My Nana is in trouble...

[Guest guest]

“My Nana is in trouble. He is overcome by

thirst. Should we not give him a handful of water?” Said Baba sitting in the Dwarkamai.

 

The

two leelas given below are similar, quenching Nana’s thirst, while on

Harishchandra hill, and Shyamdas’ on Girnar Parvat.

 

The

Rinanubandh for each devotee was different; but Baba’s compassion,

vigilant watchfulness and love were equal and infinite. Nana, though

overweight, was very fond of visiting temples on hill-tops. Harishchandra hill

is forty miles away from Shirdi with a Devi temple on its summit. Once Nana

with his entourage of peons and sheristadars made this pilgrimage. It was a hot

summer day and the hill rocky and barren. There were no trees for shade, no

water to drink. The troupe had climbed half-way, when Nana was fatigued and

overcome by thirst. The provisions they had brought was exhausted. The

Sheristadar suggested they return. But exhaustion and thirst had taken its toll

and Nana could not do so. He just sat on a flat slab of stone and said, “If

Baba were here, He would surely give me water to slate my thirst.” The

Sheristadar thought that this speculation was futile as Baba wasn’t

there. But Baba was with Nana at all times.

Here

at Shirdi, Baba said, “My Nana is in

trouble.” At that very moment, a Bhil was walking down the

hill. Nana asked, “I am very thirsty. Can I get some water to

drink?” The Bhil replied, “What? You ask for water? Under the very

slab on which you are seated, there is water.” Then he walked on. The

peons and sheristadars moved the slab and found a palm full of clear sparkling

water; just enough to slate his burning thirst. Nana drank the water and having

quenched his thirst, continued the pilgrimage. He took darshan of the Goddess

and returned home.

It

is said that prayer is a concentrated one pointed contact with a higher power.

When a devout soul is concentrating deeply on God, the soul gets thoroughly

saturated with the divine and the divine power infiltrates the Jeeva and

produces certain results. Here, the mere thought of Baba had instantaneous

results. The faith, devotion and love behind the thought were the trigger of

Baba’s leela. Later, when Nana visited Shirdi, Baba said, “Nana, you were thirsty. I gave you water.

Did you drink it?” This increased Nana’s faith

futher by leaps and bounds. He was convinced more than ever, that Baba was

Omnipresent, Omnipotent, merciful and loving, that Baba had the power to bring

water to the barren hill, then appear as the Bhil and save his life while he

sat in the Dwarkamai with the devotees.

 

Tatyasaheb

Noolkar (L.K.Noolkar), whom Baba lovingly called ‘mhatara’ or old

man, used to write to his friend and mentor Nanasaheb Chandorkar regularly. On 20/07/09, Tatya writes, “What

have I left to say to one, who’s Guru remembers him every moment of the

day. Day and night, he says, ‘Nana, Nana’ and ‘Kaka,

Kaka’.”

 

Tatya

gives us an insight of the love and the Rinanubandh that Baba and Nana had for

each other, while Nana replies, quoting a doha

from Kabir’s, which says, “Iron gets spoilt, when it comes in

contact with a touchstone. When it gets spoilt, it turns into gold. I am so

very glad to see I have succeeded in spoiling you by the grace of Sai Maharaj.

It is now for you to make efforts for a good progress.” Further, Nana

writes, “It was a desire to sleep in the lap of the mother. The mother

has fulfilled this desire. Now, the one who is, will be taken care of by her,

but one must adhere to such

practices that one dreams of mother and she always remains before one’s

eyes. Then, the mother (Guru Mauli) will rattle the name of mhatara as she does

Nana and Kaka. Have no doubt.”

What

a beautiful letter it is, so full of insight, understanding and love.

Passionate love for the Guru Mauli.

 

(Source Sai Leela Magazine)