Leela 1: Baba Is Datta
Shri. M.W. Pradhan’s elder son was once ill. Their priest, a Telangi Sastry, was a Datta Upasaka and did not like the Sai Bhajans. He told Shri. Pradhan, “Give up Baba and seek refuge with Datta. Then your son will recover”. Shri Pradhan replied to him, “Baba is Datta”. Then the Sastry challenged him and said, “If the boy drinks milk within five minutes, I will agree that Sai and Datta are one and the same, and if he improves in health from the next day, then I shall go to Shirdi to Darshan and pay a Dakshina of Rs. 125-00”. In five minutes, the boy drank milk and from the next day he felt all right in health. As promised, the Sastry then went to Shirdi and paid Rs. 125-00 as Dakshina. Later, at 3 p.m., he went again to Baba who asked him to pay Rs. 5/- as Dakshina. Shama, who was there, said, “The Sastry paid Rs. 125-00 in the morning. Why then should he pay Rs 5-00 now?” Shri Baba replied, “Rs 125 he paid, was to his own Datta. Has he given it to me?” Then the Sastry paid Rs five to Shri Baba.
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