Shridhar Narayan Kharkar

Kharkar

aged 57, Kayasta Prabu, Accountant, Secretariat, 37 Charni Road, Thana, 1st September, 1936.

After 2 or 3 such years, i.e. in 1933, she wished to go to Shirdi and pay her respects to Baba’s shrine, and asked my wife and daughter to see that she was taken to Shirdi. I was very glad to see the change worked in her. Baba’s kindness made a great change in her attitude. Extremely orthodox though she was, she dropped her orthodox scruples when devotion to Sai Baba suggested the contrary course. She was well impressed with all she saw at Shirdi. The visit to Shirdi was none too soon. Shortly after our return from Shirdi, she breathed her last at my residence at Thana. It was a great kindness on the part of Baba to have brought a change in her and given her darshan of the Samadhi just in time before she passed away.

I can easily multiply instances of Baba’s kindness to me and my family. But it is needless. It is enough to say that I feel Baba is guiding us and watching over our interests and actions in everything.

I shall give only two instances to show how other members of my family are sharing the kind and merciful care that Baba bestows on his own. My second son, Govind, was hungering and thirsting to have the joy of visiting Baba’s Samadhi, and Dwarkamai at Shirdi. So in 1934 for Ramnavami celebration when our family friends Mr. G.B. Datar and family were going to Shirdi, my son accompanied them. When he went to Dwarkamai(i.e.) the mosque, he was alone with Baba’s oil painting which is so vividly painted that Baba's eyes from the portrait seem to pierce into you, wherever you may stand in the hall. My son gazed with rapture at the portrait and closed his eyes. He heard then a distinct and audible voice (Have you come?). That is the parental affectionate greeting he had. He opened his eyes and found himself alone. There was no other to utter those words of welcome, but Baba.

About 8 years back, my daughter was in the family way and we had taken her to our village at Khar (some 2 or 3 miles off Thana). When the delivery was to take place, there was no proper medical aid. My relations were blaming me for not providing a place at Thana for the delivery. My wife came and told me that it - the delivery - was obstructed. The child had evidently died and could not easily come out. There was great pain, and anxiety was felt by the patient and by all of us. It was midnight or rather 2 A.M. when the condition was reported to be so painful and anxious; I was helpless. Suddenly, it dawned upon me that I had a safe resource in Baba’s udhi. My wife took the udhi and applied it to my daughter. Within 30 minutes or one hour of the application the child came out. It was dead, but my daughter’s life was saved and our anxieties were at an end. A doctor came in the morning and wondered how it had come out. He thought that illtrained people like the midwife would have thrust their hands in and created danger of septic and possible post-parturition troubles. He was surprised to learn that mere udhi without any physical interference resulted in the expulsion of the child, the placenta and everything.

All my girls take part in the service of Baba and daily perform their arati & c.

A week or so before my daughter’s delivery, my son informed me that Baba had just appeared in his dream and called out ‘Nana, Nana. (meaning myself) Where is he? Why is he afraid? Apply my Udhi". Though my son had told me this, I did not recall it at the time my daughter’s serious troubles: but instinctively I resorted to the aid of Baba’s Udhi. Long afterwards I thought over the matter and found that in my son’s dream, Baba had given me a forewarming of the impending danger and shown me the way out of it. And when I failed to realise this at the critical moment, I was made unconsciously to utilise the very way he had mentioned.

Source: Devotees Experiences of SRI SAI BABA by B.V.NARASIMHASWAMIJI