Once, Dadas wife brought her child to Baba with the intention of staying for sometime in Shirdi. She got her husbands reluctant approval for the visit. At that timeplague was rampant in Shirdi. On the second day of her arrival, the child developed fever and boils all over the body. The mother felt sorry that she had not acted on her husbands advice and lamented who could protect her child from the affliction. She immediately rushed to Baba and cried aloud, Baba! Baba! Baba asked her what for she had come. Is your child having fever? Are there boils on his body? Not only the child but I am also having boils. You look at them. So saying, he lifted hisKafni(cotton robe) and showedthe boil on his body. Mahalasapati, who was standing near, exclaimed, Swami! What large boils are these? He touched Babas body and found that he was having high fever. The temperature might be as high as 105 or 106 F. The mother cried, O Baba! Has the disease affected not only myson, but you also? Who will protect you? She was in deep distress. Baba said, Is there any other to protect the one who is the protector of all? The mother immediately begged for Babas forgiveness. A short while thereafter, Babas fever came down.The mother returned home feeling happy. She saw that the fever and the boils had vanished from the child. She exclaimed,Baba, did you take on my childs illness?In this manner, Shirdi Baba used to demonstrate his powers as and when the occasion arose. What was the reason for this? It was solely due toParipoorna Viswasam(total faith) which people had in Baba. The devotees followed implicitly whatever Baba directed them to do. It is not so these days. Whenever anything is said by Swami ten questions are raised. Besides the questions, they are racked by doubts from head to foot! This is traceable to the influence of modern education. This system is undermining faith in human values. Whatever help a man may receive, he is utterly ungrateful. He forgets all the good done to him and remembers only the harm done to him. Consequently, the demonic nature has grown in human beings.In the old days, human beings retained at least human qualities. Today, men have only the human form but behave like animals. All their impulses are selfish. When their desires are fulfilled, they come smiling and uttering, Baba! Baba! If their desires are not fulfilled they have a different attitude. In such beastly beings, how can devotion to Baba exist? Only when men shed their animal natures, can they become human.This is the anniversary of the day, when Shirdi Baba gave up his mortal body. The facts relating to his passing need to be understood. On September 28, 1918, Baba developed fever. For 17 days thereafter hewas quite well. On October 15, Baba was not to be found anywhere. Nana, Kaka, Das, and Lakshmana Rao made a search for him all over the place. There was a small well nearby and they went to see whether he had fallen there. When they returned to Babas abode, they found him standing near the door. Baba told them,Where are you searching for me? I am in one place and you search for me elsewhere. I am in all pure hearts. You are searching for me in all polluted places. How can you find me? He then sat down.Baba left his body only on October 15. He developed high fever on September 28. Hewas keeping well for the next 17 days.After Baba left his body, several controversies arose. Mohammedans came there and claimed that the body belonged to them. The Hindus claimed that the bodybelonged to them. Baba used to declare from time to time, Allah Malik! Allah Malik! On account of this, Mohammedans claimed that Baba was a Muslim. At other times, Baba used to say, Rama Malik! Krishna Malik! For these reason the Hindus claimed he was a Hindu. Because of these rival claims, the body was kept for 36 hours as no decision could be arrived at regarding the manner of disposal of the body.To prevent clashes between the Hindus and the Muslims, the Collector, the Police Superintendent and other officials arrived there. They asked all the residents of Shirdito assemble there. They decided to take the vote of the people to find out how the majority of the local population wanted thelast rites to be done for Baba. Everybody favored the Hindu way of disposal of the body. When this decision was arrived at, a pit was being dug in the Booty Mandir. Some persons opposed the digging. The dispute went on and ultimately the Collector and the Police arranged for theSamadhito be consecrated in the Muralidhar temple. The temple is the presentSamadhishrine of Baba.At this time, a remarkable incident occurred in Simla. The garland given to Mataji Krishna Priya was placed on the idolof Krishna by her in the presence of all in her residence. Many wondered why she was garlanding the Krishna idol when she was devotee of Sai Baba and there was a picture of Baba there.Bhajanswere going on at that time. The garland placed on the Krishna figure dropped on the picture of Baba. The garland placed on the picture moved to the figure of Krishna. Everyone inSimla rejoiced in the discovery that Krishnaand Sai Baba were one.When all the people came there the next morning, they found that the garland given by Baba was no longer on the figure of Krishna. The garland was found on theSamadhiof Baba in the Booty Mandir.Why did Baba manifest such miracles? In those days, there were bitter differences between Hindus and Muslims. With a view to ending such communal differences, Baba wanted to show through his miracles the truth that Baba is the Supreme master of all beings. He has no differences of casteor community. His religion is common to people of all faiths. It is good for everyone. This is the creed for all mankind.Spiritual wisdom is not something received from others. It has to blossom from within. Each one has to develop the faith by his own efforts. Those lacking such faith make themselves remote from God. Their own actions account for such lack of faith.Many spend years here (in Prashanthi Nilayam). But for some reason or other, they go away. This is due to the effect of theirkarma. No man can escape the consequences of his actions.Whether one is a scholar or an ascetic, whether one is in a forest or a temple, can anyone avoid the consequences of his karma?Many who claim to be great devotees, fall away some time or other. The truth is that they were not true devotees even earlier. It is all make-believe. Whatever devotion existed will not go away; nor will devotion come where it was absent. This means that devotion was absent from the beginning. Those who used to proclaim their devotion by saying, Swami is everything for us, really had no devotion at all. It was all a show. No true devotee will ever leave Swami. The one who leaves is never a real devotee.In this context, it must be realized that the true nature of devotion cannot be comprehended by anyone.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Apr 2014 01:12:43 +0000
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