Shirdi sai and the story of Avasthe

Avasthe, on hearing about the greatness of Baba through Rege, wanted to see him. One day they were traveling by train. On their way they saw a large number of troops so all the passengers in the train were asked to alight. Avasthe and Rege prayed to Baba to help them. In the meantime the Military Commander came and after inspecting their carriage told them that this was too small to accommodate the troops and told them that they need not get down. The whole night Avasthe prayed to Baba. They reached Shirdi the next day morning. When they went to the mosque, baba said, ”As they were trying to disembark my children from the train, I told the captain that they are my children and let them come to me and this Avasthe was by my side the whole night, calling Baba! Baba!” So you came safely. This incident tells that Baba always protects the devotees who fully believe in him.

Previously Avesthe had a yogini as his Guru. He thought that now if he started serving Baba, he might be considered as unfaithful to the yogini. But Rege told that his Guru was also integrated in Sai Baba. Hence if he worships Saibaba it amounts to worshipping his guru Yogini. But Avasthe desired to have some proof of this. He thought that if Baba personally asked and took the rice ball from the floor he will follow Baba

Baba called him and asked him and said that he in turn would send it to the person for whom it was intended. Avasthe felt very happy and he decided to have Baba as his Guru.

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The story of two goats

That was the month of May in the year 1909. Shirdi had acute Shortage of water. The severe summer made the people very uneasy. In the nights the villagers slept outside in the open though there was no breeze. But in the early hours there was a cool breeze. One day, Baba was going to Dwarakmai towards Lendi Bagh. Behind him were Shama, Tatya Balashimpi, Bhagoji Shinde and others. Just then a herd of goats passed that away. Baba Caught hold of two goats from the herd. Bhagoji Shinde went to assist Baba. He talked with the owner of the herd and purchased the two goats for RS.32.The actual cost of the two goats would not be more than RS7.Baba ordered for five seers of Chand dal (Bengalgram) and fed the goats.

Seeing the strange behavior of Baba, Shama questioned him about this. Tatya and shama were discussing seriously among them about the transaction. Baba gave away the two goats to the owner of the herd. Baba explained his strange actions and the story of the two goats, to the devotees thus:”These two goats were humans in their previous births. They were with me for sometimes. They were brothers born to the same mother and were affectionate in the beginning. As they grew up, enmity grew between them. The younger brother earned a lot of money with his intelligence. The elder brother, out of jealousy, tried to kill his brother and steal all his money. The younger brother wanted to take revenge from the elder brother for that. In this way the two brothers tried to kill each other. At last both of them died at the same time by killing each other. Because of their actions in the previous birth, now they are born as goats.

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Shyam karna- Baba’s horse

A devotee of Baba, who earned huge profits in his business, presented a nice horse to Baba. Baba named it Shyam sunder (or Shyama Karma) Baba had a deep love and affection for shyam Sunder and so he always tried to take care of his each and every requirements so he entrusted its maintenance to a devotee named Tukaram. Many times Baba told the devotees not to merely consider Shyam Sunder as an animal but to treat it is Baba’s child. One day the horse did not eat grass for reasons unknown. Tukaram tried his best but the horse did not touch the grass. He lost his patience and hit it with a stick. This happened a little away from the mosque. Baba sent for Tukaram and asked him angrily why he hit him (Baba) with such a big stick. Tukaram shivered at Baba’s words. Then Baba lifted his long shirt (kafni) and showed a red weal in the shape of a stick on his body. Those who saw it were surprised and feared. They looked at Tukaram suspiciously, but Tukaram told that he had not come near Dwarakmai on that day and did not hit Baba. Then Baba said,” Is it not hitting me, if you hit my child Shyam Sunder?” He thus made Tukaram realize what he had done. Immediately the devotees ran to the place where the horse was tried. They found a similar swelling and the mark of the stick on the back of the horse. Everyone was surprised. They considered this as baba’s leela to prove to the devotees that he was present in all living things. From that day onwards everyone looked after shyam Karna with love and respect. Some brought fodder for the horse and some brought Zari shawls.

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Shirdi Sai Picture is equivalent to His Darshan

SaiBaba’s devotees often experienced that seeing baba’s picture is equivalent to seeing him in person. This story illustrates the statement. A saint of Bombay named Balabuva Sutar, who was very devotional and respected Sai baba came to shirdi for the first time. When he bowed before Baba, Baba said that “ I know this man since four years” Baluva wondered how could that be possible as that was his first trip to shirdi. But thinking about it seriously he recollected that he had prostrated himself four years ago before Baba’s portrait at Bombay and was convinced about his significance of the baba’s words. He said to himself,”How omniscient and all pervading are the saints, and how kind are they to their bhakthas? (Devotional devotees)!” He merely bowed to his photo, this fact was noticed by Baba and in due time he made him realize that seeing his photo is equivalent to seeing him in person.

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From Shirdi baba’s feet Godavari (River) flow:

On a festive occasion, Das Ganu sought Baba’s permission to go to a place called Singba on the banks of the Godavari River, to have bath in holy waters. ”No” Baba replied,”Where is the need to go all the way when Godavari is there right at my feet?” Das Ganu was confused. His faith was not deep enough to believe that the waters of the godavari could spring from the feet of his master. Sri Sai Baba who was reading the mind of Das Ganu He asked Das ganu to come close to him and hold the hollow of his palms at his feet. As soon as he did so water flowed freely out of the toes of the master’s feet and filled Das ganu’s palms. His joy knew no limits. He sprinkled the water on his head and his body and distributed some more among the assembled devotees as tirtha (Holy water)

Shirdi sai Raised the water level in the well

When saibaba first came to shirdi it had no basic facilities. People did not have much to eat and their living condition was not so good. Situation was worse as they did not have drinking water though there was a well but only in name. It had no natural spring water it must long ago have dried up. Water has to be fetched from a distance and it was all very difficult for the ladies and girls to leave their home early in the morning to fetch water for their families. When therefore Baba gave his permission to the villagers to celebrate the Ram Navami fair, (Baba’s birthday).The biggest problem the organizers were facing was of water supply. So when they found no solution they went to Saibaba for solution.

“Oh yes” said saibaba “So you want plenty of water, do you?” Here, take this and drop it in the well and wait and see” This was turned up to be a platter of flowers on which some Prasad (blessed food) had been placed along with the remnants of alms Baba had received earlier in the day. The villagers had no qualms about doing what Baba said as they had immense faith on him. No sooner the platter of leaves been dropped into the well, it is said, water rose from the bottom as if by divine command and completely filled in. And greater was the rejoicing of people from that day. People did not have any problem of water and with passage of time with the blessings of Saibaba the village was with full of food grains and the other basic facilities thereafter.

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Shirdi sai’s Premonition of burning fields

Once upon a time during summer, harvesting in shirdi had been completed and the food grains of entire village were stored in a yard. The summer was on and the heat was intense and the people were feeling uncomfortable and there was no sign of rain. People who live in shirdi might now the climatic situation very well. One afternoon Shirdi Baba summoned Kondaji Sutar and said to him,”Go your field is on fire”. Frightened Kondaji ran to his field and frantically looked around for any sign of fire. There was not any. He returned to the masjid and informed Saibaba that he had looked everywhere but had found no trace of fireand why did Baba have to frighten him. Unfaded, Baba said,”You better turn back and look again” Baba was right after all. Kondaji noticed that a sheaf of corn was indeed on fire and smoke was bellowing from that. A strong wind was fanning the fire and word had gone round the villagers who now came running to Baba. ”Saibaba” the people shouted, “help us; help us to put the fire out we are going to loose all our crops which is the only source of livelihood.” There upon, Saibaba walked casually towards the yard, sprinkled some water on a stack of sheaves and said,” Right now the fire will die down!” and so it happened. The villagers thanked Saibaba.

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Shirdi sai says to see the inner divine power in every matter.

Red plantains

A devotee named Rege visited Baba; he was the youngest of all sai devotees who were close to Baba. One day a devotee presented Baba with plantains whose outer skin was red in color. The red-colored peel of the plantains attracted rege. He desired to eat them. Baba gave the plantains to the devotees who were there. He removed the outer skin of the plantain and gave the inner fruit to a devotee, and gave the outer skin to Rege and asked him to eat. Obeying Baba’s orders he ate the skin.After distributing to all, Baba came to rege and took out another plantain,this time he shared the inner fruit along with rege.Since rege had been attracted by the red color of the plantain skin,baba wanted him to eat it and know the taste. Rege realized now what baba wanted to explain that one should not be carried away by the external appearance but should see the divine inner power in every matter.

Shirdi sai says “Money would distance one from god”

Nana Chandorkar’s , disrespect for the temple.

Once, Nana Chandorkar, along with his relative Binivalle, came to shirdi. Baba asked him, “Being with me for such a long time, why did you do this? How did you come to shirdi from Kopargoan?” Nana recollected the mistake committed by him. Whenever he came o shirdi from Kopergoan, he used to bathe in godavari river, visited data Temple and then come to Shirdi. During his previous visit he had promised the temple priest tht he would give RS.300 as donation. Thinking that the priest would ask him the money if he visited the temple, he avoided it and also discouraged his relative from visiting the temple. Baba, knowing the matter beforehand, said to Nana, “If you had no money to fulfill your promise, you could have told the temple priest. For money’s sake you could not visit Data Dev. See how money distanced you from god.” Realizing his mistake, Nana bowed his head in shame.

Shirdi sai says “Eat appropriate don’t fast”

FASTING FOR BABA

One lady came from shirdi with some devotees. She stayed in Baba’s house. She desired to undertake fasting for three days and be with Baba.
But Baba told her,”Mother, there is no need to undertake fasting. Go to Dada Bhats house, prepare puranpolis (sweet stuffed chapattis) and feed his children and you also eat. Hence Baba’s advice appeared to be timely. Accordingly to his advice she prepared puranpolis, served the children, beggars and animals, and ate some on her own. Fasting is only a method of regulating the digestive system and nothing more. To think that one gets some divine benefit from that is only a misconception. Apart from not getting benefit fasting makes a person weak with the result that one cannot attend to one’s normal duties. Those who worship Baba can take food and worship him.

Shirdi sai’s tale about eating stale bread

BREAD & ONION STORY

Once, a disciple of yoga came to shirdi. He had studied all the works on yoga, but had no practical experience. He could not concentrate his mind and attain Samadhi, even for a short time. He thought only sai Baba came solve his problem and could show him the right way to attain Samadhi for a long time, so he came to shirdi and when he went to the masjid he saw Baba eating bread and onion. On seeing this, although arose in his mind, ’How can this man, who is eating stale bread with raw onion, solve my difficulties and help me?’ Sai Baba knew his mind and told Nanasaheb “Oh, Nana, He who has the power to digest onion, should eat it and none else.” Hearing this remark, the yogi was wonderstruck and then fell at Baba’s feet with complete surrender. With pure and open mind, he asked his difficulties and got his solutions from Baba

Shirdi Sai a great futurologist

Shirdi Sai knows Future

Sadashiv worked as a manager in a factory in Bombay. After the factory was closed, he did not have any means of livelihood and so he came to Baba at that time, Tatya Patil and others were going to Ahamednagar to see cinema, with the permission of Baba. Baba asked them to take Tarkhad also along with them for the cinema and from there to proceed to Poona. Tarkhad, who was unemployed, was surprised at being sent to cinema. But he knew that none should go against Babas orders. So he went to the cinema with others. When he reached Poona, he found that a factory owner who was trying to secure the services of a person as manager, had heard about him and sent a telegram to his Bombay address and was waiting for his arrival. So, he got the job immediately. Every advice of Baba was based on one’s future.

Shirdi sai know the minds of animals and their language?

The story of two lizards
One day while baba was seated in Dwarakmai, a lizard on the wall made a noise. A devotee sitting opposite to Baba asked him why the lizard was making such a noise. Baba replied that the lizard’s sister was expected to come from auranghabad shortly, and so out of joy, it was making a noise. Just then a devotee came on horse from auranghabad to see Baba. He took out a bag and shook it. A lizard fell from the bag and rapidly climbed the wall. Baba told the devotees who had questioned earlier, to watch the lizards carefully. The lizards from auranghabad met her and kissed. They played out of joy. People sitting before Baba were very much surprised how did Baba know that the lizard was coming from auranghabad? Did he know the minds of animals and their language? Such doubts arose in the devotees and they simply stared at Baba with surprise

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Baba taught not one but nine forms of devotion...

Anant Rao Patankar of Poona was a Vedic scholar; though he read Vedas and puranas he had no peace of mind. He came to visit Baba. He fell at Baba’s feet and pleaded with him to show compassion and bless him. Then Baba said,” Once a merchant came to me. He wanted to put some questions to me but could not do so. He was looking straight at me. Just then a mare in front of him passed stools in the shape of nine balls. The merchant collected all the nine balls and put them in his upper cloth by which he was able to concentrate his mind and thus have peace. ”baba, explained the significance of the story as follows.

“Merchant means a person having special qualities not found in ordinary people, a jnani. A mare means god’s grace Nine balls of horses excretion means nine kinds of devotion. The devotee in search of god should fix his mind on the Sadguru, and serve the guru sincerely. The devotee can choose any one of the following nine ways and reach god-

1. Shravan – hearing the divine stories and reading the puranas
2. Kirtan - Singing devotional songs in praise of the greatness of god
3. Smaran - To recollect what one had heard through sravan, and always remembering them
4. Pada seva – Worship of the feet and prostration
5. Archana – Different kinds of rituals performed daily
6. Namaskar – Bowing the head in respect, and salutations
7. Dasya – Doing service to god like a servant
8. Sukhyatva – Considering God as a friend and making friendship
9. Atma nivedan- Surrendering one’s life and Atman to god

Devotion is of nine kinds. As progressive and the mind begin to settle down, we can worship God in all the nine ways”.

Shirdi sai showed the Way to bhrama jnan

A rich gentleman with a desire to get Bhrama jnana from Saibaba, went to shirdi. After reaching shirdi, he went straight to baba in the Masjid, and prostrating himself before Saibaba, said,” I have heard that you can show Bhrama jnana instantly, so I have come from a far off place. I am tired after my journey.If you show me Bhrama, all my troubles and problems will be over, and I will be well rewarded. Please show me bhrama.
Immediately baba said. ”Oh my dear friend, do not be anxious. I shall show you Bhrama immediately. My dealings are always in cash and never on credit. Many people come to asking for wealth health power honor position and cures for diseases and other worldly matters. Rare is a person who comes here for and asks me for Bhrama jnana with all its accomplishments and complications” engaging him in some other talk, baba made him to forget the topic on Bhrama jnana.

Meanwhile, Baba sent a boy to get a loan of five rupees from Mr. Nandu marwari, but the house was locked. So he was sent to other places to fetch five rupees, but in vain. Although the rich gentleman had money in his pocket,he sat there without showing any reaction.

Baba then asked the gentleman to take out RS.250/ from his pocket. i.e., fifty times RS.5/ the amount he had been trying to get, and the surprise of all, the rich man had exactly RS 250/Realizing the omniscience of Baba, the gentleman fell at baba’s feet, who told him that unless he got rid of avarice and greed, he could not attain Bhrama jnana.

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Shirdi sai’s Presence will be felt even in absence

Once Mr.Tarkhad asked his wife and son to go to shirdi and spend a few days in the divine presence of baba. The son was reluctant to go, as he was apprehensive whether his father would conduct the proper worship of baba in his absence. However after an assurance from the father that he would carry on the worship exactly as the son had been doing. Both the mother and the son left for shirdi

After they left, Mr. Tarkhad carried on the ritualistic worship with all devotion, keeping lumps of sugar at the altar as naivedya. But one day, after returning home for lunch, he asked the servant to serve the naivedya or Prasad before lunch. To his utter dismay, he was informed that no naivedya had been offered to Baba that day. Praying to baba to pardon, him for this lapse. Mr. Tarkhad immediately wrote a letter to his son, informing him about what had happened

On the same day, at shirdi, just before the commencement of noon aarti, Baba specifically told Mrs. Tarkhad,”Mother! I went to your house at Bandra to eat something. I found the door locked, but somehow I went in. and to my disappointment, found nothing for me to eat, and so I returned unappeased.

After hearing this, the son realized that there must have been some lapse in the worship at home, and he immediately wrote a letter to his father, telling him about what Baba had said, and requesting him not to neglect performing the worship properly. The letters were received by them respectively the next day.

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Shirdi Sai’s protective hand

Once in the year 1910,on the day before diwali, Baba was sitting by the holy fireplace(Dhuni) and thrusting the firewood into it, and dhuni was bright, with rising flames.

Suddenly instead of pushing in firewood, Baba thrust his hand fully into the dhuni, and consequently suffered burns up to his arm.

Noticing this Madhava rao Deshpande (affectionately addressed by the fellow devotees in shirdi as shama) grabbed Baba by the waist from behind. dragged him forcibly backwards, and asked,”Deva, why have you done this”

Then Baba came to his senses and replied. ”The wife of the blacksmith at a distance place was working the bellows near a furnace. When her husband called her, she got up in a hurry, and her child, whom she was holding at her waist, fell into the furnace. Seeing that, Baba pulled the child out of the fire, and saved it. I do not mind arm being burnt, but I am glad I saved the child”

To render Instant help, Baba rushes to his devotees, unmindful if his personal hardships

Shirdi Sai gives back hundred fold returns

It was a practice followed by many devotees to place some coins before Sai Baba when they visited Him. This is called the offering of Dakshina
Baba used to demand dakshina from some devotees, but did not take it from others, even when offered it to him.Sai Baba asked for dakshina only for the welfare of the devotees and for teaching them the value of renunciation. He used to say,”Give with faith, with magnanimity and compassion, liberally and with modesty”.
He used to spend very small amount of Dakshina for chullum (smoking pipe) and the rest of it he gave away to some deserving devotees.While taking Dakshina, Baba used to say,” I shall have to give back hundred times more than what I receive from the devotees”.
Mr. ganpatrao Bodas, a famous actor of those times, in his autobiography, narrates how Baba fulfilled this promise in his life. Once Baba persistently insisted on Mr. Bodas giving him dakshina a number of times. Finally, Bodas emptied his money bag before Baba, and prostrated himself before him
The result of this was that later in life, Mr. Bodas never suffered for want of money, as it came to hi abundantly.