Hemant Dharmat
Sai Baba’s birth anniversary is commemorated on Ramnavmi. But few devotees are aware that Sai Baba encouraged his devotees to remain absorbed in Ram bhakti. On this Ramnavmi falling in the 100th year of Sai Baba’s Mahasamadhi, it is worthwhile recounting Baba’s relevant ‘Leelas’.
In 1916, a ‘Kirtan-Mandli’ arrived in Shirdi village in the hope of making money by singing ‘bhajans’ at Sai Baba’s abode -a dilapidated Mosque, which Baba called Dwarkamai. During this period, Baba’s fame having spread far and wide, lot many devotees frequented Shirdi. Each day lot of money would get collected with Sai Baba who would spend as mall amount for purchase of firewood for ‘dhuni’ and oil for the earthen lamps and distribute the rest to the poor and needy. The kirtanmandli consisting of a Tamilian, his wife, a daughter and his sister-in law sang melodious ‘bhajans’. However, their real motive was to earn money. Three out of the four in the troupe were extremely greedy. But his wife was of simple and of God fearing disposition. She was an ardent devotee of Lord Ram and had immense reverence for Baba. One day during the daily noon-time prayer, Baba gave her ‘darshan’ of Lord Ram. Whereas all else present in the Dwarkamai, witnessed Baba seated on a rock; every time she looked towards Baba, she saw Lord Ram in His place. Unable to control her emotions, she started clapping in sheer ecstasy. She related the experience to her husband who brushed it aside as nothing more than a mental concoction and asked when each one of them saw Sai Baba as usual, how could she alone see Him as Lord Ram. She chose not to enter into an argument as during that time also she was having a vision of Lord Ram.
A few days after, her husband had a dream in which he found himself in shackles behind bars. Soon Sai Baba emerged from nowhere before him. He entreated, “I have come to your refuge on hearing about your exalted spiritual stature. How can such misfortune befall me, when you are so near. I do not remember having committed any despicable sin for which I should be subjected to this punishment”. Baba replied, “If not in present life, it could be the result of sins incurred in previous birth”. He insisted that he had no recollection of his previous birth adding even if Iam responsible for such acts, these should have been decimated on account my close proximity to you”. “Do you believe in what you just said?” asked Baba. He replied in the affirmative. Baba directed him to shut his eyelids. When he did so, he heard the sound of some heavy object falling near him. As he opened his eyes, he found himself out of the barred windows and got terrified on seeing a profusely bleeding wounded police constable having fallen in front of him. Baba warned, policemen would re-arrest him and subject him to severe punishment.He beseeched, “O God Sai! Save me” Then Baba asked him to yet again close his eyes. As he opened his eyes, he found himself a free bird and Baba standing before him. He prostrated at Sai Baba’s feet in all humility. Baba asked, “Did you notice any difference between your previous namaskar and this one”. “Difference akin to that of the sky and nether world”, he replied adding “My earlier namaskar were for the purpose of accumulating wealth. But now I have bowed unto you realizing you as God”. Thereafter Baba appeared before him as Shri Ramdas, his Guru. When he woke up, there was complete transformation in his thinking. His greed having vanished, the reality of Baba’s greatness dawned on him.
Sai Baba always provided encouragement to noble ideas. As per a well-known adage, if a noble thought crosses your mind in the early morning, and if you reflect on it throughout the day, it would substantially develop your intellect and calm your mind. One evening, Hemadpant decided that he should spend the next Thursday repeating Ram naam. On the following Thursday morning, he took some flowers and left to offer his obeisance to Baba. As he reached near Dwarkamai, he heard SantEknath’s following hymn that Aurangabadkar was singing from inside Dwarkamai in an extremely melodious tone:
Gurukripaanjanpayo mere bhai; Ram binakuchmanatnahi.
Andar Rama, bahar Rama; Sapne me dekhatSitarama.
Jagat Rama, Sovat Rama; Jahan dekhewahipurankama.
EkaJanardanianubhavnika; Jahan dekhewahi Ramsarikha.
There were thousands of ‘bhajan’, but why especially this song on Lord Ram, Aurangabadkar chose to sing at that moment. Wasn’t it a pleasant arrangement by Sai Baba that left Hemadpant spellbound?
One day Baba rose from his seat and immediately started partaking lunch brought for Him by Mrs Khaparde wife of a famous lawyer. Devotees present there complained, “Normally, plates offered by others remain lying for hours without even being touched by You. Why this partiality with this lady Baba?” He replied, “Truly this meal is special. She was a healthy cow in a previous birth and provided abundant milk. After casting off her animal body, she was born in a gardener’s house. Later she took birth in Kshashtrya caste and was married to a trader. Ages after she has met Me. Let me take a few bites from her plate. After relishing the meal, Baba resumed his seat. Mrs Khaparde massaged His lotus feet. Pleased by her service, Baba advised her to chant Rajaram,Rajaram saying if she remains absorbed in contemplation, she would attain salvation.
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