1Let us pick up the threads of the previous chapter. Let us recollect, how much Baba loved the renovation of temples!
2How he would strive to be benevolent to others! How he looked after and protected his devotees! How he would wear out himself! How he would suffer for the sake of his devotees!
3He would take ‘samadhi’[1] doing ‘khand-yoga’ practices. He would do ‘dhoti-poti’ and other practices. Sometimes he would separate his head, legs and arms from the body and bring them together as before.
4If you call him a Hindu, he looked a Muslim! If a Muslim, he had all the auspicious signs of a Hindu! Such was this extraordinary avatar! Which wise person can describe him!
5Whether he was a Hindu or a Muslim, nobody was able to make the least conjecture! His behaviour was always the same towards both the communities.
6Ramnavami was a Hindu festival. He would celebrate this as his own, by having the cradle tied up in the ‘Sabha-mandap’ and have ‘kathas and kirtans’ said.
7In the square, in his presence, the cradle would be tied and he would have the ‘kirtan’ performed. And, the same night he would permit the Muslims to hold a ‘Sandal’ procession[2]
8As many Muslims, as wished to come, would join the ‘Sandal’ procession with pomp and glory. He got both the functions celebrated equally happily.
9When the Ramnavami day dawned, he was fond of arranging wrestling bouts and giving away prizes such as horses, anklets and headgears very enthusiastically.
10When the Gokulashtami[3] festival would come, he would have the Gopal Kala done; and similarly, when it was Id-day[4], the Muslims were not restricted from ‘namaz’.
11Once, when the Muhurram festival came, some Muslims came to the Masjid and asked for permission to have the ‘Taziya’[5] procession in the village.
12According to his orders, the ‘Taziya’ was built. It was kept for four days and on the fifth day was asked to be removed. He had no feeling of either pleasure or displeasure.
13If he was a Muslim, he had pierced ears. If he was a Hindu, he believed in circumcision. Thus – neither Hindu, nor Muslim – such was the sanctified avatar of Sai.
14If he was a Hindu, he lived always in a Masjid. If he was a Muslim, there was the sacred fire burning day and night in the Masjid.
15In the Masjid itself was the grinding stone on which the grinding was done; in the masjid the bells would chime and the conch would be blown; and in the masjid the offerings to the sacred fire were made. What kind of a Muslim was he?
16In the masjid there were recitations of ‘bhajans’ always, free distribution of food, offerings to God, worship of feet and puja. What kind of a Muslim was he?
17If he be called a Muslim, then the elite of Brahmins would come and do his puja; the ‘agnihotris’[6] would prostrate to him having surrendered their pride of purity to him.
18This way, the people were astonished at heart. Whatever they would experience, they would behave accordingly and keep silent at the time of ‘darshan’.
19So long as a person is surrendered to God, can he be called a Hindu or a Muslim? He may be of a low birth, or low caste, or without a caste (outside the pale of society). Caste is not the criteria of importance for Him.
20One who does not have body consciousness, whether he is a Hindu or a Muslim, for him all castes and creeds are equal. The discrimination born of caste is not applicable to him.
21He took meat with the fakirs or on his own ate fish; and would not be disgusted even if a dog put his mouth into his food.
22A farmer stores grains obtained in the current year by building storehouses so that in case there is a shortage, in the next year, it would prove useful.
23Similarly a gunny bag full of wheat was stored, and also a grinding stone[7] to grind the grain in the Masjid. There were also scuttles to winnow the grain. Nothing fell short of a householder’s life.
24In the pandal there was a decorative, beautiful and special ‘Tulsi Vrindavan’[8]. Nearby there is a wooden chariot[9], beautifully carved.
25Because of my good deeds of the previous births that I could come in contact with all these good things. I will hold these in my heart and will feel lack of nothing till the end.
26Thanks to the good fortune of the previous births, I have been able to attain his feet, get peace of mind and contentment in household matters.
27Afterwards, however much I may prosper, that happiness will never be regained which I experienced and was blessed to receive in the company of the great Sree Sai.
28Sai is the store of ultimate happiness! How could I describe his uniqueness? Whoever surrendered to him was permanently settled for good.
29Those sanyasis who have performed penance, holding ‘danda’ and who use deer skins for clothing and for sitting; those who have visited Haridwar and been to Tirthas; those who have practised hard penance; those who have renounced the world and those who are non-attached came there.
30He would talk, walk and laugh a lot; he would always recite “Allah Malik”; he did not like arguments and discussions and he always carried a ‘satka’[10] .
31Ascetic, non-attached by nature, of moderate passions, with malice towards none, his speech flowed with vedantic philosophy (well-versed in vedanta)! Till the end none could fathom, who Baba was.
32The rich or the poor were treated equally by him. The son of a wealthy person or of a penniless beggar would be measured by the same yardstick.
33He would know the good and bad deeds of anyone and the inner most desires. He would tell them their confidential secrets by some hint which would astound the devotees.
34He was the epitome of knowledge and wisdom which he kept under cover. It was a burden for him to be honoured. Such were the characteristics of Sree Sai.
35Though he had a mortal body, his deeds were singularly uncommon like that of God. He was definitely the deity of Shirdi. All the people believed this faithfully.
36How many were the miracles of Baba! How much can I, an insignificant person describe! Baba had the renovation of numerous deities and temples undertaken.
37In Shirdi itself, by the hands of Tatya Patil, he improved the temples of Shani, Ganpati, Shankar-Parvati, the village deity and Maruti.
38The money that he collected from people as ‘dakshina’[11] was spent in charity partly, and some was simply given away.
39To some he would daily give Rupees. thirty; to some Rupees. ten, fifteen or fifty! Likewise, he would happily distribute according to his sweet will.
40This money belonged to people of all religions; and those who accepted it were aware of this. Baba had the wish that it should be spent in a good way.
41May it be so! Many people prospered only because of his ‘darshan’; many wicked people turned good; many were cured of diseases (leprosy) and a lot of people achieved their welfare.
42Without putting collyrium, or ointments or herbal juices many blind regained their sight. Those who were lame started walking just by surrendering at his feet.
43Such was his infinite greatness that nobody was able to gauge its extent. From all four quarters, countless people started streaming in.
44He sat at the same place near the ‘dhuni’. He eased himself there itself. He would remain at the same spot, sometimes with and at other times without a bath. He was always intent in meditation.
45On his head he would have a special white headgear and tie a clean ‘dhoti’ to his waist, put on a shirt or a ‘pehran’ – such was his dress at the beginning.
46Initially, he would practice ayurvedic medicine in the village. He would examine patients and give the medicines. He had a healing touch and became a famous ‘hakim’[12] .
47Once upon a time a devotee’s eyes were swollen and were like red balls. Both pupils were blood-red and no ‘vaid’[12:1] was available in Shirdi.
48The simple and pious devotees showed his eyes to Baba. Immediately, Baba got the marking-nut[13] ‘beeba’[14] pounded and made into balls.
49Under the circumstances some may have put surma (powdered pearl); some may have put wet pieces of cloth dipped in cow’s milk; others may have kept cool camphor cakes on the eyes or some would have used collyrium.
50But Baba’s remedy was absolutely different. He picked up each ‘beeba’ ball in his own hands and pressed as much as possible one in each eye and then tied a cloth around them.
51The next day, the cloth tied around the eyes was removed and the eyes were washed with cold water poured in a steady stream. All the swelling had disappeared and the pupils were clear.
52Although a delicate organ like the eye was treated by ‘beeba’, there was no burning and the disease was cured. Such were the countless experiences.
53He knew the yogic practices of ‘dhoti-poti’. Without anybody’s knowledge he would go to a secluded place and while bathing, vomit out his intestines, wash them and put them to dry out.
54At the same distance, as the Masjid to the well, there was further on a banyan tree at a certain spot; and, beyond it, another well, where he would go every third day.
55Right at noon, in the blazing sun, having made sure that there was no one around, he would take out water from the well with his own hands and wash his face and perform his ablutions.
56On one such occasion while he was having his bath, he took out his intestines quickly and started washing them on the spot.
57When a goat is slain, his intestines are turned inside out. After being thoroughly washed, they are cleaned and folded.
58Similarly, he removed his own intestines, washed them inside out, and spread them on the rose-apple tree. People were extremely amazed.
59Amongst those who have witnessed this feat with their own eyes, some are still living in Shirdi. They say that he was an unique Saint.
60Sometimes he would practise ‘khand-yoga’ and separate his arms and legs. This way, they would be scattered here and there in the Masjid.
61In this way, the body would be broken in bits and pieces. The whole sight would be very gruesome. When a number of people ran to see this, they would find Baba intact.
62Once having seen such an incident, the onlooker got terribly frightened and thought that some wicked person had killed Baba and committed this outrage.
63In the Masjid, here and there, the limbs could be seen in all the four corners. It was midnight and no one was around. He was worried.
64To whom should he tell this incident? On the contrary, he may be hanged! Thinking this, he went and sat outside.
65It did not even occur to him, even in his dreams, that it was the yogic powers of Sai; and looking at the fragments of the body, his heart thumped with fright.
66Someone should be informed of this incident. This thought occurred to him over and over again. But being the first person to give the information, he might be held as the culprit!
67Therefore, he did not tell anybody. Many ideas came to him. Therefore, in the early morning, he went to look again and was surprised at what he saw.
68There was not a sign of the earlier happening. Baba was sitting hale and hearty at his usual place. The onlooker was astounded and wondered if he had had a dream.
69These practices of yoga – of ‘dhoti-poti’ – were practised by Baba since his childhood. Nobody could understand the depth of it and fathom his yogic state.
70He never took a penny from anybody. By his own virtues, he became famous. The weak and the poor were bestowed with good health by him and he became a famous ‘hakim’ in that province.
71He was a ‘hakim’ only for the sake of others. He was totally disinterested for his own gain. To achieve the good of others, he endured a lot of hardship and pain.
72To explain this I will tell an unusual story, for the sake of the listeners, which will make known Baba’s compassion and his universal (all-pervading) powers.
73In the year 1910, on Dhanteras day[15], Baba was casually sitting near the ‘dhuni’ and burning firewood.
74The ‘dhuni’ was very hot and brightly lit up. He inserted his own arm into the fire and peacefully sat there. The arm came out scorched.
75His servitor Madhav[16] saw it by chance and Madhavrao Deshpande was also nearby. He also ran towards him immediately.
76He went and sat cross-legged behind Baba, put his arms tightly round his waist and pulled him back. He asked, “See what has happened!”
77“O deva, what have you done?”[17] At these words, Baba became aware of the circumstances. "A child suddenly slipped into the furnace from the arms being astride the waist (of the mother).
78Hearing her husband’s calls, and being afraid, the blacksmith’s wife took her child into her arms and started blowing the bellows of the furnace.
79While blowing, she lost her concentration and forgot that the child was in her arms. The child was extremely restless and she slipped. Shama, no sooner had she dropped, that I picked her up.
80While I tried to take out the girl, that this incident happened. Let my damned hand be scorched! The child’s life is saved".
81For the pain and suffering due to the arm, what remedy and by whom should it be done? Madhavrao decided to write a letter to Chandorkar.
82He wrote the letter in detail. Chandorkar arrived in Shirdi immediately, bringing along with him the famous Dr. Parmanand.
83To ward off the burning sensation, Dr. Parmanand brought with him a number of medicines which would be useful and came to the feet of Sai to serve him, with Nana.
84After having bowed down to Baba, he asked him about his well-being, told him the reason for his coming and requested him to show him his arm.
85But since the time the arm was burnt, Bhagoji Shinde used to apply ghee, place a leaf upon it and tightly bandaged it, every day.
86To remove the bandages, to show the arm to Dr. Parmanand, to start taking medicines to heal Baba,
87with this good intention, Nana implored a great deal; and even Parmanand tried to remove the bandages and see the arm.
88Not to-day, tomorrow – again, the same thing – thus he never allowed his arm to be seen saying that his doctor was ‘Allah’. He was not the least disturbed about it.
89Whatever medicines Parmanand had brought were never even opened in Shirdi. But, it was his good fortune to have Sai’s ‘darshan’ and, therefore, perhaps this incident happened.
90It was always Bhagoji who served him. It was only Bhagoji who would massage the hand. Then, after some time the hand healed and everyone was happy
91In this way, although the hand was completely cured, one doesn’t know what was in Baba’s mind in allowing Bhagoji, every morning, early in the day, to carry out the ceremony of tying the bandages.
92Although there was no pain, regularly and for no reason, with the help of ghee a massage was done and the hand was cared for till death.
93These services were for the sake of Bhagoji. Siddha Sai never needed them. He made Bhagoji render regular service with love, as a devotee should.
94Because of the sins of his previous birth, Bhagoji was suffering from leprosy. But it was his good fortune that he came in touch with Sai.
95Whenever Baba started on his round to Lendi, Bhagoji held the umbrella over Baba’s head. Though his body was covered with black leprosy sores, he was the foremost in his service.
96Whenever, early in the morning, Baba was seated restfully against the pillar, near the ‘dhuni’ it was his good fortune to be there to serve him.
97He would remove the bandages, massage the respective muscles, apply ghee to those parts, and thus be fortunate to serve him.
98Bhagoji Shinde was a great sinner in his past lives. His whole body was bleeding with sores. He was greatly affected by this deadly disease. But he was a matchless devotee of Baba.
99His fingers had become stumps because of leprosy and his whole body emanated a nauseating smell. Thus, the one with such a great misfortune, derived four-fold happiness from his services[18].
100How many such great miracles of Baba, can I describe to the listeners! Once when plague came to the village, listen to the miracle that happened.
101Dadasaheb Khaparde’s[19] young son was staying with his mother and enjoying the pleasure of Baba’s company.
102As it is, the boy was very young and he got very high fever. The mother’s heart grew anxious and she became agitated.
103Her home was at Amravati. Therefore, she thought of going there. In the evening, at the proper time, she came to take Baba’s permission.
104While doing his evening rounds, Baba came near the wada. There, the woman bowed down at his feet and told him what had happened.
105As it is women are timid by nature. And, besides, the son’s trembling[20] did not stop. Also, there was the scare of plague. Therefore, she told him what had happened.
106Baba lovingly assured her with these words. "Know that the skies are overcast. The rains will come and the harvest will ripen. The clouds will clear up.
107Why are you afraid?" saying this, he lifted his kafni upto the waist and showed everybody the fully developed bubos.
108In four places, there were four bubos of the size of a hen’s egg. He said : “See, I have to bear this because of your difficulties”.
109People were amazed to witness this divine and unique ordeal. How the Saints suffered for the sake of their devotees!
110Their heart is softer than wax – just like butter appears, outwardly. They have selfless love for the devotees as if they are his kith and kin.
111Once it so happened that Nanasaheb Chandorkar left Nandurbar to go to Pandharpur.
112Nana was very lucky. His whole-hearted devotion to Sai had borne fruit. He had the earthly paradise[21], as he had got the Mamlatdari of that place.
113When he received the orders at Nandurbar, he had to leave immediately. Hurriedly he made all the arrangements, desiring in his heart the darshan[22].
114Along with his wife, and family circle, he thought of going to Shirdi, as Shirdi was his Pandharpur; and he wanted to pay his respects to Baba.
115He did not send a letter to anybody nor did he send any message. He gathered together all his belongings and got into the carriage hurriedly.
116In this way, Nana started and nobody in Shirdi knew of it. But Sai knew everything, as Sai was all-pervading.
117Nana started immediately. He must have been at the outskirts of Nimgaon. Now listen carefully to the miracle that happened at Shirdi, in truth, at that time.
118Baba was in the Masjid with Mhalsapati. Appa Shinde and Kashiram, the devotees, were seated chatting.
119At that moment, Baba said casually, “Let four of us sing a bhajan. The Doors of Pandharpur have opened. We can sing joyously”.
120Sai had knowledge of the past, present and future. He had already learnt the news. Nana was near the stream at the outskirts, when Baba was singing the bhajan zealously.