Satsang SAI BABA PRESIDES OVER CONFERENCE OF MASTERS

SAI BABA PRESIDES OVER CONFERENCE OF MASTERS
By Bhau Kalchuri

I am lost in the rapture of the song that sings of my immortal Beloved
His sweet name stills my mind striking within unstuck chords that
waken hidden cadences. I hear celestial melodies And through my being
runs A nectar-a bliss unsurpassing. Am on the crest of a divine
perfection Feeling: "am one, I am all."

Late Shi Sadashiv Govind Shelke Patil was the chief of the fisherman
community at KasbaPeth. He was very close to Upasani Maharaj in his
love and devotion. He was one of those whom Upasani Maharaj advised to
follow Meher Baba. The following incident was narrated by Patil which
happened in 1919, after Baba's Mahasamadhi.

Upasani Maharaj asked Patil to go to Benares along with Merwan (Meher
Baba then known), with instructions to acquire a place for their stay
and to collect articles required for a great yagna (sacrifice) he
wished to perform. The Maharaj also told Patil that it was going to be
a conference of all Masters of the Spiritual Realm, which would be
presided over by Sai Baba. Patil felt funny when he heard this and
expressed surprise, because Sai Baba had already left his body on 16
October, 1918. Sensing this, the Maharaj said, "Do as I say, and don't
worry. You will not understand this". A perfect Master's words and
actions are often clothed in mystery, because God's ways of
functioning in the affairs of all men and creatures are hidden. When
Patil enquired as to how the Maharaj would come to Benares, he simply
said that he would be found at a certain place near the Railway
Bridge. And there he was!

Patil and Merwan traveled by train and reached Benares, hired a place
as instructed by the Maharaj and placed their luggage.

Preparations began for the performance of the Mahayagna - great
sacrificial offerings to the Fire God. A large number of Brahmin
Pundits chanting Vedic hymns under a spacious mandap, throwing grains
and various other articles into the fire. Sai Baba's photo was placed
prominently garlanded at the centre of the large mandap. When Patil
saw this spectacle, with Sai Baba's photo in the centre, he realized
what Upasani Maharaj meant when he told him that Sai Baba would preside.

Merwan and Patil would go to the market daily and purchase all that
was required for the meals for a large number of people gathered for
the occasion. Meals were specially prepared by Brahmins under the
supervision of Merwan and Patil, who were in charge of the food
arrangement.

The great sacrificial fire burned continually for eleven days and on
the twelfth day a feast in honor of the Brahmins was held. Over ten
thousand Brahmins had gathered and food for all of them was ready by
noon. But when the Brahmins sat down under the large mandap for their
meal and saw the large photo of Sai Baba, some raised an uproar
exclaiming, "We cannot join in the feast of a Muslim! Sai Baba was a
Muslim!"

Upasani Maharaj who was of Brahmin descent, advised them to forget
their religious prejudices and opinions and to partake of the food. He
explained to them that Sai Baba was a Perfect Master and thus above
religious distinctions.

Upasani Maharaj could not persuade the Brahmins to share in the feast
and He refused to take the painting of Sai Baba down. At last Upasani
Maharaj instructed all of his devotees, who were present in the
gathering to go to the banks of the Ganges River and to strike drums
to call for the poor to gather there. Merwan and Sadashiv joined by
Upasani Maharaja's several hundred devotees served the food to the
poor who gathered. Although nearly fifteen thousand poor people were
fed, there was a considerable amount of food left over, Upasani
Maharaj then directed, "Throw the remaining food into the river! This
greatly shocked the Hindu priests who saw bucket after bucket being
flung into the river. They then approached Upasani Maharaj and begged
for his pardon saying, "Great one, we are now ready to partake of the
food. Do not waste the food - forgive us."

Sadguru Upasani Maharaj angrily retorted," You call yourselves the
pundits of Kashi! What can I say about you priests? There is nothing
in Kashi for you and there is no food left either! I forgive you, but
you will not partake of the feast. He, Sai Baba, whom you call a
Muslim, is the real Pundit!" Upasani Maharaj then angrily sent the
priests away and bade his seven hundred follower's farewell.

(Source Shri Sai Padananda July 1998)