WHO SAVED YOU

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WHO SAVED YOU?

 

"During the life time of Akkalkotkar Maharaj a certain devotee suffered very

much from an incurable disease and when he could endure the agony and pain no

longer, be became desperate and to end his miseries threw himself one night

into a well. Immediately the Maharaj came there and took him out with his own

hands and advised him thus - "You must enjoy the fruit - good or bad - of your

past actions; if the enjoyment be incomplete, suicide won't help you. You have

to take another birth and suffer again; so instead of killing yourself, why not

suffer for some time and finish up your store of the fruit of your past deeds

and be done with it once and for all?"

Reading this appropriate and timely story, Ambadekar was much surprised, and

moved. Had he not got Baba's hint through the story, he would have been no

more. On seeing Baba's all-pervasiveness and benevolence, his faith in Him was

confirmed, and he became a staunch devotee." –Sri Sai Satcharitra, Ch. XXVI.

During His lifetime, Baba would be at Shirdi physically, but at the same time

would be appearing elsewhere to a devotee. While being at Shirdi, He would be

appearing in a person’s dreams and vision elsewhere. He would appear in His own

likeness, and He would appear in some other form. Sai Baba, in flesh and blood

at Shirdi, did not suffer from illusion that He was the body, there was no

reason why he should be bound by it, or why He should not assume another form

at will. Sai Baba, even after Mahasamadhi, performs His works at His will,

taking His own form some other form or directs others to do the same.

The incident happened in 1949. Sri Shantavanji was a great saint of Gujarat and

a disciple of Pujya Ramsharmaji. He was a worshiper of Bhagwathi Gayathri.

After leaving home, in his early year, he stayed on the bank of the river Ganga

for doing Gayathri sadhana. Not being able to concentrate, he started roaming

and reached Balaram, a holy place near Palampu, where the atmosphere is serene

and spiritual. He spent three or four days there in meditation.

Thereafter for reasons unknown, he began to feel discouraged and could not

concentrate. He was upset with himself and decided to commit suicide by jumping

into the river. He offered his last prayer in a Shiva temple. Reaching the river

bank, chanting the Gayathri Mantra, and ascertaining that there was nobody

around, was about to jump into the flowing river. A fakir caught hold of him,

smiled gently and enquired why he was doing that act. He told Shantavanji to

follow Him. The fakir’s words were so forceful and magnetic, that Shantavanji,

just followed Him like a dumb creature. The fakir got Shantavanji a railway

ticket to his home town and disappeared there after.

Sri Shantavanji did not know who the Fakir was, and after roaming the Himalayas

for meditation, finally settled at Karnali on the banks of the Narmada, Baroda

District. In 1979, thirty years after the incident, Sri Shantavanji was invited

to Sai temple, Surat, on the day of Dutta jayanthi, and for Gayathri yagna.

Sri Shantavanji had not visited any Sai temple, nor Shirdi, nor was he a devotee

of Sai Baba. On the night before the puja celebrations, Sri Shantavanji, who

used to meditate every night before going to bed, prayed for the reason why he

was selected for performing the pooja. In the night Sai Baba appeared in his

dream and asked Him "Have you forgotten me, who saved you thirty years ago in

Balaram…" on hearing these words, Sri Shantavanji immediately got up, taking a

bath, sat in meditation. In his meditation he saw Sai Baba in the place of

Gayathri and experienced bliss beyond description. He related this incident

when he went to the Sai temple for the yagna and pooja.

(Taken from the book "The Eternal Sai")

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