The Divine Life of Sai Baba

Dr Vinny Chitluri, pays tribute to Radhakrishna Mai, one of Sai Baba's most intimate devotee whom He referred to as his Mother. Vinny Ma tells us all about Radhakrishna Mai, her life, her devotion and seva to Baba by reading out a letter written by Rege, and information from other sources.

'Narhari Meets Baba' is the 74th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'They Meet Baba In The Dense Forest' is the 73rd story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'We Have Ties From Many Previous Births' is the 72nd story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'Baba Came and Promised Justice' is the 71st story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'When I Am Here, Why Fear' is the 70th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'The Miracle of the Ever Increasing Rice' is the 69th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'My Doctor Is The Father of Dhanwantari' is the 68th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'The Fakir Protected Him Whenever He Fell ILL' is the 67th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'Baba's Leela of The Green Mangoes' is the 66th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'Mahali Loved Baba Passionately' is the 65th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'Chandrabai Borkar Was Devoted to Baba' is the 64th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'Baba Goes to Bhivpuri' is the 63rd story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba.

'Baba’s unique way of showering his love' is the 62nd story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Baba played with children and that was quite natural, but surprisingly he played pranks with Tatya Kote Patil, a grown man. Baba and Tatya had deep Rinanubandhik ties, and intense, immeasurable love for each other. The Parabrahma who created the whole cosmos would dance for Tatya. In the afternoons, when nobody was around, Baba performed for Tatya just to hear him laugh. Tatya, on the other hand, would carry Baba around. Tatya would put his hand under Baba’s buttocks and lift Him. “Arre Kothya, I’ll fall. Be careful or you will sprain a muscle,” cautioned Baba. But, no such thing ever happened. Could the Lord who created this universe ever fall? Unfortunately, very little information is available on Tatya, but a few interesting facts are given here. His mother, Baija Bai Ganpat Kote, was the first devotee to feed Baba. Baba said that she was his sister in a previous incarnation. So He lovingly ate the food that she brought. Tatya, from a young age, saw his mother take care of Baba’s meagre needs. Tatya was much younger than Baba. He considered Baba as his loving uncle and called him Mama. Tatya became very close to Baba around the age of 5 or 6 years. It seemed as if Baba could not, or rather would not, do many things without Tatya. It was Tatya who went to the Chavadi to bring Him back to the Dwarka Mai on alternate days. Baba would wait for him no matter how late he got. Tatya would place his hand in Baba’s armpit and raise Him to a standing position. Then he would say, “Mama, let’s go to the Dwarka Mai.” Only then would Baba go. Nor would Baba go for the Chavadi procession until Tatya came and took Him there. Tatya had the honour of lighting Baba’s Chillum and he had the first puff. Only then would Baba take a puff, and between the two of them, they would finish smoking the Chillum. He was the only devotee who could pacify Baba when he flew into a rage. Many times, Tatya would get upset with Baba and he would go away and sulk in the Chavadi. Baba could not bear the thought of his beloved Tatya staying away from Him. After a while, He would send some devotee to go and fetch him. Tatya would then sulk some more and tell the devotee to leave him alone. Repeatedly, Baba would send for him, then Tatya would come and both of them would be happy. Oftentimes, both of them would sulk like little children, then Dixit would pacify both of them. Baba was fond of wrestling, and Tatya often invited wrestlers to Shirdi. Then matches were set, and Baba gave the winners handsome amounts of money. Tatya also invited jugglers and organised shows and the whole of Shirdi would be entertained. Kirtans, Hari Katha and devotional songs, or Bhajans, would be organised by him. Another noteworthy deed that Tatya did was to repair the old heritage temples of Shirdi. Liberally, he spent his own money and repaired the Ganapati, Shani, and Mahadev temples. He was instrumental in constructing the temple of Maruti, who is the presiding deity of the village. Unfortunately, these heritage temples have been destroyed, and new temples stand in their place. This would have saddened his tender heart. At the end of 2009, the Maruti Mandir was torn down and a new temple now stands in its place. Tatya owned vast acres of land and was a farmer by profession. He was just and honest in his dealings. The villagers respected him and brought their problems and disputes to him, and abided by his decision. Thus, the title of Patil suited him amply. The decision to place Baba’s body in Butti Wada was carried out only after he was consulted. Although he was very sick at that time, Ramchandra Dada Patil waited for Tatya to approve of the decision. Although Tatya had three wives, he did not have any progeny. One day, Baba sent for Rambha, Tatya’s eldest wife. He sat her down near Dhuni Mai, and filled her Oti. This he did with the most unusual things. He placed two bricks and some Udi in it, and blessed her. Then, a son was born to her, who was named Bajirao. The family believed that Baija Mai had reincarnated as this child. Thus, Baba kept his promise to Baija Mai to give Tatya Santhithi. Baba, however, also gave him Sampathi, which he used very wisely. Once, in the month of Pitru Paksh, a feast was given in honour of their ancestors. Baija Mai was extremely busy looking after the Brahmins and the numerous guests that she had invited. Thus, she forgot to send a platter of food to Baba. When she realised her mistake, it was about 4 p.m. Nonetheless, she prepared a platter with unleavened bread and cooked vegetable dishes, and asked a little girl to deliver it to Baba. Upon seeing the platter, Baba told the girl to take it back as He wanted to eat Kadhi that day. He said, “Th...

'Shyam Karna - Baba’s Horse' is the 61st story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Qasim, a horse merchant, was distraught because his mare was barren. He promised Baba that if his mare had a foal, he would offer the firstborn to him. By Baba's grace, the mare did have a series of foals. So he came and presented the firstborn to Baba. Baba called him Shyam Karna as this horse was brown in colour with black ears, and hence its name. Many devotees call this horse Shyam Sunder. However, Baba called him Shyam Karna because of the colour of his ears. The Samadhi of Shyam Karna I have often wondered why a Fakir would want to keep a horse. The word ‘Ashwa’ has many meanings. ‘Ashwa’ means the great eater. So one can possibly say that the horse represents the destruction, or eating away, of our karmas. ‘Ashwa’ also means infinite knowledge. This knowledge could help in dispelling the love for the transient, materialistic things, thus ending the lure of temporary and worldly things and helping one on the journey from the Unreal to the Real. Lord Indra represents ego. He rides a horse. The Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad, chapter 1, ovi 5 describes the symbology of the horse as follows. As it is too long, I will give a few points. The head of the sacrificial horse is dawn; the eyes the sun; its open mouth the fire called Vaisvanara; and the body is the year. Its back is heaven; the belly is the sky; its hoof the earth; its sides the four quarters or time of day; its ribs the intermediate quarter; its genitalia the season; the joints the months and the fortnight; its yawning the lightning; its shaking of the body the thunder; its making water (urinating) the rain, and its name the voice. The word ‘Shyam’ literally means flawless, pleasing black, but the word in Hindu mythology could mean pure and holy. It has been prefixed by other words to convey different meanings. For example, Shyam Sunder is used to refer to Shri Lord Krishna and Shyam Kanta to Lord Shiva. Shyam was the name of the horse of the Ashwa of the Ashwamedha. The Rinanubandh between Shyam Karna and Baba was deep. At every Aarti, he danced with joy, and after the Aarti, he was the first to bow to Baba. Baba then applied Udi to his forehead, and then gave the rest of the Bhaktas Udi. The horse symbolises the whole cosmos, and it bowed before Baba and danced with joy when Baba was being worshipped. Little wonder that his Samadhi is in Lendi Bagh. The horse was housed in a room situated on the eastern side of the Dwarka Mai, which is now called Shyam Sunder Hall. The trainer, Khasgiwala, saw to it that the horse was well looked after, and decked with the trappings that are now exhibited in the museum. Shyam Karna was taught to stand in front of Baba, climb the steps of the Dwarka Mai, and do Namaskaar to Baba, and later to Baba’s Samadhi. At about one o'clock, the noon Aarti was performed with grandeur. At that time, Shyam Karna was bedecked with the Mala, anklets, and tiny bells and looked quite regal and royal. He stood in the centre of the Sabha Mandap, where the marble tortoises are, and waited patiently for the Aarti to start. The devotees stood on either side of him, and when the Aarti started, he danced merrily, keeping beat with the tiny bells tied to his feet. After Baba’s Lalkari, he climbed the central steps of the Dwarka Mai and bowed to Baba. Then Baba applied Udi to his forehead and blessed him. After this, the other devotees received Udi and Prasad. After Baba’s Mahasamadhi, he attended the Aartis in the Samadhi Mandir and bowed to Baba’s Samadhi. On Vijayadashami, he was bedecked with all the trappings and was taken out in procession. Before the processions, the devotee would take a rupee coin and wave it around his head. This was done to dispel the effects of the evil eye. On Chavadi procession days, he led the procession, dancing all the way to the Chavadi. After this, when Baba entered the Chavadi, he stood facing Baba. Shyam Karna died in 1945. His Samadhi is in Lendi Bagh. The above information was taken from the annals of the Khasgiwales. Krishna Kashinath Khasgiwale, alias Nana Saheb Krishnaji, that is Nana Saheb, was born in Karala in Ratnagiri district. He was a Brahmin of the Limaye caste. His ancestors migrated from the coast of Maharashtra. His forefathers were brave men and well-built. Jwaji Pant, alias Anna Khasgiwala, en route to the mainland, carried with him only two sets of clothes and food. On the way, he was blessed with a vision of Jyotiba (a deity). The blessing of Jyotiba enabled him to procure a job as Khasgiwale (Manager) in the Peshwa dynasty. Hence, the title of Khasgiwala was conferred on him. With the title came affluence and power and his family lived well. Nana Saheb was born in the Khasgiwale family at the time wh...

Sai Baba's Divine Leelas is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. The Persistence of Gangubai is the first story in the series. In this incident, a devotee named Gangubai had a deep wish to have children; she had tried everything but failed to conceive. In Sholapur, she attended Das Ganu's Kirtan in which he spoke of Baba's divinity, she then felt an urge to have Baba's Darshan, went to Shirdi and received Baba's blessings, and later gave birth to two children. Transcript In chapter 36 of the Shri Sai Satcharita the wonderful leela of Gangubai and Sakharam Aurangabadkar is given. Although Gangubai had been married for 27 years, she was unable to conceive and bear children. Having heard of Baba’s divinity and compassionate leelas, she came to Shirdi along with her step-son Vishvanath, to seek Baba’s blessing. Gangubai sought Shama’s help, and through his intercession offered a coconut to Baba. Then Baba said, “Do coconuts produce children? How do you cultivate such superstitions?” However, Shama was adamant that Baba bless her with a child. After a great deal of persuasion, Baba finally blessed her saying, “She will get a child, after twelve months.” And so it came to pass. A short biography of Sakharam Tatyaji Aurangabadkar and his wife Gangubai is narrated by their grandson Dattatreya Vasudev Aurangabadkar. The Aurangabadkar’s ancestral home was in Sholapur, and they were “goldsmiths” by profession. Sakharam owned a jewellery shop in Mangalwar Peth, and he was famous for crafting “ready made” jewellery. During that time, clients were unable to purchase exquisite jewellery. Hence they would come to Sakharam and explain to him the pattern and type of jewellery they desired to have made. Sakharam with his expertise, ingenuity and dexterity would create beautiful jewellery for them. He was respected for his righteousness and honesty. At that time there were no financial banks; so Sakharam also had a pawn-brokerage business. Thus his family was very affluent. In Sholapur he was fondly known as “Sakyha Hari”, that is, Hari or the Lord who is my friend. Dattatreya recalls: “My grandfather had a noble personality. He was tall and well built. He wore ‘pheta’ (turban) and a coat on top of his dhotar (dhoti) and walked in a majestic manner. Sakharam was a pious person. At a young age he could recite the Vishnusahasranaam and every evening upon returning home he would sit on the swing and recite it with devotion. At that time, it was a common practice for a man to remarry if his wife did not bear any children. Thus, Sakharam remarried and a son was born; and he was named Vishvanath.Gangubai was affluent, wore a lot of jewellery, and was well dressed. Nonetheless, she was extremely saddened by the fact that she was unable to conceive and everyone called her ‘Vanjoti’, a derogatory name for a barren woman. Society was very unkind to infertile women, and treated them as a curse to society. Consequently she was hurt and distraught, and was unable to enjoy her affluence. So she sought refuge in God. There was a temple of Lord Ram in front of her home, and Gangubai spent most of her time praying in that temple. She observed numerous vows, like performing Rudra Abhishek to Lord Shiva during the holy month of Shravan. Gangubai would chant the thousand names of Lord Shiva while offering a thousand ‘bilvapatra’(Aegle Marmelos) on his Shiva Linga. At the end of that holy month she had a huge feast where everyone could come and dine. On every Purnima (full moon) she had a Satya Narayana Puja performed in her home. Aurangabadkar’s family deity was Renuka Devi, so Gangubai would climb to the top of Mahurgad at midnight. In the darkness of the night she would pick up the first stone that touched her hand and bring it home. She would apply ochre colour on it, and eyes, ears and a nose made of gold were fixed on it. Then the stone would be adorned with jewellery and worshipped as a Goddess. All these rituals are still conducted at their home even to this day. Even after observing all these rituals, fasts, and vows, Gangubai was unable to conceive. As the Gods did not seem to come to Gangubai’s aid she sought refuge in saints. Gangubai started visiting Humanabad, and did seva in Manik Prabhu’s Sansthan. One day while she was sweeping the floor, she found two pearls. Gangubai immediately returned them to Manik Prabhu. However, Manik Prabhu did not accept them and asked her to keep them. Gangubai took them as a good omen, and returned to Sholapur. As Akkalkot is quite near Sholapur, Gangubai started visiting Swami Samartha. There also she performed a lot of seva. Seva done with devotion never goes in vain. On one occasion, Das Ganu performed a kirtan in Sholapur, and she and her family attended it. This had a tremendous effect on her, and as Das Ganu spoke of Baba’s divinity, his compassion for t...

Baba Performs Bani's Last Rites is the second story in the series. Bani was an ardent devotee of Baba. When she took ill, she was taken to a peaceful village for rest and recuperation, but sadly didn't survive. Her family was unsure of how to organise the funeral late at night, but unbeknownst to them, Baba appeared and provided all the help, support, and guidance they needed, He even lit Bani's funeral pyre, the Fire of Salvation.

'The Life of Dev Baba' is the third story in the series. Vinny Ma first recounts the story of Dev Baba’s birth. His father, Rajaram Walavalkar, married Dabholkar’s daughter Sitabai. When Sitabai experienced problems during her pregnancy, Dabholkar went to Shirdi and told Baba about it, who gave him assurance that it would be a trouble-free delivery. Rajaram prayed for a child with Dnyaneshwar-like qualities. The baby was born with a halo of light around his head, and was rejected by his mother who refused to touch or nurse the child. Concerned, Dabholkar took the child to Baba and placed it in Baba’s lap, the child started sucking from Baba’s thumb and this is how he was blessed with Baba’s grace. He was drawn to meditation from an early age. Later in life, Dev Baba quit his job when he realised he had been blessed by Baba with Siddhis, and he decided to spend his life progressing on the spiritual path. Transcript Rajaram Kaka (Dev Baba’s Father) hailed from Walaval, Sindhudurga District. Hence, they were called the "Walavalkars". The family was very devout and religious. He married Krishnabai alias Sita, who was Dabholkar’s daughter, in 1916. The couple moved to Girgaum, Mumbai, where Rajaram worked in the Accountant General’s office. He was devoted to Vitthal and followed the Warkari Sampradaya, a sect of people who walked to Pandharpur. Dev Baba was the eldest of four brothers and one sister. As Girgaum was rather a remote suburb, Rajaram and his family moved to Dadar. At Dadar, his wife got pregnant and as it was the first pregnancy, Sitabai came to her parents’ home in Bandra. Sitabai was ill during the pregnancy and had a lot of problems. Dabholkar was very concerned. So, he ran to Shirdi and told Baba about it. Baba reassured him and said: "Balantpan nirvigna hoyeel (The delivery shall be trouble-free)!” He also stated that a son would be born to her. Assured by Baba’s words, Dabholkar returned home and prayed to Baba for help. Rajaram also earnestly prayed to Vitthal begging Him to give him a ‘Dnyaneshwar like’ son. The time of delivery arrived and Dabholkar was anxiously waiting outside. The baby was born on 13th April 1918. When he finally went to see his daughter, he was very surprised by what he saw. The mother had thrown the child in a corner, and would not touch or cuddle him. The child, however, lay content in the corner. But what surprised him most was the halo of light around his head. The child also had an aura of light around him. As the mother was afraid to hold the child, she refused to nurse him. Dabholkar, however, picked up the child and brought him to Shirdi. He went straight to Dwarka Mai and laid him at Baba’s feet. Being rather anxious and distraught at his daughter’s behaviour, he told Baba all that had happened in great detail. Meanwhile, Baba picked up the baby, and laying him in His lap, patted him gently. Then, He nursed him by placing His thumb in the child’s mouth. The baby sucked and out came milk! Dev Baba had Baba’s grace around him at all times. His primary education was in Marathi medium. Then he went to Wilson English Medium School. However, Dev Baba rarely attended school. He spent most of his time meditating at the Swami Samarth Math nearby. After his studies, he joined the Kurla Municipal Kreed Kendra as a teacher in physical education. He was extremely fond of his students and was fair to each and everyone. However, the students were from two castes and one caste felt that Dev Baba was ‘rather fond and sympathetic to the other caste’. They went and complained to the other teachers. One of the teachers decided to give him a good thrashing. Meanwhile, some of the teachers informed Dev Baba of the plan. Casually, he said, “Oh, but he will not come to school tomorrow.” And so, it came to pass that the teacher went to swim that evening, drowned and died. When this happened, Dev Baba realized that Baba had bestowed him with Siddhis. He decided not to work for anybody, but to utilize his services for God. He made various pilgrimages and stayed in the Himalayas, learnt Hatha Yog and progressed spiritually. In 1945, Dev Baba’s mother was seriously ill and he knew that she would soon pass away. He visited her and gave her a mantra to recite. Then he came to Shirdi and sat in the Samadhi Mandir and did parayan of the Sri Sai Satcharita. While he was mid-way, he received a telegram, saying that his mother had taken a turn for the worse. He asked Baba whether he should go and visit her. Baba said, “Yes”. Now, he was in a quandary as to how he would go that far in such a short time. He was pondering as to why Baba had granted him permission when the time was so short and the journey so long. And lo! Baba stood before him and reassured him. Baba had brought a horse and asked him to accompany him in the sookshma (invisible) form. They both reached Dadar, and he met his mother and gently reassured her of a peaceful death and that Baba was th...

‘How Baba Blessed Bhikaji' is the fourth story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates a very special blessing bestowed by Sai Baba upon His devotee Bhikaji. Bhikaji's wife was pregnant, and Baba said these amazing words to him: “Arre Anna, I will come to stay in your home, as your son. Remember this, Anna, you should name me Shri Pada.” It so happened that a son was born to the couple and they named him Shri Pada. Thus Baba came to their home in the Form of their son and sanctified it. Vinny Ma also tells us about the coincidence of the day and time of the boy's birth and passing away, and about the Fakir who was seen present outside Bhikaji's home on both occasions. Transcript The magnitude of Baba’s grace on Bhikaji Hari Risbood can be gauged from Baba’s words: “Arre Anna, I will come to stay in your home.” This interesting Leela is narrated by Bhikaji’s grandson, Anil Narayan Risbood who resides in Girgaum, Mumbai. He narrates: “My grandfather was a Vaid (Indian Shaman) and resided in Pen (District Raigad). As his financial condition was precarious, he often went to Mumbai to treat patients. He would usually go once a month and stay there for a week. On one of his visits to Mumbai, he heard about Baba’s divinity, so in 1916 he decided to visit Shirdi, meet Baba and disclose his poverty stricken plight. Upon reaching Shirdi, he went to the Dwarka Mai to meet Baba, but at that time Baba was in a towering rage. Bhikaji decided that he would prostrate before Baba later, when he had calmed down. So he returned to the dharamshala (pilgrim’s inn), had a meal and went to sleep. A short while later he had a dream in which Baba said, “Have you come here to sleep? Or have come here to meet me?” Bhikaji answered, “Deva! When I came to meet you, you were in a rage and I got frightened, so I left.” Baba replied, “Did I call out your name or say anything to you?” At that moment, Bhikaji woke up and immediately went to meet Baba, and prostrated before him. A few moments later, Baba spoke these amazing words: “Arre Anna, I will come to stay in your home, as your son. Remember this Anna, you should name me Shri Pada.” At that time, Bhikaji’s wife was about 6 months pregnant. Satisfied, he returned home the next day. Bhikaji’s wife indeed delivered a baby boy on a Thursday around 7 a.m. When his wife was delivering the baby, Bhikaji was standing at the entrance of his home. Just then, a fakir passed by on the street. The fakir was attentively looking at his home, but Bhikaji didn’t pay much attention to him. As Baba had predicted, a son was born, who was named Shri Pada. The child, however, had a unique birthmark on his neck. It looked like a necklace with three strands; and in the centre, like a pendant, there was a mark shaped like a Tulsi leaf. Shri Pada grew up to be a charming lad. When he was about 5 years old, his parents decided to perform his thread ceremony. That night, Baba appeared in Bhikaji’s dream and repeatedly said, “Now I am leaving, and I don’t want anything from you.” Bhikaji replied, “Did I come to invite you to my home? Then how does the question of your coming or going arise?” Probably, Baba didn’t approve of the idea of performing the thread ceremony as he is an avatar of Lord Dattatreya. The topic of performing Shri Pada’s thread ceremony rose again when he was 8 years old, and his father decided to perform it sometime later. One day, Shri Pada went into the forest, where a thorn pierced his foot and he developed tetanus. The doctors treated him, but without much improvement. That Thursday very early in the morning, Bhikaji had a vivid dream wherein Baba said, “I came and am now leaving. I cannot stay any longer. Allah will bless you.” Bhikaji jumped out of bed and went and stood at the entrance of his home. At that moment a fakir passed by, gazing intently at his home. He suddenly remembered that when Shri Pada was born, this same fakir had walked by his home. Bhikaji ran to where Shri Pada was sleeping, but alas, he had passed away. The incomprehensible coincidence was that Shri Pada came into this world, and subsequently left it on a Thursday, at 7 a.m. At the time of his birth and passing away, the same fakir walked by their home looking at the house with intense concentration. That fakir was never seen again by anymore, anywhere by anybody. Anil Narayan Risbood says, “Baba came to our home in the form of Shri Pada, and sanctified our home. And ever since, he has been showering His grace and mercy on us.” This Leela was taken from the Shri Sai Leela Magazine, Volume 59, No. 9, December 1989.

‘The Concept of Baba's Rinanubandh' is the 5th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma relates the story of a young teenaged girl who, following the death of her parents, single-handedly looked after her four siblings and ensured they had a proper education. When she fell ill and summoned them to come and look after her, they offered excuses and none turned up when she needed help. Disappointed and dejected, she sobbed inconsolably. Vinny Ma goes on to tell us how Baba came to her house and lovingly patted and consoled her, and gave her Udi mixed in water to drink to bring down her fever. Baba then explained to her that in previous births, her siblings had looked after her, and now it was her turn to do the same in this lifetime to settle Karmic accounts. After assuring her that He would always be there for her, and telling her that she would soon meet her future husband who He had chosen for her, He left. Transcript Often we think, “I have done so much for my kith and kin, and today when I need them the most, they give flimsy excuses and they are not there for me.” This is a wonderful Leela about karmic cycles, and Rinanubandh in this life. For 15 days, Kaumudhi had been running a high temperature, and the fever had taken its toll on her. She felt extremely weak and was unable to get out of bed. It was around 10 a.m. in the morning and Kaumudhi was waiting for her younger brother, Chandu, who was a doctor, to arrive. She was the eldest among her siblings, and had two younger brothers and two younger sisters. Kaumudhi lay curled up on her bed and her entire life of self sacrifices unfolded like a movie in front of her eyes. She was only 15 years old when her mother passed away, and just 2 months later her father also died. The responsibility of taking care of her siblings fell on her young shoulders. When she was 19, she took up the job of a school teacher and also went to college to get her Master’s degree. Then she returned home and did all the chores of the house and finally went to bed around 11 p.m. Thus, with her meagre pay as a teacher, Kaumudhi managed to put food on the table and educate her siblings, though this was not an easy task. Both her sisters, Sushma and Pratima, were well educated, married and well settled. Chandu, her brother, had graduated from medical college and was now working in a famous hospital in Mumbai. Nandu, her other brother, had become an engineer and was also working in a multinational company in Mumbai. When she had written to all her siblings and informed them about her illness, she had expected all of them to come running to her aid. However, just the opposite happened. Each of them wrote to Kaumudhi how much they regretted their inability to come and be with her at this time. Now only Chandu was left. “He is a doctor who cares for people; surely he will come to take care of his sister,” thought Kaumudhi. Finally she received a letter from Chandu. Even before opening it, she instinctively knew that he wouldn’t come. Nonetheless, she opened the letter and read it. He had written that a friend of his was to have a major operation; hence it was not possible for him to come. He asked Kaumudhi to forgive him. However, he suggested that she should hire a maid who could look after her, and he would send Kaumudhi the money so she could pay the maid her wages. Chandu’s letter was the last straw. The floodgate of tears opened, and she sobbed inconsolably. She thought, “Will a hired maid tend to my needs like my own brother and sister? If I had to get a maid would I have written to all of you about my illnesses? Today I have learned that you have to stand all by yourself as no one will stand beside you in the time of need. Like a mother I looked after all of you, fulfilled your desires, and never allowed you to do a single chore. Although I had the intelligence and good qualities, I did not get married, for your sake, and this is what I got in return. Today I have learned that kith and kin are mere names and no one really cares.” Kaumudhi then sobbed her heart out, and threw herself on her bed. At that very moment there was a knock on her door. Kaumudhi dejectedly thought, “Now who has come to trouble me?” Somehow she managed to open the door. An old gentleman in a torn white kafni, but with a blissful expression on his face stood in front of her. Unwittingly she said, “Please come,” and she moved aside to let him in. The old man entered, and closed the door behind him. Gently holding Kaumudhi’s hand, he led her to her bed. His soft touch had a life-changing effect on her. She didn’t feel like taking her hand away from his. With compassion and love he patted her hand, and spoke to her softly. “Child, I am very hungry, your Shantabai has prepared soft fluffy rice. Bring me a plate of rice along with some lemon pickle.” Kaumudhi wondered, “How does he know that the rice was cooked by my maid, Shantabai?” Nevertheless, she brought a plate full of ...

‘Baba gives Raju His meal to eat' is the 6th story in the series. In this incredible story, a young man named Raju who worked in the Sansthan and accidentally got locked up at night in the Samadhi Mandir. He was hungry and scared, as he knew the officials in charge of the Temple would question him. In this incredible Leela, Baba appeared to him and asked him to eat the Prasad that had been offered to Him. The next morning, the officials caught Raju and were going to discharge him of his duties. Baba came to Raju's rescue, He appeared to one of the officials and told him that Raju was an honest lad and that his position should be made permanent. Transcript Some years ago, a young lad named Raju worked in the maintenance department of the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi. His job was to sweep the Samadhi Mandir and keep it clean. Once it was very crowded and he had to sweep it almost continuously. Thus, he forgot to have his lunch. Just before his duty was over, he was extremely tired so he went upstairs and lay down to rest a moment and fell fast asleep. He slept soundly through the Sej Arati and he was locked inside the Samadhi Mandir. Startled, he woke up around midnight and looked around. Then he realized what had happened. His stomach was growling with hunger, and from the balcony he looked down and could see that the mosquito net was put up. He came down and stood before Baba’s idol and earnestly prayed. With tears in his eyes, he told Baba what had happened and begged for forgiveness. Suddenly, he saw some movement inside the mosquito net and was astonished to see Baba. Baba lifted the net and said in a calm voice, “You are very hungry, aren’t you? Come on up. See they have kept a platter of Shira Puri for me. Sit and eat it calmly. I assure you that nothing will happen to you” and Baba disappeared. Raju had a hearty meal and got down and sat next to the Samadhi in extreme bliss. The next morning, when the Samadhi Mandir was opened for the Kakad Arati, Raju was reprimanded for staying overnight in the temple. He was reported to the officials and severe action was to be taken against him for breaking the rules. He was accused of intent to steal, and was threatened with the loss of his job. Raju pleaded with them and told them what had happened, but no one believed him. Finally, he was reported in writing to the head office in Mumbai, and further action was to be taken on their recommendation. That night, the officer dreamt of Baba, who said, “Do not terminate Raju. I gave him my offering of Shira Puri to eat. It is not his fault. He’s an honest lad. I want you to notify the Sansthan and make his job permanent from this very moment” and Baba disappeared. The officer immediately got up and wrote a letter to the officials at Shirdi to that effect. He also told them that he would be coming to Shirdi to meet Raju. The Sansthan Committee was astonished at the turn of events. The next day, the officer reached Shirdi and after bowing to the Samadhi he went to meet Raju. Raju was engrossed in sweeping at that time, the officer went straight to him and prostrated before him. He said, “You are indeed fortunate that Baba himself came and fed you his offerings of Shira Puri”. Then he related his dream to the astounded Sansthan officials. This Leela was written in Shri Sai Sagar Magazine, 2001, Deepavali issue

‘Baba removes Ramchandra's Doubt' is the 7th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma tells us about Baba's devotee Ramchandra, who started to doubt Baba's divinity because a wall collapsed and 22 people were crushed to death. ""If Baba is God, why didn't He save the people?" he kept asking himself and other devotees. Vinny Ma goes on to tell us how Ramchandra went to Shirdi, how he witnessed the Thursday Palkhi procession, how Baba came to him in a dream and clarified his doubts regarding those 22 deaths, and how death is unavoidable when the hour has come, how Baba told him that these people got salvation and freedom, and finally, how Baba accepted his offering of a packet of Bidis. Transcript In 1962, a tragedy occurred in Shirdi. A wall collapsed and 22 people lost their lives. The newspapers had described the tragedy very vividly and had given their opinion about it. Ramchandra Govind Koyande, a resident of Mumbai, had read this news with disbelief. The news had negatively affected him, and swayed his opinion about Baba’s divinity and humanity. Ramchandra had only one question and that was: “If Baba was God, then why didn’t he save these people?” Like a man possessed, he repeatedly asked every devotee whom he met the same question. However, nobody’s answer could satisfy him. In 1965, Ramchandra went to Nasik to be trained as an Assistant Police Inspector. At that time, some of his colleagues requested him to accompany them to Shirdi. However, he refused, as he could not accept Baba as God because he still felt upset that Baba hadn’t saved the 22 people from death. In 1972, Ramchandra’s wife had booked a pilgrimage tour through a travel agency. The tour would take them to Alandi, Dehu Road, Nasik, Triambakeshwar, Mukti Dham and Shirdi. The tour was for two days, so Ramchandra and his wife, their three children, his father and mother-in-law all set out on the tour. From Nasik they arrived at Shirdi in the afternoon, and since that day was a Thursday, they had the opportunity to witness the ‘Palkhi procession’. Ramchandra was immensely affected by the spiritual energy during the procession and before he could realise it, he was totally submerged in it. Early next morning, they left for Pune to visit Alandi and Dehu Road, and soon they were back in Mumbai. The next Thursday at around 5 a.m., Ramchandra had an interesting dream. He had a picture of Baba hanging on the wall in front of him. From that picture, Baba put out his right arm and stretched it far away to the opposite wall where his shirt was hung. Then he reached into the top pocket of his shirt and took out a ‘bidi’ and started smoking it. Ramchandra’s mouth flew open in astonishment. He had never smoked a cigarette or a bidi in his life, so how could there be a bidi in his pocket? Then the following conversation took place between them, in which Ramchandra is being referred to as “He” and Baba as “Baba”: Baba: “You had a question and that is ‘Why did those 22 people die in Shirdi’ and why didn’t I save them?” He: “I still have the same question. I have asked this question to innumerable devotees of yours but no one has given me a satisfactory answer.” Baba: “Child, a coin has two sides to it; however, you are looking at only one side of the coin.” He: “Baba I cannot understand what you are saying.” Baba: “Every person who takes birth is definitely going to die. Right?” He: “Yes.” Baba : “So when his time comes, he is surely going to die no matter where he is, be it in his home or anywhere else, because death is unavoidable and inevitable?” He: “Yes.” Baba: “These 22 people were destined to die at the same time. They would have died exactly at that time whether they were inside their homes or elsewhere. Do you agree to this?” He: “Yes.” Baba: “Then why are you not looking at the reverse side of the coin?” He: “Baba, I still haven’t understood the meaning of the “reverse side of the coin.” Baba: “Child, whoever is destined to die at a certain time will die exactly at that time, regardless of whether he is at home or on the road. If they come to Shirdi and die at my feet, that means that they will become free from the bondage of Karma, attain salvation and go to heaven. Can you accept this?” At that moment, Ramchandra awoke. Now he fully understood what Baba meant by saying, look at the reverse side of the coin. But he was filled with wonder at how Baba took out a bidi from the pocket of his shirt. Ramchandra had never smoked a bidi. Baba’s picture was on one wall and his shirt was on the opposite wall. Now how was it possible for Baba to do this? He decided that he would go to Shirdi the next Thursday and ask Baba about this. The next Thursday, he and his family reached Shirdi just prior to Dhup Arati. Ramchandra had bought a bundle of bidis. Way back then there was a ‘showroom’ where the articles used by Baba were displayed on the right side of the hall in the Samadhi Mandir...

'Bade Miya Visits Baba'' is the 8th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma tells us the story of Bade Miya who had heard of Baba's philanthropy and went to Shirdi to meet Him. He was a worried man, having no money to arrange his daughter's wedding. Vinny Ma relates the Leela that unfolded when Bade Miya sat down before Baba in the Dwarkamai. The village Patil came to Baba and expressed his own worries about not having money to arrange his daughter's wedding. When Baba told the Patil not to worry, and that He would give him the amount of Rs 3000, Bade Miya wondered how this could be possible. He soon realised that everything is possible when one trusts God and casts one's burdens and worries on the Almighty. Transcript In 1942, Shantaram D. Thetthe met a Muslim devotee named Bade Miya who had met Baba in 1917. Shantaram asked him about his experience, and most importantly wanted Bade Miya to tell him about Baba’s divinity. Bade Miya said, “Baba was a great Auliya (Muslim saint). He was like a huge ocean. How can a householder like me tell you the depth of that ocean? I was concerned about the marriage of my daughter as I didn’t have any money. I had heard about Baba’s greatness and philanthropy so came to Shirdi from a small village in Marathwada. I went to the Dwarka Mai and Baba was seated on the platform with a few devotees around him. I prostrated before him and quietly sat in front of him. Just then a Patil from the village came and placed three rupees in front of Baba and sat down. Baba looked at him and asked him, “Is everything fine with you and your family?” He replied, “My daughter is going to get married soon and I don’t have money for it. I am up to my neck in debt. And if I borrow money for the wedding, I won’t be able to repay it. On the other hand if I don’t celebrate the wedding on a grand scale, I will be the laughing stock of the village. I desperately need three thousand rupees.” To this Baba replied, “Why do you worry so much? God will do your work for you. Just cast your burdens and worries on the Almighty. Then sit quietly without worrying and see what His wish is? If He wishes, He will fulfill your desire and if not, your work will not be done. Either way you should be content the way he keeps you.” The Patil then said, “Baba, what you say is true, but I am living in this materialistic world as a householder and I’m the Patil of this village. How can I accept what you say?” Baba said, “Why do you worry needlessly? I will give you that amount. Then you can quit worrying.” Bade Miya heard the entire conversation and he wondered how Baba was going to arrange to give Patil the huge sum of money. He looked at Baba who was wearing a torn Kafni and a dirty white cloth tied around his head. There was no box or cupboard in which he could have kept such a large amount. What could this fakir possibly give this Patil? Doubtfully, Bade Miya looked at Baba, wondering what he would do next. At that very moment, Baba put his hand into the pocket of his torn Kafni and took out a bundle of rupee notes and handed them to the Patil. And He said, “Count them here right now.” The Patil did just that and there were exactly three thousand rupees. Then Baba said, “Now go and make arrangements for your daughter’s wedding.” Bade Miya watched all this in wonder and amazement. Then he prostrated before Baba and returned home. This Leela was written in Shri Sai Sagar Magazine, 2009, Deepavali issue.

'Bade Miya's Daughter Gets Married' is the 9th story in the series. In the previous clip, Vinny Ma had spoken about Bade Miya visiting Baba and how Baba gave a sum of Rs 3000 to the Patil for his daughter's wedding expenses. Expect the same largesse, Bade Miya approached Baba with the hope of receiving Rs 1000, but he was greatly disappointed when Baba gave him only 68 paise. In this clip, Vinny Ma tells us how Baba reassured Bade Miya that He would arrange for the money, and eventually Bade Miya did not have to beg or borrow from anyone. Transcript Bade Miya could not sleep a wink that night. His mind kept playing the scene over and over again that took place in the Dwarka Mai. His daughter too was of a marriageable age, and would soon get married. He needed about thousand rupees to celebrate the wedding. He was a poor man and he wondered if Baba would help him, as he did the Patil. He decided to go to Shirdi the very next day. Early in the morning he went to the Dwarka Mai and prostrated before Baba, and placed a rupee at his feet. He told Baba that he wanted to get his daughter married and needed a thousand rupees to cover the expenses. Then Baba said, “Is that right?” Then He put his hand into his pocket and took out a fistful of coins, and asked Bade Miya to receive them in the fold of his dhoti, while he heard them fall. Then Baba said, “Now go home and count them.” As soon as Bade Miya reached home, he put the coins on the floor. There were sixty-eight copper paisa coins. At first, he thought that it was a joke. Immediately, Bade Miya returned to Shirdi and went to the Dwarka Mai, and confronted Baba, saying, “That Patil was a rich man so he gave you three rupees, and in return you gave him three thousand rupees. But I am a poor man who came all the way from Marathwada, and I needed only a thousand rupees for my daughter’s wedding, but I got only sixty-eight paisa after giving you one rupee. You made fun of my poverty.” Baba laughed and said, “As soon as you kept a rupee, I knew that you expected me to give you a thousand rupees.” Then, Bade Miya told him that his daughter was really going to be married soon. Then, Baba reassured him saying, “Arre, your daughter is going to get married next year. Why are you worrying already? When the marriage is fixed, I will see that you get the money.” Bade Miya went home and because of Baba’s blessings, the harvest that he collected that year was four to five times the usual yield. Bade Miya celebrated his daughter’s wedding on a grand scale from the increased earnings without having to beg or borrow from anyone. This Leela is taken from the Shri Sai Sagar Magazine, 2009, Deepavali issue.

'Ramchandra Dada Patil' is the 10th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma relates the story of Baba's devotee Ramchandra, a resident of Shirdi, who had immense devotion and faith in Baba from an early age. She traces his story through his family history, his devotion and faith in Baba from an early age, and tells us how he single-handedly managed to convince the devotees that had gathered in Shirdi for Baba’s Maha Samadhi about the importance of honouring Baba’s last wish. Vinny Ma speaks of his great contribution in his work for the Samadhi Mandir and the Sansthan. Transcript Ramchand Dada Patil and Baba had deep Runanubandha ties and loved each other deeply. Ramchandra was born in Shirdi. He was the only son of Radhabai and Dada Kote Patil. Ramchandra had three sisters. He was born into affluence; his ancestral property spread far and wide in Shirdi and neighbouring villages. His father owned many acres of farmland, which yielded many types of grain and sugar cane. Hence, he had only to supervise the labourers. Ramchandra was a very bright student and he studied up to 7th Standard in Marathi. But most of all, he was interested in the legal system. He was responsible for incorporating the village of Beragaon into Shirdi. The Maruti Mandir has two idols - one for Shirdi, and the other for Beragaon. It’s said that in those days the boundary of Shirdi was up to the Chavadi beyond which was Beragaon. He was the secretary of the Dakshin Bhiksha Sansthan. He started doing Baba seva at the tender age of eleven. He had immense faith in Baba and took Baba’s word as law. In 1916, he was extremely sick with influenza (reference is made to this in Chapter 42 of the Sri Sai Satcharitra). Baba gave him Sakshatkar and said, “Tu gabru nakos, tula pushkal aayush ahe” [Don’t be afraid. You have a long life ahead of you]. Ramchandra was greatly relieved to hear this and he immediately asked about his friend Tatya. However, Baba said, “Two years from today, Tatya’s death will occur, but don’t tell this to anyone.” Ramchandra did recover, but was terribly upset by what Baba had said. So he confided in Bala Shimpi, who was a good friend. Also, Tatya was a very dear friend of his since childhood. They grew up together, and Baba strengthened their bond by making them eat out of the same plate in the Dwaraka Mai daily. Ramchandra was married to Sitabai but as they did not have any children, he remarried and had two sons from his second wife. After Baba’s Maha Samadhi, the devotees were working the whole night to get the samadhi ready. Mir Shakar, a pehelwan from Korhale, saw the developments and went to Appaji Kote, who was Ramchandra’s grandfather. He managed to convince him that it was bad to keep a dead body in the village. He said, “They are going to build a Samadhi in Butti Wada. So, they will get a Brahmin priest of their choice. Then, they could lock the building and Muslims would not be able to enter”. This appealed to Appaji and he called a meeting and told the villagers this news. Then the villagers agreed to take the body out of Shirdi. Ramchandra heard this and disagreed, saying that Baba’s last wish should be followed and honoured. This enraged Appaji and he told him not to step into his house again. Ramchandra agreed as he was determined to honour Baba’s wish at any cost. Indeed, he did not enter his grandfather’s residence for 12 years, although his first wife Sitabai resided there. Tatya was well revered in the village and he agreed with Ramchandra. The villagers met, but again there was a split -- a few people agreed with Appaji, but most of the younger villagers were adamant to honour Baba’s wish. Single-handedly, Ramchandra set out to convince the devotees that had gathered in Shirdi for Baba’s Maha Samadhi about the importance of honouring Baba’s last wish, and he succeeded. For 36 hours, the body lay in the Dwaraka Mai. At 4 p.m. on Thursday, the body was placed in the Samadhi after a grand procession through the village. On the 13th day, Ramchandra arranged for a large feast. The devotees distributed laddus to thousands of devotees that had gathered there. The number of laddus remained the same after every distribution. What a wonder! Thus, for two months, the laddus were distributed to each and every devotee that came to Shirdi. Butti was extremely fond of Ramchandra and he often invited him to Nagpur. Butti asked him to stay with him and help him with his business. But Ramchandra could not bear the thought of leaving Shirdi. Ramchandra was Sarpanch, head official of the Shirdi Gram Panchayat for 20 yrs. The Nagar Palika has a photograph of his hanging in their office. Along with these duties, he actively participated in the Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan and was the joint secretary for a long time. Ramchandra would get up early in the morning, have a cup of tea and after that he would eat nothing until Baba’s noon arati. He attended the arati daily. He was never sick for a s...

'Bappaji Lakshman Ratnaparkhe' is the 11th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma relates the story of Bappaji's early childhood in Shirdi and how he was close to Baba and played with Him in the Dwarkamai. As an adolescent, he did Baba's seva and fetched water for Baba's bath, and was present when Lokmanya Tilak and Khaparde came for Baba's Darshan,. He was one of the privileged few who was by Baba's side when Baba took Mahasamadhi. Transcript His forefathers were experts in evaluating precious stones and diamonds for the Peshwas, hence the surname Ratnaparkhe. They were Brahmins and pujaris by profession. They migrated to Shirdi and made it their home. Bappaji was born in Shirdi to Laxman and Yamuna Ratnaparkhe in 1886. His father was the village priest and astrologer. Since Bappaji knew Baba from childhood, he had free reign of the Dwarka Mai. He would spend most of his time with Baba. Baba loved him deeply, and often they would be found playing together. He started doing Baba’s seva from 1910. Bappaji went to a Marathi school and studied up to the 7th standard. He was very proficient in indigenous medicines. He would treat the villagers for minor illnesses. His father was very orthodox and rigid in his ways. Once, Bappaji was extremely sick and at death’s door. His father ran to Baba for a cure. Baba shouted violently using abusive language. A little later, Baba went to Bappaji’s home and laid His hand of benediction on Bappaji’s forehead, and he was cured. This incident further strengthened his faith and devotion. The family has been living in the same home where Baba gave Sakshatkar and cured him. It is behind the Vitthal Mandir. They were related to Shama and they gave him 50 sq. ft. of land, on which his house stands. Tatya Saheb Nulkar was seriously sick with diabetic carbuncles and could not go for Baba’s darshan. He yearned to see Baba. That afternoon, Bappaji went to the Dwarka Mai to sit and chat with Baba. A few kids were teasing Baba at that time. Just then, a hawker passed by selling cloth. Bappaji looked at the beautiful pieces and asked Baba if he could buy one. Baba said “yes.” He bought a red brocade piece and tied it around his head. Baba playfully pinched his cheeks. Then, he took the cloth and placed it on Baba’s head. Baba acted like a child and put it back on Bappaji’s head. This went on for some time and wonder of wonders, Tatya Saheb could see this beautiful scene from Sathe Wada. As an adolescent, Bappaji would go and sit against the wall of the Dwarka Mai. Whenever Baba had Handi Annadaan, he sat there waiting for Prasad. He watched Baba cook Meetha Chaval with His bare hands without a twinge of pain or a trace of burns. At other times Baba would make ‘16 padari’ polis, i.e., 16-layered chapatis. Then, he would roast them on the Dhuni Maa. On the days when Baba bathed, He would ask him to bring pots of hot and cold water. Then mixing it to the right temperature, He bathed. Bappaji and Bayaji would take turns to scrub his back with the bathing stone. He states that Baba wore Pitambar after His bath, and tied His headgear so fast that they could not make out how He did it. Later, He would change into a Kafni. He says that Baba would distribute about 500 rupees daily. He used to give Bayaji 10 rupees, from which he had to purchase wood for Dhuni Maa. Ramchandra got 15 rupees for sugar cane. Often Baba would say “Sab paise ke Bhai. Apna koi nahi” (“Everyone belongs to wealth. We belong to no one”) On 19th May in 1917, Lokmanya Tilak and Khaparde came for Baba’s darshan. At that time, Bappaji was with Baba. When Baba took Maha Samadhi on 15th October 1918, he was in the Dwarka Mai. Baba sent the anxious and concerned devotees home. But a few devotees stayed behind and Bappaji was one of them. His father Laxman Mama did the Kakad Aarti the next day [ref: Sai Satcharita, Chapter 43]. Bappaji got married to Gitabai and had children. After his father’s demise, he became the Pujari of the Vitthal Mandir. He took Samadhi in May 1987. This Leela was narrated by the descendants of Ramchand Dada Patil, Balasaheb Kote Patil.

'Sakharam Hari, alias Bapusaheb Jog' is the 12th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma talks about Baba's devotee Bapusaheb who came and lived in Shirdi with his wife after he retired from government service. They lived a life of austerity and Bhakti. Vinnyji tells us how he shared a special relationship with Baba, how Baba trusted him with His money, how He changed him from an egoistic person to a humble man, how Baba teased him off and on, the Seva he did for Baba and later for Baba's Samadhi, and how he finally lived the life of a Sanyasi in the village of Sakori. Transcript Baba loved him so much that when he first visited Shirdi, Baba would not allow him to return home to get his belongings. Bapusaheb was probably born in 1856. He worked as a supervisor for the government, and in 1909 he availed of ‘retiring furlough’ and came to Shirdi with his wife. The couple had no children, and lived comfortably on their pension. One of Bapusaheb’s close relatives was the famous Satpurush, Vishnu Bua. Before visiting Shirdi, he visited Kabad to pay homage to Sadhu Sakharam Maharaj. He spent some time there doing Seva. Bapusaheb Jog thought that he would stay for a few days in Shirdi, and then return to Kabad and spend the rest of his life doing Seva there. But Baba had other plans for him. At Shirdi, he stayed at Sathe Wada. When the other devotees said something that he did not like, he threatened them that he would go to Kabad. Baba said, “Does the Wada belong to Sathe’s father? I’ll tell Dada Kelkar not to trouble you. You just stay peacefully there.” Baba spoke so sweetly that Bapusaheb Jog stayed on. Bapusaheb was very orthodox and strictly followed the Sovale. It was a ritual of purity. He was righteous, honest and straightforward in his dealings. His wife was of a similar temperament and they were made for each other. Her name was Tai and Baba called her “Aayi.” Bapusaheb was a Datta Upasak (a follower of the Datta ritual). He silently went about doing his Sadhana. The shrine in his home had all the Gods, and he would offer a Kafni along with Naivedya to Lord Datta on Datta Jayanti. One year, while he was in Shirdi, he had an irresistible desire to offer a Kafni to Baba on Datta Jayanti. So, he got Bala Shimpi to stitch a Kafni. On Datta Jayanti, he took the Kafni, and after doing puja to Baba, offered the Kafni to Him. Baba accepted it, and in turn, gave him one of His Kafnis as prasad. Happily, he took the Kafni and preserved it. In the evening, he would wear the Kafni, tie a white cloth around his head, and go for Baba’s darshan. He called it “Darbari Poshak”(court’s attire). At other times, he wore ordinary clothes. Bapusaheb was kind-hearted and a thorough gentleman. But because of his position of power and his dealings with the labour force, he appeared stern. But he did have a quick temper. Baba slowly and surely changed this. He lived frugally and had quite a bit of money. Baba knew that he was egoistic about his wealth. So, He kept demanding dakshina again and again from him until he was depleted of all his savings. Bapu learnt a good lesson from this. His routine every month was to collect his pension from Kopergaon, pay his dues to the shopkeepers and whatever remained he would place before Baba. Baba trusted him immensely and would often give him money for safekeeping. Bapu would keep the money safely and was constantly aware that it was Baba’s money. When the need arose, Baba would ask him to buy this or that from it. Baba would often give him hundred rupees, and a few days later jokingly say, “Bapusaheb, I gave you a hundred and twenty rupees a few days ago. Go fetch it.” Bapu would tell Baba that He had given him only hundred rupees. This happened quite a few times, and Bapusaheb would indignantly say, “Baba, I don’t want to be involved with your money transactions. Keep your money with someone else.” Baba would then pacify him saying, “Bapu, don’t get angry! I made a mistake, it was only a hundred rupees, okay?” Once a devotee gave Baba a guinea. Baba gave it to Bapusaheb and asked, “What is this?” He told Baba that it was a guinea or equivalent to fifteen rupees. Baba said, “It is worth thirty rupees. You keep it and give me thirty rupees.” Bapusaheb looked after Baba’s affairs after Megha’s death on 19th January 1912. He was given the honour of performing Baba’s Aarti till Baba’s Niryan. All the seva that Megha used to perform fell on Bapusaheb’s shoulders – like Baba’s Aarti in the Dwarka Mai, evening Aarti in Sathe Wada and Aarti in Dixit Wada and Guru Paduka Sthaan. Bapusaheb took his duties very seriously. Usually, there were a substantial number of devotees present for the Aarti. However, if there were only a few or none at all, it did not bother Jog and he conducted the Aarti with devotion and zeal. Bapusaheb and Tai led a life of austerity. They were up at the crack of dawn. After bathing in cold water, they performed puja to their household deiti...

'Lakshmanrao Potdar' is the 13th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the story of Baba's devotee Lakshmanrao who had a well-paying job in a company but resigned due to humiliated faced after he voiced a difference of opinion to his boss. With a family to support, the worried Lakshmanrao stood before Baba's photograph and asked Baba to arrange for him to get a job soon, and promised to go to Shirdi and keep his first month's salary at Baba's feet. It so happened that he got back his job and proceeded to Shirdi to fulfil his promise to Baba, and once he reached Dwarkamai, he did not have to say a word, because Baba knows everything. Transcript Baba said, “Arre Lakshmanrao, give me my first salary.” This experience, which occurred in the life of Lakshmanrao Potdar, a brief sketch of which is narrated by his son, Vasantrao. He was born on 4th December, 1903, in a village called Edwan. Lakshmanrao was devoted to Baba and worked as a Supervisor in an Engineering Company. Once he had a discussion with his boss about a business proposal. He opposed it as he felt that it would not be beneficial for the Company. However, his boss, who was in favour of the proposal, severely chided him and went ahead with it. Lakshmanrao felt humiliated and resigned. Now he was in a fix as he had resigned from a well-paying job and had a wife and three small kids to feed. He went home and stood in front of Baba’s photograph and said, “Baba, please give me some job. I promise I will come to Shirdi and lay my first salary at your feet.” Two days later, a worker from the very company that he had resigned from was at his doorstep, with a message that the boss had reinstated him as he had realised his mistake. Lakshmanrao rejoined the company in his previous post. When he got his first pay he decided to fulfil his vow. Taking his young son, Vasantrao, and his entire pay, he travelled to Shirdi. The year was 1911. He reached Kopergaon, and in a rickety bullock cart, arrived at Shirdi. Upon reaching Shirdi, they went to the Dwarka Mai, where Baba was seated. Just then, a pony came inside the Sanctum Sanctorum. The pony proceeded to circumambulate Baba, then lay on its stomach and prostrated before Him and left. The crowd seated below was astonished to see this. Then Baba glanced at the crowd and said, “Arre Lakshmana, give me my salary.” Astonished, Lakshmanrao looked around to see his namesake, but nobody responded. Baba looked in his direction and said, “Arre Lakshmanrao, I am calling you. Come, give me my first salary.” When Baba said “first salary” he realized Baba was talking to him, so he and Vasantrao went and prostrated before Baba. He placed his head at Baba’s feet and handed his salary to Baba. Baba then turned to an elderly woman, and asked her to serve them a good meal. This Leela was taken from the Shri Sai Leela Magazine, no. 11, Vol. 63, February 1985.

'Baba sat at the Door and Drove Death Away' is the 14th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma relates an incident where a devotee's father was so ill that the doctor gave up all hope. The family gathered by his bedside, assuming he was at Death's door. It so happened that the ailing man glanced towards the door and bowed reverentially. After that, he slept peacefully and in the morning declared that he was fine. His son turned back to see a figure seated at the doorway, Satka in hand, warding off death. It was Baba, who made sure His devotee was safe. This incident strengthened the family's faith and devotion to Sai. Transcript Vasantrao states, “Once my father was seriously ill and hovering at death’s door.” The doctor taking care of him finally gave up hope. He said, “If there are any close relatives you want to call, please do so now.” My uncle, Yashvantrao, was summoned. That night, my father’s condition deteriorated further. He was running a very high temperature. My mother, uncle and I sat at his bedside the whole night. At midnight, my father awoke and looked towards the front door and reverentially folded his hands. Then he slept peacefully through the night. At about 5 a.m. my father got up and asked my mother for something to eat. My mother gave him some rice gruel which he ate. Then he said, “Why are you sitting at my bedside? I feel fine.” While he said this, he kept looking towards the door. I turned and looked in the same direction and I saw an old man seated in the doorway. He had a silver satka (a baton about 3 feet long) in his hand. He was waving it about and he said, “Let me see who dares to enter this room when I am here.” I immediately prostrated with folded hands. The old man looked exactly like Sai Baba whom I had seen when I was younger. Baba was seated at the door to drive away the agents of death. My father soon recovered and never fell ill again. My family rejoiced and thanked Baba for His compassionate caring. This incident further strengthened our faith and devotion towards Him. Ref: Shri Sai Leela Magazine, no. 11, vol. 63, February 1985.

'Damodar Narayan Chandnane' is the 15th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma tells us about Damodar who was a staunch devotee of Maruti, and after he was afflicted by a strange malady, he went to seek refuge at Baba's feet. Baba applied Udi over his body, which made him feel better immediately. He stayed in Shirdi for eight days, during which his children had a wonderful time because they played with Baba and climbed on His shoulders and pressed His Feet. Damodar's son narrated how Baba collected Bhiksha, and after feeding the people and the animals, He Himself ate very little. He also mentions a Leela they witnessed at the Dwarkamai when Baba blessed a childless couple. Baba assured Damodar that He would look after him and his entire line of descendants, for they had a connection for numerous past lives. Transcript In 1917, Damodar Narayan Chandnane along with his children, Pandurang and Sitabai, and his elder sister Mangubai, visited Shirdi. Damodar was a staunch devotee of Maruti. By chanting mantras, he could expel the venom in people bitten by snakes and scorpions. This service he did for free to help people. It was a token of his gratitude towards Maruti for his grace on him and his family. Then, he became afflicted by a strange malady; if his head was pressed, putrid pus flowed from his nose. The malady became so terrifying that even if he lay down, the pressure of the pillow on his head would bring forth this putrid pus, and all treatment failed to give him any relief. He believed that someone had cast a tantric spell on him and so he sought refuge at Baba’s feet. He along with his family set out from Kalyan by train, where they resided, and alighted at Kopergaon. As Damodar was in a precarious condition, his sister wanted him to rest there for a day before proceeding to Shirdi, but Damodar was eager to meet Baba. They travelled to Shirdi by bullock cart. In Shirdi, the villagers immediately took him to the Dwarkamai. Baba was sitting near the railing and as soon as he saw Damodar, he started shouting, “Why have you come here?” He used a lot of foul language, and Damodar was frightened out of his wits. Mangubai, however, asked all of them to be calm and said, “Baba is our Sadguru and we are his disciples, and so we should be calm and quiet and listen to what he has to say, and everything will surely be fine.” A short while later, Baba calmed down and asked Damodar where he had come from and why he had come. Damodar told Baba his problem. Baba gave all of them Udi. He called Damodar near Him and applied Udi to his entire body and asked him not to leave Shirdi without His permission. Instantaneously, Damodar felt a little better. The foul language that Baba used was directed towards the evil spirit, and thus Baba drove the negativity away. Damodar and his family stayed in Shirdi for eight days. They lived in a mud hut and the floor was covered with a slurry of cow dung that had dried. The children, then aged 8 and 10, had a wonderful time. Pandurang states regarding food, “We all received food that Baba had collected as Bhiksha. Baba ate very little of what was left after we, the cats and dogs had eaten. Lakshmibai would bring Bhakri and some vegetable curries for Baba daily. She would also look after the numerous devotees who visited Shirdi. Various devotees offered confectionaries, coconuts and fruits that Baba distributed. We often played with Him and climbed on His back and sat on His shoulders. Every morning, we massaged His feet that were as soft as butter, with a fragrance of sandalwood. Never did I feel a bone in his feet. Baba listened to the grievances of his devotees sitting under the neem tree or sometimes in the Dwarkamai where the Dhuni Maa now stands; or at other times, in Lendi Baugh.” One day, when we sat there, a wonderful Leela occurred. A barren couple came there to beg Baba for a child, but during the journey, the wife lost her nose ring. Mentally she prayed, “I don’t care if I don’t conceive, but I would rather get my nose ring back.” They then went to the Dwarka Mai and sat silently before Baba. Baba did not ask them why they had come. However, as a blessing, Baba gave them a coconut and asked them to eat it. Finally the couple left, and returned to their hut. They broke the coconut and lo! The nose ring was inside the coconut. Excitedly, they took the ring to Baba leaving the coconut behind. Baba saw them and shouted, “Both of you came here and sat silently. I knew that you had no progeny, and had also lost your nose ring. So I blessed you with a coconut for both things, but you found the nose ring and left the coconut behind and came here. Now both of you return to your hut and eat the coconut so that you will be able to overcome the problem that lies in your path.” Damodar had, by now, recovered completely, and on the eighth day Baba gave him permission to leave. Again Baba shouted, “Now return home and don’t come to Shirdi again.” Damo...

“Know Who You Are, Then You Will Know Me” 'is the 16th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma tells us the story of Narsingarao who faced multiple problems all at once. His wife had delivered a stillborn baby and developed complications. Narsingarao lost his job and had other young children to take care of as well. Kindness of friends and neighbours saw him through this phase and he continued to chant Baba's name. One day he though he saw Baba outside his house and asked Him who He was, to which Baba uttered the following words in reply, “Know Who You Are, Then You Will Know Me." With that sentence, Baba taught him the great spiritual truth of “Aham Brahmasmi”. Vinny Ma goes on to narrate how Baba ate a meal at their home, blessed Narsingarao's wife with perfect health, and how the family's days of hardship were over. Transcript In June of 1947, Narsingarao of Nellore admitted his wife in Government Hospital at midnight, as she had no foetal movements. To make matters worse, she was unable to deliver the stillborn. The doctor removed the baby, but the mother developed high fever and convulsions for 12 days. The next morning, Narsingarao was served a notice of dismissal from his temporary post as a clerk in the Revenue Department. He was at his wits’ end as his wife’s treatment was expensive, and he was unemployed and penniless. His children were small and there was no one to look after them. As usual, he placed his burden on Baba’s shoulders. His friends at work paid his hospital bills, and the neighbours took the children home and looked after them. On the 13th day, his wife was discharged, but her leg was swollen and painful. Dr. Subramaniam, a friend of his, treated her free of cost and provided the medicines for her. Gradually, she recovered and was able to walk a little. During this period, Narsingarao chanted Baba’s name continuously and sang hymns in his praise. One morning, he walked out of his house and saw Baba begging for alms. He was in a state of shock for a short while. Narsingarao then walked up to Him and blurted, “Sir, may I know who you are?” He said this in English and Baba also replied in English, “You are a fool. If you know who you are, then you will know who I am.” Baba, in one sentence, taught him the great spiritual truth of “Aham Brahmasmi”. Then Narsingarao invited Baba to his home to have food, and Baba accepted the invitation saying, “I have come just for that.” After he had seated Baba comfortably, he began to serve Him. Baba stopped him from serving and said, “I want your wife to serve me.” She managed to serve Baba with great difficulty. After having eaten, he rested for a short while, and Narsingarao went to the market to buy some fruits for him. Alas, when he returned, Baba had disappeared. But, Narsingarao’s wife was restored to perfect health. One day, Narsingarao’s wife was on the way to the market to get Baba’s picture framed. Unfortunately, she lost it. Desperately, she searched for it but couldn’t find it. She wept bitterly as she felt Baba had left her and some disaster was sure to take place. But no such thing happened; still weeping, she went to sleep. That night, Baba appeared in her dream and said, “Why are you weeping thus? Here, pick any picture of your choice and worship it daily.” The very next day, a devotee who had just returned from Shirdi came to her house. He gifted her the very same picture that she had chosen in her dream. They preserved the picture as a precious gift from Baba. After she received that picture, her troubles ceased both mentally and physically. Her husband secured a permanent job and became financially well off. This Leela was taken from Ambrosia in Shirdi, written by Ramalingaswami.

'Baba Rescues Captain Daruwala' is the 17th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates a Leela that is one of the finest examples of how Baba keeps His promise to his devotees by coming to their rescue even if they are across seven seas. Captain Daruwala was in charge of a fleet of ships during war and they were targeted by the enemy and were sinking fast. Captain Daruwala pulled out Baba's photograph from his pocket and prayed to it. A miraculous Leela unfolded where the Captain saw Baba pull three ships to safety, and simultaneously devotees at the Dwarkamai were astounded to see the place suddenly getting flooded and Baba completely drenched. Transcript "I may be here in My physical body, and you may be far away beyond the seven seas. Yet, whatever you do there, I know instantly.” These words were said by Baba to Cholkar (ref: Sri Sai Satcharitra, ch.15). Baba's words are true for each and every devotee even now, as they were then. This is such a Leela where Baba literally goes beyond the seven seas to rescue a devotee. It was during the Russo-Japanese war of 1905 that Capt. Jahangir F. Daruwala was at sea with his fleet of ships. To his utter dismay, he realised that all but three of his ships were hit by the enemy and were sinking fast. Soon, these three ships with the passengers, crew, and himself would meet the same fate. Being a good captain, he hoped to ferry the remaining ships to safety. He had a photograph of Baba in his pocket, and he promptly took it out and earnestly prayed to Baba to come to his rescue. Just as he has praying, Baba sitting in the Dwarka Mai shouted "Haq, haq.” The devotees sitting with Baba were astounded to see Baba completely drenched from head to toe. Water flowed in torrents, and soon the Dwarka Mai became a pool of water. For about an hour, the devotees removed buckets and buckets of water. Then, they gave Baba a dry Kafni to wear. As Baba was silent about the cause of His being drenched, one of the devotees drank the water as Tirth and found it extremely salty. Simultaneously, at sea, Capt. Daruwala saw Baba in person pull and tow his ships to safety. On the third day after the incident, Baba received a telegram from the captain thanking Him for the rescue operation. When he returned home after completing his mission, he came to Shirdi and prostrated at Baba's feet. He thanked Baba for answering his prayers so swiftly and saving the lives of his crew and the passengers. Capt. Daruwala was an ardent devotee, and he took a great deal of interest in Baba's affairs. He donated Rs. 2,200/- in two instalments for repairing the Sabha Mandap of the Dwarka Mai. This was a small 'thank you’ gesture. This Leela was taken from the Sai Leela, Ashad Shakhe 1846, no. 3, year 2.

'Baba Restores the Sight of Vittal's Grandfather' is the 18th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma tells us the story of a young lad who was assigned the task of taking his grandfather from Mumbai to Shirdi to meet Baba, hoping that the grandfather's failed eyesight would be restored by Baba's blessings. The Leela unfolds with Baba asking for Dakshina of Rs six, the boy trying to get the exact change, the grandfather missing from where he left him, the boy meeting a kind stranger, and the grandfather declaring that he could see. This is a Leela illustrating the fact that Baba always rewards His devotees who have faith and devotion in Him. Transcript Vittal Yashwantrao Deshpande lived with his parents and grandparents in Dadar, Mumbai. A tragedy brought him to Baba’s feet. His grandfather suddenly fell sick and gradually lost his sight. All sorts of remedies, treatments, doctors and Vaids were tried, but to no avail, and he gradually became totally blind. Vittal was very fond of his grandfather, and he helped him move around in the house. There lived in Bandra a Satpurush named Govind Rao Mankar. He was a devotee of Sai Baba. He met Vittal’s grandfather and advised him to go to Shirdi, and seek Baba's blessings. The grandfather was impressed by him, and was determined to go to Shirdi. However, time and again, a trip was planned but for some reason or the other, the trip got postponed. In 1916, Vittal was just twelve years old, and as his uncle was busy, it was decided that Vittal would take his grandfather to Shirdi. Before leaving, his parents repeatedly told Vittal to behave properly and take care of his grandfather. They reached Shirdi and went to the Dwarka Mai. They took darshan and prostrated before Baba. "Give Me Rs.6/- dakshina,” said Baba. Vittal thrust his hand into his pocket and found that he had a 10 rupee and a 5 rupee note. He gave Baba the ten rupee note, which He did not accept. Neither would He accept the Rs.5 note, nor would He give him the change. Vittal tried again and again but with the same result. "Give Me Rs. 6,” said Baba. So, Vittal brought his grandfather to the Sabha Mandap below, and seated him in a corner next to the wall. Vittal then went out to get the change. But try as he may, no one gave him the change. Frustrated and wondering how his grandfather was doing, he started crying. Suddenly, a well-built man stood before him. He had on a clean Dhotar and a Pagdi, and Puneri shoes. His forehead was smeared with sandalwood paste. Gently, he asked, "Child, why are you crying?" Vittal told him how stubborn Baba was, and his inability to get any change. Quietly, he gave him the change. Vittal ran to the Dwarka Mai and placed the Rs.6 at Baba's feet. Baba said, "Darro mat, beta. Allah achcha karega. Ab tumhara kaam ho gaya" (“Do not fear, my child. Allah will do good. Now your work is done”). Vittal was astonished, but rather confused. He had not told Baba why he had come, nor had Baba asked him. He just stood there staring at Baba. Baba repeated the same words again. Still confused, he went to the corner where his grandfather was seated, but he was nowhere to be found. He searched the Sabha Mandap, but could not find him. So, he ran through the village calling his grandfather by name, but he couldn't find him. Dejected and afraid, he started crying bitterly. He wondered if his grandfather had fallen or hurt himself. And lo, the same man stood before him. "Why are you crying now?" he asked gently. Through sobs, Vittal told him what had happened. “Your grandfather is seated on the steps of Sathe Wada,” he said, pointing in that direction. Vittal ran and found his grandfather happily eating sugarcane. Upset and frustrated, he said, "Why did you leave the place where I made you sit? Suppose you had fallen down and hurt yourself? How did you reach here?" His grandfather told him that as soon as he went to get the change, his sight started returning. "By the time you came back, I could see clearly. So, I came to the Wada.” Vittal was relieved to hear this. On their way home, Vittal lost his cap, but was afraid to tell his grandfather about it. Finally, they reached Dadar. His parents were awaiting their arrival. When he turned around, his grandfather was missing. He collected their bags and walked slowly towards his parents. They eagerly questioned him about the trip. He mumbled something. Just then, he saw his grandfather with a new cap. Vittal was filled with immense joy for he finally got proof that his grandfather could really see. "But who was the mysterious gentleman, and how did he know who my grandfather was?" Vittal often visited Shirdi after Baba’s Samadhi. He made it a point to attend the three major festivals. Vittal never left Shirdi without Baba’s permission. He had a unique way of doing this. When it was time for him to leave Shirdi, he would go to the Samadhi Mandir and place a coconut on Baba’s Paduka. Then, he would bow his head on the...

'Baba Sends a Helicopter to Rescue Them' is the 19th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma tells us an incident in the life of a fisherman called Andral who was a staunch devotee of Baba and never missed the noon Aarti at Baba's temple in the fisherman's colony where he lived. One day Andral and his son had gone out to sea when they were caught in a storm, and their boat soon sank. He prayed to Baba and started singing the Aarti in his mind, knowing they would soon drown. It so happened that an Air Force helicopter was hovering overhead. Unbeknownst to them, it had come to rescue them. This Leela is about how Baba rescued His devotee from certain death by arranging a sequence of events, showing us once again that His love and compassion are endless. Transcript In Worli, Mumbai, there is a fort that was built by Shivaji Maharaj by the sea, and in the left courtyard is a beautiful temple of Baba. Adjacent to the fort is Koliwada (where the fishermen community live). Early one morning, Andral Kohli and his son set out to sea. At about 8 a.m., they reached the middle of the sea and cast their nets. The father and son were engrossed in conversation, unaware that dark menacing clouds were gathering overhead. And before they realised it, the sea turned turbulent and they were caught in a storm. To make matters worse, it started raining in torrents. Before long, their boat sank, and Andral and his son were far away from the coast. They looked around for help, but all the other fishermen had left. Andral and his son prayed desperately to Baba to save their lives. When Andral realised that they would not make it to the shore, he regretfully said, “Babu, I have never missed Baba’s noon Aarti; no matter what, I’ve always managed to attend it. Today, I will miss it as our boat has sunk and there is no way we can reach the shore. Today, I will say it in my mind as this will be my last Aarti. Then he embraced his son as he knew that he would soon drown, and he continued praying. At that very moment, an Air Force helicopter was hovering overhead. He wondered if the helicopter was there out of curiosity. But it had come to rescue them. The rescue was accomplished, and they were taken to the Sea Rock Hotel’s Security Department. The officer was devoted to Baba and had a picture of Baba on his desk. The Officer said, “When the weather was turning bad, I was restless for some reason. Then I heard a voice say repeatedly “Look at the sea.” I looked through my binoculars and saw you, so I telephoned the Air Force Department to send a helicopter to rescue you. Since you have been at sea for so long, please have a drink.” Andral thanked him for saving their lives, but refused the drink. He said, “I would be glad if the helicopter could drop us off at the Sai Baba temple in the fort near Koliwada.” The Officer obliged and just as they got down, the bell started ringing for the noon Aarti. Andral washed himself and dripping wet he went for the Aarti. With tears rolling down his cheeks, he stood in front of Baba and sang the Aarti. This Leela was written in the Sai Anubhav by Andral B. Kohli Garg.

‘I trouble Baba Needlessly’ is the 20th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the experience of a devotee called Shrikant during a train journey he had undertaken from Pune to Mumbai. When he alighted at Lonavala, he missed his step and fell into the narrow space between the platform and the train. Shrikant had the habit of constantly chanting Baba’s name and was doing so when he fell and missed being crushed under the train. This Leela shows us how he was thus miraculously saved from certain death by Baba's Grace. Transcript Shrikant Madhukar Pathak, a resident of Mumbai, says, “We trouble Baba with our own doings and actions, and he patiently bears with us and helps us in times of need.” On April 17th, 1989, he was travelling from Pune to Mumbai by the Deccan Express train. On that particular train, they have a bogie that gets filled at Lonavala Station, so to have a comfortable journey, Shrikant stepped out of the train at Lonavala before it had halted. While doing so, he missed his step and fell into the narrow space between the platform and the train. Shrikant had the habit of constantly chanting Baba’s name and was doing so when he fell. He said, “Jai Shri Sai Baba,” and the first wheel of the bogie moved towards him. He repeated it three more times and was about to be crushed to death, when the train came to a complete halt. A huge crowd had gathered there as they had seen him fall, but Shrikant managed to crawl back to the platform. His back had a few bruises but nothing serious. The officer, Mohan, had also arrived on the scene. He took Shrikant to the railway hospital, where first aid was given to him, along with a cup of piping hot tea. Astonished, Mohan said, “For a person of your build, it’s impossible for you to be alive. Besides, seven people have fallen like you, and not one of them survived. You are lucky that you got a second chance.” Shrikant took out a picture of Baba that he always kept in his purse, and said, “Baba is my saviour. Time and again, I take stupid actions, and every time, he saves me from disaster, and even death.” This Leela was taken from Shri Sai Leela Magazine, vol. 68, no. 8-9, December 1989.

‘Balasaheb Rudra’ is the 21st story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma tells us about how Balasaheb Rudra and his family met Sai Baba at Shirdi. Balasaheb, along with this grandmother and aunt went on a pilgrimage to Gangapur. On their way back, they witnessed a man being cremated and something strange happened which frightened the aunt so much that she got loose bowel movements. She got no relief from this issue despite all efforts, until they met Baba in Shirdi when they all received Udi from Him and her troubles came to an end. Transcript Balasaheb Rudra was born in Jalgaon, in September 1905. His father was a superintendent of police. In those days, this post was highly respected and paid handsomely. He had two paternal uncles – one was a lawyer and the other a sergeant. The circumstances that brought his family to Baba were interesting. Once, his grandmother, Saraswatibai, and his aunt went on a pilgrimage to Gangapur. Balasaheb was about ten years old at that time, and went along with them. The pilgrimage was very fruitful, but on their way home, a strange incident changed their lives. As they were returning home, they passed by a funeral pyre. A man was being cremated, when suddenly, the corpse lifted his hand and held it high as if he was waving. His aunt saw this and was stricken with fear. So scared was she that she started having loose bowel movements. Day in and day out, she rushed to the toilet. Many medicines were given to her, but the diarrhoea continued. Many incantations and religious rites were performed, but to no avail. Someone suggested that they should seek refuge in Shirdi Sai Baba. This was in the year 1913 when Balasaheb, accompanied by his grandmother and ailing aunt, went to Shirdi. At Shirdi, Baba applied Udi to all of them. He gave the ailing aunt Udi to be taken orally. After applying Udi to Balasaheb’s forehead, Baba gently stroked his head, silently blessing him. Balasaheb was intensely happy, and his love and devotion for Baba increased. Balasaheb worked as an editor in various Marathi newspapers. He and his family have settled in Pune. He led a very spiritual life devoted to Baba. He died on Gudi Padwa day in 2006. This Leela was narrated by Neeta Shevde from Pune.

‘How Muranjan gained faith in Baba’ is the 22nd story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates a miraculous leela experienced by Muranjan who visited Shirdi with friends. He didn't know much about Baba nor did he believe in Him. However, he earnestly prayed to Baba and asked Him to heal his father's chronic asthma, his poor father was incapacitated by the disease, and Murajan thought that it was wishful thinking that any recovery would happen. He prayed to Baba to see his father recovered and walking in the verandah of their home. Upon arriving back home, he was spellbound to see his father feeling better and walking in the verandah. He realised that this was nothing but Baba's Grace, and ever since this incident, he became a staunch devotee of Baba throughout his life. Transcript The power of prayer is mind-boggling. Around 1963, Shri B.H. Muranjan, a resident of Mumbai, visited Shirdi. In fact, he didn’t have much faith in Baba, nor did he know anything about this incredible God. Muranjan just went to Shirdi for entertainment and enjoyment; his friends were going there, so he accompanied them. Upon reaching Shirdi, they went to Samadhi Mandir; it happened to be less crowded that day. Muranjan stood before the Samadhi and joined his hands together and prayed, “Baba, I don’t know anything about you, nor do I have the necessary faith in you. I just came along with my friends for fun, but you must know this because you are God Almighty. However, I wish that my father who has been suffering from asthma for the past ten years feels better. Baba, my father is plagued with repeated attacks of this disease, and he is incapacitated by it. He coughs all night and thus he cannot sleep, nor can he enjoy a full meal as he fears that he will be unable to breathe. Because of this shortness of breath, he cannot even hold a conversation for a long time with his friends. If he walks even a short distance, he gets out of breath, and thus he is bedridden. Baba, I have but one earnest desire, and that is to see my father fully recovered, and walking about in the veranda of our home. But I know that this is wishful thinking and it will never come to fruition.” After having said this, Muranjan visited the other holy sites. That entire day, the thought of his father’s illness didn’t leave him. Muranjan’s father had sought treatment from numerous pulmonary specialists. He had taken Ayurvedic and Homeopathic medicines for years, but to no avail. Two days later, Muranjan returned home, and what he saw left him spellbound. His father was walking about in the veranda of his home. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Immediately, he recalled standing before Baba’s Samadhi and telling Baba of his wishful thinking. To his amazement, it did indeed come to fruition and that too without delay. Muranjan couldn’t help but join his hands together and thank Baba, “Baba, even though I did not know much about you, nor have faith in you, you performed this incredible miracle. You indeed made the impossible possible and showed supreme power and compassion. Thus, I am indebted to you for many lives. Lord, give me the good sense to be devoted to thee my entire life, and not to ever stray away from thy feet. This is the only Bhiksha I want from you.” This Leela was taken from Shri Sai Leela magazine, vol. 63, Nov-Dec, 1984.

‘Baba comes to meet the little girl’ is the 23rd story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates an experience of a young girl, Parimalam, in which Baba gave her a vision in her waking state when she was just 10 years old. Following the vision, she could foresee the future and predict events but nobody took her seriously. She did not know about Baba at that young age, but after she grew up and was married, she visited a Sai temple and remember the vision of her childhood and became devoted to Baba Transcript Parimalam was born in Lulur in Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu. Her father was an atheist, while the rest of her family was very devout. She was very fond of her uncle as he was devout, and many Sadhus and saints visited him. Her uncle often asked her to serve meals to them. When Parimalam was only 10 years old, she was fortunate to see Sai Baba. Most devotees yearn to have a dream let alone a vision their entire life. It happened in 1960, when early one morning, she ran out of the house, and saw an ascetic sitting on a huge stone. His face was luminous as a thousand suns shining all at once. Delighted, she said, “Sir, please wait. I will call my uncle immediately” He beckoned to her saying, “I have come to meet you. You are a good girl, and you will do well in life.” She rushed to get her uncle and when she returned, he and the stone had disappeared. Everyone thought that the incident was a figment of her imagination. After this incident, Parimalam began to foresee the future and started predicting events before they happened. Yet, no one took her seriously. She did not know about Baba at that time. In 1967, she got married and moved to Chennai. One day, by chance, the couple visited a Sai temple in Mylapore. There she saw a photograph of Baba, and felt she knew him. Then the scene of her childhood meeting flashed through her mind. She gleefully told her husband all about the meeting, but he paid no heed to it. Then, a friend gifted her with an idol of Baba. Simultaneously, she got more information about Baba and became devoted to Him. This Leela is from God’s Rainbow, and was narrated by S.S. Parimalam.

"The Piano Played During the Entire Brain Surgery" is the 24th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma tells us again about Parimalam who experienced diminished vision and was diagnosed with brain tumour for which surgery was advised. After requesting that Baba be with her during the surgery, the doctor gave her a small statue of Baba. Vinny Ma relates that in her unconscious state, the young woman saw a beautiful vision of light and was floating in an open space where piano music played for several hours, the vision miraculously continued for the entire duration of the surgery. Transcript Some years later, Parimalam started having severe abdominal pain. She went to a doctor who could not diagnose it, and the severity was not lessened by the medications that she was given. After a while, the doctor gave up, saying that it was an undiagnosable pain. As the pain was severe, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, it was not a psychological pain. Disgusted, she gave up taking her medicines, and then along with pain she experienced dimness in vision and obesity. One day just as she was leaving for work, she had an episode of losing and regaining her vision. She rushed to the hospital and was immediately scanned for a brain tumour, which was present and it required surgery. She calmly went for surgery with a request that Baba be with her. The surgeon, who was devoted to Baba, readily got a small statue of Baba and placed it in front of her. When she was under anaesthesia, the surgery began, but she could hear the doctors talk with astonishment about the size of the tumour. Suddenly, she saw an indescribable light that changed from violet to green, and then gold. Then, she floated towards it in a narrow lane. On either side of the lane were computers that were recording everything. “Don’t even think of anything lest it be recorded” she thought, and it was. Finally, she floated to an open space and she heard the most beautiful piano music. The music played for 5 ½ hours and then stopped. The stopping coincided with the completion of her surgery. Then she felt the sutures being applied and later being placed on the stretcher and taken to her post-op room. Two days later, she narrated everything to her doctor, who threw up his hands in amazement and said, “Oh my God!” The operation took place on 24th August, 1999, and Parimalam remained ever devoted to Baba. This Leela is from God’s Rainbow and was narrated by S.S. Parimalam.

‘Magical Healing Powers of Baba's Udi-Tirth’ is the 25th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the story of Anuradha, who worshipped Baba from childhood. Post her marriage, she was blessed with a baby girl who developed a serious ear infection and the doctor said that there were high chances that the baby would develop hearing loss or deafness in both ears. Placing her full faith in Baba, Anuradha administered His Udi-Tirth to the child instead of the ear drops which were ineffective anyway, and the baby recovered, much to the amazement of the doctor. This Leela illustrates the magical healing power of Baba's Udi-Tirth, a panacea for all illnesses if taken with complete faith in Baba. Transcript Right from childhood, Anuradha Adikari, a resident of Aurangabad, was devoted to Baba. In fact, Baba was the only God she worshipped. Anuradha states, “As luck would have it, when I reached a marriageable age, I got married to a Sai devotee. At that time, I didn’t know that he and his family were ardently devoted to Baba. I was delighted when I stepped into my new home because I was greeted by a huge picture of Baba in the Dwarka Mai pose that hung on the wall in front of me. I couldn’t control my emotions and tears of joy filled my eyes. My mother-in-law escorted me into the house and asked me to prostrate in front of Baba. At that moment, I knew that everything would be fine as Baba was already there to take care of me.” About a year later, her husband was transferred to Kolhapur, and Anuradha accompanied him. Then the following year, Baba blessed her with a baby girl. For some reason, her christening ceremony was postponed. Anuradha states, “When my daughter, Sandhya, was about a month old, she had an ear infection. A foul smelling whitish discharge came out of both her ears. Sometimes the discharge was blood-tinged. She was checked by an E.N.T. specialist, who prescribed some ear drops. Religiously, I put the drops in Sandhya’s ears and cleaned them gently. However, the serious discharge didn’t stop.” One day, Anuradha’s father-in-law came to visit them, and he suggested that Sandhya be checked by his dear friend, Dr. Deshpande. Dr. Deshpande was a renowned E.N.T. surgeon who had done his post-graduation from Berlin. Sandhya was then checked by Dr. Deshpande who gave them a bleak prognosis; he said that both her ear drums were perforated, and the chances of Sandhya suffering from severe hearing loss, or even deafness, were high. Anuradha was in total despair about her child’s future. Upon returning home, she placed the bottle of ear drops in front of Baba’s picture and fervently prayed to him. “Baba, if my daughter becomes deaf, then her entire life will be ruined. Please do not nip the flower in the bud, but allow it to bloom. From this very moment, I will stop putting the ear drops, and will put your Tirth in her ears. Please heal her ears. Her christening ceremony has not yet been performed. When her ears heal because of your Tirth, I will christen her with a name that starts with the letter ‘S’, so that she will never forget your grace her entire life.” Then Anuradha took a little Tirth and mixed some Udi in it. After shaking it vigorously, she put two drops in each ear. Anuradha also started a fast for three days, praying to Baba to heal the ears. The next day, Anuradha was standing on the balcony of her apartment and looking at the street below when she saw a fakir standing in front of her house, calling out to her, “Mai, come down.” Anuradha went down with some rice, which she put in the fakir’s Jholi. The fakir accepted it and said, “Mai, you seem to be distressed. Don’t worry, Sai Baba is there with you and everything will be alright.” Anuradha was perplexed as it was unusual to find a fakir who spoke Hindi in Kolhapur. The fakir continued, “Mai, I have just returned from Rameshwaram and I am on my way to Shirdi. Won’t you give me some Dakshina?” Anuradha was impressed by the bright aura around him and his compassionate eyes. She went inside and brought Rs. 1.25 and handed it to him. The decision to stop the ear drops was entirely Anuradha’s, and she didn’t tell anyone about it. Every day, she would put three drops of the Udi-Tirth mixture, three times a day in both her daughter’s ears. A few days later, both the ears healed and there was no more discharge. When she took Sandhya for a check-up, the doctor was astounded to see that the ear drums were completely healed without the least bit of scarring. It was then that Anuradha told her family what she had done. She said, “Baba is the father of Dhanvantri. This is proof that his Udi-Tirth is a panacea for all illnesses. The only prerequisite is that one should have intense faith in Him and his Udi-Tirth.” Finally, as per her promise to Baba, she named her daughter Sandhya. This Leela was taken from Sai Prasad, vol. 33, no. 9, August 1979.

‘Dingle and the Twittering of Birds’ is the 26th story in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the experience of Nana Saheb Dingle, a long-time devotee of Baba Sai. One day, birds started twittering while Baba and Dingle were chatting and Baba asked him what they were saying. Dingle was blessed with the ability to understand the language of birds and although he knew that Baba knows everything, he told Baba that the birds spoke of impending death in Shirdi. Events then unfolded such that the villagers of Shidi were saved from eating poisoned Prasad. This Leela is yet another testimony to Baba's love and protection towards His devotees. Transcript In the Sai Satcharitra chapter 15, a lizard chirps excitedly and happily, awaiting the arrival of her sister from Aurangabad. Baba said, “The lizard is overcome with joy that her sister is coming here to meet her from Aurangabad.” Be it the chirping of a lizard or the twittering of birds, Baba knew and heard everything. Nana Saheb Dingle was a long time devotee of Baba. He loved Baba immensely and Baba would go to his home in Nighoj off and on. They would sit and chat for some time, and Baba would return to Shirdi. One day Baba in great haste went to Nighoj early in the morning. Dingle was pleasantly surprised to see Him. He made Him sit comfortably and both of them sat in the courtyard chatting. A few hours later, some birds perched on a tree nearby started twittering excitedly. Nana fell silent and listened to them. Baba knew that Nana could understand the bird language. Baba asked, “Nana what are the birds saying?” Dingle was silent because he knew Baba's power. Baba knew the past, present and future, and even what the birds were saying. But because Baba asked him, he replied “They say nine people will die in Shirdi today.” Then Baba hired a Tonga and returned to Shirdi. At Shirdi, the villagers were happily preparing Prasad for Shani Dev. There was a big pot of Prasad ready, and all the villagers were assembled there, to partake of it. Baba, however, went straight to the Dwarka Mai and sent a messenger to fetch Bhagoji Shinde. Bhagoji came at once and Baba said, “Go to Shani Mandir immediately and throw all the Prasad on the floor!” Bhagoji was astounded to hear this, but as Baba had commanded him, he did just that. Hurriedly, he carried out his task and ran back to the Dwarka Mai, and took shelter at Baba's feet. As expected, the villagers ran to the Dwarka Mai and angrily complained to Baba. Baba calmly said “I ordered him to do so. Now go and see what is in the Prasad.” Confused, they ran to the scene and taking a big ladle they swirled the Prasad around only to find a dead serpent in it. Trembling with fear, they ran back to the Dwarka Mai and prostrated before Baba. They thanked Him for saving the whole village from utter calamity and death. This Leela was narrated by Sivanesan Swamiji.

'The Medical Marvel' is the 27th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the story of Dr. Sharmila who was anxious to have a child but despite many attempts was unable to conceive. Dejected, she thought of Sai Baba and wondered if the Ever-Merciful Baba would take her under His wing of protection and fulfill her desire. Just as she thought this, a series of miraculous events unfolded. That very night she saw a dream in which Baba stood with His arms opened wide, and soon after this dream she conceived against all medical odds. Her pregnancy was nothing short of a miracle and she was convinced that such a medical marvel was the result of Baba's grace. Transcript The year was 1995, and Sharmila was dejected and distraught as she was unable to conceive. She and her husband had consulted a renowned doctor in the field of infertility. They had all their tests and work-up done and they were being treated by the doctor, but it didn’t work out. One evening, Sharmila was all alone at home, and she was overcome with grief. She could not hold back her tears, and soon she was sobbing. With a heavy heart, Sharmila thought, “For the past four years, we have been trying to have a baby. Faithfully, we have followed the instructions given by the doctor, and taken the medicines as prescribed. I have never missed a single appointment, only to be disappointed again and again. Now only God can help me. Sai Baba is so merciful, but will He shower His mercy on me? Will He accept me into His flock? Will He take away this problem, and make me happy?” With these thoughts on her mind, she fell asleep. Late that night, she had a wonderful dream. In the dream, Sharmila had gone to a Ganapati Temple, and she couldn’t believe what she saw. Instead of a Ganapati idol, she saw Baba standing there. He was wearing a white Kafni and in his hand was his Satka. With sheer compassion in His eyes, He was looking at her. Then with immense love, He stretched out both His hands and beckoned her to come to Him. And there ended the dream. The next morning, she stood in front of Baba’s picture, and thanked Him for accepting her into His flock. Then she remembered Baba’s words, “If you take one step towards me, I will take ten steps towards you.” Subsequent to this dream, Sharmila started reading the Charitra. With eagerness and devotion, she read it every day. She also tried to find out more about this wonderful God. Sharmila read all the Sai Leela magazines that she could get, and any other literature that she could find. With renewed vigour and enthusiasm, she kept her appointment with her doctor during her fertile period that month. But the disappointment that she had faced over the years caught up with her and she made up her mind that this would be her last attempt to conceive. Sharmila then cast all her burdens on Baba’s shoulders and had her sonogram done. With great anticipation, Sharmila went to get the result. Her doctor shook her head and said, “Sorry Sharmila, this month you had an anovulatory cycle, so it is futile to try any further.” Filled with remorse, Sharmila thought, “Baba, to conceive, I need only one egg. But this month, the ovary has not ripened and released an egg. Now I am not going to worry as I have left my destiny in your hands. Baba, I’m going to stop all attempts to conceive right here and now.” With Baba even the impossible is possible. And that very month, Sharmila got pregnant. She said, “This is a medical marvel. Indeed science has advanced tremendously and impressively. With this advanced technology, the physician and radiologist can see very minute things that are happening inside the body. Nevertheless, it is unable to see Baba’s blessings. So I thanked Baba from the bottom of my heart.” Sharmila’s faith had increased by leaps and bounds. She started chanting Baba’s name regularly and reading at least a chapter of the Charitra daily. What was beyond the bounds of possibility, Baba made that possible for her. This Leela is taken from Sai Prasad Magazine, Deepavali issue, 1998.

'Dr. Sharmila Patil's Faith Strengthens' is the 28th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma continues to narrate the story of Dr. Sharmila. Dr Sharmila safely delivered a baby boy with Baba's blessings. Post delivery, each time her son had any ailment, Sharmila gave him Udi mixed in water and he recovered every time. Although she was a doctor herself, she considered Udi to be the 'Sanjivani' or the life-giving elixir. Such was her faith in Baba. This Leela emphasises the power of faith and the healing power of Baba's Udi. Transcript Baba answered Sharmila’s prayers and all her pregnancy tests were positive. Surprisingly, she had no discomfort like morning sickness, pica or swelling of her feet. Late one evening, there was a shutdown of electricity and Sharmila was all alone at home. Her husband had not returned from his clinic. Soon she started feeling restless, so she pulled a chair next to the window and sat down. As usual, Sharmila was mentally chanting Baba’s name, but before long she fell fast asleep. Then she had this reassuring dream. “My Baba had come to my home. Though I couldn’t see His face clearly, I knew it was Him as He wore a long white Kafni. Without a moment’s hesitation I ran and fell at His feet. Tears were copiously flowing from my eyes onto His feet. However, Baba’s feet felt cold to me. Baba then said, “Everything will be alright.” There my dream ended. Now I was sure that my pregnancy would be alright and I would have an uncomplicated delivery. After all, my Baba had come to my home and had reassured me.” And so it came to pass that although this was her first baby, Sharmila’s labour pains lasted only a few hours. Moreover, she had an uncomplicated delivery, and Baba blessed her with a baby boy. A week after Sharmila and her son came home, she again dreamt of Baba. In the dream, she was sitting on the floor with her son in her lap. Baba sat in front of her; His forearm was resting on a railing. He then raised His hand and said, “Nothing will happen to your child. He will be fine.” Thereafter, Sharmila stopped worrying about her son. From then on, if her son had any ailment, her first line of treatment was to give him Udi mixed in water, and needless to say her child recovered every time. Although Sharmila was a physician, and physicians tend to frown on other modalities of treatment other than what they practise, Sharmila considered Udi as ‘Sanjivani’ or the only life-giving elixir on earth. With tears of gratitude in her eyes, Sharmila recalls, “There are innumerable instances where my son was growing up and Baba came to my aid. I am not a ‘great’ devotee, nor do I qualify as a good devotee of Baba, as I am unable to assimilate His teachings like ‘Nava Vida Bhakti’ into my life and daily routine. Nonetheless, whenever I find time, I read His Charitra and the Sai Leela magazine. I do chant His name but it is not sustained. Time and again, I marvel at Baba’s unconditional compassion, for He comes running to the aid of devotees like me without fail. I am still incapable of understanding this magnificent God, consequently I sing the hymn ‘Ananta tula te kase re stavave’: (Thou art eternal, how shall I praise Thee? Thou art eternal, how shall I do obeisance to Thee?) Even the thousand-tongued Adisesh gets exhausted in singing your praises. Therefore, I only salute you with eight-fold prostrations, Shri Sainatha.” This lovely Leela was written in Sai Prasad Magazine, Deepavali issue, 1998.

"Indirabai is reassured of Baba's protection" is the 29th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the experience of Indirabai and how she is reassured by Baba of His protection. Indirabai could not accompany her uncle and his family to Shirdi, despite their many attempts to convince her to do so. Finally she visited Shirdi at the behest of her aunt and felt a great sense of peace there. However, she also thought it was no use coming to Shirdi, because Baba has already taken Maha Samadhi. Upon returning home, she had a vivid dream of Baba, and in that dream her family members told her that Baba is alive and always here to protect us. This reassured Indirabai of Baba's protection even after His leaving the physical body. This Leela is a testament to Baba's promise that He will always protect His devotees. Transcript Indirabai resided in Pendari, Ratnagiri. She was the niece of B. V. Deo, and she frequently visited his home. She knew that Deo often visited Shirdi and prior to every visit, he requested her to accompany him. In 1917, he and his family literally forced her to sit in the car that was waiting to take them to Shirdi. Unfortunately, she refused time and again for some reason or the other. In 1930, her aunt Athyabai coerced her to accompany them and she did. At Shirdi she was filled with a peace and serenity she had never experienced before. She bitterly regretted not having come before, and thought, “What is the use as Baba has taken Maha Samadhi now, and is not here anymore.” Upon returning home, she had a vivid dream wherein she was in Athyabai’s home. On a rafter, she saw Baba sleeping. He had bent his arm at his elbow and cushioned his head on it, while both his legs were stretched out one on top of the other. But his eyes were open and he looked at her with intense compassion. Then he descended and walked down the stairs and went outside. There he had a bath and washed his clothes. He then returned to the room and again lay on the rafter. At that moment, Athyabai and her son Vasantrao entered the room. Vasantrao said, “Don’t for a moment think that Baba’s not alive. He’s very much alive. And there is no reason to be afraid as he’s always here to protect us.” The thought that tormented Indirabai that Baba had taken Maha Samadhi and the futility of going to Shirdi vanished. She realised that Baba was alive and was taking care of them. He protects them every moment of the day and night, and she felt peaceful and happy. This Leela is a confirmation of Baba’s assurance that even after His Maha Samadhi, He will protect His devotees. This Leela was taken from Shri Sai Leela magazine, vol. 12, nos. 1-2, 1935.

"Indirabai fulfills her vow to Baba" is the 30th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the experience of Indirabai who suffered from an ear ache so much that he prayed to Baba for relief and cure. She was blessed to see Him in her dream and when he awoke, a friend had brought some medicine to her, which cured her of the ache. At another time, she was bitten by a poisonous insect and the pain was so unbearable that her thoughts turned to Baba and she vowed to send 2.5 rupees to Baba's Sansthan as soon as she got some relief. Baba's Leela so unfolded that she was relieved of her pain. She did not forget her vow and sent the money to Baba's Sansthan, and every year thereafter. Vinny Ma also discusses the significance of the amount of two and a half rupees. Transcript In 1930, once Indirabai had severe ear ache. It was so intense that she felt like throwing up. At that time, she cried before Baba’s picture saying, “Baba, I have no one but you. Please give me some relief from this pain. I can’t bear it.” Then she lay down and fell asleep. She had a vivid dream wherein she was in some strange place beneath a tent. It was very crowded and she was lost. At that moment, an old man with a white cloth tied around his head, wearing a short white coat on top of a white Dhotar appeared before her. He held her hand and gently led her out of the crowd. Then he reached the Dwarka Mai and was standing in front of the room where the Rath is kept. Suddenly, she was overcome by sleep, so she slept in the room and the old man slept behind her. Then she got up and walked a short distance away and saw a Muslim lady sitting on a mattress. There were two mattresses next to her. Indirabai enquired if she could sleep on it. The lady replied, “You can sleep on it with pleasure. It is for pilgrims like you.” Then she said, “Why are you so miserly? Go and buy 4 annas worth of fruit of the neem tree and everything will be alright, and you will recover from your illness.” Indirabai woke up startled. At that very moment, there was a knock on the door. A friend had come with some medicines for her. She took the medicine and was instantly relieved of her ear ache. Also, it never bothered her again. She realised that if you pray to Baba from the bottom of your heart, He relieves you of your troubles, and gives you immense peace and happiness. About a year later, in 1931, Indirabai was bitten on her knees by some poisonous insect. The pain was intense and unbearable. She felt as if she was being stabbed by a huge sharp knife. She looked to see what had happened to her knees and noticed two bite marks on her left knee, but there was no such mark on her right knee. She felt she should leave Pendari and get some treatment to relieve the pain. The pain was so bad that she was unable to get out of bed. She thought that if she told someone about it, they wouldn’t believe her, and she had no way of getting herself treated. Her thoughts turned to Baba, her only refuge. At once, she vowed to send Rs.2.50 to Baba’s Sansthan as soon as she got some relief. Two days later, an old Brahmin from a neighbouring village called Kinjawade suddenly came to her house. Desperately, she related what had happened to her. Without wasting a single moment, he went into the forest and brought some medicinal plants. He ground them into a paste and applied it on both her knees. He then said, “What do I know about these medicinal plants? The Almighty deity of Kinjawade, Lord Shiva, will definitely make you alright.” After two days, she felt fine and was able to do her chores without any pain. Immediately, she sent Rs.2.50 to Shirdi, as per her vow. She was pain free even a year later, so she decided to keep her vow and follow it every year thereafter. In this Leela, the meaning of Rs.2.50 could be that without the Absolute, we are half. So, when we offer ourselves with Shraddha and Saburi, by Baba’s grace, we will be relieved of the pain caused by the sting of worldly affairs. This Leela was taken from Shri Sai Leela magazine, vol. 12, nos.1& 2, 1935.

"Indirabai was taught by Baba how to count the rosary" is the 31st Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the experience of Indirabai and how, in her dream, she was saved by Baba from a Bhil who was attacking her. In yet another dream Indirabai saw Baba. This time, Baba appeared as a Kirtankar and showed her the correct method of counting the rosary beads, He also asked her to chant His name continuously. Through this Leela, Baba teaches us the importance of Naam Jap. He often stressed that if we chant His Name, He will take care of our material and spiritual well-being. Transcript About a month later, Indirabai dreamt that she was asleep in bed. A huge Bhil wearing a white Dhotar was standing near her bed. His arms akimbo, he looked at her menacingly. She thought he was going to kill her so she shouted, “Baba, please save me.” At once, Baba appeared before her and Indirabai immediately clasped His feet and begged for help. Angrily, Baba rolled His eyes at the Bhil and drove him away. Indirabai knew that whatever trouble was to befall her had been driven away. Towards the end of 1931, she again dreamt of Baba. She was at Pendari at that time. In the dream, she saw Baba acting the role of a Kirtankar. Athyabai, Deo and she were seated in the front row listening intently to the Kirtans. Baba then took two or three steps towards her and stood in front of her. He held a rosary in His hand and He showed her the correct method of counting the beads. He did this by counting a few beads in front of her. Then He showed her how to recount the beads. He then told her to chant His name. He looked at her compassionately and said, “Child chant ‘Sai, Sai’ continuously while you do your chores.” The very next day, she bought a rosary and faithfully chanted his name and circumambulated his picture 108 times. Indirabai was very grateful that Baba had given her guidance, and a mantra to live by. Baba teaches the importance of Naam Jap and the continuous chanting of Baba’s name, and when we chant His name, we have direct contact with Him. Baba often stressed that we should chant His name and He will do the rest, i.e., He will take care of our material and spiritual well-being. Finally, in this Kali Yuga, there is no greater cure to remove sins of speech than remembering your Satguru’s name. This Leela was taken from the Sai Leela magazine, vol. 12, nos. 1-2.

"Udi as a Panacea" is the 32nd Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the experience of Baba's devotee Neela who got her knee pain completely healed in Shirdi after she took Baba's Udi in some water and applied some on her knees. When she got home, Neela carefully poured the Udi she received in a bottle and put in a cupboard. One day, when she opened the bottle, she saw perfectly round smoke rings arising from the Udi to the mouth of the bottle. She touched the Udi and it felt hot, which is when she felt that Baba had blessed her with hot Udi straight from His Dhuni. Transcript Neela and her family stayed for two days on a visit to Shirdi in 1960. When Neela had left for Shirdi she had severe pain in her knee joints. She had collected some Udi from the Dwarka Mai and brought it to her room. Then she mixed some in water and took it internally, and rubbed some on her joints. After taking permission from Baba in the Dwarka Mai to leave, they returned home. At home, Neela was busy looking after her little baby, and doing her household chores. A week after returning home, she remembered that her knee joints were hurting before she left for Shirdi. However, she had no problem now, as the Udi had taken care of it. When she had reached home, Neela had carefully poured the Udi in a bottle and kept it a cupboard. Neela said to herself, “This is Baba’s precious Udi and I should preserve it carefully. This sacred Udi is a symbol of Baba Himself; besides, it is the panacea for all illnesses. Hence if I keep it in this cupboard, no one will meddle with it.” One day, Neela was looking for something so she opened the cupboard. At that time she had quite forgotten that she had kept the Udi there in a bottle. There were a number of bottles and they looked the same to her. Neela opened one bottle and what happened next left her flabbergasted. She says, “When I opened the bottle, I was astounded to see that perfectly round smoke rings were arising from the surface of the Udi to the mouth of the bottle. For a moment I thought I was imagining this. Then I thought that I might have shaken the bottle and agitated the Udi, and thus the Udi was giving me the impression of smoke rings. So I put my finger right in the centre of the ring and touched the Udi and it felt hot. “O Baba, You have blessed me by giving me hot Udi from your Dhuni.” Then the smoke rings disappeared and the Udi settled down. Immediately, she took the Udi bottle and kept it in her prayer room. This Leela is taken from Shri Sai Leela Magazine, vol. 62, no. 5, August 1986.

"The Power of Prayer" is the 33rd Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma talks about the power of collective prayer. This Leela shows how collective prayers saved the life of a member of a Bhajan group. Nagraj and his friend Tej used to attend a Bhajan group regularly. Once Tej met with a major accident and was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition. His very survival was doubtful. The Bhajan group collectively prayed for his recovery and pledged to fulfil different vows. Tej required a few bottles of B (-) ve blood, a blood group that was rare. Miraculously the hospital found a donor in a man who had arrived at the hospital to donate his blood, which was B (-)ve. It was only by Baba's grace that Tej's life was thus saved. This Leela illustrates that a selfless prayer and vow taken for the well-being of others is always fulfilled by Baba. Transcript The idea that power is inherent in prayer is an accepted one. The power of prayer is quite simply the power of God who hears and answers the prayer. Numerous devotees undertake vows and pledges to give up eating rice or drinking their favourite beverage until their wish is fulfilled. If prayers and vows are undertaken for villages and towns struck by disasters like floods or cyclones, Baba will definitely fulfil these vows. These vows are of an unselfish nature and are born out of goodwill towards the unfortunate. This Leela shows how collective prayers and vows saved the life of a member of a Bhajan group. My friend, Nagraj, narrated this Leela to me. Years ago, Mr. Kamath and his wife Vandana had started a Bhajan group in Bangalore. Every Sunday, they would perform Bhajans and soon a large group was formed. Nagraj and his friend, Tej Kumar, used to attend the Bhajans regularly. It so happened that once Tej met with a major accident and was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition. He had a severe head injury; however, the neuro-surgeon was doubtful about his survival. The entire Bhajan group was anxiously waiting outside to help in any way they could. They decided to seek refuge in Baba. They went to Vandana’s home and collectively prayed for his recovery. Nagraj says, “It was rather late at that time, and as Vandana had already performed Sej Arati, we removed the mosquito net and literally awoke Baba. Then all of us prayed for Tej’s recovery. Finally, all the group members took some vow for him. Each member took a different vow, like walking barefoot from Kopergaon to Shirdi, doing 108 Pradikshinas of the Samadhi Mandir, or Parayan of the Charita, and so forth.” “The Doctor took Tej to the operation theatre, and started the surgery. As there was profuse internal bleeding, the surgeon required 4–5 bottles of blood. It was rather difficult to arrange for the blood as Tej’s blood group was B Negative, which is a rare blood group. Then Baba’s miracle started unfolding. A Muslim gentleman who was standing in front of the hospital came on his own accord and donated his blood, which was B Negative. The surgery was successful and Tej was out of danger. We were hopeful that he would recover without any brain damage. However, we were told that Tej would be hospitalised for a long period of time.” “One day, Tej dreamt of Baba. In his dream, Tej had gone to the Samadhi Mandir which looked very different from the present Samadhi Mandir. There was just a Samadhi and it looked like the photograph of the Samadhi that is in the Museum. That is, there was a Samadhi without Baba’s idol above it, and Baba Himself was sitting inside his Samadhi. Tej approached the Samadhi and seeing a Jholi slung on Baba’s shoulder, asked, ‘Baba, what do you have in your Jholi?’ Baba smiled and said, ‘Just as you devotees read my Charita, I keep the Charita of each and every devotee of mine in my Jholi. I take it out time and again and look at it.’ And there, ended the dream.” Tej recovered fully without any neurological deficit, and is leading a happy life. From this Leela, it is evident that the vows taken and collective prayers for Tej brought him back from death’s door. This Leela was narrated by Nagraj, Bangalore, in 2004.

"Baba, the Arab, in Saudi Arabia" is the 34th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma talks about Nandu who was working in Saudi Arabia, a country with very strict laws. Nandu had a cook who started doing mischief, and one day he poured a whole lot of salt in the meal, rendering it inedible. Nandu lost his temper and ran after the cook, who went and hid in a nearby mosque nearby. Nandu followed him and slapped the cook. The cook promptly lodged a false complaint that Nandu assaulted him while he was doing his Namaz. Nandu was severely penalised, jailed. and was to have an arm and a leg amputated. It was only Baba's divine intervention that prevented this from taking place. This Leela illustrates that Baba's mercy knows no bounds; all that He needs from us is Shraddha and Saburi. Transcript In Saudi Arabia, the enforcement of law is very strict and harsh, and no mercy is shown. Nandu Haldankar and his friend were living there. They had a Muslim cook who would prepare meals for them. One day, the cook started acting up and poured a whole lot of salt into their meal. When the two friends came home for lunch, they could not eat even a morsel. Nandu lost his temper and jumped from the chair and lunged towards the cook, who escaped and hid in a mosque nearby. Nandu followed him into the mosque and slapped him. The irate cook lodged a complaint against him, stating that Nandu had assaulted him while he was doing his Namaz. The police took immediate action and locked Nandu in a cell for 22 days until the trial began. The punishment was to be the loss of an upper arm and a lower limb. Nandu’s friend wrote to his parents and informed them of the grim consequence. Nandu also wrote to them, and asked them to forget him, but he requested them to go to Baba’s temple and pray for him, although there was no hope for his acquittal. Nandu said that Baba was his last resort and nothing else could prevent the outcome. His parents didn’t know what to do. They took his horoscope to an astrologer, who hearing about the crisis politely returned the horoscope and asked them to pray fervently to Baba. Nandu was sentenced by the authorities, and was taken by the police to execute the order. The order was to chop the hand that slapped the cook, and a leg. At that moment, an Arab arrived on the spot and spoke to the Kazi in a very soothing voice. Finally, the Kazi agreed to set Nandu free, provided he paid the damages, which was indeed a very huge amount. The unknown Arab paid the hefty damages and Nandu was released. One fine morning, Nandu stood in front of his parents with all four limbs intact, and a heart full of gratitude for Baba. Baba’s grace is unfathomable, and the only prerequisite is to have Shraddha and Saburi. This Leela is taken from the Sai Leela magazine, vol. 64, no.5. August 1985.

"Baba is Lord Datta" is the 35th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the story of Shankarao who was ardently devoted to Lord Datta. However, he did not know anything about Sai Baba. It so happened that while worshipping a picture of Lord Datta, he saw that the picture gradually transformed into that of a Fakir in a white Kafni with a cloth around His head. Later when he saw Baba's photo, he recognised Him as the same Fakir in Lord Datta's picture. After receiving more information on Sai Baba, he visited Shirdi where he felt a lot of peace. Thereafter, he visited Shirdi very often and once, he was graced with Baba's Darshan. That's when he knew that he had found his Lord Datta in Baba. Transcript Shankarao Baivalli resided in Santa Cruz, Mumbai, and was ardently devoted to Lord Datta. He did not know anything about Baba, and had little interest in finding out anything about Him. But all this changed in 1936. Shankarao’s sister requested him to accompany her to Shirdi that year, but he refused her invitation. A short while later, while worshipping Lord Datta, he lovingly gazed at the photograph, and to his amazement, it gradually changed to the figure of a Fakir wearing a torn Kafni and a white cloth tied around his head. Shankarao got up and wiped the photograph with the same result. He diligently wiped the photograph thrice but every time his favourite deity was transformed into this Fakir. Shankarao had never seen a photograph of Baba; hence he didn’t know who it was. That evening, Shankarao went to Dr. Thakkar’s home and saw Baba’s photograph and recognised him as the Fakir that Lord Datta’s picture had transformed into. Eagerly he asked Thakkar about the Fakir, and received a lot of information on Baba. Shankarao told his sister that he would like to gladly accompany her to Shirdi. Thus they set out to Shirdi. There, he experienced a lot of peace and serenity that he had never experienced before. Again and again, Shankarao visited Shirdi; the effect of Baba’s divinity on him was so great that he visited Shirdi nine times in a span of 6 months. On one of his visits, he read the Guru Charitra in 7 days. On the night of the completion, Shankarao slept in the courtyard in front of the Samadhi Mandir. At midnight, he heard footsteps nearby and woke up. He looked up and saw Baba gazing at him, His eyes filled with compassion. Baba had walked from the Dwarka Mai to the Samadhi Mandir and Shankarao was overwhelmed by the love and compassion in Baba’s eyes. Shankarao then knew that he had found his Lord Datta. This Leela is taken from the Shri Sai Sudha magazine, vol.5, no. 8, June 1945.

"Asavari's Devotion" is the 36th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the story of a Lavani singer Asavari, who was very devoted to Baba, and who sang devotional songs of Baba in her melodious voice at various programmes. The audience always felt touched with her songs of devotion to Baba. One night, Baba appeared in her dreams, where He approved of her singing and blessed her. Vinny Ma also talks on the aspects of devotion, with references to the Sri Sai Satcharita, in which Baba promises His devotees that whoever sings His Leelas in any way with love and devotion will always have Baba's Grace. Transcript Asavari Vaikul was a renowned Lavani singer who resided in Mumbai. Lavani is the traditional song and dance of Maharashtra. Although she was known as the ‘Empress of Lavani,’ Asavari devotedly gave numerous programmes singing devotional songs of Baba. Her performance left the devotees gathered there spellbound, as she sang from her soul and was quite oblivious of her surroundings. Asavari was blessed with a melodious voice, and her ardent devotion to Baba was evident from her rendition. Happily, Asavari returned home after her program was over, prostrated before Baba’s picture, and then went to sleep. In the wee hours of the morning, she dreamed of Baba. Asavari found herself in the Dwarka Mai and Baba was seated in his usual place next to the railing. He was wearing a white Kafni, and a white cloth was tied around his head. However, his forehead was marked with a sandalwood Tripundra (three horizontal lines of Lord Shiva). He was sitting in his Dwarka Mai pose and His Chillum and Satka lay on the floor next to Him. He was looking intently at Dhuni Mai. Asavari climbed the steps and stood there for a moment. Baba turned His head and looked at her. He was all alone. Baba smiled and said, “My child, come in.” Happily, Asavari went and sat at His feet. With glee, Baba stroked her head and said, “My child, keep singing my songs with devotion as you do. Sing them for your entire life. Allah will bless you.” Asavari was overwhelmed by what Baba said, and she had a lump in her throat. She knew not what to say. Baba was looking at her with utter empathy, and Asavari started sobbing. Those were tears of happiness. Baba pulled her close to Him as if she was a small child, and stroked her head. Then He said, “Why do you cry? What do you want from me?” Asavari was silent for a long time. Finally, she said, “Baba let me be content and happy. I don’t want anything else.” In a pleasant voice, Baba replied, “Allah Malik. Allah Malik.” Instantaneously, Baba disappeared. Asavari screamed, “Baba!” in her sleep and woke up. She looked at Baba’s picture on the wall in front of her and mentally thanked Him. Asavari recalls, “Baba approved of my singing His devotional songs, and doing Kirtan. In fact, He stressed the importance of the first stage of Nava Vida Bhakti that is ‘Bhajan, Kirtan and Chintan’. He did not give importance to other modes of devotion. I am certain that by doing this, we will receive hundred fold blessings from Him. Thus, He gave me the key to His treasury. This is the reason it is written in the Shri Sai Satcharitra, chapter 3, ovi 12: ‘Whoever hears my Charita, narrates my Charita, and sings my Charita in any which way, but with love and devotion, I will never forsake him. He who sings my praises, my Leelas, and describes my divinity, I will stand behind him, by the side of him and surround him on all four sides with my grace’.” In chapter 21 of the Shri Sai Satcharitra, the story of Anantrao Patankar, who had read numerous theosophical texts, but didn’t have peace of mind is described. Baba narrates the parable of the merchant who astutely collected the 9 nodules of dung that the horse passed. Following this, his mind became peaceful and steady. The 9 nodules of dung are the 9 modes of devotion. The first three, i.e., Shravan (hearing the attributes, excellences or wondrous achievements of saints, as read or recited); Kirtan (reciting); and Smaran (calling to mind and meditating upon the names and perfection of the Lord) are the first steps on the ladder of devotion. Baba himself explicitly approved of Asavari’s singing of his devotional songs. This Leela is taken from the Shri Sai Leela magazine, vol. 63, November 1984.

"How Baba protected Dapthdar" is the 37th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates how Saroj Dapthdar developed faith in Baba from a very young age, when she chanted His name while walking to school. Saroj experienced many challenges in her life, and through each of those, she developed a bond with Baba, who helped her whenever she called out to Him. When her husband had severe chest pain, and the doctor couldn't come home to check him, Saroj applied Baba's Udi on his body and chanted Baba's name, and the severity of the pain reduced, although he was experiencing a heart attack. Baba continued to show His presence in Saroj's life and protected her husband from death, delaying it by another 13 years. This Leela shows that Baba is all-knowing and is the Nath- the Real Protector of all His children. Transcript The seed of faith, however small it may be in the beginning, yields a huge luscious tree in the future. Saroj Dapthdar learned this from her experiences at a tender age, and this is how it came about. In 1940, when she was 9 years old, she resided in a building in Dadar. Every morning around 6 a.m., she had to go alone to her school in Mahim. Saroj says, “As I walked in the alley alone, the street dogs would bark loudly at me. Then the pack of dogs would follow me till I reached the main road. At that age, I felt that a pride of lions was after me, so in desperation I started saying, ‘Sainath, Sainath’. At that time, I realised that if I chanted Baba’s name, my troubles would flee. After all, ‘nath’ literally means ‘Lord, protector and refuge.’ During the course of my life, I had to face many trials and tribulations, but whenever I called out to Sainath, He came to my aid. In 1962, I lived in a chawl in Goregaon. My husband worked as a clerk in a government office. I had three children, all below the age of eleven. I could hardly make ends meet, but I was content with my lot. One night around 2 a.m., my husband got severe chest pain and he was drenched in perspiration. I awoke my neighbour and requested her to get a doctor. But the doctor didn’t turn up. I thought that maybe he had abdominal gas and colic, so I gave him some baking powder with a little water. Then I applied a balm on his chest. I gave him some Udi mixed in water, and applied it to his entire body. All the while, I was continuously chanting Baba’s name. Around 5 a.m., the severity of the pain lessened and finally he fell asleep. The next morning, a neighbour was passing by on his way to work, and I stopped him and asked for help. He suspected some serious problem and immediately rushed me and my husband to the hospital. In GT Hospital, my husband was diagnosed to have had a heart attack and was admitted. He stayed in the hospital for 2 months and was treated there. Finally, he got discharged; so along with my sister and brother-in-law, we went to bring him home. When the ward boy was wheeling him out to the waiting car, a couple stopped me and gave me some Prasad from Shirdi. In my heart, I felt that this was a good omen. Prior to leaving for the hospital, after locking my house I had left the key with my neighbour. I was in for another surprise, as upon opening the door, I was astounded to see an idol of Baba seated on the table, as if He was waiting for me. Now how did this idol come there? Who could have kept it inside my house? After making a few inquiries, I learned that there was a person in my building who sold idols of Baba. For some reason, on that day he brought that idol and left it on my window sill; my neighbour saw it and placed the idol on my table. My husband was asked to take rest, so he lay on the bed and listened to the speeches given at that time by Jawaharlal Nehru. Early that morning at 4 a.m., he started shouting in his sleep. Like a man possessed, he made frantic actions with his hands, and yelled in frenzy. I shook him and asked him what had happened. He told me not to worry, and that he had a nightmare. After some time, he fell asleep. The next morning I asked him about the dream. Vividly, he described his dream, “Yesterday two huge hideous looking black men with bloodshot eyes caught hold of me. This occurred near the gate of the Goregaon cemetery. Then they kicked and beat me mercilessly. I asked them what I had done and why were they beating me? At that moment, a man resembling Nehru wearing a white shirt and white pants, came to my rescue. He said, “Arre, why are you beating this poor man? If his family hears about it, they will severely punish you.” Hearing this, those satanic looking men fled, and at that moment you woke me up.” I pacified him saying, “Yesterday you heard Nehru give his speech and so you had this dream.” Around 4 p.m. that day, my elder sister Vimlatai came to meet my husband, and enquire about his health. We had a pleasant time chatting over a cup of tea, and I told her about my husband’s dream. Vimlatai is also devoted to Baba, so she ...

"How Sai Baba blessed Dakisan Baba" is the 38th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the story of Dakisan Baba, who had great influence on the people of Pune and Mumbai. He was born into a poor family and when Dakisan was a few months old, his father passed away. When Dakisan was 18 years old, he entered a Dargah and as soon as he entered, Sai Baba appeared before him, blessed him and encouraged him to serve the needy. However, life continued to throw challenges at him and after a few months of marriage, his wife passed away. He felt very anguished by this and was about to end his life when Alishah Baba saved him and stopped him from ending his own life. About a year later, Dakisan was introduced to Khusha Bhau, who initiated Dakisan to Guru Bhakti. Since Khusha Bhau was a devotee of Sai Baba, Dakisan was also encouraged to follow Baba. Through Baba's Grace, Dakisan had a vision of Baba while intently praying, and this grew his devotion towards Baba. Later, in Mumbai, Dakisan opened a temple of Baba where he performed Aarti of Baba, spread Baba's teachings and served the needy. Although Dakisan Baba passed away in 1931, the legacy of Annadaan, social service and other seva continues even today. Transcript Innumerable saints have been born in Maharashtra, and left their legacy behind. One such saint was Daskisan Baba, who had a great influence on the people of Pune and Mumbai. He was born on Shravan Vad Ashtami by the Hindu calendar, and the month of September in the year 1904 by the English calendar. His parents, Lakshmanrao Naik and Jamunabai, resided in Pune and were exceedingly poor. When Daskisan was a few months old, his father passed away and his mother faced countless hardships and struggles. One day, in utter desperation, his mother took little Daskisan and threw him in a garbage heap. However, a Muslim lady named Chandani who lived nearby rescued him and gave him back to his mother. Around the age of 18, Daskisan left home and wandered about, and finally came to Aurangabad. There he sought refuge in a Dargah that had a lot of Fakirs living there. Upon entering the Dargah, Sai Baba appeared before him and blessed him, saying, “The Almighty God will take care of everything. Child, work honestly for an anna or two, so that you can fill your stomach, and perform service for the needy.” At that time, Daskisan didn’t even have a rag to cover his body, and Baba gave him a Kafni. When he was 22 years old, he married a pious and devout lady named Radhabai. Unexpectedly, his wife passed away a few months after marriage. Daskisan was devastated and anguished by this, and felt that life was not worth living. One day, he decided to end his life by jumping into the Mulla Mota river. So he went to Lakdi Pull (the name of the bridge) and was about to jump into the river, when Alishah Baba, a Sufi saint, prevented him from doing so. Alishah Baba spoke to him compassionately and calmed his troubled mind. About a year later, a devout lady named Lakshmibai introduced Daskisan to Sadguru Krishanath alias Khusha Bhau Mirajker. From the very first meeting, a deep friendship developed between the two. Following this, Khusha Bhau, through Professor Narke, gave Daskisan a ‘Guru Mantra’ and initiated him into ‘Guru Bhakti’. At that time, Lord Dattatreya manifested before him and blessed him. As Khusha Bhau was ardently devoted to Sai Baba, it was but natural that he was greatly responsible for influencing Daskisan to worship Sai Baba. Once Khusha Bhau made Daskisan sit in front of a picture of Sai Baba and meditate and worship Him intensely. And lo, Baba appeared before him and blessed him. Thereafter, Daskisan became devoted to Baba and inculcated Baba’s teachings in his life. After Khusha Bhau passed away, Daskisan started performing Baba’s Aartis and preaching about Baba’s divinity. Finally, Daskishan settled in Girgaon, Mumbai, where he built a beautiful Sai Baba temple, which houses a marble idol of Him. This temple is popularly known as ‘Mangal Sai Dham’. Here, all the festivals are celebrated on a grand scale, along with Aartis of Baba, exactly as they are performed in Shirdi. On a regular basis, there are talks and discourses on Baba’s teachings, along with Kirtans and devotional songs. The focal point of this temple is to make its congregation aware of Baba’s teachings and help them incorporate these into their daily lives. The unique feature of this temple is that it is not just a place of worship, but it is foremost in doing ‘Sai Seva’. They provide food on a daily basis to the slums and poor neighbourhoods. A dispensary is open and takes care of the poor and needy people. There is special care given to needy children, and a doctor is available to examine them free of cost, and provide free treatment. There is an orphanage that provides for all their needs, like meals, clothes and education. Besides this, numerous social services are provided. This temple is one of its kind....

"Baba is aware of her valve replacement" is the 39th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the story of Sunita, a devotee of Baba who was admitted to the hospital due to shortness of breath and was advised to undergo surgery for valve replacement. Sunita was feeling anxious but Baba pacified her by showing His presence to her and she felt confident that Baba was there to look after her. Post her surgery, Baba appeared to her in the Form of a young student nurse and tended to her. This Leela is yet another testament to Baba's caring compassion for His children, and His assurance that He is always with us and takes care of us in ways unimaginable. Transcript Sunita Arote resided in Mumbai with her husband and daughter. She had been feeling tired and had shortness of breath. So, she got admitted in Bombay Hospital for a check-up. After she had a complete workup, the doctor told her husband that Sunita’s left mitral valve was not functioning properly and it would have to be replaced. He also told him that the surgery was risky in her weakened condition. Nonetheless, it would have to be performed as soon as possible. Sunita’s husband broke the news to her very gently, and reassured her that Baba was there to look after her. Sunita burst into tears and cried her heart out, but they had to make a decision and fix a date for the surgery. Finally, the date was set and two days prior to the surgery, she was admitted for the pre-operative workup. She had brought a small photograph of Baba which she kept on the table next to her. She also had Udi and Baba’s Ashtothar (the 108 names of Baba) which she read daily. On the day prior to her surgery, she had a vivid dream, wherein she was admitted to a huge ward with many patients. There were numerous people there, and she lay quietly watching them. Then a small boy about 8 years old made his way through the crowd and came forward shouting, “Who is Arote from Shirdi?” She raised her hand as she had lived in Shirdi prior to her marriage and said, “I am Arote from Shirdi.” Then he said, “Baba has sent me to ask you which valve of yours is to be replaced? Is it the right valve or the left valve?” She replied, “The doctor told me that the left valve is to be replaced.” After hearing her reply, the small boy left. When her husband came to meet her, she narrated the dream to him. Her husband told her not to worry as Baba was fully aware of her surgery. Sunita was now confident that Baba’s grace was with her and nothing could go wrong. On the day of the surgery, she got ready early in the morning and prayed to Baba. Then she read the Ashtothar and the room was filled with Baba’s aroma. Sunita then felt confident that Baba was indeed there to look after her. She had her surgery, and her husband was anxiously waiting outside for the doctor. Finally the doctor met him and told him that the operation was a success. He thanked the doctor profusely and then shed tears of gratitude at Baba’s feet. Sunita was in the ICU for a week, and later shifted to a room. In the room, she was sponged and her personal hygiene was taken care of. The nurse who attended to her was a very young student who used to comb her hair. The student was about 13 years old. Sunita was surprised to see such a young nurse. She conversed with her, and the student told her that her name was Jyoti. Sunita then asked her where she resided. Jyoti replied, “I live in Shirdi, and my home is next to the Samadhi Mandir.” Sunita immediately replied, “I too lived in Shirdi.” Then the student left. Sunita pondered over the conversation, thinking ‘but there is no home adjacent to the Samadhi Mandir’. Jyoti came every morning and evening and took very good care of her. On the fourth day, Sunita felt very well and awaited Jyoti’s arrival. But, another nurse turned up. Sunita asked, “Why hasn’t the student nurse, Jyoti, come today?” The nurse replied, “Which student nurse? There is no nurse called Jyoti.” In wonder, Sunita replied, “Jyoti who lives in Shirdi.” The nurse again said, “My dear, there is no nurse called Jyoti who lives in Shirdi working with us,” and she left. Then it dawned on her that Baba had appeared as the little boy and the young Jyoti to take care of her. Her eyes filled with tears at Baba’s kind, caring compassion. This Leela is taken from Shri Sai Prasad magazine, Deepavali issue, 1998.

"Hansraj beats the cat and welts appear on Baba's back" is the 40th Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates the story of Hansraj, a patient of severe asthma, who was advised to approach Baba for relief from his condition. Baba cautioned him not to eat yoghurt, acidic and pungent foods, but Hansraj loved yoghurt and could not live without eating it daily with his lunch. A cat started coming each day to his house in his absence and it would eat up the yoghurt. This angered Hansraj so much that one day he caught the cat and thrashed it. That evening, when Hansraj went to the Dwarkamai, Baba told other devotees that here was a man who did the opposite of what he was told to do, that he continued to consume yoghurt which was not good for him; so to prevent him from doing so, Baba would go to his house in the form of a cat and finish the yogurt. And then Baba showed them the welts on His back, caused by Hansraj's thrashing of the cat. This Leela shows that Baba can appear before us in the form of any living creature, and also, what may appear to be inconvenient may, in fact, be for our higher good. Transcript Hansraj Vaani had asthma; it was very severe and tormented him day and night. He was advised by Narsinga Baba Maharaj of Nasik to seek refuge at Baba’s feet. Hence he and his wife came to Shirdi and made it their home. Baba cautioned Hansraj, and told him not to eat yoghurt or acidic and pungent food items. But Hansraj loved yoghurt, and felt that his meal was incomplete without it. In fact, he felt that he could give up his life, rather than give up eating yoghurt. He forced his wife to prepare yoghurt daily, so he could have it with lunch. They had lunch after the noon Aarti, and while they attended it, a cat would sneak in and eat the yoghurt. This bothered Hansraj a lot as he had to have his meal without yoghurt. So, Hansraj devised a plan. He asked his wife to keep the vessel in a sling and hang it from the rafters. Nonetheless, the cat somehow managed to eat it. One day, he decided to catch the cat in the act and give it a good thrashing. He waited with a stick in his hand for the cat to commit the act. Indeed the cat came into the house, and somehow managed to climb up and eat the yoghurt. As soon as the cat had finished eating, she descended and Hansraj gave her a good flogging. In the evening, Hansraj went to the Dwarka Mai, where Baba was sitting with his devotees. Baba looked at Hansraj and said, “There is an Utpatiya who does the opposite of what he is asked to do, and who wants to die by eating sour and pungent things. But I will not allow him to do so. I went to his home in the form of a cat to eat the yogurt, and he gave me a good thrashing.” Then Baba exposed His back and there were red welts from the beating. Many a time, Baba appeared before His devotees to assure them or satisfy them, but He did so in a unique manner and appeared in different forms. “Sometimes. I’m a dog. Sometimes, I’m a pig or a cow, a cat or a fly or an aquatic creature. In various forms do I move about in the Universe,” said Baba in the Sai Satcharitra Chapter 19, ovi 129. This Leela of Hansraj is taken from Devotee’s Experiences of Shri Sai Baba, by Narasimha Swamiji.

"Padmanabendra Swami of Alandi" is the 41st Leela in the series. In this clip, Vinny Ma narrates a detailed account of Swami Padmanabendra's meeting with Baba and how he was so deeply affected by Baba's divinity. Following Dixit's advice, Swami visited Shirdi. He had a swelling behind his ear and doctors in Alandi and Nagpur had advised surgery. In Shirdi, other devotees urged him to tell Baba about the swelling, and although reluctant to do so, Swami asked Madhavrao Deshpande to tell Baba about the problem. Baba lovingly assured Swami by saying, "Allah sab achcha karege," and upon hearing these words, his troubled mind became calm. When he went to Mumbai to consult another doctor, there was no need for surgery! "Since he has come to me, I will give him something," Baba had said. This Leela illustrates the love and compassion of Baba who never sends his devotees back empty-handed. Transcript This Leela is given in the Sri Sai Satcharitra, chapter 13. In the Sai Leela magazine of 1923, the Swami himself has given a detailed account and it is given below. He states, “Following the advice of beloved Shriman Hari Sitaram Dixit, residing in Mumbai, I visited Shirdi. By the grace of Shri Sai Baba, I am enveloped by an abundance of joy. After my pilgrimage to Shirdi, I returned on Thursday, the 29th of January, and proceeded to Alandi. There, I attended the Punya Thithi of Shri Guru Maharaj Tukaram on the 2nd of February. On the following day, which was a Tuesday, I went to Mumbai. There, I consulted Dr. Underwood regarding a swelling behind my ear extending to the neck.” His advice was, “Oh, but no surgery is required.” Then, he gave me an injection of some serum. He further added, “This will take care of the swelling.” He then narrates his experience in Shirdi. It is impossible to describe the lustrous divinity of Shri Sai Maharaj. The effect is mind-boggling and I got immense peace. Many of the devotees gathered there advised me to tell Sai Maharaj about the swelling. But, from my heart and soul, I was disinclined to do so. The reason for not doing so was that I had gone solely to have his Darshan without any ulterior motive. I strongly believed that Prarabdha Karma has to be borne by me. However, ultimately, I asked Madhavrao Deshpande to tell Maharaj about the problem. Accordingly, he brought up the topic while I was having Darshan. Maharaj lovingly said, “Allah sab achcha karega.” At that very moment, my troubled mind became calm. The doctor at Nagpur had advised surgery, so had the doctor from Alandi. They were consulted prior to my visit to Shirdi, but the doctor from Mumbai had said the surgery was not required and administered the serum injection, following which the swelling shrunk a lot and the pain subsided completely. All this happened after Sai Maharaj spoke these words. Thinking about this, it leaves me wonderstruck and happy. On the first day of my visit, Maharaj asked for Dakshina. I replied, “Maharaj, I am a Sanyasi. Where will I have money?” After I had Darshan, Baba said to Madhavrao Deshpande, ‘‘I wanted to know if he will give me something, but he won’t give me anything. Since he has come to me, I will give him something.” From the moment these words were uttered, I became trouble-free. What can I say about this Siddh Purush, except that He is Sri Narayan in human form? This Leela was taken from Sai Leela magazine, no. 5, year 1, 1923.

'Baba’s ‘Rehem Nazar’ Breathes Life into a Dead Man' is the 42nd story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Das Ganu was a police constable who turned into a Kirtankar by Baba’s grace. Chapter 15 of Shri Sai Satcharitra describes how Das Ganu was established in the Naradeeya Kirtan Paddhati. Baba admonished Das Ganu for his elaborate dress and outward show. The only prerequisite was purity of heart and soul and an intense passion for Bhakti. Das Ganu had a wonderful metallic tinkling voice, and because of his Kirtans, Baba’s fame spread throughout Maharashtra. He had a ritual that he followed. First, he would take Baba’s permission, then at the place of Kirtan, he would keep Baba’s photograph on a stool, offer prayers and only then would he start his Kirtan. On one of his visits to Shirdi, Das Ganu was invited to a village nearby. He went to take permission, when Baba said, “Ganya, take Bhau with you.” Baba addressed Das Ganu as ‘Ganya’, and Jyotindra Tarkhad as ‘Bhau’. Das Ganu had no problem in taking Bhau with him, but he did not want to break his routine with Baba. Bhau would light Petromax lanterns in the Dwarka Mai daily and do Baba’s Seva. However, Baba told Ganu not to worry about that as someone else would light the lanterns. Baba insisted, rather ordered him to take Bhau along with him. The village was about 8 to 10 kilometres from Shirdi. They had to walk to the village due to lack of transportation. Finally, they reached there and it was past dusk, and getting dark. They hung lanterns in the four corners of the place, then Das Ganu placed Baba’s photograph on the stool, did puja and started the Kirtan. A huge crowd that had gathered there was immersed in the Kirtan. Then there was a commotion. About eight well-built Bhils came there. They were carrying a dead body on a bier. The leader of the group came up to Das Ganu in a threatening stance and asked him to stop all the noise. He then pointed to Baba’s photograph and asked, “Who is this?” Das Ganu, oblivious of what had happened, waxed lyrical about the divinity and greatness of Baba. The leader then said, “If your God is so great then He can surely give life to the dead.” The leader further threatened to kill all of them if the person was not resurrected. Das Ganu politely asked them to be seated. He then turned to Bhau and asked him his opinion. Bhau told Das Ganu to continue with the Kirtan for he knew it was Baba’s Leela. Then he added, “Ganu Maharaj, sing ‘Sai, rehem nazar karna bacchon ka palan karna’ and leave the rest at Baba’s feet. He will surely protect us.” Das Ganu again started singing and soon he was immersed and oblivious of his surroundings. He was dancing with joy and devotion. Bhau was looking intently at the dead person. After some time, the dead man struggled and set himself free from the bier and sat up. Bhau then went to Das Ganu and said, “Maharaj, stop the Kirtan for a while. Baba has done our work. That man is alive. Now there is no danger to our lives.” The leader of the group came to Das Ganu and asked him about Baba. Then he promised Ganu that he and his relatives would definitely visit Shirdi. After this incident, Bhau and Das Ganu went to the Dwarka Mai and fell at Baba’s feet. Baba said, “Arre Ganya, if my Bhau had not accompanied you yesterday, you know what would have happened to you.” Simultaneously, they both replied, “Baba, all this was your Leela. Nevertheless, please look after us and save us from these adverse situations, and continue to shower your blessings on us.” This Leela is taken from Shri Sai Swanubhav Tarkhadanche.

'Lighting Lamps without Oil' is the 43rd story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript The sacred festival of Guru Purnima fell on the 24th of July 2002. Early in the morning, Megha Shrisa Kamath visited the Sai Baba Temple and offered fruits and confectionery to Baba. Then she went to Vijay Hazare’s home and spent some quality time talking about Baba’s Leelas. That night, as usual, Megha chanted Baba’s name, and soon fell fast asleep. A short while later, Megha had this wonderful, life-changing dream. In the dream, Megha saw Baba seated in His usual place in the sanctum sanctorum. Baba was sitting in His characteristic posture next to the railing with His left forearm resting on it. Megha ran up the steps of the Dwarka Mai and clasped Baba’s feet and laid her head on them. Baba then placed his beatific hand on her head and blessed her, saying, “Allah Malik.” He then applied some Udi on her forehead. Megha sat in front of Baba and asked Him, “Baba, why did you light the earthen lamps with water?” Baba paused a while and said, “I had to light the lamps without oil for the welfare of all my devotees. My heart is overflowing with Maya, love and compassion for each and every devotee. However, I am sorrowful to see that people are full of vicious tendencies. Unfortunately, it is wide spread and I see it in all four directions, and it hurts me.” Megha immediately asked, “Baba, what vicious tendencies?” Shaking His head Baba answered, “A multitude of people pour oil in lamps and light them daily. They place them in their prayer room in front of God, outside their front door, and next to the Tulsi Vrindavan. Some do this ritual four times a day, while others keep an ‘ever burning’ lamp in their prayer room. Yet they are spiteful, malicious and inhuman to others. Their heart is devoid of empathy, humanity and love for other human beings. It is futile to light a lamp without love and compassion; it is akin to lighting a lamp without oil. So why light a lamp at all? Daily, you light a lamp then go out and do deceitful acts, and conspire against others. You then spend huge amounts of money and offer incense, flowers and Prasad to me, and make a show of your devotion. The person may be a man or a woman, they may be a brother and sister, a husband and wife, or any other relative, but their relationship is barren and devoid of love. Because they are ‘blood relatives’ and they are bound to each other through karmic bonds, the relationship is grudgingly maintained. Unfortunately, a mother-in-law does not consider her daughter-in-law as her very own daughter; or, the elder brother’s wife is devoid of love and sisterly affection towards the younger brother’s wife. I perceive intense darkness in the deep recess of your mind and heart. Indeed a few of you are straightforward, humane and compassionate, and it is extremely hard for you to survive in this world. If your heart and mind is devoid of love, do not bother to light a lamp. I feel a person should light a lamp if his heart is pure and free of ill will towards others, and then it will dispel the darkness. And the real lamp will be ignited. Neither my Udi nor meditation will help if you are bereft of good will towards others. Only when you embrace love and compassion will the darkness disappear. I am saddened by the intense darkness that I see all around me. My child, you questioned me about lighting lamps with water, so I told you this. It will benefit all of you if you tell as many devotees as you can about what I said, and make them aware of it. Even if they don’t read my Leelas, my Charita or perform my Aartis, it is alright as long as they embrace my message and change their callous ways. My dear child, will you do this for me?” After saying this, Baba with tears in His eyes placed his hand on Megha’s head and blessed her. At that very moment, she woke up and realized that she had been dreaming. From that moment, it had become a mission in her life to give every devotee that she meets Baba’s special message. This Leela was taken from Sai Prasad, Deepavali ank, 2002.

'How Baba Protected Ambakar' is the 44th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript A.G. Ambakar, a resident of Dombivali, Mumbai, is devoted to Baba. He strongly feels that this Universe cannot function without Baba’s grace. That you are able to breathe is due to His benevolence. Each breath that you take is because of Him. Yet we are filled with false arrogance. When we are unable to fully know ourselves, then how can we comprehend the greatness of Baba? Just hand over your life to Baba and then you will realise what He will do for you. On Bhau Beej (two days after Deepavali) in 1995, terrorists had planted a bomb in one of the bogies of the Mumbai-Ambarnath train that exploded at Kalyan Station. On that day, Ambakar was working the night shift at the S.T. Depot (State Transportation Department) which was close to the railway station. That night around 11p.m., his friend and colleague suggested that they go out and have a meal. Thus, they went to a restaurant, and Baba saved them from injury and death. They had hardly started their meal when they heard the loud, earth shattering sound of the explosion. Shortly after that, they heard the sirens of the police vans and the fire brigade. It was then that Ambakar realised that there was an explosion in the Ambarnath train. The impact of the explosion had not spared the building where he worked, although it was quite some distance away. The glass panes of the windows were shattered and there was debris all around. But by Baba’s grace, no one was hurt in his building. Upon completing his night shift, while returning home, he saw the devastation caused by the explosion. The bogie was a mangled mass of soot-covered steel. The next evening, he was apprehensive of travelling by train. Ambakar’s mind was in turmoil as he had seen the devastation caused by the explosion. Nevertheless, he lit an incense stick in front of Baba, applied Udi to his forehead and set out. On the way, Ambakar decided that he would board the train to Kalyan and avoid the Ambarnath train. He reached the Dombivali station and the Kalyan train arrived, but he was still a bit frightened. He finally boarded the train and it so happened that the bogie was empty. Ambakar looked around and on the rack opposite him, he saw bundles that were tied in a cotton sheet. His heart skipped a beat as he thought, “If those two bundles are filled with explosives, I won’t reach Kalyan as I will be blown to smithereens.” So he decided to go to the rear end of the bogie. At that very moment, he heard Baba’s voice loud and clear, “Arre vedya, marnala bheetos. Wah re! Kuthe bhe gelyas tari, theye yenarach! Tithes ubhe raha.” Roughly translated, it means: “Oh, you fool, you are afraid of death. No matter where you go, death will definitely come. Just stay where you are.” Hearing Baba say this, Ambakar was overwhelmed. He thought of how much concern Baba had for him, and his mind lost its fear. Ambakar said to himself, “Fool, death is waiting behind your back. Death is inevitable no matter where you are. But Baba is in front of you, so chant His name. Baba will help you cross this ocean of material life and will give you the strength to walk on the path to salvation.” In chapter 27 of the Shri Sai Satcharitra, Baba himself extols the power and significance of chanting his name (Naam Jap) and it is given below as He said it to Shama: “Naam can smash mountains of sins. Naam can sever the bondage of the physical body. Naam can eradicate and destroy millions of evil passions. Chanting the Naam can break the neck of death itself; it avoids the pull of the birth-death cycle. Naam, when chanted with conscious effort, is excellent. Chanted without conscious effort is not bad either. Even if it comes to the lips unexpectedly, it will reveal its power. There is no other means easier than the Naam to purify the heart. It is the adornment of the tongue. Naam nourishes the spiritual life.” This Leela was taken from the Shri Sai Sagar magazine, Ramnavami edition, March–April 2000.

'Manohar’s Pilgrimage Experiences' is the 45th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcipt The next two Leelas describe the experiences that Manohar had while making pilgrimages on foot to various holy shrines. Once, Manohar (his last name is not mentioned) was making a pilgrimage from Junagadh to Shirdi on foot. He had walked from Junagadh and had almost reached Porbandar. Just before reaching the city, he halted at a Ram Mandir, which was a short distance away from the main road. There, he found a Ramanandi (followers of the medieval saint Ramanand) priest who was performing the worship, rituals and looking after the temple. The priest questioned him about the holy destination he was bound for. Manohar told him that he was walking to Shirdi. As soon as he mentioned Shirdi, the priest’s eyes twinkled with joy. He requested Manohar to stay overnight in the temple, and leave the next morning. Manohar gladly accepted his request as that was what he had intended to do. Then the priest served him a simple meal and they sat and chatted. The priest had a lot of questions about Shirdi, and asked, “Where in Maharashtra is Shirdi? How do I reach Shirdi from here? Is there a Dharamshala for me to stay in?” Manohar gave him all the necessary information. Then the priest recounted his experience: “A few days ago, a Fakir came here. I welcomed him, and inquired if he would like to have a meal. He refused the meal, but he accepted the glass of milk that I offered him. We chatted for a while, but unfortunately his Hindi was very difficult for me to understand. The only sentence that I could understand was that he knew my Guru and then he had to leave. I requested him to stay but he refused. Just prior to that, he handed me a book and asked me to read it. The book was a religious text as it was wrapped in an ochre-coloured cloth. I accepted the book and put it away without opening it. The Fakir then left and I stood at the entrance as I watched him stride away. He must have taken three steps when he disappeared. I was surprised to see this. I immediately turned around and opened the book he had given me. It was Sai Baba’s Charita. I opened it and looked at the photograph in it. I was stunned to see that the Fakir who sat here a short while ago was Sai Baba Himself. The Pothi was in Marathi so I was unable to understand it. Nevertheless, I asked a number of people about the photograph and one of them told me about Baba. He told me that Baba was a great saint who lived in Maharashtra, and that He had taken Samadhi in 1918. Hearing this, I was very astonished. So many years after His Samadhi, Baba had appeared here. He had been seated here, and talked to me. I am from Uttar Pradesh and Baba from Maharashtra, and yet He knew my Guru. I had seen him disappear before my very own eyes. All this left me spellbound and I wished to visit Shirdi at least once.” On another occasion, while on a pilgrimage to Rishikesh by foot, Manohar halted at Shankaracharya Nagar at the Ashram of Mahesh Yogi called Swarg Ashram. This Ashram was situated on the banks of the Ganges River, and Manohar intended to stay there for a few days. The caretaker of the Ashram was Ramnesh, who was a Brahmachari from the Gadhwal region. Ramnesh welcomed Manohar and gave him a room to stay in. What surprised Manohar the most was a picture of Baba hanging on the wall. He enquired about it from Ramnesh, who told him that a few years ago, a Brahmachari from Maharashtra had stayed in the Ashram for a few days, and prior to his departure he had given the picture to Ramnesh. Ramnesh hadn’t known anything about Baba at that time, but had accepted the picture happily. He had hung it in that room as he had thought that it would enhance the appearance of the room. On one occasion, Ramnesh had fallen quite sick, and all the treatment that he took proved futile. Soon he was confined to bed. As he lay on bed in despair, his attention was drawn to the picture and he thought, “If I recover from this illness quickly, I will start worshipping you.” To his utter surprise, he started feeling better from that very evening and soon regained his health. Thenceforth, he started worshipping the picture in his own way. Ramnesh recalled, “I was doing Yoga for a long time, and once I tried to do a very difficult Asana but was unsuccessful. Time and again I tried without success, so I decided to forget it. A long while later I tried the Asana again, but to no avail. Then I turned to Baba for help and said, “If you are a really great saint, I will first take your name and try the Asana, and if I succeed, then I will know for sure that you are a Sadguru.” Then he once again tried the Asana and achieved it effortlessly, almost as if he had perfected it under the guidance of a Guru. Thus, his fait...

'Baba Protects Telkar' is the 46th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript This Leela is about Dashrath R. Telkar. In 1963, Dashrath had diligently concentrated on his academics, and burned the midnight oil to appear for his Matriculation examination. After the examination, he was free to enjoy his vacation. Dashrath and his family lived in Mumbai and spent their vacation at their ancestral home in Khajni. He was glad to meet all his friends, and they spent all their time together. Early in the morning they would meet, go to the nearby forest, and eat mangoes, jackfruit and cashews that grew abundantly in the forest. At other times, they would go rock-climbing or swim in the nearby lake. Life went on without a care in the world with Dashrath helping his parents in any way that he could. He would accompany his father to the fields and plough them when the need arose. Sometimes he would go to the village shops and bring a sack of onions or whatever grocery his mother required. On May 13th, 1963, a frightening incident took place. Dashrath recalls, “That morning, my father and I had decided to take the paddy to Murud (Janjira) to get it threshed. Both of us filled the paddy into sacks, stacked them on a bullock cart, and set out. Murud is about 8 miles from Khajni, but the road leading to it is an unpaved dirt road. We reached the Murud threshing mill at 12 noon. I immediately went and got a number for our turn. According to the number, we would receive the threshed paddy around 6 p.m. and that is exactly what happened. Quickly, we stacked the sacks of rice on the bullock cart and took the road back to Khajni. After traversing about 2 miles, we were engulfed in pitch darkness. I lit the lantern that I had brought along, and started walking slightly ahead of the cart, hoping that the bullocks could see the dirt path ahead of them. By then, it was around 8 p.m. and I could hardly see anything around me. My father was urging and encouraging the bullocks to move faster. We must have walked another 3 miles, when the kerosene lantern that I was using flickered and extinguished. I realised that I didn’t have a bottle of kerosene to refill it. It was around 10 p.m. at that time, and the night was filled with the chirping of crickets and other night creatures. “Now we were in trouble as there was no village nearby, and we were approaching the forest. The option of stopping for the night didn’t arise. The tribal people who lived in the forest were known to waylay unsuspecting travellers and rob them. Moreover we had 5 sacks filled with rice, and I had the reins of the bullocks in my hand. The bullocks moved ahead very slowly and cautiously. The darkness was now denser as we were in the heart of the forest. I was scared. My mind started playing tricks on me, and doubts and scary thoughts made my hair stand on end. I started praying to Baba and asked him to come to our aid. “The cart must have hardly travelled a mile when I heard some people approaching us. They were talking amongst themselves. I pulled hard to stop the bullocks from proceeding. My heart was in my mouth, and my father must have dozed off, as he asked me why I had halted. I was unable to speak from fear. Three hurly burly men with stout bamboo sticks came and stood before the cart. It was pointless trying to flee now as they were three of them and they knew the forest well. One of them shouted a barrage of questions, ‘Who are you? Where are you going? What is in the cart?’ In a quivering voice, my father told them that we lived in Khajni and had gone to Murud to get the paddy threshed. Then he asked us to get down from the cart and hand over all the money that we had. The only solution was to obey them, so we got down and I put my hand in my pocket to give them the money, when Baba came to our aid. “Four men with lanterns in their hands approached, loudly calling out my father’s name. Now the thugs were outnumbered so they fled, and I started pelting stones at them. Our rescuers enquired about the attack, and two of them agreed to accompany us, while the other two went on. They accompanied us up to the village, but when my father requested them to come home, they refused. My father thanked them for saving our lives, and asked them who they were. One of them said, ‘The four of us live together in the forest. We have neither a name nor a village to identify us by.’ Saying this, they hurriedly left. My father and I were filled with awe at all this, so we bowed our heads and thanked Baba silently. “Finally we reached home at 1 a.m., unloaded the sacks and retired for the night. The next morning, we narrated everything that happened the previous night to everyone. Unanimously, they all said, ‘You are devoted to Baba and found yourself in a precarious situatio...

'How Baba Blessed Prabhune' is the 47th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Before he bought his apartment, Prabhune and his family rented a two-room apartment. One night, he was sleeping next to the window, while his daughter was sleeping on a cot that was against the opposite wall. On that wall, there was a colour picture of Baba with His hand raised in the Ashirwaad position. At night, his daughter felt thirsty and woke up. What she saw left her mesmerised, and she forgot all about her thirst. From Baba’s raised hand, a beam of light was emitting and it traversed the room and touched her father’s body. After touching his body, it stayed there and didn’t go out of the window. Fascinated, she continued watching this phenomenon. It was as if someone had pointed a flashlight at her father’s body. But there was no flashlight in that room. The next morning, she related what had happened the night before. Humbly, Prabhune said, “You are indeed fortunate to behold the blessings poured forth from Baba’s hand.” In the early 1950’s, the Abhishek Pooja was conducted on top of the Samadhi. The devotees were seated on wooden seats in front of Baba’s idol and after the Pooja, they were allowed to prostrate at Baba’s feet. Nowadays, because of the overwhelming crowds, this practice is discontinued in Shirdi. Prabhune would, without fail, reach Shirdi in time to buy an Abhishek ticket. He would get up early in the morning to catch the bus at Shivaji Nagar. Once he missed the bus and there was no bus until 10 a.m., so it was impossible for him to reach Shirdi on time. He boarded a bus going to Dhule and reached Shirdi, but there were no tickets available for the Abhishek. Disappointed, he went to the Dwarka Mai. The Dwarka Mai was empty and he sat in front of Baba’s Padukas and cried, “Baba, this is the first time that I am unable to perform your Abhishek. Do something so I am able to perform it.” Then with disappointment he banged his head on the Padukas. Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he banged his head again and again. Then he felt someone place his hand on his head with compassion and caress his head twice. He recognised that touch and looked up. No one was there, but there was a smile on Baba’s Dwarka Mai picture. He looked down to see that his tears had accumulated on the Padukas, as if he had done Abhishek to them with his tears. Baba covers His children with a blue light eternally and fulfils their wishes, however trivial they may be. This Leela is from the Shri Sagar magazine, Deepavali issue, 2002.

'Baba Gives Him a Son Named Sai Prasad' is the 48th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Prabhune thought, “If only Baba would bless me with a son.” He had two daughters and yearned to have a son. “What if the next child is a daughter,” he wondered about this a lot. So he placed his problem at Baba’s feet. Once he went to a renowned saint and asked him about it. The saint told him that he would definitely get a daughter as he was not destined to have a son. At that moment, he felt that it was a challenge to his faith in Baba. Sometime later, when his wife got pregnant, he told her he would go to Shirdi every month for the next 9 months until she gave birth. Thus, he visited Shirdi and got down at Sathe Wada and went to room number 21, where Nana Sahib Rasne resided. He then went to the Samadhi Mandir and performed Abhishek to the Samadhi and prostrated at Baba’s feet. Nana Sahib loved Prabhune like a son, so he asked him, “Why are you coming to Shirdi every month? What important work do you have with Baba?” Prabhune gave him an evasive answer. On his next visit, he stayed overnight with Nana Sahib. He woke up early in the morning and found Nana seated on the floor smiling at him. Then Nana said, “Just a short while ago, Baba came here and sat on your cot. I asked him the reason for your regular visits to Shirdi. And he told me that you come to Shirdi every month because you want a son. Baba said, ‘I cannot grant him that as he isn’t destined to have a son.’ So I told Baba, ‘If he so desires, then can’t you fulfil his desire? Just give him a son and be done with it.’ But Baba stubbornly said ‘No’ and when I kept insisting, he finally agreed and left.” When Prabhune returned to Pune, he was invited to a devotee’s home, as a saint named Gautam Maharaj was visiting them that evening. He went there at the scheduled time and sat in a corner of the room as it was overcrowded. The saint arrived and looked around the room and beckoned to Prabhune and said he would like to visit his home. They then went home and his wife welcomed them. Then he said, “I was searching for you as I have a message from Baba for you. He told me to tell you that you will get a son and he should be named Sai Prasad.” A month later, Prabhune got a vivid dream wherein he saw a lit lamp outside his home. Then the light from the lamp came towards him and stopped in front of him, and he woke up. He realised that the light was an indication of the light of his descendants, i.e., a son would surely be born. And thus it came to pass that his wife delivered a healthy boy who was named Sai Prasad. Nothing is impossible with Baba, as everything happening will occur at His command and His will. This Leela is taken from Shri Sai Sagar magazine, Nov-Dec issue, 2003.

'Kathe Maharaj’s Sai Darbar' is the 49th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Madhavrao Dixit of Pune says, “My guru, Kathe Maharaj, was ardently devoted to Sai Baba. He was well built and in good health. At the age of 56, he suddenly developed severe diabetes, with a blood glucose level of 600. I firmly believe that he took my diabetes on himself as I was careless about my health. He took Samadhi a day after worshipping Baba on Guru Purnima and saved my life. I feel he and Baba worked in unison because a year later, I had severe chest pain and signs of heart disease. That night, I had a vivid dream wherein Baba kicked me on my chest and I was thrown on to the street below. Then he came and placed His knee on the left side of my chest. This gave me intense pain, but my heart disease vanished.” “Kathe Maharaj’s Sai Darbar is at Tingre Nagar, Lohegaon, Pune. A stubborn atheist once came there to test him. He wanted to know if he was fake or a spiritually enlightened person, if his devotion to Baba was real or a façade, so that people could call him Maharaj. The atheist stood before Kathe Maharaj and said, “If you have the power and capability to emit smoke from an empty chillum like Swami Samarth only then should you call yourself Maharaj.” With calm poise, Maharaj said, “I am only a devotee of Sai Baba. I don’t possess the power nor capability as minute as a speck of dust of His feet. But to come to this Darbar to test me is not right. However, you are welcome to come here and have a meal which is served after being offered to Baba. And then you may leave in peace.” The atheist did return for the meal, but was restless and he couldn’t contain his curiosity. He said, “If you can answer my question, I will definitely call you Maharaj. Tell me how many stars are there in the sky?” Maharaj replied, “I will count them the whole night and give you the answer tomorrow.” Then the atheist left. Kathe Maharaj, as usual, sought refuge in Baba and sat in meditation. Baba could not bear His dear devotee being insulted so He helped him through His Udi. He appeared before Kathe Maharaj and said, “When the man returns for his answer, give him a fist full of my Udi and tell him that the answer lies in the Udi. The number of stars in the sky is the same number as the specks of ash in my Udi. Ask him to sit and carefully count them the whole night.” And then, Baba disappeared. Baba strongly emphasises that you must not test any saint. The power of Udi is as much as the entire cosmos comprising the stars and innumerable galaxies. This Leela was taken from Sai Sagar, Nov-Dec issue, 2003.

“I had to become a milkman and run to your aid” is the 50th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript This incident took place when the suburbs of Pune were still undeveloped. Many entrepreneurs had bought land and set up their companies in such places. Shri Khandekar worked in Yerwada at that time. The area was a remote, desolate place and the roads were unlit with dense forests on either side. After work, he and his colleagues left work together and rode their bicycles back to Pune where they lived. Once, Khandekar had to wait to collect his pay. He was unaware that his friends had left after receiving their pay. Khandekar searched for them, and finally he left alone. By then, it was dark and as he rode his bicycle, he was shivering with fear. Then he started chanting “Sai Ram, Sai Ram” loudly. Only a few trucks passed by, and the road was deserted. Suddenly, he heard a cyclist riding behind him. Frightened, he turned around and saw a milkman. He had a long white beard, wearing a white Dhotar and coat, and was merrily singing a devotional song, which was “Ram ka naam bajle, bhaiya” (Brother, keep singing Ram’s name with devotion). He had his milk cans on the handles of his bicycle. Khandekar slowed his pace and waited for him. The milkman said, “Brother, why are you afraid? I am with you. I am going to Pune and we shall go together,” and together they rode to Shivaji Nagar. Khandekar thanked him and the milkman rode away. Early in the morning, he dreamt of Baba, who said, “Weren’t you extremely frightened last night? Then you started chanting my name in desperation, so I had to become a milkman and run to your aid,” and there the dream ended. Khandekar woke up with tears in his eyes and thanked Baba for his compassionate caring. Baba explicitly propagates the power of Naam Jap as Sri Lord Krishna confirms in the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna says, “The Japa Yagna is the best Yagna.” Baba also confirms that He is the Japa Yag and will take you across the worldly ocean. This Leela is taken from Shri Sai Leela magazine, Deepavali issue, 1988.

'Baba Saves Jyotindra’s Life in a Cloudburst' is the 51st story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript When you enter Shirdi from Kopergaon, you cross a small bridge that spans a small rivulet. Now it is known as Lakshmi Nagar. This rivulet is dry most of the year, but in the monsoons, it is filled with water. In those days, there were no proper sanitation or toilet facilities. The villagers and devotees used the place as a toilet. They went there before dawn as the traffic was light on the road above. On one occasion, Jyotindra was in Shirdi during the monsoons. It was his habit to go to the rivulet very early, then go to his room, have a bath and then attend Kakad Aarti. It was drizzling, and as he went out, he took an umbrella and a flashlight. A while later, he heard a man shouting on the other bank of the stream, “Londha alare ala, pala” (A torrent of water is headed this way. Now run to safety). Jyotindra did not understand the meaning of Londha, as he did know the colloquial dialect. However, he heard the urgency in the man’s tone and his warning to run to safety. He stood there and flashed the light to see what was happening. What he saw frightened him. A huge wall of black coloured water was descending upon him. It was death staring at him, for he would surely drown and die. He closed his eyes and beseeched Baba to save him from the watery grave. He said, “Baba melo me, mala wachava” (Baba, I am going to die, save me.) After some time he realised that he was alive, and not washed away. He opened his eyes to find that the water had disappeared and he was standing on dry land. Whereas on either side the water was raging. Along with its fury, many dead goats, snakes and branches of trees flowed by. While this was happening, he was continuously chanting Baba’s name. He knew that only Baba’s grace had saved him, so he mentally thanked Baba. Jyotindra waited for the water to recede and when it was about knee high, he slowly waded through it and came to his room. Upon reaching his room he told his mother what had happened. His mother heard what he said with great disbelief, but she knew who his saviour was. She told him to go immediately and thank Baba. Jyotindra, with puja materials and a heart bursting with gratitude, went to the Dwarka Mai. He had hardly climbed the steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum, when Baba said, “Arre Bhau, today before dawn, why were you yelling my name for help? Are you frightened of death?” Jyotindra held Baba’s feet tightly and said, “Baba, you are an Antaryami, and for an ordinary man like me, death is frightening. In a situation like this, you are my only refuge, so I shouted for help.” Baba replied, “Bhau, get up. Arre, do I pull you to Shirdi so you can die? You are not going to die so easily. You still have a lot of work to do.” This Leela was taken from Shri Sai Swanubhav Tarkhadanche.

"What a great mother you are. Here, take your baby" is the 52nd story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Baba rarely left Shirdi in his physical body. Sometimes, he would go to Rahata, Nighoj or Nimgaon. In Nimgaon, he would visit the house of Nanasaheb Dingle. Nanasaheb was affluent and owned vast acres of farmland. Bapu Mali helped him with the workings of his farm. Next to the pasture, there is a path that Baba used when he would go and come from Dingle's home. This Leela took place during the monsoons. Bapu Mali, along with 10 to 15 people, went to the pasture to cut grass. Near the pasture, there is a tamarind tree and next to it a cow tree. One of the female workers had laid her child under the tamarind tree. The tree was huge and provided shade. Often, people sat and had their lunch there. Making the child comfortable, she proceeded to mow the grass. A short while later, there was a passing storm. It became gusty and torrents of rain fell. Everyone ran for cover and took shelter in an abandoned hut nearby. The mother ran with the rest of the labourers, having forgotten that she had placed her child under the tree. After quite some time, she remembered the child. Panic stricken, she ran crying loudly and calling the child's name. At that time, the rain had lessened a bit, but there were puddles everywhere. She jumped over some, and waded through others, to reach the child. Bapu, along with the other labourers, ran after her. They reached the tamarind tree, and what they saw sent waves of wonder over them. Under the tree stood Baba, who had the infant cradled in his arms. Recognising the mother, Baba shouted, “What a great mother you are. Here, take your baby.” The mother took the child in her arms and looked at him in wonder, as the child was absolutely dry. Then she looked around and saw the rain pouring down through the branches of the huge tree. Huge puddles were under the tree. Only Baba and the child were dry, and Baba was standing on a small area of dry earth. Mali and the labourers looked carefully and saw the same thing. It then dawned on him that Baba had materialised there to save her baby. The cow tree died after some years, but the tamarind tree still stands for Baba sanctified it by standing underneath it. This Leela is taken from Shri Sai Leela magazine, ank 4, year 29, 1952.

'Raghuvir Bhaskar Purandare' is the 53rd story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Purandare worked as a clerk in the department of railways. He was not affluent and had a large family to take care of. His faith in Baba was immense and unshakeable. After the first meeting with Baba, he laid his ‘tan mann dhan’, i.e., total surrender, at Baba’s feet. Mrs. Purandare delivers a child with difficulty The year was 1916 and the month was October when Mrs. Purandare went to her parent's home. There, she delivered a baby boy. Though the baby seemed healthy, he had a thick growth of hair all over his body. His nose was very large and crooked. The baby was only 14 days old, but the mother decided to return home with her child. Her parents repeatedly asked her not to go home just yet, as she was quite unwell. After delivery, she had swelling on her feet and there were signs of eclampsia. Not heeding their advice, she returned home the next day and fell extremely ill. Dr. Khandelwal examined her and felt that her condition was serious. He advised her to get admitted in the hospital, but Purandare did not heed his advice and asked the doctor to treat her at home. Dhabolkar and Joshi came to visit them that evening. When they saw her condition, they were mortified and asked Purandare to take her to the hospital at once. But Purandare had full faith in Baba and replied, “If Baba wishes to save her, she will be saved here without any treatment. If she is not to be saved, admission to any hospital will be futile.” Nonetheless, Joshi insisted and coerced him to take her to the hospital. Finally, Purandare agreed and it was decided that they would take her in the morning. Baba cures Mrs. Purandare with Udi Purandare had reluctantly agreed to take his wife to the hospital the next day. That night around midnight, Baba cured her. Baba entered his home through the closed door. He appeared in his usual form clad in a Kafni, a Jholi hung on his shoulders with a Satka in his hand. Baba had the look of Narsimh and was extremely angry. Baba took his Satka and made a threatening gesture as if to beat Purandare. He was shouting foul abuses at some unknown, unseen object. Then he strolled to where Mrs. Purandare lay and applied hot Udi on her forehead. When this occurred, Mrs. Purandare screamed, “Baba has applied hot Udi on my forehead, hence it is burning. My whole body is burning. Look, Baba is standing next to my pillow. Now I will recover and won't die. There is no need for you to be anxious.” The next day, Dhabolkar and Joshi arrived to take her to the hospital. Purandare told them about the Leela of the previous night. Dhabolkar was reluctant to believe it. Joshi, however, was calm, and believed every word of what he said. The child was hardly two weeks old when the mother had recovered fully. She was eager to take the child to Shirdi and place him at Baba feet. “He has finally found me” When her son was about seven months old, Purandare and his family visited Shirdi. Baba picked up the child and laid him on his lap. Patting the child, he said, “This Bhau has been searching for me for a very long time. Now, he has finally found me.” Then both of them, Baba and the child, held their respective abdomens and laughed merrily. Purandare's son was born under the influence of Mool Nakshatra, which is an auspicious birth sign. This is considered very unfortunate for the parents. His family and friends advised him to perform Shanti Havan Pooja to appease the star, but Purandare was reluctant to do so. The devotees of Shirdi also advised him to perform the Shanti Havan. One day, Anna Chinchanikar told Baba about it. He told Baba that Purandare was obstinate and refused to perform the Shanti Havan. Then Baba said, “Anna, when I'm here to look after their welfare, then for what reason will he do Shanti Pooja? He sees Sai Maula here and there and everywhere. Anna, he has been intoxicated and mad with love and devotion for me. What can I say of such a person? Let it be so. Allah is the saviour of the poor.” Purandare's God was Sai, and his faith in him was deep and unshakeable. Purandare Pines for Baba’s Darshan During the Christmas vacation, Purandare decided to accompany his family to his hometown, where both the mother and child would relax. They would be looked after by the relatives and the mother would be able to rest and not have to do the household chores. Thus, she could bond with the child. On the day of the departure, they had to board a train from Bandra station. Purandare purchased the tickets and the train was due in 20 minutes. While he waited, Purandare had an irresistible urge to go to Shirdi and have Baba's Darshan. As the minutes ticked away, the urge became stronger. He told his mother about it. His mother said, ...

'She survives the terrible train accident' is the 54th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript ‘Shraddha and Saburi’ was Pramodini Joshi’s Mantra and she lived by this. This Leela is ample proof of it. Pramodini was returning home from work along with her friends by the Virar Local train on 17th April 1978. They boarded the train which was packed to suffocation as two of the previous trains were cancelled. The train proceeded to the next station when it collided head on with the Ahmedabad Mail. She states, “Somehow the Ahmedabad Mail was on top of our train, crushing it with its impact. Thus, all the fans and light bulbs smashed into the passengers, and many were electrocuted. I could hear everyone screaming for water and begging their favourite deity to save their lives. Till the very end, I was chanting Baba’s name and pleading for my life. The next morning, I was taken out of the wreckage and placed amongst all the dead females. I can’t remember how I was taken to K.E.M. Hospital but I was admitted there. I was taken care of by Dr. Dhir and many other doctors. I stayed in the hospital for eight agonising months as my body was crushed beyond recognition. “It was decided that both my legs would have to be amputated from the hip, and my right hand amputated at the shoulder. Then they took me to the O.T., but Baba had other plans. I had to undergo ten major operations on my legs, and my skull was reconstructed with plastic surgery. They also asked me not to look in the mirror. During this time, my father passed away from grief as he could not tolerate this tragedy. The most disheartening event was that I lost three fingers of my right hand and was left with my thumb and little finger. “For the next four years, my mother had to take care of me like a little child as I could neither feed myself nor take care of myself or walk. During this ordeal, my mother and I did not lose faith in Baba. We were constantly chanting His name. A lady doctor at K.E.M Hospital rehabilitated me. She fitted me with Caliper shoes so I could walk independently. She taught me to write with two fingers, and take care of myself. After eight months of intensive rehabilitation, I wrote the words ‘Sai Gajana Maharaj.’ “Then there was no looking back. The Bombay Telephone and Mahanagar Telephone gave me a public telephone booth in Borivali. Every day, I travel by the Virar Local to get to the booth as I am the only earning member in my family. I am sure that Baba and Gajanan Maharaj will take care of me no matter what.” Reference: Pramodini D. Joshi, written in Sai Anubhav.

'Baba Manifested from Thin Air' is the 55th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Sarojatai Kasturi, a fervent devotee of Baba, resided in Baroda. From the time she was a young girl, she had complete faith in Baba, whom she considered as the Supreme God. At one point in time, Sarojatai was disheartened and dismayed by the fact that she had been married for six years but was unable to conceive. The couple yearned to have a child, and she prayed to Baba asking Him to grant her this wish. The couple then got themselves checked for infertility. Sarojatai got admitted into Bina Clinic as she was scheduled to have a dilation and curettage. She endured a lot of pain during the procedure and she knew very well she would have to. While the procedure was being done, Sarojatai closed her eyes and chanted Baba’s name. Sarojatai kept repeating ‘Sai Ram, Sai Ram’ softly under her breath. Finally the procedure was completed and a short while later she felt better. The doctor checked Sarojatai again and allowed her to go home that night. Her husband was waiting for her, and both of them left riding on a motorbike. They had hardly gone about 20 feet, when they saw something that looked like a bright white cloud which slowly took the form of a Fakir. Both of them were stunned and couldn’t believe their eyes. Her husband, Kasturi, had slammed on the brakes and they waited and watched as Baba from His Nirgun state took Sagun appearance and gave them this divine vision. Baba with ingenuity showed that even in this day and age, a divine visitation was possible. Baba looked compassionately at Sarojatai and asked, “Why were you calling out to me?” Sarojatai was so confused at seeing Baba actually manifest from thin air that she replied, “I was not calling you, Maharaj.” Then Baba said, “Just now in the clinic you were calling me. Why?” Sarojatai replied, “Oh! I was calling my Shirdi Sai Baba. I didn’t call you, Maharaj.” Then Baba said, “I have come from Shirdi, my child. Don’t worry, you will definitely give birth to a baby boy soon.” Baba turned and looked at her husband and asked him to give him two rupees. Immediately he put his hand in his pocket. There was a single rupee coin which he gave the Fakir. Baba wouldn’t accept it and asked him again for two rupees. To behold the manifestation of God in front of you is far beyond the comprehension of the human mind. The mind gets baffled, and it feels that the brain has shut down. Sometimes you just mechanically answer questions even when the Fakir gives you many hints and clues. Shri Kasturi was worried about his wife’s procedure and said, “Maharaj, my wife is not feeling well. I am in a hurry to take her home. So please accept this coin.” And he dropped the coin in Baba’s Jholi. Shri Kasturi started his motorbike and drove a short distance, when Baba loudly said, “You owe me a rupee. Give it to me when you come to Shirdi.” And he disappeared gradually. Shri Kasturi drove on. Then he realised what he had actually seen. He was perspiring profusely although it was a chilly night. He stopped and turned to his wife and said, “Don’t tell anyone what we just saw, as it is unbelievable. No one will ever believe us. They will think that we are making up stories. But today we saw the divine manifestation of Baba. We should have prostrated at His feet. What a terrible mistake!” With regret, he cried out to Baba, “Baba, we invariably profess to have utmost faith in you. But in reality, the truth is very different. As a matter of fact, we don’t have true faith in you. We just make a show of looking at you. However, we are constantly looking at worthless objects with the hope that it will bring us wealth and comfort in this life. Thus we are constantly groping in the darkness of ignorance. Oh, compassionate Lord, if only we had that unshakeable faith in you and loved you from the bottom of our hearts and given our lives in your hands, then no power on earth could have separated us from you. Baba, by your grace, this veil of Maya can be torn asunder. Then our lives can become pure and we can offer our lives into your hands so that you can guide us on to the right path of devotion. Baba, the veil of Maya had enveloped me so completely that even after seeing you manifest, I could not grasp it. I was more concerned about my wife’s wellbeing, hence I had not even made an earnest attempt to find and give you two rupees. Yet I claim to be your devotee. Baba, please forgive me; and from this moment on, I give my life into your hands.” Following this divine incident, Sarojatai and her husband’s faith in Baba increased by leaps and bounds. Their faith grew stronger with every passing day, as they had witnessed Baba’s omnipresence with their own eyes. This Leela is taken from Shri Sai Sagar Magaz...

'How Baba pulled Vishkanta into his flock' is the 56th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Professor R. Vishkanta, a resident of Bangalore, was fortunate to be blessed by Baba when he was just seven years old. The professor states, “Way back in 1944, when I was seven years old, my father passed away under tragic circumstances on June 30th. After the eleventh day rituals were performed, I went to school on the twelfth day. I returned home at about 12:15 p.m. My mother was in the kitchen preparing lunch for us. As lunch was not yet prepared, I started playing in the corridor of our home. Our home was situated at the rear end of a huge plot of land. Suddenly, I saw a young lad of about nine years standing at the front gate. He was very handsome, with a light complexion. He was wearing a white Kafni and had a white cloth tied around his head. At that time neither my mother nor I knew anything about Sai Baba. Possibly Baba thought that I would be scared if He appeared as an old man wearing a Kafni, hence He appeared as a young lad. “The young lad approached me and said in a very pleasant voice, ‘I would like to meet your mother.’ This he said in Kannada, the local language of Bangalore. At that time, we were residing in Gandhinagar. In those days, needy boys would come to our home at lunch time, and my mother provided them with a nutritious, satisfying meal. They were referred to as ‘Varada Anna’ which means ‘he who comes once a week for a meal.’ I thought the lad was one of these boys, so holding him by his hand, I dragged him all along the corridor and stopped a few yards away from the kitchen. Then I shouted, ‘Amma, someone has come to meet you.’ This young boy was standing on my left side and had placed his right hand on my shoulder. His foot was crossed at the right ankle and was resting on top of his left foot. He was standing exactly as Baba is seen standing in the photograph on his way to Lendi Bagh. “On hearing me call out to her, my mother came out of the kitchen. In dismay, she said, ‘Oh, you have come on a very wrong day. I have nothing to give you at this moment. But if you can wait till the meal is cooked then I will surely feed you.’ My mother was full of anguish and despair because after my father passed away, the creditors from whom my grandfather had borrowed money had seized everything that we owned. “We were virtually left with nothing except the clothes on our back. In a very pleasant voice, the young lad said, ‘Amma, that is why I have come. I know you are in deep trouble.’ Then he handed my mother a small photograph of Baba in his ‘Abhaya Hasta’ pose (with his right hand raised in a blessing posture). He then said, ‘This is Sai Baba of Shirdi. Worship Him and all your troubles will cease.’ He then patted me on my shoulder and left. “Unfortunately, that photograph got lost when we moved from the affluent Gandhinagar to a less affluent neighbourhood in Malleswaram. In reality, without our knowledge, Baba had drawn us close to him, as we had moved to our new home that was very close to a Baba temple.” These are Baba’s words: “My man, even if he is in another country or thousands of miles away, I shall bring him to me by tying a rope to his legs” (Ovi 15, chapter 28, Shri Sai Satcharitra). Just like a small boy would draw a sparrow to himself by tying a string to its leg and pulling it, so also Baba drew his devotees to Himself in a similar manner. Once you are drawn into His flock, worship Him earnestly by placing Him in your heart. Then all your troubles will cease, and when troubles persistently crop up, Baba will pull you out of them in His own incomparable way. This Leela was narrated by Professor R. Vishkanta in 2015.

'Baba Grants Vishkanta the Gift of Life' is the 57th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Life is never a bed of roses, and after Prof. Vishkanta’s father passed away, life was extremely difficult. His mother was unable to make both ends meet. Prof. Vishkanta recalls, “The following years were riddled with hardship. Poverty was killing us. My mother, who fed so many poor Brahmin boys, was unable to provide a square meal for her children. More often than not, we had to go to bed hungry. I had two elder brothers, and one elder and one younger sister. On one occasion, my elder sister made us sit and explained our plight. She said, ‘Now we are in deep trouble because of father’s death. Promise me that come what may, even if you have to go hungry for long periods of time, you will never ever be.’ At that time, I was only eight years old. I decided to take up a job, and I started working in a printing press that belonged to my father’s friend. The owner, knowing our plight, gave me this job against his will, as I would not accept alms. “My job was to sort out ten thousand lined sheets per week, and to discard the sheets that didn’t have straight lines. For this, I was paid one rupee per week. Whenever I came home and handed the rupee to my mother, she would cry. My mother, who used to live like a queen with numerous servants to serve her, was now cooking food in different homes as and when opportunities arose. However, I continued my education, and graduated from school and joined college. “When I was in the 2nd year of college, my health was in shambles. The food deprivation and the state of near starvation had taken their toll on my health. Due to hyperacidity, my intestines were riddled with multiple ulcers which were confirmed in the x-rays. I was admitted to the Government Victoria Hospital, where they treated me for a few days. In the hospital, I was fortunate to receive two square meals. However, the doctor in charge asked the superintendent to discharge me, saying, ‘Why kill the poor boy in this hell? Let him go home and die peacefully.’ When I overheard this, my spirit was completely shattered, and I was sent home. “The doctor had prescribed some antacids and sedatives upon my discharge. My family was not of much help to me, and I felt that I was more of a liability than an asset to them. In utter desperation, I decided to end this wretched life. Over the week, I collected a handful of sedatives from various pharmacies. Then I wrote a letter stating: ‘To Whom It May Concern, I am ending my life and no one is responsible for my action.’ Then I swallowed the entire lot of sedatives late one night. “My mother, who used to get up very early in the morning, came to my room to check on me and tried to awaken me. Then she saw the letter that I had written and it dawned on her what had happened. She started shaking me vigorously and started sobbing. As all this was taking place, I was ‘out of my body’ and looking down at my mother. In vain, I was trying to tell her that I was fine and happy now. But she couldn’t see or hear me. But what surprised me the most was that an old man, who resembled Sai Baba, was standing there. I could clearly see that he was not at all pleased; in fact, he was quite vexed and angry at what I had done. However, the ambulance was called and my body was put in it and taken to the hospital. Since the link between my body and soul was not severed, I could perceive the pain of being dragged along with the body. In the operating theatre of the hospital, my body was laid on a table, while I was sitting on top of a steel cupboard and gazing down at everyone. But most importantly, Baba had come along and was standing next to the cupboard, very close to me or my soul. The doctor and his assistants first cleaned out my stomach. Then they used a defibrillator and gave me electric shocks on my chest. At that moment, Baba, who was standing next to me, thumped me on my back and commanded, ‘Get in at once.’ I was sucked into my body and slowly woke up. I was kept in the hospital for observation and in the afternoon, the doctor discharged me. “After this terrible experience, everything started improving. I and all my siblings are well educated and well settled. But most importantly, we all are ardent devotees of Baba.” Baba absolutely disapproved of any devotee contemplating suicide. In chapter 26 of the Shri Sai Satcharitra, the story of Ambedkar is given, who was fed up with his wretched and destitute life, and decided to end his life in Shirdi. However, at that juncture, Sagun Meru Naik came to him and gave him Swami Samarth’s Charitra. Ambedkar read it and did not follow through on his plan. We are given this body and are responsible for all the happenings, good or bad. We have to undergo the ...

'Baba saves the Professor’s life again' is the 53rd story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript Every night, prior to retiring for the day, Prof. R. Vishkanta was in the habit of placing 4-5 almonds in a little bowl of water, so that when he awakes in the morning they are plump and taste delicious. These almonds are then offered to Baba and later would be taken as Prasad. On the 26th of May 2014, he soaked the almonds and went to sleep. On that fateful day of 26th May, after cleaning the prayer room, he put the almonds in his mouth and started munching on them, and choked. The professor states, “I was eating the almonds when suddenly a piece of almond lodged in my trachea and immediately closed it. I was unable to breathe, no air was entering my lungs, and I could not cough it out. My eyes were bulging and life was slowly ebbing out of me. Somehow, I managed to reach the front door and open it wide. My thought was that in case I died, people in our apartment complex or even the guard may be able to see the dead body lying on the floor, as I was alone at home. Slowly, I went back to the prayer room and prostrated myself with my face down. I said, ‘Baba, if you want to take me to your feet, I am submitting myself. It is up to you to decide life or death,’ and I closed my eyes. Then suddenly from the front door a sweet aroma blew in. I knew that Baba had come. Whenever Baba comes, just prior to it, a whiff of pleasant aroma comes and then Baba materialises in one form or the other. Suddenly, someone gave me a very hard blow on my back, and with that the bit of almond flew out of my mouth. Slowly, I was able to breathe. I immediately looked around to see who had hit me, but there was no one there, except for the smiling photograph of Baba in my prayer room. Thus, Baba gave me another chance to serve him. Thank you, Baba.” Baba says, “If you chant my name ‘Sai, Sai’ constantly, I will draw you out of the jaws of death.” (Shri Sai Satcharitra, chapter 3). We should offer ourselves in total surrender and allow Baba to decide ‘life or death.’ He will decide the best course of action for us. Receive the same as Prasad from him, as He knows what is best for us. This Leela was narrated by Prof. R. Vishkanta in November 2014.

'My Charitra isn’t a pillow' is the 59th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript A.M. Narsimha Prasad is now a healthy 70 year old man, but in September 2006, the chances of his survival were slim. He was an atheist, and drank alcohol from the moment he woke up in the morning until he went to sleep at night. His wife was devoted to Baba, and he often drove her to the Sai Baba temple, and waited outside the temple for her. In the month of September, he was rushed to the hospital as he was getting drowsy and losing consciousness. He was admitted and his blood tests were done. At that time, his abdomen was bloated as it was full of fluid, and his liver was totally damaged by alcoholic cirrhosis. The doctor told his family to take him home as he would not survive for more than two days. He further stated that the liver enzymes were so high that even a liver transplant would fail. As he was slipping into a coma, he was kept in the hospital and palliative treatment was started. His friend, Nagesh Reddy, came to visit him and brought a Sai Satcharitra along with him. Seeing Prasad’s serious condition, Nagesh kept the book on his chest and prayed for his survival. Prasad, however, took the book and kept it under his pillow as he did not plan to read it. Then he slipped into a coma. At midnight, he opened his eyes and asked for food, and relapsed into a coma. The doctor was informed and treatment was continued. 48 hours later, Prasad again opened his eyes and asked for a meal, and again became comatose. Thus, 60 hours had passed and it was then that Baba appeared and touched him on his shoulder and asked him to come with Him. Then He took him to the bathroom, helped him wash his feet, and took him back to the room. Baba seated him on a chair and stood behind him and passed His hands over his body. Baba said, “My Charitra is given to you not to be used as a pillow; it has to be read and understood. You have a lot of work to do, so I will cure you.” Then Baba disappeared. Prasad immediately started reading the Charitra and finished reading it by 6 a.m. The doctors were astounded to see him sitting up and reading. Needless to say, his blood tests came back normal, and he is healthy. He now does Annadaan, distributes clothes and blankets to the needy, and follows Baba’s teachings. He neither drinks nor smokes, and is an ardent devotee of Baba. This Leela was narrated by Shankrayya.

'Baba’s name - a mantle of protection' is the 60th story in this series. 'Sai Baba's Divine Leelas' is a new audio series compiled and recited by Dr Vinny Chitluri. Repeated hearing of these Leelas will deepen one's faith and love in Baba. Transcript The next two experiences are of a judicial officer, whose name is not mentioned. He states, “I have a great deal of reverence for sages and saints. One summer, I was fortunate to meet Bala Swami at Virudhachalam. He looked like a boy, though he was much older. He was a linguist, but had taken the vow of silence. When we prostrated before him, he was writing something on paper with his left hand, as his right hand was held up above his head for many years as a form of penance. We sat in his presence for about 10 minutes and then wanted to take his leave. At first, he nodded his assent. Then as we were leaving, he signalled to us to stay. He then turned to me and gave me a scroll of paper, on which was written Sai Baba’s name 108 times. He instructed me to keep the paper with me at all times, and to write Baba’s name 108 times daily. “While parting, he distributed Udi to all of us, then we proceeded to worship at the Virudhachalam temple. I was not inclined to follow any of his instructions and I gave the scroll of paper to my son. After worshipping the deity in the temple, we were circumambulating Shiva in the big temple. By then, it was dusk and soon got quite dark when I got stung by some noxious creature on my big toe. I used my flashlight to see what it was but couldn’t see anything. Rapidly, the excruciating pain ascended to my hip joint. As the pain was unbearable, my relatives wanted to fetch a carriage for me as our room was about two miles away. It was then that I realised that I had made a mistake by not keeping the scroll of paper with me. I took the paper from my son and kept it in my waist cloth. Within a few moments of doing this, the pain rapidly decreased in my body, except on the toe where I had been stung. Thus I was able to walk back and slept well that night. The lesson was learnt, and I kept the paper with me as Baba’s mantle of protection. Needless to say, I became devoted to Baba.” The power of Baba’s name struck home a month later. The officer was on a train going to Tirupati. He states, “At a station, a peon of the Department of Railways got into my compartment howling with pain. He was stung by a scorpion on his right forefinger. It was swollen and the pain was travelling up to his shoulder. He pleaded to all and sundry to do something to relieve this intolerable pain. He begged us to pronounce some Mantra for relief. Not being a Mantravadi, I kept quiet for some time. But the heart-wrenching cries of the peon touched my heart as I remembered my own experience a month ago. I resolved to try the effect of my charm, i.e., the scroll with my Sai Mantra. “I called the peon to come sit near. I took out the folded scroll and touched him with it. I started with his neck and made passes down to his right forefinger, all the while, mentally repeating Baba’s name 108 times. As soon as this was done, the man’s pain started subsiding. It became localised to his wrist. I repeated the procedure a second time, and the pain became localised to the area that was stung. I told him that the localised pain would remain for 24 hours, and I put the scroll away safely. I now have sufficient proof and faith in Baba’s name, and I write His name 108 times daily in a book. I have also realised the power of Naam Jap.” This Leela was taken from the Sai Sudha magazine, vol. 3, parts 1-3, October 1942.