Shri Sai Satcharita Chapter XLI

Shri Sai Satcharita Chapter XLI 

Story of the Picture - Stealing the Rags and Reading of Jnaneshwari

At the close of the last chapter, the account of Baba’s picture being brought to
Hemadpant’s house just in time to be placed on the seat of the guest of honor during the
Shimga dinner was depicted. Nine years after that incident, Alli Mahomed met Hemadpant

and recounted the following story.

One day, while wandering in the streets of Bombay, he bought a picture of Sai Baba
from a street hawker. He then framed it and hung it on a wall in his house in Bandra, a
suburb of Bombay. As Alli Mahomed loved Baba greatly, he took darshan of the holy
picture every day.

Then, three months before Alli brought this very picture to Hemadpant’s home, he
had an operation for an infected abscess on his leg. He went to his brother-in-law’s home
in Bombay, where he lay in pain while recuperating. Thus, for three months, Alli’s house in
Bandra was closed with no one living there. Only the pictures of the famous Baba Abdul
Rahiman, Moulanasaheb Mahomed Hussain, Sai Baba, and Baba Tajudin were in the
empty house, as well as some pictures of other living saints. Nevertheless, the wheel of
time did not spare even these. (It would seem that holy pictures, too, have their ins and
outs (births and deaths), for all the pictures in Alli Mahomed’s home met their fate except
Sai Baba’s.) How Baba’s picture escaped, no one has been able to explain until now. The
following explanation shows the all pervasiveness and omnipresence of Sai and His
inscrutable power.

Alli Mahomed received a small picture of Saint Baba Abdul Rahiman from Mahomed
Hussain Thariya many years ago. He gave it to his brother-in-law, Noor Mahomed
Peerbhoy, who kept it on his table for eight years. After some time, Noor Mahomed took
the picture to a photographer and had it enlarged to life size. He then distributed copies
amongst his relations and friends, including Alli Mahomed, who placed the picture on a wall
in his Bandra house.

Noor Mahomed, Alli’s brother-in-law, was a disciple of Saint Abdul Rahiman, and
when he went to present the picture to his guru in an open darbar, the guru became
enraged and drove him out. Noor Mahomed felt very upset and dejected. He thought not
only had he lost so much of his money in having the picture reproduced, but more
importantly, he incurred his guru’s displeasure and anger, as his guru did not like image
worship.

Noor Mahomed then took the enlarged picture with him to Appolo Bunder, and,
hiring a boat, took the picture out to sea and disposed of it. Afterward, he requested his
friends and relations to return their copies, and after getting all six of them back, Noor had
a fisherman throw them into the Bandra Sea.

At the time of this incident, Alli Mahomed was staying in his brother-in-law’s house.
He was told by Noor that his suffering would come to an end if he would dispose of all his
pictures of the saints. Hearing this, Alli Mahomed sent his mehta (manager) to his Bandra
house to pack up all the pictures of the saints and throw them into the sea.

Two months passed and Alli Mahomed recuperated and returned home. He was
very surprised to find Baba’s picture still on the wall in his house, just as it had been before.
He did not understand how his mehta could have taken away all the holy pictures except
this one. He immediately took it down and put it in his cabinet, fearing that if his brother-inlaw
saw it, he would do away with it. While he was thinking of who he would give the
picture to for safe keeping, Sai Baba inspired him to consult the moulana Ismu Mujavar
and abide by his opinion. Alli, therefore, saw the moulana and told him everything.

After mature consideration, they both decided the picture should be presented to
Annasaheb (Hemadpant) and that he would protect it well. Having reached a decision, the
two men set out for Hemadpant’s home and presented him with the picture just in the nick
of time during his Shimga dinner.

This story illustrates how Baba knew all the past, present, and future events and
how skillfully He pulled the wires and fulfilled the desires of His devotees.

The following story shows how very much Baba liked those devotees who took real
interest in spiritual matters and how He removed all their difficulties and made them happy.

Stealing the Rags and Reading of Jnaneshwari

Mr. B.V. Deo, who was mamlatdar of Dahanu, Thana District, wished for a long time to be
able to read Jnaneshwari, (the well known Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad Gita by
Jnaneshwar), along with the other scriptures he read. Although he was able to read one
chapter daily of the Bhagavad Gita and some portions of other spiritual books, he was
fraught with obstacles whenever he would try to read Jnaneshwari. Thus, he took three
months’ leave, went to Shirdi, and from there went to his home at Poud for a rest.
Although Deo had no difficulty reading his other spiritual books, when he opened
Jnaneshwari, some evil or stray thoughts would crowd his mind and thwart his effort. Try
however he might, he was not able to read even a few lines of Jnaneshwari with ease. He,
therefore, mentally resolved to wait until Baba would create love for the book in him and
would directly order him to read it. After receiving Baba’s blessing, he would then begin the
reading.

Then, in February of 1914, Deo and his family went to Shirdi. There, Babusaheb
Jog asked him whether he was reading Jnaneshwari every day. Deo replied he was
desirous of reading it, but had not been successful, so he decided to wait until Baba
ordered him to read the book before commencing such. Bapusaheb Jog then advised him
to take a copy of the book and present it to Baba and to start the reading after it was
consecrated and returned by Him. Deo replied he did not want to resort to this device. He
explained that as Baba knows his heart and inner thoughts, would He not know of his
desire, and satisfy it by giving him a clear order to read?

Later, Deo saw Baba and offered Him one rupee as dakshina. Baba asked for Rs.
20/, which Deo then gave. That night, Deo saw Balakram and inquired how he had
secured Baba’s devotion

When Deo went for darshan the next day, Baba asked for Rs. 20/, which he willingly
gave. As the masjid was crowded, Deo went to the side and sat in a corner. Baba asked
him to come close and sit with a calm mind, which Deo did. Then, after the arati was over
and the men had dispersed, Deo again saw Balakram and asked him about his previous
history - what Baba had told him and how he had been taught meditation. Just as
Balakram was going to reply, Baba sent Chandru, a leper devotee, to call Deo to Him.
When Deo approached Baba, He asked him when and with whom and about what was he
just talking. Deo replied he had spoken with Balakram who had described Baba’s fame.
Baba then asked for Rs. 25/ as dakshina, which Deo gladly gave. Next, Baba took Deo
inside the masjid, and said vehemently, “You stole My rags without My knowledge.” Deo
denied all knowledge of the rags, but Baba asked him to make a search. He searched, but
found none.

Baba became angry and said, “There is no one here. You are the only thief, so grey haired
and old. You came here for stealing.” Then, Baba lost His temper, became terribly wild,
and shouted all sorts of abuses and scoldings. Deo remained silent as he watched Baba,
all the while thinking he might get a beating as well. After about an hour or so, Baba asked
Deo to go to the wada. Deo returned to the wada and told Jog and Balakram all that
happened.

That afternoon, Baba sent for all three men and said that His words might have
pained the old man (Deo), but as Deo had committed the theft, He could not but speak out.
Baba then asked again for Rs.12/. Deo collected the amount, paid it, and prostrated
before Baba.

Baba, looking directly at Deo, said, “Go on daily reading the Pothi (Jnaneshwari).
Go and sit in the wada, read something regularly every day, and while reading, explain the
portion read to all with love and devotion. I am sitting here ready to give you the whole
gold embroidered shella (valuable cloth), but you go to others to steal rags. Why should
you get into the habit of stealing?”

Deo was very pleased to hear these words, because Baba had directly ordered him
to start to read Pothi (Jnaneshwari). Deo felt he got just what he wanted and that he would
now be able to read the book with ease. He prostrated one more time before Baba, saying
he surrendered himself to Him, and then asked to be treated like a child and given help
with understanding the reading. Just at that point, Deo realized what Baba had meant by
‘stealing the rags’. The questions he had asked Balakram constituted the ‘rags’ and Baba
did not like this behavior. Baba was ready to answer any questions he had, but He did not
like him making unncessary inquiries of others. That is why He harrassed and scolded
him. Deo now thought that this scolding was really to teach him that Baba was ready to
fulfill his desires and there was no use asking others for answers in vain. Thus, Deo took
these scoldings as flowers and blessings and went home satisfied and contented.

The matter did not end here. Baba did not stop with only issuing an order to read.
Within a year, Baba went to Deo and inquired about his progress. On Thursday morning,
April 2, 1914, Baba gave Deo a dream vision in which Baba sat on the upper floor of
Deo’s home and asked him whether he understood the Pothi. Deo answered, “No.” Baba
replied, “Then when are you going to understand?” Deo burst into tears and said, “Unless
You shower Your grace, the reading is mere worry and the understanding is even
more difficult. I am certain of this.” Baba then replied, “While doing your reading, you
made haste. Read it before Me, in My presence.” Deo answered, “What shall I read?”
Baba said, “Read adhyatma (spiritualism).” Just as Deo went to get the book in the dream,
he awakened, opened his eyes and felt ineffable joy and bliss. Deo treasured this vision.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all