BABA’S HELPING HAND

During the ‘Ashadh’ month of 1949, a batch of Devotees from Hyderabad left for the ‘darshan’ of Shri Sai Baba’s shrine at Shirdi.

Being monsoon season, the journey was an ordeal. After a 20-hour dusty train journey, the party reached the railway station of the jaggery town of Kopargaon.

The tired members of the party had their luncheon before they set out on a journey by bullock cart to the town. There were no buses in those days from Kopargaon railway station.

One had to cross the river Godavari, that runs majestically through the town, to catch a bus to Shirdi. The present road – over – bridge was under cons­truction at that time.

The three mile journey to the shore was arduous, since the road was neither metalled nor asphalted. Due to rain, the black cotton pathway became slushy. This gave more strain to the bullocks. On reaching the shore.

The party found that the low level bridge across the river Godavari was almost about to submerge into water. A ferry boat was plying from one shore to another over which the people with their belongings were crossing the beautiful river.

The party wanted to do the same thing. But the cart-man suggested that he would take the party by his cart to the other shore through the low-ebb bridge across the river. The party agreed in order to avoid transshipment by the boat.

The cart restarted the journey over the low-ebb bridge. When the cart was half way through, there was down pour. The river became furious. The water level was rising very fast. The cart man lost his control over the bullocks. The bullocks missed their stride and were virtually floating on the water. The water current was very heavy.

One of the cart wheels got stuck to a boulder. There was no parapet wall to the low-ebb bridge and the water force was pushing the cart, endangering it to fall into the river.

The members of the party were chanting the name of Shri Sai Baba in chorus. They almost lost the hope of survival and were prepared to meet the watery grave with the Lord’s name on the lips. Chanting of Sai’s name in high pitched tones by the party rent the air.

Suddenly from nowhere, a middle aged man appeared before the bullocks and voluntarily assumed control over the bullock cart.

The cart man removed the boulder and the stranger piloted the cart slowly  towards the other shore. The chanting of Sai’s name was continuous.

The water subdued as the stranger drew the cart cautiously to the other shore. The clouds cleared and there was sun-shine. The crowds, that were watching from the shore the party’s plight, rejoiced with joy and shouts of “Sai Baba ki Jai” rent the air.

Mr. Baliah, the head of the party was so immensely happy that he took out a ten rupee note to be presented to the stranger, who helped the party to safety.

But lo! the stranger disappeared. The searching eyes of Baliah and other members of the party could not locate him. The baffled Mr. Baliah put a question to himself as to who was that stranger. WAS HE BABA HIMSELF?

After the evening   darshan of the shrine, the party retired to the cottage.    Mr. Baliah   fell asleep and a gentleman appeared ‘ in his dream, who told him that  he erred in the accounts of the hundi for the  Shrine of  Shri Sai   Baba.

Mr. Baliah got up in excitement  and  calculated the   accounts on   paper.    And to his shocking surprise,   he discovered   the error to   the correct pie as pointed out by the gentleman in his dream-It was divine!

Ananthula Neeraja

Secunderabad (A. P.)

(Source Shri Saileela July 1975)

Latest Miracles:

• Something not Possible ? It’s OK. …Sai@366 – 13th March….Audio
• Hardship – Worse; …Sai@366 – 16th August….Audio
• Is that the reason? …Sai@366 – 1st August….Audio
• Why Fear? Oh Mind! …. Mahaneeyulu@2020 – 3rd January
• SHRI SAINATH-STAVAN MANJARI – English (Part 29-32)