We are unfortunate that no written record is available to us of what Baba taught Bayajabai or what divine experiences he gave her. One incident is, however, available to us about Bayajabai from the reminiscences of Tatya Patil.
"Radhakrishna Ayi was first staying at Pandaripur and later came to Shirdi. Once she decided to go on a pilgrimage to Pandaripur from Shirdi by foot. Bala Shimpi and Madhav Fasle also started along with her. They wanted to take part in the festival which would be held at Pandaripur on the eleventh (ekadasi) day of the month of Ashaad. My mother, a few others, and I too decided to go to Pandaripur to take part in the festival. As Radhakrishna Ayi and her group had already left, we decided to go by cart as far as Ahmednagar and catch up with them, after which we could all proceed further by foot. My mother, my brother-in-law, Lakshmibai Shinde and a few other ladies all got ready for the trip.
Before starting, we all went to the mosque to have the darshan of Baba and take his blessings for the trip. Baba blessed us and gave udi to each of us. Three carts packed with our stuff were standing ready under the tree at the village well. I went and broke a coconut at the Maruti temple so that our trip would go well without any problems, and later went to the temple of Saturn. About fifty villagers were standing at the village well to bid us farewell. While I was on my way to the temple of Saturn, I was surprised to see Baba standing where the Samadhi Mandir is at present. I broke a coconut at the temple of Saturn and came out. As I was coming out of the temple, Kondya, a Muslim devotee of Baba, came and told me that Baba was calling me. I went to Baba. He took me to the mosque. Some of the villagers who had come to bid us goodbye came with me to the mosque while the others stayed on at the well. I sat beside the railing at the mosque while Madhavrao Deshpande (Shama) sat opposite
me. Madhavrao lit the pipe and gave it to Baba. Baba sat smoking. All were quiet. After a while Madhavrao said, "Deva (Oh, God) your Bayajabai and the others are all waiting for him to come so that they can go to Pandaripur. "Call Bayajabai," replied Baba.
My mother hurried in and said, " Baba, have you sent for me? The sun has set and the dusk is deepening. We are all ready to start." Baba placidly said, "Mother, go home. Do not start today. Do not even start tomorrow. Start the day after tomorrow. Do not ask why. Do not consult anyone in this matter. Here, take this udi and go." My mother did not hesitate a second or even take time to think. She said, "Alright Baba, we will go the day after as you say." We unloaded the carts and sent them off. The friends and relatives who had come to see us off left for their homes. Later, Madhavrao saw the astrological calendar and charts and said that the day was not an auspicious one for travel.
On the morning of the third day, we again got ready to travel. Baba cheerfully gave udi to each of us and came as far as the highway to see us off. We reached Puthamba as planned and after bathing and having a light repast got into the train and reached Bewoor by eight a.m. We met Radhakrishna Ayi's group by nine a.m. That day we reached Narsingpur by lunchtime and had the darshan of Sri Narsing Maharaj. Starting again from there, we reached Pandaripur by the evening of the next day. Cholera struck Pandaripur by the eleventh day of the waxing moon and by the next day was raging throughout the town. Some of us wanted to leave immediately for Shirdi but I was adamant that we should stay till the day of the full moon. My mother was also scared. She met the mamalatdar, Sri Nana Saheb Chandorkar, who was an ardent devotee of Baba, and asked him to convince me to return to Shirdi. Nana Saheb sent for Bala Shimpi and me and advised us to return immediately to Shirdi. Baba knew that cholera
would ravage Pandaripur, but seeing our enthusiasm for the trip could not forbid us to go to Pandaripur."
While this may seem a very inconsequential leela of Baba, a careful examination will reveal a great deal about the underlying principles of Baba's teachings. Baba said once, "My deeds are unfathomable." We should try to understand the unfathomable deeds of Baba in the light of his teachings. This attempt on our part is also a part of our endeavour along the path. But to try to seek justification for the deeds of Sri Sai Baba in astrology or the science of Vaastu is foolish.
Bayajabai and her group were all packed and ready to go to Pandaripur. Baba called her and asked her to postpone the trip. She did that without a second thought. This shows her infinite trust and devotion for Baba. This is the type of total surrender to his will that Baba has tried to teach us through his sayings, deeds and leelas. That is what we have to inculcate in ourselves and achieve as devotees of Sri Sai Baba. Shama wanted to see why Baba had suddenly cancelled the trip of Bayajabai. So he searched the calendar and thought he found the explanation, that it was an inauspicious day for travel.
There is a danger that some devotees may take Shama's words as an indication that Baba approved the use of astrological tables, calendars and charts. They may feel that Baba encouraged the devotees to see good days for travel and other such traditional superstitions. A little thought will reveal that this feeling is baseless. If the reason why Baba asked Bayajabai to postpone the trip was that the day was inauspicious, why would Baba give them udi and his blessings for departure a bare half hour previously? Would Baba not know that it is not an auspicious day for travel before he gave them the udi? Perhaps Baba had foreknowledge that his action would be misinterpreted to mean that astrology and such stupid superstitions had his imprimatur. That is why he had forbidden Bayajabai, "Do not consult anyone in this matter." This means that Baba, indirectly, and in his inimitable style, had indicated his disapproval of the consultation of astrological calendars and charts and the following of the other superstitious practices.
To think as Tatya did, that Baba had told them to postpone the trip due to his foreknowledge of the cholera epidemic striking Pandaripur, does not fit the facts. If this were the reason, Baba, as he did on many occasions with many devotees, would have told them to cancel the trip altogether. Also, if this were indeed the reason, why had Baba not placed any obstacles to the departure of Radhakrishna Ayi's party which left for Pandaripur earlier, as he did to Bayajabai's group? So why did Baba do this leela? Only Baba knows the meaning of his leelas. As the arati says, "Agaadha tavaa karani" (your
Written by: Pujyasri Sainathuni Sarath Babuji
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