WHAT A MERCY! (September 1985)

[Guest guest]

WHAT A MERCY! (September 1985)

My first visit to the Holy Shirdi was some 14 or 15 years ago when I had

been to Bombay. From Bombay I went via Manmad upto Kopargaon by rail and

then from Kopargaon to Shirdi by road. My joy knew no bounds when I was

accommodated in the upper floor attached to the Samadhi Mandir. An

impressive peaceful atmosphere prevailed everywhere and words fail to

express the bliss and happiness I felt by the darshan of Shri Sai Baba. I

stayed at Shirdi for a day or two and then returned to Palghat, my home town

which is in Kerala State.

 

My second visit to the Holy Shrine at Shirdi was some four years back. This

time my wife was also with me and we went by road from Poona to Shirdi. My

brother and his family also accompanied us from Poona. We went on a Thursday

and had to return the same day. I had some vague recollection of Shirdi, on

account of my first visit, but the development and growth of the place was

beyond imagination, and I could not identify the location of even Dwarakamai

and a guide was required for this purpose. A big township with many shops

and buildings had come up. After the noon Aarati we returned. Since I could

spend only a very few hours at Shirdi, I was not very happy. But I had to

console myself with thinking that it might be Sai Baba's will that I should

return on the same day. Baba's golden words came to my mind "I draw to me,

my men from far off or even across seven seas like a sparrow with a string

fastened to its feet."

 

My third visit to Shirdi was during March 1984. My son had just finished

his S.S.L.C. examination and I wanted to take him also to Shirdi to pray for

his success in the examination. My daughter was staying at Bellary and my

idea was to go to her first and then from there to Shirdi. Though it was a

crowded season, by Baba's grace without any difficulty we got reservation

upto Ahamednagar via Dhond. We got down at Ahamednagar at 5 A.M. on Monday

27th March and we reached Shirdi by bus at about 9 A.M. Soon after we got

down from the bus, a boy approached us and took us to the enquiry office of

the Shirdi Sansthan. He never waited for our thanks and disappeared just in

the same way as he appeared. This incident was as if pre arranged by Baba,

that is the only explanation. By Baba's grace we were allotted a bath

attached double room for two days in Sai Prasad, the building attached to

the Bhojanagriha.

 

After taking bath we hurried to the Mandir. As for my son, it was his first

visit and we were very anxious and eager to have the blissful darshan. My

heart was bursting with excitement when I entered the Mandir. On looking at

the idol of Shri Sai Baba, a thrill went through me and the unique

experience of divine bliss is indescribable. My eyes were simply flooded

with tears of joy and adoration and I was in a state of supreme happiness. I

left the Mandir after the Noon Aarati and I had the feeling of some big load

relieved from my head. Baba's words "If you look up to me, I look after you"

came to my mind and I had a deep feeling that I had come under the loving

protection and care of Sai.

 

From the Mandir we went to Dwarakamai and were there for some time sitting

under Baba's life-like portrait kept there. The ever blazing sacred Dhuni

kindled by Baba, the grinding stone and the Big Stone on which Baba used to

sit are all there as if in daily use. We drank some holy water kept there in

the mud pot and applied "Udi" to our foreheads and put a little in our

mouths. While leaving Dwarakamai the divine manthra "Sai BabaSai Baba"

was on our lips. A mysterious stream of faith enveloped us and Baba's words

"Why fear when I am here" came to our minds.

 

We also paid a visit to the Khandoba Mandir whose priest was Mahlsapathy.

Mahlsapathy was a perfectly pure, righteous and religious minded person who

was more or less free from worldly desires. It was Mahlsapathy's good

fortune that he could notice young Baba, along with a bride-groom's party of

Moslems headed by Chand Bhai Patel of Dhupkeda. The marriage party came to

Shirdi in carts and were getting down near the Khandoba temple. Mahlsapathy

happened to see this and when Baba got down from the cart he accosted him as

"YA SAI" and it is after this that our Lord became known as SAI BABA. After

a few minutes when Baba expressed his desire to stay in the Khandoba temple,

Mahlsapathy with his conservative outlook of an orthodox Hindu, objected to

this proposal of a person staying in a Hindu temple and showed him the and

showed him the dilapidated and vacant mosque where he could stay. Later, it

was this Mahlsapathy who turned into a zealous admirer and an ardent

worshipper of Baba. It was this Mahlsapathy who first worshipped Baba with

flowers, sandal, milk etc. after getting inside the Mosque. Other devotees

were waiting for this chance and in a short time this magnificient growth

and development of puja offered to Baba in the mosque turned the mosque

finally into a "Dwarakamai". Is not this in itself a wonderful Leela of SAI?

 

The two days of our stay at Shirdi passed off very pleasantly and we very

much wanted to stay for the third day because it happened to be a Thursday,

when there would be the spectacular Chavadi procession which we had never

seen. But we had accommodation only for 2 days and accommodation for the

third day could be made available only with the special permission of the

Sansthan Manager. Again by the grace of Baba we could get the permission for

the mere asking and we were overwhelmed with joy and pride thinking that

Baba is always with us.

 

Thursday being an auspicious day for Sai devotees there was a huge crowd of

pilgrims right from the early morning. The Mandir was fully packed from the

Kakad Aarati to the Noon Aarati. We also offered prayers at the

Grurpadukasthan and the Mahadev, Shani and Ganesh temples. At night the

devotees flocked to see the Chavadi procession. One is really fortunate to

witness and participate in this holy procession. We had the feeling that we

were transported to the Heaven on Earth.

 

On the next day early morning we left Shirdi with prayers on our lips for

blessings to conduct the Shirdi pilgrimage again and again. My son was an

average student and he offered prayers for his success in his S.S.L.C.

examination. Now the results have come and he is placed in a creditable

First Class. What more do' we want? What a Mercy!

 

Prof. P.R. Menon

KERALA

 

(The experiences of Devotees as published in Shri Sai Leela Magazine, can be

read at www.saileelas.org/magazines/SAILEELA/exp.htm)