31 Oct 2006
[Mrs. Bhavani (wife of Shri. C.B.K. Murthy) asked Swami “I am chanting your name everyday in all the times with the help of the bead chain. Is it not the proof for my full faith on You?”]
I will tell you a small story. Nana Chandolkar went into forest and missed the path. He became thirsty and cried for water. He fell down but was chanting the name of Baba only. In Shirdi, Baba was folding His hands to give a whistle by mouth. Whenever His devotee leaves the body, He whistles like that. But, He did not give the whistle. Then Baba appeared before Nana as a hunter, showed water below a stone and also showed the correct path. What is the essence of this? Why Baba was almost prepared to give the whistle? Why He withdrew from it? Nana went into the forest without guide and water bottle due to his egoism. He was a Brahmin-Scholar and was a big officer. These three are sufficient for the climax of egoism. All the agony faced by him was the fruit of his egoistic deed. Therefore, Baba tried to give the whistle, which is a green signal for his death, following the cycle of deeds. But, Baba protected him at last. Why? The only reason is that the faith of Nana on Baba was like that of Hanuman on Rama. Both Nana and Hanuman are believers of the alive human incarnations of their times. If somebody is in the place of Nana, he will change the name of Baba to Siva to Ganga and finally to Varuna. After sometime, the devotee will doubt Baba as an ordinary human being since water was not given. He will pray Shiva since he has Ganges on His head. After sometime, he will pray Ganges directly. He will then doubt that Ganga is confined to a river only and is not water in general. Then, he will pray the God of water, who is Varuna. The pressure of the time was like that. Therefore, faith on the present human incarnation cannot be concluded when you chant the name sitting in the house comfortably. The real faith will be tested through such severe acid tests.