Satsang MEETING WITH SRI M.B. REGE

4) I never saw him taking non-vegetarian food. Until 1911 to 1912
when people prepared several dishes of food and sent the same
as Naivedhya (kanniku), He used to take only the things he got
as Bhiksha. Even when he got the Naivedhya he did not abandon
his Bhiksha. I cannot vouch for the correctness of the statement
in the Sat-charitra. He did not take anything by way of breakfast
or dinner at night so far as I am aware. His meal was only the
afternoon lunch, after Arati, which was conducted in the same
manner as is done now at Shirdi.

I never saw Him suggesting medicine for his devotees. I have only
heard that he cured a blind person by putting a little chilli powder
in the eyes and once or twice prescribed the powder of some roots.
he usually gave udhi which almost always put on the forehead of
the devotees.

It is difficult to give the correct age of Baba, but it is said that He
was about 18 years when he came to Shirdi in about 1872 and on
that estimate He would be a little over 60 at his Maha Samadhi but
he looked older - about 80.

My information about the criminal case in which Baba gave evidence
is that a person from Shirdi committed theft of gold ornaments. He
was put up for trial and his defense was that Baba had given him
the ornaments. A summon was issued to Baba and later a warrant
was also ordered. On a petition by some devotees and others, the
magistrate agreed to His examination on commission. Baba said
people called him Sai, His father was Allah, and his residence
everywhere and asked about the ornaments, it is said that He
replied, "who else gives things". The magistrate accepted his
statement as of a person who was one with God but held that the
accused was guilty and sentenced him to imprisonment. When the
people told Baba about the sentence, He said, "Who gave the
sentence, He who gave the ornaments also gave the sentence".

Shri Radhakrishna Ayee once told me that she was three years
senior to me. I met her in 1910, when I was 22. She came from
Ahmednagar to Shirdi according to her statement in 1907. She
did not cook food for Baba until about 1911 when devotees
celebrated some occasion like Guru Poornima when her room was
used for her and the devotees cooking food. Otherwise as far as
I know she did not cook even for herself because she used to get
her food out of Baba's Bhiksha. After 1912 a part of the Bhiksha
was sent to her and for me when I was there since I was also
asked not to take food elsewhere.

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