The Arrogance of Wealth Sat Baba Stresses the Moral

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XVI. THE ARROGANCE OF WEALTH SAT BABA STRESSES THE MORAL

 

Sri Sai Baba told Nana Saheb one day that he would give him advice

about wealth and that Nana should follow it. Nana promised.

Baba said "If any one begs for anything in your power or

possession, give it if you can. If you cannot, give a suave

negative reply. Do not mock, ridicule or get angry with the

applicant. If you do not like to give do not say that you have not

got the article when in fact you have. Do not resort to such

indirect methods. Will you remember?"

Some months later, Nana was being pressed by a saint at Kopergaon

(which lay on his way from Ahmadnagar to Shirdi) to provide funds

for building a stone flight of steps to the Dattu Temple -a temple

which Nana always visited enroute to Shirdi. Nana had promised a

gift of Rs. 300 but came on this occasion without any money for

the construction. He felt it some what distressing to go to the

temple as usual, as he would have to explain to the saint why no

money was brought. So be deviated from his straight route and took

an unusual bypath to avoid the temple and the saint. The bypath

was full of thorns and both Nana and his friend ran thorns in

their feet and other parts of their body.

Would not Talk : (Mitra dandam abashanam)

When they reached Shirdi, Baba would not, for a long time, welcome

him or talk even a single word to him which was quite the reverse

of the usual practice of Baba. Sorely distressed, Nana asked Baba

the reason for such treatment. Baba said, he did not like to talk

to persons who promised to remember lessons taught but failed to

keep up the promise. Nana protested that he remembered and

followed Baba's lessons.

Baba: "You, sir, avoid seeing "Sircar" (i.e., God Datta) and take

a devious route. Why? Because the saint would ask you for the Rs.

300. Is this the way to remember my lessons? If you could not get

the money, you could go and tell him so. Would he eat you, if you

faced him? But what device is this, getting away from seeing God

Datta on your way and going by an indirect route? And have not

thorns got into you and your friend? How am I to talk with such a

person?" Nana repented his mistake and promised to amend his ways

in the future.

Duty to respect holy objects en route: The sastras declare that

one should circumambulate and worship images, cows, if they adjoin

one's route. Nana Saheb thus usually worshipped the holy image of

Datta on the banks of the Godavari at Kopergaon on his way to

Shirdi. Once when he was taking his brother-in-law to Shirdi, he

dissuaded the latter from going to that temple to avoid loss of

time. When they reached Shirdi, Baba was very angry.

With Beggars :

On another occasion, Baba gave Nana another lesson.

Baba: "Nana, if anyone comes and begs for anything, give as much

as you can or care to give. If that person be not satisSed and ask

for more, refuse it courteously. Do not flare into a passion or

parade ail your official authority".

Nana promised to follow the advice as it seemed very easy. Some

six months after this advice was given, Nana Saheb was at his own

house at Kalyan, upstairs. A beggar woman came to that house and

was pestering Mrs. Nana Saheb with repeated requests for more and

more of Bhajani (fried mixture of grains) Mrs. Nana had given half

her stock and the beggar wanted the whole stock and refused to

budge an inch, unless and until her demand was complied with. Mrs.

Nana lost all patience, sent for her husband and told him the

facts. Nana Saheb grew angry and calling out for a peon, told the

beggar "If you do not quickly receive what is gives and go away,

the peon will neck you out of the bouse".

Knew It All:

When next Nana visited Baba, the latter would not talk to him.

Nana wondered what the matter was and finally asked Baba the

reason for the chill reception.

Baba "How can I talk to one who does not care for the advice I

have given?"

Nana: "Baba, what lesson have I forgotten?"

Baba : "That day when the beggar was importuning you for Bhajani,

why did you call your peon to expel her and why did you show all

your official hauteur? What did it matter if she stayed some time

longer with her prayers for more? If you gently refused, she would

have ultimately left quietly. Why call for a peon to expel her

bodily?"

Nana recalled the event and recognised how the prevloui advice

exactly applied to that event. He repented and resolved to

amend.

 

 

(This is from the book"The Wonderous Saint Sai Baba"

written by Pujyasri B.V.Narasimaswami,founder President of All

India Sai

Samaj, Chennai...........This book can be read from

www.saileelas.org)