You can also listen to the free audiobook version of this Chapter on Youtube: Chapter 34
The Greatness of Udi (continued):
- The Doctor’s Nephew
- Dr. Pillay
- Shama’s Sister-in-Law
- The Iranian Girl
- The Gentleman from Harda
- And the lady from Bombay
The Doctor’s Nephew
There was a Doctor who lived in a place called Malegaon. His nephew suffered from an incurable disease− tubercular bone abscess− and the doctor and his brothers, who were also doctors, tried all sorts of remedies and even an operation. All this did not give the boy any relief and there seemed to be no end to the little boy’s suffering. Friends and relatives advised the parents of the boy to seek divine aid and recommended them to try Sai Baba, who was known to have cured such incurable cases by His mere glance. The parents therefore came to Shirdi and prostrated themselves before Baba. They placed the boy before Him and pleaded humbly and respectfully, and implored Baba to save their son. The merciful Baba comforted them saying, “Those who resort to this Masjid shall never suffer anything in this life and till the end of time. Be care-free now; apply Udi on the abscess and within one week he will recover. Believe in God; This is not a Masjid, but a Dwarawati (a celestial doorway). He who steps in will soon get health and happiness and his sufferings will come to an end”. The boy was placed before Baba, Who touched the affected part and cast His loving glances on the boy. The patient was pleased and with the application of Udi, he began to recover and was completely cured within a few days. The parents then left Shirdi with their son, thanking Baba for the cure; This cure was through Udi and Baba’s divine grace.
After learning about all this, the doctor was wonderstruck and wanted to receive Baba’s darshan, while he was on his way to Bombay for some business. But at Malegaon and Manmad, somebody spoke to him about Baba and poisoned his ears. He therefore dropped the idea of visiting Shirdi and went to Bombay directly. He wanted to spend the rest of his vacation at Alibag, but at Bombay he heard (on three successive nights), a voice crying out, “You still don’t believe me?” Then the doctor changed his mind and resolved to go to Shirdi. He had to attend to a case of viral fever in Bombay, which showed no signs of abatement. So he thought that his Shirdi trip would be postponed. He however proposed a test in his mind and said, “If the patient gets better today, I shall start for Shirdi tomorrow.” The amazing thing was that exactly at the time he proposed the test in his mind, the patient’s fever began to abate and the patient’s temperature soon became normal. Then he went to Shirdi with Baba’s grace, received Baba’s darshan and prostrated himself before Baba. He stayed there for four days and returned home with Baba’s Udi and blessings. His nephew’s case had given him an opportunity to see Baba and this gave him ever-lasting love for Baba’s feet.
Dr. Pillay
Dr. Pillay was a devotee who was very close to Baba. He was well-liked by Baba, Who always called him Bhau (brother). Baba spoke to him regularly, consulted him in all matters and always wanted him by His side. Pillay once suffered very badly from guinea-worms. He said to Kakasaheb Dixit, “The pain is so excruciating and unbearable; I prefer death to it. I know this pain is to repay my past Karma. But please go to Baba and tell Him to stop the pain and transfer the repayment of my past Karma to ten future births of mine.” Dixit went to Baba and told Him of Pillay’s request. Then Baba, moved by his request, said to Dixit, “Tell him to be fearless; Why should he suffer for ten births? In ten days, he can work out the suffering and consequences of his past Karma. When I am here to take care of his temporal and spiritual welfare, why should he pray for death? Bring him here on somebody’s back and let us work and finish his sufferings once and for all”.
Dr. Pillay was brought in that condition and was seated to the right of where Baba was seated. Baba gave Pillay His pillow and said, “Lie calmly here and be at ease. The true remedy is that the results of our past actions have to be suffered through. Our Karma is the cause of our happiness and sorrow; therefore put up with whatever comes to you. Allah (God) is the sole Dispenser and Protector− always think of Him; He will take care of you. Surrender to His feet with body, mind, wealth and speech, and then see what He does.” Dr. Pillay told Baba that Nanasaheb had put a bandage over the leg, but he had gotten no relief from this. “Nana is a fool!” replied Baba. “Take that bandage off or else you will die. Now a crow will come and peck you and then you will recover.”
While this conversation was going on, a man named Abdul who cleaned the Masjid, turned up. While he was attending to his work of cleaning, his foot accidentally fell upon Dr. Pillay’s stretched-out leg. The leg was already swollen and when Abdul’s foot fell upon it and pressed it, all the seven guinea-worms were squeezed out at once. The pain was unbearable and Dr. Pillay bawled out loudly. After some time, he calmed down and began to sing and cry alternately. Then Pillay enquired when the crow was coming and when it was going to peck him. Baba said, “Did you not see the crow? He won’t come again; Abdul was the crow. Now go and rest in the Wada and you will soon be alright.”
By the application of Udi, drinking it mixed with water and without taking any other treatment or medicine, the disease was completely cured in ten days, as predicted by Baba.
Shama’s Sister-in-law
Shama’s younger brother, Bapaji, was living near a well. Once, his wife contracted Bubonic plague and had a high fever and two lumps in her groin. Bapaji rushed to meet Shama at Shirdi and asked him to come and help. Shama was frightened, but to honor his brother’s request he went to Baba, prostrated himself before Baba, invoked His aid and requested Baba to cure the case. He also asked for permission to go to his brother’s house. Then Baba said, “Don’t go there at this late hour; send her Udi instead. Why care for the fever and lumps? God is our father and master, and she will be alright. Do not go now; Go there in the morning and return immediately.”
Shama had full faith in Baba’s words and Udi. Some Udi was sent with Bapaji and was applied to the lumps and some of it was mixed with water and was given to the patient to drink. As soon as it was ingested, the patient perspired profusely, the fever abated and she slept soundly. The next morning, Bapaji was surprised to see his wife alright and refreshed with no fever or lumps. When Shama went there the next morning, with Baba’s permission, he was also surprised to see her at the hearth preparing tea. On asking his brother, he learnt that Baba’s Udi had cured her completely in one night. Then Shama realized the significance of Baba’s words, “Go there in the morning and return immediately.”
After having some tea, Sharma returned and after bowing before Baba said, “Deva, what is this game of Yours? You first raise a storm and make us restless and then calm it down and ease us”. Baba replied, “You see, mysterious is the path of action; Though I do nothing, they hold Me responsible for the actions which take place on account of Adrista (destiny); I am merely its witness. The Lord is the sole Actor and Inspiration. He is also most merciful; Neither am I God or the Lord; I am His obedient servant and remember Him often. He, who casts aside his egoism, thanks God and trusts Him entirely, will have his shackles removed and will thus obtain liberation.”
The Iranian Girl
Now read the experience of an Iranian gentleman; His young daughter suffered from epilepsy and had fits every hour. When the convulsions came, she lost her power of speech, her limbs froze and she fell down senseless. No remedy gave her any relief. A friend recommended Baba’s Udi to her father and asked him to get it from Kakasaheb Dixit in Bombay. Then the gentleman got the Udi, mixed it with water and gave it to his daughter to drink. In the beginning, the convulsions, which came every hour, only came every seven hours or so and after a few days, the daughter recovered completely.
The Gentleman from Harda
An elderly gentleman from Harda was suffering from a stone in his bladder. Such stones, at the time, were generally removed by surgical operation and people recommended that he undergo one. He was old and weak, lacked the strength of mind and body and could not think of submitting himself to surgical treatment. His suffering was soon to end in another way. The City Officer of that town was a devotee of Baba and always had a supply of Udi with him. On the recommendation of some friends, the patient’s son got some Udi from the City Officer, mixed it with water and gave it to his old father to drink. Within five minutes, the Udi was assimilated, the stone was dissolved, it came out through his urine and the old man was relieved.
The Lady from Bombay
A woman from Bombay always suffered terrible pain at the time of childbirth. She was very frightened each time she was pregnant and did not know what to do. Shri Rama-Maruti of Kalyan, who was a devotee of Baba, advised her husband to take her to Shirdi for a painless delivery. When she next became pregnant, the couple came to Shirdi, stayed there for a few months and worshipped Baba and got all the benefits of His company. After some time, the hour of delivery came, and as usual, there was obstruction in the passage from the womb. She began to suffer labor pains and did not know what to do, but began to pray to Baba for relief. In the meantime, a few women from the neighborhood turned up and after invoking Baba’s aid, gave her an Udi-mixture to drink. In five minutes, the woman delivered safely and painlessly. The child was still-born, according to its fate, but the mother who got rid of the anxiety and pain, thanked Baba for the safe delivery and always remained grateful to Him.
Bow to Shri Sai – Peace to be all