XXX. Transforms a Priestly Bigot

[Guest guest]

XXX. TRANSFORMS A PRIESTLY BIGOT

SRI SAI BABA'S CARE FOR CHILDREN

 

Babu, the little pet of Sri Sai Baba whose rebirth as the son of Rao Bahadur

M. W. Pradhan has already been described, was the instrument for the

conversion of an orthodox Telugu priest, who had bean carrying on extensive

pooja's etc. for the benefit to the Pradhan family. When Babu once fell ill,

the priest look the view that the sickness was due to the family worship of

Baba, (whom he took to be) a Muslim neglecting Datta* One night when the

child was lying very ill upstairs, its mother thought of sending for the

priest Meanwhile the priest himself climbed upstairs and mentioned

remarkable vision. He saw a figure, like that of Sri Sai Baba, sitting on

top of the staircase, holding a baton in one hand. That figure told him

"What do you mean? I am the Lord of this house". The priest was so much

influenced by the sight that he began to pray to Baba and said that in case

the child should be able to swallow milk within five minutes and recover

health from the next day, he would recognise Baba to be Datta, go to Shirdi

and pay him a dakshina of Rs. 120. The child took milk within five minutes

and began to play some hours later. The priest was converted into a devotee

of Baba and fulfilled his vow.

A Timely Warning :

A child of Mr. Pradhan was getting occasional fits which caused considerable

anxiety while they stayed. One night at 11 p.m. Mrs. Chotubai Pradhan was

thus addressed by Baba in her sleep : "Are you sleeping? Get up. Your boy

will have convulsions". At once she woke up with a start and looked at her

boy. He was alright then. But Baba's kind warning should not be ignored. So

she set about getting all the accessories needed for treatment of 'fits'

readyt e.g>, a charchoal fire, hot water, Eau-de-cologne, etc., and kept

watch. At 2 a.m. the boy awoke with convulsion and all the family were

roused. The presence of everything needed helped to combat the disease and

in half an hour it passed off. How kiad of Baba to give such timely warning

of an impending danger!

Even in little matters Baba used his omniscience. Ant-tir-jnana as the

Bombay devotees term it, for their benefit. Mrs. Chotubai was oace

worshipping Baba at the mosque. He suddenly stopped her and bade her go back

to her lodgings. Going there she found that her little baby was crying, and

sh* put it to sleep and came back. ''Now do your pooja" remarked Baba on her

return to the masjid. What vast concern for a crying baby! The masjid was

too far off from her lodgings to let her hear the baby's cries. But Baba

htard all cries attywhere and he came to the fescue.

At Danger Points :

Baba's care was not confined to children born with a silver spoon in their

mouth. There was a humble family of Babu Kirwanaikaf at Shirdi with a little

daughter aged 3 and named Santi. She used to say that she was Baba's sister;

Baba was fond of her. One day she slipped into a well and it might have

proved fatal, as the neighbours thought. But going up to the well they found

that the child was floating above water holding on to a ledge. "Baba held me

up" said the child. There was no other explanation for her safe escape. The

fall had not injured her in the least.

A child ran one day along a water-covered lane of Shirdi. By the side of the

lane, a very deep trench had been cut for building the foundation of a

house. The trench was full of" storm water and was about 5 feet deep.

The child walking in full dress with a cap and umbrella slipped into the

trench, unnoticed by anyone but somehow it came out of the trench, without

knowing even how to swim. "Baba showed me that there were steps to climb

up and I walked up those steps" said the child.

 

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

V.Narasimaswami,founder President of All India Sai Samaj,

Chennai...........This book can be read from www.saileelas.org)

[Guest guest]

Om Sai Sri Sai Jai Jai Sai,

Today I read from Sai Satcharita. and then I read your story and my

computer began to OM. Blessings to the wonders of Sai. Om Sai Sri Sai Jai Jai

Sai

sister dobby sommer, california, usa