Satsang In which temple Sri Saibaba's sacred tooth was kept? - Part 2

Kasibai of Shirdi was married to a man from Nifad village, but
unfortunately her husband died within a few months of the
marriage. She was already pregnant by this time and gave birth
to a male child who was named Madhav. Kasibai came back to
Shirdi from Nifad when Madhav was one year old and started
living with her father. She used to eke out her living as an
agricultural laborer but as she had to work in the fields from
morning to evening, looking after Madhav became a problem.
At last she found a solution. She would take Madhav with her
to the mosque in the morning, leave him with Sri Saibaba, and
then go off to the fields. In the evening she would come back,
salute Baba, and take Madhav home. Four years passed in this
way. From the time he turned five, Baba gave a rupee to Madhav
every day and Madhav in turn did small chores for him.

Kasibai came one day to the mosque and asked Sri Saibaba,
“Why are you only giving one rupee to my son each day - even
though he is doing so many chores for you - while you are giving
fifteen, thirty and fifty rupees to others?” Sri Saibaba replied,
“Kasibai! I know that I am giving less to your son but you should
know that while I may stop giving money to the others after a
while, I will continue to look after Madhav. I am the sole refuge
and the head of the family for all such as you who are orphans.”
Kasibai did not understand the full import of Baba’s utterance
and said, “The head of my family was my husband and he is dead.”
Baba was annoyed and started shouting at her. Kasibai got scared
and ran from the mosque and after that stopped coming for a
time. Baba relented a couple of days later and called for her. She
came along with her son Madhav. She was still afraid of Baba and
stood silently on the threshold of the mosque. Saibaba talked to
her with kindness and calmed her down. One of his teeth had
been loose for some time and he pulled it out and wrapped it in
a piece of cloth with some udi and told Kasibai, “Keep this
talisman with you. You will have good fortune always.” Kasibai
went away happily with the talisman.

Ever since the mother and son received the tooth from Baba they
never lacked for anything and everyone started calling the lad
Madhav Rao in a respectful manner. He would tie the talisman
to his biceps and was careful to treat it reverentially. After Kasibai
passed away, he went to Nifad and settled there. Once, when
Madhav was seriously ill, Baba appeared to him in a dream and
ordered him, “Give the talisman to a man called Nikham who will
come to your house today.” Baba also appeared to Nikham in a
dream and ordered him “to go to Nifad and take the talisman from
Madhav”. Nikham obeyed him. He kept the talisman for many
years and then presented it to the Sri Saibaba temple at Shivaji
Nagar. In this way the sacred tooth of Sri Saibaba came from him
to Kasibai and from her to Madhav Rao and from Madhav Rao to
Nikham and back again to Baba from Nikham. So Baba’s tooth
came back to him after many travels. The authorities of the temple
kept the tooth under Baba’s padukas (footprints), which were kept
under the photo of Saibaba. Devotees feel that they are in the divine
and immediate presence of Sri Saibaba because the sacred relic of
Baba is kept in the temple.
(to be contd...)
Courtesy of Sri Sai Leela Magazine April 1977