My treasury is open but no one brings carts to take from it. I say, “Dig!” but
no one bothers --SAIBABA
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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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Chapter 40
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(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.
Bow to Shri Sai -- Peace be to all