Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 5

Chapter – 5

Baba’s Return with Chand Patil’s Wedding Party - Welcomed and Addressed as “Sai” - Contact with Other Saints - His Dress and Routine - The Story of the Padukas - Wrestling Bout with Mohidden and Change in Life - Turning Water into Oil - The Pseudo-Guru Javhar Ali

Return with Chand Patil’s Wedding Party

As hinted in the last chapter, I shall now describe how Sai Baba returned to Shirdi after His disappearance.

There lived in the Aurangabad District (Nizam State) in a village called Dhoop, a well to do Mohammedan gentleman, Chand Patil. While he was making a trip to Aurangabad, he lost a mare. For two long months, he made a diligent search, but could get no trace of the lost mare. Being disappointed, he was returning from Aurangabad with the saddle on his back. After traveling four and a half koss, he came to a mango tree, at the foot of which, sat a RATNA (queer fellow). He had a cap on His head, wore a kafni (long robe) and had a “satka” (short stick) under His arm pit. He was preparing to smoke a chilim (clay pipe). Seeing Chand Patil passing by, He called out to him and asked him to have a smoke and rest a little. The queer fellow (or fakir) asked him about the saddle. Chand Patil replied that it was for his mare which was lost. The fakir asked him to make a search in the nala close by. He obeyed and, wonder of wonders, he found the mare! Patil thought this fakir was not an ordinary man, but an avalia (a great saint) and returned to the fakir with the mare. The chilim was ready for being smoked, but two things were missing: (1) fire to light the pipe, and (2) water to wet the chhapi (piece of cloth through which smoke is sucked). The fakir took His prong, thrust it forcibly into the ground, and out came a live coal, which He put on the pipe. Then He dashed the satka on the ground and water began to ooze. The chhapi was then wet with that water, wrung out, and wrapped around the pipe. Thus, everything being complete, the fakir smoked the chilim and gave a smoke to Chand Patil. Seeing all that, Chand Patil was wonderstruck. He requested the fakir to come to his home and accept his hospitality. The next day, the fakir went to Chand Patil’s house and stayed there for some time. Patil was a village officer of Dhoop. His wife’s brother’s son was to be married and the bride selected was from Shirdi, so Patil made preparations to travel to Shirdi for the marriage. The fakir accompanied the marriage party. The marriage concluded nicely and the wedding party returned to Dhoop, but the fakir alone remained in Shirdi and remained there forever.

How the Fakir Got the Name Sai

When the marriage party came to Shirdi, it alighted at the foot of a banyan tree in Bhagat Mhalasapati’s field near Khandoba’s temple. The members of the party descended one by one, as well as the fakir. Bhagat Mhalasapati saw the young fakir getting down and accosted him, “Ya Sai” (Welcome Sai). Others also addressed Him as Sai and hence forth He became known as Sai Baba.

Contact with other Saints

Sai Baba began to stay in a masjid. A saint named Devidas was living in Shirdi for many years before Baba came there. Baba liked his company and sometimes stayed with him in the Maruti temple, and at other times in the Chavadi, although sometimes Baba chose to be alone. Then, another saint arrived in Shirdi by the name of Jankidas, and Baba spent much of His time talking with him. Sometime later, a Vaishya householder saint from Puntambe, named Gangagir, came to visit from time to time. When he first saw Sai Baba carrying pitchers of water in both hands for watering the garden, he was amazed and said openly, “Blessed is Shirdi, that it has this precious jewel. This man is carrying water today, but He is not an ordinary fellow. As this land (Shirdi) is lucky and meritorious, it secured this jewel.” Still another famous saint, Anandnath or Yewala Math, a disciple of Akkalkot Maharaj, came to Shirdi. When he saw Sai Baba before him, he said openly, “In reality, this is a precious diamond. Though He looks like an ordinary man, He is not a ‘gar’ (ordinary stone), but a diamond. You will realize this in the near future.” Saying this, he returned to Yewala. All this was said while Sai Baba was a youngster.

Baba’s Dress and Daily Routine

In His youth, Sai Baba grew hair on His head; He never had His head shaved. He dressed like an athlete. When he went to Rahata (3 koss from Shirdi), He brought with Him small plants of zendu, jai and jui, and, cleaning and scoring the dry land, He planted and watered them. A devotee named Vaman Tatya supplied Him daily with two earthen pitchers. With these, Baba Himself used to water the plants. He drew water from the well and carried the pitchers on His shoulders. In the evening, the pitchers were placed at the foot of the neem tree. As soon as they were placed there, they were broken, as they were made of raw earth and not baked. Next day, Tatya would supply two fresh pitchers. This course went on for three years and with Sai Baba’s toil and labor, a flower garden grew. On this site at present stands a big mansion - the Samadhi Mandir of Baba - which is now frequented and used by many devotees.

The Story of Padukas (footprints) under the Neem Tree

A devotee of Akkalkotkar Maharaj named Bhai Krishnaji Alibagkar worshiped the photo of Akkalkotkar (Sholapur District), taking darshan from the padukas (footprints) of the Maharaj and offering his sincere worship. Alibagkar decided to go to Akkalkot, but before he left, he had a vision of Akkalkotkar Maharaj who appeared in his dream and said, “Now Shirdi is my resting place. Go there and offer your worship.” So Bhai changed his plan and came to Shirdi, worshiped Baba, stayed there for six months, and was happy. As a reminiscence of this vision, etc. he prepared the padukas and had them installed with due ceremonies and formalities conducted by Dada Kelkar and Upasani under the neem tree on an auspicious day in Shravan, shaka 1834 (1912 A.D.) Govind Dixit was appointed to lead the worship and the management was entrusted to the devotee Sagun Meru Naik.

Complete Version of this Story

Mr. B.V. Deo of Thana, retired mamlatdar, and a great devotee of Sai Baba, made inquiries about this matter of Sagun Meru Naik and Govind Kamlakar Dixit and has published a full version of the padukas in ‘Sai Leela’ Vol. II, No. I, page 25. It runs as follows:

Once, in 1834 shaka (1912 A.D.), Doctor Ramarao Kothare of Bombay came to Shirdi for Baba’s darshan. His compounder and his friend, Bhai Krishnaji Alibagkar, accompanied him. The compounder and Bhai became quite friendly with Sagun Meru Naik and G.K. Dixit. While discussing things, they thought there should be some memorial of Sai Baba’s first coming to Shirdi and sitting under the holy neem tree. They thought of installing Baba’s padukas there and were going to make them of rough stone. Then Bhai’s friend, the compounder, suggested that if the matter be made known to his master, Dr. Ramarao Kothare, he would prepare nice padukas for that purpose. All liked the proposal, and Dr. Kothare was informed. He came to Shirdi, drew a plan for the padukas, then went to Upasani Maharaj in Khandoba’s temple, and showed him his plan. The later made many improvements, drew lotuses, flowers, conch, disc. etc. and suggested that the following shloka (verse) regarding the neem tree’s greatness and Baba’s yogic powers be inscribed. The verse was as follows:

Sada nimbavrikshasya mooladhiwasat

Sudhasravinam tiktamapi-apriyam tam.

Tarum Kalpavrikshadhikam sadhayantam

Namameeshwaram Sadgurum Sai Natham.

Upasani’s suggestions were accepted and carried out. The padukas were made in Bombay and sent to Shirdi with the compounder. Baba said they should be installed on the Poornima (15th) of Shravan. On that day at 11 a.m., G.K. Dixit carried them on his head from Khandoba’s temple to the Dwarkamai (masjid) in a procession. Baba touched the padukas, saying those were the feet of the Lord, and asked the people to install them at the foot of the neem tree.

A day before, a Parsi devotee from Bombay named Pastha Shet sent Rs. 25 by money order which Baba used toward the installation of the padukas. The total expense of installation was Rs. 100, out of which Rs. 75 were collected by subscriptions. For the first five years, G.K. Dixit worshiped the padukas daily, and later this was done by Laxman Kacheshwar Jakhadi. In the first five years, Dr. Kothare sent Rs. 2 per month for lighting. He also sent the railing from the station to Shirdi (Rs. 7-8-0). The roofing was paid by Sagun Meru Naik. Now, Jakhadi( Nana Pujari) does the worship and Sagun Meru Naik offers the naivaidhya and lights the evening lamps.

Bhai Krishna ji was originally a devotee of Akkalkot Maharaj. He had come to Shirdi at the installation of the Padukas, in Shaka 1834 on his way to Akkalkot. He wanted to go to Akkalkot after taking the darshana of Baba. He asked Baba’s permission for this. Baba said – “Oh, What is there in Akkalkot? The incumbent Maharaj of that place is here, Myself”. Hearing this Bhai did not go to Akkalkot. He came to Shirdi to off and on after the installation of the padukas.

Mr B. V. Deo concluded that Hamdpant did not know these details. Had be known them, He would not have failed to depict them in Sai-Satchrita.

Wrestling Bout with Mohidden Tamboli and Change in Life

To return to other stories of Baba. There was a wrestler in Shirdi named Mohidden Tamboli. Baba and he did not agree on certain issues. Tamboli challenged Baba to a fight in which Baba allowed Tamboli to win. Thenceforth, Baba changed His dress and mode of living. He donned a kafni, wore a langot (waist band) and covered His head with a piece of cloth. He took a piece of sack-cloth for His seat, sack-cloth for His bed and was content with wearing torn and worn out rags. He always said, “Poverty is better than kingship, far better than lordship. The Lord is always brother (befriender) of the poor.”

Gangagir, the vaishya householder Baba befriended, was also very fond of wrestling. Once, while he was wrestling, a similar feeling of dispassion came over him, and at the proper time, he heard the voice of an adept saying that he should wear out his body playing with God. So he, too, gave up samsara and turned towards God-realization. He established a math on the banks of the river near Puntambe and lived there with disciples. Sai Baba did not mix and speak with the people. He gave answers only when He was questioned. By day, He always sat under the neem tree. Occasionally, He rested under the shade of a branch of a babul tree near the stream at the outskirts of the village. In the afternoon, He used to walk randomly and go at times to Nimgaon. There, He frequented the house of Trimbakji Dengale. Shri Sai Baba loved Mr. Babasaheb Dengale. His younger brother, Nanasaheb, had no son, though he married a second wife. Babasaheb sent Nanasaheb to take darshan of Sai Baba, and after some time, with Baba’s grace, Nanasaheb’s wife had a son. From that time, people began to come in numbers to see Sai Baba. His fame began to spread and reached Ahmednagar, where Nanasaheb Chandorkar, Keshav Chitambar and many others lived, who then began to come to Shirdi. Baba was surrounded by His devotees during the day. At night, He slept in an old dilapidated masjid. Baba’s paraphernalia at that time consisted of a chilim, tobacco, a “tumrel” (tin pot), a long flowing kafni, a piece of cloth round His head, and a satka (short stick) which He always kept with Him. The piece of white cloth on His head was twisted like matted hair and flowed down from His left ear onto His back. This was not washed for weeks. He wore no shoes or sandals. A piece of sack-cloth was His seat for most of the day. He wore a coupin (waist-cloth band) and, for warding off the cold, He always sat in front of a dhuni (sacred fire) facing south, with His left hand resting on the wooden railing. In that dhuni, He offered as oblation, egoism, desires, and all thoughts. He always uttered Allah Malik (God is the sole owner). The masjid in which He sat, and where all devotees came and saw Him, was only about eight feet long. After 1912, there was a change. The old masjid was repaired and a pavement was constructed. Before Baba came to live in this masjid, He lived for a long time in a place meant for fakirs to stay, where, with ghunghur (small, hollow, sounding bells) on his legs, Baba danced attractively to the rhythm of a hand drum and sang with tender love.

Turning Water into Oil

Sai Baba was very fond of lights. He used to borrow oil from shop keepers and keep earthen dishes with wicks burning the whole night in the masjid and temple. This went on for some time. The banias who supplied oil gratis once met together and decided not to give Baba oil. When, as usual, Baba went to ask for oil, they all gave a distinct “No”. Unperturbed, Baba returned to the masjid. He kept the dry wicks in earthen dishes. The banias were watching with curiosity. Baba took the tumrel (tin-pot) which contained only a few drops of oil, poured water in it, and drank it, and forced it fall in container. After consecrating the tin-pot in this way, He again took water in the tin pot, filled all the earthen dishes with it, and then lit the wicks. To the surprise and dismay of the watching banias, the wicks in the earthen lamp began to burn and kept burning the whole night. The banias repented and apologized. Baba forgave them and asked them to be more truthful in the future.

The Pseudo-guru Javhar Ali

Five years after the wrestling bout mentioned above, a fakir from Ahmednagar named Javhar Ali came to Rahata with his disciple and stayed in a bakhal (open space) near the Virabhadra temple. The fakir was learned, could repeat the whole Koran, and had a sweet tongue. Many religious and devout people of the village came to him and began to respect him. With the help of the people, he started to build an idgah (a wall before which Mohammedans pray on Idgah day) near the Virabhadra temple. There was a quarrel about this affair, on account of which, Javhar Ali had to leave Rahata. He then came to Shirdi and lived in the masjid with Baba. People were captured by his sweet talk. He also bewitched Baba and began to call Him his disciple. Baba did not object and consented to be his chela. Then, both guru and chela decided to return to Rahata and live there. The guru never knew his disciple’s worth, but the disciple knew the defects of the guru, still, He never disrespected him, observing carefully His duties. He served the master in various ways. They used to come to Shirdi occasionally, but their main stay was in Rahata. The loving devotees in Shirdi did not like Baba being away from them in Rahata, so they went in a deputation to take Baba back to Shirdi. When they met Baba near the idgah and told Him the purpose for which they came, Baba said that the fakir was an ill tempered fellow. He would not leave him and they had better return to Shirdi without Him before the fakir returned. While they were thus talking, the fakir turned up and was very angry with them for trying to take away his disciple. A discussion ensued and it was finally decided that both the guru and chela should return to Shirdi, and so Javhar Ali and Baba returned and lived in Shirdi. But after a few days, the guru was tested by Devidas and found wanting. (Twelve years before Baba arrived in Shirdi with the Chand Patil marriage party, this Devidas, aged about ten or twelve years, came to Shirdi and lived in the Maruti temple. Devidas had fine features and brilliant eyes. He was dispassion incarnate, and a jnani. Many persons, namely Tatya Kote, Kashinath and others regarded him as their guru.) They brought Javhar Ali into Devidas’s presence and in the discussion that followed; Javhar was worsted and fled from Shirdi. He left and stayed in Vaijapur and returned many years later to Shirdi, whereby he prostrated himself before Sai Baba. The delusion that he was the guru and Sai Baba his chela was cleared away, and as he repented, Sai Baba treated him with respect. In this case, Sai Baba showed by actual conduct, how one should get rid of egoism and do the duties of a disciple to attain the highest end, viz. Self-realization. This story is told here according to the version given by Mhalasapati (a great devotee of Baba).

The next chapter will describe the Rama Navami Festival, the masjid, its former condition and later improvement etc.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all