Dr. CHIDAMBARAM PILLAY

By: Ramaswamy Sheshadri

Dr. Chidambaram Pillay was an intimate devotee of Baba. He loved Baba much and even Baba would inquire about him very lovingly and used to call him Bhau (brother). Bhau’s place was near the hand railing in the mosque (Dwarakamai), on which Baba used to rest his left arm while sitting in the mosque. Bhau used to sit in this place morning and evening when he came for Sai’s darshan. There were lots of mutual exchanges of ideas between Baba and Bhau. While smoking a chillum, Bhau had to be there. Bhau’s presence was imperative always and was needed while taking decisions in any matter. Baba talked with him off and on and consulted him in all matters.

“Though I am bodily present at this place and you may be beyond the seven seas, and doing anything there, I am aware of it immediately.” – Shri Sai Baba (Chap 15, Ovi 67-73)

Baba used to take on himself much suffering on behalf of his devotees who were passing through inevitable karma due to their actions in earlier lives. This Pillay suffered once very badly from guinea-worms. He said to Kakasaheb Dixit, “The pain is most excruciating and unbearable. I prefer death to it. This pain, I know, is for repaying past Karma, but go to Baba and tell Him to stop the pain and transfer the working of my past Karma to ten future births of mine.” Mr. Dixit went to Baba and told him Pillay’s request. Then Baba, being moved by his request, said to Dixit, “Tell him to be fearless. Why should he suffer for ten births? In ten days, he can work out the sufferings and consequences of his past Karma. While I am here to give him temporal and spiritual welfare, why should he pray for death? Bring him here on somebody’s back and let us work and finish his sufferings once for all.” The doctor was brought in that condition and was seated on Baba’s right side, where Fakir Baba always sat. Baba gave him his bolster and said, “Lie calmly here and be at ease. The true remedy is, that the result of past actions has to be suffered and got over. Our Karma is the cause of our happiness and sorrow; therefore, put up with whatever comes to you. Allah (God) is the sole Dispenser and Protector, always think of Him. He will take care of you. Surrender to His feet with body, mind, wealth and speech, i.e., completely and then see what He does.” Dr. Pillay said in return that Nanasaheb had put a bandage over the leg, but Dr. Pillay found no relief. “Nana is a fool,” replied Baba. “Take off that bandage or else you will die. Now a crow will come and peck you, and then you will recover.” While this conversation was going on, one Abdul, who always cleaned the masjid and trimmed the lamps, turned up in the masjid. While Abdul was attending to his work of trimming, his foot accidentally fell upon the stretched leg of Dr. Pillay. The leg was already swollen and when Abdul’s foot fell upon it and pressed it, all the seven guinea-worms were squeezed out at once. The pain became quite unbearable, and Dr. Pillay bawled out loudly. After some time, he calmed down and began to sing and cry alternately. Then Pillay enquired when the crow was coming for pecking. Baba said, “Did you not see the crow? He won’t come again. Abdul was the crow. Now go and rest yourself in the Wada and you will be soon all right.” By application of the Udi externally and by its intake with water, and without taking any other treatment or medicine, the disease was completely cured in ten days as promised by Baba.

Baba’s life was replete with several instances where Baba Himself took over the illness/suffering of the devotees and reduced or eliminated the karma of the devotees and in the process Baba Himself underwent the suffering instead of by the devotee. Baba would also spread over the severity of the karma of the devotees in such a way that the devotees could be in a position to bear easily the spread-over karma. All these steps would result in the happiness of the devotees.

Baba always said that one should see him in all creations of almighty, be it a dog, cat, a pig or a bird or any other creature. He displayed his generosity and magnanimity by protecting a small white dog which was rabid and was causing fear amongst the residents of Shirdi. When being chased by the villagers, Baba reprimanded them for being so cruel with a helpless creature. He cured the rabid and protected it from the villagers who were chasing it to be done with it. Dr. Pillay and Jayker were witness to this act of mercy of Baba as they were present in Dwarakamai then. This incident happened during May 1917. The rabid dog took shelter in Dwarakamai hiding behind Baba. Pillay and Jayker understood that even animals and creatures knew that Baba would protect them as he was God.

Upasani Baba, while forgetting the glorious future promised by Baba, felt that he would soon die in 1912-13 in Shirdi and with this feeling he told Dr. Pillay that he was being tortured like a dumb brute. Dr. Pillay was close to Upasani Baba who used to vent his feelings to the doctor. On another occasion, when Upasani Baba was in Shirdi, he was starving without food almost for about a year during 1913-14. His body was sturdy and even when he was starving, his bodily frame did not shrink but he lost considerable weight. And even at that time also, he was capable of drawing stone rollers on the road. Dr. Pillay used to examine his pulse rate at that time and found it at 40 per minute in April 1913 before starving and at 20 per minute in July 1913 during the course of starving. Even during that time also, he was capable of doing any hard labor work. Such was his energy that was provided by Baba’s Grace. Baba also indicated that Upasani Baba was reaching the highest point in the spiritual path during July-August 1913. However, Upasani Baba decided to leave Shirdi stealthily with the help from Dr Pillay and Ganapat Rao of Shinde even without completing the 4-year novitiate period in Shirdi under the direction of Baba. Having left Shirdi, Upasani Baba visited Shinde, Nagpur, Kharagpur, and several other places of pilgrimage.

Thus Dr. Pillay was treating the devotees and other general public by giving medicines and at that time the general public was moving as a team under the Divine Leadership of Baba. Dr. Pillay, being a doctor himself, was cured for his buboes by the Doctor of Doctors- Sai Baba. Pillay reposed total faith in Baba and followed his directions. He also secured a very special position in Baba’s darbar and lived close to Baba. He was a truly blessed soul.

You should always bow down to that ME who thus resides in your heart. I am also the same ME who resides in the heart of all beings. Therefore, whomsoever you come across, at home, outside or anywhere in the course of life, I am within them, and I am myself present in them.” – Shri Sai Baba (Chap 15, Ovi 67-73)