BABA”S HELP

BABA”S HELP

One night Das Ganu was performing his kirtan at Pradhan's mother's place. After that, Das Ganu went over to Santa Cruz, that is Pradhan's own place, and there sang kirtans from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. Listening to the kirtans, his wife got a burning desire to go to Shirdi at once. Baba came to her in a dream and this increased her desire. The question was if she went what was to be done with her sister-in-law, who was in an advanced state of pregnancy. Anyhow, she thought they would take risk, and so both the ladies started. Mr. Chandorkar received the ladies and Mr. Pradhan at Kopergaon station. Mr. Chandorkar was then getting an intermittent fever. At the time when he would be at Kopergaon for his return journey, the alternate day fever would come to him. so before leaving Shirdi he asked Baba's permission. Baba gave it, and the result was that when he came to Kopergaon he escaped the fever. He never again had that fever.

On the occasion of this visit, Baba pointing to Mrs. Pradhan said, `This is going to be the mother of my Babu'. But Chandorkar thought that her sister-in-law being pregnant, the reference must be to her, and asked Baba, `Is this the lady you mean?' pointing for the sister-in-law. Baba said, `No. It is this' (pointing again to Mrs. Pradhan). It turned out that her sister-in-law had only a tumour and not a pregnancy. in 12 months from the time of Baba statement, Mrs. Pradhan delivered. Baba said it was Babu. When the child named Baba, because Baba said it was Babu, was taken to Shirdi, Baba took up the child and asked it, `Babu where had you been. Where you vexed with me or weary of me?'

Baba gave Pradhan occasional proofs of his superhuman powers. On the first visit, when he was start back from Shirdi, there was a severe storm and rain for quarter of an hour, and if that continued, the streams between Shirdi and Kopergaon would swell up, and having no bridges, it would be impossible for him to get back to Kopergaon or Bombay. so Pradhan feared that Baba would not give him leave to start. But when he went to Baba for leave, Baba looked at the sky and said, `Arre Allah, abhi Bursat Purakar, Mere Bal Bachhe Ghar jane Wala hai. Unku Sukse Janedhe, that is O' God enough. Stop this rain. My children have to go back home. Let them go back without difficulty'. As Baba spoke these words, the rain becomes gentler and feeble. Pradhan was able to go from Shirdi to Kopergoan without any obstacle on the way. he caught the Punjab mail and took udhi and tirtha to his mother as stated already.

This help to Pradhan and his mother by his use of power over elements and nature can only be called divine. Baba when they started on this occasion, said, `I will accompany you home'. That is to say that thewhole journey would be safe and actually the journey was quite safe. on the night after his return, his sister-in-law dreamed that a fakir robed in kafni and wearing a towel on his head like Baba was in thehouse. that seemed to show the truth of Baba's statement that he would come to Pradhan's home.

Baba was fond of the child Babu, and when taken for his first birthday that is, the second visit after his birth, Baba bought two rupees worth of burfi and distributed it to all. Then Baba asked, `Has the child no brother and no sister?' Mrs. Pradhan bashfully answered `You gave us only this Babu'. But Baba's words were very significant. After Babu's birth, Mrs. Pradhan had one male child and one more daughter. To commemorate Baba's birthday, Pradhan gave an grand dinner at Shama's and all were invited. that was a Thursday. Baba Saheb Bhate excused himself from attending it saying that on Thursdays he avoided dining out. When he went to Baba that day, Baba asked him, `have you eaten at Pradhan's? Baba Saheb Bhate said, `Today is Thursday'.

Baba: What if?

Bhate: I do not dine out on Thursdays. That is my rule.

Baba: To please whom?

Bhate: To please you.

Baba: Then I tell you go and dine at Pradhan's. Though it was 4 p.m.

Bhate came and dined at Pradhan's.

Mrs. Pradhan had a dream in Santa Cruz that Baba came to Santa Cruz and that she did Pada puja. Chandorkar interpreted it to mean that Baba wanted her to go on with regular Pada puja at home, and so asked her to go to Shirdi with silver padukas. Accordingly she went and placed two silver padukas on Baba's outstretched legs and took them away. Baba then said to Chandorkar, `Nana, see this mother has cut off and carried away my feet'. This expresses his appreciation of her paduka worship. Ever since then, Baba's paduka are being worshipped at Pradhan's house.

Pradhan's last visit to Baba was in 1918. He had taken with him Rs. 3,800. But he overstayed his intended period at Shirdi, and Baba went on taking dakshina from him, and the result was that he had given Rs. 5,000, taking a loan of Rs. 1,200 from the veterinary doctor of Poona.

Baba was considered as Datta Avatar by Das Ganu and by those who heard his kirtans and by Pradhan also, of course. When Babu was ill at Santa Cruz, the family priest, one Madhav Bhat, was asked to lookafter the child, and he went on with his mantra japa and puja. But he said that illness was due to the fact that the family was now worshipping Baba, a Mohammedan saint, but Pradhan told him, `Baba is not a Mohammedan saint. He is Datta Avatar'. Bhat was not convinced. Later, one night, he had a dream. There was a figure which, from the picture of the family, he recognised to be Baba, sitting on the topof the staircase in the house, holding a Sota in his hand. The figure said him, `What do you mean? I am the lord of this house'. The priest did not mention it at once. But he made a vow that if really Sai Babais Datta and all power, then he should cure this child and the child should improve sufficiently by 4 p.m. so as to be brought downstairs where Bhate was. The priest added he would then agree that Baba wasand is Datta. This he uttered before Baba's photo. This was his prayer. Within a very short time of this prayer, the child's temperature was getting lower, and by 4 p.m. the child said, `Let us go down and play'. His mother took him down, Madhav Bhat was then convinced that Baba was Datta, and he vowed he would pay him a dakshina of Rs. 120. so, the priest, Madhav Bhat, accompanied a group that went to Shirdi, and there Bhat paid Rs. 120. Shama was then with Baba. A little later, in the afternoon, Baba asked him `Give me dakshina;. Shama said that Bhat had paid Rs. 120 in the morning. Baba said that he paid it to Datta, and added, `Ask him'. Shama could not understand this. Afterwards Madhav Bhat explained to Shama the meaning of Baba's words that the sum of Rs. 120 was paid as a result of his vow that if Baba as Datta cured Pradhan's child, he would pay Rs. 120.

Madhav Bhat had no issue then. he vowed that he would pay Rs. 108 if he got a child. He vowed also that he would pay Rs. 1,008 if Pradhan's ambition should be achieved. With these vows in mind, hewent to Baba and paid Rs. 108. Shama said, `He is giving this large sum of Rs. 108. Baba said, `What is that? He is giving me much more'. Baba showed his Antarjnana of Bhat's vow to pay Rs. 1,008.

Baba attended to the spiritual side of Pradhan's wife, and showed his concern at her shortness of temper. He told her, `If anyone talks ten words at us, let us reply only with one word. Do not quarrel or battle with anyone'. Baba, after receiving Rs. 5,000 from Pradhan, made some gestures which were not clear. They seemed to mean "Even if the heavens tumble down over you, do not fear. I am with you'.

When Pradhan left Shirdi in 1916, Baba said, Tuja Garam Jha Bara Me yein, meaning, `You go home, I will go with you'. He was not visible, but the whole journey was pleasing, showing that Baba looked aftertheir safety and comfort. there was no danger or difficulty.

After Baba passed away, Pradhan got the following benefits. He became a second class magistrate of South Salsette for six years, 1920-26. In 1926, he became a Justice of the Peace. Then he was elected to the Bombay Legislative Council, 1921-23. he received the Sanad of Rao Bahadur in 1927.

Mrs. Pradhan gives some more instances of Baba's kindness. When her child Babu had measles, the doctor was feeling hopeless. She prayed to Baba. Baba appeared and said, `Why weep? The child is all right. give him a good feed at 6.30 a.m.' The child began to play in the morning and the doctor was surprised.

One night, Baba appeared to Mrs. Pradhan in her dream and said, `Are you sleeping? Get up. Your boy will have convulsions'. Then she got up. The boy at that time had no convulsions, but she kept hot water,fire, and Eau de Cologne ready. Three hours later, the boy woke up, and had convulsions. All the children in Pradhan's family have convulsions occasionally, and as everything was ready, in half an hour, the fit passed off.

Once when she went to the Masjid, she was afraid that Baba would get angry. That day Baba said, `See, I do not get angry with anyone.'

Once while she was doing puja at the Mosque, Baba stopped her and said, `Go back to your quarters'. She went back and found her Babu was crying and that there was no one to look after the child. Thenshe went and pacified the child, and returned. Baba then said, `Now do your puja'. So, Baba from the Mosque was keeping a watchful and kindly eye over all his devotees and their families, and lookingafter them. Mungiki Pav me Avaj Hove, Obhi Sayi sunta hai. This means, `Sai hears even the ant's footfall'. Once she was taking a convalescent boy to Shirdi against the doctor's advice. the child wasill in the train. the child could not sit up and had to le down. She feared that people would laugh at her conduct. when the child was taken up to Baba the child stood up before Baba, and was all right inhealth. Baba said, `People would not laugh now'.

On 15-10-1918, that is, on the day of Baba's Mahasamadhi she saw in her dream Baba's body, and said, `Baba is dying'. Baba replied, `Saints do not die, they take Mahasamadhi'. Subsequent news confirmedthe fact that Baba passed away on that day.