A astonishing leela of Baba - Dev Baba alias Anant Prabhu Walavalkar

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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)