Shirdi Sai Satcharitra Chapter 24 - English Audiobook
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This chapter covers the following:
Baba's Wit and Humor:
Chanak Leela 
Sudama's story
Anna Chinchanikar versus Mavsibai
Baba's Dependence on His Bhaktas
Preliminary

To say that we shall state a specific thing in this Chapter, is a form of egoism. Unless we surrender our ego to the feet of our Sadguru, we will not succeed in our undertaking. If we become ego-less, then our success is assured.

By worshipping Sai Baba, we attain objects, both worldly and spiritual, and are fixed in our true nature and attain peace and happiness. Therefore, those who are concerned about their welfare should respectfully hear Sai Baba’s stories and meditate on them. If they do this, they will easily attain the object of their life and get Bliss.

Generally, people like wit and humor; but they do not like it when jokes are cut at their expense. But Baba’s method was peculiar; When it was accompanied by gestures, it was very interesting and instructive, and people therefore did not mind if jokes were made at their expense. Hemadpant gives his own instance below.

Chanak-Leela

In Shirdi, the bazaar was held every Sunday and people from neighboring villages came there, erected stalls on the street and sold their wares. Every noon, the Masjid was crowded; but on Sunday, it was crowded to suffocation. On one such Sunday, Hemadpant sat in front of Baba, shampooing His Legs and chanting God’s name. Shama was on Baba’s left, Vamanrao to His right and Shriman Booty, Kakasaheb Dixit and others were also present there. Then Shama laughed and said to Hemadpant, “Look, a few grains seem to have stuck to the sleeve of your coat”. Saying this, he touched the sleeve and found that there were a few grains stuck there. Hemadpant straightened his left fore-arm to see what the matter was, when to everyone’s surprise, a few grains of gram fell off and were picked up by the people who were sitting there.

This incident supplied the subject-matter for a joke. Everybody present began to wonder and said something or the other about how the grains found their way into the sleeve of the coat and had remained there so long. Hemadpant also could not guess how they had found their way in and stayed there. When nobody could offer a satisfactory explanation, Baba explained:

Baba: “This fellow (Annasaheb) has got the bad habit of eating alone. Today is a bazaar day and he was there chewing grams. I know his habit and these grams are a proof of it. What wonder is there in this matter?”

Hemadpant: “Baba, I have never eaten things alone; then why do you thrust this bad habit on me? I have never even seen the Shirdi bazaar and I never went to the bazaar today, then how could I buy grams and how could I eat them if I had not bought them? I never eat anything unless I share it with others present near me”.

Baba: “It is true that you give to the persons present, but if none be nearby, what could you or I do? But do you remember Me before eating? Am I not always with you? Then do you offer Me anything before you eat?”

Moral of the Story

Let us note carefully what Baba has taught us by this incident. He has advised us that......

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all

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