incidents discribed by the past writer take us to the journey of the gone era sometimes..................
There are various incidents in the life of Sri Sai Baba that may be recalled in connection with Vyree bhava. One Jehangir was the official superior of a Sai Bhakta X, and he once got a picture of Sai Baba for the purpose of Xx. With through callousness he would insult Baba in the preesence of X, who being a weak man, in a subordinate position, had to endure the pain and disgrace silently. Z however prayed to Baba to turn the heart of the Jehangir. After fifteen days, that superior had qualms of conscience. He ran to his subordinate, expressed regret for his past conduct and declared his reverence for Sai Baba, in token of which he paid one rupee as his fine to be sent to Shirdi. Here Baba, the Antaryami of all, was allowing the boil(bastred) in J’s heart to ger ripe and burst. A very similar case was that of Bala Saheb Bhate. When he was Mamlatdar at Kopergaon, his educated friends would call on him, on their way to Shirdi. He then never lost the chance of tolloing them what fools they were to go and bow at the feet of a Mahomedan and a crazy fakir at that. He refused their proposal that he should visit Sai Baba to form judgement. After a year of two passed in this violenlty anti-Sai mood, he paid a visit to Sai Baba- accidently one might say, if one did not know of Baba’s wonderful knowledge, power and kindness. The effect of the visit was most unexpected. The scoffer was held spell-bounded by the glance of Sai Baba. He sat on for hours before Baba, feeling Baba’s power to read his thoughts and control his desires. With difficulty he could be made to leave Baba’ presence that day. He resolved to stay on for days there, though he had no excuse for staying there leaving his official work unattended to. Three days he stayed and on the third day, Baba spread a kashaya cloth over his body. He then determined not to go back to his office but to devote the rest of his life to the company and service of Sai Baba. That violent hatred of contempt he had for Baba became, by Baba’s grace, transformed into strong attahement to Baba and Vairagya or distaste for all things wordly. In fact, though he resumed official duties and stayed on at Shirdi without leave for very long periods. He was compulsorily retired and granted compassionate allowance, as one who had met with a mental malady in the course of his official duties.
In both the above cases, Baba the Antaryami, or powerful thought controller, helped the original innate goodness of the person to rebel against the unnatural and unreasonble hatred, the foreign element that was superposed on it; and the result was vigrous Bhakti shooting or shrouting out of what looked like adverse or unpromising soil.
Perhaps the same explanation may be given for tha not infrequent cases of persons who heartily disliked Baba on the score of his being a Mahmadean(as he was long supposed to be ) being turned to devotees. The best instance of this is late Upasani Maharaj or Kasinath Govinda Upasani Satri as he was first known. Sri K.G.U.had some serious disease of the respiratory organs that threatened his life. He was going about in search of Hindu Yogis who could remedy this ailment contracted by him in the course of his practice of Pranayama. When he was told that he should bow at the foot of a Mahomedan (as the very name Sai Baba indicated a Mahomedan). It was with great difficulty that he was persuaded by his well-wishers to go and see Baba. At his visit, he was not impressed w ith the nature of Saai Baba and went away saying that he could not at all return in 8 days as required by Baba. But Sri Sai, out os his kindness, banished on the minds of all persons that surrounded K.G.U.Sastri compelled him to visit Sai Baba on the 8th day his departure. None was more surprised at this revisit more than Sastri Maharaj himself. Finding himself no match for Sai Baba he agreed to stay on at Shirdi for 4 years- though such prolonged stay was all and wormwood to his soul. Again and again he tried to warggle out of his promise. But he stayed on and had to stay on for a little over three years. His former dislike for Sai Baba was changed to reverence, expressed so well by the Mahimna Stotra that he composed about his newly accepted Gurudeva.
In both the above cases, Baba the Antaryami, or powerful thought controller, helped the original innate goodness of the person to rebel against the unnatural and unreasonble hatred, the foreign element that was superposed on it; and the result was vigrous Bhakti shooting or shrouting out of what looked like adverse or unpromising soil.
Perhaps the same explanation may be given for tha not infrequent cases of persons who heartily disliked Baba on the score of his being a Mahmadean(as he was long supposed to be ) being turned to devotees. The best instance of this is late Upasani Maharaj or Kasinath Govinda Upasani Satri as he was first known. Sri K.G.U.had some serious disease of the respiratory organs that threatened his life. He was going about in search of Hindu Yogis who could remedy this ailment contracted by him in the course of his practice of Pranayama. When he was told that he should bow at the foot of a Mahomedan (as the very name Sai Baba indicated a Mahomedan). It was with great difficulty that he was persuaded by his well-wishers to go and see Baba. At his visit, he was not impressed w ith the nature of Saai Baba and went away saying that he could not at all return in 8 days as required by Baba. But Sri Sai, out os his kindness, banished on the minds of all persons that surrounded K.G.U.Sastri compelled him to visit Sai Baba on the 8th day his departure. None was more surprised at this revisit more than Sastri Maharaj himself. Finding himself no match for Sai Baba he agreed to stay on at Shirdi for 4 years- though such prolonged stay was all and wormwood to his soul. Again and again he tried to warggle out of his promise. But he stayed on and had to stay on for a little over three years. His former dislike for Sai Baba was changed to reverence, expressed so well by the Mahimna Stotra that he composed about his newly accepted Gurudeva.
(BY B.V.N.SWAMY)
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