Shama visited me for two days on 11th of October before leaving to delhi, i remember vividly that evening she took out Sai Satcharitra and told me that someone gifted it to her and she read that every night. I took that casually and didn't show much interest in that topic, though i believed in Baba myself , visited Shirdi too, when he saved me at a crucial point in life at one time. On 13th October, we both left for our 10 days official tour to various places in Rajasthan.
I noticed while our stay together that she took out the holy book everyday but never read it. Finally, one day she explained, ma'm i brought this book for you to read but you never read it, i smiled and said '' i shall read it some other time ''. During the tour, she told me about her blind belief in Baba and how he shows his presence around her and all his devotees. I was myself witness to a strange incident that happened in Ajmer with us, i did believe her words and that incident shook my soul and i was thinking about the strength of FAITH since then.
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When i reached home, one day, i decided to pray to Baba whose picture i already had in my pooja room. I stood before him and prayed for peace and to show me path which led towards him and his grace. I also searched for link for Sai Satcharitra in google and started reading 2 chapters daily before going to sleep.
Strangely next day i read in newspaper that one week birthday celebrations for Baba would start from 25th October, i was glad and decided to do something on Baba's birthday. I called up Shama to enquire about Baba's birthday and my plan. However, i had no clue about the exact date of Baba's birthday during that week long celebrations and i got completely lost in my hectic schedule that week.
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It was 28th October and i received an sms from Shama '' happy sai birthday '' i was so happy and wanted to share my feelings with her and my desire to celebrate the special day but had to go for a meeting early morning. I came back to office around 11.30 a.m was holding a meeting with staff regarding some important issue when i heard '' Jai Sai Ram '' in the room just next to mine where some people of my staff sit. I left the people who were in my room and ran into the next room. I was stunned to see a tall , pale looking young man in white robe and white cloth tied on his head like that of Baba's , he was uttering '' Jai Sai Ram '' and nobody was paying attention to him. I offered him 11 rs and asked him to come to my room where he could have a cup of tea. He followed me.
I told him '' baba im also a devotee of Sai Baba, and visited Shirdi also '', he was very happy to hear that and said '' oh really Kopergaon se gaye ya Manmaad se '' , I replied . He told me that he used to travel by Jhelum express and visited Chandigarh many times. ( Later, i read in Sai Satcharitra that Sai nath never travelled in train himself but guided people about trains going to Shirdi ).
He asked me if i had observed fast or not on Baba's birthday, i said no . He got serious '' what kind of devotee you are''. I smiled and ignored him. Seeing my interest in him, whole staff came into my room and joined in our discussion. I introduced them all to Baba's life and he suddenly started narrating the story of Sai nath when he lit lamps with water on Diwali. I was simply overwhelmed to hear that reference because i read that chapter only previous day itself. We kept talking about Sai nath . The baba suddenly heard a bhajan of Sai nath from next room where the steno sits, he was overjoyed. Suddenly he turned to one of my staff members and requested him to get a beedi for him. I was surprised at his strange request, anyhow the guy obliged him. Baba took that beedi and smoked in a strange way as if holding pipe ( chillam ). ( Later in the evening when i was reading Sai Satcharitra, i learnt that Sai nath was very fond of tobacco and had Chillam always with him. )
He said '' i am so glad to meet someone like you who is so kind to poor people, i am just a faqir , have nothing to give you'' i said , '' baba you visited me on this day, what else can i ask for '' . He blessed me and said '' will you give me food, prepare yourself roti, sabzi, dal, chawal and kheer and serve me '' i smiled and said '' yes, but now i am in ofice so please come in evening'' he refused, i offered him 100 rs to have a meal of his choice. ( Later through Sai Satcharitra i came to know that Sai nath loved kheer and his devotees offered it to him ). He was very happy, blessed me and asked '' beti ask me what you want, i will pray for you wholeheartedly as you made me so happy today'' . I thanked him for coming and said all my wishes were fulfilled after having him as my guest. He blessed me again and said '' beti you are a very good human being grounded on earth and on the path of dharma, be always like this and never be egoistic and always help poor people, you will rise in life more and more'' Hearing this tears flowed from my eyes, he said, '' i know you are going through great suffering but believe me these troubles will end soon, but please tell me why are you unhappy '' I said nothing and smiled. He said '' beti can you fast on 5 thursdays '' i smiled and said no. He gave me a rudraksh to wear and 5 agarbattis and said '' these are from Sai nath's dargah, light them up on thursdays and as they burn, your sorrows will also turn into ash. I held them in my hand for sometime. He noticed for a while and got impatient, '' dont you know their value, still holding it in hands, cant you keep them in a safe place ''. I smiled and assured to keep them safe. One hour passed talking to him as he kept on telling that somebody left him in a temple and he didnt know himself whether he was a Hindu or Muslim. He told lot of things about his journey towards '' Faqiri '' . Suddenly he got angry once again and threatened to leave without having tea as it was very late. I admonished my staff who felt sorry that canteen was closed and peon had gone to market to get the tea. He calmed down and pacified me not to be impatient as the poor fellow would be arriving any moment. Finally , peon served him tea, he refused to take it till all the people of the staff were served. ( I came to know through Sai Satcharitra later that Sai nath got angry on little things with his devotees but again loved them, cared for them like a mother . )
Meanwhile an office employee who is a widow and undergoing lot of suffering came and sat beside the faqir. She requested him to accept food from her and some money. He accepted Rs.25 and returned Rs.75 and pacified her that she offered him food and that was enough for him. Whereas on the other hand he asked me to give dakshina thrice. I was surprised at his strange behaviour however got this answer too from the sacred Sai Satcharitra ( Baba says i dont ask for dakshina, only the debtors pay their debt and become free. I dont ask anything from anyone, i am a faqir, if i take ten rupees from anyone i have to repay ten times more ).
Everybody in office laughed silently that i was behaving crazy and superstitious. I satisfied them that my offerings and respect were for the Baba and not the man who was standing before me who in their view was an imposter. I prayed to Baba to receive my dakshina and bhakti through the faqir who visited me.
Not just one but the faqir gave many such '' leela's'' which brought tears into my eyes as i was heading towards the last chapter of Sai Satcharitra. During the course of my reading, on one thursday a doubt arose in my mind as i took onions in my food on thursday and if baba would be angry but i was surprised to find same chapter in the book where baba tells a disbeliever that one who could digest onions should dare to eat.
I burned the incense sticks as told by the faqir and an unbelievable miracle happened when i finished my fourth stick. That was i got my posting orders to my hometown. Finally i ignited the fifth stick in my own home in the presence of my family. The words of the faqir came true. Since then my faith in baba is only growing and i am holding to him like a creeper holds the tree.
JAI SAIRAM ! ! !
I noticed while our stay together that she took out the holy book everyday but never read it. Finally, one day she explained, ma'm i brought this book for you to read but you never read it, i smiled and said '' i shall read it some other time ''. During the tour, she told me about her blind belief in Baba and how he shows his presence around her and all his devotees. I was myself witness to a strange incident that happened in Ajmer with us, i did believe her words and that incident shook my soul and i was thinking about the strength of FAITH since then.
****************************************************************************
When i reached home, one day, i decided to pray to Baba whose picture i already had in my pooja room. I stood before him and prayed for peace and to show me path which led towards him and his grace. I also searched for link for Sai Satcharitra in google and started reading 2 chapters daily before going to sleep.
Strangely next day i read in newspaper that one week birthday celebrations for Baba would start from 25th October, i was glad and decided to do something on Baba's birthday. I called up Shama to enquire about Baba's birthday and my plan. However, i had no clue about the exact date of Baba's birthday during that week long celebrations and i got completely lost in my hectic schedule that week.
******************************************************************************
It was 28th October and i received an sms from Shama '' happy sai birthday '' i was so happy and wanted to share my feelings with her and my desire to celebrate the special day but had to go for a meeting early morning. I came back to office around 11.30 a.m was holding a meeting with staff regarding some important issue when i heard '' Jai Sai Ram '' in the room just next to mine where some people of my staff sit. I left the people who were in my room and ran into the next room. I was stunned to see a tall , pale looking young man in white robe and white cloth tied on his head like that of Baba's , he was uttering '' Jai Sai Ram '' and nobody was paying attention to him. I offered him 11 rs and asked him to come to my room where he could have a cup of tea. He followed me.
I told him '' baba im also a devotee of Sai Baba, and visited Shirdi also '', he was very happy to hear that and said '' oh really Kopergaon se gaye ya Manmaad se '' , I replied . He told me that he used to travel by Jhelum express and visited Chandigarh many times. ( Later, i read in Sai Satcharitra that Sai nath never travelled in train himself but guided people about trains going to Shirdi ).
He asked me if i had observed fast or not on Baba's birthday, i said no . He got serious '' what kind of devotee you are''. I smiled and ignored him. Seeing my interest in him, whole staff came into my room and joined in our discussion. I introduced them all to Baba's life and he suddenly started narrating the story of Sai nath when he lit lamps with water on Diwali. I was simply overwhelmed to hear that reference because i read that chapter only previous day itself. We kept talking about Sai nath . The baba suddenly heard a bhajan of Sai nath from next room where the steno sits, he was overjoyed. Suddenly he turned to one of my staff members and requested him to get a beedi for him. I was surprised at his strange request, anyhow the guy obliged him. Baba took that beedi and smoked in a strange way as if holding pipe ( chillam ). ( Later in the evening when i was reading Sai Satcharitra, i learnt that Sai nath was very fond of tobacco and had Chillam always with him. )
He said '' i am so glad to meet someone like you who is so kind to poor people, i am just a faqir , have nothing to give you'' i said , '' baba you visited me on this day, what else can i ask for '' . He blessed me and said '' will you give me food, prepare yourself roti, sabzi, dal, chawal and kheer and serve me '' i smiled and said '' yes, but now i am in ofice so please come in evening'' he refused, i offered him 100 rs to have a meal of his choice. ( Later through Sai Satcharitra i came to know that Sai nath loved kheer and his devotees offered it to him ). He was very happy, blessed me and asked '' beti ask me what you want, i will pray for you wholeheartedly as you made me so happy today'' . I thanked him for coming and said all my wishes were fulfilled after having him as my guest. He blessed me again and said '' beti you are a very good human being grounded on earth and on the path of dharma, be always like this and never be egoistic and always help poor people, you will rise in life more and more'' Hearing this tears flowed from my eyes, he said, '' i know you are going through great suffering but believe me these troubles will end soon, but please tell me why are you unhappy '' I said nothing and smiled. He said '' beti can you fast on 5 thursdays '' i smiled and said no. He gave me a rudraksh to wear and 5 agarbattis and said '' these are from Sai nath's dargah, light them up on thursdays and as they burn, your sorrows will also turn into ash. I held them in my hand for sometime. He noticed for a while and got impatient, '' dont you know their value, still holding it in hands, cant you keep them in a safe place ''. I smiled and assured to keep them safe. One hour passed talking to him as he kept on telling that somebody left him in a temple and he didnt know himself whether he was a Hindu or Muslim. He told lot of things about his journey towards '' Faqiri '' . Suddenly he got angry once again and threatened to leave without having tea as it was very late. I admonished my staff who felt sorry that canteen was closed and peon had gone to market to get the tea. He calmed down and pacified me not to be impatient as the poor fellow would be arriving any moment. Finally , peon served him tea, he refused to take it till all the people of the staff were served. ( I came to know through Sai Satcharitra later that Sai nath got angry on little things with his devotees but again loved them, cared for them like a mother . )
Meanwhile an office employee who is a widow and undergoing lot of suffering came and sat beside the faqir. She requested him to accept food from her and some money. He accepted Rs.25 and returned Rs.75 and pacified her that she offered him food and that was enough for him. Whereas on the other hand he asked me to give dakshina thrice. I was surprised at his strange behaviour however got this answer too from the sacred Sai Satcharitra ( Baba says i dont ask for dakshina, only the debtors pay their debt and become free. I dont ask anything from anyone, i am a faqir, if i take ten rupees from anyone i have to repay ten times more ).
Everybody in office laughed silently that i was behaving crazy and superstitious. I satisfied them that my offerings and respect were for the Baba and not the man who was standing before me who in their view was an imposter. I prayed to Baba to receive my dakshina and bhakti through the faqir who visited me.
Not just one but the faqir gave many such '' leela's'' which brought tears into my eyes as i was heading towards the last chapter of Sai Satcharitra. During the course of my reading, on one thursday a doubt arose in my mind as i took onions in my food on thursday and if baba would be angry but i was surprised to find same chapter in the book where baba tells a disbeliever that one who could digest onions should dare to eat.
I burned the incense sticks as told by the faqir and an unbelievable miracle happened when i finished my fourth stick. That was i got my posting orders to my hometown. Finally i ignited the fifth stick in my own home in the presence of my family. The words of the faqir came true. Since then my faith in baba is only growing and i am holding to him like a creeper holds the tree.
JAI SAIRAM ! ! !
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