Shri Sai Baba consistently demonstrated gentleness through His actions, teachings, and miraculous interventions.
Here are several examples illustrating Baba’s compassion and gentleness:
Protecting the Village from Cholera: When a cholera epidemic afflicted Shirdi, Baba’s unique remedy involved grinding wheat and throwing the flour on the village border limits. The villagers understood this not as literal wheat, but as Baba grinding the cholera itself to pieces and pushing it out of the village, leading to the epidemic’s subsidence. This shows His compassionate foresight and unconventional methods for collective well-being.- Encouraging and Supporting the Author Hemadpant: Hemadpant, the author of Shri Sai SatCharitra, expressed his self-doubt about writing Baba’s biography. Baba, however, blessed him, gave him Udi (sacred ashes), and placed His boon-bestowing hand on his head, assuring him, “I will help him. He is only an outward instrument. I should write Myself My autobiography and satisfy the wishes of My devotees”. This demonstrates His gentle encouragement and complete support for His devotee’s spiritual endeavor.
- Motherly Love for Disciples: Baba displayed motherly love towards His disciples, akin to a cow’s love for its calf or a human mother’s care for her child. This signifies His deep, selfless, and disinterested affection, always attending to their needs.
- Tolerance and Protection of Rohilla: Despite the villagers’ complaints about the Rohilla’s loud prayers disturbing their sleep, Baba took the villagers to task and asked them to mind their own business, explaining that the Rohilla’s prayers kept away “Durbuddhi” (bad thoughts). This illustrates His unique way of protecting even those who seemed troublesome, seeing the underlying spiritual effort.
- Omnipresence and All-encompassing Love: Baba often spoke of His all-pervading nature, stating, “I am the Inner Ruler of all and seated in their hearts. I envelope all the creatures, the movable and immovable world“. He assured devotees that “Nothing will harm him, who turns his attention towards Me”. This reflects His gentle, ever-present protection and boundless love for all.
Curing Ailments through Simple Means: Baba cured various diseases through His grace, words, and Udi (sacred ashes).
- He cured Bhimaji Patil’s severe tuberculosis by telling him his sufferings had ended and instructing him to stay in a specific house, completing the cure through two dreams.
- He cured Bala Ganapat Shimpi’s malaria by prescribing a “strange recipe” of feeding a black dog rice mixed with curds.
- He instantly cured Bapusaheb Booty’s dysentery and vomiting simply by saying, “Now take care, you should not purge any more” and “The vomiting must also stop”. He also cured Booty’s cholera with a seemingly fatal remedy of sugared milk with dry fruits, which proved effective due to Baba’s word.
- He healed a Swami from Alandi’s ear pain by saying, “Alla Accha Karega (God will do good),” which proved true even though the Swami went for an operation.
- He relieved Madhavrao Deshpande’s piles and Gangadharpant’s stomach-pain by simple words and touch, and Nanasaheb Chandorkar’s stomach-pain with a sweetmeat.
- He cured a doctor’s nephew of tubercular bone-abscess with Udi and His loving glances.
- He cured Dr. Pillay’s excruciating guinea-worm pain by telling him to be fearless and allowing Abdul’s accidental step to expel the worms.
- He cured Shama’s sister-in-law of bubonic plague by sending Udi and giving instructions not to go out, leading to her complete recovery overnight.
- He dissolved a stone in the bladder of a Harda gentleman with Udi mixed with water.
- He ensured a painless delivery for a Bombay lady by her praying to Him and consuming Udi-mixture, despite a stillborn issue according to fate.
- He transformed Harishchandra Pitale’s epileptic son by just seeing him, leading to the boy recovering within half an hour.
- Acceptance of Offerings and Devotion: Baba lovingly accepted offerings made with devotion, regardless of their monetary value.
- He accepted Mr. Cholkar’s small offering of sugar-candy wholeheartedly, knowing his secret vow of abstaining from sugar in his tea to save money for the trip.
- He knew when devotees sincerely intended to offer something and would remind them or their friends if forgotten, showing His acceptance of their inner devotion.
- Teaching Non-duality (“See God in All Beings”): After Mrs. Tarkhad fed a hungry dog, Baba told her, “Mother, you have fed Me sumptuously up to my throat, My afflicted pranas (life-forces) have been satisfied. always act like this… The dog which you saw before meals and to which you gave the piece of bread is, one with Me, so also other creatures… I am roaming in their forms. He, who sees Me in all these creatures is My beloved“. This profound teaching highlights His compassion for all life.
- Humility and Selflessness: Despite being God Incarnate, Baba allowed Nanavalli to take His seat without displeasure.
- Guidance in Spiritual Practices: Baba did not prescribe difficult yogic practices but emphasized the easiest path of remembering “Sai, Sai” to remove shackles and attain freedom. He tailored His instructions to individual needs, advising some to remember God’s name, others to hear His Leelas, and some to study scriptures.
- Patience and Understanding with Devotees’ Flaws: He handled Haji Sidik Falke’s initial pride and inability to enter the Masjid by seemingly harsh words, which ultimately led to the Haji’s humility and acceptance. He used a unique method to make the Ramadasi understand non-attachment by seemingly forcing a book dispute with Shama.
- Reading Minds and Fulfilling Desires: Baba’s omniscience allowed Him to know the innermost thoughts and desires of His devotees and address them directly.
- He knew Lakhamichand’s private thoughts about buying guavas and taking a loan for His darshan, and then made an old woman sell him the fruits and offer the rest on her behalf. He also knew Lakhamichand’s hunger and back pain; so offer food.
- He knew Damu Anna’s secret thoughts about speculative business and gently dissuaded him, saving him from financial ruin. He also granted Damu Anna’s wife four sons and four daughters, going against astrological predictions, by giving her four mangoes as Prasad.
- He fulfilled Mrs. Tendulkar’s dream of her son passing his medical examination despite unfavorable astrological predictions, emphasizing faith over external influences.
- He also blessed Mr. Tendulkar with a higher pension than anticipated after Mrs. Tendulkar’s dream.
Interventions to Avert Calamities: Baba often intervened to prevent harm to His devotees.
- He warned Balasaheb Mirikar about a “Lamba Bava” (serpent) before his trip, and the serpent was later killed, averting the danger.
- He reassured Bapusaheb Booty about an astrologer’s prediction of danger to his life, and a snake that appeared later was killed before it could harm him.
- He saved Amir Shankar from a snake near his bed by timely warning and intervention.
- He cured Shama of a poisonous snake-bite with powerful words, diverting the poison’s spread.
- He saved Mr. Ambadekar from committing suicide by making him read a relevant story in a book that deterred him.
- Teaching Dharma through Experiences: Baba often used everyday incidents to impart spiritual lessons. He patiently corrected the Pandharpur pleader’s habit of slandering others by directly addressing his inner thoughts, leading the pleader to reform.
- Respect for Devotees’ Sentiments: He allowed devotees to worship Him as they pleased, even if it meant temporary ‘anger’ to correct their understanding.
- Sacrifice for Devotees: A poignant example of His compassion is when He sacrificed His own life to save Tatya Kote Patil’s life, fulfilling an earlier prophecy that Tatya would pass away, but Baba took his place.
- Blessing with Liberation at the Time of Death:
- He guided devotees like Sannyasi Vijayanand by making him read sacred texts, ensuring his “Sadgati” (salvation) at the time of death.
- He also blessed Balaram Mankar to leave the world in His presence and stated that
- Tatya Noolkar “won’t be reborn” after his passing.
- He also showered flowers on Megha’s body and arranged funeral rites after his death, showing His deep affection.
- Compassion for Animals:
- Baba showed immense compassion for animals, as evidenced by His buying two goats for a seemingly exorbitant sum, and then revealing their past lives and their previous enmity, explaining His desire to feed them out of pity.
- He also taught not to kill creatures, stating “God lives in all beings”.
- Honoring the Ancestral Faith: When Mr. Pitale’s son suffered from epilepsy, Baba’s intervention not only cured the child but also reminded Mr. Pitale of his father’s devotion to Akkalkotkar Maharaj, leading him to understand Baba’s omnipresence and continuity of divine grace across different saints.
- Ensuring Comfort of Devotees (e.g., Fasting): Baba never fasted himself and disapproved of others doing so, emphasizing that spiritual progress cannot be attained on an empty stomach. He gently made Mrs. Gokhale, who intended a three-day fast, cook and eat Puran Polis, addressing both her spiritual intent and physical well-being.
- Acceptance of all beings, regardless of their nature: Baba embodied non-duality and saw no difference between castes or even between humans and animals. He ate with Fakirs and did not mind dogs touching His dishes.
In essence, Sai Baba’s compassion and gentleness were not merely passive qualities but active forces that manifested in His daily interactions, teachings, and miraculous interventions, always aimed at the temporal and spiritual welfare of His devotees and all creation.
