Chapter 23 - Historical Commentary - a podcast by Sai Babas Devotee Speaks

In chapter 23, we are presented with the story of Ram Baba, a yogi who was unable to achieve the state of Samadhi even for a few minutes. When he came to Shirdi and saw Baba eating stale Bhakri with onions, he wondered, 'How can this man help me!' Reading his thoughts, Baba said, "He who can digest onions should eat them." Hearing this, Ram Baba surrenders at Baba's feet and gets his difficulties resolved. The next Leela is about Shama who is bitten by a snake and runs to Baba, who expels the venom by ordering it to get down and leave. Then, there is the story of Dikshit willing to slaughter the ailing goat when Bade Baba, a Muslim, refuses to do so. Shama goes to the Wada but does not return lest he has to slaughter it. But Dikshit, a Brahmin by caste, opposed to consuming meat and following the path of Ahimsa, is ready to follow his Guru's order.

In February 1914, when Ram Baba went to Shirdi, Baba welcomed him, saying, "Ae kutte, idhar aaja. Jo hajam kar sakta hai wahi toh kha sakta hai." Roughly translated, it means: 'You dog, come here. He alone should eat who can digest it.' This Leela is beautifully given in the Shri Sai Satcharita, chapter 23, when Chandorkar and Ram Baba came to the Masjid and found Baba eating Bhakri with onions. Ram Baba was filled with doubt. He wondered how this person eating stale Bhakri with onions could help him. Immediately, Baba read his mind and said, "Nana, only those who can digest onions should eat them." Hearing this, Ram Baba surrendered, and with a clear mind, he asked Baba about his difficulties in attaining Samadhi, and Baba answered all his doubts.

In 1910, after having enjoyed life to its fullest, Ram Baba took Sanyas. He was initiated into Sanyas at Karambas District, Bulandshahr, in Uttar Pradesh. He travelled widely, and met many saints and spent time with them. He met saints like Ramana Maharshi and Swami Shivananda. He roamed the jungles and mountains of India, carrying his staff and begging bowl. After meeting Baba, his life changed forever. It was as if he had surrendered his ego at Baba's feet. In fact, he never used the pronoun 'I'. In conversation, he would refer to himself as 'Ram'. He would address others as 'Dear Selves'. While doing Parikrama of the Narmada, he met Hansdevji Maharaj, who sent him to meet Tembe Swami at Garudeshwar. Then, he went to Mani Nageshwar. It so happened that two princesses of Saurashtra came to Nathji Maharaj to take permission to go to Shirdi. Granting them permission, Nathji asked Ram Baba to accompany them. They made their journey by car and reached Shirdi just before the noon Aarti. Ram Baba went into the Sanctum Sanctorum and met Baba. Baba looked at him very intently, their eyes and their gaze locked for some time, after which Ram Baba was never the same again. He felt bliss and ecstasy as he had received Baba's Grace.
(Reference: Sai Leela magazine, September-October 2006.)

Next is the wonderful Leela of Shama, who was bitten on his little finger by a snake and instead of going to Virobha Temple, where such patients were taken, he ran to Baba and sought refuge at His feet. However, seeing him, Baba flew into a rage. He shouted on top of His voice saying, "Do not climb up. Get out at once, get out, climb down and be gone." Shama was disappointed as he thought Baba was shouting at him. He did not realise how much Baba loved him, and was actually expelling the venom from his system by ordering it not to spread. Since it was Baba's order, the snake venom had no choice but to stop circulating and was thus expelled. Here, Baba uses no Mantras, nor does He use rice or water charged with Mantras as practised by Mantravadis.

The next two experiences are of a judicial officer, whose name is not mentioned. He states, “I have a great deal of reverence for sages and saints. One summer, I was fortunate to meet Bala Swami at Virudhachalam. He looked like a boy, though he was much older. He was a linguist, but had taken the vow of silence. When we prostrated before him, he was writing something on paper with his left hand, as his right hand was held up above his head for many years as a form of penance. We sat in his presence for about 10 minutes and then wanted to take his leave. At first, he nodded his assent. Then as we were leaving, he signalled to us to stay. He then turned to me and gave me a scroll of paper, on which Sai Baba’s name was written 108 times. He instructed me to keep the paper with me at all times, and to write Baba’s name 108 times daily.

“While parting, he distributed Udi to all of us. Then, we proceeded to worship at the Virudhachalam temple. I was not inclined to follow any of his instructions and I gave the scroll of paper to my son. After worshipping the deity at the temple, we were circumambulating Lord Shiva in the big temple. By then, it was dusk and soon got quite dark when I got stung by some noxious creature on my big toe. I used my flashlight to see what it was, but couldn’t see anything. The excruciating pain rapidly ascended to my hip joint. As the pain was unbearable, my relatives wanted to fetch a carriage for me as our room was about two miles away. It was then that I realised that I had made a mistake by not keeping the scroll of paper with me. I took the paper from my son and kept it in my waist cloth. Within a few moments of doing this, the pain rapidly decreased in my body, except on the toe where I had been stung. I was able to walk back, and slept well that night. The lesson was learnt, and I kept the paper with me as Baba’s mantle of protection. Needless to say, I became devoted to Baba.”

The power of Baba’s name struck home again a month later, when the officer was on a train going to Tirupati. He states, “At a station, a peon of the Department of Railways got into my compartment howling with pain. He was stung by a scorpion on his right forefinger. It was swollen and the pain was travelling up to his shoulder. He pleaded to all and sundry to do something to relieve his pain. He begged us to chant some Mantra for relief. Not being a Mantravadi, I kept quiet for some time, but the heart-wrenching cries of the peon touched my heart as I remembered my own experience a month ago. I resolved to try the effect of my charm, i.e., the scroll with my Sai Mantra. I called the peon to sit near me. I took out the folded scroll and touched him with it. I started with his neck and made passes down to his right forefinger, all the while, mentally repeating Baba’s name 108 times. As soon as this was done, the man’s pain started subsiding. It became localised to his wrist. I repeated the procedure a second time, and the pain became localised to the area that was stung. I told him that the localised pain would remain for 24 hours, and I put the scroll away safely. I now have sufficient proof and faith in Baba’s name, and I write His name 108 times in a book everyday. I have also realised the power of Naam Jap.”
(Reference: Sai Sudha magazine, vol. 3, parts 1-3, October 1942.)

Last, but not least, is the unshakeable faith of Kaka Dikshit, who was willing to slaughter the goat as it was Baba's order. Kaka had come to live in Shirdi for his spiritual progress. He knew that if he was constantly at Baba's feet, he would progress on the spiritual path. However, Baba asked him to confine himself to a room on the top floor of his Wada in Ekant Maun for nine months. He was not allowed to come out of the room, and was to study the spiritual texts that Baba had asked him to study. This must have been very hard for Dikshit as he pined for Baba's company. Nonetheless, the period of Ekanta was very short. It was only nine months and not decades, which most disciples have to go through. Nine months is the time that a baby takes to be born. And indeed, after that period, when Dikshit came out of his Ekanta, he had a new lease on life.

The importance of the number nine is described in the chapter of Navavidha Bhakti. In chapter 12 of the Shripad Shrivallabh Charitra, the meaning of number nine is described very well. It says: Paramatma is beyond the universe. When the number nine is multiplied by any digit, the sum total will always be nine. The number nine thus signifies the changeless Supreme Self, or the divine Lord Sainath. Through his penance for nine months, Dikshit receives the grace of Sai Baba. During this period, Dikshit first silenced his tongue, then his mind. So in that silence, he was able to hear his inner voice, or what Baba wanted him to gain. In this way, Baba gives him gems from His Treasury.

I will conclude this chapter with the Leela of a girl who was mute. Rajalakshmi was nine years old, but she had not uttered a single word as she was born mute. Her father was extremely anxious about her future. He was devoted to Baba, and found solace in Him. One night in March 1942, he dreamt of Baba who ordered him to come to Shirdi and worship His Samadhi. He immediately went to Shirdi with his daughter. When he took his daughter to the Samadhi Mandir, the little girl clapped her hands with joy and cried out, "Sai Baba, Sai Baba, Sai Baba!" Rajalakshmi then started going to school, and her speech gradually started improving. How apt this Leela is. We devotees have to first silence this chatter that goes on continuously by keeping silent. Only then is it possible to silence the mind. Thus, it was natural that her first words were 'Sai Baba'. Baba asked Dikshit to stay upstairs in his Wada for nine months in solitude. The number nine represents the unalterable or the eternal Parabrahma.
(Reference: Sai Sudha magazine, volume 5, part 7, September 1944.)

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