Baba the Indweller

Sai Baba of Shirdi is renowned for almighty Power, Infinite Mercy, and Boundless Love. Most of the literature about Him is in Marathi wherein He is described as the Divine Incarnation who, out of His immeasurable Grace, pierced the barriers of physical space and assuming different forms, saved lives miraculously, protected devotees from calamities, cured diseases, kept off epidemics, and controlled the elements.

I visited Shirdi often and I have instances of His Grace and timely help in difficulties. In fact, He once gave me darshan in 1948, when we were living in a small room in a chawl and had a very meager income. I was taken by surprise by His miracle. He made me hold out my palms in the form of a cup and down came the stream of holy water from His fingers. He then blessed our family with all prosperity and happiness and instantly disappeared. From that day we find ourselves above want and are a contended happy family. Whenever problems arise and difficulties crop up, we think of Him and the way is clear!

Long before most of the devotees in Bombay had heard about Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the present Avatar of Sai Baba of Shirdi, it was an established fact that He was on a spiritual mission of giving solace to the distressed and leading the people of all castes and creeds steadily on to a path of righteous life, mental peace, and spiritual progress. Some fortunate families in Bombay who were caught in the Divine spell of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba used to visit Puttaparthi and come away with the precious gift of His Grace. Literature on the life and mission of Bhagavan passed from hand to hand and spread His message of sathya, dharma, shanti, and prema. The readers were convinced that Sri Sathya Sai Baba was the re-incarnation of Lord Shri Ram, Sri Krishna, and Sai Baba of Shirdi.

By 1963 we, too, had an attractive photograph of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and read books about Him. Thus, the way was laid for our pilgrimage to Prasanthi Nilayam.

All of us went for Bhagavan’s blessings on Guru Poornima of the year 1964 when He distributed amrita [ambrosia] to thousands out of a silver bowl that never showed signs of emptying. During our stay there and especially the interview, we were convinced of His Omniscience, Omnipotence, and Omnipresence.

In the course of the interview, He materialized a locket with the image of Shirdi Sai Baba on one side and Lord Krishna on the other and He presented it to my wife. We were astounded when Baba said to my daughter, “I know you are praying to me, during bhajan time, in the study circle in your institution.” How He knew of the fact that there is study circle in our institution and that she thought of Him there, He alone knows!

On 22^nd August 1965 in Prasanthi Nilayam Prayer Hall in His Divine Presence, with all the religious rights and the sacred mantras recited by the learned Shastris of the Veda Pathashala and the ardent assembly of devotees witnessing in solemn silence, my daughter’s marriage was performed. Bhagavan materialized the sacred Mangala-sutra of typical Maharashtrian pattern and performed the kanyadan Himself. It was the happiest and most fortunate day in our life. Our attitude toward Bhagavan became one of surrender, total and complete. We returned with the conviction that He is really the Indweller in the hearts of all.

~Mahadeo Mangesh Pinge
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, July 1969