SHRI M.B. REGE'S RARE LETTER ABOUT BABA (1)

[Guest guest]

MEETING WITH SRI M.B. REGE – Sai's Ankita Child!

 

In January 1968, I had the rare chance of accompanying the pilgrimage

party organised by All India Sai Samaj, which was bound for Shirdi,

en-route, I had the good luck and unique experience of visiting

Bhadrachalam, Mantralayam and Pandarpur.

 

At Shirdi, my meeting with Sri M.B. Rege of Indore was memorable. He

was an amiable, kind hearted, soft spoken gentleman who was then

though eighty plus, beamed with the enthusiasm of a youth, while

narrating his memories of his Master and Mentor, Sri Sadguru Maharaj.

He was one of the chosen few who sat at the feet of the Saint of

Shirdi and bathed in His Divine Grace and drank the `amrit' of His

benign blessings in plenty.

 

I had two sessions of intimate and fruitful talks with him during

which I imbibed his inspiration born out of his experiences with the

holy presence of Sri Sainath, which enabled me to have a glimpse of

the ineffable range and depth of the Sidda Purusha's Life and Mission.

 

The words which flowed from the pure and sincere heart of Sri Rege,

had such a magical potency and power of Sathya that I almost had

Baba's darshan for a fleeting second and invoking His blessings,

could present a convincing and cogent pen picture of the Great

Master, in my serial entitled `Aalaya Darisanam' which I subsequently

wrote in Ananta Vikatan week after week. Sri Rege's immense capacity

to recall the many incidents in vivid details, and narrate them with

an undercurrent of emotional involvement, and spiritual commitment,

completely surrendering his ego at the feet of the Master, influenced

me deeply and as though transformed to those enviable days, I could

record with unmistakable authenticity, Sri Baba's daily routine, His

endearing mannerisms, the soothing manner of His comments, the

sweetness of His words, the charm of His smile, and the grace of His

eyes.

 

What all I read about Sri Baba, what all I saw and heard at Shirdi,

were enriched by my personal conversations with this staunch and

uncompromising Sai devotee. But certain doubts still lingered and

certain gaps remained unfilled in my mind and I took the liberty of

writing to Sri M.B. Rege after I returned to Madras, filling them

with numerous queries. Inspite of his age, failing health, family

mishaps, and domestic preoccupations he was kind and patient enough

to reply to me in great detail, because he must have been convinced

that I am very anxious to be authentic and factual as far as

possible, in my writings.

 

In his letters Sri Rege opened the windows of his mind and heart,

sometimes also anticipating my unexpressed doubts. In a later meeting

between us in Madras, he mentioned that some unseen power was

compelling him to confide everything to me -–even incidents and

feelings that were locked up in his mind all these years. He was

convinced that it was the Will of his Master that they must see the

light of day and get recorded in black and white through me.

 

Such a conviction of his was very much in evidence while he revealed

to me certain incidents hitherto unknown in the life of Radhakrishna

Ayee who, according to Sri Rege, was the very embodiment of `Madhura

Bakthi' of the Gopis and whom Baba referred to as His Mother.

 

I am happy I have been given this opportunity by the Sai Samaj

organisers to acknowledge with gratitude the great help rendered by

Sri Rege in my humble contribution to Sai literature. It is my great

pleasure and privilege to publish two valuable letters out of four or

five written to me by Sri Rege for the benefit and enlightenment of

Sai devotees and also for serving as authentic record for future Sai

biographers and research scholars.

 

BHARANIDHARAN

(SRIDHAR)

Chennai-600 017.

 

 

 

 

 

LETTERS OF SRI M.B. REGE

 

SRI GURUDEV

 

M.B. Rege, B.A., LL.,B.,

Advocate

28, South Tukoganj,

Indore, M.P.,

Tel: 7235

 

24th August 1968

 

Dear Brother Sridhar,

 

I received your letter of the 9th instant on the 15th; that was

probably delayed because of dislocation in the traffic. Your letter

of 22nd came into hand this morning. I regret the delay in replying

to your first letter. You had asked me to reply early, time and

health permitting. I had enough time and more to spare but incessant

rain and chilly weather gave me an attack of influenza and I had to

be in bed for over a week; even after that I ran a slight temp. I am

better now, but cannot sit for a long time. therefore I am dictating

this letter from my bed.

 

Let me first say that if you got the impression that I personally

witnessed the miracle of Baba going up a plank to sleep, it is

incorrect. As far as I recollect, I told you that my Revered brother

Shri Dasganu Maharaj had told me about it. There was no question of

peeping through because Baba slept in the open Masjid and Shri

Dasganu told me that he had stood in the open space in front of the

Masjid to find how Baba went up; and that he saw Baba either on the

floor or on the plank. I told you that Shri Dasganu would not invent

a story and that I believed him as though I had been with him myself.

 

When my Revered brother Narasimha Swami showed me his collection of

`Devotees Experiences' I told him that a large percentage of what

people had said was reflection of their own minds and his reaction

was characteristic of a missionary. he said "I know; but unless some

miracles or things out of the ordinary were mentioned, the mere man

would not be attracted to Baba. Swamiji's love and faith and the

Master's grace made it possible for so many persons being attracted

to get the blessings of the Master.

 

I shall now give brief replies to your questions.

 

1) The colour of Baba I would put as wheat colour but there were some

brilliance which cannot be described. At times there would be bright

aura round his face.

2) His height was approximately 5'10"

 

3) His daily routine was that in the morning just after sunrise he

would wash his face and hands sitting in what I may call the

Verandah. Then he would be in his seat smoking a tobacco chilam, and

people would come for his Darshan. About an hour later, He would go

to the Lendi. The route was through the village and Radhakrishna Ayee

would sweep the road backwards so as not to step on the swept

portion. The Lendi was then a sort of deep canal. some people

accompanied and awaited his return from the canal. He would be there

for about an hour. On his return he would wash his feet and then go

out for Bhiksha. During my visit I would accompany him. As far as I

know, He went to Lendi only once in a day.

 

4) I never saw him taking non-vegetarian food. Until 1911 to 1912

when people prepared several dishes of food and sent the same as

Naivedhya (kanniku), He used to take only the things he got as

Bhiksha. Even when he got the Naivedhya he did not abandon his

Bhiksha. I cannot vouch for the correctness of the statement in the

Sat-charitra. He did not take anything by way of breakfast or dinner

at night so far as I am aware. His meal was only the afternoon lunch,

after Arati, which was conducted in the same manner as is done now at

Shirdi.

 

I never saw Him suggesting medicine for his devotees. I have only

heard that he cured a blind person by putting a little chilli powder

in the eyes and once or twice prescribed the powder of some roots. he

usually gave udhi which almost always put on the forehead of the

devotees.

 

It is difficult to give the correct age of Baba, but it is said that

He was about 18 years when he came to Shirdi in about 1872 and on

that estimate He would be a little over 60 at his Maha Samadhi but he

looked older – about 80.

 

My information about the criminal case in which Baba gave evidence is

that a person from Shirdi committed theft of gold ornaments. He was

put up for trial and his defense was that Baba had given him the

ornaments. A summon was issued to Baba and later a warrant was also

ordered. On a petition by some devotees and others, the magistrate

agreed to His examination on commission. Baba said people called him

Sai, His father was Allah, and his residence everywhere and asked

about the ornaments, it is said that He replied, "who else gives

things". The magistrate accepted his statement as of a person who was

one with God but held that the accused was guilty and sentenced him

to imprisonment. When the people told Baba about the sentence, He

said, "Who gave the sentence, He who gave the ornaments also gave the

sentence".

 

Shri Radhakrishna Ayee once told me that she was three years senior

to me. I met her in 1910, when I was 22. She came from Ahmednagar to

Shirdi according to her statement in 1907. She did not cook food for

Baba until about 1911 when devotees celebrated some occasion like

Guru Poornima when her room was used for her and the devotees cooking

food. Otherwise as far as I know she did not cook even for herself

because she used to get her food out of Baba's Bhiksha. After 1912 a

part of the Bhiksha was sent to her and for me when I was there since

I was also asked not to take food elsewhere.

 

To my knowledge she did not go in front of Baba nor sing bhajan in

front of him. Whenever I visited Shirdi she and I with occasionally

one or two others used to wash the floor of the Masjid when Baba went

to the Lendi and just, two months before she passed away in 1917, she

came out after washing the Masjid, put her head on the open verandah

where Baba used to wash himself in mornings and apparently went into

a trance. Baba returned from the Lendi and patting her on the back

said, "Ramkrishni, why are you worry when I am there". She started

and ran away to her house. That was the only occasion when I saw Baba

saying anything to her personally but on a number of occasions I

found Baba having a sort of telepathic communication with her.

 

Radhakrishna Ayee gave birth to a child and I was informed that the

child died immediately after and so did she.

 

Before Maha Samadhi, people gathered on Ramnavami day and the Guru

Poornima, when there was mass worship and offerings to Baba of

clothes and sweets etc., The sweets were distributed and the clothes

normally returned to the devotees. Baba did not worship any idol and

his worship that I saw was that done by a siddha.

 

The Ratha was presented by me and Shri Avasthi but people did not

know this. It was brought over in the night and put up there. Shri

Dasganu came for Darshan in the morning and Baba in his usual way

said to him, "See what people do, look that turbat (Tazia), is this

devotion?" Dasganu blamed Baba for allowing these things to be done

and started violently swearing at such devotees. after 10 minutes

Baba started smiling and said, "Ganu, are you blind and have you lost

your head? It is not a turbat. It is my Ratha, and I shall move in it

the world over." Physically He never used it.

 

I saw Baba in a violent temper sometimes. I was told that in the past

he used even strike people with his satka. When He was in a temper,

few people dared to go near him but he cooled down and was his own

loving self in no time.

 

I cannot say that I saw him engaged in dhyana or prayers but the

shastras says and I believe a Siddha is in eternal dhyana and that

every moment of his life is spent in the service of God.

 

I trust I have made myself clear. If there is any further explanation

wanted, I shall be very happy as I am in duty bound to furnish it to

you.

 

I have been invited for the Maha Samadhi celebrations to Madras,

Coimbatore and other places. It is difficult for me to say in my

present condition of health whether I would be able to undertake the

journey. If I get well enough during the month that intervenes I

shall come to Madras and have the pleasure of meeting you there.

 

With love and kind regards.

 

Ever yours,

At the feet of the Master

(Sd.) M. B. REGE

 

(Courtesy: Sai Sudha, Golden Jubilee Issue – June 1990, All India Sai

Samaj (Regd), Chennai-600004, India)