He was accepted in Baba's durbar

Dear readers,
There was no knowing, when Baba would accept a devotee. That depended on His sweet will. Many people flocked to Shirdi with some or the other reason (best known to them or Baba).Some were rich, some were poor, some were famous, some were common .

Out of so many people coming to Shirdi every day, few of them had special bond with Baba.

Baba with His divinity, His love and compassion would slowly reveal the truth about their bond and they stayed devoted to Baba for rest of their lives. Out of so many one was Haji Siddique Phalke .

Haji Siddique Phalke was born in Kalyan around 1841.He was an affluent jamidar (Land owner) and had vast acres of farmlands. He was sophisticated, intelligent, well read and spiritual. He had traveled widely Baghdad, Constantiople, Mecca were but some of the places that he had visited

Dada Sahib Khaparde has recorded one of his visits to Shirdi dated 14-12-1911 to 23-12-1911 in his Shirdi diary.

Dada Sahib Kharpade who was himself extremely learned and spiritual, states that Siddique Phalke was a gentleman of the ‘old sort’, a Karma –Margi and very intelligent. He was spiritually developed and learned .The conversations that they had were pleasant and instructive.Baba liked Phalke a great deal and is said to have granted his wish.


During that visit Phalke had a vision and he asked Dada Sahib to ask Baba its meaning .The vision was about the 3 girls and a blind women who had come to amuse him .

He ordered them to go out or they would be kicked out and began to pray .The 3 girls and that blind women fled upon hearing the prayer .He than blessed everyone in the room, and in the house and the whole village. Dada Sahib was barely seated before Baba when Baba said,” He was beaten last night by something on his private parts and hands. He then applied oil, wandered about, had a stool, sat near the fire and felt better “.

Siddique Phalke was married to Kursheed and had two sons named Gulam Mustafa and Mohamed Mukram.Phalke loved to wear spotlessly white clothes. Whenever the Dwarkamayi was washed with cow dung, Baba would summon Phalke and make him sit on the wet floor much to Phalke’s discontent. But when he got up his clothes remained spotless as before.

Baba loved and had great respect for Phalke and whenever permission was granted for his departure would walk 100 paces with him and see him off at the breach in the wall .Phalke lived in a huge building in Kalyan called Phalkewada and its still there even today.

In chapter 11 of Sri Sai Satcahritra the story of Siddique Phalke’s attempt to obtain Baba’s grace is given .Phalke stays for 9 months in the north facing Chavadi, trying in vain to enter the Sanctum Sanctorum. Than he seeks Shama’s help.Shama asks Baba " Baba, why don't You allow the old Haji to step into the Masjid, while so many persons freely come and go, after taking Your darshan; why not bless him once?" Baba replied "Shama, you are too young to understand things. If the Fakir (Allah) does not allow, what can I do? Without His grace, who will climb into the masjid? Well, go to him and ask him whether he will come to the narrow footpath near the Barvi well." Shama went and returned with an affirmative answer.


Siddique Phalke answers that whatever difficulty he may encounter he will carefully tread the path.

Infact there is no well called ‘Baravi’ in Shirdi or the neighbouring villages. Baba possibly uses the word Barvi to mean 12.

Here Baba asks Siddique Phalke whether he is willing to tread the straight and narrow (spiritual path) fraught with difficulties. Whether he is willing to do a twelve year penance (tapasya)? The penance of 12 inner disciplines which are as follows:
1. Viveka (Discrimination)
2. Vairagya (renunciation)
3. Niswartha (Selflessness)
4. Sama (calmness)
5. Dama (Self-control)
6. Uparati (Self withdrawal)
7. Titikshya (forbearance)
8. Samadhana (Self-settled)
9. Shradha(faith)
10. Satsang (Holy Company)
11. Maun (silence of mind)
12. Ekanta-dhyana (solitude and meditation)
Lastly the Guru’s grace without which nothing is possible.

Siddique Phalke indeed came to Baba of and on for 12 years.



Than next question was “Will you give me 40,000 Rs. in 4 installments?” To which Siddique Phalke answers,”I will gladly give 40, 00000(Forty Lakhs) if asked. What than of thousands? Only let me be at His feet “.Siddique Phalke was affluent but he was willing to part with his money .The deeper meaning could be given as follows. The 4 installments could mean manas (mind), Buddhi (intelligence), Aham (pride), and Chitta (consciousness).

Through Antharkarnya Chatustaya, the zeros could represent the three bodies-Bhautik or physical, Shukshma or subtle, Kaaran or casual (This is the first zero).

The second zero could be Triputi that is Jnana (knowledge) 2 jneya (experience of knowledge) and jnathru (the person who experiences it).

The 3rd zero could be the panch indriyias that consists of 5 kamindryas, vichar, touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. And five jnanindriyas that are shabda (ears), sparsha(skin),rupa(eyes),rasa(tongue) and gandha(smell).

The 4th zero implies the six Arishadvargas are kama, krodha, madha, matsaraya,moha, lobha. The Haji relies that he will give 40, 00,000(forty lakhs) thus implies there are two more zeros.

Therefore the 5th zero could imply that he is willing to give five ‘Pranas’ that are prana, apana, udana, vyana and samana. The 6th zero could mean the five koshas. That are annamaya kosha, pranamaya kosha, monomaya kosha, viganamaya kosha and annandmaya kosha. Here the Haji seems prepare to surrender in toto that is Smapurna Sharanagathi,

Baba then gets angry and throws the vessels when He hears that the Haji is ready to give 40,00,000. Baba knows that the sishya is ready for total surrender. The guru wants the sishya to be purified without having a tinge of Prarabdha so He burns it by showing anger.

Then He takes 55 Rs form His pocket, and counting them one by one He places them in Phalke’s hands. Money is Shri. The 5+5 symbolically could be the dress code of the sanyasi-1) Sirvesh or Kaupin signifies total surrender,2) Pitambar signifies sacrifice, 3) Danda that is Deha Danda or discipline, 4) Kamandalu stands for compassion and 5) Khadaw.

Then He bought a basket of mangoes and presented it to him. And he was accepted in Baba’s durbar. Mangoes represent auspiciousness.

The 3rd question that Baba asks is-“What part of the sacrificial goat would He like to eat? Does he want to eat the meat covered bones or is his heart sat on sex organ?” Baba wants to make sure that he no Ashwath of any kind left. Be it for delectable food or sensual appetite. Siddique Phalke’s answer is incredible. He states that if Baba wishes to give him anything he would cherish a crumb form the Kolambah.

Dear readers meaning of 55 shall be posted in next post .

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