This post is in context of yesterday’s post about acknowledgement of Prayers reaching Shirdi. Sometimes we take our small deeds or seva as small ones, but then Baba makes us realise that He has fully blessed that deed of ours and make us feel that whatever we have done was not a small deed! Same thing happened in my case too. The service or say responisibility or duty, by whatever name it be called, of taking prayers to Shirdi was started casually and many devotees have volunteered this service since it has been started. But the flip side of this service was very emotional, totally unseen, which bursted out more love for Baba. For those devotees who live abroad or are not fortunate to receive the Divine call from Shirdi, feel satisfied that at least they are not able to be present in front of Baba in person, their prayers reach physically (in the form of print outs) and also they are answered. I received many thanks giving mails confirming this fact. A small incident signifies this. Few months back, a devotee had volunteered to take prayers to Shirdi. A lady Sai Devotee, living in US had sent her prayer to Baba, pleading for a child. After few months she informed that devotee that she was expecting a child and thus Baba has fulfilled her wish even though she had not prayed Him while standing in Samadhi Mandir.
In reply to the post Prayers reached Shirdi on January 17, 2009 which was circulated in one of yahoo groups, I received the following mail. Again a lady devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba experienced whose plan of going to Shirdi was cancelled but Baba gave her darshan.
Aum Sri Sai Ram
I would like to share the wonderful experience in line with the subject name “Prayers reached shirdi on January 17 2009”.
I keep reading these Sai mails almost alternatively now ,reading and sharing the devotees experiences have become a part of an evening ritual (after office hours).
I was thinking about an incident, one of our Sai sisters had written 3 days ago that she suddenly felt an urge to see ‘Sai Ma’ while doing shopping in a market and Lo ! she saw Shirdi Sai Baba photo in the shop. I was travelling to meet my aunty (whose daughter has just returned from Youth Yatra) and we had a lot of Sai stories sharing to catch up! So I was excited to see her and was waiting at the bus stop at Kurla.
I remembered the girl who prayed to Sai and similarly I was also praying that if Sai can appear if I thought of Him where would He appear and then suddenly my bus did not stop so I had to run behind it and got into it. When I got a seat it was 3 seats opposite the drivers seat so I suddenly saw up there was a shirdi sai photo half tattered but definitely our great Sai Ma’s face and everything was quite clear!!
I started to cry to myself and closed my eyes and suddenly some feeling overtook me…Just to share something before I explain my experience : Our Shirdi trip was cancelled twice as mentioned below (once due to the petrol strike & same time my grandmother got admitted to the hospital and second time i.e. this Saturday my husband had to go to Chennai on an urgent official trip) so I was crying that at least if I couldnt visit Shirdi I saw Him in the bus.
If we had been to Shirdi I would be standing in the line …and Lo ! in my mind I could clearly hear the chanting “Aum Sri Sai Babaya Namaha” the same recorded chanting they keep in the line. Then I imagined that I am waiting in the line for long (and so coincidentally the bus was waiting for 30 mins in Ghatkopar marg) didnt move due to huge traffic jam I felt as though am not going to reach my aunty’s home. Then I slowly imagined that I have reached the mandir and in my mind only Sai was allowing me to put flowers on His Holy feet, one by one I was repeating the chanting still “Aum Sri Sai Babaya Namaha” and then I am doing abhishek for Him wth rose water, with chandan, then with nectar, honey and then rose water again and then finally am putting the purple ‘saari’ robe for Him, placing His mukut (crown), putting the red & golden colored shawl and then doing aarti of Satya sai baba because I didnt know the Shirdi Sai Baba aarti…I, this time saw even Satya Sai Baba in my imagination and all the while tears were just flowing from my eyes. I was wondering no one in the bus should wonder why this girl is going on wiping her tears.but luckily i was wearing a chunni around my face due to pollution and then what happened…the darshan in my mind suddenly got over! I thought what is this baba I reached Shirdi and didnt pray at all…!!! and its time to leave already?? So then I heard my inner voice saying come to Mulund I will give you darshan there…I didnt give it importance because in the evening I had plans to go to Lord Murugan (Lord Kaarthikeya) and not remembering any Sai baba temple around.
When I reached my aunt’s place and we got ready suddenly I remembered Shirdi Sai temple next to her house (it is same as Shirdi statue !) made of marble and very pleasant and same vibrations! Sai Ram I told her to hurry up and we reached at 7 pm and to see what! Right at aarti time we reached and to my surprise there was no single person except the 2 seva dals who takes care of the temple and just my aunt and me! I again cried because the statue was adorned in ‘purple and green’ colored saree and also chandan tikka on Sai’s forehead ! Only kumkum was not there which I had imagined, again I started crying with tears of love for my Baba that He not only gave me inner experience but also brought that experience outwards. Only my aunty knew what I went through that evening. She was so thrilled. It seems she staying was there for so many years had not visited the temple, so she thanked me for taking her and that too at a wonderful time of aarti. We prayed to our hearts fullest extent took prasad and then left towards Lord Muruga temple! Good great darshan there too…
So this was my humble and fulfilling experience and now you will understand when I saw the subject “Prayers reached Shirdi” once again re-assure me from our Sai that even though some of us couldnt visit him , everyone’s prayers reached Shirdi mentally & physically through our sisterHetal Patil ! Another thing to note the photograph attached is the replica of Mulund Sai temple except there is no Baba’s samadhi there. So I was again thrilled
Jai Sai Ram!
Bow to the Lotus Feet of Sri Sai, Peace with all!!!
© Shirdi Sai Baba Life Teachings and Stories
