Blessed Sai Devotee-Nanasaheb Chandorkar

[Guest guest]

innocent and ignorant people for their money - making business and thus

encouraged blind belief- which is not based on any scientific, objective or

rational thought or judgement. Ultimately however he came to Shirdi for the

first time in 1892 [approximately] .Nanasaheb Chandorkar visited Shirdi in

1899 with his sister-in-law’s husband, Shri Biniwale. Baba scoled Nanasaheb for

dissuading Biniwale, a devotee of Shri Dattatmya from visiting Datta Temple on

the bank of Godavari River to avoid delay in reaching Shirdi.However, Baba

welcomed him and said. ‘Oh’, you have atlast come to me after several messages.

Nana, you do not know why from among thousands of Nanas in the world I have

specifically invited you. Later in the company of Baba Mr Chandorkar had an

intellectual dialogue and then was awe-struck by a very very original and new

interpretation of Geeta given by Baba. In 1904/1905 , in Chandorkar’s life when

his daughter was pregnant at Jamner in Jalgaon District and had

severe pains of delivery , Baba made all the arrangements in His mystic ways to

send (udi) (ash) at Chandorkar’s place - HE took the form of tange and its

driver to reach Ramgir in time to Jamner and the moment udi was swollowed by

Maina (Chandorkar’s daughter), because of Baba's grace, the crisis was over and

child birth took place without any harm to the life of the mother.In 1906,

Nanasaheb Chandorkar transferred as Mamlatdar from Nandurbar to Pandharpur. On

the way, he stopped at Shirdi! With his family and started requesting Baba to

accompany them to Pandharpur and stay there permanently with them. The devotees

then told Nanasaheb about the singing of bhajan just finished in which Baba’s

mood of going to Pandharpur and staying there forever was expressed.Later

Chandorkar, along with his assistant Mr Das Ganu took a lead in spreading

Baba’s mission to impart knowledge about One God (Allah Malik Ek Hai- The

Almighty Master is only one everlasting reality). This is how

Baba was very watchful and cared for His devotees by going beyond time and space

dimensions. When Nanasaheb was once sitting in the Masjid with Mhalsapati

and others, a Mahomedan gentlemen from Bijapur came, with his family, to see

Baba. On seeing veiled ladies with him, Nanasaheb wanted to go away, but Baba

prevented him from doing so. The ladies came and took the darshan of Baba. When

one of the ladies removed her veil in saluting Baba's Feet and then resumed it

again, Nanasaheb, who saw her face, was so much smitten with her rare beauty,

that he wished to see her face again. Knowing Nana's restlessness of mind, Baba

spoke to him, after the lady had left the place as follows-"Nana, why are you

getting agitated in vain? Let the senses do their allotted work, or duty, we

should not meddle with their work. God created this beautiful world, and it is

our duty to appreciate its beauty. The mind will get steady and calm slowly and

gradually. When the

front door was open, why go by the back one? When the heart is pure, there is no

difficulty, whatsoever. Why should one be afraid of any one, if there be no evil

thought in us? The eyes may do their work, why should you feel shy and

tottering?"

Shama was there, and he could not follow the meaning of what Baba said. So, he

asked Nana, about this on their way home. Nana told him about his restlessness

at the sight of the beautiful lady, how Baba knew it and advised him about it.

Nana explained Baba's meaning as follows-"That our mind is fickle by nature, it

should not be allowed to get wild. The senses may get restless, the body,

however, should be held in check, and not allowed to be impatient. Senses run

after objects, but we should not follow them and crave for their objects. By

slow and gradual practice, retlessness can be conquered. We should not be

swayed by the senses, but they cannot be completely controlled. We should curb

them, rightly and properly, according to the need of the occasion. Beauty is

the subject of sight; we should fearlessly look at the beauty of objects. There

is no room for shyness or fear. Only we should never entertain evil thoughts.

Making the mind desireless, observe God's works of beauty.

In this way, the senses will be easily and naturally controlled, and even in

enjoying objects you will be reminded of God. If the outer senses are not held

in check and if the mind be allowed to run after objects and be attached to

them, our cycle of births and deaths will not come to an end. Objects of senses

are things harmful. With Viveka (discrimination) as our charioteeer, we will

control the mind, and shall not allow the sense to go astray. With such a

charioteer, we reach the Vishnu-pada-the final abode, our real Home from which

there is no return"."Gurur Brahma Gurur VishnuGurur Devoh Maheshwar;Gurur

Shakshat ParambramhaTashmai Shri Gurur Veh Namah"May the Merciful Sri Sai Baba

always shower His grace on us and our families and remove our problems and

anxieties by giving us all - strength , goodluck, success and happiness with

peace of mind.Sai bhakt,Deepa Hdebu7366