Baba’s Wit and Humour – Chana Leela (1)
Hemadpant (2) Sudama (3) Anna Chinchanikar vs.
Maushibai
Preliminary
Unless we surrender our ego to the feet of our Sadguru, we will
not succeed in our undertaking. If we become egoless, then, our success
is assured.
By worshipping Sai Baba, we attain both the objects – worldly and
spiritual, and are fixed in our true nature and get peace and happiness.
Therefore, those who want to accomplish or gain their welfare, should
respectfully hear Sai Baba’s Leelas or stories, and meditate on them. If
they do this, they will easily attain the object of their life and get bliss.
Generally, all people like wit and humour but they do not like that
jokes should be cut at their expense. But Baba’s method was peculiar;
when it was accompanied with good gestures, it was very interesting
and instructive, and the people therefore did not mind, even if they were
held up to the ridicule. Hemadpant gives his own instance below.
Chana Leela
In Shirdi, a special bazaar was held every Sunday and people
from the neighbouring villages came there, erected booths and stalls in
the open street and sold their wares and commodities. Every noon the
Masjid was crowded, but on Sunday, it was crowded to suffocation. On
one such Sunday Hemadpant sat in front of Baba, shampooing His
Legs and muttering God’s name. Shama was on Baba’s left, Vamanrao
to His right. Shriman Buti and Kakasaheb Dixit and others were also
present there. Then Shama laughed and said to Annasaheb, “See that
some grains seem to have stuck to the sleeve of your coat!” So saying
he touched the sleeve and found that, there were some grains. Hemadpant
straightened his left fore-arm to see what the matter was, and to the
surprise of all, some grains of gram came rolling down and were picked
up by the people, who were sitting there.
This incident furnished a subject-matter for joke. Everybody present
began to wonder and said something or other, as to how the grains
found their way into the sleeve of the coat and lodged there so long.
Hemadpant also could not guess. When nobody could give any
satisfactory explanation in this matter, and everybody was wondering
about this mystery, Baba said as follows :
“This fellow (Annasaheb) has got the bad habit of eating alone.
Today is a bazaar-day and he came here chewing grams. I know, his
habit and these grams are a proof of it. What wonder is there, in this
matter?”
Hemadpant, “Baba, I never know of eating things alone; then,
why do You shoulder this bad habit on me? I have never yet seen Shirdi
bazaar. I never went to the bazaar today, then how could I buy grams
and how could I eat them if I had not bought them? I never eat anything
unless I share it with others present around me at the time of my
meals.”
Baba, “It is true that, you give to the persons present but if none
be near-by, what could you or I do? But do you remember Me before
eating? Am I not always with you? Then do you offer Me anything
before you eat?”
Moral
Let us mark and note carefully, what Baba has taught us by this
incident. He has advised us that, before the senses, mind and intellect
enjoy their objects, first He should be remembered, and if this be done,
it is in a way by making an offering to Him. The senses etc. can never
remain without their objects, but if those objects are first offered to the
Guru, the attachment for them will naturally vanish. In this way, all the
Vrittis (subtle thoughts) regarding desire, anger, avarice etc. should first
be offered and directed to the Guru, and if this practice be followed, the
Lord will help you in eradicating all the Vrittis. When before enjoyment
of the objects, you think that Baba is present, the question, whether the
object is fit to be enjoyed or not, will at once arise. Then the object, that
is not fit to be enjoyed, will be shunned and in this way our vicious
habits or vices will disappear, and our character will improve. Then
love for the Guru will grow and pure knowledge will sprout up. When
this knowledge grows, the bondage of body-consciousness (we are the
body) will snap and our intellect will be merged in spirit-consciousness
(we are the spirit). Then we shall get bliss and contentment. There is no
difference between Guru and God. He who sees any difference in them,
finds God nowhere. So leaving aside all ideas of difference, we should
regard Guru and God as one; and if we serve our Guru, as stated above,
God will be certainly pleased and by purifying our minds will give us
self-realization. To put the matter in a nut-shell, we should not enjoy
any object with our senses etc., without first remembering our Guru.
When the mind is trained in this way, we will be always reminded of
Baba and our meditation on Baba will grow apace. The Sagun Form of
Baba will ever be before our eyes and then, devotion, non-attachment
and salvation will all be ours. When Baba’s Form is thus fixed before
our mental vision, we forget hunger, thirst and this Sansar (world), the
consciousness of worldly pleasures will disappear and our mind shall
attain peace and happiness.
Sudama’s Story
When the above story was being narrated, Hemadpant was
reminded of a similar story of Sudama, which illustrates the same
principle and therefore, it is given here.
Shri Krishna and His elder brother, Balaram, were living with a
co-student, named Sudama, in the ashram of their Guru, Sandipani.
Once Krishna and Balaram were sent to the forest for bringing fuel.
Then the wife of Sandipani sent Sudama also for the same purpose,
with some quantity of grams for the three. When Krishna met Sudama
in the forest, he said to him, “Dada, I want water, as I am thirsty.”
Sudama replied, “No water should be drunk on an empty stomach so,
it is better to rest a while.” He did not say that he had got grams with
him and that Krishna should take some. As Krishna was tired, He lay
down for rest on the lap of Sudama and was soon snoring. On seeing
this, Sudama took out the grams and began to eat. Then Krishna suddenly
asked him, “Dada, what are you eating, what is this chitter-chatter
sound?”. He replied, “What is there to eat? I am shivering with cold
and my teeth are chattering. I can’t even repeat Vishnu-sahasra-naam.”
Hearing this, the Omniscient Krishna said, “I just had a dream, in
which I saw a man eating things of another, and when asked about
this, he said, “What dust should he eat”, meaning thereby that he had
nothing to eat? The other man said, “Let it be so.” Dada, this is only
a dream. I know that you won’t eat anything without Me, under the
influence of the dream I asked you what you were eating?” If Sudama
had known the Omniscient Shri Krishna and His Leelas, he would not
have acted as he did. Therefore, he had to suffer for what he did.
Though he was a chum of Shri Krishna, he had to pass his later life in
utter poverty. But when he later offered Krishna a handful of parched
rice, earned by his wife with her own labour, Krishna was pleased and
gave him a golden estate to enjoy. This story should be remembered by
those, who have the habit of eating things alone, without partaking
them with others.
The Shruti also emphasizes this lesson, and asks us to offer things
first to God and then enjoy them, after they are renounced by Him. Baba
also has taught us the same lesson in His inimitable and humorous
way.
Anna Chinchanikar vs. Maushibai
Hemadpant now describes another witty incident, in which Baba
played a peace-maker’s part. There was one devotee by name Damodar
Ghanashyam Babare, alias Anna Chinchanikar. He was simple, rustic
and straightforward. He cared for nobody, always spoke plainly and
carried all dealings in cash. Though he looked outwardly harsh and
uncompromising, he was goodnatured and guileless. So Sai Baba loved
him. He has willed away all his property to Shri Sai Baba Sansthan,
Shirdi. One day like others, serving Baba in their own way, this Anna
was shampooing the left arm of Baba, which rested on the Kathada
(railing). On the right side, one old widow named Venubai Koujalgi,
whom Baba called ‘mother’ and all others called Maushibai, was
serving Baba in her own way. This Maushibai was an elderly woman
of pure heart. She clasped the fingers of both her hands round the trunk
of Baba and was at this time massaging Baba’s abdomen. She did this
so forcibly that Baba’s back and abdomen became flat and Baba moved
from side to side. Anna on the other side was steady but Maushibai’s
face moved up and down with her strokes. Once it so happened that,
her face came very close to Anna’s. Being of a witty disposition she
remarked, “Oh, this Anna is a lewd fellow, he wants to kiss me. Even
being so old with grey hair, he feels no shame in kissing me.” These
words enraged Anna and he pulled up his sleeves and said, “You say
that I am an old bad fellow, am I quite a fool? It is you who has picked
up a quarrel with me.” All the persons present there were enjoying this
encounter between them. Baba Who loved both of them equally and
wanted to pacify them, managed the affair very skillfully. Lovingly He
said, “Oh Anna, why are you unnecessarily raising this hue and cry?
I do not understand what harm or impropriety is there, when the
mother is kissed?” Hearing these words of Baba, both of them were
satisfied, and all the persons laughed merrily and enjoyed Baba’s wit
to their heart’s content.
Baba’s Characteristics – His Dependency on Bhaktas
Baba allowed His devotees to serve Him in their own way and did
not like any other persons interfering in this. To quote an instance, the
same Maushibai was, on another occasion kneading Baba’s abdomen.
Seeing the force used by her, all other devotees felt nervous and anxious.
They said, “Oh mother be more considerate and moderate, otherwise
you will break Baba’s arteries and nerves.” At this Baba got up at once
from His seat and dashed His Satka on the ground. He got enraged and
His eyes became red like a live embers. None dared to stand before
Baba. Then He took hold of one end of the Satka with both hands and
pressed it in the hollow of His abdomen. The other end He fixed to the
post and began to press His abdomen against it. The Satka which was
about two or three feet in length, seemed all ready to go into the
abdomen and the people feared that, the abdomen would be ruptured
in a short time. The post was fixed and immovable and Baba began to
go closer and closer to it, and clasped the post firmly. Every moment the
rupture was expected and they were all dismayed, did not know what
to do and stood dumb with wonder and fear. The other devotees wanted
only to give a hint to the Maushibai to be moderate in her service and
not cause any trouble or pain to Baba. They were surprised to see that,
their well-intentioned effort had resulted in this crisis, and they could
do nothing but to wait and watch. Fortunately, Baba’s rage soon cooled
down. He left the Satka and resumed His seat. From this time onward
the devotees took the lesson that, they should not meddle with anybody
but allow him to serve Baba as he chooses, as He was capable to gauge
the merits and worth of the service rendered unto Him.
Bow to Shri Sai – Peace be to all
Hemadpant (2) Sudama (3) Anna Chinchanikar vs.
Maushibai
Preliminary
Unless we surrender our ego to the feet of our Sadguru, we will
not succeed in our undertaking. If we become egoless, then, our success
is assured.
By worshipping Sai Baba, we attain both the objects – worldly and
spiritual, and are fixed in our true nature and get peace and happiness.
Therefore, those who want to accomplish or gain their welfare, should
respectfully hear Sai Baba’s Leelas or stories, and meditate on them. If
they do this, they will easily attain the object of their life and get bliss.
Generally, all people like wit and humour but they do not like that
jokes should be cut at their expense. But Baba’s method was peculiar;
when it was accompanied with good gestures, it was very interesting
and instructive, and the people therefore did not mind, even if they were
held up to the ridicule. Hemadpant gives his own instance below.
Chana Leela
In Shirdi, a special bazaar was held every Sunday and people
from the neighbouring villages came there, erected booths and stalls in
the open street and sold their wares and commodities. Every noon the
Masjid was crowded, but on Sunday, it was crowded to suffocation. On
one such Sunday Hemadpant sat in front of Baba, shampooing His
Legs and muttering God’s name. Shama was on Baba’s left, Vamanrao
to His right. Shriman Buti and Kakasaheb Dixit and others were also
present there. Then Shama laughed and said to Annasaheb, “See that
some grains seem to have stuck to the sleeve of your coat!” So saying
he touched the sleeve and found that, there were some grains. Hemadpant
straightened his left fore-arm to see what the matter was, and to the
surprise of all, some grains of gram came rolling down and were picked
up by the people, who were sitting there.
This incident furnished a subject-matter for joke. Everybody present
began to wonder and said something or other, as to how the grains
found their way into the sleeve of the coat and lodged there so long.
Hemadpant also could not guess. When nobody could give any
satisfactory explanation in this matter, and everybody was wondering
about this mystery, Baba said as follows :
“This fellow (Annasaheb) has got the bad habit of eating alone.
Today is a bazaar-day and he came here chewing grams. I know, his
habit and these grams are a proof of it. What wonder is there, in this
matter?”
Hemadpant, “Baba, I never know of eating things alone; then,
why do You shoulder this bad habit on me? I have never yet seen Shirdi
bazaar. I never went to the bazaar today, then how could I buy grams
and how could I eat them if I had not bought them? I never eat anything
unless I share it with others present around me at the time of my
meals.”
Baba, “It is true that, you give to the persons present but if none
be near-by, what could you or I do? But do you remember Me before
eating? Am I not always with you? Then do you offer Me anything
before you eat?”
Moral
Let us mark and note carefully, what Baba has taught us by this
incident. He has advised us that, before the senses, mind and intellect
enjoy their objects, first He should be remembered, and if this be done,
it is in a way by making an offering to Him. The senses etc. can never
remain without their objects, but if those objects are first offered to the
Guru, the attachment for them will naturally vanish. In this way, all the
Vrittis (subtle thoughts) regarding desire, anger, avarice etc. should first
be offered and directed to the Guru, and if this practice be followed, the
Lord will help you in eradicating all the Vrittis. When before enjoyment
of the objects, you think that Baba is present, the question, whether the
object is fit to be enjoyed or not, will at once arise. Then the object, that
is not fit to be enjoyed, will be shunned and in this way our vicious
habits or vices will disappear, and our character will improve. Then
love for the Guru will grow and pure knowledge will sprout up. When
this knowledge grows, the bondage of body-consciousness (we are the
body) will snap and our intellect will be merged in spirit-consciousness
(we are the spirit). Then we shall get bliss and contentment. There is no
difference between Guru and God. He who sees any difference in them,
finds God nowhere. So leaving aside all ideas of difference, we should
regard Guru and God as one; and if we serve our Guru, as stated above,
God will be certainly pleased and by purifying our minds will give us
self-realization. To put the matter in a nut-shell, we should not enjoy
any object with our senses etc., without first remembering our Guru.
When the mind is trained in this way, we will be always reminded of
Baba and our meditation on Baba will grow apace. The Sagun Form of
Baba will ever be before our eyes and then, devotion, non-attachment
and salvation will all be ours. When Baba’s Form is thus fixed before
our mental vision, we forget hunger, thirst and this Sansar (world), the
consciousness of worldly pleasures will disappear and our mind shall
attain peace and happiness.
Sudama’s Story
When the above story was being narrated, Hemadpant was
reminded of a similar story of Sudama, which illustrates the same
principle and therefore, it is given here.
Shri Krishna and His elder brother, Balaram, were living with a
co-student, named Sudama, in the ashram of their Guru, Sandipani.
Once Krishna and Balaram were sent to the forest for bringing fuel.
Then the wife of Sandipani sent Sudama also for the same purpose,
with some quantity of grams for the three. When Krishna met Sudama
in the forest, he said to him, “Dada, I want water, as I am thirsty.”
Sudama replied, “No water should be drunk on an empty stomach so,
it is better to rest a while.” He did not say that he had got grams with
him and that Krishna should take some. As Krishna was tired, He lay
down for rest on the lap of Sudama and was soon snoring. On seeing
this, Sudama took out the grams and began to eat. Then Krishna suddenly
asked him, “Dada, what are you eating, what is this chitter-chatter
sound?”. He replied, “What is there to eat? I am shivering with cold
and my teeth are chattering. I can’t even repeat Vishnu-sahasra-naam.”
Hearing this, the Omniscient Krishna said, “I just had a dream, in
which I saw a man eating things of another, and when asked about
this, he said, “What dust should he eat”, meaning thereby that he had
nothing to eat? The other man said, “Let it be so.” Dada, this is only
a dream. I know that you won’t eat anything without Me, under the
influence of the dream I asked you what you were eating?” If Sudama
had known the Omniscient Shri Krishna and His Leelas, he would not
have acted as he did. Therefore, he had to suffer for what he did.
Though he was a chum of Shri Krishna, he had to pass his later life in
utter poverty. But when he later offered Krishna a handful of parched
rice, earned by his wife with her own labour, Krishna was pleased and
gave him a golden estate to enjoy. This story should be remembered by
those, who have the habit of eating things alone, without partaking
them with others.
The Shruti also emphasizes this lesson, and asks us to offer things
first to God and then enjoy them, after they are renounced by Him. Baba
also has taught us the same lesson in His inimitable and humorous
way.
Anna Chinchanikar vs. Maushibai
Hemadpant now describes another witty incident, in which Baba
played a peace-maker’s part. There was one devotee by name Damodar
Ghanashyam Babare, alias Anna Chinchanikar. He was simple, rustic
and straightforward. He cared for nobody, always spoke plainly and
carried all dealings in cash. Though he looked outwardly harsh and
uncompromising, he was goodnatured and guileless. So Sai Baba loved
him. He has willed away all his property to Shri Sai Baba Sansthan,
Shirdi. One day like others, serving Baba in their own way, this Anna
was shampooing the left arm of Baba, which rested on the Kathada
(railing). On the right side, one old widow named Venubai Koujalgi,
whom Baba called ‘mother’ and all others called Maushibai, was
serving Baba in her own way. This Maushibai was an elderly woman
of pure heart. She clasped the fingers of both her hands round the trunk
of Baba and was at this time massaging Baba’s abdomen. She did this
so forcibly that Baba’s back and abdomen became flat and Baba moved
from side to side. Anna on the other side was steady but Maushibai’s
face moved up and down with her strokes. Once it so happened that,
her face came very close to Anna’s. Being of a witty disposition she
remarked, “Oh, this Anna is a lewd fellow, he wants to kiss me. Even
being so old with grey hair, he feels no shame in kissing me.” These
words enraged Anna and he pulled up his sleeves and said, “You say
that I am an old bad fellow, am I quite a fool? It is you who has picked
up a quarrel with me.” All the persons present there were enjoying this
encounter between them. Baba Who loved both of them equally and
wanted to pacify them, managed the affair very skillfully. Lovingly He
said, “Oh Anna, why are you unnecessarily raising this hue and cry?
I do not understand what harm or impropriety is there, when the
mother is kissed?” Hearing these words of Baba, both of them were
satisfied, and all the persons laughed merrily and enjoyed Baba’s wit
to their heart’s content.
Baba’s Characteristics – His Dependency on Bhaktas
Baba allowed His devotees to serve Him in their own way and did
not like any other persons interfering in this. To quote an instance, the
same Maushibai was, on another occasion kneading Baba’s abdomen.
Seeing the force used by her, all other devotees felt nervous and anxious.
They said, “Oh mother be more considerate and moderate, otherwise
you will break Baba’s arteries and nerves.” At this Baba got up at once
from His seat and dashed His Satka on the ground. He got enraged and
His eyes became red like a live embers. None dared to stand before
Baba. Then He took hold of one end of the Satka with both hands and
pressed it in the hollow of His abdomen. The other end He fixed to the
post and began to press His abdomen against it. The Satka which was
about two or three feet in length, seemed all ready to go into the
abdomen and the people feared that, the abdomen would be ruptured
in a short time. The post was fixed and immovable and Baba began to
go closer and closer to it, and clasped the post firmly. Every moment the
rupture was expected and they were all dismayed, did not know what
to do and stood dumb with wonder and fear. The other devotees wanted
only to give a hint to the Maushibai to be moderate in her service and
not cause any trouble or pain to Baba. They were surprised to see that,
their well-intentioned effort had resulted in this crisis, and they could
do nothing but to wait and watch. Fortunately, Baba’s rage soon cooled
down. He left the Satka and resumed His seat. From this time onward
the devotees took the lesson that, they should not meddle with anybody
but allow him to serve Baba as he chooses, as He was capable to gauge
the merits and worth of the service rendered unto Him.
Bow to Shri Sai – Peace be to all
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