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signs & miracles
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Ganesha
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Power and Efficacy of Udi
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Shirdi
Sai Baba
The Vibhuti is but the continuation in this incarnation of the Udi or Ash
which Sai Baba of Shirdi gave as His boon to those who went to Him. Sai
Baba of Shirdi used to take the ash from the hearth fed perpetually with
fuel, so that He could have live cinders for the Udi, says Sathya Sai
Baba.
Greatness of Udi
Scorpion Sting and Plague Cases Cured - Jamner Miracle - Narayanarao's
Sickness - Balabuva sutar - Appasaheb Kulkarni - Haribhau Karnik.
In the last Chapter we described the greatness of the Guru; now in this we
will describe the greatness of Udi.
Preliminary
Let us bow now before the great saints. Their merciful glances will
destroy mountains of sins and do away with all the evil taints of our
character. Their casual talk gives us good teachings and confers on us
imperishable happiness. Their minds do not know any difference such as
'This is ours and that is yours.' Such differentiation never arises in
their minds. Their debts (obligations) will never be repaid by us in this
birth as well as in many future births.
Udi
It is well-known that Baba took Dakshina from all, and out of the amount
thus collected, He spent a lot on charity and purchased fuel with the
balance left with Him. This fuel He threw in the Dhuni - the sacred fire,
which he kept ever burning. The ash from this fire was called Udi and it
was freely distributed to the devotees at the time of their departure from
Shirdi.
What did Baba teach or hint by this Udi? Baba taught by His Udi that all
the visible phenomena in the universe are as transient as the ash. Our
bodies composed of wood or matter of the five elements, will fall down,
after all their enjoyments are over, and be reduced to ashes. In order to
remind the devotees of the fact that their bodies will be reduced to
ashes, Baba distributed Udi to them. Baba also taught by the Udi that the
Brahman is the only Reality and the universe is ephemeral and that no one
in this world, be he a son, father or wife, is really ours. We come here
(in this world) alone and we have to go out alone. It was found and is
even now found out, that the Udi cured many physical and mental maladies,
but Baba wanted to din into the devotee's ears the principles of
discrimination between the Unreal and the Real, non-attachment for the
Unreal, by His Udi and Dakshina. The former (Udi) taught us discrimination
and the latter (Dakshina) taught us non-attachment. Unless we have these
two things, it is not possible for us to cross over the sea of the mundane
existence. So Baba asked for and took Dakshina, and while the devotees
took leave, He gave Udi as Prasad, besmeared some of it on the Bhaktas'
foreheads and placed His boon-conferring hand on their heads. When Baba
was in a cheerful mood, He used to sing merrily. One such song was about
Udi. The burden of the Udi song was this,"Oh, playful Rama, come, come,
and bring with you sacks of Udi." Baba used to sing in very clear and
sweet tones.
So much about the spiritual implication of Udi. It had also its material
significance. It conferred health, prosperity, freedom from anxiety, and
many other worldly gains. So the Udi has helped us to gain both our ends -
material as well as spiritual. We shall now begin with the stories about
the Udi.
Scorpion-Sting
Narayan Motiram Jani of Nasik was a devotee of Baba. He was serving under
another devotee of Baba, by name Ramachandra Vaman Modak. Once he went to
Shirdi with his mother and saw Baba. Then Baba Himself told her that he
(her son) should serve no more, but start independent business. Some days
after, this prophecy turned true. Narayan Jani left service and started a
boarding house 'Anandashram' which thrived well. Once a friend of this
Narayanrao was stung by a scorpion and the pain caused by it, was servere
and unbearable. Udi is most efficacious in such cases; it is to be applied
on the seat of pain, and so Narayanrao searched for it, but found none.
Then he stood before Baba's picture and invoked Baba's aid, chanted Baba's
name and taking out a pinch of the ashes of the joss-stick burning in
front of Baba's picture and thinking it to be Baba's Udi, applied it on
the seat of pain and the sting. As soon as he took out his fingers, the
pain vanished and both the person were moved and felt delighted.
Bubonic Plague Case
Once a devotee in Bandra came to know that his daughter, who was staying
in another place was down with bubonic plague. He had no Udi with him; so
he sent word to Nanasaheb Chandorkar to send the same. Nanasaheb got this
message on a road near the Thana Railway Station when he was travelling
with his wife to Kalyan. He had no Udi with him at that time. He,
therefore, took up some earth from the road, meditated upon Sai Baba,
invoked His aid and applied it on the forehead of his wife. The devotee
saw all this and when he went to his daughter's house he was very glad to
learn that his daughter, who was suffering for three days, began to
improve from the very moment Nanasaheb invoked Baba's aid near the Thana
Railway Station.
The Jamner Miracle
About 1904-05 Nanasaheb Chandorkar was Mamlatdar at Jamner, in the
Khandesh District, which is more that 100 miles distant from Shirdi. His
daughter Mainatai was pregnant and was about to deliver. He case was very
serious and she was suffering from labour pains for the last two or three
days. Nanasaheb tried all remedies but they proved in vain; he then
remembered Baba and invoked His aid. There in Shirdi, one Ramgirbuva, whom
Baba called Bapugirbuva, wanted at this time to go to his native place in
Khandesh. Baba called him and told him to take a little rest and stop at
Jamner on his way home and give the Udi and Arati to Nanasaheb. Ramgirbuva
said that he had only two rupees with him and that amount was barely
sufficient for the railway fare upto Jalgaon and it was not possible for
him to go from jalgaon to Jamner, a distance of about 30 miles. Baba
assured him that he need not worry, as everything would be provided for
him. Then Baba asked Shama to write the well-known Arati composed by
Madhav Adkar (a translation of this is given at the end of this work) and
give a copy of it with Udi to Ramgirbuva to be delivered to Nanasaheb.
Then relying on Baba's words, Ramgirbuva left Shirdi and reached Jalgaon
at about 2-45 a.m. He had only two annas left with him and was in a hard
plight. To his great relief he heard somebody calling out "Who is
Bapugirbuva of Shirdi?" He went to him and told him that he was the person
Bapugirbuva. Then the peon, professing to be sent by Nanasaheb, took him
out to an excellent tanga with a good pair of horses. They both drove in
it. The tanga ran fast and early in the morning they came to a brooklet.
The drive took the horses for watering them and the peon asked Ramgirbuva
to partake of some eatables. On seeing the beard, moustache and the livery
of the peon, Rangirbuva suspected him to be a Moslem and was unwilling to
take any refreshments from him, but the peon satisfied him by saying that
he was a Hindu, a Kshatriya of Garhwal and that Nanasaheb had sent these
refreshments and that there should be no difficulty, nor any doubt about
acceptance. Then both of them took the refreshments and started again.
They reached Jamner at dawn. Ramgirbuva alighted to attend a call of
nature (passing urine) and returned within a few minutes, but found that
there was no tanga, no driver and no peon. He was dumbfounded. Then he
went to the neighbouring Katcheri and making enquiries, learnt that the
Mamlatdar was at home. He went to Nanasaheb's house, and announced himself
and gave to Nanasaheb, Baba's Udi and Arati. At this time, Mainatai's case
was most serious and all were in deep anxiety about her. Nanasaheb called
out his wife and asked her to give the Udi, mixed with water, to their
daughter to drink, and sing Baba's Arati. He throught that Baba's help was
most opportune. In a few minutes came the news that the delivery was safe
and that the crisis had passed away. When Ramgirbuva thanked Nanasaheb for
the peon, tanga and the refreshments etc. the latter was greatly surprised
as he had sent none to the station, and was not aware of any person coming
from Shirdi.
Mr. B.V. Deo of Thana, Retired Mamlatdar, made enquiries about this matter
with Bapurao Chandorkar, son of Nanasaheb and Ramgirbuva of Shirdi and
after satisfying himself wrote an elaborate article - part prose and part
poetry - in Shri Sai Leela magazine (Vol. 13 Nos. 11, 12 and 13). Brother
B.V. Narsimhswami has also taken down the statements of (1) Mainatai (No.
V page 14) and (2) Bapusaheb Chandorkar (No. XX page 50) and (3)
Ramgirbuva (No. XXVII, Page 83) dated Ist June 1936, 16th September 1936
and Ist December 1936 respectively and published them in his "Devotees'
Experiences, Part III." The following is quoted from Ramgirbuva's
statement.
"One day Baba called me to him and gave me a packet of Udi and a copy of
Baba's Arati. I had to go to Khandesh at the time. Baba directed me to go
to Jamner and told me to deliver the Arati and Udi to Nanasaheb
Chandorkar, at Jamner. I said to Baba that all I had was Rs. 2, and asked
Him how that could take me by train from Kopergaon to Jalgaon and next by
cart from Jalgaon to Jamner. Baba said,"God will give." That was Friday
and I started at once. I reached Manmad at 7-30 p.m. and Jalgaon at 2-45
a.m. At that time plague regulations were enforced and I had much trouble.
I was to discover what I should do to get to Jamner. At about 3 a.m. a
peon in boots, turban and well equipped with other details of good dress
came to me and took me to a tanga and drove me on. I was in terror. On the
way at Bhaghoor, I took refreshments. We reached Jamner early in the
morning and by the time I attended my call of nature the tanga and its
driver had disappeared (page 83)."
Narayanarao
Bhakta Narayanrao (father's name and surname are not given) had the good
fortune to see Baba twice during the Latter's lifetime. Three years after
the passing away of Baba in 1918, he wanted to come to Shirdi, but he
could not come. Within a year of Baba's Mahasamadhi he fell sick and
suffered much. All ordinary remedies gave him no relief. So he meditated
on Baba day and night. One night he had a vision in his dream. Baba coming
to him through a cellar, comforted him saying, "Don't be anxious, you will
be improving from tommorrow, and within a week you will be on your legs."
Narayanrao got perfectly well within the time mentioned in the vision. Now
the point for consideration is this:- Was Baba living because he had the
body, and was He dead because He left it? No, Baba is ever alive, for He
transcends both life and death. He who loved Him once whole-heartedly gets
response from Him at any time and at any place. He is always by our side
and will take any form and appear before the devout Bhakta and satisfy
him.
Appasaheb Kulkarni
In 1917 the chance of one Appasaheb Kulkarni came. He was transferred to
Thana and began to worship Baba's picture presented to him by Balasaheb
Bhate. In real earnest he did the worship. He offered flowers,
sandal-paste, and naivedya daily to Baba in the picture and longed
intently to see Him. In this connection it may be remarked that seeing
Baba's picture earnestly is equivalent to seeing Him in person. The
following story illustrates this statement.
Balabuva Sutar
A Saint of Bombay named Balabuva Sutar, who on account of his piety,
devotion and bhajan, was called "Modern Tukaram", came to Shirdi for the
first time in 1917. When be bowed before Baba, the latter said "I know
this man since four years". Balabuva wondered and thought, how could that
be, as that was his first trip to Shirdi. But thinking about it seriously
he recollected that he had prostrated himself four years ago before Baba's
portrait at Bombay and was convinced about the significance of Baba's
words. He said to himself,"How omniscient and all-pervading are the Saints
and how kind are they to their Bhaktas! I merely bowed to His photo, this
fact was noticed by Baba and in due time He made me realize that seeing
His photo is equivalent to seeing Him in person!"
Appasaheb Kulkarni
To return to Appasaheb's story. While he was in Thana, he had to go on
tour to Bhivandi and was not expected to return within a week. In his
absence, the following wonderful thing took place on the third day. At
noon a fakir turned up at Appasaheb's house. His features resembled
exactly those of Baba's photo. Mrs. Kulkarni and the children all asked
him whether he was Sai Baba of Shirdi. He said 'No', but that he was an
obedient servant of His and came there at His order to enquire after the
health of the family. Then he asked for Dakshina. The lady gave him a
rupee. He gave her a small packet of Udi, and asked her to keep this in
the shrine along with the photo for worship. Then he left the house and
went away. Now hear the wonderful Leela of Sai.
Appasaheb could not proceed with his tour as his horse fell sick at
Bhivandi. He returned home that afternoon and learnt from his wife about
fakir's visit. He smarted in his mind as he did not get the darshan of the
fakir and he did not like that only one rupee was paid as Dakshina. He
said that had he been present, he would have offered not less than rupees
ten. Then he immediately started in quest of the fakir and searched for
him in the Masjid and other places, without taking any food. His search
was in vain. He then returned home and took his food. The reader may
remember here Baba's dictum in Chapter 32 that God's quest should not be
made on an empty belly. Appasaheb got a lesson, here about this. Then
after meals he went out for a walk with a friend Mr. Chitre. Going some
distance they saw a man approaching them rapidly. Appasaheb though that he
must be the fakir that came to his house at noon, as his features tallied
with those of baba in the photo. The fakir immediately put forth his hand
and asked for Dakshina. Appasaheb gave him a rupee. He demanded again and
again and so Appasaheb gave him two more. Still he was not satisfied. Then
he borrowed Rs. three from Mr. Chitre and gave them to him. He wanted
still more. Appasaheb asked him to accompany him to his home. Then they
all returned home and Appasaheb then gave him again three rupees, in all
nine. He looked unsatisfied and demanded again. Then he told him that he
had a currency of Rs. ten. The fakir asked for the same and took it and
returned the nine rupees in cash and went away. Appasaheb had said that he
would pay Rs. ten and that sum was taken from him and nine rupees,
consecrated by Baba's touch, were returned to him. The figure 9 is
significant. It denotes the nine types of devotion (vide Chapter 21). It
may also be noted here that Baba gave Rs. nine to one Laxmibai Shinde at
His last moment.
Appasaheb examined the Udi-packet and found that it contained some
flower-petals and Akshata. Then some time afterwards he got hair from Baba
when he saw Him at Shirdi. He put the Udi-packet and the hair in a
talisman and always wore it on his arm. Appasaheb realized the power of
the Udi. Though he was very clever he got Rs. 40/- as pay in the
beginning, but after he secured Baba's photo and His Udi, he got many
times forty rupees per month and also got much power and influence; and
along with these temporal benefits, his spiritual progress was also rapid.
So those who are fortune enough to get Baba's Udi should, after bath,
apply it on the forehead and take some little of it mixed with water in
the mouth as holy Tirth.
Haribhau Karnik
In 1917 Haribhau Karnik of Dahanu (Thana District) came to Shirdi on the
Guru-pournima day (in the month of Ashadha) and worshipped Baba with all
formality. He offered clothes and Dakshina, and after taking Baba's leave
through Sharma, got down the steps of the Masjid. Then he thought that he
should offer one more rupee to Baba and was just turning to get up when
Shama informed him by signs that as he had got Baba's leave, he should go
and not return. So he started home. On his way, when he went into the
temple of Kala Rama at Nasik for darshan, the Saint Narsing Maharaj who
used to sit just inside the big door of the temple, left his Bhaktas there
came to Haribhau, caught his wrist and said,"Give me my one rupee". Karnik
was surprised. He paid the rupee most willingly and thought that Sai Baba
recovered the rupee, which he intended in his mind to give, through saint
Narsing Maharaj. This shows how the saints work in unison.
This story illustrates the fact that all saints are one and shows how they
work in unison.
Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all
So much about the spiritual implication of Udi. It had also its material
significance. It conferred health, prosperity, freedom from anxiety, and
many other worldly gains. So the Udi has helped us to gain both our ends -
material as well as spiritual.
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