LIVE EXPRIENCES OF THE TARKHAD FAMILY WITH SHRI SAI BABA OF SHIRDI -1st Meeting with Lord Sai

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1st Meeting with Lord Sai

"Om Shri Sainathaya Namaha."

This incidence had taken place on a summer day. Jyotindra had just . had his

lunch in an Irani Restaurant near Metro Cinema and was sing the road to go back

to St Xavier's School where he was studying. This was his daily routine to have

lunch in the Irani Restaurant during the recess time. That day while crossing

the road one Fakir dressed in a white Robe accosted him and begged for alms.

Jyotindra took out a coin of one paisa (a copper coin with a hole in the

center) from his pocket and offered the same to that Fakir and was proceeding

to the school. But the Fakir stopped him and he told Jyotindra that it is one

Paisa (denomination) coin of 1894. In those days people use to offer one pai as

charity thus one paisa was rather a much higher amount to be given as charity

from a student. Jyotindra told the Fakir that he daily gets four annas for lunch

purpose and therefore he can give away one paisa as alms. Besides, this one

paisa is a running denomination so that the Fakir should not worry about it.

The Fakir then laughed and said, "Allah Bhala Karega," Jyotindra then proceeded

to school and forgot about this incident,

Jyotindra had two elder brothers named Satyendra and Ravindra who were studying

in medical college. Satyendra further acquired the degree as GGMC (Graduate of

Grand Medical College later changed to MBBS). He is the uncle of the writer

staying in Konkan Nagar at Matunga. (He is no more and his son & daughter are

staying there). Jyotindra's brother was a doctor, his uncle was a doctor, and

his grandfather was not only a well-known medical practitioner but also the

family doctor of Viceroy of Bombay, then. In short it was a doctors family for

Jyotindra.

But inspite of so many doctors in the family Jyotindra's mother means writer's

grandmother was suffering from migraine and use to get severe headache. All

sorts of medicines were tried but her migraine appeared to be incurable.

They had a house maid who worked with them and suggested to her she should go to

one Pir called Maulana Baba near Bandra Masjid, who she further told gave some

Ayurvedic medicines which were seem to cure even acute diseases.

Now in those days for a Hindu lady to go to a masjid to meet a Pir was an

extremely difficult proposition. My grandmother suggested to her son Jyotindra

who by nature a dare devil character organized for a Burkha and took his mother

by car to Pir Maulana Baba. But natural when a human being is suffering from any

acute ailment such religious boundaries are no longer difficult to transcend.

But after meeting Maulana Baba their difficulties increased instead of easing

out. Maulana Baba told my grandma that for this ailment that she was suffering

from he did not have any medicine to offer but he told her that, "I have a

brother named Sai Baba who stays at Shirdi and you can go to him. He will cure

you and relieve you from all your sufferings"

Now both of them were in great difficulty. Firstly my grandfather was a strong

headed Prarthana Samajist and they knew that he would not give them the

permission to "meet such Babas. Secondly where is this Shirdi situated and how

to go there was a big question?

However Jyotindra did not give up (Dear readers, here I believe that it was

written in their destiny to meet Shri Sai Baba and therefore no one could stop

them in doing so.)

He collected all the information from the owner of the Irani Hotel near Metro theatre.

He came to know that Shirdi village is in Ahmednagar District and one has to go

by train up to Kopargaon via Manmad. Then from Kopargaon one has to travel in a

horse cart to reach Shirdi, which is 9 Kms away. This means one has to be away

from home for at least 3 days. Anyway Jyotindra organized for his father's

permission and made all the arrangements for the journey. On one Friday evening

both the mother and son left for Shirdi. On Saturday morning they were in

Shirdi. They had made all the enquiry and after they had freshened themselves

they reached Dwarkamai to meet Shri Sai Baba. They saw Sai Baba was sitting in

front of the sacred Dhuni (Fireplace lit by Baba). My grandma bowed in front of

Baba and touched his feet.

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They looked at each other and what transpired between the two is as follows:

Baba said to my grandma, "Dear mother you have come. My brother from Bandra has

guided you to me. Please sit down. Oh mother you' have a very severe headache

is it not?" Then Sai Baba dipped his five fingers in the pan of Udi, (sacred

ash) and hit the forehead of my grandma with that Udi laden hand. He held the

forehead firmly in all the five fingers and said "Oh Mother from now onwards

till your death you will never get any pain in your head. This headache of

yours has disappeared forever." Dear readers my grandma was stunned with this

act of Sai. She had not uttered a single word of complaint and how could

SaiBaba knew the purpose of their visit and her sufferings. I think two acts of

SaiBaba made a complete transformation of my grandma. One-the exchange of looks

between them i.e. Eye

contact and the hitting of the forehead with Udi laden hand. In fact it was an

order to that decease to go away from that head. My grandma had never ever had

such a powerful dose of medicine. What transformation she was experiencing she

only knew it better. The sad look on her face from the headache had

disappeared. She was feeling fighting fresh. She told my father Jyotindra to

bow to Baba. My father was astonished to see all this. His mother had never

ordered him like that earlier. Then my father bowed to Baba & touched his feet.

Instantly Baba said to him" Dear Bhau (Brother),have you not recognized me?" My

father replied in the negative. Then Baba told him "Please look at me and

stress your memory and try to recollect." My father could not come to any pass.

Then Baba put his hand in the pocket of his Kafani (robe) and took out the

..copper coin of one paisa. He showed the same to my father and said "Hey Bhau!

Do you remember this copper coin dating back to the year

1894, which you had given as charity to one Fakir while on your way to school?

Now my father was beginning to recollect the incident narrated at the beginning

of this chapter, His eyes were in tears and he instantly held Baba's legs in his

hand. . Baba lifted him and said "Hey Bhau, that afternoon the Fakir you had A

met was none other than me and your this one paisa coin I am returning ^ to

you. Please take it back and preserve it very carefully. It will breed in

multifold of paisas for you."

Now dear reader devotees you will surely agree with me that such a pleasant Sai

Darshan which my grandma and father had must have been unmemorable for both of

them and then onwards they automatically got attracted to him forever.

After this 1st divine Sai meeting the Tarkhad family decided to reckon SaiBaba

as their Guru and they completely gave up themselves for his devotion. The

headache of my grandma had vanished forever and her devotion towards God

increased multifold. The one paisa coin was put to worship in our house.

We use to ask our father what exactly use to happen after meeting SaiBaba. He

use to state that the Blissful Sight in his eyes had an enormous attraction

which would pull any one towards him and that Midas-touch in his powerful hands

could heel any deep wound. As you all know that SaiBaba never equated himself to

God & would always state that he is a messenger of God. However my father use to

say that the priest of Khandoba Temple (later turned great devotee of SaiBaba)

Mhalsapati Bhagat had very appropriately named him in his very 1st meeting

saying"Aao Sai Baba Aao."Our India is a land of many spiritual Babas and their

devotees name them accordingly. My father use to say that SAI name suggests

everything. His explanation was the word

SAI in Marathi ) means SAAKSHAT (actual) and the word I means ISHWAR ( God).

Thus from his point of view Sai Baba means Saakshat Ishwar Baba. I must say

that what my father had experienced during his visits to Shirdi was something

amazing and any common man like him after undergoing such divine experiences

would come to only one conclusion that SaiBaba possessed that supernatural

Godly Power. I consider myself lucky to have been born in this blessed family

and wish that Sai's blessings be with us for all time to come.

"Om Shri Sainathaya Namaha."

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With Baba Nothing is Impossible

Baba guide us all

Sairam

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