Sai Baba the Master

[Guest guest]

Left to himself, Baba spoke very little. Mostly he was calm and quiet,

speaking only when it was absolutely necessary. He never laughed loudly but

smiled gently. Most of the time he used to sit with his eyes closed. When a

devotee approached him for darshan, he used to glance at him. Sometimes he

did not do even that. Yet he was always playful in the presence of

children.

 

The most surprising thing is that Baba never sat leaning against the wall

in the mosque. Even when he sat with his legs outstretched,he always sat a

few inches away from the wall. Besides, he never lay down during the day.

He hardly visited any temple at Shirdi.

 

Sri Marthand, the son of Mahalsapathy had watched Baba and his ways quite

closely. He told me that at certain times Baba used to send for a barber

named Balanai and used to have his head shaved. Balanai used to trim Baba’s

moustache so that its ends looked pointed. After the haircut Baba used to

thrust his hand into the pocket of his kufni and pay the barber whatever

came to his hand. But it was always much in excess of the normal payment

due for a shave.

 

There are a few characteristic gestures and actions of Baba. Every morning

he used to walk down to and from the mosque to the cross roads in front of

the neem tree or what is now called the Gurusthan. Then he used to stand

infront of the musjid and wave his hands towards the cardinal points

repeatedly as though he beckoned to some invisible entities. Then he used

to turn to his seat in the musjid.

 

One Hardwar Bua came to Shirdi. He always used to sit near the pillar at

the corner of the sacred fire in the musjid. One day a girl sat in that

place. Hardwar Bua soon came there and commanded her to get up and sat

there. Baba flew into a rage and ordered all to clear out from the musjid

and to sit in the frontyard. After some time Hardwar Bua again entered the

musjid and sat in his usual place. But Baba again drove him out. Then the

Bua realized that Baba was displeased with what he did to the girl. When

everything belongs to God how can anyone claim anything as his own,

including the sitting place?

 

 

Source: http://www.saibharadwaja.org