Guest guest Posted July 28, 2005 Report Share Posted July 28, 2005 RAO BAHADUR S.B.DHUMAL, B.A., LL.B, Pleader, Brahmin, aged 63, Nasik, says: I was first (in 1903) devoted to Gajanan Maharaj whom I took to Srimant Gopal Rao Buti. About 1907 I went to Sai Baba. From my very first visit, I was greatly impressed with his extraordinary personality. At his unspoken command, I took Buti to him and at once Buti also became his devoted follower. Among the services of the latter to Baba, perhaps the most momentous and memorable is his allowing his huge stone-pile (Dagdiwada) to be used as the temple for the reception of the mortal remains and the worship of Baba. It Is difficult to sort out my recollections of Baba, as I consider that every act of mine and every event In my life is moulded and directed by him. I may quote some sayings and acts of His which throw light on what Sai Baba is, has done, and is doing for devotees (like me). Once Baba told me "At every step of yours, I am taking care of you. If I did not, what will become of you, God knows". This was no overstatement. At another time, when we two were alone, Baba told me "Bhau, the whole of last night, I had no sleep". I: Baba. why so? Baba: 1 was thinking and thinking of you, all the night. At this declaration, I was overpowered by a sudden gush of love, gratitude, surprise etc. feelings which could find no other expression than a free flow of tears. What intense love he had for me! What an amount of trouble he took for my sake! Just as I was always thinking of him, he was kind enough to think of me - with this difference. My thought of him, though loving, was weak, and I could render him no real service. But his love was accompanied by such vast insight and such power that I was helped in every act and event. He could and did foresee things far ahead ai-d took every required step to avert the evil and accelerate or promote the good that was coming to me. There are numerous instances that may be cited to show this. Outsiders may not be convinced that every such benefit derived by me was and is due to his guidance and ordering. But some instances of his help are so glaring that any fair-minded inquirer who is open to conviction, will be immediately convinced of the truth of what has been stated by Baba and by me. I have lived in this ancestral house of mine in the main road of Nasik, all my life. When plague broke out and dead rats were found in the house, I wrote to Shirdi for Baba's direction before moving out and left the house as soon as I got his reply. As I am ever under his protection and doing nothing without his guidance, I felt perfectly safe in remaining in the house till I got his reply. He has said that at every step he was guiding me. I knew he was guiding me - I had implicit faith in the truth of his words. He knew everything that was happening or was to happen at Nasik or in any other place and would not allow any harm to befall me while I was placing this childlike trust in and reliance on him. During all these twenty nine years of such reliance, there is not a single instance in which such protection failed or such trust found misplaced. After receiving Baba's reply, I moved to a bungalow at Nasik. But the same night a dead rat was found near the bed of my brother's son at the bungalow. Again I sought Baba's advice by letter whether I should move away. The reply was in the negative. And contrary to the rules of prudence and wisdom of medical experts and laymen, I kept on living with my family at the bungalow. No harm befell us. Later, dead rats were found in the servants' quarters, in the houses, in the neighbournuod, and lastly, in the well from which alone we had drawn all our supply of water for drinking, cooking etc. At this. I wrote "at once to Baba for permission and in anticipation of its arrival which I considered as certain, I packed up all our things and carted them off to this our house in the Bazar Street. I went to the house and was just trying to unlock the front door, when a postal letter from Shirdi was delivered to me. That conveyed Baba's reply to me, "why should we give up (Le.,change) our residence?" I adopted this advice without question or demur and went back immediately to the infected bungalow and lived in it. (As for water. I took the precaution of avoiding the well and getting all our water from the river Godavari) This further apparently risky and foolhardy step of reoccupation did not result in any harm to us. There were times during the Plague Season when there were 14 or 15 deaths per day due to plague in the town - and despite that fact. Baba bade us stay in the house in town and we were all safe. *************************************************** One devotee has kindly requested me to pass on this following message to all SaiBandhus. -------------------------------- Copies of this book "Devotees' Experiences of Sri Sai Baba" published by Akhanda Sainama Sapthaha Samithi, B/3/F, 15 Krupa Complex, Anandabagh, Hyderabad 500 047 can be had on payment of Rs.50/(fifty only) from this Hyderabad address.This is for devotees information. MAY SAI BLESS US ALL!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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