Satsang BABA CONFERS POWERS ON SOME OF His DEVOTEES

By R. Seshadri

Kasinath Sastri was born in a poor purohit's family in a tiny Maharashtra town. He evinced no interest in education. Considered as a good for nothing lad by not only his family but the other village folk also, he tried to eke out a living later by learning Ayurveda and started dispensing medicines to patients. Years later, he became Upasani Maharaj with yogic powers and a large following of devotees in the country. It was Sai Baba of Shirdi who brought about this great transformation. Even today Baba is helping his devotees through some of his chosen ?bhaktas' by confirming on them curative and other powers. In this context, Sai devotees should guard against pseudo saints proclaiming His name to serve their personal interests.

In a brief account of an literate rustic woman, who has been blessed by Sainath Maharaj with predictive and curative powers. Eighty three-old Mullayamma of Mulangudi village of Thanjavur District (Tamil Nadu) lives along with her only son, Periasami, in a hut a precarious life. Hearing about her from friends, a pious sadhaka took me to her some months back. Baba's portrait and meager pooja materials greet those who get into her hut. (1C, Yanaiyadi Street, Melacauvery, Kumbakonam-612 002 Tamil Nadu).
After formal introduction, Mullaiammal, holding a silver paper on her right palm, started giving details about me. She also said that I was frequenting a Sai Shrine at my place and three deities are worshipped there. She was able to describe the location and other details of Sri Sai Spiritual Centre at Bangalore.
When I asked her about the health of my friend's wife, she immediately pointed out her malady. When asked how she gained these powers, she and her son, Periasami, gave the following account. Even as a five-year old she had experienced unusual visions. When she was ten, she was blessed by Kanchi Paramacharya, who gave her some herbs as prasad. She was able to identify lost articles and where they could be found, by starting at the mud floor of her hut.
At this time, during her sleep at night, she started hearing Shirdi Sai Baba asking her to gaze at her own palm. Though she ignored the call in the beginning, after persistent instructions from Baba, she was thrilled to find Baba's image on her palm. Then she surrendered to Baba, who has been responding to her queries whenever people approach her with their problems. She claims to have diagnosed major maladies and had also successfully prescribed remedies. She even gives details of her astral flights by Baba's grace. She speaks Tamil only. With all this, hers is a hand-to-mouth existence. She gratefully accepts money being offered by her visitors to keep the pot boiling.

(Source Shri Sai Padananda July 1998)