|| Aum Sai Ram || Aum Sai Para Brahmanaa Namah ||
Devotee’s Experiences
“Now to return to the other more interesting subject. Lord Krishna has said in the Bhagvad Gita (9-26) “Whosoever devoutly offers to Me a leaf, a flower or a fruit or water, of that pure-hearted man, I accept that pious offering.” In the case of Sai Baba, if a devotee intended really to offer anything to Sai Baba, and if he afterwards forgot to offer the same, Baba reminded him, or his friend about the offering, and made him bring it to Him, and then accepted it, and blessed the devotee. A few instances are given below.
Tarkhad Family (father and son)
Mr. Ramachandra Atmaram alias Babasaheb Tarkhad, formerly a Prarthana Samajist, was a staunch devotee of Sai Baba. His wife and son loved Baba equally or perhaps more. It was once proposed that Master Tarkhad should go with his mother to Shirdi and spend his summer vacation there; but the son was unwilling to go, as he thought that, in case, he left his home in Bandra, the worship of Sai Baba in the house would not be properly attended to as his father, being a Prarthana Samajist, would not care to worship Sai Baba’s picture. However, on his father’s giving an assurance under oath that, he would perform the worship exactly as his son was doing, the mother and the son left for Shirdi on a Friday night.
Next day (Saturday) Mr. Tarkhad got up early, took his bath and before proceeding with the Puja, prostrated himself before the Shrine and said – “Baba, I am going to perform the Puja exactly as my son has been doing but please, let it not be a formal drill.” Saying so, he performed the Puja and offered a few pieces of lump-sugar as Naivaidya (offering). The sugar was distributed at the time of the lunch.
That evening and next day-Sunday, everything went on well. The following Monday was a working day and it also passed well. Mr. Tarkhad, who had never performed Puja like this in all his life, felt great confidence within himself, that every thing was passing on quite satisfactorily, as per the promise given to the son. Next Tuesday, he performed the morning Puja as usual and left for his work. Coming home at noon, he found that, there was no Prasad (sugar) to partake of, when the meal was served. He asked the servant – cook, who told him that there was no offering made that morning, and that he had completely forgotten to perform that part of the Puja (offering Naivaidya). At this, he left his seat and prostrated himself before the Shrine, expressed his regret at the same time chiding Baba for the want of guidance in making the whole affair a matter of mere drill. Then, he wrote a letter to his son, stating the facts and requested him to lay it at Baba’s Feet, and ask His pardon for his neglect.
This happened in Bandra at about Tuesday noon.
At about the same time, when the noon Arati was just about to commence in Shirdi, Baba said to Mrs. Tarkhad, “Mother, I had been to your house in Bandra, with a view to having something to eat. I found the door locked. I, somehow, got an entry and found to My regret, that Bhau (Mr. Tarkhad) had left nothing to eat for Me. So, I have returned with my hunger unappeased.”
The lady did not understand this but the son, who was close-by, understood the whole thing that there was something wrong with the Puja in Bandra and he therefore, requested Baba to permit him to go home. Baba refused this, but allowed him to perform Puja there. Then, the son wrote a letter to his father stating all that took place at Shirdi and implored his father not to neglect the Puja at home.
Both these letters crossed each other and were delivered to the respective parties the next day. Is this not wonderful?”
– SHRI SAI SATCHARITRA (Chapter IX)
|| Aum Sai Sharnam || May Peace Be To All ||
|| AUM SAI SHARNAM || 
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