Sai Baba the Master

[Guest guest]

Not long after, his wife died but soon he was forcibly remarried. He felt

miserable and again left on his travels. Mostly he was in Pune where he

lived by rendering menial service or begging. He often tried in vain to

quench his hunger with water and margosa leaves and slept on bare earth.

But all the while he sought the company of holy sadhus. Then one of these,

a celebate sadhu, impressed upon him the merits of celibacy and devotion to

Lord Siva. In one of his moods of depression, an old Marathi lady had

taught him the verse which meant, “Maintain your life, even with water and

other things, if needed. Love God and bear your lot. Be patient in

misfortunes and spurn the smiles of fortune. Break the bonds of desire.

(But) Never leave the company of saints.”

 

After sometime he made for his home town to Satana. On the way he saw in a

dense wood, a hill with a cave, very difficult of access. He decided to

enter the same and there fast unto death. He climbed a neighbouring tree

and leapt from its branch into it.

 

The cave was four or five feet high, nine feet long and four feet broad.

He devoted his time for the repetition of the Lord’s name. Soon he attained

a high state of mystical trance, i.e.,samadhi. When he woke up from it he

was surprised to see someone standing by and flaying him alive. His skin

was coming off like the slough of a serpent. The shock of the vision had

brought him to normal consciousness more fully and he found that there was

no one there and his skin was intact. He experienced a keen thirst. His

throat was too parched to cry for water and there was none to help him even

if he did. His body was too stiff to move. Only his right forearm was free.

He again fell into a trance state. Soon there were clouds and a heavy

downpour. Water streamed near him in the cave, by the time he regained

normal consciousness. With his right hand he slaked his limbs till they

were restored to their natural condition.

 

Three days passed when he had a vivid vision: Thirsty, he was approaching

a stream for water. Two figures, a Moslem and a Hindu, were by his side.

They pulled off his old skin and displayed to him a shining body within and

said, “Why do you want to die? We are behind you and we won’t let you die.”

 

 

Source: http://www.saibharadwaja.org