Your repentance is enough for me. Keep on feeding the hungry, who come to your doorstep

It was on 3rd February 1998.

I was about to complete an article on Sai Baba.

I heard a sharp rap at the gate of my house.

I shouted; who is there?” Promptly the reply came: “Khaana Lav” (give me food).

From where I sat, I could not see him. Nevertheless, I called my wife to serve food to him.

She bought rice and dhal but oddly, he did not have anything on him to receive it.

My wife did not feel like serving in the plate she brought.

So she came back to the house, took a small cardboard and served the fare on it outside the gate.

He sat on his haunches preparatory to eating.

Meanwhile, my wife came inside to fetch water for him.

It did not take a couple of minutes for her to do so.

But the stranger was not to be seen anywhere.

There were telltale marks of his having taken the food. He did not even wash his hands.

It was impossible to eat the food, that too without water, and walk away out of sight in less than a couple of minutes.

It was then the truth hit me like a whiplash.

I should have known much better when he said, “Khaana laav”. It was truly a command.

Even during his begging rounds sometimes, Sai Baba never begged.

He simply commanded, “Lassie, roti laav”. I asked my wife as to how he looked like.

She said, “He was lean aged and looked like a village Muslim of the old order, with a sharp beard.

He was wearing a faded green lungi with brownish checks on it and a soiled white long-sleeved kurtha with a black vest on it.

His head was turbaned leaving the top crown open”. Though the description did not actually tally with that of Sai Baba,

I was by then more than convinced who He was. I cursed myself because the food that was served was overnight food and served on cardboard outside the gate.

Later when I slowly composed myself, I went into the pooja room and begged His pardon for my lapse.

At that stage my own conscience began to reply, “Your repentance is enough for me. Keep on feeding the hungry, who come to your doorstep, as best as you can. Believe me, charity especially that of food, is indeed a great spiritual virtue”.

K. Navin Chander, India

(Originally posted in the magazine “Sai Padananda” issued Oct. 1998, published by Sri R. Seshadri for Sri Sai Spiritual Center, Bangalore, India 560 028)

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