Sai and bhiksha

While at Shirdi, Sai used to take bhiksha(beg)from the people of shirdi. People used to give rotis, rice, butter milk, rasam etc., to baba. Sai would eat after mixing all the food given by people. Sai never cared for taste as he had perfect control of the senses. He would put all the food he got from bhiksha in a mud vessel from which even dogs and other animals also used to eat. Sai never stopped anyone who took food from his vessel. Such is his greatness.

Samartha sadguru sainath maharaj ki jai !!

Shirdi Sai's Prayer

Sadaanimba vrukshasya mooladhivaasaath
Sudha sraavinam tikta mapyapriyantham
Tarum kalpavrukshadhikam saadhayantham
Namameeswaram sadugurum sayinaatham.

Meaning :

By living at the base of the neem tree which is full of bitterness u made it a kalpavruksha (a tree that satisfies all the desires). Oh Sadguru! i bow to you.

Shyama's snake bite and Baba

Once Shyama, the priest of Khandoba Mandir was bitten by a snake. The poison started spreading in the entire body. shayama rushed to Baba but Baba shouted saying " Oh timid priest dont come up! Go down! Goaway!". Shyama was dejected as he had no other resort except for Sai. After sometime baba calmed down and came near Shyma. Baba then told Shyama not to get frightened and asked him to go home and take rest.

After a few hours shyama started feeling better and was alright with in a short time. Baba's words " Dont come up! Go down! Goaway!" were intended for snake's poison and not for Shyama. Baba neither used any mantra nor any teertham ( holy water) for saving Shyama. His words alone were sufficient to save Shyama's life from the snake bite.

The Tendulkar family and saibaba

The Tendulkar family members were residents of Bandra in Mumbai. They were true devotees of Saibaba. Savitribai Tendulkar wrote Sri Sainath Bhajanmala describing the saileelas. Their son Babu Tendulkar was studying hard for medicine and wanted to appear for the exams that year. But some astrologers who examined his horoscope told them that planets were not in his favour that year and advised him not to appear for his exams that year. This made him restless and depressed. After some days his mother went for sai darshan and told baba about her son's condition. Sai then told her to let her son study hard and appear for the exams that year ignoring all the astrologer's predictions.

Savitri bai went back and conveyed baba's message to her son. Babu felt relieved and studied hard and appeared for written exams. He didnt appear for the practical exams thinking he would get the required marks for passing. But the examiners sent a word to him that he cleared written exams and asked him to appear for the practicals. He then appeared for practicals also and cleared his medicine that year.

Difficulties and doubts surround us to make our devotion stable and strong. If we continue to put our efforts with true devotion towards baba our efforts would be fruitful.