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“Baba! Do You hear the Bhajan we do at home every day”?
“My dear fellow! Wherever My Name is, there My Form also is. I do listen to your Bhajan every day; I like it”.
“But, why is it that I have not yet seen You there, listening, on any single day”?
“Ah! You cannot see Me with these eyes. Even Arjuna saw only through the special Jnana-netra that he was blessed with”.
“How then, Baba, are we to realise that You are Sarvantaryami (the Inner motive Force of everything) and Sarvavyapi (Immanent everywhere)”?
“You cannot realise it now. But, I shall prove to you that I Am present everywhere.”.
“That is indeed my good fortune. Tell me, Swami”!
“Four months ago, when it was raining so terribly one evening, that no one dared to move about and you were very sad and downcast that the person who was bringing flowers to offer to Me did not arrive as usual, who was it, can you tell me, that came to your door with those flowers? It was I Myself! Is this proof enough”?
It was pouring, pouring, as if the sky had sprung a leak. No living thing dared move out of doors. There was a terrible storm and the trees swayed in terror. Bhajan had to start at 7 pm at home, but, the flowers had not come. The person who brought it for us daily without fail was evidently caught in the rain and could not proceed. How could we start our daily Bhajan without decorating Baba’s picture to our heart’s content? We waited… hoped… became anxious… sad …desperate,… downcast. We prayed, we nearly shed tears. Then we saw a figure coming towards our door, along the swollen street, across the swirling pools. The flowers? Yes. The flower-seller had not disappointed us, after all. He had sent them through this frail-looking smiling young man! We snatched the garlands from his hand and rushed in, for it was already late… Next day, when the regular man came, we enquired why he had sent a substitute and how he secured him. Poor fellow he did not know anything. He was apologising to us… Who then could that frail young man be? He did not stay even to take the price …!
Now Baba had told us. Ah! What Supreme Grace! The Lord brings flowers for His own Puja and enjoys the joy of His Bhaktas, when they decorate Him with them….
We fell at the Holy Feet and shed tears of gratitude and Joy.
MS Dikshit’s experience from Mangalore…
“I shall certainly come to your house.”
“Mention the exact date, Swami! Why is it You do not give the date? You simply promise to come, some time or other. Since more than a year, we have been living on hope. We cannot bear this any longer. Everybody in Mangalore is earnest. They are asking me, when exactly You would bless the town.”
“I shall be there in January, no, not in Mangalore, but, in your, house. Don’t worry about the town”.
”January means”?
“This coming January; about the middle of January.”
“Give me definite word, Baba, please.”
“Here. Placing My hand on yours, I give you word. Believe it, Dikshit.”
M. S. Dikshit was very happy. He had the, unique fortune of sitting at the Feet of Shirdi Sai Baba as the nephew of the famous Kaka Saheb Dikshit and now, in the evening of his life, he has secured the tenderness and loving Grace of Sri Sathya Sai Baba to foster his spiritual progress and to look after him, like the Divine Mother. He returned from Prasanthi Nilayam, and waited for the middle of January to come quickly along.
It came at last… and was about to leave, when, Ah! one noon, when his wife opened the door of the shrine room, she found on the floor seven footsteps of Baba, marked out in soft sweet-scented Vibhuti—beautiful little foot-marks, unmistakably those of The Lord she had planted in her heart. Left, right, they led along the floor, to the shrine where there were two, side by side!
So, Baba had come! Her joy brought others in and when they applied the precious Vibhuti to their foreheads, the Foot-marks faded except one, the third, of the left foot, the Foot-mark of Shakti. She prayed that it at least should be visible when Dikshit arrived from office, for, word had been sent to him, of Baba’s signal grace. And, lo, it became clearer and clearer, the Vibhuti grew; yes, grew, accumulated, and the Foot-mark could be seen by hundreds and thousands for days! It remains even to this day…! as thick as three quarters of an inch, symbolising how, when His Feet are enshrined in the heart, Baba showers the Mercy of His Presence.
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