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SHRI SAI SATHCHARITHA
"Sada Nimbarvrikshasya mooladhiwasat,
Sudhasravinam tiktamapi-apriyam tam,
Tarum Kalpavrikshadhikam sadhayantam
Namameeshwaram Sadgurum Sai Natham"
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mhalsapati
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Chapter XX
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annadabholkar
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Unique Method of Teaching
From the above incident, the reader will see that Baba's
method was unique and varied. Though Baba never left Shirdi, He sent some to
Machhindragad, some to Kolhapur or Sholapur for practising sadhanas. To some He
appeared in His usual form, to some He appeared in waking or dreaming state, day
or night and satisfied their desires. It is impossible to describe all the
methods, that Baba used in imparting instructions to His Bhaktas. In this
particular case, He sent Das Ganu to Vile Parle, where he got his problem
solved, through the maid-servant. To those, who say that it was not necessary to
sent Das Ganu outside and that Baba could have personally taught him, we say
that Baba followed the right or best course, or how else could Das Ganu would
have learnt a great lesson, that the poor maid-servant and her Sari were
pervaded by the Lord.
Bow to Shri Sai -- Peace be to all
Devotees Experiences
THE SAPATNEKAR FAMILY'S SHIRDI PILGRIMAGE
It is interesting to see how Baba has made
these details available to us through the agency of a devotee. Lieutenant
Colonel M B Nimbalkar (retired) is a Sai devotee who lives in Pune. He learnt
through his friends that the Sapatnekar family, whose account was given in
Chapter 48 of Sri Sai Satcharita, was also living
in Pune. He got their address from the phone directory and met them on
13.9.1983. First he met Sri Dinakar, Sapatnekar’s third son. From him he learnt
that the eldest son, Muralidhar, who was born by Baba’s grace and blessings, was
also living in Pune and that by the most happy coincidence, their mother was
living with him. Nimbalkar was very happy to hear this as he had not imagined
that Mrs. Sapatnekar would still be alive some 65 years after Baba entered
samadhi. He was ecstatic that, by Baba’s grace,
he was able to meet someone who had seen Baba physically and received his
blessings. He looked upon this opportunity as a gift from Baba.
Mrs. Parvatibai Sapatnekar was 88 years old
at the time Nimbalkar met her. She answered all his questions without any lapses
of memory. This is her account of her experiences with Baba.
“I was married when I was thirteen. My husband, Sri Mahadev Waman
Sapatnekar, was thirty-three years old at the time of our marriage and I was his
second wife. His first wife and their only son had both passed away due to a
disease of the throat. My in-laws were staying at Madhegaon at that time.
However, my husband was practising law at Akkalkot, the district headquarters.
My husband was very sad that his only son had died and was always unhappily
thinking about him. To add to his woes, I was childless for about four to five
years after getting married, so he would always be moping about with a gloomy
countenance. My father-in-law then told him to visit Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi as
many people had gone there and found peace.
We had heard of Baba many times from Sri Shevade, who was my
husband’s friend and classmate. My husband, however, had no belief in Baba and
was unwilling to go to Shirdi for his darshan. As
he could not disobey his father he went to Shirdi in 1913, taking his brother
Panditharao along with him. He left me in my mother-in-law’s place at Madhegaon
before leaving for Shirdi. I had been very eager to have Baba’s
darshan for a long time, but in those days, even
to stand in front of the husband was a great departure from tradition. To talk
to him and tell him what I wanted was out of the question, so I could not tell
him of my desire to go to Shirdi for Baba’s darshan.
Please send your experineces also to saivishnu@hotmail.com