Satsang MEETING WITH SRI M.B. REGE

Mother Radhakrishna hated publicity. A gentleman from Mumbai
took some snap shots of her without her knowledge; but some one
spoke of it as the gentleman was leaving Shirdi in a tonga. She ran
after the tonga for about a mile, wrested the camera and smashed
it. Tatya Koti Patil, an intimate devotee of Baba, told me of this in
her presence.

In December 1914, the late Sri P.R. Avasthi went with me to Shirdi.
He had taken 'Guru Mantra' from a woman saint in his young days
and did not know whether she was living or dead. Sri H.S. Dixit was
his friend and wanted him to go for darshan of Baba; but Sri Avasthi
thought that it would be 'Guru droha' (faithlessness towards his Guru).
When he came to know of my association with the Master, he spoke
of his state of mind. He was then the District Judge, Indore, and I was
Civil Judge under him. I told him that Baba was a Superb Guru - one
with God - and he agreed to accompany me provided I took on the
responsibility. We went and Baba asked me who was this 'Pissat'
(crazy man) with me. Sri Avasthi was excited. Next day the mother
tied four mogra flowers together and handing them to me said, 'Take
this to the Master and ask Him to unravel it.' Baba smelt the flowers
and returned them with a message for mother Radhakrishna that she
should do it. In the mean while Sri Avasthi had a brain wave. He made
a small ball (pindam) of rice out of the Naivedya offering unknown to us
and decided that if Baba accepted the Pindam, he would conclude that
his Guru was no more and taking Baba as Guru would not be Guru
droha. I was with him when he went to the Masjid with Naivedyam and
the Pinda in his hand under the plate. Baba said 'Give it to me'. He
took the pindam, smelt it and said 'It has reached its place'. We
returned to mother's house and from the door, Sri Avasthi rushed to
her and fell at her feet singing spontaneous verses for about half an
hour unconscious of things around him. The mother was also in a
trance. Later Sri Avasthi told me that in place of mother Radhakrishna
he had seen his first Guru.

In 1914, I was doubtful about my ability to attend the Guru Poornima.
The food was used to be cooked in mother's house, but she said that
if I was not there, it had better be cooked elsewhere. On the Guru
Poornma day, she got an extra quota from Baba's 'Bhiksha'. She then
announced that I was coming and the cooking started. I reached at
about 9 a.m. They wanted a stone to pound the spices (masala). The
step leading to the house was considered good and mother and I moved
it with some difficulty. Just as it was in the door frame, a devotee Sri
Purandare came up and wanted to help. The stone turned and it might
have crushed my hand but the mother pulled it towards herself and the
index finger of her right hand was crushed into two. You can imagine
her agony; but as if nothing had happened, she soaked a rag in oil and
wrapping the bleeding finger, went on to help in cooking. Only after all
was over, she called me and said she was feeling the pain and would
like to go to the jungle and cry. We went and for half an hour she did
cry. Then we came back for our normal work. What control over the
body and indifference to pleasure and pain in the service of the Master!

(to be contd...)
BHARANIDHARAN
(SRIDHAR)
Chennai-600 017.
(Courtesy: Sai Sudha, Golden Jubilee Issue - June 1990, All India
Sai Samaj (Regd), Chennai-600004, India)