Sai Baba's admirers and devotees are conversant with a number of miracles that Baba performed to the astonishment of all. Once he was sitting by the side of the fire that he always kept alive in the mosque which he lived. All of a sudden he put his hand in the fire. For same time no one noticed it. But when one of his admirers saw that his hand was in the fire, he drew it out. It was all burnt like charcoal. All the people present 'asked Baba why he had resorted to such a monstrous act. Baba replied that the lohar's wife was fanning the lohar's furnance when her baby suddenly fell in it. I drew it out. Never mind if my hand is burnt. Her baby was saved. Two days later the lohar came to see Baba with his wife and her baby-When he explained what had happened, everybody realised what Baba had done.
Once he was sitting in the mosque. All of a sudden he became still and observed; "My brother has gone". Next day, the news came that Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon had taken Samadhi. Such was his omni-sience.
Plague broke out at Shirdi and some persons died. WhenBaba knew about it, he became restless. Next day, there were five or six plague pimples on his person and he had high fever. Devotees were afraid that something untoward might happen. They suggested treatment by a doctor. Baba said that there would be no more cases of plague in Shirdi. No one will die of it now. Accordingly no one fell a victim to plague and Baba also became hale and hearty very soon. Whenever a devotee of Baba was in some difficulty or afflicted by some ailment and remembered Baba, he used to remove that difficulty, without the devotee's knowledge or take his ailment on himself.
Once, a devotee's child became ill and she came to see Baba and began to weep. Baba pacified her and assured her that her child would positively recover. Accordingly, the child became well but Baba had fever on. If some woman had too much pain at child-borth and some one told Baba about it, Baba used to become restless and suffer from pain while the woman would safely give birth to a child. People from Shirdi are aware of many such anecdotes.
Once on admirer of Sai Baba who was a Mamledar prevailed upon his doctor friend to go with him to see Sai Baba. but he said that since Baba was a Mussl-man he did not like to fall at his feet. The Mamledar said it was not compulsory on every one to fall at his -feet. When both of them reached Baba's place, the doctor saw the image of Shri Ramachandra in place of Sai Baba and he automatically fell at his feet. When they took leave of Baba the Mamledar asked the doctor told him what had happened and thanked him for doing him the favour he had done.
Some one from Goa became a devotee of Baba on hearing his reputations as a philanthropic saint. He was jobless for a long time. At last he made the resolution that on getting a job, he would make over his first salary to Sai Baba. Soon he got a job. He started only on Rs. 15 per month but later rose in service and began to earn Rs. 700 a month. He was unable to meet Sai Baba for one reason or another, but one day he did go to Shirdi in the company of a friend. As soon as Baba saw him he demanded his fifteen rupees. The man had forgotten about his resolve and to made amends for it, he offered Rs. 50 instead of Rs. 15 to Baba, but Baba kept only Rs. 15 and gave back the rest to him.
Baba was known to be the incarnation of the Akkolkot Swami also and many people were convinced about it. A gentleman called Pitale who lived in Bombay went to see Baba at Shirdi with his wife and son. His son was suffering from fits. He was treated by several doctors and vaidyas but the convulsions would not stop. He was placed at the feet of Baba who looked into the eyes of the son. Immediately, the son became senseless. Incessant froth emanated from his mouth. The parents, particularly the mother was much frightened. Baba assured them that he would soon came to his senses and be well. So it happened. The father and mother became Baba's devoted adherents. When they went to say good-bye to Baba, he gave them Three silver rupees and told them that they should be worshipped with the family gods every day. Two of the three rupees were meant for Pitale's father. When Pitale came home to Bombay and releated what had happened at shirdi, his mother said "Your father was a great devotee of the Akkalkot Swami and the Swami had given 'him three rupees. He used to worship them. They were found in the old Devara, a wodden temple for -family gods.
Newaskar was another of Baba's devotees. He never took his meal before taking Baba's teearth i.e. water that washed his feet. When Newaskar died, quite a crowd gathered together for his shraddha, but food was not prepared for so many people. Newaskar's daughter-in law became nervous. But her mother-in-law remembered Baba and prayed for being saved from exposure. She took a little ash which was Baba's gift and spread it over the food. All of them found that food was more than sufficient for all who had come and was also distributed among neighbours.
Baba's reputation as a maker of miracles was spreading like wild fire. People from far and near came to revere him and ask for his blessings. They offered him gifts and money, which was considered boundless. Government wanted to know his income and expenditure end a clerk was appointed for that purpose. He found that expenditure was twice, thrice or four times the income. He was embarrassed and non-plussed. He was at a loss to know where from so much money came and reported accordingly.
No comments:
Post a Comment