Sai loved children a lot. Though there are not many leelas in Sai Satcharitra regarding Baba’s love for Children, we can read many such leelas in “Life of Sai Baba, Devotees Experience of Sai Baba and also from Sai Leela Masik. Here is one such story as to how Sai Loved children.
Shankar Haribhau Chaubal was born on 13-8-1910 in Dhanu (Thane district). He was the son of Haribhau V. Chaubal. He met Baba when his father stayed in Shirdi for long periods of time. He was too young to remember the first stay there but he vividly remembers the second stay in 1917 when he was 7 years old. After Kakad Arati his mother would go home and prepare Zunka Bhakari for Baba every day as he would come to take Bhiksha daily from their home. The children would fight amongst themselves as to who would give Bhiksha to Baba. His mother solved the issue by making each child take turns. Shankar would run to the Dwarka Mai before Baba arrived from his rounds and wait there. Baba would pick him up and seat him on his lap for some time, cuddle him and often times wipe his nose. Baba would give him delicious food that he had received, the tell him to go and play.
Once Shama called Shankar and said in a stern voice, “Boy you are very dirty so from tomorrow don’t stand next to the railing as Baba picks you up and has to wipe your nose. The next day Shankar did go to the Dwarka Mai but quietly sat in the Sabha Mandap, Baba sent a devotee to fetch him but he refused to go as Shama was next to Baba. The devotee was sent again by Baba, and when he refused, the devotee picked him up and brought him to Baba. Baba sat him on his lap and in a gentle voice said, “Bhau are you angry with me today? Why are you sitting so far away” Then Shankar told him what Shama had said. “Arre Shymia just as you are my child so is Bhau. If I don’t take of my children who will? So don’t be angry with him” and pacified Shama. Since then Shama didn’t object to Shankar’s going to Baba.
Source: Sai Leela, December 2013; Reference: Sai Leela, May 1986
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