Sai Satcharitra
Sai Satchritra - Chapter XL
(1) Attending Mrs.Deo's Udyapan Ceremony as a Sannyasi with two Others (Trio) and -
(2) Hemadpant's House in the Form of His Picture.
In this chapter we give two stories; (1) How Baba attended the Udyapan ceremony of
Mr.B.V.Deo's mother at his house at Dahanu and (2) How Baba attended the Shimga
dinner-party in Hemadpant's house at Bandra.
Preliminary
Blessed is Shri Sai Samartha who gives instructions in both temporal and spiritual
matters to His devotees and makes them happy by enabling them to achieve the goal of
their life, - Sai He who when places His hand on their heads transfers His powers to
them and thus destroying the sense of differentiation, makes them attain the
Unattainable Thing. - He who embraces the Bhaktas who prostrate themselves before
Him with no sense of duality or difference. He becomes one with the Bhaktas as the sea
with the rivers when they meet it in the rainy season and gives them His power and
position. It follows from this that he who sings the Leelas of God's Bhaktas is equally or
more dear to Him than one who sangs the Leelas of God only. Now to revert to the
stories of this chapter.
Mrs.Deo's Udyapan Ceremony
Mr.B.V.Deo was a Mamlatdar at Dahanu (Thana District). His mother had observed 25
or 30 different vows and a Udyapan (concluding) ceremony in connection therewith was
to be performed. This ceremony included the feeding of 100 or 200 Brahmins. Mr.Deo
fixed a date for the ceremony and wrote a letter to Bapusaheb Jog asking him to request
Sai Baba on his behalf to attend the dinner of the ceremony, as without His attendance
the ceremony would not be duly completed. Bapusaheb Jog read out the letter to Baba.
Baba noted carefully the pure-hearted invitation and said - "I always think of him who
remembers Me. I require no conveyance, carriage, tanga, nor train nor aeroplane.
I run and manifest myself to him who lovingly calls me. Write to him a pleasing reply that
three of us (the trio), Myself, yourself and a third will go and attend it." Mr.Jog informed
Mr.Deo of what Baba said. The latter was much pleased, but he knew that Baba never
went to any place except Rahata, Rui and Nimgaon in person. He also thought that
nothing was impossible to Baba as He was all-pervading and that He might suddenly
come, in any form He likes and fulfill His words.
A few days before this, a Sannyasi with Bengali dress and professing to work for the
cause of the protection of the cows, came to the station-master at Dahanu to collect
subscriptions. The latter told him to go into the town and see the Mamlatdar (Mr.Deo)
and with his help collect funds. Just then the Mamlatdar happened to come there. The
station-master then introduced the Sannyasi to him. Both sat talking on the platform.
Mr.Deo told him that a subscription-list for some other charitable cause had already
been opened by the leading citizen Rao Saheb Narottam Shetti and so it was not good
to start another subscription-list and that it would be better if he would visit the place
after 2 or 4 months. Hearing this, the Sannyasi left the place.
About a month afterwards, the Sannyasi came in a tanga and stopped in front of
Mr.Deo's house at about 10 a.m. Deo thought that he came for subscriptions. Seeing
him busy with the preparations of the ceremony, the Sannyasi said that he had come not
for money but for meals. Deo said - "Alright, very glad, you are welcome, the house is
yours." The Sannyasi - "Two lads are with me." Deo - "Well, come with them." As there
was time (2 hours) for dinner, Deo enquired where he should send for them. He said that
it was not necessary as he would come himself at the appointed time. Deo asked him to
come at noon. Exactly at twelve noon, the Trio came and joined the dinner party and
after feeding themselves went away.
After the ceremony was finished, Deo wrote a letter to Bapusaheb Jog complaining of
Baba's breach of promise. Jog went to Baba with the letter, but before it was opened
Baba spoke - "Ah, he says that I promised him to come but deceived him. Inform him
that I did attend his dinner with two others, but he failed to recognize Me. Then why did
he call me at all? Tell him that he thought that the Sannyasi came to ask for subscription
money; did I not remove his doubt in that respect and did I not say that I would come
with two others, and did not the Trio come in time and take their meals?
See, to keep My words I would sacrifice my life, I would never be untrue to My words."
This reply gladdened Jog's heart and he communicated the whole of the reply to Deo. As
soon as he read it, he burst into tears of joy, but he took himself to task mentally for
vainly blaming Baba. He wondered how he was deceived by the Sannyasi's prior visit
and his coming to him for subscriptions, how he also failed to catch the significance of
the Sannyasi's words that he would come with two others for meals.
This story clearly shows that when the devotees surrender themselves completely to
their Sad-guru, He sees that the religious functions in their houses are duly executed
and complied with all the necessary formalities.
Hemadpant's Shimga Dinner
Now let us take another story which shows how Baba appeared in the form of His picture
and fulfilled the desire of His devotee.
In 1917 on the full-moon morning, Hemadpant had a vision. Baba appeared to him in his
dream in the form of a well-dressed Sannyasi, woke him up, and said that He would
come to him for meals that day. This awakening constituted a part of the dream. When
he fully awoke, he saw no Sai nor any Sannyasi. But when he began to recollect the
dream, he remembered each and every word the Sannyasi uttered in his dream. Though
he was in contact with Baba for seven years and though he always meditated on Baba,
he never expected that Baba would come to his house for meals. However, being much
pleased with Baba's words, he went to his wife and informed her that being the Holi day,
a Sannyasi guest was coming for meals and that some more rice should be prepared.
She enquired about the guest, who he was and whence he was coming. Then not to
lead her astray and not to cause any misunderstanding he gave her the truth, i.e., told
her about the dream. She doubtingly asked whether it was possible that Baba should
come there (Bandra) from Shirdi, leaving the dainty dishes there for accepting their
coarse food. Hemadpant then assured her that Baba might not come in person but He
might attend in the form of a guest and that they would lose nothing if they cooked some
more rice.
After this, preparations for the dinner went on and it was quite ready at noon. The
Holika-worship was gone through and the leaves (dishes) were spread and arranged
with 'Rangoli' marks around them. Two rows were put up with a central seat between
them for the guest. All the members of the family - sons, grandsons, daughters and
sons-in-law etc.,
came and occupied their proper seats and the serving of the various articles
commenced. While this was being done, everybody was watching for the guest, but
none turned up though it was past noon. Then the door was closed and chained; the
anna-shuddhi (ghee) was served. This was a signal to start eating. Formal offering to the
Vaishwadeva (Fire), and Naivedya to Shri Krishna were also over and the members
were about to begin, when foot-steps in the staircase were distinctly heard. Hemadpant
went immediately and opened the door and saw two men there: (1) Ali Mahomed and (2)
Moulana Ismu Mujavar. These two persons, seeing that meals were ready and all the
members were about to begin eating, apologized to Hemadpant and requested him to
excuse their interference. They said - "You left your seat and came running to us, others
are waiting for you, so please take this your Thing and I shall relate all the wonderful tale
about it later on at your convenience." So saying he took out from his arm-pit a packet
wrapped in an old newspaper cover and placed it on the table. Hemadpant uncovered
the packet and saw, to his great wonder and surprise, a big nice picture of Sai Baba.
Seeing it, he was much moved, tears ran from his eyes and hair stood on end all over
his body, and he bent and placed his head on the feet of Baba in the picture. He thought
that Baba had blessed him by this miracle or Leela. Out of curiosity he asked Ali
Mahomed whence he got this picture. He said that he bought it from a shop and that he
would give all the details about it some time afterwards and wished that as all the
members were waiting for him, he should go and join them. Hemadpant thanked him,
bade them good-bye and returned to the dinning-hall. The picture was placed on the
central seat reserved for the guest and after the due offering of the Naivedya, the whole
party commenced eating and finished it in proper time. Seeing the beautiful form in the
picture everybody was extremely pleased and wondered how all this happened.
The is how Sai Baba kept up and fulfilled His words uttered by Him in the dream of
Hemadpant. The story of the picture with all its details, viz., how Ali Mahomed got it, why
he bought it and gave it to Hemadpant, is reserved for the next chapter.
Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all