BABA LISTENS AND ANSWERS…….

BABA LISTENS AND ANSWERS…….

BABA TURNED SHRI VIRENDRA p. PANDYA FROM A SCEPTIC INTO AN ASCETIC.....

Shri Virendra P. Pandya of Vaitarna, near Kalyan, was a university graduate and did not believe in God. Everyone in his family was educated and except for his parents, none of the family members believed in God.

In May, 1952, he accompanied his cousin brother to Shirdi on a casual visit. Sometime after he left Shirdi, his family was in great distress. He was at that time staying with his cousin at Vaitarna. His parents and other family members were living in Bihar. There was no possibility of their coming to solve the problem.

Shri Pandya suddenly remembered having brought a photo of Sri Sai Baba from Shirdi, which was lying in his trunk. He took it out, cleaned it and kept it on his table. He lit an agarbatti before the photo and prayed to Sri Sai Baba to help him solve the problem.

Two or three days passed; but the solution did not occur and he became worried and restless. He stood before the photo of Sri Sai Baba and said, "O Baba ! You know that I have no strong belief in You. If You are really God as Your devotees call You, You know my family problem and how worried I am thinking over my matter. I pray to give me a proper solution by evening or else. I will keep Your photo back in the trunk once and for all."

 

By evening he felt calm as a solution to his problem occured to him. He immediately wrote a letter to his mother at Dharaiajoba (in Bihar) informing her of the solution and the way in which he got it. On the third day of his posting the letter, he got a letter from his mother informing him of the same solution which had occured on the same day and time. This incident brought him very close to believing in Sri Sai Baba.

He thought of devoting his whole life to Sri Sai Baba for ever, doing nothing but Bhakti. But, his mother refused permission and advised him to follow Karmayoga. He once again stood before Baba's photo and wrote on a piece of paper. "O Baba ! You definitely know my dilemma. By Tuesday 5.8.1952 evening I must get an answer from You in writing as to which way of life I should follow." He then placed the paper under the photo and prayed to Baba.

By dusk on 5.8.1952 he waited impatiently for an answer. He then accidently came across the Gujarati book called 'Sri Sai Baba Upasana' published by Shri Bhavnagar Sai Baba Bhakta Mandali. The book had been sent to him by his mother two months ago; but he had not read it so far. Now, when he saw the book, he opened it at random and came upon the chapter 'Bhav Sudha'. After reading a few lines he became interested and soon finished reading the entire book. At the end of it he had got answers to his questions and that too in writing. In that book, Baba had advised a devotee to follow Karmayoga way of life. This incident brought him even more closer to the devotion of Sri Sai Baba.

Shri V. P. Pandya and his cousin were contractors doing work in connection with the Mumbai Water Supply Scheme and lived in Vaitarna, a place which was virtually a jungle.

One Wednesday (6.8.1952) he stood before Baba's photo and prayed, "Tomorrow is Thursday, i.e. Baba's day. Some sadhu, sanyasi or fakir should come to my door to have bhiksha between 12.30 p.m. and 1.00 p.m. the time I take my afternoon meal. He should bless my entire body by moving his right hand from head to foot."

After 12.15 p.m. on Thursday he went to take his lunch as no one had come to his door till then. Just as he was about to take his first morsel of food, he heard the voice of a fakir asking for alms. His cook, who never gave anything to any beggar gave a one anna coin to the fakir of his own accord. The fakir turned to leave. He then called the fakir back and gave him prasad, which he had kept before Baba's photo. The fakir went away. By then Shri Pandya too finished his meals. He thought of serving food to the fakir; but he had gone. He thought if the fakir somehow returned again, he would serve him food. He inquired with his cook, whether there was any extra food. The cook replied in the negative and said that the food was sufficient only for him.

To his utter astonishment, Shri Pandya saw the same fakir coming towards his door once again. He immediately offered prasad to the fakir and gave him Rs. 2/- requesting him to have food with the amount as he was unable to serve him food in his house. The fakir accepted the amount without saying anything and simply laughed meaningfully at him. And then, to his great joy, the fakir blessed him from head to toe with the peacock feathers he held in his right hand, just as he had wished. He fell at the feet of the fakir with inexplicable joy and again offered pranams. The fakir raised him up and said that He would meet again on the following Thursday, 14.8.1952.

When he told the fakir that it would not be possible as he was leaving for Shirdi in a couple of days, the fakir said, "Even then I will meet you" and went away.

Shri Pandya reached Shirdi on 13.8.1952. On Thursday, 14.8.1952, during noon Aarati at the Samadhi Mandir, while gazing at Sri Sai Baba's photo, it suddenly occured to him, what the fakir had said had turned out to be true. He was in front of Baba, performing Aarati and so Sri Sai Baba too was in front of him. Thus the fakir met him on Thursday, 14.8.1952.

Sri Sai Baba thus brought a faithless into His fold of staunch devotees even after His Mahasamadhi.

 

Source: DEVOTEES EXPERIENCES AFTER BABA'S MAHASAMADHI ON 15th OCTOBER, 1918 from book entitled 'AMBROSIA IN SHIRDI' written by Shri Ramalingam Swami, inspired by Sri Sivanesan Swamiji of Shirdi

AT EVERY STEP OF YOURS, I AM TAKING CARE OF YOU

AT EVERY STEP OF YOURS, I AM TAKING CARE OF YOU

From 1907 onwards S. B. Dhumal paid repeated visits to Baba and got into contact with him in every conceivable matter. When asked about his experiences, he said, "It is difficult for me to sort out in what matter I am having experiences. Every act of mine, every event in my life, is moulded and directed by Him." He says the one memorable statement of Baba which is the basis of his contact – was Baba’s telling him, "At every step of yours, I am taking care of you". Baba added, "If I did not, what will become of you, God knows". The occasion for that statement was very interesting.

S. B. Dhumal was sleeping in his own quarters at Shirdi and in the morning, when he went to see Baba, the later remarked, "Bhav, the whole of last night I had no sleep." Dhumal asked, "Why so Baba?" Baba said, "I was thinking and thinking of you all night." S. B. Dhumal was for one thing a young man, full-blooded, with a good practice with plenty of funds and, was a widower without children. Therefore, the thoughts of a person in such a position would run riot and easily lead him astray so as to injure both body and soul. Baba had to look after his thoughts and control them. So, Baba said, "If I do not do so, God knows what will happen to you".

Dhumal had certain physical ailments, which also rendered a bachelor’s life very necessary and important from the point of view of his welfare. After his wife’s death in 1909, his father-in-law, Rao Bahadur Kinkhede, wanted him to marry again and noting that unless Baba gave permission, Dhumal would never agree, he went to Baba. As he approached Baba, Baba’s eyes sparkled with anger showing how determined Baba was to repel the idea of marriage. So, he came back and reported that Baba was distinctly against any marriage for S. B. Dhumal.

Baba’s love for Dhumal was very great and covered both his temporal and spiritual welfare. Numerous instances throughout his life bear out this proposition. In point of fact, his contact with Baba was right through all the hours of the day and night and all the days of the year. Dhumal says, "There is no incident or event in my life which I do not connect with Baba, however trivial it may appear to be. I firmly believe that everything in my life is swayed by Baba.’

Dhumal adds that he does not care whether the outside world believes it or not. However, noting that B. V. N. Swami was not a disbeliever, he narrated to him many instances of his life, showing how Baba dealt with him and also gave some hints which may be useful for an earnest reader in trying to get more out of Baba. The best way of understanding Baba is to experience him oneself, he says. "Where is Baba gone? He is still alive and active." This, S. B. Dhumal said in October 1936 and added, "Baba is more active, if that were possible, than he was before Mahasamadhi." Anyone in downright earnest can get in touch with him today and at once. But if one will not do that, but wants only second-hand, third-hand or fifth-hand experience, one will get poor stuff.

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

PURE DEVOTION CONQUERS

PURE DEVOTION CONQUERS

With Baba's guidance, Nana developed so much of reverence for the female form that even when alone in a sequestered chamber, within closed doors with a young, beautiful person, he still would retainreverence for the lady and not have thoughts of sex. This was demonstrated in the case of Bannu Mayi.

Bannu Mayi (a young Muslim girl of 20) lived in a village, Bodegaom, 50 miles away from Ahmednagar, and she had the local reputation of being a mad girl. She was possessed of great beauty. She behaved most erratically and wandered anywhere and everywhere without dress amidst bushed and thorns and did not show the least sign of observing the rules of propriety demanded of women. Her mother thought she was hopelessly mad. So also thought most of the villagers.

But a few had noted that her conduct showed that she was highly inspired and that she was a saint. Nana wanted to take darsan of her and asked Baba for permission. Baba, though he first objected, finally granted the permission saying, ''Go, you will have darsan." That darsan was no easy joke. Nana went with plenty of preparations, taking a tent, bathing materials, ornaments, food, Sari (dress) etc., and setting these up, was waiting for her. He could not find out where she was, and nobody could tell him anything about her. Some people even got angry at Nana, a young officer questioning about whereabouts of a lady who mostly went naked. Then finally, worried in his mind, Nana thought of Baba and prayed to him. When he opened his eyes, Bannu Mayi was right in front of him on the road. He made his prostration (namaskar) with a feeling of reverence and without the least touch of the sexual urge. He began to take out the thorns that were found on her feet, but in a second, the saint, who did not care for such good offices, got up and went away.

Again Nana was in great difficulties. He wanted that she should come, have a bath, wear the cloth and the ornaments he had brought for her, and should taste the naivedya which he had placed inside the tent. He waited and waited and at last prayed to Baba. Suddenly Bannu Mayi appeared, entered the tent, had her bath, put new cloths, the ornaments and the tali or token of Saumangalya (as Goddess Parvati must wear a tali) specially prepared for her, and ate some of the naivedya. Nana fell at her feet, treating her as Mother Goddess, and at once she disappeared.

Nana spent the night in a temple within closed doors, and early morning, before starting to go away, he just thought that it would be a special blessing if Bannu Mayi should give him one more darsan before he departed. In a second, Bannu Mayi was somehow there within closed doors right in front of him. Nana fell at her feet.

Obviously Bannu Mayi was a highly advanced Siddha and perfectly pure, and Nana with perfect purity, through only of falling at her feet, and had not the least touch of sex urge at the presence of young andbeautiful lady in solitude within closed doors. This, Bannu Mayi's case is a fairly good proof that Nana had conquered his sex urge at least to the extreme possible.

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

Love is not a thing measured by a thermometer or by the quantity of good or sacrifices rendered; though all these do count. We may roughly begin a statement of how love works and then deal with Purandhare's case. When two persons are greatly attached to each other we find that no other expression would describe the situation than love. Friendship, admiration, gratitude, loyalty, faithfulness, regard, worship, all these blend together in many a case, as it did in Purandhare's case also. So, let us begin an account of how Purandhare's love began.

In the case of most people approaching Baba within the last decade of his life, they were impelled to go to Baba by hearing accounts of Baba. Das Ganu was mostly the source of this inspiration. Das Gnu, though himself not pre-eminent in his love for Baba, had the wonderful charm of eloquence and some amount of real bhakti. He was an expert in the Kirtankars' line, that is, in telling harikathas about saints and holy persons. He generally began with an account of the day's topic, say, Tukaram or Namdev, but he always kept Sai Baba's picture close to him and never failed to refer to Sri Sai Baba as the present day illustration of greatness of the bhakti of the ancient or mediaeval saints.

He would say, `Here is Tukaram's great love and greatness in surrendering to God and getting the most marvellous benefits. If you wish to know if there is any such person now in the flesh who can give you the same benefit, then I will tell you `Here is this Sai Baba. He is present day representative of mediaval saintship. What Ramdas was to Sivaji, that Sai Baba is to innumerable people who approach him in the proper spirit'. Then he would give an account of some of the marvellous lilas and dealings of Baba with his devotees. Thus, besides the fact that thousands attended his kirtan, his account and inspiration would pass on from one to another, and after his kirtan people, having learnt of Sai Baba, would rush to see him. It is rarely that one gets a chance to meet a Tukaram in the flesh, a Namdev in the flesh, and if one gets a chance, surely one does not wish to lose it. so, having heard of Sai Baba from Das Ganu andothers.
Purandhare's nature was fired with the ambition of contacting Sai Baba. Purandhare's own nature was very simple and highly emotional. He was a plain man and did not care to twist and turn phrases indescribing things. When he found that Sai Baba was a powerful saint living in the flesh and was showering benefits like Ramdas. Akkalkote Maharaj and other Samarthas, he naturally wanted to take the earliest opportunity to got to Shirdi and that he did. In his case, going to Shirdi was not an easy matter. He was only a petty clerk on Rs. 35 per month. he had to support a family of four or five including hismother, his wife, his brother and a child. Yet, the spark of enthusiasm in his heart did not find these to be difficulties.

He fixed upon a certain day to leave for Shirdi, and if we see what he did, we will see exactly what love does. He was naturally to go with his wife and mother. But his young child was unwell and the mother thought that it was foolish to risk taking a little child with fever for such a great distance. Bombay to Shirdi. Yet, Purandhare would not brook a denial of his wishes. He must go and he would leave and take the child with him inspite of his mother's protest.

Look at this! He is taking risks with his only child's health. And what for? To meet the great Sai. The burning enthusiasm of his love for Baba bore down all considerations of ordinary precautions or medial advice and they did go. His love was accompanied by intense faith. So, Baba justified his faith and his love in what followed. When the child was taken with an illness to Shirdi, it quickly regained health instead of suffering. This is a chamatkar of Baba and it is these chamatkars which first tell upon an emotional mind. Upasani Baba says,

Aneka Ascruta Atarkysya Lila Vilasam
Samavishkrita Isana Bhasvat Prabhavam

in his Sai Mahima stotra, composed in 1912. That is Sai Baba's divine or superhuman character was evidenced by innumerable and unheard of miraculous achievements and chamatkars. Yet he was

Ahambhavahinam Prasannatmabhavanam
Namami Iswaram sadgurum sainatham.

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

DAS GANU MAHARAJ COMING UNDER BABA'S FOLD

DAS GANU MAHARAJ COMING UNDER BABA'S FOLD

After Nana Chandorkar, the logical, chronological and the appropriate name to deal with is that of Ganpat Rao Dattatreya Sahasrabuddhe, popularly known as Das Ganu Maharaj. His importance for the SaiMovement consists in the fact the rapid spread of Baba's name in Maharastra was due very largely to his efforts, Baba fully well foresaw or ordained it. In 1890 Das Ganu was a constable and play actor of village plays of an obscene character.

Baba drew him to himself for the double purpose of improving his (Ganu's) own spiritual condition and thereafter rendering signal service to the public for the spread of Sai faith. When first he came to Shirdi, he came as the `orderly' of (i.e., constable attending on) Nana Saheb Chandorkar, and whenever Chandorkar visited Shirdi, Ganpat Rao followed him as his Constable, not at all out of faith in, or love for, Sai, but because the master compelled him to.

For a very long time, Das Ganu could not appreciate Baba. Up to the end, he could not realize Baba as really Deva i.e., God or as his Guru Deva, though he had high regard for him and his powers and wroteor sang of him with poetic skill describing Baba as Ramavara i.e., God, doing lip service. That was why he went to one Islampurkar, a Brahmin Guru, to get his initiation long after he met and dealt with Baba (a step which Baba naturally did not object to when Das Ganu reported the fact to Baba). Anyhow Baba made a remarkable change in the personality of Das Ganu, and as Ganu also realised how powerfulBaba's influence on him was. It has been mostly an unwilling submission on the part of Das Ganu to Sai Baba's yoke.

At his earliest advent to Shirdi, Baba noted the nature of Ganpat Rao, and determined that his nature, calling and work should all be totally changed. His nature then was just that of Police Constablewho had hardly any education, but who was very clever in composing Lavani metre songs in Mahratti impromptu and in taking a female's part in lewd village dramas. He would put up on female dress anddance about in the village and take great pleasure in that achievement. His great ambition was to rise in his profession. The Police Department by itself was not a particularly moral department, and for one who was ambitious to rise in it, one's regard for truth, righteousness, fair dealing, etc., would practically nil, andscruples, conscience, and character were unwanted hindrances to efficiency. Knowing all these dangers and the real dormant capacity of a man, Baba, from the very beginning told Das Ganu to give up bothhis attachments, namely, (1) attachment to the village dance and drama and (2) attachment to the police profession.

Chandorkar also pressed this upon Ganpat Rao. With great difficulty Ganpat Rao was weaned away from drama. But as for the profession, he would not give it up. The charm of holding the position of Sub-Inspector (Fouzdar) and lording it over people was too powerful for him to resist. When Baba said, `Ganu, you had better give up your police service,' Das Ganu replied, `Baba, let me become a Sub Inspector (for which position I have passed the departmental examination) and hold the appointment for only one year, and thereafter, I will give it up'. Baba replied that he was not going to get the Sub Inspectorship, and He would see to it that he did not get it. So, Baba's work was to bring in difficulty after difficulty, pressure after pressure to bear upon Ganpat Rao; and Ganpat Rao had innumerable difficulties even without Baba adding to them.

For instance, he was fond of touring to distance places of pilgrimage outside his official limits, and he would go without taking the permission of his superiors, which would not be easily granted. On one such occasion, he had gone to a shrine in the `Nizam's State' and was returning. His fellow constables were highly envious of him, and they wanted to pluck the feathers. So, when he was returning to his place, and when he was still on the Nizam's side of the river Godavari, the envious constables were on the other side watching to catch him. He noted this fact and felt that he would surely be dismissed. So, he took up Godavari water in both his palms and swore by that "Ganga" water, (as it is called) `Baba let me escape this time. I shall certainly give up my police service'.

Then he went back into the Nizam's State just a short distance, when lo! and behold, there was proof of Baba's Grace! A village Munsif came to him and told him that certain dacoits were dividing their booty secretly and all that the Village Munsif wanted was a police gentleman with authority to arrest them. So Ganpat Rao went, seized the dacoits and the booty, and proudly returned to his own station on the other side of the Godavari. When questioned how he went out without permission, his reply was that he had gone there for the seizure of dacoits and property – no doubt a false-hood. Thus he not only escaped punishment, but he thought he had a very good chance of rising in his profession.

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

SRI NARAYAN ASHRAM, SANNYASI OF WAI

SRI NARAYAN ASHRAM, SANNYASI OF WAI

The life of this devotee Narayan Ashram from Satara district is interesting from the view point of Baba's method for spiritual improvement. In 1910, he was Mr. Toser in the Customs Department, and he continued to be in that department till 1926, when he retired on pension. In 1910, however, he had the advantage of listening to Das Ganu Maharaj's kirtan. As usual, whatever was his subject, the Kirtankar dilated upon Sai Baba's glories and qualities, and Sai Baba's picture was always at the meeting. Having derived a very good impression of Baba's saintliness, Mr. Toser, at the close of the kirtan, went and asked Das Ganu whether Sai Baba was living, and was told that he was at Shirdi. Within five days of this information, Mr. Toser hurried up to Shirdi and fell at the feet of Sai Baba. His attachment was so powerful that in six months he paid nine visits to Shirdi. He went in later years also, but the first visits were the most memorable. The impression derived from Das Ganu's kirtan was greatly strengthened and vivified by his frequent visits. Until 1918, Mr. Toser was entirely under Baba's influence. Afterwards, he passed into the charge of Vasudevananda Saraswathi of Gurudeswara on the banks of the Narmada near Nanded in Gujarat. Vasudevananda Saraswathi had in fact attained Mahasamadhi even in 1915. But he was in spiritual contact with Baba and Sri Narayan Ashram believed that Baba had left him in the charge of Vasudevananda Saraswathi from 1918. In 1931, Narayan Ashram went to Vedasrama Swamy of Kasi, Tarakamath, Durgaghat, and obtained Sannyasa Diksha from him. Internal changes are hardly matters for publication, but Swami was kind enough just to offer a few hints so that readers may know more about Sai Baba. He begins by saying

Sai Baba had different ways if dealing with different people. He was the centre and to each man he darted a separate radius. Most people who approached Baba cared for material things only and hardly any came to him for the highest spiritual benefit of Atma Nishta.

Hari Sitaram Dixit, Chandorkar and Dabolkar, were probably those who came close enough to him to receive high teaching. Yet it is a question if any of them got into Atma Nishta or anywhere near that. Baba had made Dixit read two of Eknath's works, as he was but a beginner in the religious field and had to chiefly develop his bhakti. Of course, immediate proximity was not needed for development under Baba. When I was at Shirdi, I would mostly go and sit away by myself in the Sathe wada and not be at Mosque. As even at the wada, one is under Baba's direct influence.

Baba's methods of teaching varied. He would simply touch with his palm the head of a devotee and that would have one kind of influence. Sometimes He pressed his hand heavily on the head of a devotee asthough he was crushing out some of the lower impulses. On occasions, he would pat on the devotee's back or would pass his palm over his head. Each had its own effect affecting the sensation and feeling ofthe subject. Apart from touch, he effected an invisible operation on the devotee, whereby he could bring about a great change in him, and of that Mr. Toser had an experience. Baba conveyed to him graciously,without using any words or even touching him, the feeling that differences between various souls, or for that matter, all differences were unreal, and the one real thing was the Divinity, which underlies all. This was in 1913 or 1918 perhaps. This truth was not uttered in words by Baba before Narayan Ashram. It seems to have been uttered in presence of R. B. Purandhare to somebody. Sri Narayan did not mention these experiences of his either to Mr. Dixit or to Dabolkar, though Mr. Dixit was writing experiences of devotees in his Sai Lila Masik, and Dabolkar was adding to his Sai Sat Charitra out of such material. Neither of them asked him for his experience. Baba spoke to Narayan Ashram only a few words, and they were direct and plain words. He did not talk to him in parables. When numerous people flocked to Baba, he would employ parables. So far as Mr. Toser could find out, Baba was trying to push people who came to him just a few steps above their level. As for further steps, further guides and further influences would come in later as matter of course. There was nothing wrong in going from one saint to another saint, especially if the first Guru had attained Mahasamadhi.

Mr. Toser himself notices that other saints were talked of by Baba or they talked of him as brothers, and that they belonged to the same group so to speak. Thus, one Daji Maharaj, a saintly Grihasta Brahmin, who lived at Dangar Takidi, near Nanded in the Nizam's State, was referred to by Baba as his brother. That Maharaj passed away only in 1934. he was practising Gayatri Puruscharanam. in 1914, that Maharaj once said at Dangar Takidi, "Yesterday Sai Baba Came here in the form of Maruti and there was a great rumbling noise at his arrival". Mr. Toser and his father being Maruti worshippers, had got a temple built for Maruti in 1918 at Ville Parle, in Hanuman street and named the God, `Sai Hanuman' remembering the fact that Sai was Hanuman. The very day this temple was consecrated at Ville Parle. Baba gave, it seems, Rs. 25 to a Brahmin called Vaze and made him perform Satyanarayana puja at Shirdi. People connect these two events as cause and effect. Sri Narayan Ashram says, "Sai Baba never spoketo me or so far as I remember to anyone else about the desirability of Sannyasa." But I myself had that feeling and became a sannyasi. The Guru, Sri Narayan Ashram says, "is a medium, a means to realizeyour ownself. He gives you the initial push and then you have to exert yourself, and go higher and higher to your height. Sai Baba thus was a medium responsible for a considerable and momentous advance in my spiritual history." Before we went to Baba, one Vinayak Bhat Shandale, whom he met in 1900, and who made him read Yoga Vasishta with zest, as a Guru or medium for him. So, Mr. Toser had a number of stepping stones, but the most interesting fact about him is that Sai Baba gave him the impression that he recognised no differences and that in fact no differences did exist and he filled him with prolonged bliss alike when Mr. Toser was with Baba at the Mosque and also when Mr. Toser went to his quarters, in, Sathe wada. "Even at the wada," he says, "one is under Baba's direct influence."

This grant of internal bliss and that for long stretches and for numerous days gives an indication of Baba's own internal bliss. It is for this purpose that Narayan Ashram's experience is valuable to us, that is, he shows us Baba is Satchitananda.

Sri Narayan Ashram's wife and mother are living in the same house with himself, but he is observing the rules of Sannyas, and devoting his attention to Paramarth and when Sai Bahajan groups gather, hecomes and with his melodious voice sings Sai Kirtans, as he did at the All India Sai Devotees' Convention at Poona in 1952.

Courtesy: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

SAI THE ALL –MERCIFUL

SAI THE ALL –MERCIFUL

That Shri Sai Nath of Shirdi comes to the succour of his devotees in times of their utmost sufferings and cures even incurable diseases is illustrated in the following two incidents in our family.

My husband, an officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India was afflicted with a serious type of cancerous tumour in the bone in his left shoulder joint (Oesteo Clastoma) in the year 1956. He was admitted in the Stanley Hospital and a Biopsy (a preliminarysurgery for taking out a small part from the afflicted bone for Pathological tests to diagnose the disease) was performed on him in December 1955 and the Pathologist precisely determined the disease as "Oesteo Clastoma", as already stated.

Our Doctor, a noted Orthopedic Surgeon in Madras had his hopes of treating my husband radiographically and so sent him on to the Barnard Institute of Radiology attached to the Madras General Hospital for radiological treatment. The Director of the Institute, also an eminent Radiologist, on seeing the x-ray pictures of my husband's shoulder, opined that the tumor was in such an advanced stage that Radiological Therapy will have no effect on it.

On my husband's return to the Orthopedic Surgeon and giving him the reply from the Director of the Barnard Institute he was very much disappointed and told my husband reluctantly that in the circumstances the only remedy available was amputation of the leftarm well above the shoulder joint, which, in medical terminology is called "Four-quarter Amputation". Our Doctor added that we need not get horrified over this, since saving the life of my husband only is more important and that the patient could somehow manage with prosthesis (false limbs) after amputation. Being told that there was no other way out, my husband had to give his consent for amputation, which was immediately posted for the next Tuesday, being the Orthopedic Surgeon's operation day.

On Monday, the day previous to the operation the Hospital Staff prepared the patient for the amputation by shaving and spirit-washing the area where the Surgeon's saw to work. After this, my husband felt very gloomy and a struggle started in his mind at that stage whether or not to subject himself to the amputation the next morning. This went on for two hours and , ultimately, at 6.00 p.m. he picked up some courage and felt determined not to undergo the amputation, but to face death with his arm intact. Accordingly, he asked my parent-in-law and me, who were standing by his side grief-stricken, to bring avehicle and take him home at once, since he had decided not to subject himself to the amputation fixed for the next morning. Bewildered, we gazed at him to know what had suddenly happened to him, but we could not insist in his staying in the hospital andsubjecting himself to the gruesome treatment, for obvious reasons. We could only pray Lord Sai Nath and put our entire hope on Him and bring my husband home against medical advice.

Days passed without any event and my husband used to go to the Mylapore Sai Mandir every morning in the early hours, pray to Him and cry for His Mercy. H.H. Pujyasri Narasimha Swamiji who was then living, greatly sympathised with my husband's plight and advised him to put his entire faith in Shri Sai. Day-by-day his pain in the shoulder was diminishing and he got more and more relief. His brother-in-law, a Doctor, coming to know of the favourable conditions, wanted to find out the exact condition of the tumour after a fortnight and took my husband to a x-ray Clinic for taking a picture. Lo! he jumped with joy on seeing the wet X-Ray film of my husband's left shoulder, there was no abnormality at all in it!! The joy of my people knew no bounds. All of us prayed to Shri Sai and praised His Leela. After a fortnight my husband resumed his duty as if nothing had happened.

A year after this incident i.e., in February 1957 my husband was supervising some shipping operations in the West Quay of the Madras Harbour one morning. when suddenly a crane load of cargo (Burma rice) bags being unloaded from a vessel came swinging over him and landed on him due to defective operation of crane attached to the vessel. My husband fell unconscious and was removed to the General Hospital in an ambulance. in the Hospital, before anyone came to attend on him, he gained consciousness and insisted on his friends, who had accompanied him to the Hospital, to take him home, saying that he would not take any treatment in the Hospital. Accordingly, he was brought home without any treatment and within a couple of days he was quite normal and fit to resume his avocations.


My husband had a number of other such experiences also of Sai's Grace in later years, but for want of space I am not mentioning them.

Shri Sai the most Merciful is our Family Deva.

Mrs. R. Saraswathy,
"Sri Sai Kripa"
Collectrate Colony,
Chennai-600 029.

(Courtesy: Sai Sudha, All India Sai Samaj (Regd), Chennai)