Shirdi Sai Baba Stories,Leelas and Teachings.: Dev Baba-Especial Sai Baba blessed devotee.

Dear All,
Happy Thursday and Happy Baba's day
Today I would like to share about a great person who had special blessing of Shirdi Sai Baba.It is very interesting to read about this Baba's great devotee and about Baba's grace on him .Jai Sai Ram .

Raja Ram Kaka (Dev Baba’s Father) hailed from Walaval, Sindhudurga Jilha (Region).
Hence, they were called the “Walavalkars”.His lineage was from the Sathkul Kudar Deshkar family. The family was very devout and religious.He married Krishna Bai alias Sita Bai who was Dabholakar’s daughter in 1916(Hemandpant /Dabholkar –He is the blessed devotee of Baba by whom the sacred and holy book Sri Sai Satcharitra through Baba was written).

The couple moved to Girgaun, Bombay where Raja ram worked in the Accountant General’s office. He was devoted to Vitthal and followed the varakari Sampradaya (A sect of devotee who walk to a holy place or temple, usually to Pandharpur).Dev Baba was the eldest of the 4 brothers and 1 sister .As Girgaun was rather a remote suburb, Rajaram, and his family moved to Dadar.As it was the first pregnancy Sita bai came to her parents home in Bandra.

Sita Bai was rather ill during the pregnancy and had nandavayu (possibly tetanus).
Dabholkar was very concerned. So he ran to Shirdi and told Baba about it .Baba reassured him and said,” Balantpan nirvigna hoyeel” बालान्त्पन निर्विग्न होएल(The delivery will be trouble free).
He also stated that HIS son would be born to her .Assured by Baba’s word, Dabholkar returned home and prayed to Baba for help.Rajaram also prayed earnestly to Vitthal, begging HIM to give him a Dnyaneshwar like son. The time for delivery arrived and Dabholkar anxiously waited outside.

It was 13th April 1918 when he finally went to see his daughter and was surprised as what he saw. The mother had thrown the child in the corner, and would not touch or cuddle him .The child however lay contentedly in the corner .But what surprised him most was the halo of light around his head .He also had an aura of light around him.

As the mother was afraid to hold her child, she also refused to nurse him, Dabholkar however picked up the child and brought him to Shirdi .He went straight to Dwarkamayi and laid him at Baba’s feet .Being rather anxious and distraught at his daughter’s behavior,he told Baba all that had happened in great detail .Meanwhile ,Baba picked up the baby and laying him in HIS lap ,patted him gently .Than HE nursed him by placing HIS thumb in the child’s mouth .The baby sucked and out came the milk .

In the Sri Sai Satcharitra (Chapter 4), the beautiful leela of Baba is given where Baba tells Das Ganu that he need not go to Prayag to have a bath in the Ganga and Jamuna.When Das Ganu lays his head on Baba’s feet, out flows the Ganga and Jamuna from Baba’s toe.Here,Baba feeds the tiny baby from HIS thumb. The Sanskrit word for thumb is Angusta.Baal Krishna is usually seen with HIS thumb in HIS mouth, as milk would come out .Here Baba nurses Dev Baba with HIS thumb.

In the Probodha Sudhakara written by Sri Sankaracharya there is a beautiful verse, the meaning of it is given below. The celestial Ganga is considered as emanating from the feet of Vishnu (regarded as Krishna) and, when it was brought to earth, Shiva is stated to have borne it on his head to reduce its force. The idea conveyed in this verse is that Krishna is Sat Chit Anand.And is the soul and basis of all universes, gods and beings. So Baba is none other than Vishnu or Krishna.

Dev Baba had Baba’s grace around him at all times. His primary education was in Marathi medium. Then he went to Wilson English Medium School .However, dev Baba rarely attended school .He spent most of his time mediating at the Swami Samarth Math nearby .Swami Samarth also blessed him .As a young man, he joined the Kurla Municipal Kirde Kendra as a teacher in physical education. He was extremely fond of his students and was fair to each and everyone.

However, the students were from two castes, and one felt that Dev Baba was ‘rather fond and sympathetic to the other caste’. They went and complained to the other teachers. One of the teachers decided to give him a good thrashing .Meanwhile some of the teachers informed Dev Baba of the plan .Casually he said,”Oh but he will not come to school tomorrow.” And so, it came to pass that the teacher went to swim that evening, drowned and died. When this happened, Dev Baba realized that Baba had bestowed him with Siddhis.

He decided not to work for anybody, but to utilize his services for God. He made various pilgrimages and stayed in the Himalayas. He leaned Hata Yoga and progressed spiritually.
In 1945, Dev Baba’s mother was seriously ill and he knew that she would soon pass away. He visited her and gave her a mantra to recite.

Then he came to Shirdi and sat in Samadhi Mandir and did parayan (reading a holy book or pothi in a set number of days, usually seven days) of the Shri Sai Satcharitra.While he was mid-way, he received a telegram, saying that his mother he should go and visit her .Baba said,’Yes’. Now, he was in a quandary as to how he would go that far in such a short time. He was pondering as to why Baba had granted him permission when the time was so short and the journey, so long.

Lo! Baba stood before him and reassured him .Baba had brought a horse and asked him to accompany Him in the shookshma (invisible) form. They both reached dardar .He met his mother and gently reassured her of a peaceful death and that Baba Himself was there to take care of her destination .Thus, it came to pass that she does peacefully .

He returned to Shirdi and completed the parayan.When he told people about his mother’s death, they looked at him with astonishment and did not believe him,’ as he was seated for parayan (reading of Sri Sai Satcharitra in 7 days)all that time’.

In 1952, he married Kishori Bai who shared his devotion for Baba and worked along with him .The couple moved to Ambarnath and stayed in their ancestral home. On the first floor, a mandir was made in 1967.A Saat-Dhaatu Murti (as idol of seven metals) was installed and pratishtha performed.

Dev Baba had many followers and he guided them to his Ishtadev Sai Baba .After a very fruitful life, he took Samadhi on Thursday, May 25th 1994 on Vaishakh Vaidya Apara ekadashi.he asked his relatives not to perform any rituals or religious ceremonies.

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