WHEN BABA BLESSED ME IN PERSON (September 1990)
As a healthy baby when I was only six months old I was suddenly taken ill
and that too so seriously lhat even after best medical treatment there was
hardly any hope of my survival. Just then one day a "Fakir" appeared at our
doorway and unexpectedly asked my mother if her son was seriously ill and
told her about a saint in Shirdi known as Sai Baba and advised her to seek
His blessings and help. My mother went in to tell the same to my auntie (my
father's sister) but when they both came out the "Fakir" was no more there.
Later they narrated the happening to my father and he soon decided to go to
Shirdi. My father had the good fortune of paying obeisance to Shri Sai in
person who blessed him and asked him to put a small silver ring around my
ankle. Needless to say that I very soon recovered and have lived 72 years of
fairly hail and hearty life that is still to end. When in Shirdi, as was the
practice then, my father went to take leave of Shri Sai Baba but he was
asked to stay on and he stayed back through reverence though he had an
important business meeting the next day in Bombay. When he left Shirdi it
was almost three hours after the scheduled lime of the train he was to catch
earlier catch. However, when he arrived at the railway station the same
train had just arrived three hours late and brought him to Bombay in time to
attend the meeting that was quite fruitful.
Now to revert to the interesting story of my silvcr_anklet which was known
in our family as "Sai Baba's Bedi". This silver Bedi was made bigger as
required from time to time by adding some silver and stretching the same
until it finally weighed five tolas and no more silver was then added but
merely beaten andslrclched as required. Wearing the Bedi caused no
discomfort as it had become a part of my body. Curiously enough, except my
father nobody in ihe family knew how long ihis was to be worn and where and
with what rites and rituals it was to be finally removed. Strangely it had
never even occurred to me to question him on this, may be subconsciously. I
had taken for granted that it was for lifetime. However, it was in 1950
(when I was 32 years of age), one day while taking with my falher about some
business mailer in our office, suddenly, wilhout any premeditation, I asked
him as to when the Bedi was to be removed and what was to be done about it.
Strangely my father did not show any surprise at this sudden query for the
first lime in my life and coolly told me that it could be removed at any
time now. He told me to go to Shirdi, adding that he need not even accompany
me. He said, all I had to do was to remove it and put it on the Samadhi and
offer floral tributes. He advised me to see on my visit if there was
anything we could do to help the Sansthan. Very soon after this my father
who was hail and hearty suddenly expired having his first and last heart
attack. Now you see the significance of my suddenly asking him the removal
of the Bedi and his mentioning that he need not even go with me though he
was so devoutly concerned with it. I believe, because my father was to go
for good very soon Sai Baba prompted me to ask and free us from whatever
that was binding on us.
Soon after my father's demise in November 1950,I went to Shirdi with my
family priest and removed the Bedi as I was told. I was glad to note that
the Samadhi structural work was just finished and strangely the electrical
installation work was to be done strangely, because it was just the kind of
work for us, as our family business has been of Licensed Electrical
Engineers and Contractors in the firm name of Bhagvati & Co. On return I
spoke to my elder brother, himself an electrical engineer, and we soon
offered to do the work, considering it our good fortune and privilege to
make our small contribution. Here again a miracle took place. The work was
completed quite satisfactorily but unfortunately on the day of the
inauguration, just a little before the appointed time the lights failed. All
our workers were of a highly competenl grade and yet inspite of their best
effort the lights wouldn't come on. Ultimately they had to give up and our
manager, who also was a sincere devotee of Sai Baba just squatted in front
of the Samadhi and offered his heartfelt prayers, begging to be pardoned for
any mistakes committed. Miracles of miracles, nothing more having been done,
at the last critical moment the whole place got brilliantly lit up.
Our family has experienced many such miracles through the Grace of Shri Sai
whom we have been devoutly worshipping since 1918 a little before His
Samadhi, when He was little known to people at large. In fact people
visiting us, on seeing His picture used to ask us as to who He was. In 1950,
when I first visited Shirdi it was not a very popular place and look at it
now in less than forty years it has become a place of pilgrimage of an
exceptionally high order attracting devotees of all castes and creeds from
all over the world.
Sing Glory of Shri Sai, Endeavour for a Holy Tie, For this will bring you
rare relief, From all the worldly pain and grief.
K. M. Bhagvati
Bombay-49.
The experiences of Devotees as published in Shri Sai Leela Magazine, can be
read at www.saileelas.org/magazines/SAILEELA/exp.htm
As a healthy baby when I was only six months old I was suddenly taken ill
and that too so seriously lhat even after best medical treatment there was
hardly any hope of my survival. Just then one day a "Fakir" appeared at our
doorway and unexpectedly asked my mother if her son was seriously ill and
told her about a saint in Shirdi known as Sai Baba and advised her to seek
His blessings and help. My mother went in to tell the same to my auntie (my
father's sister) but when they both came out the "Fakir" was no more there.
Later they narrated the happening to my father and he soon decided to go to
Shirdi. My father had the good fortune of paying obeisance to Shri Sai in
person who blessed him and asked him to put a small silver ring around my
ankle. Needless to say that I very soon recovered and have lived 72 years of
fairly hail and hearty life that is still to end. When in Shirdi, as was the
practice then, my father went to take leave of Shri Sai Baba but he was
asked to stay on and he stayed back through reverence though he had an
important business meeting the next day in Bombay. When he left Shirdi it
was almost three hours after the scheduled lime of the train he was to catch
earlier catch. However, when he arrived at the railway station the same
train had just arrived three hours late and brought him to Bombay in time to
attend the meeting that was quite fruitful.
Now to revert to the interesting story of my silvcr_anklet which was known
in our family as "Sai Baba's Bedi". This silver Bedi was made bigger as
required from time to time by adding some silver and stretching the same
until it finally weighed five tolas and no more silver was then added but
merely beaten andslrclched as required. Wearing the Bedi caused no
discomfort as it had become a part of my body. Curiously enough, except my
father nobody in ihe family knew how long ihis was to be worn and where and
with what rites and rituals it was to be finally removed. Strangely it had
never even occurred to me to question him on this, may be subconsciously. I
had taken for granted that it was for lifetime. However, it was in 1950
(when I was 32 years of age), one day while taking with my falher about some
business mailer in our office, suddenly, wilhout any premeditation, I asked
him as to when the Bedi was to be removed and what was to be done about it.
Strangely my father did not show any surprise at this sudden query for the
first lime in my life and coolly told me that it could be removed at any
time now. He told me to go to Shirdi, adding that he need not even accompany
me. He said, all I had to do was to remove it and put it on the Samadhi and
offer floral tributes. He advised me to see on my visit if there was
anything we could do to help the Sansthan. Very soon after this my father
who was hail and hearty suddenly expired having his first and last heart
attack. Now you see the significance of my suddenly asking him the removal
of the Bedi and his mentioning that he need not even go with me though he
was so devoutly concerned with it. I believe, because my father was to go
for good very soon Sai Baba prompted me to ask and free us from whatever
that was binding on us.
Soon after my father's demise in November 1950,I went to Shirdi with my
family priest and removed the Bedi as I was told. I was glad to note that
the Samadhi structural work was just finished and strangely the electrical
installation work was to be done strangely, because it was just the kind of
work for us, as our family business has been of Licensed Electrical
Engineers and Contractors in the firm name of Bhagvati & Co. On return I
spoke to my elder brother, himself an electrical engineer, and we soon
offered to do the work, considering it our good fortune and privilege to
make our small contribution. Here again a miracle took place. The work was
completed quite satisfactorily but unfortunately on the day of the
inauguration, just a little before the appointed time the lights failed. All
our workers were of a highly competenl grade and yet inspite of their best
effort the lights wouldn't come on. Ultimately they had to give up and our
manager, who also was a sincere devotee of Sai Baba just squatted in front
of the Samadhi and offered his heartfelt prayers, begging to be pardoned for
any mistakes committed. Miracles of miracles, nothing more having been done,
at the last critical moment the whole place got brilliantly lit up.
Our family has experienced many such miracles through the Grace of Shri Sai
whom we have been devoutly worshipping since 1918 a little before His
Samadhi, when He was little known to people at large. In fact people
visiting us, on seeing His picture used to ask us as to who He was. In 1950,
when I first visited Shirdi it was not a very popular place and look at it
now in less than forty years it has become a place of pilgrimage of an
exceptionally high order attracting devotees of all castes and creeds from
all over the world.
Sing Glory of Shri Sai, Endeavour for a Holy Tie, For this will bring you
rare relief, From all the worldly pain and grief.
K. M. Bhagvati
Bombay-49.
The experiences of Devotees as published in Shri Sai Leela Magazine, can be
read at www.saileelas.org/magazines/SAILEELA/exp.htm
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