Baba. Then he still hesitated Baba said, `Why are you hesitating?' Then Dixit determined to kill it, for with him, obedience to Baba was superior to sympathy for creatures. As Dixit was just lowering his knife over the head of the head of the animal, Baba suddenly stopped him, and said, `Do not kill the animal, I will myself kill it'. Then he took up the animal over his shoulders and walked few paces. The creature then breathed its last. Baba knew full well what was going to happen and was only enjoying the fun, and also testing the mental development of devotees. This test showed the perfection of Dixit's devotion.
There are many more instances of Baba's humour, but it seems to be hardly necessary to labour the point. Baba like every other human being appreciated a humorous situation and he indulged in the humour not merely because it was natural but also because the human side must be presented to devotees along with his divine side so that they may be able to have the courage to grasp the Baba personality. Without the human, the divine part of Baba's personality could not be so well grasped and utilized by the devotees. One more excellent illustration of how the two combined in another saint may bementioned at the close of the chapter.
The late Sri. C.N. Kuppuswami Iyer, Judge of the High Court of Madras, in trying to recall Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, for whom he had the highest reverence said, `I see now before my mind's eye the smiling face and the one protruding single solitary tooth projecting from behind his lip and his uttering valuable and sacred lessons for the people to learn'. Thus, it is the physical personality with thepeculiarity of one projecting tooth that constituted the human element with which the divine element of presenting holy and lofty truths was intertwined in the judge's memory. This is an excellent illustration to show how we remember clearly what seems to be irrelevant human feature. The irrelevant human feature that comes in just the same position with the noble divine features and by the law of association of ideas the whole thing is remembered together, and the irrelevant human feature proves to be a handle with which the divine is drawn and made use of. This is very frequently the case and that is why we are asked to study Avatars and deal with Bhagavatas before realising the nature of Bhagawan. We get at Bhagawan through Bhagavatas. We get at God through the saint and not otherwise. Daivam Manusha rupena is an oftquoted saying. So the human is wanted the human in the Bhagavata and saint. That is why there are prayers in Srimad Bhagavata in which the devotee prays to God.
Aham Hare Tavapadaikamoola
Dasanudaso Bhavitasmi Bhuyah
Manasmareta Asupateh Gunante
Grinita Vak Karma Karotu Kayah
This mean, May I, O Hari, be born again as a servant of those devotees who have solely taken refuge in your lotus feet. Let my mind ponder over and my tongue celebrate the excellence of the Lord of my life, and let my body be of your service.
Another humorous incident has already been mentioned. When Mr. Sadasiva Tarkhad who was not employed came to Baba hoping to find employment with Baba's aid. Baba suddenly ordered him to go back to Poona in company with Tatya Patil and others who were going to Ahmednagar to see a film. This looked very cruel and heartless, nay horrid, to send the man back without a job and asking him to go andattend to amusements, when there was no provision for him to earn his bread. But he went with them to Ahmednagar and thence to Poona. At Poona he found that a local mill needed manager badly, as thelabourers had given trouble and a capable manager was wanted. The mill authorities had been sending telegrams to find out where Sadasiva Tarkhad was. Baba knew of it, and had yet humorously omittedto inform him sending him back in time to get the mill managership.
One day a very old goat just on the eve of death strayed into the Mosque mandap. Baba asked Bade Baba to cut it with a knife. Bade Baba's heart revolted against this needless cruelty and he left theMosque. Baba asked Shama to fetch a knife from Ayi and kill it. Ayi sent the knife, but learning that it was for killing the dying goat, recalled the knife. Again Shama professing to go out for another knife decamped. Baba was enjoying the humour all the time. Then he sent for H.S. Dixit, and asked him to fetch a knife and kill it. Dixit was the soul of obedience to Baba, and he was very intimately attached to Baba. So he took up a knife in his hand and asked Baba, `Shall I kill it?' `Yes', said Baba. Then he still hesitated Baba said, `Why are you hesitating?' Then Dixit determined to kill it, for with him, obedience to Baba was superior to sympathy for creatures. As Dixit was just lowering his knife over the head of the head of the animal, Baba suddenly stopped him, and said, `Do not kill the animal, I will myself kill it'. Then he took up the animal over his shoulders and walked few paces. The creature then breathed its last. Baba knew full well what was going to happen and was only enjoying the fun, and also testing the mental development of devotees. This test showed the perfection of Dixit's devotion.
There are many more instances of Baba's humour, but it seems to be hardly necessary to labour the point. Baba like every other human being appreciated a humorous situation and he indulged in the humour not merely because it was natural but also because the human side must be presented to devotees along with his divine side so that they may be able to have the courage to grasp the Baba personality. Without the human, the divine part of Baba's personality could not be so well grasped and utilized by the devotees. One more excellent illustration of how the two combined in another saint may bementioned at the close of the chapter.
The late Sri. C.N. Kuppuswami Iyer, Judge of the High Court of Madras, in trying to recall Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, for whom he had the highest reverence said, `I see now before my mind's eye the smiling face and the one protruding single solitary tooth projecting from behind his lip and his uttering valuable and sacred lessons for the people to learn'. Thus, it is the physical personality with thepeculiarity of one projecting tooth that constituted the human element with which the divine element of presenting holy and lofty truths was intertwined in the judge's memory. This is an excellent illustration to show how we remember clearly what seems to be irrelevant human feature. The irrelevant human feature that comes in just the same position with the noble divine features and by the law of association of ideas the whole thing is remembered together, and the irrelevant human feature proves to be a handle with which the divine is drawn and made use of. This is very frequently the case and that is why we are asked to study Avatars and deal with Bhagavatas before realising the nature of Bhagawan. We get at Bhagawan through Bhagavatas. We get at God through the saint and not otherwise. Daivam Manusha rupena is an oftquoted saying. So the human is wanted the human in the Bhagavata and saint. That is why there are prayers in Srimad Bhagavata in which the devotee prays to God.
Aham Hare Tavapadaikamoola
Dasanudaso Bhavitasmi Bhuyah
Manasmareta Asupateh Gunante
Grinita Vak Karma Karotu Kayah
This mean, May I, O Hari, be born again as a servant of those devotees who have solely taken refuge in your lotus feet. Let my mind ponder over and my tongue celebrate the excellence of the Lord of my life, and let my body be of your service.
The highest Bhagavata who had lived in modern days and whose fame has reached us, is Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi, always absorbed in God with Allah Malik ever on his lips and in his heart, resigning all doership to God and ever intent on serving Him in all His forms of living beings and ever desiring service, loving service not salvation not annihilation nor total merger in Brahman.
Na Naka prishtam
Na cha parameshtyam,
Nasarva bhowmam
Na Rasadhipatyam
Na Yogasiddhir Apunarbhavam V
Samanjasys Twa Virahayya Kankshe.
which means, I do not long for Heaven nor Brahmaloka, nor ruler-ship of this entire world or of the Rasatala world, nor all the Yoga Siddhis nor escape from Rebirth, O God – if thereby I am to be withyou.
(Courtesy: H H Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji)
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