Chapter VIII

Importance of Human Birth-Sai Baba Begging Food - Bayajabai's Service - Sai Baba's Dormitory -
His Affection for Khushalchand.

As hinted in the last Chapter, Hemadpant now explains at length, in his preliminary remarks, on the
importance of human birth; and then proceeds to relate how Sai Baba begged His food, how
Bayajabai served Him, how He slept in the Masjid with Tatya Kote Patil and Mhalsapati and how He
loved Khushalchand of Rahata.

Importance of Human Birth

In this wonderful universe, God has created billions (84 lacs according to Hindusastra calculation) of
creatures or beings (including Gods, demigods, insects, beasts and men) inhabiting heaven, hell,
earth, ocean, sky and other intermediate regions. Of these, those creatures or souls, whose merits
preponderate, go to heaven and live there till they enjoy the fruits of their actions, and when this is
done, they are cast down while those souls, whose sins or demerits preponderate, go down to hell,
and suffer the consequences of their misdeeds for so long a time as they deserve. When their merits
and demerits balance each other, they are born on earth as human beings, and are given a chance to
work out their salvation. Ultimately when their merits and demerits both drop down (are got rid of)
completely, they get their deliverance and become free. To put the matter in a nutshell, souls get their
births or transmigrations according to their deeds and intelligence (development of their minds).

Special Value of the Human Body

As we all know, four things are common to all the creatures, viz. food, sleep, fear and sexual union.
In the case of man, he is endowed with a special faculty, viz. knowledge, with the help of which he
can attain God-vision, which is impossible in any other birth. It is for this reasons that Gods envy
man's fortune and aspire to be born as men on earth, so as to get their final deliverance.

Some say, that there is nothing worse than the human body, which is full of filth, mucus, phlegm and
dirt, and which is subject to decay, disease and death. This is no doubt true to a certain extent; but
inspite of these drawbacks and defects, the special value of the human body is - that man has got the
capacity to acquire knowledge: it is only due to the human knowledge that one can think of the
perishable and transitory nature of the body itself, and of the world and get a disgust for the sense-
enjoyments and can discriminate between the unreal and the real, and thus attain God-vision. So, if
we reject or neglect the body because it is filthy, we lose the chance of God-vision, and if we fondle
it, and run after sense - enjoyments, because it is precious, we go to hell. The proper course,
therefore, for us to pursue is the following; that the body should neither be neglected nor fondled, but
should be properly cared for, just as a traveler on horse-back takes care of his pony on the way till he
reaches his destination and returns home. Thus the body should ever be used or engaged to attain
God-vision or self-realization, which is the supreme end of life.

It is said that though God created various sorts of creatures he was not satisfied, for none of them
was able to know and appreciate His work. So he had to create a special being - Man, and endow him
with a special faculty, viz. Knowledge and when He saw that man was able to appreciate His Leela -
marvellous work and intelligence. He was highly pleased and satisfied. (Vide, Bhagawat 11-9-28).
So really it is good luck to get a human body, better luck to get birth in a Brahmin family, and best
one, to get an opportunity of having recourse to Sai Baba's Feet and surrendering to Him.
Man's Endeavour

Realizing how precious the human life is, and knowing that Death is certain and may snatch us at
any time, we should be ever alert to achieve the object of our life, we should not make the least delay
but make every possible haste to gain our object, just as a widower is most anxious to get himself
married to a new bride, or just as a king leaves no stone unturned to seek his lost son. So with all
earnestness and speed, we should strive to attain our end, i.e., self-realization. Casting aside sloth and
laziness, warding off drowsiness, we should day and night meditate on the Self. If we fail to do this,
we reduce ourselves to the level of beasts.

How to Proceed?

The most effective and speedy way to gain our object is to approach a worthy Saint or Sage -
Sadguru, who has himself attained God-vision. What cannot be achieved by hearing religious
lectures and study of religious works, is easily obtained in the company of such worthy souls. Just as
the sun alone gives light, which all the stars put together cannot do, so the Sad-Guru alone imparts
spiritual wisdom which all the sacred books and sermons cannot infuse. His movements and simple
talks give us 'silent' advice. The virtues of forgiveness, calmness, disinterestedness, charity,
benevolence, control of mind and body, egolessness etc. are observed by the disciples as they are
being practiced in such pure and holy company. This enlightens their minds and lifts them up
spiritually. Sai Baba was such a Sage or Sad-Guru. Though He acted as a Fakir (mendicant), He was
always engrossed in the Self. He always loved all beings in whom He saw God or Divinity. By
pleasures He was not elated. He was not depressed by misfortunes. A king and a pauper were the
same to Him. He, whose glance would turn a beggar into a king, used to beg His food from door to
door in Shirdi, and let us now see how He did it.

Baba Begging Food

Blessed are the people of Shirdi, in front of whose houses, Baba stood as a beggar and called out,
"Oh Lassie, give Me a piece of bread" and spread out His hand to receive the same. In one hand He
carried a Tumrel (tinpot) and in the other a zoli or choupadari, i.e., a rectangular piece of cloth. He
daily visited certain houses and went from door to door. Liquid or semi-liquid things such as soup,
vegetables, milk or butter-milk were received in the tinpot, while cooked rice, bread, and such solid
things were taken in the zoli. Baba's tongue knew no taste, as He had acquired control over it. So
how could He care for the taste of the different things collected together? whatever things He got in
His zole and in the tinpot were mixed together and partaken by Baba to His heart's content. Whether
particular things were tasty or otherwise was never noticed by Baba as if His tongue was devoid of
the sense of taste altogether. Baba begged till noon, but His begging was very irregular. Some days
He went a few rounds, on other days up to twelve noon. The food thus collected was thrown in a
kundi, i.e. earthen pot. Dog, cats and crows freely ate from it and Baba never drove them away. The
woman who swept the floor of the Masjid took some 10 or 12 pieces of bread to her house, and
nobody prevented her from doing so. How could, He, who even in dreams never warded off cats and
dogs by harsh words and signs, refuse food to poor helpless people? Blessed indeed is the life of
such a noble person! People in Shirdi took Him in the beginning for a mad Fakir. He was known in
the village by this name. How could one, who lived on alms by begging a few crumbs of bread, be
revered and respected? But this Fakir was very liberal of heart and hand, disinterested and charitable.
Tough He looked fickle and restless from outside. He was firm and steady inside. His way was
inscrutable. Still even in that small village, there were a few kind and blessed people who recognized
and regarded Him as a Great Soul. One such instance is given below.

Bayajabai's Brilliant Service

Tatya Kote's mother, Bayajabai, used to go to the woods every noon with a basket on her head
containing bread and vegetables. She roamed in the jungles koos (about 3 miles) after koss,
trampling over bushes and shrubs in search of the mad Fakir, and after hunting Him out, fell at His
feet. The Fakir sat calm and motionless in meditation, while she placed a leaf before Him, spread the
eatables, bread, vegetables etc. thereon and fed Him forcibly. Wonderful was her faith and service.
Every day she roamed at noon in the jungles and forced Baba to the partake of lunch. Her service,
Upasana or Penance, by whatever name we call it, was never forgotten by Baba till his Maha
Samadhi. Remembering fully what service she rendered, Baba benefited her son magnificently. Both
the son and the mother had great faith in the Fakir, Who was their God. Baba often said to them that
"Fakir (Mendicacy) was the real Lordship as it was everlasting, and the so called Lordship (riches)
was transient". After some years, Baba left off going into the woods, began to live in the village and
take His food in the Masjid. From that time Bayajabai's troubles of roaming in the jungles ended.

Dormitory of Trio

Even blessed are the Saints in whose heart Lord Vasudeo dwells, and fortunate, indeed, are the
devotees who get the benefit of the company of such Saints. Two such fortunate fellows, Tatya Kote
Patil and Bhagat Mhalsapati, equally shared the company of Sai Baba. Baba also loved them both
equally. These three persons slept in the Masjid with their heads towards the east, west and north and
with their feet touching one another at the centre. Stretching their beds, they lay on them,
chitchatting and gossiping about many things, till late at midnight. If any one of them showed any
signs of sleep, others would wake him up. For instance, if Tatya began to snore, Baba at once got up
and shook him from side to side and pressed his head. If it was Mhalsapati, He hugged him close,
stroked his legs and kneaded his back. In this way for full 14 years, Tatya, leaving his parents at
home, slept in the Masjid on account of his love for Baba. How happy and never to be forgotten were
those days! How to measure that love and how to value the grace of Baba? After the passing away of
his father, Tatya took charge of the household affairs and began to sleep at home.

Khushalehand of Rahata

Baba loved Ganpat Kote Patil of Shirdi. He equally loved Chandrabhanshet Marwadi of Rahata.
After the demise of the Shet, Baba loved his nephew Khushalchand equally or even perhaps more,
and watched his welfare, day and night. Sometimes in a bullock cart, at other times in a tanga with
intimate friends, Baba went to Rahata. People of that village came out, with band and music, and
received Baba at the Ves or gate of the village and prostrated before Him. Then He was taken into the
village with great pomp and ceremony. Khushalchand took Baba to his house, seated Him on a
comfortable seat and gave Him a good lunch. Then they talked freely and merrily for some time,
after which Baba returned to Shirdi, giving delight and blessing to all.

Shirdi is midway between and equidistant from Rahata on one side (south) and Nimgaon on the other
(north). Baba never went beyond these places during His life time. He never saw any railway train
nor travelled by it. Still, He knew exactly the timing of arrival and departure of all trains. Devotees
who acted according to Baba's instructions (re : their departure)which were given by him at the time
of taking His leave fared well, while those who disregarded them suffered many a mishap and
accident. More about this and other matters will be told in the next Chapter.

Bow to Shri Sai-- Peace to be all

NOTE: An incident, given in the footnote at the end of this Chapter, showing Baba's love for
Khusalchand how He asked one afternoon Kakasaheb Dixit to go to Rahata and fetch Khushalchand
to Him, and at the same time appeared before Khushalchand in his noon-nap dream asking him to
come to Shirdi, is not given here as it is described in the body of the book (Sai-Charita) later on
(Chapter 30).