When Hemadri Panth (Anna Sahib Dhabolkar) contemplated to write Sai Satcharita, Sri Sai advised Shyama (Madhava Rao Deshpande), the mediator to see that Hemadri Panth sheds his Ahankara and take recourse to his feet, then I myself shall complete the writing. Sai was always instrumental in removing ahankara (ego) from the mind of his devotees and thereby contribute to the spiritual advancement of his devotees. In this experience, the 5th under the series, I shall show how Sai tackled with my ahamkara.
It was a cool morning of winter during the month of December, 1990; I offered prayers at the Ganesh Temple near Secunderabad Station and came out. A smiling middle aged person clad in white South Indian attire wanted me to offer 1/- as dakshina. The typical smile reminded me of Sai’s Photograph in my house. I naturally felt happy that Sai himself was demanding and I readily obliged to. After parting I walked towards another temple of Panduranga Vittal in the nearby vicinity. While doing so a thought crept in to my position conscious mind that I am a class one Officer and why Sai always demands a dakshina Rs.1/- only when I have capacity to pay more i.e Rs.2/- as Baba normally does. Certainly this cannot be my fault. As I was passing through a lodging house in busy traffic area my attention was drawn to a fakir calling for me. Involuntarily I moved towards him. Without any wait he blasted me with words “you are a big officer and I am considered a poor Sai Baba. Can you give me as much as I demand? Are you treating me as a beggar? It appears that your ahankara has grown out of proportion”.
Like a statue I listened to these sermons and realized my grave mistake. How did this fakir on road capture thoughts reeling in my mind? Definitely I consider it was none other than Sai Baba himself graced in fakir’s form to put a check on my growing ahankara and guide me on to the path of righteousness. Unmindful of the surroundings and with tremors in my body I touched his feet and requested him to pardon me while quickly dumping a two rupees note in to his palm. After coming out of Pandu Ranga Vittal’s Temple I looked back nervously to find the fakir nowhere around. I concluded that Sai is SARVANTARYAAMI and what fitting lesson he gave me to remember and practice it forever.