Shirdi Saibaba - Part V.

A Deputy Collector came to Shirdi . His name was Nanasaheb Chandorkar. First he doesn’t have any belief on saints. When his orderly, a police constable named Dasganu somehow coaxed him to visit Shirdi and see Saibaba. Actually, Saibaba himself has asked him to bring Nana Saheb since he is known to Saibaba in his previous births. Nana however had no belief in Saibaba’s words. After much persuation, he has accepted to come there. However he thought that Saibaba wanted to gain something through his official position! But Saibaba told him, “Oh Nana! You do not recognize me, we were known to each other for the past four births. I wanted to renew the contact now. That is the reason why I called you! Only after moving with Saibaba on subsequent trips, he realized the Divinity of Saibaba!

1. Once Nanasaheb was climbing a hill named Harischandra Hill to visit a temple at the hill top. It was noon time and the weather was sultry. Nana suffered due to intense thirst. He thought, “If Saibaba is near, he would have provided me with water! At that time Saibaba was sitting in the mosque at Shirdi which was more than 100 miles away from the hill. Saibaba told the devotees who are present, “Nana is dying of thirst”. They could not make head and tail of the statement. At the same time, a bhil (a hill tribe man) came there. Nana asked him “Is there any water source nearby?. The tribesman told Nana, “Below the rock where you are sitting, you can find a fistful of water. Immediately Nana displaced the rock and to his surprise, there was just one fistful of water to satisfy his thirst. After drinking it, Nana regained his energy and he went up the hill and saw the deity in the temple and returned safely! After some time he visited Saibaba! Immediately Saibaba asked him “Have you got water in the hill? The question was astonishment to Nana since now he has realized that Saibaba has arranged water in the form of tribesman at the appropriate time, when he was seeking Saibaba’s name!

2. In the second instance, Nanasaheb’s daughter was suffering from labor pain for three days continuously but no delivery seems to be at sight. He started praying Saibaba in his mind. Immediately Saibaba called one devotee and asked him to visit Jamner where Nanasaheb is put up. It was quite a distance from Shirdi. One has to travel by train for many hours and take a road for another 30 miles. The devotee told Saibaba, I am having only two rupees with me which will be hardly sufficient for the train journey. How I can proceed to Jamner which is 30 miles away from the Railway station. Saibaba told him that everything would be arranged! Saibaba gave him holy ash to give it to Nanasaheb for safe delivery with instruction to recite a song on Saibaba! The devotee took leave of Saibaba and travelled by train upto Jalgaon. He alighted there and was worried since he had hardly two anas(old coins) left with him. Suddenly he was astonished to find that somebody was calling his name. He went to the person who told him, “Nana sahib has sent this tonga(horse driven cart). Come on, let us move. Sitting in the cart and remembering Saibaba , they reached the vicinity of Jamner. The cart driver gave him some eatable. After eating it, he alighted to answer nature’s call. On coming back, he found that there was no trace of the cart or horse!. He enquired the people who are there, “Where is Nanasaheb’s residence? They showed him his house. At that time, his daughter was in a serious condition. The devotee handed over the holy ash with instruction to give to his daughter and to sing a song on Saibaba. Immediately after giving the holy ash and singing the song, his daughter delivered a baby safely!

This is how Saibaba rescued his devotees in moments of troubles and misery! Rest in next Part V.