Baba’s Handi – Disrespect of Shrine - Kala or Hodge
Podge – Cup of Butter-milk
In the last chapter, we described Baba’s Chavadi
procession. In this, we take up Baba’s Handi (cooking
pot), and some other subjects.
Preliminary
Oh, blessed Sadguru Sai, we bow to You, Who has given happiness
to the whole world, accomplished the welfare of the devotees and have
removed the affliction of those, who have resorted to Your Feet. By being
very liberal and also being the protector and saviour of the bhaktas,
who surrender themselves to You, You have Incarnated Yourself in this
world to oblige mankind and do them good. The liquid essence of Pure
Self was poured into the mould of Brahma and out of this has come
out the crest-jewel of the saints – Sai. This Sai is Atmaram Himself. He
is the Abode of the Perfect Divine Bliss. After having attained Himself
all objects of life, He made His devotees established on the path.
Baba’s Handi
Different Sadhanas (means of accomplishments) are prescribed in
our scriptures for different ages. Tapa (penance) is recommended for
Krita age, Dnyan (knowledge) for Treta age, Yagnya (sacrifice) for
Dwapara age and Daan (Charity) for Kali (present) age. Of all the
charities, giving food is the best one. We are much perturbed, when we
get no food at noon. Other beings feel similarly under such
circumstances. After knowing this, he, who gives food to the poor and
hungry, is the best donor or charitable person. The Taittiriya Upanishad
says that “Food is Brahma; from food all the creatures are born and by
food they live, and after having departed, into food again they enter.”
When an Atithi (guest) comes to our door at noon, it is our duty to
welcome him by giving him food. Other kinds of charities, viz. giving
away wealth, property and clothes etc., require some discrimination but
in the matter of food no such consideration is necessary. If anybody
comes to our door at noon, he should be served forthwith; and if lame,
crippled, blind and diseased persons come, they should be fed first and
the able-bodied persons and our relations afterwards. The merit of
feeding the former is much greater, than that of feeding the latter. Other
kinds of charities are imperfect without this Anna-daan (donation of
food), just as stars without the moon, necklace without its pendant,
crown without its pinnacle, pond without a lotus, Bhajan without
devotion, married lady without the Kumkum-mark, song without a
sweet voice or butter-milk without salt. Just as Varan (pulse-soup)
excels all other dishes, Anna-daan is the best of all merits. Now, let us
see how Baba prepared food and distributed it to others.
It has been stated before that, Baba required very little food for
Himself, and what ever little He wanted was obtained by begging from
a few houses. But when He decided to distribute food to all, He made
all preparations, Himself. He depended on nobody and troubled none,
in this matter. First He went to the bazaar and bought all the things,
corn, flour, spices etc., paying cash. He also did the grinding. In the
open court-yard of the Masjid, He arranged a big hearth and after
lighting a fire, He kept a Handi over it with a proper measure of water.
There were two kinds of Handis, one small and the other big. The
former provided food for 50 persons, the latter for 100. Some times He
cooked ‘Mithe Chaval’ (sweet rice), and at other times ‘Biryani’ with
meat. At times, in the boiling Varan (soup), He let in small balls of thick
or flat bread of wheat flour. He grinded the spices on a stone-slab and
put the thin pulverized spices, into the cooking-pot. He took all pains
to make the dishes very palatable. He prepared ‘Ambil’ by boiling
jawari-flour in water and later mixing to it butter-milk, and then boiled
both together. With the food, He distributed this Ambil to all alike. To
see whether the food was properly cooked or not, Baba rolled up the
sleeve of His Kafni and put His bare arm, in the boiling cauldron,
without fear, and churned (moved) the whole mass from side to side
and up and down. There was no mark of burn on His arm nor fear on
His face. When the cooking was over, Baba got the pots in the Masjid
and had them duly consecrated by the Moulvi (Muslim priest). First He
sent part of the food as Prasad to Mhalsapati and Tatya Patil, and then
He served the remaining contents with His own hand to all the poor
and helpless people, to their heart’s content. Really blessed and fortunate
must be those people, who got food, prepared by Baba and served by
Somebody may raise a point here and ask : “Did Baba distribute
vegetarian and nonvegetarian food as Prasad to all His devotees?” The
answer is plain and simple. Those who were accustomed to nonvegetarian
food, were given non-vegetarian food from the Handi as
Prasad and those who were not so accustomed were given vegetarian
meal. He never created in them any wish or desire to indulge in this
food. There is a principle that, when a Guru himself gives anything as
Prasad, the disciple who thinks and doubts whether it is acceptable or
otherwise, goes to perdition (future misery). In order to see, whether any
disciple has imbibed this principle, Baba at times put them to tests. For
instance, on an Ekadashi day, He gave some rupees to Dada Kelkar and
asked him to go in person to Korhala to get meat from there. This Dada
Kelkar was an orthodox Brahmin and adhered to all orthodox manners
in his life. He knew that offering wealth, grain and clothes etc. to a
Sadguru was not enough; but that implicit obedience to Him and prompt
compliance with His order was the real dakshina, that pleased Him
most. So Dada Kelkar dressed himself and started for the place. Then
Baba called him back and said, “Don’t go yourself; but send somebody.”
Then, Dada sent his own servant, Pandu, for the purpose. When Baba
saw him going, He asked Dada to call him back and cancelled that
programme. On another occasion Baba asked Dada, just to see how the
saltish ‘Biryani’ (mutton dish) was done. The latter replied casually
that, it was all right. Then, Baba said to him, “Neither have you seen
it with your eyes, nor tasted it with your tongue, then how could you
say that it was good? Just take off the lid and see!” While saying this
Baba caught his arm and thrust it into the pot and added, “Take some
out of this leaving aside your orthodox ways and taste a little.” When
a wave of real love rises in a mother’s mind, she pinches her child and
when he begins to cry, she hugs him close to her bosom. Similarly, Baba,
in a true motherly way, pinched Dada Kelkar in this way. Really, no
saint or Guru will ever force his orthodox disciple, to eat food forbidden
in his religion.
The Handi business went on for some time till 1910, and was
stopped thereafter. As stated before, Das Ganu spread the fame of Baba
by his kirtans, far and wide, in the Mumbai Presidency and people from
that part of the country began to flock to Shirdi, which became very
soon a place of pilgrimage. The devotees brought with them various
articles for presentation and offered various dishes of food as Naivaidya.
The quantity of Naivaidya offered by them was so much that, the Fakirs
and paupers could feed themselves to their heart’s content, leaving
some surplus behind. Before stating how Naivaidya was distributed,
we shall refer to Nanasaheb Chandorkar’s story, showing Baba’s regard
for local shrines and deities.
Nanasaheb’s Disrespect of a Shrine
By drawing inferences or guessing in their own way, some people
said that Sai was a Brahmin and some said that He was a Muslim. In
Reality, He belonged to no caste. No one knew definitely when He was
born, and in what community, and who His parents were. Then how
could He be a Muslim or Brahmin? If He was a Muslim, how could He
keep Dhuni ever burning in the Masjid, how could there be a Tulsivrindavan
there, how could He allow the blowing of conches and
ringing of bells, how could He allow all the different forms of Hindu
worship there? Had He been a Muslim, could He have ears pierced and
could He have spent money from His pocket for repairing Hindu temples?
On the contrary, He never tolerated the slightest disrespect to Shrines
and Deities.
Once Nanasaheb Chandorkar came to Shirdi with his ‘Sadhu’ –
husband of his wife’s sister, Mr. Biniwale. When they went to the
Masjid and sat before Baba, the latter suddenly got angry with Nanasaheb
and said, “You have been so long in My company then why do you
behave like this?” Nanasaheb at first did not understand anything and
humbly requested Baba to explain. Baba asked him, when did he come
to Kopergaon and how he came to Shirdi from there Nanasaheb then
at once realized his mistake. He usually worshipped the Shrine of
Datta, on the banks of the Godavari, at Kopergaon on his way to Shirdi
but this time he dissuaded his relative, who was a Datta Bhakta, from
going to that Shrine in order to avoid delay and drove straight. He
confessed all this to Baba and told Him that, while bathing in the
Godavari, a big thorn went into his foot and gave him much trouble.
Baba said that, that was a slight punishment he met and warned him
to be more careful in future.
Kala (hotch-potch)
To revert to the distribution of the Naivaidya : After the Arati was
over and after Baba sent away the people with Udi and blessings, He
went inside and sat behind a curtain with His back to the Nimbar for
meals, with two rows of the intimate devotees, one on each side. The
Bhaktas brought Naivaidya, containing a variety of food, such as puris,
mande, polis, basundi, sanza, fine rice etc and kept waiting outside, for
prasad, consecrated by Baba. All the foods were mixed in a hotch-potch
and placed before Baba. He offered it to God and consecrated it. Then
portions of the same were given to the persons, waiting outside and the
rest was served to the group of devotees inside, with Baba at the centre.
The Bhaktas sitting in two rows then dined to their heart’s content.
Baba asked Shama and Nanasaheb Nimonkar, daily to serve the
consecrated food to all persons, sitting inside and look to their individual
needs and comforts. This they did very carefully and willingly. Every
morsel of the food thus partaken gave them fufilment and satisfaction.
Such sweet, lovely and consecrated food it was ! Ever auspicious and
ever holy!
Cup of Butter-milk
Once Hemadpant had eaten to his full capacity in this company,
when Baba offered him a cup of butter-milk. Its white appearance
pleased him, but there was no space for it. He however, took only a sip,
on seeing his faultering attitude, Baba said, “Drink it all, you won’t get
any such opportunity, hereafter.” He drank it off then, and found that
Baba’s words were prophetic, for He passed away after a brief period.
Now readers, we have certainly to thank Hemadpant. He drank
the cup of butter-milk; but has supplied us with sufficient quantity of
nectar in the form of Baba’s Leelas. Let us drink this nectar to our
heart’s content and be satisfied and happy.
Bow to Shri Sai – Peace be to all
Podge – Cup of Butter-milk
In the last chapter, we described Baba’s Chavadi
procession. In this, we take up Baba’s Handi (cooking
pot), and some other subjects.
Preliminary
Oh, blessed Sadguru Sai, we bow to You, Who has given happiness
to the whole world, accomplished the welfare of the devotees and have
removed the affliction of those, who have resorted to Your Feet. By being
very liberal and also being the protector and saviour of the bhaktas,
who surrender themselves to You, You have Incarnated Yourself in this
world to oblige mankind and do them good. The liquid essence of Pure
Self was poured into the mould of Brahma and out of this has come
out the crest-jewel of the saints – Sai. This Sai is Atmaram Himself. He
is the Abode of the Perfect Divine Bliss. After having attained Himself
all objects of life, He made His devotees established on the path.
Baba’s Handi
Different Sadhanas (means of accomplishments) are prescribed in
our scriptures for different ages. Tapa (penance) is recommended for
Krita age, Dnyan (knowledge) for Treta age, Yagnya (sacrifice) for
Dwapara age and Daan (Charity) for Kali (present) age. Of all the
charities, giving food is the best one. We are much perturbed, when we
get no food at noon. Other beings feel similarly under such
circumstances. After knowing this, he, who gives food to the poor and
hungry, is the best donor or charitable person. The Taittiriya Upanishad
says that “Food is Brahma; from food all the creatures are born and by
food they live, and after having departed, into food again they enter.”
When an Atithi (guest) comes to our door at noon, it is our duty to
welcome him by giving him food. Other kinds of charities, viz. giving
away wealth, property and clothes etc., require some discrimination but
in the matter of food no such consideration is necessary. If anybody
comes to our door at noon, he should be served forthwith; and if lame,
crippled, blind and diseased persons come, they should be fed first and
the able-bodied persons and our relations afterwards. The merit of
feeding the former is much greater, than that of feeding the latter. Other
kinds of charities are imperfect without this Anna-daan (donation of
food), just as stars without the moon, necklace without its pendant,
crown without its pinnacle, pond without a lotus, Bhajan without
devotion, married lady without the Kumkum-mark, song without a
sweet voice or butter-milk without salt. Just as Varan (pulse-soup)
excels all other dishes, Anna-daan is the best of all merits. Now, let us
see how Baba prepared food and distributed it to others.
It has been stated before that, Baba required very little food for
Himself, and what ever little He wanted was obtained by begging from
a few houses. But when He decided to distribute food to all, He made
all preparations, Himself. He depended on nobody and troubled none,
in this matter. First He went to the bazaar and bought all the things,
corn, flour, spices etc., paying cash. He also did the grinding. In the
open court-yard of the Masjid, He arranged a big hearth and after
lighting a fire, He kept a Handi over it with a proper measure of water.
There were two kinds of Handis, one small and the other big. The
former provided food for 50 persons, the latter for 100. Some times He
cooked ‘Mithe Chaval’ (sweet rice), and at other times ‘Biryani’ with
meat. At times, in the boiling Varan (soup), He let in small balls of thick
or flat bread of wheat flour. He grinded the spices on a stone-slab and
put the thin pulverized spices, into the cooking-pot. He took all pains
to make the dishes very palatable. He prepared ‘Ambil’ by boiling
jawari-flour in water and later mixing to it butter-milk, and then boiled
both together. With the food, He distributed this Ambil to all alike. To
see whether the food was properly cooked or not, Baba rolled up the
sleeve of His Kafni and put His bare arm, in the boiling cauldron,
without fear, and churned (moved) the whole mass from side to side
and up and down. There was no mark of burn on His arm nor fear on
His face. When the cooking was over, Baba got the pots in the Masjid
and had them duly consecrated by the Moulvi (Muslim priest). First He
sent part of the food as Prasad to Mhalsapati and Tatya Patil, and then
He served the remaining contents with His own hand to all the poor
and helpless people, to their heart’s content. Really blessed and fortunate
must be those people, who got food, prepared by Baba and served by
Somebody may raise a point here and ask : “Did Baba distribute
vegetarian and nonvegetarian food as Prasad to all His devotees?” The
answer is plain and simple. Those who were accustomed to nonvegetarian
food, were given non-vegetarian food from the Handi as
Prasad and those who were not so accustomed were given vegetarian
meal. He never created in them any wish or desire to indulge in this
food. There is a principle that, when a Guru himself gives anything as
Prasad, the disciple who thinks and doubts whether it is acceptable or
otherwise, goes to perdition (future misery). In order to see, whether any
disciple has imbibed this principle, Baba at times put them to tests. For
instance, on an Ekadashi day, He gave some rupees to Dada Kelkar and
asked him to go in person to Korhala to get meat from there. This Dada
Kelkar was an orthodox Brahmin and adhered to all orthodox manners
in his life. He knew that offering wealth, grain and clothes etc. to a
Sadguru was not enough; but that implicit obedience to Him and prompt
compliance with His order was the real dakshina, that pleased Him
most. So Dada Kelkar dressed himself and started for the place. Then
Baba called him back and said, “Don’t go yourself; but send somebody.”
Then, Dada sent his own servant, Pandu, for the purpose. When Baba
saw him going, He asked Dada to call him back and cancelled that
programme. On another occasion Baba asked Dada, just to see how the
saltish ‘Biryani’ (mutton dish) was done. The latter replied casually
that, it was all right. Then, Baba said to him, “Neither have you seen
it with your eyes, nor tasted it with your tongue, then how could you
say that it was good? Just take off the lid and see!” While saying this
Baba caught his arm and thrust it into the pot and added, “Take some
out of this leaving aside your orthodox ways and taste a little.” When
a wave of real love rises in a mother’s mind, she pinches her child and
when he begins to cry, she hugs him close to her bosom. Similarly, Baba,
in a true motherly way, pinched Dada Kelkar in this way. Really, no
saint or Guru will ever force his orthodox disciple, to eat food forbidden
in his religion.
The Handi business went on for some time till 1910, and was
stopped thereafter. As stated before, Das Ganu spread the fame of Baba
by his kirtans, far and wide, in the Mumbai Presidency and people from
that part of the country began to flock to Shirdi, which became very
soon a place of pilgrimage. The devotees brought with them various
articles for presentation and offered various dishes of food as Naivaidya.
The quantity of Naivaidya offered by them was so much that, the Fakirs
and paupers could feed themselves to their heart’s content, leaving
some surplus behind. Before stating how Naivaidya was distributed,
we shall refer to Nanasaheb Chandorkar’s story, showing Baba’s regard
for local shrines and deities.
Nanasaheb’s Disrespect of a Shrine
By drawing inferences or guessing in their own way, some people
said that Sai was a Brahmin and some said that He was a Muslim. In
Reality, He belonged to no caste. No one knew definitely when He was
born, and in what community, and who His parents were. Then how
could He be a Muslim or Brahmin? If He was a Muslim, how could He
keep Dhuni ever burning in the Masjid, how could there be a Tulsivrindavan
there, how could He allow the blowing of conches and
ringing of bells, how could He allow all the different forms of Hindu
worship there? Had He been a Muslim, could He have ears pierced and
could He have spent money from His pocket for repairing Hindu temples?
On the contrary, He never tolerated the slightest disrespect to Shrines
and Deities.
Once Nanasaheb Chandorkar came to Shirdi with his ‘Sadhu’ –
husband of his wife’s sister, Mr. Biniwale. When they went to the
Masjid and sat before Baba, the latter suddenly got angry with Nanasaheb
and said, “You have been so long in My company then why do you
behave like this?” Nanasaheb at first did not understand anything and
humbly requested Baba to explain. Baba asked him, when did he come
to Kopergaon and how he came to Shirdi from there Nanasaheb then
at once realized his mistake. He usually worshipped the Shrine of
Datta, on the banks of the Godavari, at Kopergaon on his way to Shirdi
but this time he dissuaded his relative, who was a Datta Bhakta, from
going to that Shrine in order to avoid delay and drove straight. He
confessed all this to Baba and told Him that, while bathing in the
Godavari, a big thorn went into his foot and gave him much trouble.
Baba said that, that was a slight punishment he met and warned him
to be more careful in future.
Kala (hotch-potch)
To revert to the distribution of the Naivaidya : After the Arati was
over and after Baba sent away the people with Udi and blessings, He
went inside and sat behind a curtain with His back to the Nimbar for
meals, with two rows of the intimate devotees, one on each side. The
Bhaktas brought Naivaidya, containing a variety of food, such as puris,
mande, polis, basundi, sanza, fine rice etc and kept waiting outside, for
prasad, consecrated by Baba. All the foods were mixed in a hotch-potch
and placed before Baba. He offered it to God and consecrated it. Then
portions of the same were given to the persons, waiting outside and the
rest was served to the group of devotees inside, with Baba at the centre.
The Bhaktas sitting in two rows then dined to their heart’s content.
Baba asked Shama and Nanasaheb Nimonkar, daily to serve the
consecrated food to all persons, sitting inside and look to their individual
needs and comforts. This they did very carefully and willingly. Every
morsel of the food thus partaken gave them fufilment and satisfaction.
Such sweet, lovely and consecrated food it was ! Ever auspicious and
ever holy!
Cup of Butter-milk
Once Hemadpant had eaten to his full capacity in this company,
when Baba offered him a cup of butter-milk. Its white appearance
pleased him, but there was no space for it. He however, took only a sip,
on seeing his faultering attitude, Baba said, “Drink it all, you won’t get
any such opportunity, hereafter.” He drank it off then, and found that
Baba’s words were prophetic, for He passed away after a brief period.
Now readers, we have certainly to thank Hemadpant. He drank
the cup of butter-milk; but has supplied us with sufficient quantity of
nectar in the form of Baba’s Leelas. Let us drink this nectar to our
heart’s content and be satisfied and happy.
Bow to Shri Sai – Peace be to all
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