Sai Satcharitra-Let us all read it together, a little everyday

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Mr. Cholkar's Sugarless Tea

Initially, Baba was known in Poona and Ahmednagar Districts, but Nanasaheb

Chandorkar, by his personal talks and by Dasganu, by his splendid Kirtans,

spread the fame of Baba in the Konkan (Bombay Presidency). In fact, it was

Dasganu - May God bless him-who, by his beautiful and inimitable Kirtans, made

Baba available to so many people there. The audience, who come to hear the

Kirtans have different tastes. Some like the erudition of the Haridas; some his

gestures, some his singing, some his wit and humour, some his preliminary

dissertation on Vedanta, and some others, his main stories and so on; but among

them, there are very few, who by hearing the Kirtan get faith and devotion or

love for God or saints. The effect of hearing Dasganu's kirtan on the minds of

audience was however electric, as it were. We give an instance here

Dasganu was once performing his Kirtan and singing the glory of Sai Baba, in the

Koupineshwar temple in Thana. One Mr. Cholkar, a poor man serving as a candidate

in the Civil Courts in Thana, was amongst the audience. He heard Dasganu's

Kirtan most attentively and was much moved. He there and then mentally bowed

and vowed to Baba saying - "Baba, I am a poor man, unable to support my family.

If by your grace, I pass the departmental examination, and get a permanent post,

I shall go to Shirdi, fall at Your Feet and distribute sugar-candy in Your

name." As good luck would have it, Mr.Cholkar did pass te examination and did

get the permanent post and now it remained for him to fulfil his vow, the

sooner the better. Mr. Cholkar was a poor man with a large family to support;

and he could not afford to pay for the expenses of a Shirdi trip. As is well

said, one can easily cross over Nahne ghat in Thana District or even the

Sahyadri Range; but it is

very difficult for a poor man to cross Umbareghat, i.e., the threshold of his

house. As Mr. Cholkar was anxious to fulfill his vow as early as possible, he

resolved to economize, cut down his expenses, and save money. He determined not

to use sugar in his diet; and began to take his tea without it. After he was

able to save some money in this way, he came to Shirdi, took Baba's darshan,

fell at His Feet, offered a coconut, distributed it with a clean conscience

along with sugar-candy as per his vow and said to Baba that he was much pleased

with His darshan and that his desires were fulfilled that day. Mr. Cholkar was

in the Masjid with his host Bapusaheb Jog. When the host and the guest both got

up and were about to leave the Masjid, Baba spoke to Jog as follows:- "Give him

(your guest) cups of tea, fully saturated with Sugar." Hearing these

significant words, Mr. Cholkar was much moved, he was wonderstruck, his eyes

were bedewed with tears, and he fell at Baba's Feet again. Mr. Jog

was also curious about this direction, regarding the tea-cups to be given to his

guest. Baba wanted by His words to create faith and devotion in Cholkar's mind.

He hinted as it were, that He got the sugar-candy as per his vow and that He

knew full well his secret determination not to use sugar in his diet. Baba

meant to say, "If you spread your palms with devotion before Me, I am

immediately with you, day and night. Though, I am here bodily, still I know

what you do; beyond the seven seas. Go wherever you will, over the wide world,

I am with you. My abode is in your heart and I am within you. Always worship

Me, Who is seated in your heart, as well as, in the hearts of all beings,

Blessed and fortunate, indeed, is he who knows Me thus."

What a beautiful and important lesson was thus imparted by Baba to Mr. Chokar !

"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