CONSIDERATION FOR FEELINGS OF DEVOTEES

Baba’s consideration for feeling of devotees

Para Number in the Book ‘BCS” , About Baba’s consideration for Devotees

(a) For Mother’s Prayer (Haribhav Panse)

524. Haribhav Panse Dahanukar started for Rameswaram against his mother’s will, and she was observing a fast, that should last up to his return. Hearing that her son had stopped at Shirdi with Baba. She prayed thus, “If Baba is a true Sadhu, he should make my son cancel his pilgrimage and send him back to his house.”

(Here) Baba to Haribhav: “Give me Dakshina.”

Baba took from Haribhav the entire railway fare from Shirdi to Rameswaram and back.

Baba to Haribhav: “Go home, Rameswar is starving since you left home. If you do not go now, Rameswar will cease to exist and Badreswar will take its place.”

Haribhav went home and found his mother fasting and learnt of her prayers, which Baba thus granted.

(b) Kusal Bhav’s Pious wishes

525. Baba told H.S.Dixit one day to take a tonga and go to Rahata and fetch Kusal Bhav, a devotee greatly attached to Baba. What was the reason?.

K.B. thought on the previous day that for a long while he had not seen Baba; and that night, Baba came to him in his dream and said “Come to Shirdi”. In the morning K B found that he had no horse for his tonga and so he could not go. He sent his son on foot to Shirdi in his stead. Before the son came .

B.: “Kaka (H.S.Dixit), take a tonga and go to Rahata and bring Kusal Bhav.”

When H.S.D. came to K.B., he pleaded the absence of his horse.

H.S.D.: That is why Baba asked me to take a tonga and bring you in the tonga.

K.B. thereupon paid the visit, he was anxious to pay.

(c) Mavushe’s

526. B. (one day) said: “My stomach in aching.”

Then Mavushe applied a red-hot brick over Baba’s abdomen and then removing it, began pressing Baba’s sides with her hands with great violence. S.B. Nachne, then present, cried out: Hold. Hold. Be more gentle Baba will suffer.

Baba to Nachne: “Get out, do not interfere.”

(d) Baba asked Dada Kelker to get onions from S.B.N’s Mother-in-law (see under Baba’s Justice and Equality) (see 587)

(e)Vadhavkar’s Hunger

527. Sadashiv T. Vadhavkar went to Baba and sat before him. Though feeling hungry, delicacy prevented his mentioning it. A pocket of pedas was brought to Baba. Baba usually touched nothing when it was brought. But on this occasion, he opened that packet and threw one peda into Vadhavkar’s lap.

Vadhavkar retained it in his hand.

Baba: “It is not given to you for merely keeping.”

Then Vadhavkar ate it and his hunger was half appeased. Then Baba flung another peda at him. Vadhavkar held it in his hand, thinking of taking it home.

Baba: “This is not given to you for keeping.”

Vadhavkar ate that up and his hunger was wholly appeased.

Baba did not throw any more pedas.

(f) B.V.Vaiday’s health and safety

528. B V Vaidya in 1911 went with family to Shirdi and at 1 a.m. alighted at Sathe Wada. He took light tiffin (faral), went to bed.

In the morning, Baba (to the people at the Wada, angrily): “My children arrived, none looked after them and you made them upas i.e., eat faral” (With these words baba drove away the Bhaktas from Mosque)

• When leaving Shirdi with intent to go Nasik, Vaidya went to Baba and asked leave.

Baba: “Going to Nasik! What for should you go to Nasik! There is plague there. Do not go there. Go back home, taking your little one with you.”

• Vaidya took Baba’s photo and gave it to into his hands. Baba touched it and returned it (for worship)

Baba then said   ” You had better go now.”

Vaidya and family go into the tonga and arrived at the station just in time to miss the train. They believed they were unlucky and spent some hours at the station for the next train. They arrived at Manmad by the next train and learnt that the previous train, which they would have boarded at Manmad had they arrived earlier, had an accident in which one carriage was smashed.

• At the next visit Baba made them overstay their leave.  B.. “Be quiet. Do not fear.”

When they returned three days after expiry of leave, they applied for extension of leave to the G.I.P and that was granted without any trouble.

(g) Consideration for Mrs. Pradhan’s baby’s cries

 529.   Mrs. M.W.Pradhan was doing her puja of Baba at Dwaraka-Mayi and suddenly Baba stopped her. 

B.: “Stop. Go to you Wada (lodgings)”.

She stopped and went to her lodgings. There she found her baby was crying. She then comforted it, put it to sleep and came back to Baba.     B.: “Now do your Puja.”

Baba had heard the baby’s cries by his Antarjnana, though the lady’s lodgings were far from the mosque. Such hearing is referred to in the well known song. i.e.,

Sai hears even the footfall of an ant.

(h) Purandare’s Obstinacy

530. When a palki was brought and silver ornaments there from were stolen, R.B. Purandhare and his friend were keen on erecting a room or garage, for it next to the mosque on northern side. For erecting a room, R.B.P. was boring some holes in the mosque wall, when Baba was absent. Baba came and ordered him to stop the work. R.B.P. however went on, in spite of Baba’s threats. He went on with the work, not minding his own mealtime.

B.: “See how bad it is. He won’t listen to me. I have to put up with all this.’

Again    Baba said: “Go for your meal.”

R.B.P.: Baba, I will not, because you will undo my work in my absence.

Baba : “No, you may go for your meal.”

Then R.B. Purandhare went.

B: “What is to be done? If a child passes stools upon your leg, do we cut off the leg or the child ? We have to put up with it.”

(i) Varde’s Obstinacy

531.     Varde : Baba, give me leave to do Satyanarayan Puja at this Mosque.

B.: “You may do it.”

Then Varde went out and brought young plantain trees and put them on all sides of Baba, treating Baba as the image.

Varde. Baba, I have not got money for expenses.

B.:    “How much do you want ?”

Varde : Rs2-8-0.

B. (Pointing out Jayakar):   “That man has it, borrow it from him.”

Though that was all the money Jayakar had, he had to lend it. And Varde’s Satyanarayana Pooja was finished.