Baba’s other natures
Para Number in the Book ‘BCS” About HIS other Natures
Baba’s advice re. His Biography
609. Baba: (How the biography ought to be written).
- “Inquire and collect a true account of events and experiences of devotees.
- The biographer should not write with self conceit and in the spirit of controversy. Let there be no taking of sides and no aggressive debate.
- The biographer must drown himself in the contemplation of Sai Baba and after full surrender of self and egotism, the biography must be written. It will then be really written by Baba himself.
- Benefit of reading, writing and thinking of Baba’s life is this:
Devotion will be intensified and ignorance will be dispelled. If however the book is written in a controversial spirit, ignorance will develop thereby.
- If anyone serves me (Baba) with faith, God will be kind to him.”
II. Baba’s Peculiar methods of Talk-Paradox
- When H.S. Dixit had a vision of Vittal (Pandari Nath God) at his lodgings and then went to Baba, Baba said:
“Has not Vittal Patil come? Have you not seen him? That vittal is very elusive. Tie him fast. If inadvertently, you lose sight of him for a second, he will vanish.”
- Das Ganu Maharaj was much confused about the meaning of Isavasya Upanishad and went to Baba.
Baba : What, man. is the difficulty in this? Go back to Kaka’s house (H.S.D,’s in Ville Parle). His molkarin (i.e., servant girl of the agricultural class) will clear your doubt.”
Das Ganu went there ; and a young servant girl (aged 8 and belonging to the Kumbi caste) was there. Her words and conduct enabled him to understand the Upanishad, though she never knew his difficulties or she was solving them.
- When Shama was stung by a snake and went to Baba at the mosque. Baba: “Do not get up Bramin. Get back. Descend”. Shama was afraid that this was an order to him not to climb. Baba a little later : “come up. The fakir (God), is kind. You will be cured”. (Then shama discovered that the first spoken words were addressed to the poison so that it should not creep up the body of the Brahmin.)
- Uddhavesa Bua was writing a letter to Baba every Ekadasi day i.e., once in 15 days. He visited Baba some months before Baba passed away.
B.: Well go. You need not be coming here every fifteen days, I am always with you and will ever be. Tell all people there (i.e., convey my best wishes to all.) This was really bidding farewell. Uddhavesa did not however understand it, but somehow owing to forget-fulness, he did not send his Ekadasi letter thereafter. Obviously Baba’s reference to the 15 days, visit was a reference to these letters.
- Baba (1} (re: a poor but saintly man): ‘He has much paica (literally Cash)”.’
(2) “Brahmins earn much paica by their ways’. (Baba meant by Paica-punya, or Apoorva, i.e.. merit.)
- B. (re: a person of Harda who had just died): “How can he die? In the morning, he will come to life.”
(The relations of the deceased were looking for the revival of the corpse and were disappointed. Baba referred to survival of personality and taking up a new body in the next birth.)
- B.: “That fakir is kind to all”. (Baba referred to his God-Guru, under the term Fakir.)
- H.S.D. to Baba: Nana saheb Karambelkar writes that his wife and brother are unwell and wants your help for their recovery.
Baba: The brother will recover. H.S.D.: The lady?
Baba: Is she come?
H.S.D.: No, but shall we send for her ?
Baba: Yes.
The brother recovered and the lady died. ‘Is she come?’ means, in “sukshma sarira, after death.”
- H.S.D. wished to help a devotee at Shirdi who was in pecuniary difficulties, but who would not accept any presents. So he enclosed the money in an envelope and went to Baba.
H.S.D.; Baba. shall I send this letter? Baba: “Yes”.
H.S.D. send it at once; and it was accepted. The devotee gave the explanation. Two hours earlier, the wife of that devotee went to Baba. Baba: “Mother, I am coming to your house. Tell your husband, not to reject me.”
III Baba’s peculiar humour, double entendre, jokes etc.
- Once a goat entered the mosque, old, famished and just about to die.
Baba (to Bade Baba): Cut that goat with one stroke.
Bade Baba (Looking at it with pity):How are we to kill this?
So saying, he went away from the mosque,
Baba: Shama, you cut it. fetch a knife from Radhakrishna Ayi.
(Ayi sent a knife; but learning the purpose recalled it.) Shama: I will go home to fetch a knife.
Shama went home and stayed away there.
Then Baba to H.S.D.:You fetch a knife and kill it. H.S.D. went and fetched a knife. H.S.D. Baba, shall I kill it? Baba: Yes.
H.S.D. lifted up the knife and held it up in hesitation.
Baba: What are you thinking of? Strike.
Dixit obeyed and was bringing the knife down.
Baba: Stop, let the creature remain, I will kill it myself but not at the mosque.
Then Baba carried the creature a few yards, after which it fell dead.
- G.D. Pandit of Pelaspe came and bowed to Baba. Baba (to some one): “What is Bapu Saheb doing?”
Narayan: Sleeping.
Baba : “Narayan, beat him well, when he comes here. He owes me three or four thousand rupees and delays payment.”
This referred to a debtor of G.D. Pandit named Bapu Saheb, who owed G.D.P. that amount and was delaying payment. But Bapu Saheb Jog (who was Baba’s occasional banker) believed that it was a wrong accusation against him and he declared in anger that he did not owe any such sums.
IV Baba’s peculiar method of Teaching
- Madhava Bua sat before Baba, and thought that Baba should teach him the nature of a “Hamsa “saint
Baba (to M.): Go and hear pothi (read by H.S.D.) At once M. went to H.S.D. and found him reading Eknath Bhagavat, Skanda XI, chapter 18. Verses 2737, describing Hamsas and paramahamsas.
- A Prarthana samajist discovering that Baba’s power, nature and acts showed (a) that Avatars were possible and probable, (b) that God comes as Avatar to help devotees and (c) that offer of camphor, and naivedya to Avatras and God is right, came to Baba and sitting before him framed within his mind this question: “Baba, shall I place all my burdens on you?”
Baba (loudly): “Yes.”
P.S. (loudly): “Do you look on all with equal eye?”
B.: “Some sense is required to ask questions. What a silly question you ask? I look on all with equal eye.”
P.S. Mentally prayed or wished to have an Ishta devata (divine form) for worship. He turned to the old sala and there a lovely female apparition was standing and looking at him. He turned to Baba, Baba looked at him with a smile. On that occasion this happened several times.
P.S, learnt later that the figure, he saw was Annapurna and made her his Ishta devata. On the second visit of P.S. to Shirdi, somebody discussed with him whether Sai was a Sthutaprayna, and the good of going to Shirdi and that upset his faith. Then he went and sat before Baba.
B: Shama. take this man. Tell him something.
Shama took him out and said: Outsider’s talk and upsetting of your faith thereby is all Baba’s Lila. Do not mind what the world says or the troubles it gives. Keep your mind at Baba’s feet. Then Baba will give you peace. When the two returned, Baba (to P.S.): “follow Shama’s advice.”
623. Baba, to Radhabai Deshmukhin:
“I do not bite (i.e., instruct through) the ear. Our traditions are different.”
624. Baba to Upasani Maharaj: “Be by me and keep quiet. I will do the rest.”
As in the case of Narayana Tirtha, he infused this devotee with thought and feeling without giving express instruction (Upadesa). except in visions.
625. Shama Rao R.Shrotrie, a record keeper of District court, Thana, sat before Baba at Shirdi with a question in his mind.
Baba- “Go to Bai”.
She is reading puran in the temple. Then Shrotrie went up and listened and found the answer to his question in what she read.
This is one of Baba’s ways of giving answers.
V. Re. Photographing Baba
626. B.: Shama what have the boys come here Shama: To take a photograph of you.
B.: Tell the boys that no photo should be taken (To have my real likeness), if the wall is pulled down, that is enough.
N.B.- wall is (1) the body and (2) the idea that we are the body. Baba’s real likeness is Brahman.
VI Baba’s parables
- Baba- “I had brought numerous asses laden with gold. Robbers looted all that on the road. So it is very hard to live in the house (or proximity) of thieves. You (Bhao saheb Pradhan, sub-Registrar) have been sent to me that I may teach you this. It is very difficult to remain in this sapless world. That is what I was taught. Convey this much to my brother Madhav Nath (Maharaj).
627a. My money was carried away by people. I said nothing, but quietly followed them killed them and recovered my money.
- Baba: “I once changed the lower party of my body for that of a parrot, and after a year’s experience, I discovered that it was a serious loss. I lost a lakh of Rupee (i.e., aim).”
- Baba: “I sat near a post and then a great serpent woke up, and was very angry. It used to jump up and also fall from above.”
- Baba: “A man had a very beautiful horse. In spite of all his efforts, it would not go in pair. A vidwan suggested that its should be taken back to the place whence it was brought (it source). That was done. Then it became controllable and useful.”
- Baba (to B.V. Dev); “You have given four, it is true. Baba however gets only one.”(All four merged into one)
- Baba (to Mr G.S.K.)”It is cloudy. Rains will fall. Crops will grow and mature. Clouds will disperse, why do you fear?
- Baba: “A person rode on a camel. It passed excreta. I gathered all the excreta and ate them up, My belly was puffed up-swollen. I felt listless. Then the rider took pity upon me. He gave me four grains of Bengali gram (Cicer arietinum) and I ate them and drank water. Thus my vehement turbulence ceased. My swollen belly subsided. Now hereafter, it will be cured.”
- Shama: Why are you grinding corn with grindstones?
Baba: “For those who come here (to me), I have to grind.”
Sri Sai Baba’s utterances to Kasinath Upasini Maharaj
- Sai: Hallo, Kasinath when you left, you protested you-could not return within 8 days.
Kasi: I do not know how this has happened. It is all your doing.
Sai: “Man, I was behind you all these 8 days. Now go and stay in that Wada (Kaka Sahib’s).”
Sai: (Addressing a general crowd):- “One day as I walked along I noticed a pregnant woman. Her belly was protruding, her hand and feet were emaciated, she was alone, could not walk easily except with a stick to support “You have been carrying for many years. Why are you not yet delivered?”. She made no reply, so I added” Let it pass. Drink only hot water. That will make delivery easy”. She heeded not my advice and went to a steam to drink cold water.
Hallo, I thought “she will die and that unnecessarily and her numerous children in her belly will also die with her, so, I went up and told her “Dame did I not tell you to avoid cold drink; why have you come to this stream? Go to the village and get hot water to drink”. From that day she drank hot water. Now she is all right. This is all mere Vata (Wind). “
As Sai spoke thus. He pointed occasionally towards Kasinath and looked at him. Kasinath at once understood. It is Sai that came to me at Rahuri and told me drink hot water and again at Jejuri 156 miles away and forced me to drink hot water. He is the kind Saviour, who cured my trouble, that no doctor could cure.
- “There is renanubandha, mutual obligations between us. Our families have been interlocked by mutual obligations for centuries, nay for a thousand years, so there is no difference between you and me.”
B. “There was a well at its brink there was a tree, on the tree 2 birds sat, one of them slipped down and was about to be drowned. Down jumped its loving friend to save it and actually saved it, though the saviour nearly lost its life.”
637. Sai: “Kasinath must clear his accounts before he can leave Shirdi.”
Shame: “What accounts”
Sai: “I settle the accounts of all that come to me. (Some weeks later) all accounts have been settled except 2 or 4 cart loads (Sravanam. July-Aug. 1911). All accounts have been settled with the result that Kasinath must remain 4 years at Shirdi”
Shama: “What is he to do for 4 years here?”
Sai: “He must simply sit quiet in Vittoba’s temple doing nothing. He has merely to eat bread and vegetable and sit quiet. I shall accomplish what I want”.
Sai to Kasinath: “Have nothing to do with anybody. Your future is very excellent.”
Sai to Others; “Such is his worth” the whole world may be put in one scale pan and he in the other.
(Bombay Prabhti): “What Baba-do you give him a copper plate grant of your full favour”.
Sai; “What I have spoken, every thing I have got has been given.”
Sai to Kasinath: “Wherever you may be, you are God. Now understand that the gold plate grant is in your hands. You need not go to me frequently, come to me only occasionally. However don’t talk to me and I shan’t talk to you. After 4 years, you will have the full favour of Mahalsapathi and you will realise everything”
“You have not recognised me, I have recognised you thoroughly. I have been intently thinking of you for many a year. Now where have you to go or come? If you are unable to do anything, keep quiet. I shall personally accompany you, get a ticket, put you into the train and see that you reach your destination.
Prabhti : “What Baba, you have given everything to this individual”.
Sai; “Yes, Yes, everything has been given, whatever he be, good or bad, he is mine.”
There is no distinction between me and him. Now the whole responsibility for him rests with me.
- Sai Baba (to Kasinath) ” I shall be coming there to Khandobha’s.”
“If I go over, will you regonise me and give me a chilm to smoke?”
Kasinath; I do not understand you.
- Sai Baba to Kasinath : ” I do not want your prasad. why do you take the trouble to bring it here? I was there”
Kasinath: “Baba. there was none there, except a black dog.
Sai: “Yes, I was that black dog”.
- Sai to Kasinath : “You drove me away.”
Kasi: There was none there except a sickly Sudra.
Sai: “I was in everything and even beyond”.
- Kasi to Sai: Baba, the person you cast out and burnt is I.
Sai: “Yes, you were in that SIN form”. Papa Rupa. I have destroyed him. You are now free from sin. By our united efforts there are many things to be achieved in the future and how can that be done if sin remains.”
- Sai to Kasi: “Look at that man, that is you. Your punya purusha. (See 112) Kasi: “Baba, if this my punya purusha and the other whom you destroyed is my papa purusha, who am I?
Sai: “You are beyond these two. That which constitutes me, constitutes you, you are myself.”
- Sai to Kasinath: – “Plant 14 peepal trees that live for centuries.”
"I draw to Me, My man from far off or even across the seven Seas to Shirdi, like a sparrow with a string fastened to its feet"-Shirdi Sai Baba, Indian Spiritual Guru-God 