Satsang LATE TATYASAHEB NOOLKAR -- A GREAT AND BLESSED SAI-DEVOTE E

After this, Tatyasaheb had a wonderful divine vision. Being forced
to lie down in bed in Sathe Wada, Tatyasaheb could not go to
Masjid for Baba's darshan and Baba also, except His walk along
the fixed route towards Lendi Baug twice a day, did not normally
visit anybody's residence in Shirdi. This route was along the rear
door of the Wada and at the time of Baba's rounds even body
used to go our of this door and take His darshan. Because
Tatyasaheb could not even get up from the bed, he had no
darshan of Baba's feet for many days. As mentioned above,
Tatyasaheb had no other thought in his mind except that of Baba.
Hence his mind was greatly agitated and distressed over lack of
darshan of Baba's concrete (sagun) form. Ultimately one day he
told his elder son (Dr. Wamanrao) to go and tell Baba accordingly.
Wamanrao went to the Masjid and conveyed Tatyasaheb's request
to Baba. When Wamanrao told Baba thai Tatyasaheb desired to
have His darshan, Baba replied, "O.K. He will have darshan. Allah
Bhala Karega." When Wamanrao went to the Masjid, there was
nobody else there except one or two small boys. Whenever boys
used to gather in the Masjid, Baba used to play with them with
great delight. Baba would crack jokes with them, pinch them and
even kiss them with love. At that time Baba was in the same playful
mood and Laxman Mama's (village astrologer and maternal uncle
of Shama - see Shri Sai Satcharita, Ch. XLI1I) son Bappaji was also
there. On the village-road one hawker selling cloth was passing
through.
Some villagers called him and sitting on a verandah they started
looking at the various pieces of cloth. Bappaji went there and seeing
the cloth pieces, he wished to have a brocade square piece of cloth
for lying round his head. So Bappaji picked up one red coloured
brocade piece and coming to Baba said, "Baba, may I take this?"
Baba replied, "Yes, take it." So Bappaji unfolded the cloth and tied
it round his head and bowed down at Baba's feet. Baba then fondly
pinched and pulled Bappaji's cheeks and Bappaji removed the cloth
from his head, placed it on Baba's head and started laughing. Baba
also allowed it to remain on His head for some lime and pompously
looking all round gave a smile. Then He removed it and placed it on
Bappaji's head.
Bappaji again placed it on Baba's head and Baba again returned it on
Bappaji's head. After this was over, Wamanrao returned to the Wada.
As usual, Tatyasaheb asked him as to what happened, in the Masjid
and what all Baba said. Since the above happening was not important
enough for narrating, Wamanrao replied, "Nothing special", and-told
Tatyasaheb that his request had been conveyed to Baba.
But Tatyasaheb was not satisfied. He again and again probingly
questioned Wamanrao and ultimately asked him to narrate exactly
all that happened from beginning to end in the Masjid. So Wamanrao
narrated the above incident and Bappaji's brocade cloth. While
listening to the narration, tears of affection started flowing from
Tatyasaheb's eyes and he became absolutely motionless. On
inquiring the reason, he said. "Go and tell Baba that I had His
darshan." When asked to explain, he told us that lying down in Wada
he actually saw Baba doing the same leela (sport) in front of his eyes.
He saw a boy placing a big red 'Jasvandi' flower on Baba's head and
Baba placing the same back on that boy's head. Baba pinched and
pulled that boy's checks fondly. Then the boy again placed die flower
on Baba's head and Baba again returned it on the boy's head. Thus a
long craving desire of Tatyasaheb was fulfilled and he became
overpowered with excessive emotion.

to be contd...

by Late Lt.Col Nimbalkar
Pune
(Source Shri Sai Leela May June 1991)