Satsang Drawing Lots - At the Feet of Shri Sai Baba

It was customary for the devotees during Baba's lifetime
to seek His permission while leaving Shirdi. In Chapter 9
of Shri Sai Satcharita there are various instances quoted
as to how those who left with Baba's permission had a safe
journey home and those who did not obey Him were faced
with obstructions, delays and accidents. We have read how
Tatya Kote Patil and the European visitor got into trouble
because they did not pay heed to Baba's advice not to
proceed. However, Kaka Mahajani and his friend who
returned to Bombay from Shirdi on Baba's orders inspite
of threatening rains and storm, reached home without any
hindrance. Once Kaka Mahajani wanted to stay on at
Shirdi for a week for Krishna Jayanti but Baba ordered
him to return the very next day. Kaka Mahajani accordingly
left Shirdi and on reaching Bombay learnt that his boss
wanted him badly on my and had already sent a letter to
Kaka to that effect. Once Shri R B Purandare of
Bandra wanted to go to Shirdi, but Baba appeared in his
dream and said, "Why are you coming to Shirdi? What is
there? Don't come. If you come I'll hit you" Purandare did
not go and next day he found that the workers in his
company, where he was employed, had gone on sudden
strike and if Purandare had gone to Shirdi, his bosses would
have suspected him to be cooperating with the strikers.

After Baba left His physical body in (A.D.) 1918, His
devotees missed this chance of taking His advice personally
both in temporal and spiritual matters. However on going
through Hemadpant's Shri Saisatcharita (chapter 45) and
H H Narsimhaswami's 'Life of Shri Sai Baba' (Vol. HI) we
find that Baba's prominent devotees like Kakasaheb Dixit,
Bhausaheb Dhumal, Ragbuvir Purandare and others had
devised an interesting method of still getting Baba's advice in
matters of difficult problems posed to them. They would put
two chits (one permitting them to follow a particular course
and the other asking them not to follow that course) in front
of Baba's picture and ask a small child to pick up one of the
chits - the contents of which these devotees considered as
baba's advice in the matter. As stated by some of these
devotees personally as late as (A.D.) 1930 (12 years after
Baba's Samadhi) to H, H. Narsimhaswami, the advice given in
the picked up chits, when followed was always found to be
beneficial and giving protection from mishappenings if any.
H, H. Naiasinhswami himself also followed this method to
consult Baba in difficult matters, (vide pages 31 and 32 of Sri
Narsinha Swamiji - Apostle of Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi by
(Swami Saipadananda).

(to be contd....)
Lt Col. M. B. Nimbalkar (Retd)
Pune

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