Sai Baba the Master - Akkalkot Maharaj

[Guest guest]

Harischandra Pitale of Bombay had a son who suffered from epileptic fits.

On the advice of his friends he took the boy to Shirdi and by Sai Baba’s

grace the boy was gradually cured. After spending some days in Baba’s

blessed presence, the Pitale family sought his permission to return home.

Then Baba called Pitale near and said “Bapu, I have given you Rs. 2/-

earlier. Now I give you Rs. 3/- Keep these also in your shrine and worship

them. You will be much benefited.” Pitale received the gift, and returned

home.

 

The Pitales considered themselves blessed by their visit to Shirdi but

could not understand how Baba could have given them Rs. 2/- earlier; for

that was their first visit ever to Shirdi! Pitale’s mother, after cool

reflection said, “Just as you have visited Sai Baba with your wife and

son, so did your father visit the great Maharaj of Akkalkot when you were

a small child. That Swami blessed your father and gave Rs. 2/- and told

him to keep them in his worship. Your father worshipped them carefully

till his death. Thereafter the worship was neglected and the two rupees

could not be found. Now it is clear that the same Maharaj has manifested

himself in the form of Sai Baba and gave you the clue to recognize him as

such and blessed you with Rs. 3/- more.” Harischandra Pitale’s joy knew no

bounds. He realized that saints not only bless their devotees but care for

their children also.

 

A devotee by name Bhai Krishnaji Alibagkar worshipped the photograph of

Akkalkot Maharaj. Once when he was planning to go to Akkalkot, the Swami

of Akkalkot appeared in his dream at night and said, “Now I am at Shirdi.

Go there.” So Bhai went to Shirdi and worshipped Baba and stayed there for

six months. As a memento of his dream-vision, he prepared stone padukas

and installed them under the neem tree (under which Sai Baba sat before he

resorted to the musjid) in 1912 . Upassani Maharaj who was Sai Baba’s

devotee was at Shirdi at that time and he wrote a beautiful verse in

Sanskrit on Sai Baba which is inscribed on the pedestal of the padukas.

The padukas can be seen even today.

 

At the end of his stay at Shirdi, Bhai once again longed to visit

Akkalkot. When he sought Sai Baba’s permission he said, “What is there at

Akkalkot? That Maharaj is here now in my form! Why go there now?”

 

 

Source http://www.saibharadwaja.org)