Take off with Natarajan

What is ours will stay with us!

Baba’s first advent at Shirdi is shrouded in mystery. Researchers point this to various dates, some as early as 1854 and some later in 1870s. It is fairly certain than during 1880s several of the well-known earlier devotees of Baba were drawn to Shirdi. This includes Nanasaheb Chandorkar, Ganpatrao Saharabuddhe also known as Das Ganu Maharaj, and Abdul. The days in Shirdi prior to this are not well documented, much less in any chronological order.

Mahalsapathy, Appa Kote, Nana Chopdar, Tatya Kote, Bayaji Bai are probably the earliest of Baba’s devotees who had the blessed and uninterrupted company of Sri Sai before crowds flocked to Shirdi. What a wonderful times those would have been! While most of the villagers thought Baba to be a mad fakir or a medicine man, these handful devotees were drawn to Baba whom they considered as their God. Baba often said to them that “Fakir (Mendicacy) was the real Lordship as it was everlasting, and the so called Lordship (riches) was transient”. Baba also used say that what God gives will stay forever and what man gives will not.

On many other occasions Baba said, out of love for His devotees – “What (whether good or bad) is ours, is with us, and what is another’s is with him.” Now, the question is to know what is “ours”. Well, didn’t Baba say that he is our caretaker and trustee of our lives and that He has to give an account of every paise to God! Yes, what is “ours” is the blessed qualification of Baba’s guardianship and protective hands. Unfortunately, when times are not good, Sai devotees forget the assurance that Baba has given and go through unnecessary turmoil instead of keeping patient and reflect on what Baba assured. Let us once again, reiterate Baba’s assurance such that we will set our priorities right:

“There will never be any dearth or scarcity, regarding food and clothes, in any devotees’ homes. It is my special characteristic that I always look to, and provide, for the welfare of those devotees, who worship Me whole-heartedly with their minds ever fixed on Me. Strive not much for food and clothes. If you want anything, beg of the Lord, leave worldly honors, try to get Lord’s grace and blessings, and be honored in His Court”

source:::::SAI VICHAAR ….
Natarajan