The Sai Phenomenon

                                      

He found me the infallible cure of all illness, the panacea against all evils, the absolute answer to all myths and mysteries of life, the Truth of all Truths called Sai. He is our Guruji, Shri CB Satpathy.

For quite some time Guruji had been advising me to visit Shirdi and seek Baba’s blessings. And the opportunities came as I set out for the cherished destination with my wife and six years old daughter on 10th March 1994. After visiting a relative at Mumbai, when we reached Shirdi next morning by bus, I couldn’t believe a small town as this could occupy such prominent place in the tourist map of India. As we got down the bus, we saw an old man about sixty with white beards straightaway came to us and said, “Welcome sir; give me  the luggage and I will take you to the best lodge near the temple. Instantly the porter appealed to us and I asked him to take us to the Sai Sansthan. As we quietly followed him, my wife whispered, “Does not he have a strange resemblance with Baba?” I had no reply; only wondered what a welcome to Shirdi!

As Guruji had handed us a letter to Shri Gopinath Patil, the Trustee of the Sansthan, the latter immediately arranged an accommodation for us at Sai Niwas within the temple premises. After the morning chores, we set for the Samadhi Mandir to have our first darshan of Baba. It was time for noon arti. I was amazed to see a huge gathering of devotees at the entry gate despite sizzling heat. But when we entered the sanctum sanctorum and stood before the life-size marble statue of Sai Baba…I felt the whole world around me dissipated in a flash and I was in direct communion with my Destiny. Seated cross-legged on the Samadhi pedestal, the left hand fingers grazing the right leg toes, the kafni clad, head geared Baba looked mystic, sometime transfixed like a true yogi far above the humdrum material world, sometime seemed to communicate with his devotees as an ocean of compassion and love. Yet there was a subtle touch of mystic melancholy about him. The more I gazed at Him, the more mysterious he grew. As I stood focussed on His face the announcement was made for noon arti and with that the entire congregation of devotees burst into a chorus of bhajans. As the lilt and cadence rent the air and Baba gloried in the arti illumination, a sudden sadness overpowered me and flooded my eyes with tears of gratitude. I didn’t know how the next half an hour passed by before we were pushed out onto the street by the jostling crowd.

As we were passing through Shirdi bazar a thought occurred to me that we should offer coconut to Baba as we couldn’t do so during the crowded arti. However I kept the thought to myself and my wife knew nothing about it. Then as we were taking a nap at our lodge, my wife jerked me up and said she just had a dream in which she saw an old man looking exactly similar to Sai Baba was  struggling with a half broken coconut while the devotees were staring at him in mute silence. My wife said it was certainly Baba’s wish that we should offer Him a coconut. She also told while going round the bazar, how she had also thought of offering a coconut to Baba. Then I immediately revealed how my mind was also working the same way at that moment. Then lo, as we hurried to the temple with flowers and coconut, we were greeted by Baba absolutely free of devotees as though waiting for us.

The evening and night darshans were also quite tough because of excess crowd. However the next day, the day of our return, Baba had an absolutely memorable gift for us. We were due to  board the Karnataka Express at Kopargaon at 2.45 PM.As we were new to the place without any idea about the local transport, we decided to leave Sai Niwas by 12.30 PM. After the luggages were packed, I wanted to see Shri Gopinath Patil to thank him for our accommodation. As he was away on tour, I went to Shri Bhavsar in the Public Relation Office when I knew the day before while booking for the accommodation. When we met Shri Bhavsar, it was already 11.50 AM. I thanked him and bid farewell. When he came to know that our train was at 2.45 PM, he suggested that we attend the noon arti as there was plenty of time for the train. And before I could react, he offered, on his own, to grant us a special passage through the temple exit that would provide us the benefit of the first row. As we had not been able to see arti clearly due to jostling crowd, my wife had been longing for this very opportunity. She felt ecstatic for her prayer had been heard at last and immediately agreed to take the chance. After all, she thought, Baba would never let us down. I also reasonedout myself, as the station was not very far away, we could always get some transport to meet exigencies.

While we were thus realigning ourselves to Shri Bhavsar’s offer, his tone changed as his look fell on the office wall clock. “But”, he said “I am sorry Mr. Nayak, it is only five minutes to go. You should have come at least a little earlier”. We were crest fallen as an uneasy calm hung between us. Then, as we were about to accept this as a divine design, Shri Bhavsar broke the silence. “Nevertheless”, he added, “let me try if anything can be done now”. We were quietly hoping against hope as Shri Bhavsar spoke to some temple authorities over phone, pleading in our favour. And just then came the Revelation. As if directed by Baba Himself, a beaming Bhavsar said, “They have agreed and you can enter through the exit and attend the arti. Be quick.” Thus the one-to-one arti we had that day not only fulfilled our long cherished desire but also made the trip most memorable for ever.

Back home, my wife was in seventh heaven. For Baba had graced her a wonderful vision and a very special arti. The more I thought of her the more dejected I felt at heart. Guruji had advised me, I reflected, to visit Shirdi for a life of fulfilment. But what? Shirdi only meant my wife’s achievement. With each passing day I grew restless, bogged down by self-doubt—whether or not Baba will hear my prayer—little realising God sees the truth but waits.

Then about two months after Shirdi Baba heard me too! One fine early morning, when I was still lying in bed, the Phenomenon unfolded itself—In an unknown temple premises I was in the midst of a huge gathering of devotees surrounding a Sadhu. The followers were prostrating one by one at his feet and the all merciful Sadhu was showering his benedictions upon them. Then, when I prostrated, the Sadhu beamed a mystic smile and said, “Read ‘Sai Satcharitra’ daily. Baba bless you.” Before I could respond, my wife woke me up. As we settled for the morning tea, I knew that was the best cup of tea in my life.

People with worldly prudence will naturally dismiss it as coincidence or perceptive aberration. But those who believe in faith, those who read ‘Sri Sai Satcharitra’ will certainly find a different meaning to all this.


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