Sai Baba the Master

[Guest guest]

Baba returned from the garden to the mosque about half past ten. There he

was awaited by professional dancers, musicians, and others who approached

him for blessings and for money. When Baba assumed his seat, they presented

their skills before him till noon. Devotees gathered there. Baba spoke to

them till the noon arti. G.S. Khaparde gives us an intimate picture of

these gatherings in his “Shirdi Diary” :

11-12-1910 : “We went to Sayin Saheb as usual and today, conversation was

both important and marked by two incidents. Sayin Maharaj said that he used

to sit in a corner and desired to exchange the lower part of his body with

that of a parrot. The exchange came and he did not realize for a year that

he had lost one lakh of rupees. Then he began to sit near a post and then a

great serpent woke up and was very angry. It used to jump up and fall from

above.”

 

Meaning : Parrot is, proverbial for lust. Baba exchanging the nether half

of his body with its body indicates that he had succumbed to the demands of

the flesh. The lakhs of rupees he had lost indicates that he had lost all

the spiritual power he had accumulated by earlier sadhana. The pillar

stands for the spine and sitting at its foot symbolizes meditating on the

base of the spine or muladhara. The jumping snake is the awakened kundalini

or the “serpent power”.

 

“Then Baba changed the subject apparently and said that he visited a place

and the Patil there would not let him go unless he made a plantation and a

hard foot-path through it. He said he completed both.”

 

Meaning : God is the land-lord or Patil. Raising the plantation signifies

the foundation of a spiritual centre. The foot-path stands for the

spiritual path which Baba had to lay for his devotees. The parable

indicates that God has ordered Baba to play the role of a guru. It is

interesting to note that Baba did raise a garden at the spot where now

stands the samadhi mandir which is the beacon light to innumerable

spiritual seekers.

“Some people came in at this time. To the man he said, ‘You have nobody

but me to look after you’. Looking round, he added (regarding a woman) that

she was a relation of his and had married the Rohillas who looted the man.

Then he said that the world is bad. People were not as they were before.

Formerly they used to be pious and trustful. Now they are unbelieving and

disposed to contemplate evil; then he added something which I could not

catch. It was something about his father, grandfather and his becoming the

one and the other alternately. Now as to the incidents: Mr.Dixit brought

fruits. Sayin Saheb ate some and was distributing the rest.

 

Balasaheb, mamlatdar of this taluka was there and said that Sayin Maharaj

was giving away only fruits of one kind. My son told his friend

Mr.Patwardhan that Sayin Maharaj accepted or refused fruits in proportion

to the devotion with which they were offered. This made a little noise and

Sayin Maharaj looked at me with an eye that blazed wonderfully and sparkled

at me with anger. He demanded what I said. I replied that I was saying

nothing and that children were talking with each other. He looked at my son

and Patwardhan and changed the mood immediately. Towards the close

Balasaheb Mirikar remarked that Sayin Maharaj was talking all through to

Haribhau Dixit”.

 

Source: http://www.saibharadwaja.org