SaiLeelasExperienceof(1)KakaMahajani(2)DhumalPleader(3)Mrs.

Nimonkar(4)Moolay
Shastri(5)ADoctorNowletusseeinthisChapterhowdevoteeswerereceivedandtreatedbyBaba.

Saints'Mission
Wehaveseenbefore,thatthepurposeorobjectofDivineIncarnationistoprotectthegoodanddestory
thewicked.ButthemissionoftheSaintsisquitedifferent.Tothemthegoodandthewickedarethe
same.Firsttheyfeelfortheevildoersandsetthemontherightpath.TheyareliketheAgastito
destroytheBhavasagar(theoceanofwordlyexistence)orliketheSuntothedarknessofignorance.
TheLord(God)dwellsintheSaints.InfacttheyarenotdifferentfromHim.OurSaiisOneofthese,
Whoincarnatedforthewelfareofthedevotees,Supremeinknowledgeandsurroundedwithdivine
lustre,Helovedallbeingsequally.
Hewasunattached.Foesandfriends,kingsandpaupers,werethesametoHim.HearHispowers.For
thesakeofdevotees,HespentHisstockofmeritsandwaseveralerttohelpthem.Butthedevotees
couldneverapproachHIm,unlessHemeanttoreceivethem.Iftheirturndidnotcome,Babadidnot
rememberthem,andHisLeelascouldnotreachtheirears.Then,howcouldtheythinkofseeingHim?
somemendesiredtoseeSaiBaba'sbuttheydidnotgetanyopportunityoftakingHisdarshan,tillHis
Mahasamadhi.Therearemanysuchpersons,whosedesireforBaba'sdarshanwasnotthussatisfied.If
thesepersons,believinginHim,listentoHisLeelas,theirquestformilk(darshan)willbe,toagreat
extent,satisfiedbythebuttermilk(Leelas).IfsomepersonswenttherebysheerluckandtookBaba's
darshan,weretheyabletostaytherelonger?No.Nobodycouldgothereofhisownaccord,and
nobodyculdstaytherelongevenifhesowished.Theycouldstaythere,solongasBabapermitted
themtostay,andhadtoleavetheplacewhenaskedtodosobyBaba;soeverythingdependedof
Baba'swill.

KalaMahajani

Once,KakaMahajaniwenttoShirdifromBombay.Hewantedtostaythereforoneweek,andenjoy
theGokulAshtamifestival.AssoonashetookBaba'sdarshan,Babaaskedhim"Whenareyou
returninghome?"Hewasrathersurprisedatthisquestion,buthehadtogivenananswer.Hesaidthat
hewouldgohomewhenBabaorderedhimtodoso.ThenBabasaid"Gotomorrow".Baba'sword
waslawandhadtobeobeyed.KakaMahajani,therefore,leftShirdi,immediately.Whenhewenttohis
officeinBombay,hefoundthathisemployerwasanxiouslywaitingforhim.Hismunim,i.e.,the
manager,suddenlyfellill,henceKaka'spresencewasabsolutelynecessary.Hehadsentaletterto
KakaatShirdi,whichwasredirectedtohimatBombay.

BhausahebDhumal

Nowlistentoanoppositestory.OnceBhausahebDhumal,apleader,wasgoingtoNiphadforacase.
OnthewayhecametoShirdi,tookBaba'sdarshanandwantedtoproceedtoNiphadimmediately.But,
Babadidnotpremithimtodoso.HemadehimstayatShirdi,foraweekormore.Inthemeanwhile,
themagistrateatNiphadsufferedintenselyfrompaininhisabdomen,andthecasewasadjourned.Mr.
Dhumalwasthenallowedtogoandattendtohiscase.Itwentonforsomemonthsandwastriedby
fourmagistrates.UltimatelyMr.Dhumalwonthecase,andhisclientwasacquitted.

Mrs.Nimonkar

Mr.NanasahebNimonkar,WatandarofNomonandHonoraryMagistrate,wasstayingatShirdiwith
hiswife.Mr.andMrs.NimonkarwerespendingmostoftheirtimeintheMasjidwithBabaandserving
Him.Itsohappened,thattheirsonfellillatBelapurandthemotherdecided,withBaba'sconsent,togo
toBelapur,andseehersonandotherrelatives;andstaythereforafewdays,butMr.Nanasahebasked
hertoreturnthenextday.Theladywasinafixanddidnotknowwhattodo;butherGodSaicameto
herhelp.WhileleavingShirdishewenttoBaba,whowasstandinginfrontofSathe'swadawithMr.
Nanasahebandothers,andprostratedatHisFeetandaskedHispermissiontogo.Babasaidtoher,
"Go,goquickly,becalmandunperturbed.StaycomfortablyatBelapurforfourdays.Seeallyour
relativesandthenreturntoShirdi."HowopportunewereBaba'swords!Mr.Nanasaheb'sproposalwas
overruledbyBaba'sdecree.

MoolayShastriofNasik
AnorthodoxAgnihotriBrahminofNasik,bynamemoolayShastri,whohadstudiedthesixShastras
andwaswellversedinastrologyandpalmistry,oncecametoShirditoseeMr.BapusahebBooty,the
famousmillionarireofNagpur.Afterseeinghim,heandotherswenttoseeBabaintheMasjid.Baba
boughtvariousfruitsandotherthingsfromvendorswithHisownmoney,anddistributedthemtothe
personspresentintheMasjid.Babausedtopressthemangoonallsidessoskilfullythatwhenany
personreceiveditfromBabaandsuckedit,hegotallthepulpatonceinhismouthandcouldthrow
awaythestoneandtheskinforthwith.PlantainswerepeeledoffbyBabaandthekernelwasdistributed
tothedevotees,whiletheskinswereretainedbyBabaforHimself.MoolayShastri,asapalmist,
wantedtoexamineBaba'shandorplamandrequestedHimtoextendthesame.
Babaignoredhisrequestandgavefourplantainstohim.Then,theyallreturnedtotheWadaand
MoolayShastribathed,woresacredclothes,andstartedhisroutineduties,viz.Agnihotraetc.Then
BabaasusualstartedforLendiandsaid"TakesomeGeru(i.e.aredmirysubstance,todyeclothesin
saffroncolour),weshalltodaydonsaffroncolouredcloth.NoneunderstoodwhatBabameant.Then
aftersometimewhenBabareturned,andpreparationsforthenoonAratiwerebeingmade.Bapusaheb
JogaskedMoolayShastri,whetherhewouldaccompanyhimfortheArti.Herepliedthathewouldsee
Babaintheafternoon.VerysoonBabasatonhisseat,wasworshippedbythedevoteesandArti
commenced.ThenBabasaid"GetsomeDakshinafromthenew(Nasik)Brahmin."Bootyhimself
wenttogettheDakshina;andwhenhegaveBaba'smessagetoMoolayShastri,hewassorely
perplexed.Hethoughtinhismindthus:"IamapureAgnihotriBrahmin,whyshouldIpayDakshina?
BabamaybeagreatSaint.IamnotHisdependent."ButasagreatSaintlikeSaiBabawasaskingfor
DakshinathroughamillionairelikeBooty,hecouldnotrefuse.Soleavinghisroutineunfinished,he
forthwithstartedwithBootytotheMasjid.Thinkinghimselfholyandsacred,andtheMasjid
otherwise,heremainedatadistance,andjoininghishandsthrewflowersatBaba.Thenlo!allofa
sudden,hesawnoBabaontheseat,butsawhislateGuruGholapSwamithere.Hewaswonderstruck.
Couldthisbeadream?No,itwasnot,ashewaswideawake;butthoughawake,howcouldhislate
GuruGholapbethere?Hewasspeechlessforsometime.Hepinchedhimselfandthoughtagain,but
couldnotreconcilethefactofhislateGuruGholapbeingintheMasjid.Ultimately,leavingalldoubt,
hewentup,fellathisGuru'sfeetandthengettingupstoodtherewithfoldedhands.
OtherpeoplesangBaba'sArati,whileMoolayShastrichantedhisGuru'sname.Thencastingoffall
prideofcasteandideasaboutsacredness,hefellflatathisGuru'sfeetandclosedhiseyes.Whenhe
gotupandopenedhiseyes,hesawBabaaskingforDakshina.SeeingBaba'sblissfulform,andHis
inconceivablepower,MoolayShastriforgothimself.Hewasextremelypleased,hiseyeswerefullof
tearsofjoy.HeagainsalutedBabaandgavetheDakshina.Hesaidthathisdoubtwasremovedandthat
hesawhisownGuru.OnseeinghiswonderfulLeelaofBabaallthepeople,includingMoolayShastri,
weremuchmoved,andtheyrealizedthemeaningofBaba'swords,"BringGeru,weshalldonsaffron
colouredgarment."SuchisthewonderfulLeelaofBaba.

ADoctor
OnceaMamlatdarcametoShirdiwithadoctorfriendofhis.TheDoctorsaidthathisDeitywasRama
andthathewouldnotbowbeforeaMahomedan,andso,hewasunwillingtogotoShirdi.The
Mamlatdarreplied,thatnobodywouldpresshimtomakeabow,norwouldaskhimtodoso.Sohe
shouldcomeandgivethepleasureofhiscompany.Accordingly,theycametoShirdi,andwenttothe
MasjidforBaba'sdarshan.AllwerewonderstrucktoseetheDoctorgoingaheadandsalutingBaba.
TheyaskedhimhowheforgothisresolveandbowedbeforeaMussalman.ThentheDoctorreplied
thathesawhisbelovedDeity,Rama,ontheseatandhe,thereforeprostratedhimselfbeforeHim.Then
ashewassayingthis,hesawSaiBabathereagain.Beingdismayed,hesaid,"Isthisadream?How
couldHebeaMahomedan?HeisagreatYogasampanna(fullofYoga)Avatar."
Nextday,hemadeavowandbegantofast.HeabsentedhimselffromtheMasjid,resolvingnottogo
there,untilBabablessedhim.Threedayspassedandonthefourthday,aclosefriendofhisfrom
Khandesh,turnedup,andwithhim,hewenttotheMasjidforBaba'sdarshan.Afterthesalutation,
Babaaskedhim,whetheranybodyhadgonetocallhim,sothathehadcome.Hearingthisvital
question,thedoctorwasmoved.ThesamenighthewasblessedbyBaba,andheexperiencedtheBliss

supreme,inhissleep.Thenheleftforhistown,wheretheexperiencedthesamestateofafortnight.
ThushisdevotiontoSaiBabaincreasedmanifold.
Themoralofallthestoriesmentionedabove,specially,thatofMoolayShastri,isthisthatweshould
havefirmfaithinourGuruandnowhereelse.
MoreLeelasofSaiBabawillbedescribedinthenextChapter.