Purandhare’s Unshakeable Faith In Sai Baba

One day Purandhare brought Naivedya in a plate and water pot to Dwarkamai. Baba got angry at once and said, “You don’t allow me to sleep the whole night, you won’t let me rest, but remember, I am not going to leave you, now take this plate and get lost from here”. Unperturbed, Purandhare replied, “Baba, You haven’t eaten anything since morning. Please have this food, only then others, and I can eat”. Receiving such a bold answer, Baba got angrier and said, “You only eat from this plate and feed others too!”. Seeing Baba in such an angry mood, Purandhare ran away from there.

That night Purandhare suffered from a severe headache. He was restless the whole night, and sleep eluded him. The next morning, a devotee named Fakir Baba said to Baba, “Baba, ye Bhau to raat mein bahut roya tha. Uska sir bahut dukhta hai. Kuch daya karo. Bechara Bhau akhkha din raat marta hai, kuch dhoop nav dekhta, raat ku sota nay, kuch na kuch kaam kare, to usku yetna bimaar nay hona”. Baba replied, “Uku bahut ut aya hai. Mereku Chavadi mein nay baithne deta, Mereku Masjid mein nay baithne deta”. Fakir Baba said, “Baba! Apne Vaste wo raat-din marta hai, ab uku kuch dawa dede”. Baba exclaimed, “Allah Maalik Hai”

(Hindi Script: “बाबा, ये भाउ तो रात में बहुत रोया था| उसका सिर बहोत दुखता है, कुछ दया करो। बेचारा भाउ| अख्खा दिनरात मरता है, कुछ धुप नय देखता। रातकु सोता ने, दिन कु सोता ने, कुछ न कुछ काम करे, तो उसकू एतना बीमार नय होना”| बाबा ने उत्तर दिया, “उसकू बहुत उत आया है”| मेरेकू चावड़ी में ने बैठने देता, मेरेकू मस्जिद में ने बैठने देता|” फ़क़ीर बाबा बोले, “बाबा! अपने वास्ते वो रातदिन मरता है, अब उसकू कुछ दवा देदे”| बाबा ने उत्तर दिया, “अल्लाह मालिक है”|)

(Translation in English: Fakir Baba said to Baba, “Baba, this guy cried the whole night due to a headache. Please show some mercy towards him. Poor Bhau works really hard the entire day, ignoring the hot sun and can’t sleep at night. He doesn’t even nap during the day. He keeps working on some or other chores; he shouldn’t be suffering like this”.

Baba replied, “He has grown very arrogant nowadays. He doesn’t allow me to be at peace either in Chavadi or in Dwarkamai”.

Fakir Baba said, “Baba, he does all those chores for our sake. Kindly give him some medicine now”.

Baba, as usual, answered, “Allah Malik”.)

Note: No further progress on this incident is portrayed in Sai Sarovar, we can however assume that Baba with His Kind words and Udi must have cured Purandhare’s headache.

Once, Purandhare visited Shirdi during Guru Poornima when a thought occurred to him. “I haven’t seen a variety of flowers in Shirdi. If I take saplings of flowers with a good aroma from Bandra and plant them in Shirdi, devotees will offer various fragrant flowers to my Baba.” Carrying such a love for Baba, he bought various saplings that will yield aromatic flowers and packed them in a big bag. He managed to reach Kopargaon with the sapling bag; however, he did not get any conveyance from there, to Shirdi. So, keeping the bag on his head, he started walking. He was worried that the saplings will begin drying up if he doesn’t get conveyance soon. Just as the thought occurred, he saw a bullock cart after crossing the Godavari river.

On reaching Shirdi, he placed the saplings in RadhaKrishna Maai’s cottage and rushed to Dwarkamai to meet Baba. Baba asked, “Did you bring your family with you, or did you come alone? How long are you planning to stay Here?”

Purandhare gave a clear answer, “Baba, I will stay until You permit me”.

Baba said, “Ok, now give Me Dakshina”.

Baba commented, “This over smart fellow is up to something new now” while giving him Udi”.

Radhakrishna Maai advised Purandhare, “You have brought the saplings, but before doing anything, take the permission of your Mother (Aai – Sai Baba).”
Purandhare, adhering to RadhaKrishna Maai’s advice, went straight to Baba to seek His permission to plant the saplings. Baba immediately got angry and said, “Plant these saplings at your home, and when the flowers blossom, gift them to your wife. Why are you planning to increase My burden? You have already spoilt My Chavdi and Dwarkamai. It is enough. I will kick you and your family out from Here. The British are looting the country, and you are planning to build up a garden here, non-sense. You are behind Me all day and night. Have I taken anything from your father? You don’t even offer Me a piece of bread”. Baba continued abusing Purandhare in His typical way.

Purandhare gathered courage and replied, “Baba, I am not spoiling Your Chavadi and Dwarkamai. I have brought those saplings to plant. Kindly give me ou permission to plant them as they are drying up”. Baba angrily replied, “Throw away all the saplings!”

Purandhare, absolutely saddened with Baba’s behaviour, returned to RadhaKrishna Maai. After Baba calmed down at night, He asked False to call upon Purandhare. He went and told him that Baba had called him at that very moment. Purandhare answered, “I am not going to Baba at this late hour. He will be angry again”. Saying so he started sobbing.

When False conveyed the same to Baba, He said, “Drag him by holding on to his wrist if he’s not coming willingly”. Radhakrishna Maai convinced Purandhare, saying, “Baba worries for you day and night like a Mother, and a mother can’t be angry with her kid for long. Even if the saplings dry up, Baba will bless these saplings to blossom. So you go to Him now.”

As soon as Purandhare stepped into Dwarkamai, he started crying profusely. Seeing him, Baba said, “Bhau, why don’t you leave Me alone? Stop crying now and come to Me. I take care of you day and night. Now listen to Me, plant all the saplings wherever you want. I am here to revive the dried ones too! Take the mud below the banyan tree for planting your saplings and start the work now itself”. Listening to this, Purandhare again started crying tears of happiness. Baba smiled at him with love. Purandhare, along with RadhaKrishna Maai, happily planted all the saplings by bringing the mud from underneath the Banyan tree as Baba’s command.

In another incident, Purandhare was filling up the pits in the walls of Dwarkamai. It was lunchtime, and so other devotees started having the food in Dixit Wada, but Purandhare kept on working. Baba insisted that he go and have food, to which Purandhare replied, “I am not going to have food unless I finish this work”. This angered Baba. He jumped over Purandhare and grabbed his throat, saying, “Cunning fellow, get out from Here. You are troubling me too much. I will kill you today. You are determined to destroy My Dwarkamai”. Purandhare answered in a trembling voice, “Baba, I do not want to destroy Your Dwarkamai; I am repairing it instead”. The answer from Purandhare acted as ghee in the fire for Baba. He got angrier and said, “Stupid, You are here to compete with Me; you do not even care to have food”.

Overhearing this conversation, Fakir Baba convinced Purandhare to pause his work for a while. Seeing that, Baba as a loving Mother, called Purandhare near Him and said, “Why do you try to destroy things? Come to Me”. Still feigning anger, Baba held his wrist and dragged him towards His seat in Dwarkamai. He said, “Do whatever you want, but first have your food. Why do you trouble everyone unnecessarily?” Purandhare took all the scoldings from Baba as His father and enjoyed the meal in Baba’s company Validating Purandhare’s viewpoint for Baba, He said, “Bhau, these abuses, beatings are not given to all, only the one who deserves them, gets them”. To this, Purandhare replied, “Baba blessings are showered only after You regain senses out of Your Narsimha Avtar, and that is very sweet”.

Such was the faith of Purandhare in Sai Baba, unshakeable and unswerving. He had surrendered his everything to Baba. Fortunate is the soul who was able to serve Baba and experience His love through abuses and beatings.

Source: Translated from Gujarati Book “Sai Sarovar”

Suggested Reading:

Kakasaheb Dixit

Nanasaheb Chandorkar

Chhotubaai Moreshwar Pradhan

Shama (Madavrao Despande)

Hemadpant (Shri Govindrao R. Dabholkar)

Mhlasapati

Professor G. Narke

Dasganu Maharaj

Kashiram

Tatya Kote Patil

Upasani Maharaj

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