Shri Sai Satcharitra-Chapter-40-Part IV

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Hemadpant went immediately and opened the door and saw two men there: (1) Ali Mahomed and (2) Moulana Ismu Mujavar. These two persons, seeing that meals were ready and all the members were about to begin eating, apologized to Hemadpant and requested him to excuse their interference. They said - "You left your seat and came running to us, others are waiting for you, so please take this 'your Thing' and I shall relate all the wonderful tale about it later on at your convenience." So saying one of them took out from his arm-pit a packet wrapped in an old newspaper cover and placed it on the table.

Hemadpant uncovered the packet and saw, to his great wonder and surprise, a big nice picture of Sai Baba. Seeing it, he was much moved, tears ran from his eyes and hair stood on end all over his body, and he bent and placed his head on the feet of Baba in the picture. He thought that Baba had blessed him by this miracle or Leela. Out of curiosity he asked Ali Mahomed whence he got this picture. He said that he bought it from a shop and that he would give all the details about it some time afterward and wished that as all the members were waiting for him, he should go and join them.

Hemadpant thanked him, bade them good-bye and returned to the dinning-hall. The picture was placed on the central seat reserved for the guest and after the due offering of the Naivedya, the whole party commenced eating and finished it in proper time. Seeing the beautiful form in the picture everybody was extremely pleased and wondered how all this happened.This is how Sai Baba kept up and fulfilled His words uttered by Him in the dream of Hemadpant. The story of the picture with all its details, viz., how Ali Mahomed got it, why he bought it and gave it to Hemadpant, is reserved for the next chapter.

Sai Ram. Here too, Baba came as Trio, He and two others (Ali Mahomed and Moulana Ismu Mujawar) but since He did not tell in the dream that He would come with two others for lunch, Hemadpant did not think of inviting them into the house for lunch! Otherwise, Hemadpant, would have probably invited them since he was well versed with Atithi dharma and Sri Guru Gita.

Another spiritual gem that comes up is that for all his Guru Bhakti, Hemadpant was fairly orthodox and Baba allowed all His devotees to maintain their social customs at the same time encouraging them to look beyond those social boundaries when needed. It would have been difficult to Hemadpant to maintain his Atithi Dharma in this particular situation and Sai, the wire-puller knew every thing and spared all concerned any embarrassment.

In other chapters of Sri Sai Satcharitra, we come across stories of Baba going ahead of Shama in the form of His portrait to Gaya and how He affirmed His identity with His photograph by assuring another devotee that He knew him from 4 years though it was that mans's first visit to Shirdi! Later, on recollecting, that person realised that he bowed to a photograph of Sai Baba in the streets of Mumbai 4 years earlier! Through many other stories, Baba showed that He was beyond all the limitations of space and time! Sai Ram.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

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..