Shirdi Baba's First Miracle

[Guest guest]

Date:20 Aug 1996

Occasion:Divine Discourse

Place:Prashanti Nilayam

Shirdi Baba's First Miracle

[The circumstances in which Shirdi Baba, as a young lad of ten years, performed

his first miracle by restoring to life a dead boy, who had intended to kill

Baba, were narrated by Bhagavan, in a discourse in the Sai Kulwant Mandap on

August 20, 1996.]

Bhagavan said, "Seen physically Nature alone is perceived. But seen with the

spiritual vision the entire universe is Bhagavan alone. From the perspective of

love (Prema) everything will appear Divine." A young man who had studied Adi

Sankara's philosophy, came to me and said : "Swami! Sankara says, 'Brahma

Sathyam: Jagath Mithya'. Please let me know what is the truth and what is

unreal". Swami told him : "You simpleton! leave it to nature to demonstrate

what is real and what is unreal. Concern yourself with knowing your own

reality. There is no need for you to enquire into the nature of the phenomenal

universe (Prakriti). Do not argue". A man who is not aware of his own true

nature, how is he competent to know about the reality or otherwise of the

cosmos?

A man regards his visible body as real and the invisible spirit as unreal. He

does not realise that the invisible is the cause of his pleasure and pain. "Let

no one imagine that beauty, youth and vitality will last for ever. Old age is

looming ahead and will bring in its train all miseries." (Telugu Poem).

Deha and Dehi

There are two entities in man: the body (deha) and the indwelling spirit (the

dehi). The body is governed by three factors: Vaatha (wind), Pitha (bile) and

Kapha (Phlegm). The wind factor is responsible for 80 types of diseases. The

bile accounts for 82 kinds of ailments. Phlegm is the cause of 224 types of

maladies. In all, the three account for 386 types of diseases. Recognising the

multitude of diseases to which the body is prone, the sages of yore sought to

give up attachment to the body, while taking care of it for essential purposes.

Many of these diseases are insidious and hence may not be noticed in an

apparently strong person. Disease lies hidden in almost every action of man

from breathing to eating. The body by its nature is perishable. But the Dehi

(the indwelling spirit) is undying. Through the impermanent body, the eternal

spirit has to be experienced. Men are immersed in

seeking the passing pleasures of the senses forgetting the lasting bliss to be

derived from the spirit. People should realise that true happiness can be got

only by union with God.

God and the Devotee

Some people imagine that God bestows excessive grace on a few, appears to be

indifferent towards some others, and totally ignore some others. All these are

only the aberrations of the people having such thoughts. For God all are the

same. You can see your true image only in a glass covered on the rear with the

mercury of love. Every one says he has not experienced God, it is not God's

fault. The feeling that God favours some and not others is born of jealousy.

[swami here related an episode from the boyhood years of Shirdi Baba].

Shirdi Baba and Venkusa

When Shirdi Baba was about ten years of age, Patel look him to Venkusa. Patel

had a dream in which he was told. "Patel! You are not likely to live long. The

boy whom you have brought up so far cannot be looked after by anyone. There is

a person called Venkusa in a certain place. You take the boy to to him and

leave him in his care".

Venkusa was giving spiritual lessons to a number of boys. When the young lad was

being brought to him, Venkusa had a premonition of his coming. He called the lad

: "Aaoji! Aaoji (Come, Come!) I have been waiting for you all these years." He

spoke lovingly to the boy and asked him to go in and have his food. From then

onwards, Venkusa developed great affection for the boy. Seeing this, the other

students felt envious and started talking about him among themselves. "How is

it that the teacher is showing so much love for the new boy? We have been here

for years. He has not shown us such love". This was the way some of them spoke.

Some others said, "He is lucky to have such love". Some others remarked "Perhaps

our teacher expects some money from Patel, who is a wealthy man".

Plan to kill Baba

The attachment between Venkusa and the young Baba grew steadily from day to day.

One day both of them were going to a forest called Sikhaara. After they had

gone, the other boys drew up a plan to do away with the young Baba. "Then

Venkusa will have greater liking for us," they thought. They went to the forest

and took rest behind a hut. One of the bigger boys, according to the plan they

had already made, took a big brick and hurled it towards Baba. Venkusa had

great love for Baba. Immediately on noticing the brick, Venkusa stood in front

of Baba and let the brick hit him. What was aimed at Baba struck Venkusa. Blood

was streaming from Venkusa's head.

Baba immediately tore a piece of cloth from his robe and bandaged Venkusa's

bleeding head. When Baba and Venkusa were speaking about the wound caused to

Venkusa, some of the boys came rushing towards them bringing a dead body. That

was the body of the boy who wanted to kill Baba. "Biter bit", says the proverb.

(If you intend to harm others, you will be harming yourself). The boys cried,

"Guruji! Forgive us" and fell at his feet. Venkusa told them, "Children! I have

grown old. This young lad is carrying on all the work I was doing. Love alone

can protect you. When there is no love, no one can save you". On hearing these

words, the boys fell at the feet of Baba and placed the dead body before him.

Baba burst into laughter. Why did he laugh? Not because he felt that the boy

who intended to kill him was dead. He knew that death could come at any time,

in any place and in any situation. Even at the young age Baba had realised this

truth

relating to the body. Baba transcended time. Age did not matter to him. He was

the cosmic Person. He told the boys, "Today this boy has died. Your turn may

come tomorrow. No one is immortal". The boys cried, "How can we explain this

calamity to the parents?". Baba told them, "Tell the parents what actually

happened."

The boys realised that if they told the truth they would be put to shame. If

they told what did not happen, they would be uttering falsehood. Recognising

their dilemma, Baba asked them : "What is it you want now?". "Please restore

the life of this boy". Immediately Baba placed the head of the dead boy on his

lap and passed his hand over it. The boy revived. This was Shridi Baba's first

miracle.

Dust Unto Dust

Students should realise that the body is made up of materials coming from the

earth and will go back to the earth when life is extinct. The body is like a

mud pot which serves its purpose for a time and when it is broken it becomes in

course of time one with the mud from which it was made. A seed sown in the

ground grows into a tree with branches, flowers and fruits. All the things in

the tree have come out of the earth. Likewise the body is made up of the five

elements. It must be used properly. The essence of Vedaanta can be summed up in

one sentence : "The Atma in you is the same as the Divine". Only those who have

this feeling can experience God.

[bhagavan concluded His discourse with the Bhajan, "Prema Muditha".]

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