Shri Sai Satcharitra - Chapter 8
Sai Ram. Sai devotees may skip the Spiritual Gems portion presented in red color italics and follow the main Satcharitra given in the normal blue font, especially if they are doing a Parayana. Sai Ram.
Importance of Human Birth - Sai Baba Begging Food - Bayajabai's Service - Sai Baba's Dormitory - His Affection for Khushalchand.
As hinted in the last Chapter, Hemadpant now explains at length, in his preliminary remarks, on the importance of human birth; and then proceeds to relate how Sai Baba begged His food, how Bayajabai served Him, how He slept in the Masjid with Tatya Kote Patil and Mhalsapati and how He loved Khushalchand of Rahata.
Sai Ram. We have completed (at least for the time being) the first day's parayan of Sai Satcharitra, when we delved into Chapter 7 and enjoyed the spiritual gems. Now, with a prayer to Sai to guide us and help us at every step, we take up the second day's parayana starting with Chapter 8.
The number 8 has great significance in numerology, the interesting science of numbers and their influence on us. And this chapter has very special significance to all Sai devotees (all seekers on the spiritual path are Sai devotees, since He is One with all Gods and Gurus!), whose lives are strongly influenced by number 8, which is ruled by Saturn, the great planet God who teaches humility and who teaches us that destiny is supreme and can't be over-ruled (He also teaches us a simple trick to overcome destiny! surrender to God/Guru).
Hemadpant (let us bow to him) discusses at length the importance of the human birth, Sai's begging for food, Bayajabai's brilliant service etc. Let us take up first things first.
The importance of human birth is stressed by Scriptures and Shri Hemadpant, contrary to his protestations is well read and thus brings out nicely the secret of the human birth, viz., the great purpose. And that is to get Salvation, Moksha, Mukti, Liberation, Enlightenment, call it by whatever name appeals to you. How to get it? What is that liberation? Liberation from the bondage of birth and death. To put the matter in a nutshell, souls get their births or transmigrations according to their deeds and intelligence (development of their minds).
The intelligence that Shri Hemadpant is talking of is not intelligence in worldly matters or bookish philosophy. The intelligence which he is talking of is the intelligence that automatically regulates our behavior at the thought level. Trikarana Suddhi. Cleanliness at three levels, manasaa (mental), vaachaa (speech level) and karmana (action level). And that cleanliness is possible only when Kama (sensual desire, desire for the fruit of one's action, the action-reward-reaction trap) is burnt off, washed off, uprooted etc. For that the steel crowbar of our ego needs to be heated in the Dhuni of True Knowledge (Brahma Jnana), quenched in the water of pure Bhakti (devotion), and hammered by the great Master so that a fine point which is very hard and tough, capable of digging deep into the psyche and removing the roots of desire is produced. Yes. The ego needs to be trained to uproot the desires produced by the same ego! Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi used the metaphor of a thorn being used to remove another thorn that has pierced our heel and is troubling us.
And the kind Master has already shown that after uprooting, the tree and the roots must suffer total destruction by burning to ashes. The resulting Vibhuti, Udhi is pure Bliss. That is what Shri Hemadpant tried to convey in a cryptic remark: Ultimately when their merits and demerits both drop down (are got rid of) completely, they get their deliverance and become free. Free to serve the Lord without the need to be chained to the wheel of birth-and-death.
In Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna almost towards the end: Let go of all Dharmas, and surrender to Me, I will take care of you. Dharma, right or wrong is the ego's reaction to a thought, which comes up due to desire. So, if being surrendered to the Lord destroys the ego, and if the only thought the ego entertains is the one: Lord, let thy will be done! Then where is punya (merit) and where is paapa (demerit)? How do the merits and demerits drop down completely? They are the shackles, which bind the man to the cycle of birth and death. Shackles need something concrete to tie down and when the ego is reduced to zero, the shackles automatically drop off.
Sai performs this miracle in one of the later chapters to redeem one of His devotees, as we shall see. When the balloon of the individual 'I' is pricked with the needle of Brahma Jnan, it collapses and the shackles then have nothing to hold on. When one stops struggling, the ropes or shackles stop biting into the flesh and when one is sufficiently emancipated, they drop off. Water or mud etc. stick to a surface, which is a little rough and not so clean. When the surface is super smooth and when it is absolutely clean, water and mud etc. can't stick. That is why Lotus is portrayed as the symbol for purity. While being in the middle of this pond of Samsara, the Lotus remains untainted and always looks towards her husband, the Sun God. Thus the ego, which is cleaned by understanding the real purpose of its existence, is untouched and untainted by the surroundings, and is always tuned to Pure Knowledge. Sai Ram.
Importance of Human Birth
In this wonderful universe, God has created billions (84 lacs according to Hindusastra calculation) of creatures or beings (including Gods, demigods, insects, beasts and men) inhabiting heaven, hell, earth, ocean, sky and other intermediate regions. Of these, those creatures or souls, whose merits preponderate, go to heaven and live there till they enjoy the fruits of their actions, and when this is done, they are cast down while those souls, whose sins or demerits preponderate, go down to hell, and suffer the consequences of their misdeeds for so long a time as they deserve. When their merits and demerits balance each other, they are born on earth as human beings, and are given a chance to work out their salvation. Ultimately when their merits and demerits both drop down (are got rid of) completely, they get their deliverance and become free. To put the matter in a nutshell, souls get their births or transmigrations according to their deeds and intelligence (development of their minds).
Special Value of the Human Body
As we all know, four things are common to all the creatures, viz. food, sleep, fear and sexual union. In the case of man, he is endowed with a special faculty, viz. knowledge, with the help of which he can attain God-vision, which is impossible in any other birth. It is for this reasons that Gods envy man's fortune and aspire to be born as men on earth, so as to get their final deliverance.
Sai Ram. The human body has been given with a great purpose. It doesn't last as long as that of the Gods. And it is not as short-lived as that of the insects etc. And the humans have been given the special faculty of standing and walking erect, so that they can see each other in their full beauty. And the sense of beauty, intelligence etc., all considered higher faculties are more or less exclusive to human beings. Thus the ability to appreciate beauty is a gift. By appreciating beauty and by learning the pleasure from appreciating and enjoying that beauty, man was freed from the cycles of nature, which protect the other animals. Thus human beings are the only species that are FREE to enjoy sex throughout the year without the restrictions of estrus (heat).
But freedom always comes with responsibility. Thus the very desire to enjoy that beauty and pleasure again and again is bondage. One may look at it as a curse, but one can by Sai's grace look at that too as a gift. Since, without bondage, there cannot be liberation. The realization that one has bound oneself through desire is itself a great step forward, since without that realization, there would be no effort to get oneself free. The desire for liberation is in fact, the ultimate desire.
Who is bound and who is liberated? Only the individual ego. The Higher Self, The real Atma who is one with Paramatma is always free. The individual ego only goes through the concepts of bondage and liberation. Can the individual ego free itself? It is like asking the prisoner to free himself. Of course not. The ego is set free by the Guru, who has the key to the prison cell, the key of knowledge, not worldly knowledge, but the knowledge of the Self, that knowledge which sets the ego free forever. Sai showed through His life, through His Leelas, through His devotion that it is possible for the ego to get fully merged in the Higher Self and be thus liberated.
Liberation or Mukti, Moksha is of many types. What that means is freedom from the birth-and-death cycle. Freedom to take birth or not to take. Freedom from the inexorable laws of Destiny, Karma. The law, which is inviolable for us, which says that we have to reap what we sow. The law which is only broken when we stop sowing further seeds of desires in our fertile soil of minds. By not reacting even in our minds. By realizing that the apparent sense of separation which causes the feeling of I, you, they etc., is an illusion, a trick of the ego. Sai Ram.
Some say, that there is nothing worse than the human body, which is full of filth, mucus, phlegm and dirt, and which is subject to decay, disease and death. This is no doubt true to a certain extent; but in spite of these drawbacks and defects, the special value of the human body is - that man has got the capacity to acquire knowledge: it is only due to the human knowledge that one can think of the perishable and transitory nature of the body itself, and of the world and get a disgust for the sense-enjoyments and can discriminate between the unreal and the real, and thus attain God-vision. So, if we reject or neglect the body because it is filthy, we lose the chance of God-vision, and if we fondle it, and run after sense - enjoyments, because it is precious, we go to hell. The proper course, therefore, for us to pursue is the following; that the body should neither be neglected nor fondled, but should be properly cared for, just as a traveler on horse-back takes care of his pony on the way till he reaches his destination and returns home. Thus the body should ever be used or engaged to attain God-vision or self-realization, which is the supreme end of life.
Sai Ram. Hemadpant rightly writes: If we condemn the human body and don't take care of it, it falls into decay and we don't reach the goal. And if we fondle it (because of the sense of beauty and the desire for enjoying that beauty) we go to hell, i.e. we go deeper in to the spiritual darkness of selfishness, self here meaning the individual ego, and the lower, baser nature, which is pleasure seeking, without the higher faculty of discrimination, without the sense of right or wrong.
Between these two errors, the first error is less severe. Sooner or later, we realize that we need the body to live and so will be forced to take adequate care of it. The second error is more dangerous and more difficult to overcome. Especially the desire for enjoyment of beauty in others. Kama. Desire for possessions. This is the ultimate bondage and can only be overcome by Guru Kripa. In a later Chapter, one of Sai's close intimate devotee, Shri Bapusaheb Jog asks Him, when he will get liberated. Sai's reply to Bapusaheb Jog is truly applicable to all of us. Sai Ram.
It is said that though God created various sorts of creatures he was not satisfied, for none of them was able to know and appreciate His work. So he had to create a special being - Man, and endow him with a special faculty, viz. Knowledge and when He saw that man was able to appreciate His Leela - marvelous work and intelligence. He was highly pleased and satisfied. (Vide, Bhagawat 11-9-28). So really it is good luck to get a human body, better luck to get birth in a Brahmin family, and best one, to get an opportunity of having recourse to Sai Baba's Feet and surrendering to Him.
Sai Ram. This is an echo of what was written in Viveka Chudamani, which is attributed to Sri Adi Shankara. By the way Viveka, means discrimination. And Viveka Chudamani means the Crest Jewel of Discrimination; discrimination of what is Real and what is Unreal. The Reality is that there is only One Supreme Self. The physical bodies, the variety of objects in this world, which appear to be real, are but images projected on a screen by the Self.
When the author (Shri Hemadpant) wrote that it is better luck to get birth in a Brahmin family, he had a deeper meaning to convey. He was not referring to the caste by birth, but to the way a person conducts himself. He who has interest in Brahma Jnan is a Brahmin. That is who is interested in spiritual knowledge, that helps one get rid of this birth-death cycle. The same result is assured in the Phala Shruti of Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra.
Surrendering to Sai Baba's feet that is dissolving the ego into the supreme Self is the best means of realizing Brahma, which is one's true Self. Just as water drop realizes its identity with the ocean when it falls into it and just as a salt doll realizes its oneness with the salt of the ocean when it merges with the ocean. Sai Ram.
Man's Endeavour
Realizing how precious the human life is, and knowing that Death is certain and may snatch us at any time, we should be ever alert to achieve the object of our life, we should not make the least delay but make every possible haste to gain our object, just as a widower is most anxious to get himself married to a new bride, or just as a king leaves no stone unturned to seek his lost son. So with all earnestness and speed, we should strive to attain our end, i.e., self-realization. Casting aside sloth and laziness, warding off drowsiness, we should day and night meditate on the Self. If we fail to do this, we reduce ourselves to the level of beasts.
Sai Ram. Here, we find the two paths to Self-realization. One has already been described in the earlier paragraph, i.e. total surrender to Guru. Surrendering to Him is a very significant statement. He is not Sai in the physical body, but the Self, manifesting as that body for that period of time. Now the second path described is Self-enquiry, or 'meditate on the Self'. By the constant meditation on the Self, the same realization comes, as by surrender to self - namely that the individual ego that has no separate existence from the Self and the feeling of separation is an illusion developed by the ego over ages. Bhagwan Ramana Maharshi used to suggest the path of self inquiry to the seekers and for those not yet ready, He was suggesting surrender. Self inquiry may be swift or slow but true surrender is real swift and is irreversible! Sai Ram.
How to Proceed?
The most effective and speedy way to gain our object is to approach a worthy Saint or Sage - Sadguru, who has Himself, attained God-vision. What cannot be achieved by hearing religious lectures and study of religious works is easily obtained in the company of such worthy souls. Just as the sun alone gives light, which all the stars put together cannot do, so the Sad-Guru alone imparts spiritual wisdom which all the sacred books and sermons cannot infuse. His movements and simple talks give us 'silent' advice.
Sai Ram. The 'silent' advice is a reference to Dakshinamurthy, that form of Sri Siva, portrayed as eternal 16-year young Guru, Who clears all doubts of physically much elder Sages like Sanaka, Sanandana etc., not by speaking, but by making them transcend the mind. Since doubts are a part of mind, transcending the mind clears all doubts too. So, they withdraw from the senses and still the mind. In the stillness of the mind, real knowledge shines, just as the image of the Sun is clear when the water is unruffled by breeze. Almost all meditation techniques aim to still the mind only. And the Manasarovar yatra so arduously undertaken by all devout Hindus is a symbol of the need to still one's mind so that the Self can reflect itself in its full glory. Baba also had the unique ability of reading and controlling the minds of His devotees (many of them used to come with various doubts and questions but could never ask them unless He willed it!) Sai Ram.
The virtues of forgiveness, calmness, disinterestedness, charity, benevolence, control of mind and body, egolessness etc. are observed by the disciples as they are being practiced in such pure and holy company. This enlightens their minds and lifts them up spiritually. Sai Baba was such a Sage or Sad-Guru. Though He acted as a Fakir (mendicant), He was always engrossed in the Self. He always loved all beings in which He saw God or Divinity. By pleasures He was not elated. He was not depressed by misfortunes. A king and a pauper were the same to Him.
Sai Ram. Shri Hemadpant describes the signs of a true Jnani, a Sthitha prajna (One with a steady understanding). Since the Jnani is free from the shackles of the ego, He is not affected by external events such as pleasures or misfortunes. He looks at every thing as God's Leela or Prasad and accepts all events as transient images on a screen. He remains in Sakshi bhava, witness mode. Sai Ram.
He, whose glance would turn a beggar into a king, used to beg His food from door to door in Shirdi, and let us now see how He did it.
Sai Ram. He had a very special purpose in begging His food in that small village. He used that simple act of begging to teach many devotees, valuable spiritual lessons. The above sentence establishes Sai's oneness with Lord Dattatreya and makes us recall the story in Sri Guru Charitra where Sri Guru (Sripada Vallabha) bestows a kingdom on a washerman! Sai Ram.
Baba Begging Food
Blessed are the people of Shirdi, in front of whose houses, Baba stood as a beggar and called out, "Oh Lassie (or Oh Maayee), give me a piece of bread" and spread out His hand to receive the same.
Sai Ram. Baba was showing the signs of a true Brahmachari, who is one who moves in and with Brahma. What is done now-a-days as a small ritual at the time of the Upanayana Samskara, that is the Ceremony which gives the Yagnopavita, sacred thread to the brahmachari, and which is considered as a necessary 'ritual' preceding marriage, has a very deep spiritual meaning. A true Brahma Jnani has no sense of thine or mine, so has no ego problem in begging food for preserving the body so that it can do its duty. Looking upon and addressing all women as Mothers, Sisters or daughters establishes Sai's true Brahmacharya, celibacy. Sai Ram.
In one hand He carried a Tumrel (tinpot) and in the other a zoli or choupadari, i.e., a rectangular piece of cloth. He daily visited certain houses and went from door to door. Liquid or semi-liquid things such as soup, vegetables, milk or butter-milk were received in the tin pot, while cooked rice, bread, and such solid things were taken in the zoli. Baba's tongue knew no taste, as He had acquired control over it. So how could He care for the taste of the different things collected together? Whatever things He got in His zoli and in the tin pot were mixed together and partaken by Baba to His heart's content. Whether particular things were tasty or otherwise was never noticed by Baba as if His tongue was devoid of the sense of taste altogether.
Sai Ram. Baba's tongue knew no taste, as He had acquired control over it. Taste, external beauty, and similar sensations, that is signals received by the five sensory organs have no doubt a place in the ordinary day-to-day affairs. But for a Brahma Jnani, who has transcended the mind, taste has no significance. So, all food was mixed up and eaten. Sai was also indicating that all individual dharmas, attributes merge into Brahman, Who is free of all attributes. When all Gunas merge, Saguna becomes Nirguna. Nirguna does not mean no attributes alone, it also means no specific attributes, just as white light has all the colors and is thus devoid of any specific color. Sai Ram.
Baba begged till noon, but His begging was very irregular. Some days He went a few rounds, on other days up to twelve noon. The food thus collected was thrown in a kundi, i.e. earthen pot. Dog, cats and crows freely ate from it and Baba never drove them away. The woman who swept the floor of the Masjid took some 10 or 12 pieces of bread to her house, and nobody prevented her from doing so. How could, He, who even in dreams never warded off cats and dogs by harsh words and signs, refuse food to poor helpless people? Blessed indeed is the life of such a noble person!
Sai Ram. Again by His conduct, He showed that He is one with all animate and inanimate, sentient and insentient beings. Doing good acts consciously is different from doing it automatically as True Real Nature. That is why Shri Hemadpant says there, even in dreams never warded off, a very significant statement! In dreams, the hidden side of the mind comes to the forefront. So all negative emotions, which might have been suppressed in conscious state come up, since the control of the mind is relaxed in sleep and in dreams. So, Sai did not have a harsh word for anyone else even in dream, since Sai is one with everyone and there is no one else. Once that state is realized by the individual ego, it no longer exists separately and is no longer troubled by Maya, Illusion, and sense of separation. Sai Ram.
People in Shirdi took Him in the beginning for a mad Fakir. He was known in the village by this name.
Sai Ram. Sai was so liberal of mind and heart that He was One with all living and non-living beings. He was therefore, not minding cats and dogs from eating food from the same pot as He. Blessed indeed is the life of such a Noble Person. Indeed. But such behavior will be considered 'mad' by so called 'normal' society. People in Shirdi took Him in the beginning for a mad Fakir. He was known in the village by this name. And of course He did not bother.The great Yogi Sadasiva Brahmendra was also considered to be mad and when people went to His Guru and told him about Sadasiva's madness, the Guru exclaimed that he too wished to be so fortunate and be mad like his illustrious disciple! Yogi Vemana also was considered to be a mad man. Lord Dattatreya behaved like a man man many times to put off people who were not yet ready to get His blessings! Similarly Sai used to behave like a mad man because He did not care for what others thought of His behavior and also to put off some devotees whose time has not yet come! Sai Ram.
How could one, who lived on alms by begging a few crumbs of bread, be revered and respected? But this Fakir was very liberal of heart and hand, disinterested and charitable. Though He looked fickle and restless from outside, He was firm and steady inside. His way was inscrutable. Still even in that small village, there were a few kind and blessed people who recognized and regarded Him as a Great Soul. One such instance is given below.
Sai Ram. To recognize the greatness of some one else, we need a minimum greatness ourselves. At another place, Shri Hemadpant writes that only a Saint can recognize another Saint. We may not be Saints, but we should have some merit (poorva janma punyam). Thus, a few kind and blessed people recognized Him. Here, kind also means type. Like a lion recognizes another lion. And yes, they were blessed to play their part in the drama set up by Sadguru Sai. For ordinary people, whose senses were covered by the veil of Maya, it is not possible to recognize the greatness of a Saint. The few souls who recognised Him were capable since they too were advanced and took birth to play their part in that wonderful drama, just like Vasudeva and Devaki, Nanda and Yasoda took birth to play their parts when Krishna decided to take birth in Brindavan. And King Dasaratha, Kausalya, Vasishtha and Viswamitra etc. took birth when Rama took birth in Ayodhya. Sai Ram.
Bayajabai's Brilliant Service
Tatya Kote's mother, Bayajabai, used to go to the woods every noon with a basket on her head containing bread and vegetables. She roamed in the jungles koss (about 3 miles) after koss, trampling over bushes and shrubs in search of the mad Fakir, and after hunting Him out, fell at His feet. The Fakir sat calm and motionless in meditation, while she placed a leaf before Him, spread the eatables, bread, vegetables etc. thereon and fed Him forcibly. Wonderful was her faith and service. Every day she roamed at noon in the jungles and forced Baba to partake lunch. Her service, Upasana or Penance, by whatever name we call it, was never forgotten by Baba till His Maha Samadhi. Remembering fully what service she rendered, Baba benefited her son magnificently. Both the son and the mother had great faith in the Fakir, Who was their God. Baba often said to them "Fakiri (Mendicacy) was the real Lordship as it was everlasting, and the so called Lordship (riches) was transient". After some years, Baba left off going into the woods, began to live in the village and take His food in the Masjid. From that time Bayajabai's troubles of roaming in the jungles ended.
Sai Ram. Bayajabai, a great soul, took care of Sai, when His fame was still not wide spread and when people were not coming to Him for miracles and worshipping Him. She could see through the external appearances and had a soul-to-soul communication with Him. Baba also responded to that soul-level communication of love. Bayajabai's son Tatya also was another great soul, who believed in Sai. It is apparent that these soul mates of Sai were with Him for many generations. Sai made references to some such long-lasting relationships elsewhere in Satcharitra. It is interesting to note that when Sri Bhagawan Ramana went to Arunachala and when He was still not famous, a few simple souls took care of His physical body. And another great soul, Seshadri Swamy also took care of Ramana. To see the greatness in another requires greatness, greatness arising out of humility, in us. Sai Ram.
Dormitory of Trio
Ever blessed are the Saints in whose heart Lord Vaasudeo (Vaasudev, Krishna, son of Vasudeva) dwells, and fortunate, indeed, are the devotees who get the benefit of the company of such Saints. Two such fortunate fellows, Tatya Kote Patil and Bhagat Mhalsapati, equally shared the company of Sai Baba. Baba also loved them both equally. These three persons slept in the Masjid with their heads towards the east, west and north and with their feet touching one another at the centre. Stretching their beds, they lay on them, chitchatting and gossiping about many things, till late at midnight. If any one of them showed any signs of sleep, others would wake him up. For instance, if Tatya began to snore, Baba at once got up and shook him from side to side and pressed his head. If it was Mhalsapati, He hugged him close, stroked his legs and kneaded his back. In this way for full 14 years, Tatya, leaving his parents at home, slept in the Masjid on account of his love for Baba. How happy and never to be forgotten were those days! How to measure that love and how to value the grace of Baba? After the passing away of his father, Tatya took charge of the household affairs and began to sleep at home.
Sai Ram. It is significant to note that Mhalsapati was the first to greet Sai with that name when the Fakir landed in Shirdi along with the marriage party of Chand Patil. And Tatya, along with his mother, Bayajabai, was among the few, who worshipped Sai as a holy man and fed His body. It is appropriate that Sai too took a special interest in the spiritual development of these two and so He chose a very special method, of sleeping with them in the Dwarakamai.
If any of them showed sings of sleep, others would wake him up - But we don't read an instance of Sai sleeping and Tatya or Bhagat waking Sai. He was always awake, especially spiritually. He alludes to this in another chapter when a discussion about the wooden plank comes up. But the same Bhagat Mhalsapati sat for three days with the body of Sri Sai, obviously without sleeping. So, Guru's grace can do any thing. The physical waking up by Sai of Tatya and Bhagat was just a symbolism of the spiritual awakening by Him of those whom He pulled close.
In this way, for a period of 14 years, Tatya, leaving his parents at home, slept in the Dwarakamai on account of his love for Baba - A real growing up period indeed. Which stood him in good stead for the rest of his life. Sai Ram.
Khushalchand of Rahata
Baba loved Ganpat Kote Patil of Shirdi. He equally loved Chandrabhan Seth Marwadi of Rahata. After the demise of the Seth, Baba loved his nephew Khushalchand equally or even perhaps more, and watched his welfare, day and night. Sometimes in a bullock cart, at other times in a tanga with intimate friends, Baba went to Rahata. People of that village came out, with band and music, and received Baba at the Ves or gate of the village and prostrated before Him. Then He was taken into the village with great pomp and ceremony. Khushalchand took Baba to his house, seated Him on a comfortable seat and gave Him a good lunch. Then they talked freely and merrily for some time, after which Baba returned to Shirdi, giving delight and blessing to all.
Shirdi is midway between and equidistant from Rahata on one side (south) and Nimgaon on the other (north). Baba never went beyond these places during His lifetime. He never saw any railway train nor traveled by it. Still, He knew exactly the timing of arrival and departure of all trains. Devotees who acted according to Baba's instructions (re : their departure)which were given by him at the time of taking His leave fared well, while those who disregarded them suffered many a mishap and accident. More about this and other matters will be told in the next Chapter.
Bow to Shri Sai-- Peace to be all
NOTE: An incident, given in the footnote at the end of this Chapter, showing Baba's love for Khusalchand how He asked one afternoon Kakasaheb Dixit to go to Rahata and fetch Khushalchand to Him, and at the same time appeared before Khushalchand in his noon-nap dream asking him to come to Shirdi, is not given here as it is described in the body of the book (Sai-Charita) later on (Chapter 30).
Sai Ram. Baba loved every one, but showed especially a little extra love to some people, who were His spiritual companions from many lives. Ganpat Kote Patil and Chandrabhan Seth Marwadi of Rahata, and his nephew Khushalchand were among such privileged few, who received Baba's love openly.
Shri Hemadpant introduces the all-pervading knowledge of Sai by giving a small incident as a footnote, which is dealt in more detail in a later chapter. And also paved the way for the stories of the next chapter, where Baba gave clear indications to His devotees about when to leave or when not to leave. Sai Ram.
Baba did not depend on the physical sight or the rational, logical, intellectual part of the mind. Since He was one with all, He knew what was going on everywhere. He gave many examples of such Oneness, which people took to be some special mystical powers. Sai Ram.
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