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

[Guest guest]

(1) Attending Mrs.Deo's Udyapan Ceremony as a Sannyasi with two Others (Trio)

and - (2) Hemadpant's House in the Form of His Picture.

In this chapter we give two stories; (1) How Baba attended the Udyapan ceremony

of Mr.B.V.Deo's mother at his house at Dahanu and (2) How Baba attended the

Shimga dinner-party in Hemadpant's house at Bandra.

Preliminary Blessed is Shri Sai Samartha who gives instructions in both temporal

and spiritual matters to His devotees and makes them happy by enabling them to

achieve the goal of their life, - Sai He who when places His hand on their

heads transfers His powers to them and thus destroying the sense of

differentiation, makes them attain the Unattainable Thing. - He who embraces

the Bhaktas who prostrate themselves before Him with no sense of duality or

difference. He becomes one with the Bhaktas as the sea with the rivers when

they meet it in the rainy season and gives them His power and position. It

follows from this that he who sings the Leelas of God's Bhaktas is equally or

more dear to Him than one who sangs the Leelas of God only. Now to revert to

the stories of this chapter.

Mrs.Deo's Udyapan Ceremony Mr.B.V.Deo was a Mamlatdar at Dahanu (Thana

District). His mother had observed 25 or 30 different vows and a Udyapan

(concluding) ceremony in connection therewith was to be performed. This

ceremony included the feeding of 100 or 200 Brahmins. Mr.Deo fixed a date for

the ceremony and wrote a letter to Bapusaheb Jog asking him to request Sai Baba

on his behalf to attend the dinner of the ceremony, as without His attendance

the ceremony would not be duly completed. Bapusaheb Jog read out the letter to

Baba. Baba noted carefully the pure-hearted invitation and said - "I always

think of him who remembers Me. I require no conveyance, carriage, tanga, nor

train nor aeroplane. I run and manifest myself to him who lovingly calls me.

Write to him a pleasing reply that three of us (the trio), Myself, yourself and

a third will go and attend it." Mr.Jog informed Mr.Deo of what Baba said. The

latter was much pleased, but he knew that Baba never went

to any place except Rahata, Rui and Nimgaon in person. He also thought that

nothing was impossible to Baba as He was all-pervading and that He might

suddenly come, in any form He likes and fulfill His words.

A few days before this, a Sannyasi with Bengali dress and professing to work for

the cause of the protection of the cows, came to the station-master at Dahanu to

collect subscriptions. The latter told him to go into the town and see the

Mamlatdar (Mr.Deo) and with his help collect funds. Just then the Mamlatdar

happened to come there. The station-master then introduced the Sannyasi to him.

Both sat talking on the platform. Mr.Deo told him that a subscription-list for

some other charitable cause had already been opened by the leading citizen Rao

Saheb Narottam Shetti and so it was not good to start another subscription-list

and that it would be better if he would visit the place after 2 or 4 months.

Hearing this, the Sannyasi left the place.

About a month afterwards, the Sannyasi came in a tanga and stopped in front of

Mr.Deo's house at about 10 a.m. Deo thought that he came for subscriptions.

Seeing him busy with the preparations of the ceremony, the Sannyasi said that

he had come not for money but for meals. Deo said - "Alright, very glad, you

are welcome, the house is yours." The Sannyasi - "Two lads are with me." Deo -

"Well, come with them." As there was time (2 hours) for dinner, Deo enquired

where he should send for them. He said that it was not necessary as he would

come himself at the appointed time. Deo asked him to come at noon. Exactly at

twelve noon, the Trio came and joined the dinner party and after feeding

themselves went away.

After the ceremony was finished, Deo wrote a letter to Bapusaheb Jog complaining

of Baba's breach of promise. Jog went to Baba with the letter, but before it was

opened Baba spoke - "Ah, he says that I promised him to come but deceived him.

Inform him that I did attend his dinner with two others, but he failed to

recognize Me. Then why did he call me at all? Tell him that he thought that the

Sannyasi came to ask for subscription money; did I not remove his doubt in that

respect and did I not say that I would come with two others, and did not the

Trio come in time and take their meals? See, to keep My words I would sacrifice

my life, I would never be untrue to My words." This reply gladdened Jog's heart

and he communicated the whole of the reply to Deo. As soon as he read it, he

burst into tears of joy, but he took himself to task mentally for vainly

blaming Baba. He wondered how he was deceived by the Sannyasi's prior visit and

his coming to him for subscriptions,

how he also failed to catch the significance of the Sannyasi's words that he

would come with two others for meals. This story clearly shows that when the

devotees surrender themselves completely to their Sad-guru, He sees that the

religious functions in their houses are duly executed and complied with all the

necessary formalities. "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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