WHEN BABA BLESSED ME IN PERSON (September 1990)

March 2, 2006

As a healthy baby when I was only six months old I was suddenly taken ill

and that too so seriously lhat even after best medical treatment there was

hardly any hope of my survival. Just then one day a "Fakir" appeared at our

doorway and unexpectedly asked my mother if her son was seriously ill and

told her about a saint in Shirdi known as Sai Baba and advised her to seek

His blessings and help. My mother went in to tell the same to my auntie (my

father's sister) but when they both came out the "Fakir" was no more there.

Later they narrated the happening to my father and he soon decided to go to

Shirdi. My father had the good fortune of paying obeisance to Shri Sai in

person who blessed him and asked him to put a small silver ring around my

ankle. Needless to say that I very soon recovered and have lived 72 years of

fairly hail and hearty life that is still to end. When in Shirdi, as was the

practice then, my father went to take leave of Shri Sai Baba but he was

asked to stay on and he stayed back through reverence though he had an

important business meeting the next day in Bombay. When he left Shirdi it

was almost three hours after the scheduled lime of the train he was to catch

earlier catch. However, when he arrived at the railway station the same

train had just arrived three hours late and brought him to Bombay in time to

attend the meeting that was quite fruitful.

Now to revert to the interesting story of my silvcr_anklet which was known

in our family as "Sai Baba's Bedi". This silver Bedi was made bigger as

required from time to time by adding some silver and stretching the same

until it finally weighed five tolas and no more silver was then added but

merely beaten andslrclched as required. Wearing the Bedi caused no

discomfort as it had become a part of my body. Curiously enough, except my

father nobody in ihe family knew how long ihis was to be worn and where and

with what rites and rituals it was to be finally removed. Strangely it had

never even occurred to me to question him on this, may be subconsciously. I

had taken for granted that it was for lifetime. However, it was in 1950

(when I was 32 years of age), one day while taking with my falher about some

business mailer in our office, suddenly, wilhout any premeditation, I asked

him as to when the Bedi was to be removed and what was to be done about it.

(to be contd...)

K. M. Bhagvati

Bombay-49.

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

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