Mrs. Ratan Lal has a photograph of
hers with Shri Dattatreya
Bhagwan
Baba takes students of His institutions during vacations
to Kodaikanal. Along with students, some other devotees
also accompany Him on his trips to Kodaikanal. Mrs. Ratan
Lal has been one such devotee who’s been regular on such
trips. She has been a sincere devotee of Baba since
several years. Her Ishtadevata i.e. the favourite form of
God has been Shri Dattartreya (Most Maharashtrians believe
that Shirdi Sai Baba is the incarnation of Sri Dattareya,
fondly called as Duttaguru. Even the biography of Sai Baba
from Shirdi Sansthan, which runs the Shirdi temple,
mentions this).
On one of the trips
to Kodaikanal, Baba called everyone assembled there for photographs.
One by one everyone came and stood for photographs. When Mr. Ratan Lal’s
turn came, Baba got up from His seat, sat down and lifted his gown up
to a position in between the knees and the ankle. Everyone was
surprised but none dared to question. As Mrs. Ratan Lal came nearer,
Baba said :-- “Thoda Hatke khadi rahiega (Stand at a little
distance)”. Mrs. Ratan Lal did not understand what Baba’s command
meant but nevertheless did as told. The photograph session was
completed and Baba, before leaving told the cameraman “Photo aye to
jara sabko dekha dena (when the photos come just show them to everyone)”,
looked at Mrs. Ratan Lal, gave a mischievous smile and left.
When the photographs
came every photo seemed to be in order.......except that of Mrs.Ratan
Lal. Her photograph showed her fully but then.. Baba’s photo came only
up to the portion of his half lifted gown i.e. only the portion from
Baba’s feet to the part in between the knees and the ankle was visible,
the rest of Baba’s body was not visible. She didn’t understand but
still kept the photograph. Baba came down from his chamber and asked
everyone --
“Sabka photograph
barabar aya na (Did everyone’s photograph come correctly)?
Everyone
said “yes” with one was. Baba gave a small glance towards to
Mrs.Ratan Lal and asked again “Sabka barabar aya? (Everyone’s come
correctly?) and looked at Mrs.Ratan Lal again. Mrs.Ratan lal
immediately took the photograph to Baba, who looked at it and
exclaimed --
“Are, Yeh kya? sirf
adhe pair tak hi photo aya, baki kahan gaya? (Are, What is this? Only
upto half the leg it has come. What about the rest?)”
and again looked
at her. A confused Mrs.Ratan Lal didn’t know what to say, She kept
quite. Baba did not want to put Mrs. Ratan Lal under further confusion.
He showed Mrs.Ratan Lal the photograph...and started peeling off
photograph starting from the half shown leg. As He peeled the
photograph, She could see the image of Dattatreya exactly at the spot
where Baba was sitting. Baba asked her to come closer and whispered
into her ear---
“When the photograph
was being taken, I had assumed the form of Dattatreya , which is why I
asked you to stand a little away from me.”
Mrs.Ratan Lal fell
at Baba’s feet and cried. Baba asked her to get up and said “Ab
isko apne pooja mandap mein rakna (Now keep this in your pooja mandap)”.
Even today Mrs.Lal has this photograph given by Baba in her pooja
mandap.
The above experience
reveals to us that Baba knows each and everyone mind very well. After
all He always tells us that God is Hridayakamalanivasi (The indweller
of our heart). There is deeper significance to what Baba means to say
-- God knows what is best for us .We must have full faith in Him. We
can depend on Him to show us the way in face of all difficulties and
more so in our pursuit for the ultimate Truth which has presented
itself today in form of lord , SRI SATYA SAI.
Source:
http://www.geocities.com/sai_ram108/mira13.htm
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