Sai Sat Charitra, Chapter 36-Part II

Sai Satcharitra

oi-Staff

By Super

Friday, May 4, 2012, 8:46

Baba never, in fact, actually begged any money, nor allowed His Bhaktas to beg. He regarded money as a danger or an obstacle to spiritual progress and did not allow His Bhaktas to fall into its clutches. Bhagat Mhalsapati, is apt example for the aforesaid truth. He was very poor and could hardly make both ends meet. Baba never allowed him to make any money, nor gave him anything from the Dakshina amount. Once a kind and liberal merchant named Hansaraj gave a large amount of money to Mhalsapati in Baba's presence, but Baba did not allow him to accept it.

Sai Ram. Until the traces of desire are removed from the mind, money and other materialistic benefits act as obstacles for spiritual progress. That is why, Sai advocated fakiri (poverty) and gave away all the money collected as dakshina daily. The question then may arise, "Why did He give money to some?" He knew the stages of spiritual progress of the different devotees and in their cases, He was rewarding them for their poorva janma punyas and because they were indeed at the stage in their spiritual path where they were expecting money. Sai Ram.

Then the second guest began his tale. "My Brahmin (cook) was serving me faithfully for 35 years. Unfortunately he fell into bad ways, his mind changed and he robbed me of my treasure. By removing a laterite slab from my wall where my cup-board is fixed, he came in while we were all asleep and carried away all my accumulated wealth, Rs. 30,000/- in currency notes. I know not how Baba mentioned the exact amount.

I sat crying day and night. My enquiries came to nothing. I spent a fortnight in great anxiety. As I sat on the verandah, sad and dejected, a passing fakir noted my condition and enquired of its cause, and I told him all about it. He told me that an Avalia by name Sai lives in Shirdi, Kopergaon Taluka. Make vow to Him and give up any food that you like best and say to Him mentally that 'I have given up eating that food till I take your darshan'. Then I took the vow and gave up eating rice and said, "Baba, I will eat it after recovering my property and after taking your darshan".

Chat With Devoties Of Shirdi Saibaba