Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 28

Chapter – 28

Sparrows Drawn to Shirdi (1) Lakhamichand (2) Burhanpore Lady (3) Megha

Preliminary

Sai is not finite or limited. He dwells in all beings, from ants and insects to the God Brahma. He pervades all. Sai Baba was well versed in the knowledge of the Vedas, as well as in the science of Self-Realization. As He was proficient in both of these, He was well fit to be a satguru. Anyone, though learned, but not able to awaken the disciples and establish them in Self-realization, does not deserve to be called satguru. Although the mother gives birth to the body, and death invariably follows life, the satguru does away with both life and death, and so he is more kind and merciful than anyone. Sai Baba often said - let His man (devotee) be at any distance, a thousand koss away from Him, he will be drawn to Shirdi like a sparrow with a thread tied to its feet. This chapter describes the stories of three such sparrows.

(1) Lala Lakhamichand

This gentleman was first serving in the railway, then later, in Shri Venkateshar Press in Bombay, and thereafter in the firm of Messrs. Ralli Brothers, as a munshi (clerk). He met Sai Baba in 1910. One or two months before Christmas, when he was in Santa Cruz (a suburb of Bombay), he dreamed of an old man with a beard, standing and surrounded by His bhaktas. Some days later, he went to his friend’s house, Mr. Dattatreya Manjunath Bijur, to hear the kirtan of Das Ganu. It was always the practice of Das Ganu to keep Baba’s picture in front of the audience while performing the kirtan. Lakhamichand was surprised to see that the features of the old man he saw in his dream tallied exactly with those in the picture and thus, he came to the conclusion that the old man he saw in his dream was Sai Baba Himself. The sight of this picture, Das Ganu’s kirtan, and the life of the saint Tukaram, on which Das Ganu discoursed, all made a deep impression on Lakhamichand’s mind and he pined to go to Shirdi. It is ever the experience of bhaktas that God always helps them in their search for a satguru and for other spiritual endeavors. That very night at 8:00 pm, a friend named Shankarrao knocked at Lakhamichand’s door and asked him whether he would accompany him to Shirdi. His joy knew no bounds and he decided at once to go to Shirdi. He borrowed Rs.15/ from his cousin and, after making due preparations, left for Shirdi.

While in the train bound for Shirdi, Lakhamichand and his friend, Shankarrao, sang some bhajans (religious songs) and inquired about Sai Baba with some fellow passengers - four Mohammedans who were returning to their place near Shirdi - who told them Sai Baba was a great saint living in Shirdi for many years. When they reached Kopergaon, Lakhamichand wanted to buy some good guavas to offer Sai Baba, but he was so interested in the local scenery and sights, he forgot to purchase them. As they were nearing Shirdi, he was reminded of the guavas. Just then he saw an old woman with a basket of guavas on her head, running after the tanga. The tanga was brought to a stop and Lakhamichand gladly purchased some select fruit. The woman then said, “Take all the rest and offer them on my behalf to Baba”. Both he and Shankarrao were astonished because they knew Lakhamichand had intended to purchase guavas, but had forgotten to do so, and now, suddenly, they encounter this old woman selling guavas who is devoted to Baba. Lakhamichand thought that perhaps this very woman might be related to the old man he saw in his dream.

Shankarrao and Lakhamischand continued on and as they neared Shirdi, they saw the flags on the masjid and they saluted them. With puja materials in hand, they then went to the masjid and worshiped Baba with due formality. Lakhamichand was much moved and was extremely happy to see Baba. He was enraptured with Baba’s feet as a bee with a sweet smelling lotus. Then Baba spoke as follows: “Cunning fellow! He does bhajan on the way, yet made inquiries of others. Why ask others? We should see everything with our own eyes. What is the necessity of questioning others? Just think for yourself whether your dream is true or not. Where was the necessity of the darshan by taking a loan from a marwari (cousin)? Is your heart’s desire now satisfied?” Hearing these words, Lakhamichand was wonderstruck at Baba’s omniscience. He was at a loss to know how Baba came to know about all the things that had happened en route from his house to Shirdi. The chief thing to note in this respect is that Baba never liked people to run into debt for taking His darshan, or celebrating any holiday or making any pilgrimage.

Sanza

At noon when Lakhamichand was sitting for meals, he received some sanza (wheat pudding) from a devotee as prasad. He was pleased to have it. The next day he expected it, but got nothing, so he was anxious to have it again. Then, at noon on the third day after the arati, Bapusaheb Jog asked Baba what he should bring for naivedya. Baba told him to bring sanza. The bhaktas then brought two big potfuls of sanza. Lakhamichand, who was suffering from back pain, was very hungry. Baba said to him, “It is good that you are hungry. Take some sanza and some medicine for the pain in your back.” Lakhamichand was wonderstruck to see that Baba had read his mind again and had spoken out about what he was thinking. How omniscient was Baba!

Evil Eye

On one occasion, Lakhamichand witnessed the nightly procession to the Chavadi. At that time, Baba suffered from a bad cough. Lakhamichand thought this suffering of Baba might be due to somebody’s evil eye. The next morning, when he went to the masjid, Baba spoke to Shama as follows, “I suffered last night from a bad cough. Is it due to some evil eye? I think that somebody’s evil eye has worked on Me and so I am suffering.” In this case, Baba spoke out about what was passing in Lakhamichand’s mind. Seeing this proof of Baba’s omniscience and kindness to His bhaktas, Lakhamichand fell prostrate at Baba’s feet and said, “I am very pleased with Your darshan. Be ever kind and merciful to me and always protect me. There is no other God to me in this world. I worship and bow down at Your lotus feet. Let my mind be ever rapt in Your bhajan and feet. Let Your grace protect me from the miseries of the world and let me ever chant Your name and be happy.”

After receiving Baba’s udi and blessings, Lakhamichand and his friend returned home singing Baba’s glory all the way. He was very pleased and contented with Baba’s grace. Lakhamichand remained a staunch devotee of Baba afterward and always sent garlands of flowers, camphor and dakshina with any person he knew who was going to Shirdi.

Burhanpore Lady

Now let us turn to another sparrow (Baba’s word meaning devotee). In a dream, a lady in Burhanpore saw Sai Baba coming to her door and begging khichadi (rice cooked with dal and salt) for His meal. Upon awakening, she saw no one at her door and realized she had been dreaming. She was, however, pleased with the vision and told her husband all about it. He was employed in the postal department and, when he was transferred to Akola, both husband and wife, who were both devout, decided to go to Shirdi. Then, on a suitable day, they left for Shirdi and after visiting Gomati Tirth, which was on the way, they reached Shirdi and stayed there for two months. Every day the couple went to the masjid, performed Baba’s worship and passed their time happily. They had come to Shirdi to offer khichadi as naiveyda (as inspired by the wife’s dream), but for the first fourteen days, somehow or other, it could not be offered.

The lady did not like this delay, so on the fifteenth day, she went to the masjid at noon with her khichadi. There, she found that Baba and others were already sitting for meals and the curtain was down. The lady, however, could not wait. She opened the curtain and entered. Strange to say, Baba seemed hungry for khichadi that day and wanted that dish first. When the lady came in with her khichadi, Baba was delighted and began to eat morsel after morsel of it. Seeing the earnestness of Baba in this respect, everybody was wonderstruck and those who heard the story of the khichadi were convinced of Baba’s extraordinary love for His devotees.

(3) Megha

Now let us describe the third and bigger ‘sparrow’. Megha of Viramgaon was a simple and illiterate Brahmin cook of Rao Bahadur H.V. Sathe. He was a devotee of Shiva and always chanted the five syllabled mantra “Namah Shivaya”. Megha did not know the Sandhya nor its chief mantra, the Gayatri. Rao Bahadur Sathe, Megha’s employer, was interested in him and taught him the Sandhya and the Gayatri. Sathe told him that Sai Baba of Shirdi was the embodied form of the Lord Shiva and made him start for Shirdi. At the Broach Railway station, Megha learned that Sai Baba was a Moslem and his simple, orthodox mind became perturbed at the prospect of bowing to a Moslem. He begged his master not to send him to Shirdi, but his employer insisted on his going and gave him a letter of introduction. Megha was instructed to give the letter to his master’s father-in-law, Ganesh Damodar, alias Dada Kelkar, who would then give it to Sai Baba. The letter would introduce Megha to Sai Baba.

When Megha reached Shirdi and went to the masjid, Baba was very indignant and would not allow him to enter. “Kick out that rascal”, roared Baba, and then He said to Megha, “You are a high caste Brahmin and I am a low Moslem. You will lose your caste by coming here. So get away!” Hearing these words, Megha began to tremble. He wondered how Baba had come to know what was passing in his mind. Megha stayed in Shirdi for several days, serving Baba in his own way, but remained unconvinced. He then went home, following which, he went to Tryambak (Nasik District), where he stayed for a year and a half. Then, once again, he returned to Shirdi. This time, at the intercession of Dada Kelkar, Megha was allowed to enter the masjid. Sai Baba’s help to Megha was not through any oral instruction. He worked upon Megha internally (mentally) with the result that he was considerably changed and benefitted. As a result, Megha began to look upon Sai Baba as an incarnation of Shiva. In order to worship Shiva, bel leaves are required and Megha used to go miles and miles every day to get them and worship his Shiva (Baba). His practice was to worship all the Gods in the village, then come to the masjid and, after saluting Baba’s gadi (asan), to worship Baba. Then, after performing some service to Baba (shampooing His legs), Megha drank the washings (tirth) of Baba’s feet. Once it so happened that he came to the masjid without worshiping God Khandoba, as the door of the temple was closed. Baba did not accept his worship and sent him away saying that the door to the temple was now open. Megha left, found the temple door open, worshiped the deity and then returned to Baba as usual.

Ganges - Bath

On Makar Sankranti Day, Megha wanted to besmear the body of Baba with sandal paste and bathe Him with Ganges water. Baba was first unwilling to undergo this, but at Megha’s repeated requests, He consented. Megha had to traverse a distance of eight koss (going and returning) to bring the sacred water from the Gomati River. After he had brought the water, Megha made all the preparations for the bath at noon and asked Baba to get ready. Then Baba again asked him to be freed from His bath saying that as a fakir, He had nothing to do (or gain) with Ganges water, but Megha did not listen. He knew that Shiva is pleased with a bath of Ganges water and therefore he must give his Shiva (Baba) the sacred bath on that auspicious day. Baba then consented, came down and sat on a pat (wooden board) and, protruding His head said, “Oh Megha, at least do this favor. Since the head is the most important part of the body, pour water only over it, it is equivalent to the full or whole bath.” “Alright,” said Megha and lifting the water pot up, began to pour it on Baba’s head, but in so doing, he was overwhelmed with love and cried out “Har Har Gange” as he emptied the pot on Baba’s entire body. Megha then put the pot aside and began to look at Baba. To his surprise and amazement, he found that Baba’s head was drenched and His body was quite dry.

Trident and Pindi

Megha worshiped Baba in two places and in two manners. In the masjid, he worshiped Baba in person and in the wada, he worshiped Baba’s big picture which had been given by Nanasaheb Chandorkar. Megha carried out this practice for twelve months. Then, in order to appreciate his devotion and confirm his faith, Baba gave him a vision. Early one morning when Megha was still lying down in bed with his eyes closed, yet internally awake, he clearly saw Baba’s form. Baba, knowing him to be awake, threw akshata (rice grains marked red with kumkum) and said, “Megha, draw a trident” and then disappeared. Hearing Baba’s words, he eagerly opened his eyes, but did not see Baba. He saw only the rice grains spread here and there in his room. Megha went over to Baba, told Him about the vision, and asked permission to draw a trident. Baba said, “Did you not hear My words asking you to draw a trident? It was no vision, but a direct order, and My words are always full of meaning.” Megha replied, “I thought You woke me up, but all the doors were closed, so I thought it was a vision.” Baba rejoined, “I require no door to enter. I have no form, nor any extension. I always live everywhere. I carry on, as a wire puller, all the actions of a man who trusts Me and merges in Me.”

Megha returned to the wada and drew a red trident on the wall near Baba’s picture. The next day a Ramadasi bhakta came from Poona, saluted Baba, and offered Him pindi (an image of Shiva). Megha was present in the wada at that same time. Baba said to him, “See, Shankar has come. Protect Him now.” Megha was surprised to see the pindi following his having drawn the trident. Kakasaheb Dixit was also in the wada at this time. He was standing with a towel on his head after having taken his bath and was remembering Sai when he saw a pindi in his mental vision. While he was wondering about this, Megha came and showed him the pindi presented to him by Baba. Dixit was happy to know that this pindi tallied exactly with the one he saw a few minutes before in his vision.

A few days later, after the drawing of the trident, Baba installed the pindi near the large picture Megha was worshiping. The worship of Shiva was dear to Megha and by arranging the drawing of the trident and the installation of the pindi, Baba confirmed his faith therein. After continuous service to Baba for many years, doing regular worship and arati every noon and evening, Megha passed away in 1912. Baba passed His hands over his corpse and said, “This was a true devotee of Mine.” Baba ordered, at His own expense, the usual funeral dinner to be given to the Brahmins and that order was carried out by Kakasaheb Dixit.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace Be to All