More Sai Leelas – Diseases cured (1) Bhimaji Patil (2) Bala Shimpi (3) Bapusaheb Buti (4) Alandi Swami (5) Kaka Mahajani (6) Dattopant of Harda
Baba’s words were always short, deep, full of meaning, effective and well-balanced. He was ever content and never cared for anything. He said, “Though I am a Fakir, have no house or wife, and though, leaving all care, I stay at one place, the inevitable Maya teases Me often. Though, I forgot Myself but she cannot forget Me. She always envelops Me. This Maya (illusive power) of the Lord (Shri Hari) harrasses even Lord Brahma and others, then, what to speak of a poor Fakir, like Me? Those, who take refuge in God, will be freed from Her clutches with His grace.”
In such terms Baba spoke about the power of Maya. Lord Shri Krishna has said to Uddhava in the Bhagwat that the saints are His living forms and see, what Baba has said for the welfare of His devotees, “Those, who are fortunate and whose demerits have vanished, take to My worship. If you always say “Sai, Sai”, I shall take you over the seven seas believe in these words, and you will be certainly benefitted. I do not need any paraphernalia of worship – either eight-fold or sixteen-fold. I rest there, where there is full devotion.” Now, read, what Sai did for the welfare of those who surrendered themselves to Him.
One Bhimaji Patil of Narayangaon, Taluka Junnar, Distt. Poona,’ suffered in the year 1909 from a severe and chronic chest-disease, which ultimately developed into tuberculosis. He tried all sorts of pathies (remedies) but to no effect. Losing all hopes, he ultimately prayed to God, “Oh Lord Narayan, help me now!” It is a well-known fact that, when our circumstances are well, we do not remember God but when calamities and adversities overtake us, we are reminded of Him. So, Bhimaji now turned to God. It occured to him that, he should consult Mr. Nanasaheb Chandorkar, a great devotee of Baba, in this respect. So, he wrote to him a letter, giving all details of his malady and asking for his opinion. In reply, Mr. Nanasaheb wrote to him that, there was only one remedy left; and that was to take recourse to Baba’s Feet. Relying on Mr. Nanasaheb’s advice, he made preparations for going to Shirdi. He was brought to Shirdi and taken to the Masjid and placed before Baba. Mr Nanasaheb and Shama (Madhavrao Deshpande) were present there. Baba pointed out that, the disease was due to the previous evil Karma and was not disposed to interfere. But the patient cried out in despair that, he was helpless and, sought refuge in Him, as He was his last hope and prayed for mercy. Baba’s heart melted and He said, “Stay, cast off your anxiety, your sufferings have come to an end. However, oppressed and troubled one may be, as soon as he steps in the Masjid, he is on the pathway to happiness. The Fakir here is very kind and He will cure the disease and protect all with love and kindness.” The patient used to vomit blood every five minutes, but there was no vomitting in the presence of Baba. From the time, Baba uttered the words of mercy, the malady took a favourable turn. Baba asked him to stay in Bhimabai’s house, which was not a convenient and fit place but Baba’s order had to be obeyed. While he was staying there, Baba cured him by two dreams. In the first dream, he saw himself as a boy, suffering the severe pain of a flogging, which he received for not reciting his poetry lesson before his class-master. In the second dream, someone caused him intense pain by rolling a stone up and down over his chest. With the pain, thus suffered in dream, his cure was complete and he went home. He then, often came to Shirdi, gratefully remembering what Baba did for him and prostrated before Him. Baba also did not expect anything from devotees but remembrance, unswerving faith and devotion. People in Maharashtra always celebrate Satya-Narayan Puja in their homes every fortnight or month but, it was this Bhimaji Patil, who started a new Sai Satya-vrata Puja, instead of Satya-Narayan-vrata Puja, in his house, when he returned to his village.
Another devotee of Baba, by name Bala Ganpat Shimpi, suffered much from a malignant type of malaria. He tried all sorts of medicines and decoctions, but in vain. The fever did not abate a jot and so, he ran to Shirdi and fell at Baba’s Feet. Baba gave him a strange recipe, in this
case as follows: “Give a black dog some morsels of rice mixed with curd in front of the Laxmi temple!” Bala did not know, how to execute this recipe but no sooner he went home, then, he found rice and curd. After mixing them together, he brought the mixture near the Laxmi temple, where he found a black dog waving its tail. He placed the curd and rice before the dog. The dog ate it and, strange to say, Bala got rid of his malaria.
Shriman Bapusaheb Buti suffered, once from dysentery and vomitting. His cupboard was full of patent drugs and medicines; but none of them had any effect. Bapusaheb got very weak, on account of purgings and vomittings and therefore, was not able to go to the Masjid for Baba’s darshan. Baba then, sent for him and made him sit before Him and said, “Now, take care, you should not purge any more,” and gestured with His index-finger, “The vomitting must also stop.” Now, look at the power of Baba’s words. Both the maladies disappeared and Buti felt well.
On another occasion, he had an attack of cholera and suffered from severe thirst. Dr. Pillai tried all sorts of remedies, but could give him no relief. Then, he went to Baba and consulted Him as, to what to drink, that would allay his thirst and cure the disease. Baba prescribed an infusion of almonds, walnuts, pistachio (a kind of dry fruit), boiled in sugared milk. This would be considered a cause for fatal aggravation of the disease by any other doctor or physician, but in implicit obedience to Baba’s order, the infusion was administered and strange to say, the disease was cured.
A Swami from Alandi, with a desire for Baba’s darshan, came to Shirdi. He suffered from severe pain in his ear, which prevented him from getting sleep. He was operated for this, but it served no purpose. The pain was severe and he did not know what to do. While he was returning, he came to take Baba’s leave, when Shama (Madhavrao Deshpande) requested Baba to do something for the pain in the Swami’s ear. Baba comforted him saying, “Allah Accha Karega (God will do good)!” The Swami, then, returned to Poona, and after a week sent a letter to Shirdi, stating that the pain in his ear had subsided, though the swelling was there and in order to get the swelling removed, he went to Mumbai for operation but the surgeon on examining the ear said that, no operation was necessary. Such was the wonderful and potent effect of Baba’s words!
Another devotee, named Kaka Mahajani, suffered once from diarrhoea. In order that, there should be no break in his services to Baba, Kaka kept a Tambya (pot) with water in some corner of the Masjid and whenever there was a call, he would go out. As Sai Baba knew everything, Kaka did not inform Him of his disease, thinking that, Baba would of His own cure it soon. The work of constructing the pavement in front of the Masjid was permitted by Baba but when the actual work began, Baba got wild and shouted out loudly. Everybody ran away and as Kaka was also doing the same, Baba caught hold of him and made him sit there. In the confusion that followed, somebody left a small pouch of groundnuts there. Baba took a handful of groundnuts, rubbed them in His hands, blew away the skins and gave the clean nuts to Kaka and made him eat them. Scolding and cleaning the nuts and making Kaka eat them, went on simultaneously. Baba Himself ate some of them. Then, when the nuts were finished, Baba asked him to fetch water, as He felt thirsty. Kaka brought a pitcher full of water. Then, Baba drank some water and made Kaka also drink it. Baba declared, “Now, your diarrhoea has stopped and you may attend to the work of the pavement.” In the meanwhile other people, who had run away, returned and started the work, and Kaka, whose motions had stopped, also joined them. Are groundnuts medicine for diarrhoea? According to current medical opinion, groundnuts would aggravate the disease and not cure it. The true medicine, in this, as in other cases, was Baba’s word.
A gentleman from Harda, by name Dattopant, suffered from stomach-ache for about fourteen years. None of the remedies gave him any relief. Then, on hearing Baba’s fame, that He cures diseases by sight, he ran to Shirdi and fell at Baba’s Feet. Baba looked at him kindly and gave him blessings. When Baba placed His hand on his head and gave him udi with blessings, he felt relieved and there was no further trouble about the malady.
Towards the end of this chapter, three cases are cited in footnotes :
All these stories show that, the real medicine that cured the various diseases permanently, was Baba’s word and grace, and not any medicines or drugs.