By: Seetha ‘Priya’
When can our lives be called truly devoted? The enlightened ones answer — true devotion enters your lives when you become aware of your sorrows and sufferings. Even though you have been suffering since times immemorial, it has always been in a state of complete unawareness! Even though you have suffered, it is in the hope that you will encounter happiness as you progress on the worldly path. You feel that you are currently unhappy, but soon, you will attain happiness on the same path. You eke out your existence in this hope. It is this very hope that has disallowed you from developing awareness towards your sorrow. That is the reason why devotion has not manifested itself within you.
When you say, ‘Enough! I have wandered enough out of delusion. Let me come to a standstill now,’ — as Sri Narasimha Swamiji stated: “Since the time I realized that delusion is the cause of my cycles of life and death, from then, enough is enough! Let me stop now.” — when this is understood correctly, the search for the Supreme will start, and a revolution will set in.
The 32nd shloka of Vishnu Sahasranama is –
Bhoota Bhavya Bhavannathaha Pavanah Pavanonilaha
Kamaha Kamakrit Kantah Kamapradah Prabhuhu;
When we devote ourselves to Lord Vishnu, who monitors our past, present, and future (Bhoota Bhavya Bhavannatha), as the wind (Pavana), the purifier (Paavana), and the fire (Anila), He is the destroyer of desires (Kamaha), at the same time fulfiller of desires (Kmakrit). He is the beautiful (Kanta), the existent bestower of desires (Kamapradah Prabhu).
All over Maharashtra started a chain of Dasa Ganu’s kirtans by 1905. He chose temples in various towns and cities as venues and covered the lives of saints and sages with Sai Baba as the central theme. His kirtans on saints made people regard him as ‘Sant Dasa Ganu.’ Many people who never knew about Sai Baba got more information about Sai Baba and Shirdi.
Many had dream visions of Sai Baba but were at a loss to know about his whereabouts. When they saw Sai Baba’s picture in the Kirtans of Dasa Ganu, they would be extremely happy and, on getting the required information, would reach Shirdi.
An experience of this kind by Lakshmichand, a Rajasthani, is very interesting! Lakshmichand had a dream vision of Sai Baba at his residence in Santa Cruz, Mumbai, in which he kneeled to him and was in so much communion that he yearned to meet him personally. Soon, he was invited to Manjunath Bijur’s place, where Dasa Ganu Maharaj performed. There, he saw Sai Baba’s picture placed on a high pedestal. Lakshmichand was visibly moved to see the same saint who had blessed him in his dream. Same face, same smile, and the same divine pair of lotus feet that had fascinated him in his dream! The subject of kirtan that day was the life of Sai Baba! The audience was dumbfounded by Dasa Ganu’s style of narration. Dasa Ganu observed that tears were flowing from Lakshmichand’s eyes. He interrupted his discourse and called upon Lakshmichand to explain his emotional outburst. Listening to his dream vision, the audience was thrilled, and many decided to meet the Loving God at Shirdi!
Lakshmichand, too, craved to go to Shirdi. But he had a problem meeting the travel expenses. He was a clerk in a private firm called Rallie Brothers, and with his meager income, he did not have spare money to spend on his trip to Shirdi. That is the reason Sai Baba gave him a dream vision. However, this restless soul wanted to have a physical darshan of Baba. As luck would have it, his friend Shankara Rao came to him and requested him to accompany him on a trip to Shirdi. Lakshmichand jumped at the idea, borrowed fifteen rupees from his cousin, and on the same night, both left for Shirdi. At Manmad, they changed trains to Kopergaon, and on the train, they heard from fellow passengers many miracles of Sai Baba!
Lakshmichand did not want to meet Sai Baba with empty hands. He learned that Sai Baba liked Guavas very much. Despite a hectic search, he could not find them at the railway station or on the way. He was feeling disappointed. As the tonga moved fast with the least possibility of getting guavas for Baba, suddenly, he saw an old woman chasing their vehicle with a basket full of guavas! Lakshmichand stopped
the vehicle and purchased the fruits. The woman offered the remaining fruits as her offering to Sai Baba and gave the entire basket! Lakshmichand had an intuition that Sai Baba himself had come in the guise of that old woman to fulfill his desire!
Reaching Shirdi, they prepared themselves to worship Sai Baba. Lakshmichand was simply dumbfounded! He saw the same ‘Mahatma’ who had blessed him in his vision. Baba allowed him to worship as he wished. Lakshmichand washed Baba’s feet, wiped them, smeared them with sandalwood paste, applied the same to his forehead and his neck, then applied turmeric and kumkum, fixed rice grains over it, put flowers over his head and placed a garland around his neck. Baba was happy, and even though it took a long time and was a hindrance to other devotees, he endured Lakshmichand’s worship with patience! Then he asked him – “Did you not bring any offering for me?” Lakshmichand was confused, and he asked his friend to get some candy. Immediately, Baba reminded him – “Why candy? You have brought something very dear to me! Where is it?” Lakshmichand was still more bewildered! He looked puzzled and looked at his friend Shankara Rao. At last, Baba reminded him – “Oh dear, did you not bring guavas for me? Purchased from that old woman?” With this direct reminder, Lakshmichand jumped like a child and offered the fruits. Keeping one, Baba asked Madhava Rao to distribute the rest of the guavas amongst the devotees. Lakshmichand was happy that Baba fulfilled his desire.
Baba allowed Lakshmichand to worship in the manner he liked. Earlier, Baba never allowed anyone to worship him. Later, he allowed Mhalsapathy to perform his ‘pooja,’ who would apply sandalwood paste to Baba’s feet and neck and never on the forehead. Afterward, Nana Chandorkar once brought his four-year-old son Bapu, who applied the sandalwood paste to Baba’s forehead and worshipped him. Baba happily allowed him to do it. Thereafter, he permitted devotees who came from far-off places and were desirous of worshipping him to perform the ‘pooja’ except for the application of sandalwood paste to his forehead.
Lakshmichand sat near Baba, gazing at him. Suddenly, Baba blurted out – “These chaps come singing devotional songs. Why enquire from others? Come yourself and verify whether your dream is true or false. Why borrow money to come to Shirdi? Why am I giving them a vision in a dream? Do I not go to them in their dream so that they need not come here all the way? But still, they itch to see if their dream was true! See now, verify, and satisfy!” Lakshmichand realized that Baba was referring to him only.
That day, someone brought ‘Shira’ as grace food. Lakshmichand liked it very much and desired that it should be served the next day, too. But someone told him that it was not there. Lakshmichand was disappointed and felt terrible backache for having sat for a long time. But towards the end of ‘Aarthi,’ baskets of ‘Shira’ Prasad arrived. Baba remarked – “My pet sweet is here. Backache also will vanish.” Baba’s clairvoyance fascinated him. He went near Baba and clasped his feet!
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