SAIBABA-The Protector
It was a Thursday dated 19th January 1984 when I and a colleague Mr. T. R. C. Menon got out of the Z. P. Guest House at Jalgaon-Jamod (Maharashtra) and got into a readily available vacant taxi to reach Nandura Railway Station. The driver required about half an hour's time to take off. So we both walked across the road to a small tea-stall. Time was 6.30 A. M.
As the ordered bread and tea was awaited, my sight was attracted by a photo of Sai Baba visible in the adjacent pan-shop. I pointed out the same to my companion and told him that it was an auspicious Thursday morning to have darshan of our blessing SAI.
Placing a loaf of bread, the stall keeper went back to his assistant to help making a special tea for us. Mr. Menon refused bread and preferred only tea when I was unwrapping the bread. Looking at the SaiNath's photo I sat quiet. Then I closed my eyes for a minute, meditating on Him. As I opened the eyes I saw a young Muslim Fakir aged around 28 years standing at the entrance with a smile and looking straight into my eyes. A green cloth fastened around his head, he wore a white loose kurta and lungi. One small black bowl in his hand suggested that he came for begging alms. But it was surprising to note that he did not ask anyone for alms or money. Just with the same smile and a calm look into my face he merely stood.
Not a word was spoken by the fakir. The look from his bright eyes was full of affection for me. His blissful smile responded in me an overflowing joy. Like the waves on the sea jumping higher with happiness at the appearance of a full Moon-my joy touched new bights at the sight of this fakir. Inexplicable exchange of some unknown silent feelings between us was a great experience in itself.
I nodded my head silently calling him. The fakir came closer, only a table in the middle separated us. First two slices of bread offered by me with devotion were accepted. He lost no time to wave his hand and very swiftly walked out to disappear from my vision. That silent and affectionate smile glowing from his bright face still remained in my mind and I was fully convinced that that fakir is none but our Sai-Malik.
Then I turned to Mr. Menon and asked "What do you think about this fakir?” His cool reply came an ordinary beggar".
"No" I continued, "He was not an ordinary beggar but Shirdi Sai Nath Himself who came in disguise to bless us in person".
Mr. Menon laughed with indifference and said "seeing Saibaba’s” photo a few minutes before, your mind is engaged in thinking about him. At this juncture even when an ordinary beggar stood here you are illusioned that he too was Sai Baba".
I explained that it was no illusion but a full proof fact. “The fakir with a bowl in his hands obviously came for begging but why he did not beg? Why he did not even call the tea stall man, who was busy in preparing tea? Why did he not beg from the pan shop wallah? At least after we offered bread why did he not step into other neighboring tea stalls and pan shops? Does this not infer that he perhaps came with the purpose of only meeting us? Who else could he be other than Lord Sainath?” thus I concluded that the strange incident was only a darshan of Sai-Malik.
After a couple of days when I returned to Aurangabad from my tour, I was shocked to see at home the walls, roof and window glass-panes of the kitchen room badly damaged. My wife Usha thus narrated to me about the dangerous accident which recently occurred.
On Thursday (19th January 1984) by morning 10 a. m. my wife filled up the pressure-cooker with necessary contents to be cooked for lunch and placed it on an electric stove (Cooking gas was exhausted) and went into the drawing room where she sat reading some books. Though generally very cautious while cooking, that day she happened to be somewhat negligent being fully engrossed in reading until she looked at the watch showing 10.45 a. m. She got up from the sofa remembering suddenly about the cooker on the stove and wondered how it has failed to vigil for 45 minutes. Then, hardly she covered a few steps and at once halted before the kitchen door when a big explosive sound, almost deafening the ears, came as a shock. The pressure cooker had burst and caused dangerous havoc in a most unexpected accident.
The cooker's lid was pushed up with great pressure of steam bursting out and it hit the roof at first, then two side waits and window before falling down like a crashing flying-saucer. Glass panes of the window were broken; walls and concrete ceiling were damaged while all kitchenware from the shelves fell down with the tremor. Very thick gauged indalium pressure cooker (Prestige brand) was twisted completely out of shape and the electric stove was shattered to pieces, leaving the broken live wire still hanging from the plug. Patches and lumps of cooked rice and dal with vegetables stuck to the walls and the roof. Altogether a ghastly scene it was.
Neighboring housewives rushed to our apartment in panic, fearing that the sound was due to burling of the gas cylinder. They were frightened to notice equally dangerous accident that occurred; but found a consolation as my wife was surprisingly safe.
My dear Sai-devotees! See how our SAI BABA saved my wife Usha. Had she entered the kitchen even a fraction of a second before the accident she would have been perhaps killed. Baba averted such a grave danger within no time to save her life. Also he ruled out the possibility of the children being hurt as it was timed when both little sons Sainath and Vamsinath were away at School.
Yon may carefully note the coincidence of Sai Malik giving me darshan at a far of place namely Jalgaop Jamod and accepting two slices of bread at 7 a.m. on the very same day and within next few hours He takes care to save my wife from a deadly accident that occurred at our residence in Aurangabad ! All happened on a Thursday!
What more proof one need to realise the omnipresence of Lord Sainath's love and care for his beloved devotees at all times and at all places.
Narendranath Mungara
Aurangabad
(Source: Saileela magazine June 1985)
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