BABA AND HUMOUR (8)

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BABA AND HUMOUR

 

Another humorous incident has already been mentioned. When Mr.

Sadasiva Tarkhad who was not employed came to Baba hoping to find

employment with Baba's aid. Baba suddenly ordered him to go back to

Poona in company with Tatya Patil and others who were going to

Ahmednagar to see a film. This looked very cruel and heartless, nay

horrid, to send the man back without a job and asking him to go and

attend to amusements, when there was no provision for him to earn his

bread. But he went with them to Ahmednagar and thence to Poona. At

Poona he found that a local mill needed manager badly, as the

labourers had given trouble and a capable manager was wanted. The

mill authorities had been sending telegrams to find out where

Sadasiva Tarkhad was. Baba knew of it, and had yet humorously omitted

to inform him sending him back in time to get the mill managership.

 

One day a very old goat just on the eve of death strayed into the

Mosque mandap. Baba asked Bade Baba to cut it with a knife. Bade

Baba's heart revolted against this needless cruelty and he left the

Mosque. Baba asked Shama to fetch a knife from Ayi and kill it. Ayi

sent the knife, but learning that it was for killing the dying goat,

recalled the knife. Again Shama professing to go out for another

knife decamped. Baba was enjoying the humour all the time. Then he

sent for H.S. Dixit, and asked him to fetch a knife and kill it.

Dixit was the soul of obedience to Baba, and he was very intimately

attached to Baba. So he took up a knife in his hand and asked Baba,

`Shall I kill it?' `Yes', said Baba. Then he still hesitated Baba

said, `Why are you hesitating?' Then Dixit determined to kill it, for

with him, obedience to Baba was superior to sympathy for creatures.

As Dixit was just lowering his knife over the head of the head of the

animal, Baba suddenly stopped him, and said, `Do not kill the animal,

I will myself kill it'. Then he took up the animal over his shoulders

and walked few paces. The creature then breathed its last. Baba knew

full well what was going to happen and was only enjoying the fun, and

also testing the mental development of devotees. This test showed the

perfection of Dixit's devotion.

 

 

There are many more instances of Baba's humour, but it seems to be

hardly necessary to labour the point. Baba like every other human

being appreciated a humorous situation and he indulged in the humour

not merely because it was natural but also because the human side

must be presented to devotees along with his divine side so that they

may be able to have the courage to grasp the Baba personality.

Without the human, the divine part of Baba's personality could not be

so well grasped and utilized by the devotees. One more excellent

illustration of how the two combined in another saint may be

mentioned at the close of the chapter.

 

The late Sri. C.N. Kuppuswami Iyer, Judge of the High Court of

Madras, in trying to recall Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, for whom he

had the highest reverence said, `I see now before my mind's eye the

smiling face and the one protruding single solitary tooth projecting

from behind his lip and his uttering valuable and sacred lessons for

the people to learn'. Thus, it is the physical personality with the

peculiarity of one projecting tooth that constituted the human

element with which the divine element of presenting holy and lofty

truths was intertwined in the judge's memory. This is an excellent

illustration to show how we remember clearly what seems to be

irrelevant human feature. The irrelevant human feature that comes in

just the same position with the noble divine features and by the law

of association of ideas the whole thing is remembered together, and

the irrelevant human feature proves to be a handle with which the

divine is drawn and made use of. This is very frequently the case and

that is why we are asked to study Avatars and deal with Bhagavatas

before realising the nature of Bhagawan. We get at Bhagawan through

Bhagavatas. We get at God through the saint and not otherwise. Daivam

Manusha rupena is an oftquoted saying. So the human is wanted-the

human in the Bhagavata and saint. That is why there are prayers in

Srimad Bhagavata in which the devotee prays to God.

 

Aham Hare Tavapadaikamoola

Dasanudaso Bhavitasmi Bhuyah

Manasmareta Asupateh Gunante

Grinita Vak Karma Karotu Kayah

 

This mean, May I, O Hari, be born again as a servant of those

devotees who have solely taken refuge in your lotus feet. Let my mind

ponder over and my tongue celebrate the excellence of the Lord of my

life, and let my body be of your service.

 

The highest Bhagavata who had lived in modern days and whose fame has

reached us, is Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi, always absorbed in God with

Allah Malik ever on his lips and in his heart, resigning all doership

to God and ever intent on serving Him in all His forms of living

beings and ever desiring service, loving service not salvation not

annihilation nor total merger in Brahman.

 

Na Naka prishtam

Na cha parameshtyam,

Nasarva bhowmam

Na Rasadhipatyam

Na Yogasiddhir Apunarbhavam V

Samanjasys Twa Virahayya Kankshe.

 

which means, I do not long for Heaven nor Brahmaloka, nor ruler-ship

of this entire world or of the Rasatala world, nor all the Yoga

Siddhis nor escape from Rebirth, O God – if thereby I am to be with

you.

 

(Courtesy: H H Pujyasri B. V. Narasimha Swamiji)