Megha was a Brahmin from Marwar who lived in Gujrat. A
simple yet a very devout Brahmin but knew nothing about Gayatri, Sandhya Puja,
Brahma Puja etc. Hari Vinayak Sathe in one of his tours at Viramgaon
offered him employment and entrusted him with daily puja of Shiva. He then would simply say Namah Shiva and did
not know Gayathri or Sandhya mantra. Sathe taught him these explained to
him duties of a Brahmin and sent him to Braoch to worship Lord Shiva. Mutual
affection between both of them increased and Megha accepted Sathe as his guide.
Sathe told Megha that Sai Baba was embodied form of Lord Shiva and sent him to
Shirdi. But at the station he learnt that Sai Baba was modern and his extremely
orthodox nature and simple mind could not accept the prospect of bowing to a
Muslim and wanted to cancel his trip to shirdi.
But with a letter of introduction for Sathe’s
father in law he was sent to Shirdi. However, when he approached mosque Baba
would cry aloud ‘throw out that rascal’ and was angry of Mr Sathe for sending a
man with such hopelessly crude ideas. Megha then went to Trimbak, worshipped
Gangadhar for a year and half, and came back to Shirdi. At the intervention of
Sathe’s father in law Ganesh Damodar Kelkar, he was allowed into mosque and
stayed on in Shirdi.
Megha did puja in an orderly form. First, he would walk one
and half miles from Shirdi to obtain bela leaves and worship the village
deities then come to masjid to worship Baba. On one occasion Khandoba temple
was closed so Megha came directly to the masjid Baba stopped him saying ‘there
has been breach in your daily puja go complete them and come ‘. When Megha
informed Khandoba temple was, closed Baba told him that it is open now and the
puja in masjid will wait until he came back.sitting in masjid Baba could see
and feel all happenings.
Once Megha wanted to give Baba Gangasnan (bath in Ganga
water) Baba said to him to wet only His head. However, Megha went to kopergaon, brought tub full of water and saying aloud 'Har har gange' he poured it over Baba’s body
but, lo! only Baba’s head became wet and rest was dry including His clothes.
Megha worshipped Lord Shankara standing on one leg. Megha
worshipped Baba in two places; in the masjid, he worshipped Baba in person, and
in the wada, Baba’s big picture given to him by Nanasaheb Chandorkar. This he
did for 12 months and in order to appreciate his devotion Baba gave him a
vision. Early one morning when Megha was
still in bed with eyes closed he saw clearly Baba’s form. Baba threw Akshata
(rice grain marked red with kumkum or vermillon) on him and said ‘Megha draw a
trident’ (trishul) and disappeared. When he opened his eyes, there was no Baba
there but the Akshata was there to mark his presence. Later he went to masjid
to ask Baba wether he should draw a trident. Baba said ‘did you not already
hear me to do it? It was not a vision but an order’ Megha surprised said that
he thought it was a vision. Moreover, wondered how Baba can come with all doors
closed. Baba rejoined saying ‘I need no doors to enter, I have neither form nor
any extension; I always live everywhere, I carry on as a wirepuller, all the
actions of the man who trust me and merges in me’.
Megha returned to the wada and drew a trident on the wall
near Babas picture. Next day from Poona,
a Ramdasi Bhakt came and offered a pindi (an image of Shiva). At this time,
Megha also turned up and Baba said to him ‘see Shankar has come worship him
now’. Megha was surprised Pindi (lingam) following the trident immediately.
Kakasaheb Dixit was also thrilled seeing the Pindi matching the figure he saw
in his vision. Megha installed the Pindi and worshipped it. The worship of
Shiva was dear to Megha and by arranging, the drawing of the trident and
installation of the pindi Baba confirmed his faith.
Sai Baba’s help to Megha was not only by oral
instruction but he also worked upon him internally too. Megha was considerably
changed and benefited. He died in 1912 after serving Baba. He used to do arti
daily at noon and evening. On 19th January 1912 at about
4 am Megha died.
During kakad, arti done by Bapusaheb Jog Baba did not
show his face as he does everyday there was sadnedss in it, eyes closed and
devotees did not get the warm glances he throws on them everyday. Just as the
body was to be taken for cremation, Baba came there and lamented his death with
a very touching voice. He then followed the body till the bend of the road near
the village and then went the usual way. Megha’s body was taken to the outskirts of
the village and consigned to flames there under the bada tree. Sai Baba
lamenting his death could be heard even from such long distance. Baba foretold
his death three days prior. Fortunate was Megha that Baba too participated in
his funeral procession.
Megha had the fortune of Baba treating him like a near
relative, a family member. Baba shed tears for him and spent money to feed the
Brahmins for the funeral ceremonies.
No comments:
Post a Comment