Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 34

Chapter – 34

Greatness of Udi (Continued) (1) Doctor’s Nephew - (2) Dr. Pillay - (3) Shama’s Sister-in-law - (4) Irani Girl (5) Harda Gentleman - (6) Bombay Lady

This chapter continues the subject of the “Greatness of Udi” and describes cases in which the application of udi was most efficacious.

Doctor’s Nephew

There lived in Malegaon (Nasik District), a doctor who had a nephew who was suffering from an incurable disease - tubercular bone abscess. The doctor, as well as his brothers and other medical practitioners, tried all sorts of remedies and even an operation, but there was no relief for the little boy’s suffering. Friends and relations advised the boy’s parents to seek divine aid and recommended they go to Sai Baba, who was known to have cured incurable cases. They placed the boy before Him and pleaded humbly and respectfully, imploring Him to save their son. The merciful Baba comforted them saying, “Those who resort to this Masjid shall never suffer anything in this life and to the end of time. Be now carefree. Apply udi on the abscess and within one week, he will recover. Believe in God. This is no masjid, but Dwarawati. He who enters here will soon get health and happiness and his sufferings will come to an end.” The boy was made to sit before Baba, who moved His hands on the affected area and cast His loving glances on the child. With the application of the udi, the boy began to recover and was all right in a few days. The parents then left Shirdi with their son, thanking Baba for the cure which was affected by the udi and Baba’s grace.

Hearing all of this, the doctor, who was the boy’s uncle, was quite amazed and desired to see Baba. He intended to stop at Shirdi on his way to Bombay where he had some business, but at Malegaon and Manmad, someone spoke to him against Baba and poisoned his thoughts. He therefore dropped the idea of visiting Shirdi and went to Bombay directly. The doctor had wanted to spend the rest of his leave at Alibag, but at Bombay he heard a voice on three successive nights crying out, “Still you disbelieve me?” Then the doctor changed his mind and resolved to go to Shirdi. He had, however, to attend to a case in Bombay of an infectious fever which had showed no signs of abatement, so he thought his Shirdi trip would be postponed. He then had an idea to propose a test and said to himself, “If the patient becomes better today, I shall start for Shirdi tomorrow.” The wonder is that exactly at the time the determination was taken, the patient’s fever began to abate and the temperature returned to normal. The doctor then left for Shirdi, as per his determination, took Baba’s darshan, and prostrated before Him.

Baba gave him such amazing experiences that he became His devotee. The doctor stayed there for four days and returned home with Baba’s udi and blessings. Within a fortnight, he was transferred on promotion to Bijapur. His nephew’s case had given him an opportunity for seeing Baba and this visit engendered in him a never failing love of Sai Baba.

Dr. Pillay

Dr. Pillay was an intimate bhakta of Sai Baba. He was very much liked by Baba, who always called him bhau (brother). Baba talked with him at various times, consulted him in matters, and wanted him at His side. At one time, Dr. Pillay suffered from a bad case of guinea worms. He said to Kakasaheb Dixit, “The pain is most excruciating and unbearable. I prefer death to it. I know this pain is to repay some past karma, but please go to Baba and tell Him to stop the pain and transfer the working out of my past karma to ten future lives of mine.”

Dixit went to Baba and related Dr. Pillay’s request. Baba, being moved by the request, said to Dixit, “Tell him to be fearless. Why should he suffer for ten future lives? In ten days he can work out the sufferings and consequences of his past karma. While I am here to give him temporal and spiritual welfare, why should he pray for death? Bring him here on someone’s back and let us work out and finish his sufferings once and for all.”

The doctor was brought in his painful condition and was seated on Baba’s right side where Fakir Baba always sat. Baba gave him His bolster and said, “Lie here calmly and be at ease. The true remedy comes after the result of past actions has been suffered and is over. Our karma is the cause of our happiness and sorrow, therefore, put up with whatever comes to you. Allah (God) is the sole dispenser and protector. Always think of Him. He will take care of you. Surrender to His feet with body, mind, wealth and speech, i.e. completely, and then see what He does.” Dr. Pillay then said Nanasaheb had put a bandage over his leg, but that he had found no relief. “Nana is fool,” Baba replied. “Take off that bandage or else you will die. A crow will come now and peck at you, and then you will recover.”

While this conversation was going on, Abdul, who always cleaned the masjid and trimmed the lamps, turned up. While he was attending his work of trimming the lamps, his foot accidentally fell upon the stretched leg of Dr. Pillay. The leg was already swollen and when Abdul’s foot fell upon it and pressed it, all seven guinea worms were squeezed out at once. The pain was unbearable and Dr. Pillay cried out loudly. After some time, he calmed down and began to sing and cry alternately. Then Baba remarked, “See, our bhau is alright now and singing.” Dr. Pillay then inquired as to when the crow would come and peck at him. Baba replied, “Did you not see the crow? He won’t come again. Abdul was the crow. Now go and rest yourself in the wada and you will be alright soon.”

By the application of the udi to the wound and by drinking it mixed in water, and without taking any other treatment or medicine, the disease was completely cured in ten days as Baba predicted.

Shama’s Sister-in-Law

Shama’s younger brother, Bapaji, was staying near Sawul well. His wife was attacked with bubonic plague. She had a high fever and two bubos in her groins. Bapaji ran to Shama, who was in Shirdi, and asked him to come and help. Shama was frightened and ran to Baba, prostrated himself before Him, invoked His aid, and requested him to cure his sister-in-law. He also asked Baba for permission to go to his brother’s house. Then Baba said, “Don’t go there at this late hour of night. Send her udi. God is our father and master. She will be alright. You may go there in the morning and return immediately afterward.” Shama had full faith in Baba’s udi. It was sent with Bapaji. The udi was applied on the bubos and some of it was mixed with water and given to the patient to drink. As soon as Shama’s sister-in-law drank the mixture, she began to perspire profusely. Her fever abated and she fell into a good sleep. The next morning Bapaji was surprised to see his wife well and refreshed, with no fever and no bubos. When Shama, with Baba’s permission, went to his sister-in-law’s the next morning, he was happily surprised to see her at the hearth preparing tea. On questioning his brother, he learned that Baba’s udi cured her completely in one night. Thus, Shama then realized the significance of Baba’s words, “Go there in the morning and return immediately.”

After having his tea, Shama returned to Shirdi and, after greeting Baba, said, “Deva, what is this play of Yours? You first raise a storm and make us restless, and then calm it down and ease us.” Baba replied, “You see, mysterious is the path of action. Though I do nothing, they hold Me responsible for the actions which take place due to adrishta (destiny). I am only their witness. The Lord is the sole Doer and Inspirer. He is also most merciful. Neither am I God, nor the Lord. I am His obedient servant and remember Him often. He, who casting aside his egoism, thanks the Lord and trusts Him entirely, will have his shackles removed and will obtain liberation.”

Irani’s Daughter

The following describes the experience of an Irani gentleman. His young daughter had convulsions every hour. When the fits occurred, she would lose her power of speech, her limbs would shrink and contract, and she would fall down senseless. No remedy gave her any relief. A friend recommended Baba’s udi to her father and asked him to get some from Kakasaheb Dixit at Vile Parle, a suburb of Bombay. The Irani gentleman, having procured the udi, mixed it with water and gave it to his daughter to drink every day. At first, the convulsions, which were occurring hourly, slowed down to every seven hours, and after a few days, they stopped totally and the daughter completely recovered.

Harda Gentleman

An old gentleman from Harda was suffering from a stone in his bladder. Such stones are generally removed by a surgical operation and he was advised to undergo such. He was old and weak and could not consider having the surgery. His suffering, however, soon came to an end in another way. The inamdar of that town happened to come there at that time. He was a devotee of Baba and always had a substantial amount of udi with him. On the recommendation of his friends, the elderly gentleman’s son got some of this udi and, mixing it with water, gave it to his father to drink. Within five minutes, the udi was assimilated, the stone was dissolved and passed through his urine, and the old man was relieved.

Bombay Lady

A woman of the Kayastha Prabhu caste in Bombay always suffered terrible pain at her delivery. She was very much frightened each time she became pregnant and did not know what to do. Shri Rama Maruti of Kalyan, who was a devotee of Baba, advised her husband to take her to Shirdi for a painless delivery. When she next became pregnant, both husband and wife came to Shirdi, stayed there for a few months and worshiped Baba, receiving the benefit of His company. When the time came for her to deliver, there was, as usual, obstruction in the passage from the womb. She began to suffer labor pains and was frightened, but she began to pray to Baba for relief. In the meantime, some neighboring women arrived and, after invoking Baba’s aid, gave her udi mixture to drink. In five minutes, the woman delivered safely and painlessly. The issue was still born according to its fate, but the mother, who was relieved of her anxiety and pain, thanked Baba for the safe delivery and remained ever grateful to Him.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all