WHEN THE KING OF THE JUNGLE PAID OBEISANCE TO THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE!

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WHEN THE KING OF THE JUNGLE PAID OBEISANCE TO THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE!

Sri Sai Baba had entered mahasamadhi on the 15th of October 1918. About a

week before this, a tiger drew its last breath in front of him, kneeling on

the steps of the mosque. This tiger was buried near the temple to Shiva at

Shirdi upon the instructions of Sri Sai Baba. A statue of the tiger was put

in Dwarkamai commemorating this incident. From this it may be seen as to

what extent this divine play of Baba had impressed all the devotees and how

it was stamped indelibly in their memories. We are giving a detailed account

of this divine leela of the tiger from the Sri Sai Satcharitra written by

Sri Hemadpant, on the occasion of the 83rd anniversary of the mahasamadhi of

Sri Sai Baba that will be celebrated next month in October.

This account is a translation from the original Marathi

The Editor

 

 

 

Can a beast of the jungle, cruel and vicious, have the knowledge and

discrimination men have? But even such a beast got succour and refuge at the

lotus feet of Sri Sai Baba. His divine play is unfathomable. Listen to this

story attentively. This story will show you Sri Sai Baba’s all pervasiveness

and equal concern for all.

Just a week before Baba’s mahasamadhi an astonishing incident took place in

Shirdi. A bullock cart came to the mosque. In the bullock cart was a tiger

tied with thick iron chains linked firmly to it. He was suffering from some

disease. As it is, it was fierce and terrible. To add to which the disease

made it irritable. It was fearsome to look at. There were three dervishes

and the tiger was their means of livelihood. They would hold shows with the

tiger, moving from village to village and thus eke out a living for

themselves. They had exhausted all remedies for treating the tiger but the

disease was not cured. In the end they hoped that the tiger might be cured

by the darshan of a mahatma. At this time, Baba’s wonderful leelas came to

their ken. So they brought the tiger to Shirdi for the darshan of Sri Sai

Baba. They led the tiger down from the bullock cart in the forecourt of the

mosque. They held fast to the chains of the tiger and waited at the entrance

of the mosque for Baba’s permission. They came to Baba and paying their

obeisance explained the condition of the tiger to that incomparable saint.

All the people were watching this spectacle avidly. The dervishes obtained

the permission of Baba and holding the tiger firmly by the chains brought it

in front of Baba. The tiger came to the steps of the mosque and looked at

Baba. It saw that blazing radiance and bent its head down in great respect

unable to face the effulgence of that saint maharaj. Baba cast his kindly

eye on the tiger as it was ascending the step and the tiger too looked at

him with love in its fearsome eye. At once he struck the ground thrice with

its tail and knelt in front of Baba. It gave a terrifying roar and fell dead

at the lotus feet of that kindness incarnate. People gaped in wonder at such

a death of the tiger.

The dervishes were sad that their means of living was snuffed out in an

instant. Later they reconciled and became happy that the ailing animal had

the darshan of that saint and was thus liberated by the merit of its past

lives. Great is the merit for death before the eyes of a saint. Be it a

worm, an insect, tiger or man; they become free from all sins at once.

Baba’s feet are like the boon granting gem chintamani. The siddhis great and

small kneel before him. All the treasures of this universe pay obeisance to

him and take the water touched and thus made holy by his lotus feet.

A living being that dies with his head placed on the feet of a saint is at

once liberated. Unless one has great merit one cannot get the opportunity of

giving up one’s body in front of a saint’s eyes. Even poison is converted to

nectar in the presence of such saints and mahatmas. Those who die thus never

suffer rebirth. Their sins vanish. They are liberated. Death in front of

saints in no death - it is liberation.

Maybe this tiger was a learned man in his previous birth. He may have

insulted a devotee of god because of its pride and ego of knowledge. Perhaps

it was born as a tiger in this life as a result of the curse of that

devotee. By its great good fortune, the tiger had the darshan of Sri Sai

Baba and all its sins were at once burned away. It gained liberation. The

dervishes were happy that the tiger could thus achieve liberation at the

feet of Sai Maharaj.

 

 

(To be contd....)

 

Source (source www.saipatham.org) Saipatham Sep 2001 Magazine