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Chapter XXVIII

Sparrows Drawn To Shirdi

(1) Lakhamichand - (2) Burhanpore Lady - (3) Megha

Preliminary

Sai is not finite or limited. He dwells in all beings, from ants and insects to

the God Brahma. He pervades all. Sai was well-versed in the knowledge of the

Vedas, as well as in the science of Self-realisation. As He was proficient in

both these, He was well-fitted to be the Sad-guru. Any one, though learned, but

not able to awaken the disciples and establish them in Self-realisation, does

not deserve to be called a Sadguru. Generally the father gives birth to the

body, and death invariably follows life; but Sadguru does away with both life

and death, and so he is more kind and merciful, than any body.

Sai Baba often said that-let His man (Devotee) be at any distance, a thousand

koss away from Him, he will be drawn to Shirdi like a sparrow, with a thread

tied to its feet. This Chapter describes the stories of three such sparrows.

Lala Lakhamichand

This gentleman was first serving in the Railways and afterwards in Shri

Venkateshwar Press in Bombay and thereafter in the firm of Messrs. Ralli

Brothers as a munshi (clerk). He got the contact of Baba in 1910. One or two

months before Christmas he saw in his dream at Santacruz (a suburb of Bombay)

an old man with a beard, standing and surrounded by his Bhaktas. Some days

later he went to the house of his friend. Mr Dattatreya Manjunath Bijur to hear

the kirtan by Das Ganu. It was always the practice of Das Ganu to keep Baba's

picture in front of the audience while making the kirtan. Lakhamichand was

surprised to see that the features of the old man he saw in his dream, tallied

exactly with those in the picture and thus he came to the conclusion, that the

old man, he saw in his dream was Sai Baba himself. The sight of this picture,

Das Ganu's kirtan and the life of the Saint Tukaram on which

Das Ganu discoursed, all these things made a deep impression on his mind and he

pined to go to Shirdi. It is always the experience of the Bhaktas that God

always helps them in their search for Sad-guru and other spiritual endeavours.

That very night at 8-00 p.m. a friend named Shankarrao knocked at his door and

asked him whether he would accompany him to Shirdi. His joy knew no bounds and

he at once decided to go to Shirdi. He borrowed Rs.15/- from his cousin and

after making due preparations left for Shirdi. In the train, he and his friend

Shankar Rao did some Bhajan (sang religious songs) and enquired about Sai baba

with some fellow passengers-four Mahomedans, who were returning to their place

near Shirdi. They all told them that Sai baba was a great Saint living in

Shirdi for many years. Then when they reached Kopergaon he wanted to buy some

good guavas for offering to Baba, but he was so much enrapt with the scenery

and sights there, that he forgot to purchase them. When they

were nearing Shirdi, he was reminded of the guavas; just then he saw an old

woman with a guava-basket on her head, running after the tanga. The tanga was

stopped and he gladly purchased some select fruits, when the woman said - "Take

all the rest and offer them on my behalf to Baba". The facts viz. that he had

intended to purchase guavas, but that he had forgotten to do so, the old

woman's encounter and her devotion to Baba, all these were a surprise to both

the friends; and Lakhamichand thought in his mind, that the old woman might be

some relation of the old man he saw in his dream. Then they drove on and came

near Shirdi and seeing the flags on the Masjid they saluted them. With Puja

materials in hand, they then went to the Masjid and worshipped Baba with due

formality. Lakhmichand was much moved and was extremely happy to see Baba. He

was enrapt with Baba's Feet as a bee with a sweet smelling lotus. Then Baba

spoke as follows :-

"Cunning fellow, he does bhajan on the way and enquires from others. Why ask

others? Everything we should see with our own eyes; where is the necessity to

question others? Just think for yourself whether your dream is true or not?

Where was the necessity of the darshan by taking a loan from a Marwari? Is the

heart's desire now satisfied?"

Hearing these words Lakhamichand was wonderstruck at Baba's omniscience. He was

at a loss to know how Baba came to know about all the things that had happened

enroute from his house to Shirdi. The chief thing to note in this respect is

that Baba never liked people to run into debt for taking His darshan, or

celebrating any holiday or making any pilgrimage.

Sanza

At noon when Lakhamichand was sitting for meals he got some sanza

(wheat-pudding) from a devotee as Prasad. He was pleased to have it. Next day

also he expected it, but got nothing. So, he was anxious to get it again. Then

on the third day at the noon Arati time, Bapusaheb Jog asked Baba, what

naivedya he should bring. Baba told him to bring sanza. Then the Bhaktas

brought two big potfuls of sanza. Lakshamichand was very hungry and there was

some pain in his back. Then Baba said to him - "It is good that you are hungry,

take sanza and some medicine for the pain in the back." He was again

wonderstruck to see that Baba again read his mind and spoke out what was

passing therein. How omniscient was He!

Evil eye

On this occasion, he once witnessed one night the procession to the chavadi.

Baba then suffered much from cough. He thought that this suffering of Baba

might be due to somebody's evil eye. Next morning when he went to the Masjid

Baba spoke to Shama as follows - "I suffered last night from cough; is it due

to some evil eye? I think that somebody's evil eye has worked on me and so I am

suffering". In this case Baba spoke out what was passing in Lakshamichand's

mind.

On seeing these proofs of Baba's omniscience and kindness to His Bhaktas, he

fell prostrate at Baba's Feet and said - "I am much pleased with your darshan.

Ever be kind and merciful to me and protect me always. There is no other God to

me in this world except Your Feet. Let my mind be ever rapt in Your Bhajan and

Feet. Let Your grace protect me from the miseries of the world and let me ever

chant Your name and be happy".

After getting Baba' Udi and blessing he returned home with his friend, much

pleased and contented and singing Baba's glory on the way. He remained a

staunch devotee of baba afterwards and always sent garlands of flowers, camphor

and Dakshina with any person of his acquaintance bound for Shirdi."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

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