Discipline

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

 

There was a sheristadhaar by name Thakad. His wife and 16-year old son were

ardent devotees of Shridi Baba. Tharkad did not object to their worship of Baba.

One day when they wanted to go to Shridi, he gave them his consent. But Tharkad

himself did not go to any shrine as he was a Brahmo Samajist. He did not to go

to Shridi despite many appeals from his wife.

 

Tharkad's son told his father that he would not go to Shridi because he was

performing regular worship to Shridi Baba in their house. This worship would be

affected if he went to Shridi. The lad told his father that every day he was

making an offering of sugar candy to Baba and he was partaking part of the

candy as prasaadh (blessed offering) out of the conviction that Baba was

receiving the candy. He declared: "I do not want any break in this practice.

Hence I do not want to go to Shridi." The father had great affection to the

son. He told the son: "Babu, I shall perform that duty. You better go to

Shridi."....

"Will you offer worship to Baba as I have been doing? Will you offer candy

to him and later eat part of it as prasaadh?" The father gave promise to carry

on the worship during his absence. The mother and her son left for Shridi.

The father performed the worship in the manner of the son for a few days.

Offering a candy to Baba, he took a part of it after the forship before taking

his meal. On a Thursday, Tharkad had some urgent business in the court and left

the house in a hurry after performing puuja (worship). Returning for his meal,

he asked the cook to bring the prasaadh. The cook informed him that he had not

offered any offering of candy that day. Tharkad was sorry that he had failed to

make the offering to Baba.

At Shridi, when the mother and the son went to see Baba on the following

Friday, Baba told the son: "Babu, yesterday I had been to Bangra, but no one

gave me any food. Even the candy which you use to offer daily was not

available. I have come back very hungry. Will you give me something to eat?"

The boy was shocked on listening the Baba's words. He wept in his mother's lap.

"I cannot stay here any longer. I must adhere to my daily routine." At that

time, Baba sent a chit to the boy through one dog. In his message, Baba said:

"There is no need for you to go now. Your father failed to keep his word, but

you have not failed in your duty. You have all my Grace. You can stay here as

long as you wish."

 

Source:

(Excerpts from details of short compilation: Sathya Sai Baba. SSS. Vol. 29.

Chapter 21).