Ratanji Wadia of Nanded – Saint Moulisaheb –
Dakshina
In the last chapter, we described, how Baba’s word and
grace cured many incurable diseases. Now we shall
describe, how Baba blessed Mr. Ratanji Wadia and
gave him an issue.
The life of this Saint is naturally sweet. His various doings, eating,
walking and His natural sayings are also sweet. His life is Bliss
Incarnate. Sai gave bliss to His devotees as a means of remembrance.
He gave them various stories of duty and action, which ultimately led
them to true religion. His object may be, that people should live happily
in this world but they should be ever cautious, and achieve the object
of their life, viz. self-realization. We get human body as a result of merits
in past births and it is worth-while that, with its aid, we should attain
devotion and liberation in this life. So, we should never be lazy but
always be on the alert to gain our goal of life.
If you hear the Leelas (stories) of Sai daily, you will always see
Him. Day and night you will remember Him in your mind. When you
assimilate Sai in this way, your mind will lose its fickleness, and if you
go on in this manner, it will finally be merged in Pure Consciousness.
Ratanji of Nanded :
Now, let us come to the main story of this chapter. In Nanded, in
the Nizam state, there lived a Parsi mill-contractor and trader, by name
Ratanji Shapurji Wadia. He had amassed a large amount of money and
had acquired fields and lands. He had cattle, horses and conveyance,
and was very prosperous. In all outward appearances, he looked very
happy and contented but inwardly he was not so. Providential
dispensation is such that, no one in this world is completely happy,
and rich Ratanji was no exception to this. He was liberal and charitable,
gave food and clothing to the poor and helped all in various ways. The
people took him to be a good and happy man but Ratanji thought
himself miserable, as he had no issue, male or female, for a long time.
Just as Kirtan (singing glories of the Lord) without love or devotion,
song without rhythmical accompaniments, Brahmin without the sacred
thread, proficiency in all arts without commonsense, pilgrimage without
repentance and ornamentation without a necklace, are futile and useless,
so is a house-holder without an issue. Ratanji always brooded on this
matter and said in his mind, “Would God be ever pleased to grant me
a son?” He, thus, looked morose, and did not relish his food. Day and
night, he was enveloped with anxiety, as to whether he would ever be
blessed with a son. He had a great regard for Das Ganu Maharaj. He
saw him and opened his heart before him. Das Ganu advised him to
go to Shirdi, take Baba’s darshan, fall at His Feet and seek His blessing
and pray for an issue. Ratanji liked the idea, and decided to go to
Shirdi. After some days, he went to Shirdi, took Baba’s darshan and fell
at His Feet. Then opening a basket, he took out a beautiful garland of
flowers and placed it around Baba’s neck and offered Him a basket of
fruits. With reverence he then, sat near Baba, and prayed to Him saying,
“Many persons, who find themselves in difficult situations come to
You, and You relieve them immediately. Hearing this, I have anxiously
sought Your Feet, please do not disappoint me.” Sai Baba, then, asked
him for Dakshina of Rs. five, which Ratanji intended to give, but added
that, He had already received Rs. 3-14-0* from him and that, he should
pay the balance only. Hearing this, Ratanji was rather puzzled. He
could not make out, as to what Baba meant. That was the first time, he
thought that, he had come to Shirdi and how was it that, Baba said that
He had earlier got Rs. 3-14-0 from him? He could not solve the riddle.
But he sat at Baba’s Feet and gave the balance of the Dakshina asked
for, explained to Baba fully, as to why he came and sought His help and
prayed that Baba should bless him with a son. Baba was moved and
told him not to worry, and that thence onward his bad days had ended.
He then, gave him Udi, placed His hand on his head and blessed him
saying that, Allah (God) would satisfy his heart’s desire.
Then after taking Baba’s leave, Ratanji returned to Nanded and
told Das Ganu everything, that took place at Shirdi. He said that
everything went on well there, that he got Baba’s darshan and blessing
with Prasad, but there was one thing, which he could not understand.
Baba said to him that he had got Rs. 3-14-0 before. Please explain, as
to what Baba meant by this remark. He said to Das Ganu, “I never went
to Shirdi before, and how could I give Him the sum, to which Baba
referred?” To Das Ganu too, it was a puzzle and he thought much over
it for a long time. Some time afterwards, it struck him that, Ratanji had
received some days ago a Mohammeden saint, by name Moulisaheb in
his house and had spent some money for his reception. This Moulisaheb,
was a well known saint of Nanded and worked as a porter. When
Ratanji decided to go to Shirdi, this Moulisaheb turned up at Ratanji’s
house. Ratanji knew him and loved him. So, he gave a small party in
his honour. Das Ganu got from Ratanji, the memo of expenses of this
reception, and everybody was wonderstruck to see that, the expenses
amounted to exactly Rs. 3-14-0, nothing more, nothing less. They all
came to know that, Baba was Omniscient, that though, He lived in
Shirdi, He knew what happened outside, far away from Shirdi. In fact,
He knew the past, present and future, and could identify Himself with
anybody. In this particular instance, how could He know, the reception
given to Moulisaheb and the amount spent therefore, unless, He could
identify Himself with him and be one with him?
Ratanji was satisfied with this explanation and his faith in Baba
was confirmed and increased. In due time, he was blessed with a son
and his joy knew no bounds. It is said that he had in all a dozen issues,
out of which only four survived.
In a foot-note towards the end of this chapter, it is stated that,
Baba told Rao Bahadur Hari Vinayak Sathe, after the death of his first
wife, to remarry and that, he would get a son. R.B. Sathe married second
time. The first two issues, by this wife were daughters and he therefore,
felt very despondent. But, the third issue was a son. Baba’s word did
come true and he was satisfied.
Dakshina
Now, we shall close this chapter with a few points about Dakshina.
It is a well-known fact that, Baba always asked for Dakshina from
people, who went to see Him. Somebody may ask a question, “If Baba
was a Fakir and perfectly non-attached, why should He ask for Dakshina
and care for money?” We shall consider this question broadly now.
First, for a long time, Baba did not take anything, He stored burnt
matches and filled His pocket with them. He never asked anybody for
anything, whether he be a devotee or otherwise. If anybody placed
before Him a paisa or two, He purchased oil or tobacco. He was fond
of tobacco, for He always smoked a Bidi or Chillim (an earthen pipe).
Then, some persons thought that, they should not go to saints emptyhanded
and therefore, placed some copper coins before Baba. If a paisa
was placed before Him, He used to pocket it, if it was a two paise coin,
it was returned immediately. Then, after Baba’s fame had spread far
and wide, people began to flock in numbers and Baba began to ask
Dakshina from them. It is said in the Shruti (Veda) that Puja of the gods
is not complete, unless a golden coin was offered. If a coin was necessary
in the Puja of the gods, why should it be not so in the Puja of the saints
also? Ultimately, the Shastras laid it down that, when one goes to see
god, king, saint or guru, he should not go empty-handed. He should
offer something, preferably, money. In this connection we may notice
the precepts, recommended by the Upanishads. The Brihadaranyak
Upanishad says that the Lord Prajapati advised the gods, men and
demons by one letter *‘Da’. The gods understood by this letter that, they
should practise ‘Dama1’, i.e. self-control; the men thought or understood
that, they should practise ‘Dana’2, i.e. charity; the demons understood
that they should practise ‘Daya’3, i.e. compassion. To men, charity or
giving was recommended. The teacher, in the Taittiriya Upanishad,
exhorts his pupils, to practise charity and other virtues. Regarding
charity, he says, “Give with faith, or even without it give with
magnanimity, i.e. liberally, give with modesty, awe and sympathy. In
order to teach the devotees the lesson of charity and to remove their
attachment to money and thus, to purify their minds, Baba extracted
Dakshina from them but there was this peculiarity, as Baba said that
He had to give back hundred times more of what He received. There are
many instances, in which this has happened. To quote an instance, Mr.
Ganpatrao Bodas, the famous actor, says in his Marathi autobiography
that, on Baba’s pressing him often for Dakshina, he emptied his moneybag
before Him. The result of this was, as Mr. Bodas says that, in later
life he never lacked money, as it came to him abundantly.
There were also secondary meanings of Dakshina, in many cases,
in which Baba did not want any pecuniary amount. To quote two
instances : (1) Baba asked Rs. 15/-, as Dakshina from Prof. G.G. Narke,
who replied that, he did not have any money. Then, Baba said, “I know,
you have no money but you are reading Yoga Vasishtha. Give Me
Dakshina from that”. Giving Dakshina in this case meant, “Deriving
lessons from the book and lodging them in the heart, where Baba
resides.” (2) In the second case, Baba asked a certain lady (Mrs. R. A.
Tarkhad), to give Rs. 6/-, as Dakshina. The lady felt pained, as she had
nothing to give. Then, her husband explained to her that, Baba wanted
six inner enemies (lust , anger, avarice etc.), to be surrendered to Him.
Baba agreed with this explanation.
It is to be noted that, though, Baba collected a lot of money by
Dakshina, He would distribute the whole amount the same day and the
next morning He would become a poor Fakir as usual. When Baba took
His Mahasamadhi, even after receiving thousands and thousands of
Rupees as Dakshina, for about ten years, He had only a few Rupees in
His possession.
In short, Baba’s main object in taking Dakshina, from His devotees,
was to teach them the lessons of Renunciation and Purification.
Post-script
Mr. B.V. Dev of Thana, retired Mamlatdar, and a great devotee of
Baba, has written an article on this subject (Dakshina) in ‘Shri Sai
Leela’ magazine, Vol. II, P. 6-26, in which he says as follows :
“Baba did not ask Dakshina of all. If some gave Dakshina unasked,
He some times accepted it and at other times refused it. He asked it of
certain devotees only. He never demanded it, from those devotees, who
thought in their minds that Baba should ask for it and then they should
pay it. If anybody offered it against His wish, He never touched it and
if he kept it there, He asked him to take it away. He asked for small or
big amounts from devotees, according to their wish, devotion and
convenience. He asked it, even of women and children. He never asked
of all the rich for it, nor of all the poor.
“Baba never got angry with those, of whom He asked Dakshina
and who did not give it. If any Dakshina was sent, through some friend,
who forgot to hand-over the same to Baba, He reminded him of it and
made him pay it. On some occasions, Baba used to return some sum,
from the amount tendered as Dakshina and ask the donor to guard it
or keep it in his shrine for worship. This procedure benefitted the donor
or devotee immensely. If anybody offered more than he originally intended
to give, He returned the extra amount. Some times, He asked of some
more Dakshina than, what they originally intended to give and if they
had no money, asked them to beg or borrow from others. Of some, He
demanded Dakshina three or four times a day.”
“Out of the amount collected as Dakshina, Baba spent very little
for His own sake, viz. for buying Chillim (smoking pipe) and fuel for
His Dhuni (sacred fire), and all the rest He distributed as charity in
varying proportions to various persons. All the paraphernalia of the
Shirdi Sansthan was brought by various rich devotees at the instance
and suggestion of Radhakrishnamai. Baba always used to get wild and
scolded those, who brought any costly and rich articles. He said to Mr.
Nanasaheb Chandorkar that all His property consisted of one Koupin
(codpiece), one stray piece of cloth, one Kafni and a Tumrel (tinpot) and
that, all the people troubled Him with bringing all these unnecessary
costly articles.”
Woman and wealth are the two main obstacles in the way of our
Paramartha (spiritual life) and Baba had provided in Shirdi two
institutions, viz. Dakshina and Radhakrishnamai for, whenever they
came to Him, He demanded Dakshina from them and asked them to go
to the ‘SCHOOL’ (Radhakrishnamai’s house). If they stood these two
tests well, i.e. if they showed that, they were free from attachment for
woman and wealth, their progress in spirituality was rapid and assured
by Baba’s grace and blessings.
Mr. Dev has also quoted passages from the Gita and Upanishads
and shown that charity, given in a holy place or to a holy personage,
conduces to the donors’ welfare. What is more holy than Shirdi and its
Presiding Deity – Sai Baba!
Bow to Shri Sai – Peace be to all
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