DEVOTEES' EXPERIENCES OF SRI SAI BABA BY H.H. NARASIMHA SWAMIJI - PART II

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mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">23rd SEPT, 1936, DADYAGIARI ST., BOMBAY sri

narayan asram, Sanyasi and disciple of Vedasrama Swami (Taraka Muit, Durgaghat,

Kashi), residing at Vaman Muth, Gangapuri Wai, (Satara District), aged 58, says:

Arial"> I knew Sai Baba, i.e., heard the name and the great­ness of Sai Baba in

1910 from Das Ganu Maharaj's kirtana. I asked him "Is Sai Baba living?" He said

"Yes, at Shirdi." In five days of that, I went to Shirdi and saw Sai Baba. In

six months thereafter, I paid Baba nine visits. I often went to Him in later

years also. I was then in service, in the Customs Department and continued in

it till 1926 when I retired on pension after 31 years service. 1927-1930 I

spent in "Nar-amada Pradakshina". In 1933 I took Sanyas changing my former name

:Toser" to the present one, I came first under a Guru's influence in 1895 whom I

saw in a dream. When I went to Shirdi in 1910 and had

my contact with Sai Baba, I found that He was the same as the Guru who gave me

first inspiration (without any words) in my dream in 1895. Then I passed after

1918 into the charge of Vasudevanand Saraswati of Garudeshwar on the banks of

Narmada near Nanded (in Gujarat). Though Vasudevanand Saraswati left the flesh

in 1915 he had connection with Baba. I believe that Baba has left me in his

charge. So, Vedasrama Swami of Kashi. Taraka Muth, Durgaghat, gave me deeksha

in 1931. I mostly stay at Wai.

As for my internal progress and Sai Baba's influence on me, it is hardly a thing

to be de­scribed. Sai Baba had different ways of dealing with different people.

He was the centre and to each man He darted a separate radius. Most cared for

external things only and hardly any came to Him for the highest spiritual

benefit of Atma Nishta. Hari Sitaram Dixit, Chandorkar and Dabhollkar were

probably those who came close enough to Him to receive high teaching. Yet it is

a question, if any of them got into Atma Nishta or anywhere near that. Baba had

made Dixit read Eknath's two works, as he

was but a beginner in the religious field and had to develop his bhakti

(devotion) chiefly. Of course, immediate proximity was not needed for

development under Baba. When I was at Shirdi, I would mostly go and sit away by

myself in the (Sathe) Wada and not be at the Mosque. Even at the Wada, one is

under Baba's direct influence. As for Baba's own state, that is a thing one can

get a glimpse of from some facts. Baba had a way of touching (with His palm) the

head of the devotee who went to Him. There was no adhikari evidently to receive

everything Baba could give and thus there was none to succeed to His position.

But His touch did convey certain impulses, forces, ideas, etc. Some­times He

pressed His hand heavily on the head as though He was crushing out some of the

lower impulses of the devotee. Sometimes He tapped, sometimes He made a pass

with the palm over the head etc. Each had its own effect—making remarkable

difference in the sensations or feelings of the devotee. Baba's touch was one

means. Apart from that, He would invisibly operate on the nature of the devotee

and effect a great change in him. He graciously conveyed to me without any

words, the feeling that differences (between vari­ous souls etc.) i.e., all

differences were unreal, that the One real thing is that which underlines all.

This was after my first visit in 1913 or 1914 perhaps. But Baba never spoke out

this truth so far as I know. Obviously there was not compe­tent adhikari who had

to be spoken to in that way,.

mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> -- to be contdDevotees can read this book

from the Book Section ofwww.Saileelas.org/books/exppart2.htm

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