Baba's words

Baba used to say : My lila is incrutable ." He had infinite love for his devotees and his mode of instruction was born of compassion . Because of his omniscence he could understand and follow the sorrows and sufferings of his devotees and could ward them off. He never gave a begineer in the quest for spiritual enlightment the higher lesson. To each he imparted knowledge according to the capacity of the recipent to absorb it. Sometimes he would give him a mantra (incantation) that seemed just right for the devotee or aprove a mantra withwhich the devotees was already familiar. At his first meeting with M.W. Pradhan Baba uttered the mantra ," Sri Ram Jai Ram, Jai jai Ram thus confirming his recognition of the mantra given to pradhan by the family Guru.

Khalbatta ( Pestle and mortar )

" Ghavune kesar cha vati, mage lavethi, hasthe uti tambulla Arpithe kara se punti prasanna dristi sai che.
Taking the small bowl full of safflon, he would apply the paste on Baba's divine hands. Then offer tambul in his palm. During this puja ritual Baba's expression would be divinely pleasing," This was part of the ritualistic puja offered by Bapu sahib joy at the chavadi. Following the chavadi procession, from the Dwarkamai to chavadi every alternate day.
" Treyo Dashgune" Veeda or Tambul
1. Shira kadlele paan ( Divine beetle leaf)
2. Phodleli supari ( Brokened Arecanut)
3. Chuna ( Lime)
4. Kairacha kath ( Resin from the kher tree)
5. Kesar ( saffron)
6. Kasturi ( sweet smelling resin)
7. Badam ( almond)
8. Jaist madhue ( sweetening spice ).
9. Jai pathrei ( bay leaf )
10. Valchi. ( Cardamom)
11. Lavang ( clove )
12. Jaiphal ( nutmeg )
13. Suvarn ( gold)
These thirteen ingredients are pounded together. A fairly fine powder is procured and then offered to Baba. No ritualistic puja is complete to the sadguru without offering "Tambul" or "phanvida" and " Dakshina" . During Baba's sojourn in shirdi this Khalbatta was used for that purpose . After Baba's Mahasamadhi in 1918, Tatya kote patil kept the khalbatta with him. He then gave it to Dadaji Gopinath Joshi.

Butty's life in Danger

Once an astrologer named Nana saheb Debgale came to Shirdi. He told Butty one day that the particular day was inauspicious for him and there was dangerous to his life. Butty came to Baba and sat at his feet . Baba asked Butty," What is this Nana telling you ?" He is telling that there is danger to your life. I wll see how death will kill you. You do not fear ." That evening when Butty went to answer nature's call he found there a big snake . Butty called his servant, and by the time the servant came with a stick , the snake has disappeared . He recollected Baba's assurance and felt happy. Actually that day the poisonous snake have bitten him as per the predection of the astrologer, but it could not do anything because of Baba's words and he went away.

Appa Kulkarni

Once a devotee, Appa Kulkarni , had darshan of Baba. Baba casually told him : " Thieves have entered our village . The way of these thieves is peculiar. They do not upset the who;e house. They are after principal things only. Taking these they walk away without being discovered. Such arch villians they are. You will be the first object of their attack now. So take precautionary measures. Kulkarni dis not understand the purpose of Baba's warning and thought it refered to the security of his property and so he strengthened the security stuff at his residence. BUt what happened was an outbreak cholera in the village and kulkarni became its first victim. The villagers rushed to Baba and sought relief. Baba told them,'' In the village of shirdi seven men will die and thereafter cholera will disappeared," And so it happened.

Imambai Chotekhan

Imambai Chotekhan was a sepoy in the government of Nizam. Once he severely beat a christian teacher for having not cooperated in an investigation. The teacher vomitted blood and bacame unconscious as a result of the beatings. The sepoys superior advised him to leave the job and get out of the state to escape punishment. Therefore , he resigned his job and came to Maharashtra state withe intention of escape the punishment, with the blessings of Shirdi Sai Baba.
When he went to see Baba the next day, Baba assured him saying " Allah Malik! Do not fear. I will see that no punishment is given to you." He stayed at shirdi for two months. One day Baba told him," you can go home. The pending ligitations about your lands will be settled in your favour. He had disputes about some lands with his aunt. Though he had not told Baba about this , Baba knewabout it and blessed him. Afterwords Chotekhan visited Shirdi several times and took blessings and advice of Baba and progresses in his life.

Nana sahib Nimonkar Khadaws

Nana sahib Nimonkar was a fortunate devotee. He and his wife came to reside in shirdi and from morning to night they spent their time by doing Baba's seva. Baba looked after their spiritual welfare. He wished to read the Bhagwad Gita , which was in sanskrit, a language he did not know. Baba reading his thought said," Why don't you read the pothi?' Nana replied that he did not know Sanskrit. Baba immediately said " Never mind. Masjid Aayi wiil teach you. Begin today " He took Baba's advice and soon became so proficient that he could hold discourses. Then he read the Gita and the Dnyaneshwari. Nana sahib took samadhi two months after Baba's Mahasamadhi. During that time he had intense ' Dhyasa'[ absorption ] in Baba. He was Ram Bhakta and he died saying ' Sri Ram'. It was vety appropriate for him to receive Khadaws from Baba. These Khadaws he did not wear, but venerated tham as a gift from Baba. They are kept in his prayer room in his home in Nimon Gaon

Two Brahmins Came to see Baba

Two Brahmins Came to see Baba one day and Baba narrated an incident which he said happened to him. He spoke of his wandering on the seashore and his arrival at a rich brahmins's house where he was fed and shown a clean and nice place near the cupboard to sleep. When he was sound asleepa man pilled out a stone slab from the wall and took from Baba's pocket a bundle of currency noted. When Baba noticed the theft he was upset and began weeping. He thought the brahmin had stolen the money. He lost all interest in food and drink and stayed on the verandah of the house for 15 days. On the 15th day a passing fakir saw him crying and made enquires. Baba told him everything that had happened. The fakir told him of another fakir and asked him to seek relief from him. He would restore the property to him, the fakir told Baba. Baba followed his advice, met the fakir and got back his money. Again he went to the seashore and there was aship by which he had to travel. He got on board the help of a peon and thereafter he got into a train and came to Dwarkamayi.
As Baba was telling about his experience the two brahmins were wondering what he wanted to convey because they knew that Baba never left shirdi and had not seen the sea or seashore. Their puzzle was cleared when they realised that Baba had narrated was what they themselves had ecperienced and it was their story that Baba had described in such vivid detail and it was absolutely true in every respect

Five Pranas

1) Prana : or the vital forces that receive everything into the body.

2) Aapana: which excretes what is not required

3) Samana : which receives all that is brought by pranas and assinmilates it.

4 Vyana : the circulatory system that carries assimilated food to the different parts of the body.

5) Udayana : which protects and serves as a body guard to the individuality and the wgo helping it to lift the thoughts to new heights of better understanding