Baba’s loving watch and care
Para Number in the Book & About His Watch and Care
(I) Dhulia Bahalkar’s boy’s illness
532. In March 1913, Raoji Balakrishna Upasani Bahalkar’s younger son had high fever for 5 or 6 days.
The doctor gave up hopes. Then R.B.U. prayed to Baba.
Baba, appearing at 2a.m. in his room at Dhulia and applying Udhi to the boy said: “Now, have no more anxiety. In two hours, your boy will perspire. In the morning he will feel better. After he gets well, bring him to me.”
In the morning the boy was better. This was about 6-3-1913.
On 8-3-1913 Shama wrote to Raoji, as follows: ‘Baba said, “I have been to your Dhulia friend’s house”. I (Shama) asked. Who is that friend?
B.: ‘Upasani Bahalkar Raoji, I am daily going to his house. You had better write to him.”
Therefore I have written this letter’
Fifteen days later, Raoji and his son were going to Shirdi. On the way at Kopergaon, the tonga driver was delaying them.
At Arati time, Baba told Shama : “Sharma, wait a bit for the is Arati to start. Your Dhulia friend is coming. The tonga driver is troubling him. On their arrival in time for receiving prasada.’
(After that) Baba (to the boy): “When you were ill, I came to Dhulia. Do You remember ?”
(2) Mahalsapathy – Snakes
533. B: “Bhagat, two serpents are moving about near your house”. Mahalsapathy (who was addressed by Baba as Bhagat, i.e. Bhakta) returning from Dwarkamayi saw one serpent at his own door and another at the potter’s beneath his pillow.
- 533B. Baba: ‘Bhagat. when you come here to night come with a lamp. You will meet thieves at the village gate.”
Mahalsapathy came that night with a lamp and found a serpent at the gate.
534. A devotee had gone out in the dusk to ease himself. There he heard the rustle of something. Believing it to be a snake, he hurried back to his quarters.
Later he met Baba.
B.: “Am I not in the place, where you go to ease yourself? Why do you fear?
- 534B Mrs. Manager i.e. Mrs Sadashiv Tarkad of Poona being saved from treading on a snake, merely by intuition.
Abhyam to Mirikar-Snake
535A. Mamlatdar Bala Saheb Mirikar, son of Sardar Mirikar (Dev Exp) was about to take leave of Baba.
B.: “Do you know there is Dwaraka Mayi of ours”. Merikar was puzzled, as he did not know.
B.: “This is Dwaraka Mayi, in which you are sitting; This wards off all dangers and anxieties from her children. Highly merciful is this Masudi Ayi. She is the mother of all those, who place entire faith in her. She will save them, in the hour of danger. Once a person trusts her all his troubles are over.”
B. (then giving udhi. added); “Do you know the elongated gentleman? (Baba extends both his arms at full length and moves one plam like the hood of a cobra). So terrible he is ! But what can it do against the children of Dwaraka Mayi ? If it appears, we shall be merely amused. When the Dwaraka Mayi protects, can the serpent strike?”
Baba ordered Shama to accompany Mirikar. At Chitali, at 9 p.m. that night, Mirikar, Shama and some peons were at the Maruti temple. Mirikar was reading newspapers. Suddenly the peon heard a rustling sound on the newspaper. The peon took a lamp and saw what it was.
A part of Mirikar’s upper cloth was on a newspaper and a serpent lay on that end of the cloth. The peon cried “snake, snake !”and it moved off from Mirikar. People gathered and clubbed it to death. Mirikar was only amused and not terrified.
535B. One day at Shirdi, Baba made dolorous Sankha sound (indicative of coming death) and said “Hallo, Nana is about to die. But will I let him die?”.
At that time N.G. Chandorkar and Lela Sastri were near Poona. They were in a tonga, the horse of which reared and overturned the tonga. N.G.C. and Sastri were in peril of their life. But they picked themselves up and found that they had suffered no injury. When they reached Shirdi, they found that Baba had made the above declaration and had saved their lives.
535C. R.V. Modak feared that a special examination was being held, wherein his appearance might be a means for elevation or the certain means of dismissal on the score of inefficiency. He went to Baba and Baba detained him so as to miss the examination at Bombay.
At parting, Baba said “Go”
R.V.M.: “whither Baba? Home or Bombay?”
Baba: “Go home, your children are waiting for you.”
(4) Abhayam (Ganda) to Buti
536. Nana saheb Dengle (who was good at astrology) told Buti one day that there was Ganda, i e., danger to his life that day. Later both came to Baba.
B.: “what does Nana say? He sees death coming to you, eh? We have no need to fear. Strike! Strike! Let me see how you strike and kill.”
Later Buti went to ease himself and there saw a snake. His servant saw it and lifted up a stone. ‘A stick is safer and better’, said Buti. But before the stick came, the serpent moved away.
V. CONSIDERATION FOR HEALTH
537. Baba found Bala Shimpi on the road side, very ill with no one to attend to him. Baba had begged food in his (B.S’s.) house and was deeply attached to his family.
Baba told Bala Shimpi to go to Nana Saheb Dengle at Nimgoan. Nana Saheb had at that time a dream and Baba in that dream told him to undertake the care of Bala Shimpe,who would go to him. So when Bala went, he was cordially received and looked after by Nana Saheb Dengle.
