Sai
Baba's all embracing kindness and omnipresence was well
known to all his devotees.
Sai Baba was an exceptional Yogi. He had achieved great prowess in various Yogic actions right in his childhood. Exactly how much excellence he had attainted no one knew. He used to cure people of various ailments and yet he never accepted any payments in return. People came to him from far corners of the country for these Yogic cures. Poor people who were suffering from serious ailments and who had heard of his miraculous curative powers used to come to Baba and get cured. As a consequence of his ability to take upon himself the pain and sufferings of others he faced tremendous difficulties and suffered unimaginable pain. One particular instance is cited in Sai Satcharitra as evidence of this aspect of Baba's love for humanity. Once on Deepawali Baba was sitting beside his Dhuni and while enjoying the warmth of the bonfire he was feeding the Dhuni with firewood.
Sai Baba was an exceptional Yogi. He had achieved great prowess in various Yogic actions right in his childhood. Exactly how much excellence he had attainted no one knew. He used to cure people of various ailments and yet he never accepted any payments in return. People came to him from far corners of the country for these Yogic cures. Poor people who were suffering from serious ailments and who had heard of his miraculous curative powers used to come to Baba and get cured. As a consequence of his ability to take upon himself the pain and sufferings of others he faced tremendous difficulties and suffered unimaginable pain. One particular instance is cited in Sai Satcharitra as evidence of this aspect of Baba's love for humanity. Once on Deepawali Baba was sitting beside his Dhuni and while enjoying the warmth of the bonfire he was feeding the Dhuni with firewood.
The
flames were getting bigger and brighter. Suddenly Baba
put his hand in the fire instead of firewood. His hand
was badly scorched. Madhav the servant and Madhav Rao
Deshpande when they realized what Baba was doing ran to
Baba and forcibly pulled him away from the fire. Madhav
Rao asked Baba, "Deva, why did you do this?"
Baba replied "A short distance from here a
blacksmith's wife was busily working the bellows at the
smithy when her husband called out to her. She quickly
ran to her husband leaving the baby near the fire. When
she was away accidentally the baby fell into the fire.
Promptly I put my hand into the fire and rescued the
baby. I am not sorry that my hand is burnt but I am very
happy that I saved the live of an innocent baby."
When Nana Saheb Chandorkar learnt that Baba had burnt his hand he immediately sent Dr. Parmanand with necessary medicines. Dr. Parmanand requested Baba to permit him to dress his wound but Baba refused. Bhagoji Shinde - a devotee who was suffering from Leprosy was allowed to dress Baba's burnt hand.
When Nana Saheb Chandorkar learnt that Baba had burnt his hand he immediately sent Dr. Parmanand with necessary medicines. Dr. Parmanand requested Baba to permit him to dress his wound but Baba refused. Bhagoji Shinde - a devotee who was suffering from Leprosy was allowed to dress Baba's burnt hand.
Everyday,
Bhagoji would rub ghee on the wound, place a leaf on it
and then tie a tight bandage. Chandorkar repeatedly
begged Baba to get the burn examined by doctors
and take proper treatment but Baba would not
agree. When Dr. Parmanand begged him to let him treat
the wound Baba brushed him aside saying "Allah
alone is my doctor". Bhagoji continued to nurse the
hand till Baba took Samadhi. In truth Baba did not
require this nursing but he let Bhagoji serve him - such
was Baba's love and such his way of granting grace to
his devotees.
Baba used to perform wondrous 'Leelas'. There is a specially endearing one about Baby Khaparde. Dada Saheb Khaparde's (of Amrawati) wife had been staying at Shirdi with her younger son. The child had caught plague, was running high fever and had swollen glands. Mrs. Khaparde was extremely worried and decided to go back to Amrawati. That evening when Baba was passing by 'Vada' (now Samadhi Mandir), in the course of his evening walk Mrs. Khaparde went to Baba and said in a tremulous voice, "Baba my son is suffering from plague hence I want to go back home". Baba, in a very affectionate tone said to her "the sky is over cast, when the clouds disperse there will be light again", saying this to Mrs. Khaparde he lifted his Kafani and all present saw the four egg size swollen glands. Baba said, "see how I suffer for my Devotees! Their sufferings are mine".
Baba's heart was full of compassion for his Devotees. He loved them as his own children and took their pain and sufferings upon himself.
Baba used to perform wondrous 'Leelas'. There is a specially endearing one about Baby Khaparde. Dada Saheb Khaparde's (of Amrawati) wife had been staying at Shirdi with her younger son. The child had caught plague, was running high fever and had swollen glands. Mrs. Khaparde was extremely worried and decided to go back to Amrawati. That evening when Baba was passing by 'Vada' (now Samadhi Mandir), in the course of his evening walk Mrs. Khaparde went to Baba and said in a tremulous voice, "Baba my son is suffering from plague hence I want to go back home". Baba, in a very affectionate tone said to her "the sky is over cast, when the clouds disperse there will be light again", saying this to Mrs. Khaparde he lifted his Kafani and all present saw the four egg size swollen glands. Baba said, "see how I suffer for my Devotees! Their sufferings are mine".
Baba's heart was full of compassion for his Devotees. He loved them as his own children and took their pain and sufferings upon himself.
