Baba's Helping Hand (July 1975)

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BABA'S HELPING HAND (July 1975)

 

During the 'Ashadh' month of 1949, a batch of Devotees from Hyderabad

left for the Darshan' of Shri Sai Baba's shrine at Shirdi.

Being monsoon season, the journey was an ordeal. After a 20-hour dusty

train journey, the party reached the railway station of the

jaggery town of Kopargaon. The tired members of the party had their

luncheon before they set out on a journey by bullock cart to the town.

There were no buses in those days from Kopargaon railway station.

One had to cross the river Gadavari, that runs majestically

through the town, to catch a bus to Shirdi. The present road -

over - bridge was under construction at that time. The three mile

journey to the shore was arduous, since the road was neither metalled nor

asphalted. Due to rain, the black cotton pathway became slushy. This

gave more strain to the bullocks. On reaching the shore, the party

found that the low level bridge across the river Godavari was almost

about to submerge into water. A ferry boat was plying from one shore to

another over which the people with their belongings were crossing the

beautiful river. The party wanted to do the same thing. But the

cart-man suggested that he would take the party by his cart to the other

shore through the low-ebb bridge across the river. The party agreed in

order to avoid transhipment by the boat. The cart restarted the

journey over the low-ebb bridge. When the cart was half way through,

there was down pour. The river became furious. The water level

was rising very fast. The cartman lost his control over the bullocks.

The bullocks missed their stride and were virtually floating on

the water. The water current was very heavy. One of the

cart wheels got stuck to a boulder. There was no parapet wall to

the low-ebb bridge and the water force was pushing the cart,

endangering it to fall into the river. The members of the party were

chanting the name of Shri Sai Baba in chorus. They almost lost the hope

of survival and were prepared to meet the watery grave with the Lord's

name on the lips. Chanting of Sai's name in high pitched tones by the party

rent the air. Suddenly from nowhere, a middle aged man appeared

before the bullocks and voluntarily assumed control over the bullock cart.

The cartman removed the boulder and the stranger piloted the cart

slowly towards the other shore. The chanting of Sai's name was

continuous. The water subdued as the stranger drew the

cart cautiously to the other shore. The clouds cleared and there was

sun-shine. The crowds, that were watching from the shore the party's

plight, rejoiced with joy and shouts of "Sai Baba ki Jai" rent the air.

Mr. Baliah, the head of the party was so immensely happy that he took out a

ten rupee note to be presented to the stranger, who helped the party to

safety. .But lo! the stranger disappeared. The searching eyes of Baliah and

other members of the party could not locate him. The baffled Mr. Baliah

put a question to himself as to who was that stranger. WAS HE BABA

HIMSELF?

After the evening 'darshan' of the shrine, the party retired to the

cottage. Mr. Baliah fell asleep and a gentleman appeared in his dream,

who told him that he erred in the accounts of the 'hundi for the Shrine

of Shri Sai Baba. Mr. Baliah got up in excitement and calculated

the accounts on paper. And to his sbocking surprise, he discovered

the error to the correct pie as -pointed out by the gentleman in his

dream.

It was divine!

Ananthula Neeraja

Secunderabad (A. P.)

 

 

 

The experiences of Devotees as published in Shri Sai Leela Magazine, can be

read at www.saileelas.org/magazines/SAILEELA/exp.htm