Satsang TARKHAD FAMILY

On hearing this, the lady and her son decided to go to Shirdi
and soon reached Shirdi. When they went to the Masjid to
take Sai Baba's darshan, He said, "Aye (mother)! Have you
come? Now stay here" and then looking at Jyotindra He
further said, "Aye! you are My mother, so this your son is My
bhau (brother)." Afterwards when the lady placed her head on
Baba's feet in obeisance, He took some udi from the pot
nearly and rubbing it onto head, said, "Aye! your head is
aching very much isn't it? Henceforth it will not ache any more"
And really from that moment, the lady's headache disappeared
for ever. On experiencing this miracle, the lady naturally
became a staunch devotee of Shri Sai Baba but in the case of
her youngest son, his very life was changed. His interest in
Sai Baba's devotion and spiritual activities became the be all
and end all -of his future life.
Further on in Shri Sai Satcharita we have read how Sai Baba
was pleased when once Mrs. Tarkhad fed a hungry dog and
how He revealed to her that the said dog was one with Him
and so also other creatures such as cats, pigs, flies, cows
etc., and how the same lady sent to Baba 'bharita' (roasted
brinjal mixed with curds and spices) and 'kacharya' (circular
pieces of brinjal fried in ghee) through Mrs. Purandare and
one pedha (sweetmeet ball) through late Mankar's son and
how Baba by accepting these with great relish and eagerness
(especially the pedha which was stale and already offered in
naivedya and sent with a person in mourning) confirmed Lord
Krishna's words in Geeta :

"Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water,
that I accept offered by the pure-minded, with devotion.
(Ch. IX'- 26)"

Similarly, we have also read how by revealing to Mrs. Tarkhad
and her son Jyotindra at Shirdi that on that morning Babasaheb
had forgotten to offer Him naivedya of sugar-candy at Bandra,
Baba not only proved His omniscience and omnipresence but
also assured His devotees that He is present even in His
pictures, if the devotee believes so.

But Mrs. Tarkhad and her son Jyotindra especially, had many
more experiences later which are not found in Shri Sai
Satcharita. One of the other member of Tarkhad family (Mrs.
Tarabai Tarkhad, Babasaheb's brother's wife) has narrated some
of her experiences to H. H. Narasimha Swamiji in Part I of his
'Devotees' Experiences' under an assumed name of Mrs. Manager.
But somehow Swamiji has not been able to get Jyotindra's
statement who was also living then. Perhaps Jyotindra himself
was averse in narrating his spiritual experiences to public then.
Fortunately recently I have had an opportunity of meeting
Jyotindra's son Virendra who very kindly narrated to me some of
his father's and grand-mother's experiences, heard from his father
himself. Hoping that they would be interesting and useful to the
readers, I am giving them below.

by
Lt. Col. M. B, Nimbalkar, Pune.
(Source :http://saileelas.org/articles/nimbalkar/tarkhad.htm
(Shri Sai Leela September October 1991)