XXXVI. When Gifts are Promised and Forgotten

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XXXVI. WHEN GIFTS ARE PROMISED AND FORGOTTEN

 

More than thiry years ago, as Sri Sai Baba was seated at this mosque, two

Decani Brahmins came and prostrated before him. Baba asked Shama to ask one

of them to pay Rs. 15 as dakshina. Shama asked and the money was paid

readily. The other man found that Baba did not ask him for anything. Yet as

he felt strongly in the matter, he voluntarily paid Rs. 35. Baba just

handled the amount and promptly returned it. Shama was surprised and spoke

to Baba.

Shama : Lord! I have never seen the like of this! The thirty-five rupees

voluntarily paid, you refuse to accept. The other and smaller sum, fifteen

rupees you beg for and accept* What is the discrimination !

Baba: Shama, you do not know. I receive nothing from anybody. This Rs. 35 is

not ours. But the Rs. 15 is Datta's and he has made it over to "Masjid Ayi"

(a phrase denoting Baba's personality as functioning at masjid).

Baba paused a while and further explained his statements in his

characteristic indirect way which none but the concerned parties could

follows.

Baba: He was first poor and earned nothing. He then made a vow to Datta,

that if he should secure employment by Datta's grace, the first month's

salary should be made over to that God. He did secure employment on Rs. 15.

That was long, long ago. Then there was steady increase in his salary which

went up by leaps and bounds to Rs. 700 aid over. In the full tide of

prosperity, the old vow was clean forgotten and Datta's debt remained

unpaid. The force of this Karma drove him here. So I asked him to give my

fifteen rupees as a dakshina.

Then was there another incidenl. I was going on by the seaside. There was a

huge and beautiful house there—owned by a rich Brahmin, of good family. The

Brahmin gave me my night meal. There was a clean and neat place, near the

cupboard. He pointed out that place, as good for me to sleep in. I slept

there. When I was sound asleep, that man used his skill in the grafter's art

and quietly removing a stone slab in the wall, gained acces to me. He gentjy

cut off an entire roll of note—thirty notes, each of the face value of Rs.

1000. I woke up in the morning and was aghast at the loss of my fortune. I

was greatly upset and did not know what to do. That Brahmin must have done

it. I felt sure. But where was the proof? I lost all interest in food and

drink and sat on the verandah of that house moaning over my fate. A passing

fakir noticed my evident dejection and made kind enquiries a» to its cause.

I unburdened myself of the tale of my woe. Thee said he "Do act up to my

directions, and you will recover yours. There is the fakir that I shall

mention to you. Make a vow that you will go and see him if the money is

recovered. Meanwhile give up yaur favourite dish of food, and do not taste

it till the money is recovered". I followed th« fakir's directions and

recovered the money. I left that house. Again I went by the sea. There was a

steamer I wanted to get into. But the master of the boat would not allow me

to get in as the boat was already full. Then a belted peon said: "These are

our men". On that peon's intercession, I got in. Then I took train and came

to Masjid Ayi.

As Baba was speaking, Shama was much mystified. But the two visitors wert

deeply impressed and were shedding tears.

Then at Baba's bidding, Shama took the visitors home and fed them. There

Shama observed that Baba*s talk was quite mystifying, since Baba never went

to the seaside, never ha-d 30,000 rupee, never lost money, and never

recovered them as was just stated. But the visitors said that every wofd

that Baba spoke was the truth—about them.

The first visitor had indeed made a vow to Datta dedicating the first

month's salary to God, and said that having risen from Rs. 15 to over Rs.

700 he had forgotten all about h, and that Baba who was undoubtedly God was

very kind to him in calling up that amount and releasing him from the

obligation under the vow.

The second visitor also confirmed the account given by Baba about Rs.

30,000. When Baba said "I", that only denoted this visitor who was the

person despoiled of thirty notes, each a thousand in value. The "Brahmin",

i.e., cook who had served him for 30 years, one night removed a slab in the

wall and approaching this visitor purloined the entire sum. A report to the

police was fruitless. So he was sitting with a long and down cast face at

his verandah, when a fakir told him that if a vow be made to Sri Sai Baba of

Shirdi (to go there if the money is recovered) the money would be surely

recovered; and that meanwhile, he should forego the use of his favourite

dish.

"I like rice best and I vowed not to taste it and I made the other vow

also", said he "In 15 days the cook came to me of his own accord and

returned the entire amount stolen by him. I then was tossing between Bombay

and Goa by sea. Baba again appeared in my dream, to remind me of the

unfulfilled vow. At Goa we made up our minds to start for Shirdi— i.e., to

go by boat to Bombay and thence to take train. But the boat at Goa was full

and space was refused. Suddenly there was on board a belted peon totally

unknown to us; and he said, "Please let them come in; they are our men". So

w« were admitted.

The visitor added; "What vast knowledge is Babas! What vast control over

every thing and person is His! But for Him, how would the theif return such

a large sum and how would we even get a place in the steamer! Baba is Sarva

Antaryami. He ii inside each heart, knows its secrets and controls it".

 

 

(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)