Sai Satcharitra-Shirdi Sai-Past Life Story-Ch 47

Thursday, December 23, 2010, 18:41

There was ancient holy place sanctified by a temple of Mahadev (Lord Siva) about 4 or 5 miles from My place. The temple was old and dilapidated. The residents of the place collected funds for its repairs. After a large amount was collected, arrangement for worship was made and plans with estimates for repairs were prepared. A rich local man was appointed the treasurer and the whole work was entrusted to him. He was to keep regular accounts, and be honest in all his dealings. He was a first class miser and spent very little for the repairs, which consequently made very little progress. He spent all the funds, swallowed some amount himself; and spent nothing from his pocket. He had a sweet tongue, and was very clever in offering plausible explanations, regarding the poor and tardy progress of the work.

The people again went to him and said that unless he lent his helping hand and tried his best, the work would not be complete. They requested him to work out the scheme and again collected subscriptions, and sent the amount to him. He received it, but sat as quiet as before, without making any progress.

After some days, God (Mahadev) appeared in his wife's dream and said to her – You get up, build the dome of the temple, I will give you a hundred fold of what you spend. She told this vision to her husband. He was afraid that it would involve him in some expenses; and therefore, laughed it out, saying that it was a mere dream, a thing not to be relied and acted upon, or else why did not God appear to himself in the dream and tell him about it? Was he far off from her? This looks like a bad dream, having its object of creating ill feeling between husband and wife. She had to remain quiet.

Sai Ram. A miser does not spend his own money but this man was not only a miser but a thief since he took God"s money from people and cheated every one including his own Self (God, seated with in). Sai Ram.

God does not like big subscriptions and donations collected against the wishes of the donors, but He likes even trifling amounts given with love, devotion and appreciation. Some days after, God again appeared in her dream and said- “Do not bother yourself about your husband, and the collections with him. Don't press him to spend any amount for the temple. What I want is, feeling and devotion. So give, if you like, anything of your own". Sai Ram

She consulted her husband about this vision and decided to give God her ornaments given by her father. The miser felt disconcerted and decided to cheat God even in this item. He undervalued the ornaments at Rs.1,000/- and bought them himself and in lieu of the amount gave a field to God, as endowment or security. The wife agreed to this. The field or land was not his own, it belonged to one poor woman named Dubaki who mortgaged it to him for Rs.200/-. She was not able to redeem it for long. So the cunning miser cheated all, his wife, Dubaki and even God. The land was sterile, uncultivated and worth nothing and yielded nothing, even in best seasons.

Thus ended this transaction and the land was given in the possession of the poor priest who was pleased with the endowment. Sometime later on, strange things happened. There was a terrific storm and heavy downpour of rain; lightning struck the house of the miser, when he, the rich miser, and his wife both died. Dubaki also breathed her last.

To be continued

Sai Satcharitra

Sai Satcharitra, a spiritual text, is the reflection of the story of Shirdi Sai (baba), a noted Indian Saint and His teachings, written by Hemadpant, a direct devotee and disciple of Shirdi Sai. This article is an excerpt from Sai Satcharitra-Chapter 47 which talks Shirdi Sai's revealing the past life story of the frog and the snake.

About the author

S V Swamy

Swarna Venkateswara Swamy, (also known as Venkateswara Swamy Swarna, S.V.Swamy or simply Swamy) is a physicist and a metallurgist by education. He considers Sai Baba of Shirdi as his Sadguru but respects all Gurus. He is an avid reader, a book reviewer and an editor. He has an abiding interest in holistic health systems.