Sai's unique mercy

[Guest guest]

Way back in 1960, when I was a lad of 16, I used to visit a

distant sai temple located in the centre of paddy field. A pathway

from the remote part of the town led to the temple. A small marble

statue and the fixed gaze of Sai on those who look at him is the

only solace.The weather was sultry. Somehow I had an inkling to go

around the small temple 1008 times. I was halfway through when I

needed water to quench my thirst. Yes, I too thought 'I am not like

Shri Nana Saheb Chandorkar, who was shown a source of water in

a distant hill during the hot portion of the day. May be Shri Nana

Saheb was on his visit to a hill temple. A bhil(tribal) suddenly

appeared and told Nana that water will be found below the very

boulder on which he was sitting at that time. Lo ! below the very

boulder was found a fistful of water to quench the thirst of Nana

Saheb. I was in the same condition but there was a hand pump

behind the temple, rusted and no water seems coming when I tried

my hand to pump it. It was past noon. The heat never seems to

reduce. After my unsuccessful attempt at the hand pump, I suddenly

thought to venture inside the nearest farm well behind the hand

pump. I slowly descended with the help of the protruding stones

meant for the purpose. Yes, I quenched my thirst and started

ascending. When I was out of the well, to my utter astonishment,

there was a car behind the well, The owner of the field with his own

hand was found repairing the pump. He seems never noticed me

coming out of the well at that unearthly hour! I resumed my rounding

around the temple, each round may not take more than a minute. As

I hardly finished one round, Lo ! the car, the man, the spanner

vanished in thin air without any trace. I could not believe my eyes. I

went near the hand pump. Water was gushing when I pumped it. I

was actually cursing myself. I didn't have the faith like Nana Saheb

to wait patiently. Had I waited, I need not have to venture inside the

well. It took an instant to realise that Sai himself has manifested as

the car, the owner, and the spanner with which the pump was set

right. This was my first encounter with Sai's miracular manifestation.

Sairam.