SUBMIT BENEFITS OF MIRACLES TO HIM

SUBMIT BENEFITS OF MIRACLES TO HIM

Baba’s servant Reghu and five others were convicted and imprisoned on a charge of outraging the modesty of a Marwadi woman and Raghu was crying out in jail at Ahmednagar. Baba appeared to him and said. ‘I will see you freed’. Next day Tatya Patil brought the appeal papers to Baba after shown having them to some senior lawyers, who found that the conviction was based upon six eye witnesses. They considered it hopeless. Tatya took the papers to Bhav, Bhav means S. B. Dhumal at Nasik. When Tatya brought papers, Dhumal looked them up and told him, "there are so many seniors above me. Why don’t you take to Ahmednagar’. But Tatya replied, ‘Baba said that you should present the appeal’, and that settled the course.

At once Dhumal drew up an appeal memo and went to the District Magistrate of Ahmednagar at his bungalow. The District Magistrate asked him, ‘What is it about?’ Then Dhumal mentioned that it was a conviction for outraging a Marwadi woman’s modesty on the testimony of six eye witnesses. The Magistrate remarked, ‘It seems a very strong case’. At once Baba’s modus operandi was seen. Dhumal said, ‘Why six eye witnesses, Your Honour? You can get sixty eye witnesses in a fraction ridden village like Shirdi’. the Magistrate said, ‘Do you think so?’ Dhumal replied, ‘Think! Why, I am more than sure of it.’ When the words were being uttered through the mouth of Dhumal, the mind of Magistrate was being operated upon, and so he said, ‘If so, I acquit all your appellants’. The Magistrate had not called for the papers from the lower court, nor read the judgement nor appeal memo, but simply said, ‘Hand over the appeal memo to me and tell me the facts you are relying upon’. Dhumal practically dictated the appellate court judgement. The magistrate, a senior European officer simply wrote it out, and at once acquitted the appellants.

The Magistrate then asked Dhumal, ‘Is Sai Baba of yours a Hindu or Muslim?’, showing that all the while it was Sai Baba who was operating on his mind. Dhumal answered, ‘Neither the one nor the other. He is above both’. What does he teach was the next question of the Magistrate. Dhumal was up to the occasion. He said, ‘You must go to him yourself to know that’. ‘Can I go?’ asked the Magistrate. Dhumal replied, ‘Yes, you can certainly go’. The Magistrate had an idea of going to Shirdi some time later, but subsequently dropped the matter. So it was only for the nonce he felt interested in Shirdi. Meanwhile, Dhumal without any surety was taken Raghu and other five with him to Shirdi. That was the time when poor Dixit’s daughter died there and people were going to attend the cremation. Baba called some of them and said, ‘Don’t go, I will show you some chamatkar’. Shortly thereafter the appellants arrived. Then the people learnt how the senior District Magistrate acquitted the appellants straightway without hearing the other side or without sending for the papers and realised that this was the chamatkar. This is Manasthambam. Baba had gripped the mind of District Magistrate and made him deal out summary justice for the weird and great saint’s servants.

When Dhumal had gone to Ahmednagar to Reghu’s appeal, the parties paid him Rs. 300. When Dhumal came before Baba, Baba asked him for dakshina over and over again till his Rs. 300 was completely paid out because, the whole thing was due to Baba’s chamatkar, and so, he must not receive or, at any rate, retain any fee given for that.



Written by: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

BE HUMBLE AND MODEST TOWARDS ALL

BE HUMBLE AND MODEST TOWARDS ALL

Baba said, "He (the devotee) should be modest and humble towards all, and worship Me with heart and soul. If he does this, he will get eternal happiness" in Sri Sai Satcharitra Ch.III.

If you derive the least benefit from anyone, or should anyone contribute to your happiness in any way, acknowledge his services from the bottom of your heart and feel grateful to him. Never for a moment think that the benefit of happiness you derived was due to your own Prarabdha, that he was only an instrument and did nothing to earn your gratitude. On the contrary, you should feel that he conferred a great happiness. Gratefully remember the help received from him, do not forget it throughout your life even when circumstances have changed and always try to make him happy and be of service to him. Do not hesitate, when necessary, to acknowledge his services to you openly before a large gathering. This will foster mutual love between you and your benefactor and promote happiness and peace; the spirit of making others happy will grow from more to more among people, mutual sympathy and the spirit of service will receive encouragement. Remember that he who cherishes a feeling of gratitude towards his benefactor renders a great service to the world at large; for such an attitude pleases the heart of the benefactor, he feels encouraged, and the spirit of service and benevolence gets strengthened within him. God pleased with those who are grateful, and angry with those who are ungrateful. Therefore, be grateful and never forget the obligation of your benefactor.

BABA’S DIRECTIONS NEVER GO WRONG

BABA’S DIRECTIONS NEVER GO WRONG


Damia’s first named Daulat Shah is now known as Nana Saheb Rasane, and is a trustee of the Sai Sansthan. Daulat means prosperity and fame. With the wealth already acquired by Damia, the children started or carried on a successful business, and they are keeping up the name of Damia for wealth and generosity. In addition to the above, Nana Saheb, the eldest son was helped by Baba in his spiritual development. He is now carrying on Sai propaganda, spreading the Sai faith by lectures, etc., and is fully deserving of the name, Daulat Shah.

When Daulat Shah was five years old, and when he first began writing the letters Hari on the slate, Baba held his hand and helped him to write. After that he was, taken to a school at Shirdi. At his marriage also, Baba helped him. When there were several girls offered for this rich man’s son, Baba was requested by Damia to select the one, which he considered proper out of four horoscopes. Then Baba selected a poor girl’s horoscope; and that was the girl that Rasane married, and that was a happy marriage. It took place at Pandharpur and Damia went to Baba to invite him to Pandharpur. Baba replied "I am with you. Do not fear. Wherever you think of me, there I am with you." Still Damia pressed him to attend. Then Baba said, "Without God’s permission, nothing can be done by me. I will send Shama to attend the marriage as my deputy." And Shama attended the marriage.

The manner, in which Damia got children by his wife consuming mangoes, naturally reminds one of the way in which the Ayodhya king Dasaratha got his children. Dasaratha was also childless, and after consulting Vasishta, his Kula Guru, he was advised by the Guru, to perform an Asvamedha Yaga and Puthra Kameshti Yaga. In the latter yaga, conducted by Vasishta, a divine person Rishyasringa came out of the fire with a vessel full of nectarine, payasam and that was offered to Dasaratha with the direction that his wives should drink the same and thereby have issue. Dasaratha distributed it amongst his wives and, in consequence of it, had four sons. In the case of Damia, he was not rich enough to conduct an Asvametha Yaga, not were there any rishis to conduct a Puthra Kameshti Yaga, and yet he got his four children just like Dasaratha. Sai Baba represented in his own personality and in the mangoes that he gave, the Asvamedha Yaga, Puthra Kameshti Yaga, Vasishta, Rishyasringa and divine nectar. So, the childless devotees of Sai Baba look upon him as a never failing giver of the boon of children, and others who are afflicted by being in the bad books of the planets look to him for getting rid of their other evils.

Above all, the words of Baba as to issue proved strictly true. There was not a single mistake about them. Our astrologers, as Baba himself has said, make declarations about future and only half of them come true. In the case of Baba, there was no such thing as missing. This may be described in various ways by the learned – Satyavak, Satyasankalpa. Some may call it Vaksiddhi. Others may call it Trikala jnana. Some others may refer to it, as Yatha Sankalpa Samsiddhi. Still others may call it, Isatvam. These names are found in Patanjalini’s Yoga Sutras in the Srimad Bhagavata, and in the Chandogya Upanishad. Some others may say, it is merely pre-cognition, that is knowledge of the future. But whether the future is fixed enough for one to have knowledge of is a moot question, and the difficulty of its being unfixed is overcome by people putting forward an alternative explanation of Baba’s faculty, calling it either knowledge of the future or control of the future.

Rishinam Punar Adhyanam
Vacham Artho Anudhavati

This means, In the case of ancient rishis, events follow their words, that is, where they declare a thing is, there that thing comes about by their will power – Satyavak Satyasankalpa.

Therefore, Damia’s having derived a blessing of this very rare sort was the means by which Baba’s fame for the grant of issue and other similar blessings even in the face of adverse planetary influences got widely published in the town of Ahmednagar and in the neighbourhood. This was around 1895 to 1897. Damia wishing to show his gratitude undertook to pay the expenses of a grand ceremony of ‘The standards procession’ on every Ramanavami Day. Two very tall standards were nicely decorated and carried from the Mosque through the streets of Shirdi on that day every year and finally brought back to be planted at Baba’s Masjid to remain there as a mark of the residence of the weird saint. Damia, not content with this service, was always ready to undertake further trouble and expense for Baba in other matters. At the time of the reconstruction of the Masjid, he made his contribution as also on other similar occasions.

But the best contribution that Damia made was his becoming an Ankita or child of Baba, whom Baba looked after wherever he was and wherever he thought of Baba. Baba told him, "I am with you wherever you are and whenever you think of me." This was said when Damia was afraid that Baba would leave his body and would no longer be helping him personally with his presence. Baba’s assurance, Damia says in his statement in 1936 has been, perfectly true. Baba is with him and frequently appears before him. When he is not personally present, Damia casts chits before Baba, and the chits always give the answers of Baba. He says in the innumerable cases that he consulted Baba on chits, not even on one occasion was Baba’s direction found to be wrong..



Written by: HH Pujysri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji

PRAYER by Elizabeth Goudge

O Saviour of the world, teach us how to pray

for those who are lost in desolations of darkness

without the knowledge of the mercy that is yourself.

Give us penitence for the evil in ourselves which has

added to the darkness of the world, and if there be

any small thing we can do to lighten any misery,

show us what it is and help us to do it. Teach us

how to pray with the compassion which is not afraid

to suffer with those who suffer and, if need be,

to enter into darkness with them.




—ELIZABETH GOUDGE

PLANETARY POWERS AND GURU POWERS

PLANETARY POWERS AND GURU POWERS

Damodar Rasane was a Kasar and one of the earliest of Ahmednagar citizen to learn about Sai Baba. He received the benefit of issue in a most remarkable and unexpected manner and was thereby to be the means of broadcasting Sai’s fame in all directions through Das Ganu’s chapters. He was a very humble man and began as a poor bangle seller but all his transactions yielded good profit and he soon grew rich. He had everything to make life happy, but had issue. Seeing that his first wife could not bear a child, he married a second time. But even the second wife could not bear him a child. Astrological curiosity made him explore into his horoscope and he found that in the Putra sthanam, a papi was situated, namely, Kethu, and there was no Guru influence to overcome that evil. Therefore, the local astrologers, who were consulted, declared that issue for him was impossible in this life.

This reminds one strongly of the preface Mahatmya to the Srimad Bhagavata where in a similar manner a great yati or seer was consulted by a childless Brahmin about the absence of issue and the seer declared that the Brahmin would have no issue in this life and for seven more births. But the Brahmin said that he would kill himself unless the seer by his powers granted him an issue. Then that seer stated, "Well, I will give you this fruit. Let this fruit be eaten by your wife and let her observe religious vows for a year. And if she eats it, she will have a son." Then, the pious consultant took the mango to his wife and told her what the seer said. That lady was a termagant of a very vicious disposition and never hesitated to cross her husband’s will even in serious matters. She said, "If I get pregnant, there will be much discomfort, and if the child falls athwart the womb, am I suffer the pains and serious risks involved or is the seer or my husband going to suffer?" So she determined not to eat the fruit.

She had a sister to whom she narrated the facts. The sister was poor and cantankerous lady was rich. So, she told the poor sister, "You are pregnant. Give your child to me and I will say that it is born of my womb, and he will have all my wealth to enjoy and you and he will be here." That poor sister agreed.

As for the fruit, she throw it before the cow, and the cow ate it up. As Mantra cannot be without their effect, the cow calved and brought forth a human child with ears like that of a cow but the rest of the body resembling a human being. That child was in the house. But it was the sister’s child of the termagant that was thought by the Brahmin to be the result of his wife’s eating the fruit. Then the sister’s child proved to be a thorough villain and he broke the heart of the Brahmin who had asked for issue and even of his mother. Then they both died. The boy became a criminal and died. When he became a Brahma Rakshas, that is, an evil Spirit, the Gokarna cow-eared boy brother of his gave him relief by making him listen to Saptaha of the Bhagavata. This story contained in the sacred Bhagavata Mahatmya shows how planetary influence debarring a person from having issue is considered ultimate, but in Damodar Rasane’s case, he was more fortunate.

He had heard of Sai Baba and went up to meet him. Sai Baba had kept apart 8 mangoes to be given to him from a basket of mangoes that were sent to Baba. The children were the recipients of the rest of the mangoes and some children wanted more. When Baba said, "There is nothing," the children pointed to the eight mangoes. Baba said, "They are for Damia." But the children said, "Damia is not here." "I know that. He is on the way. He is coming," said Baba. Then, when Baba went out, some of these petted children of Baba stole away four mangoes, and when Rasane came, there were only four mangoes remaining. As soon as he came, Baba gave him those four mangoes. "Eat and die. People are clamouring for mangoes." Eat and die – Damodar was perturbed by hearing the inauspicious word die, and Mahlsapathy noting his perplexity told him that it was a blessing to die at the feet of Baba. Baba was enjoying the humour all the time, as the word die, which he had used, did not refer to the physical death but only to the spiritual death, which is the same as Bhramh or Pramada coming upon one who gets deeper and deeper in samsaric life with the birth of a child after child and the death of several of them.

Pramada a Marityuraham bravimi

That is, It is the intoxication of the world that makes us forget the Real Life; that I call death said Sanatkumara – Sanat Sujatiya.

Baba came to the rescue and said, "Damia do not eat these fruits yourself. Give them to your wife". Damia wanted to know to which wife were the fruits to be given. Baba said, "The second wife." Baba also said, "She will have eight children. The first and second would be boys. Name the first Daulat Shah and the second Thana Shah." Taking up his note book immediately, Damia wrote down the names. Then the fruits were taken and given to his second wife, and, unlike the heroine of the Bhagavata Mahatmya, she did eat the four fruits. She begot, as stated by Baba, exactly eight children, one after another, their sexes being in the order given by Baba. It took fifteen years for all the children to be born.

Therefore, it was clear that the planetary influence in Damia’s case was not quite as deadly as that in the Bhagavata case. Perhaps there is an astrological explanation also. There, in the written horoscope, at Damia’s birth there was no Guru balam to overcome the papi’s influence. But the All-knowing and All-powerful Guru of Damia was Baba, and his balam was there in 1897, and his Baba’s veekshanyam could overcome all the adverse influence of all the planets put together. As Sri Thyagaraja says,

Griha Balam Emi?

Sri Ramanugaraga Balame Balamu.

It may be noted that the eight mangoes representing eight children that Baba set apart for Damia, four were stolen away. Corresponding to that loss, of the eight children that were born to Damia, four were filched away by Yama. The remaining four are living now (1956) healthy, strong and flourishing.




Written by: HH Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji