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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 41
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Story of the Picture - Stealing the Rags and Reading of
Jnaneshwari.
As stated in the last chapter, we continue here the story of the picture.
Nine years after the occurrence of the incident depicted in the last chapter,
Ali Mahomed saw Hemadpant and related to him the following story.
One day while wandering in the streets of Bombay he
bought the picture from a street-hawker; then he framed and set it on a wall in
his house at Bandra (suburb of Bombay). As he loved Baba, he daily took darshana
of it. Three months before he gave the picture to Hemadpant, he was suffering
from an abscess or swelling on his leg for which an operation was performed and
he was convalescing in the house of his brother-in-law, Mr. Noor-Mahomed
Peerbhoy in Bombay. For three months his house in Bandra was closed; and nobody
was living there. Only the pictures of the famous Baba Abdul Rahiman,
Moulanasaheb Mahomed Hussain, Baba Sai, Baba Tajudin and other saints (living)
were there. The wheel of time did not even spare these. He was lying sick and
suffering in Bombay. Why should the pictures suffer there (in Bandra)? It seems
that they have also their ins and outs (births and deaths). All the pictures met
their fate, but how Sai Baba's picture escaped it, nobody had been able to
explain to me up till now. It shows the all-pervasiveness, omnipresence of Sai
and His insrutable power.
He got a small picture of Saint Baba Abdul Rahiman from Mahomed Hussain
Thariyatopan many years ago. He gave it to his brother-in-law, Noor-Mahomed
Peerbhoy and it was lying on his table for eight years. Once the latter saw it,
took it to a photographer and got it enlarged to life-size and distributed
copies of the same amongst his relations and friends, including Ali Mahomed who
fixed it up in his Bandra house. Noor-Mahomed was a disciple of Saint Abdul
Rahiman and when he went to present the picture to his Guru in an open darbar
held by him, the Guru got wild and ran to beat him, and drove him out. He felt
very sorry and dejected. He thought that he lost so much of his money, and
incurred his Guru's displeasure and anger. As his Guru did not like
image-worship, he took the enlarged picture with him to the Appollo Bunder and,
after hiring a boat, went in it and drowned it in the sea. He requested the
friends and relations to return their copies and after getting them (6 in all)
back, had them thrown by a fisherman in the Bandra sea. At this time Ali Mahomed
was in his brother-in-law's house. He was told by him that his suffering would
come to an end if he would soon drown the pictures of the saints in the sea.
Hearing this, Ali Mahomed sent his Mehta (Manager) to his Bandra house and got
all the pictures of the saints in his house thrown into the sea.
When Ali Mahomed returned home after two months, he was surprised to find
Baba's picture on the wall as before. He did not understand how his Mehta took
away all the pictures except this. He immediately took it out and kept it in his
cupboard, fearing that if his brother-in-law saw it, he would do away with it.
While he was thanking how it should be disposed of, and who would keep it and
guard it well, Sai Baba Himself as it were, suggested to him that he should see
and consult Moulana Ismu Mujavar and abide by his opinion. He saw the Moulana
and told him everything. After mature consideration they both decided that the
picture should be presented to Annasaheb (Hemadpant) and that he would protect
it well. Then they both went to Hemadpant and presented the picture in the nick
of time.
This story shows how Baba knew all the past, present and future, and how
skillfully He pulled the wires and fulfilled desired of His devotees. The
following story shows that Baba liked very much those persons who took real
interest in matters spiritual and that He removed all their difficulties and
made them happy.
Bow to Shri Sai -- Peace be to all