ATTEND NAMA SAPTHAHA - BABA WILL BE HAPPY ON YOU

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ATTEND NAMA SAPTHAHA – BABA WILL BE HAPPY ON YOU

A mahatma called Gangagir Bua organized a nama saptaha (chanting of God’s name

continuously for seven days and nights) in Shirdi in 1896. Only a few villagers

took part, and this lack of interest provoked Gangagir Bua, he went angrily to

the mosque and indicating Baba to the villagers, said, "This is a diamond. And

now this diamond is lying on this dung-heap of a village. Heed my words all of

you! He will change the very shape of Shirdi." Gangagir stalked away angrily

and left Shirdi. I (Tatya) followed him to Rui village and had his darshan. I

begged forgiveness on behalf of all the villagers of Shirdi and asked him to

organize the nama saptaha once again. At first he did not agree. I then

followed him to many places and took part in the nama saptahas with him and he

eventually softened and came to Shirdi for the Dasara Festival. I think I was

17 or 18 at that time. When I told Baba about my attending the nama

saptahas he was very happy about it. From then onwards I started going to the

mosque quite often. Baba loved me as his own child and never let me go anywhere

without his permission."

Initially only Mahalsapati used to sleep in the mosque with Baba, but once Tatya

became intimate with Baba he also began sleeping there every day and when Baba

started spending alternate nights in Chavadi, Tatya slept in the mosque

whenever Baba was there. But Baba never permitted anyone other than Mahalsapati

and Tatya to sleep in the mosque. In his Sri Sai Satcharitra Hemadpant describes

the way these three slept in the mosque like this.

"Vasudeva (Vishnu) always lives in the hearts of mahatmas. Those devotees who

have the good fortune of staying in the close vicinity of such mahatmas are

blessed. Tatya and Mahalsapati are two such blessed souls who slept with Baba

in the mosque. How great is their merit that they had such enormous good

fortune, for Baba had the greatest of liking for them both and loved them

equally. These three would keep their heads to the east, west and north and

sleep with their feet touching each other. They lay down and kept talking to

each other till the late hours of the night. If anyone dozed off the other two

would shake him awake. If Tatya fell asleep and started snoring, Baba and

Mahalsapati would shake him, push him about and wake him by pressing hard his

head, legs or back. Tatya slept with Baba for fourteen years in this manner,

leaving his parents at home. How can we measure the love Tatya had for Baba? In

the same way can anyone put a value on

the love Baba had for Tatya? Those sweet days were unforgettable. Even though

those days have gone, the sweet memories of them linger on. When Tatya’s father

passed away, the responsibility of the house fell on Tatya and from that time on

he slept at home."

Baba’s love and kindness will always fall copiously like a gentle rain on

devotees such as Tatya and Mahalsapati. Their reminiscences give us all a great

experience of Baba’s love. _Sri Sai Satcharitra, Chapter 8 page 18

I will never send anybody away empty-handed who has come to me with faith and

devotion. This is my promise. _Sai Baba

Every night between 8 and 9 Tatya Patil would take some rotis, milk and jaggery

to the mosque and offer them to Baba. Baba would taste a little and give the

remains to Tatya, along with 35 rupees. Baba gave 35 rupees to Tatya every day

until he entered samadhi, as he did to many devotees, which they used to call

their daily wages. He would give 55 rupees to the fakir of Malegaon every day.

The next greatest amount of 35 rupees was given to Tatya.

(... to be continued)