SaiBaba -The Protector by Narendranath Mungara

[Guest guest]

SAIBABA-The Protector

It was a Thursday dated 19th January 1984 when myself

and a colleague Mr. T. R. C. Menon got out of the Z.

P. Guest House at Jalgaon-Jamod (Maharashtra) and got into a readily

available vacant taxi to reach Nandura Railway

Station. The driver required about half an hour's time to take off. So we both

walked across the road to a small tea-stall. Time was 6.30 A. M.

 

As the ordered bread and tea was awaited, my sight was attracted

by a photo of Sai Baba visible in the adjacent pan-shop. I pointed out the same

to my companion and told him that it was an auspicious Thursday morning to have

darshan of our blessing SAI.

 

Placing a loaf of bread, the stall keeper went back to his

assistant to help making a special tea for us. Mr. Menon

refused bread and preferred only tea when I was unwrapping

the bread. Looking at the SaiNath's photo I sat

quiet. Then I closed my eyes for a

minute, meditating on Him.

As I opened the eyes I saw

a young Muslim Fakir aged around 28 years standing at the entrance with a smile

and looking straight into my eyes. A green cloth fastened around his head, he

wore a white loose kurta and lungi.

One small black bowl in his hand suggested that he came for begging alms. But

it was surprising to note that he did

not ask anyone for alms or money. Just with the same smile and a calm look into

my face he merely stood.

 

Not a word was spoken by the fakir. The look from his bright eyes

was full of affection for me. His blissful smile respon­ded in me an

overflowing joy. Like the waves on the sea jumping higher with happiness at the

appearance of a full Moon-my joy touched new bights at the sight of this fakir.

Inexplicable exchange of some unknown silent feelings between us was a great

experience in itself.

 

I nodded my head silently calling him. The fakir came closer, only

a table in the middle separated us. First two slices of bread offered by me

with devotion were accepted. He lost no time to wave his hand and very swiftly

walked out to disappear from my vision. That silent and affectionate smile

glowing from his bright face still remained in my mind and I was fully

convinced that that fakir is none but our Sai-Malik.

 

Then I turned to Mr. Menon and asked

" What do you think about this fakir?” His cool reply came an ordinary beggar " .

" No " I continued, " He was not an ordinary beggar

but Shirdi Sai Nath Himself who came in disguise to

bless us in person " .

Mr. Menon laughed with indifference and

said " seeing Saibaba’s” photo a few

minutes before, your mind is engaged in thinking about him. At this juncture

even when an ordinary beggar stood here you are illusioned

that he too was Sai Baba " .

 

I explained that it was no illusion but a full proof fact.

“The fakir with a bowl in his hands obviously came for begging but why he

did not beg? Why he did not even call the tea stall man, who was busy in

preparing tea? Why did he not beg from the pan shop wallah?

At least after we offered bread why did he not step into other neighboring tea

stalls and pan shops? Does this not infer that he perhaps came with the purpose

of only meeting us? Who else could he be other than Lord Sainath?”

thus I concluded that the strange incident was only a darshan

of Sai-Malik.

 

After a couple of days when I returned to Aurangabad from my

tour, I was shocked to see at home the walls, roof and window glass-panes of

the kitchen room badly damaged. My wife Usha thus narrated to me about the

dangerous accident which recently occurred.

 

On Thursday (19th January 1984) by morning 10 a.

m. my wife filled up the pressure-cooker with necessary contents to be cooked

for lunch and placed it on an electric stove (Cooking gas

was exhausted) and went into the drawing room where she sat reading some books.

Though generally very cautious while cooking, that day she happened to be

somewhat negligent being fully engrossed in reading until she looked at the

watch showing 10.45 a. m. She got up from the sofa remembering suddenly about

the cooker on the stove and wondered how it has failed to vigil for 45 minutes.

Then, hardly she covered a few steps and at once halted before the kitchen door

when a big explosive sound, almost deafening the ears, came as a shock. The

pressure cooker had burst and caused dangerous havoc in a most unexpected

accident.

 

The cooker's lid was pushed up with great pressure of steam

bursting out and it hit the roof at first, then two side waits and window

before falling down like a crashing flying-saucer. Glass panes of the window

were broken; walls and concrete ceiling were damaged while all kitchenware from

the shelves fell down with the tremor. Very thick gauged indalium

pressure cooker (Prestige brand) was twisted completely out of shape and the

electric stove was shattered to pieces, leaving the broken live wire still

hanging from the plug. Patches and lumps of cooked rice and dal

with vege­tables stuck to the walls and the roof. Altogether a ghastly scene it

was.

 

Neighboring housewives rushed to our apartment in panic, fearing

that the sound was due to burling of the gas cylinder. They were frightened to

notice equally dangerous accident that occurred; but found a consolation as my

wife was surprisingly safe.

 

My dear Sai-devotees! See how our SAI BABA saved my wife Usha. Had

she entered the kitchen even a fraction of a second before the accident she would

have been perhaps killed. Baba averted such a grave danger within no time to

save her life. Also he ruled out the possibility of the children being hurt as

it was timed when both little sons Sainath and Vamsinath were away at School.

 

Yon may carefully note the coincidence of Sai Malik

giving me darshan at a far of place namely Jalgaop Jamod and accepting two

slices of bread at 7 a.m. on the very same day and within next few hours He

takes care to save my wife from a deadly accident that occurred at our residence

in Aurangabad ! All happened on a Thursday!

 

What more proof one need to realise the

omnipresence of Lord Sainath's love and care for his

beloved devotees at all times and at all places.

 

Narendranath Mungara

Aurangabad

 

(source saileela

magazine June 1985)