Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 41

Chapter – 41

Story of the Picture - Stealing the Rags and Reading of Jnaneshwari

At the close of the last chapter, the account of Baba’s picture being brought to Hemadpant’s house just in time to be placed on the seat of the guest of honor during the Shimga dinner was depicted. Nine years after that incident, Alli Mahomed met Hemadpant and recounted the following story.

One day, while wandering in the streets of Bombay, he bought a picture of Sai Baba from a street hawker. He then framed it and hung it on a wall in his house in Bandra, a suburb of Bombay. As Alli Mahomed loved Baba greatly, he took darshan of the holy picture every day. Then, three months before Alli brought this very picture to Hemadpant’s home, he had an operation for an infected abscess on his leg. He went to his brother-in-law’s home in Bombay, where he lay in pain while recuperating. Thus, for three months, Alli’s house in Bandra was closed with no one living there. Only the pictures of the famous Baba Abdul Rahiman, Moulanasaheb Mahomed Hussain, Sai Baba, and Baba Tajudin were in the empty house, as well as some pictures of other living saints. Nevertheless, the wheel of time did not spare even these. (It would seem that holy pictures, too, have their ins and outs (births and deaths), for all the pictures in Alli Mahomed’s home met their fate except Sai Baba’s.) How Baba’s picture escaped, no one has been able to explain until now. The following explanation shows the all pervasiveness and omnipresence of Sai and His inscrutable power.

Alli Mahomed received a small picture of Saint Baba Abdul Rahiman from Mahomed Hussain Thariya many years ago. He gave -it to his brother-in-law, Noor Mahomed Peerbhoy, who kept it on his table for eight years. After some time, Noor Mahomed took the picture to a photographer and had it enlarged to life size. He then distributed copies amongst his relations and friends, including Alli Mahomed, who placed the picture on a wall in his Bandra house. Noor Mahomed, Alli’s brother-in-law, was a disciple of Saint Abdul Rahiman, and when he went to present the picture to his guru in an open darbar, the guru became enraged and drove him out. Noor Mahomed felt very upset and dejected. He thought not only had he lost so much of his money in having the picture reproduced, but more importantly, he incurred his guru’s displeasure and anger, as his guru did not like image worship. Noor Mahomed then took the enlarged picture with him to Appolo Bunder, and, hiring a boat, took the picture out to sea and disposed of it. Afterward, he requested his friends and relations to return their copies, and after getting all six of them back, Noor had a fisherman throw them into the Bandra Sea.

 

At the time of this incident, Alli Mahomed was staying in his brother-in-law’s house. He was told by Noor that his suffering would come to an end if he would dispose of all his pictures of the saints. Hearing this, Alli Mahomed sent his mehta (manager) to his Bandra house to pack up all the pictures of the saints and throw them into the sea.  Two months passed and Alli Mahomed recuperated and returned home. He was very surprised to find Baba’s picture still on the wall in his house, just as it had been before. He did not understand how his mehta could have taken away all the holy pictures except this one. He immediately took it down and put it in his cabinet, fearing that if his brother-in-law saw it, he would do away with it. While he was thinking of who he would give the picture to for safe keeping, Sai Baba inspired him to consult the moulana Ismu Mujavar and abide by his opinion. Alli, therefore, saw the moulana and told him everything.

After mature consideration, they both decided the picture should be presented to Annasaheb (Hemadpant) and that he would protect it well. Having reached a decision, the two men set out for Hemadpant’s home and presented him with the picture just in the nick of time during his Shimga dinner.

This story illustrates how Baba knew all the past, present, and future events and how skillfully He pulled the wires and fulfilled the desires of His devotees. The following story shows how very much Baba liked those devotees who took real interest in spiritual matters and how He removed all their difficulties and made them happy.

Stealing the Rags and Reading of Jnaneshwari

Mr. B.V. Deo, who was mamlatdar of Dahanu, Thana District, wished for a long time to be able to read Jnaneshwari, (the well known Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita by Jnaneshwar), along with the other scriptures he read. Although he was able to read one chapter daily of the Bhagavad Gita and some portions of other spiritual books, he was fraught with obstacles whenever he would try to read Jnaneshwari. Thus, he took three months’ leave, went to Shirdi, and from there went to his home at Poud for a rest. Although Deo had no difficulty reading his other spiritual books, when he opened Jnaneshwari, some evil or stray thoughts would crowd his mind and thwart his effort. Try however he might, he was not able to read even a few lines of Jnaneshwari with ease. He, therefore, mentally resolved to wait until Baba would create love for the book in him and would directly order him to read it. After receiving Baba’s blessing, he would then begin the reading. Then, in February of 1914, Deo and his family went to Shirdi. There, Babusaheb Jog asked him whether he was reading Jnaneshwari every day. Deo replied he was desirous of reading it, but had not been successful, so he decided to wait until Baba ordered him to read the book before commencing such. Bapusaheb Jog then advised him to take a copy of the book and present it to Baba and to start the reading after it was consecrated and returned by Him. Deo replied he did not want to resort to this device. He explained that as Baba knows his heart and inner thoughts, would He not know of his desire, and satisfy it by giving him a clear order to read?

Later, Deo saw Baba and offered Him one rupee as dakshina. Baba asked for Rs. 20/, which Deo then gave. That night, Deo saw Balakram and inquired how he had secured Baba’s devotion and grace. Balakram told him he would describe everything the next day after the arati. When Deo went for darshan the next day, Baba asked for Rs. 20/, which he willingly gave. As the masjid was crowded, Deo went to the side and sat in a corner. Baba asked him to come close and sit with a calm mind, which Deo did. Then, after the arati was over and the men had dispersed, Deo again saw Balakram and asked him about his previous history - what Baba had told him and how he had been taught meditation. Just as Balakram was going to reply, Baba sent Chandru, a leper devotee, to call Deo to Him. When Deo approached Baba, He asked him when and with whom and about what was he just talking. Deo replied he had spoken with Balakram who had described Baba’s fame. Baba then asked for Rs. 25/ as dakshina, which Deo gladly gave. Next, Baba took Deo inside the masjid, and said vehemently, “You stole My rags without My knowledge.” Deo denied all knowledge of the rags, but Baba asked him to make a search. He searched, but found none. Baba became angry and said, “There is no one here. You are the only thief, so grey haired and old. You came here for stealing.” Then, Baba lost His temper, became terribly wild, and shouted all sorts of abuses and scoldings. Deo remained silent as he watched Baba, all the while thinking he might get a beating as well. After about an hour or so, Baba asked Deo to go to the wada. Deo returned to the wada and told Jog and Balakram all that happened.

That afternoon, Baba sent for all three men and said that His words might have pained the old man (Deo), but as Deo had committed the theft, He could not but speak out. Baba then asked again for Rs.12/. Deo collected the amount, paid it, and prostrated before Baba. Baba, looking directly at Deo, said, “Go on daily reading the Pothi (Jnaneshwari). Go and sit in the wada, read something regularly every day, and while reading, explain the portion read to all with love and devotion. I am sitting here ready to give you the whole gold embroidered shella (valuable cloth), but you go to others to steal rags. Why should you get into the habit of stealing?” Deo was very pleased to hear these words, because Baba had directly ordered him to start to read Pothi (Jnaneshwari). Deo felt he got just what he wanted and that he would now be able to read the book with ease. He prostrated one more time before Baba, saying he surrendered himself to Him, and then asked to be treated like a child and given help with understanding the reading. Just at that point, Deo realized what Baba had meant by ‘stealing the rags’. The questions he had asked Balakram constituted the ‘rags’ and Baba did not like this behavior. Baba was ready to answer any questions he had, but He did not like him making unnecessary inquiries of others. That is why He harassed and scolded him. Deo now thought that this scolding was really to teach him that Baba was ready to fulfill his desires and there was no use asking others for answers in vain. Thus, Deo took these scoldings as flowers and blessings and went home satisfied and contented.

The matter did not end here. Baba did not stop with only issuing an order to read. Within a year, Baba went to Deo and inquired about his progress. On Thursday morning, April 2, 1914, Baba gave Deo a dream vision in which Baba sat on the upper floor of Deo’s home and asked him whether he understood the Pothi. Deo answered, “No.” Baba replied, “Then when are you going to understand?” Deo burst into tears and said, “Unless You shower Your grace, the reading is mere worry and the understanding is even more difficult. I am certain of this.” Baba then replied, “While doing your reading, you made haste. Read it before Me, in My presence.” Deo answered, “What shall I read?” Baba said, “Read adhyatma (spiritualism).” Just as Deo went to get the book in the dream, he awakened, opened his eyes and felt ineffable joy and bliss. Deo treasured this vision.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all