A astonishing leela of Baba - Dev Baba

[Guest guest]

Dev Baba alias Anant Prabhu Walavalkar:

Date Of Birth: April 13th, 1918

Date Of Samadhi: May 25th,

1994

 

Rajaram

Kaka (Dev Baba’s Father) hailed from Walaval, Sindhudurga Jhilla (Region).

Hence, they were called theWalavalkars. His lineage

was from the Sathkul Kudar Deshkar family. The family was very devout and religious.

In 1916, he married Krishnabai alias Sitabai who was Dabholkar’s

daughter.

The couple moved to Girgaum, Bombay,

where Rajaram worked in the Accountant

General’s office. He was devoted to Vitthal and

followed the Warkari Sampradaya. Dev Baba was the eldest child of four

brothers and one sister. As Girgaum was a remote

suburb, Rajaram and his family moved to Dadar. As it was the first pregnancy, Sitabai

came to her parents’ home in Bandra. Sitabai was ill during the pregnancy and had ‘Nandavayu’. {Possibly Tetanus*).

 

Dabholkar

was very concerned. So, he ran to Shirdi and told

Baba about it. Baba reassured him and said “ Balantpan nirvigna hoyeel (The delivery will be trouble-free)!” He also stated that His son

would be born to her. Assured by Baba’s words, Dabholkar

returned home and prayed to Baba for help. Rajaram

also prayed earnestly to Vitthal begging Him to give

him a ‘Dnyaneshwar – like’ son. The

time for delivery arrived and Dabholkar anxiously

waited outside. When he finally went to see his daughter, he was surprised at

what he saw. The mother had thrown the child in a corner, and would not touch

or cuddle him. The child however lay contentedly in the corner. But what

surprised him most, was, the halo of light around his head. He also had an aura

of light around him.

 

As the mother was afraid to hold her

child, she also refused to nurse him. Dabholkar

however picked up the child and brought him to Shirdi.

He went straight to the Dwarkamai and laid him at

Baba’s feet. Being rather anxious and distraught at his daughter’s

behavior, he told Baba all that had happened in great detail. Meanwhile, Baba

picked up the baby, and laying him in His lap, patted him gently. Then, He

nursed him by placing His thumb in the child’s mouth. The baby sucked and

out came milk!

(REF: CHAPTER 4,

SAI SATCHARITA)

The beautiful leela

of Baba is given where Baba tells Das Ganu that he need not go to Prayag

and have a bath in the Ganga

and Jamuna. When Das Ganu lays his head on Baba’s feet, out flows the Ganga and Jamuna

from Baba’s toes! Here, Baba feeds the tiny baby from His thumb!

Dev

Baba had Baba’s grace around him at all times. His primary education was

in Marathi medium. Then he went to Wilson

English Medium School.

However, Dev Baba rarely attended school. He spent most of his time meditating,

at the Swami Samarth Math nearby. Swami Samarth also blessed him. As a young man, he joined the Kurla Municipal Kirde Kendra as a

teacher in physical education. He was extremely fond of his students and was

fair to each and everyone. However, the students were from two castes and one

caste felt that Dev Baba was ‘rather fond and sympathetic to the other

caste’. They went and complained to the other teachers. One of the

teachers decided to give him a good thrashing. Meanwhile, some of the teachers

informed Dev Baba of the plan. Casually, he said, “Oh, but he will not

come to school tomorrow.” And so, it came to pass that the teacher went

to swim that evening, drowned and died. When this happened, he realized that

Baba had bestowed him with Siddhis.

He decided not to work for anybody,

but to utilize his services for God.

He made various pilgrimages and

stayed in the Himalayas. He learned Hata Yoga and progressed spiritually. His mother was

seriously ill and he knew that she would soon pass away,

he visited her and gave her a mantra to recite. Then he came to Shirdi and sat in the Mandir and

did parayana of the Satcharita While he was

mid-way, he received a telegram, saying that his mother had taken a turn for

the worse. He asked Baba whether he should go and visit her. Baba said, “Yes.” Now, he was in a

quandary as to how he would go that far in such a short time. He was pondering

as to why Baba had granted him permission when the time was so short and the

journey, so long.

Lo! Baba stood before him and

reassured him. Baba had brought a horse with Him to accompany him in the shookshma (invisible) form. They both reached Dadar. He met his mother and gently reassured her of a

peaceful death and Baba Himself was there to take care of her destination.

Thus, it came to pass that she died peacefully. He returned to Shirdi and completed the parayana.

When he told people about his mother’s death, they looked at him with astonishment

and did not believe him, ‘as he was seated for parayana

all that time’!

In 1952, he married Kishori Bai who shared his

devotion for Baba and worked along with him. The couple moved to Ambarnath and stayed in their ancestral home. In the first

floor, a Mandir was made in 1967. A saat-dhaatu murti (an idol of seven metals) was installed and pratishtha performed.

 

Dev Baba had many followers and he

guided them to his Ishtha Dev Sai

Baba.

After a very fruitful life, he took

Samadhi on Thursday on Vaishakh Vaidya

Apara Ekadashi. He asked

his relatives not to perform any rituals or religious ceremonies.

(REF: Dev Babanche Chatrita

Published on 26th may, 1996)